JP7505736B2 - Seal Inspection Equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a seal inspection device.

As disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP 2013-35590 A), a seal inspection device is known that inspects the sealed state of a packaging bag containing an item. The seal inspection device in Patent Document 1 clamps the packaging bag between an upper conveyor located above the packaging bag and a lower conveyor located below the packaging bag, and judges whether the sealing state of the packaging bag is good or bad based on the change in the volume of the packaging bag.

The seal inspection device in Patent Document 1 judges whether the sealing condition of a single packaging bag is good or bad. When the seal inspection device in Patent Document 1 inspects a continuous packaging bag (a continuous bag) in which multiple bags containing items are connected together, it can inspect the seal of the first bag for defects. However, the seal inspection device in Patent Document 1 cannot inspect the seal condition of bags other than the first bag.

The objective of the present invention is to provide a seal inspection device that inspects the seal condition of each bag that makes up a chain bag.

The seal inspection device according to the first aspect includes a conveying unit, a seal inspection unit, a detection unit, and a control unit. The conveying unit conveys a chain of multiple bags containing items. The seal inspection unit inspects the seal condition of each bag in the chain of bags conveyed by the conveying unit. The detection unit detects the chain of bags conveyed by the conveying unit. The control unit determines the inspection timing of each bag in the seal inspection unit based on the detection timing of the head of the chain of bags detected by the detection unit, a preset length of the bag, and the conveying speed of the chain of bags in the conveying unit.

When inspecting a chain of bags using a seal inspection device that inspects the seal condition of conventional packaging bags, the problem of not being able to inspect the seal condition of bags other than the first bag is due to the fact that, because multiple bags are in a row, it is unclear when to inspect bags other than the first bag. The inventor discovered this problem and completed the present invention.

According to the seal inspection device of the first aspect, the detection unit can detect the detection timing of the front of the chain of packets. Furthermore, the control unit can determine the inspection timing for each bag in the seal inspection unit based on the detection timing, the conveying speed, and the length of each bag. Therefore, by inspecting each bag in the seal inspection unit according to the inspection timing determined by the control unit, the seal condition of each bag that makes up the chain of packets can be inspected.

The seal inspection device according to the second aspect is the seal inspection device according to the first aspect, in which the control unit determines the inspection timing in the seal inspection unit for the first bag in the chain of packets based on the detection timing. On the other hand, for bags other than the first bag in the chain of packets, the control unit determines the inspection timing in the seal inspection unit based on the length and conveying speed of the bag.

In the seal inspection device of the second aspect, the control unit specifically determines the timing of inspection of the first bag and the timing of inspection of bags other than the first. Therefore, the seal condition of each bag that makes up the chain of bags can be easily inspected.

The seal inspection device according to the third aspect is the seal inspection device according to the first or second aspect, and further includes a measuring unit that measures the length of each bag.

The inventors realized that the length of the bag is not constant, depending on the temperature, the amount of gas in the bag, the size of the item, etc. Here, the length of each bag is measured by the measuring unit, so the inspection timing for each bag to be inspected by the seal inspection unit can be determined with high precision.

The seal inspection device according to the fourth aspect is the seal inspection device according to the first to third aspects, in which the seal inspection unit measures the thickness of each bag. The seal inspection device further includes an alarm unit that alarms when the total value of the thicknesses of each bag is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The inventor further considered packing the chain bag that is found to be in a good seal state by the seal inspection device in a downstream packing device. In this case, the inventor noted that whether the chain bag can be packed or not depends not on the thickness of one of the bags but on the total thickness of the individual bags. Here, chain bags whose total thickness exceeds a predetermined value that cannot be packed are judged to be defective and a notification unit notifies this fact. Therefore, chain bags that cannot be packed can be prevented from being transported to the downstream packing device.

The seal inspection device according to the fifth aspect is the seal inspection device according to the first to fourth aspects, further comprising an alarm unit that notifies the user when the seal inspection unit detects a defective seal in at least one bag.

