JP6634227B2 - Pillow packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a pillow wrapping machine, which is used for packaging unstable articles, more specifically, articles that easily fall over such as a group of articles in which a plurality of upright articles are arranged in front and behind, and articles that easily roll, and the like. It concerns the device.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there are various types of packages, for example, a package in which a plurality of thin plate-like articles such as biscuits are stored in a stacked state. A pillow packaging machine that manufactures such a package has, for example, the following configuration.

  The pillow packaging machine includes a transporting and feeding device that transports a group of articles configured by arranging upright articles in front and back, and a packaging machine main body disposed downstream of the transporting and feeding device. The packaging machine main body is provided with a bag-making device for forming the tubular film by forming the tubular film into a tubular shape on the carry-in side. On the downstream side of the bag making device, a center sealing device that passes through the bag making device and seals an overlapped film formed in a tubular shape and placed on top of each other is arranged. Also, a group of articles sequentially carried out from the transport / supply device is supplied into the bag making device. Thus, when the group of articles passes through the bag making device, they are stored in the tubular film at predetermined intervals, and the group of articles is conveyed together with the tubular film. Then, the pillow wrapping body including the article group is manufactured by sealing and cutting the tubular film so as to traverse the tubular film at predetermined intervals at a predetermined interval by a top seal device arranged on the carry-out side of the pillow wrapping machine. Is done.

  Since the article group is composed of a plurality of upstanding thin plate-shaped articles, the individual articles may fall down. Therefore, as in the packaging machine disclosed in Patent Literature 1, there is a transporting / supplying device or a transporting device that transports a cylindrical film containing a group of articles provided with an overturn preventing function for the articles.

  Specifically, for example, it is preferable to provide a restraining member that is on both the left and right side surfaces of the tubular film and that comes into contact between the front and rear packages. The holding member is connected to, for example, an endless chain rotating in a horizontal plane, and moves forward in accordance with the movement of the tubular film following the rotation of the endless chain.

59-191301

  The conventional device has the following problems. That is, on the upstream side of the top seal device, the packaged object is conveyed in a state where the front and rear of the packaged product is suppressed by the pressing member. However, when the holding member separates from the tubular film, the packaged article is no longer supported, and the packaged article may fall in the tubular film. Then, when sandwiching and sealing the film portion between the first packaged item and the next packaged item in the cylindrical film with a pair of sealers, the fallen packaged product is bitten and the normal packaging process is performed. May not be able to continue.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the pillow packaging machine according to the present invention includes: (1) a conveyer that conveys an article to be packaged consisting of a group of articles in which a plurality of articles in an upright state are arranged in front and back while being wrapped with a packaging film; Means, a top seal means arranged downstream of the transport means, for sealing and cutting the packaging film in a direction intersecting the traveling direction, and an outer peripheral surface of the packaging film arranged upstream of the top seal means. Restraining means for biasing the article inward to suppress overturning of the article, and side restraining means disposed downstream of the restraining means for preventing the article released from being supported by the restraining means from falling down. A pushing member that contacts a portion of the side surface of the packaging film where the object to be packaged does not exist and pushes the pushing member inward, and the pushing member is placed in a horizontal plane. And drive means for moving at a definitive predetermined trajectory, the predetermined trajectory, the section pushed inward by the pushing member, the overlap portion and the section of suppressing the articles to be packaged by the suppressing means, said top The pair of upper and lower top sealers of the sealing means is configured to include a position where the sealing film starts to sandwich the packaging film.

  The article to be packaged conveyed together with the packaging film is conveyed in a state in which the article is prevented from tipping over by the restraining means. When reaching the vicinity of the top sealing means, the support by the restraining means is released, and the article may fall down. In the present invention, since the pushing member is provided for pushing inward in contact with the portion of the side of the packaging film where the object to be packaged does not exist, when the pushing member pushes the side of the packaging film inward, the packaging film Is narrowed, so that the articles located before and after it are prevented from falling down. Therefore, the articles constituting the leading packaged object in front of the holding member are prevented from falling forward because the leading end of the packaging film is top-sealed, so that the article of the leading packaged article falls down. Is deterred. In addition, since the articles constituting the second packaged article behind the holding member are supported by the holding means on the rear side, falling of the articles backward is suppressed, so that the second article to be packed is suppressed. The falling of the articles in the package is suppressed.

  And, in the present invention, the section where the pushing member is pushing the packaging film inward overlaps with the support section by the restraining means on the upstream side, and the downstream side is provided at least to the position where it starts to be sandwiched by the upper and lower top sealers. Further, it is possible to prevent the article from falling down in the packaging film from the release of the support by the holding means to the sealing by the top sealing means.

