WO2024135113A1 - パウチ供給装置、パウチ供給方法及び充填システム - Google Patents

パウチ供給装置、パウチ供給方法及び充填システム Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024135113A1
WO2024135113A1 PCT/JP2023/039547 JP2023039547W WO2024135113A1 WO 2024135113 A1 WO2024135113 A1 WO 2024135113A1 JP 2023039547 W JP2023039547 W JP 2023039547W WO 2024135113 A1 WO2024135113 A1 WO 2024135113A1
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WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
pouch
spout
clamping
conveyor
filling
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/JP2023/039547
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
将伍 原田
淳博 阿部
慶祐 田辺
Original Assignee
ソニーグループ株式会社
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by ソニーグループ株式会社 filed Critical ソニーグループ株式会社
Priority to CN202380086590.1A priority Critical patent/CN120457076A/zh
Priority to JP2024565641A priority patent/JPWO2024135113A1/ja
Publication of WO2024135113A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024135113A1/ja

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Classifications

    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
    • B65B43/12—Feeding flexible bags or carton blanks in flat or collapsed state; Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
    • B65B43/12—Feeding flexible bags or carton blanks in flat or collapsed state; Feeding flat bags connected to form a series or chain
    • B65B43/14—Feeding individual bags or carton blanks from piles or magazines
    • B65B43/16—Feeding individual bags or carton blanks from piles or magazines by grippers
    • B65B43/18—Feeding individual bags or carton blanks from piles or magazines by grippers by suction-operated grippers
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
    • B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
    • B65B43/00—Forming, feeding, opening or setting-up containers or receptacles in association with packaging
    • B65B43/42—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation
    • B65B43/52—Feeding or positioning bags, boxes, or cartons in the distended, opened, or set-up state; Feeding preformed rigid containers, e.g. tins, capsules, glass tubes, glasses, to the packaging position; Locating containers or receptacles at the filling position; Supporting containers or receptacles during the filling operation using roller-ways or endless conveyors

Definitions

  • This technology relates to a pouch supplying device that supplies empty pouches to a filling device, a pouch supplying method, and a filling system.
  • Patent Document 1 describes a method for automatically supplying empty bags in which multiple empty bags are stacked and placed on a conveyor, shifted in the width direction, and transported. By arranging the empty bags in this way, they are less likely to become clogged and are easier to pick up one by one.
  • the topmost empty bag of the empty bags stacked and shifted in the width direction is attracted by a suction cup, changed into a vertical position, and supplied to a bagging and packaging machine.
  • spouted pouches make it easy to refill the container body, and it is also possible to use part of the contents and preserve the rest.
  • the spouted pouch can also be used as the container body. Because of its ease of use, the need for spouted pouches is growing year by year.
  • Patent Document 1 has restrictions on how empty bags can be arranged, and is difficult to apply to spout-equipped pouches that are partially thick. For this reason, the supply of flexible pouches (also called bag feeding) to an automatic filling device is generally performed manually. The process of manually supplying pouches to an automatic filling device is less productive than the automatic filling process performed by an automatic filling device, and is often a bottleneck at production sites.
  • an object of the present technology is to provide a pouch supplying device, a pouch supplying method, and a filling system that are capable of automatically supplying pouches to a filling device.
  • a pouch supplying device includes a clamping conveyor unit.
  • the pinch conveyor unit includes a pair of pinch conveyors.
  • the pair of clamping conveyors clamp a pouch having a filling port before being filled with contents in its thickness direction, and transport the pouch in a first posture at a first position to a second position different from the first position so that the pouch assumes a second posture different from the first posture when supplied to a filling device where contents are filled into the pouch from the filling port.
  • the pouch can be clamped between a pair of clamping conveyors, and the pouch that was in a first position at a first location can be clamped and transported to a second location so that the pouch will have a second position when supplied to the filling device.
  • This allows the pouch to be automatically transported from the pouch supply device to the filling device, improving productivity.
  • the pouch comprises a pouch body and a spout attached to the pouch body, The pouch is sandwiched between the pair of sandwiching conveyors so that the spout is located downstream in the conveying direction,
  • the pouch has a spout-present region and a spout-free region aligned in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction,
  • the pair of gripping conveyors may grip only the spout-free region.
  • the opening of the spout may be used as the filling port.
  • the apparatus may further include a first conveyor unit that transports the pouch to the first position while supporting only the spout-free area of the pouch in the first position.
  • the feeding device may further include a separating section which separates the stacked plurality of pouches transported from the input section conveyor unit into one pouch and transports the pouch to the first conveyor unit.
  • the separation section includes: an accelerating conveyor unit that conveys the pouches conveyed from the input section conveyor unit at a conveying speed faster than the conveying speed of the input section conveyor unit; a suction conveying unit that suction-holds a side surface of one of the pouches conveyed from the speed-up conveyor unit and delivers the pouch to the first conveyor unit.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit may increase the conveying speed in stages from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction.
  • the device may further include a positioning member having a positioning abutment surface against which the spout abuts, which positions the spout in the height direction at the second position.
  • the spout has a cylindrical portion and one or more flange portions provided on an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, When the spout is positioned by the positioning member, the positioning abutment surface may abut against an upper surface of the uppermost flange portion.
  • the pouch transported to the second position may be transported while being moved horizontally along the supply device side guide rail.
  • the conveyor system includes a plurality of the clamping conveyor units,
  • the plurality of gripping conveyor units may grip the pouch at a plurality of locations spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.
  • the first position may be a horizontal position
  • the second position may be a vertical position in which the filling port is located at the top.
  • the nip conveyor unit includes a first nip conveyor including a first nip conveyor belt, a second nip conveyor including a second nip conveyor belt, and a pressure roller;
  • the pinching conveyor unit has a first pinching area and a second pinching area in this order from upstream to downstream in a conveying direction,
  • the pair of clamping conveyors that is, the first clamping conveyor and the second clamping conveyor, clamp the pouches
  • the pair of clamping conveyors may be the first clamping conveyor and the pressure roller, which clamp the pouch.
  • a positioning member having a positioning abutment surface against which the pouch abuts, the positioning member performing positioning of the pouch in a height direction at the second position; the positioning member is in contact with the pouch and moves in a thickness direction of the pouch to press the pouch and change the position of the pouch;
  • the pressure roller may be connected to the positioning member and move, in association with movement of the positioning member, between a clamping position where the pouch is clamped and a release position where the clamping is released.
  • the pouch supply method clamps a pouch having a filling port before filling it with contents in the thickness direction with a pair of clamping conveyors, and transports the pouch in a first position in a first attitude to a second position different from the first position so that the pouch assumes a second attitude different from the first attitude when supplied to a filling device that fills the pouch with contents from the filling port.
  • a filling system includes a pouch supply device and a filling device.
  • the pouch supply device includes a clamping conveyor unit including a pair of clamping conveyors that clamp a pouch having a filling opening before filling the contents in a thickness direction and transport the pouch in a first position and a first posture to a second position different from the first position so that the pouch is in a second posture different from the first posture.
  • the filling device fills the pouch supplied in the second position from the pouch supply device with contents through the filling port.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a filling system according to an embodiment of the present technology.
  • 1A and 1B are a perspective view and a plan view showing an example of a pouch.
  • 3 is a schematic side view of an input section of a pouch supplying device that constitutes part of the filling system.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of a portion of an input section and a first separation area of the pouch supplying device.
  • FIG. FIG. 13 is a schematic side view of the vicinity of the second separation area of the pouch supplying device, illustrating how the pouch is handed over from the second separation area to the rough positioning section.
  • 4 is a schematic side view of a rough positioning section of the pouch supplying device.
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a position changing and positioning unit of the pouch supplying device.
  • FIG. 7A is a schematic diagram of a positioning member provided in the posture changing and positioning section as viewed from the arrow E in FIG. 7
  • (B) is a schematic diagram of the spout as viewed from the arrow E
  • (C) is a diagram showing how the spout is positioned by a positioning member that utilizes the shape of the spout as viewed from the arrow E.
  • 10 is a schematic side view for explaining the posture change and transport of the pouch from the positioning unit to the standby unit of the pouch supplying device.
  • FIG. 13 is a schematic side view for explaining the supply of pouches in the waiting section to a loading section of the filling device.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a filling system according to a first modified example of the present technology.
  • FIG. 13 is a schematic plan view of a filling system according to a second modified example of the present technology.
  • 13A and 13B are a perspective view and a plan view showing a first shape example of a pouch according to a third modified example of the present technology;
  • 13A to 13C are perspective views showing second to fourth shape examples of a pouch according to a third modified example of the present technology;
  • a filling system 100 includes a pouch supplying device 1 and a filling device 8 .
  • the pouch supplying device 1 according to the present technology is a device that conveys a pouch having a filling port before filling with contents (empty pouch) in a posture suitable for supply to a filling device 8 that performs a subsequent filling process of the contents.
  • the supply of pouches to the filling device 8 can be performed automatically instead of manually, thereby improving productivity.
  • a pouch having a filling port will be described by taking as an example a pouch with a spout 10 (hereinafter simply referred to as "pouch 10") in which the filling port is a spout 14.
  • the spout 14 is typically a content dispensing device used as a pouring outlet when dispensing the contents contained in the pouch 10.
  • the spout 14 is used as a filling port when filling the contents into the pouch body 13, in addition to being used as a pouring outlet.
  • this technology can also be applied to a pouch provided with a filling port for filling the contents other than a spout.
  • the pouch 10 is a standing pouch with a gusset at the bottom of the center spout.
  • Fig. 2(A) is a perspective view of the pouch 10 in a state where the contents are filled and the cap 15 is fitted thereto.
  • Fig. 2(B) is a plan view of the pouch 10 in a state where the contents are not filled and the cap 15 is not yet fitted thereto, as viewed from the thickness direction Z.
  • the pouch 10 has a pouch body 13, a spout 14, and a cap 15.
  • the pouch 10 with the cap 15 removed and before being filled with the contents is fed into the pouch supplying device 1.
  • the pouch supplying device 1 similarly supplies the pouch 10 with the cap 15 removed and before being filled with the contents to the filling device 8.
  • the pouch 10 is filled with the contents, the cap 15 is fitted, and the pouch is then carried out.
  • the pouch 10 has a width direction X, a height direction Y, and a thickness direction Z which are perpendicular to each other.
  • "right” and “left” refer to “right” and “left” in the filling system 100 when viewed in the conveying direction.
  • the side of pouch 10 where the filling port is located is referred to as the "upper” side, and the opposite side is referred to as the "lower” side.
  • the pouch 10 of the present embodiment an example is given in which spout 14 is used as the filling port, so the side where spout 14 is located is the "upper” side.
  • the pouch 10 is a center spout pouch, and the spout 14 is provided at the center in the width direction X of a top portion 16T at one end side in the height direction Y of the pouch 10.
  • the pouch body 13 has two side films 131 and 132 that form the sides of the pouch 10, and a bottom film 133 that forms the bottom.
  • the pouch 10 is made self-supporting by inserting a gusset (fold) into the bottom.
  • the pouch body 13 has a substantially rectangular planar shape when viewed from the thickness direction Z.
  • the planar shape of the pouch body 13 is not limited to a rectangle, and may be any shape.
  • the spout 14 is provided at one end corresponding to one side of the rectangular shape of the pouch body 13 .
