JP5887187B2 - Heat sealing device, sealing method, sealed object - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat sealing apparatus and a sealing method for performing sealing by welding and cutting a packaging film. Moreover, this invention relates to the to-be-sealed object sealed by this heat sealing apparatus or the sealing method.

  A technique for performing sealing using an L-shaped heat seal apparatus using a film in which longitudinal and transverse biaxial axes are stretched is generally known (for example, see Patent Document 1 below).

JP 2000-43824 A

  After sealing, the contents are sealed with a film by applying hot air to perform shrinkage treatment. Then, it is necessary to take out the contents later, and a process for tearing the film by hand has been performed by the user. However, it may not be easy to tear a film that is fully adhered by sealing. For example, there is a risk of damaging the nails when performed with bare hands, and damaging the contents themselves when using a cutter such as a cutter knife.

  Conventionally, in packaging of tobacco, etc., a tape for facilitating opening is formed separately from a film for sealing the contents, and the tape is provided with a margin slightly separated from the contents. There are things that make up the hand part. By pulling the handle, the user cuts the sealing film along the tape so that the package can be easily opened.

  However, such a configuration has a problem that it is necessary to separately prepare a tape for easy opening, and it is necessary to adjust the dimensions according to the contents, so that the sealing process requires a great deal of cost and labor.

  In view of such problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a heat sealing apparatus and a sealing method for performing sealing so that contents can be easily taken out from a sealed object to be sealed by a low-cost and simple process. Is to provide.

In view of the above problems, the heat seal device of the present invention is a heat seal device for sealing the contents with a sealed object composed of a stretched film,
A mounting table for installing the sealed object and the contents;
A first heater is built-in, and the first heater is heated by energization so that the sealed object at a position outside the installed contents is melted to seal the contents. A first seal unit forming a portion;
A second heater is built in, and the second heater is heated by energization, so that the sealed object at a position between the installed contents and the first seal part is melted, and the first seal part And a second seal unit that forms a second seal portion having a shorter length.

  With such a configuration, after the objects to be sealed and the contents are placed on the mounting table, when the first heater and the second heater are energized to heat both heaters, the objects to be covered at the position outside the contents are placed. The sealed object is sealed to form the first seal part, and the sealed object at a position between the first seal part and the content is also sealed to form the second seal part.

  Thus, after forming a seal part, hot air is given and contraction processing is performed, so that an object to be sealed contracts and adheres to the outer wall of the contents. On the other hand, the 2nd seal part is formed between the 1st seal part used as the perimeter position of a sealed object, and the surface of contents, and this 2nd seal part also shrinks in the direction of the surface of contents. At the position where the second seal portion is formed, since the surface shape of the object to be sealed is uneven as compared with the surrounding area, the first seal portion reaches the position of the outer surface of the contents. When the object to be sealed shrinks, a protruding portion derived from the second seal portion is formed on the side surface of the content.

  Since this protrusion part protrudes outside compared with the to-be-sealed thing of the other location formed in close contact with the outer surface of the contents, it can be easily grasped by hand. Therefore, the user who has the sealed contents in his / her hand can easily tear the object to be sealed and take out the contents by grasping and pulling the protrusion at the time of opening.

  In other words, according to the present invention, a tab for facilitating opening together with sealing is prepared only by heating and shrinking processes performed in a normal sealing process, without preparing a separate tape or providing a separate bonding process. Can be provided on the seal

In addition to the above features, the heat seal device of the present invention has
The first seal unit is
A first seal bar whose bottom surface comes into contact with the object to be sealed during sealing;
The first heater formed of an L-shaped heater formed on the outside of the first seal bar;
A second seal bar formed on the opposite side of the seal bar so as to sandwich the first heater;
A thermocouple installed in contact with the first heater;
Furthermore, it is characterized by further comprising a first control unit that controls energization of the first heater based on a temperature detection result of the first heater by the thermocouple.

  With the above configuration, in the L-type sealing using a stretched film having heat shrinkability, a tab for facilitating opening along with the sealing is applied only by the heating and shrinking process performed in a normal sealing process. It can be provided on the seal. As the stretched film, a biaxially stretched film stretched in the biaxial directions of X and Y can be used, and a uniaxially stretched film can also be used.

  In addition, since the energization control for the first heater is performed by temperature control, the heating temperature can be set according to the welding temperature of the object to be sealed, and the first heater and seal bar can be used even for a long period of continuous use. The finish after sealing can be improved without being affected by heat storage.

  Furthermore, since it can be stopped by the minimum necessary heating for the heater, an energy saving effect can be obtained and an effect of extending the life of parts such as the heater and the seal bar can be expected. In addition, it is possible to obtain an effect of minimizing the generation of smoke due to melting or melting residue of the object to be sealed.

At this time, the first seal unit includes a pressing member that presses in a direction from the second seal bar toward the first seal bar,
The first heater is an L-shaped ribbon heater, and is installed such that a wide surface faces the seal bar, and a contact state with the thermocouple is secured by pressing by the pressing member. It is preferable to have a configuration.

  In such a configuration, the ribbon heater can be installed vertically, but the ribbon heater and the thermocouple can be kept in contact with each other. Therefore, the temperature of the ribbon heater can be correctly recognized by the thermocouple, and the ribbon heater is based on the temperature information. Can be accurately controlled.