  (2) a first driving means for moving the pushing member forward and backward along the transport direction of the packaging film; and a second driving means for moving the pushing member toward and away from the packaging film. The first driving means includes a driving motor, and a link mechanism for converting a rotation output of the driving motor into a reciprocating linear motion. The second driving means is adapted to match the transport speed of the film so that the section to be pushed in is the central portion, and the pushing member is separated from the side surface of the packaging film before and after the section to be pushed in. It is good to constitute.

  This makes it possible to control the forward and backward movement of the pushing member with a simple configuration such as a drive motor and a link mechanism. In the reciprocating linear motion using the drive motor and the link mechanism, the speed cannot be kept constant in all sections of the moving section in the front-rear direction, and the speed decreases in the section near the front and rear ends of the moving section, and the packaging film The speed difference from the moving speed of the vehicle increases. Therefore, in the present invention, instead of pushing in the entire section of the moving section in the front-rear direction, a section is provided in which the pushing member moves forward in the same direction as the transport direction of the packaging film in a state where the pushing member is separated from the packaging film. While the packaging film is being pushed inward by the pushing member, the moving speed of the packaging film and the moving speed of the pushing member can be matched to prevent the article from falling down without giving stress to the packaging film. So good.

  The term "matching the moving speed" does not necessarily mean that the moving speeds are completely the same, and it is sufficient that the moving speed does not affect the packaging film even if there is a speed difference. In addition, the section where the pushing member is pushing the packaging film inward is the central portion, but it is not necessary to push the entire portion of the central section, for example, a part of the front side or the rear side of the central portion. , The pushing member may be in a non-contact state with the packaging film.

  (3) The pushing member may be a finger member whose tip branches in a forked shape. By making it bifurcated, for example, the buffer between the sealer and the pushing member can be more reliably avoided.

(4) the restraining means is a side belt apparatus provided with a guide belt for moving in a horizontal plane, said side belt device arranged on the left and right sides of the packaging film, both sides of the packaging film by the guide belt The packaged object is preferably supported by being sandwiched between the packaged objects. By doing so, the article constituting the article to be packaged can be held and supported by the guide belt. Also, the downstream end position of the guide belt can be brought closer to the position where the pair of sealers of the top seal device starts to sandwich the packaging film.

  (5) The side belt device may include a plurality of guide belts above and below, and the pushing member may be allowed to enter a space between the guide belts arranged above and below the guide belt. With this configuration, the guide belts are arranged above and below the pushing member, so that the packaging film can be pushed inward while being stably suppressed.

  (6) The top seal means may be a rotary top seal means having an upper top sealer and a lower top sealer respectively attached to a pair of rotating shafts arranged vertically above and below the packaging film.

  (7) The packaging machine passes through the bag-making device, a bag-making device for forming a continuously supplied belt-like film into a cylindrical shape, a conveying / supplying unit for supplying the packaged object to the bag-making device. A center sealing means for sealing the overlapped end of the cylindrical film, which is the packaging film formed into a cylindrical shape, and a seal / cut disposed in the downstream side of the center sealing means in a width direction of the cylindrical film. The pillow-type packaging machine may be provided with the above-mentioned top sealing means and a conveyor device for transporting a package formed by cutting the top sealing means.

  According to the present invention, the packaging process can be performed neatly without the article falling down in the front-back direction in the packaging film.

It is a front view showing one embodiment of a packing machine concerning the present invention. It is a front view which shows the fall prevention apparatus which is the principal part. It is the top view. It is the side view. It is the perspective view. It is a front view showing a side belt device. It is the top view. It is a front view showing a side control device. It is the top view. It is the side view. It is the perspective view.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not construed as being limited thereto, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

  FIG. 1 shows an overall configuration of a preferred embodiment of a pillow packaging machine according to the present invention. The pillow wrapping machine 10 includes a wrapping machine main body 11, a film supply device 12 for continuously supplying a band-shaped wrapping film to the wrapping machine main body 11, and an upstream side of the wrapping machine main body 11. A transport supply device 14 that supplies the packaged objects 13 to the machine body 11 at predetermined intervals is provided.