  • the pouch body 13 has a sealed portion 18 on its periphery.
  • the sealed portion 18 includes a portion where two overlapping side films 131 and 132 are heat sealed and thermally fused along the periphery along the top 16T and side 16S of the pouch 10 other than the portion where the spout 14 is provided.
  • the sealed portion 18 also includes a portion in the lower portion 16B where the overlapping side film 131 or 132 and the bottom film 133 are heat sealed.
  • the sealed portion 18 is made by overlapping multiple films and thermally fused, and is more rigid than other portions.
  • the empty pouch 10 before being filled with the contents has a generally flat and thin shape except for the portion where the spout 14 is provided.
  • the bottom film 133 that forms the gusset is folded inward, so that the thickness near the bottom where the film is folded is slightly thicker than the portion where only the two side films 131 and 132 are overlapped.
  • the thickness direction Z corresponds to the stacking direction of the two side films 131 and 132 that constitute the pouch body 13.
  • the height direction Y is a direction perpendicular to a horizontal plane when the pouch 10 is placed upright on the horizontal plane with the spout 14 located at the top.
  • the width direction X is a direction perpendicular to the height direction Y that is parallel to the horizontal plane.
  • the horizontal plane is a plane perpendicular to the direction of gravity.
  • the height direction Y of the pouch 10 is approximately parallel to the pouch conveying direction in the pouch supplying device 1.
  • the pouch 10 has a spout presence region 148 and a spout non-presence region 149 aligned along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (corresponding here to the width direction X of the pouch 10).
  • the spout presence region 148 is located in the center of the width direction X
  • the spout non-presence regions 149 are located on both the left and right sides of the spout presence region 148 in the width direction X.
  • the pouch body 13 contains the contents.
  • the two side films 131 and 132 and the bottom film 133 that form the pouch body 13 are made of, for example, a thin flexible plastic film that has some rigidity but is flexible.
  • the pouch body 13 has a seal portion 18 that is heat-sealed to its periphery, and the pouch body 13 is in the shape of a bag that has some rigidity but is flexible.
  • Contents that can be contained in the pouch body 13 include cosmetics such as lotion, milky lotion, and serum, beverages, jellies, ice cream, shampoo, conditioner, liquid soap, and liquid detergent.
  • the form of the contents that can be contained includes fluid substances such as powders, granules, and pastes.
  • the spout 14 is formed in a cylindrical shape that communicates with the inside and outside of the pouch body 13, and is not particularly limited, and any material that can be used as a normal spout can be used.
  • the material of the spout is also not particularly limited, and is typically made of a resin from the viewpoint of ease of molding.
  • the spout 14 is typically made of a material with high rigidity, for example, a plastic resin such as polyolefin.
  • the spout 14 has a cylindrical tubular portion 140 that is provided to communicate between the inside and outside of the pouch body 13, a screw groove 143 formed on the outer circumferential surface of the upper part of the tubular portion 140, a first flange portion 141a formed below the screw groove 143, and a second flange portion 141b formed below and spaced apart from the first flange portion 141a.
  • the first flange portion 141a and the second flange portion 141b are formed to protrude outward in a direction perpendicular to the height direction of the spout 14.
  • the first flange portion 141a is the flange portion located at the top.
  • the first flange portion 141a has an upper surface 145.
  • a recess portion 142 is formed between the first flange portion 141a and the second flange portion 141b along the outer periphery of the cylindrical portion 140.
  • the first flange portion 141a and the second flange portion 141b have the same shape and size, but may have different shapes and/or sizes.
  • flange portion 141 when there is no need to particularly distinguish between the first flange portion 141a and the second flange portion 141b, they will be referred to as flange portion 141.
  • the number of flange portions 141 is not limited to two, and may be one or more.
  • the opening 144 of the spout 14 is sealed by screwing the screw groove 143 of the cylindrical portion 140 of the spout 14 into the screw groove of the inner circumference of the cap 15.
  • the opening 144 of the spout 14 serves as a filling port when filling the contents.
  • the tip surface of the spout 14 having the opening 144 is referred to as the opening surface 147.
  • the flange portion 141 has an approximately hexagonal outer shape when viewed from above.
  • the shape of the flange portion 141 is not limited to this, and may be a circle or other polygonal shape such as a rectangle.
  • the flange portion 141 has a polygonal shape having sides from the viewpoint of stably supporting the posture. And, as shown in FIG.
  • the spout 14 it is more preferable to provide the spout 14 so that a pair of parallel opposing side surfaces 146a and 146b of the flange portion 141, which has a polygonal shape (hexagonal shape in this embodiment) when viewed from above, are approximately parallel to the XY plane of the pouch body 13.
  • the side surfaces 146a and 146b are perpendicular to the thickness direction Z and have a certain width (width in the X-axis direction).
  • the side of the flange portion 141 on the side film 131 side is marked with the symbol 146a
  • the side of the flange portion 141 on the side film 132 side is marked with the symbol 146b.
  • the flange portion 141 polygonal in this way, as shown in FIG. 1, when multiple pouches 10 are hung on the pouch supply device side guide rail 70 or the filling device side guide rail 80 described below, the posture of the pouches 10 can be stabilized and supported. Details will be described later.
  • ⁇ Filling system> 1 is a schematic plan view of a filling system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
  • the filling system 100 includes a pouch supply device 1 and a filling device 8.
  • the left side is the upstream side in the conveying direction
  • the right side is the downstream side in the conveying direction
  • the pouch 10 is conveyed from the left side to the right side.
  • the pouch supplying device 1 supplies the empty pouch 10 before filling with the contents to the filling device 8 in a posture in which the pouch 10 will be supplied to the filling device 8 where the filling process of the contents is performed. More specifically, the pouch supplying device 1 changes the pouch 10 in the first posture 11 at the first position P1 to the second posture 12 and transports it to the second position P2. At the second position P2, the spout 14 of the pouch 10 is positioned in the height direction Y. The pouch 10 at the second position P2 positioned in the height direction Y is supplied to the filling device 8 in the second posture 12. In the filling device 8, the pouch 10 is filled with the contents from the spout 14 while maintaining the second posture 12, for example.
  • the filling device 8 fills the pouch 10 supplied in the second position 12 by the pouch supply device 1 with the contents through the opening 144 of the spout 14, attaches a cap to the spout opening 144, and seals the opening 144 with the cap 15.
  • the filling process and cap attachment process in the filling device 8 are performed automatically.
  • the "first position” and the “second position” are different positions.
  • the "first position” is a "horizontal position” in which the pouch 10 is disposed horizontally so that the side films 131 and 132 are approximately parallel to a horizontal plane.
  • pouch body 13 is thin in thickness direction Z, whereas spout 14 is thick in thickness direction Z. For this reason, as shown in Fig.
  • upper portion 16T on which spout 14 is provided is located higher than lower portion 16B, so that side films 131 and 132 are not completely parallel to the horizontal plane, but such an approximately parallel position is also included in the above-mentioned "horizontal position".
  • the above-mentioned “second position” is a “vertical position” in which the pouch 10 is arranged upright with the filling port (in this embodiment, the opening 144 of the spout 14 is the filling port) facing upward and the side of the pouch 10 approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
  • the vertical position includes the case where the width direction X of the pouch 10 is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane as well as the case where it is oblique.
  • the above-mentioned “second position” is a “vertical position” in which the pouch 10 is arranged upright with the upper portion 16T where the spout 14 is provided facing up, with the side films 131 and 132 approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and the width direction X of the pouch approximately parallel to the horizontal plane.
  • the pouch supplying device 1 has a first conveying lane L1 and a second conveying lane L2.
  • the first conveying lane L1 and the second conveying lane L2 have the same configuration.
  • the empty pouches 10 conveyed by the first conveying lane L1 and the second conveying lane L2 are supplied to the filling device 8.
  • the filling system 100 there are two inlets for the pouches 10 to the filling device 8, and the filling device 8 is provided with two filling device side guide rails 80.
  • the pouches 10 conveyed by the first conveying lane L1 are supplied to one of the two filling device side guide rails 80, and the pouches 10 conveyed by the second conveying lane L2 are supplied to the other filling device side guide rail 80.
  • the burden on the worker in inserting the pouches 10 in the inserting section 2 described below can be reduced, and workability and productivity can be improved.
  • the number of conveying lanes and inserting openings may be one, which will be described later as a modified example.
  • Each of the conveying lanes L1 and L2 is equipped with a conveyor that conveys the empty pouches 10.
  • the conveyor may be a known conveyor such as a belt conveyor or a roller conveyor. This will be described in detail below.
  • the pouch 10 is positioned so that its height direction Y is approximately parallel to the conveying direction (the direction from left to right in the figure).
  • the width direction X of the pouch 10 is approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction.
  • the pouch 10 is positioned and conveyed so that the upper part 16T, where the spout 14 is located, is located downstream in the conveying direction and the lower part 16B is located upstream.
  • the first conveying lane L1 and the second conveying lane L2 of the pouch supplying device 1 each have an insertion section 2, a separation section 9, a rough positioning section 5, a position changing and positioning section 6, and a waiting section 7.
  • FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the input section 2 of the pouch supplying device 1.
  • a plurality of empty pouches 10 are input into the input section 2 from outside the device.
  • the input is performed, for example, manually.
  • the pouches 10 may be input in bulk so that the spout 14 is located downstream and the conveying direction and the height direction Y are approximately parallel.
  • a plurality of empty pouches 10 may be conveyed in a stacked manner in the input section 2.
  • the empty pouches 10 take a first position (horizontal position) 11 in which the side film 132 is located on the upper surface and the side film 131 is located on the lower surface.
  • the input section 2 is provided with an input section conveyor unit 20.
  • the input section conveyor unit 20 has a circular input section conveyor belt 21, two driven rollers 23 around which the input section conveyor belt 21 is wound, and a pair of left and right side walls 22 provided on both sides in the left and right direction (corresponding to the width direction of the pouch 10) with the input section conveyor belt 21 sandwiched therebetween.
  • the input section conveyor belt 21 transports the inputted plurality of pouches 10 to the separation section 9 .
  • the side walls 22 prevent the pouches 10 from falling off the input conveyor belt 21 .
  • the separation section 9 has a first separation area 3 and a second separation area 4.
  • a plurality of pouches 10 are transported in a stacked state from the input section conveyor unit 20 of the input section 2 to the first separation area 3.
  • the first separation area 3 the number of overlaps of the stacked pouches 10 is reduced.
  • the second separation area 4 the pouches 10 are reliably separated one by one from the stack of pouches 10 whose overlapping number has been reduced by the first separation area 3 , and are handed over to a rough positioning unit 5 .
  • the empty pouches 10 take a first position (horizontal position) 11. Note that the number of overlapping pouches 10 is reduced by the first separation area 3, but the number of overlapping pouches 10 after reduction may be one (i.e., no overlapping) or may be multiple overlapping pouches.
  • FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of a part of the input section 2 and the first separation area 3 of the pouch supplying device 1.
  • photoelectric sensors 17 may be provided downstream of the input section 2, midway through the first separation area 3, and downstream of the first separation area 3.
  • the photoelectric sensors 17 include a light projecting section 17a and a light receiving section 17b.
  • the photoelectric sensors 17 detect the object of the pouch 10. By arranging a plurality of photoelectric sensors 17, the conveying state is monitored.
