JPH1111406A - Fruit vegetable packaging device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To package a large number of vegetable fruits in a short time, to improve the packaging capacity, to save the packaging work, and to improve the efficiency by continuously providing a cutting machine to cut a calyx part of the vegetable frits, a juice removing machine to wipe the juice attached to the calyx part, and a packaging machine to package the vegetable fruits whose juice is wiped. SOLUTION: A calyx part Aa of a lettuce A loaded on a loading table 3 is cut by a cutting machine 4, the lettuce A is reversed by a reversing machine 5 and transferred on a feeding conveyor 6, the juice oozed at the calyx part Aa of the lettuce A turned upward is wiped and removed by a juice removing machine 7, the juice-wiped lettuce A is horizontally moved by a transferring machine 8 and transferred onto a carry-in conveyor 52 of a packaging machine 9. The outer circumferential surface of the lettuce A is covered with a packaging sheet C, the lettuce A is continuously pillow-packaged one by one in an upwardly-turned condition by the packaging machine 9, and a packaging bag D in which one lettuce A is stored is carried by a carry-out conveyor 53. The packaging capacity is improved, the efficiency of the packaging work is improved, and the quality of the lettuce A is maintained.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus used for packaging fruit and vegetables having a substantially spherical shape such as lettuce, cabbage and pumpkin.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as a method of packaging lettuce as in the above-mentioned example, for example, several (for example, two or three) outer leaves Ab... The ridge Aa of the lettuce A is cut off by a cutter (not shown) such as a cutter. There is a method in which the lettuce A is held by an operator's hand and packaged in a bag-like or sheet-like package, or the lettuce A is packaged by a commercially available packaging machine (not shown).

[0003]

However, when the ridge Aa of the lettuce A is cut off as described above, the liquid B (emulsion) oozes out from the cut end of the ridge Aa, and the liquid B comes into contact with air. Oxidation causes discoloration or deterioration, giving the consumer an impression of poor freshness, and impairing the quality and commercial value of lettuce A. In addition, the operation of cutting off the ridge Aa of the lettuce A and the liquid B oozing on the end face of the ridge Aa
Is performed separately from the work of removing the garbage, so that not only the work and time are required for the work, but also a large number of lettuce A must be wrapped, and the processing capacity and the work efficiency are poor. .

When packing lettuce A using a commercially available packaging machine (not shown), the orientation of lettuce A is not uniform because the attitude of lettuce A, which has a substantially spherical shape, is unstable. In addition, packaging cannot be performed in the same posture. For example, on the front side of the package on which the product name, the production place, the expiration date, the selling price, etc. are printed,
If the end face matches the front side of the package, there is a problem that it is difficult to read the contents of the sign printed on the front side of the package due to discoloration and deterioration of the end face of the hook Aa, thereby deteriorating the commercial value. doing.

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present invention continuously performs the operation of cutting off the horn of the fruit and vegetable, the operation of wiping off the liquid adhering to the hood, and the operation of packaging the fruit and vegetable having been wiped away. It is an object of the present invention to provide a fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus capable of packaging a large number of fruit and vegetables in a short time, improving packing ability, saving labor and improving efficiency.

[0006]

According to the first aspect of the present invention,
In combination with the configuration according to claim 1, a cutting means for cutting off the ridge of the fruit and vegetable is provided on a conveying path for conveying a large number of fruit and vegetable, and a trailing end face of the fruit and vegetable at a stage subsequent to the cutting means. A liquid removing means for removing the liquid adhering to the container, and a package formed in a size subsequent to the liquid removing means so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the fruit vegetable with the fruit vegetable; The present invention is characterized in that it is a fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus provided with a packaging means for packaging the facing edges of the package body so as to face each other to face the chin portion.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, the cutting means includes a placing portion for placing the fruit and vegetables, and a fruit and vegetable placed on the placing portion. And a cutting blade for cutting off the crests of the fruits and vegetables.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in combination with the configuration of the first or second aspect, after the cutting means, a direction of the fruit and vegetable is set in a state where a ridge of the fruit and vegetable is directed in an arbitrary direction. It is characterized in that it is a fruit and vegetable wrapping apparatus provided with a posture aligning means for aligning.

[0009] The invention according to claim 4 is the first and second inventions.
Or, in combination with the configuration described in 3, the fruit and vegetable product provided with posture holding means for holding the posture of the fruit and vegetable in a state in which the hook of the fruit product is oriented in an arbitrary direction between the cutting means and the packaging means It is a packaging device.

[0010] The invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 1,
In combination with the configuration described in 2, 3 or 4, it is a fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus provided with an interval correcting means for correcting a fruit and vegetable to a feeding interval corresponding to a packaging operation of the packaging means in a preceding stage of the packaging means. Features.

