JP2013086849A - Method and system for sealing mouth of bag accommodated in retainer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent the holding error of both side edges of a bag by grippers in a method with which a gusset bag 2 which is filled with objected to be packaged and is accommodated in a retainer 1 is supplied to a seal device 4 together with the retainer, both the side edges in the vicinity of a mouth of the bag are held by grippers 18, 18 of the seal device and the mouth is sealed while being held between a pair of hot plates 21, 21.SOLUTION: Both side parts of an opened mouth of the gusset bag 2 are folded by inner claws 8, 9, 10, 11 for folding and outer claws 12, 13 for folding and held in a flat shape from both sides by shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7 and with the state kept as it is, the bag 2 is transferred to a supply position 4 of the seal device 4 together with the retainer.

Description

  The present invention provides a sealing method and a seal in which a bag accommodated in a retainer and filled with an article to be packaged is supplied to the sealing device together with the retainer, and the bag mouth of the bag accommodated in the retainer is sandwiched by a hot plate in the sealing device. It relates to the improvement of the system.

  In Patent Document 1, a bag that is accommodated in a retainer and filled with an article to be packaged is supplied to the sealing device together with the retainer, and both side edges in the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag are clamped by a pair of left and right grippers in the sealing device. A sealing method and a sealing system are described in which the gap between the pair of left and right grippers is widened, the vicinity of the bag mouth is pulled and tensioned in the bag width direction, and then the bag mouth under tension is sealed. The reason for tensioning the bag mouth with the gripper before sealing is to prevent the occurrence of wrinkle sealing (a kind of sealing failure).

JP 58-82801 A

On the other hand, the sealing method and the sealing system described in Patent Document 1 have the following problems.
(1) A bag that is accommodated in a retainer and filled with an article to be packaged is supplied to the sealing device with the bag mouth open, and both side edges of the sealing device near the bag mouth (slightly below the planned seal location) It is sandwiched between a pair of left and right grippers. However, since the bag is generally made of a flexible film, the shape of the opening changes depending on how the packaged item is stored (filled state) in the bag, and the length of the bag mouth in the bag width direction also changes. For this reason, even in a bag having a side seal portion such as a flat bag or a self-supporting bag, the positions of both side edge portions of the bag vary from bag to bag, and on the other hand, the gripper position is the same. There is a tendency to make a pinching mistake, such as when the bag mouth is tensioned and the bag is detached from the gripper.

(2) Since the inner peripheral size of the retainer is set slightly larger than the outer peripheral size of the bag, the center of the bag accommodated in the retainer may be displaced from the center of the retainer. When this shift is particularly large in the bag width direction, it can be held only shallowly by the gripper on one side, and the same problem as in the above (1) occurs.
(3) The gripper of the sealing device has a circular movement path, while the bag accommodated in the retainer is conveyed parallel to the bag surface (in the bag width direction) by the supply conveyor, and the conveyance path is the movement path. Is tangential. The gripper movement path and the bag transport path that sandwich the side edges of the bag partially overlap each other, so that the gripper and the bag interfere with each other. In order to prevent the interference, it is necessary to retract the gripper from the bag transport path at a timing when the gripper moving path and the bag transport path overlap. Therefore, the complexity and cost increase of the gripper structure are inevitable.

(4) In the case of a foldable bag such as a gusset bag, there is generally no side seal portion, and the bag housed in the retainer is also open on both sides. The sealing method and apparatus of Patent Document 1 cannot be applied to such a bag. This is because it is difficult to fold both sides at the same time when gripping both side edges of the bag with the gripper.

According to the present invention, a bag that is accommodated in a retainer and filled with an article to be packaged is supplied to the seal device together with the retainer, and both side edges in the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag are sandwiched by a pair of left and right grippers in the seal device, In a sealing method and a sealing system in which the gap between a pair of left and right grippers is widened and the vicinity of the bag mouth is pulled and tensioned in the bag width direction, and then the bag mouth in a tension state is sealed. Main purpose.
Further, the interference between the gripper and the bag can be prevented without complicating the structure and cost of the gripper, and the sealing method and the sealing system can be applied to a bag having folds on both sides such as a gusset bag. Each of these is another purpose.

