JP2024063800A - Transfer device and method for individual package - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a transfer device for individual packages that can transfer products that are easy to lose shape while preventing them from shape loss when the products are individually packaged.SOLUTION: A delivery belt 10 is provided to transfer products P in a line. A slider 20 for sliding the products P down is provided on the terminal end side of the delivery belt 10. A transfer line 30 is provided to transfer the products P from the slider 20 at predetermined intervals. A packaging machine is provided for individually packaging the products P transferred by the transfer line 30. A gutter-like transfer path 31 is provided at a position to receive the products P from the slider 20. A transfer body 32 is provided that individually contacts and transfers each product P on the transfer path 31. The timing of the delivery belt 10 and the transfer body 32 are synchronized.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

The present invention relates to an individual packaging transfer device and transfer method that prevents the production of defective products when individually packaging products that are prone to losing their shape.

When packaging products individually, the products are transported on a transfer belt while being individually packaged in a packaging machine. In other words, the products are transferred one by one from an infeed belt carrying multiple products to a transfer belt with space between each product, and then the products are transported one by one on this transfer belt while being individually packaged in a packaging machine.

Meanwhile, a method of packaging stick-shaped snacks is shown in Patent Document 1. According to this packaging method, wrapping paper (S) is suction-held in a roughly V-shaped cross section within a roughly V-shaped holding groove (11), and after placing stick-shaped snacks (M) into this wrapping paper (S), the open edge of the wrapping paper (S) is wrapped around it to package it.

Patent No. 2852612

Items with special shapes, such as the bar-shaped snack described in Patent Document 1, require wrapping paper (S) that is tailored to the special shape, and therefore require a special wrapping machine.

On the other hand, block-shaped products such as candy and sugar cubes can be individually wrapped using general-purpose packaging machines.

However, when foods that are easily deformed or products that are sensitive to impacts are transferred from the feed belt to the transfer belt, there is a risk that the products may lose their shape.

In other words, the transfer device for individual packaging is structured so that a slider is provided from the infeed belt to the transfer belt, and when the products are moved to the transfer belt, they are fed from the infeed belt to the slider at intervals, allowing the products to be lined up at any interval on the transfer belt.

At this time, there was a risk that the impact of the product reaching the transfer belt from the slider could cause the product to lose its shape or crack. In particular, when individually packaging products that are prone to losing their shape, such as sugar cubes and solid glucose, the rate of defective products increases when the products are transferred to the transfer belt immediately before packaging.

The present invention was created to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an individual packaging transfer device and transfer method that can transfer products that are prone to losing their shape while preventing the production of defective products when individually packaging them.

The first means of the present invention for achieving the above-mentioned object is a transfer device for individual packaging, which includes a feed belt 10 that individually sends out a plurality of products P arranged in a row, a slider 20 that slides off the individually sent out products P at the end of the feed belt 10, a transfer line 30 that receives the products P from the slider 20 and transfers them at predetermined intervals, and a packaging machine 40 that individually packages the products P transferred on the transfer line 30. The transfer line 30 includes a gutter-shaped transfer path 31 that extends from the position where the products P are received from the slider 20 to the position where the products P reach the packaging machine 40, and a plurality of transfer bodies 32 that move along the transfer path 31 from the end of the slider 20 and individually contact and transfer each product P on the transfer path 31, and transfers the products P in synchronization with the timing at which the feed belt 10 sends out the products P and the timing at which the transfer bodies 32 contact and move each product P.

The transfer line 30 of the second means has a transfer groove 31A formed along the longitudinal direction of the bottom of the transfer path 31, and the rod-shaped transfer bodies 32 are erected at equal intervals on a chain body 33 arranged along the bottom of the transfer path 31, and the product P is transferred by the transfer bodies 32 protruding upward from the transfer groove 31A.

The transport body 32 of the third means is configured to come into contact with the product P while the product P is moving from the slider 20 to the transport path 31.

The fourth means is a transfer method using the individual packaging transfer device, in which the timing at which the product P is individually separated by the delivery belt 10 and the timing at which the transfer body 32 contacts the individual product P are synchronized.

The present invention makes it possible to transport products that are prone to losing their shape while preventing the production of defective products, thereby improving the efficiency of individual packaging.

FIG. 1 is a front view showing an embodiment of a transfer device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a state in which the transporting body of the present invention transports a product. FIG. 4 is a front view showing a state in which the conveying body of the present invention abuts against a product. 1 is a plan view of a main portion showing an embodiment of a transfer device of the present invention; FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of an individually packaged product according to the present invention.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention. The present invention is a transfer device and a transfer method used when individually packaging product P.

The device of the present invention is composed of a delivery belt 10, a slider 20, a transfer line 30, and a packaging machine 40 (see Figure 1).

The output belt 10 is a belt conveyor, and sends out the products P in a line (see FIG. 2). The output belt 10 shown in the figure transfers the products P in a line, and sends them out individually from the end of the infeed belt 10. In other words, the infeed belt 10 is temporarily stopped after each product P is sent out, so that there is an interval between each product P.