[0011]

The fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention transports a large number of fruit and vegetable products in a state in which the ribs are directed in any direction, for example, upward, downward, sideways, oblique, etc. Cut off the tang of the fruit and vegetable by cutting means, remove the liquid (emulsion) attached or oozing to the end of the hinge of the fruit and vegetable by means of liquid removing means, and wrap it with a sheet-like or As well as covering the bag-shaped package, the facing edges of the package are superposed on each other in opposition to the ridge of the fruit and vegetable, so that the work time required for packaging one fruit and vegetable is reduced, Labor saving and efficiency improvement of work can be achieved. In addition, since packaging is performed after removing the liquid adhering to the end of the thigh, it is possible to suppress discoloration and deterioration of the end of the thigh, and to prevent the quality and commercial value of fruit and vegetables from being impaired. it can. In addition, since the opposite edges of the package are superimposed on each other in opposition to the ridges of the fruit and vegetables, the contents of the markings printed on the surface side of the package, such as the product name, production area, expiration date, and selling price Reading can be performed reliably.

[0012] In the fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus according to the second aspect, in addition to the operation of the first aspect, the edge of the fruit and vegetable placed on the placing portion is cut off by the cutting blade, so that the direction of the fruit and vegetable is oriented. In addition, the posture is stable, and the operation of cutting off the ridge of the fruit and vegetable can be performed accurately and reliably.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the operation of the first or second aspect, the fruit and vegetable product having the flank removed is rotated by the posture aligning means (inverting front and back, rotating left and right,
(Fore-and-aft rotation), and the fruits and vegetables are aligned and transported in a state where the hooks are directed in an arbitrary direction, so that the operation of removing the liquid by the liquid removing means can be performed continuously, and the direction and posture of the fruits and vegetables are the same. The packaging can be performed by the packaging means in the same direction, and the operation can be performed in a unified manner.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, the fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus holds the fruit and vegetable conveyed from the cutting means to the packaging means by the posture holding means in addition to the operation of the first, second or third aspect. Since the fruits and vegetables are held and transported in a state where the ridges are directed in any direction, it is possible to reliably prevent the ridges of the fruits and vegetables from turning in different directions and the feeding interval from being irregular. The removal operation by the liquid removing means and the packaging operation by the packaging means can be performed stably.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, a fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus is provided which, in addition to the operation of the first, second, third or fourth aspect, feeds the fruit and vegetable supplied to the packaging means at a feed interval corresponding to the packaging operation. Since the supply is corrected by the interval correction means, a predetermined number (for example, one, two, etc.) of fruit and vegetables can be sequentially packaged by the package, and the packaging operation can be performed reliably and accurately.

[0016]

According to the present invention, the operation of cutting off the ridge of the fruit and vegetable, the operation of removing liquid adhering or oozing to the end face of the hood, and the operation of packaging the whole fruit and vegetable in a packaging body. Is performed continuously, so that the labor and work of packaging a large number of fruit vegetables one by one as in the conventional example can be omitted, and the work time required for packaging one fruit vegetable can be reduced. It is possible to improve the packing ability, save labor and improve efficiency. In addition, since the packaging is performed after removing the liquid adhering to or exuding from the edge of the vegetable portion, the discoloration and deterioration of the edge portion of the vegetable portion in a short period of time can be suppressed, and the quality and commercial value of the vegetable product Can be prevented from being damaged. In addition, since the packaging is performed with the new side of the chin part exposed, it is possible to give consumers that the freshness of the fruits and vegetables is good, and to promote the purchase will.

Furthermore, since the ridge of the fruit and vegetable placed on the placing portion is cut off by the cutting blade, the direction and posture of the fruit and vegetable are stabilized, and the operation of cutting off the ridge of the fruit and vegetable is performed accurately and reliably. I can do it. In addition, since the fruits and vegetables are transported in the same direction by the posture aligning means, the operation of removing the liquid by the liquid removing means can be performed continuously, and the fruits and vegetables are aligned in the same direction and posture and packed by the packaging means. Work can be unified.

Furthermore, since the fruits and vegetables are conveyed while maintaining their postures and intervals by the posture holding means, it is ensured that the ridges of the fruits and vegetables are directed in different directions and the feeding intervals of the fruits and vegetables are irregular. Thus, the removing operation by the liquid removing means and the packaging operation by the packaging means can be stably performed. In addition, since fruit and vegetables are corrected and supplied by the interval correcting means to a feeding interval corresponding to the packaging operation of the packaging means, a predetermined number (for example, one or two) of fruit and vegetables can be sequentially packaged, Packaging work can be performed reliably and accurately.

[0019]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. The drawing shows an example of a fruit and vegetable product, which is a fruit and vegetable packaging device used for an operation of removing a liquid (emulsion) adhering or exuding to the end surface of the tang after cutting off a ridge of a lettuce having a substantially spherical shape. 1 and 2, the fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus 1 has an outer leaf peeled at a cutting position a, a reversing position b, a liquid removing position c, and a packaging position d set on a conveying path of the apparatus main body 2. The lettuce A is sequentially conveyed. The lettuce A... Held in a posture in which the chin portion Aa faces downward is placed on the mounting table 3 disposed at the resection position a one by one by an operator's hand.
The cutting machine 4 arranged below the same position cuts the ridge Aa of the lettuce A protruding from the lower surface of the mounting table 3. Reverse position b
The reversing machine 5 disposed in the above holds the lettuce A that has been cut off by the chin, and reverses the posture so that the chin portion Aa faces upward and transfers it to the supply conveyor 6. The supply conveyor 6 conveys the lettuce A while maintaining the position where the hook Aa faces upward. The liquid removing machine 7 arranged at the liquid removing position c wipes and removes the liquid B (emulsion) that has oozed out to the end face of the ridge Aa of the lettuce A. The transfer machine 8 disposed immediately after the same position corrects the feed interval of the lettuce A and supplies it to the packaging machine 9. Packaging machine 9 arranged at packaging position d
The pillow-type packaging machine (for example) has a configuration in which the lettuce A is continuously pillow-wrapped one by one.

