JP7316769B2 - packaging equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to packaging equipment.

Packaging equipment for packaging items such as sandwiches includes packaging bagging for packing items into packaging bags, folding and binding of packaging bags after packing, and sealing and labeling after binding. It is known to perform a series of operations such as gluing automatically or some of them manually.

Patent Document 1 discloses a bag opening folding device in a packaging machine, comprising a first folding member that folds and presses a first folding margin located on one side of the sealing surface along the sealing surface, and a first folding margin. A second folding member that folds the second folding margin positioned on one side perpendicular to the first folding margin and folds it, and a third folding margin positioned on the opposite side of the second folding member overlaps the second folding margin. a folding member. Patent document 2, patent document 3, and patent document 4 disclose packing of a sandwich into a packaging bag, folding of the packaging bag, and general sealing/sealing of the packaging bag. Patent Literature 5 particularly discloses packaging bag binding/sealing. US Pat. No. 6,200,003 discloses bagging in particular.

Japanese Patent No. 3908044 Japanese Patent No. 4392536 Japanese Patent No. 3611530 Japanese Patent No. 2891698 JP-A-11-301615 JP 2014-94775 A

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a packaging apparatus capable of folding the folding margin of a packaging bag containing an object to be packaged in a short time and improving the folding quality.

One aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention is a packaging apparatus provided with a folding device for folding, from all sides, a folding margin of a bag mouth portion of a packaging bag containing an object to be packaged, wherein the folding device includes the bag mouth portion. a first folding member for folding the first folding margin of the first folding margin, a second folding member and a third folding member for respectively folding a second folding margin and a third folding margin intersecting the first folding margin, and the first folding margin and A fourth folding member for folding opposite fourth folding strips, said first folding member defining said second and third folding strips respectively at both lateral ends thereof and at one longitudinal end thereof. a rectangular plate member defining the fourth folding margin at a portion thereof, and after folding the first folding margin, the second folding member, the third folding member, and the fourth folding member are respectively formed into the It remains at a predetermined position of the bag opening until the second, third, and fourth folding margins are completely folded, and the second, third, and fourth folding margins are folded. configured to support

In one aspect of the packaging device according to the present invention, the second folding member and the third folding member are rectangular and provided substantially parallel to the first folding member with an interval in the thickness direction of the first folding member. wherein the second folding member is movable between a folded position overlapping one end of the first folding member in the lateral direction and a non-folding position outside the one end , the third folding member is movable between a folded position overlapping the other lateral end of the first folding member and a non-folding position outside the other end.

In one aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention, the folding device includes a cam mechanism that guides movement of the second folding member and the third folding member, and the cam mechanism of the folding device includes the second folding member. and cam followers separately provided on the third folding member, and a pair of first cam surfaces extending along the longitudinal direction on which the cam followers of the second folding member and the third folding member respectively roll; A plate cam having a pair of second cam surfaces respectively connected to the first cam surfaces and extending toward each other on which the cam followers of the second and third folding members roll respectively.

In one aspect of the packaging device according to the present invention, the first cam surface and the second cam surface are formed asymmetrically along the longitudinal direction of the first folding member.

One aspect of the packaging device according to the present invention provides a time offset between the folding of the second folding strip by the second folding member and the folding of the third folding strip by the third folding member.

One aspect of the packaging device according to the present invention includes a portion where the first folding margin and the second folding margin overlap, and the third folding margin, before the second folding margin and the third folding margin are folded. The apparatus further includes a welding device for heat-treating a portion where the first folding margin and the third folding margin overlap.

In one aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention, the welding device includes a rectangular folding member that folds the first folding margin of the bag opening, and a folding member between the folding member and the second folding margin and the second folding margin. A first sandwiching member and a second sandwiching member sandwiching three folding margins, respectively, and a heater attached to the folding member are provided.

In one aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention, the welding device includes a cam mechanism that guides movement of the first sandwiching member and the second sandwiching member, and the cam mechanism of the welding device includes the first sandwiching member. and cam followers separately provided on the second sandwiching member, and a pair of first cam surfaces extending along the longitudinal direction on which the cam followers of the first sandwiching member and the second sandwiching member respectively roll; A plate cam having a pair of second cam surfaces connected to the first cam surfaces and extending toward each other and on which the cam followers of the first sandwiching member and the second sandwiching member respectively roll.

In one aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention, the first cam surface and the second cam surface are formed symmetrically along the longitudinal direction of the first sandwiching member.

One aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention includes a conveying device that conveys an object to be packaged, a handling device that holds the object to be packaged conveyed by the conveying device and accommodates it in a packaging bag, and an opening device for opening the mouth of the packaging bag before containing the object to be packaged; It further comprises a bagging device for sealing, and a carry-out device for carrying out the packaged goods sealed by the bagging device.

In one aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention, the opening device includes an upper arm having an upper suction pad that sucks a first outer surface of the packaging bag, and a lower arm that sucks a second outer surface of the packaging bag. a lower arm having a suction pad, wherein the upper suction pad and the lower suction pad are arranged so that the suction portion of the upper suction pad on the first surface and the suction portion of the lower suction pad on the second surface do not overlap each other; Suction pads are arranged on the upper arm and the lower arm, respectively.

In one aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention, a plurality of the lower suction pads are provided on the lower arm so as to sandwich the upper suction pad therebetween.

In one aspect of the packaging apparatus according to the present invention, the handling device includes a pair of clamping plates that clamp the item to be packaged and store it in the packaging bag, a control unit that controls the facing distance between the clamping plates, and the and a suppressing member that suppresses the return of the packaged object when the clamping plate retreats from the packaging bag after the packaged object is accommodated in the packaging bag.

The packaging device according to the present invention functions as a first folding claw (first folding member) used for folding the first folding margin when the folding margin of the packaging bag for the object to be packaged is folded from all sides. Further, after folding the first folding margin, it stays at that position and supports the second folding claw and the third folding claw when folding the second and third folding margins perpendicular to the first folding margin, respectively. Acts as a member. Furthermore, since the upper end of the first folding claw acts as a member that defines the fourth folding margin, the first to fourth folding margins can be folded regardless of the relatively simple structure.

1 is a schematic plan view of a sandwich packaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the sandwich wrapping apparatus shown in Fig. 1; FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a sandwich sandwiched by the sandwiching device shown in FIG. 2 ; FIG. 4 is a perspective view when a portion of the clamping device shown in FIG. 3 is rotated clockwise; FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state after the sandwich has been pushed out toward the packaging bag by the clamping device shown in FIG. 4; 2 is a schematic plan view showing a station S1 for supplying packaging bags to the turntable side in the sandwich packaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1; FIG. Figure 7 is a schematic side view of Figure 6; FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view showing enlarged stations S2 and S3 in the sandwich packaging apparatus shown in FIG. 1 for carrying out a step of packing a sandwich into a packaging bag; FIG. 9 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship between the packaging bag and the suction pads when the packaging bag is closed at stations S2 and S3 shown in FIG. 8; FIG. 9 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship between the packaging bag and suction pads when the opening of the packaging bag is opened at stations S2 and S3 shown in FIG. 8; Figure 11 is a schematic side view of Figure 10; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a combination of stations S2, S3 and a handling device; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship between the main parts of the welding device used in station S4 and the packaging bag; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a standby state before forming a welded portion on a part of the folding margin; It is a schematic front view which shows the positional relationship of each member just before starting welding. FIG. 5 is a schematic plan view showing a state in which a part of the folding margin is welded. FIG. 15 is a schematic side view related to FIG. 14 and showing the relative positional relationship between the welding device and the packaging bag in the welding standby state; FIG. 17 is a schematic side view corresponding to FIG. 16; FIG. 11 is a schematic perspective view showing a change in the shape of the packaging bag during welding (station S4); 4 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship between the main parts of the folding device used in station S5 and the packaging bag; FIG. Figure 21 is a schematic side view of Figure 20; FIG. 21 is a schematic front view showing a modified folding device shown in FIG. 20; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a state immediately before folding with respect to the folding margin of the packaging bag; FIG. 10 is a schematic front view schematically showing the process of folding the second folding margin with the second folding claws; FIG. 10 is a schematic front view schematically showing the process of folding the third folding margin with the third folding claw; FIG. 11 is a schematic front view schematically showing a state in which the fourth folding tab is used to fold the fourth folding margin; FIG. 27 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 26; 24 is a schematic side view corresponding to FIG. 23 when the folding margin of the packaging bag is folded by the folding device shown in FIG. 21; FIG. Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram of station S5; FIG. 30 is a schematic diagram schematically showing a change in the shape of the folding margin caused by the operation of the folding device shown in FIGS. 20 to 29;

Hereinafter, as one application example of the present invention, a form of a packaging apparatus equipped with a folding device for folding the opening portion of a packaging bag in which a sandwich is accommodated from all sides will be described. In the present embodiment, the object to be packaged is a sandwich, but the object to be packaged is not limited to a sandwich. It may be configured to

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a sandwich packaging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. A sandwich packaging device 1 is roughly composed of a conveying device 2 , a handling device 3 , a bagging device 4 and an unloading device 5 .

The conveying device 2 has a conveyor 2A that conveys the so-called semi-packaged sandwich SA before the sandwich is housed in a packaging bag 402 (synthetic resin film, plastic film, etc.) to the subsequent handling device 3 . The longitudinal direction of the conveyor 2A is indicated by L, and a so-called loading device for placing the sandwich SA on the conveyor 2A is often arranged at a location away from the handling device 3, that is, on the upstream side of the conveyor 2A. The loading device is not shown to avoid drawing clutter.

The sandwich SA is formed by laying the relatively wide portions of two triangular sandwiches SA, that is, the faces that form triangles in a plan view, on the conveyor 2A, and arranging the hypotenuses facing each other to form a rectangular shape on the conveyor 2A. It is sent to the handling device 3 via 2A. Such a conveying method can realize the stability and compactness of the sandwich SA, and is suitable for improving the working efficiency of the handling device 3 . The sandwich SA does not need to have a triangular cross-sectional shape on one side, and may have a square shape on all sides, such as a bite-sized sandwich, or other shapes.

As described above, the conveying device 2 includes a conveyor 2A, and a position monitoring camera is installed above or near the conveyor 2A to monitor the current position of the sandwich SA on the conveyor 2A, and furthermore, the normal position of the sandwich SA is installed. It is common to place a positioning device or the like that determines the Furthermore, it is common to arrange an electronic control circuit device or the like with a built-in DSP, CPU, etc. as an electronic control function for controlling the position monitoring camera, the positioning device, and these. Circuit boards and the like are not shown in order to avoid complication of the drawing.