In addition to the above features, the heat seal device of the present invention has
The second seal unit includes the second heater, and is formed on an inner side wall of the first seal bar opposite to the first heater,
Furthermore, a second control unit that controls energization of the second heater is provided.

In addition to the above features, the heat seal device of the present invention has
A printing unit including a feeding roller in which a printing tape containing ink is wound in a roll shape, and a winding roller that winds up the printing tape fed from the feeding roller;
The printing unit is arranged so that the printing tape fed from the feeding roller is wound around the winding roller after contacting the surface of the second seal unit.

  Even in this configuration, after the objects to be sealed and the contents are placed on the mounting table, the first and second heaters are heated by energizing the first heater and the second heater, as described above. Two seal parts are formed. In this configuration, since the printing tape is in contact with the surface of the second seal unit, the ink on the printing tape is heated by the second heater when the object to be sealed is sealed to form the second seal portion. This is transferred to the second seal portion.

  By performing the shrinkage process after forming the seal portion in this way, the ink of the printing tape is attached to at least a part of the protrusion portion derived from the second seal portion. Usually, since the object to be sealed is often a transparent color, the protrusions to which different colors are attached are formed so that the protrusions can be visually conspicuous. And since it protrudes outside compared with the to-be-sealed thing of the other location formed closely_contact | adhered to the outer surface of the content similarly to the above, it can be easily grasped by hand. Therefore, the user who has the sealed contents in the hand first visually recognizes the existence of the protruding portion, and then easily tears the object to be sealed by grasping and pulling the protruding portion at the time of opening. The contents can be taken out.

In addition to the above features, the heat seal device of the present invention has
The printing unit is characterized in that the ink in the printing tape is transferred to the second seal portion when the second heater is heated by energization.

In addition to the above features, the heat seal device of the present invention has
After the second seal unit forms the second seal portion, the take-up roller winds the print tape by a predetermined length that is equal to or longer than the length transferred to the second seal portion.

  With such a configuration, at the time of sealing, the printing tape containing ink is always in contact with the surface of the second seal unit, and even if the sealing operation is continuously performed, the second seal to which the ink has always been transferred. The part can be formed on the object to be sealed.

In addition to the above features, the heat seal device of the present invention has
The second seal unit has the second heater, and is formed on the inner side wall opposite to the first heater among the side walls of the first seal bar, having a polyhedral box shape,
The printing unit is arranged so that the printing tape fed from the feeding roller is wound around the winding roller after moving along a plurality of surfaces of the second seal unit. .

  By comprising in this way, a printing tape can be made to contact a 2nd seal unit stably.

Moreover, the sealed object of the present invention is a sealed object sealed by a heat seal device having the above-described characteristics,
It has an opening tab formed so as to protrude from the surface of the content on the basis of the second seal portion while closely contacting the content.

Moreover, the sealed object of the present invention is a sealed object sealed by a heat seal device having the above-described characteristics,
Having the opening tab formed to protrude from the surface of the content on the basis of the second seal portion while closely contacting the content;
Ink in the printing tape is adhered to the opening tab.

The sealing method of the present invention includes
A sealing method for sealing contents with a sealed object composed of a stretched film,
With the contents placed in the sealed object, the first heater and the second heater are energized so that the sealed object at a position outside the contents is heated and melted by the first heater. A first seal part is formed so as to seal the contents, and the sealed object at a position between the contents and the first seal part is heated and melted by the second heater to be in the same position. It has a heating process which forms the 2nd seal part shorter than one seal part.

  Further, in the sealing method of the present invention, after the heating step, by applying hot air to the sealed object in a state where the contents are sealed, the sealed object is contracted and closely contacts the contents. In addition, the second seal portion is contracted to have a contraction step of forming an opening tab protruding from the surface of the contents.

  In the sealing method of the present invention, the heating step is performed in a state where the print tape containing ink is in contact with the object to be sealed, thereby forming the second seal portion where the ink of the print tape is attached. It is characterized by doing.

Moreover, the heat seal device of the present invention is a heat seal device for sealing the contents with an object to be sealed composed of a stretched film,
A mounting table for installing the contents; a first seal bar whose bottom surface comes into contact with the object to be sealed at the time of sealing;
A heater formed of an L-shaped heater formed on the outside of the first seal bar;
A second seal bar formed on the opposite side of the first seal bar so as to sandwich the heater;
A pressing member that presses in a direction from the second seal bar toward the first seal bar;
A thermocouple installed in contact with the heater;
A control unit that controls energization of the heater based on a temperature detection result of the heater by the thermocouple,
The heater is an L-shaped ribbon heater, and is installed so that a wide surface faces the first seal bar, and a contact state with the thermocouple is secured by pressing by the pressing member. It is characterized by being.

  According to the configuration of the present invention, a tab for facilitating opening together with sealing is prepared only by heating and shrinking processes performed in a normal sealing process, without preparing a separate tape or providing a separate bonding process. It can be provided on the seal.

