JP6742766B2 - Spout mounting device - Google Patents

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a spout mounting device that mounts a spout on a sheet portion that is a top sheet of a pouch container.

BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, for example, the following Patent Document 1 describes a pouch container in which one sheet material is folded and the peripheral edge is heat-sealed and bonded. The pouch container includes a pair of body sheet portions facing each other, a bottom sheet portion joined to a lower edge of each body sheet, a top sheet portion joined to an upper edge of each body sheet, and a top surface. It has a spout joined to the approximate center of the seat. The spout has a cylindrical tubular portion and a flange portion protruding outward from one end of the tubular portion, and the flange portion is heat-sealed around the periphery of the through hole formed in the top sheet portion. Has been installed.

Japanese Patent No. 5456416

The pouch container with a spout described in Patent Document 1 is continuously formed by folding one long strip-shaped sheet material and heat-sealing the peripheral edge thereof. In this case, the spout is attached in a state in which the tubular portion is inserted into the spout mounting hole which is a through hole formed in the top sheet portion, and in this state, the flange portion of the spout and the sheet portion forming the periphery of the spout mounting hole. They are joined by heat-sealing. When mounting the spout in this way, take out the spout from the predetermined take-out position and convey it to the spout mounting position, insert the tubular portion into the spout mounting hole, and place the flange portion of the spout on the sheet portion around the spout mounting hole. It is preferable that a series of steps up to heat sealing can be continuously and accurately performed by using a spout mounting head.

An object of the present invention is to provide a spout mounting device capable of continuously and accurately performing a series of steps of taking out, transporting, mounting and joining spouts with a spout mounting head.

The spout mounting device according to the present invention includes a pair of body sheets having both widthwise end edges joined together, a bottom sheet joined to the lower ends of the pair of body sheets, and a pair of body sheets. In a manufacturing system for manufacturing a pouch container including a top sheet joined to an upper end portion and a spout attached to the top sheet, a spout mounting hole formed in a sheet portion serving as the top sheet has a cylinder. And a spout mounting device for mounting the spout having a flange portion protruding from the outer circumference of the tubular portion, the spout being supplied to a predetermined take-out position, the spout being held and conveyed, and the spout mounting hole having the spout mounting hole. A spout mounting head for inserting the tubular portion, a flange portion of the spout in which the tubular portion is inserted into the spout mounting hole by the spout mounting head, a seat portion at a peripheral edge of the spout mounting hole, the spout mounting head, And a heating member for heat sealing by pressing and heating the spout mounting head, wherein the spout mounting head has a flat suction surface for suction-holding the flange portion of the spout, and a protrusion at a central portion of the suction surface. A plurality of suction holes formed in the suction surface and having a projection that is fitted into the tubular portion from the side of the flange portion with substantially no space, and that accommodates the tubular portion formed in the heating member. It is arranged at a position corresponding to the inner side in the radial direction with respect to the inner peripheral edge of the tubular portion accommodating recess .

According to this configuration, the spout mounting head continuously and accurately performs a series of steps of taking out the spout from the predetermined take-out position, conveying it, inserting it into the spout mounting hole, and joining the spout mounting hole to the peripheral sheet portion. It can be carried out.

Further , when the spout is held by the spout mounting head from the predetermined take-out position, the flange portion of the spout is flattened by being suction-held by the flat suction surface. Therefore, in this state, the flange portion and the sheet portion constituting the top sheet can be satisfactorily joined by being inserted into the spout mounting hole and thermocompression-bonded to the sheet portion constituting the peripheral edge of the spout mounting hole. .. Therefore, in the spout-equipped pouch container, it is possible to eliminate the defective joining of the spout to the top sheet. Further, since the projections are fitted into the spout tube portion from the flange side with substantially no gap, it is possible to suppress air flow through the tube portion, and to more reliably perform suction holding of the spout flange portion by the suction surface. You can

In this case, it is preferable that the spout holding portion forming the suction surface of the spout mounting head is made of an elastic material. According to this structure, even when the surface of the flange portion of the spout has a wavy warp or distortion, the suction surface can be suctioned and held so as to follow the distortion.

In this case, the spout holding portion may be heated to a temperature lower than the melting point of the resin material forming the spout.

According to this structure, since the spout mounting head is heated to a temperature lower than the melting point of the resin material forming the spout, the flange portion of the spout suction-held on the suction surface is preheated. Thereby, heat sealing to the top sheet can be performed in a shorter time, and the operation of the spout mounting device can be further speeded up.

Further, spout mounting apparatus according to the present invention, said suction surface of the spout installation head has a plurality of suction holes are formed around the projections, each suction hole, the tubular portion housing recess of the heating member that it is located in a position corresponding to the radially inward of the inner peripheral edge.

That is , since the plurality of suction holes formed on the suction surface of the spout mounting head are arranged at positions corresponding to the inner side in the radial direction with respect to the inner peripheral edge of the cylindrical housing recess of the heating member, the suction surface and the heating member are When pressing and heating by sandwiching the flange part and the seat part around the spout mounting hole between them, it is possible to suppress the decrease in pressing force and the temperature decrease due to suction, and the trace of the suction hole does not remain in the seat part. The seal part for the flange part can be finished beautifully.

In addition, the spout mounting device according to the present invention may further include a spout feeder that sequentially supplies a large number of accommodated spouts to the predetermined take-out position in an aligned state.

According to this configuration, by inserting a large number of spouts into the spout feeder, the spouts can be continuously supplied in an aligned state to a predetermined take-out position in the spout mounting device, and as a result, a pouch container manufacturing system can be provided. It can be operated efficiently.

Further, in the spout mounting device according to the present invention, the spout mounting head has a plurality of spout holding portions for holding a plurality of spouts, and a moving mechanism for varying an arrangement pitch between the spout holding portions is provided. A plurality of the heating members are provided corresponding to the plurality of spout holding portions, and an adjusting mechanism for varying the arrangement pitch between the heating members corresponding to the arrangement pitch between the spout holding portions is provided. May be.

