JP7475399B2 - System and method for packing laminated food into a bag - Google Patents

Description

The disclosed embodiments relate to a layered food bagging system and a layered food bagging method.

Patent Document 1 describes a bag supply system equipped with a bag separation device. The bag separation device has a bag holder that holds multiple stacked packaging bags, and adsorbs the packaging bags held by the bag holder and separates them one by one.

JP 2022-29107 A

In the above conventional technology, there was a demand for a system that could continuously supply packaging bags without stopping the equipment.

The present invention was made in consideration of these problems, and aims to provide a layered food bagging system and layered food bagging method that can continuously supply packaging bags without stopping the device.

In order to solve the above problems, according to one aspect of the present invention, a stacked food bagging system is applied, which includes a bag supplying device that supplies packaging bags detachably connected to the edges, and an automatic machine that stores stacked food in the packaging bags, the bag supplying device having a bag separating section that separates the stacked multiple packaging bags one by one from the edges, and a discharge section that discharges the edges to a discharge outlet after the packaging bags are separated from the edges.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for bagging stacked food is applied, which includes supplying a packaging bag detachably connected to an edge portion, and storing stacked food in the packaging bag, and supplying the packaging bag includes separating the stacked multiple packaging bags one by one from the edge portion, and discharging the edge portion to a discharge outlet after the packaging bag is separated from the edge portion.

According to the present invention, packaging bags can be supplied continuously without stopping the device.

FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating an example of the overall configuration of a sandwich bagging system. FIG. 1 is a side view showing an example of the overall configuration of a sandwich bagging system. 13 is a top view showing an example of an insertion operation of the tongs into the lower part of the sandwich by the first robot and the second robot. FIG. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an example of an overall configuration of the temporary placement device. FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a position adjustment mechanism of the temporary placement device. FIG. 13 is a top view illustrating a width-adjusting mechanism of the temporary placement device. 11A and 11B are side views illustrating an example of the operation of the temporary placement device. 11A and 11B are side views illustrating an example of the operation of the temporary placement device. 11A and 11B are side views illustrating an example of the operation of the temporary placement device. 11A and 11B are side views illustrating an example of the operation of the temporary placement device. 11A and 11B are explanatory diagrams for explaining positional deviation and correction of the sandwich in the X-axis direction; 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the positional deviation and correction in the X-axis direction of two sandwiches when a rectangular sandwich is cut diagonally. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the positional deviation and correction in the X-axis direction of two sandwiches when a rectangular sandwich is cut off diagonally; FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the positional deviation and correction in the X-axis direction of two sandwiches when a rectangular sandwich is cut off diagonally; FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the positional deviation and correction in the X-axis direction of two sandwiches when a rectangular sandwich is cut off diagonally; FIG. 11A and 11B are side views illustrating an example of the operation of the temporary placement device. 11A and 11B are side views illustrating an example of the operation of the temporary placement device. 1 is a top view illustrating an example of an overall configuration of a bag supplying device. 2 is a side view illustrating a part of the configuration of the bag supplying device. FIG. FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating an example of a configuration of a supply port of the stock device. FIG. 4 is a front view illustrating an example of a configuration of a supply port of the stock device. FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating an example of a configuration of a stock device. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an example of a configuration of a stock device. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the configuration of a plate of the stock device. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram illustrating an example of the operation of the stock device. FIG. 2 is a side view illustrating an example of a configuration of a discharge device. 27 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a gate device in an open state, as viewed from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 26. FIG. 27 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a gate device in a closed state, as viewed from the direction of the arrow A in FIG. 26. FIG. 10A to 10C are explanatory diagrams illustrating an example of an operation of the discharge device. FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating an example of a configuration of an opening forming device. 11A to 11C are top views illustrating an example of the operation of the opening forming device. 11A and 11B are top views illustrating an example of the operation of the bag transferring device. 11A and 11B are top views illustrating an example of the operation of the bag transferring device. 11A and 11B are top views illustrating an example of the operation of the bag transferring device.

One embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, a sandwich is bagged as an example of a layered food product, but the method may be applied to layered foods other than sandwiches.

<1. Overall configuration of sandwich bagging system>
First, the overall configuration of the sandwich bagging system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. For ease of explanation, frames supporting the robots 9, 11, 15 and the image cameras 21, 23 above the transport conveyor 7 are omitted from Figures 1 and 2, and the second robot 11, bag supply device 17, workpiece detection sensors 25L, 25R, etc. are omitted from Figure 2 as appropriate.

The sandwich bagging system 1 (an example of a stacked food bagging system) is a machine system that automatically performs the tasks of arranging sandwiches 3 that have been divided into two pieces by a previous process, such as a cutting machine (not shown), in the stacking direction, bagging the sandwiches 3 in packaging bags 5, and sending them to a subsequent process, such as a bag closing machine (not shown). As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sandwich bagging system 1 has a transport conveyor 7, a first robot 9, a second robot 11, a temporary placement device 13, a third robot 15, a bag supply device 17, an image camera 21, an image camera 23, and work detection sensors 25L and 25R.

The conveyor 7 conveys the sandwich 3 in the conveying direction indicated by the arrow Ar. The sandwiches 3 are conveyed successively at a predetermined pitch P in a horizontal position with the stacking direction being approximately vertical. As shown in the enlarged view in FIG. 2, the sandwich 3 is formed by sandwiching ingredients 28 between two slices of bread 26 that are approximately rectangular in shape, and a pair of sandwiches 3a, 3b that are cut diagonally into approximately right-angled triangles are arranged with their cut surfaces facing each other. The conveyor 7 may convey the sandwich 3 intermittently while stopping at a predetermined stop position (e.g., the image capture position IP by the image camera 21, or the gripping position GP by the first robot 9 and the second robot 11, etc.), or may convey the sandwich 3 continuously without stopping.

The first robot 9 grasps the sandwich 3a located on the first robot 9 side among the sandwiches 3 transported by the transport conveyor 7 at the gripping position GP, lifts it from the transport conveyor 7, changes its orientation from horizontal to vertical, and temporarily places it on the temporary placement device 13. Similarly, the second robot 11 grasps the sandwich 3b located on the second robot 11 side among the sandwiches 3 transported by the transport conveyor 7 at the gripping position GP, lifts it from the transport conveyor 7, changes its orientation from horizontal to vertical, and temporarily places it on the temporary placement device 13. The first robot 9 and the second robot 11 simultaneously perform the above operations in parallel. In addition, the first robot 9 and the second robot 11 (not shown in FIG. 2) are installed so as to be suspended from a frame (not shown) above the transport conveyor 7 as shown in FIG. 2. The first robot 9 and the second robot 11 are configured as a common robot, for example. The first robot 9 and the second robot 11 are, for example, vertically articulated six-axis robots equipped with six joints, and a gripper device 29 that opens and closes a pair of tong members 27 is attached to the tip of each robot as an end effector.

