JP7304633B2 - sealing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a sealing device for laterally sealing a film.

Conventionally, as a horizontal seal device (for example, an end seal device), there is known a device in which upper and lower end sealers perform a box motion by combining vertical movement due to expansion and contraction of an air cylinder and horizontal movement of a movable table (for example, patent document 1).

Japanese Patent No. 3024063

However, in the conventional horizontal sealing device, the speed at which a pair of sealers approach each other is constant, and when sealing products with different heights, there is a problem that the finish is affected, for example, wrinkles appear in the sealed portion. rice field.

A device is also known in which the vertical movement (vertical movement) is driven by a motor so that the speed at which the sealer approaches can be adjusted. However, in this case, since the drive source for vertical movement (vertical movement) and back-and-forth movement (horizontal movement) are both motors, good sealing is possible especially when packaging large, heavy, or highly rigid articles. I have a problem that I can't do Specifically, especially in vertical movement, it is common to move the sealer (top sealer) via a cam or link mechanism, for example, in the case of motor drive, but the position where the upper and lower sealers are most separated (upper Even if it is controlled to stop at the top of the rotation for the sealer on the bottom and the bottom for the bottom sealer of rotation), the sealer may move slightly due to inertia. If this happens, the movement start position of the sealer at the time of the next sealing is shifted, which may cause the sealing position to be shifted or the film to be caught at the time of sealing. In addition, when the article is tall, there is a risk that the moving sealer will come into contact with the article, causing damage to the article or breakage of the sealer (if the article to be packaged is a highly rigid article).

If the stop position of the sealer is displaced due to inertia, it is possible to return it to the appropriate position by reversing the direction of rotation of the motor. It is not realistic to perform control to return the position with timing. In such a case, it is desirable to employ a fluid cylinder as a means for driving the sealer in the vertical direction, which can uniquely (accurately) control the movement in the vertical direction without any horizontal displacement.

However, in the case of a fluid cylinder, since the flow speed that determines the vertical movement speed of the sealer cannot be changed, it is not possible to flexibly respond to changes in the height of the articles to be packaged.

FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the operation of sealer 330 when sealer 330 is driven by a conventional fluid cylinder (not shown). In the figure, only the upper sealer 330 is shown, and the lower sealer is omitted. This figure is a conceptual side view of the case where the film YA1_3 that wraps an article XA1_3 with a small thickness (height) and the film YA1_4 that wraps an article XA1_4 with a large thickness are sealed by a common sealer 330 (that is, performs the same operation). is.

A fluid cylinder (such as an air cylinder) moves the sealer 330 only vertically (up and down as shown). Therefore, in this case, in order to move the sealer 330 in a box motion, the fluid cylinder moves the sealer 330 in the vertical direction and also moves the sealer 330 in the horizontal direction (horizontal direction in the figure) by the horizontal driving means. As a result, the sealer 330 descends from a certain movement start position S as indicated by the dashed arrow to reach the sealing position PS, pressurizes the films YA1_3 and YA1_4, and seals them.

As shown in the figure, for example, when the film YA1_4 of the thick article XA1_4 is sealed using the sealer 330 that is suitably set for the thin article XA1_3, the film YA1_4 (downstream side surface) adjacent to the sealer 330 becomes steep. As a result, the margin in the transport direction T is reduced, causing problems such as wrinkling of the film YA1_4 and contact of the sealer 330 with the article XA1_4.

In addition, in the region PH indicated by the solid line arrow, although sealing has not started, the sealer 330 contacts or approaches the film YA1_4 and becomes a preheating region (preheating region PH). If the moving speed is high, sufficient preheating cannot be performed, and there is a possibility that sealing at the sealing position PS cannot be properly performed.

In the case of forming a gusset, for example, it is necessary to fold the film YA1_4 into the inclusion and seal the film YA1_4 while applying sufficient tension to the film YA1_4 at the seal position PS. There was a problem that the gusset could not be formed and the sealing state became rough.