It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating L-shaped ceiling. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the relationship between the to-be-sealed material sealed by the heat sealing apparatus and sealing method which concern on this invention, and the content. It is the photograph of the contents sealed using the heat seal device concerning the present invention. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a heat sealing apparatus according to the present invention. It is a schematic perspective view of a seal bar part and a support part. It is a perspective view which shows the detailed structure of a seal bar part. It is a schematic perspective view of a seal bar part and a support part. It is a schematic front view near the 2nd seal unit of this device. It is the sectional view on the AA line in FIG. 5, and its partially expanded view. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the sealing operation | movement of this apparatus. It is the photograph of the contents sealed using this apparatus concerning a 2nd embodiment. It is a conceptual diagram which shows the relationship between the to-be-sealed object sealed using this apparatus of 2nd Embodiment, and the content. It is a schematic perspective view of the location containing the seal bar part and support part in this apparatus of 2nd Embodiment. It is a side perspective view showing the configuration of the printing unit.

[State after sealing]
First, an object to be sealed that has been sealed by a heat sealing apparatus and a sealing method according to the present invention (hereinafter, appropriately referred to as “this apparatus” and “this method”) will be described with reference to FIG. Here, a case where a biaxially stretched film is used and L-shaped sealing is performed will be described as an example.

  “L-shaped sealing” means using a biaxially stretched film formed in a bag shape by bonding only one side in each of the X and Y directions and opening the other. In a state where the contents are accommodated in the film, a heat treatment is performed by a heat sealing device including an L-shaped heater to seal the two opened sides, thereby sealing the contents. In addition, the film which is a to-be-sealed object closely_contact | adheres to the outer surface of the content by performing shrinkage | contraction processing, such as giving a hot air after that, and shrink | contracting a film.

  The above contents are intended to include the following aspects. As shown in FIG. 1A, a “half-fold film” formed by folding a sheet-like film in half is formed into a roll shape (one X1 in the longitudinal direction is opened and the other X2 is a crease) Is used). As shown in FIG.1 (b), a heat | fever cutting process is first performed with an L-shaped heater, without putting the contents in a film. As a result, the seal dx1 is formed in the longitudinal direction (X direction) and the seal dy1 is formed in the width direction (Y direction), as indicated by the reference numeral “circled 1” in FIG.

  At this time, although not shown in FIG. 1B for explanation, in practice, the film is melted by the seals dx1 and dy1, and a wall is formed by the seals dx1 and dy1. In other words, at this time, the film in the location to receive the content labeled “circled 2” is related to the X direction and the Y direction by the line X2 on the crease side and the sealing line dy1 that is fused. Only one side is coupled to each other, and is opened in the X and Y directions with respect to the Y direction on the right side of the drawing with respect to the lines X2 and dy1 on the opening side. More specifically, an opening is made with respect to the lines dx2 and dy2 at the next sealing point.

  In this state, the contents are accommodated in the film as indicated by “circled 2” and subjected to heat fusing with an L-shaped heater. As a result, the content is enclosed by the film by the seal dy1, the crease line X2, and the seals dx2 and dy2 formed in the current sealing process. Hereinafter, the sealing is sequentially performed by performing the sealing in the order of the circled circle 3 and the circled circle 4.

  FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of an object to be sealed that is sealed using the present apparatus or the present method. FIG. 2A is a conceptual plan view showing a state immediately after the sealing step, and FIG. 2B is a conceptual side view showing a state after contraction. FIG. 2B is a conceptual diagram when viewed from the direction of the arrow d1 in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2A, the sealed object 15 sealed using this apparatus or the present method includes a first seal portion 21 that seals the content 10 in two directions, and one side surface of the content 10. And a second seal portion 23 formed at a position between the first seal portion 21 and the first seal portion 21.

  The 1st seal | sticker part 21 is formed so that the content 10 may be sealed to 2 directions, and is formed in the length exceeding the edge | side which comprises the side surface of the content 10 which opposes. The 2nd seal part 23 is formed so that it may seal in one direction among the formation directions of the 1st seal part 21, and is formed in the length below the side which constitutes the side of the contents 10 which counter. In particular, the second seal portion 23 is formed so as to be located in the side surface 10a of the opposing content 10 when viewed in the d1 direction.

  When a shrinking process such as applying hot air of about 100 ° C. to 140 ° C., for example, is performed from the state shown in FIG. Here, with respect to the side surface 10a of the content 10 facing the second seal portion 23, when the sealed object 15 contracts so that the first seal portion 21 is in close contact with the same side surface, the first seal portion 21 and the content 10 The second seal portion 23 formed between the two is also closely attached to the side surface 10a. However, unevenness is formed on the surface shape of the object 15 to be sealed at the position where the second seal portion 23 is formed between the first seal portion 21 and the side surface 10a (see FIG. Seal is formed). For this reason, when the sealed object 15 contracts so that the first seal portion 21 reaches the position of the outer surface of the content 10, a protruding portion 23 a derived from the second seal portion 23 is formed on the side surface 10 a of the content 10. The

  Since the protruding portion 23a protrudes outward as compared with the sealed object 15 at another location formed in close contact with the outer surface of the content 10, it can be easily grasped by hand. Therefore, the user who has the sealed contents 10 can easily tear the sealed object 15 and take out the contents by grasping and pulling the protruding portion 23a at the time of opening. That is, the protrusion 23a serves as a tab for facilitating opening.

