JP4828263B2 - Folding device for overwrapping machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an overwrapping machine for overwrapping a product with a flexible packaging material such as a film, and more particularly to overwrapping suitable for a product having a small aspect ratio of a side surface that is closed in the form of a so-called double point end fold. The present invention relates to a folding device for a machine.

The double point end fold described above has left and right vertical ears folded on the side surface of the product and a pair of trapezoidal side flaps sequentially folded on the vertical ears. These side flaps are formed as the vertical ears are folded, and are overlapped with each other with their tips bonded together.
For products with a small aspect ratio described above, the length of the vertical ear in the direction along the horizontal side of the product side is longer than the half length of the horizontal side. The tips of the ears must also overlap each other like the side flaps. Therefore, movable and fixed lateral fold guides are used to fold the left and right vertical ears, and these lateral fold guides have a width that forms a side flap into a trapezoidal shape. The width is slightly narrower than that of the folding guide, so that the left and right vertical ears can be stably overlapped without interference (Patent Document 1).
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-075365

  Since the overwrapping machine of Patent Document 1 uses a relatively hard paper sheet for the packaging material, the movable and fixed lateral folding guides described above function effectively, but a flexible packaging material such as a film. Since the waist of the packaging material is weak, the vertical ears are folded with the tips of the left and right vertical ears interfering with each other or wrinkles in the vertical ears. The end-end fold form cannot be obtained.

  The present invention has been made based on the above-described circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to provide an overwrap capable of reliably performing a beautiful double-point end fold even in a product having a small aspect ratio. It is in providing the folding apparatus of a packaging machine.

In order to achieve the above object, the folding device of the overwrapping machine of the present invention is a horizontal transfer path for transporting and guiding a half-wrapped product, and the half-wrapped product is wound around a product having a rectangular parallelepiped shape. A part of the packaging material is formed as a rectangular tube part that protrudes from the side surface of the product with the body winding, and the upstream vertical longitudinal ear that is perpendicular to the transfer path and spaced apart in the transfer direction And a transport path having a front longitudinal ear downstream, transport means for transporting the semi-packaged product along the transport path, and movable for reciprocating along the transport path and folding the rear longitudinal ear into the side of the product. A folding folder having a pair of halves separated in the vertical direction and a gap secured between the halves, and a reciprocating range of the movable folding tacker in the transfer direction. the upstream site is overrun in the basin When the semi-wrapped product is transferred, the front vertical ear of the rectangular tube portion is partially pushed toward the side of the product when the semi-wrapped product is transferred, and the inside of the gap of the movable folding tacker is A transfer tacker that allows relative entry into the machine, and a fixing that is arranged downstream of the transfer tacker in the transfer direction and completes the folding of the front longitudinal ear with respect to the side of the product when the semi-packed product is further transferred Prior to folding of the rear longitudinal ear by the movable folding tacker, the folding pusher is provided with a preliminary pushing tacker that prevents the rear longitudinal ear from being folded, and the preliminary pushing tacker can reciprocate along the transfer path. The portion of the rear longitudinal ear, which is separated from the side surface of the product and becomes the center when viewed in the vertical direction, is preliminarily pushed along the side surface of the product (Claim 1).

According to the folding apparatus of claim 1, the preliminary pushing tacker and the movable folding tacker move forward toward the product, and first, the preliminary pushing tacker pushes the portion of the rear longitudinal ear along the side surface of the product, Prevents bending of the vertical ear. Thereafter, movable folding tacker is to aspects of a product, folding a pair of tacker by Ri rear longitudinal ear halves. Thereafter, when the movable folding tacker with transport semi package reaches the downstream region of the reciprocating range, passing tacker is pressed into the V-shape toward the center of the front side vertical ear on the side surface of the product, and, the movable folding tacker Relatively enters the gap. Therefore, the delivery tacker overlaps the movable folding tacker.

At this time, when the front and rear longitudinal ears have a length overlapping each other, the front longitudinal ears are overlapped with the rear longitudinal ears held in the folded state by the movable folding tacker.
After this, the semi-wrapped product comes out of the reciprocating range of the movable folding tacker and is further transferred downstream, and when reaching the stationary folding tacker, the stationary folding tacker completes the folding of the front longitudinal ear into the side of the product. .

