JP7280020B2 - vacuum packaging equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vacuum packaging device.

Vacuum packaging is packaging in which the air is removed from the packaging bag when the contents (packaged goods) are put into the packaging bag, and the bag is sealed. Vacuum packaging can prevent deterioration of contents, and is widely used in the food industry and industrial fields, for example.

A conventional vacuum packaging apparatus constitutes a decompression chamber with an upper chamber and a lower chamber which are divided vertically.
The packaging bag containing the contents is placed in the lower chamber. The upper chamber is formed in a dome shape or a flat plate shape, and opens upward by a hinge mechanism provided on the back side of the device. Therefore, a space in which the upper chamber can rotate is required above the device. The upper surface of the upper chamber, which is opened and closed each time vacuum packaging is performed, is not suitable for use as a workbench and cannot be used to place objects. This type of vacuum packaging apparatus is particularly common in desktop types.

There is also a stationary type of conventional vacuum packaging device that can be used as a cooking table. In this type of vacuum packaging device, the chamber is of a drawer type.

Japanese Patent No. 4444460 JP 2015-9823 A Japanese Patent No. 4455437

In recent years, there has also been a demand for a desk-top type vacuum packaging apparatus to use the upper surface of the apparatus as a workbench, or to place other cooking apparatus or the like on the upper surface of the apparatus to effectively utilize the space.
In particular, there is a demand for using the vacuum packaging device on a counter that is already installed in the kitchen. For example, there is a demand for a vacuum packaging device that is easy to use when placed on a cooking table with a depth of 600 mm and a height of 800 mm.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a drawer-type vacuum packaging device suitable for use on a cooking table or the like.

An embodiment of the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention includes a box-shaped main body housing having a flat top plate, and a separate body that is housed inside the main body housing so as to have a double structure, except for the front opening. A box-shaped chamber with a sealed pressure-resistant structure, a door portion that closes an opening in the front surface of the chamber to make the chamber airtight, and a door portion that is connected to the door portion and that can be pulled out through the opening in the front surface of the chamber. a drawer portion for accommodating a packaging bag containing contents in the chamber; a lower heat block provided in the drawer portion; and an upper heat provided inside the upper surface of the chamber facing the lower heat block. a block, and a sealing portion that sandwiches and seals the opening of the packaging bag housed in the drawer; a pair of seal drive units having a piston rod; a decompression unit for decompressing the chamber and moving the seal drive unit up and down; and a power supply unit for supplying power to the seal unit and the decompression unit, A case that houses the power supply unit is arranged between the pair of seal driving units along a direction in which the drawer unit is pulled out.

An embodiment of the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising a liquid receiving tray that is arranged along the sealing portion and receives the contents that have spilled over from the bag opening.

An embodiment of the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the main housing is provided with a liquid-proof wall that protects the circuit board arranged below the chamber from contents spilled from the bag opening . .

An embodiment of the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention includes a plurality of solenoid valves arranged in a pipe connected to the chamber, and the plurality of solenoid valves have the drawer portion pulled out behind the chamber of the main body housing. It is characterized in that it is arranged along a direction transverse to the direction in which it is drawn .

An embodiment of the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention includes a sensor provided in the door portion for detecting a closed state in which the door portion blocks the opening, and a control for activating the decompression portion when the sensor detects the closed state. and a part.

In an embodiment of the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention, the seal portion and the seal drive portion each have a contact for electrical connection, and the contact area of the seal portion and the contact area of the seal drive portion are different. Characterized by

An embodiment of the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising an urging portion that urges the drawer portion in the direction of inserting it into the chamber .
The urging portion is built in a slide rail that connects the drawer portion and the chamber.

It is a perspective view showing a vacuum packaging device concerning an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the vacuum packaging device with the drawer pulled out; It is a front view of a vacuum packaging device. It is a perspective view showing a chamber. It is sectional drawing (AA cross section) of a vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a cross-sectional view (A-A cross section) showing the vacuum packaging device in a state where the drawer part is pulled out. It is sectional drawing (BB cross section) of a vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a figure which shows operation|movement of a sealing part. It is a figure which shows a piping system. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the arrangement of valves; It is a control system block diagram. It is a figure which shows an operation / display part. It is a timing chart of a vacuum packaging process.

A vacuum packaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same structure.

The vacuum packaging device 1 includes a main housing 10 and a second housing 110 . The main housing 10 accommodates the chamber 2 and the like. The second housing 110 accommodates a decompression unit that decompresses the chamber 2 . The main housing 10 and the second housing 110 are connected via a pressure-resistant air tube 112 and a power cord 113 . The pressure-resistant air tube 112 and the power cord 113 are, for example, 5 m.