In the seal inspection device of the fifth aspect, the notification unit notifies the user that a defective seal has been detected in the bag. This prevents a chain of bags containing a defectively sealed bag from being transported to a downstream boxing device.

The seal inspection device according to the sixth aspect is the seal inspection device according to the first to fifth aspects, in which the seal inspection unit measures the number of bags. The seal inspection device further includes an alarm unit that alarms the user when the number of bags does not match a preset number.

In the seal inspection device of the sixth aspect, the notification unit can notify that the number of bags that make up the chain bag does not match a preset number. Therefore, chain bags with an incorrect number of bags can be prevented from being transported to the downstream boxing device.

The seal inspection device according to the seventh aspect is a seal inspection device according to the first to sixth aspects, in which the chain bag has more than 10 bags.

The seal inspection device of the seventh aspect can inspect the seal condition of each bag even if the chain bag contains more than 10 bags.

The present invention makes it possible to inspect the sealing condition of each bag that makes up a chain bag.

1 is a perspective view of a conveying device that employs a seal inspection device according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a chain bag according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a side view showing a seal inspection device according to an embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a seal inspection device according to an embodiment. 4 is a flowchart showing a seal inspection method according to an embodiment. FIG. 13 is a block diagram of a seal inspection device according to a modified example.

The seal inspection device 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention is described below.

(1) Overall Overview Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a conveying device that employs a seal inspection device 100 according to the present embodiment. In Fig. 1, the conveying device includes the seal inspection device 100 and a horizontal conveyor 101.

On the horizontal transport surface of the horizontal conveyor 101, a plate-shaped first guide member 102 and a plate-shaped second guide member 103 are arranged to sandwich the track along which the chain bag C moves from both sides. The bags B of the chain bag C that have passed through the seal inspection device 100 are carried into the horizontal conveyor 101 and are aligned in a straight line by the first guide member 102 and the second guide member 103 while being transported to the next process.

The seal inspection device 100 inspects the seal condition of a chain bag C, which is a chain of multiple bags B containing an item A as shown in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the chain bag C may have two or more bags B, but the seal inspection device 100 is preferably used to inspect the seal condition of each bag in a chain bag C that has more than 10 bags. Here, the seal condition of a chain bag C that has 11 bags, that is, 11 bags B, is inspected. In FIG. 2, the bags B that make up the chain bag C are numbered B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B6, B7, B8, B9, B10, and B11, in order from the top.

Each bag B constituting the chain bag C has a vertical seal portion (not shown) and a horizontal seal portion XT. The horizontal seal portion XT is formed between each bag B. A perforation P is formed in the horizontal seal portion XT. The chain bag C of this embodiment is made up of multiple bags B connected together, and does not have a header that is a hanging portion. Note that the chain bag C may have a header above the topmost bag B.

Figure 3 is a side view of the seal inspection device 100. Figure 4 is a block diagram of the seal inspection device 100. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the seal inspection device 100 includes a conveying unit 110, a seal inspection unit 120, a detection unit 130, a memory unit 150, a control unit 160, and an alarm unit 170.

The memory unit 150 and the control unit 160 constitute a control device used in the seal inspection device 100. The memory unit 150 and the control unit 160 are included in the control device. The control device is realized by a computer. The control device includes a control arithmetic unit and a storage device. A processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) can be used for the control arithmetic unit. The control arithmetic unit reads a program stored in the storage device and performs a predetermined arithmetic process according to the program. Furthermore, the control arithmetic unit can write the calculation results to the storage device and read information stored in the storage device according to the program.

(2) Detailed Configuration (2-1) Conveying Section The conveying section 110 conveys the chain bag C. The conveying speed of the conveying section 110 is constant and can be set appropriately. Here, as shown in Fig. 3, the conveying section 110 is a conveyor that supports the chain bag C from below and conveys it toward the horizontal conveyor 101. A seal inspection section 120 is arranged in the conveying section 110.

