JPH02127205A - Packaging method and device for food - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To package food continuously by a method wherein one piece of food is made to fall to be placed in a packaging container by its own weight or by a combination with a pushing down by a pushing board, then the food in the packaging container is made to fall to a delivery position by its own weight and is pushed out on a carrying-out conveyor to be carried out, and an empty packaging container is set by being pushed up. CONSTITUTION:By a carrying-in conveyor 2, a heavy cake 1 is sent on a closed gate 3. Under the gate 3, an empty packaging container 4 is held at a setting position by a holding device 5. When it is detected that the heavy cake 1 is located at a predetermined position, the gate 3 is opened. The heavy cake 1 falls and enters in the packaging container 4. By the own weight of the cake, the packaging container with the cake is removed from the holding device 5 and falls on a supporting plate 6 which is located at a delivery position. By a container carrying-in conveyor 7, when the following opened empty packaging container 4' is sent on the supporting plate 6, the packaging container 4 with a heavy cake is pushed out on a carrying-out conveyor 8 and carried out to the following process. In the meantime, the supporting plate 6, on which the packaging container 4' is loaded, ascends to the setting position by an elevating device 9, and is held by the holding device 5.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (a) Field of Industrial Application This invention relates to a method and apparatus for packaging foods, and particularly to a method and apparatus for packaging heavy cakes.

(B) Prior Art The conventional method of storing heavy cakes in containers and packaging them is carried out by an operator manually picking the heavy cakes using a picking means and placing them in the container. It is laborious and time-consuming to manually store soft and fragile heavy cakes in individual packaging containers, and it is also poor in hygiene.

(c) Problems to be Solved by the Invention The object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus for automatically and continuously packaging soft and fragile heavy cakes.

B.) Means for Solving the Problems In order to achieve the above object, the present invention firstly provides a food packaging method in which a food, for example, a heavy cake, is carried in by a conveyor, and a gate for each piece is opened, and a gate is opened in advance. The heavy cake is dropped and stored in a packaging container that is set at the same time by its own weight or by a combination of dead weight drop and pressing down by a pusher, and the packaging container containing the heavy cake is dropped to a delivery position by at least its own weight. , the heavy cake container at the delivery position is pushed out onto the delivery conveyor by the packaging container sent in an open state by the container delivery conveyor, and the empty packaging container sent to the delivery position is pushed up to the setting position and set. Second, as a food packaging device, there is provided an inlet conveyor for transporting the food, a holding means for holding the container in an open state so that it can fall when it reaches a predetermined weight, and the holding means. A gate that is arranged to be openable and closable and that receives the food from the delivery conveyor, or a shutter that pushes the food above the open container on the delivery conveyor, a liftable push plate that pushes the food into the container, and a support plate that supports the packaging container. between the delivery position and the set position, a container carry-in conveyor that transports empty packaging containers onto the support plate at the delivery position, and a container containing heavy cake that is pushed out from the support plate at the delivery position. The food packaging apparatus is characterized in that it has a carry-out conveyor for carrying out the carry-out, and a drive means for opening and closing the gate.

(E) Function The heavy cakes are arranged side by side on the carrying conveyor and sent one by one onto the closed gate. When it is detected that the heavy cake is in the predetermined position of the gate, the gate is opened by the driving means and The cake falls and is stored in the packaging container at the set position, and the container containing the heavy cake is separated from the holding means by its own weight and falls onto the support plate at the delivery position, and the empty container is sent by the container carrying conveyor. As a result, the container containing the heavy cake is pushed onto the unloading conveyor and carried out, and then the other empty containers are pushed up by the lifting device and held in the set position by the holding means, while the other empty containers are pushed up to the closed gate. The next heavy cake is sent in and the above packaging process is repeated again.

The heavy cake is transported by an incoming conveyor, so its shape will not be damaged. In addition, since the cake is dropped from directly above into an open empty container, it is ensured that it is stored inside the container, and moreover, it has become possible to automatically and continuously process the packaging of soft heavy cakes.

The gate is removed to create a space above the empty packaging container, and a shutter is lowered into the gap after the first heavy cake that has stopped at a predetermined position as detected by a sensor on the conveyor, and the shutter is moved to remove the heavy cake. The heavy cake can be pushed into the space from on the carry-in conveyor, and at the same time as it reaches the space, the push plate is lowered to forcibly insert the heavy cake into the packaging container. In this case, since the heavy cake is pushed down by the pusher, it is prevented from getting caught during the fall and being prevented from falling into the packaging container, and it can be inserted into the packaging container reliably. be.