  • a speed-up conveyor unit 30 is provided in the first separation area 3.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit 30 is driven by a motor 36.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit 30 conveys the pouches 10 at a conveying speed faster than the conveying speed of the input section conveyor unit 20. This makes it possible to reduce the number of overlaps of the stacked pouches 10 inputted at the input section 2.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit 30 may be configured to gradually increase the conveying speed of the pouches 10 from upstream to downstream.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit 30 may be configured as shown in FIG. 4, with multiple conveyors 31A to 31E (belt conveyors in this embodiment) arranged in series along the conveying direction so that the conveying speed increases stepwise from upstream to downstream.
  • the conveyor 31A conveys the pouch 10 at a faster conveying speed than the input section conveyor unit 20.
  • the conveyor 31B conveys the pouch 10 at a faster conveying speed than the conveyor 31A.
  • the conveyor 31C conveys the pouch 10 at a faster conveying speed than the conveyor 31B.
  • the conveyor 31D conveys the pouch 10 at a faster conveying speed than the conveyor 31C.
  • the conveyor 31E conveys the pouch 10 at a faster conveying speed than the conveyor 31D.
  • Conveyor 31E which is located furthest downstream among the five conveyors 31A to 31E, has a circular conveyor belt 35, a drive roller 32 around which the conveyor belt 35 is wound, a motor 36 that serves as a drive source for rotating the drive roller 32, and a driven roller 33 around which the conveyor belt 35 is wound and which rotates in response to the movement of the conveyor belt associated with rotating the drive roller 32.
  • Each of the conveyors 31A to 31D has a circular conveyor belt 35 and two driven rollers 33 around which the conveyor belt 35 is wound.
  • the drive roller 32 and the driven roller 33 are provided with rubber gears and are driven to rotate by a rubber transmission mechanism.
  • the gears of the two driven rollers 33 are fitted with rubber and are driven to rotate by a rubber transmission mechanism.
  • rubber 34 is attached to the gear of the driving roller 32 of the conveyor 31E and the gear of the downstream driven roller 33 of the conveyor 31D (the roller on the right side in the figure), so that the driven roller 33 of the conveyor 31D rotates with the rotation of the driving roller 32.
  • the number of gears of the gear of the driving roller 32 of the conveyor 31E is less than the number of gears of the downstream driven roller 33 of the conveyor 31D.
  • the conveying speed of the conveyor 31E can be made faster than the conveying speed of the conveyor 31D.
  • the downstream driven roller 33 of the two adjacent driven rollers 33 (for example, the downstream driven roller 33 of the conveyor 31C and the upstream driven roller 33 of the conveyor 31D) has fewer gears than the upstream driven roller 33, and both are fitted with rubber 34.
  • the conveyor 31D has a faster transport speed than the conveyor 31C
  • the conveyor 31C has a faster transport speed than the conveyor 31B
  • the conveyor 31B has a faster transport speed than the conveyor 31A.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit 30 of this embodiment is configured by connecting a plurality of conveyors 31A to 31E and is driven by one motor 36. Then, by making the number of gears on the upstream side of one of the adjacent conveyors 31 different from the number of gears on the downstream side of the other conveyor, it is possible to increase the conveying speed of the pouches 10 stepwise in the conveying direction.
  • the pouch 10 transported from the input conveyor unit 20 to the speed-up conveyor unit 30 in the first separation area 3 is transported to the second separation area 4 with the transport speed increasing in stages (five stages in this embodiment).
  • the speed-up conveyor unit 30 can reduce the number of overlapping empty pouches 10 being transported by using the speed difference, and by gradually increasing the transport speed, the number of overlapping pouches 10 can be gradually reduced.
  • the number of overlapping empty pouches 10 be about 1 to 4 near the downstream of the first separation area 3.
  • the speed is increased in five stages, but the present invention is not limited to this example.
  • the conveyor speed, the number of stages of speed increase, etc. can be appropriately set by comprehensively taking into consideration the required production volume, the number of pouches 10 to be input, the frequency of inputting pouches into the input unit 2, the installation area of the filling system 100, etc.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit 30, which gradually increases the conveying speed may have a known configuration and is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit may be realized by a roller conveyor.
  • ((Second Separation Area)) 5(A) to (D) are schematic side views of the vicinity of the second separation area 4 of the pouch supplying device 1, and show in chronological order the transfer of the pouches 10 from the second separation area 4 to the rough positioning unit 5. Note that in FIG. 5, the speed-up conveyor unit 30 is simplified and partially shown.
  • the second separation area 4 is provided with an adsorption transport unit 40, a stopper 44, and a photoelectric sensor 45 for object detection.
  • the stopper 44 stops the movement of the pouch 10 conveyed from the first separation area 3 in the conveying direction.
  • the photoelectric sensor 45 detects from the detection result whether or not the pouch 10 is present at the separation position 41A.
  • the suction transport unit 40 includes a suction device 41 and a suction transport rail 43 .
  • the suction conveying rail 43 extends in the conveying direction from near the downstream of the speed-up conveying unit 30 in the first separation area 3 to near the upstream of the first conveying unit 50 (described later) provided in the rough positioning section 5.
  • the first conveying unit 50 includes a pair of left and right first conveying belts 51.
  • the first conveying belt located on the left side of the pair of left and right first conveying belts 51 is given the symbol 51L
  • the first conveying belt located on the right side is given the symbol 51R, and is referred to as the first conveying belt 51 when there is no need to distinguish them.
  • the left first conveying belt 51L and the right first conveying belt 51R are positioned apart in the left-right direction.
  • the suction conveying rail 43 extends between the left first conveying belt 51L and the right first conveying belt 51R when the pouch supplying device 1 is viewed from above. For this reason, in Figures 1 and 5, the range of the second separation area 4 and the range of the rough positioning section 5 are shown to overlap in part.
  • the suction device 41 is an actuator having a suction pad 42.
  • the suction device 41 is configured to be movable on the suction transport rail 43 between a separation position 41A and a transport position 41B in the transport direction and the opposite direction.
  • the suction device 41 has a suction pad 42.
  • the suction pad 42 is configured to be able to rise and fall.
  • the separation position 41A is located upstream of the suction conveying rail 43.
  • the tip of the spout 14 of the pouch 10 conveyed from the speed-up conveyor unit 30 of the first separation area 3 hits the stopper 44, and the movement in the conveying direction is stopped by the stopper 44.
  • the suction device 41 is located below the pouch 10 stopped by the stopper 44, and separates one of the pouches stopped by the stopper 44.
  • the transport position 41B is located downstream of the suction transport rail 43.
  • the transport position 41B is a position where the pouch 10 adsorbed by the suction device 41 is transported to the rough positioning section 5 and placed on the first conveyor belt 51 of the first conveyor unit 50 (described later) provided in the rough positioning section 5.
  • the suction device 41 is located downstream of the suction transport rail 43.
  • the suction device 41 picks up the pouches 10 transported by the speed-up conveyor unit 30, separates them into individual pouches, and transports them to the rough positioning unit 5. The transport procedure will be explained in detail using Figure 5.
  • pouch 10 is transported from speed-up conveyor unit 30 and stopped by stopper 44.
  • Pouch 10 is transported to separation position 41A with the number of overlaps reduced to 1-4 by being transported by speed-up conveyor unit 30.
  • three stacked pouches 10 are present at separation position 41A, and suction device 41 is positioned below pouch 10 and spaced apart from pouch 10.
  • a cylinder (not shown) gently pushes the stack of pouches 10 downward from above, while suction pad 42 of suction device 41 rises and adsorbs the lowest pouch 10 in the stack from the side film 131 that forms its side.
  • the group of pouches is pushed downward from above while being adsorbed from below, so that only one of the lowest pouches 10 can be adsorbed.
  • the suction pad 42 lowers while suction-holding the lowest pouch 10, thereby separating the lowest pouch 10 from the other overlapping pouches 10 and separating one pouch 10 from the group of pouches.
  • the suction device 41 moves from the separation position 41A to the conveying position 41B on the suction conveying rail 43 while suction-holding one pouch 10 with the suction pad 42.
  • the pouch 10 is positioned above the first conveyor belt 51 of the rough positioning unit 5.
  • the suction pad 42 descends, so that the right side portion 160S of the pouch 10 held by suction is placed on the right first conveyor belt 51R, and the left side portion 160S is placed on the left first conveyor belt 51L.
  • suction by the suction pad 42 is released.
  • the pouch 10 is transferred from the speed-up conveyor unit 30 to the first conveyor unit 50 of the rough positioning section 5 by the suction transport unit 40 .
  • (Rough positioning part) 6 is a schematic side view of the rough positioning unit 5 of the pouch supplying device 1. In the rough positioning unit 5, the positioning of the pouch 10 in the width direction X is performed.
  • the rough positioning section 5 is provided with a first conveyor unit 50 .
  • the first conveyor unit 50 includes a first conveyor 53R on the right side, a first conveyor 53L on the left side, and a pair of wall-shaped right guides 55R and left guides 55L arranged on either side of the left and right sides of the pair of left and right first conveyors 53R and 53L.
  • the first conveyor 53 When there is no need to distinguish between the first conveyor 53R on the right side and the first conveyor 53L on the left side, they are referred to as the first conveyor 53.
  • the guides 55 In the rough positioning section 5 , the pouch 10 takes a first position (horizontal position) 11 .
  • the right-side first conveyor 53R and the left-side first conveyor 53L have the same configuration.
  • the first conveyor 53 has a circular first conveyor belt 51 and two rollers 52 around which the first conveyor belt 51 is wound. Of the two rollers 52, one is a drive roller rotated by a motor (not shown), and the other is a driven roller. The driven roller rotates following the movement of the first conveyor belt 51 caused by the rotation of the drive roller.
  • the pouch 10 is transported with the right side portion 160S placed on the first conveyor belt 51R of the right first conveyor 53R and the left side portion 160S placed on the first conveyor belt 51L of the left first conveyor 53L.
  • the pair of left and right first conveyor belts 51 transport the pouch 10 to the first position P1 of the posture changing and positioning section 6.
  • the first position P1 is the position when the pouch 10 is brought into the posture changing and positioning section 6 as shown in FIG. 7, and is the position where the pouch 10 is inserted into the gap between the first clamping conveyor belt and the second clamping conveyor belt.
  • the pouch 10 takes the first posture (horizontal posture) 11 at the first position P1.
  • the right guide 55R and the left guide 55L are arranged to extend in the conveying direction and the distance between them gradually narrows toward the conveying direction.
  • the pair of guides 55 adjust the orientation of the pouch 10 separated into one in the second separation area 4 and handed over by the suction conveying unit 40 so that the width direction X of the pouch 10 is approximately perpendicular to the conveying direction, and adjust the position of the pouch 10 so that it is located in the center of the first conveyor unit 50 in the left-right direction. While being transported by the pair of left and right first conveyor belts 51, the pouch 10 has its orientation and position adjusted by the right guide 55R and the left guide 55L, and is transported to the first position P1 of the posture changing and positioning unit 6.
  • both side portions 160S of the pouch 10 are in contact with and supported by the pair of first conveyor belts 51 on the left and right.
  • the central portion 160C including the spout presence area 148 between the both side portions 160S is not in contact with the conveyor belts and is in a free, unsupported state.