On the other hand, if the sealer 330 that is suitably set for the thick article XA1_4 is used, for example, the distance from the sealing position PS to the movement start position S will be long, so there will be a problem that the processing capacity for the thin article XA1_3 will be reduced. occur.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and is capable of flexibly adapting to changes in the shape (height) of an article, as well as reliably and aesthetically pleasing lateral seals (top seals, end seals) for films. An object of the present invention is to provide a sealing device capable of performing

The present invention is a sealing device that seals the film in a direction transverse to the conveying direction while moving a pair of sealers arranged opposite to each other with the film sandwiched therebetween, wherein the upper sealer and the lower sealer of the pair of sealers are a fluid cylinder movable in the conveying height direction , a driving means capable of moving the pair of sealers along the conveying direction, a moving speed at which the upper sealer and the lower sealer approach each other, and the pair of and a control means capable of controlling a movement start position where the sealer starts moving toward the sealing position, and a plurality of combinations of the movement start position and the movement speed can be set according to the shape of the article to be conveyed. In the case of an article having a large thickness in the conveying height direction (hereinafter referred to as "first article"), the control means sets the movement start position to a first position away from the sealing position and The movement speed is set to the first speed, and in the case of an article having a small thickness in the conveying height direction (hereinafter referred to as "second article"), the movement start position is set to the seal from the first position. The sealing device is characterized in that a second position close to the position is set and the moving speed is set to a second speed higher than the first speed.

According to the present invention, there is provided a sealing device capable of flexibly adapting to changes in the shape (height) of an article and performing reliable and aesthetically pleasing horizontal sealing (top sealing, end sealing) on a film. can provide.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a front view which shows the outline|summary of the sealing device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a diagram showing a part of the sealing device according to the embodiment of the present invention, (A) ~ (C) is a schematic side view for explaining the sealer opening and closing means, (D) is a side view showing the operation of the sealer. It is (A) side conceptual diagram explaining operation|movement of the sealing device which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (B) front schematic diagram. It is a figure explaining operation|movement of the sealing device which concerns on embodiment of this invention, (A) is a table|surface which shows an example of an operation parameter, and (B) is a side conceptual diagram. It is a side conceptual diagram explaining a conventional technique.

<Seal device>
Hereinafter, the configuration of a sealing device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, the sealing device 10 of the present embodiment moves the film YA1 across the conveying direction while moving a pair of sealers (the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31) arranged opposite to each other with the film YA1 interposed therebetween. It is a horizontal sealing device that seals in the direction. Side seal systems are also sometimes referred to as top seal systems or end seal systems. Also, in each drawing in this specification, part of the configuration is omitted as appropriate to simplify the drawing. In each drawing in this specification, the size, shape, thickness, and the like of members are appropriately exaggerated. Here, for convenience, the direction in which the film YA1 is transported is defined as the transport direction T, and the width direction of the film YA1 orthogonal to the transport direction T is defined as the transport width direction W, and the transport direction T and transport are defined as follows. A direction orthogonal to the width direction W will be described as a conveying height direction H. As shown in FIG.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the outline of the sealing device 10, and is a front view showing the essential parts as seen from the conveying direction T. FIG. In addition, a fluid circuit diagram for explaining the control of the fluid cylinder that operates the seal device 10 is also shown in the figure.

The sealing device 10 is employed, for example, in a horizontal automatic packaging machine. A horizontal automatic packaging machine conveys objects (articles) to be packaged at predetermined intervals, and during the transportation, heat-fusible film (packaging film, hereinafter the same) YA1 is folded, overlapped, or formed into a predetermined shape. Then, the film YA1 is heat-sealed at the overlapped edge of the film YA1 and cut at a predetermined portion to manufacture a package (pillow package). .

The sealing device 10 has a pair of upper sealer 30 and lower sealer 31 arranged to sandwich the film YA1. The sealing device 10 also includes a driving means 80 capable of moving the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 in a direction (substantially) perpendicular to the conveying direction T (conveying height direction H), and moving both sealers in the conveying direction T. It has drive means 65 which are horizontally movable along. As a result, both sealers 30 and 31 move along a plurality of predetermined types (plurality of patterns) of loci such as box-shaped or substantially elliptical loci. That is, the sealing device 10 of this embodiment is a so-called box motion type device.

As shown in FIG. 1(a), the sealing device 10 has a lower support base 33 extending in the width direction W of conveyance. A lower sealer 31 is attached to the upper surface of the lower support base 33 . The upper surface of the lower sealer 31 becomes the sealing surface 31a. The lower sealer 31 moves together with the lower support 33 .

An upper support table 36 and an upper sealer 30 are provided above the lower support table 33 and the lower sealer 31 in the transport height direction H so as to face the lower support table 33 and the lower sealer 31 . That is, the upper support table 36 extends in the transport width direction W, and the upper sealer 30 is arranged below it. The lower surface of the upper sealer 30 becomes the sealing surface 30a.