The handling device 3 includes, for example, a pair of robots 32 that scoop up the sandwich SA on the conveyor 2A and store it in the packaging bag 402 . The handling device 3 and the pair of robots 32 are arranged near the terminal end 2e of the conveyor 2A. The robot 32 uses, for example, a vertical multi-joint type having, for example, 6 axes with a high degree of freedom in rotation direction and rotation range. The handling device 3 may be installed on the ceiling or the like above the conveying device 2, or may be installed on the same floor as the conveyor 2A is installed. The structure and configuration of such a handling device are well known and disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 6 (FIG. 1).

The bagging device 4 cuts out the packaging bag 402 containing the sandwich SA, opens the mouth of the packaging bag 402, accommodates the sandwich SA in the packaging bag 402, welds the folding margin of the packaging bag 402, and folds the folding margin. , and for sealing and labeling packaging bags, it is prepared near the outer peripheral portion of the turntable TT, and constitutes the main part of the packaging apparatus of the present invention and a group of devices for performing a plurality of operations. area.

The bagging device 4 is divided into six stations, for example, stations S1 to S6. The stations S1 to S6 are arranged at evenly spaced angles of approximately 60 degrees across the outer periphery of the turntable TT, its vicinity, and part of its radial direction. The turntable TT is controlled in rotation speed and rotation angle by, for example, a servomotor or a stepping motor and a rotating shaft, etc., attached to a base 40A, which will be described later, so as to rotate counterclockwise CCWD. A suction pad 528 indicated by a circle or a semicircle is arranged on the upper surface of each turntable TT corresponding to the stations S1 to S6 via a pedestal or the like (not shown). FIG. 1 shows, for example, five suction pads 528 arranged in each station. It is determined in consideration of the scale of the packaging device 1, the transport speed of the sandwich SA, the work efficiency of packaging the sandwich SA, and the like. For example, 8 suction pads are prepared for each station, and 3 to 8 suction pads can be selected from among the suction pads to be actually used depending on the shape and size of the sandwich SA. good. Also, the shape of the turntable TT does not have to be circular and may be, for example, hexagonal or octagonal.

As used herein, the term "station" is used in two senses. One meaning refers to the working area including the outer periphery of the turntable TT and a portion thereof, ie the position of a portion relative to the whole, in order to carry out the predetermined task of packing the sandwich into the packaging bag. Same as "part". Another meaning refers to the combination of multiple members to work together to perform a given task. For example, at a station that folds along the folding margin a sandwich packaging bag containing sandwiches, a first folding member (first folding member) folds the first folding margin of the bag opening along the outer periphery of the turntable TT claw), a second folding member (second folding claw) and a third folding member (third folding claw) for respectively folding the second and third folding margins perpendicular to the first folding margin, and the first folding margin If a fourth folding member (fourth folding claw) is provided for folding the folding margin facing the , these four folding claws are collectively treated as a station. Furthermore, when a suction pad or the like for fixing the packaging bag to a part of the turntable TT is arranged directly or indirectly via another member, the four folding claws (folding members) and , a combination of these suction pads and the like, and further a combination of some members is defined as a station.

The station S1 is located at the most upstream position in the rotation direction of the turntable TT, and is an area where the bagging device 4 performs the initial work. Station S1 is provided with a packaging bag storage table 410 for storing packaging bags 402, on which a plurality of packaging bags 402 are stacked in the thickness direction.

The station S2 is located near the terminal end 2e of the conveyor 2A at a position rotated counterclockwise (CCWD) by, for example, 60 degrees from the station S1. The station S2 is located downstream of the station S1, and performs the operation of opening the bag opening of the packaging bag 402 and storing the sandwich SA scooped up by the handling device 3 into the opened packaging bag 402 . A suction pad 528 is also provided on a part of the turntable TT on which the station S2 is arranged, similarly to the station S1. do. At station S2, the upper robot 32 in plan view picks up the upper sandwich SA on the conveyor 2A.

Station S3 is arranged at a position rotated counterclockwise from station S2 by, for example, 60 degrees. At station S3, similarly to station S2, the opening of the packaging bag 402 is opened, and the sandwich SA scooped up by the handling device 3 into the opened packaging bag 402 is accommodated in the packaging bag 402. FIG. A part of the turntable TT on which the station S3 is placed is also provided with a suction pad 528 similar to the stations S1 and S2. Suction and fix. The accommodation of the packaging bag 402 for the sandwich SA at station S3 is performed at the same time as at station S2. At station S3, the robot 32 on the lower side in plan view picks up the sandwich SA on the lower side on the conveyor 2A.

The station S4 is arranged at a position rotated counterclockwise from the station S3 by, for example, 60 degrees. Station S4 is located downstream of stations S2 and S3. A welding device 4A for forming a welded portion on a part of the folding margin of the packaging bag 402 in which the sandwich SA is accommodated at stations S2 and S3 is located on the outer circumference of the turntable TT. provided in the lower part. The behavior of the welding device 4A with respect to the folding margin of the packaging bag 402 will be described later.

Station S5 is arranged at a position rotated counterclockwise from station S4 by, for example, 60 degrees. Station S5 comprises a folding device 4B located downstream of station S4 and provided for folding the folding margin welded at station S4. Further, the station S5 is also a work area for finally sealing (sealing) the overlapped folding margins after all the folding margins have been folded. After sealing, the sandwich SA is converted from a semi-package to a complete package and sent to the next station S6.

The station S6 is a work area for unloading the sandwich packaged goods SAWH sealed in the packaging bag 402, and the unloading device 5 for unloading the sandwich packaged goods SAWH is prepared in the vicinity thereof. A robot (not shown) for scooping up sandwich packages SAWH from the turntable TT and transferring them to the carry-out device 5 is arranged near the station S6. This robot is a vertically articulated robot having, for example, six axes, and has a high degree of freedom in the direction and range of rotation. The unloading device 5 has a conveyor 5A, and is arranged substantially in line with the conveyor 2A, which is a part of the transport device 2, with the turntable TT interposed therebetween. This arrangement shortens the time for transferring the sandwich package SAWH from the station S6 to the conveyor 5A. The position of the conveyor 5A does not necessarily have to be aligned with the conveyor 2A across the turntable TT. will be determined by the relationship of the arrangement of

A position monitoring camera or the like for monitoring the position of the sandwich packaged goods SAWH is installed above and in the vicinity of the carry-out device 5 in the same manner as the conveying device 2, and an alignment device and the like for aligning the sandwich packaged goods SAWH are installed on the conveyor 5A. It can also be provided on or near it.

FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the sandwich packaging device 1 shown in FIG. The sandwich packaging device 1 includes a conveyor 2A which is part of a conveying device 2, and near the terminal end 2e of the conveyor 2A a handling device 3 is arranged. FIG. 2 shows an example of a layout in which the transport device 2 is installed, for example, on the floor of a room, and the handling device 3 is installed, for example, on the ceiling 34 separate from this floor. With such a layout, the area occupied by the handling device 3 on the floor can be reduced. Of course, the handling device 3 may be installed on the same floor as the transport device 2. In one embodiment of the present invention, the main body of the handling device 3 is composed of, for example, a pair of vertically articulated robots 32 having six joints, so that the handling device 3 can be freely rotated regardless of the installation space of the transfer device 2. can be moved. A holding device 30 is attached to the robot neck 32N of the robot 32 constituting the handling device 3 to hold the sandwich SA, rotate it in a predetermined direction, and store it in the packaging bag 402 . A part of the clamping device 30 is equipped with a clamping plate 302 that clamps and holds the sandwich SA from both directions in the thickness direction.

FIG. 2 shows a state in which the bagging device 4 stores the sandwich SA in the packaging bag 402 at stations S2 and S3, and a state in which the sandwich package SAWH is completed and sent out by the unloading device 5 at station S6. The turntable TT is rotatably mounted on the base 40A via a rotating shaft 406. As shown in FIG. A pedestal (not shown) on which a suction pad 528 is mounted is attached to a part of the surface of the turntable TT. The packaging bag 402 to be accommodated is fixed at a predetermined position on the turntable TT.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view when the sandwich SA is sandwiched by the sandwiching device 30 shown in FIG. FIG. 3 shows the specific configuration and structure of the clamping device 30 used in the handling device 3 shown in FIG. The clamping device 30 has a function of scooping up the sandwich SA carried on the conveyor 2A with a clamping plate 302 and storing the sandwich SA in the packaging bag 402 opened by the bagging device 4 at the subsequent stage. The shape of the clamping plate 302 is substantially the same as that of the sandwich, and its size is slightly larger than that of the sandwich SA. The holding device 30 includes a holding plate 302, a motor 304, a rotating plate 306, a chuck cylinder 308, a pair of pulleys 310, a belt 312, a slide cylinder 314, a slide shaft 316, and the like. The clamping device 30 is attached to the robot neck 32N of the robot 32 shown in FIG. The shape of the base plate 318 is, for example, a battledore. A slide cylinder 314 is attached and fixed to a base plate 318 together with a slide shaft 316 . One end of the slide shaft 316 forms an inseparable belt via the base plate 318 and the connecting member 317 .

The motor 304 is composed of, for example, an AC servomotor, and the rotation and control of the motor 304 is performed by a position monitoring camera (not shown) that monitors the position and movement of the sandwich SA, and the control of an image processing device that processes images acquired by a monitoring camera or the like. , and controlled in conjunction with and synchronous with the behavior of the robot 32 by, for example, a CPU or DSP. The motor 304 is electrically connected to a CPU, DSP, etc. (not shown) via a wire harness 322 . The power of the motor 304 is transmitted to a pair of pulleys 310 , further transmitted to the other pulley 310 via a belt 312 , and further converted via a rotating plate 306 into power for rotating the clamping plate 302 . The behavior of the clamping plate 302, which is composed of a pair of clamping pieces facing each other, changes when scooping up the sandwich SA from the conveyor 2A and when storing the scooped-up sandwich SA in the packaging bag 402. - 特許庁The control of the chuck cylinder 308 is independent of the control of the motor 304, and functions as a clamping force adjusting device when the clamping plate 302 clamps the sandwich SA. Further, it also functions as a space adjusting device that adjusts the space between the two triangular clamping pieces forming the clamping plate 302 according to the size of the sandwich SA.