According to this structure, the same spout mounting device can flexibly and swiftly respond to the production of pouch containers having different widths.

According to the spout mounting device of the present invention, the spout mounting head continuously performs a series of steps of taking out the spout from a predetermined take-out position, conveying it, inserting it into the spout mounting hole, and joining the spout mounting hole to the peripheral sheet portion. And accurately. In addition, the marks of the plurality of suction holes formed on the suction surface of the spout mounting head do not remain on the sheet portion, and the seal portion for the flange portion can be finished beautifully.

It is a perspective view of a pouch container after filling with contents. It is the (a) front view and the (b) back view of the pouch container in the state which was folded before filling with contents. It is the side view which looked at the pouch container shown in Drawing 2 (a) from the arrow A direction. It is a schematic diagram showing a manufacturing system of a pouch container containing a spout mounting device which is one embodiment of the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows a mode that three spouts are attached to the top sheet|seat part of the container continuous body which consists of a folded sheet|seat material. It is a top view which shows the container continuous body which passed the excision unit. It is a figure which shows the state which the container continuous body was cut|disconnected and each pouch container was produced|generated. It is a front view which shows the principal part of a spout mounting apparatus schematically. It is (a) front view, (b) bottom view, and (c) side view which show a spout mounting head. It is a top view which shows the spout feeder contained in a spout mounting apparatus. It is an expansion top view which shows the spout supply part of a spout feeder. (A) is an enlarged plan view showing the vicinity of a spout take-out position of one spout supply part, (b) is a view on arrow B in (a), and (c) is C- in (a). It is C sectional drawing. (A) The figure which shows the state just before the spout suction-held by the spout mounting head is mounted to the top sheet part of a container continuum, (b) is the same spout when mounted to the top sheet part. It is a figure which shows a state. It is a figure which shows the state which hold|maintained the spout in which the warp has arisen in the flange part in the inside of a cylinder part in a spout mounting head.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this description, specific shapes, materials, numerical values, directions, etc. are examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and can be appropriately changed according to applications, purposes, specifications and the like. Further, when a plurality of embodiments and modifications are included in the following, it is assumed from the beginning that the characteristic portions are appropriately combined and used.

In the present specification (similarly in the claims), the direction in which the bottom sheet and the top sheet face each other is referred to as the "vertical direction", and the direction in which the pair of body sheets are stacked is referred to as the "front and back direction" of the container. , The direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the front-back direction is referred to as the "width direction" of the container.

Hereinafter, first, with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3, a pouch container 10 manufactured by a manufacturing system including the spout mounting device of the present embodiment will be described, and thereafter, the pouch container manufacturing system and the pouch container of the present embodiment will be described. The spout mounting device will be described.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of a pouch container 10 after being filled with contents. FIG. 2 is a (a) front view and a (b) rear view of the pouch container 10 in a folded state before filling the contents. Further, FIG. 3 is a side view of the pouch container shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the pouch container 10 includes a surface sheet 11 which is a body sheet on one side of a pair of body sheets and a body sheet on the other side of the pair of body sheets. And a bottom sheet 13 and a top sheet 14. The pouch container 10 is a standing pouch in which the bottom sheet 13 is expanded by filling the contents and becomes self-supporting. The top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 are sheet materials that respectively configure the top portion and the back portion of the container, and the bottom sheet 13 is folded and inserted between the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 to form a bottom gusset portion. Is a sheet material constituting the. The bottom sheet 13 is folded in a mountain fold toward the inside of the container by a fold line 15 formed along the width direction. The top sheet 14 is a sheet material that constitutes the top surface of the container.

The pouch container 10 forms a seal portion between the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 that are superposed on each other and joins the edges of the sheet materials with the bottom sheet 13 folded, and is filled with the contents. It has a bag-like structure in which the filling part 17 which is the inner space of the container is closed.

Specifically, the pouch container 10 has a top seal portion 20, a bottom seal portion 21, and a side seal portion 22 as the seal portions. The top seal portion 20 is a seal portion that is formed in a substantially octagonal frame shape on the edge of the top sheet 14, and the top sheet 14, the outer peripheral edge, and the upper end portions of the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12. 11a and 12a are joined and formed. The bottom seal portion 21 is a seal portion formed on the edge of the bottom sheet 13, and is formed by joining the bottom sheet 13 and the respective lower end portions of the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12. Further, the bottom sheet 13 has triangular unsealed portions 16 formed at both ends in the width direction, and semicircular cutouts 18 are formed in the widthwise edges corresponding to the unsealed portions 16. .. The topsheet 11 and the backsheet 12 are directly joined via the notches 18 in the bottom sheet 13.

The side seal portions 22 are formed at both ends in the width direction by directly joining the width direction edges of the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 to each other. The side seal part 22 is an edge seal part for sealing the filling part 17 like other seal parts. The side seal portion 22 is formed so as to extend in the vertical direction. Further, the side seal portion 22 is formed with a constant width W except for the upper end portion and the lower end portion. By configuring each of the sealing portions 20, 21, and 22 in this manner, the filling portion 17, which is the internal space of the container, is sealed. The contents to be filled in the filling unit 17 are not particularly limited, and examples thereof include various care products for daily life such as shampoo, rinse, treatment, detergent, and beverages such as sports drinks. The content part is not limited to a liquid and may be a viscous material or a powdery material.

Each of the topsheet 11 and the backsheet 12 has a substantially rectangular shape that extends slightly longer in the vertical direction. The bottom sheet 13 also has a substantially rectangular shape, and is provided, for example, in the range of about ⅕ from the lower ends of the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 to the overall vertical length of the top sheet 11 and the like. The top sheet 14 has a substantially octagonal shape and is provided on the upper ends of the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12. The top sheet 14 is not limited to a substantially octagonal shape, and may have another polygonal shape such as a quadrangle or a hexagon, or a circular shape, an elliptical shape, a rhombic shape, or the like. It may be.