  • photoelectric sensors 17 may be provided near the upstream and downstream of the rough positioning unit 5.
  • the photoelectric sensors 17 detect the pouches 10 as objects.
  • the conveying state of the pouches 10 (such as the number of pouches 10) is monitored.
  • the sensing results of the photoelectric sensors 17 may be used to control the motor 36 or to change the conveying speed.
  • FIG. 7 is a schematic side view of the attitude changing and positioning unit 6 of the pouch supplying device 1.
  • the posture changing and positioning unit 6 conveys the pouch 10, which has been conveyed to the first position P1 in a first posture (horizontal posture) 11 by the first conveyor unit 50 of the rough positioning unit 5, to a second position P2 while changing the posture 12, and positions the spout 14 in the height direction, and therefore positions the pouch 10 in the height direction Y.
  • the second posture (vertical posture) 12 that the pouch 10 takes at the second position P2 is the same as the posture when it is carried into the filling device 8 where the subsequent filling process is performed.
  • the position changing and positioning unit 6 is provided with a clamping conveyor module 600 .
  • the pinch conveyor module 600 includes a right pinch conveyor unit 60R, a left pinch conveyor unit 60L, a positioning member 67, a photoelectric sensor 17, and a guide 69.
  • the right clamping conveyor unit 60R and the left clamping conveyor unit 60L have the same configuration.
  • the right clamping conveyor unit 60R and the left clamping conveyor unit 60L operate simultaneously in the same manner.
  • the pouch supplying device 1 the right clamping conveyor unit 60R and the left clamping conveyor unit 60L are positioned apart in the left-right direction.
  • the right clamping conveyor unit 60R clamps the right side portion 160S of the pouch 10 in its thickness direction Z.
  • the left clamping conveyor unit 60L clamps the left side portion 160S of the pouch 10 in its thickness direction Z. Only the left and right side portions 160S of the pouch 10 are clamped and supported by the right clamping conveyor unit 60R and the left clamping conveyor unit 60L, respectively.
  • the central portion 160C of the pouch 10 is not in contact with the conveyor belt and is in an unsupported, free state.
  • the clamping conveyor unit 60 when there is no need to distinguish between the right clamping conveyor unit 60R and the left clamping conveyor unit 60L, they will be referred to as the clamping conveyor unit 60.
  • the reference numerals given to the elements constituting the clamping conveyor unit 60 may be described by adding R after the number indicating the element constituting the right clamping conveyor unit 60R and adding L after the number indicating the element constituting the left clamping conveyor unit 60L.
  • the clamping conveyor unit 60 has a first clamping conveyor 61, a second clamping conveyor 65, and a plurality of pressure rollers 68.
  • the first clamping conveyor 61 and the second clamping conveyor 65 may be configured to be able to operate separately.
  • the first clamping conveyor 61 has a circular first clamping conveyor belt 61a and four rollers 62 around which the first clamping conveyor belt 61a is wound. Of the multiple rollers 62, one roller 62 functions as a drive roller, and the remaining rollers 62 function as driven rollers. When the drive roller is rotated by a motor (not shown), the conveyor belt rotates due to the frictional force between the back surface of the conveyor belt and the rollers, and the driven rollers also rotate.
  • the second clamping conveyor 65 has a circular second clamping conveyor belt 65a and three rollers 66 around which the second clamping conveyor belt 65a is wound. Of the multiple rollers 66, one roller 66 functions as a drive roller, and the remaining rollers 66 function as driven rollers. When the drive roller is rotated by a motor (not shown), the conveyor belt rotates due to the frictional force between the back surface of the conveyor belt and the rollers, and the driven rollers also rotate.
  • the multiple pressure rollers 68 are arranged at intervals along the conveying direction.
  • the multiple pressure rollers 68 are arranged adjacent to the second clamping conveyor belt 65a in the conveying direction so as to continue from the second clamping conveyor belt 65a in the conveying direction.
  • the multiple pressure rollers 68 are located downstream in the conveying direction from the second clamping conveyor belt 65a.
  • the clamping conveyor unit 60 has a first clamping area 6A and a second clamping area 6B, which are arranged from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction.
  • the pouch 10 is clamped and transported by a pair of clamping conveyors, the first clamping conveyor 61 and the second clamping conveyor 65. More specifically, in the first clamping area 6A, the pouch 10 has both side portions 160S sandwiched between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the second clamping conveyor belt 65a, respectively, and is transported by the movement of the first and second clamping conveyor belts.
  • the pouch 10 is clamped and transported by a pair of clamping conveyors, the first clamping conveyor 61 and multiple pressure rollers 68.
  • the multiple pressure rollers are the clamping conveyors. More specifically, in the second clamping area 6B, the pouch 10 has both side portions 160S sandwiched between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the pressure rollers 68, respectively, and is transported by the movement of the first clamping conveyor belt.
  • the pouch 10 is consistently clamped and transported by a pair of clamping conveyors, but halfway through, one of the clamping conveyors switches from a conveyor belt to a pressure roller.
  • the pouch 10 arranged in the first position P1 in the first position 11 is conveyed so that its posture gradually changes with both side portions 160S being clamped between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the second clamping conveyor belt 65a.
  • the pouch 10 is switched to being clamped between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the pressure roller 68.
  • the pouch 10 is then clamped between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the pressure roller 68, and conveyed to the second position P2 so that its posture gradually changes to the second posture 12 in which the entire pouch 10 is in a vertical posture.
  • both side portions 160S of the pouch 10 are not in contact with the second clamping conveyor belt 65a, but are clamped by the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the pressure roller 68.
  • the pressure roller 68 moves, releasing the clamping on the side film 131 side.
  • the positioning member 67 is used to position the spout 14 in the height direction at the second position P2.
  • the pouch 10 that has been positioned in the height direction is released from the clamping by the pressure rollers 68, it is pushed by the positioning member 67 and moves horizontally in the thickness direction Z, and is pushed into a pair of guide rails 71, which will be described later.
  • the clamping conveyor unit 60 has three pressure rollers 68 aligned along the conveying direction.
  • the pressure rollers 68 together with the first clamping conveyor belt 61a, clamp the side portion 160S of the pouch 10 and convey the pouch 10 upward in FIG. 7.
  • the number of pressure rollers 68 and their installation intervals are appropriately set depending on the size of the pouch 10 to be conveyed.
  • the pressure rollers 68 are connected to positioning members 67 and are configured to be movable between a clamping position and a release position.
  • the pressure roller 68 In the clamping position, the pressure roller 68 is positioned opposite the first clamping conveyor belt 61a in the thickness direction Z of the pouch 10.
  • the pressure roller 68 in the clamping position is positioned on the transport path when the pouch 10 at the second position P2 is pushed into the pair of guide rails 71 and moves.
  • the pressure roller 68 is positioned overlapping the side portion 160S of the pouch 10.
  • the pressure roller 68 in the release position is not located on the transport path.
  • the pressure roller 68 in the release position is located so as not to overlap with the pouch 10.
  • Fig. 8(A) is an enlarged view of positioning member 67 as viewed from arrow E in Fig. 7 (a direction parallel to thickness direction Z of the pouch at second position P2).
  • Fig. 8(B) is an enlarged view of spout 14 as viewed from arrow E in Fig. 7.
  • Fig. 8(C) is a diagram showing how spout 14 is positioned in the height direction by positioning member 67 as viewed from arrow E in Fig. 7.
  • the positioning member 67 is used to position the spout 14 in the height direction at the second position P2, and therefore to position the pouch 10 in the height direction Y.
  • the positioning member 67 is also used to push the pouch 10 into the guide rail 71.
  • the positioning member 67 has a storage section 670, which is a storage space in which the spout 14 is stored when the spout 14 is positioned.
  • the storage section 670 has an upper storage area 673 that stores a portion of the spout 14 above the first flange portion 141a of the cylindrical portion 140, and a lower storage area 674 that stores the first flange portion 141a of the spout 14 and a portion below it.
  • the width B of the upper storage area 673 (the dimension corresponding to the left-right direction in FIGS. 8(A) and (C)) is narrower than the width A of the lower storage area 674.
  • the inner surface that forms the storage section 670 includes a positioning abutment surface 671.
  • the positioning abutment surface 671 is a surface that comes into contact with the upper surface 145 of the first flange portion 141a of the spout 14 when the spout 14 is positioned, and is typically a surface parallel to the horizontal direction.
  • the positioning abutment surface 671 forms part of the inner surface of the lower storage area 674, and more specifically forms the ceiling surface of the lower storage area 674.
  • FIG. 9 is a schematic side view for explaining the posture change and transportation of the pouch from the positioning unit 6 to the standby unit 7.
  • the positioning member 67 has a push-in surface 675.
  • the positioning member 67 is configured to be movable in the thickness direction Z of the pouch 10 at the second position P2.
  • the positioning member 67 moves in a direction from left to right in FIG. 9 (the thickness direction of the pouch 10 at the second position P2, from the side film 132 side to the side film 131 side), thereby pushing the spout 14 of the pouch 10 from the side, and moving the pouch 10 from left to right in the figure and pushing it into the guide rail 71.
  • the push-in surface 675 is a surface that contacts the spout 14 when it is pushed in, and in this embodiment, the push-in surface 675 contacts the side surface 146a of the flange portion 141.
  • the width dimension of the narrowest portion of the lower storage area 674 of the storage section 670 is A
  • the width dimension of the narrowest portion of the upper storage area 673 is B
  • the height dimension of the upper storage area 673 is C.
  • the width dimension of the first flange portion 141a located at the uppermost position of the spout 14 is a
  • the width dimension of the tubular portion 140 of the spout 14 is b
  • the height dimension of the portion of the tubular portion 140 of the spout 14 above the first flange portion 141a is c.
  • Cylindrical portion 140 of spout 14 typically has a circular cross section (cross section when cut on a horizontal plane), and the width b corresponds to the outer diameter of cylindrical portion 140 .
  • the positioning member 67 By configuring the positioning member 67 to satisfy the relationship (1) above, as shown in FIG. 8(C), when the pouch 10 is transported from below to above, the spout 14 is inserted into the storage section 670 and the upper surface 145 of the first flange portion 141a abuts against the positioning abutment surface 671 of the positioning member 67. This positions the spout 14 in the height direction, and therefore positions the pouch 10 in the height direction Y.
  • the positioning member 67 with a positioning abutment surface 671 that abuts against the upper surface 145 of the first flange portion 141 a of the spout 14 , the spout 14 can be positioned in the height direction Y. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upper surface 145 of the first flange portion 141a is used for positioning without using the opening surface 147 having the opening 144, and the positioning member 67 is configured so that C>c, so that the opening surface 147 of the spout 14 and the positioning member 67 are not in contact, thereby reducing the risk of foreign matter entering through the opening 144.
  • the upper surface 145 of the first flange portion 141a is used to position the spout 14 using the positioning member 67, but this is not limited to this, and the opening surface 147 of the spout 14 may also be used. However, as described above, from the viewpoint of reducing the risk of foreign matter contamination, it is preferable to use a portion other than the opening surface 147.
  • the positioning member 67 is configured so that the storage section 670 has a ceiling surface, as in the region D surrounded by the dashed ellipse.
  • the storage section 670 without a ceiling surface may be formed in a shape that penetrates in the height direction.