〔Example〕

Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail according to the embodiments shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the principle of the method of the invention. In FIG. 1), a heavy cake (1) is deposited by an incoming conveyor (2) onto a closed gate (3). At this time, there is an empty packaging container (empty carton) (4) under the gate (3).
is held at the set position by the holding means (5).

When it is detected that the heavy cake (1) is in the specified position, the gate (3) is opened as shown in Figure 1 ■, and the gate (3) is opened.
The heavy cake on top will fall and fall into the packaging container (4) at the set position.
), and the packaging container (4) is moved by the weight of the cake.
The support plate (6) is located at the delivery position, apart from the holding means (5).
) to fall on top.

The support plate (6) at the delivery position is equipped with a container carry-in conveyor (7).
The next opened empty packaging container (4") can be carried in. When the empty packaging container (4°) is fed onto the support plate (6) at the delivery position, the opening shown in FIG. As shown in the figure, the heavy cake-containing packaging container (4) is pushed out onto the carry-out conveyor (8) and carried out to the next process.

On the other hand, the support plate (4') on which the next empty packaging container (4') is placed is
6) is moved by the lifting device (9) as shown in Figure 1 ■.
Elevate to set position. in the set position holding means (5);
For example, when the clamp claw is in the standby position and its holding means (
5) Clamp and hold in the state shown in Figure 1 (G) by pushing from the inside to the outside. When the empty packaging container (4'') is clamped in the set position, the support plate (6) is lowered to the delivery position. During this time, the gate (3) is closed.

In the illustrated example, the gate (3) is closed at the stage shown in FIG.

FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a packaging device for carrying out the packaging method of FIG. In FIG. 2, a carry-in conveyor (2) is arranged on the packaging device frame (11). The carry-in conveyor (2) may be any type of conveyor as long as it conveys the food to be conveyed, such as a heavy cake, in a sanitary manner. It can also be configured to be imported automatically.

Depending on the convenience of loading and transporting food, the carry-in conveyor (2) can be arranged so that it moves upward diagonally as shown in Figure 2, but it can also be arranged flat as shown in Figure 3. Good too.

A gate (3) is arranged adjacent to the delivery end of the incoming conveyor (gate (3) is omitted in FIG. 2). The gate (3) is placed at approximately the same height as the exit end of the incoming conveyor (2), and the food is transported from the incoming conveyor (2) to the gate (3).
It is designed so that it can be transferred smoothly.

A guide plate (12) is provided so that the food is placed at a predetermined position on the gate (3), and the guide plate positions and guides both ends of the food in the feeding direction by the carry-in conveyor (2).

In order to smoothly guide the food between the guide plates (12) by the carry-in conveyor (2), a guide belt device (1) is installed near the exit end of the carry-in conveyor (2) to guide both sides of the food.
3) is located.

The belt of the guide belt device (13) is driven to move in synchronization with the input conveyor.

A stopper (14) is provided to determine the stopping position on the gate (3) of the food that is sent onto the gate (3) by the carry-in conveyor (2).

The gate (3) is configured to open and close between the end of the carry-in conveyor (2) and the stopper (14).
3) is connected to a drive device (15) for reciprocating movement.

The drive device (15) includes a crank arm (17) rotatably supported by a bearing (16), a motor (18) that rotationally drives the crank arm (17), and a crank arm (17).
and a connecting rod (19) that connects the gate (3).

At a predetermined setting position below the gate (3), a holding means (5) for opening and holding the packaging container is provided. The holding means (5) can be, for example, a clamping device. The clamp device has fixed claws (5
a) and a movable pawl (5b), the movable pawl (5b) being connected to a reciprocating drive (not shown) (see Figure 3). This reciprocating drive device is a gate (3) drive device (
Similarly to 15), a crank device or a fluid pressure cylinder device may be used.