  As will be described later, by performing sealing with the present apparatus or the present method, an uneven portion serving as a trigger for a tab for facilitating opening is simultaneously formed. Therefore, by performing a normal shrinkage process thereafter, a hermetic seal with a tab for easy opening becomes possible. FIG. 3 shows a photograph when sealing is performed using this apparatus. It turns out that it is sealed in the state by which the protrusion part (opening tab) 23a was formed in the side surface.

  In addition, if it demonstrates corresponding to the sealing method demonstrated with reference to FIG.1 (b), in FIG.2 (a), the line dy parallel to the Y direction was formed by fusing by the last sealing. A line X2 corresponding to the wall and parallel to the X direction corresponds to a crease line of the film.

[First Embodiment]
A first embodiment of the present apparatus and method will be described.

[Device Overview]
First, the configuration of the present apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of the present apparatus. The apparatus 1 includes a seal bar unit 2, a mounting table 3, an operation unit 4, a support unit 5, a control unit 6, and a power button 7. In the example apparatus 1 shown in FIG. 4, the operation unit 4 is provided on one outer surface of a casing having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. The support portion 5 is configured to be able to move integrally with the seal bar portion 2. Further, an elastic member (spring) is provided between the support portion 5 and the seal bar portion 2, and when the seal bar portion 2 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the mounting table 3, the elastic member causes the seal bar portion 2 to be brought into contact with the upper surface of the mounting table 3. On the other hand, it can be pressed downward.

  A receiving portion 71 for contact of the first seal unit including the seal bar portion 2 and a receiving portion 72 for contact of the second seal unit are provided at predetermined positions of the mounting table 3. These receiving portions are made of, for example, a silicon rubber member. The first seal unit and the second seal unit will be described later.

  In performing the sealing process, the user operates the power button 7 to turn on the power, and then installs the object to be sealed and the contents on the mounting table 3 formed on the upper surface, The seal object is lowered together with the seal bar portion 2 toward the mounting table 3 to press the object to be sealed between the seal bar portion 2 and the mounting table 3. Thereby, the seal bar part 2 is energized, the heater provided in the seal bar part 2 is heated, and the object to be sealed at the place in contact with the seal bar part 2 is melted and cut (melted). As a result, the contents are sealed by the object to be sealed.

  Thereafter, a shrinking process is performed by, for example, applying hot air to the object to be sealed with the contents sealed inside, and the object to be sealed shrinks toward the outer surface of the contents and comes into close contact. At this time, as described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the opening tab is attached to the outer surface of the contents. The contraction process may be performed with the contents placed on the mounting table 3 or may be performed by moving the contents from the mounting table 3 and passing the contents through the contracting tunnel. Good.

  As will be described later, the support portion 5 is preferably configured to include a gripping portion for easily grasping and moving the support portion 5. Moreover, when the heater in the seal bar portion 2 is heated, the support portion 5 is preferably made of a material having low thermal conductivity and conductivity so that the heat is not transmitted and the operator is burned. .

  The operation unit 4 can be provided with a function for manually setting various conditions (temperature, time, etc.) during sealing. The operation unit 4 is provided as a means for inputting control conditions. However, the operation unit 4 may be configured to connect an external device (for example, a computer or the like) and input control content from the device. In such a case, it is not necessary to provide the operation unit 4 in the casing of the apparatus 1. Further, when only the manufacturer side permits the change of the control conditions, the operation unit 4 may be provided inside the apparatus 1. Note that the operation unit 4 and the control unit 6 may be integrated into the apparatus 1.

[Seal bar part]
Next, the detailed structure of the seal bar portion will be described.

  FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the seal bar portion 2 and the support portion 4. The support portion 4 is provided with a grip portion 31 for grasping by hand. A cross-sectional view taken along the line AA in FIG. 9 will be described later with reference to FIG.

  As will be described later, the seal bar portion 2 incorporates an L-shaped heater. Then, another heater is installed on the inner wall of the predetermined portion of the seal bar portion 2, and this heater is fixed to the support portion 4 by a fixture 61. Hereinafter, the L-shaped heater built in the seal bar portion 2 will be referred to as “first heater” and the heater installed on the inner wall of the seal bar portion 2 will be referred to as “second heater”. A unit including the first heater is referred to as a “first seal unit”, and a unit including the second heater is referred to as a “second seal unit”. In addition, the thermocouple 45 shown on drawing is a temperature sensor for measuring the heating temperature of a 1st heater.

  FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a detailed configuration of the seal bar portion 2. (A) is the figure which disassembled and displayed the component which comprises the seal bar part 2, (b) is the figure which displayed the assembled state. FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of the configuration of FIG. 5 as viewed obliquely from below.

  As shown in FIG. 6 (a), the seal bar 2 covers the L-shaped heater (first heater) 40, the first seal bar 41 made of a material having high thermal conductivity, and the heater 40 from the outside. The second seal bar 42, the knob knob 43 and the spring 44 for fixing the second seal bar 42 and the first seal bar 41, a thermocouple 45 having a temperature detecting function, and a predetermined voltage required for sealing by transforming, for example, a commercial voltage. An electrode terminal block 46 is provided for connection to a transformer (not shown) for generating a seal voltage.