  The film supply device 12 links the output of a drive motor (not shown) (for example, a servo motor or the like whose speed can be controlled) to an original film 16 obtained by winding the strip film 15 in a roll shape. While the rotation speed of 16 is controlled appropriately, it is supplied to the packaging machine main body 11 at a constant speed. Although not shown, various rollers 22 (one of which is representatively shown in the figure) are disposed at predetermined positions from the raw film 16 to the packaging machine main body 11, and the rollers 22 are sent out from the raw film 16. The belt-like film 15 is configured to be guided to the packaging machine main body 11 through a predetermined path by being wound around the roller 22. It is not always necessary to link a drive motor to the raw film 16; a feed roller is provided on the transport path of the belt-like film 15, and a feed force is applied to the belt-like film 15 by the feed roller, and The film may be continuously drawn from the film.

  The article to be packaged 13 is an article group formed by arranging a plurality of upright articles 13a in front and behind. The shape of the article 13a is a thin plate or flake. Further, in the present embodiment, the article 13a has a disk shape, but may have a rectangular shape or other various shapes. The article 13a used in the present embodiment is low in stability in the upright state and easy to fall down due to the fact that the article 13a is thin and has a disk shape, but as described below, the pillow packaging machine is used. 10 can be stably conveyed and packed by having a fall prevention function. The article 13a is, for example, a biscuit, a cookie, or the like, but is not limited thereto.

  The transport / supply device 14 includes sprockets 17 arranged in the front and rear (only the front in the traveling direction in the figure), an endless chain 18 laid over the plurality of sprockets 17, and a front finger attached to the endless chain 18. 19a and a rear finger 19b. The front finger 19a and the rear finger 19b carry the packaged object 13 as a front and rear pair. In other words, the distance between the front finger 19a and the rear finger 19b is substantially equal to the front-rear length of the package 13 and the package 13 is conveyed while being sandwiched from the front and back, and the article 13a falls down in the front-rear direction. To prevent Although not shown, horizontal walls are provided on both sides of the transport path of the packaged object 13. This lateral wall prevents the article 13a from moving in the lateral direction. Further, a plurality of pairs of front fingers 19a and rear fingers 19b are attached to the endless chain 18 at a predetermined pitch. Thus, the transport supply device 14 transports the packaged object 13 in a stable posture and supplies the packaged product 13 to the next-stage packaging machine body 11 at a constant interval.

  The packaging machine main body 11 includes a bag making device 20 for arranging the supplied strip film 15 into a tubular film 21, a center sealing device 24 disposed downstream of the bag making device 20, and a center sealing device 24. , A belt conveyor 23 that conveys the cylindrical film 21, a top seal device 25 that is arranged downstream of the belt conveyor 23, and an unloading conveyor 26 that is arranged downstream of the top seal device 25. , Is provided.

  The bag making device 20 forms the tubular film 21 by passing the belt-shaped film 15 continuously supplied from the film supply device 12 into a tubular shape. With this passage, both side edges 21a of the film come into contact with each other. The articles 13 to be sequentially supplied from the transport / supply device 14 to the packaging machine main body 11 are inserted into the bag making device 20. Thereby, the articles 13 to be supplied to the bag making device 20 are arranged in the tubular film 21 at predetermined intervals.

  The center sealing device 24 seals both side edges 21 a of the tubular film 21. The center seal device 24 heats and presses while sandwiching both side edge portions 21a from both sides to perform heat sealing. The center seal device 24 of the present embodiment includes a pair of roller-type or bar-type sealers 24a, and pinch rollers 24b and 24c disposed before and after the sealers 24a.

  The top seal device 25 includes a pair of rotating shafts 25a vertically arranged so as to face each other with the tubular film 21 interposed therebetween, an upper top sealer 25b attached to the upper rotating shaft 25a, and a lower rotating shaft 25a. And a lower top sealer 25c attached to the lower side. The upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c have a built-in heater, and the sealing surfaces at the tips of each are heated to a predetermined temperature. Further, a cutter blade 25d is built in a central portion of the sealing surface of the upper top sealer 25b in the front-rear direction. A receiving blade 25e is built in a central portion of the sealing surface of the lower top sealer 25c in the front-rear direction. The upper and lower rotating shafts 25a, and furthermore, the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c rotate in synchronization, and each time one rotation, the sealing surfaces of the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c contact. Therefore, during this contact, the tubular film 21 is sandwiched and heated and pressed. Further, at the time of this contact, the cutter blade 25d and the receiving blade 25e cut the tubular film 21.

  Then, the top seal device 25 laterally seals and cuts a portion of the center-sealed tubular film 21 where no packaged object exists. As a result, the leading end of the tubular film 21 containing the leading packaged object 13 is separated from the tubular film 21, and the package 27 is manufactured. Then, the package 27 is transported on the unloading conveyor 26.

