JP6736167B2 - Product gathering device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a product moving device, and more specifically, to a technique for moving products in a secondary package that stores a plurality of products.

As one of the packaging forms, for example, as shown in FIG. 1, there is a secondary package 2 manufactured by pillow packaging a plurality of individually packaged products 1. In this secondary packaging body 2, a plurality of products 1 are stored in a bag body 3 which has been subjected to a pillow packaging process, and the plurality of products 1 are brought close to one end side in the bag body 3. The other end side of 3 is bound by the binding member 4 and narrowed down. The binding member 4 is, for example, an adhesive tape, a bag/closure or the like. The product 1 is composed of, for example, a packaging body in which noodles and the like are pillow-wrapped and stored in a pouch body. By narrowing the other end side of the bag body 3 with the binding member 4 in this way, a plurality of products 1 are stored in the bag body 3 in a state of being gathered on one end side, and are present in the bag body 3 separately. It does not look bad.

By the way, in order to mount the binding member 4 at an appropriate position, a plurality of products 1 are brought close to one end side in the bag body 3 as a pretreatment, and the product 1 does not exist near the mounting position of the binding member 4. It is necessary to keep the bag 3 in place, and it is not possible to properly bind the bag body 3 unless the bags are properly brought together. Further, if the products 1 are not neatly stacked, there is a problem that the flat area occupied by the plurality of products 1 in the bag body 3 becomes large and efficient boxing cannot be performed. Therefore, in order to automatically perform such product combination, for example, the device disclosed in Patent Document 1 can be applied. This device makes it possible to switch the transfer conveyor arranged downstream of the top seal device between a basic position in which the transfer surface is in a horizontal state and an operation position in which the transfer surface is inclined downward, and the package is placed on the transfer conveyor device. When present, the transport surface is inclined downward by switching from the basic posture to the operating posture so that the product inside is moved to the downstream side.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2015-93731

The apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 described above has a complicated structure and complicated control because the conveyor apparatus can be switched between the horizontal basic attitude and the downward inclined operation attitude. Further, since the posture of the conveying surface of the conveyor device is switched, it takes time to switch the posture, and it is difficult to cope with high speed.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the product shifting apparatus in the secondary packaging body of the present invention includes (1) a first conveyor device that conveys a secondary packaging body containing a plurality of products, and a first conveyor device of the first conveyor device. With a second conveyor device arranged on the downstream side, the first conveyor device is a vacuum conveyor that conveys the secondary packaging body while adsorbing and holding the secondary packaging body, and the state in which the secondary packaging body is located on the unloading end side. It has a function of temporarily stopping and restarting the transportation, and the transportation surface of the second conveyor device is set to a position lower than the transportation surface of the first conveyor device.

When the first conveyor device is temporarily stopped immediately before it is jumped from the first conveyor device to the second conveyor device, the bag of the secondary package is temporarily held because it is adsorbed and held, but the product in the bag is the first conveyor. Since it is not adsorbed and held by the device and is in a free state inside the bag, it moves forward due to the inertial force generated by the conveyance before the temporary stop. Thereby, each product relatively moves forward in the bag body and is brought closer to one end side (front side in the traveling direction). Along with this, a space where no product is present is secured on the other end side (back side in the traveling direction) of the bag body. In this way, the product can be moved by simply pausing the first conveyor device, the configuration is simple, and the product can be moved forward in a short time, so high-speed processing is possible. Can handle.

(2) The transport surface of the second conveyor device may be an inclined surface that is lower on the front side in the carry-out direction of the first conveyor device. By doing this, the side of the secondary packaging product on the side closer to the product is lower, so when the product is dropped and supplied from the first conveyor device to the second conveyor device, the side on which the product is located is at a low position, It is good because there is no swinging back and you can hold the state close to you by pausing.

(3) It is preferable that the carrying direction of the first conveyor device and the carrying direction of the second conveyor device intersect. The secondary package which is being conveyed by the second conveyor device may be conveyed in a state where the side closer to the product is inclined downward.