The first robot 9 and the second robot 11 may be different robots. The first robot 9 and the second robot 11 may be robots with other than six axes (e.g., five axes or seven axes), or may be robots other than vertically articulated types, such as horizontally articulated or parallel link robots. Furthermore, in addition to general-purpose robots, they may be dedicated work machines designed specifically for gripping work, equipped with actuators that can move in the XYZθ directions, for example.

3, the first robot 9 grasps the sandwich 3a to be grasped out of the pair of sandwiches 3a, 3b with the tongs member 27. Similarly, the second robot 11 grasps the sandwich 3b to be grasped out of the pair of sandwiches 3a, 3b with the tongs member 27. The first robot 9 moves the pair of tongs members 27 in a direction (indicated by arrow Ar1) in which the cut surface CS1 of the sandwich 3a to be grasped abuts against the cut surface CS2 of the other sandwich 3b facing the sandwich 3a, and inserts the lower tongs member 27 into the lower part of the sandwich 3a. Similarly, the second robot 11 moves the pair of tongs members 27 in a direction (indicated by arrow Ar2) in which the cut surface CS2 of the sandwich 3b to be grasped abuts against the cut surface CS1 of the other sandwich 3a facing the sandwich 3a, and inserts the lower tongs member 27 into the lower part of the sandwich 3b. The insertion operations of the tongs members 27 by the first robot 9 and the second robot 11 are performed substantially simultaneously.

The sandwiches 3 are temporarily placed on the temporary placement device 13 by the first robot 9 and the second robot 11 in a horizontal position with the stacking direction being approximately horizontal. Specifically, a pair of sandwiches 3a, 3b of approximately right-angled triangles formed by cutting the approximately rectangular sandwich 3 on a diagonal are placed side by side in the width direction (Y axis direction) in the same vertical position with the cut surfaces CS1, CS2 facing upward downstream in the conveying direction (left side in Figs. 1 and 2). At this time, since the sandwiches 3a, 3b are held and temporarily placed approximately simultaneously by the two robots 9, 11, the sandwiches 3a, 3b are placed with a predetermined gap in the width direction to avoid interference between the robots 9, 11. The temporary placement device 13 has a width shifting mechanism 31 that shifts the width of the pair of sandwiches 3a, 3b temporarily placed in a vertical position so as to reduce the gap in the stacking direction, and a position adjustment mechanism 33 that adjusts the position of the sandwiches 3a, 3b in the X axis direction. The width shifting mechanism 31 and the position adjustment mechanism 33 will be described in detail later.

The third robot 15 (an example of an automated machine) uses the tongs member 27 to grasp the sandwiches 3a, 3b that have been shifted in width by the shifting mechanism 31 and whose positions have been adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism 33 in the temporary placement device 13, and places the sandwiches 3 in a packaging bag 5. The third robot 15 is installed so as to be suspended from a frame (not shown) above the transport conveyor 7 as shown in FIG. 2. The third robot 15 may be configured as a robot common to the first robot 9 and the second robot 11, or may be a different robot.

The bag supplying device 17 takes out one packaging bag 5 at a time from the multiple packaging bags 5 stacked in a folded state, forms an opening at the bag mouth, and supplies the bag to the bagging position BP with the opening facing upward. As shown in FIG. 2, the third robot 15 inserts the sandwich 3, for example, from above into the packaging bag 5 held at the bagging position BP by the bag supplying device 17. Alternatively, the opening of the packaging bag 5 may be held horizontally, and the sandwich 3 may be inserted from the side of the packaging bag 5. Details of the bag supplying device 17 will be described later.

The packed sandwiches 3 are placed vertically on the transport conveyor 7. The transport conveyor 7 transports the sandwiches 3a and 3b packed in the packaging bags 5 vertically at intervals of a predetermined pitch P to the next process.

The image camera 21 is installed above the transport conveyor 7, upstream of the gripping position GP by the first robot 9 and the second robot 11 in the transport direction (to the right in Figs. 1 and 2), and captures an image of the transported sandwich 3 from above at an imaging position IP. The image captured by the image camera 21 is sent to a controller (not shown), and image analysis processing detects positional deviations from a reference position in the X-axis direction, Y-axis direction, and θ direction of each of the sandwiches 3a and 3b. The X-axis direction is the transport direction, the Z-axis direction is the vertical direction, the Y-axis direction is the width direction perpendicular to the X-axis and Z-axis, and the θ direction is the rotation direction around the Z-axis. The controller controls the gripping operation by the first robot 9 and the second robot 11 based on the detected positional deviation so as to correspond to the positional deviation.

The image camera 23 (an example of a detection unit, a first detection unit) is installed above the temporary placement device 13, and captures an image of the leading ends, for example, downstream in the conveying direction, of the sandwiches 3a, 3b that have been shifted by the shifting mechanism 31. The image captured by the image camera 23 is sent to the controller, and image analysis processing is used to detect whether the leading ends of the sandwiches 3a, 3b are aligned, i.e., to detect misalignment in the X-axis direction.

The work detection sensors 25L and 25R (an example of a detection unit, a second detection unit) are installed on both sides of the temporary placement device 13 in the width direction. The work detection sensor 25L is arranged on one side (positive side in the Y-axis direction) of the temporary placement device 13 and detects the position of the cut surface CS1 of the sandwich 3a in the X-axis direction. The work detection sensor 25R is arranged on the other side (negative side in the Y-axis direction) of the temporary placement device 13 and detects the position of the cut surface CS2 of the sandwich 3b in the X-axis direction. The work detection sensors 25L and 25R are, for example, laser sensors. Note that other detection methods may be used as long as they can detect the positions of the cut surfaces of the sandwiches 3a and 3b. The detection results by the work detection sensors 25L and 25R are transmitted to the controller. The controller adjusts the positions of the sandwiches 3a and 3b in the X-axis direction using the position adjustment mechanism 33 based on the image capture results by the image camera 23 and the detection results by the work detection sensors 25L and 25R to correct the positional deviation.

The above-mentioned configuration of the sandwich bagging system 1 is an example, and is not limited to the above. For example, a through-transport conveyor separate from the transport conveyor 7 may be provided. In this case, if the image camera 21 detects that there is a positional deviation that cannot be handled by the first robot 9 and the second robot 11, or that the sandwich 3 is defective due to deformation or damage, the first robot 9 and the second robot 11 may transfer the sandwich 3 to the through-transport conveyor and skip the bagging process. In addition, if there is no need to shorten the cycle time (high tact time), the sandwich 3 may be transferred to the temporary placement device 13 by only one of the first robot 9 and the second robot 11.

2. Configuration of the temporary placement device
Next, an example of the configuration of the temporary placement device 13 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 4, the temporary placement device 13 has a position adjustment mechanism 33, a width-shifting mechanism 31, a tray 35, and a support 36 that supports them. The position adjustment mechanism 33 is disposed above the width-shifting mechanism 31 (positive side in the Z-axis direction), and the width-shifting mechanism 31 is disposed above the tray 35. The tray 35 receives ingredients and the like that fall from above and prevents them from falling to the floor.