  In the present embodiment, a fall prevention device 29 for preventing the articles 13a constituting the packaged object 13 in the tubular film 21 being conveyed from falling down is provided. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the fall prevention device 29 is disposed upstream of the top seal device 25 and suppresses the side surface of the cylindrical film 21 being conveyed from both sides. And a side restraining device 31 for pushing the side surface inside the tubular film 21 inward.

  The side belt devices 30 are disposed on the left and right sides above the belt conveyor 23. Each of the left and right side belt devices 30 has two upper guide belts 32 and lower guide belts 33 arranged at predetermined intervals above and below, as shown in FIGS. The upper guide belt 32 is wound around an upper driving pulley 34 and an upper driven pulley 35 disposed at predetermined positions in front and rear along the transport direction of the tubular film 21, and rotates and moves along a predetermined locus in a horizontal plane. The lower guide belt 33 is stretched around a lower driving pulley 36 and a lower driven pulley 37 disposed at predetermined positions in front and rear along the transport direction of the tubular film 21, and rotates and moves along a predetermined locus in a horizontal plane. The upper drive pulley 34 and the lower drive pulley 36 are arranged so as to overlap vertically and are connected to the same rotating shaft 38, and are integrally driven to rotate. Similarly, the plurality of upper driven pulleys 35 and the plurality of lower driven pulleys 37 are arranged so that the corresponding driven pulleys overlap vertically, and are connected to the same rotation shaft 39, respectively.

  A power transmission pulley 40 is connected to an upper end of the rotating shaft 38 to which the upper drive pulley 34 is connected. A power transmission belt 43 is stretched between the power transmission pulley 40 and the drive pulley 42 linked to the output shaft of the drive motor 41. Thus, the rotation output of the drive motor 41 is transmitted to the upper drive pulley 34 and the lower drive pulley 36 via the power transmission belt 43, and the upper guide belt 32 and the lower guide belt 33 are driven to rotate integrally. Then, the moving speed of the belt surface is set equal to the conveying speed of the cylindrical film 21 and the packaged object 3 by the belt conveyor 23.

  The trajectory of the rotational movement of the upper guide belt 32 and the lower guide belt 33 includes a straight section K1 moving along the tubular film 21, and an inclined approach section K2 on the upstream side of the straight section K1. The interval between the left and right upper guide belts 32 and the lower guide belts 33 in the straight section K1 is substantially the same as the width of the article 3 to be packaged. Thus, when the tubular film 21 is sandwiched between the left and right side belt devices 30, the packaged object 3 can be sandwiched and held from both sides via the tubular film 21. When the upper guide belt 32 and the lower guide belt 33 rotate and move in accordance with the conveyance by the belt conveyor 23 in the holding state, the packaged object 3 is stabilized while being pinched from both sides and prevented from falling down. Transport.

  Further, in the inclined approach section K2, the distance between the opposing belt surfaces becomes longer as going upstream. When the tubular film 21 moves in the inclined approach section K2, the pair of left and right upper guide belts 32 and lower guide belts 33 located on both sides gradually approach the side surfaces of the tubular film 21 and finally come into contact with each other. The tubular film 21 and thus the packaged object 13 are sandwiched between the upper and lower sides of the side surface. The moving speed of the belt surface in the straight section K1 following the inclined approach section K2 is equal to the moving speed of the unloading conveyor 26, and the articles 13 to be packaged in the tubular film 21 are separated by the upper guide belt 32 of the side belt device 30. , Held by the lower guide belt 33, and the individual articles 13a move together with the tubular film 21 while maintaining the framed state.

  The downstream ends of the upper guide belt 32 and the lower guide belt 33 are located near the installation of the top seal device 25. More specifically, the upper sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c of the top seal device 25 are located near the position where they come into contact with the tubular film 21. In the present embodiment, as will be described later, the side guide device 31 is provided, and the side guide device 31 is used to prevent the article 13a of the packaged object 13 from falling over before and after the film portion to be top-sealed. The downstream side of the lower guide belt 33 and the lower guide belt 33 does not necessarily have to be near the position where the top sealer contacts the tubular film 21.

  Further, even if the downstream ends of the upper guide belt 32 and the lower guide belt 33 are brought close to the top seal device 25, for example, if the article 13a is a very thin material such as potato chips or thin roasted rice cracker, The article 13a on the front side of the packaged article 13 on the side may also fall to the front side when the holding by the two guide belts is stopped.