The above-mentioned mounting table 3 is disposed at the center of the cutting position a so as to face the starting-side mounting surface of the supply conveyor 6 described later, and has a predetermined size (for example, about 120 mm to about 16 mm).
0 mm) of the size and shape on which the lettuce A of the lettuce A protrudes downward on the center mounting surface of the mounting table 3. A protruding hole 3a formed in a round shape, an elliptical shape, a square shape, or the like is opened (for example, a hole diameter = about 50 mm). In other words,
The lettuce A is held in a posture in which a faces downward, and the ridge Aa of the lettuce A is inserted and set perpendicularly to the protruding hole 3 a of the mounting table 3.

As shown in FIG. 3, the resection machine 4 is provided below the mounting table 3 disposed at the resection position a.
Ridge A of lettuce A protruding below projection hole 3a
The disk-shaped cutting blade 10 is disposed facing the side surface a.
A shaft end of a rotation motor 11 disposed below the same position is directly connected to the rotation center of the cutting blade 10.
1 is fixed to the movable base 12 such that the movable base 12 is horizontally movably engaged with the rail 13 provided on one side of the lower part, and the rod end of the moving cylinder 14 disposed on one side is fixed to the movable base 12. ing. The moving cylinder 14 is provided with the protruding hole 3 a of the mounting portion 3.
When the lettuce A is pressed against, for example, the lettuce A is activated based on detection by a detection sensor (not shown) such as a limit switch or a photoelectric sensor, and the lettuce A protruding downward from the protruding hole 3a of the mounting table 3. The cutting blade 10 is reciprocated in the direction in which the chin portion Aa is cut off. In other words, the cutting blade 10 is horizontally moved while continuously rotating, and either one (one way)
With the operation described above, the ridge Aa of the lettuce A is cut off by the cutting blade 10. Below the resection position a, there is provided an input section 15 for inputting the removable foot Aa. Note that, instead of the above-described cutting blade 10, for example, the ridge Aa of the lettuce A may be cut by a cutting means such as a fixed blade or a cutting tool.

Further, when the lettuce A is held on the mounting table 3 with the chin Aa facing downward, the chin Aa is
Cutting blade 1 of cutting machine 4 disposed at a height position facing the side surface
By cutting with 0, a mechanism and operation for turning the lettuce A upside down by the reversing machine 5 described later become unnecessary, and the overall configuration of the apparatus can be simplified, and work efficiency can be improved.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the reversing machine 5 is disposed at the reversing position b set between the mounting table 3 and the supply conveyor 6, and the shaft is mounted at the same position. The pivoting arms 17, 17 are fixed to both ends of the support shaft 16, and the holding cylinders 18 are fixed to the free ends of the pivoting arms 17, 17 opposite to each other. In addition, holding plates 19 are respectively fixed to face both sides of the lettuce A mounted on the mounting table 3. The holding plate 19,
The holding pad 2 formed of a flexible elastic member such as sponge rubber or urethane rubber
0 are attached (for example, bonded and baked). The holding cylinders 18, 18 are arranged between a closed position where the lettuce A is held and an open position where the holding is released.
20 is opened and closed. Further, since the lettuce A is held by the flexibility and contact resistance of the holding pad 20, for example, the lettuce A having a spherical shape, an elliptical shape, a horizontally long shape, and the like can be reliably held, and the direction and the position of the lettuce A are displaced. Or
It is possible to prevent the outer peripheral surface of the lettuce A from being scratched, dent, or the like.

At the shaft end of the support shaft 16, a reversing cylinder 21 such as a rotary actuator disposed on the side is provided.
(For example, via a coupling). The reversing cylinder 21 has a standby position for holding the lettuce A placed on the mounting table 3 with the holding pads 20, and a transfer position for transferring the lettuce A held by the holding pads 20, 20 to the supply conveyor 6. The swing arms 17 and 17 are rotated back and forth (about 180 degrees) about the support shaft 16 to the mounting position.
In other words, after the lower leg Aa placed on the mounting table 3 holds the downward facing lettuce A with the holding pads 20, 20, the turning arms 17, 17 are rotated to let the lettuce A held by the holding pads 20, 20. Is turned upside down so that the chin Aa faces upward or downward, and is transferred to the mounting belt 22 of the supply conveyor 6.