The upper support table 36 and the lower support table 33 are supported by a pair of linear guides (linear motion guides) L arranged on both sides in the transport width direction W. As shown in FIG. That is, rails 35, 35 of a pair of linear guides L are installed in an upright state near both ends of the upper support base 36 and the lower support base 33, and rails 35 are installed near both ends of the lower support base 33. A slider 38 that slides on the rail 35 is fixed by sandwiching the . As a result, the upper support table 36 and the lower support table 33 can stably move in the transport height direction H (vertically move).

The upper sealer 30 (upper support table 36) and the lower sealer 31 (lower support table 33) are moved up and down so as to approach or separate from each other synchronously by a driving means 80 in the vertical direction (conveyance height direction H). configured as possible. In this example, the vertical driving means 80 is, for example, a sealer opening/closing means 80 that synchronously moves the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 toward and away from each other by means of a link mechanism. The sealer opening/closing means 80 will be described in detail later.

The upper sealer 30 is also adapted to move up and down over a predetermined span with respect to the upper support base 36 . Specifically, the upper surface of the upper sealer 30 is fixed to an upper sealer mount 37 that can move (up and down) relative to the upper support 36 in the conveying height direction H. As shown in FIG. Two power transmission rods 46 are erected on the top surface of the upper sealer mount 37 , and the upper ends of the power transmission rods 46 are linked to the cylinder rod 53 of the air cylinder 52 . The air (compressed air) supplied to the air cylinder 52 urges the upper sealer mounting base 37 and the upper sealer 30 downward to move them. It is designed to move (return) to

When sealing the film YA1, the sealer opening/closing means 80 brings the upper sealer 30 (upper support 36) and the lower sealer 31 (lower support 33) close to each other. Then, with the film YA1 sandwiched therebetween, the air cylinder 52 lowers the upper sealer 30 with respect to the upper support table 36, and the film YA1 sandwiched between the sealing surface 30a of the upper sealer 30 and the sealing surface 31a of the lower sealer 31 is pressed. pressurize and heat.

Further, a hole 55 is formed in the central portion of the upper support 36, and a cylinder 56 is arranged so as to be vertically movable so as to be inserted through the hole 55. As shown in FIG. A cutter 58 is suspended from the lower end of the cylinder 56, and the cutter 58 is accommodated in the upper sealer mount 37 and the upper sealer 30 so as to be vertically movable. When the cutter 58 is lowered by driving the cylinder 56, the cutter 58 protrudes from the seal surface 30a of the upper sealer 30 and its cutting edge enters the receiving groove of the lower sealer 31 as indicated by the dashed line in FIG. As a result, the film YA1 is cut.

<Vertical drive means (sealer opening/closing means)>
Referring to FIG. 2, sealer opening/closing means 80, which is vertical driving means (vertical driving means) 80 for upper sealer 30 and lower sealer 31, will be described. 1A and 1B are views omitting a part of the side surface seen from one end portion (left direction in FIG. 1) in the width direction W of conveyance, and FIG. and lower sealer 31 in a separated state (open state), and FIG. (C) of the same figure is a view showing a part of the side surface as seen from one end (the left direction in FIG. 1) in the width direction W of conveyance, and (D) of the same figure is a schematic side view showing the operation of the sealer. It is a diagram.

The upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 of this embodiment are vertically moved (opened/closed) in the direction of the conveying height H so as to synchronously approach and separate from each other by the sealer opening/closing means 80 constituted by a link mechanism. The sealer opening/closing means 80 includes, for example, as shown in FIGS. It has two links 85, a third joint 86, a third link 87, an upper sealer support shaft 88, a fluid cylinder 90, a connecting arm 91, a connecting shaft 92, and the like.

The configurations shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B are provided symmetrically on both end sides in the transport width direction W. As shown in FIG. That is, although detailed illustration is omitted, the other end shown in FIG. A fluid cylinder 90, a connecting arm 91, and a connecting shaft 92 are provided (see FIG. 1).