The movable claw (5b) moves to Y$(ffj) indicated by the chain line in FIG.
position, the packaging container is pushed up from below so that the fixed claw (5a) and the movable claw (5b) are inserted into the open mouth of the packaging container, and the movable claw (5b) is inserted into the opening of the packaging container. 5b) to the right in the figure, and lock the fixing claw (5a
) and the movable claw (5b), the packaging container is held in a clamped manner by pushing and expanding the opening of the container from the inside to the outside. The fixing claw (5a) is formed so as to fit into the container, and if necessary, may be formed integrally with the stopper (14) and supported by the machine frame (11).

The support plate (6) on which the packaging container is placed is connected to a lifting device (21), and is moved up and down between a delivery position shown by a solid line in FIG. 3 and a set position shown by a chain line. Lifting device (21)
may be a crank device or a fluid pressure cylinder device, similar to the drive device (15). The support plate (6) is moved up and down by the operation of the lifting device (21), and the packaging container on the support plate (6) is lifted from the delivery position to the set position.

Container carrying conveyor (22) adjacent to the support plate at the delivery position
is located. The container carrying-in conveyor (22) can be a belt conveyor, but it can also be formed as a conveyor having push pins (23) arranged at equal intervals and circulating in order to push the packaging containers one by one. .

It is also possible to construct the arrangement so that the juxtaposed packaging containers are moved to a predetermined stroke by a bushier that is reciprocated by a fluid pressure cylinder. This container carry-in conveyor (22) transports the empty and opened packaging containers directly onto the support plate (6).
Although individual conveyance is also possible, in the illustrated example, the packaging containers sent by the container carry-in conveyor (22) are transported by a pusher (24) that reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the feeding direction of the container carry-in conveyor (22). , only one packaging container is pushed and transferred from the top of the container carry-in conveyor (22) onto the support plate (6).

The drive device (25) for reciprocating the pusher (24) may be a crank device or a hydraulic cylinder device. When an empty packaging container is transferred onto the support plate (6) by the pusher (24), if a container containing food is placed on the support plate (6), the container is moved by the empty packaging container. It is pushed out from the support plate (6). The carry-out conveyor (26) is disposed at a position where the packaging container containing the food is pushed out, so that it can be carried out to the next process. In the illustrated example, a container carry-in conveyor (22) and a carry-out conveyor (26) are arranged in parallel with a support plate (6) in between.

The input conveyor (2) is arranged to extend orthogonally to the output conveyor (26).

The operation will be explained below.

Empty packaging containers sent by the container carry-in conveyor (22) are pushed by the pusher shear (24) and placed on the support plate (6), and the pusher (24) returns. Next, the empty packaging container is pushed up by actuation of the lifting device. The fixed claw (5a) and the movable claw (5b) in the standby position are inserted into an empty packaging container, and the movable claw (5b) is moved.
The empty packaging container receives a tensile force from the inside by the fixed claw (5a) and the movable claw (5b), and the fixed claw (5a) and the movable claw (5b)
5b) is clamped and held. Thereafter, the support plate (6) is lowered to the delivery position. In this state, the food is carried by the carry-in conveyor (2) onto the gate (3) which is in the previously closed position. For example, when the sensor (27) detects that the food has arrived at a predetermined position, the drive device (15) is moved forward to open the gate (3). The gate (3) can be moved only after the food is fully placed, but the gate (3) is opened only when enough of the edge of the food is placed on the gate (3) to support it. You can also do it like this. In this case, the movement of the gate (3) and the loading conveyor (2)
) should be synchronized with the feed.

The food is positioned by the stopper (14), and then when the gate (3) is fully opened, the food automatically falls into the container, and the container is then moved by its own weight to the fixing claw (5).
a) and the movable claw (5b) and is placed on the support plate (6) at the delivery position. Then pusher (24
) is pushed by the empty packaging container, and the food-filled container is pushed onto the delivery conveyor (26) and carried out. Also, the pusher (24) returns. This causes the cycle to repeat from the beginning. Note that the gate (3) is moved to the same position at a convenient time after the food has fallen, and the movable claw (5b)
) moves to a standby position at a convenient time after the container is dropped and prepares for the next cycle.

The above embodiment may be partially modified as shown in FIG.

In FIG. 4, a shutter (31) is provided in place of the gate (3) shown in FIG. The shutter (31) is supported by a support base (32) so as to be movable up and down, and is moved up and down by a vertical drive means (not shown).

The vertical drive means can be formed in the same manner as the drive device (15).

By moving the support base (32) that supports the shutter (31) back and forth in the feeding direction of the carry-in conveyor (2), the shutter (31) transfers the cake (1) to the carry-in conveyor (2).
can be pushed from above to a position above the container (4).

