JP2011031954A - Packaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a packaging apparatus which reduces the frequency of positional changes by workers to improve work efficiency. <P>SOLUTION: The packaging apparatus 1 includes an enclosure, a placing part 2 which is disposed in front of the enclosure and places an article 100 packaged on the placing part 2, a transfer unit 14 which transfers the article 100 placed on the placing part in an X1 direction, a sealing part 3 which forms a film 50 into a bag shape and seals its edges to form a bag 40 containing the article 100 transferred by the transfer unit 14, a seal height adjusting unit 18 which transfers the bag 40 in a Y direction in the enclosure, a belt conveyor 20 which transfers the bag 40 transferred by the seal height adjusting unit 18 in an X2 direction in the enclosure, and an ejecting part 5 which is disposed in front of the enclosure and ejects the bag 40 transferred by the belt conveyor 20 out of the enclosure. The placing part 2 and the ejecting part 5 are arranged to be almost equal in height with respect to each other in front of the enclosure. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a packaging device.

  Stretch wrapping machine that holds products in tension, presses products placed on the tray against the film from below, and folds the periphery of the film to the bottom side of the tray to wrap products with the film However, it is disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1 below.

JP 2001-97309 A

  According to the stretch wrapping machine disclosed in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, articles are loaded from a carry-in mechanism provided at the lower front part of the apparatus main body, and then the packaged articles are discharged from the upper front part of the apparatus main body. Accordingly, since the height of the input position of the article is different from the height of the discharge position, the operator needs to change the posture in the vertical direction when inputting and receiving the article. As a result, since the physical burden is large for the worker who performs work for a long time, the work efficiency may be reduced.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to obtain a packaging device capable of improving work efficiency by reducing changes in the posture of an operator.

  The packaging device according to the present invention includes a housing, a placement portion for placing an article to be packaged, which is disposed in front of the housing, and the article placed on the placement portion. By conveying in the first direction, the first conveying means for putting the article into the housing, and disposed in the housing, by forming the packaging material into a bag shape and sealing the edge, A sealing portion that forms a bag body in which the article conveyed by the first conveying means is accommodated, and the bag is arranged in the housing, and the bag body is substantially orthogonal to the first direction in the housing. Second transport means for transporting in the second direction and a third direction that is disposed in the housing and transported by the second transport means in the housing is opposite to the first direction. And a third transport means for transporting to the front of the housing, and the third transport means A discharge portion that discharges the bag body conveyed from the housing, and the placement portion and the discharge portion are disposed at substantially the same height on the front surface of the housing. It is what.

  According to the packaging device according to the present invention, the placement unit and the discharge unit are disposed at substantially the same height on the front surface of the housing. Therefore, the operator does not need to change the posture in the vertical direction when placing the article on the placement section and when receiving the article from the discharge section. As a result, it is possible to reduce the physical burden on the worker due to the change in posture, and it is possible to improve work efficiency. Moreover, the first transport unit, the second transport unit, and the third transport unit are all disposed in the housing. Therefore, compared with the case where the bag formed by the sealing portion is discharged from the back surface of the housing and then conveyed to the front of the housing by a belt conveyor or the like outside the housing, the apparatus can be downsized. It becomes possible to plan.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the work efficiency because it is possible to reduce changes in the posture of the worker.

It is a perspective view which shows the whole structure of the packaging apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows typically the layout of each process part in a packaging apparatus. It is a figure which shows typically the structure of each process part shown in FIG. It is a front view which shows the structure of a film drawing-in unit. It is a side view which shows the structure of a film drawing unit. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by a sealing part in order of a process. It is a perspective view which shows the state of a film typically. It is a figure which shows typically the sealing location of a film. It is a block diagram which shows a part of function which a control part has.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the element which attached | subjected the same code | symbol in different drawing shall show the same or corresponding element.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall structure of a packaging device 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the structure of the packaging apparatus 1 is shown with the cover of the apparatus housing removed. The packaging device 1 is installed, for example, in a back yard of a supermarket or the like, and performs each processing of packaging, weighing, and pricing of articles with a single device. The article to be processed is, for example, food such as meat, fish, and vegetables. A display unit 60, an operation unit 61, and a label printer 62 are arranged on the front surface (the surface viewed from the X1 direction in the drawing) of the apparatus housing. The display unit 60 displays various setting information, the weighing result of the article, pricing information according to the weighing value, and the like. The operation unit 61 includes a numeric keypad, an operation switch, and the like, and an operator inputs various setting information by operating the operation unit 61. From the label printer 62, a label in which the measured value of the article, pricing information, and the like are written is output for each article.

  FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing the layout of each processing unit in the packaging apparatus 1. The packaging device 1 is disposed in front of the placement unit 2, the sealing unit 3 disposed behind the placement unit 2, the weighing unit 4 disposed beside the sealing unit 3, and the weighing unit 4. And a discharge portion 5. The placement unit 2 and the discharge unit 5 are disposed outside the apparatus housing, and the sealing unit 3 and the measuring unit 4 are disposed in the apparatus housing. Further, a retracting portion 6 is disposed between the placing portion 2 and the sealing portion 3. In the placement unit 2, an article to be processed is placed on a film by an operator. The article placed on the placement unit 2 is conveyed to the sealing unit 3 together with the film along the X1 direction in the drawing as indicated by an arrow L1. In the sealing part 3, an article is packaged using a film. The drawing section 6 stocks a predetermined amount of film by drawing the film downward. The article after packaging by the sealing unit 3 is conveyed to the weighing unit 4 along the Y direction in the drawing as indicated by an arrow L2. In the weighing unit 4, the goods are weighed. The article is conveyed along the X2 direction in the drawing as indicated by an arrow L3 and discharged from the discharge unit 5. The placement unit 2 and the discharge unit 5 are arranged side by side at substantially the same height of the apparatus housing.

  FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of each processing unit shown in FIG. The mounting unit 2 includes a mounting table 10 and a roller 11. The sealing unit 3 includes a transport unit 14, seal units 15L, 16L, and 17L, and a seal height adjustment unit 18. The seal height adjusting unit 18 has a function as a belt conveyor, and conveys articles in the Y direction in the drawing as indicated by an arrow M1. A plurality of rollers 19 are arranged side by side between the sealing unit 3 and the measuring unit 4. The weighing unit 4 includes a belt conveyor 20 and measures the weight of the article by a weighing unit such as a load cell while conveying the article in the X2 direction in the drawing as indicated by an arrow M2. The discharge unit 5 has a discharge table 21 in which a plurality of rollers are arranged. In addition, the drawing portion 6 includes rollers 13A and 13B and a film drawing unit 12 disposed between the rollers 13A and 13B. As shown in FIG. 1, the mounting table 10 and the discharge table 21 are arranged side by side at substantially the same height of the apparatus housing.

  4 and 5 are a front view and a side view showing the structure of the film drawing unit 12. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the film drawing unit 12 includes rollers 12U and 12L and a pair of side plates 12S. The roller 12 </ b> U is attached between the upper ends of the pair of side plates 12, and the roller 12 </ b> L is attached between the lower ends of the pair of side plates 12. Thereby, a space through which the article 100 can pass is provided between the rollers 12U and 12L. Similarly, the transport unit 14 has a structure in which rollers 14U and 14L are respectively attached between the upper end portions and the lower end portions of the pair of side plates.

  6-15 is a figure which shows the packaging operation | movement of the articles | goods by the sealing part 3 in order of a process. The sealing unit 3 includes an upper seal unit 70U and a lower seal unit 70L. The upper seal unit 70U includes seal portions 15U, 16U, and 17U, a cutter 32, and a roller 31. The seal portions 15U, 16U, and 17U are provided corresponding to the seal portions 15L, 16L, and 17L shown in FIG. The cutter 32 is provided in parallel to the seal portions 15U and 16U in the gap between the seal portions 15U and 16U. The upper seal unit 70U can be driven in the vertical direction (Z1 direction and Z2 direction in the drawing) by a drive mechanism (not shown). The seal height adjusting unit 18 can be driven in the vertical direction by a driving mechanism (not shown), and the film drawing unit 12 can also be driven in the vertical direction by a driving mechanism (not shown). Further, the transport unit 14 can be driven in the front-rear direction (X1 direction and X2 direction in the drawing) by a drive mechanism (not shown).

  In the standby state shown in FIG. 6, the film drawing unit 12 is driven downward, and the transport unit 14 is driven forward (that is, when viewed from the front of the apparatus housing). As shown by the thick broken line in the figure, the belt-like film 50 as the packaging material is a film supply roll 30 → the roller 11 → the upper surface of the mounting table 10 → the roller 13A → the roller 12U → the roller 13B → the roller 14L → the roller 14U → the roller. It is bridged by a route that contacts 33 → film collection roll 34 in this order.