The motor 304 is attached and fixed to a motor base 324 , a holder 326 is attached to the motor base 324 , and the holder 326 and the slide cylinder 314 are coupled by a moving piece 328 . When the slide cylinder 314 is operated, the moving piece 328 reciprocates in the longitudinal direction of the slide cylinder 314 . Movements of the clamping plate 302 and the motor 304 follow the movement of the moving piece 328 . For example, when the moving piece 328 moves toward the connecting member 317 side, the clamping plate 302 and the like also move toward the connecting member 317 side. When the moving piece 328 moves toward the opposite side of the connecting member 317, the clamping plate 302 and the like also move in the same direction. The moving piece 328 is placed on the opposite side of the connecting member 317 when the sandwich plate 302 sandwiches the sandwich SA, and moves to the vicinity of the connecting member 317 when the sandwich plate 302 releases the sandwich SA into the packaging bag 402. do. Therefore, the holding plate 302, the motor 304, etc. are controlled to reciprocate in the longitudinal direction of the slide shaft 316 by the movement of the moving piece 328. FIG. It is the slide cylinder 314 that drives and controls the movement of the moving piece 328 .

FIG. 4 is a perspective view when a portion of the clamping device 30 shown in FIG. 3 is rotated clockwise. FIG. 4 shows a schematic perspective view of the clamping device 30 when the clamping device 30 feeds the sandwich SA to the bagging device 4 in the subsequent stage. This state is obtained when the holding plate 302 shown in FIG. 3 is rotated clockwise by 90 degrees. In FIG. 4, the same members as in FIG. 3 are given the same reference numerals. FIG. 4 shows the pushing plate 330, which was not shown in FIG. The pushing plate 330 is fixed to the other end of the slide shaft 316 . Therefore, the push plate 330 itself always stays at a predetermined position. In other words, the distance from the fixing portion between the slide shaft 316 and the connecting member 317 to the pushing plate 330 is always constant regardless of the behavior of the clamping plate 302, the motor 304, and the like.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a state after the sandwich SA has been pushed out toward the packaging bag 402 by the clamping device 30 shown in FIG. FIG. 5 shows the state when the sandwich plate 302 has completed sending the sandwich SA to the bagging device 4 in the subsequent stage, that is, the state when the release of the sandwich SA from the sandwich plate 302 to the packaging bag 402 has been completed. is shown. The difference between FIG. 5 and FIG. 4 is that the pushing plate 330 appears to protrude to the vicinity of the tip of the clamping plate 302 . In fact, the portion of pusher plate 330 remains in the same position as in FIGS. When the sandwich SA is housed in the packaging bag 402, that is, when the sandwich SA is released from the clamping plate 302, the moving piece 328 moves the slide cylinder 314 so as to approach the connecting member 307 side. At this time, the clamping plate 302 , the motor 304 , etc. are also interlocked and retracted to the vicinity of one end of the slide shaft 316 , that is, the vicinity of the connecting member 317 . At this time, the pushing plate 330 attached to the other end of the slide shaft 316 does not move. After the pinching plate 302 sandwiching the sandwich SA enters the packaging bag 402 and accommodates the sandwich SA, the pushing plate 330 moves the sandwich SA together with the pinching plate 302 when retreating from the side of the packaging bag 402 for the next pinching. Acts as a stop to prevent them from retreating together. In other words, the pushing plate 330 functions as a restraining member that restrains the return of the sandwich SA from the packaging bag 402 .

FIG. 6 is a schematic plan view of station S1 shown in FIG. The station S1 cuts out the packaging bag 402 containing the sandwich SA on the turntable TT side. The stations S1 are arranged in the radial direction of the turntable TT. The packaging bag 402 is stacked on a packaging bag storage table 410 (reference numerals (a) to (d)). The packaging bag storage table 410 is provided with a storage portion that substantially matches the shape of the packaging bags 402 so that the stacked packaging bags 402 are not misaligned. The packaging bags 402 are transferred one by one from the packaging bag storage table 410 to the side of the turntable TT by the packaging bag gripper 408 to which the suction pad 428 is attached. A suction pad 528 for sucking and fixing the packaging bag 402 from the lower side of the turntable TT is arranged at a predetermined position on the turntable TT.

FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of station S1 shown in FIG. The same reference numerals are given to the same members as in FIG. The station S1 has a base 40A on which the turntable TT is mounted, and a rotating shaft 406 for rotating the turntable TT counterclockwise or clockwise is mounted between the base 40A and the turntable TT. For example, a servo motor or a stepping motor (not shown) is attached to the base 40A to rotate the turntable TT. Although the rotation direction of the turntable TT is counterclockwise in one embodiment of the present invention, it may be clockwise. can be reversed. A container 404 for containing the packaging bag 402 is provided in the radial direction of the turntable TT. A suction pad 528 is provided on a part of a pedestal 530 to fix the packaging bag 402 by suction on a part of the turntable TT on which the container 404 is provided.

A laminated packaging bag 402M in which a large number of packaging bags are laminated in the thickness direction is accommodated and placed on the packaging bag storage table 410 shown in FIG. The packaging bags 402 are picked one by one from the inside and supplied toward the container 404 prepared on the turntable TT. The packaging bag placing portion 420 of the packaging bag storage table 410 is coupled to an elevating device 430 and moved up and down in a side view by driving a motor or the like (not shown). This is to position-adjust the height of the laminated packaging bag 402M to a position where the packaging bag gripper 408 can easily suck it when the number of the laminated packaging bags 402M to be picked decreases. The uppermost packaging bag 402 of the laminated packaging bag 402M is sucked by the packaging bag gripper 408 and transferred to the container 404 .

FIG. 8 is a schematic plan view showing enlarged stations S2 and S3 in FIG. The same parts as in FIG. 7 are given the same reference numerals. Stations S2 and S3 perform an operation of opening the mouth portion 402a of the packaging bag 402 prepared at the station S1 and accommodating the sandwich SA sandwiched by the handling device 3 (sandwiching device 30) in the opened bag mouth portion 402a. . An upper cylinder 514a and a lower cylinder 514b as opening devices for opening the bag opening 402a of the packaging bag 402 are arranged near the turntables TT of the stations S2 and S3. The upper cylinder 514a drives the upper arm 516a, and the lower cylinder 514b drives the lower arm 516b. Further, an upper suction pad 518a is attached to the upper arm 516a, and a lower suction pad 518b is attached to the lower arm 516b. In one embodiment of the present invention, one upper suction pad 518a is provided on the upper arm 516a, and two lower suction pads 518b are provided on the lower arm 516b. The upper suction pad 518a is attached to the upper arm 516a so as to be positioned at the center of the bag mouth portion 402a when in contact with the packaging bag 402. As shown in FIG. The lower suction pads 518b are attached to two positions of the lower arm 516b so as to sandwich the upper suction pads 518a from both sides when they come into contact with the packaging bag 402 . However, the number, shape and size of these suction pads are determined according to the shape and size of the packaging bag 402, the shape and weight of the sandwich SA, or the scale of the sandwich packaging device 1 and the like.

FIG. 9 shows a schematic front view of FIG. FIG. 9 shows a state in which the mouth portion 402a of the packaging bag 402 is closed, that is, a state before the opening of the mouth portion 402a, which serves as an opening for containing the sandwich SA. The left and right side views correspond to stations S2 and S3, respectively. An upper suction pad 518a is provided on the upper arm 516a, and a lower suction pad 518b is provided on the lower arm 516b. The upper arm 516a is driven by an upper cylinder 514a to move up and down in the front view, and the lower arm 516b is driven by a lower cylinder 514b to move up and down. The suction operations of the upper suction pad 518a and the lower suction pad 518b are controlled by a suction device (not shown) provided on the base 40A (see FIG. 7). The suction operation is performed after it is detected that the upper suction pad 518a and the lower suction pad 518b are brought into contact with the packaging bag 402. FIG. The lower suction pad 518b suction-fixes at, for example, two locations across the central portion near the bag mouth portion 402a. The upper suction pad 518a is arranged at a substantially intermediate position between the two lower suction pads 518b. With such a configuration, the mouth portion 402a of the packaging bag 402 can be stably opened easily, and the accommodation accuracy of the sandwich SA in the packaging bag 402 can be enhanced, thereby shortening the accommodation time.

That is, the opening device composed of the upper cylinder 514a, the upper arm 516a, the upper suction pad 518a, the lower cylinder 514b, the lower arm 516b, and the lower suction pad 518b sucks one surface of the packaging bag 402 in the thickness direction. It has an upper arm 516a to which a suction pad 518a is attached and a lower arm 516b to which a lower suction pad 518b for sucking the other surface of the packaging bag 402 in the thickness direction is attached. The portion of the upper suction pad 518a and the portion of the lower suction pad 518b are configured so as not to overlap each other when they come into contact with the portion 402a.

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the mouth portion 402a of the packaging bag 402 is opened. The opening of the bag mouth portion 402a can be opened by fixing the lower arm 516b and lifting the upper arm 516a upward, by fixing the upper arm 516a and pulling the lower arm 516b downward, or by fixing the upper arm 516a and the lower arm 516a. This is done by operating the arms 516b simultaneously. In any case, by devising the positional relationship between the two lower suction pads 518b arranged on the lower arm 516b and the one upper suction pad 518a arranged on the upper arm 516a, the lower part of the bag opening 402a in side view can be A large portion of the bag mouth portion 402a can be flattened and curved toward the top of the bag mouth portion 402a. When the sandwich SA is contained in the packaging bag 402, the bag opening 402a is required to have a predetermined shape and opening area. can be addressed by

11 is a schematic side view of FIG. 10; FIG. That is, it shows the parts of each member and their positional relationship when the mouth portion 402a of the packaging bag 402 is opened at stations S2 and S3. In FIG. 11, the same members as in FIGS. 8 to 10 are given the same reference numerals. FIG. 11 shows a base 40A on which the turntable TT is installed, and a rotary shaft 406 that rotates the turntable TT attached to the base 40A. A motor (not shown) for driving the rotating shaft 406 is attached to the base 40A. A container 404 for containing a packaging bag 402 containing sandwiches SA is prepared in the radial direction of the turntable TT and near its outer periphery. A suction pad 528 is used to suck a plurality of portions of the packaging bag 402, except for the bag mouth portion 402a side, including the tip end side opposite to the bag mouth portion 402a (usually referred to as ear portions, head portions, or tab portions). is fixed. The suction operation by the suction pad 528 is driven and controlled by a suction device (not shown) provided on the base 40A side.

The vicinity of the opening of the lower portion of the packaging bag 402 is sucked and fixed by a lower suction pad 518b attached to a lower arm 516b. The lower arm 516b is vertically controlled in a side view by a lower cylinder 514b. The vicinity of the mouth of the upper portion of the packaging bag 402 is sucked and fixed by an upper suction pad 518a attached to an upper arm 516a. The upper arm 516a is vertically driven and controlled by an upper cylinder 514a.