The sealing method according to the present invention is to hold the bag opening near the opening of a bag accommodated in a retainer filled with an article to be held in a flat shape with a shaping member, and supply the bag together with the retainer to the sealing device. Removing the position sandwiched between the shaping members, sandwiching both side edges in the vicinity of the bag mouth with the left and right grippers of the sealing device, opening the shaping member to release the bag, and increasing the spacing between the left and right grippers. It is characterized by spreading and tensioning the bag mouth and sealing the strained bag mouth. When shaping the vicinity of the bag mouth in a flat shape with the shaping member itself and holding the state as it is, after shaping the vicinity of the bag mouth in a flat shape with another member and holding the state sandwiched by the shaping member, and There may be a case where the vicinity of the bag mouth is shaped to a certain degree of flatness with another member and then further shaped into a flat shape by being sandwiched between the shaping members and the state is maintained.
By holding the bag opening near the bag opening with a shaping member and holding it flat (closing the bag opening), the length of the bag opening in the bag width direction becomes constant, and variations in the position of both side edges of the bag The degree is improved as compared with the case where the bag mouth remains open, and the occurrence of a pinching error can be prevented.

  The sealing method can take the following form, for example. That is, the sealing device includes a plurality of sets of left and right grippers that are installed at equal intervals along a circular movement path and intermittently move along the movement path, and corresponding retainer support bases, and one of their stop positions. The bag is sequentially supplied to the supply position together with the retainer, the bag is supported by a retainer support base at the supply position, and both side edges of the bag are sandwiched by left and right grippers, and the left and right grippers and the retainer are supported. The bag and the retainer are intermittently moved along with the intermittent movement of the table, and the bag mouth of the bag is sealed in the process of the intermittent movement.

The sealing system according to the present invention includes a supply conveyor, a sealing device, a transfer device, and a shaping device described below.
The supply conveyor intermittently and sequentially conveys a retainer containing a bag filled with an article to be packaged at regular intervals along a predetermined conveyance path.
The sealing device includes a plurality of sets of left and right grippers and corresponding retainer support bases that are arranged at equal intervals along a circular movement path and move along the movement path to widen or narrow each other on the movement path. And a supply of a retainer containing a pair of sealing heat plates disposed in the vicinity of the sealing position which is a stop position on the moving path, and containing a bag at a supply position which is one of the stopping positions on the moving path The retainer is supported by a retainer support base, and both side edges of the bag are sandwiched by left and right grippers, and the bag and the retainer are intermittently moved in accordance with the intermittent movement of the left and right grippers and the retainer support base, In the process of intermittent movement, the gap between the left and right grippers is widened to tighten the bag mouth of the bag, and the bag mouth of the bag is sandwiched between the hot plates at the sealing position and sealed.

The transfer device supports the retainer at a transfer start position that is one of stop positions set on the transfer path, and transfers the retainer from the transfer start position toward the supply position along a predetermined transfer path, A retainer transfer member is mounted on the retainer support at the supply position and then returns to the transfer start position.
The shaping apparatus includes a shaping member that holds the vicinity of the bag mouth in a flat shape by sandwiching the vicinity of the opening of the bag from both sides on the transfer path. The shaping member moves together with the retainer transfer member until the retainer is transferred on the transfer path and reaches the supply position with the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag being sandwiched, and the left and right grippers of the seal device move the bag at the supply position. After sandwiching both side edges, it opens to release the bag, and then returns to its original position.
According to the above system, the length of the bag mouth in the bag width direction is constant by holding the bag mouth near the bag mouth with a shaping member and holding it flat (closing the bag mouth), and both sides of the bag The degree of variation in the position of the portion is improved as compared with the case where the bag mouth remains open, and the occurrence of a pinching error can be prevented.

The sealing system can take the following form, for example.
(1) A pair of the shaping members are disposed opposite to each other in the width direction of the bag.
(2) The retainer transfer member moves up toward the seal device after being lifted substantially vertically at the transfer start position, and is lowered substantially vertically after reaching the upper position of the retainer support base stopped at the supply position.
(3) The retainer transfer member has a shape complementary to the retainer support in a plan view.
(4) The conveyance path of the supply conveyor is linear, and the center of the movement path of the sealing device is positioned on the extension line, and the bag accommodated in the retainer conveyed by the supply conveyor has a width direction in the conveyance path. The bag width direction of the bag sandwiched between the left and right grippers is substantially tangential to the movement path. According to this embodiment, when the retainer containing the bag is supplied to the sealing device, the gripper is supplied in the same manner as when the bag is supplied to the gripper of a normal rotary type bag filling and packaging machine (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-073777). And bag interference can be prevented.

(5) The retainer transfer member has a plurality of free rotating rollers for supporting the retainer, the axial direction of the free rotating rollers is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the supply conveyor, and the shaping devices are in contact with each other. A pair or a plurality of pairs of position correcting inner claws that are separated and move up and down relative to the retainer transfer member, the position correcting inner claws before the shaping member sandwiches the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag accommodated in the retainer In the bag mouth of the bag in the bag width direction of the bag accommodated in the retainer. Correct the misalignment. When the position of the bag is shifted in the bag width direction in the retainer, a load is applied to the bag in a direction opposite to the direction of the shift, and the bag moves in the load direction together with the retainer on the retainer transfer member. When the misalignment is corrected and the bag is supplied to the sealing device, the clamping width by the left and right grippers becomes uniform, and a clamping error is prevented.