  The knob knob 43 and the spring 44 also serve as a pressing member that brings the thermocouple 45 into close contact with the first heater 40. This point will be separately described later.

  A first seal unit is configured by the seal bar portion 2 illustrated in FIG. 6. As will be described later with reference to FIG. 7, a second seal unit is formed at a predetermined position inside the seal bar 41. The second seal unit (for tab formation) 50 includes a seal bar 51, a heater (second heater) 52, and an electrode terminal block 53.

  As described with reference to FIG. 4, the apparatus includes the control unit 6. In this embodiment, control with respect to the heater 40 is performed by temperature control, and control with respect to the heater 52 is performed by time control. The control unit 6 includes a first control unit that controls the heater 40 and a second control unit that controls the heater 52. In addition, these two control units may be configured with separate parts or may be configured with a single part.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic front view of the vicinity of the tab forming unit 50 in a state in which the seal bar portion 2 is pulled down and brought into contact with the upper surface of the mounting table 3 in the apparatus 1. A pressing spring 62 for pressing the seal bar 51 downward is attached to the fixture 61. When the seal bar portion 2 is pulled down, a downward pressure is applied to the seal bar 51. A configuration may be adopted in which silicon rubber as a cushioning material is provided on the upper surface of the receiving portion 70.

  When energized in the state of FIG. 8, the heater in the seal bar 51 is heated, and the portion 90 a of the material to be sealed 90 located below the seal bar 51 is sealed. By this sealing, the concavo-convex portion that becomes the trigger of the tab described above is formed.

[Heater part]
Next, a detailed configuration of the heater portion will be described.

  In the present embodiment, a ribbon wire is used as the heater 40 shown in FIG. 6, and the surface having a width is installed so as to face the seal bar 41. That is, as the heater 40, a vertically placed ribbon line is used. And in order to recognize the heating condition of this heater 40, the thermocouple 45 is provided so that the heater 40 may be contacted. As the thermocouple 45, a general thermocouple such as a K-type thermocouple can be used.

  As will be described later, the temperature control is performed in energizing the heater 40 (first heater), and the temperature of the heater 40 needs to be accurately recognized by the thermocouple 45.

  The thermocouple 45 is a sensor that detects a temperature based on a voltage generated at the junction point according to the temperature when two different metal materials are joined. That is, in order to correctly detect the temperature of the heater 40 by the thermocouple 45, the thermocouple 45 needs to be in close contact with the heater 40.

  In the case of the configuration of the present embodiment, a ribbon wire is used as the heater 40, and the surface having the width is opposed to the surface of the seal bar 41. For this reason, in order to correctly detect the temperature of the heater 40 in a state where the seal bar portion 2 is in contact with the upper surface of the mounting table 3, it is necessary to bring the thermocouple 45 into close contact with the heater 40 in a substantially horizontal direction.

  In this apparatus, the above-mentioned role is fulfilled by the knob knob 43 and the spring 44 shown in FIG. The knob knob 43 and the spring 44 are provided to fix the heater cover 42 and the seal bar 41, and the heater cover 42 generated by the knob knob 43 and the spring 43 (corresponding to the “pressing member”) is changed from the heater cover 42 to the seal bar 41. The heater 40 positioned between them is also pressed toward the seal bar 41 by the pressing force that is directed. As a result, the thermocouple 45 provided on the seal bar 41 and the heater 40 can be brought into close contact with each other, and the temperature detection of the heater 40 can be performed correctly.

  9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA in FIG. In addition, (b) is the schematic diagram which expanded and displayed the area | region B part in (a). The spring 63 is provided between the support portion 5 and the seal bar portion 2 and presses the seal bar portion 2 downward when the seal bar portion 2 is brought into contact with the upper surface of the mounting table 3. It is an elastic member.

  When the knob knob 43 is tightened, the buffer material 66 and the heat resistant resin material 65b are pressed in the d2 direction. Thereby, the heater 40 and the thermocouple temperature sensing part 45a are restrained between the heat resistant resin materials 65a and 65b, and both are closely attached in the d2 direction. Therefore, the temperature of the heater 40 can be correctly detected by the thermocouple temperature sensing unit 45a.

  In addition, since it is set as the structure which performs electricity supply control with respect to the heater 40 according to the temperature of the heater 40 as mentioned above, since heating temperature can be set according to the welding temperature of a to-be-sealed object (film), it is long. Even in continuous use over time, the finish after sealing can be improved without being affected by the heat storage of the first heater or the seal bar. Moreover, since it can be stopped by the minimum necessary heating for the heater, an energy saving effect can be obtained and an effect of extending the life of parts such as the heater and the seal bar can be expected. In addition, it is possible to obtain an effect of minimizing the generation of smoke due to melting or melting residue of the object to be sealed.

[Contents of control]
Next, the content of control performed by the apparatus 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the sealing operation performed by the apparatus 1.

  First, when the apparatus 1 is turned on and the user pulls down the seal bar 2 together with the support 5 (step S1), the microswitch is turned on (step S2), and the first heater 40 and the second heater 52 are turned on. Is energized (steps S3 and S11).