The conveying section 110 has a pair of rollers 111, a belt 112, and a drive section (not shown). The pair of rollers 111 are supported so as to be freely rotatable. The belt 112 is wound between the rollers 111. The belt 112 runs in the conveying direction H by the drive section.

(2-2) Seal Inspection Unit The seal inspection unit 120 inspects the seal condition of each bag B of the chain bag C transported by the transport unit 110. The seal inspection unit 120 of this embodiment has a seal inspection function, a thickness measurement function, and a number measurement function. The seal inspection unit 120 includes an upper conveyor 121 and a lifting mechanism 122.

The upper conveyor 121 is disposed above the transport section 110. The upper conveyor 121 is positioned above the bag B to be inspected. The upper conveyor 121 sandwiches the bag B between itself and the transport section 110, which serves as a lower conveyor and is positioned below the bag B to be inspected.

The upper conveyor 121 has three rollers 121a and a belt 121b. The three rollers 121a are supported so as to be freely rotatable. The belt 121b is wound around the roller 121a. The length in the conveying direction of the portion of the belt 121b that pinches the bag B is shorter than the length of one bag B in the conveying direction. Note that, from the viewpoint of preventing the pinching of bags B other than the bag B to be inspected, it is preferable that the length in the conveying direction of the upper conveyor 121 is shorter than the length in the conveying direction of one bag B.

The lifting mechanism 122 raises and lowers the upper conveyor 121. The lifting mechanism 122 has a lifting frame 123, a servo motor 124, a lever 125, a relay link 126, a first link 127, and a second link 128.

One end of a lever 125 is attached to the output shaft of the servo motor 124. One end of a linear relay link 126 is connected to the other end of the lever 125.

Furthermore, one end of a boomerang-shaped first link 127 is connected to the other end of the relay link 126. The other end of the first link 127 is connected to the right end of the lifting frame 123. The right end means the upstream end in the conveying direction. The first link 127 can swing in the direction of arrow e around the support shaft 127a.

One end of the second link 128 is attached so as to be freely rotatable around the support shaft 128a, and the other end is connected to the left end of the lifting frame 123. Therefore, when the servo motor 124 rotates the lever 125, the first link 127 and the second link 128 swing, and the lifting frame 123 can move in the direction of the arrow V while maintaining a parallel relationship between the upper conveyor 121 and the transport section (lower conveyor) 110. The left end refers to the downstream end in the transport direction.

The lifting frame 123 raises the upper conveyor 121 so that the distance between the transport section 110 and the upper conveyor 121 is slightly smaller than the thickness of bag B.

When bag B flows through the conveying section 110, the gap between the conveying section 110 and the upper conveyor 121 in the initial state is smaller than the thickness of bag B, so that the upper conveyor 121 is lifted by the entry of the leading bag B of the chain bag C in the conveying direction H.

As bag B is sandwiched between the conveying surface of the conveying unit 110 and the conveying surface of the upper conveyor 121, it is pushed by a predetermined force transmitted from the servo motor 124 while being conveyed. This applies pressure to bag B in the thickness direction. The gap between the conveying unit 110 and the upper conveyor 121 at this time is detected by the servo motor 124, and the control system inspects the sealing condition of bag B based on the detection signal. If the gap between the conveying unit 110 and the upper conveyor 121 does not decrease below a predetermined value, bag B is determined to be properly sealed. On the other hand, if the gap between the conveying unit 110 and the upper conveyor 121 decreases below the predetermined value, bag B is determined to be defectively sealed. If the seal inspection unit 120 detects a defective seal of bag B, it sends a notification to the notification unit 170.

The distance between the conveying section 110 and the upper conveyor 121 when pressed with a predetermined force is detected as the thickness of the bag B. In this way, the seal inspection section 120 measures the thickness of each bag B that makes up the chain bag C. The thickness detected in this way is stored in the thickness memory section 152 shown in FIG. 4.