(4) On the upstream side of the first conveyor device, an inclined conveyor device having a downward inclination is arranged toward the front in the transport direction, and the secondary package carried out from the inclined conveyor device is the first conveyor device. It is better to be supplied to. With this configuration, when the secondary package moves down on the inclined conveyor device, the product relatively moves down in the bag body due to the weight of the product, and the product can be preliminarily gathered.

(5) The inclined conveyor device may be a vacuum conveyor that conveys the secondary package while adsorbing and holding the secondary package. In this way, since the bag body of the secondary packaging body is adsorbed and held, it is possible to prevent the secondary packaging body from sliding down on the conveying surface of the inclined conveyor device, and only the products in the bag body are relatively moved downward. It is good because you can

According to the present invention, just before making a jump to the second conveyor device, just by temporarily stopping the first conveyor that is conveying the secondary package in a suction-held state, the product in the bag of the secondary package is The product can be brought close to the edge, and the products can be brought together with a simple configuration.

It is a figure which shows an example of a secondary package. It is a front view showing a suitable example of a packaging system containing a product gathering device concerning the present invention. It is the top view. It is a front view showing one suitable embodiment of the product gathering device concerning the present invention. It is the perspective view. It is a figure explaining an effect.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not construed as being limited to this, 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.

The product shifting apparatus 10 according to the present invention is arranged on the downstream side of the pillow packaging machine 11 and shifts the plurality of products 1 in the secondary packaging body 2 sequentially carried out from the pillow packaging machine 11 to the tip side. The pillow wrapping machine 11 is configured by arranging an object-to-be-packaged-conveying and supplying device 12 and a wrapping machine main body 13 in this order from the upstream side, and further including a film supplying device 14 below the object-to-be-packaged conveying and supplying device 12. The to-be-packaged goods conveying and feeding device 12 is formed of a finger conveyor device that conveys the to-be-packaged objects at regular intervals and sequentially supplies them to the packaging machine body 13 at the next stage. In the present embodiment, the article to be packaged is an assembly in which a plurality of (for example, three) products 1 are randomly stacked. A restraining belt device 15 is arranged above the unloading side of the article-to-be-packaged conveying/feeding device 12 to restrain a plurality of stacked products 1 from being lifted up and to feed them into the bag making machine 16 in the next stage.

The film supply device 14 has a function of feeding the strip-shaped film 17 continuously fed from the original roll 18 over a plurality of rollers 19 to convey it on a predetermined path and supply it to the bag making machine 16.

The packaging machine main body 13 includes a bag-making device 16 on the loading side, and the band-shaped film 17 supplied from the film supply device 14 is passed through the bag-making device 16 to bag-form the band-shaped film into a tubular bag. Therefore, the articles to be packaged that are successively carried out from the article-conveying and feeding device 12 are supplied at predetermined intervals into the tubular film that is formed into a tubular shape. The film is conveyed together with the film in the state of being contained in the band-shaped film formed into a bag. Further, the packaging machine main body 13 is provided with a center seal device 20 on the downstream side of the bag making machine 16 for center-sealing a portion where both side edges of the band-shaped films that have passed through the bag making machine 16 and have been made are overlapped. A top seal device 21 for laterally sealing and cutting a predetermined position (a portion where no product exists) of the center-sealed tubular film is provided. As a result, the tip portion of the tubular film (the portion containing the leading product) is separated, and the secondary package 2 containing the plurality of products 1 to be packaged is manufactured. The secondary package 2 is unloaded by the unloading conveyor device 23 arranged on the downstream side of the top seal device 21. The carry-out conveyor device 23 is, for example, a belt conveyor device having a conveying surface in a horizontal plane, conveys the secondary package 2 at predetermined intervals, and sequentially supplies it to the next-stage product shifting device 10. Further, since the secondary packaging body 2 pillow-wraps an assembly of a plurality of randomly stacked products 1, for example, as shown in FIG. The secondary packaging bodies 2 are displaced from each other, and the direction of the displacement, the displacement distance, and the like are different for each secondary packaging body 2.