Since the main body housing 10 does not accommodate a decompression unit, it is formed in a size that can be easily placed on a cooking table or the like. In particular, the depth and height of the main housing 10 can be reduced. For this reason, the size can be made so that it can be easily placed on a counter or the like already installed in the kitchen.
The main body housing 10 has a flat rectangular shape whose height is set lower than its width and length. The size of the main body housing 10 is such that it can be placed on the upper surface or the middle shelf of a countertop, rack, wagon, or the like so that it can be used as a desktop type.
Specifically, the height of the main housing 10 is 295 mm, preferably 200 to 400 mm. The depth of the main housing 10 is 554 mm, preferably 500 to 600 mm.
The width of the main housing 10 is 428 mm, preferably 400 to 500 mm.

The main housing 10 has a box shape surrounded on six sides by metal members such as metal plates. Metal members forming the top plate 11 and the front plate 12 are fixed by fixing members 13 such as screws. For example, they can be removed by removing the fixing member 13 during maintenance and inspection of the apparatus. For example, cylindrical leg portions 14 are provided at the four corners of the metal member that forms the bottom surface of the base.
The metal member forming the body housing 10 is, for example, stainless steel, aluminum, surface-plated iron, titanium, or the like. Of course, other metals may be used. Alternatively, resin may be used.

The vacuum packaging apparatus 1 has a double structure in which a pressure-resistant chamber 2 is separately arranged inside a box-shaped main housing 10 . Therefore, the main body housing 10 does not necessarily have pressure resistance to withstand a vacuum, and a thin metal plate having a small thickness may be used for the top plate 11 and the front plate 12 . Accordingly, the weight of the device as a whole can be reduced.
In addition, the front upper side of the main housing 10 is open over substantially the entire width direction. This opening is arranged so that the opening of the chamber 2 overlaps.

As a preferred example, the top surface of the top plate 11 is formed flat over the entire surface. By flattening the entire upper surface of the top plate 11, the upper surface of the apparatus can be widely used as a workbench even when placed on a tabletop such as a cooking table, rack, or wagon. Alternatively, other cooking appliances such as ovens and microwave ovens can be placed on top.

The door portion 15 and the operation/display portion 16 are arranged on the front surface of the main housing 10 .
The operation/display unit 16 is, for example, a touch display, and is arranged below the door unit 15 (front plate 12). The display section and the operation section may be separate. A power switch 17 for supplying/stopping commercial power supply to the apparatus is provided on the right side of the operation/display section 16 (front plate 12).

The door 15 can open and close the opening of the chamber 2, as shown in FIG. The door portion 15 and the chamber 2 are airtightly sealed with a sealing material 21 provided along the opening edge of the chamber 2 .
The sealing material 21 has a plurality of filaments 21s. The plurality of filaments 21s are erected toward the door portion 15 and extend annularly along the opening edge. 21 s of filaments are three, for example. By having a plurality of filars 21s extending along the opening edge, high airtightness can be achieved.
A space (gap) 19 is provided between the rear-side lower edge portion of the door portion 15 and the front plate 12 of the main housing 10 . By providing this space 19 , the user can put his or her finger on the lower edge portion of the door portion 15 on the back side.

Inside the chamber 2, a drawer portion and heat welding type seal portions (lower heat block 4 and upper heat block 41) are arranged.
The drawer part 3 is fixedly arranged on the back surface of the door part 15 and accommodates the packaging bag in the chamber 2 . The drawer part 3 has a lower heat block 4 on the front side and a tray 31 on the rear side.
A liquid receiving tray 35 is detachably arranged on the front side of the lower heat block 4 . The liquid receiving tray 35 is a container for containing contents leaking from the opening of the packaging bag, and is arranged between the lower heat block 4 and the door portion 15 .

The tray 31 has an inclined surface 31a on the front side, and the inclined surface 31a supports the packaging bag containing the contents. The upper end of the inclined surface 31 a approaches the lower heat block 4 .
The packaging bag containing the contents is accommodated in the tray 31 , and the bag mouth portion (the portion to be heat-sealed) is placed on the lower heat block 4 . At this time, since the inclined surface 31a is provided on the tray 31, the weight of the packaging bag P containing particularly fluid contents is prevented from peeling off from the lower heat block 4 (removable adhesive member 45 to be described later). suppressed.

The drawer 3 (tray 31) is made of metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, surface-plated iron, or titanium. Of course, other metal materials may be used. The liquid receiving tray 35 arranged on the front side of the drawer portion 3 is made of a resin material such as plastic, for example.