A pusher (33) is supported on the abutment (32). The pusher (33) is connected to the push plate (34) and the push plate (3).
4) and a drive device (35) for vertically moving it. The drive device (35) can be configured similarly to the drive device (15) described above.

The other configurations in FIG. 1 except for the gate (3) are similarly configured in FIG.

The operation of the example shown in FIG. 4 is as follows.

After the empty packaging container (4) is clamped and held by the holding means (5) as shown in the example of FIG.
2) transports the heavy cake (1), and the sensor (
36) detects the leading edge of the heavy cake (1), the carry-in conveyor (2) stops, and the leading heavy cake (1)
) and the second heavy cake (1), and the shutter (31) is lowered into the gap. Next, the abutment (32) moves and the shutter (31) pushes the leading heavy cake (1) onto the empty container (4).

When the heavy cake (1) being pushed and moved by the shutter (31) reaches the vicinity of the position where it contacts the stopper (14), the heavy cake (1) is moved by its own weight to the empty container (4).
However, at the same time, the drive unit W (35) operates and the push plate (34) pushes the heavy cake (1) and inserts it.

Thereafter, the shutter (31) and the push plate (34) return upward, and the abutment (32) returns and retreats to wait for the next cycle.

(f) Effects According to the present invention, even soft and fragile foods can be safely and reliably stored in a container using a compact device, and the storing operation can be performed automatically and continuously. It also has the effect of improving the workability of food packaging operations.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the principle of the method of this invention, A to E are explanatory diagrams showing the process step by step, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the packaging device of this invention, and Fig. 3 is the same as Fig. 2. Partial explanatory diagrams, FIG. 4 are diagrams showing the principle of another example of the present invention, where 2) is an explanatory diagram of the state immediately after the first food is stopped, and 2 is an explanatory diagram of the state when the food is inserted into the packaging container.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. Transporting and placing one food item on the gate;
Opening a gate upon detection of food being carried into a predetermined position and dropping the food into a preset packaging container;
The container containing food falls from the set position to the delivery position due to the weight of the food, and the empty packaging container is moved to the delivery position by feeding one empty packaging container that has been opened and lined up in advance. , the time between when the container containing the food is pushed out from the delivery position onto the delivery conveyor, when the empty packaging container at the delivery position is raised and held in the set position, and until the empty packaging container is held in the set position. A food packaging method characterized by closing a gate and automatically repeating. 2. A sensor detects and stops the first food brought in by the conveyor, lowers a shutter into the gap between the first food and the following food, and moves the shutter to remove the food. The food is moved onto a packaging container that has been set in advance, and at the same time the food falls onto the packaging container due to its own weight, the push plate is lowered to push down the food and insert it into the packaging container. The empty packaging container is moved to the delivery position by falling from the set position to the delivery position and the feeding of one empty packaging container that has been opened and lined up in advance, and the container containing food is moved from the delivery position to the delivery position. A food packaging method characterized by automatically repeating the steps of being pushed onto a discharge conveyor, and lifting an empty packaging container at a delivery position and holding it at a set position. 3. A gate that can be opened and closed, a carry-in conveyor for delivering food to the gate, and a holding means that holds an empty packaging container at a set position under the gate so that it can fall when it reaches a predetermined weight in an open state; a lifting device that raises and lowers a support plate that supports one packaging container between a delivery position and a set position; a container carry-in conveyor that transports empty packaging containers onto the support plate at the delivery position; 1. A food packaging device comprising: a conveyor for carrying out a container containing food pushed out from a support plate at a position; and a drive means for opening and closing the gate. 4. A carry-in conveyor, a sensor that detects when the first food on the carry-in conveyor reaches a predetermined position, a shutter that can be lowered between the first food and the following food, and an empty packaging container that holds the container open. means for moving the shutter for moving the food from the carry-in conveyor to a position above the empty packaging container; a push plate that pushes down the food into the packaging container; and a means for raising and lowering the push plate; A lifting device that raises and lowers a support plate that supports one packaging container between a delivery position and a set position, a container carry-in conveyor that transports empty packaging containers on the support plate at the delivery position, and a support plate at the delivery position. 1. A food packaging device comprising: a conveyor for conveying a container containing food extruded from the container.