In the pouch container 10, a lower spot seal 19 a is formed at the boundary between the bottom seal part 21 and the side seal part 22, and an upper spot seal 19 b is formed at the boundary between the top seal part 20 and the side seal part 22. The lower and upper spot seals 19a and 19b are separately formed after the respective seal portions 20, 21, and 22 are formed. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lower spot seal 19a is locally formed to increase the seal strength of the seal boundary portion 23 formed between the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 and the bottom sheet 13. To be done. Further, the upper spot seal 19b is locally formed to increase the sealing strength of the seal boundary portion 24 formed between the top sheet 14 and the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12.

The sheet material forming each of the sheets 11 to 14 is a sheet-like member that forms the wall surface portion of the pouch container 10, and is usually formed of a resin film. The resin film constituting the sheet material is required to have basic performance as a package, such as impact resistance, abrasion resistance, and heat resistance. Further, since the seal portion is usually formed by heat sealing, the sheet material is also required to have heat sealability. As the sheet material, a multi-layer sheet material having a base film layer and a sealant layer for imparting heat-sealing property is suitable, and when high gas barrier property is required, between the base film layer and the sealant layer. It is preferable to provide a gas barrier layer. The thickness of the sheet material is, for example, 10 μm to 300 μm, preferably 20 μm to 200 μm.

Here, the constituent materials of the base film layer, the sealant layer, and the gas barrier layer are exemplified. The lamination of these layers can be carried out by a conventional laminating method, for example, dry lamination with an adhesive, thermal lamination with heat-adhesive layers sandwiched between them and heat adhesion.

As the film constituting the base film layer, polyester (polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polycarbonate (PC), etc.), polyolefin (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene ( PP) etc., polyamide (nylon-6, nylon-66 etc.), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), polyimide (PI), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polyvinylidene chloride (PVDC), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), and An example is a stretched or unstretched film having one layer or two or more layers made of polyether sulfone (PES) or the like. The thickness of the base film layer is, for example, 10 μm to 200 μm, preferably 10 μm to 100 μm.

As the film constituting the sealant layer, low density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), ethylene-propylene copolymer (EP), unstretched polypropylene (CPP), biaxially stretched nylon (ON). Or two or more layers composed of ethylene, olefin copolymer, ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer (EAA), ethylene-methacrylic acid copolymer (EMAA), ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer (EVA), etc. The stretched or unstretched film can be exemplified. The thickness of the sealant layer is, for example, 20 μm to 200 μm, preferably 30 μm to 180 μm.

As the gas barrier layer, a metal thin film such as aluminum, a resin film such as vinylidene chloride (PVDC), an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer (EVOH), or an arbitrary synthetic resin film (for example, a base film layer may be used. ), a film obtained by vapor deposition (or sputtering) of an inorganic oxide such as aluminum, aluminum oxide or silica can be exemplified. The thickness of the gas barrier layer is, for example, 0.1 μm to 20 μm, preferably 0.2 μm to 10 μm.

The sheet material can be provided with a print layer (not shown) for displaying the product name of the contents, product description such as raw materials and precautions for use, and other various designs. For example, the print layer can be formed on the inner surface of the base film layer by a known method such as gravure printing.

The seal portion is preferably formed by heat sealing. The seal portion formed by heat sealing can be formed by stacking the sealant layers of the respective sheet materials inside the container and thermocompression-bonding them.

As shown in FIG. 1, the pouch container 10 is provided with a spout 30 for filling and removing contents in the center of the top sheet 14. The spout 30 is composed of a spout 31 fixed to the top sheet 14 and a cap 32 screwed into a screw portion formed on the outer periphery of the spout 31.

The spout 31 has a cylindrical tubular portion 31a that projects outward from the top sheet 14, and a flange portion 31b that projects radially outward from the outer circumference of one end of the tubular portion 31a. The spout 31 is made of, for example, a resin material such as polyethylene. In the present embodiment, the flange portion 31b has a substantially rectangular shape, and the flange portion 31b is heat-sealed and attached to the inner surface of the top sheet 14 (that is, the surface on the filling portion 17 side). The shape of the flange portion 31b is not limited to the substantially rectangular shape, and may be another shape such as a circle, an ellipse, an oval, or a polygon.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cylindrical portion 31a of the spout 31 has two flanges f1 and f2 on its outer peripheral surface. These two flanges f1 and f2 have substantially the same shape and size. One flange f1 is formed at a distance from the other flange f2 in the axial direction of the spout 31. Further, on the outer peripheral side surface of the spout 31, four flat surface portions g1, g2, g3, g4 each having a rectangular shape are formed between the two flanges f1 and f2. In FIG. 2(a), the plane portions g1, g2, g3, g4 are located deeper than the outer circumferences of the flanges f1, f2. Of the four flat surface portions g1, g2, g3, g4, the pair of flat surface portions g1 and g2 face each other in a substantially parallel state, and the remaining pair of flat surface portions g3 and g4 face each other in a substantially parallel state. There is.

When the filling portion 17 of the pouch container 10 is filled with the contents from the spout 31, the bottom sheet 13 is expanded and the top sheet 11 and the back sheet 12 are separated from each other, so that the body portion is inflated as shown in FIG. .. In this state, the cap 32 is tightened in the spout 31 to seal the contents in the pouch container 10. In this way, the independence of the pouch container 10 is developed. Since the pouch container 10 is provided with the top sheet 14, the upper part of the container also swells as shown in FIG. 1 and has a form like a bottle.