The drawer portion 3 is supported by a pair of left and right slide rails 32 arranged on both side surfaces so as to be able to be drawn out smoothly from the chamber 2 . The slide rails 32 are fixedly arranged on both side surfaces of the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 2 .
The slide rail 32 has an auto-closing mechanism. That is, the slide rail 32 incorporates a tension spring (biasing portion) 33 that biases the drawer portion 3 in the direction of inserting it into the chamber 2 . As a result, the door portion 15 connected to the drawer portion 3 is pressed against the opening edge of the chamber 2 . Therefore, the sealing member 21 arranged at the opening edge of the chamber 2 and the door portion 15 are in close contact with each other, and the chamber 2 is well airtight.

The door portion 15 is made of, for example, a transparent material or a translucent material. The transparent material is acrylic resin, for example. If the door portion 15 is transparent or translucent, as shown in FIG. 3, the inside of the chamber 2 can be visually confirmed even when the door portion 15 is closed. That is, since the sealing portion (lower heat block 4, upper heat block 41) can be visually observed, it is possible to confirm how the packaging bag is sealed. Moreover, even if an unexpected situation such as leakage of the contents from the packaging bag occurs during degassing, the user can take countermeasures.
However, the door portion 15 may not be transparent or translucent, and may be made of metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, surface-plated iron, or titanium. Of course, other metals may be used.

As shown in FIG. 4, the chamber 2 is box-shaped with an open front surface. The external appearance of the chamber 2 is generally rectangular. The capacity is, for example, 7-40 liters. The four corners are arc-shaped so that the sealing material 21 can be attached along the edge of the opening.
The chamber 2 is formed by combining members 2A and 2B each having a U-shaped cross section vertically symmetrically and joining them (joining line 2C), and further joining a member 2D that will be the rear surface. The chamber 2 is made of metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, surface-plated iron, or titanium. Of course, other metal materials may be used.

The rear surface of the chamber 2 is provided with an intake/exhaust port 22 for sucking and exhausting air when reducing the pressure in the chamber 2 and for sucking air when releasing the pressure reduction. The intake/exhaust port 22 is arranged near the upper side of the rear surface of the chamber 2 . A cylinder mechanism 7, which will be described later, is arranged in an opening 23 that forms two circular openings 23 on the bottom surface of the chamber 2 toward the front.

In the chamber 2, a reinforcing member 24 extending along the width direction of the chamber 2 (the direction intersecting with the drawing direction (front-rear direction) of the drawing portion 3) is fixedly arranged on the upper surface of the outer peripheral surface. The reinforcement member 24 uses a channel member (for example, a lightweight channel member) having a U-shaped cross section, and joins the end of the flange to the chamber 2 so that the web of the channel member is positioned on the upper side. A plurality of reinforcing members 24 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction of the chamber 2 (the drawing direction of the drawer portion 3 (the front-rear direction)). The reinforcing member 24 is also a supporting member that supports the top plate 11 from below. Therefore, it is preferable to use a channel member having a long web width. However, the shape of the reinforcing member 24 is not limited to the U-shaped cross section.

Furthermore, the chamber 2 has a reinforcement member 25 extending along the width direction of the chamber 2 fixed to the bottom surface of the outer peripheral surface. The reinforcing member 25 uses a channel member having a U-shaped cross section, and the end of the flange is joined to the chamber 2 so that the web of the channel member is located on the lower side. Bolt holes (not shown) are provided at both ends of the reinforcing member 25 . A plurality of reinforcing members 25 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction of the chamber 2 . The reinforcing member 25 is also a supporting member that fixes and arranges the chamber 2 inside the main housing 10 . However, the shape of the reinforcing member 25 is not limited to the shape of cross section C.

As shown in FIG. 5, the chamber 2 is fixedly arranged on top of a support member 50 provided inside the main housing 10 . That is, the reinforcement member 25 is fixed to the support member 50 . Further, the reinforcement member 24 on the upper surface of the chamber 2 is in contact with the lower surface of the top plate 11 .

A circuit board 55 constituting the control unit 9 is arranged along the width direction on the rear surface of the front panel 12 (operation/display unit 16) of the main body housing 10 . The circuit board 55 is covered with the front plate 12 and the liquid-proof wall 52 below the opening of the chamber 2 . Therefore, the circuit board 55 is protected from contents spilled from the opening of the chamber 2 .