The lower sealer support shafts 81 are fixed to both ends of the lower support table 33 in the transport width direction W. As shown in FIG. One end of the first link 82 in the longitudinal direction (lower end in FIG. 2(A)) is pivotally connected to the lower support base 33 via a lower sealer support shaft 81, and the other end (upper end in FIG. 2A) ) is pivotably connected to one end of the second link 85 via the first joint 83 . The second joint 84 extends in the transport width direction W above the support frame 60 and is rotatably provided with respect to the support frame 60 . The second link 85 can pivot integrally with the rotation of the second joint 84 (see FIG. 1) around this, and the other end of the second link 85 connects to the third link via the third joint 86 One end of 87 is connected so as to be able to swing. The other end of the third link 87 is swingably connected to the upper support base 36 via an upper sealer support shaft 88 .

One end of the connecting arm 91 is fixed to the other end of the second joint 84 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2C. The second joint 84 is relatively non-rotatable with respect to the connecting arm 91 , that is, can be relatively rotatable with respect to the support frame 60 as the posture of the connecting arm 91 changes. The other end of the connecting arm 91 is pivotably connected to a cylinder rod 90A of a fluid cylinder (for example, air cylinder) 90 via a connecting shaft 92 .

The operation of the sealer opening/closing means 80 is as follows. First, in the separated state (open state) shown in FIG. 1A, when the cylinder rod 90A is raised by the air cylinder 90 shown in FIG. 1C, the connecting shaft 92 is raised. As the end on the side of the connecting shaft 92 rises, the connecting arm 91 rotates the second joint 84 fixed to the other end with respect to the support frame 60 (for example, clockwise in the drawing).

As the second joint 84 rotates, the second link 85 rotates around the second joint 84 (for example, rotates clockwise in the drawing). As a result, as shown in FIG. 2B, the first joint 83 moves upward in the conveying height direction H, and the third joint 86 moves downward, centering on the second joint 84 . As the third joint 86 descends (moves downward in the conveying height direction H from the position shown in FIG. 8A), the upper support table 36 connected thereto is pushed down, and the upper sealer 30 descends. On the other hand, as the first joint 83 rises (moves upward in the conveying height direction H from the position shown in FIG. 8A), the lower support table 33 connected thereto is pushed up, and the lower sealer 31 rises. . In this way, the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 are moved to the closest position (closed operation), and both sealers 30 and 31 are in the close state (closed state, FIG. 1B).

When the cylinder rod 90A is lowered by the air cylinder 90 in the close state (closed state) shown in FIG. The connecting arm 91 rotates the second joint 84 fixed to the other end side (for example, rotates counterclockwise in the drawing) by lowering the end on the side of the connecting shaft 92 .

As the second joint 84 rotates, the second link 85 rotates around the second joint 84 (for example, rotates counterclockwise in the drawing). As a result, the first joint 83 and the third joint 86 move to the same height in the conveying height direction H as shown in FIG. 1A from the state shown in FIG. In other words, the first joint 83 moves downward and the third joint 86 moves upward from the state shown in FIG. Along with this movement, the upper support base 36 connected thereto is pushed up to raise the upper sealer 30, and the lower support base 33 is pushed down to lower the lower sealer 31. In this way, the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 are moved to the most separated position (opening operation).

<Horizontal driving means>
Next, the horizontal driving means (horizontal driving means) 65 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B). The horizontal driving means 65 extends along the conveying direction T and slides on the rail 61 by sandwiching the rail 61 fixed to the machine frame (not shown) of the sealing device 10 . It has a slider 62 , a link mechanism 63 fixed at one end to the slider 62 , and a motor (not shown) having a rotating shaft (not shown) connected to the other end of the link mechanism 63 . A support frame 60 is fixed to the upper surface of the slider 62 .

With such a configuration, when the motor is driven, the rotary motion of the rotating shaft is converted into swing motion by the link mechanism 63, and the slider 62 coupled to one end of the link mechanism 63 moves forward and backward in the conveying direction T (same motion) along the rail 61. (A) and (B) in FIG. As a result, the upper support base 36, the upper sealer mounting base 37, the upper sealer 30, the lower support base 33, and the lower sealer 31 supported by the support frame 60 move within the range of movement of the slider 62 (between the upstream position T1 and the downstream position T2). ), it is horizontally movable forward and backward in the transport direction T.

By the vertical driving means 80 and the horizontal driving means 65, the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 are moved, for example, along the trajectory indicated by the dashed line, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 are vertically arranged with the cylindrical film YA1 in which the articles are stored and move along a trajectory indicated by a dashed line. At the position (sealing position SP) where the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 are closest to each other, the film YA1 is sandwiched and pressed, and the heat of both sealers 30 and 31 seals the film YA1. At the sealing position SP, both sealing surfaces 30a and 31a hold a predetermined portion of the film YA1, and the film YA1 moves in parallel along the transport direction T for a certain section. Then, the cutter 58 is lowered together with the seal to cut the film YA1 in the transport width direction W. In this manner, the sealing device 10 seals (for example, top seals) and cuts the film YA1 in the width direction (conveyance width direction W) for each pitch corresponding to the length of the article XA1.