The product shifting device 10 is disposed on the unloading side of the unloading conveyor device 23, and has an inclined conveyor device 31 having a downwardly inclined transport surface in the same direction as the unloading conveyor device 23, and the inclined conveyor device 31. A first conveyor device 32 arranged on the carry-out end side and carrying in the same direction as the carrying direction of the inclined conveyor device 31 in plan view, and a first conveyor device 32 arranged on the carry-out end side of the first conveyor device 32. A second conveyor device 33 that conveys the device 32 in a direction orthogonal to the conveying direction of the device 32 in plan view is provided. Further, on the downstream side of the second conveyor device 33, a first conveyor device 34 and a second conveyor device 35 that convey in the same direction are provided.

The inclined conveyer device 31 is a vacuum conveyer device, and includes a drive pulley 41 bearing-supported between one ends of a pair of left and right side plates 40, a driven pulley 42 bearing-supported between the other ends, and a pulley between the pulleys. An endless belt 43 arranged so as to pass is provided. Two endless belts 43 are provided in parallel on the left and right. The endless belt 43 has a large number of through holes 43a on its belt surface. Further, the drive pulley 41 is supported by a bearing between the pair of left and right first columns 26 standing on the upper surface of the base box 25. As a result, one end side of the side plate 40 is also linked between the first support columns 26. Further, an intermediate position in the longitudinal direction of the side plate 40 is supported between the pair of left and right second columns 27 standing on the upper surface of the base box 25. The height of the second support column 27 is lower than that of the first support column 26. Further, the first support column 26 is arranged near the carry-out conveyor device 23 on the upstream side in the transport direction. As a result, the side plates 40 supported by both columns and, by extension, the endless belt 43 are arranged in a downwardly inclined shape. A gear is attached to one end of the drive pulley 41, and is linked to a drive motor mounted in the base box 25 via a power transmission chain 44. Further, a suction pump is mounted in the base box 25, a suction box is mounted in the internal space of the endless belt 43, and the suction pump and the suction box are linked via a pipe 45. When the suction pump operates, the inside of the suction box is sucked, and is sucked from the through hole 43a of the endless belt 43 through the opening formed on the upper surface of the suction box.

The first conveyor device 32 is a vacuum conveyor device, and includes a driving pulley 51 bearing-supported between one ends of a pair of left and right side plates 50, a driven pulley 52 bearing-supported between the other ends, and between both pulleys. It is provided with an endless belt 53 arranged so as to be spanned. Two endless belts 53 are provided in parallel on the left and right. The endless belt 53 has a large number of through holes 53a on its belt surface. The side plates 50 are supported by the connecting plates 28, respectively. By this support, the side plate 50, and by extension, the endless belt 53 are arranged horizontally. A gear is attached to one end of the drive pulley 51 and is linked to a drive motor mounted in the base box 25 via a power transmission chain 54. Further, a suction pump is mounted in the base box 25, a suction box is mounted in the internal space of the endless belt 53, and the suction pump and the suction box are linked via a pipe 55. When the suction pump operates, the inside of the suction box is sucked, and is sucked from the through hole 53a of the endless belt 53 through the opening formed on the upper surface of the suction box. Further, an object detection sensor 56 is provided above the carry-out end of the first conveyor device 32. The object detection sensor 56 detects the secondary package 2 that has reached the carry-out end position of the first conveyor device 32.

When the detection signal is output from the object detection sensor 56, the control device for the drive motor of the first conveyor device 32 temporarily stops and then starts the operation. Thereby, the first conveyor device 32 conveys the secondary packaging body 2 carried out from the descending inclined conveyor device 31, and after temporarily stopping the secondary packaging body 2 in the vicinity of the carrying-out end of the first conveyor device 32, After the conveyance is restarted, it is carried out to the second conveyor device 33 arranged immediately after.