FIG. 12 is a schematic side view of a combination of stations S2, S3 and handling device 3. FIG. The same parts as in FIGS. 2 to 5 and 11 are denoted by the same reference numerals. FIG. 12 schematically shows the behavior of holding the sandwich SA between the holding plates 302, which are one of the handling devices 3, and storing it in the packaging bag 402. As shown in FIG. That is, a clamping plate 302 is attached to the robot neck 32N of the robot 32, and the clamping plate 302 picks up the sandwich SA placed on the conveyor 2A. The state of the clamping device 30 during this scooping up corresponds to FIG. 3 described above. The scooped-up sandwich SA moves toward the packaging bag 402 prepared in the container 404 provided on the turntable TT side while being sandwiched between the clamping plates 302. This state is shown in FIG. handle. The state in which the sandwich SA is completely accommodated in the packaging bag 402 corresponds to FIG. 5, and the conveyor 2A returns to the vicinity of the terminal end 2e to hold the next sandwich SA, and the sandwich SA is held again in the state shown in FIG. get to work. The sandwich SA is accommodated in the packaging bag 402 by repeating this series of operations.

FIG. 13 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship between the main parts of the welding device 4A used at station S4 and the packaging bag 402. FIG. Note that the turntable TT is not shown. The welding device 4A is prepared for preliminarily welding with heat a portion of the overlapping portions of the folding margins of the packaging bag 402 (synthetic resin film, plastic film, etc.) containing the sandwich SA before the folding margins are folded. It is As a result, it is possible to improve folding quality and folding work efficiency when folding the folding margin. It should be noted that the formation of the welded portions by the welding device 4A can be performed simultaneously with the folding of the folding margins by the folding device 4B, which will be described later. By adopting such a method, installation of a welding device can be eliminated.

In describing the welding apparatus 4A according to the present invention, some terms are defined as follows. A surplus portion of the packaging bag 402 after the sandwich SA is accommodated is called a "folding margin". The "first claw" is prepared for folding part of the "folding margin". The folding margin folded by the "first claw" is called "first folding margin", and the folding margins intersecting with the "first folding margin" are called "second folding margin" and "third folding margin". The 'second claw' and the 'third claw' are prepared for sandwiching the 'first folding margin' and the 'second folding margin' with the 'first claw', respectively. Further, "first folding" means an operation of folding the first folding margin with the first claws, and "first pinching" and "second pinching" mean that the second claw and the third claw are the first claws, respectively. It represents the action of pinching the second and third folding margins with the claws. Also, when there are multiple members, parts, and behaviors or when they cannot be specified, they are simply referred to as "claws", "folding margins", and "foldings". In addition, the terms "folding member", "first sandwiching member" and "second sandwiching member" used in the claims refer to "first claw", "second claw" and "third claw", respectively. handle. In this document, the "folding member" and the "sandwiching member" are referred to as "claws" for convenience of explanation.

The welding device 4A includes a base plate 601, a plate cam 602, cam followers 614a and 614b, a plate cam slider 630, a slider 616, a first claw 611, a second claw 612, a third claw 613, an electric slider 620, a heater 611A, and the like. . The heater 611A is embedded along the outer circumference of the first claw 611, for example. The base plate 601 is vertically moved by the electric slider 620, that is, moved in the vertical direction (y-direction) when viewed from the front. A first claw 611, a second claw 612, a third claw 613, cam followers 614a and 614b, a slider 616, and a heater 611A interlock with the vertical movement of the base plate 601. FIG. The cam follower 614a is attached to the second claw 612 side, and the cam follower 614b is attached to the third claw 613, respectively. Movements of the plate cam 602 and the plate cam slider 630 are controlled independently of the movement of the base plate 601 . The plate cam 602 is prepared to control the motion directions of the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 in the vertical and horizontal directions when viewed from the front. Cam followers 614a and 614b are attached to the second claw 612 and the third claw 613, respectively. The motion directions of the second pawl 612 and the third pawl 613 match the motion directions of the cam followers 614a and 614b, respectively. uniquely determined.

The plate cam 602 has a structure that can be called a plate grooved cam, and has a modified octagonal bottle-shaped slit 603 in the center of the plate. The slit 603 has a shape in which a wide portion, a narrow portion, and a tapered portion connecting these portions are combined. In other words, the plate-like plate cam 602 has a shape obtained by punching out the slit 603 having such a shape, and includes wide portions 604a and 604b, narrow portions 605a and 605b, and a first tapered portion 606a and a first tapered portion 606a connecting these portions. It is composed of two tapered portions 606b. The wide portion 604 a and the wide portion 604 b are connected via a wide connecting portion 619 . The inclination angles of the first tapered portion 606a and the second tapered portion 606b are substantially the same. A first cam surface 607a is formed on the surfaces in the thickness direction of the first tapered portion 606a, the wide portion 604a connected thereto, and the narrow portion 605a. Similarly, a second cam surface 607b is formed on the surfaces in the thickness direction of the second tapered portion 606b, the wide portion 604b connected thereto, and the narrow portion 605b. The cam followers 614a and 614b roll on the first cam surface 607a and the second cam surface 607b, respectively, to move the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 toward the packaging bag 402 when forming the welded portion on the folding margin. Push upwards when viewed from the front.

The first cam surface 607a is designed to contact the second claw 612 with the second folding margin when forming the welded portion on a part of the folding margin of the packaging bag 402 as described above. It becomes a guideway on which the cam follower 614a mounted to rolls. The second cam surface 607b is a cam follower 614b mounted on the side of the third claw 613 in order to bring the third claw 613 into contact with the folding margin when forming a welded portion on another portion of the folding margin of the packaging bag 402. becomes a rolling guideway.

Members whose behaviors are controlled by the operation of the plate cam slider 630 when the folding margin is welded are the plate cam 602, the second claw 612, the third claw 613, and the cam followers 614a and 614b. Members whose behavior is controlled by operating the electric slider 620 during welding are the base plate 601, the first claw 611, the second claw 612, the third claw 613, the cam followers 614a and 614b, and the like. Therefore, the first claw 611, the second claw 612 and the third claw 613, which are directly involved in welding, respond to the behavior of both the electric slider 620 and the plate cam slider 630. Specific behavior of each member controlled during welding will be described later.

FIG. 14 is a schematic front view showing a standby state before forming a welded portion on a part of the folding margin. Note that FIG. 14 shows the welding device 4A shown in FIG. 13 with a partial deformation. The main deformation points are that the base plate 601 and the electric slider 620 that operates it are not shown, and the wide connecting portion 619 that connects the wide portions 604a and 604b of the plate cam 602 is intentionally cut off. The reason why the welding device 4A is shown in such a modified form is to show the behavior of each member more clearly within the range that does not deviate from the original arrangement of the members. This is also to simplify or omit parts that do not need to be illustrated to eliminate the complexity of the drawings.

In FIG. 14, the welding device 4A is arranged on the side facing the packaging bag 402 across the turntable TT (not shown), that is, below the turntable TT when viewed from the front. At this time, the first claw 611 , the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 are on standby at a position slightly away from the packaging bag 402 .

The first claw 611 is formed, for example, like a thumb and has a longitudinal direction and a lateral direction, and a width L2 in the lateral direction is selected to be substantially the same as the thickness L3 of the sandwich SA (L2≈L3). A heater 611 A is embedded in the first claw 611 . In the welding standby state, the heater 611A is not energized, but a pulsed current is supplied during welding to heat the outer peripheral edge of the first claw 611. As shown in FIG. The first claw 611 is vertically moved in a front view by an electric slider 620 shown in FIG. 13, but is placed at a position relatively distant from the packaging bag 402 during welding standby. During welding, the first claw 611 serves as an intermediate conductive member that conducts the heat radiated from the heater 611A to the welding portion, and furthermore, when the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 participate in the welding, they fold together. They act respectively as support members defining margins and welds.

The second claw 612 and the third claw 613 form a combined shape in which the bottom side formed when the alphabet letter T is turned upside down and the top side formed when the alphabet letter L is turned upside down are the same side. . That is, it is substantially equivalent to a member in which T-shaped and L-shaped members are combined and integrated. The length, width, etc. of the T-shaped and L-shaped portions constituting the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 are determined by the size of the sandwich SA, the thickness L3, the size of the packaging bag, the size of the bag opening, Furthermore, it is determined in consideration of the material of the claw, mechanical strength, and the like.

The second pawl 612 and the third pawl 613 have hollow portions to which the slider 616 can be loosely fitted. The second claw 612 and the third claw 613 move vertically and horizontally when viewed from the front. In the vertical direction, along the first cam surface 607a and the second cam surface 607b, respectively, and in the horizontal direction, the slider 616 is slid. 612 moves leftward in front view from the state shown in FIG.

FIG. 15 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship of each member just before welding. FIG. 15 shows the positional relationship of each member immediately before starting the welding step after proceeding from the state of FIG. 14 to the welding step. FIG. 15 shows that the first claw 611 (heater 611A) has finished folding the first folding margin in order to form a welded portion on a part of the folding margin of the packaging bag 402, and the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 are closed. are moving toward the second and third folding margins, respectively. Note that the portions of the first folding margin, the second folding margin, and the third folding margin will be described later with reference to FIG. Folding by the first claw 611 defines a first folding margin, defines a second folding margin and a third folding margin, and is formed in a part of the region where the first folding margin and the second folding margin overlap. Defining a welded portion and a welded portion formed at a portion of the overlapped portion of the first and third folding margins. In FIG. 15, the same portion as in FIG. 14 is the plate cam 602, and its wide portions 604a and 604b remain at positions intersecting the turntable TT when viewed from the front. Therefore, the operating state of the plate cam slider 630 remains the same as in FIG. On the other hand, the first claw 611, the second claw 612, and the third claw 613 are moved to a position intersecting the turntable TT by operating the electric slider 620 (see FIG. 13). As the cam followers 614a and 614b roll along the cam surfaces 607a and 607b, respectively, the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 move upward in a front view, and move toward the vicinity of the packaging bag 402 so that they approach each other. approaching. Although the heater 611A does not need to be energized at this time, the energization of the heater 611A should be considered in consideration of the thermal power generated by the heater 611A, the structure and material of the heater 611A, the material and structure of the first claw 611, work efficiency, and the like. You should decide the timing of

FIG. 16 is a schematic plan view showing a state where a part of the folding margin is welded. FIG. 16 shows a state in which the first claw 611 (heater 611A), the second claw 612, and the third claw 613 are pressed against part of the folding margin of the packaging bag 402. FIG. The part in FIG. 16 that is the same as in FIG. 15 is the first claw 611 (heater 611A). 13 remains in the same position as in FIG. The difference is that the wide portions 604a and 604b of the plate cam 602 are positioned slightly away from the turntable TT. This is controlled by operating the plate cam slider 630 to move the plate cam 602 downward in the front view. As a result, the longitudinal side end portions of the second claw 612 and the first claw 611 facing each other and the side end portions of the third claw 613 and the first claw 611 facing each other come closer to each other, and the second claw 612 and the first claw 611 to sandwich the first folding margin 51 and the second folding margin 52 (first sandwiching), and between the third claw 613 and the first claw 611 the first folding margin 51 and the third folding margin 53 is sandwiched (second sandwiching). By energizing the heater 611A in this state, it is possible to weld a part of the overlapping portion of the first and second folding margins and a part of the overlapping portion of the first and third folding margins. .