Next, the manufacturing system 1 of the above-mentioned pouch container 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 4 and subsequent figures.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a pouch container manufacturing system 1 including a spout mounting device according to an embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 4 (also in FIG. 8), the conveying direction of the sheet material M (that is, the manufacturing process proceeding direction of the pouch container 10) is indicated by an arrow X. The manufacturing system 1 can be configured in substantially the same manner as the pouch container manufacturing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent No. 5456416), except for a spout mounting device and a spot seal device described later.

As shown in FIG. 4, the manufacturing system 1 includes a manufacturing device 40 that manufactures a container continuum in which a large number of pouch containers 10 are arranged in the width direction, and a cutting device that cuts the container continuum into individual pouch containers 10. And 50.

The container continuous body manufacturing apparatus 40 includes a reel unit 41, an accumulation unit 42, a hole forming unit 43, a crease line forming unit 44, a folding unit 45, a spout mounting device 46, a main seal device 47, a cutting unit 48, and a spot seal. Includes device 49.

In the reel unit 41, a reel around which a long strip-shaped sheet material M is wound is rotatably supported, and the sheet material M is continuously fed from this reel.

The accumulation unit 42 accumulates the sheet material M fed from the reel unit 41 with a certain length of allowance. As a result, the sheet material M can be stably supplied to the downstream unit.

The hole forming unit 43 forms a spout mounting hole, which is a through hole for inserting the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31 (see FIG. 2A and FIG. 3), in the sheet portion serving as the top sheet 14 by punching. Further, the hole forming unit 43 forms a circular through hole, which becomes the semicircular notch 18 when separated into individual pouch containers 10, by punching.

The fold line forming unit 44 forms a plurality of fold lines on the sheet material M in parallel along the longitudinal direction. The plurality of fold lines can be formed by contacting the sheet material M while rotating the thin fold line forming roller. These fold lines demarcate the sheet portions to be the top sheet 11, the bottom sheet 13, the back sheet 12, and the top sheet 14 by folding the sheet material M along the fold lines in the folding unit 45 in the subsequent step. To do.

The folding unit 45 folds the sheet material M along the plurality of fold lines. FIG. 5: is a perspective view which shows a mode that three spouts 31 are attached to the top sheet|seat part of the container continuous body which consists of folded sheet materials. In the folding unit 45, the sheet material M is folded along the six fold lines L1 to L6 formed by the fold line forming unit 44, as shown in FIG. As a result, a top sheet portion S1 that forms the top sheet 11, a back sheet portion S2 that forms the back sheet 12, a bottom sheet portion S3 that forms the bottom sheet 13, and a top sheet portion S4 that forms the top sheet 14. Are sectioned. In the top sheet portion S4, the spout mounting holes 51 formed by the hole forming unit 43 described above are arranged at a predetermined pitch P. Here, the pitch P of the adjacent spout mounting holes 51 corresponds to the entire width of the pouch container 10. It should be noted that in FIG. 5, the illustration of the circular through hole which becomes the semicircular cutout 18 when separated into the individual pouch containers 10 is omitted.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the spout mounting device 46 inserts the flange portion 31b into the top sheet portion S4 while inserting the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31 into the spout mounting hole 51 formed in the top sheet portion S4. Heat seal and attach. Details of the spout mounting device 46 will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 5, the main sealing device 47 presses the heated seal bar against the top sheet portion S4 of the folded sheet material M having the spout 31 attached thereto by heat sealing, so that the pouch container 10 of the pouch container 10 is pressed. Sealing portions to be the top seal portion 20, the bottom seal portion 21, and the side seal portion 22 are formed.

The cutting unit 48 cuts unnecessary parts in order to form the outer shape of the top surface of the pouch container 10. Specifically, both side edge portions of the sheet portion S4 to be the top sheet 14 are cut into a substantially triangular shape. As a result, the top sheet 14 has a substantially octagonal shape when separated into the individual pouch containers 10.

FIG. 6 is a plan view showing the continuous container body 2 that has passed through the cutting unit 48. When the container continuum 2 is cut into individual pouch containers 10, a seal portion 20A serving as a top seal portion 20, a seal portion 21A serving as a bottom seal portion 21, and a seal portion 22A serving as a side seal portion 22 are provided. It is formed by the main seal device 47 described above. A planned cutting line CL extending in the up-down direction is shown at the center in the width direction of the seal portion 22A serving as the side seal portion 22. In addition, the sheet portion which becomes the top sheet 14 in the continuous container body 2 is formed into a substantially octagonal shape by cutting both side edge portions into a substantially triangular shape by the above-described cutting unit 48.

In order to form the lower and upper spot seals 19a and 19b (see FIG. 2) of the pouch container 10, the spot seal device 49 has a seal portion 22A and a bottom seal portion 21 that become side seal portions 22 as shown in FIG. The heated spot seal bar 52 having a rectangular tip surface is pressed in the front-back direction at the boundary with the seal portion 21A that becomes the side seal portion 22A and the seal that becomes the top seal portion 20. A heated spot seal bar 53 having a rectangular tip surface is pressed in the front-back direction at the boundary with the portion 20A. As a result, when separated into individual pouch containers 10, spot seals having a size corresponding to two lower and upper spot seals 19a and 19b are formed. As a result, when the individual pouch containers 10 are separated, the seal strength of the seal boundary portions 23, 24 (see FIG. 3) between the side seal portion 22, the bottom seal portion 21, and the top seal portion 20 is increased, and the pouch is The bag breaking strength when the container 10 is dropped increases.

The cutting device 50 in the pouch container manufacturing system 1 cuts the container continuum 2 that has passed through the spot sealing device 49 along the planned cutting line CL to separate the individual pouch containers 10. FIG. 7 shows a state in which the container continuum 2 is cut and individual pouch containers 10 are produced. The cutting device 50 may have any form, and examples thereof include a scissor-type cutting device and a cutting device including a fixed blade and a movable blade. In this way, the pouch container 10 is continuously manufactured.