The sealing device 10 is centrally controlled by control means (not shown). That is, each part of the sealing device 10 operates under the control of the control means, and the operating conditions are managed by the control means. The control means is composed of CPU, RAM, ROM, etc., and executes various controls. The CPU is a so-called central processing unit, and executes various programs to realize various functions. RAM is used as a work area for the CPU. The ROM stores the basic OS and programs executed by the CPU.

The sealing device 10 of the present embodiment is configured such that the moving speed of the pair of sealers 30 and 31 can be changed by changing the flow speed supplied to the fluid cylinder 90 of the vertical driving means (sealer opening/closing means) 80. there is Also, by changing the combination of the movement start position at which the pair of sealers 30 and 31 start moving toward the seal position PS (see FIG. 2D) and the movement speed, the trajectory of the movement of the pair of sealers 30 and 31 can be changed. (Pattern of) can be changed.

<Control of fluid cylinder>
The control of the fluid cylinder (for example, air cylinder) 90 that operates the sealer opening/closing means 80 of the sealing device 10 will be described with reference to the fluid circuit diagram of FIG. 1 again. FIG. 1 is an example of a fluid circuit diagram for controlling the air cylinder 90, and is a diagram showing the main configuration extracted. Although the fluid cylinder 90 is an air cylinder in this embodiment, it may be another fluid cylinder.

The air cylinder 90 is configured to be switchable between the air supply source P and the atmosphere by an air flow path 71 connected to the direction switching valve 70 . That is, compressed air is supplied to the supply port 90I of the air cylinder 90, and the air pushed by the air cylinder 90 is appropriately pressure-regulated by a pressure regulating valve from an exhaust port (exhaust port) 90O, and passes through an electromagnetic valve or the like. and released into the atmosphere. Thereby, the pair of sealers 30 and 31 are opened and closed.

Specifically, as shown in the figure, the air flow path 71 is connected to a supply port 90I of the air cylinder 90 to supply air (compressed air), and is connected to a discharge port 90O of the air cylinder 90. It includes a discharge path 710 for discharging (exhausting) air. The air flow path 71 includes a first flow path R1 for passing air (compressed air) at a first flow velocity and a second flow path R1 for passing air (compressed air) at a second flow velocity (different from the first flow velocity). It includes a second flow path R2 that allows

As an example, the discharge path 71O includes a first flow path R1 for discharging air (compressed air) from the air cylinder 90 at a first flow velocity, and a flow path R1 for discharging air (compressed air) from the air cylinder 90 at a second flow velocity (different from the first flow velocity). includes a second flow path R2 for discharging air (compressed air) at .

More specifically, the discharge path 71O branches into a first flow path (first flow path) R1 and a second flow path (second flow path) R2. The first flow path R1 is connected to the direction switching valve 70 via an electropneumatic regulator, a speed controller 73A composed of an orifice and a check valve, and an electromagnetic valve 74A. The speed controller 73A of the first flow path R1 controls, for example, the discharge speed of air from the pressure chamber of the air cylinder 90 to the first speed. The second flow path R2 is connected to the direction switching valve 70 via an electro-pneumatic regulator, a speed controller 73B composed of an orifice and a check valve, and an electromagnetic valve 74B. The speed controller 73B of the second flow path R2 controls, for example, the discharge speed of air from the pressure chamber of the same air cylinder 90 to a second speed different from the first speed. Here, as an example, it is assumed that the first speed is higher (faster) than the second speed.

The speed controllers 73A and 73B control the discharge speed of air from the pressure chamber of one air cylinder 90 . Also, the flow paths (first flow path R1, second flow path R2) connected to the discharge port 90O are configured to be switchable by electromagnetic valves 74A, 74B provided downstream of the respective speed controllers 73A, 73B. That is, by opening the electromagnetic valve 74A and closing the electromagnetic valve 74B, high-speed air is discharged from the discharge port 90O of the air cylinder 90. FIG. On the other hand, by opening the electromagnetic valve 74B and closing the electromagnetic valve 74A, low-speed air is discharged from the discharge port 90O. As a result, the air cylinder 90 can switch the forward movement (pushing) speed of the cylinder rod 53 between high and low speeds.