  As shown in FIGS. 8 to 11 and the like, the side pressing device 31 can contact the portion of the side surface of the tubular film 21 where the packaged object 13 does not exist from immediately before the top sealing device 25 and can be pushed inward. A push member is provided to prevent the article 13a from directly or indirectly falling down in the front-rear direction. In the present embodiment, the pushing member is a finger member 45 whose tip branches in a forked shape.

  The finger member 45 is disposed in parallel with a rod-shaped support rod 45a arranged so as to extend along the transport direction of the tubular film 21 at a downstream end of the support rod 45a at predetermined intervals in front and rear. A first claw portion 45b and a second claw portion 45c. The first claw portion 45b is located on the front side in the transport direction of the tubular film 21, and the second claw portion 45c is located on the rear side. The distance between the first claw portion 45b and the second claw portion 45c is longer than the thickness of the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c, that is, the length in the direction parallel to the transport direction of the tubular film 21. ing. Thus, by adjusting the relative positions of the finger member 45 and the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c, the position of the tubular film 21 pushed by the first claw portion 45b and the second claw portion 45c is adjusted. Top seal.

  The first claw portion 45b and the second claw portion 45c are disposed so as to protrude inward with respect to the support rod 45a, that is, toward the tubular film 21. The side holding device 31 includes a first claw portion 45b and a second claw portion 45c of the finger member 45 on a portion of the side surface of the tubular film 21 where the holding by the side belt device 30 is no longer present, where the packaged object 13 does not exist. Are brought into contact with each other and pushed inward, so that the width of the tubular film 21, that is, the width in the direction orthogonal to the transport direction is smaller than the width of the article 13a. This prevents the article 13a from directly or indirectly falling down in the front-rear direction by the claw portion.

  In the present embodiment, two finger members 45 having the above-described configuration are prepared and arranged on both left and right sides in the transport direction of the tubular film 21 so that the claws face each other. The pair of finger members 45 move forward and backward along the transport direction of the tubular film by the driving device, and move in a direction orthogonal to the direction of the forward and backward movement. The two finger members 45 move forward and backward along the transport direction of the tubular film with their claws facing each other, and move toward and away from each other at appropriate timing. As a driving device for performing such a movement, a first driving device 46 for performing the forward / backward movement and a second driving device 47 for performing the approach / separation movement are provided.

  The first driving device 46 moves forward and backward in a direction parallel to the transport direction of the tubular film 21 by the driving motor 48, a link mechanism 49 that converts the rotation output of the driving motor 48 into a reciprocating linear motion, and the link mechanism 49. The moving support table 59 and the like are provided. The link mechanism 49 includes a first link 51 having one end linked to an eccentric position with respect to a rotary plate 50 that rotates with the rotation of the drive motor 48, a second link 52 linked to the first link 51, A third link 53 linked to the second link 52 and a fourth link 54 linked to the third link 53 are provided. The movable support 59 is linked to the other end of the fourth link 54. The movable support base 59 is made of a plate member arranged on a vertical plane, and has a fourth link 54 linked to an inner surface thereof, and a slider 57 attached to an outer surface thereof. The slider 57 is linked to a guide rail 58 disposed so as to extend in a direction parallel to the transport direction of the tubular film 21. Accordingly, the slider 57 can stably reciprocate linearly along the guide rail 58.

  In the present embodiment, the first driving device 46 that moves the two finger members 45 forward and backward receives the output of the same driving motor 48 and drives them synchronously. Specifically, the first link 51 and the second link 52 are shared, and the other end of the second link 52 is linked to the rotation shaft 56. The rotating shaft 56 is supported by a bearing 55 so as to be rotatable around the axis. Then, one end of the third link 53 is connected to both ends of the rotating shaft 56 to be integrated. Accordingly, the second link 52 rotates forward and reverse within a predetermined angle range around the rotation shaft 56 following the rotation of the drive motor 48 and, consequently, the rotation plate 50, and the forward and reverse rotation is performed via the rotation shaft 56. It is transmitted to three links 53. That is, the third link 53 rotates forward and backward around the rotation shaft 56 within a predetermined angle range. Along with this forward / reverse rotation, the fourth link 54 linked to the other end of the third link 53, and eventually the moving support base 59 linked to the other end of the fourth link 54, move along the transport direction of the tubular film 21. Move forward and backward.

  A support plate 60 extending in the horizontal direction is connected to a lower end of the movable support base 59, and a cylinder 61 is connected to a lower surface of the support plate 60. The cylinder 61 is arranged so that its cylinder rod 61a faces and projects inward (toward the cylindrical film 21). Then, the cylinder rod 61a of the cylinder 61 reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the tubular film 21 in a horizontal plane.