  • the height of the upper part of the positioning member corresponding to the upper storage area is not limited.
  • the height of the upper part of the positioning member may be the same as the height of the part above the first flange portion 141a of the cylindrical portion 140 of the spout 14, or it may be lower or higher.
  • the upper part of the cylindrical portion 140 protrudes from the positioning member 67. Even in such a configuration, the opening surface 147 of the spout 14 and the positioning member are not in contact with each other, and the risk of foreign matter being mixed in can be reduced.
  • an inclined surface 672 having an inducing shape below the inner surface forming the accommodating portion 670 of the positioning member 67, such that the width of the accommodating portion 670 becomes continuously wider from top to bottom.
  • the positioning member 67 is configured to be movable from the position where it is positioned at the second position P2, and can also function as a pushing member that pushes the pouch 10 into the pair of guide rails 71.
  • the positioning member 67 moves from left to right. By this movement, the positioning member 67 pushes the spout 14 of the positioned pouch 10 from left to right, pushing the pouch 10 into the pair of guide rails 71.
  • the pair of guide rails 71 and the pressure rollers 68 are linked to the positioning member 67 .
  • the pair of guide rails 71 are provided spaced apart in the left-right direction and move to support the spout 14 of the pouch 10 in the second position P2 so as to sandwich the spout 14 from the left-right direction.
  • the pair of guide rails 71 also move from left to right and are inserted into the recessed portion 142 of the spout 14 of the pouch 10 at the second position P2.
  • the pouch 10 is supported by the pair of guide rails 71 and supported in a suspended state.
  • the pressure rollers 68 move from the clamping position to the release position in conjunction with the positioning members 67. After the pouch 10 is supported by the pair of guide rails 71, the pressure rollers 68 move from the clamping position to the release position, and the pouch 10 is further pushed into the pair of guide rails 71.
  • the first clamping conveyor 61 and the second clamping conveyor 65 may be configured to be able to operate separately. For example, when the pouch 10 is transported to the second position P2, the first clamping conveyor 61 is stopped. While the pouch 10 is pushed out onto the guide rail 71 by the positioning member 67, the first clamping conveyor 61 may be stopped while the second clamping conveyor 65 is operated. This allows the pouch 10 to be next transported to the second position P2 to be transported from the first clamping area 6A to just before being carried into the second clamping area 6B, improving productivity.
  • the sandwiching and conveying is switched from being sandwiched and conveyed by a pair of sandwiching conveyor belts to being sandwiched and conveyed by a sandwiching conveyor belt and a pressure roller.
  • the pressure roller 68 which can be configured to be movable, for clamping and transporting, the pressure roller 68 in the clamping position that was blocking the transport path can be moved to a release position, and the pouch 10 positioned in the height direction Y at the second position P2 can be moved horizontally as it is and transported to the guide rail 70 on the pouch supply device side and then to the guide rail 80 on the filling device side.
  • the pouch 10 positioned in the height direction Y at the second position P2 can be quickly moved to the pouch supplying device side guide rail 70.
  • the positioning member 67 as a pushing member, the spout 14 can be pushed into the pair of guide rails 71 while the position of the spout 14 in the height direction Y is maintained by the positioning member 67, and the spout 14 can be more reliably pushed into the pair of guide rails 71 at an appropriate position.
  • the shape of the spout 14 can be utilized to position the pouch 10 in the height direction Y by the positioning member 67 .
  • the pouch 10 whose posture has been changed to the second posture 12 by the posture changing and positioning section 6 and whose position has been set in the height direction Y can be moved horizontally as is and supplied to the filling device 8.
  • the shape of the positioning member 67 is not limited to the shape described here. Since the shape of the spout 14 can be various, the positioning member 67 can be designed appropriately according to the shape of the spout 14.
  • one photoelectric sensor 17 is provided near the downstream side of the first clamping area 6A. In addition, one photoelectric sensor 17 is provided near the tip of the spout 14 of the pouch 10 at the second position P2. These photoelectric sensors 17 monitor the conveying state of the pouch 10.
  • the guide 69 supports the vicinity of the central portion 160C of the pouch 10 from the side of the side film 132 when the pouch 10 is conveyed by being pinched between the first pinching conveyor belt 61a and the pressure roller 68.
  • the guide 69 is made of, for example, a metal plate with a slightly curved lower portion so as to be separated from the pouch 10 being conveyed.
  • the pouch 10 being pinched and conveyed between the first pinching conveyor belt 61a and the second pinching conveyor belt 65a assumes a posture in which it is bent with the side film 132 side facing inward in the process of changing its posture from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture.
  • the pouch 10 is likely to develop a tendency to bend slightly in a bow shape with the side film 132 side facing inward.
  • the tendency of the pouch 10 can be corrected.
  • the pouch 10 can be conveyed into the filling device 8 in a vertically straight state.
  • the pouch 10 whose position has been changed to the second position 12 is conveyed from the position changing and positioning unit 6 to the standby unit 7. In the standby unit 7, the pouch 10 takes on the second position 12.
  • a pair of pouch supply device side guide rails 70 are provided in the waiting section 7.
  • the pair of pouch supply device side guide rails 70 support and guide the pouch 10 to the filling device 8 in a suspended state by supporting the spout 14.
  • the pair of pouch supply device side guide rails 70 are at the same height as the pair of guide rails 71. Therefore, the pouch 10 supported by the pair of guide rails 71 can be transported while maintaining the second posture 12 by moving horizontally to the pair of pouch supply device side guide rails 70.
  • the pouch supply device side guide rails 70 also engage with the recessed portion 142 of the spout 14 to support the spout 14 by sandwiching it from both the left and right sides. As a result, the pouch 10 is supported in a suspended state with the spout 14 hooked on the pouch supply device side guide rails 70.
  • the positioning member 67 moves in conjunction with the movement of the pressure rollers 68 from the clamping position to the release position, and the pouch 10 is pushed into the pair of guide rails 71.
  • the pouch 10 pushed into the pair of guide rails 71 is moved horizontally by air and transported to the guide rail 70 on the pouch supply device side. Using air to transport the pouch 10 on the guide rails allows for contactless transport, and the pouch body 13 is less likely to be damaged.
  • the pouch 10 whose spout 14 has been positioned in the height direction at the second position P2 can be transported to the pouch supply device side guide rail 70 while maintaining the second posture 12 and its height position.
  • the pouch 10 is supported by the pouch supplying device side guide rail 70 so that the opening surface 147 of the spout 14 is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane (the height direction of the cylindrical portion 140 of the spout 14 is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane), and the opening 144 faces upward.
  • the pouch 10 on the guide rail can be transported by contact using a mechanical hand, and any known transport method can be used.
  • the flange portion 141 of the spout 14 polygonal, multiple pouches 10 can be supported in a stable posture on the pouch supply device side guide rail 70 and the filling device side guide rail 80 described later. That is, since the flange portion 141 has a pair of side surfaces 146a and 146b, the side surface 146b of the pouch 10 previously transported to the pouch supplying device side guide rail 70 (or the filling device side guide rail 80) receives the side surface 146a of the pouch 10 to be transported next, so that the pouches 10 are less likely to shift position during transport.
  • the pouch supplying device side guide rail 70 (or the filling device side guide rail 80). Furthermore, two adjacent pouches 10 transported to the pouch supplying device side guide rail 70 (or the filling device side guide rail 80) can be supported in a line such that the side surface 146a of the flange portion 141 of the spout 14 of one pouch 10 contacts the side surface 146b of the flange portion 141 of the spout 14 of the other pouch 10.
  • the pouch 10 can be supported in a stable line such that the respective XY planes are approximately parallel, by the pouch supplying device side guide rail 70 (or the filling device side guide rail 80).
  • the pouch 10 can be supported in a stable posture by the guide rail 70 on the pouch supplying device side, so that the pouch 10 can be automatically transported from the pouch supplying device 1 to the filling device 8 in an even more stable posture, thereby preventing the occurrence of poor transport.
  • the filling device 8 has an input section 81 and a filling and capping section 82.
  • the process of filling the pouches 10 supplied from the pouch supply device 1 with the contents and the process of capping are automatically performed.
  • the pouches 10 take the second position 12.
  • the pouches 10 also take the second position 12.
  • FIG. 10 is a schematic side view for explaining the supply of pouch 10 in standby section 7 to carry-in section 81 of filling device 8. As shown in FIG.
  • the loading section 81 is provided with a pair of filling device side guide rails 80 .
  • the pair of filling apparatus side guide rails 80 like the pair of guide rails 71 and the pair of pouch supply apparatus side guide rails 70, engage with the recessed portion 142 of the spout 14 to sandwich and support the spout 14.
  • the pouch 10 is supported in a suspended state by the pair of filling apparatus side guide rails 80.
  • the pouch 10 transported to the waiting section 7 is supplied from the pair of pouch supply apparatus side guide rails 70 to the pair of filling apparatus side guide rails 80.
  • the pair of filling apparatus side guide rails 80 support the spout 14 in a suspended state for the pouch 10 in the second position 12.
  • the pair of filling device side guide rails 80 are at the same height position as the pair of pouch supply device side guide rails 70. Therefore, the pouch 10 suspended on the pouch supply device side guide rails 70 can be moved horizontally while maintaining the second position 12, and can be easily moved and supplied to the filling device side guide rails 80.
  • the flange portion 141 of the spout 14 has a polygonal shape, so that, as described above, the pouch supply device side guide rail 70 supports the multiple pouches 10 with their posture stabilized. Therefore, the pouches 10 can be moved from the pouch supply device side guide rail 70 to the filling device side guide rail 80 with their posture stabilized, and the pouches 10 can be supplied to the filling device side guide rail 80 more easily and reliably. Also, the pouches 10 can be supported by the filling device side guide rail 80 in a stable posture.
  • the filling and capping section 82 is provided with a rotating conveying table 83.
  • Spout holders for holding the spouts 14 are attached at equal intervals to the outer periphery of the conveying table 83.
  • the pouch 10 is held by the spout holders so that the opening surface 147 of the spout 14 is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane (the height direction of the tubular portion 140 of the spout 14 is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane).
  • the pouch 10 is held so that its opening 144 faces upward and the height direction Y of the pouch 10 is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
  • the filling and capping section 82 includes an input area, a filling area, a capping area, and an output area for the pouches 10, which are arranged in the rotational direction of the conveyor table 83. With the spout 14 held by the spout holding section, the pouches 10 are filled and capped in that order as the conveyor table 83 rotates.
  • the pouch 10 is loaded onto the transport table 83 from the filling device side guide rail 80 while maintaining the second position 12, and the spout 14 is supported by the spout holding portion and held in a hanging state.
  • the conveyor table 83 rotates, and the pouch 10 is conveyed to the filling processing area.
  • a filling nozzle is inserted into the opening 144 of the spout 14, which serves as a filling port, and the pouch 10 is filled with the contents.
  • the conveyor table 83 rotates, and the pouch 10 is conveyed to a capping area, where the spout 14 is fitted with a cap to seal it.
  • the conveying table 83 rotates, and the pouch 10 is conveyed to the discharge area, and then conveyed from the discharge area to the outside of the filling device 8 .
  • a number of empty pouches 10 are fed into the feed section 2 of the pouch supply device 1.
  • the fed pouches 10 are transported by the feed section conveyor unit 20 and carried into the speed-up conveyor unit 30 provided in the first separation area 3.