When the first claw 611 is welded, the first claw 611 serves as a heat-conducting intermediate portion that conducts the heat radiated from the heater 611A to the folding margin. and a third folding margin, and additionally acts as a supporting member that forms a welding portion at the contact portion with the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 .

FIG. 17 is a schematic side view, related to FIG. 14, showing the relative positional relationship between the welding device 4A and the packaging bag 402 immediately before welding. In FIG. 17, the sandwich SA is accommodated in the packaging bag 402, the bag opening 402a is opened, and the surplus portion of the packaging bag 402 in which the sandwich SA is accommodated is shown as the folding margin 50, which corresponds to the folded portion. The lower bottom portion of the sandwich SA in contact is denoted by reference numeral SAB, and portions of the folding margin 50 that are in contact with the lower bottom portion SAB and are to be welded are denoted by welded portions 524a and 524b, respectively. The adjustment of the welding portions 524a and 524b is performed by adjusting the portion of the pressing block 624 as appropriate.

In FIG. 17, the welding device 4A is arranged below the packaging bag 402. As shown in FIG. The schematic structure of the welding device 4A is shown in FIG. 13, and the schematic structure in which it is displaced is shown in FIGS. 14-16. That is, the welding apparatus 4A has a base plate 601 that serves as a mother plate on which members are laminated. An electric slider 620 is attached to the base plate 601, and the electric slider 620 is attached to an electric slider base 626 fixed at a predetermined position. The electric slider 620 moves up and down when viewed from the front.

The operation of each member constituting the welding device 4A will be described again as follows. The welding device 4A has a base plate 601 serving as a mother plate on which each member is laminated. It includes cam followers 614a and 614b, an electric slider 620, a first claw 611, a second claw 612, a third claw 613, a heater 611A, and the like. The heater 611A is embedded along the outer circumference of the first claw 611, for example. The base plate 601 moves up and down by operating the electric slider 620 . That is, it moves up and down when viewed from the front. The first claw 611, the second claw 612, the third claw 613, the cam followers 614a and 614b, the slider 616, and the heater 611A follow the vertical movement of the base plate 601. FIG. Movements of the plate cam 602 and the electric slider 620 are controlled independently of the movement of the base plate 601 . The pressing block 624 shown in FIG. 17 is prepared for the purpose of pressing and fixing the folding margin 50 in order to bring the heater 611A into contact with the predetermined folding margin during welding to form the welded portions 524a and 524b. The heater 611A is embedded extending to the end of the first claw 611, and the welded portion is formed at the folding margin 50 with which the pressing block 624 abuts. The pressing block 624 is made of, for example, silicone resin, which is resistant to heat and has excellent adhesion.

18 is a schematic side view corresponding to FIG. 16. FIG. FIG. 18 shows a state in which the folding margin 50 of the packaging bag 402 is welded by the welding device 4A shown in FIG. 18, the same members as those in FIGS. 17 and 11 are given the same reference numerals. When performing welding, the electric slider 620 and the plate cam slider 630 are operated to move the first claw 611, the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 in which the heater 611A is embedded to the folding margin 50 of the packaging bag 402 and the sandwich SA. to the vicinity of the lower bottom SAB. The first claw 611 is moved to a predetermined position by the electric slider 620 , and the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 operate the plate cam slider 630 to move the first cam surface 607 a formed on the inner surface side of the plate cam 602 . , the cam followers 614a and 614b roll along the second cam surface 607b (see FIGS. 13 and 14) to move to a predetermined position. 18 shows the packaging bag 402 in which the sandwich SA is accommodated, the container 404, the turntable TT, the rotating shaft 406, and the base 40A, which are the same members as those shown in FIGS. Therefore, the explanation is omitted.

FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view showing the change in shape of the packaging bag during welding (station S4). FIG. 19 schematically shows changes in the shape of the folding margin of the packaging bag 402 and the positions of the welded portions 524a and 524b by the welding device 4A shown in FIGS. FIG. 19(a) shows a standby state for welding, showing the state of the packaging bag 402 when the welding device 4A is placed in the state shown in FIGS. 14 and 17. FIG. At this time, a first folding margin 51 placed on an extension line of the first claw 611, a second folding margin 52 and a third folding margin 53 orthogonal to the first folding margin 51 and facing each other, and a third folding margin 53 facing the first folding margin 51 The fourth folding margin 54 remains in the same state as when the sandwich SA was accommodated in the packaging bag 402 .

FIG. 19(b) shows the state of the packaging bag 402 when the welding device 4A is placed in the state of FIG. When the first folding margin 51 is folded, the second folding margin 52, the third folding margin 53, and the fourth folding margin 54 are slightly deformed as a whole, but not significantly. The folding of the first folding margin 51 by the first claw 611 serves as a reference for defining the second to fourth folding margins 52 to 54 . Also, the welded portions 524a and 524b are defined at the time of the first sandwiching by the second claws 612 and the second sandwiching by the third claws 613 .

FIG. 19(c) shows the state of the packaging bag 402 when the welding device 4A is placed in the state shown in FIGS. and the overlapped portion of the first folding margin 51 and the third folding margin 53, respectively.

FIG. 20 is a schematic front view showing the positional relationship between the main parts of the folding device 4B used at station S5 and the packaging bag 402. FIG. Note that the turntable TT is not shown. The folding device 4B is prepared for folding the folding margin of the packaging bag 402 containing the sandwich SA. A folding device 4B is employed to fold the folding strips after the formation of the previous welds 524a, 524b.

Each member constituting the folding device 4B shown in FIG. 20 has many similarities with the welding device 4A shown in FIG. A substantial difference between the two is, firstly, that the shape of the slit 703 formed in the plate cam 702 is different. The forming portions of the first tapered portion 706a and the second tapered portion 706b are offset. That is, the second tapered portion 706b is provided closer to the wide connecting portion 719 of the plate cam 702 than the first tapered portion 706a. This gist will be described later.

The second difference between the two is that the folding device 4B is not equipped with a heater. This is because the bag folding margin has already been welded in the previous welding process, and the desired folding can be sufficiently performed without welding again by the folding device 4B. The third difference between the two is that the folding device 4B is provided with a fourth folding claw 714 and a fourth folding claw cylinder 715 for controlling the operation thereof. The folding device 4B prepares a fourth folding claw for folding the four sides of the opening of the packaging bag 402 inward and a device for driving the fourth folding claw.

The folding device 4B includes a base plate 701, a plate cam 702, a plate cam slider 730, cam followers 714a and 714b, a slider 716, a first folding claw 711, a second folding claw 712, a third folding claw 713, a fourth folding claw 714, a It includes a four-folding claw cylinder 715, an electric slider 720, a plate cam slider 730, and the like. The base plate 701 follows the operation of the electric slider 720 . A first folding claw 711, a second folding claw 712, a third folding claw 713, cam followers 714a and 714b, etc. follow the vertical movement of the base plate 701. FIG. The plate cam slider 730 that moves the plate cam 702 is operated independently of the electric slider 720 .

In describing the folding device 4B according to the present invention, some terms are defined as follows. The surplus portion of the packaging bag after the sandwich is accommodated is called a "folding margin". The "first folding claw", the "second folding claw", the "third folding claw", and the "fourth folding claw" are prepared for folding the "folding margin". The folding margin that the first folding claw folds is the "first folding margin", the folding margin that the second claw folds is the "second folding margin", the folding margin that the third claw folds is the "third folding margin", and the fourth folding claw. A folding margin folded by the folding claws is defined as a "fourth folding margin". Further, the terms "first folding", "second folding", "third folding", and "fourth folding" refer to the actions of folding the folding margins handled by the respective folding claws. indicates the operation of folding the first folding margin with the first folding claw. Similarly, "fourth folding" refers to the operation of folding the fourth folding margin with the fourth folding claw. "Second fold" and "third fold" are similarly defined. In addition, when there are multiple members, parts, and behaviors, or when they cannot be specified, the terms "folding claw", "folding margin", and "folding" are simply used. Further, the terms "first folding member", "second folding member", "third folding member" and "fourth folding member" used in the claims refer to "first folding claw" and "second folding claw". ”, “third folding claw”, and “fourth folding claw” correspond respectively.

Moreover, the meaning of the word "folding" is almost synonymous with "folding" described in the welding apparatus. That is, in both cases, the packaging bag is shaped from the state in which the sandwich SA is accommodated in the packaging bag 402 in order to fit the packaging bag to the shape of the sandwich. In this document, the term "folding" is used for the welding device 4A, and the term "folding" is used for the folding device 4B to distinguish between them.

The plate cam 702 employed in the folding device 4B according to the present invention has the same structure as the plate cam 602 (see FIG. 13) employed in the welding device 4A, which can be called a flat plate grooved cam, and has a deformed octagonal shape at the center of the flat plate. A slit 703 is formed. In other words, the slit 703 has a shape in which a wide portion, a narrow portion, and a tapered portion connecting these portions are combined. That is, the plate cam 702 is formed by punching a flat metal plate made of, for example, stainless steel or aluminum into a deformed octagonal shape. It has a first tapered portion 706a and a second tapered portion 706b connecting the . Although the inclination angles of the first tapered portion 706a and the second tapered portion 706b are substantially the same, the portions of the plate cam 702 where they are formed are different. That is, the second tapered portion 706b is formed closer to the plate cam upper portion 702u than the first tapered portion 706a. A first cam surface 707a is formed on the surface of the plate cam 702 in the thickness direction of the first tapered portion 706a, the wide portion 704a connected thereto, and the narrow portion 705a. Similarly, a second cam surface 707b is formed on the surface of the plate cam 702 in the thickness direction of the second tapered portion 706b, the wide portion 704b connected thereto, and the narrow portion 705b. The first cam surface 707 a and the second cam surface 707 b are formed asymmetrically along the longitudinal direction of the first folding claw 711 and also along the longitudinal direction of the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 . That is, the longitudinal directions of the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 are arranged substantially parallel to both sides of the first folding member 711 in the longitudinal direction. The cam followers 714a and 714b roll on the first cam surface 707a and the second cam surface 707b, respectively, and serve as guide paths for guiding the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 to the folding portion of the packaging bag 402. As shown in FIG. These cam surfaces are formed asymmetrically to provide a so-called time offset, which is a time lag between the timings at which the cam followers 714a and 714b roll from the narrow width portions 705a and 705b to the wide width portions 704a and 704b, respectively. As a result, after the second folding claw 712 folds the second folding margin (second folding), the third folding claw 713 folds the third folding margin (third folding).