In this embodiment, the seal inspection unit 120 inspects the seal condition and thickness of the leading bag B1 in the chain of bags C in order from bag B1 to bag B11. When the leading bag B1 flows into the upper conveyor 121, which is waiting in a standby state at a standby position (a position lower than the thickness of bag B), the upper conveyor 121 is lifted up by the leading bag B1. When the inspection of the leading bag B1 is completed, the upper conveyor 121 attempts to return to the standby position. However, as bags B2 to B11 of the chain of bags C continue to flow, the upper conveyor 121 is lifted up by the next bag B before it can return. The movement of the upper conveyor 121 is repeated by bags B2 to B11.

Specifically, when inspection of the leading bag B1 is completed, a predetermined force is applied from the upper conveyor 121 by the servo motor 124 to bag B2 according to the inspection timing determined by the control unit 160, thereby inspecting the seal condition and measuring the thickness. When inspection of bag B2 is completed, inspection of bag B3 is similarly performed according to the inspection timing determined by the control unit 160. In this way, inspection is performed sequentially on bags B1 to B11 that make up the chain bag C.

The seal inspection unit 120 also counts the number of bags B whose seal condition has been inspected. In this way, the seal inspection unit 120 measures the number of bags B that make up the chain bag C. The number of chain bags C detected in this way is stored in the thickness memory unit 152 shown in FIG. 4.

(2-3) Detection Unit The detection unit 130 shown in Fig. 4 detects the chain of packets C transported by the transport unit 110. The detection unit 130 detects the timing of the front end of the chain of packets C. The timing of the front end detection is the timing of the front end of the chain of packets C. The detection unit 130 also detects the front and rear ends of the chain of packets C.

The detection unit 130 is disposed upstream of the seal inspection unit 120. For example, a photoelectric sensor can be used as the detection unit 130.

(2-4) Storage Unit The storage unit 150 includes a length storage unit 151, a thickness storage unit 152, and a number storage unit 153.

(2-4-1) Length Memory Unit The length memory unit 151 stores the length of the bags B that make up the chain bag C. The length of the bags B to be stored is set in advance. Here, the length memory unit 151 stores the value input by the worker that is the length of the bags B that has been set in advance.

(2-4-2) Thickness Memory Unit The thickness memory unit 152 stores the thickness of each bag B constituting the chain bag C measured by the detection unit 130. The stored thickness of each bag B does not need to be linked to the order in which the bags B were measured.

(2-4-3) Number Storage Unit The number storage unit 153 stores the number of bags B that make up the chain bag C. The number of bags B to be stored is set in advance. Here, the number storage unit 153 stores the number of bags input in advance by the operator and the number of bags measured by the seal inspection unit 120.

(2-5) Control Unit The control unit 160 includes a calculation unit 161, a thickness determination unit 162, and a number determination unit 163. The calculation unit 161 determines the inspection timing for each bag B. The thickness determination unit 162 determines whether the thickness of the bag B is defective. The number determination unit 163 determines whether the number of bags B that make up the chain bag C is defective.

The calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160 determines the inspection timing of each bag B in the seal inspection unit 120 based on the detection timing of the head of the chain of bags C detected by the detection unit 130, the preset length of the bags B, and the conveying speed of the chain of bags C in the conveying unit 110. The inspection timing determined by the calculation unit 161 is transmitted to the seal inspection unit 120.

In detail, the calculation unit 161 reads the length of bag B from the length memory unit 151 and obtains the preset length of bag B. The calculation unit 161 also obtains the conveying speed of the chain bag C from the conveying unit 110. The calculation unit 161 also obtains the detection timing, which is the timing at which the leading bag B1 is conveyed to the seal inspection unit 120, from the detection unit 130. The calculation unit 161 also obtains the number of bags that make up the chain bag C from the number memory unit 153.

For the leading bag B1 in the chain of packets C, the calculation unit 161 determines the inspection timing in the seal inspection unit 120 based on the acquired detection timing.