The position adjustment mechanism 33 (an example of a position adjustment unit) adjusts the position of sandwich 3a (an example of a first layered food) and sandwich 3b (an example of a second layered food) in the X-axis direction (an example of a first direction) perpendicular to the stacking direction. The position adjustment mechanism 33 has a base 37, rotary motors 39L, 39R, gear mechanisms 41L, 41R, bearing mechanisms 43L, 43R, and multiple (e.g., four) drive rollers 45L, 45R. The drive rollers 45L and 45R are arranged coaxially but are separated, with a small gap provided.

The base 37 is supported approximately horizontally by the support 36. The output shaft of the rotary motor 39L is connected to the input shaft of the gear mechanism 41L by a bevel gear 47L. The gear mechanism 41L transmits the rotation of the input shaft to the multiple drive rollers 45L so that each rotates in the same direction. The bearing mechanism 43L supports the multiple drive rollers 45L in a cantilevered manner so that each can rotate. The sandwich 3a is placed on the multiple drive rollers 45L. The surface of the drive roller 45L is uneven (for example, small grooves extending in the axial direction) to prevent slippage with the sandwich 3a placed on it. Multiple (for example, three) pins 49L are inserted and removed in the Z-axis direction in the gap between adjacent drive rollers 45L in the X-axis direction.

The output shaft of the rotary motor 39R is connected to the input shaft of the gear mechanism 41R by a bevel gear 47R. The gear mechanism 41R transmits the rotation of the input shaft to the multiple drive rollers 45R so that each rotates in the same direction. The bearing mechanism 43R supports each of the multiple drive rollers 45R in a cantilevered manner so that they can rotate. The sandwich 3b is placed on the multiple drive rollers 45R. The surface of the drive roller 45R is uneven (for example, small grooves extending in the axial direction) to prevent slippage with the sandwich 3b placed on it. Multiple (for example, three) pins 49R are inserted and removed in the Z-axis direction in the gaps between adjacent drive rollers 45R in the X-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 4, a wiper member 51, for example made of rubber, is provided on the bottom of each drive roller 45L, 45R so as to abut against the surface of the roller. The wiper member 51 scrapes off food adhering to the surface of each drive roller 45L, 45R. The scraped off food falls through an opening 37a formed in the base 37 onto the tray 35 below.

The temporary placement device 13 has the image camera 23 and the workpiece detection sensors 25L and 25R described above. The image camera 23 and the workpiece detection sensors 25L and 25R detect the positions of the sandwiches 3a and 3b in the X-axis direction. As shown in FIG. 2 described above, the image camera 23 is installed above the temporary placement device 13, and detects the end positions of the lower ends of the sandwiches 3a and 3b in the X-axis direction (the tip positions on the positive side in the X-axis direction).

As shown in FIG. 4, the work detection sensor 25L is installed at a predetermined height, for example, on the upper part of the bearing mechanism 43L. The work detection sensor 25L detects the end position in the X-axis direction of the middle part in the height direction of the sandwich 3a (the position in the X-axis direction of the cut surface CS1). The work detection sensor 25R is installed at a predetermined height, for example, on the upper part of the bearing mechanism 43R. The work detection sensor 25R detects the end position in the X-axis direction of the middle part in the height direction of the sandwich 3b (the position in the X-axis direction of the cut surface CS2).

With the above configuration, the position adjustment mechanism 33 adjusts the positions of sandwich 3a and sandwich 3b in the X-axis direction based on the detection results of the image camera 23 and the work detection sensors 25L and 25R.

The width-shifting mechanism 31 shifts the sandwiches 3a, 3b to reduce the gap in the stacking direction. The width-shifting mechanism 31 has a base 53, multiple (e.g., four) pulleys 55a-55d, a rotary motor 57, a belt 59, a pair of rods 61, and sliders 63L, 63R. The base 53 is supported approximately horizontally by a support 36. The base 53 is raised and lowered in the Z-axis direction relative to the support 36 by a lifting mechanism 65 equipped with a rotary motor 65a.

The pulleys 55a to 55d are rotatably installed near the four corners of the base 53. The pulley 55a is rotated by a rotary motor 67 installed, for example, at the bottom of the base 53. The belt 59 is stretched around the four pulleys 55a to 55d and rotated by the rotary motor 67. The pair of rods 61 extend along the Y-axis direction and are installed approximately parallel to each other at a predetermined interval in the X-axis direction. The slider 63L is slidably installed in the Y-axis direction relative to the rod 61, and one end (X-axis negative side) is fixed to the belt 59. The slider 63R is slidably installed in the Y-axis direction relative to the rod 61, and the other end (X-axis positive side) is fixed to the belt 59. When the belt 59 rotates in the direction of the arrow Ar3, the sliders 63L and 63R move away from each other, and when the belt 59 rotates in the direction of the arrow Ar4, the sliders 63L and 63R move closer to each other.

The slider 63L is provided with a plurality of (e.g., three) pins 49L that can rotate freely via bearings (not shown). The pins 49L are arranged at positions corresponding to the gaps between the adjacent drive rollers 45L. The slider 63R is provided with a plurality of (e.g., three) pins 49R that can rotate freely via bearings (not shown). The pins 49R are arranged at positions corresponding to the gaps between the adjacent drive rollers 45R. The number of pins 49L or 49R may be other than three (e.g., two, four, etc.). The length of the pins 49L or 49R may be the same, or may be changed to match the triangular sandwiches 3a and 3b. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, for example, the two pins on the negative side of the X-axis direction are made longer, and the remaining one is made shorter.

3. Operation of the temporary placement device
Next, an example of the operation of the temporary placement device 13 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 7, when sandwiches 3a, 3b are placed on the temporary placement device 13, pins 49L, 49R are opened and protrude from the upper surfaces of drive rollers 45L, 45R. In this state, sandwich 3a grasped by tongs member 27 of first robot 9 is placed in a vertical position on drive roller 45L, and sandwich 3b grasped by tongs member 27 of second robot 11 is placed in a vertical position on drive roller 45R.

Next, as shown in FIG. 8, each robot 9, 11 opens the tong members 27, 27 to release the sandwiches 3a, 3b, and lifts up the tong member 27. After that, the width-shifting mechanism 31 moves the pins 49L and 49R closer to each other to a first distance. At the first distance, the sandwiches 3a, 3b are shifted to a distance where a slight gap is formed so that they do not come into contact with each other. In this state, the image camera 23 captures an image of the tips of the shifted sandwiches 3a, 3b.