The above-mentioned supply conveyor 6 includes a placing belt 22 for carrying the aligned cut-out lettuce A in a line in the supply direction and transporting the lettuce A, and a lettuce placed on the placing belt 22. Press belt 2 pressed against both peripheral surfaces of A
3 and 23, between the cutting position a set on the supply conveyor 6 and the liquid removing position c,
The transport distance required to reduce or stop the amount of liquid B (emulsion) that seeps or adheres to the end face a is set.

The mounting belt 22 includes a drum roll 24 pivotally supported immediately after the reversing position b, a drum roll 25 pivoted immediately before the packaging position d, and rolls 25a, 25b and 25c pivotally supported at the lower part of the same side. , And the entire length of the mounting belt 22 on the transport side is horizontally supported by a metal (for example, stainless steel) support plate 26 provided below the same side.
The rotation motor 27 disposed in the lower part on the end side is configured to be intermittently driven by, for example, a motor such as a geared motor with a clutch brake, and is driven (for example, for about 2 seconds) and stopped (for example, about 2 seconds). 1 second)
The mounting belt 22 and the pressing belts 23, 23 are intermittently rotated (for example, about 150 mm / sec) in the supply direction synchronously via the pulleys 27a, 27b and the belt 27c, and the lettuce A mounted on the mounting belt 22 is rotated. ... in the supply direction.

The above-mentioned pressing belts 23, 23 are stretched in parallel along both edges of the above-mentioned placing belt 22 on the transport side, and are attached to both peripheral surfaces of the lettuce A placed on the placing belt 22. It is stretched at the height position pressed against it and at the left and right intervals. The pressing belt 23 is stretched between a drum roll 28 pivotally supported at the start end side of the movable frame 32 and a drum roll 29 pivotally supported at the end side thereof. Are supported horizontally by a support plate 30 made of metal (for example, stainless steel). Press belt 2
A pressing pad 31 formed of a flexible elastic member such as, for example, sponge rubber or urethane rubber is attached (for example, bonded or baked) to the entire pressing surface 3. Due to the flexibility and contact resistance of the pressing pad 31, for example, the lettuce A is held in a posture in which the ridges Aa are directed in any direction such as upward, downward, sideways, oblique, and the like. Lettuce A with corresponding feed interval
... is held and transported.

As shown in FIG. 6, the movable frames 32, 32 are installed on both sides of the upper surface of the apparatus main body 2 in parallel along both side edges of the mounting belt 22. The rotating shaft 33 is fixed to the center of rotation of the drum roll 28 bearing on the starting end side, and a miter gear 35 fixed to the lower end of the rotating shaft 33 and a miter gear 36 mounted on the lower end of the movable frame 32 are toothed. In addition, the miter gear 36 is spline-fitted to the shaft peripheral surface of the interlocking shaft 34 which is mounted on the lower part on the same side so as to be able to transmit power. The above-described rotation motor 27
A pulley 37 fixed to the end of the drum roll 24;
A pulley 38 fixed to the end of the interlocking shaft 34, an interlocking belt 39 stretched between the pulleys 37, 38, and shafts 33, 3
4 and the mounting belt 22 via the miter gears 35 and 36.
, The press belts 23, 23 rotate intermittently in the supply direction. In addition, the screw shaft 40 suspended on the lower end side of the movable frames 32, 32 is rotated forward and reverse by the turning operation of the operation handle 41 fixed to the coaxial end, and engaged with both ends of the screw shaft 40. The movable frames 32, 32 are relatively moved in the enlargement / reduction direction, and the distance between the pressing belts 23, 23 is adjusted in accordance with the size (for example, about 120 mm to about 160 mm) of the lettuce A placed on the placement belt 22. I do. Also, the screw shaft 40
May be rotated by a drive mechanism (not shown) such as an electric motor.

As shown in FIG. 7, the above-described liquid removing machine 7 is in contact with the end surface of the hook Aa of the lettuce A held between the pressing belts 23 above the liquid removing position c. The wiping brush 42 is disposed at a height and a position where the wiping brush 42 is located. The wiping brush 42 is, for example, provided on the outer peripheral surface of the brush body 42a.
A large number of long and soft wiping members 42b, such as synthetic resin or natural hair, or blades, are planted, and the brush body 42a is provided.
A rotation shaft 44 fixed to the center of rotation is mounted on the upper end side of the mounting frame 43 erected on the side of the liquid removing position c, and is mounted obliquely or orthogonal to the supply direction of the supply conveyor 6. The wiping brush 42 fixed to the rotating shaft 44 is
The lettuce A, which is held between 3, 3 and 23, is in contact with the lettuce A in an oblique or orthogonal state with respect to the end face of the hook Aa. A rotation motor 45 with a speed reducer disposed below the same position rotates the rotation shaft 44 via pulleys 45a and 45b and a belt 45c, and the wiping brush 42 fixed to the rotation shaft 44.
Is rotated in a direction in which the liquid B that has oozed out on the end face of the ridge Aa of the lettuce A is wiped toward the inner wall surface of the protective cover 46 described later.