As shown in FIG. 7, below the chamber 2 of the main housing 10, a power supply section 56 is arranged to supply power to the sealing section and the decompression section. A power supply unit 56 includes an AC/DC converter and a noise filter. The power supply unit 56 is arranged in a state of being accommodated in a case 57 extending in the front-rear direction between a pair of cylinder mechanisms 7 arranged on the lower surface of the chamber 2 .
A case 57 that houses the power supply unit 56 is connected to the front plate 12 of the main housing 10 . Therefore, when the front panel 12 is removed from the main housing 10 , the operation/display section 16 , the circuit board 55 and the power supply section 56 are pulled out to the front side of the main housing 10 . Therefore, electrical system maintenance work can be easily performed.
Note that an outlet 61 for connecting to a commercial power supply is provided on the rear surface of the main housing 10 .

The seal portion includes the lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block 41 described above. The lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block 41 are long block members extending in the width direction (the direction intersecting with the drawing direction (front-rear direction) of the drawing portion 3). The lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block 41 are arranged so that the faces sandwiching the packaging bag are opposed to each other.

The lower heat block 4 has a long strip-shaped heating element laminated on the upper surface of a main body 42 made of an insulating material. The heating element is, for example, an electric heater 43 . Furthermore, a detachable insulating cloth (not shown) is attached so as to cover the upper surface of the electric heater 43 . The insulating cloth is, for example, a silicon tape or the like that is easy to peel off from the packaging bag. Two support rods 44 are arranged on the bottom surface of the lower heat block 4 to support the lower heat block 4 from below. Support rod 44 is formed of a generally cylindrical electrically conductive member. The conductive member is brass or copper, for example. The support rod 44 is electrically connected with the electric heater 43 .

A long removable adhesive member 45 is arranged on the front side surface of the lower heat block 4 to hold the packaging bag by its adhesive strength and to allow the packaging bag to be removed by hand. A support member 46 is detachably provided on the side surface of the lower heat block 4 , and a removable adhesive member 45 is attached to the upper surface of the support member 46 . The removable adhesive member 45 is, for example, a silicon tape having adhesiveness on both sides.
As shown in FIG. 8(a), the user places the packaging bag P in the tray 31 so that the part to be heat-sealed is located on the lower heat block 4, and presses the tip of the mouth of the packaging bag P. The part is attached to the removable adhesive member 45 . This prevents the position of the packaging bag P from shifting due to the inertial force when the door part 15 is closed.

The support rod 44 is rotatably supported by a bearing mechanism 47 provided on the bottom surface of the drawer portion 3 . The lower end of the support rod 44 extending downward from the bearing mechanism 47 spreads outward like a flange. A coil spring as a return spring 48 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the flange-shaped portion of the support rod 44 and the bearing mechanism 47 .
Except for the sealing process, the restoring force of the return spring 48 lowers the lower heat block 4 . In the sealing process performed after the decompression process, as shown in FIG. 8B, the support rod 44 is pushed up by the cylinder mechanism 7, and the lower heat block 4 is raised.

The upper heat block 41 is arranged on the upper surface (ceiling surface) of the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 2 so as to face the lower heat block 4 . The upper heat block 41 has a body 49 formed of an insulating material. A detachable insulating cloth (not shown) is attached to the lower surface of the main body 49 . The insulating cloth is, for example, a silicon tape with good releasability from the packaging bag P. As shown in FIG.
The electric heater 43 as a heating element may be provided in the upper heat block 41 instead of the lower heat block 4, or both the upper heat block 41 and the lower heat block 4 may be provided with the electric heater 43. .

A cylinder mechanism (seal drive unit) 7 is arranged on the bottom surface of the chamber 2 . The cylinder mechanism 7 has a piston 72 that can move up and down within the rod cover 71 . The piston rod 73 is arranged on the upper surface of the piston 72 and can move up and down together with the piston 72 . The piston 72 is biased downward by a return spring 74 provided inside the rod cover 71 .

The rod cover 71 is provided with an intake port 75 on the upper side (primary side chamber), and the lower side (secondary side chamber) is open to the atmosphere. Alternatively, a three-way valve is used as a sealing valve V2, which will be described later, and the upper side (primary side chamber) is opened to the atmosphere through the intake port 75 by opening the three-way valve to the atmosphere release side.
The intake port 75 is connected to the vacuum pump 6 via piping, for example. Therefore, when the upper side (primary side chamber) of the rod cover 71 is decompressed by the vacuum pump 6, the piston 72 rises and pushes up the piston rod 73 as shown in FIG. 8(b). The pushed up piston rod 73 pushes up the support rod 44 at its tip. The lower heat block 4 is raised by pushing up the support rod 44 . When the pressure reduction is stopped and the upper side (primary side chamber) of the rod cover 71 is returned to atmospheric pressure, the restoring force of the return spring 74 causes the piston 72 to descend, and the piston rod 73 descends together with the piston 72 .