9, based on the image capture result of the image camera 23, the drive roller 45L and the drive roller 45R are rotated by a predetermined amount so that the tip positions of the sandwiches 3a and 3b are aligned, and the positions in the X-axis direction of the sandwiches 3a and 3b are adjusted. At this time, the pins 49L and 49R rotate freely, so they do not hinder the movement of the sandwiches 3a and 3b in the X-axis direction. When adjusting the position, the work detection sensors 25a and 25b detect the position in the X-axis direction of the cut surface CS1 of the sandwich 3a and the position in the X-axis direction of the cut surface CS2 of the sandwich 3b. If the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 also match when the tip positions of the sandwiches 3a and 3b are aligned, the positions are determined. On the other hand, if the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 do not match when the tip positions of the sandwiches 3a and 3b are aligned, the positions of the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 are prioritized over the tip positions, and the positions in the X-axis direction are adjusted so that the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 match. This is because the position of the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 has a greater impact on the appearance of the product after it has been bagged than the position of the tips of the sandwiches 3a and 3b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 10, the pins 49L and 49R are moved closer to each other by the width adjustment mechanism 31 to a second distance. At the second distance, the sandwiches 3a and 3b come into contact with each other and no gap is formed. As a result, as shown in FIG. 11, even if the sandwiches 3a and 3b are misaligned in the X-axis direction by a distance d1 when they are placed on the temporary placement device 13, the misalignment in the X-axis direction can be corrected and the sandwiches 3a and 3b can be brought into close contact with each other.

As shown in Figure 12, when sandwich 3 is cut on a diagonal line, sandwiches 3a and 3b have the same shape, so when the tip positions are aligned, cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 also match. As shown in Figure 13, even when cutting line CL is shifted in the rotational direction around center position O from the diagonal line, sandwiches 3a and 3b have the same shape, so when the tip positions of the lower ends are aligned, cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 also match.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 14, when the cutting line CL is offset parallel to the diagonal, the sandwiches 3a and 3b have different shapes. Therefore, even if the tip positions are aligned, the positions of the cutting surfaces CS1 and CS2 are shifted by a distance d2 in the X-axis direction, for example. In this case, the deviation of the tip position is permitted, and the position in the X-axis direction is adjusted so that the cutting surfaces CS1 and CS2 are aligned based on the detection results of the work detection sensors 25a and 25b. Also, as shown in FIG. 15, when the cutting line CL is shifted in the rotation direction around one end E of the diagonal with respect to the diagonal, the sandwiches 3a and 3b have different shapes. Therefore, even if the tip positions of the lower ends are aligned, the positions of the cutting surfaces CS1 and CS2 are shifted by a distance d3 in the X-axis direction, for example. In this case, the deviation of the tip position is permitted, and the position in the X-axis direction is adjusted so that the cutting surfaces CS1 and CS2 are aligned based on the detection results of the work detection sensors 25a and 25b.

Next, as shown in FIG. 16, the tong members 27 of the third robot 15 are moved to the temporary placement device 13 and positioned on both sides in the stacking direction of the sandwiches 3a and 3b that have been pushed together by the pushing mechanism 31. Note that the tong members 27, 27 of the third robot 15 are opened to an extent that they do not interfere with the pins 49L and 49R.

Next, as shown in FIG. 17, inside the tong members 27, 27 of the third robot 15, the pins 49L and 49R are opened slightly so as not to come into contact with the sandwiches 3a, 3b, and are moved downward and stored below the drive rollers 45L, 45R. This prevents the sandwiches 3a, 3b from falling over due to the tong members 27, 27 of the third robot 15, even if they are unable to stand on their own. The third robot 15 then closes the tong members 27, 27 to grasp the sandwiches 3a, 3b, lift them from the temporary placement device 13, and store them in the packaging bag 5.

4. Configuration of bag supply device
Next, an example of the configuration of the bag supplying device 17 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the bag supply device 17 includes a stock device 69, a discharge device 71 (see Figure 26 below), a bag separation device 73, an opening forming device 75, a bag transfer device 77, etc. Note that in Figure 18, the stock device 69 is shown in a see-through manner, and the discharge device 71 and bag separation device 73 are not shown.

As shown in FIG. 19, the packaging bag 5 is connected to the edge 5a by a break line BL so that it can be separated. The bag supply device 17 supplies the packaging bag 5 separated from the edge 5a to the bagging position BP where the sandwich 3 is stored. The stock device 69 (an example of a stock section) has two rods 81 inserted into holes 79 formed in the edge 5a, and stores a plurality of stacked packaging bags 5 by holding the edge 5a. The packaging bags 5 are configured as a bundle of, for example, 200 bags, and are set in the stock device 69 in bundles. The configuration and operation of the stock device 69 will be described later. The packaging bag 5 has a bag opening for inserting and removing the sandwich 3 at a location corresponding to the break line BL, has a three-dimensional shape corresponding to the sandwich 3, and is stacked in a flat shaped state.

The bag separation device 73 (an example of a bag separation section) has a suction device 83 and a lifting device 85. The suction device 83 has a plurality of (for example, four) suction pads 87, and suctions and holds the packaging bags 5. The suction device 83 is moved vertically by the lifting device 85 via a support member 89. The lifting device 85 has a rotary motor (not shown), a ball screw (not shown), a guide rail 91, and a slider 93. The rotational motion of the rotary motor is converted into linear motion by the ball screw, and the slider 93 is moved vertically along the guide rail 91. Note that a linear motor, for example, may be used instead of the rotary motor. With the above configuration, the bag separation device 73 sucks up the stacked packaging bags 5 held by the stock device 69, separates them one by one from the edge portion 5a, transports them downward, sets them on the holding plates 95L and 95R of the opening forming device 75, and repeats the operation of releasing the suction.

As shown in FIG. 18, the opening forming device 75 has two suction pads 97L, 97R and two suction pads 99L, 99R. The packaging bag 5 set on the holding plates 95L, 95R is in a flat shape, so the bag mouth is closed. The opening forming device 75 forms an opening at the bag mouth using the suction pads 97L, 97R and the suction pads 99L, 99R. The configuration and operation of the opening forming device 75 will be described later.

The bag transfer device 77 includes a hand 101 and a moving device 103. The hand 101 includes gripping arms 101L and 101R that are opened and closed by a rotary motor 104. The hand 101 grips the edges of one side and the other side of the opening of the packaging bag 5 formed by the opening forming device 75 with the gripping arms 101L and 101R, respectively, and rotates to widen the opening and open the bag mouth. The moving device 103 moves the packaging bag 5 from the opening forming device 75 to the bagging position BP by rotating the hand 101 around a rotation axis Ax1 that is approximately parallel to the Z-axis direction and moving it up and down. The bagging position BP is located above the transport conveyor 7, and the packaging bag 5 containing the sandwich 3 is placed on the transport conveyor 7 and transported downstream in the transport direction indicated by the arrow Ar.

5. Configuration and operation of the stock device
Next, an example of the configuration and operation of the stock device 69 will be described with reference to Figures 20 to 25. Note that the discharge device 71 is omitted from illustration in Figures 22, 23 and 25.

The stock device 69 is disposed above the opening forming device 75. As shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, the stock device 69 has a housing 107 in which a supply port 105 for the packaging bag 5 is formed, and a door 109 for opening and closing the supply port 105. As shown in FIG. 21, when the door 109 is opened, the supply port 105 is exposed, and the packaging bag 5 can be set by inserting two rods 81 into holes 79 formed in the edge portion 5a. On the inside of the door 109, two gripping members 111 are provided that can grip and release the two rods 81 by opening and closing in the vertical direction. Each gripping member 111 has a first gripping portion 111a and a second gripping portion 111b. The two first gripping portions 111a are fixed to the door 109. The two second gripping portions 111b are installed so as to be movable in the vertical direction by two rods 115 that can slide in the vertical direction relative to the support member 113. A lock plate 117 is provided at the lower end of the two rods 115. The lock plate 117 has a hole 117a formed therein into which a pin 119a of an air cylinder 119 installed in the housing 107 is inserted.