The second conveyor device 33 is composed of a belt conveyor device, and its transport surface 33 a is set at a position lower than the transport surface 32 a of the first conveyor device 32. Further, in the second conveyor device 33 of the present embodiment, the conveying surface 33a is an inclined surface that is inclined in the intersecting direction with respect to the conveying direction over the entire length. This inclined surface becomes lower as it moves away from the downstream side of the first conveyor device 32 in the carrying direction, that is, the carry-out end of the first conveyor device 32.

The first transfer conveyor device 34 and the second transfer conveyor device 35 are belt conveyor devices that transfer in the same direction as the second conveyor device 33 in a plan view, and the transfer surfaces are located in a horizontal plane.

The product moving apparatus 10 described above has a function of operating as follows. First, the carry-in side inclined conveyor device 31 conveys the secondary packaging body 2 (see FIG. 6A) containing the three products 1 delivered from the pillow packaging machine 11 in a sucked and held state. Since the inclined conveyor device 31 has a conveying surface that is inclined downward toward the front in the traveling direction, the secondary packaging body 2 receives the biasing force in the downward direction due to its own weight, but is adsorbed and held. Therefore, it moves following the rotation of the endless belt 43 without slipping down on the conveyance surface. At this time, since the product 1 in the secondary package 2 is not adsorbed and held, it moves in the bag 3 of the secondary package 2 due to its own weight, and is slightly deviated forward in the traveling direction (FIG. 6(b)). reference). In particular, the product 1 is also a package, and since the surface of the product 1 is slippery with a film, it is in a state in which it can easily move inside the bag 3. However, the time for moving on the inclined conveyor device 31 is short, and the urging force due to its own weight is weak, so that it cannot be sufficiently brought to one end side.

In this way, the secondary packaging body 2 in a state in which the plurality of products 1 to be contained are lightly moved to the first conveyor device 32 at the next stage and is conveyed by the first conveyor device 32. The first conveyor device 32 conveys the secondary packaging body 2 in a suction-held state as the endless belt 53 rotates. Then, when the secondary packaging body 2 conveyed in the adsorbed state reaches the carry-out end of the first conveyor device 32, the object detection sensor 56 detects the secondary packaging body 2 and outputs a detection signal. With the output of this detection signal, the first conveyor device 32 is temporarily stopped. Then, the secondary packaging body 2 that has reached the carry-out end acts to move forward as it is due to the inertial force, but since the bag body 3 is adsorbed and held, the secondary packaging body 2 is temporarily stopped when the endless belt 53 is temporarily stopped. The movement of the body 2 is also temporarily stopped. On the other hand, since the plurality of products 1 in the bag body 3 are in a free state in the bag body 3, they move forward due to the inertial force. As a result, the products 1 relatively move forward in the bag body 3, all the products 1 are brought close to one end, and the three products are neatly stacked (see FIG. 6C). ). Accordingly, a space where the product 1 does not exist is secured on the other end side of the bag body 3.

When the products are thus brought in, the first conveyor device 32 starts the operation, the secondary packaging body 2 resumes the forward movement with the rotation of the endless belt 53, and the second wrapping of the second lower conveyance surface is resumed. It is dropped and supplied to the conveyor device 33. The side of the secondary package 2 that jumps out from the first conveyor device 32 is the one end side of the product 1. The product 1 jumps out from the side closer to the product 1 and is dropped and supplied onto the second conveyor device 33 in the next stage. As a result, the product 1 does not move backward relative to the inside of the bag body 3 due to swinging back or the like due to the restart of the operation, and the product 1 is transferred onto the second conveyor device 33 in a state of being close to the one end side.

Further, in the present embodiment, since the transport surface 33a of the second conveyor device 33 is an inclined surface that becomes lower toward the front side along the carry-out direction from the first conveyor device 32, the side closer to the product 1 is located at a lower position. It moves on the second conveyor device 33 in a certain state, and the state where the product 1 is brought close is stabilized.