(6) The retainer transfer member includes a plurality of free rotating rollers that support the retainer, the axial direction of the free rotating rollers is substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the supply conveyor, and the shaping devices are in contact with each other. 4 internal claws for folding that move up and down with respect to the retainer transfer member, and a pair of external claws for folding that come in contact with and separate from each other, and the internal claws for folding correspond to the clamping positions of the left and right grippers of the seal device The folding inner claw and the folding outer claw move together with the shaping member, and the folding member is inserted before the shaping member sandwiches the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag accommodated in the retainer. The inner claws enter into the bag mouth of the bag in a state of approaching each other, are separated from each other to a predetermined position in the bag mouth, and the bag mouth is tensioned in a square shape, and then the outer claws for folding are in the transport direction Approach each other vertically and push the side surface near the bag mouth of the bag inward, and the inner claws for folding approach each other in parallel with the transport direction, so that both sides are inwardly in the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag. After the folding member is formed, the shaping member is sandwiched in the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag accommodated in the retainer from both sides, and before the left and right grippers clamp the both side edges of the bag, the folding outer claws are separated from each other. To remove from the bag. This form assumes the form of said (4) and targets a gusset bag. The folding inner claw also has an effect of correcting the positional deviation in the bag width direction, like the position correcting inner claw described in (5) above.

  According to the present invention, a bag accommodated in a retainer and filled with an article to be packaged is supplied to the sealing device together with the retainer, and both side edges of the bag near the bag mouth are sandwiched by a pair of left and right grippers. In the sealing method and sealing system in which the gap between the pair of left and right grippers is widened, the vicinity of the bag mouth is pulled and tensioned in the bag width direction, and then the strained bag mouth is sealed. Further, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a sealing failure such as a wrinkle seal or the failure of the seal itself.

1 is an overall perspective view of a seal system according to the present invention. It is a perspective view explaining a part of seal method and seal system concerning the present invention in order of a process. It is a perspective view explaining a part of seal method and seal system concerning the present invention in order of a process. It is a perspective view explaining a part of seal method and seal system concerning the present invention in order of a process. It is a perspective view explaining a part of seal method and seal system concerning the present invention in order of a process. It is a perspective view explaining a part of seal method and seal system concerning the present invention in order of a process. It is a perspective view explaining a part of seal method and seal system concerning the present invention in order of a process. It is a perspective view explaining a part of seal method and seal system concerning the present invention in order of a process. It is a perspective view explaining a part of seal method and seal system concerning the present invention in order of a process. It is a perspective view explaining the sealing method and sealing system concerning the present invention in order of a process.

Hereinafter, a sealing method and a sealing system according to the present invention will be specifically described with reference to FIGS.
The seal system shown in FIG. 1 transfers a bag 2 accommodated in a retainer 1 and filled with an article to be packaged to the seal device together with the retainer, and seals the bag mouth of the bag 2 with the seal device. Conveyor 3, sealing device 4, transfer device (only retainer transfer member 5 shown), shaping device (shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7, folding inner claws 8, 9, 10, 11 and folding outer claws 12 and 13 only). Reference numeral 14 denotes a conveyor for carrying out the bag sealed by the sealing device 4.

The retainer 1 includes a flat bottom plate 15 and a rectangular frame 16. The bag 2 consists of a gusset bag, and is accommodated in the retainer 1 with the fold line open. The frame 16 is made slightly larger in plan view than the bag 2 with the folds open.
The supply conveyor 3 includes a number of horizontally arranged conveyor rollers, and sequentially and sequentially conveys the retainer 1 containing the bags 2 along the linear conveyance path at regular intervals. All the retainers 1 conveyed on the supply conveyor 3 are guided such that the center in the width direction (perpendicular to the conveyance path) is located on the center line of the conveyance path of the supply conveyor 3.

  A plurality of stop positions at which the retainer 1 stops are set at equal intervals on the transport path of the supply conveyor 3, and at one of the bag supply positions A, the gusset bag 2 with the folds opened from above is in the bag width direction. Is inserted into the retainer 1 so as to be perpendicular to the transport path. The next stop position is a filling position B, and filling of the article to be packaged is performed via the hopper 17. The next stop position is a transfer start position C. At this transfer start position C, a space 3a is formed at the center of the transport surface of the supply conveyor 3, and a retainer transfer member 5 which is a part of the transfer device is waiting in this space 3a. A conveyor roller is not installed on the front side of the space 3a (the front side of the conveyance path of the supply conveyor 3) (see FIG. 5). Further, the shaping device is waiting on the transfer start position C.