For example, when the door 109 is unlocked by an operation panel (not shown), the pin 119a of the air cylinder 119 contracts and is pulled out of the hole 117a, and the two rods 115 move downward via the lock plate 117, releasing the two gripping members 111. This releases the grip of the two rods 81 and allows the door 109 to be opened. After the packaging bag 5 is set, the door 109 is closed and, for example, when the door 109 is locked by an operation panel, the pin 119a of the air cylinder 119 extends and is inserted into the hole 117a, and the two rods 115 move upward via the lock plate 117, closing the two gripping members 111. This grips the two rods 81 and makes it impossible to open the door 109. Note that a motor, a solenoid, or the like may be used instead of the air cylinder 119.

As shown in Figures 22 to 24, the stock device 69 uses two rods 81 to movably hold the edge portion 5a between a supply port 105 for the packaging bag 5 located at one end side (negative side in the Y-axis direction) of the stock device 69 and a discharge port 121 for the edge portion 5a located at the other end side (positive side in the Y-axis direction) of the stock device 69. The stock device 69 has two linear cylinders 123L, 123R, two rotating cylinders 125L, 125R, two plates 127L, 127R, etc.

The linear cylinder 123L is installed inside the housing 107 via, for example, two rods 129L. The rotating cylinder 125L is installed so that it can move in the Y-axis direction along the two rods 129L by the extension and contraction of the linear cylinder 123L. As shown in FIG. 24, the plate 127L is formed, for example, in a substantially L-shape, and is rotated by the rotating cylinder 125L around a rotation axis Ax2 that is substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction within an angle range of approximately 90° between a retracted position in which the longitudinal direction faces downward and a pressing position in which the longitudinal direction faces horizontally. In the example shown in FIGS. 22 to 24, the plate 127L is in the retracted position.

The linear cylinder 123R is installed inside the housing 107 via, for example, two rods 129R. The rotating cylinder 125R is installed so that it can move in the Y-axis direction along the two rods 129R by the extension and contraction of the linear cylinder 123R. As shown in FIG. 24, the plate 127R is formed, for example, in a substantially L-shape, and is rotated by the rotating cylinder 125R around a rotation axis Ax2 that is substantially parallel to the Y-axis direction within an angle range of approximately 90° between a retracted position in which the longitudinal direction faces downward and a pressing position in which the longitudinal direction faces horizontally. In the example shown in FIGS. 22 to 24, the plate 127R is in the pressing position.

The linear cylinders 123L, 123R and the rotary cylinders 125L, 125R are, for example, air cylinders, but motors, solenoids, etc. may also be used.

When plate 127L or plate 127R is in the pressing position, it can come into contact with the stacked packaging bags 5 and press them toward the discharge port 121 (positive side in the Y-axis direction). The pressed packaging bags 5 are positioned by the end opposite plate 127L or plate 127R coming into contact with stopper 131, and the suction device 83 of the bag separation device 73 suctions the packaging bags 5 and separates them one by one from the edge 5a.

25 shows an example of the operation of the stock device 69 configured as described above. As shown in FIG. 25(a), for example, in a state in which the plate 127R is in a retracted position and the plate 127L is in a pressing position and pressing the packaging bag 5, for example, two bundles of packaging bags 5 are newly set from the supply port 105. In this case, as shown in FIG. 25(b), the linear cylinder 123R extends and the rotating cylinder 125R moves to the vicinity of the supply port 105. Next, as shown in FIG. 25(c), the plate 127R is rotated by the rotating cylinder 125R and changed from the retracted position to the pressing position. Next, as shown in FIG. 25(d), the linear cylinder 123R contracts and the rotating cylinder 125R moves to the opposite side of the supply port 105, and the plate 127R presses the packaging bag 5 toward the stopper 131. Next, as shown in FIG. 25(e), the plate 127L is rotated by the rotating cylinder 125L and changed from the pressing position to the retracted position. After this, the left and right rotating cylinders and plates switch their operations and the operations shown in Figures 25(a) to 25(e) are repeated. This makes it possible to supply an unlimited number of packaging bags 5 without stopping the bag supply device 17.

6. Configuration and operation of the discharge device
Next, an example of the configuration and operation of the discharge device 71 will be described with reference to Figures 26 to 29. Note that in Figures 26 and 29, the configuration of the stock device 69 is omitted.

26, when the packaging bags 5 stored in the stock device 69 are successively separated from the edge portion 5a by the bag separating device 73, the remaining edge portion 5a passes through the stopper 131 and moves toward the discharge port 121 side and is accumulated. The edge portion 5a is accumulated, for example, in bundles. The discharge device 71 (an example of a discharge section) is provided on the positive side of the Y axis direction of the stock device 69, and after the packaging bag 5 is separated from the edge portion 5a, it discharges the edge portion 5a to the discharge port 121. The discharge device 71 has a linear cylinder 133, a first gate device 135, and a second gate device 137. The linear cylinder 133, the first gate device 135, and the second gate device 137 are supported by an appropriate support member (not shown) connected to the housing 107.

The two rods 81 extend from the supply port 105 in a substantially horizontal direction for a predetermined length, bend downward near the discharge port 121, and extend at an incline with respect to the horizontal direction. The two rods 81 are always supported by at least two of the three gripping members: the gripping member 111 inside the door 109 of the stock device 69, the gripping member 143 of the first gate device 135 described later, and the gripping member 143 of the second gate device 137. The linear cylinder 133 (an example of an extrusion device) is installed at the midpoint of the two rods 81 in the X-axis direction so as to have substantially the same angle as the inclination angle of the two rods 81. The linear cylinder 133 extends the rod 133a and presses it against the approximately center of the edge portion 5a, thereby pushing out the accumulated edge portion 5a toward the discharge port 121. The rod 133a can pass through the first gate device 135 and the second gate device 137 regardless of whether the first gate device 135 and the second gate device 137 are open or closed. The first gate device 135 and the second gate device 137 open or close the movement path of the edge portion 5a along the two rods 81. The first gate device 135 is installed upstream of the second gate device 137. The linear cylinder 133 is, for example, an air cylinder, but a motor, a solenoid, or the like may also be used.

Figures 27 and 28 show an example of the configuration of the second gate device 137 as viewed from the direction of the arrow A in Figure 26. Figure 27 shows the second gate device 137 in an open state, and Figure 28 shows the second gate device 137 in a closed state. Note that the first gate device 135 has the same configuration as the second gate device 137.