In this embodiment, the cam surfaces are formed asymmetrically to provide a time offset between the second folding and the third folding. A plate cam may be separately provided for guiding each of them, and each of them may be moved by a plate cam slider with a time difference to provide a time offset between the second folding and the third folding.

In the following description of the folding device 4B, the portions of the first, second, third, and fourth folding margins are the same as in FIG. 19 described above, but are also shown in FIG. 30 described later.

Originally, if the second folding and the third folding are performed at the same time, the time required for folding should be shortened. However, the present inventor believes that the so-called simultaneous folding method causes small protrusions, dents, wrinkles, etc. in the folding portion or the packaging bag 402 in the process of folding many semi-packaged items containing the sandwich SA. was found to occur. This is the second folding margins facing each other when folding the side of the packaging bag opposite to the selvage side of the packaging bag after the sandwich SA is accommodated, that is, the bag opening (the portion where the lower bottom portion SAB of the sandwich SA is placed) from all sides. It was found that in the method of simultaneously folding the and third folding margins, the walls against which the sandwich SA is placed are not fixed, and the difference in pressing force between the two pressures causes projections, dents, wrinkles, etc. in the packaging bag. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, after folding the first folding margin, either the second folding margin or the third folding margin orthogonal to the first folding margin is folded, thereby folding the boundary portion with the first folding margin. It has been found that the above problem can be eliminated by forming a wall on the side of the sandwich SA so that the sandwich SA leans against the wall and folds the other side of the folding margin. Such a so-called offset folding method was able to achieve the purpose by forming the first cam surface 707a and the second cam surface 707b, which are asymmetrical to each other, on the plate cam 702 .

The first cam surface 707a rolls a cam follower 714a attached to the side of the second folding claw 712 toward the packaging bag 402 in order to bring the second folding claw 712 into contact with the second folding margin of the packaging bag 402. It becomes a guideway. The second cam surface 707b rolls the cam follower 714b attached to the third folding claw 713 toward the packaging bag 402 to bring the third folding claw 713 into contact with the third folding margin when the third folding margin is folded. It becomes a guideway to move.

Members whose behavior is controlled by the plate cam slider 730 when the folding margin is folded are the plate cam 702, the second folding claw 712, the third folding claw 713, and the cam followers 714a and 714b. The members whose behavior is controlled by the electric slider 720 (see FIG. 20) during folding are the base plate 701, the first folding claw 711, the second folding claw 712, the third folding claw 713, the cam followers 714a and 714b, and the like. be.

21 is a schematic side view of FIG. 20; FIG. FIG. 21 is a schematic side view showing each member constituting the folding device 4B, the positional relationship of these members, and the positional relationship between the folding device 4B and the packaging bag 402. FIG. The folding device 4B has a base plate 701 on which a plate cam 702, cam followers 714a and 714b, a first folding claw 711, a second folding claw 712, a second folding claw arm 712a, and a third folding claw. 713, a third folding claw arm 713a, and a slider 716 are attached. Further, a fourth folding claw cylinder 715 for driving the fourth folding claw 714 is arranged at a position facing the base plate 701 with the packaging bag 402 interposed therebetween.

In FIG. 21, the same reference numerals are given to the same members as in FIG. FIG. 21 shows a standby state before the folding device 4B folds the folding margin. The folding device 4B has a base plate 701 on which a thumb-like or mirror table-like first folding claw 711 is attached. In conjunction with the vertical movement of the base plate 701 , the first folding claw 711 moves upward toward the mouth portion 402 a of the packaging bag 402 . An electric slider 720 is attached to the base plate 701 . A second folding claw arm 712a to which the second folding claw 712 is attached and a third folding claw arm 713a to which the third folding claw 713 is attached are vertically interlocked with the first folding claw 711, but left and right. The directional movement slides the slider 716 independently of the movement of the first folding pawl 711 . The cam followers 714a and 714b move vertically along a first cam surface 707a and a second cam surface 707b (see FIG. 20) formed on the plate cam 702 by the second folding claw arm 712a and the third folding claw arm 713a. Roll. The claw spacers 724 are prepared as fixing members for fixing the second folding claw 712 to the second folding claw arm 712a and fixing the third folding claw 713 to the third folding claw arm 713a. Use The fourth folding claw 714 and the fourth folding claw cylinder 715 for driving the fourth folding claw 714 are arranged at a portion facing the base plate 701 and the like with the packaging bag 402 interposed therebetween.

FIG. 22 is a schematic front view showing a modified folding device 4B shown in FIG. The reason why the folding device 4B is deformed here is the same as the reason for the welding device 4A described above. In other words, it is possible to more clearly show the behavior of each member without deviating from the original arrangement of each member, and furthermore, parts that do not seem to require much detailed illustration in order to explain the folding device 4B are simplified or omitted. This is also to eliminate the complexity of the drawings.

FIG. 22 shows the standby state before the folding device 4B folds the folding margins, similar to FIG. The state of FIG. 22 is a state before all the folding margins to be folded are folded, and the first folding claw 711, the second folding claw 712, and the third folding claw 713 are attached to the base plate 701 (FIG. 20). ), and moves toward the bag mouth portion 402a (see FIG. 17) of the packaging bag 402 when the folding margin is folded. The first folding claw 711, the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 are very similar to the first claw 611, the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 employed in the welding device 4A. That is, the first folding claw 711 has a so-called thumb shape or mirror stand shape with rounded corners at the tip. The bottom side formed when L is turned upside down and the top side formed when the alphabetic character L is turned upside down are integrated to form a shape of a composite character. That is, the structure of the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 is substantially equivalent to a combination of a T-shaped member and an L-shaped member, but the length, width, etc. of each of these parts are is determined based on the size of the sandwich SA, the size of the packaging bag, the size of the mouth of the bag, the ratio of the folding margin to the mouth of the bag, and the like.

The inside of the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 has a hollow portion, and the slider 716 is loosely fitted in this hollow portion, and the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 slide in this hollow portion. to move left or right when viewed from the front. Furthermore, when moving the second folding claw 712 in the vertical direction, the cam follower 714a is rolled along the first cam surface 707a. Further, when moving the third folding claw 713 in the vertical direction, the cam follower 714b is rolled along the second cam surface 707b.

The basic behaviors of the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 are set and adjusted to be substantially the same. However, in one embodiment of the present invention, an offset is given to the boundary portion P1 between the wide portion 704a and the first tapered portion 706a of the plate cam 702 and the boundary portion P2 between the wide portion 704b and the second tapered portion 706b. there is That is, the distance between the boundary portion P1 and the cam follower 714a is configured to be shorter than the distance between the boundary portion P2 and the cam follower 714b. With such a configuration, the timing at which the cam follower 714a rolls on the boundary portion P1 is temporally earlier than the timing at which the cam follower 714b rolls on the boundary portion P2. As a result, the second folding claw 712 contacts the folding margin of the packaging bag 402 earlier than the third folding claw 713 . Therefore, the second folding by the second folding claw 712 and the third folding by the third folding claw 713 are offset in time, and the third folding is performed after the second folding is finished. Of course, both foldings may be performed at the same time, but the inventors have found that the offset folding method is more effective from the viewpoint of folding quality. That is, in the method of simultaneously folding both sides, that is, in the method of simultaneously folding two folding margins facing each other on the four sides of the bag opening, the walls of the packaging bag on which the sandwich SA leans are not fixed, so that the packaging bag and the sandwich are folded at the time of folding. It has been found that projections, dents, wrinkles, etc. are generated in the packaging bag 402 due to the difference in pressure applied from two directions. Therefore, in one embodiment of the present invention, after the first folding margin is folded, a wall or a temporary sealing portion is formed on either the second folding margin or the third folding margin perpendicular to the first folding margin. Then, a pressing force is applied from the opposite direction to these walls to fold the folding margins. Such a method can reduce protrusions, dents, wrinkles, and the like that occur in the packaging bag during folding.

FIG. 23 is a schematic front view showing the state immediately before the packaging bag 402 is folded with respect to the folding margin. The first folding claw 711 has finished folding the first folding margin, and the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 have approached part of the folding margin of the packaging bag 402, but the folding has not yet started. It is a schematic side view. The state of FIG. 23 becomes clearer when compared with FIG. 23 are the narrow portions 705a and 705b of the plate cam 702, and the different portions are the first folding claw 711, the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713. , is pushed up close to the packaging bag 402 . Such a state is brought about by operating the electric slider 720 (see FIG. 20) while the operation of the plate cam slider 730 remains the same as in FIG. At this time, the fourth folding claw 714 is in a standby state and placed at a position away from the packaging bag 402 .

24 is a schematic front view schematically showing the process of folding the second folding margin 52 with the second folding claw 712. FIG. The difference from FIG. 23 is that the second folding claw (second folding member) 712 moves rightward in front view, and the side edge 712L overlaps the side edge 711L of the first folding claw (first folding member). is that After folding the first folding margin 51, the first folding claw 711 remains in place until the final fourth folding is completed. The first folding claw 711 acts as a folding member when the first folding margin 51 is folded, and acts as a supporting member/assisting member for these foldings and a regulating member that defines the folding area from the second folding to the final fourth folding. do. At this time, the fourth folding claw 714 is still in a standby state and placed at a position away from the packaging bag 402 .

A physical step (clearance) Gap is provided in the thickness direction of the second folding claw 712 and the first folding claw 711 as shown in FIG. 27 which will be described later. As a result, when the second folding claw 712 moves rightward in the front view, the second folding margin 52 is folded so that part of the second folding margin 52 is sandwiched in the gap Gap, and overlaps the first folding margin 51 . When the second folding claw 712 performs the second folding, the first folding claw 711 serves as a support member/assistant member for supporting the packaging bag 402 and the second folding margin, and also serves as a housing for the packaging bag 402 containing the sandwich SA. Acts as a regulating member that defines the boundary between the part and the folding margin.

25 is a schematic front view schematically showing the process of folding the third folding margin 53 with the third folding claw 713. FIG. FIG. 25 differs from FIG. 24 in that the third folding claw 713 moves leftward in front view, and its side end 712R overlaps the side end 711R of the first folding claw 711. FIG. The first folding claw 711 and the second folding claw 712 are left as they are after folding the first folding margin 51 and the second folding margin 52, respectively, until the final fourth folding is completed. The first folding claw 711 acts as a folding member when the first folding margin 51 is folded, and acts as a supporting member/assisting member and a regulating member for these foldings from the second folding to the final fourth folding. In addition, the second folding claw 712 acts as a stopper that restricts the lateral movement distance of both claws until the third folding claw 713 finishes folding the third folding margin. At this time, the fourth folding claw 714 is still in a standby state and placed at a position away from the packaging bag 402 .

In the thickness direction of the third folding claw 713 and the first folding claw 711, the same step (gap) as the physical step (clearance) Gap provided in the thickness direction of the second folding claw 712 and the first folding claw 711 is provided. It is As a result, when the third folding claw 713 moves from the right to the left in the front view, the third folding margin is folded so that part of the third folding margin is sandwiched in the gap Gap, and overlaps the first and second folding margins. When the third folding claw 713 performs the third folding, the first folding claw 711 serves as a support member/assistant member for supporting the packaging bag 402 and the third folding margin, and also serves as a final member for the packaging bag 402 containing the sandwich SA. It acts as a regulating member that defines the boundary between the storage portion and the folding margin. Although FIG. 25 shows the fourth folding claw 714, the fourth folding claw end portion 714d, the fourth folding margin 54, and the edge 54e of the fourth folding margin, the fourth folding has not yet started. .

FIG. 26 is a schematic front view schematically showing how the fourth folding tab 714 folds the fourth folding margin. 26 differs from FIG. 25 in that the fourth folding claw 714 moves downward in side view and overlaps the upper end portion 711U of the first folding claw 711. FIG. The first folding claw 711, the second folding claw 712, and the third folding claw 713 are operated after the first folding margin, the second folding margin, and the third folding margin are folded, respectively, until the final fourth folding is completed. Remain in place. The first folding claw 711 acts as a folding member when folding the first folding margin, and acts as a supporting member/assisting member and a regulating member during folding from the second folding to the final fourth folding. The fourth fold completes all folding operations. Reference numeral 714d denotes an end portion of the fourth folding claw 714. As shown in FIG.

27 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA of FIG. 26. FIG. FIG. 27 shows the first folding claw 711 and the third folding tab 711 when the folding of the first folding margin 51 (first folding), the second folding margin 52 (second folding), and the third folding margin (third folding) is completed. The positional relationship with the second folding claw 712, the positional relationship between the first folding claw 711 and the third folding claw 713, and the positional relationship between the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 are shown.

The second folding claw 712 is left as it is until the third folding and further the fourth folding (fourth folding margin 54) not shown (see FIG. 30 described later) is completed even after the second folding of itself is completed. remains in the state of Further, the third folding claw 713 remains as it is until the fourth folding (fourth folding margin) (not shown) is completed even after the third folding is completed. As shown in FIG. 27, the first folding claw 711 remains at the desired position even after folding the first folding margin 51 itself until the final fourth folding is completed. That is, the first folding claw 711 serves as a folding member during the first folding of itself, and the second folding claw 712, the third folding claw 713, and the fourth folding claw 714 during the second folding, the third folding, and the fourth folding. It acts as a support member, a support member.

Further, the side end portion 711L of the first folding claw 711 serves as a supporting member that defines the second folding margin 52 during the second folding, and the side end portion 711R serves as a supporting member that defines the third folding margin 53 during the third folding. act respectively as In other words, the side ends 711L and 711R of the first folding claw 711 function as defining members that specify the areas of the first folding margin 51, the second folding margin 52, and the third folding margin 53. FIG. A predetermined level difference (clearance) Gap is provided between the thickness direction portions of the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 and the thickness direction portion of the first folding member 711 .

When the second folding claw 712 moves to the right in front view, the second folding margin 52 is sandwiched by the step (clearance) Gap formed between the first folding claw 711 and the second folding claw 712, thereby It extends up to the central portion 711c of the claw 711 . Similarly, when the third folding claw 713 moves leftward in front view, the third folding margin 53 is sandwiched in the gap Gap formed between the first folding claw 711 and the third folding claw 713, and the first folding claw 711 extends to the central portion 711c. When the third folding margin 53 is folded, the second folding margin 52 overlaps on the first folding margin 51, and a portion where the third folding margin 53 overlaps on the second folding margin 52 is completed. Furthermore, although it cannot be shown in FIG. 27, a four-layer structure in which the fourth folding margin 54 overlaps the third folding margin 53 is formed in the central portion 711c. A seal, which will be described later, is attached to the four-layer structure. The depth of the gap Gap is adjusted to, for example, about 0.5 mm to 2 mm. Reference numeral 51e denotes the outer edge of the first folding margin 51, and reference numeral SAB denotes the bottom portion of the sandwich SA (see FIG. 17).

FIG. 28 is a schematic side view corresponding to FIG. 23 when the folding margin of the packaging bag 402 is folded by the folding device 4B shown in FIG. The same members as in FIGS. 11, 21 and 23 are given the same reference numerals. When folding, the electric slider 720 and the plate cam slider 730 are operated to move the first folding claw 711, the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 to the folding margin near the bottom portion SAB of the sandwich SA. The first folding claw 711 , the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 are moved to predetermined positions by operating the electric slider 720 and the plate cam slider 730 . FIG. 28 shows the container 404 containing the packaging bag 402 containing the sandwich SA, the turntable TT, the rotating shaft 406, and the base 40A, which are shown in FIGS. Since it is the same as the member, the explanation is omitted. The fourth folding claw 714 is arranged to face the folding device 4B through the side view packaging bag 402, and by operating the fourth folding claw cylinder 715 shown in FIG. 30) is folded. As shown in FIG. 28, a heater is not attached to the first folding claw 711 of the folding device 4B, but a heater is attached in advance so that the first folding strip 51 and the second folding strip 51 are folded together with the folding device 4B. A welded portion may be formed at a portion where the folding margin 52 overlaps and at a portion where the first folding margin 51 and the third folding margin 53 overlap.

FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram of station S5. FIG. 29(a) shows a schematic plan view of the station S5 for applying a seal after folding the four folding margins in the folding device 4B. The sealing is performed at the same station S5 as the work area where the welded portion of the folding margin is formed and the folding is performed. FIG. 29 shows the turntable TT and the packaging bag 402 placed on the turntable TT and housing the sandwich SA. Further, the folding device 4B is arranged near the outer peripheral portion of the turntable TT, and the seal sticking device 80 is arranged next to it. The seal sticking device 80 includes reels 81 a to 81 c, a seal sticking plate 82 and a seal peeling plate 83 . A seal tape 85 to which a large number of seals are adhered is delivered from the reel 81a to the reel 81b. A seal peeling plate 83 is provided near the reel 81b to peel off the seal 86 from the seal tape 85 and stick it on the portion of the packaging bag 402 where the first to fourth folding margins overlap. The seal tape 85 from which the seal 86 has been removed is wound around 81c.

FIG. 29(b) is a schematic front view of FIG. 29(a). The same members as in FIG. 29(a) are given the same reference numerals. The seal 86 schematically shows a state in which the four folding margins of the packaging bag 402 are attached to overlapping portions. A portion where the four folding margins of the packaging bag 402 overlap is shown in FIG. 30(e) described later.

FIG. 30 schematically shows the change in the shape of the folding margin caused by the operation of the folding device 4B shown in FIGS. 20-29. In one embodiment of the present invention, when the surplus portion of the packaging bag 402, that is, the folding margin, is folded to form the welded portion, the shape of the packaging bag 402 slightly changes. In another embodiment of the invention, the folding device 4B can be used instead of the welding device 4A for forming the welded portions for the folding margins. In view of this fact, the schematic diagram shown in FIG. 30 is shown on the premise that no displacement of the packaging bag occurred in the welding device.

FIG. 30(a) schematically shows the shape of the packaging bag 402 when the folding device 4B is placed in the standby state, that is, when the folding device 4B is in the state shown in FIGS. 20-22. At this time, not only the first folding margin 51 but also the second folding margin 52 and the third folding margin 53 perpendicular to the first folding margin 51 and facing each other, and the fourth folding margin facing the first folding margin 51 are formed. 54 is placed in the same state as when the sandwich SA was accommodated in the packaging bag 402, and is not subjected to any folding action.

FIG. 30(b) schematically shows the state of the packaging bag 402 when the folding device 4B is placed in the state of FIG. That is, the first folding claw 711 folds the first folding margin 51 , and the second folding claw 712 also folds the second folding margin 52 orthogonal to the first folding margin 51 . At this time, the third folding claw 713 folds another third folding margin 53 orthogonal to the first folding margin 51, and the fourth folding claw 714 folds the fourth folding margin 54 facing the first folding margin 51. is not done. The overlapped portion of the first folding margin 51 and the second folding margin 52 has already been fixed by the welding portion 524a (see FIG. 19(c)).

FIG. 30(c) schematically shows the state of the packaging bag 402 when the folding device 4B is placed in the state of FIG. That is, the first folding tab 711 folds the first folding tab 51 so as to come in contact with the lower bottom portion SAB (see FIG. 17) of the sandwich SA, and the second folding tab 712 folds the second folding tab 51 perpendicular to the first folding tab 51 . The folding margin 52 is also folded, and the third folding margin 53 orthogonal to the first folding margin 51 is also folded by the third folding claw 713 . In other words, only the folding of the fourth folding strip 54 has not yet been started. At this time, the overlapping portions of the first folding margin 51 and the third folding margin 53 are fixed by the already formed welded portion 524b (see FIG. 19(c)). A part of the second folding margin 52 overlaps a part of the first folding margin 51, and a part of the third folding margin overlaps a part of the second folding margin 52 to form a part.

FIG. 30(d) schematically shows the state of the packaging bag 402 when the folding device 4B is placed in the state of FIG. That is, the first folding tab 711 folds the first folding tab 51 , and the second folding tab 712 folds the second folding tab 52 perpendicular to the first folding tab 51 . A third folding margin 53 perpendicular to the first folding margin 51 is also folded by the fourth folding claw 714, and a fourth folding margin 54 facing the first folding margin 51 is also folded by the fourth folding claw 714. is finished, and the bag opening 402a (see FIG. 17) of the packaging bag 402 is completely folded from all sides.

FIG. 30(e) shows a state in which a seal 86 is applied to the overlapped portions of the four folding margins 51 to 54 to complete the sandwich package. The state of FIG. 30(e) is performed at the station S5 for applying the seals shown in FIGS. 29(a) and (b). When the sealing is completed, the sandwich package SAWH is sent to station S6, and from station S6 to the unloading device 5. As shown in FIG.