<Control of sealing device>
Next, control of the sealing device 10 will be described. In this embodiment, the speed of the approaching operation (closing operation) of the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 is controlled by switching the air discharge flow path (first flow path R1, second flow path R2) from the air cylinder 90. do. First, at the start of the sealing operation, the direction switching valve 70 is switched to open the discharge passage 71O to the atmosphere. At this time, when the electromagnetic valve 74A is opened to open the first flow path R1 to the atmosphere, the upper sealer at the reference position (hereinafter referred to as the initial height H0) in the conveying height direction H that is most distant from each other. 30 and the lower sealer 31 move at high speed so as to approach each other, pressurize the film YA1, and perform sealing and cutting at the sealing position PS. After that, the supply path 71I is connected to the air supply source P by switching the direction switching valve 70 . As a result, the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 are separated from each other and return to the position of the initial height H0.

On the other hand, when the solenoid valve 74B is opened to open the second flow path R2 to the atmosphere while the discharge path 71O is open to the atmosphere, the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 at the initial height H0 are separated from each other. The film YA1 is moved closer at a low speed to pressurize the film YA1 to perform sealing and cutting at the sealing position PS. After that, the supply path 71I is connected to the air supply source P by switching the direction switching valve 70 . As a result, the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 are separated from each other and return to the initial height position H0.

Thus, by switching between the first flow path R1 and the second flow path R2 for discharging air from the air cylinder 90, the movement speed of the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 can be controlled (changed between high speed and low speed). The moving speed (whether to make it high or low) is appropriately and as needed according to the shape of the article XA1.

By appropriately selecting the movement start positions (initial positions in the sealing operation) of the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 according to the movement speed of the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31, the trajectories of the movement of the sealers 30 and 31 are made to have different patterns. It is possible to perform appropriate sealing according to the shape of the packaged article XA1.

3A and 3B are diagrams for explaining the sealing operation of the sealing device 10, and FIG. 3A is a conceptual side view of the upper sealer 30 (and the lower sealer 31) viewed from the width direction W of conveyance. 1B is a front view of the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 as seen from the conveying direction T. As shown in FIG. The lower sealer 31 is in line symmetry with the upper sealer 30 about the film conveying surface H1 as shown in FIG. and its operation may be omitted.

The upper sealer 30 is moved up and down in the conveying height direction H (vertical direction in the drawing) by an air cylinder 90 as vertical driving means, and moved forward and backward in the conveying direction T (horizontal direction in the drawing) by a horizontal driving means 65. Moving. The air cylinder 90 moves the upper sealer 30 between a predetermined position (reference height) H0 in the conveying height direction H and (near) the conveying surface H1. Further, the horizontal drive means 65 moves the upper sealer 30 within the movement range of the slider 62 (between the upstream position T1 and the downstream position T2).

That is, as shown in FIG. 1A, when starting the sealing operation, the upper sealer 30 at the initial height H0 is moved upstream of the sealing position PS along the conveying direction T (to the right in FIG. 1A). , a plurality of initial positions S for starting the movement of the upper sealer 30 can be set. The initial positions (positions of the pair of sealers 30 and 31 along the transport direction T at the initial height H0) S1, S2, and S3 for starting the movement are hereinafter referred to as movement start positions S1, S2, and S3. Although three positions are shown in this example, the number and positions of the movement start positions S are not limited to the example shown.

Then, according to the movement start positions S1 to S3, the upper sealer 30 moves (falls) along a plurality of types of patterned trajectories as indicated by the dashed arrows in the figure, and reaches the sealing position PS. The upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 sandwich the film YA1 (not shown here) at the sealing position PS and pressurize it for sealing. The sealing position PS in this embodiment is a position where the film YA1 starts to be pressed by the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31. )It is in. In addition, after sealing, all of them return to the initial height H0 at a substantially constant speed (with the same trajectory).

In the present embodiment, the movement (lowering) speed of the upper sealer 30 can be switched between high speed and low speed in each of the plurality of types of movement trajectories. Specifically, in the example shown in the figure, high-speed descent or low-speed descent can be selected for the trajectory from movement start position S1, high-speed descent or low-speed descent can be selected for the trajectory from movement start position S2, and trajectory from movement start position S3 can be selected. You can select high speed descent or low speed descent at . Furthermore, multiple heating temperatures for the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 can be set.