  The sealing device 4 corresponds to eight sets of left and right grippers 18 and 18 that are arranged at equal intervals along a horizontal and circular movement path and move intermittently along the movement path, and the grippers 18 and 18. And a retainer support 19 that moves with the grippers 18 and 18 along a circular movement path. The grippers 18 and 18 open and close at a predetermined timing on the movement path, and widen or narrow each other. The retainer support 19 mounts the retainer 1 horizontally, and the grippers 18, 18 sandwich both side edges in the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag 2 accommodated in the retainer 1, thereby being supplied to the sealing device 4. The retainer 1 and the bag 2 move intermittently along the movement path. The bag 2 sandwiched between the grippers 18 and 18 has its bag width direction tangential to the movement path. Hereinafter, the movement paths of the grippers 18 and 18 and the retainer support 19 are not particularly distinguished and may be referred to as a movement path of the sealing device 4.

  The grippers 18 and 18 and the retainer support 19 are stopped eight times (stop positions D to K) during one rotation along the moving path. The first stop position D is a supply position that receives the supply of the retainer 1 that houses the bag 2 (hereinafter, the stop position D is referred to as a supply position D). At this supply position D, the retainer 1 is placed on the retainer support 19, the grippers 18 and 18 are closed, and both side edges in the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag 2 are clamped. Before the grippers 18 and 18 and the retainer support 19 move and reach the stop position F, the grippers 18 and 18 widen each other and tension the bag mouth of the bag 2.

The stop position F is a first seal position (hereinafter, the stop position F is referred to as a first seal position F). When the grippers 18 and 18 are stopped at the first sealing position F, the heat plates 21 and 21 are closed, and the bag mouth of the bag 2 sandwiched between the grippers 18 and 18 is sandwiched and sealed. The stop position G is the second sealing position, and a pair of hot plates 22 and 22 are arranged. When the grippers 18 and 18 stop at the same position, the hot plates 22 and 22 are closed, and the bag mouth is sealed for the second time. Is called. The stop position H is a cooling position, and cooling plates 23 and 23 for cooling the bag mouth are arranged. When the grippers 18 and 18 stop at the same position, the cooling plates 23 and 23 are closed, and the bag mouth is cooled.
When the grippers 18 and 18 stop at the stop position J, the grippers 18 and 18 open the bag 2, and then the retainer 1 containing the bag 2 is transferred onto the conveyor 14 by transfer means (not shown), and the next step It is transported toward the position. Before the grippers 18 and 18 and the retainer support 19 reach the supply position D, the grippers 18 and 18 narrow each other.

  The axis Ax of the moving path of the grippers 18 and 18 is located on an extension of the center line Co of the transport path of the supply conveyor 3. The center position of the left and right grippers 18 and 18 stopped at the supply position D (the center position between the left and right grippers 18 and 18) Go is positioned on a vertical plane including the center line Co and the axis Ax of the transport path. To do. If the center position in the bag width direction of the bag 2 accommodated in the retainer 1 conveyed by the supply conveyor 3 is located on the center line Co of the conveyance path of the supply conveyor 3, the bag of the bag 2 is stored. The center position in the width direction is also located on the vertical plane.

The retainer transfer member 5 which is a part of the transfer device (see FIG. 2) is composed of a frame 24 and two rollers 25 and 26 that are rotatably supported by the frame 24. The rollers 25 and 26 are installed in parallel with the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 3. Therefore, when a load perpendicular to the conveying direction is applied to the retainer 1 in a horizontal plane, the retainer 1 can move in the direction of the load.
The retainer transfer member 5 horizontally places the retainer 1 stopped at the transfer start position C on the transfer path of the supply conveyor 3 and transfers the retainer 1 to the supply position D on the transfer path of the seal device 4. The retainer transfer member 5 is moved by a drive mechanism (not shown), and its moving path (transfer path of the retainer 1) is vertically raised at the transfer start position C, horizontally linearly moved parallel to the transport path of the supply conveyor 3, and the supply Vertical descent at position D.