  The connecting bar 62 is attached to the tip of the cylinder rod 61a. The connection bar 62 is attached so as to extend in a direction parallel to the transport direction of the tubular film 21. Then, the finger member 45 is attached to the tip of the connecting bar 62. The cylinder 61, the connecting bar 62, and the like constitute a second driving device 47.

  The finger member 45 supported by the connection bar 62 is installed at the same height as the space between the upper guide belt 32 and the lower guide belt 33. Then, the finger member 45 that moves forward and backward along the transport direction of the tubular film 21 by the first driving device 46 can enter the space between the upper guide belt 32 and the lower guide belt 33 (see FIG. 7). , 45 (1)). That is, in the present embodiment, the section where the side belt device 30 holds down the cylindrical film 21 and the packaged object 13 and the section where the side holding device 31 holds down the cylindrical film 21 and the packaged object 13 are partially overlapped. In this case, the article 13a is prevented from falling down without a break.

  Next, the sealing process in the top sealing device 25 and the control of the operation of each device corresponding thereto will be described. The orbital movement of the finger member 45 along a predetermined trajectory in the horizontal plane is controlled by the first driving device 46 and the second driving device 47.

  First, during movement of the cylindrical film 21 on the carry-out conveyor 26, both side surfaces thereof are supported by the side belt device 30. Therefore, in the installation section of the side belt device 30, the packaged object 13 supplied into the tubular film 21 maintains the state in which each article 13 a stands up with the movement of the tubular film 21 and advances stably. It moves to reach the vicinity of the top seal device 25.

  By the way, the upper guide belt 32 and the lower guide belt 33 arranged along the cylindrical film 21 move along the periphery of the upper driven pulley 35 and the lower driven pulley 37 arranged on the downstream side. Release the side support. Therefore, for example, when the bias of the side surface of the tubular film 21 is released at a position upstream of the position where the tubular film 21 is sandwiched between the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c, the article 13a falls down There is a risk.

  Specifically, in a state where the packaging process is continuously performed, if the top seal device 25 performs the top seal and the package 27 is manufactured, the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c are During one rotation, the leading portion of the subsequent tubular film 21 passes through the top seal device 25 and is located downstream of the top seal device 25. Then, as the transport of the tubular film 21 proceeds, the leading packaged object 13 gradually moves downstream from the side belt device 30, and accordingly the support from the side belt device 30 is sequentially released from the article 13a on the front side. Is done. At this time, the article 13a on the front side of the leading packaged object 13 whose support from the side belt device 30 has been released has the top end portion of the sealed tubular film 1 on the front side because the front side has the leading end portion. It does not fall to the front side. Further, the article 13a on the rear side of the article to be packaged is supported by the side belt device 30 and maintains an upright state, so that the unsupported front article 13a does not fall forward in the traveling direction. Therefore, it moves forward while maintaining the upright state.

  When the rear end of the leading packaged article 13 separates from the side belt device 30, the leading packaged article 13 is no longer supported by the side belt device 30, and the rear article 13a may fall backward. And Further, when the transport of the cylindrical film 21 further proceeds and the front end of the second packaged object 13 is located downstream of the side belt device 30, the side of the second packaged object 13 with respect to the article 13a on the front side of the second packaged object 13 is moved. The support from the belt device 30 is lost. As a result, the article 13a on the front side tends to fall forward. In particular, when the thickness of the article 13a is thin, even if the downstream end position of the side belt device 30 is brought closer to the top seal device 25, it is necessary to reliably avoid interference with the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c. Because there is a certain amount of space, it is easy to fall down.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, before the article 13a falls down, that is, before the article 13a is no longer supported by the side belt device 30, the first claw portion 45b and the second claw portion 45c of the finger member 45 are connected to the cylinder. A predetermined position on the side surface of the tubular film 21 is pushed inward from both sides, and the finger member 45 moves at substantially the same speed as the tubular film 21 in that state. The finger member 45 includes a first driving device 46 and a second driving device so that the upper and lower top sealers 25b and 25c separate from the cylindrical film 21 at the timing when the upper and lower top sealers 25b and 25c start to sandwich the cylindrical film 21 from above and below. 47 controls.

  In the present embodiment, since the first driving device 46 converts the rotation of the driving motor 48 and thus the rotation of the rotary plate 50 into reciprocating linear motion by the link mechanism 49, the moving speed of the reciprocating linear motion is not constant. In other words, the speed while moving in the central portion of the moving section is high, and the speed is low at both ends. Therefore, the first driving device 46 sets the moving speed of the central portion to be equal to the moving speed of the tubular film 21. In the cylinder 61 constituting the second driving device 47, the cylinder rod 61a performs the forward movement in the section moving in the central portion, and the tip protrudes toward the cylindrical film 21, and the finger member 45 becomes cylindrical. The side of the film 21 is pushed inward. In addition, the cylinder rod 61a is housed in the front and rear ends by a double action, and the finger member 45 is separated from the side surface of the tubular film 21.