Piston rod 73 is formed of a generally cylindrical electrically conductive member. That is, by supplying electricity to the piston rod 73 during the sealing process, electricity can be supplied to the electric heater 43 through the support rod 44, which is also made of a conductive material. A conductive member forming the piston rod 73 is, for example, brass or copper. An electrical wire 76 that supplies electricity to the piston rod 73 connects to the portion of the piston rod 73 that extends downward through the rod cover 71 .

As described above, the piston rod 73 and the support rod 44 are electrically connected. The area of the lower surface (contact point) of the support rod 44 is formed larger than the area of the upper surface (contact point) of the piston rod 73 . Therefore, even if the lower heat block 4 is slightly displaced when the drawer 3 is inserted into the chamber 2, the piston rod 73 and the support rod 44 are reliably electrically connected.
The area of the lower surface (contact point) of the support rod 44 may be made smaller than the area of the upper surface (contact point) of the piston rod 73 . That is, the contact area of the support rod 44 and the contact area of the piston rod 73 should be different.

A door limit switch (sensor) 8 for detecting a closed state in which the door 15 closes the opening of the chamber 2 is arranged on the door 15 . The door limit switch 8 has a resin block 81 and a microswitch 82 . The resin block 81 is arranged on the lower side of the rear surface of the door portion 15 . The microswitch 82 is arranged on the front plate 12 and faces the resin block 81 .

9 and 10 show the piping system.
A pressure-resistant air tube 112 extends from the vacuum pump 6 and is connected to the pipe 63 . The pipe 63 is branched inside the main body housing 10 and connected to the intake/exhaust port 22 of the chamber 2 and the intake port 75 of the cylinder mechanism 7, respectively. Three valves (electromagnetic valves) V1 to V3 are connected to the pipe 63. Specifically, a decompression valve V1, a sealing valve V2, a decompression release valve V3, and a pressure detection unit 64 are provided. The pressure reducing valve V1, the sealing valve V2, and the pressure reducing valve V3 are electromagnetic valves, for example. A three-way valve is used as the sealing valve V2. The pressure reducing valve V1 may be a check valve instead of the automatic opening/closing valve. The pressure detector 64 is, for example, a pressure sensor. The pipe 63 is made of metal or resin, for example.

As shown in FIG. 10, the decompression valve V1, the sealing valve V2, and the decompression release valve V3 are arranged along the width direction behind the main housing 10. As shown in FIG. Therefore, when the top plate 11 is removed, the pressure reducing valve V1, the sealing valve V2 and the pressure reducing valve V3 are exposed. Therefore, maintenance work for the piping system is facilitated.

Returning to FIG. 1 , the decompression unit that decompresses the chamber 2 is arranged separately from the main housing 10 . A decompression unit is a vacuum pump 6 . The vacuum pump 6 has a generally cylindrical appearance and is housed in a cuboid second housing 110 . The second housing 110 is provided with a large number of holes 111 serving as intake/exhaust ports. Further, the second housing 110 is provided with an oil supply port, an oil removal drain, an oil level confirmation window, and the like.

The second housing 110, like the main body housing 10, has a box shape surrounded on six sides by metal members such as metal plates. The second housing 110 is placed, for example, on the floor of a kitchen or on the lower shelf of a countertop, rack, wagon, or the like. That is, the main housing 10 is placed on the table, and the second housing 110 is placed on the floor or the like. Therefore, maintenance work of the vacuum pump 6 can be easily performed.

FIG. 11 is a block diagram of the control system.
A control unit 9 controls the overall operation of the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 . The controller 9 is provided on the circuit board 55 . The control unit 9 has a CPU 91 , a ROM 92 and a RAM 93 . The ROM 92 stores information such as programs executed by the CPU 91 and various control conditions. The CPU 91 reads programs and various control conditions from the ROM 92 and controls various operations of the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 . The RAM 93 stores input information from the operation/display unit 16, various sensors, and timers.

The CPU 91 receives signals from the power switch 17, the door limit switch 8, the pressure detector 64, the decompression timer 94, the seal timer 95, and the cooling timer 96, which are input devices, through an I/O port (not shown), which is an input/output port. receive a signal. The decompression timer 94 counts the time for decompressing the inside of the chamber 2 in the decompression process. The sealing timer 95 counts the time for heat-sealing the packaging bag P in the sealing process. The cooling timer 96 counts the holding time during the cooling process so that the heat-welded portion cools and solidifies. The power switch 17, the door limit switch 8, and the pressure detector 64 are as described above.