Preferably, the delivery tacker is formed on the inner surface of the semi-packaged product side and has an adsorption area that can adsorb the front longitudinal ear. If such a suction area is provided in the delivery tacker, when the delivery tacker pushes the front longitudinal ear into a V shape, the front longitudinal ear is attracted to the suction area, and is in a tension state, and the pushing is stable. Done .

The folding device of the overwrapping machine according to claim 1 relates to the longitudinal ears before and after the rectangular tube part in the semi-packaged product, since the preliminary pushing guide first pushes the rear longitudinal ear, As a result, the subsequent movable folding tacker can fold the rear longitudinal ear cleanly. And while the movable folding tacker holds the rear vertical ear folded, the delivery tacker pushes the center of the front vertical ear and overlaps the rear vertical ear, so that the front and rear vertical ears overlap each other. Even with such a length, it is possible to fold the front longitudinal ear while avoiding interference with the rear longitudinal ear.

When the center of the front longitudinal ear is pushed in, the folding device of claim 2 attracts the front longitudinal ear to the suction area of the delivery tacker. At this time, the front longitudinal ear is in a tension state, and the fixed folding tacker thereafter Thus, when the front longitudinal ear is folded, the front longitudinal ear can be neatly folded without causing slack in the corners of the front longitudinal ear .

FIG. 1 schematically shows the entire overwrapping machine.
The overwrapping machine includes a supply path 2 for a rectangular parallelepiped product A, the supply path 2 extends horizontally, and intermittently transports the product A in one direction indicated by an arrow. The end of the supply path 2 is flexible packaging material F such as a film is fed thereabove, the packaging material F is obtained by cutting the packaging material web W fed from the web roll R _F every predetermined length .

More specifically, the feeding path 4 of the packaging material web W extends toward the web roll R _F at the end above the feed path 2, the preliminary feed roller 6 and a plurality of pinch rollers 8 is arranged in the middle of the feeding path 4 ing. These rollers 6 and 8 feed the packaging material web W from the web roll R _F in cooperation with each other.
Further, a tape roll _RT is disposed in the vicinity of the feeding path 4, and the tape web T is fed out from the tape roll _RT . The fed tape web T is continuously attached to the back surface of the packaging material web W.

  Further, a main feeding roller 10 and a plurality of pinch rollers 12 are arranged at the end portion of the feeding path 4, and these rollers 10 and 12 cooperate with each other to direct the packaging material web W toward the supply path 2 of the product A. Pull out. Note that the difference between the feeding amount by the preliminary feeding roller 6 and the feeding amount by the main feeding roller 10 is absorbed by the raising and lowering of the dancer roller 14 disposed immediately downstream of the preliminary feeding roller 6.

  A cutter unit 16 is disposed immediately downstream of the main feed roller 10, and a vacuum belt conveyor (not shown) extends from the cutter unit 16 to the upper end of the supply path 2. When the packaging material web W is fed out from the main feeding roller 10 by a predetermined length, the cutter unit 16 cuts the packaging material web W, and at this time, the packaging material F with the tear tape Tt is formed.

Thereafter, the packaging material F is adsorbed on the vacuum belt conveyor and supplied to the upper end of the supply path 2 by the vacuum belt conveyor.
On the other hand, an elevator is disposed at the end of the supply path 2, and this elevator receives the product A that has reached the end of the supply path 2. Thereafter, the product A on the elevator rises together with the elevator to the upper transfer path 18 and is supplied to a position P1 on the transfer path 18. When the product A is raised, the product A is pushed up the packaging material F upwardly from the vacuum belt conveyor, thereby, the packaging material F is folded previously not a cylinder around the product A.

  The transfer path 18 extends horizontally from the position P1 above the vacuum belt conveyor and the payout path 4 and guides the supplied product A along the transfer path 18 in the direction indicated by the arrow. In the process of transferring the product A on the transfer path 18, the wrapping of the packaging material F after the cylinder folding described above is performed, whereby both sides of the product A along the transfer path 18 are in the form of a double point end fold. Each is closed by the packaging material F.