The retainer transfer member 5 has a shape complementary to the transfer conveyor 3 in plan view at the transfer start position C on the transfer path of the supply conveyor 3. That is, the retainer transfer member 5 enters the space 3a formed in the central portion of the transport surface of the supply conveyor 3 at the transfer start position C, and separates from the space 3a without receiving the interference of the conveyor rollers when vertically rising. . In addition, since the front side of the space 3a is open, as will be described later, the retainer transfer member 5 that has retreated (returned) in the horizontal plane along the transport path is free from the interference of the conveyor roller. Can enter.
The retainer transfer member 5 has a shape complementary to the retainer support 19 in plan view, and the space 5a surrounded by the frame 24 and the rollers 25 and 26 is open on the front side of the moving path. Therefore, as will be described later, the retainer transfer member 5 that has linearly moved in the horizontal plane along the predetermined movement path toward the supply position D of the sealing device 4 does not interfere with the retainer support 19 and does not interfere with each other. The support base 19 can enter the space 5a, and can further descend vertically in that state.

  As shown more clearly in FIG. 2, the shaping device includes a pair of shaping members 6 and 6 that rotate in the horizontal plane around the support shafts 6a and 6a, respectively, and the support shafts 7a and 7a in the horizontal plane. Another pair of rotating shaping members 7, 7 and four plate-like inner claws for folding that are arranged in a vertical posture with respect to the transfer path, move in contact with and away from each other and move up and down with respect to the retainer transfer member 5. 8 to 11 and a pair of plate-like outer claws 12 and 13 which are arranged in a vertical posture with respect to the transfer path and are in contact with and separated from each other in the posture. Such a member for shaping the bag opening of the gusset bag is described in, for example, Japanese Patent No. 4182421, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-14276, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 55-79204, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 50-25393. As it is, it is known per se. These members further move together with the retainer transfer member 5 along the movement path of the retainer transfer member 5 (transfer path of the retainer 1).

Hereinafter, with reference to FIGS. 2 to 10, functions, operations, and movement paths of these members constituting the shaping device, and functions, operations, and movement paths of the retainer transfer member 5 described above will be specifically described. However, in FIGS. 2 to 10, the operation mechanism and moving mechanism of each member are not shown.
FIG. 2 shows the shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7 and the inner claws 8, 9, 10, 11, when the retainer 1 and the bag 2 are stopped at the transfer start position C on the conveyance path of the supply conveyor 3. The arrangement | positioning (initial position) of the outer claws 12 and 13 for folding and the retainer transfer member 5 is shown.

The upper surface of the retainer transfer member 5 (the surface on which the retainer 1 is placed) is located slightly below the transfer surface of the supply conveyor 3 at the transfer start position C, and the retainer transfer member 5 and the retainer transferred to the transfer start position C Interference with 1 and the bag 2 is prevented.
The shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7 are arranged at the transfer start position C so as to face both sides of the bag 2 with the conveyance path interposed therebetween. The shaping members 6, 6 and 7, 7 rotate in a horizontal plane to open and close, and when closed, sandwich the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag 2 from both sides. In FIG. 2, the shaping members 6, 6, 7, and 7 are opened to the retracted position, and interference with the retainer 1 and the bag 2 that are transported to the transfer start position C is prevented.

The inner claws 8 to 11 for folding are arranged above the central portion of the bag 2 stopped at the transfer start position C in a state where the inner claws 8 to 11 are gathered close to each other. The folding inner claws 8 to 11 have outward cutouts 8a to 11a, respectively. The outer claws 12 and 13 for folding are arranged opposite to both sides of the bag 2 with the conveyance path of the supply conveyor 3 interposed therebetween.
The folding inner claws 8 to 11 are arranged at positions higher than the folding outer claws 12 and 13, and the folding outer claws 12 and 13 are arranged at positions slightly higher than the shaping members 6, 6, 7, and 7.

  In this example, the bag 2 accommodated in the retainer 1 is not located at the center in the width direction of the retainer 1 (perpendicular to the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 3), but is shifted in the width direction ( In FIG. 2, it is accommodated at a position shifted to the right in the width direction. FIG. 2 shows a state where the center Bo of the bag 2 in the bag width direction and the center Ro of the retainer 1 in the width direction are shifted by a distance W in the bag width direction. As described above, the retainer 1 on the supply conveyor 3 is guided so that the center Ro in the width direction of the retainer 1 is positioned on the center line Co of the conveyance path of the supply conveyor 3. The center Bo in the width direction is shifted from the center line Co of the transport path of the supply conveyor 3 by a distance W.

  FIG. 3 shows that the retainer transfer member 5 mounts the retainer 1 and the bag 2 and rises vertically by a predetermined distance, while the folding inner claws 8 to 11 descend vertically by a predetermined distance, and the folding inner claws 8 to 11 are bags. 2 shows a state in which the bag is opened from the opened bag mouth to a predetermined position inside the bag mouth (a position where the upper end of the bag 2 and the upper ends of the folding inner claws 8 to 11 are substantially at the same height). The shaping members 6, 6, 7, and 7 and the outer claws 12 and 13 for folding do not move up and down.