  In addition to the micro switch, this apparatus 1 has individual energization control switches for controlling ON / OFF of energization to the first heater 40 and the second heater 52 (each of which is referred to as “first energization control switch”, “ It is possible to employ a configuration in which the second energization control switch is called. The microswitch is installed on the power supply side with respect to these individual energization control switches, and when the microswitch is turned from OFF to ON, both the energization control switches may be turned on. Then, when the switch switching condition is reached, the control unit 6 performs control to switch these individual switches from ON to OFF.

  For the on / off switching of the micro switch, either mechanical control or electrical control can be employed. In the former case, holding the support part 5 and pulling down the seal bar part 2 onto the mounting table 3, the microswitch provided on the seal bar part 2 is mechanically turned on by pressing, and conversely the seal bar By pulling the part 2 away from the mounting table 3, the microswitch is mechanically turned off. In the latter case, a sensor for detecting pull-down of the seal bar unit 2 is provided on the seal bar unit 2 or the mounting table 3, and the micro switch is turned on in response to a detection signal from the sensor. it can. As another example, it is also possible to provide a micro switch that is turned on by the load only when the seal bar portion 2 and the mounting table 3 are in contact with each other.

  The control performed in this apparatus is divided into a block for controlling the first heater (L-shaped heater) 40 and a block for controlling the second heater (for tab formation) 52.

  When energization to the first heater 40 is started (step S3), the temperature of the first heater 40 starts to rise. The temperature of the first heater 40 is detected by the thermocouple 45, and when the temperature reaches a preset temperature (first temperature) (Yes in step S4), the first energization control switch is turned off and the first energization control switch is turned off. The energization to one heater 40 is stopped (step S5).

  Thereafter, the temperature of the first heater 40 is continuously detected by the thermocouple 45, and when the temperature reaches a preset temperature (second temperature) lower than the first temperature (Yes in step S7), the sealing is completed. A buzzer for notifying the user of the above is sounded (step S8). A waiting time for cooling the first heater 40 is configured between step S5 and S8. In step S8, in addition to the buzzer sounding, a display indicating the completion of sealing may be made visually on the screen.

  Similarly, when energization to the second heater 52 is started (step S11), the temperature of the second heater 52 rises. However, in this embodiment, time control is performed for energization control to the second heater 52. The control unit 6 includes a timer circuit for measuring time, and has a configuration capable of measuring an elapsed time after the energization of the second heater 52 is started. When this elapsed time reaches a preset time (step S12), the second energization control switch is turned off to stop energization of the second heater 52 (step S13).

  Note that the set time may be determined so that the completion timing of step S13 is earlier than the completion timing of step S8. When both of step S7 and step S12 are Yes, step S8 is executed. It does not matter if it is executed.

  When the user recognizes that the sealing operation is completed by the sound of the buzzer, the user raises the seal bar portion 2 together with the support portion 5 (step S21). Thereby, the microswitch is turned off (step S22). Thus, the sealing operation is completed, and the seal portions 21 and 23 having the shapes as shown in FIG. 2 are formed. After that, by performing a shrinking process, as shown in FIG. 3, the sealed object 15 is brought into close contact with the contents 10, and an opening tab 23a is further formed.

[Second Embodiment]
A second embodiment of the present apparatus and method will be described. In the following description, only differences from the first embodiment will be mainly described.

[State after sealing]
First, the state after sealing will be described. FIG. 11 is a photograph showing a state in which shrinkage processing is performed after sealing is performed using the apparatus of the present embodiment. FIG. 12 schematically illustrates this.

  Even when sealing is performed using the apparatus of the present embodiment, the second side is applied to the side surface 10a of the content 10 after the shrinkage process, as in the case of the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. A protruding portion 23a (opening tab) derived from the seal portion 23 is formed. Furthermore, the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that ink adheres to at least a part of the protruding portion 23a and the ink attaching portion 25 is formed.

  The ink may be any color. Generally, the sealed object 15 is often transparent so that the information on the contents 10 can be visually confirmed even after sealing. At this time, even if the opening tab 23a is formed on the side surface 10a of the contents 10 by performing sealing with the apparatus or the method described above in the first embodiment, the opening tab 23a is also a transparent color. There are cases where the user who has the object 10 does not immediately notice the opening tab 23a. In contrast, according to the apparatus or method of the present embodiment, when the second seal portion 23 is formed as described later, the ink is transferred to the seal portion 23. For this reason, the ink is also attached to the opening tab 23a formed by performing the shrinking process thereafter. This makes it easier for the user to visually recognize the presence of the opening tab 23a.

[Device Overview]
Next, only the differences from the first embodiment will be described for the configuration of the apparatus in the present embodiment. The apparatus of the present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in that it includes a printing unit for attaching ink to the seal portion, and the other structure is the same as that of the first embodiment.

  FIG. 13 is a perspective view illustrating the apparatus according to the present embodiment according to FIG. Since the printing unit is installed further above (on the back side of the sheet) the fixture 61, it is not displayed on this drawing. A printing tape 81 containing ink is sent from the printing unit toward the second seal unit 50. The print tape 81 is folded back so as to be hooked on the second seal unit 50 and sent back to the print unit side again.

  FIG. 14 is a side perspective view showing the configuration of the printing unit. The printing unit 80 includes rollers such as a sending roller 83, a drive roller 84, a winding roller 85, and a pressing roller 86. The printing unit 80 is fixedly attached above the fixture 71.