Since the folding form of the double point end fold is known, the folding will be briefly described here.
First, when the product A is supplied to the position P1 on the transfer path 18, the packaging material F that has already been folded around the product A has a pair of barrel flaps suspended from the lower surface of the product A. These barrel flaps are sequentially folded on the lower surface of the product A until the product A is transferred from the position P1 to the next position P2, and are overlapped with each other. At this point, the body winding of the packaging material F with respect to the product A is completed, and the semi-wrapped product B is obtained.

The body winding of the packaging material F forms a rectangular tube portion protruding from both side surfaces of the product A along the transfer path 18 in a part of the packaging material F described above. Such a square tube portion has upper and lower horizontal ears c along the transfer path 18 and upstream and downstream vertical ears dr, df perpendicular to the transfer path 18, and these vertical ears dr, df 18 separated from each other.
On the other hand, in the process in which the semi-wrapped product B (product A) is transferred from the position P1 to the position P2, the upstream side, that is, the rear longitudinal ear dr is first placed on the side surface of the product A corresponding to each square tube portion. After that, the downstream side, that is, the front longitudinal ear df is also folded into the side surface of the product A. By such folding of the rear and front vertical ears dr and df, the remaining part of the rectangular tube portion, that is, the upper and lower horizontal ears c are formed as so-called side flaps sf, respectively.

  Thereafter, when the semi-packaged product B is transferred from the position P2 along the transfer path 18 through the next positions P3 and P4, the lower side flap sf is first folded with respect to the side surface of the product A, and the longitudinal ear dr. , Df (position P3). Thereafter, the upper side flap sf is folded in the same manner with respect to the side surface of the product A, so that it is overlapped with the lower side flap sf already in the folded state. These side flaps sf are bonded to each other by heat sealing, and folding at the double point end fold is completed. At this point, the packaged product H is obtained.

As shown in FIG. 1, the downstream portion of the transfer path 18 described above is formed by the chain conveyor 20, and the semi-packaged product B is transferred onto the chain conveyor 20, and then moved to the position P 3, by the pusher 22 of the chain conveyor 20. Transferred via P4.
2 and 3 show the transfer path 18 more specifically.
The transfer path 18 is provided with a folding device for performing the above-described folding with respect to the packaging material F after being folded. This folding apparatus will be described below.

The transfer path 18 has a rear pusher 24 and a front pusher 26 upstream and downstream of the position P 1, respectively, and these pushers 24 and 26 are connected to each other by a connecting beam 28. The connecting beam 28 is positioned above the product A supplied to the position P1, and has a stopper plate 30 immediately below it. The stopper plate 30 is suspended from the connecting beam 28 via a plurality of support rods 32 and compression coil springs 34.

As described above, when the product A is raised to the position P1 by the elevator, the stopper plate 30 contacts the upper surface of the product A via the packaging material F to prevent the product A from jumping up from the elevator. A becomes an upper guide when A is transferred from the position P1 on the transfer path 18.
FIG. 2 also shows a latch unit 36 for the product A supplied to the position P1, and this latch unit 36 temporarily holds the product A at the position P1. It does not restrain the transfer of the product A on the path 18. Thus, after the elevator supplies the product A to the position P1, the elevator descends toward the supply path 2 of the product A and can supply the next product A to the transfer path 18.

  The rear pusher 24 is connected to a carriage 38 that reciprocates along the transfer path 18 via a connecting bracket 40. Therefore, the rear pusher 24 and the front pusher 26 can reciprocate with the carriage 38 in the same reciprocating stroke S. When the rear pusher 24 and the front pusher 26 move forward along the transfer path 18 from the state shown in FIG. 2, the product A at the position P <b> 1 is pushed out by the rear pusher 24 and transferred on the transfer path 18.