  FIG. 4 shows a state in which the folding inner claws 8 to 11 are horizontally moved from the assembled state at the same time in a substantially radial direction to be separated from each other and dispersed and stopped at predetermined positions. The folding inner claws 8 and 9 and the folding inner claws 10 and 11 are arranged symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane passing through the center line Co of the conveyance path of the supply conveyor 3 and are contacted and separated while maintaining symmetry. . The folding inner claws 8 to 11 dispersed in the four directions come into contact with the four corners of the inner surface of the bag mouth, and the opened bag mouth is pushed in a substantially radial direction from the inner side to be in a square shape.

At this time, since the bag 2 is accommodated in the retainer 1 while being shifted by a distance W (see FIG. 2) in the width direction, the folding inner claws 8 to 11 abut against the inner surface of the bag mouth of the bag 2 to When tension is applied, a load is applied to the bag 2 in a direction that eliminates the shift in the width direction. The load applied to the bag 2 in the bag width direction is transmitted to the retainer 1, and the retainer 1 moves on the retainer transfer member 5 in the direction of the load (the width direction of the retainer 1) by the amount of deviation (distance W). . As a result, in the retainer 1, the center Ro in the width direction is shifted from the center line Co of the transport path of the supply conveyor 3 by the distance W in the width direction, while the bag 2 is eliminated from the shift in the bag width direction. The center Bo is at a position overlapping the center line Co.
As described above, the operation of the folding inner claws 8 to 11 corrects the positional deviation in the bag width direction of the bag 2 accommodated in the retainer 1, and as a result, the bag 2 is supplied to the supply position D of the sealing device 4. When this is done, the center Bo of the bag 2 in the bag width direction coincides with the center Go of the left and right grippers 18, 18, thereby preventing a gripping error by the grippers 18, 18.

Subsequently, the retainer transfer member 5 moves horizontally toward the supply position D of the sealing device 4 in parallel with the transport path of the supply conveyor 3. While the retainer transfer member 5 moves horizontally, the shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7, the folding inner claws 8 to 11, and the folding outer claws 12, 13 follow the retainer transfer member 5 and horizontally move together. .
Further, while the retainer transfer member 5 moves horizontally, as shown in FIG. 5, the folding outer claws 12 and 13 move horizontally inward to approach each other and hit the folding line 2a at the center of the side of the bag 2. At the same time, the folding inner claws 8 and 9 and the folding inner claws 10 and 11 move horizontally in parallel to the conveying direction of the supply conveyor 3 and approach each other, and the side of the bag 2 Is folded into a flat shape.

During the horizontal movement of the retainer transfer member 5, when the folding of the side portion of the bag 2 is completed, the shaping members 6, 6 and the shaping members 7, 7 are rotated and closed in the horizontal plane as shown in FIG. In addition, the folded portions mainly on both side portions in the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag 2 are horizontally clamped from the outside, shaped into a flat shape, and kept flattened. Next, the outer claws 12 and 13 for folding are horizontally moved outward and separated from each other. This is to avoid interference with the grippers 18 and 18 at the supply position D. During this time, the left and right grippers 18 and 18 and the retainer support 19 approach the supply position D and then stop at the supply position D. At that timing, the retainer transfer member 5 approaches the supply position D, and the retainer support 19 starts to enter the space 5a.
Subsequently, the retainer transfer member 5 stops at the supply position D. The state at this time is shown in FIG. A retainer support 19 has entered the space 5a. When the retainer transfer member 5 stops at the supply position D, the grippers 18 and 18 are immediately closed, and both side edges in the vicinity of the bag mouth shaped into the flat shape of the bag 2 are clamped (see FIG. 8). In addition, the position where the grippers 18 and 18 are sandwiched is the position above the position where the shaping members 6, 6, 7 and 7 are sandwiched. Further, the folded inner nails 8 to 11 are placed in the folded portion of the bag mouth, but the notches 8a to 11a of the folded inner claws 8 to 11 are located at the positions where the grippers 18 and 18 are sandwiched. Therefore, it is only the bag 2 that the grippers 18 and 18 actually hold.

  Next, the retainer transfer member 5 is vertically lowered at the supply position D, the retainer 1 is placed on the retainer support base 19, and is further lowered by a predetermined distance as shown in FIG. The descending distance of the retainer 1 (the difference in height between the bottom surface of the retainer 1 and the top surface of the retainer support base 19 when the retainer support base 5 stops at the supply position D) is set to be very small. ing.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9, the folding inner claws 8 and 9 and the folding inner claws 10 and 11 move horizontally inward and come close to each other, disengage from the side folding points, and the shaping members 6, 6 and The shaping members 7 and 7 are opened to release the bag 2 and come to the original retracted position. On the other hand, the retainer transfer member 5 starts to retract in parallel with the transport path of the supply conveyor 3.
Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the inner claws 8 to 11 for folding rise vertically and come out from the bag mouth of the bag 2.