The above-described protective cover 46 is formed in a size and shape that surrounds the upper peripheral surface of the wiping brush 42 except for a lower peripheral surface that is in contact with the end surface of the chin portion Aa of the lettuce A. The liquid B to be wiped off by the rotational force of 42 is prevented from scattering around. A liquid storage part 47 for dropping the liquid B wiped by the wiping brush 42 is provided below the protective cover 46.

As shown in FIG. 8, the transfer machine 8 is provided with a pressing belt 2 above the end side of the supply conveyor 6.
Transfer plate 4 at a position where it is inserted between the opposing surfaces 3 and 23
8 is installed. The transfer plate 48 is provided for the pressing belt 2.
It is formed into a size and a shape that is allowed to be inserted between the opposing surfaces of the lettuce A and the rear peripheral surface of the lettuce A held between the pressing belts 23, 23, and will be described later. The transfer cylinder 50 and the lifting / lowering cylinder 50 move back and forth and up and down. The transfer cylinder 50 described above is horizontally fixed in parallel with the supply direction to the upper end of the mounting frame 49 erected on the side, and the lift cylinder 51 is attached to the rod end of the transfer cylinder 50. The rod end of the lifting / lowering cylinder 51 is vertically fixed to the transfer plate 48.
It is fixed to.

The transfer cylinder 50 moves the transfer plate 48 back and forth in parallel with the pressing belts 23 when the supply conveyor 6 is driven (for example, for about 2 seconds). The transfer plate 48 is moved back and forth between a retreat position where the lettuce A is transferred to the rear side of the lettuce A conveyed to the terminal end side of the pack 22 and a forward position where the lettuce A is transferred to the carry-in conveyor 52 of the packaging machine 9 described below. . The lifting / lowering cylinder 51 is configured such that, when the supply conveyor 6 is stopped (for example, for about one second) in the retreat position and the advance position described above, the pressing belts 23, 23
The transfer plate 48 is moved up and down between a lower position where it comes into contact with the rear peripheral surface of the lettuce A held in between and a raised position where that contact is avoided. That is, the transfer plate 48 is moved in synchronization with the supply operation of the supply conveyor 6 and the packaging operation of the packaging machine 9, and the lettuce A placed on the end side of the supply conveyor 6 is moved.
Is transferred after correcting the error to a feeding interval corresponding to the packaging operation of the packaging machine 9 described later. After the transfer, the transfer plate 48 is raised to a height position where contact with the lettuce A is avoided, and the transfer plate 48 is returned and moved.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the above-mentioned packaging machine 9 is provided with a hook A which is transferred from the above-mentioned supply conveyor 6.
a is a pillow wrapping of the lettuce A facing upward, and is constituted by a commercially available inverted pillow type wrapping machine (not shown) which wraps the packaging sheet C by folding both longitudinal edges of the wrapping sheet upward. When the part Aa wraps the downward-facing lettuce A, the wrapping sheet C may be constituted by a commercially available regular pillow-type wrapping machine (not shown) that folds both longitudinal edges of the wrapping sheet downward and wraps them. However, the present invention is applied to the operation of packaging the lettuce A without turning the lettuce A from which the fins Aa have been cut off, with the chins Aa facing downward without turning over the lettuce A.

The loading conveyor 52 installed on the upper front side of the machine body 9a and the unloading conveyor 53 installed on the upper rear side of the machine main body 9a are positioned at a height level that is horizontal with respect to the transport surface of the feeding conveyor 6. , The carry-in conveyor 52 is erected near the feed-side end of the supply conveyor 6, and the carry-out conveyor 53 is erected near the feed-side end of the carry-in conveyor 52. , Conveyors 6,5
The opposite ends of the two sets 53 are set at intervals at which the transfer of the lettuce A is allowed. The conveyors 52 and 53 are intermittently driven by the driving force of a drive motor with a speed reducer (not shown) in synchronization with the supply operation of the supply conveyor 6 described above.

A synthetic resin packaging sheet C such as an anti-fog sheet (OPS) is wound in a roll shape around a sheet loading section 54 provided at the lower front portion of the machine body 9a. At the same time as loading, the unwinding side end of the packaging sheet C is stretched between sheet shaping plates 59, 59 to be described later via guide rolls 55, 56 and feed rolls 57, 58 pivotally supported on the same side. Vertical seal unit 60 described later
Pinch roller and seam roller.

A triangular sheet shaping plate 59, 59 for folding and guiding the packaging sheet C into a form (triangular cylindrical form) that covers the lettuce A, is installed on both sides of the starting end of the above-mentioned carry-in conveyor 52. A vertical seal unit 60 is provided at the upper end of the carry-in conveyor 52 so as to continuously weld the two longitudinal edges of the packaging sheet C in the longitudinal direction (longitudinal direction). 52 and unloading conveyor 53
A horizontal seal unit 63 for heat-sealing and cutting the packaging sheet C covered with the lettuce A in the width direction is disposed between the two.