  • the number of overlapping pouches 10 is reduced to about 1-4 due to the speed difference in the speed-up conveyor unit 30.
  • the pouch 10 whose overlapping number has been reduced by the speed-up conveyor unit 30 in the first separation area 3, has its tip end of the spout 14 hit against a stopper 44 located near the downstream side of the first separation area 3, and the conveyance is temporarily stopped.
  • an adsorption device 41 located at a separation position 41A is on standby.
  • the group of pouches is pushed downward by a cylinder (not shown), and the suction pad 42 of the suction device 41 located at the separation position 41A rises and adsorbs the side film 131 of the pouch 10 located at the bottom of the group of pouches.
  • the suction pad 42 descends to separate the pouch 10 located at the bottom from the other overlapping pouches 10. This separates one pouch 10 from the group of pouches. 5(D), while maintaining suction on the pouch 10, the suction device 41 is moved from the separation position 41A to the transport position 41B, and the pouch 10 is transported to above the first conveyor unit 50 of the rough positioning section 5. Thereafter, the suction pad 42 is lowered, the pouch 10 is placed on the first conveyor belt 51, and the suction by the suction pad 42 is released.
  • the right side portion 160S of the pouch 10 is placed on the right first conveyor belt 51R, the left side portion 160S is placed on the left first conveyor belt 51L, and the central portion 160C where the spout 14 is provided is in a free state not in contact with the conveyor belt.
  • the pouch 10 transported onto the first conveyor belt 51 of the rough positioning section 5 is positioned in the width direction X by a pair of guides 55.
  • the pouch 10 is oriented by the pair of guides 55 so that the width direction X of the pouch 10 is approximately perpendicular to the transport direction, and is positioned so that it is located in the left-right center of the first conveyor unit 50.
  • the first conveyor unit 50 transports the pouch 10 in a first attitude 11 to a first position P1.
  • the pouch 10 transported in the first position 11 by the first conveyor unit 50 to the first position P1 has both side portions 160S clamped between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the second clamping conveyor belt 65a, and is transported by the rotation of the conveyor belts.
  • the approximately upper half of the pouch 10 assumes a vertical position, and the approximately lower half assumes a horizontal position.
  • the side portion 160S of the pouch 10 is clamped between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the pressure roller 68, and the pouch 10 is transported to the second position P2 so that the entire pouch 10 assumes a vertical position.
  • positioning member 67 positions spout 14 in the height direction.
  • positioning member 67 is moved horizontally, and pair of guide rails 71 are moved, and pressure roller 68 is moved from the clamping position to the release position.
  • pouch 10 at second position P2 which has been positioned in the height direction by positioning member 67, is pushed into pair of guide rails 71, and then air is blown into pouch 10, so that pouch 10 is transported to pouch supply device side guide rail 70 while maintaining second attitude 12.
  • the pouch 10 on the pouch supply device side guide rail 70 is moved horizontally to the filling device side guide rail 80 at the same height as the pouch supply device side guide rail 70 while maintaining the second attitude (vertical attitude) 12.
  • This causes the pouch 10 to be supplied from the pouch supply device 1 to the filling device 8.
  • the pouch 10 is subjected to the filling process and the cap attachment process in sequence while maintaining the second attitude (vertical attitude) 12.
  • the posture changing and positioning section 6 clamps the pouch 10, which is in the first position P1 in the first posture (horizontal posture) 11, in the thickness direction Z with the clamping conveyor unit 60 including a pair of clamping conveyors (a first clamping conveyor 61 and a second clamping conveyor 65, the first clamping conveyor 61 and a pressure roller 68), changes its posture to the second posture (vertical posture) 12 when it is supplied to the filling device 8 where the subsequent filling process is performed, and transports it to the second position P2.
  • the clamping conveyor unit 60 including a pair of clamping conveyors (a first clamping conveyor 61 and a second clamping conveyor 65, the first clamping conveyor 61 and a pressure roller 68)
  • the pouch 10 can be automatically carried into the filling device 8 from the pouch supplying device 1, eliminating the need to manually supply the pouch 10 to the filling device 8 and improving productivity.
  • productivity is improved and workers are freed from the repetitive task of manually supplying the pouch 10 to the filling device 8, enabling labor saving and utilization.
  • the pouch supplying device 1 of the present technology does not require the use of large mechanical elements that require specialized knowledge, such as robots and optics.
  • a technology for automatically supplying pouches for example, a method is conceivable in which pouches are randomly placed on a table and the pouches are picked up one by one using image processing and a robot such as a parallel link robot, but to realize such a method, the equipment becomes large and expensive capital investment is required.
  • specialized knowledge of robots and optics is required to operate the equipment, which is a high hurdle to deploy the equipment on site.
  • the film used for the pouch may be made glossy, but when performing image processing of such a pouch, it is necessary to change the color (wavelength) of the lighting taking into account the reflection of light on the film, which makes the equipment setting complicated.
  • the pouch supplying device 1 of the present technology is capable of automatically supplying pouches to the filling device simply and reliably without using large mechanical elements.
  • the pouch 10 is simply supplied to the input section 2 of the pouch supply device 1, it is automatically transported to the filling device 8, where the filling process and further the capping process can be performed, and the finished pouch 10 filled with the contents and capped can be easily obtained.
  • the pouch 10 is changed from a first position (horizontal position) 11 in which the opening 144 of the spout 14 faces sideways to a second position (vertical position) 12 in which the spout 14 is positioned upward and the opening 144 faces upward.
  • first position horizontal position
  • second position vertical position
  • This makes it difficult for foreign objects such as dust to enter through the opening 144 of the spout 14, reducing the risk of foreign object contamination.
  • This ensures stable and good quality of the contents, such as cosmetics and beverages.
  • a pouch provided with a spout such as pouch 10 of this embodiment
  • the spout presence area 148 is not clamped, and only the spout non-presence area 149 is clamped by the clamping conveyor unit 60 so that the conveyor does not come into contact with the spout.
  • the thin spout-free region 149 is clamped other than the spout-present region 148 where the thick spout 14 is present, enabling stable transport. This allows the pouch 10 to be transported from the first position P1 to the second position P2 in a state where it has been more reliably changed to the desired posture.
  • At least one clamping conveyor unit 60 (in other words, the clamping conveyor module includes one clamping conveyor unit) is sufficient, and it is more preferable to have multiple clamping conveyor units 60. And, as in this embodiment, it is more preferable to clamp the pouch 10 at multiple locations spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction (corresponding to the width direction X of the pouch 10) by multiple clamping conveyor units 60. In this embodiment, the pouch 10 is supported at two locations, the right side portion 160S and the left side portion 160S, by two clamping conveyor units 60 (right clamping conveyor unit 60R and left clamping conveyor unit 60L). Also, in the position changing and positioning section 6, the center portion 160C where the spout 14 is located is not supported and is in a free state.
  • the pouch 10 is clamped at two locations spaced apart in the width direction X. This makes it easier to prevent the pouch 10 from being misaligned in the rotational direction about the height direction Y, and the pouch 10 can be conveyed to the second position P2 in the second posture 12 in which there is no misalignment in the rotational direction. This allows the pouch 10 to be pushed into the pair of guide rails 71 and then smoothly conveyed to the pair of pouch supply device side guide rails 70 and the pair of filling device side guide rails 80, suppressing the occurrence of conveyance failures.
  • the pouch 10 by clamping the pouch 10 near the left and right side edges and transporting it as in this embodiment, the occurrence of misalignment of the pouch 10 in the rotational direction around the height direction Y is more easily prevented, and the occurrence of transport problems is further suppressed.
  • the number of clamping conveyor units 60 may be one or two or more, and the clamping position of the pouch does not necessarily have to be both side portions of the pouch.
  • each of the side portions 160S of the pouch 10 be clamped and transported by the clamping conveyor units 60. This makes it less likely that the pouch 10 will be misaligned within the XY plane and in the Z-axis direction (thickness direction), and the pouch 10 can be more reliably placed in a position and posture suitable for supply to the filling device 8 without transport problems.
  • the pouch When a pouch 10 is clamped and transported by a single clamping conveyor unit 60, in order to prevent misalignment in the rotational direction about the height direction Y as an axis, the pouch may be clamped and transported using a clamping conveyor belt having a certain width so that the clamping conveyor belt does not come into contact with the spout.
  • the first conveyor unit 50 of the rough positioning section 5, which transports the pouch 10 to the position changing and positioning section 6, is configured to support only the spout-free area 149 (both side portions 160S in this embodiment) of the pouch 10 in the first position (horizontal position) 11, as in this embodiment.
  • the first conveyor unit 50 provided in the rough positioning section 5 includes a pair of first conveyor belts 51 spaced apart in the left-right direction.
  • the pouch 10 is placed and supported with its side portion 160S, which is the spout-free area 149, in contact with the first conveyor belt 51.
  • the pouch 10 in the rough positioning section 5, the pouch 10 is in a free state with its central portion 160C, where the spout 14 is located, unsupported, similar to the posture changing and positioning section 6.
  • This configuration allows the pouch 10 to be reliably inserted between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the second clamping conveyor belt 65a of the posture changing and positioning unit 6, thereby preventing the occurrence of improper insertion.
  • the conveyor belt at the previous stage that transports pouch 10 to the posture changing and positioning section 6 is composed of a single conveyor belt, and supports and transports the entire pouch 10, that is, supports and transports the central portion 160C of pouch 10 as well.
  • the spout 14 of the pouch 10 is considerably thicker than the thickness of the pouch body 13, so that the vicinity of the upper portion 16T of the pouch body 13 where the spout 14 is provided is raised from the conveyor belt.
  • the position changing and positioning unit 6 When the pouch 10 is conveyed to the position changing and positioning unit 6 in such a state that the vicinity of the upper portion 16T of the pouch body 13 is raised, the position of the upper portion 16T of the pouch body 13 and the position of the gap (the portion where the pouch 10 is inserted) between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the second clamping conveyor belt 65a are likely to be misaligned in the height direction of the pouch supplying device 1 (the vertical direction in FIG. 7). Therefore, the pouch 10 cannot be correctly inserted between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the second clamping conveyor belt 65a, and insertion failure is likely to occur.
  • the first conveyor unit 50 that transports the pouch 10 to the first position P1 does not support the spout presence area 148 of the pouch 10, but contacts and supports only the side portion 160S in the spout non-presence area.
  • the upper portion 16T of the pouch body 13 does not float due to the presence of the spout 14 prior to the transport of the pouch 10 into the posture changing and positioning section 6, as described above. Therefore, in the height direction of the pouch supplying device 1, the position of the side portion 160S of the pouch 10 when it is transported out of the rough positioning section 5 and the position of the gap between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the second clamping conveyor belt 65a can be easily set to the same height. This allows the pouch 10 to be reliably inserted between the first clamping conveyor belt 61a and the second clamping conveyor belt 65a without transport failure, improving productivity.
  • the separation section 9 separates the stacked pouches 10 into one and transports it to the first conveyor unit 50. This prevents multiple overlapping pouches 10 from being transported to the posture changing and positioning section 6, and allows the posture changing and positioning section 6 to transport the pouch 10 to the second position P2 so that it is reliably in the second posture.
  • the number of overlaps is reduced to a certain extent by the speed-up conveyor unit 30, and then the pouches 10 are adsorbed and transported by the adsorption and transport unit 40.