27 and 28, the second gate device 137 has a base 139, an air cylinder 141, and two gripping members 143 that can be opened and closed. The base 139 has an opening 139a through which the edge 5a can pass. Each gripping member 143 has a first gripping portion 143a and a second gripping portion 143b. The support member 145A provided with the two first gripping portions 143a and the support member 145B provided with the two second gripping portions 143b are connected by a rack and pinion mechanism 147. As shown in FIG. 28, when the air cylinder 141 extends, the support members 145A and 145B approach each other to close the opening 139a, and the two gripping members 143 grip the two rods 81. As shown in FIG. 27, when the air cylinder 141 contracts, the support members 145A, 145B move apart, opening the opening 139a and releasing the grip of the two rods 81 by the two gripping members 143. The support members 145A, 145B are formed with, for example, semicircular recesses 149, which allow the rod 133a of the linear cylinder 133 to pass through even when the gate is closed, as shown in FIG. 28. Note that a motor, solenoid, or the like may be used instead of the air cylinder 141.

29 shows an example of the operation of the discharge device 71 configured as described above. As shown in FIG. 29(a), during normal operation other than when the edge portion 5a is discharged, the first gate device 135 opens the gripping member 143, the second gate device 137 closes the gripping member 143, and the linear cylinder 133 retracts the rod 133a. Next, at a predetermined timing, as shown in FIG. 29(b), the linear cylinder 133 extends the rod 133a. As a result, the edge portion 5a located at the inclined portion of the two rods 81 is pressed against the closed second gate device 137. The predetermined timing is, for example, the timing when the number of packaging bags 5 supplied by the bag supply device 17 is counted and the count reaches a predetermined number (for example, 400 corresponding to two bundles). It is also possible to perform the timing at regular intervals.

Next, as shown in FIG. 29(c), the first gate device 135 closes the gripping member 143 while the linear cylinder 133 extends the rod 133a. A pressing force is applied to the edge 5a by the rod 133a. Next, as shown in FIG. 29(d), the second gate device 137 opens the gripping member 143. As a result, the edge 5a (two edge portions 5a in this example) present between the first gate device 135 and the second gate device 137 is discharged from the discharge port 121. Next, as shown in FIG. 29(e), the second gate device 137 closes the gripping member 143, and the linear cylinder 133 retracts the rod 133a. Next, as shown in FIG. 29(f), the first gate device 135 opens the gripping member 143. As a result, the state returns to that of FIG. 29(a). The discharge device 71 repeats the operations of FIG. 29(a) to FIG. 29(f).

7. Configuration and operation of the opening forming device
Next, an example of the configuration and operation of the opening forming device 75 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As described above, the packaging bag 5 separated from the edge portion 5a by the bag separating device 73 is set on the holding plates 95L, 95R of the opening forming device 75. The holding plates 95L, 95R hold the packaging bag 5 in the thickness direction except for the part to be adsorbed and sucked. As shown in Figures 30 and 31, the opening forming device 75 (an example of an opening forming section) forms an opening by non-contact adsorbing the mouth of the set packaging bag 5. The opening forming device 75 has two adsorption pads 97L, 97R, two suction pads 99L, 99R, two bases 151L, 151R, and two rotary motors 153L, 153R (an example of a drive device).

As shown in Figures 18 and 19, the holding plates 95L, 95R are moved toward and away from each other along the guide rails 159 by the rotary motor 155 and rack and pinion mechanism 157. The holding plates 95L, 95R are in close proximity to each other until the packaging bag 5 is set by the bag separating device 73 and the opening is formed (as shown in Figures 30 and 31). When the hand 101 grips and moves the edge of the opening of the formed packaging bag 5, the holding plates 95L, 95R are separated.

The suction pads 97L, 97R are fixed to the holding plates 95L, 95R via fasteners 161. The suction pad 97L adheres to and adheres to a portion 5b1 near one end (positive side in the X-axis direction) of the edge 5b on one side (negative side in the Y-axis direction) that constitutes the mouth of the packaging bag 5. The suction pad 97R adheres to and adheres to a portion 5b2 near the other end (negative side in the X-axis direction) of the edge 5b that constitutes the mouth of the packaging bag 5.

The suction pad 99L (an example of a first suction portion) is connected via a fixture 167 to a rotation shaft 165L of a gear 163L rotatably provided, for example, on the upper part of the base 151L. The gear 163L meshes with a gear 169L rotatably provided, for example, on the upper part of the base 151L. The gear 169L is rotated by a rotation motor 153L installed, for example, on the lower part of the base 151L. The suction pad 99L non-contactingly suctions a portion 5c1 (an example of a first portion) near one end (positive side in the X-axis direction) of the edge portion 5c on the other side (positive side in the Y-axis direction) that constitutes the bag opening of the packaging bag 5. The suction pad 99L suctions the portion 5c1 while leaving a small gap between the portion 5c1 and the suction pad 99L.

The suction pad 99R (an example of a second suction portion) is connected via a fixing device 167 to a rotation shaft 165R of a gear 163R rotatably provided, for example, on the upper part of the base 151R. The gear 163R meshes with a gear 169R rotatably provided, for example, on the upper part of the base 151R. The gear 169R is rotated by a rotation motor 153R installed, for example, on the lower part of the base 151R. The suction pad 99R non-contactingly suctions a portion 5c2 (an example of a second portion) near the other end (negative side in the X-axis direction) of the edge portion 5c that constitutes the bag opening of the packaging bag 5. The suction pad 99R suctions the portion 5c2 while leaving a small gap between the portion 5c2 and the portion 5c2.

As shown in FIG. 31, the rotary motors 153L, 153R (an example of a drive device) rotate the gears 169L, 169R by a predetermined angle, thereby rotating the suction pads 99L, 99R so as to bring the portions 5c1 and 5c2 closer together. As a result, the edge 5c is shifted from both the left and right sides toward the center and bulges out relative to the edge 5b held flat by the suction pads 97L, 97R, forming an opening 171 at the mouth of the packaging bag 5. Since the suction pads 99L, 99R and the edge 5c are not in contact with each other, it is possible to allow the edge 5c to slip when the suction pads 99L, 99R are rotated, which prevents the suction pads 99L, 99R from losing contact with the edge 5c. This makes it possible to more reliably form the opening 171.

8. Operation of the bag transfer device
Next, an example of the operation of the bag transferring device 77 will be described with reference to FIGS.

As shown in FIG. 32, the moving device 103 of the bag transfer device 77 rotates the hand 101 so that it faces the opening forming device 75. An opening 171 is formed at the mouth of the packaging bag 5 by the opening forming device 75 (not shown in FIG. 32). The hand 101 grips the edge 5c on the other side of the opening 171 with the gripping arm 101L, and grips the edge 5b on one side of the opening 171 with the gripping arm 101R.

Next, as shown in FIG. 33, the moving device 103 rotates the hand 101 so that it faces the bagging position BP on the transport conveyor 7. In parallel with this rotational movement, the hand 101 opens the gripping arms 101L, 101R, and opens the mouth of the packaging bag 5. Then, as shown in FIG. 34, by the time the hand 101 reaches the bagging position BP, the hand 101 opens the mouth of the packaging bag 5 to its maximum extent and holds it at the bagging position BP. In this state, the sandwich 3 is inserted into the packaging bag 5 from the bag opening.