  As described above, before the support of the packaged article 13 on the article 13a by the side belt device 30 is released, in order to start the support by the finger member 45, the first driving device 46 and the second driving device 47 Works like First, the finger member 45 is moved to the standby position where the finger member 45 is separated from the tubular film 21 by the return operation of the cylinder rod 61a of the cylinder 61 of the second driving device 47, and in this state, the finger member 45 is moved to the most upstream position by the first driving device 46. (See reference numeral 45 (1) in FIG. 7).

  Next, as the rotating plate 50 rotates, the slider 57 and thus the finger member 45 start moving toward the downstream side. Then, at a predetermined timing, the cylinder rod 61a of the cylinder 61 moves forward to move the finger member 45 toward the cylindrical film 21 so that the first claw portion 45b and the second claw portion 45c are moved to the side surfaces of the cylindrical film 21. Slightly inward (see reference numeral 45 (2) in FIG. 7). The predetermined timing at which the cylinder rod 61a is moved forward is when the moving speed of the finger member 45 becomes equal to the moving speed of the cylindrical film 21 and the descending article 13a of the leading packaged object 13 is separated from the side belt device 30. It is.

  Thereafter, the finger member 45 moves forward by a predetermined section in accordance with the movement of the tubular film 21. In this fixed section, since the state in which the finger member 45 has pushed the tubular film 21 is maintained, the article 13a is prevented from falling down during the movement. The above-mentioned fixed section is until the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c start to sandwich the tubular film 21 from above and below. When the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c start sandwiching the tubular film 21 from above and below, the tubular film 21 is pushed inward from above and below, and the falling of the article 13a is suppressed. Therefore, even if the finger member 45 separates at this timing, the article 13a does not fall. Then, the upper top sealer 25b and the lower top sealer 25c rotate, and sandwich the tubular film 21 from above and below to apply pressure and heat to perform top sealing. At this time, since the article 13a does not fall down as described above, the article 13a is not bitten.

  On the other hand, the finger member 45 separated from the cylindrical film 21 is further moved forward by the first driving device 46 in the separated state (see reference numeral 45 (3) in FIG. 7). Then, when reaching the most downstream position, the moving direction is reversed and the vehicle moves toward the upstream side. The reason that the film is not reversed immediately after being separated from the cylindrical film 21 is that the moving speed in the front-rear direction near the most downstream position where the film is reversed is lower than the moving speed of the cylindrical film 21. That is, while the finger member 45 is in contact with the tubular film 21, the finger member 45 moves at substantially the same speed, and a deceleration section from separation to reversal is secured. Then, the finger member 45 reaches the most upstream position (see reference numeral 45 (1) in FIG. 7) in a state where the finger member 45 is separated from the tubular film 21, and thereafter, the above-described processing is repeated.

In the above-described embodiment, the pushing member is the finger member 45 whose tip branches in a forked shape. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the side surface of the tubular film 21 may be pushed in a plate shape. You may do it.
Further, in the above-described embodiment, the finger member 45 is controlled so as to separate from the side surface of the tubular film 21 at a timing when both the top sealers 25b and 25c start to sandwich the tubular film 21, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the finger member 45 may be separated from the side surface of the tubular film 21 at an arbitrary timing until immediately before the top sealers 25b and 25c mesh with each other. In particular, it is preferable that the finger member 45 pushes the side surface of the tubular film 21 until immediately before the two top sealers 25b and 25c mesh with each other, so that the article 13a can be more reliably prevented from falling down.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, as a device (suppression means) for preventing a packaged object (article) in the tubular film being conveyed on the upstream side of the top seal device from falling down, the device is disposed on the left and right sides of the conveyance path. Although the side belt device 30 that sandwiches the tubular film 21 between the two guide belts is used, the present invention is not limited to this, and the number of guide belts is arbitrary. Further, a suppressing device that suppresses the falling of the article without using the guide belt may be used.
Further, the restraining means is not limited to the side belt device 30 or the like, which is disposed on both sides of the transport path of the packaging film and biases the left and right side surfaces of the packaging film inward. Anything that urges the outer peripheral surface of the packaging film inward, such as one that is disposed above and urges the upper surface of the packaging film downward, may be used.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a packaging machine provided with a rotary type top seal device 25 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a state in which the sealing surfaces of a pair of sealers are opposed to each other. May be applied to a device using a box motion type top seal device which moves the pair of sealers along a predetermined trajectory while holding the seal.