  The upper end of the front pusher 26 is connected to the tip of the connecting beam 28 so that it can rotate, that is, can be flipped up as shown by an arrow E in FIG. Therefore, when the rear and front pushers 24 and 26 return, the front pusher 26 jumps up even if it comes into contact with the product A pushed out by the rear pusher 24, and can return without interfering with the product A. The product A is pushed out along the transfer path 18 during the forward movement. That is, the rear and front pushers 24 and 26 repeat the reciprocating motion so that the products A at the position P1 can be sequentially pushed out and transferred to the start end of the chain belt conveyor 20 described above.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 2, a barrel flap folding tacker 42 is arranged immediately below the transfer path 18 upstream of the position P1, and the barrel flap folding tacker 42 is connected to the carriage 38, that is, the rear pusher 26 described above. Are independent and can reciprocate along the transfer path 18. The trunk flap folding tacker 42 moves forward prior to the forward movement of the rear pusher 26, and the upstream trunk flap of the pair of trunk flaps of the packaging material F described above is folded into the lower surface of the product A.

  On the other hand, as described above, when the product A is transferred from the position P1 along the transfer path 18, the downstream-side cylinder flap is folded by the upper surface of the transfer path 18, and the upstream-side cylinder flap is already folded. The semi-wrapped product B described above is obtained by overlapping from below. That is, the semi-packaged product B is formed at the same time as the product A at the position P1 is pushed out from the position P1.

Furthermore, a barrel sealer (not shown) is disposed immediately below the transfer path 18 at a position where the product A, that is, the semi-packaged product B is pushed out by the rear pusher 24, and this cylinder sealer reaches the semi-packaged product B. When this is done, the body flaps that are overlaid on each other are heat sealed and the body flaps are bonded together.
A pair of preliminary push-in tackers 44 are attached to the connecting bracket 40 described above, and these preliminary push- in tackers 44 extend along the transfer path 18 on both sides of the rear pusher 24, as is apparent from FIG. It protrudes downstream of the transfer path 18 from 24. The distance between the pre- pressing tackers 44 is wider than the width of the product A along the width direction of the transfer path 18 as shown in FIG. 3, that is, the width between both side surfaces thereof, but is narrower than the corresponding width of the packaging material F.

On the other hand, a pair of movable folding tackers 46 are attached to the rear pusher 24. These movable folding tackers 46 have a tapered shape toward the downstream side of the transfer path 18, and their leading ends protrude toward the downstream side of the transfer path 18 relative to the rear pusher 24, but the length of the protrusion is the protrusion of the preliminary push-in tacker 44. Short compared to the length. Further, the distance between the movable folding tackers 46 is slightly wider than the width of the product A.

  More specifically, as can be seen from FIG. 2, each movable folding tacker 46 includes a pair of tacker halves 46h spaced apart in the vertical direction of the transfer path 18, and a predetermined gap G secured between the tacker halves 46h. Have The gap G is positioned between the upper surface of the transfer path 18 and the stopper plate 30 described above, that is, at a position corresponding to ½ of the height of the product A from the upper surface of the transfer path 18.

On the other hand, the transfer path 18 includes a pair of transfer tackers 48 on the downstream side of the movable folding tacker 46, and these transfer tackers 48 have the same length as the gap G of the movable folding tacker 46 on both sides, that is, on the corresponding side. It is arranged to be positioned on the line. Therefore, the transfer tacker 48 is positioned at a height level corresponding to the gap G of the movable folding tacker 46 from the upper surface of the transfer path 18 and extends along the transfer path 18.

Further, the width of the delivery tacker 48 is narrower than the gap G when viewed in the vertical direction, and the upstream end portion of the delivery tacker 48 is positioned so as to overlap the downstream region of the reciprocating range of the rear pusher 24 described above.
Further, the inner surface of each delivery tacker 48 is formed as a suction area, that is, a suction surface 50. Specifically, a holder plate 52 is attached to the outer surface of each delivery tacker 48, and a suction chamber is secured between the holder plate 52 and the delivery tacker 48, and a plurality of communication with the suction chamber is provided. Adsorption holes are formed in the transfer tacker 48. The suction chamber is connected to an external suction source and can be supplied with a predetermined suction pressure. Specifically, with respect to the holder plate 52, when viewed in the transfer direction of the transfer path 18, the end on the upstream side of the holder plate 52 is tapered toward the upstream, but the width in the vertical direction of the end on the downstream side is: narrower than the height of the product a in the upper transport path 18, and is disposed inside the pre-push tacker 44 as is apparent from FIG.