  Next, referring to FIG. 7, the worker places article 100 to be processed on film 50 on placement table 10. In packaging apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, article 100 can be placed directly on film 50 without using a tray. However, the use of the tray is not necessarily prohibited, and the tray on which the article is placed can be placed on the placement table 10.

  Next, referring to FIG. 8, the film drawing unit 12 is driven upward until the roller 12L is aligned with the rollers 13A and 13B in the same plane. In conjunction with this, the transport unit 14 is driven rearward (that is, when viewed from the front of the apparatus casing). The transport unit 14 advances toward the back in the space between the upper seal unit 70U and the lower seal unit 70L. At this time, the rotation of the film collection roll 34 is stopped, and the film supply roll 30 supplies the film 50 by a necessary amount. Thereby, the film 50 is conveyed as the conveyance unit 14 advances, and accordingly, the article 100 placed on the film 50 passes from the placement table 10 through the space between the rollers 12U and 12L. Then, it is conveyed onto the seal height adjusting unit 18.

  Next, referring to FIG. 9, the film drawing unit 12 is driven downward. At this time, the rotation of the film collection roll 34 is stopped, and the film supply roll 30 supplies the film 50 by a necessary amount. Thereby, a part of the film 50 used in the next packaging process is stocked in the drawing-in part 6.

  Next, referring to FIG. 10, the seal height adjustment unit 18 is driven downward by a predetermined amount corresponding to the thickness of the article 100. The seal height adjusting unit 18 is driven downward to a position where the heights of the upper surfaces of the seal portions 15L, 16L, and 17L are substantially equal to the height of the center of the article 100 in the thickness direction. However, as long as the relative position between the article 100 and the seal portions 15L, 16L, and 17L can be adjusted, the lower seal unit 70L may be driven upward instead of driving the seal height adjustment unit 18 downward.

  Next, referring to FIGS. 11 and 12, the transport unit 14 is driven forward in a predetermined posture and track that can avoid contact with the article 100. As a result, the transport unit 14 is discharged from the space between the upper seal unit 70U and the lower seal unit 70L, and returns to the initial position shown in FIG. FIG. 16 is a perspective view schematically showing the state of the film 50. Through the series of operations of the transport unit 14 thus far, the second portion 502 in front of the first portion 501 on which the article 100 is placed (the front in the X1 direction in the drawing) is placed on the film 50. It looks like it is folded back in the X2 direction in the figure.

  Next, referring to FIG. 13, when upper seal unit 70U is driven downward, film 50 is sandwiched from above and below by seal portions 15U, 16U, 17U and seal portions 15L, 16L, 17L. And the edge parts of the 1st part 501 and the 2nd part 502 are sealed by thermocompression bonding. FIG. 17 is a diagram schematically showing a sealing portion of the film 50. The side area AR1 is sealed by the seal portions 17U and 17L, and the mouth area AR2 is sealed by the seal portions 16U and 16L. Thereby, the bag 40 in which the article 100 is accommodated between the first portion 501 and the second portion 502 is formed. Note that it is not always necessary to seal the three sides of the bag body 40. For example, the sealing of the area AR2 may be suspended, and only two side portions may be sealed. In this case, since the mouth portion of the bag body 40 is opened, the operator can put a seasoning sachet or the like into the bag body 40 after the bag body 40 is discharged from the packaging device 1.

  Further, the film 50 is cut by the cutter 32 along the line N in the vicinity of the area AR2. At the same time, in order to join the films 50 separated by cutting, the area AR3 in the vicinity of the line N is sealed by the seal portions 15U and 15L. Thereby, the film 50 once separated by cutting is joined again at the joint portion 41.

  Next, referring to FIG. 14, the upper seal unit 70U is driven upward to return to the initial position shown in FIG. Thereafter, the seal height adjusting unit 18 is driven upward, and accordingly, the bag body 40 on the seal height adjusting unit 18 is also driven upward.

  Next, referring to FIG. 15, when the belt conveyor of the seal height adjustment unit 18 is driven, the bag body 40 jumps over the seal portion 17 </ b> L from the seal height adjustment unit 18 and passes through the roller 19. Then, it is conveyed onto the belt conveyor 20 of the weighing unit 4. In addition, the film collection roll 34 is driven to wind up the film 50 by a predetermined amount, whereby the joint portion 41 of the film 50 is collected. Thereafter, the seal height adjusting unit 18 is driven downward to return to the initial position shown in FIG. Thereby, it will be in the standby state of the next packaging operation | movement.

  FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating some of the functions of the control unit mounted on the packaging device 1. The control unit includes a setting unit 45 and a storage unit 46. The operator inputs the size (that is, the bag length) of the bag body 40 in the longitudinal direction of the film 50 and the thickness of the article 100 using the operation unit 61 shown in FIG. The input value of the bag length is input to the setting unit 45 as data S1, and the input value of the thickness of the article 100 is input to the setting unit 45 as data S2.

  Based on the data S1, the setting unit 45 draws the film 50 by the film drawing unit 12 (that is, the displacement amount of the film drawing unit 12 from the position shown in FIG. 8 to the position shown in FIG. 9), and the conveyance The conveyance amount of the film 50 by the unit 14 (that is, the displacement amount of the conveyance unit 14 from the position shown in FIG. 7 to the position shown in FIG. 8) is set. The larger the bag length, the larger the pull-in amount and the transport amount, and the smaller the bag length, the smaller the pull-in amount and the transport amount. Specifically, a data table in which the relationship between various bag lengths and appropriate values of the pull-in amount and the conveyance amount corresponding to each bag length is stored in the storage unit 46 in advance, and the setting unit 45 The pull-in amount and the carry amount corresponding to the bag length represented by the data S1 are read from the storage unit 46. The control unit 45 inputs data S <b> 3 relating to the set drawing amount to the driving unit of the film drawing unit 12. Further, the control unit 45 inputs data S <b> 4 related to the set transport amount to the drive unit of the transport unit 14.

  Further, the setting unit 45 drives the seal height adjustment unit 18 based on the data S2 (that is, the displacement amount of the seal height adjustment unit 18 from the position shown in FIG. 9 to the position shown in FIG. 10). Set. The setting unit 45 sets the drive amount of the seal height adjustment unit 18 to a value that is half the thickness of the article 100 represented by the data S2. The control unit 45 inputs data S5 related to the set drive amount to the drive unit of the seal height adjustment unit 18.

  According to the packaging device 1 according to the present embodiment, the placement unit 2 and the discharge unit 5 are arranged at substantially the same height on the front surface of the device housing. Therefore, the operator does not need to change the posture in the vertical direction when placing the article 100 on the placement unit 2 and when receiving the packaged article 100 from the discharge unit 5. As a result, it is possible to reduce the physical burden on the worker due to the change in posture, and it is possible to improve work efficiency.

  Moreover, a transport unit 14 for transporting the article 100 from the placement unit 2 to the sealing unit 3, a seal height adjusting unit 18 for transporting the bag body 40 from the sealing unit 3 to the weighing unit 4, and weighing Both the belt conveyor 20 for conveying the bag body 40 from the section 4 to the discharge section 5 are arranged in the apparatus housing. Therefore, when the bag formed by the sealing portion 3 is discharged from the back surface of the apparatus housing, the bag body is transported to the front of the apparatus housing by a belt conveyor or the like outside the housing. It is possible to reduce the size.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Packaging apparatus 2 Mounting part 3 Sealing part 4 Weighing part 5 Discharge part 6 Pull-in part 10 Mounting base 12 Film drawing unit 14 Transport unit 15U, 15L, 16U, 16L, 17U, 17L Seal part 18 Seal height adjustment unit 21 Discharge table 30 Film supply roll 32 Cutter 34 Film collection roll 40 Bag body 41 Joint location 45 Setting section 50 Film 100 Article 501 First part 502 Second part

Claims (1)

A housing,
A placement section for placing an article to be packaged, disposed on the front surface of the housing;
First conveying means for feeding the article into the casing by conveying the article placed on the placement unit in a first direction;
A sealing portion that is disposed in the housing and forms a bag body in which the article conveyed by the first conveying means is accommodated by forming a packaging material into a bag shape and sealing an edge portion; ,
A second transport unit disposed in the housing and transporting the bag body in a second direction substantially orthogonal to the first direction in the housing;
A third transport unit disposed in the housing and transporting the bag body transported by the second transport unit in a third direction opposite to the first direction in the housing;
A discharge portion that is disposed in front of the housing and discharges the bag body conveyed by the third conveying means from the housing;
The packaging unit, wherein the placement unit and the discharge unit are disposed at substantially the same height on the front surface of the housing.

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