The vertical seal unit 60 includes the sheet shaping plate 5.
Pinch rollers 61, 61 and seam rollers 6 are opposed to both longitudinal edges of the packaging sheet C folded by the sheets 9, 59.
2, 62 are provided. The rollers 61 and 62 are rotated synchronously with respect to the feed direction by a feed motor with a speed reducer (not shown), and pinch rollers 6 hold both longitudinal edges of the packaging sheet C bent by the sheet shaping plates 59 and 59.
1, 61 and the seam rollers 62, 62, and the length required to package the lettuce A (for example, about 300 m).
m) intermittent feed only. At the same time, the seam rollers 62, 62 continuously and heat weld in the length direction (vertical direction) while superimposing the two longitudinal edges of the packaging sheet C corresponding to the ridges Aa side of the lettuce A with each other.

The horizontal seal unit 63 is provided for the carry-in conveyor 5.
End sealers 64, 64 are disposed opposite the upper and lower surfaces of the packaging sheet C conveyed between the opposing ends of the conveyor 2 and the unloading conveyor 53, and the rod ends of the sealing cylinder 65 disposed above and below the end sealers 64, 64 are disposed. It is fixed to the end sealer 64. The sealing cylinder 65 is operated when the conveyors 52 and 53 are stopped (for example, for about one second), and the end sealers 64 and the upper and lower surfaces of the packaging sheet C except for the portion where the lettuce A is stored.
64 is pressed and thermally welded. At the same time, the sealing portion is cut in the width direction by a cutting blade 66 fixed to one or both end sealers 64, and the packaging bag D is sized to accommodate one lettuce A as shown in FIG. To separate.
The packaging operation of the above-described packaging machine 9 is stopped when there is no lettuce A on the end side of the supply conveyor 6.

The illustrated embodiment is constructed as described above, and the operation when the fruit and vegetable packing apparatus 1 pillow-packs lettuce A having a substantially spherical shape will be described below. First, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a large number of harvested lettuce A are held one by one by a worker's hand, and outer leaves Ab of the lettuce A are held.
Are peeled off by a worker's hand (for example, about 2 to 4 sheets). Alternatively, lettuce A from which outer leaves Ab have been peeled off in advance,
The upper part Aa is inverted and held in a posture in which the lower part is downward. As shown in FIG. 3, the lettuce A held by the operator's hand is placed on the mounting table 3 at the cutting position a, and the ridge Aa of the lettuce A is inserted into the protruding hole 3 a of the mounting table 3. Based on the detection by the detection sensor (not shown), the cutting blade 10 of the excision machine 3 is horizontally moved to one side (one way) while continuously rotating, and the lettuce A placed on the mounting table 3 is pressed by hand. As it is
The ridge Aa of the lettuce A protruding below the protruding hole 3a of the mounting table 3 is cut off by the cutting blade 10, and the cut ridge Aa is put into the input section 15.

Immediately before or immediately after the end of the resection, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the reversing machine 5 at the reversing position b is driven.
The swivel arms 17, 17 are rotated toward the mounting table 3 to hold the lettuce A, which has been cut on the mounting table 3 and has been cut off, to the holding pad 2.
Hold (close operation) at 0 and 20. Swivel arm 17, 17
Is rotated toward the supply conveyor 6, and the holding pads 20, 2 are rotated.
The lettuce A held at 0 is turned upside down so that the crests Aa face upward and transferred to the mounting belt 22 of the supply conveyor 6. When the supply conveyor 6 is stopped (for example, about 1 second)
, The holding by the holding pads 20, 20 is released (opening operation), and the lettuce A held by the holding pads 20, 20 is released.
Is transferred to the mounting belt 22.

Next, as shown in FIG. 6, the supply conveyor 6 is intermittently driven (for example, for about 2 seconds) in synchronization with the packaging operation of the packaging machine 9 and is placed on the placement belt 22. Lettuce A is supplied between the opposing surfaces of the pressing belts 23, 23. The pressing belts 23, 23 are simultaneously pressed against the peripheral surfaces on both sides of the lettuce A, and the lettuce A is held in a posture in which the chin portion Aa faces upward, and the lettuce A before and after being placed on the placing belt 22 is held. .. Are wrapped by the pressing belts 23
The paper is held and transported at the front and rear intervals corresponding to the packaging operation. On the other hand, at the time of driving the supply conveyor 6 (for example, for about 2 seconds), the next lettuce A is placed on the placing table 3 by the operator's hand, and the chin portion Aa of the lettuce A is It is cut off with the cutting blade 10. At the same time, the turning arms 17, 17 of the reversing machine 5 are rotated back and forth to hold the cut-off lettuce A on the holding pad 2.
The lettuce A is held at 0, 20, and the lettuce A is turned upside down so that the ridge Aa faces upward, and is sequentially transferred to the mounting belt 22 of the supply conveyor 6.

Next, as shown in FIG. 7, the liquid B oozes out on the end face of the hook portion Aa of the lettuce A by using the time until the cutlet A, which has been cut off, reaches the liquid removing position c. At the same time, the wiping brush 42 of the liquid removing machine 7 is continuously rotated, and when the lettuce A held by the pressing belts 23 and 23 is moved below the wiping brush 42, the wiping brush 42 wipes the end face of the lip portion Aa of the lettuce A. To face. The wiping brush 42 wipes and removes the liquid B that has oozed out from the end surface of the foot Aa of the lettuce A by the rotating force of the lettuce A, and also blows the liquid B toward the inner wall surface of the protective cover 46. , It is possible to prevent the liquid B from scattering around.