  The delivery roller 83 rotatably holds the printing tape 81 before printing wound in a roll shape. As the feed roller 83 rotates, the print tape 81 is sent out. The print tape 81 is hung on the seal bar 51 of the second seal unit 50, and is further communicated with the take-up roller 85 via the opposed surfaces of the drive roller 84 and the presser roller 86.

  The drive roller 84 is driven to rotate based on a slide displacement of a slide shaft 87 connected through, for example, a clutch spring (not shown). The slide shaft 87 is attached so as to extend in the vertical direction, and is held in a state in which it can slide in the vertical direction. By lowering the seal bar portion 2 to the mounting table 3, the lower end portion of the slide shaft 87 is in contact with the base surface of the apparatus 1, and the slide shaft 87 is slid and displaced upward. At this time, the drive roller 84 is rotated by an amount corresponding to the slide amount of the slide shaft 87 by the action of the clutch spring.

  The drive roller 84 and the press roller 86 are provided so that their outer peripheral surfaces face each other, and the print tape 81 fed from the feed roller 83 passes between the drive roller 84 and the press roller 86 and is a take-up roller. It is conveyed to 85. By the rotational drive of the drive roller 84 as described above, the print tape 81 can be automatically fed from the feed roller 83 and taken up on the take-up roller 85. At this time, the press roller 86 presses the print tape 81 toward the drive roller 84, so that the print tape 81 can be transported satisfactorily.

  As shown in FIG. 14, the print tape 81 is wound around the bottom surface of the seal bar 51 in the second seal unit 50. More specifically, the seal bar 51 is hooked so as to be in contact with one side surface, the bottom surface, and the other side surface, and sent to the drive roller 84 side. The seal bar 51 has a box shape indicating a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, but is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and may have a curved surface in part in addition to a polyhedron composed of a plurality of planes.

  Under this configuration, as in the first embodiment, in the sealing process, the support portion 5 is lowered together with the seal bar portion 2 in the direction of the mounting table 3 while the object to be sealed 15 is installed on the mounting table 3. The seal 15 is pressed between the seal bar portion 2 and the mounting table 3. At this time, as described above, the heater 53 of the second seal unit 50 is energized and heated. The seal bar 51 of the second seal unit 50 is in contact with the object to be sealed 18 via the print tape 81. For this reason, the object 18 to be sealed is melted to form a concavo-convex portion that triggers the tab, and the ink contained in the printing tape 81 is transferred to the surface of the concavo-convex portion. The printing tape 81 after the ink has been transferred is conveyed via the drive roller 84 and taken up by the take-up roller 85.

  Therefore, after forming the concavo-convex portion to which the ink has been transferred in this way, the unsealing tab 23a having the ink adhering portion 25 is formed as shown in FIGS.

  Note that the printing unit 80 shown in FIG. 14 is provided with a tape correction plate 88 for preventing the printing tape 81 from meandering. However, the configuration of FIG. 14 is merely an example, and is limited to this mode as long as at least a part of the second seal unit 50 is configured to come into contact with the object to be sealed 15 via the print tape 81 during sealing. It is not a thing.

  The rotation amount of the drive roller 84 accompanying the lowering of the seal bar portion 2 is set so that the printing tape 81 having a length longer than the length at which the ink is transferred to the concavo-convex portion at the time of sealing is conveyed. Is preferred. With this configuration, the printing tape 81 before printing is always set on the bottom surface of the second seal unit 50 during sealing.

[Another embodiment]
Hereinafter, another embodiment will be described.

  <1> In the above embodiment, the case of sealing in the L shape has been described. However, in the sealing process, a seal part (second seal part) that triggers tab formation is simultaneously formed between the original seal part (first seal part) formed for the purpose of sealing the contents and the contents. If it is the structure to perform, it is not restricted to L-type sealing. Even if it is not an L-type sealing, after the sealing step, a shrinking process is performed to seal the contents with the object to be sealed, and an opening tab is also formed on the side surface of the contents.

  <2> In the above-described embodiment, the second seal portion 23 is formed at one place, and the opening tab 23a is formed on the one side surface 10a of the content 10 after the shrinkage treatment. However, the location where the second seal portion 23 and the opening tab 23a are formed is not limited to one location. For example, the second seal portion 23 may be formed such that the opening tab 23a is formed on a plurality of side surfaces of the content 10. In this case, it is necessary to provide the second heater 52 in accordance with the location where the second seal portion 23 is formed.

  <3> In the above-described embodiment, the energization control of the first heater 40 is temperature control, and the control of the second heater 52 is time control. However, both heaters may be temperature controlled, and both heaters may be time controlled. Needless to say, when both heaters are time-controlled, a thermocouple is not required, and therefore a pressing member for bringing the heater and the thermocouple into close contact with each other is also unnecessary.

  <4> In the above-described embodiment, the case where the knob knob 43 and the spring 44 are used as the pressing member for bringing the thermocouple 45 into close contact with the heater 40 in the substantially horizontal direction has been described. It is not limited to the knob knob 43 or the spring 44. As long as the pressing member is a member having a function of applying a force for bringing the pressing member into a substantially horizontal direction between the heater 40 and the thermocouple 45, a configuration other than the knob knob 43 and the spring 44 may be employed. .