The CPU 91 outputs control signals to the vacuum pump 6, pressure reducing valve V1, sealing valve V2, pressure reducing valve V3, and buzzer 97, which are output devices. Further, the heating operation of the electric heater 43 is controlled by power supply/stop to the piston rod 73 . The vacuum pump 6 is controlled to start and stop. The opening and closing operations of the pressure reducing valve V1, the sealing valve V2, and the pressure reducing valve V3 are controlled. The buzzer 97 provides, for example, a sound that informs the user of the end of vacuum packaging, an alarm sound that informs the user that the door is not closed based on the signal from the door limit switch 8, and a predetermined pressure inside the chamber 2 during the decompression process. It is controlled to emit an alarm sound etc. when the degree of vacuum is not reached.

The CPU 91 receives input signals from various switches of the operation/display section 16, which is a user interface, through an I/O port (not shown). It also outputs a control signal for displaying the counting times of the depressurization timer 94, the sealing timer 95, and the cooling timer 96, and the pressure detected by the pressure detection section 64 on the operation/display section 16. FIG.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the operation/display unit 16. As shown in FIG.
The operation/display unit 16 includes a start switch 100, a course selection switch 101, a setting switch 102, and an increase/decrease switch 103 as operation units. Further, a course display section 104, a count time display section 105, a process display section 106, and a continuous operation display section 107 are provided as display sections.

A start switch 100 is a switch for starting vacuum packaging in the normal operation mode. The start switch 100 is controlled so that it cannot be pressed when the door portion 15 is open and the door portion limit switch 8 does not detect the closed state of the door portion 15 . When the door portion limit switch 8 detects the closed state of the door portion 15, it is controlled so that it can be depressed. Alternatively, the vacuum pump 6 is controlled not to start even if the start switch 100 is pressed.

When the start switch 100 is pressed for 1 second or longer, for example, the normal operation mode is switched to the continuous operation mode. When the continuous operation mode is entered, the continuous operation display section 107 lights up. The continuous operation mode will be described later.

A course selection switch 101 selects a course to be executed from courses 1 to 4. FIG. The course display unit 104 displays the selected course number so that the user can identify it. The setting switch 102 is pressed when setting the decompression time, sealing time, and cooling time for each course. The time is increased/decreased by the increase/decrease switch 103 . The process display section 106 displays the process currently being executed. In other words, it is displayed so that the user can identify which of the decompression process, the sealing process, and the cooling process.

The depressurization time adjusts the degree of ultimate vacuum in the chamber 2 . For example, it is designed so that the inside of the chamber 2 becomes substantially vacuum in 40 seconds so that a vacuum pack can be formed. If the depressurization time is set short, the degree of ultimate vacuum is correspondingly weakened. Note that the degree of vacuum (%) may be set instead of the number of seconds.

The sealing time is the time for heating the packaging bag P with the electric heater 43, and adjusts the welding state. If it is too short, the welding will be weak, and if it is too long, the electric heater 43 will become too hot. Since the temperature rise speed of the electric heater 43 is rapid, it is preferable to set the time in units of 0.1 second. The sealing time is adjusted according to, for example, the thickness and type of the packaging bag P and the surrounding environment of the device.

The cooling time is the time to hold so that the heat-welded portion cools and hardens, and adjusts the stability of sealing. Cooling is natural heat dissipation. The time is set in units of 0.1 second. The cooling time is adjusted according to, for example, the thickness and type of the packaging bag P and the ambient environment of the apparatus.

The operation/display unit 16 may switch the display of the count time display unit 105 to a pressure value so that the degree of vacuum can be checked during initial setting or maintenance/inspection of the apparatus, for example. The pressure detected by the pressure detector 64 is used as the pressure value to be displayed.

The vacuum packaging process in the normal operation mode will be described with reference to the timing chart of FIG.
The user activates the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 by turning on the power switch 17 . Then, the packaging bag P containing the contents is placed on the tray 31 . When the user closes the door portion 15, the door portion limit switch 8 is turned ON (Act 1), and the start switch 100 can be pressed on the operation/display portion 16. FIG. Then, when the user presses the start switch 100, the vacuum pump 6 is activated, the decompression valve V1 is opened, and the decompression step of decompressing the chamber 2 is started (Act2). The sealing valve V2 and the decompression release valve V3 are closed.