For bags B2 to B11 other than the leading bag B1 in the chain of bags C, the calculation unit 161 determines the inspection timing in the seal inspection unit 120 based on the length of the bag B and the conveying speed. Specifically, the calculation unit 161 calculates the inspection timing for each bag B2 to B12 as the time lapse calculated from the detection timing of the leading bag B1 by the length of one bag/conveying speed. For example, if there are 11 bags, each bag is 20 cm long, and the conveying speed is 40 cm/sec, the calculation unit 161 determines the inspection timing for bags B2 to B11 to be 10 times every 0.5 seconds from the detection timing of the leading bag B1 (i.e., 0.5 seconds, 1.0 seconds, 1.5 seconds, 2.0 seconds, 2.5 seconds, 3.0 seconds, 3.5 seconds, 4.0 seconds, 4.5 seconds, and 5.0 seconds after the detection timing of bag B1).

(2-5-2) Thickness Determination Unit The thickness determination unit 162 reads out and acquires the thickness of each bag B measured by the seal inspection unit 120 from the thickness memory unit 152. The thickness determination unit 162 then determines whether the total thickness of each bag B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. The predetermined value is a value that is set based on the size of the box in which the chain bag C is packed. If the total thickness of each bag B is less than the predetermined value, it determines that the thickness is normal. On the other hand, if the total thickness of each bag B is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, it determines that the thickness is abnormal. If the thickness determination unit 162 determines that the thickness is abnormal, it transmits a message to the notification unit 170 to that effect.

(2-5-3) Number Determination Unit The number determination unit 163 reads out and acquires the number of bags B measured by the seal inspection unit 120 and a preset number from the number memory unit 153. The number determination unit 163 then determines whether or not the number of bags B measured by the seal inspection unit 120 matches the preset number. If they match, it determines that the number of linked package bags C is normal. On the other hand, if they do not match, it determines that the number of linked package bags C is abnormal. If the number determination unit 163 determines that the number of bags is abnormal, it transmits a message to the notification unit 170 to that effect.

(2-6) Notification Unit As described above, if at least one of the bags B constituting the chain bag C has a defective seal, if the total thickness of the bags B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or if the number of the bags B constituting the chain bag C does not match a preset number, the chain bag C is determined to be defective. When the chain bag C is determined to be defective as a result of the inspection, the notification unit 170 notifies the operator so that the operator can recognize the result.

Specifically, when the seal inspection unit 120 detects a seal defect in at least one bag B, the notification unit 170 notifies the user of this fact. Here, when the notification unit 170 receives a notification from the seal inspection unit 120 that a seal defect has been detected in at least one bag B, the notification unit 170 notifies the user that a defectively sealed chain bag C will be discharged from the seal inspection device 100.

The notification unit 170 also notifies the user when the total thickness of each bag B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Here, when the notification unit 170 receives information from the thickness determination unit 162 that the total thickness of each bag B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, it notifies the user that a chain bag C with a defective thickness will be discharged from the seal inspection device 100.

In addition, the notification unit 170 notifies the user when the number of bags B does not match the preset number. Here, when the notification unit 170 receives a notification from the number determination unit 163 that the number of bags B does not match the preset number, it notifies the user that a chain of bags C with a defective bag count will be discharged from the seal inspection device 100.

In addition, a discharge section is provided to discharge defective packets C to the outside. The discharge section is provided between the horizontal conveyor 101 and the boxing device downstream of the horizontal conveyor 101.

(3) Seal Inspection Method Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing the seal inspection method of the present embodiment. The seal inspection method of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 5. The seal inspection method of the present embodiment is performed using a seal inspection device 100.

First, a weighing machine and a bag making and packaging machine (not shown) manufacture a chain of bags C, each of which is made up of a number of bags B containing an item A. The manufactured chain of bags C is transported to the conveying section 110 of the seal inspection device 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the conveying section 110 conveys the chain of bags C (step S1).

The detection unit 130 detects the chain of bags C being transported by the transport unit 110 (step S2). Here, the detection unit 130 detects that the chain of bags C being transported on the transport unit 110 has entered between the upper conveyor 121 of the seal inspection unit 120 and the transport unit 110 as the detection timing of the leading bag B1.