That is, in this embodiment, the movement start position S, the movement speed V of the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31, and the heating temperature TM of the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 can be set as selectable operating parameters, and the control means is In the sealing operation control program, a combination of one movement start position S, one movement speed V, and one heating temperature TM is selected from these parameters according to the article XA1, and movement control of the pair of sealers is performed.

4A and 4B are diagrams showing a specific example of the sealing operation in the sealing device 10. FIG. 4A shows an example of operation parameters that can be selected in the sealing operation, and FIG. 2 is a conceptual side view of the upper sealer 30 (and the lower sealer 31). FIG.

As shown in FIG. 1A, here, as an example, as an operation parameter, three types of movement start positions S1, S2, and S3, two types of upper sealer 30 (and lower sealer 31) movement speed V1 (for example, high speed), V2 (eg low speed), two types of heating rates TM1 (eg high temperature) and TM2 (eg low temperature) of the upper sealer 30 (and lower sealer 31) are set. Then, the control means selects a combination of any movement start position S, any movement speed V, and any heating temperature TM according to the shape of the article XA1. Note that these parameters are appropriately set in consideration of the shape of the article XA1 and the transport speed of the film YA1.

FIG. 4B shows, for example, a case where the movement start position S1, the movement speed V2, and the heating temperature TM2 are selected and movement control is performed when the article XA1_2 is packed, and the movement start position S1 when the article XA1_1 is packed. It is a conceptual diagram of the operation when movement control is performed by selecting S3, movement speed V1, and heating temperature TM1.

When an article XA1_2 having a large thickness (conveying height direction H) is packaged, the film YA1_2 needs and It is desirable to seal by sufficiently preheating while applying sufficient tension. Therefore, by selecting the movement start position S1 farther from the sealing position PS, the movement speed V2 (low speed), and the heating temperature TM2 (low temperature), the height of the article XA1_2 is increased while applying a necessary and sufficient tension to the film YA1. A margin in the transport direction T can be secured according to . In addition, a sufficient preheating time PH1 can thereby be ensured.

On the other hand, in the case of the article XA1_1 having a small thickness (conveyance height direction H), the tension and preheating of the film YA1_1 are often lower than those of the article XA1_2 having a large thickness. In addition, there is also a demand to increase the processing capacity by shortening the distance along the conveying direction T to the seal position PS. Therefore, by selecting, for example, the movement start position S3 close to the sealing position PS, the movement speed V1 (high speed), and the heating temperature TM1 (high temperature), it is possible to shorten the preheating time PH2 and perform reliable sealing. A plurality of heating temperatures may not be set as parameters, and a constant temperature may be used.

<Other embodiments>
The above-described first flow path R1 and second flow path R2 are not limited to a configuration in which one of them is switched, and both of them may be configured to open and close at the same time. That is, when the sealers 30 and 31 are moved, both the electromagnetic valve 74A of the first flow path R1 and the electromagnetic valve 74B of the second flow path R2 are opened, and air is supplied from both the first flow path R1 and the second flow path R2. It may be configured to discharge. Thereby, the moving speed of the sealers 30 and 31 can be controlled to a speed different from either high speed or low speed (for example, middle speed between high speed and low speed). Further, the routes for discharging air at different flow velocities are not limited to the first flow path R1 and the second flow path R2, and may be three or more paths.

As described above, according to the sealing device 10 of the present embodiment, even if the shape of the article XA1 (especially the thickness in the conveying height direction H) is different, the operation parameters can be selected according to the shape of the article XA1. In addition, the operation control (movement control) of the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 can be performed.

As a result, it is possible to perform reliable sealing according to the shape of the article XA1, and to improve the aesthetic appearance of the sealed portion. In addition, even if the weight of the article XA1 to be packaged changes significantly, it is possible to flexibly deal with the change and to perform reliable and good sealing.

For example, when the article XA1 to be packed is a highly rigid one such as a chain, if the sealers 30 and 31 come into contact with the article XA1, not only the article XA1 is damaged but also the sealers 30 and 31 may be damaged. In such a case, it is desirable to control the vertical (vertical) movement with a unique fluid cylinder in order to prevent the movement start position of the sealer from shifting.