  • the speed-up conveyor unit 30 is configured to increase the conveying speed in stages multiple times, so that the number of overlaps can be gradually reduced. Therefore, even if a large number of pouches 10 are input into the pouch supply device 1 and the number of overlaps is large, the number of overlaps of the pouches 10 can be easily adjusted to a preferable number of overlaps when separated by the suction conveying unit 40 in the second separation area 4.
  • the positioning member 67 has a positioning abutment surface 671 against which the spout 14 of the pouch 10 abuts, so that the spout 14 can be positioned in the height direction at the second position P2, and can be easily and automatically transported to the filling device 8 where the subsequent filling process is carried out.
  • the positioning member 67 is configured so that the positioning abutment surface 671 is shaped to abut against the upper surface 145 of the flange portion 141 (in this embodiment, the first flange portion 141a) located at the top of the spout 14.
  • the opening surface 147 where the opening 144 of the spout 14 is located is not in contact with the positioning member 67, reducing the risk of foreign matter entering through the opening 1441. This allows the quality of the contents, such as cosmetics and beverages, to be stable and good.
  • the pouch supplying device 1 can change the posture of the pouch 10 by clamping and transporting it to a posture suitable for supplying it to the filling device 8, making it possible to automatically supply the pouch from the pouch supplying device 1 to the filling device 8. This eliminates the need to manually supply the pouch 10 to the filling device 8, improving productivity.
  • the pouch supplying device of the present technology can supply pouches to the filling device simply and reliably without using large mechanical elements that require specialized knowledge such as robots and optics. Therefore, the number of transport lanes and the number of input ports to the filling device can be freely changed, and the filling system has a high degree of freedom in design and can be freely designed according to productivity. For example, when multiple transport lanes are provided, the transport lanes can be provided in parallel, and when the number of transport lanes and the number of input ports to the filling device are different, a lane switching unit can be provided as in the second modified example described below.
  • a center-spout standing pouch was used as an example, but this technology can also be applied to pouches of other shapes, as will be explained in the third modified example below.
  • FIG. 11 is a schematic plan view of a filling system 100A according to a first modified example.
  • the filling system 100 of the above embodiment has two transport lanes L1 and L2, but a filling system 100A shown in Fig. 11 may have one transport lane L. Also, there may be three or more transport lanes.
  • FIG. 12 is a schematic plan view of a filling system 100B according to a second modified example.
  • two transport lanes L1 and L2 are provided, and a filling device side guide rail 80 is provided corresponding to each of the transport lanes L1 and L2.
  • one filling device side guide rail 80 may be provided for the two transport lanes L1 and L2.
  • a pair of pouch supply device side guide rails 70 corresponding to the two transport lanes L1 and L2, a lane switching unit 73, and a central guide rail 72 are provided in a waiting unit 7B located near the downstream side of the pouch supply device 1.
  • Pouches 10 supported by the pouch supply device side guide rails 70 corresponding to the two transport lanes L1 and L2 are transported to the central guide rail 72.
  • the lane switching unit 73 is located between the pouch supply device side guide rails 70 and the central guide rail 72 of each of the two transport lanes L1 and L2. The lane switching unit 73 switches between transporting the pouch 10 from the transport lane L1 to the central guide rail 72 or transporting the pouch 10 from the transport lane L2.
  • a plurality of pouches 10 waiting on the guide rail 70 on the pouch supply device side of the conveying lane L1 are supplied to the filling device 8 through the central guide rail 72, and while the filling and cap fitting processes are being carried out, the pouches 10 can be piled up on the guide rail 70 on the pouch supply device side in the conveying lane L2.
  • multiple conveying lanes may be provided, and the number of filling device side guide rails 80 that serve as the supply port through which pouches 10 are supplied to the filling device 8 may be one, thereby improving productivity.
  • the configuration of the pouch supply device in the filling system can be freely selected according to the takt time and number of feeding ports of the filling device in which the subsequent filling process is performed.
  • a standing pouch with a center spout in which the spout is provided at the center in the width direction of the container is taken as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this.
  • the spout may be a corner spout located at the shoulder of the pouch body.
  • the pouch may be a side gusset pouch or a flat pouch that does not have a bottom film.
  • the pouch may not have a spout.
  • This technology is applicable to pouches of various shapes. Before filling the contents, the portion of each pouch where the spout does not exist is thin, flat, and flexible overall. Other shape examples (first to fourth shape examples) will be described below with reference to Figures 13 and 14. In any shape of the pouch, the side with the filling port is defined as the "upper" side.
  • the pouch 10A and 13B are a perspective view and a plan view of a pouch 10A of a first shape example.
  • the pouch 10A is a corner spout standing pouch.
  • the pouch 10A has a pouch body 13A, a spout 14, and a cap 15.
  • the pouch body 13A has two side films 131A and 132A and a bottom film 133A, and is capable of standing on its own by inserting a gusset (fold-in) in the bottom.
  • the pouch body 13A has a generally pentagonal shape in plan view when viewed from the thickness direction Z, with one corner of a rectangle cut off obliquely.
  • the side corresponding to the upper portion 16T at one end side in the height direction Y including the one corner has a hypotenuse 161 oblique to the horizontal plane and a first side 162 parallel to the horizontal plane.
  • the spout 14 is provided on the hypotenuse 161.
  • the spout 14 is provided on the pouch body 13A so that the height direction of the tubular portion 140 is approximately perpendicular to the hypotenuse 161.
  • the opening surface 147 of the spout 14 is located approximately parallel to the hypotenuse 161 and is located obliquely to the horizontal plane.
  • the spout 14 which serves as a pouring outlet for taking out the contents to the outside of the pouch, is provided so as to be oblique to the height direction Y of the pouch 10A, making it easy to pour the contents.
  • the height direction of the pouch body 13 and the height direction of the spout 14 are positioned approximately parallel to each other, whereas in the pouch 10A of the first shape example, the height direction Y of the pouch body 13A and the height direction of the spout 14 are positioned intersecting each other.
  • the pouch 10A has a spout-present area 148 and a spout-free area 149 aligned in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.
  • the pouch body 13A has a sealed portion 18A on the periphery.
  • the sealed portion 18A includes a portion where two overlapping side films 131A and 132A are heat sealed and thermally fused along the periphery along the top 16T and side 16S except for the portion where the spout 14 is provided.
  • the sealed portion 18A also includes a portion in the bottom 16B where the overlapping side film 131A or 132A and the bottom film 133A are heat sealed.
  • the sealed portion 18A is made by overlapping multiple films and thermally fused, making it more rigid than other portions.
  • Empty pouch 10A may be filled with the contents using spout 14 as the filling port, as in the above-described pouch 10, or may be filled from a filling port other than spout 14.
  • corner-spout pouch 10A which is transported to first position P1 in a first horizontal posture (horizontal posture), is changed in posture to a second upright posture (vertical posture) with spout 14 positioned upward, as in the case of pouch 10, and is transported to second position P2.
  • the corner spout pouch 10A may be transported in the second posture 12 at the second position P2 such that the opening surface 147 of the spout 14 is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane (the height direction of the cylindrical portion of the spout 14 is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane).
  • the pouch supply device 1 changes its posture and the pouch 10A is transported at the positioning section 6 by clamping the spout-free area 149 with the clamping conveyor unit 60.
  • the spout-free area 149 may be clamped with one or two clamping conveyor units.
  • one clamping conveyor unit may clamp the center of the pouch 10A in the width direction X, and the other clamping conveyor unit may clamp the side of the pouch 10A where the spout 14 is not located.
  • the first posture 11 at the posture changing and positioning unit 6, which is located at the first position P1 is a horizontal posture in which the conveying direction and the height direction Y of the pouch 10A are approximately parallel, similar to the pouch 10 described above.
  • the second posture 12 of the pouch 10A at the second position P2 is a vertical posture in which the surface of the side film is approximately perpendicular to the horizontal plane, but the oblique side 161 is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane.
  • the second posture 12 is a state in which the pouch 10A is tilted and the opening of the spout 14 faces upward.
  • the posture changing and positioning section 6 in order to cause the pouch 10A to assume an overall tilted posture with its opening 144 facing upward at the second position P2, this can be achieved by adjusting the angle at which the pouch is raised from a horizontal posture to a gradually vertical posture from the downstream side during clamping and transport by the clamping conveyor unit.
  • the shape of the spout can be utilized and the positioning member 67 can be used to position the spout 14 in the height direction.
  • the filling device 8 can be supplied with the pouch 10 in a vertical position (second position) in which the opening surface 147 of the spout 14 is approximately parallel to a horizontal plane.
  • the corner spout pouch 10A may be transported so that the second posture 12 at the second position P2 is an upright vertical posture in which the first edge 162 is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane and the height direction of the tubular portion 140 of the spout 14 is oblique to the horizontal plane (the opening surface of the spout is oblique to the horizontal plane).
  • the positioning of the pouch 10A in the height direction Y at the second position P2 may be performed using the first edge 162 located on the upper part 16A of the pouch 10A.
  • a highly rigid seal portion 18A is present on the edge of the upper part 16T of the pouch 10A where the spout 14 is not present.
  • the first edge 162 having this highly rigid seal portion 18A may abut against the positioning abutment surface of the positioning member, thereby positioning the pouch 10A in the height direction Y at the second position P2.
  • the spout-free area 149 of the pouch 10A is clamped and transported by the clamping conveyor unit 60.
  • guide rails 71 and pouch supply device-side guide rails 70 provided in the pouch supply device, and filling device-side guide rails 80 provided in the filling device support spout 14 so that opening surface 147 of spout 14 is oblique to the horizontal plane (the height direction of the cylindrical part of spout 14 is oblique to the horizontal plane) and first side 162 of pouch 10A is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane.
  • spout 14 is supported by the guide rails so that opening 144 of spout 14 faces obliquely upward, and pouch 10A is in a suspended state.
  • a filling nozzle is inserted into the opening 144 of the spout 14 facing diagonally upward, filling is performed, and then a capping process is performed. In this manner, the spout 14 may be supported in an inclined state.
  • an unsealed portion where the two side films 131A and 132A are not sealed may be provided at a position corresponding to the first side 162 of the upper portion 16T, and the opening formed by the unsealed portion may be used as the filling port.
  • the pouch 10A may be fed into the pouch supplying device 1 with the cap 15 fitted thereto.
  • Pouch 10A is conveyed in posture changing and positioning section 6 by clamping only spout-free region 149 of pouch 10A with clamping conveyor unit 60.
  • Pouch 10A with a corner spout may be conveyed such that second posture 12 at second position P2 is an upright vertical posture in which first side 162 is approximately parallel to the horizontal plane and the height direction of tubular portion 140 of spout 14 is oblique to the horizontal plane (the opening surface of the spout is oblique to the horizontal plane).
  • Positioning of pouch 10A in the height direction Y at second position P2 may be performed using first side 162 of upper portion 16A of pouch 10A.
  • Pouch 10A positioned at second position P2 takes on second posture 12 in which opening 144 of spout 14 faces diagonally upward and the opening of the unsealed portion that serves as the filling port faces upward.
  • the contents are filled into the corner spout pouch 10A through the filling opening formed by the unsealed portion, and then the cap 15 is attached.