Next, the spout mounting device 46 of the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a front view schematically showing a main part of the spout mounting device 46. FIG. 9 is a front view (a), a bottom view (b), and a side view (c) showing the spout mounting head.

As described above with reference to FIG. 5, the spout mounting device 46 inserts the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31 into the spout mounting hole 51 formed in the top sheet portion S4 of the folded sheet material M, and the spout 31 This is a device to be mounted by heat-sealing the flange portion 31b of the above to the periphery of the spout mounting hole 51. As shown in FIG. 8, it includes a first sealing station 46a, a second sealing station 46b, and a cooling station 46c, which are sequentially installed along the conveyance direction (arrow X direction) of the folded sheet material M.

A spout mounting head 60 is installed at the first sealing station 46 a of the spout mounting device 46. The spout mounting head 60 has a function of carrying, inserting, and joining the spout 31. Specifically, the spout mounting head 60 holds and conveys the spout supplied to the predetermined take-out position, and the spout mounting hole 51 in the top sheet portion S4 of the folded sheet material M is inserted into the spout mounting hole 51 to form the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31. Is inserted, and the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 and the sheet portion at the periphery of the spout mounting hole 51 are sandwiched between the heating member and the pressing member to be pressed and heated to join the spout 31 to the top sheet portion S4.

As shown in FIG. 9, the spout mounting head 60 includes a head main body 62 connected to a moving mechanism 61 such as a robot arm, and three spout holding portions 63 provided so as to project from the lower surface of the head main body 62. The spout mounting head 60 has a spout removal position (predetermined removal position) α to which the spout 31 is supplied by the moving mechanism 61 and a spout mounting position β at which the spout 31 is inserted into the spout mounting hole 51 of the sheet material M (see FIG. 10 ). ) To and from.

The three spout holding portions 63 are arranged side by side at the same pitch P as the spout mounting holes 51 formed in the top sheet portion S4 of the sheet material M. The outer shape of each spout holding portion 63 is formed into a substantially cylindrical shape. Further, each spout holding portion 63 is formed of a material such as silicon. A protrusion 64 having a substantially truncated cone shape is provided at the center of the lower end surface of the spout holding portion 63.

The diameter d4 of the base portion of the protrusion 64 is formed slightly smaller than the inner diameter d3 (see FIG. 5) of the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31. When the spout 31 is sucked and held by the spout mounting head 60, the base portion of the protrusion 64 is fitted into the tubular portion 31a without a gap, so that air is sucked from the tubular portion 31b when the flange portion 31b is warped or distorted. (Air leakage) can be suppressed. As a result, suction holding of the spout 31 by the suction surface of the spout holding portion 63 can be performed more reliably. Further, the projection 64 also has a function of concentrically positioning the spout 31 with respect to the spout holding portion 63 when the projection 64 is inserted into the tubular portion 31a from the flange portion 31b side at a predetermined take-out position. You can also However, the protrusion 64 may perform only one of the functions of air leakage and spout positioning.

In the spout holding portion 63, an annular flat suction surface 65 is formed around the protrusion 64. As described above, the spout holding portion 63 is made of an elastic material. Therefore, when the spout holding portion 63 sucks and holds the flange portion 31b of the spout 31, as will be described later, even if the surface of the flange portion 31b has a wavy warp or distortion, the suction surface 65 follows the distortion. So that they can be held in close contact with each other.

The suction surface 65 of the spout holding portion 63 is provided with a plurality of suction holes 66 evenly arranged in the circumferential direction. In this embodiment, an example is shown in which four suction holes 66 are formed at a 90-degree pitch. A suction pipe 67 connected to a suction source (not shown) is connected to the outer peripheral surface of the spout holding portion 63. The suction pipe 67 communicates with the suction hole 66 through the space inside the spout holding portion 63. As a result, at the spout extraction position α, when the protrusion 64 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 31a, the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 is sucked by the negative pressure acting on the suction hole 66 and is in close contact with the flat suction surface 65. Held in. As a result, even if the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 is warped, the spout holding portion 63 can hold the flange portion 31b in a flat state.

Further, the spout 31 is manufactured by, for example, resin injection molding, but at that time, a warp or a distortion is likely to occur at a portion of the flange portion 31b facing the gate which is the resin injection port. Therefore, in order to prevent the air leakage as described above from occurring, it is preferable that the position of the suction hole 66 of the spout holding portion 63 be arranged at a position deviated from the gate facing portion of the flange portion 31b.

The spout holding portion 63 including the suction surface 65 may be heated to a temperature lower than that of the resin material forming the spout 31. As a result, the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 suction-held on the suction surface is preheated, so that heat sealing to the top sheet portion S4 can be performed in a shorter time, and the spout mounting device 46, and by extension, the pouch. The operation of the container manufacturing apparatus 1 can be made faster.

Further, the plurality of suction holes 66 formed in the suction surface 65 of the spout holding portion 63 are arranged at positions corresponding to the inner side in the radial direction with respect to the inner peripheral edge of the cylindrical portion receiving recess 74 of the first heating member 71 described later. Is preferred. Thereby, when the flange portion 31b and the peripheral sheet portion of the spout mounting hole 51 are sandwiched between the suction surface 65 and the first heating member 71 and pressed and heated, a decrease in pressing force and a decrease in temperature due to suction are suppressed. Therefore, the trace of the suction hole 66 does not remain on the surface of the top sheet portion S4, and the seal portion for the flange portion 31b can be finished beautifully.

Referring again to FIG. 8, the spout mounting device 46 includes an elevating stage 70 at a position below the spout mounting head 60. The elevating stage 70 can be moved up and down by a drive mechanism (not shown). On the elevating stage 70 and at the first sealing station 46 a, three first heating members (heating members) 71 are arranged corresponding to the spout holding portion 63 of the spout mounting head 60.