When the pressure reduction process starts, the pressure reduction timer 94 counts time, and the display of the count time display section 105 counts down from 40 seconds, for example. When the decompression timer 94 finishes counting the set time, if the pressure value detected by the pressure detection unit 64 does not reach the predetermined degree of vacuum, the buzzer 97 sounds an alarm. On the other hand, when the predetermined degree of vacuum has been reached, the process proceeds to the sealing step (Act 2).

In the sealing step, the decompression valve V1 is closed and the sealing valve V2 is opened (Act3). Further, when the sealing process starts, the sealing timer 95 counts the time, and the display of the count time display section 105 counts down from 2.0 seconds, for example. When the sealing valve V2 is opened, the piston rod 73 rises and pushes the support rod 44 up. Further, the lower heat block 4 is lifted by pushing up the support rod 44 , and the packaging bag P is sandwiched between the lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block 41 . At the same time, electric power is supplied to the piston rod 73 to cause the electric heater 43 of the lower heat block 4 to generate heat. The packaging bag P is thereby sealed.

When the subsequent cooling process starts, the power supply to the piston rod 73 is stopped and the state is held until the cooling timer 96 finishes counting the set time. In the count time display unit 105, the time display counts down from 3.0 seconds, for example. When the cooling timer 96 finishes counting the set time, the vacuum pump 6 is stopped, and the sealing valve V2 and the pressure reduction release valve V3 are opened to release the pressure reduction in the cylinder mechanism 7, thereby opening the lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block. The state in which the packaging bag P is sandwiched by the block 41 is released, and the decompression in the chamber 2 is released. Then, by sounding the buzzer 97, all processes are completed. Finally, the user opens the door portion 15 and takes out the packaging bag P vacuum-packaged.

A description will be given of the continuous operation mode.
The continuous operation mode is controlled such that the decompression process is started when the door limit switch 8 detects the closed state of the door 15 . That is, the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 automatically starts vacuum packaging simply by inserting the drawer 3 into the chamber 2 regardless of the operation of the start switch 100 .
The continuous operation mode is set when a large number of packaging bags P are to be vacuum-packaged. Since the operation of the start switch 100 is omitted, the processing time for vacuum packaging can be shortened.
The normal operation mode and the continuous operation mode differ only in the start timing of the decompression process, and the contents of the decompression process, the sealing process, and the cooling process are the same.

According to the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 described above, the vacuum pump 6 is arranged separately from the main housing 10 that houses the chamber 2 . The vacuum pump 6 is housed in the second housing 110 . Therefore, the size of the main body housing 10 can be set so that it can be easily placed on a cooking table or the like. In particular, the depth and height of the main housing 10 can be reduced. Therefore, it becomes easy to put on the counter which is already installed in the kitchen.
Further, since the vacuum pump 6 using oil is separated from the chamber 2 for handling foodstuffs and drinking water, it is possible to improve sanitation.

The vacuum packaging apparatus 1 also includes a liquid receiving tray 35 that accommodates the contents that the drawer 3 has spilled over from the opening of the packaging bag. Since the liquid receiving tray 35 is arranged along the lower heat block 4, it can reliably accommodate the spilled contents. Therefore, the sanitation of the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 can be maintained, and malfunctions of the electrical system can be prevented.

The vacuum packaging apparatus 1 also includes a liquid-proof wall 52 that covers the circuit board 55 arranged below the chamber 2 in the main housing 10 . The liquid-proof wall 52 is arranged at the upper end of the front plate 12 . That is, the liquid-proof wall 52 forms the lower end of the opening of the main housing 10 . For this reason, the circuit board 55 can be protected from the contents blown out from the opening of the packaging bag and spilled from the opening of the chamber 2 . Therefore, it is possible to prevent malfunction of the electrical system.
A caulking material is applied between the liquid-proof wall 52 and the front plate 12 . This is to prevent liquid from entering the body housing 10 through the seam between the liquid-proof wall 52 and the front plate 12 .

Below the chamber 2 of the main housing 10 , the power source section 56 is arranged along the front-rear direction between the pair of cylinder mechanisms 7 . Further, the power supply unit 56 is connected to the front plate 12 and can be pulled out to the front side. Therefore, the maintainability of the circuit board 55 and the power supply section 56 is improved.

Further, in the main housing 10, a plurality of valves V1 to V3 are arranged behind the chamber 2 along the width direction. Therefore, simply removing the top plate 11 exposes the plurality of valves V1 to V3. Therefore, the maintainability of the piping system is improved.

In the continuous operation mode, the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 automatically activates the vacuum pump 6 when the door limit switch 8 detects a closed state in which the opening of the chamber 2 is closed. Therefore, a large amount of packaging bags P can be efficiently vacuum-packaged.