9. Effects of the embodiment
As described above, the sandwich bagging system 1 of this embodiment has a bag supplying device 17 that supplies packaging bags 5 that are detachably connected to the edge portion 5a, and a third robot 15 that places the sandwiches 3 in the packaging bags 5, and the bag supplying device 17 has a bag separating device 73 that separates the stacked packaging bags 5 one by one from the edge portion 5a, and a discharge device 71 that discharges the edge portion 5a to the discharge outlet 121 after the packaging bag 5 has been separated from the edge portion 5a.

In the sandwich bagging system 1, the stacked packaging bags 5 are separated one by one from their edge portions 5a and supplied by the bag supply device 17. As the packaging bags 5 are supplied, the edge portions 5a of the packaging bags 5 remain and accumulate. If an operator were to remove the edge portions 5a and set new packaging bags 5, it may be necessary to stop the bag supply device 17. In that case, this may affect other devices in the sandwich bagging system 1, which may result in a decrease in the production of sandwiches 3.

In this embodiment, after the packaging bag 5 is separated from the edge 5a, the discharge device 71 automatically discharges the remaining edge 5a to the discharge port 121. This eliminates the need for an operator to remove the edge 5a, making it possible to discharge the edge 5a without stopping the bag supply device 17 and set a new packaging bag 5. This makes it possible to continuously supply packaging bags 5 and prevent a decrease in production of sandwiches 3 due to the stoppage of the bag supply device 17.

In this embodiment, the bag supply device 17 may have a stock device 69 that holds the edge portion 5a and stocks the packaging bags 5. In this case, the stock device 69 may movably hold the edge portion 5a between a supply port 105 for the packaging bags 5 located on one end side of the stock device 69 and a discharge port 121 for the edge portion 5a located on the other end side of the stock device 69.

In this case, the supply port 105 of the packaging bag 5 and the discharge port 121 of the edge portion 5a are located on opposite sides of the stock device 69, so a new packaging bag 5 can be set in the stock device 69 at any time, regardless of the discharge of the edge portion 5a by the discharge device 71. This makes it possible to supply an unlimited number of packaging bags 5 without stopping the bag supply device 17.

In this embodiment, the discharge device 71 may have a linear cylinder 133 that pushes the edge portion 5a to the discharge port 121. In this case, clogging of the edge portion 5a on the two rods 81 can be prevented, and the edge portion 5a can be more reliably discharged from the discharge port 121.

In this embodiment, the bag supply device 17 may have an opening forming device 75 that non-contactly sucks the bag opening of the packaging bag 5 separated by the bag separating device 73 to form an opening 171.

For example, when an opening is formed by contacting an abutting member with the outside of the bag mouth of the packaging bag 5, depending on the type of material of the packaging bag 5, friction between the insides of the bag mouth may be greater than friction between the abutting member and the outside of the bag mouth, which may make it difficult to form the opening. In this embodiment, the bag mouth of the packaging bag 5 is adsorbed without contact, so an opening can be formed regardless of the type of material of the packaging bag 5.

In this embodiment, the opening forming device 75 may have a suction pad 99L that non-contactingly adsorbs the portion 5c1 of the bag opening, a suction pad 99R that non-contactingly adsorbs the portion 5c2 of the bag opening, and rotary motors 153L and 153R that rotate the suction pads 99L and 99R so as to bring the portions 5c1 and 5c2 closer together.

In this case, the edge 5c can be bent by bringing the portion 5c1 and the portion 5c2 of the bag opening edge 5c closer to each other, so that the opening 171 can be formed more reliably. Also, if the suction portion were configured to contact the bag opening and adhere, there would be a high possibility that the suction would come off due to slippage when the suction portion was moved, and there would be a risk that the opening 171 could not be formed. In this embodiment, by configuring the suction portion to adhere without contact, it is possible to allow slippage when the suction pads 99L, 99R are rotated and moved, and it is possible to prevent the suction from coming off. Therefore, the opening 171 can be formed more reliably.

In this embodiment, the sandwich bagging system 1 may further include a temporary placement device 13 in which the sandwiches 3a and 3b are temporarily placed in a position in which the stacking direction is substantially horizontal. In this case, the temporary placement device 13 may include a position adjustment mechanism 33 that adjusts the positions of the sandwiches 3a and 3b in the X-axis direction, and the third robot 15 may place the sandwiches 3a and 3b, whose positions in the X-axis direction have been adjusted, in a packaging bag 5.

For example, misalignment in the X-axis direction may occur between sandwich 3a and sandwich 3b due to misalignment of the cutting position in the previous process, misalignment when gripped or placed by the first robot 9 and the second robot 11, etc. In this case, the positions of the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 that are visible from the front when placed in the packaging bag 5 may be misaligned, which may degrade the appearance of the product after packaging.

In this embodiment, the position of the sandwiches 3a and 3b in the X-axis direction is adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism 33 of the temporary placement device 13. This makes it possible to correct the misalignment in the X-axis direction, so that the positions of the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 that are visible from the front when placed in the packaging bag 5 can be aligned, improving the appearance of the product after packaging.

In this embodiment, the temporary placement device 13 may have an image camera 23 and workpiece detection sensors 25a, 25b that detect the positions of the sandwiches 3a, 3b in the X-axis direction, and in that case, the position adjustment mechanism 33 may adjust the positions of the sandwiches 3a, 3b in the X-axis direction based on the detection results of the image camera 23 and the workpiece detection sensors 25a, 25b. In this case, the positional deviation of the sandwiches 3a, 3b in the X-axis direction can be corrected more reliably.

In this embodiment, the temporary placement device 13 may have an image camera 23 that detects the tip positions of the sandwiches 3a and 3b in the X-axis direction, and work detection sensors 25a and 25b that detect the positions of the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 of the sandwiches 3a and 3b in the X-axis direction. In this case, the position adjustment mechanism 33 may adjust the positions of the sandwiches 3a and 3b based on the detection results of the image camera 23 and the work detection sensors 25a and 25b.

For example, if there is a difference in shape or size between sandwiches 3a and 3b due to a misalignment in the cutting position in the previous process, the positions of cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 may not match even if the tip positions of the lower ends are aligned based on the detection results of image camera 23. In the product after bagging, the positions of cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 have a greater impact on the appearance than the tip positions of the lower ends.

In this embodiment, the positions of the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 of the sandwiches 3a and 3b can be aligned by adjusting the positions based on the detection results of the work detection sensors 25a and 25b in addition to the image camera 23. This allows the cut surfaces CS1 and CS2 to be neatly aligned in the product after packaging, maintaining a delicious appearance.

10. Modifications
The disclosed embodiments are not limited to those described above, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and technical concept thereof.