Next, immediately after the liquid-wiped lettuce A reaches the end side of the supply conveyor 6, as shown in FIG.
The transfer machine 8 is driven to vertically insert the transfer plate 48 behind the lettuce A, and the transfer plate 48 is moved in the supply direction in synchronization with the supply operation of the supply conveyor 6 and the packaging operation of the packaging machine 9. It is moved horizontally and the lettuce A placed on the end side of the supply conveyor 6 is supplied one by one to the packaging machine 9 at the packaging position d. In other words, the lettuce A is horizontally moved while maintaining the posture in which the chin part Aa is upward, and the carry-in conveyor 5 of the packaging machine 9 is moved.
The packaging sheet C is transferred onto the packaging sheet C that has been pulled out, and the front-rear interval of the lettuce A is corrected to an error in a feeding interval corresponding to the packaging operation of the packaging machine 9.

On the other hand, the pinch rollers 61, 61 and the seam roller 6 of the vertical seal unit 60 constituting the packaging machine 9
2 and 62 are rotated synchronously, and the packaging sheet C fed out from the sheet loading section 54 is folded onto a form (triangular cylindrical form) in which the lettuce A is covered by the sheet shaping plates 59 and 59 on the carry-in conveyor 52. The packing sheet C sandwiched by the pinch rollers 61, 61 and the seam rollers 62, 62 is intermittently fed (for example, about 300 mm) by a predetermined length (for example, about 300 mm) according to the packing operation of the packaging machine 9. 2 seconds).

At the same time, the lettuce A transferred from the supply conveyor 6 is successively transferred to the packaging sheet C pulled out on the carry-in conveyor 52 while maintaining the posture in which the hook Aa faces upward. The two side edges of the packaging sheet C corresponding to the lip Aa side of the lettuce A and the corresponding longitudinal edges are continuously welded in the length direction by the seam rollers 62, 62 while overlapping each other. When the conveyors 52 and 53 are stopped (for example, about 1 second)
At the end sealer 64 of the horizontal seal unit 63,
64, the upper and lower surfaces of the packaging sheet C are pressed and thermally welded in the width direction, and the sealing portion is cut in the width direction by the cutting blade 66 to be separated back and forth, and as shown in FIG.
Is transported to the next process by the unloading conveyor 53.

In the same manner as described above, the forefoot Aa of the lettuce A placed on the mounting table 3 is cut off by the cutter 4, and the lettuce A that has been cut off is turned upside down by the reversing machine 5 and transferred to the supply conveyor 6. Transfer. The lettuce A placed on the supply conveyor 6 is transported while being held in a posture in which the chin portion Aa faces upward,
The liquid B (emulsion) oozing into the lip Aa of the lettuce A is wiped and removed by the liquid remover 9, and the lettuce A after liquid wiping is horizontally moved by the transfer machine 8 and transferred to the carry-in conveyor 52 of the packaging machine 9. Put on.
The packaging sheet C pulled out onto the carry-in conveyor 52 is coated on the outer peripheral surface of the lettuce A, and the lettuce A is continuously pillow-packed one by one by the packaging machine 9 with the fin portion Aa facing upward. Then, the packaging bag D in which one lettuce A is stored is transported to the next process by the unloading conveyor 53.

As described above, the cutting operation for cutting off the ridge Aa of the lettuce A and the liquid B oozing on the end face of the ridge Aa
, And the wrapping work of wrapping the whole lettuce A with the wrapping sheet C is performed continuously, so that the labor and work of packing a large number of lettuce A one by one as in the conventional example are eliminated. In addition to saving time, the work time required for packaging one lettuce A can be shortened, so that the packaging ability can be improved, the labor can be saved, and the efficiency can be increased. Moreover, since the liquid B oozing out on the end face of the lettuce A of the lettuce A is wiped and removed before packaging, the end face of the lettuce Aa can be prevented from being discolored and deteriorated in a short period of time. Product value can be prevented from being impaired. In addition, since the packaging is performed while exposing the new surface of the hook portion Aa, the freshness of the lettuce A can be given to the consumer, and the desire to purchase can be promoted.

Further, since the ridge Aa of the lettuce A inserted into the protruding hole 3a of the mounting table 3 is cut by the cutting blade 10, the direction and posture of the lettuce A are stabilized, and the ridge Aa of the lettuce A is cut. Work can be performed accurately and reliably. In addition, the lettuce A, which has been cut off at the chin, is turned over with the reversing machine 5 and
Since the lettuce A is aligned and transported by the supply conveyor 6 so that the a is directed upward, the operation of removing the liquid B oozing on the end face of the ridge Aa of the lettuce A by the liquid remover 7 can be performed continuously. The direction and posture of the lettuce A can be aligned in the same direction, and the lettuce A can be packed by the packing machine 9, so that the work can be performed in a unified manner.