After that, the secondary packaging body 2 in a state where the three products 1 are close to one end side of the bag body 3 is sequentially transported by the first transport conveyor device 34 and the second transport conveyor device 35. Since the transport surface of each of these transport conveyor devices is a horizontal surface, the secondary packaging body 2 in which the product 1 is close to one end of the bag body 3 is transported. Then, the binding member 4 is set at a predetermined position on the other end side of the bag body 3 at an appropriate position. Since the secondary package 2 manufactured in this manner has three products 1 neatly stacked, the area occupied by the aggregate of the products 1 in plan view is equal to the area of one product. Then, the subsequent packaging can be done easily. In addition, the appearance of the secondary package 2 is also beautiful.

In the above-described embodiment, the inclined conveyor device 31 is a vacuum conveyor, but the present invention does not necessarily have a suction function. In that case, for example, the transport surface may be made slippery, and the secondary package may be prevented from sliding down the transport surface. The non-slip state may be achieved, for example, by forming the belt surface with a material having a large friction constant or providing unevenness on the surface.

In the above-described embodiment, the first conveyor device has a horizontal transport surface, but the present invention does not necessarily have to be horizontal. For example, it may be inclined downward.

In the embodiment described above, the conveying surface of the second conveyor device 33 is an inclined surface, but the present invention does not necessarily have to be an inclined surface, and may be a horizontal surface. However, it is preferable to use an inclined surface as in the embodiment because it is easier to maintain the state of the products brought together by the temporary stop in the first conveyor device 32.

In the above-described embodiment, the carrying direction of the first conveyor device 32 and the carrying direction of the second conveyor device 33 are orthogonal to each other, but may not necessarily be orthogonal to each other and may intersect at a predetermined angle. May proceed in the same direction in a plan view without intersecting. However, if the products are orthogonal to each other as in the embodiment, the product 1 can be received at a lower position on the side closer to the product 1 while maintaining the carrying height of the second conveyor device 33, and the product 1 can be carried as it is. It is good because it can be stabilized.

Although various aspects of the present invention have been described above by using the embodiments and the modifications, these embodiments and explanations are not made for the purpose of limiting the scope of the present invention, and are not intended for understanding the present invention. It should be added that it was provided to contribute. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, and also includes combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed in the present specification within the scope. Of the present invention, the configuration for which a patent is sought is specified in the appended claims, but even if the present location is not specified in the claims, it is disclosed in the present specification. Just in case, I would like to note that there is a possibility that I will claim the configuration in the future.

1: product 2: secondary packaging 3: bag 10: product gathering device 11: pillow packaging machine 31: inclined conveyor device 32: first conveyor device 33: second conveyor device 56: object detection sensor

Claims (5)

A first conveyor device for conveying a secondary package containing a plurality of products,
A second conveyor device is provided on the downstream side of the first conveyor device,
The first conveyor device is a vacuum conveyor that conveys while holding the secondary package by adsorption, the secondary package is temporarily stopped in a state of being located on the carry-out end side, and has a function of restarting the transport,
The product moving device, wherein the conveying surface of the second conveyor device is set at a position lower than the conveying surface of the first conveyor device. 2. The product shifting device according to claim 1, wherein the transport surface of the second conveyor device is an inclined surface whose front side in the carry-out direction of the first conveyor device is lowered. The product moving apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the conveying direction of the first conveyor device and the conveying direction of the second conveyor device intersect each other. On the upstream side of the first conveyor device, a downward inclined slope conveyor device is arranged toward the front in the transport direction,
4. The product shifting apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the secondary package carried out from the inclined conveyor device is supplied to the first conveyor device. The product stacking device according to claim 4, wherein the inclined conveyor device is a vacuum conveyor that conveys the secondary package while suction-holding the secondary package.

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