  • the method of conveying pouch 10A in the second attitude, positioned in the height direction, from second position P2 to the filling device can be appropriately set depending on the configuration of the filling device.
  • the pouch 10A may be transported from the second position P2 to the filling device in a suspended state with the spout 14 supported by a guide rail.
  • the pouch may be supported in the filling device in a configuration different from that of the filling device 8 described above.
  • the spout may not be supported, and the filling process of the contents may be performed in a state where the upper side portions of the pouch body 13A are gripped by gripping hands.
  • the pouch 10A positioned at the second position P2 may be moved horizontally while maintaining its posture, transported to a stocker provided in the filling device, and stored in the stocker. Then, the pouch 10A stored in the stocker may be gripped by a gripping hand provided in the filling device, and the filling process and the heat sealing process of the unsealed portion may be performed. In such a configuration, guide rails may not be used in the pouch supply device and the filling device.
  • the pouch 10B is a flat pouch with a center spout.
  • the pouch 10B has a pouch body 13B, a spout 14, and a cap 15.
  • the pouch body 13B has a substantially rectangular planar shape when viewed in the thickness direction Z.
  • the pouch body 13B has a sealed portion 18B in which two side films 131B and 132B are overlapped and the peripheral portion other than the spout 14 is sealed.
  • such flat pouches can be automatically transported from the pouch supplying device 1 to the filling device 8 by the filling system 100.
  • the pouch 10C shown in Fig. 14(B) is a side gusset pouch with a center spout.
  • the pouch 10C has gussets on both sides, and has a generally slightly rounded rectangular parallelepiped shape when filled with contents.
  • the pouch 10C has a pouch body 13C, a spout 14, and a cap 15.
  • the pouch body 13C has a pair of side films 131C and 132C positioned opposite each other in the thickness direction Z, and a pair of side films 134C and 135C positioned opposite each other in the width direction X.
  • the films on both sides are folded inward over the entire height direction from the bottom to the top to form the gussets.
  • the thickness near both sides where the film folds are located in the area where there is no spout is slightly thicker than the thickness of other areas, but the area where there is no spout is generally thin and approximately flat.
  • such a side gusset pouch can be automatically transported from the pouch supplying device 1 to the filling device 8 by the filling system 100.
  • the pouch 10D shown in Fig. 14(C) is a flat pouch without a spout.
  • the pouch 10D has a pouch body 13D and a zipper 19.
  • the pouch body 13D has a pair of side films 131D and 132D facing each other in the thickness direction Z.
  • the side films 131D and 132D have a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the thickness direction Z.
  • the pouch 10D has a sealed portion 18D where the side films 131D and 132D are heat-sealed to the peripheral portion other than the edge corresponding to the side where the zipper 19 is provided.
  • a filling device having a different configuration from the filling device 8 described above is used.
  • the contents may be filled while both side portions of the pouch body 13D are held by gripping hands.
  • an unsealed portion may be provided at the end opposite the end where the zipper 19 is located, and the opening formed by the unsealed portion may be used as the filling port.
  • a sealed portion that has already been heat sealed may be provided at the end (upper portion) where the unsealed portion that forms the filling port is located, and the sealed portion is a portion with high rigidity.
  • the posture changing and positioning unit 6 of the pouch supplying device 1 positions the empty pouch 10D at the first position P1 so that the end having the unsealed portion that will be the filling port is in a horizontal posture (first posture) located downstream. Then, the left and right side portions of the pouch 10D are clamped by the clamping conveyor module 600 and transported to the second position P2. The pouch 10D is changed in posture to a vertical posture (second posture) with the filling port facing upward and transported to the second position P2.
  • the pouch 10D that does not have a spout may be positioned in the height direction Y at the second position P2 by utilizing the heat-sealed and highly rigid sealed portion at the end having the filling port.
  • the pouch 10D may be positioned in the height direction Y by the sealed portion abutting against the positioning abutment surface of the positioning member.
  • pouch 10D which has been positioned in height direction Y and is now in second position (vertical position) 12, is moved horizontally while maintaining that position, and is transported, for example, to a stocker provided in a filling device.
  • both side portions of the pouch in second position (vertical position) 12 in the stocker are gripped by gripping hands, and the gripping hands are brought closer together to open the unsealed portion and form an opening that will become the filling port.
  • the contents are filled through that opening (filling port), and the unsealed portion is then sealed to hermetically seal pouch 10D.
  • the method of supporting the pouches in the filling device is not limited to the one described here. Also, the method of conveying the pouch 10A in the second attitude, which is positioned in the height direction, from the second position P2 to the filling device can be appropriately set depending on the configuration of the filling device.
  • this technology is more effective for automatically feeding spouted pouches, which have a partial thickness, such as those shown in Figures 2, 13, 14 (A) and (B), to a filling device, and can automatically and stably feed pouches to the filling device.
  • a pouch supplying device comprising: a clamping conveyor unit including a pair of clamping conveyors that clamp a pouch having a filling port before being filled with contents in a thickness direction, and transport the pouch in a first position in a first attitude to a second position different from the first position so that the pouch assumes a second attitude different from the first attitude when supplied to a filling device that fills the pouch with contents from the filling port.
  • the pouch supplying device comprises a pouch body and a spout attached to the pouch body, The pouch is sandwiched between the pair of sandwiching conveyors so that the spout is located downstream in the conveying direction, The pouch has a spout-present region and a spout-free region aligned in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, The pair of gripping conveyors grip only the spout-free area.
  • the pouch supplying device according to the above (2) or (3), the pouch supplying device further comprising: a first conveyor unit that transports the pouch to the first position while supporting only the spout-free area of the pouch in the first attitude.
  • a first conveyor unit that transports the pouch to the first position while supporting only the spout-free area of the pouch in the first attitude.
  • an input conveyor unit into which a plurality of pouches are stacked and input; the pouch supplying device further comprising a separating section which separates the stacked plurality of pouches transported from the input section conveyor unit into one pouch and transports the pouch to the first conveyor unit.
  • the pouch supplying device includes: an accelerating conveyor unit that conveys the pouches conveyed from the input section conveyor unit at a conveying speed faster than the conveying speed of the input section conveyor unit; a suction conveying unit that suction-holds a side surface of one of the pouches conveyed from the speed-up conveyor unit and delivers the pouch to the first conveyor unit.
  • the pouch supplying device is a pouch supplying device in which the conveying speed increases stepwise from the upstream to the downstream in the conveying direction.
  • the pouch supplying device according to any one of (2) to (7) above, a positioning member having a positioning abutment surface against which the spout abuts, the positioning member performing height positioning of the spout at the second position.
  • the pouch supplying device has a cylindrical portion and one or more flange portions provided on an outer periphery of the cylindrical portion, When the positioning member positions the spout, the positioning abutment surface abuts against an upper surface of the flange portion located at the top.
  • the feeding device further includes a feeder side guide rail for guiding the pouch to the filling device while supporting and suspending the spout, The pouch transported to the second position is moved horizontally along the supply device side guide rail for transport.
  • the conveyor system includes a plurality of the clamping conveyor units, The plurality of clamping conveyor units clamp the pouch at a plurality of locations spaced apart in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction.
  • the nip conveyor unit includes a first nip conveyor including a first nip conveyor belt, a second nip conveyor including a second nip conveyor belt, and a pressure roller; the pinching conveyor unit has a first pinching area and a second pinching area in this order from upstream to downstream in a conveying direction, In the first clamping area, the pair of clamping conveyors, that is, the first clamping conveyor and the second clamping conveyor, clamp the pouches, A pouch supplying device, wherein in the second clamping area, the pair of clamping conveyors, that is, the first clamping conveyor and the pressure roller, clamp the pouch.
  • the pouch supplying device according to (13) above, a positioning member having a positioning abutment surface against which the pouch abuts, the positioning member performing positioning of the pouch in a height direction at the second position; the positioning member is in contact with the pouch and moves in a thickness direction of the pouch to press the pouch and change the position of the pouch;
  • the pressure roller is connected to the positioning member and moves between a clamping position where the pouch is clamped and a release position where the clamping is released in accordance with the movement of the positioning member.
  • a pouch supplying method comprising: clamping a pouch having a filling port before being filled with contents in a thickness direction with a pair of clamping conveyors; and transporting the pouch in a first attitude at the first position to a second position different from the first position so that the pouch assumes a second attitude, different from the first attitude, when supplied to a filling device which fills the pouch with contents from the filling port.
  • a pouch supplying device including a clamping conveyor unit including a pair of clamping conveyors that clamp a pouch having a filling opening before filling a content in a thickness direction and transport the pouch in a first position in a first attitude to a second position different from the first position so that the pouch assumes a second attitude different from the first attitude; a filling device that fills the pouch supplied in the second position from the pouch supply device with content through the filling port.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Supplying Of Containers To The Packaging Station (AREA)
PCT/JP2023/039547 2022-12-23 2023-11-02 パウチ供給装置、パウチ供給方法及び充填システム WO2024135113A1 (ja)

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CN202380086590.1A CN120457076A (zh) 2022-12-23 2023-11-02 包装袋供给装置、包装袋供给方法以及填充系统
JP2024565641A JPWO2024135113A1 (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) 2022-12-23 2023-11-02

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Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5564026A (en) * 1978-10-27 1980-05-14 Taisei Kikai Kk Device for opening plastic bag
JPH0166308U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1987-10-22 1989-04-27
JP2000226015A (ja) * 1999-02-01 2000-08-15 Kyoto Seisakusho Co Ltd 平袋の挿入開膨装置
JP2007084152A (ja) * 2005-08-26 2007-04-05 Seiko Corp パウチ供給装置及びその方法
JP2017171319A (ja) * 2016-03-22 2017-09-28 凸版印刷株式会社 バッグインボックス用内袋スパウトの供給装置および方法
CN107444698A (zh) * 2017-07-14 2017-12-08 安徽御流包装机械有限公司 移动张袋装置及应用
JP2020132179A (ja) * 2019-02-15 2020-08-31 株式会社湘南貿易 スパウト付きパウチの内容物充填方法及びスパウト付きパウチ用内容物充填装置
JP2021001005A (ja) * 2019-06-21 2021-01-07 大倉工業株式会社 スパウト、及びスパウト付きパウチ

Patent Citations (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
JPS5564026A (en) * 1978-10-27 1980-05-14 Taisei Kikai Kk Device for opening plastic bag
JPH0166308U (enrdf_load_stackoverflow) * 1987-10-22 1989-04-27
JP2000226015A (ja) * 1999-02-01 2000-08-15 Kyoto Seisakusho Co Ltd 平袋の挿入開膨装置
JP2007084152A (ja) * 2005-08-26 2007-04-05 Seiko Corp パウチ供給装置及びその方法
JP2017171319A (ja) * 2016-03-22 2017-09-28 凸版印刷株式会社 バッグインボックス用内袋スパウトの供給装置および方法
CN107444698A (zh) * 2017-07-14 2017-12-08 安徽御流包装机械有限公司 移动张袋装置及应用
JP2020132179A (ja) * 2019-02-15 2020-08-31 株式会社湘南貿易 スパウト付きパウチの内容物充填方法及びスパウト付きパウチ用内容物充填装置
JP2021001005A (ja) * 2019-06-21 2021-01-07 大倉工業株式会社 スパウト、及びスパウト付きパウチ

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