In response to this detection timing, the servo motor 124 is driven to press the bag B1 with a predetermined force on the upper conveyor 121, and the seal inspection unit 120 inspects the bag B1 (step S3). If the gap between the conveying unit 110 and the upper conveyor 121 does not decrease below a predetermined value, the seal inspection unit 120 determines that the bag B1 is properly sealed. On the other hand, if the gap between the conveying unit 110 and the upper conveyor 121 decreases below a predetermined value, the seal inspection unit 120 determines that the bag B1 is defectively sealed. For example, if the thickness of the bag B1 pressed against the upper conveyor 121 decreases rapidly, this indicates a defective seal. If the seal inspection unit 120 detects a defective seal on the bag B1, it sends a notification to the notification unit 170.

The thickness of bag B1 is calculated from the amount of rotation required for the servo motor 124 to hold bag B1, and this is stored as a thickness measurement value in the thickness memory unit 152. The number of bags B inspected by the seal inspection unit 120 is stored in the number memory unit 153.

The calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160 also obtains the preset length of bag B from the length memory unit 151, and obtains the conveying speed of the chain of bags C from the conveying unit 110. Then, based on the detection timing of the front end, the length of bag B, and the conveying speed, the calculation unit 161 determines the inspection timing of each of bags B2 to B11 in the seal inspection unit 120 (step S4).

According to the inspection timing determined by the calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160, the servo motor 124 is driven to press the second and subsequent bags B2 to B11 sequentially with a predetermined force on the upper conveyor 121. This allows the seal inspection unit 120 to sequentially inspect the seal condition, thickness, and number of each of the bags B2 to B11 in the chain bag C (step S5).

After inspecting the seal state of each bag B that constitutes one chain of packets C, the next new chain of packets C is conveyed (step S1). The detection unit 130 detects the detection timing of the leading bag B1 that constitutes the new chain of packets C (step S2). In this way, the detection unit 130 captures the leading end of each chain of packets C. As described above, the leading bag B1 is inspected (step S3). For bags B2 to B11 other than the leading bag B1, the calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160 determines the inspection timing (step S4), and bags B2 to B11 are inspected according to the inspection timing (step S5).

By carrying out the above steps (steps S1 to S5), the sealing condition, thickness and number of each bag in the chain bag C can be inspected.

A chain bag C that has at least one bag B with a defective seal is determined to be defective. A chain bag C in which the sum of the thicknesses of the bags B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is determined to be defective. A chain bag C in which the number of bags B that make up the chain bag C does not match a preset number is determined to be defective. Chain bags C that are determined to be defective are removed on the way to the downstream boxing device. Here, chain bags C that are determined to be defective are removed from the production line between the horizontal conveyor 101 and the boxing device.

(4) Features (4-1)
The seal inspection device 100 of this embodiment includes a conveying unit 110, a seal inspection unit 120, a detection unit 130, and a control unit 160. The conveying unit 110 conveys a chain of multiple bags B containing an item A. The seal inspection unit 120 inspects the seal state of each bag B of the chain of bags C conveyed by the conveying unit 110. The detection unit 130 detects the chain of bags C conveyed by the conveying unit 110. The control unit 160 determines the inspection timing of each bag B in the seal inspection unit 120 based on the detection timing of the head of the chain of bags C detected by the detection unit 130, a preset length of the bag B, and the conveying speed of the chain of bags C in the conveying unit 110.

The inventor has discovered that when inspecting a chain of bags C using a seal inspection device that inspects the seal condition of conventional packaging bags, it is not possible to inspect the seal condition of bags B2 to B11 other than the leading bag B1. This problem is caused by the fact that, because multiple bags B1 to B11 are connected in a row, it is unclear when to inspect bags B2 to B11 other than the leading bag B1. The inventor has therefore realised a seal inspection device 100 that can specify the timing for inspecting bags B2 to B11 other than the leading bag B1, and inspect all bags B1 to B11.