  In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the pillow wrapping machine is applied to a pillow wrapping machine (including an inverted pillow type in which a center sealing device is arranged on a cylindrical film) is described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a three-way packaging in which a band-shaped film is bent from the center into a substantially horizontal U-shape, and a film portion located on one side edge in the transport direction is sealed, and the front and rear positions of the product are laterally end-sealed. Applicable to machines and other various packaging machines.

  The first drive device 46 used is a device that converts the rotational output of the drive motor into a reciprocating linear motion by a link mechanism. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, the mechanism for converting the reciprocating linear motion using the drive motor may be other than the link mechanism. However, adopting the configuration of the present embodiment is preferable because a desired distance can be moved with a simple configuration. In addition, the above-described embodiments and modifications can be appropriately combined and configured.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Pillow packaging machine 11 Packaging machine main body 12 Film supply device 13 Object to be packaged 13a Article 14 Conveyance supply device 15 Strip film 16 Raw film 20 Bag making device 21 Cylindrical film 23 Belt conveyor 24 Center seal device 25 Top seal device 25a Rotation Shaft 25b Upper top sealer 25c Lower top sealer 26 Carry-out conveyor 27 Package 29 Fall prevention device 30 Side belt device 31 Side holding device 32 Upper guide belt 33 Lower guide belt 45 Finger member 45b First claw portion 45c Second claw portion 46 First drive device 47 Second drive device 48 Drive motor 49 Link mechanism 50 Rotating plate 61 Cylinder 61a Cylinder rod

Claims (7)

Conveyance means for conveying a packaged object consisting of an article group in which a plurality of articles in an upright state are arranged in front and back, wrapped with a packaging film,
A top seal unit that is arranged downstream of the transport unit and seals and cuts the packaging film in a direction that intersects the traveling direction.
Suppressing means disposed upstream of the top sealing means, for suppressing the falling of the article by urging the outer peripheral surface of the packaging film inward,
Side restraining means disposed downstream of the restraining means and preventing the article, which has been released from being supported by the restraining means, from falling down,
The side restraining means comprises a pushing member to push inward in contact with the site where the not packaged articles is present in the side surface of the packaging film, driven to move in a predetermined path the pushing member in the horizontal plane Means and
In the predetermined trajectory, a section in which the pushing member pushes inward partially overlaps with a section in which the package is held by the holding unit, and a pair of top sealers above and below the top seal unit sandwich the packaging film. A packaging machine characterized by including a starting position. The driving means is a first driving means for moving the pushing member forward and backward along the transport direction of the packaging film, and a second driving means for moving the pushing member toward and away from the packaging film. Has,
The first driving means has a driving motor and a link mechanism for converting the rotational output of the driving motor into a reciprocating linear motion, and in a central portion of a moving section of the reciprocating linear motion, adjusts to a transport speed of the packaging film. West,
The said 2nd drive means made the said press-in area | region become the said central part, and the said push-in member was made to be in the state separated from the side surface of the said packaging film before and after the said press-in area | part, The Claims characterized by the above-mentioned. 2. The packaging machine according to 1.   3. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the pushing member is a finger member whose tip branches in a forked shape. 4. It said restraining means is a side belt apparatus provided with a guide belt for moving in a horizontal plane,
The side belt device is disposed on both the left and right sides of the packaging film, and the package belt is sandwiched by both sides of the packaging film to support the packaged object. 2. The packaging machine according to claim 1. The side belt device has a plurality of guide belts above and below,
The packaging machine according to claim 4, wherein the pushing member can enter into a space between the guide belts arranged above and below the guide belt.   The top sealing means is a rotary type having an upper top sealer and a lower top sealer respectively attached to a pair of rotating shafts arranged vertically above and below the packaging film. 6. The packaging machine according to any one of the above items 5. The packaging machine includes a bag-making device that forms a continuously supplied belt-like film into a cylindrical shape, a conveying / supplying unit that supplies the packaged object to the bag-making device, and a cylinder that passes through the bag-making device. Center sealing means for sealing the overlapped end of the cylindrical film, which is the packaging film formed in a shape, and the top disposed downstream of the center sealing means and sealing and cutting in the width direction of the cylindrical film. 7. A pillow-type packaging machine comprising a sealing means and a conveyor device for transporting a package formed by being cut by the top sealing means. Packing machine.

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