The first heating member 71 is heated by a heater (not shown). The temperature of the first heating member 71 is heated to a temperature higher than the melting point of the sealant layer of the sheet material M and lower than the melting point of the base film layer forming the sheet material M (for example, 260° C. in the case of PET film). Preferably. Further, the first heating member 71 has a cylindrical tubular portion accommodating concave portion 74 capable of accommodating the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31, and the front end surface thereof is formed in the top sheet portion S4 of the sheet material M. The spout mounting hole 51 is formed in a shape and size that can abut the peripheral edge of the mounting hole 51. As a result, when the elevating stage 70 moves upward, the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 suction-held by the spout holding portion 63 and the peripheral edge of the spout mounting hole 51 of the sheet material M are brought into contact with the front end surface of the first heating member 71. The spout holding portion 63 is sandwiched between the flat suction surface 65 and the spout holding portion 63 to be pressed and heated.

On the elevating stage 70 of the spout mounting device 46, three second heating members 72 are arranged corresponding to the second sealing station 46b, and three cooling members 73 are arranged corresponding to the cooling station 46c. In the present embodiment, the second heating member 72 is formed substantially the same as the first heating member 71, and the cooling member 73 is formed larger than the first heating member 71. The first heating member 71, the second heating member 72, and the cooling member 73 are linearly arranged at a predetermined pitch P along the conveying direction (arrow X direction) of the folded sheet material M. As a result, the folded sheet material M is intermittently conveyed at a distance corresponding to the full width of the three pouch containers 10 (that is, P×3), so that the first seal station 46a attaches the sheet material M to the spout attachment hole 51. The tubular portion 31a of the spout 31 can be fitted into the second heating member 72 and the cooling member 73 at the second sealing station 46b and the cooling station 46c.

In the second sealing station 46b of the spout mounting device 46, for example, a plate-shaped contact member 68 is arranged above and above the three second heating members 72. The contact member 68 and the tip end surface of the second heating member 72 contact the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 and the peripheral edge of the spout mounting hole 51 in the top surface sheet portion S4 of the sheet material M when the lifting stage 70 moves upward. Hold and press. Thereby, the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 is more surely heat-sealed to the top sheet portion S4.

In the cooling station 46c of the spout mounting device 46, for example, a water-cooling type cooling device 69 having a flat housing shape is arranged so as to face the three cooling members 73. When the elevating stage 70 moves upward, the cooling device 69 holds the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 and the peripheral edge of the spout mounting hole 51 in the top sheet portion S4 of the sheet material M with the tip surface of the cooling member 73. .. As a result, the portion where the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 is heat-sealed to the top sheet portion S4 is cooled.

Next, the spout feeder 80 included in the spout mounting device 46 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the spout feeder 80. FIG. 11 is an enlarged plan view showing the spout supply unit 83 of the spout feeder 80. Further, in FIG. 12A, FIG. 12A is an enlarged plan view showing the vicinity of the spout extraction position α of one spout supply unit 83, and FIG. 12B is a view taken in the direction of arrow B in FIG. , (C) is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in (a).

As shown in FIG. 10, the spout mounting device 46 of this embodiment includes a spout feeder 80. The spout feeder 80 is a device that supplies the spout 31 to the spout taking-out position α by the spout mounting head 60 described above. The spout feeder 80 has a hopper 81 capable of accommodating a large number of spouts 31, and a spout supply section 83 that connects the outlet 82 of the hopper 81 and the spout extraction position α.

The hopper 81 is a container having a substantially spiral shape in a plan view, and can move, for example, a large number of spouts 31 introduced therein by aligning them toward the outlet by applying vibration. Further, in this embodiment, since the spout mounting head 60 includes the three spout holding portions 63, three spout supply portions 83 are correspondingly provided between the hopper 81 and the spout extraction position α. It is provided.

In addition, although an example in which one hopper 81 is provided is described in the present embodiment, the present invention is not limited to this, and a spout using a plurality of hoppers is used according to the production capacity of the manufacturing system 1 of the pouch container 10 and the like. The spout 31 may be supplied to the extraction position α.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12A, the spout supply portions 83 are arranged adjacent to each other and in parallel at least near the spout extraction position α. Each spout supply unit 83 includes a pair of guide members 84a and 84b arranged in parallel at a predetermined distance K. The pair of guide members 84a and 84b are formed of, for example, elongated metal plate members. In addition, the pair of guide members 84a and 84b are fitted with the facing edges thereof between the flange portions f1 and f2 of the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31 to thereby secure the spout 31. Supports in an aligned state.

An air nozzle 88 is arranged obliquely downward above each spout supply portion 83, and air is blown toward the spout 31 aligned between the guide members 84a and 84b. As a result, a propulsive force for advancing each spout 31 toward the spout extraction position α is applied.

Below the pair of guide members 84a and 84b, a pair of upstream-side stopper members 85a and 85b and downstream-side stopper members 86a and 86b, which send the aligned spouts 31 to the spout extraction position α one by one, are arranged. .. As shown in FIG. 12B, the upstream stopper members 85a, 85b and the downstream stopper members 86a, 86b are substantially V-shaped lever members pivotally supported at their lower ends, and The tip portion is located close to the cylindrical portion 31a of the spout 31. From this state, the upstream stopper members 85a and 85b are driven so that the respective tip portions approach each other, so that the upstream stopper members 85a and 85b enter into the space between the spouts 31 aligned between the pair of guide members 84a and 84b and dam the function. Have. This function is the same for the downstream stopper members 86a and 86b.

A pair of fixed guides 87a and 87b are arranged at a space at the spout take-out position α. The spout 31 sent by the pair of guide members 84a and 84b is received between the pair of fixing members 87a and 87b.