The support rod 44 and the piston rod 73 each have a contact for electrical connection, and the contact area of the support rod 44 is formed larger than the contact area of the piston rod 73 . Therefore, even if the lower heat block 4 is slightly displaced when the drawer 3 is inserted into the chamber 2, electrical connection between the piston rod 73 and the support rod 44 can be ensured.

The slide rail 32 incorporates a tension spring 33 and biases the door portion 15 connected to the drawer portion 3 toward the opening edge of the chamber 2 . Therefore, the sealing material 21 arranged at the opening edge of the chamber 2 and the door portion 15 are in close contact with each other, so that the chamber 2 can be airtight.

The vacuum packaging apparatus 1 may be provided with a means for injecting gas such as an inert gas so as to form a gas pack. Further, a sensor for detecting the expansion state of the packaging bag P and a sensor for detecting the temperature may be provided so that even warm contents can be vacuum-packaged.

Moreover, in the above-described embodiment, the packaging bag P sealed by heat welding is used, but as another example, a zipper type packaging bag or a clip type packaging bag may be used. When a zipper type packaging bag is used, the zipper portion is sandwiched between the lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block 41 to fit and seal the protrusions and recesses of the zipper. In this case, the control unit 9 performs control so as to omit the step of supplying electric power to the piston rod 73 to heat the electric heater 43 . Furthermore, it is preferable that the user can select the type of packaging bag from the operation/display unit 16, whether it is a heat-sealing type or a zipper type (that is, select whether or not to heat the bag).

Embodiments of the invention are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

1 Vacuum packaging equipment
2 chamber
3 Drawer
4 lower heat block (seal part)
6 Vacuum pump (decompression part)
7 Cylinder mechanism (seal driving part)
8 Door limit switch (sensor)
9 control unit
10 body housing
11 top plate
12 Front plate
15 door part
16 Operation/display section
19 space
21 sealing material
21s streak
32 slide rail
33 tension spring (biasing part)
35 liquid receiving tray
41 upper heat block (seal part)
44 support rod
52 liquid barrier
55 circuit board
56 power supply
63 Piping
73 piston rod
110 second housing
112 Pressure-resistant air tube
113 power cord
V1 to V3 valve (solenoid valve)
P packaging bag

Claims (10)

a box-shaped main housing having a flat top plate;
A box-shaped chamber with a pressure-resistant structure, which is separately housed inside the main body housing so as to have a double structure and is sealed except for the front opening;
a door portion that closes the front opening of the chamber to make the chamber airtight;
a drawer unit connected to the door unit, provided so as to be able to be pulled out through the opening in the front surface of the chamber, and accommodating a packaging bag containing contents in the chamber;
The opening of the packaging bag, which has a lower heat block provided in the drawer section and an upper heat block provided inside the upper surface of the chamber facing the lower heat block, and is accommodated in the drawer section. A sealing portion that sandwiches and seals the
a pair of seal drive units arranged on the bottom side of the chamber and having piston rods for vertically moving the lower heat block by means of pistons;
a decompression unit that decompresses the chamber housed in the second housing and moves the seal driving unit up and down;
a power supply unit that supplies power to the sealing unit and the decompression unit;
with
A vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a case that houses the power supply unit is arranged between the pair of seal driving units along a direction in which the drawer unit is pulled out.
2. The vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a liquid receiving tray arranged along the sealing portion to receive the contents spilled from the bag opening. 3. The vacuum packaging according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the body housing is provided with a liquid-proof wall that protects the circuit board arranged below the chamber from contents that have blown out from the bag opening. Device. 2. The vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the decompression unit is arranged separately from the main housing housing the chamber. 2. The vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power supply unit is connected to a front plate of the main housing and can be pulled out to the front side. A plurality of solenoid valves arranged in a pipe connected to the chamber,
2. The vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of solenoid valves are arranged behind the chamber of the main housing along a direction crossing the direction in which the drawer part is drawn out. a sensor provided in the door portion for detecting a closed state in which the door portion blocks the opening;
a control unit that operates the decompression unit when the sensor detects the closed state;
The vacuum packaging apparatus of claim 1 , comprising: 2. The vacuum packaging according to claim 1 , wherein the seal portion and the seal drive portion each have a contact for electrical connection, and the contact area of the seal portion and the contact area of the seal drive portion are different. Device. 2. The vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising an urging portion that urges the drawer portion in a direction to insert it into the chamber. 10. The vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the biasing portion is built in a slide rail that connects the drawing portion and the chamber.

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