On the other hand, chains have various shapes and weights, and there are many cases where there is a large difference in weight, for example, between 2 kg and 20 kg. In this case, there is a difference in the thickness of the article XA1, and there is also a gap in the sealing processing capacity (the number of sealing processes per unit time). If the sealers 30 and 31 are operated at a constant (common) speed in such a case, there are problems such as wrinkling of the film YA1, damage to the appearance of the gusset, and rough sealing.

However, according to this embodiment, a plurality of parameters are set for each of the movement start position S and the movement speed V (and the heating temperature TM), and one of the movement start position S, the movement speed V (and the heating temperature TM) can be selected to control the movement of the sealers 30,31. Therefore, even if the shape or weight of the article XA1 is changed (the processing speed is changed accordingly), it is possible to flexibly deal with the change and to perform reliable and aesthetically pleasing sealing.

The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist and technical idea of the present invention. That is, in the above embodiments, the position, size, length, shape, material, direction, etc. of each component can be changed as appropriate.

For example, in the embodiment of the sealing device 10, the power source for the upper sealer 30 and the lower sealer 31 is not limited to air cylinders, and other fluid cylinders such as hydraulic cylinders may be used.

The air flow path 71 includes a first flow path R1 for passing air (compressed air) at a first flow velocity and a second flow path R1 for passing air (compressed air) at a second flow velocity (different from the first flow velocity). It suffices if the second flow path R2 for allowing the flow is included. That is, a first flow path (first flow path) R1 and a second flow path (second flow path) R2 (speed controllers 73A and 73B and solenoid valves 74A and 74B) capable of switching the flow velocity of air are connected to each other. It may be provided in the supply path 70I to control the flow velocity on the air supply side.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the sealing device 10 employed in a horizontal automatic packaging machine has been described as an example, but the sealing device 10 may be employed in a vertical automatic packaging machine. The packaging machine may be a three-side/four-side seal packaging machine, a shrink packaging machine, or the like.

Further, the slider 62 of the horizontal driving means 65 is not limited to the link mechanism 63 and may be driven by a cylinder or the like.

10 sealing device 30 upper sealer 31 lower sealers 30a, 31a sealing surface 36 upper support base 33 lower support base 35 rail 37 upper sealer mounting base 38 slider 46 power transmission rod 52 air cylinder 53 cylinder rod 55 hole 56 cylinder 58 cutter 60 support Frame 61 Rail 62 Slider 63 Link mechanism 65 Driving means (horizontal direction driving means)
70 Direction switching valve 71 Air flow path 70I Supply path 71O Discharge paths 73A, 73B Speed controllers 74A, 74B Solenoid valve 80 Driving means, vertical direction driving means (sealer opening/closing means)
81 lower sealer support shaft 88 upper sealer support shaft 90 fluid cylinder 90A cylinder rod 90I supply port 90O discharge port (exhaust port)
91 connecting arm 92 connecting shaft R1 first channel R2 second channel

Claims (5)

A sealing device that seals the film in a direction transverse to the conveying direction while moving a pair of sealers arranged opposite to each other with the film sandwiched therebetween,
a fluid cylinder capable of moving the upper sealer and the lower sealer of the pair of sealers in the conveying height direction;
a driving means capable of moving the pair of sealers along the conveying direction;
a control means capable of controlling a movement speed at which the upper sealer and the lower sealer approach each other and a movement start position at which the pair of sealers start moving toward the sealing position;
has
A plurality of combinations of the movement start position and the movement speed can be set according to the shape of the article to be conveyed,
The control means is
In the case of an article having a large thickness in the conveying height direction (hereinafter referred to as "first article"), the movement start position is a first position away from the sealing position, and the movement speed is a first speed. set to
In the case of an article having a small thickness in the conveying height direction (hereinafter referred to as a "second article"), the movement start position is set to a second position closer to the seal position than the first position, and the movement setting the speed to a second speed that is higher than the first speed;
A sealing device characterized by: The pair of sealers can set a plurality of heating temperatures,
The control means is
In the case of the first article, set to the first heating temperature,
In the case of the second article, set to a second heating temperature higher than the first heating temperature,
The sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The control means selects at least one set of the movement start position and the movement speed from a plurality of combinations of the movement start position and the movement speed, and controls the movement of the pair of sealers.
3. The sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The control means can change the combination of the movement start position, the movement speed and the heating temperature .
3. The sealing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: a first flow path for passing fluid through the fluid cylinder at a first flow rate;
a second flow path for passing fluid through the fluid cylinder at a second flow rate different from the first flow rate;
having
5. The sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that:

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