That is, according to the seal inspection device 100 of this embodiment, the detection unit 130 can detect the detection timing of the front of the chain bag C. Furthermore, the calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160 can determine the inspection timing for each of the bags B1 to B11 in the seal inspection unit 120 based on the detection timing, the conveying speed, and the length of one bag. Therefore, by inspecting each of the bags B1 to B11 in the seal inspection unit 120 according to the inspection timing determined by the calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160, the seal condition of each of the bags B1 to B11 that make up the chain bag C can be inspected.

(4-2)
Specifically, the calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160 determines the inspection timing in the seal inspection unit 120 based on the detection timing for the leading bag B1 in the chain of packets C. On the other hand, for bags B2 to B11 other than the leading bag B1 in the chain of packets C, the calculation unit 161 determines the inspection timing in the seal inspection unit 120 based on the length and conveying speed of the bags B2 to B11.

For bags B2 to B11 other than the leading bag B1 in the chain of bags C, the seal inspection unit 120 inspects them at intervals determined by the length of one bag/transport speed from the timing of detection of the leading bag C, thereby inspecting the seal condition of each bag B that makes up the chain of bags C.

(4-3)
In this manner, the seal inspection device 100 of this embodiment can inspect the seal state of each of the multiple consecutive bags B1 to B11. Therefore, the seal inspection device 100 of this embodiment is suitable for use in inspecting a consecutive bag C having more than 10 bags B, and is even more suitable for use in inspecting a consecutive bag C having 20 or more bags B.

(4-4)
The seal inspection device 100 of the present embodiment further includes a notification unit 170 that notifies the user when the total value of the thicknesses of the bags B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

The inventors have noticed that there are markets where it is desirable to increase the thickness of bags B. When packing in a downstream boxing device, if the chain of bags C occupies one row of a box, the inventors have considered it important to judge whether a chain of bags B is good or bad based on the total thickness of each bag B. Here, chain of bags C whose total thickness exceeds a predetermined value that cannot be packed in a box are judged to be bad, and the notification unit 170 notifies this fact. Therefore, chain of bags C that cannot be packed in a box can be prevented from being transported to the downstream boxing device.

(5) Modifications Modifications of the above embodiment are shown below. Note that part or all of the content of each modification may be combined with the content of the above embodiment or the content of other modifications to the extent that they are not contradictory to each other.

(5-1) Modification A
In the embodiment described above, the calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160 determines the inspection timing without changing the previously set length of bag B during operation of the seal inspection apparatus 100. In this modified example, the set length of bag B is changed while the seal inspection apparatus 200 is operating.

Figure 6 is a block diagram of the seal inspection device 200 of this modified example. As shown in Figure 6, the seal inspection device 200 of this modified example further includes a measuring unit 140. The measuring unit 140 measures the length of each bag B that constitutes the chain bag C. The length of the bag B is the length extending along the conveying direction H.

The measuring unit 140 receives the detection timing from the detection unit 130 and calculates the length of each bag B that constitutes the chain of packets C. The measuring unit 140 measures the length of each bag B that constitutes the chain of packets C that does not have a header, for example, as follows. From the detection timing of the leading end and trailing end of the chain of packets C detected by the detection unit 130, the measuring unit 140 measures the transport time of the chain of packets C. The measuring unit 140 then multiplies the transport speed by the transport time to calculate the overall length of the chain of packets C, and divides the overall length of the chain of packets C by the number of bags to calculate the length of one bag.

The timing at which the measuring unit 140 measures the length of the bag B can be set arbitrarily. For example, the measuring unit 140 may measure at predetermined time intervals, or may measure in response to changes in temperature, humidity, etc.

The length of bag B measured in this manner is stored in the length memory unit 151. Therefore, the length memory unit 151 in this modified example stores the value input by the worker for the length of bag B that has been set in advance, and the value measured by the measurement unit 140.