Further, the cut lettuce A which has been cut off is held by the pressing belts 23, 23 of the supply conveyor 6, and is conveyed while maintaining the posture and interval of the lettuce A. Aa can be reliably prevented from pointing in different directions and the feed interval from becoming irregular,
The removal operation by the liquid removing machine 7 and the packaging operation by the packaging machine 9 can be stably performed. Moreover, since the lettuce A ... is corrected and supplied by the transfer machine 8 at a feed interval corresponding to the packaging operation of the packaging machine 9, a predetermined number (for example, one, two, etc.) of the lettuce A is provided.
Can be sequentially packaged, and the packaging operation can be performed reliably and accurately.

In the correspondence between the configuration of the present invention and the above-described embodiment, the fruit and vegetable product of the present invention corresponds to the lettuce A of the embodiment, and similarly, the package corresponds to the packaging sheet C,
The mounting section corresponds to the mounting table 3, the cutting means corresponds to the cutting machine 4, the attitude aligning means corresponds to the reversing machine 5, and the attitude holding means corresponds to the mounting belt constituting the supply conveyor 6. 22,
Corresponding to the pressing belt 23, the liquid removing means corresponds to the liquid removing machine 7, the interval correcting means corresponds to the transfer machine 8, and the packaging means corresponds to
Although corresponding to the packaging machine 9, the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment.

In the above-described embodiment, the lettuce A placed on the placement belt 22 of the supply conveyor 6 is
The transfer is performed while being held by the transfer rollers 3 and 23. For example, the lettuce A may be mounted on a mounting cup or a concave mounting portion and transferred.

The transport distance from the cutting position a to the liquid removing position d is lengthened to secure time until the bleeding of the liquid B decreases or stops. , The time required for the bleeding of the liquid B to decrease or stop can be secured, and the overall length of the apparatus is shortened and the size is reduced. In addition to this, the installation space of the device is small, and the installation work is easy.

The liquid B that has oozed out from the end face of the crest Aa of the lettuce A is wiped and removed by the wiping brush 42. For example, an air suction blower, a suction piece connected to a vacuum pump, or a water absorbing paper, a porous absorbent, or the like can be used. The liquid B may be suctioned and removed by a suction means such as a body or a polymer absorber. Note that the cylinders 14, 18, 21, 50, 51, 65 of the embodiment are configured by, for example, actuators operated by air pressure, hydraulic pressure, or the like.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side view showing a packaging operation by a fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a packaging operation performed by the fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus.

FIG. 3 is a side view showing a chisel resection operation by the resection machine.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a reversing operation by the reversing machine.

FIG. 5 is a side view showing a reversing operation by the reversing machine.

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIG.
E line arrow sectional drawing.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken along the line FF of FIG. 2 showing a liquid removing operation by the liquid removing machine.

FIG. 8 is a side view showing a transfer operation by the transfer machine.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing a packaging state of a packaging bag containing one lettuce;

[Explanation of symbols]

 A ... lettuce Aa ... ridge B ... liquid C ... packaging sheet D ... packaging bag 1 ... fruit and vegetable packaging apparatus 3 ... mounting table 3a ... protruding hole 4 ... cutting machine 5 ... reversing machine 6 ... supply conveyor 7 ... liquid removal machine Reference Signs List 8 transfer machine 9 packaging machine 10 cutting blade 17 rotating arm 20 holding pad 22 mounting belt 23 pressing belt 42 wiping brush 48 transfer plate 59 sheet shaping plate 60 vertical seal unit 63 … Horizontal seal unit

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. A cutting means for cutting off a ridge of a fruit and vegetable on a conveying path for conveying a large number of fruits and vegetables, and a liquid adhering to an end face of the ridge of the fruit and vegetable is provided downstream of the cutting means. A liquid removing means is provided, and at the subsequent stage of the liquid removing means, a package formed so as to cover the outer peripheral surface of the fruit vegetable with the fruit vegetable is covered, and is opposed to the lip of the fruit vegetable. A fruit and vegetable packaging device provided with a packaging means for packaging by overlapping the opposite edges of the package with each other. 2. The cutting means according to claim 1, wherein said cutting means comprises a placing portion for placing said fruit and vegetables, and a cutting blade for cutting off a ridge of the fruit and vegetables placed on said placing portion. Fruit and vegetable packaging equipment. 3. The fruit and vegetable packing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a posture aligning means provided at a subsequent stage of the cutting means for aligning the direction of the fruit and vegetable with the ridge of the fruit and vegetable oriented in an arbitrary direction. . 4. A posture holding means provided between the cutting means and the wrapping means, the posture holding means for holding the posture of the fruit and vegetable in a state in which the crotch portion of the fruit and vegetable is oriented in an arbitrary direction. 3. The fruit and vegetable packaging device according to 3. 5. A fruit and vegetable packing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an interval correcting means for correcting the fruit and vegetable to a feed interval corresponding to a packaging operation of the packaging means, at a stage preceding the packaging means. .