Furthermore, a fixed folding tacker 54 is connected to the downstream end of each delivery tacker 48, and these fixed folding tackers 54 are positioned inside the corresponding holder plate 52. Each fixed folding tucker 54, without the tapering toward the upstream side of the transfer path 18 in the same manner as the holder plate 52 described above, and the height dimension of the vertical width Product A at its downstream end Narrower than.

In the present embodiment, each fixed folding tacker 54 extends further downstream along the transfer path 18 and cooperates with the folding plates 56 and 58 shown in FIG. Folding guide grooves 60 and 62 for folding the flap sf are formed. The heat sealing of the side flap sf is performed downstream of the folding plate 58.
Next, FIG.4 and FIG.5 is added and the action | operation of the folding apparatus mentioned above is demonstrated.

Here, since the square tube portions on both sides of the semi-wrapped product B are folded in the same manner by the folding device, the folding will be described below by focusing on one of the square tube portions.
First, at the position P 1 on the transfer path 18, as described above, the upstream side flap is folded into the product A after being folded, and then the rear and front pushers 24 and 26 are moved to the product A. Move forward. At this time, the preliminary pushing tacker 44 and the movable folding tacker 46 are both projected downstream from the rear pusher 24, and the preliminary pushing tacker 44 projects larger than the movable folding tacker 46. As shown in (a), the preliminary push-in tacker 44 first comes into contact with the rear vertical ear dr of the rectangular tube portion and pushes the rear vertical ear dr toward the side surface of the product A.

Here, since the preliminary pushing tacker 44 is located outside the movable folding tacker 46, the preliminary pushing tacker 44 is separated from the portion indicated by the reference symbol X, that is, the side surface of the product A in FIG. Therefore, even if the packaging material F such as a flexible film is pushed in, the rear longitudinal ear dr does not bend.
Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4B, the movable folding tacker 46 moves so as to be in sliding contact with the side surface of the product A, whereby the rear vertical ear dr is folded into the side surface of the product A. When folding here, since the rear vertical ears dr is already pressed inward by the preliminary push stacker 44, the movable folding tacker 46, a rear vertical ears dr as shown in (b) in FIG. 5 It can be folded neatly from the upper and lower corners.

Then, at the position P1a in FIG. 4B, the folding of the rear longitudinal ear dr is completed, and at the same time, the rear pusher 24 comes into contact with the product A via the packaging material F, and the product A is placed downstream. Begin to extrude. In addition, the square tube part is completely formed by the extrusion here as described above.
When the extrusion of the product A, that is, the semi-packaged product B is further advanced by the rear pusher 24, the transfer tacker 48 relatively moves so as to be in sliding contact with the side surface of the product A from the downstream side of the semi-packaged product B. As shown in (c), the center of the front longitudinal ear df is pushed in a V shape with the center of the product A facing the side surface. When the rear pusher 24 reaches the downstream region of the reciprocating range, the upstream portion of the transfer tacker 48 enters the gap G of the movable folding tacker 46 without interfering with the upper and lower tacker halves 46h.

Here, if the rear longitudinal ear dr and the front longitudinal ear df has a overlapping such protruding lengths from each other as described above, but the center of the front vertical ears df is superimposed rear vertical ears dr, At this time, the rear longitudinal ear dr is held in the folded state from the movable folding tacker 46 even at the position P1b indicating the forward end of the rear pusher 24. Therefore, the center of the front longitudinal ear df is the rear side. Without interfering with the vertical ear dr, it is reliably superimposed on the rear vertical ear dr.

Moreover, since the inner surface of the transfer tacker 48 is formed as an adsorption surface 50 (see FIG. 3), the front vertical ear df is adsorbed by the transfer tacker 48 when the center of the front vertical ear df is pushed. Such adsorption to the delivery tacker 48 puts the front vertical ear df in a tension state, so that the front vertical ear df is pushed cleanly from its upper and lower corners.
Further, at this time, the holder plate 52 described above is preliminarily folded at the front longitudinal df, as is apparent from FIG.