For example, in the above embodiment, the position of the sandwiches 3a, 3b in the X-axis direction is adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism 33 of the temporary placement device 13, but position adjustment may be performed by other methods. For example, while the first robot 9 and the second robot 11 are holding the sandwiches 3a, 3b, respectively, the positions of the sandwiches 3a, 3b in the X-axis direction may be detected by an image camera or a work detection sensor installed on the transfer path. Based on the detection result, the first robot 9 and the second robot 11 may correct the positions in the X-axis direction and place them on the temporary placement device 13. In this case, the position adjustment mechanism 33 of the temporary placement device 13 is not necessary, and the configuration can be simplified.

Also, instead of the position adjustment mechanism 33 and the width shifting mechanism 31, the temporary placement device 13 may be provided with two stages that can move in both the X-axis and Y-axis directions, with sandwich 3a placed on one stage and sandwich 3b placed on the other stage. This makes it possible to shift the width of sandwiches 3a and 3b in the Y-axis direction while adjusting their positions in the X-axis direction. In this case as well, the configuration of the temporary placement device 13 can be simplified.

In the above explanation, when terms such as "vertical," "parallel," and "plane" are used, the terms are not used in their strict sense. "Vertical," "parallel," and "plane" mean "substantially vertical," "substantially parallel," and "substantially plane," allowing for design and manufacturing tolerances and errors.

In the above explanation, when external dimensions, size, shape, position, etc. are described as "same", "equal", "different", etc., these descriptions are not intended in their strict sense. "Same", "equal", "different" and "substantially the same", "substantially the same", "substantially equal", "substantially different" are meant, allowing for design and manufacturing tolerances and errors.

In addition to what has already been described above, the methods according to the above embodiments and each modified example may be used in appropriate combination. In addition, although not illustrated individually, the above embodiments and each modified example may be implemented with various modifications within the scope of their intent.

The problems and effects that the embodiments and variations described above aim to solve are not limited to those described above. The embodiments and variations may solve problems or achieve effects that are not described above, or may solve only some of the problems or achieve only some of the effects that are described.

1. Sandwich bagging system (layered food bagging system)
3. Sandwiches (layered foods)
5 Packaging bag 5c1 Part (first part)
5c2 part (second part)
5a Edge portion 13 Temporary placement device 15 Third robot (automatic machine)
17 Bag supply device 23 Image camera (detection unit, first detection unit)
25 Work detection sensor (detection unit, second detection unit)
33 Position adjustment mechanism (position adjustment unit)
69 Stock device (stock section)
71 Discharge device (discharge section)
73 Bag separation device (bag separation section)
75 Opening forming device (opening forming section)
99L Suction pad (first suction part)
99R Suction pad (second suction part)
105 Supply port 121 Discharge port 133 Linear cylinder (extrusion device)
153L Rotary motor (drive unit)
153R Rotary motor (drive unit)
171 Opening CS1 Cutting surface CS2 Cutting surface

Claims (12)

a bag supplying device that supplies packaging bags that are separably connected to the edges;
and an automatic machine for placing the layered food in the packaging bag,
The bag supply device includes:
A bag separating section that separates the stacked multiple packaging bags one by one from the edge portion;
a discharge section that discharges the edge portion of the packaging bag to a discharge port after the edge portion of the packaging bag is separated from the packaging bag;
a supply port for the packaging bag disposed on one end side, and a discharge port for the edge portion disposed on the other end side, and a stock portion for holding the edge portion and stocking the packaging bag,
Layered food bagging system. a bag supplying device that supplies packaging bags that are separably connected to the edges;
and an automatic machine for placing the layered food in the packaging bag,
The bag supply device includes:
A bag separating section that separates the stacked multiple packaging bags one by one from the edge portion;
a discharge section that discharges the edge portion of the packaging bag to a discharge port after the edge portion of the packaging bag is separated from the packaging bag;
a stock section for holding the edge section and stocking the packaging bag;
The stock unit includes:
the edge portion is movably held between a supply port of the packaging bag arranged on one end side of the stock portion and the discharge port of the edge portion arranged on the other end side of the stock portion;
Layered food bagging system. The discharge section is
an extrusion device for extruding the edge portion into the outlet;
3. The layered food bagging system of claim 2. The bag supply device includes:
an opening forming section that forms an opening by sucking the opening of the packaging bag separated by the bag separating section in a non-contact manner;
3. The layered food bagging system of claim 2. The opening forming portion is
A first suction portion that suctions a first portion of the bag opening in a non-contact manner;
A second suction portion that suctions a second portion of the bag opening in a non-contact manner;
a drive device that moves the first suction portion and the second suction portion so as to bring the first portion and the second portion closer to each other;
5. The layered food bagging system of claim 4. The food product further includes a temporary placement device in which the first layered food and the second layered food are temporarily placed in a position in which the layering direction is substantially horizontal,
The temporary placement device is
A position adjustment unit that adjusts the positions of the first layered food and the second layered food in a first direction perpendicular to the stacking direction,
The automated machine includes:
The first layered food product and the second layered food product whose positions in the first direction have been adjusted are placed in the packaging bag.
3. The layered food bagging system of claim 2. The temporary placement device is
A detection unit that detects the positions of the first layered food product and the second layered food product in the first direction,
The position adjustment unit is
adjusting the positions of the first layered food product and the second layered food product based on the detection result of the detection unit;
7. The layered food bagging system of claim 6. The detection unit is
a first detection unit that detects end positions of lower ends of the first stacked food product and the second stacked food product in the first direction;
a second detection unit that detects an end position in the first direction of a middle portion in a height direction of the first stacked food product and the second stacked food product,
The position adjustment unit is
adjusting the positions of the first layered food product and the second layered food product based on the detection results of the first detection unit and the second detection unit;
8. The layered food bagging system of claim 7. Providing a packaging bag with a releasably connected edge;
and placing the layered food in the packaging bag;
Providing the packaging bag includes:
Separating the stacked packaging bags one by one from the edge portion;
After the packaging bag is separated from the edge portion, the edge portion is discharged to a discharge port.
and stocking the packaging bag by holding the edge portion using a stock unit having a supply port for the packaging bag arranged on one end side and a discharge port for the edge portion arranged on the other end side.
Laminated food bagging method. Providing a packaging bag with a releasably connected edge;
and placing the layered food in the packaging bag;
Providing the packaging bag includes:
Separating the stacked packaging bags one by one from the edge portion;
After the packaging bag is separated from the edge portion, the edge portion is discharged to a discharge port.
and holding the edge portion by a stock portion and stocking the packaging bag.
The stocking of the packaging bags includes:
and movably holding the edge portion between a supply port of the packaging bag arranged on one end side of the stock portion and the discharge port of the edge portion arranged on the other end side of the stock portion.
Laminated food bagging method. Providing the packaging bag includes:
and forming an opening by non-contact suction of the opening of the separated packaging bag.
11. The method for packing food into a layered bag according to claim 9 or 10. The first layered food and the second layered food are temporarily placed in a position in which the layering direction is substantially horizontal,
The provisional setting is
Adjusting the positions of the first layered food product and the second layered food product in a first direction perpendicular to the stacking direction,
11. The method for packing food into a layered bag according to claim 9 or 10.