The slider 20 is an inclined member that extends from the end of the delivery belt 10 onto the transfer line 30. The products P that are individually delivered from the end of the delivery belt 10 slide along the slider 20 and are then transferred onto the transfer line 30 (see Figure 2).

The transfer line 30 is a mechanism that transfers the product P received from the slider 20 to the packaging machine 40, and is equipped with a gutter-shaped transfer path 31, a rod-shaped transfer body 32, and a chain body 33 (see Figure 2).

The transport path 31 is a gutter-shaped member that leads to the packaging machine 40, and the product P is transported along the inside of this gutter. A transport groove 31A is formed in the bottom of this transport path 31 along the longitudinal direction, and multiple transport bodies 32 move continuously along this transport groove 31A (see Figure 4).

The transport bodies 32 are members that individually come into contact with the products P on the transport path 31 and transport the products P toward the packaging machine 40 while pressing them (see FIG. 2). In the illustrated example, multiple rod-shaped transport bodies 32 are erected at intervals on a chain body 33 arranged below the transport path 31, and the transport bodies 32 move along the transport groove 31A as the chain body 33 rotates.

Each product P slides from the slider 20 onto the transfer line 30 and is pressed by the transfer body 32 to be transferred toward the packaging machine 40 (see Figure 2).

The timing at which the transport body 32 contacts and presses against the product P is synchronized with the timing at which the product P is individually sent out by the delivery belt 10. In the illustrated example, a sensor 11 is provided near the end of the delivery belt 10, and a sensor 34 is provided near the beginning of the transport path 31 to detect the positions of the product P and the transport body 32 and synchronize the timing (see Figure 3).

That is, the sensor 11 confirms the position of the leading edge of the product P on the feed belt 10 and stops the feed belt 10 (see Figure 3). Meanwhile, when the sensor 34 confirms the position of the transport body 32, the feed belt 10 rotates in synchronization and sends out one product P. The transport body 32 detected by the sensor 34 then comes into contact with the product P as it moves from the slider 20 to the transport line 30, and transports the product P at the speed of the chain body 33. After sending out the product P, the feed belt 10 stops at the position of the sensor 11 when the next product P arrives, and prepares for synchronization with the next transport body 32.

At this time, the transport body 32 is configured to come into contact with the product P while the product P is sliding from the slider 20 onto the transport path 31 (see FIG. 3). In other words, the transport body 32 comes into contact with the product P along the transport direction before the product P sent out from the feed belt 10 stops on the transport path 31, thereby minimizing the impact that the transport body 32 gives to the product P. Therefore, the timing at which the sliding speed of the product P and the transport speed of the transport body 32 come into contact with each other at the same speed is optimized.

The packaging machine 40 is a device that individually packages the products P transferred on the transfer line 30, and a commercially available packaging machine 40 is used (see FIG. 1). In the illustrated example, after a block-shaped product P is placed in a cylindrical packaging bag Q, both opening ends of the packaging bag Q are welded to individually package the product P (see FIG. 5).

The transport method of the present invention synchronizes the timing at which the products P are individually separated by the delivery belt 10 with the timing at which the transport body 32 moves in contact with the individual products P. Furthermore, in addition to this synchronization, the transport body 32 contacts and transports the products P while the products P are moving on the transport path 31, minimizing damage to the products P.

The shape, size, and product of each part of the present invention are not limited to the examples, and can be freely changed without changing the gist of the present invention.

P: product Q: packaging bag 10: feed belt 11: sensor 20: slider 30: transfer line 31: transfer path 31A: transfer groove 32: transfer body 33: chain body 34: sensor 40: packaging machine

Claims (4)

A transfer device for individual packaging includes a feed belt which individually feeds out a plurality of products P arranged in a line, a slider which slides off the individually fed products at the end of the feed belt, a transfer line which receives the products from the slider and transfers them at predetermined intervals, and a packaging machine which individually packages the products transferred on the transfer line,
The transfer line includes a trough-shaped transfer path extending from a position where the product is received from the slider to a position where the product is packed by the packaging machine;
a plurality of conveying bodies that move along the conveying path from the end of the slider and individually contact and convey each product on the conveying path;
This individual packaging transfer device transfers products P in a synchronized manner between the timing of sending out products P by a delivery belt and the timing of a transfer body moving in contact with each product. The transfer line has a transfer groove formed along the longitudinal direction of the bottom of the transfer path, the rod-shaped transfer bodies are erected at equal intervals on a chain body arranged along the bottom of the transfer path, and the transfer body protruding upward from the transfer groove transfers the products. The transfer device for individual packages according to claim 1. The individual packaging transfer device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the transfer body is configured to contact the product while the product is moving from the slider to the transfer path. A transfer method using the individual packaging transfer device, characterized in that the timing at which the products are individually separated by the feed belt and the timing at which the transfer body contacts the individual products are synchronized.