Thereafter, the semi-wrapped product B is further pushed downstream by the front pusher 26 instead of the rear pusher 24, and at this time, the delivery tacker 48 comes out and reaches the fixed folding tacker 54. The fixed folding tacker 54 also enters relatively so as to be in sliding contact with the side surface of the product A, and completes the folding of the front longitudinal ear df as shown in FIG.
Here, the delivery tacker 48 maintains the tension state of the front longitudinal ear df and the overlap of the rear and front longitudinal ears dr and df until the semi-packaged product B moves to the fixed folding tacker 54. As shown in FIG. 5D, the front longitudinal ear df is neatly folded from the upper and lower corners.

Thereafter, the extrusion of the semi-packaged product B, that is, the transfer thereof is taken over by the chain belt conveyor 20, and as shown in (e) and (f) of FIG. 4, the side flaps sf are sequentially folded as described above. To be implemented.
The present invention is not saved in the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made.
For example, it is also possible to provide outside the pre-push tacker 44 and the pre-push tacker fixed folding tucker 54 side to exert the same function as pre-push tucker 44 provided on the movable folding tucker 46 side.

In the embodiment, the two-stage pusher including the rear and front pushers 24 and 26 is used to transfer the product A on the transfer path 18, but the present invention is not limited to this.
Furthermore, the packaging material that the folding device of the present invention folds is not limited to a flexible packaging material such as a film, and the present invention is also applicable to a product A having a large aspect ratio on its side surface, Furthermore, the present invention can be similarly applied to an overwrapping machine in which the packaging material F is folded when the product A is pushed into the transfer path 18 in the horizontal direction along the transfer path 18.

It is a perspective view showing roughly the whole overwrapping machine. It is a side view which partially fractures and shows the conveyance path | route of FIG. 1 provided with the folding apparatus of one Example. It is a top view of the transfer path | route of FIG. It is a figure which shows the folding operation | movement by the folding apparatus of FIG. 2 in order of the transfer process of a semi-packaged product in order of (a)-(f). It is a figure which shows the folding procedure of the square cylinder part in a semi-wrapped product in order of (a)-(d).

Explanation of symbols

18 Transfer path 24 Rear pusher (transfer means)
26 Front pusher (transfer means)
44 Pre- loading tacker 46 Movable folding tacker 46h Tucker half 48 Delivery tacker 50 Suction surface (suction area)
54 Fixed fold tacker A Product B Semi-wrapped product F Packaging material G Gap dr Rear longitudinal ear df Front longitudinal ear

Claims (2)

A horizontal transfer path for transporting and guiding a semi-packaged product, wherein the semi-packaged product is obtained by winding a wrapping material around a rectangular parallelepiped product, and a part of the wrapping material is formed on a side surface of the product by the cylinder winding A transfer path formed as a rectangular tube projecting from the upstream, the square tube having an upstream rear vertical ear and a downstream front vertical ear perpendicular to the transfer path and spaced apart in the transfer direction; and
Transfer means for transferring the semi-wrapped product along the transfer path;
A movable folding tacker that reciprocates along the transfer path and folds the rear longitudinal ear into the side surface of the product, and a pair of tacker halves spaced apart in the vertical direction, and between these tacker halves A movable folding tacker having a secured gap;
When viewed in the transfer direction, the upstream part overlaps the downstream area of the reciprocating range of the movable folding tacker and extends along the transfer path, and when the semi-packaged product is transferred to the side of the product A delivery tacker that partially pushes the front longitudinal ear of the rectangular tube part toward and that allows relative entry of the movable folding tacker into the gap;
A fixed folding tacker that is arranged downstream of the delivery tacker as viewed in the transport direction and completes folding of the front longitudinal ear with respect to the side of the product when the semi-packaged product is further transported ;
Prior to folding of the rear longitudinal ear by the movable folding tacker, a preliminary pushing tacker for preventing the rear longitudinal ear from being folded
Comprising
The preliminary push-in tacker can reciprocate along the transfer path, and a portion of the rear longitudinal ear that is separated from the side surface of the product and is central in the vertical direction is preliminarily along the side surface of the product. A folding device for an overwrapping machine characterized by pushing .   The folding device for an overwrapping machine according to claim 1, wherein the delivery tacker has an adsorption area capable of adsorbing the front longitudinal ear on the inner surface of the semi-packaged product.

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