The calculation unit 161 of this modified example further acquires the length of bag B measured by the measurement unit 140 from the length memory unit 151. The calculation unit 161 then uses the difference between the length of bag B used in the inspection and the newly acquired length of bag B as a correction value, and reflects this in determining the inspection timing. Specifically, when the length of bag B measured by the measurement unit 140 is acquired during the inspection of one chain of packets C by the seal inspection unit 120, the inspection timing is determined by replacing the previously set length of bag B with the value measured by the measurement unit 140 in the inspection of a new chain of packets C that is to be inspected after the chain of packets C.

As described above, the seal inspection device 200 of this modified example further includes a measuring unit 140 that measures the length of each bag B, so that the difference from the set value of the length of the chain bag C can be reflected as a correction value in the measurement timing of each bag B. Therefore, even if the length of bag B changes due to the temperature, the amount of gas in bag B, the size of item A, etc., the calculation unit 161 of the control unit 160 can determine with high precision the inspection timing of each bag B to be inspected by the seal inspection unit 120.

Here, it is possible to prevent the accumulation of deviations in the inspection timing at the seal inspection unit 120 due to changes in the length of the bag B. For this reason, the seal inspection device 200 of this modified example is suitable for use when there are a large number of bags B that make up the chain bag C, or when measurements are to be made in an environment where the length of the bag B is likely to change.

(5-2) Modification B
The seal inspection unit 120 in the above embodiment has a seal inspection function, a thickness measurement function, and a number measurement function, but the thickness measurement function and the number measurement function may be omitted. The seal inspection unit in this modified example has a seal inspection function and a thickness measurement function, but does not have a number measurement function.

(5-3) Modification C
In the above embodiment, the notification unit 170 notifies of a sealing defect, a defect in the total thickness, and a defect in the number of bags. In this modified example, a notification unit for notifying a sealing defect, a notification unit for notifying a defect in the total thickness, and a notification unit for notifying a defect in the number of bags are provided separately.

(5-4) Modification D
In the above embodiment, a discharge unit that discharges defective packets C to the outside is provided downstream of the seal inspection device 100. In this modified example, a discharge unit is provided in the seal inspection device 100. The discharge unit may be omitted.

100, 200: Seal inspection device 110: Conveyor section 120: Seal inspection section 130: Detection section 140: Measurement section 150: Memory section 160: Control section 170: Notification section A: Item B: Bag C: Chain bag

JP 2013-35590 A

Claims (6)

a conveying unit that conveys a chain of bags each containing an article;
a seal inspection unit that inspects a seal state of each of the chain bags conveyed by the conveying unit;
a detection unit disposed upstream of the seal inspection unit and configured to detect the chain of packets being transported by the transport unit;
a control unit that determines the inspection timing of each of the bags in the seal inspection unit based on the detection timing of the leading end of the chain of bags detected by the detection unit, a preset length of the bag, and a conveying speed of the chain of bags in the conveying unit;
Equipped with
The control unit determines the inspection timing in the seal inspection unit for the leading bag in the chain of packets based on the detection timing, while determining the inspection timing in the seal inspection unit for bags other than the leading bag in the chain of packets based on the length of the bag and the conveying speed.
Seal inspection equipment. A measuring unit that measures the length of each of the bags is further provided,
the control unit replaces a preset length of the bag with the length of the bag measured by the measurement unit, and determines a timing for inspecting the bag.
The seal inspection device according to claim 1 . The seal inspection unit measures the thickness of each of the bags,
The device further includes a notification unit that notifies the user when the total thickness of the bags is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
The seal inspection device according to claim 1 or 2 . The sealing inspection unit may further include a notification unit that notifies the user when a seal defect is detected in at least one of the bags by the seal inspection unit.
The seal inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The seal inspection unit measures the number of bags,
The device further includes an alarm unit that, when the number of the bags does not match a preset number, notifies the user of the fact.
The seal inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 . The packet has more than 10 packets.
The seal inspection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .

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