  Thereafter, the retainer transfer member 5 moves back in the horizontal plane in parallel with the transport path of the supply conveyor 3 and enters the space 3a of the supply conveyor 3 at the transfer start position C, and the initial position (see FIG. 2). Return to. The shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7, the folding inner claws 8 to 11, and the folding outer claws 12 and 13 are also retracted in the horizontal plane in parallel with the transport path of the supply conveyor 3 and returned to the initial position.

In addition to the above examples, the present invention can take various forms as described below, for example.
(1) In the above example, even after the shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7 are closed and the bag mouth of the bag 2 is sandwiched and the bag mouth is held flat, the inner claws 8 to 11 for folding and the outer for folding The claws 12 and 13, together with the retainer transfer member 5 and the shaping members 6, 6, 7 and 7, are sandwiched between the folding positions of the bag mouth of the bag 2 up to or near the supply position D of the movement path of the seal device 4. However, after the shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7 are closed and the bag mouth of the bag 2 is sandwiched, it may be removed from the folding position immediately.

(2) In the above example, the shaping members 6, 6, 7, 7, the folding inner claws 8 to 11, and the folding outer claws are moved during the movement of the retainer transfer member 5 in order to shorten the time required for shaping and transferring. 12 and 13 perform the shaping operation while following the movement of the retainer transfer member. For example, the same shaping operation is performed only at the transfer start position C on the conveyance path of the supply conveyor 3 or at a position immediately above it. Also good. In this case, the form (1) can also be adopted.

(3) The above example is a form particularly applied to a gusset bag, and it is necessary to fold the side portion of the bag 2, so that the shaping device has four inner claws 8 to 11 and outer claws 12 and 13 for folding. It was equipped with. On the other hand, in the case of a bag in which side seals are formed on both side edges, such as a flat bag and a self-supporting bag, and the folding of the side portion is not originally required, the shaping device does not need to include these members. However, even in a bag such as a flat bag or a self-supporting bag, it is desirable to correct the positional deviation of the bag 2 in the bag width direction before the bag mouth is held flat by the shaping member.
In that case, as members (position correcting inner claws) for correcting misalignment, like the inner claws 8 to 11, a pair or a plurality of pairs of members that move toward and away from each other and move up and down relative to the retainer transfer member. Can be used. The position correcting inner claws enter the bag mouth of the bag accommodated in the retainer in an approaching state, and then are separated from each other to a predetermined position in the bag mouth to tension the bag mouth into a flat shape or a polygonal shape. If there are a pair of position correcting inner claws, they are separated in the bag width direction, and come into contact with the side seal portions at both ends of the bag width direction to tension the bag mouth.

(4) The above example is a form particularly applied to a gusset bag, and has a function of shaping the bag mouth opened by the folding inner claws 8 to 11 and the folding outer claws 12 and 13 into a flat shape. The members 6, 6, 7, and 7 mainly have an action of maintaining the shape of the bag mouth shaped in a flat shape. However, for example, in the case of a bag having side seals formed on both side edges, such as a flat bag or a self-supporting bag, and the side portion does not need to be folded, it is shaped into a flat shape with a bag opening opened by the shaping member itself. In addition, the state can be maintained.

1 Retainer 2 bag (gusset bag)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 3 Supply conveyor 4 Sealing device 5 Retainer transfer members 6, 6, 7, 7 Shaping members 8-11 Folding inner claws 12, 13 Folding outer claws 18, 18 Left and right grippers 19 Retainer support base

Claims (9)