As shown in FIGS. 10 and 12(b), when the spout 31 is inserted between the pair of guide members 84a, 84b at the outlet 82 of the hopper 81, the tubular portion 31a enters between the guide members 84a, 84b. Between the flanges f1 and f2 of the tubular portion 31a, and the two flat surface portions g3 and g4 or g1 and g2 (see FIG. 2(a)) that face each other in the radial direction of the tubular portion 31a, and are fitted in between. .. Here, as shown in FIGS. 12A and 12B, the interval K between the pair of guide members 84a and 84b is smaller than the diameter of the flanges f1 and f2 of the tubular portion 31a, and is formed in the tubular portion 31a. It is set wider than the dimension d2 between the two flat portions g3 and g4 forming a pair (the dimension between the flat portions g1 and g2 is the same) (see FIG. 2). In this way, the flat portions g3, g4, etc. of the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31 are conveyed along the edges of the pair of guide members 84a, 84b, so that the spout 31 does not rotate between the guide members 84a, 84b. Regulated. Thereby, in the spout supply part 83, the substantially rectangular flange portions 31b of the spout 31 are aligned in the same direction. When the flange portion of the spout has a circular shape, the orientation when aligning the spout does not matter, and therefore the flat portion may not be provided between the flanges f1 and f2 of the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31.

As shown in FIGS. 12A and 12C, at the spout take-out position α, as described above, the pair of fixed guides 87 a and 87 b are arranged with a space therebetween, and both sides of the flan portion 31 b of the spout 31 are arranged. The ends are supported by resting on a pair of fixed guides 87a and 87b. Further, below the pair of fixed guides 87a and 87b, open/close guides 88a and 88b which are driven to open and close in the arrow direction are arranged. When the opening/closing guides 88a and 88b are in the closed position, the spout 31 is restricted from moving upward because it is fitted between the flanges f1 and f2. On the other hand, when the spout 31 is taken out from the spout take-out position α by the spout mounting head 60, the opening/closing guides 88a and 88b move to the open position and come out from between the flanges f1 and f2. Thereby, the spout 31 held by the spout mounting head 60 can be taken out upward.

Here, as shown in FIG. 12C, since the pair of fixed guides 87a and 87b in the spout supply portion 83 are in contact with the flange portion 31b of the spout 31, the pair of fixed guides 87a and 87b are not shown in the heater. The heating may be performed at a temperature lower than the melting point of the resin material forming the spout 31. In this way, since the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 is preheated at the spout extraction position α, the heat sealing of the spout 31 can be shortened in the same manner as in the case of preheating the flange portion 31b by the spout holding portion 63. Can contribute to.

As shown in FIG. 12A, the spout 31 aligned between the pair of guide members 84a and 84b is moved toward the spout extraction position α by the upstream stopper members 85a and 85b that have moved to the positions of the broken lines that are close to each other. Will stop moving forward. Therefore, a large number of spouts 31 located between the hopper 81 and the upstream stopper members 85a and 85b are stored with the flange portions 31b overlapping each other. In this state, when the downstream stopper members 86a and 86b move to positions separated by the broken line, the spout 31 held between the upstream stopper members 85a and 85b and the downstream stopper members 86a and 86b is propelled by air blowing. It is sent to the spout take-out position α by a force and stopped by a stopper portion (not shown). By repeating such an operation, the spout 31 is continuously supplied to the spout extraction position α in the spout supply unit 83.

Subsequently, the mounting operation of the spout 31 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 and 14. In FIG. 13, (a) is a view showing a state immediately before the spout 31 sucked and held by the spout mounting head 60 is mounted on the top surface sheet portion S4 of the container continuum 2, and (b) is the same spout 31. It is a figure which shows the state when it is mounted|worn with the face sheet part S4. Further, FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the spout mounting head has a spout having a warped flange portion held inside the tubular portion.

The spout 31 supplied to the spout extraction position α by the spout supply unit 83 as described above is sucked and held by the three spout holding units 63 of the spout mounting head 60. At this time, the protrusion 64 of the spout holding portion 63 is inserted into the cylindrical portion 31a of the spout 31 from the side of the flange portion 31b, so that the spout 31 is accurately positioned concentrically with respect to the spout holding portion 63. Further, since the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 is sucked and held in close contact with the flat suction surface 65 of the spout holding portion 63, even if the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 has a warp, the warp is generated. The spout 31 can be inserted into the spout mounting hole 51 of the sheet material M in the state where the spout 31 is removed. Further, if the spout holding portion 63 is heated to a temperature lower than that of the resin material forming the spout 31, the flange portion 31b is preliminarily heated, and the subsequent sealing process can be performed in a shorter time. ..

As shown in FIG. 13A, the spout mounting head 60 is moved to the spout mounting position β by the moving mechanism 61 while the spout 31 is suction-held. Then, the spout mounting head 60 moves down at the spout mounting position β. As a result, the tubular portion 31a of the spout 31 is inserted from above into the spout mounting hole 51 formed in the top sheet portion S4 of the folded sheet material M.

At the same time, the elevating stage 70 of the spout mounting device 46 moves upward. As a result, the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 and the sheet are provided between the tip surface 71a of the cylindrical first heating member 71 installed at the first sealing station 46a of the elevating stage 70 and the suction surface 65 of the spout holding portion 63. The periphery of the spout mounting hole 51 formed in the top sheet portion S4 of the material M is sandwiched and pressed and heated. As a result, the sealant layer on the upper surface of the top sheet portion S4 is melted and the flange portion 31b is joined.

When the spout 31 is temporarily joined to the top sheet portion S4 in this way, the spout mounting head 60 moves upward and the first heating member 71 moves downward. Thereafter, the folded sheet material M moves by a distance (P×3) corresponding to three pouch containers 10 and stops. Then, as described above, the flange portion 31b is firmly heat-sealed to the top sheet portion S4 by being sandwiched by the second heating member 72 and the contact member 68 in the second sealing station 46b in the same manner as the first sealing station 46a. To be done. Then, in the subsequent cooling station 46c, the sealing portion of the flange portion 31b is cooled by the cooling member 73 and the cooling device 69.

FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the spout 31 in which the flange portion 31b is warped is held inside the tubular portion 31a in the spout mounting head 60A. In the spout mounting head 60A that holds and mounts the spout 31 inside the tubular portion 31a as described above, if the flange portion 31b is warped, heat is generated when the spout 31 is joined to the top surface sheet portion S4. It is difficult to reach the flange portion 31b from the members 71 and 72 through the top sheet portion S4, and there is a possibility that a defective joint may occur.

On the other hand, in the spout mounting device 46 of the present embodiment, even if the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 is warped, it is sucked and held in close contact with the flat suction surface 65 of the spout holding portion 63 so as to be flat. It can be corrected to any condition. At this time, if the flange portion 31b of the spout 31 is preheated by the spout holding portion 63 or the fixed guides 87a and 87b of the spout supply portion 83, the warpage of the flange portion 31b is effectively eliminated. By thus eliminating the warp and distortion of the flange portion 31b of the spout 31, both the temporary joining of the spout 31 at the first sealing station 46a and the main joining at the second sealing station 46b can be performed well. Will be possible.

The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiment and its modifications, and various improvements and changes can be made within the scope of the claims of the present application and the equivalents thereof. ..

For example, although the case where the spout 31 is temporarily joined at the first sealing station 46a and the spout 31 is permanently joined at the second sealing station 46b has been described above, the present invention is not limited to this and one heat sealing step is performed. The flange portion 31b of the spout 31 may be joined to the top sheet portion S4 of the sheet material M.

Further, in the above description, the example in which the spout mounting head 60 suction-holds the three spouts 31 has been described, but the spout mounting head 60 is not limited to this, and, for example, suction-holds one, two, or four or more spouts 31. It may be configured to be possible.

In addition, the pouch container manufacturing system may be configured so that the width (or the alignment pitch) P of the pouch container 10 can be changed. In that case, a moving mechanism for varying the arrangement pitch P of the spout holding portions 63 in the spout mounting head 60 is provided. Further, correspondingly to this, an adjusting mechanism is provided for varying the array pitch P of the first heating member 71, the second heating member 72, and the cooling member 73. The moving mechanism and the adjusting mechanism can be configured by, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism or the like.

Further, in the pouch container manufacturing system 1 described above, the case where each sheet portion of the pouch container 10 is formed from one sheet material M has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and a plurality of sheets is provided. The pouch container may be manufactured using the material.

1 Pouch Container Manufacturing System, 2 Container Continuum, 10 Pouch Container, 11 Top Sheet, 11a, 12a Top Edge, 12 Back Sheet, 13 Bottom Sheet, 14 Top Sheet, 15 Fold Line, 16 Unsealed Section, 17 Filling Part, 18 notch, 19a lower spot seal, 19b upper spot seal, 20 top seal part, 21 bottom seal part, 20A, 21A, 22A seal part, 22 side seal part, 23, 24 seal boundary part, 30 spout, 31 spout, 31a cylinder part, 31b flange part, 32 cap, 40 manufacturing device, 41 reel unit, 42 accumulation unit, 43 hole forming unit, 44 fold line forming unit,
45 folding unit, 46 spout mounting device, 46a first sealing station, 46b second sealing station, 46c cooling station, 47 main sealing device, 48 cutting unit, 49 spot sealing device, 50 cutting device, 51 spout mounting hole, 52, 53 spot seal bar, 60, 60A spout mounting head, 61 moving mechanism, 62 head body, 63 spout holding part, 64 protrusion, 65 suction surface, 66 suction hole, 67 suction tube, 68 contact member, 69 cooling device, 70 Elevating stage, 71 First heating member, 72 Second heating member, 71a Tip surface, 73 Cooling member, 74 Cylindrical part accommodating recess, 80 Spout feeder, 81 Hopper, 82 Exit, 83 Spout supply section, 84a, 84b Guide member, 85a, 85b upstream stopper member, 86a, 86b downstream stopper member, 87a, 87b fixed guide, 88 air nozzle, 88a, 88b open/close guide, CL planned cutting line, f1, f2 flange, L1-L6 fold line, M sheet material , P pitch, S1 top sheet portion, S2 back sheet portion, S3 bottom sheet portion, S4 top sheet portion, W width, α spout extraction position, β spout mounting position.

Claims (1)

A pair of body sheets having both widthwise end edges joined together, a bottom sheet joined to the lower ends of the pair of body sheets, and a top sheet joined to the upper ends of the pair of body sheets. And a spout attached to the top sheet, a manufacturing system for manufacturing a pouch container, wherein a spout mounting hole formed in a sheet portion serving as the top sheet is projected from a tubular portion and an outer periphery of the tubular portion. A spout mounting device for mounting the spout having a flange portion,
A spout mounting head that holds and conveys the spout supplied to a predetermined take-out position, and inserts the cylindrical portion of the spout into the spout mounting hole.
By pressing and heating the sheet portion of the peripheral edge of the spout mounting hole in the flange portion of the spout in which the tubular portion is inserted into the spout mounting hole by the spout mounting head, sandwiching the sheet portion with the spout mounting head, and heating. A heating member for heat sealing ,
The spout mounting head has a flat suction surface for suction-holding the flange portion of the spout, and a projection that is provided in a central portion of the suction surface and that is fitted into the tubular portion from the side of the flange portion without a gap. Have,
A spout mounting in which a plurality of suction holes formed in the suction surface are arranged at positions corresponding to the inner side in the radial direction with respect to the inner peripheral edge of the tubular portion accommodation recess that accommodates the tubular portion formed in the heating member. apparatus.

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