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Heat seal apparatus 2: Seal bar part 3: Mounting stand 4: Operation part 5: Support part 6: Control part 7: Power button 8: First seal unit 10: Contents 10a: One side of contents 15: Covered Sealed object 21: 1st seal part 23: 2nd seal part 23a: Projection part, tab for opening 25: Ink adhesion part 31: Grasping part 40: 1st heater 41: 1st seal bar 42: 2nd seal bar 43: Knob 44: Spring 45: Thermocouple 45a: Thermocouple temperature sensing part 46: Electrode terminal block 50: Second seal unit 51: Seal bar 52: Second heater 53: Electrode terminal block 61: Fixing element 62: Pressurizing spring 65a, 65b: heat resistant resin material 66: cushioning material 71: receiving portion 72: receiving portion 80: printing unit 81: printing tape 83: Exit roller 84: Drive roller 85: Winding roller 86: Pressing roller 87: Slide shaft 88: Tape correction plate 90: Material to be sealed 90a: Part of the material to be sealed X1: Side on the opening side of the half-fold film X2: Half-fold Side of the crease side of the film

Claims (10)

A heat sealing device for sealing the contents with a sealed object composed of a stretched film,
A mounting table for installing the sealed object and the contents;
A first heater is built-in, and the first heater is heated by energization so that the sealed object at a position outside the installed contents is melted to seal the contents. A first seal unit forming a portion;
A second heater is built in, and the second heater is heated by energization, so that the sealed object at a position between the installed contents and the first seal part is melted, and the first seal part have a second sealing unit for forming the second sealing portion shorter length than,
The first seal unit is
A first seal bar whose bottom surface comes into contact with the object to be sealed during sealing;
The first heater formed of an L-shaped heater formed on the outside of the first seal bar;
A second seal bar formed on the opposite side of the seal bar so as to sandwich the first heater;
A thermocouple installed in contact with the first heater;
The heat seal device further includes a first control unit that controls energization of the first heater based on a temperature detection result of the first heater by the thermocouple. The first seal unit includes a pressing member that presses in a direction from the second seal bar toward the first seal bar,
The first heater is an L-shaped ribbon heater, and is installed so that a wide surface faces the first seal bar, and a contact state with the thermocouple is ensured by pressing by the pressing member. The heat sealing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein The second seal unit has the second heater and is formed on the inner side wall of the first seal bar opposite to the first heater,
Further heat-sealing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it comprises a second control unit that performs energization control to the second heater. A printing unit including a feeding roller in which a printing tape containing ink is wound in a roll shape, and a winding roller that winds up the printing tape fed from the feeding roller;
The said printing unit is arrange | positioned so that the said printing tape sent out from the said sending roller may be wound up by the said winding roller, after contacting the surface of the said 2nd seal unit . The heat sealing apparatus according to any one of 3 . 5. The heat seal device according to claim 4 , wherein the printing unit transfers the ink in the printing tape to the second seal portion when the second heater is heated by energization. 6. After the second seal unit forms the second seal part, the winding roller winds the printing tape by a predetermined length that is equal to or longer than the length transferred to the second seal part. Item 6. The heat sealing apparatus according to Item 4 or 5 . The second seal unit has the second heater, and is formed on the inner side wall opposite to the first heater among the side walls of the first seal bar, having a polyhedral box shape,
The printing unit is arranged so that the printing tape fed from the feeding roller is wound around the winding roller after moving along a plurality of surfaces of the second seal unit. The heat sealing apparatus according to any one of claims 4 to 6 . A sealing method for sealing contents with a sealed object composed of a stretched film,
With the contents placed in the sealed object, the first heater and the second heater are energized so that the sealed object at a position outside the contents is heated and melted by the first heater. A first seal part is formed so as to seal the contents, and the sealed object at a position between the contents and the first seal part is heated and melted by the second heater to be in the same position. Having a heating step of forming a second seal portion shorter in length than one seal portion;
The sealing method according to claim 1, wherein the second sealing portion in a state where the ink of the printing tape is adhered is formed by performing the heating step in a state where the printing tape containing ink is in contact with the object to be sealed. After the heating step, by applying hot air to the object to be sealed in which the contents are sealed, the object to be sealed contracts and adheres to the contents, and the second seal portion contracts. The sealing method according to claim 8 , further comprising a shrinking step of forming an opening tab protruding from the surface of the contents. A heat sealing device for sealing the contents with a sealed object composed of a stretched film,
A mounting table for installing the contents; a first seal bar whose bottom surface comes into contact with the object to be sealed at the time of sealing;
A heater formed of an L-shaped heater formed on the outside of the first seal bar;
A second seal bar formed on the opposite side of the first seal bar so as to sandwich the heater;
A pressing member that presses in a direction from the second seal bar toward the first seal bar;
A thermocouple installed in contact with the heater;
A control unit that controls energization of the heater based on a temperature detection result of the heater by the thermocouple,
The heater is an L-shaped ribbon heater, and is installed so that a wide surface faces the first seal bar, and a contact state with the thermocouple is secured by pressing by the pressing member. A heat sealing apparatus characterized by comprising: