JP7360881B2 - filling system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to, for example, a system for filling a flexible packaging bag with a product liquid while gripping both ends of the bag with a gripper called a gripper.

BACKGROUND ART Products in which a container made of a flexible resin packaging bag is filled with a product liquid, such as a beverage or a medical liquid, are widely used. When manufacturing this product, the container is held and transported by a pair of gripping tools, and the opening of the container is opened to form a filling opening for the product liquid, and the product liquid is filled from this opening. After filling with the product liquid, the opening is sealed by fusion.

As a device for gripping and conveying a flexible packaging bag, it has been proposed to use a linear motor, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, for example. In the conveyance devices disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a pair of grippers that grip a flexible packaging bag from both sides in the width direction are each supported by a linear motor that is independently driven.

A system for filling a flexible packaging bag with product liquid includes a filling section that opens an opening to form a filling opening and fills the product liquid, and a seal that seals the opening of the flexible packaging bag filled with the product liquid. A section will be established. A filling system is configured by providing a filling section and a sealing section on a transportation path for flexible packaging bags in a transportation device using a linear motor.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-172140 JP2019-38678A

After opening the filling opening, the product liquid is filled from this opening, and when filling is completed, this opening is closed. Since the flexible packaging bag is made of a flexible resin film, the film may wrinkle after the opening is closed. If the container is fused with wrinkles, there is a risk that the opening will be insufficiently sealed, so containers with wrinkles may be uniformly treated as defective, regardless of whether the container can be sealed or not.
Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a filling system that can prevent wrinkles from forming when sealing the opening after filling a soft packaging bag with a product liquid.

The filling system according to the present disclosure includes a transport path, a filling section that is provided on the transport path and that fills a container with a product liquid through an opening provided in a container made of a flexible packaging bag, and a filling section that fills the product liquid with the container. and a sealing part for heat-sealing the opening of the container.
The conveyance path is provided at intervals in the conveyance direction, and includes a first gripper and a second gripper that grip a container made of a flexible packaging bag, and a first movable element and a second gripper that support the first gripper. Before heat-sealing the opening of the container filled with the product liquid with the second movable element that supports the liquid in the filling section, a tension applying operation is performed to widen the gap between the first movable element and the second movable element. A tension applying mechanism. In the conveyance path, the interval between the first mover and the second mover is variable.

According to the present disclosure, the first movable element and the second movable element whose interval is variable are used to widen and narrow the interval between the first gripping tool and the second gripping tool, that is, to perform the widening and narrowing operation. Can be done. Accordingly, the present disclosure provides a filling system that provides tensioning action to remove wrinkles without any additional features. Moreover, according to the present disclosure, the path from the conveyance path to the first gripping tool and the second gripping tool does not include a mechanical collision part and a sliding part for performing the widening and narrowing operation. Therefore, according to the filling system, the burden of replacing parts due to widening and narrowing movements of the first gripping tool and the second gripping tool is small.

1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a beverage filling system including a conveyance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the filling system of FIG. 1, they are a front view (F), a side view (S), and a plan view (P) before the soft packaging bag being transported is filled with beverages. In the filling system of FIG. 1, they are a front view (F), a side view (S), and a plan view (P) showing a state in which a soft packaging bag to be transported is filled with a beverage. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the behavior of a gripper and a flexible packaging bag when a beverage is filled in the filling system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the behavior of a gripping tool and a flexible packaging bag for removing wrinkles from the flexible packaging bag after the beverage is filled in the filling system of FIG. 1; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a gripper for removing wrinkles from the flexible packaging bag and other behaviors of the flexible packaging bag after the beverage is filled in the filling system of FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating means for providing a difference between the container gripping ability of the first gripping tool and the container gripping ability of the second gripping tool. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an operational procedure from filling a beverage to finishing heat-sealing a flexible packaging bag in the conveying device of FIG. 1 .

Embodiments will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 1, the filling system 1 according to the present embodiment includes a conveyance path 10 having an elliptical orbit, a plurality of grippers 20 that move along the conveyance path 10, and controls the running of the grippers 20. A controller 70 is provided. The filling system 1 transports a container 80 made of a flexible packaging bag along the transport path 10 while gripping both widthwise ends of the container 80 with a pair of first gripping tools 25A and second gripping tools 25B of a gripper 20. A flexible packaging bag is a flexible bag made of resin, typically polyethylene.
The filling system 1 can seal the opening 87 after removing wrinkles from the container 80 while holding the container 80 with the pair of first and second gripping tools 25A and 25B.
Hereinafter, after explaining the configuration of the filling system 1, the effects produced by the filling system 1 will be explained.

[Conveyance path 10]
As shown in FIG. 1, the conveyance path 10 includes an outward path 11 and a return path 13 which are parallel to each other and which form the main part of the conveyance path 10, and an arcuate first reversal path 15 that connects one end of the outward path 11 and the return path 13. A second reversing path 17 having an arcuate shape connecting the other ends of the outgoing path 11 and the incoming path 13 is provided.
The outgoing path 11 and the incoming path 13 are arranged opposite to each other with a predetermined interval in the width direction T, and the first reversing path 15 and the second reversing path 17 are arranged opposite to each other with a predetermined interval in the longitudinal direction L. has been done. In the conveyance path 10, the gripper 20 runs counterclockwise in FIG. 1 in the order of an outgoing path 11, a first reversing path 15, a returning path 13, and a second reversing path 17.

[Carry-in section 100]
The outbound path 11 of the conveyance path 10 is provided with a carry-in section 100 into which containers 80 are carried from an upstream process. When the gripper 20 that has traveled from the second reverse path 17 to the forward path 11 reaches the carry-in section 100, it receives the container 80 gripped by a gripper (not shown) that belongs to an upstream process. The container 80 may be received while the gripper 20 is stopped, or may be received while the gripper 20 is running. The gripper 20 that has received the container 80 travels on the outward path 11 toward the first reverse path 15 and the return path 13 which are downstream. Note that in the present embodiment, in the filling system 1, the gripper 20 circulates and travels through the conveyance path 10, and therefore, within the conveyance path 10, upstream and downstream have relative meanings. That is, when the outbound route 11 is used as a reference, the return route 13 is downstream, and when the return route 13 is used as a reference, the outbound route 11 is downstream.

[Filling section 200]
A filling section 200 for filling a container 80 gripped by a gripper 20 with a product liquid is provided on the return path 13 of the transport path 10 . The gripper 20 that has traveled from the first reversing path 15 to the return path 13 stops traveling when it reaches the filling section 200, and at the same time, some equipment and equipment included in the filling section 200, such as a filling nozzle and a tank for storing product liquid, are removed. to fill the container 80 with the product liquid. Although illustration of equipment included in the filling section 200 is omitted, well-known and commonly used equipment can be used.
Prior to filling the container 80 with the product liquid PL in the filling section 200, the gripper 20 uses a pair of first gripping tools 25A and a second gripping tool to form a filling opening for inserting the filling nozzle into the container 80. 25B is operated narrowly. The narrowing operation refers to making the distance between the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B narrower than before. This narrowing operation for filling will be described later, but wrinkles may occur in the container 80 as a result of this narrowing operation. Therefore, the gripper 20 performs an operation to remove the generated wrinkles in the filling section 200, following the narrowing operation for filling. The operation for removing these wrinkles will also be described later. Contrary to the narrowing motion, widening is defined as widening the distance between the first gripping tool 25A and the second gripping tool 25B.

[Sealing part 300]
A sealing section 300 that seals the opening 87 of the container 80 is provided on the return path 13 of the conveyance path 10 adjacent to the downstream side of the filling section 200 . The gripper 20 that grips the container 80 filled with the product liquid PL in the filling section 200 moves from the filling section 200 to the sealing section 300 and then stops. On the other hand, the opening 87 of the container 80 filled with the product liquid PL in the filling section 200 is sealed by heat sealing, for example, using equipment and equipment included in the sealing section 300, such as a heating medium and a cooling medium. Seal. Although illustration of the equipment included in the sealing portion 300 is omitted, well-known and commonly used equipment can be used.
The gripper 20 moves to the sealing part 300 while continuing the wrinkle removal operation in the filling part 200. The wrinkle removal operation continues until the opening 87 is completely sealed. Completion of sealing means that the once molten resin in the container 80 is cured to its original state by cooling. The gripper 20 can also perform the wrinkle removal operation after moving to the sealing part 300.

[Export section 400]
On the return path 13 of the conveyance path 10 , an unloading section 400 is provided downstream of the sealing section 300 and before the second reversing path 17 . At the unloading section 400, the container 80 filled with the product liquid PL and having the opening 87 sealed is delivered toward the downstream. When the gripper 20 that has traveled on the return path 13 from the sealing section 300 reaches the unloading section 400, it hands over the container 80 to a gripper that belongs to a downstream process. The container 80 may be transferred while the gripper 20 is stopped, or may be transferred while the gripper 20 is running.

[Linear motor]
The conveyance path 10 is provided with an electromagnetic coil, which is one element of a linear motor, on a circular orbit consisting of an outgoing path 11, a backward path 13, a first reversing path 15, and a second reversing path 17. A permanent magnet, which is the other element of the linear motor, is provided in the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B of each gripper 20. The electromagnetic coil constitutes a stator, the permanent magnet constitutes a mover, and the conveyance path 10 and gripper 20 constitute a linear motor. In order to operate the first mover 21A and the second mover 21B, it is necessary to supply current to the first mover 21A and the second mover 21B.

The conveyance path 10 can convey the container 80 that has been conveyed on the outward path 11 through the first reversing path 15 while being gripped by the gripper 20 . To make this possible, the tilting mechanism disclosed in Patent Document 1 may be used.

[Gripper 20]
The gripper 20 moves along the conveyance path 10 while gripping the container 80 and conveys the container 80.
As shown in FIG. 1, the filling system 1 is provided with a plurality of grippers 20 along the conveyance path 10, and each gripper 20 constitutes a linear motor together with the conveyance path 10. , movement of the transport path 10 is controlled independently.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the gripper 20 includes a pair of first mover 21A and a second mover 21B, and a first arm 23A and a first arm 23A provided on each of the first mover 21A and the second mover 21B. It includes a second arm 23B, and a first gripper 25A and a second gripper 25B provided on each of the first arm 23A and the second arm 23B. The first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B are supported by the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B via the first arm 23A and the second arm 23B.

The first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B move along the conveyance path 10, and each includes a permanent magnet that is an element of a linear motor. Therefore, the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B operate together when transporting the container 80, but their operations including the moving speed are independently controlled. For example, the controller 70 can cause the first movable element 21A to travel faster than the second movable element 21B, or conversely can cause the first movable element 21A to travel slower than the second movable element 21B. Further, the second movable element 21B can be moved away from or brought closer to the first movable element 21A while stopping the first movable element 21A. Further, the interval between the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B, in other words, the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B is variable.

The first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B each grip both ends of the container 80 in the width direction.
The opening and closing of the first gripping tool 25A and the second gripping tool 25B are controlled by a drive source (not shown), and when they are closed, they grip the container 80, and when they are opened, they are released from their grip and are moved, for example, to another conveyance device. Hand over 80.

[Container 80]
An example of the container 80 before being filled with product liquid will be described with reference to FIG. 2. The container 80 described here is shown in a state before being filled with product liquid.
The container 80 includes a bag 81 that accommodates a product liquid, a plug 83 provided at one end of the bag 81 in the axial direction C, an end portion 85 provided at the other end of the bag 81 in the axial direction C, and an end portion 85 provided at the other end of the bag 81 in the axial direction C. An opening 87 provided in the opening 87 is provided. The container 80 is made by stacking two resin films, for example, and one end where the spout 83 is provided, the end portion 85 excluding the opening 87, and the other peripheral portions have already been fused. That is, at this point, the periphery of the container 80 except for the opening 87 is sealed by fusion.

When the container 80 is filled with the product liquid PL, the spout 83 faces downward in the vertical direction V, and the end portion 85 faces downward in the vertical direction V, as shown in the front view (F) of FIG. placed facing upwards. This attitude of the container 80 is called erect. After the opening 87 of the upright container 80 is opened to form a filling opening, the bag 81 is filled with the product liquid. By narrowing the opening 87 with a pair of first gripping tools 25A and second gripping tools 25B that grip the end portion 85, a frontage into which the product liquid can be filled is formed. To form the opening, a pair of suction cups (not shown) can also be used to suck the container 80 at a necessary location. Including the opening 87, before the filling operation with the product liquid PL, the two resin films are overlapped with almost no gap except for the side where the plug 83 is provided.

FIG. 3 shows the container 80 being filled with the product liquid PL. As shown in the plan view (P), the container 80 has an opening 87 opened, and the product liquid PL is filled through the opening 87 which becomes a frontage. As shown in the front view (F) and plan view (P) of FIG. 3, the opening 87 is opened in a generally circular shape in plan view by bringing both edges of the end portion 85 closer together from both sides in the horizontal direction H. . This action of approaching from both sides is called width-wise. When filled with the product liquid PL, the container 80 swells, as shown in the side view (S) of FIG.

[Operation of gripper 20 during filling (FIG. 8 S101, S103)]
Next, referring to FIG. 4, the operation of removing wrinkles 82 using the gripper 20 will be described.
The gripper 20 that grips the container 80 during filling with the product liquid PL operates as shown in FIG. 4 . This operation is based on instructions from the controller 70. Note that FIG. 4 is in chronological order from top to bottom, and for ease of understanding, only the bag 81 of the container 80 is shown. That is, before the filling unit 200 heat-seals the opening 87 of the container 80 filled with the product liquid, the controller 70 performs a tension applying operation to widen the distance between the first mover 21A and the second mover 21B. A tension applying mechanism is configured to
When the first gripping tool 25A and the second gripping tool 25B of the gripper 20 reach the filling section 200, the bag 81 of the container 80 is gripped at an interval such that a slight tension is generated in the width direction W. The distance between the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B at this point is defined as W11. The first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B of the gripper 20 have stopped moving in the conveyance path 10 at this point.

When reaching the filling section 200, the operations of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B are controlled so that the distance between the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B becomes narrower in order to bring the bag 81 closer together. do. Here, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 4, a narrowing operation is performed in which the second movable element 21B approaches the first movable element 21A while the first movable element 21A remains stopped (S101 in FIG. 8). Then, the opening 87 opens. The interval between the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B becomes small to W12 (<W11) (S101 in FIG. 8). The amount of movement ΔW1 (W11-W12) of the second mover 21B is determined in advance through a filling experiment with the product liquid PL.

When a predetermined amount of product liquid PL is filled through the opened opening 87 (S103 in FIG. 8), the second mover 21B is moved by ΔW to the original position before approaching, as shown in the lower part of FIG. The distance between the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B returns to W11 (S105 in FIG. 8). The bag 81 filled with the product liquid PL expands.

Here, the second movable element 21B is moved while the first movable element 21A is stopped, but this is an example in the present disclosure, and only the first movable element 21A is moved while the second movable element 21B is stopped. It can also be moved. Furthermore, the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B can be moved by 1/2ΔW so as to approach each other. From the viewpoint of ease of control, it is preferable to stop one of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B and move the other. On the other hand, from the viewpoint of the time required for movement, it is preferable to move the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B so that they approach each other, although the time is minute.

[Example of operation of gripper 20 during wrinkle removal]
When the distance between the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B returns after filling a predetermined amount of the product liquid PL, wrinkles may occur in the closed opening 87. The gripper 20 according to the present embodiment performs an operation to remove this wrinkle, and after completing this operation, the opening 87 is sealed by heat fusion. Hereinafter, the operation of the gripper 20 when removing wrinkles and the effect of removing wrinkles will be described with reference to FIG. 5. Note that FIG. 5 also shows the time series from top to bottom, and for easy understanding, the gripper 20 is the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B, and the container 80 is the bag 81. Only parts are shown in a simplified manner.

For example, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 5, it is assumed that wrinkles 82 have occurred in the resin film 81A, which is one of the two resin films 81A and 81B that make up the bag 81. The wrinkles 82 are formed by a portion of the resin film 81A protruding outward. The distance between the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B at this time is defined as W21. The two resin films 81A and 81B are shown spaced apart for easy understanding.

In this embodiment, the wrinkles 82 are removed by applying tension T to the resin film 81A and the resin film 81B. That is, as shown in the middle part of FIG. 5, regarding the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B, the second gripper 25B is moved away from the first gripper 25A while the position of the first gripper 25A is fixed. Move it like this. In this way, a tension applying operation is performed to widen the distance between the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B (S107 in FIG. 8). Then, since tension T is applied to the resin film 81A and the resin film 81B, elongation occurs in the resin film 81A and the resin film 81B. However, since the wrinkles 82 of the resin film 81A are smoothed out preferentially over other parts, the wrinkles 82 are removed as shown in the lower part of FIG. The resin film 81B in which wrinkles 82 are not formed elongates according to the tension T. The distance between the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B at this time is defined as W22. In addition, in the process of removing the wrinkles 82 described here, it is assumed that no slipping occurs between the resin film 81A and the resin film 81B and the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B.

The opening 87 is thermally fused (heat sealed, S109 in FIG. 8) while the tension T is still applied to the resin film 81A and the resin film 81B from which wrinkles 82 have been removed as described above.
The operation shown in FIG. 5 of the first gripping tool 25A and the second gripping tool 25B for removing the wrinkle 82 is performed in the filling section 200 shown in FIG. The opening 87 can be thermally fused after moving to . In this case, in the filling part 200, the opening 87 may be temporarily fused by heat fusion, and then moved to the sealing part 300, and the opening 87 may be permanently fused by heat fusion in the sealing part 300. Furthermore, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the operation shown in FIG. 5 of the first gripping tool 25A and the second gripping tool 25B for removing wrinkles 82 is performed after moving to the sealing part 300 shown in FIG. It is also possible to thermally seal the opening 87 on the spot, that is, while remaining in the sealing portion 300.
When the heat fusion is completed, the distance between the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B is returned to the original value, and the product is transported to the next process (S111 in FIG. 8).

Also in the operation of removing wrinkles 82, it is preferable to fix one of the first gripping tools 25A while moving the other second gripping tool 25B. That is, the first gripper 25A whose position is fixed is set as a reference position, and the second gripper 25B is moved by a predetermined movement amount ΔW2 with respect to this reference position. The movement amount ΔW2 is specified by W22-W21, and is determined in advance through a product liquid filling experiment or the like.

The filling system 1 can detect whether the second gripper 25B moves by the movement amount ΔW2. That is, the filling system 1 uses a linear motor, and in order to move the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B, it is necessary to supply current to the conveyance path 10 that functions as a stator. By detecting this current, the tension T generated in the container 80 can be detected. If the detected tension Td has not reached the reference tension Ts, the second movable element 21B is moved until the detected tension Td reaches the reference tension Ts. Note that the tension applying operation by the second gripping tool 25B may be performed based on the comparison between the detected tension Td and the reference tension Ts described here, without performing control to move the second movable element 21B by the movement amount ΔW2. can.

[Other operations of the gripper 20 during wrinkle removal]
In the example described above, it is assumed that no slipping occurs between the resin film 81A and the resin film 81B and the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B during the wrinkle 82 removal operation. However, in this embodiment, it is recommended that slipping occur between one of the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B and the resin films 81A and 81B. Hereinafter, an example of causing slippage between the second gripper 25B on the moving side and the resin films 81A, 81B will be described with reference to FIG. 6.

In FIG. 6 as well, tension T is applied to the resin films 81A and 81B as in FIG. 5, but in the example shown in FIG. let Therefore, the tension T generated in the resin films 81A, 81B is small, and the resin films 81A, 81B do not elongate due to elastic deformation, or even if elongation occurs, it is very small. Here, the main reason why the wrinkles 82 are removed is that the curved wrinkles 82 are deformed into a flat shape, as described above, and elastic deformation is hardly involved therein. Therefore, even if slippage occurs between the second gripper 25B and the resin films 81A, 81B, wrinkles 82 generated in the resin film 81A can be removed, as shown in the middle and lower rows of FIG. In this process, slippage also occurs between the second gripper 25B and the resin film 81B, so that the resin film 81B does not elongate due to elastic deformation, or even if it does, it is very small.

As explained above, if slippage is caused between the second gripper 25B on the moving side and the resin films 81A, 81B, the elongation that occurs in the resin films 81A, 81B after the wrinkles 82 are removed is small. Therefore, after the opening 87 is sealed by heat sealing, the stress generated in the sealed portion can be small, so that the heat sealing portion has excellent stability over time.

There are at least two means for causing slippage between the second gripper 25B and the resin films 81A, 81B.
The first means, as shown in the upper part of FIG. 7, is F1, which is the force with which the first gripper 25A grips the resin films 81A, 81B, and the force with which the second gripper 25B grips the resin films 81A, 81B. If F2 is F2, then F1 is made larger than F2. The first means is based on the premise that the coefficient of friction between the first gripper 25A and the resin films 81A, 81B matches the coefficient of friction between the second gripper 25B and the resin films 81A, 81B.

As shown in the lower part of FIG. 7, the second means is to set the coefficient of friction between the first gripper 25A and the resin films 81A, 81B to be μ1, and to set the coefficient of friction between the second gripper 25B and the resin films 81A, 81B to be μ1. If the friction coefficient of is μ2, then μ1 is made larger than μ2. This second means is based on the premise that the force with which the first gripper 25A grips the resin films 81A, 81B matches the force with which the second gripper 25B grips the resin films 81A, 81B.

[effect]
Next, the effects of the filling system 1 will be explained.
Even if wrinkles 82 occur, the filling system 1 performs heat sealing after operating the gripper 20 to remove wrinkles 82, so there is little possibility that wrinkles 82 will remain in the heat sealed container 80. .

The filling system 1 performs an operation for removing wrinkles 82 using the gripper 20 having a first movable element 21A and a second movable element 21B that constitute a linear motor.
Therefore, the tension applying operation for removing wrinkles can be performed without providing any other special elements.
Further, for example, the pair of arms can be widened and narrowed using mechanical elements such as cams and levers. This mechanical element includes a significant number of mechanical collision and sliding parts, and wear of these elements is inevitable. To avoid malfunctions due to wear, elements such as cams and levers must be replaced regularly. Moreover, since the conveying device to which the present disclosure is directed includes a large number of grippers, the burden of periodic replacement work is extremely heavy.
On the other hand, the gripper 20 according to the present embodiment uses the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B, which are elements of a linear motor, to widen and narrow the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B. . The path from the conveyance path 10 functioning as a stator to the first gripper 25A and the second gripper 25B does not include mechanical collision parts or sliding parts. Therefore, according to the filling system 1, the burden of parts replacement work associated with widening and narrowing movements of the first gripping tool 25A and the second gripping tool 25B is small.

The filling system 1 performs an operation for removing wrinkles 82 using the gripper 20 having a first movable element 21A and a second movable element 21B, each of which can move independently.
Therefore, according to the filling system 1, each of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B can perform a preferable operation to effectively remove the wrinkles 82. An example of this preferred operation is to fix the first movable element 21A while moving the second movable element 21B.
Furthermore, containers 80 with different dimensions, especially widths, can be handled by simply adjusting the interval between the first mover 21A and the second mover 21B, so there is no need to prepare grippers that can handle containers 80 with different widths. There is no.

In order to adjust the tension applied to the container 80, the filling system 1 may control the current supplied to the first mover 21A and the second mover 21B. Therefore, according to the filling system 1, the tension required to remove wrinkles 82 can be achieved without requiring the operator to mechanically adjust or replace parts.

[Additional notes]
The filling system 1 in this embodiment can be understood as follows.
The filling system 1 includes a first gripper 25A and a second gripper 25B, which are provided at intervals in the conveyance direction and grip a container 80 made of a flexible packaging bag, and a first movable element that supports the first gripper 25A. 21A and a second movable element 21B that supports the second gripper 25B, and a conveyance path 10 in which the interval between the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B is variable. The filling system 1 also includes a filling section 200 that is provided on the conveyance path 10 and fills the container 80 with the product liquid through an opening 87 provided in the container 80, and a container filled with the product liquid in the filling section 200. A sealing part 300 for heat-sealing the opening 87 of 80 is provided.
Before the filling unit 200 heat-seals the opening 87 of the container 80 filled with the product liquid, the filling system 1 performs a tensioning operation that widens the distance between the first mover 21A and the second mover 21B. It is equipped with a tension applying mechanism that allows the

In the filling system 1, preferably, the sealing part 300 performs heat fusing of the opening while maintaining the tension applying operation of the first mover 21A and the second mover 21B, and the tension applying mechanism preferably performs heat fusing of the opening. After the tensioning is completed, the tensioning operation is released.
If the heat fusion is completed with the wrinkles removed, there is very little possibility that the wrinkles will return to their original state.

The tension applying mechanism according to this embodiment preferably moves one or both of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B by a predetermined reference movement amount Ms.
If the standard movement amount Ms for the container 80 is determined experimentally in advance, the tension applying operation can be executed quickly and reliably.

In the tension applying mechanism according to this embodiment, preferably, if the detected tension Td generated in the container 80 has not reached a predetermined reference tension Ts, the first mover 21A and One or both of the second movers 21B are moved.
Even if the tension generated in the container 80 is insufficient to remove wrinkles due to some reason, the wrinkles can be removed without omission.

The tension applying mechanism according to the present embodiment preferably specifies the detected tension Td from the current supplied for the operation of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B.
In this case, there is no need to provide special means for detecting the tension generated in the container 80.

The tension applying mechanism according to this embodiment preferably performs the tension applying operation from a state where the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B are stopped. The tension applying mechanism in this embodiment preferably allows one of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B to remain stationary while the other of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B moves. It is done by
that way,

When the other of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B moves while one of the first movable element 21A and the second movable element 21B is stopped, preferably, the container 80 and the second movable element are moved by the first gripper 25A. A difference is provided in the gripping ability of the container 80 by the gripper 25B. When a difference is provided in the gripping ability between the container 80 by the first gripper 25A and the container 80 by the second gripper 25B, it is preferable that the first gripping portion of the container 80 by the first gripper 25A and Among the second gripping portions of the container 80 by the second gripping tool 25B, slipping occurs at the first gripping portion or the second gripping portion which has poor gripping ability.
Due to the slippage, the stress remaining in the container 80 can be kept low.

In order to provide a difference in gripping ability, the following means can be adopted.
First means: When the friction coefficient between the first gripper 25A and the container 80 is μ1, and the friction coefficient between the second gripper 25B and the container 80 is μ2, μ1 is larger than μ2.
Second means: When the force with which the first gripper 25A grips the container 80 is F1, and the force with which the second gripper 25B grips the container 80 is F2, F1 is greater than F2.

In addition to the above, it is possible to select the configurations mentioned in the above embodiments or to change them to other configurations as appropriate.
For example, in the present disclosure, the shape of the container is arbitrary, and the present disclosure is widely applied to containers that have an opening and that may wrinkle in the opening as the opening is widened or narrowed.
Further, in this embodiment, the shape of the gripper is arbitrary as long as it can move by following the movable element that constitutes the linear motor and can grip the container.

1 Filling system 10 Conveyance path 11 Outward path 13 Return path 15 First reversing path 17 Second reversing path 20 Gripper 21A First mover 21B Second mover 23A First arm 23B Second arm 25A First gripper 25B Second gripper 70 Controller 80 Container 81 Bag 81A Resin film 81B Resin film 82 Wrinkle 83 Spout 85 End part 87 Opening 100 Carrying part 200 Filling part 300 Sealing part 400 Carrying out part PL Product liquid C Axial direction T Tension V Vertical direction W Width direction H Horizontal direction L Longitudinal direction

Claims (9)

a conveyance path;
a filling section that is provided on the conveyance path and fills the container with the product liquid through an opening provided in the container made of a flexible packaging bag;
a sealing part that heat-seals the opening of the container filled with the product liquid in the filling part;
The conveyance path is
a first gripper and a second gripper that are provided at intervals in the transport direction and grip the container;
a first mover that supports the first gripper and a second mover that supports the second gripper;
A tension applying mechanism that performs a tension applying operation to widen the distance between the first mover and the second mover before thermally fusing the opening of the container filled with the product liquid in the filling section. and,
The first movable element and the second movable element have variable intervals, and each can move independently;
There is a difference in gripping ability between the container by the first gripper and the container by the second gripper,
filling system. The sealing part is
thermally fusing the opening while maintaining the tension applying operation that widens the distance between the first movable element and the second movable element;
The tension applying mechanism is
After the heat fusion is completed, releasing the tension applying operation;
A filling system according to claim 1.
The tension applying mechanism is
moving one or both of the first mover and the second mover by a predetermined reference movement amount;
A filling system according to claim 1 or claim 2.
The tension applying mechanism is
If the detected tension generated in the container does not reach a predetermined reference tension,
moving one or both of the first movable element and the second movable element until the detected tension reaches the reference tension;
A filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The tension applying mechanism is
determining the detected tension from the current supplied for operation of the first mover and the second mover;
Filling system according to claim 4.
The tension applying mechanism is
performing the tension applying operation from a state in which the first movable element and the second movable element are stopped;
A filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The tension applying mechanism is
Performing the tension applying operation by moving the other of the first movable element and the second movable element while one of the first movable element and the second movable element remains stopped;
A filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 6.
The coefficient of friction between the first gripper and the container is μ1,
If the coefficient of friction between the second gripper and the container is μ2,
the μ1 is greater than the μ2, or
The force with which the first gripper grips the container is F1,
If the force with which the second gripper grips the container is F2,
the F1 is larger than the F2;
Filling system according to any one of claims 1 to 7 .
a conveyance path;
a filling section that is provided on the conveyance path and fills the container with the product liquid through an opening provided in the container made of a flexible packaging bag;
a sealing part that heat-seals the opening of the container filled with the product liquid in the filling part;
The conveyance path is
a first gripper and a second gripper that are provided at intervals in the transport direction and grip the container;
a first mover that supports the first gripper and a second mover that supports the second gripper;
A tension applying mechanism that performs a tension applying operation to widen the distance between the first mover and the second mover before thermally fusing the opening of the container filled with the product liquid in the filling section. and,
The interval between the first mover and the second mover is variable,
There is a difference in gripping ability between the container by the first gripper and the container by the second gripper,
The tension applying mechanism is
performing the tension applying operation from a state in which the first movable element and the second movable element are stopped;
filling system.

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