Although one embodiment of the sandwich packaging apparatus according to the present invention has been described above with reference to FIGS. . For example, the welding device 4A is provided in order to improve the quality of folding in the folding device 4B arranged in the subsequent stage and to improve the workability in the folding device 4B. If used together, installation of the welding device 4A can be eliminated. Originally, it is ideal that the folding device 4B alone forms the welded portion without using the welding device 4A, and that the first to fourth foldings are completed in one stroke. However, if one stroke is not enough to form the welds 524a and 524b, the second and third foldings directly involved in forming the welds may be performed twice. By doing so, installation of the welding device 4A can be eliminated.

As is clear from the above description, the sandwich packaging apparatus according to the present invention can perform a series of operations from accommodating the sandwich in the packaging bag, folding the folding margin of the packaging bag, and sealing the packaging bag in a short time, and achieving folding quality. can be improved. Furthermore, if the feature is mentioned individually, it is in the configuration and structure of the folding device that folds the folding margin of the packaging bag. In addition, there is also the configuration and structure of the welding device prepared for forming the welding portion on the folding margin. Both of these have four claw members, and these claw members move to the vicinity of the folding margin of the packaging bag along the cam surface formed on the side surface of the slit provided in the plate cam. When the pawl members fold or fold the folding margins, these pawl members sometimes fold or fold the folding margins by means of a crab pinching mechanism. In such a configuration and structure, for example, in the folding device 4B, the first folding claw 711 functions as a point of action when folding the first folding margin 51, which is to be folded by itself. At this time, the lower bottom portion SAB (see FIG. 28) of the sandwich SA serves as a fulcrum, and the electric slider 720 functions as a force point. On the other hand, the second folding claw 712 functions as an action point when folding the second folding margin 52, which is to be folded by itself. At this time, the first folding claw 711 functions as a fulcrum, and the electric slider 720 functions as a power point. At this time, the force applied at the force point is directed toward the packaging bag 402 along the plate cam 702, especially along the first cam surface 707a. Further, the third folding claw 713 functions as a point of action when folding the third folding margin 53, which is to be folded by itself. At this time, the first folding claw 711 serves as a fulcrum, and the plate cam slider 730 serves as a force point. At this time, the force applied at the force point is directed toward the packaging bag 402 along the plate cam 702, especially the second cam surface 707b. In addition, the gap Gap formed between the first folding claw 711 and the second folding claw 712 and the third folding claw 713 also acts as an important action point. This is because the presence of the step (gap) Gap causes part of the second folding margin 52 and the third folding margin 53 to be pushed into the step (gap) Gap and folded.

Although the folding device 4B has been described above, the same applies to the welding device 4A. That is, since the welded portions 524a and 524b are formed when the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 respectively come into contact with the first claw 611, the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 do not act. Acts as a point. At this time, the first claw 611 functions as a fulcrum that supports the actions of the second claw 612 and the third claw 613 . Furthermore, it can be said that the first claw 611 functions as a point of action that conducts heat radiated from the heater 611A. At this time, the electric slider 720 functions as a power point.

The following can be said which further characterizes the present invention. That is, in the sandwich packaging apparatus according to the present invention, a series of operations from distribution of packaging bags, accommodation of sandwiches, and sealing of the packaging bags are performed on the side of the turntable TT. In other words, all work related to sandwich packaging is concentrated in a limited area. Such a method makes it possible to reduce the size of the sandwich packaging device and shorten the working time required for packaging. In another embodiment of the sandwich packaging apparatus according to the present invention, the semi-packaged product in which the sandwich is already accommodated in the packaging bag is conveyed by the conveying device, and the packaging bag is welded, folded, and sealed on the turntable side. may be performed. Moreover, the processing may be performed on a conveyor constituting a part of the conveying device or in the vicinity thereof without using the turntable. In addition, a means equivalent to the handling device arranged on the carry-in device side is arranged on the side of the conveyor that carries out the sandwich-packaged product, and the packaged sandwich-packaged product is transferred to another conveyor or placed in a predetermined container. You may make it accommodate.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY As described above, the sandwich packaging device according to the present invention folds the folding margins of the sandwich packaging bag from all sides, and the folding device includes the first folding claws (first folding claws) used to fold the initial folding margins. After folding the first folding strip, it stays in that position and forms the second and third folding strips orthogonal to the first folding strip, respectively, with the second and third folding claws. Acts as a support member as the claw folds. Furthermore, since the upper end portion of the first folding claw acts as a supporting member that defines the fourth folding margin, the first to fourth folding margins can be folded regardless of the relatively simple structure.

Reference Signs List 1 sandwich packaging device 2 conveying device 2A, 5A conveyor 3 handling device 30 clamping device 32 robot 32N robot neck 34 ceiling 302 clamping plate 304 motor 306 rotating plate 308 chuck cylinder 310 pulley 312 belt 314 slide cylinder 316 slide shaft 317 connecting member 318 Base plate 322 Wire harness 324 Motor base 326 Holder 328 Moving piece 330 Push-out plate (return prevention plate)
4 Bag stuffing device 4A Welding device 4B Folding device 40A Base 402 Packaging bag 402a Bag opening 404 Container 406 Rotating shaft 408 Packaging bag gripper 410 Packaging bag storage table 420 Packaging bag placing unit 428 Suction pad 430 Elevating device 5 Unloading device 51 first folding margin 52 second folding margin 53 third folding margin 54 fourth folding margin 502, 702 plate cam 514a upper cylinder 514b lower cylinder 516a upper arm 516b lower arm 518a upper suction pad 518b lower suction pad 520, 720 electric slider 601, 701 base plate 602, 702 plate cam 603, 703 slit 604a, 604b, 704a, 704b wide portion 605a, 605b, 705a, 705b narrow portion 606a, 706a first tapered portion 606b, 706b second tapered portion 607a, 707a First cam surface 607b, 707b Second cam surface 611 First claw 611A Heater 612 Second claw 613 Third claw 614a, 614b, 714a, 714b Cam follower 616 Slider 619, 719 Wide connecting portion 620 Electric slider 624 Pressing block 626, 726 Electric slider base 630, 730 Plate cam slider 711 First folding claw 712 Second folding claw 712a Second folding claw arm 713 Third folding claw 713a Third folding claw arm 714 Fourth folding claw 715 Fourth folding claw cylinder 724 Claw spacer 730 Plate cam slider Gap Step (gap)
S1~S6 Station SA Sandwich SAWH Sandwich package TT Turntable

Claims (13)

A packaging device comprising a folding device for folding, from all sides, a folding margin of a bag opening of a packaging bag containing an object to be packaged,
The folding device is
a first folding member for folding the first folding margin of the bag mouth portion, a second folding member and a third folding member for respectively folding a second folding margin and a third folding margin intersecting the first folding margin; a fourth folding member for folding a fourth folding margin facing the first folding margin;
The first folding member comprises:
A rectangular plate member defining the second folding margin and the third folding margin at both ends in the lateral direction, and defining the fourth folding margin at one end in the longitudinal direction,
After folding the first folding strip, the second folding member, the third folding member, and the fourth folding member fold the second folding strip, the third folding strip, and the fourth folding strip, respectively. The packaging device is configured to remain in a predetermined position of the bag mouth portion until the bag is finished, and to support the second folding margin, the third folding margin, and the fourth folding margin. The second folding member and the third folding member are rectangular plate members provided substantially parallel to the first folding member with a gap in the thickness direction of the first folding member;
The second folding member is movable between a folded position overlapping one end of the first folding member in the lateral direction and a non-folding position outside the one end,
The third folding member is movable between a folded position overlapping the other end of the first folding member in the width direction and a non-folding position outside the other end. The packaging device according to claim 1. the folding device comprises a cam mechanism for guiding movement of the second folding member and the third folding member;
The cam mechanism of the folding device is
cam followers separately provided on the second folding member and the third folding member; and a first pair of cam followers extending along the longitudinal direction on which the cam followers of the second folding member and the third folding member respectively roll. A plate cam having a cam surface and a pair of second cam surfaces that are continuous with the first cam surface and extend toward each other so that the cam followers of the second folding member and the third folding member roll, respectively. 3. The packaging device of claim 2, comprising: 4. The packaging device of claim 3, wherein said first cam surface and said second cam surface are asymmetrically formed along the longitudinal direction of said first folding member. A time offset is provided between the folding of the second folding strip by the second folding member and the folding of the third folding strip by the third folding member. A packaging device according to any one of the preceding claims. Before the second folding margin and the third folding margin are folded, the portion where the first folding margin and the second folding margin overlap and the first folding margin and the third folding margin overlap each other. The packaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a welding device that heat-treats the overlapping portions. The welding device is
a rectangular folding member for folding the first folding margin of the bag opening;
a first sandwiching member and a second sandwiching member sandwiching the second folding margin and the third folding margin, respectively, between the folding member;
The packaging device according to claim 6, further comprising a heater attached to the folding member. The welding device includes a cam mechanism that guides movement of the first sandwiching member and the second sandwiching member,
The cam mechanism of the welding device is
cam followers separately provided on the first sandwiching member and the second sandwiching member; A plate cam having a cam surface and a pair of second cam surfaces that are continuous with the first cam surface and extend in a direction toward each other and on which the cam followers of the first sandwiching member and the second sandwiching member roll, respectively. 8. The packaging device of claim 7, comprising: The packaging device according to claim 8, wherein the first cam surface and the second cam surface are formed symmetrically along the longitudinal direction of the first sandwiching member. a conveying device for conveying an object to be packaged;
a handling device that sandwiches the package conveyed by the conveying device and accommodates it in a packaging bag;
an opening device for opening a bag mouth portion of the packaging bag before housing the object to be packaged in the packaging bag;
a bagging device that seals the folding margin after the folding margin of the semi-packaged body housed in the packaging bag is folded by the folding device;
10. The packaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising an unloading device that unloads the packages sealed by the bagging device. The opening device
an upper arm including an upper suction pad for sucking the first outer surface of the packaging bag;
a lower arm including a lower suction pad that suctions the second outer surface of the packaging bag,
The upper suction pad and the lower suction pad are arranged on the upper arm and the lower arm, respectively, so that the suction portion of the upper suction pad on the first surface and the suction portion of the lower suction pad on the second surface do not overlap with each other. 11. A packaging device according to claim 10, characterized in that it is arranged on an arm. 12. The packaging apparatus according to claim 11, wherein a plurality of said lower suction pads are provided on said lower arm so as to sandwich said upper suction pad therebetween. The handling device is
a pair of clamping plates that clamp the object to be packaged and store it in the packaging bag;
a control unit that controls the distance between the clamping plates;
and a suppressing member that suppresses the return of the packaged object when the clamping plate retreats from the packaging bag after the packaged object is housed in the packaging bag. The packaging device according to any one of .

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