Holding the bag near the open mouth of the bag filled with the article to be packaged in the retainer with the shaping member held in a flat shape, the bag is supplied to the sealing device together with the retainer, and sandwiched between the shaping member Remove the position and sandwich the side edges near the bag mouth with the left and right grippers of the sealing device, open the shaping member to release the bag, widen the gap between the left and right grippers, and tension the bag mouth, A sealing method for a bag mouth of a bag accommodated in a retainer, wherein the bag mouth is sealed. The sealing device includes a plurality of sets of left and right grippers that are installed at equal intervals along a circular movement path and intermittently move along the movement path, and corresponding retainer support bases, and is one of their stop positions. The bag is sequentially supplied to the supply position together with the retainer, the bag is supported by a retainer support base at the supply position, and both side edges of the bag are sandwiched by left and right grippers, and the left and right grippers and the retainer support base The bag and the retainer are intermittently moved in accordance with the intermittent movement, and the bag mouth of the bag is sealed in the process of the intermittent movement. Sealing method. A supply conveyor that intermittently and sequentially conveys a retainer containing a bag filled with an article to be packaged along a predetermined conveyance path, and is arranged at equal intervals along a circular movement path and moves along the movement path. A plurality of sets of left and right grippers and corresponding retainer support bases that widen or narrow each other on the movement path, and a pair of sealing hot plates disposed in the vicinity of the seal position that is a stop position on the movement path A supply position that is one of the stop positions on the moving path, the supply of the retainer containing the bag is received, the retainer is supported by a retainer support, and both side edges of the bag are provided with left and right grippers. The bag and the retainer are intermittently moved in accordance with the intermittent movement of the left and right grippers and the retainer support, and the gap between the left and right grippers is widened in the process of the intermittent movement. And a seal device that seals the bag mouth of the bag with the hot plate at the seal position, and supports the retainer at a transfer start position that is one of the stop positions set on the transport path. , A transfer provided with a retainer transfer member that is transferred from the transfer start position toward the supply position along a predetermined transfer path, is placed on the retainer support at the supply position, and then returns to the transfer start position. A shaping device comprising a device and a shaping member that holds the vicinity of the bag mouth in a flat shape by sandwiching the vicinity of the opening of the bag accommodated in the retainer on both sides of the transfer path from both sides, the shaping member comprising: The retainer moves together with the retainer transfer member until the retainer is transferred on the transfer path and reaches the supply position with the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag interposed therebetween. The right gripper opens the bag after holding both side edges of the bag at the supply position, releases the bag, and then returns to the original position. Seal system. 4. The sealing system for a bag mouth of a bag housed in a retainer according to claim 3, wherein the shaping members are arranged to face each other on both sides in the width direction of the bag. The retainer transfer member is moved substantially vertically at the transfer start position and then moves toward the sealing device, and after reaching the upper position of the retainer support base stopped at the supply position, the retainer transfer member is lowered substantially vertically. A sealing system for a bag mouth of a bag accommodated in a retainer according to claim 3 or 4. 6. The sealing system for a bag mouth of a bag accommodated in a retainer according to claim 5, wherein the retainer transfer member has a shape complementary to the retainer support in a plan view. The conveyance path of the supply conveyor is linear, and the center of the movement path of the sealing device is located on the extension line, and the bag accommodated in the retainer conveyed by the supply conveyor is substantially in the bag width direction relative to the conveyance path. The retainer according to any one of claims 3 to 6, wherein a bag width direction of a bag that is vertically oriented and is sandwiched between the left and right grippers is substantially tangential to the movement path. Pouch seal system. The retainer transfer member has a plurality of free rotating rollers for supporting the retainer, the free rotating rollers have an axial direction substantially parallel to the conveying direction of the supply conveyor, the shaping devices are in contact with and away from each other, and A pair or a plurality of pairs of position correction inner claws that move up and down relative to the retainer transfer member are provided, and the position correction inner claws are close to each other before the shaping member sandwiches the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag accommodated in the retainer. Entering into the bag mouth of the bag, and then separating from each other up to a predetermined position within the bag mouth to tension the bag mouth into a flat shape or a substantially polygonal shape, thereby correcting the positional deviation in the bag width direction of the bag accommodated in the retainer. A sealing system for a bag mouth of a bag accommodated in a retainer according to any one of claims 3 to 7. The bag is a gusset bag, the retainer transfer member has a plurality of free rotating rollers that support the retainer, and the free rotating roller has an axial direction substantially parallel to a conveying direction of the supply conveyor, The shaping device includes four folding inner claws that move toward and away from each other and move up and down with respect to the retainer transfer member, and a pair of folding outer claws that move toward and away from each other, and the inner claws for folding are the left and right grippers of the sealing device. The inner nail for folding and the outer nail for folding move together with the shaping member, and the shaping member holds the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag accommodated in the retainer. Before, the inner claws for folding enter into the bag mouth of the bag in a state of approaching each other, are separated from each other to a predetermined position in the bag mouth, and the bag mouth is tensioned in a square shape, and then the folding The outer claws approach each other perpendicular to the transport direction and push the side surface near the bag mouth of the bag inward, and the folding inner claws approach each other in parallel with the transport direction, thereby near the bag mouth of the bag Folds inward on both sides of the bag, and then the shaping member sandwiches the vicinity of the bag mouth of the bag accommodated in the retainer, and before the left and right grippers pinch both side edges of the bag, 8. The sealing system for a bag mouth of a bag housed in a retainer according to claim 7, wherein the outer claws are separated from each other and separated from the bag.

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