Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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GAS-FILLING PACKAGING METHOD AND PACKAGING MACHINE THEREFOR
BACKGROUND
1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a gas-filling packaging
method in which a large-sized packaging bag is filled with an
article such as about 10 to 20 kilograms of rice, sugar, pet food
or fertilizer and is also filled with an inert gas and then sealed,
and a packaging machine carrying out the method.
2. Related Art
There has conventionally been known a method of packaging
by filling a packaging bag with an article such as about 1 to
15 kilograms of rice or sugar. For example, Japanese patent
application publication No. JP-A-2010-126244 filed by the
applicant of the present application discloses a packaging
method in which a rotary type gas-filling packaging machine is
used. In this method, a packaging bag is filled with 10 to 15
kilograms of rice. The packaging bag heavily loaded with rice
is then pressed from front and rear sides thereof by a pressing
member provided with a vibrator and further stretched in the
up-down direction, thereby being shaped so as to have a
predetermined thickness. Simultaneously, air in the bag is
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eliminated by a deaeration nozzle and a mouth of the bag is
heat-sealed.
However, the above-described rotary type packaging machine
is constructed so that grips supporting packaging bags are
rotated while being radially disposed on a rotating member. A
large centrifugal force is developed when a packaging bag filled
with 10 to 15 kilogram article is moved among stations while being
rotated. This results in a disadvantage that grips leaves an
imprint of holding portions on the bag. Furthermore, since the
conventional shaping work is carried out only at one station,
it is difficult to maintain stability in the form of the bag after
the shaping. This constitutes a cause for easiness to collapse
in the case where products after packaging are laid out flat.
Furthermore, a conventional conveyor type bag placer is
constructed so that packaging bags are laid and stacked one upon
another on a belt conveyor to be supplied to grips one by one
from a front one. A large-sized packaging bag having a length
ranging from 600 to 1050 mm increases the length of the belt
conveyor, resulting in requirement of a large space.
Furthermore, when zippered bags are fed forward on the belt
conveyor, slightly bulging chucks or zippers block smooth
movement of the bags. Still furthermore, a conventional
magazine type bag placer is constructed so that a guide which
accommodates a packaging bag when a bag size is switched is
manually adjusted, as disclosed by Japanese patent application
publication No. JP-A-2008-285171. The disclosed magazine type
packaging machine does not have a function suitable for total
automation of the packaging machine. The disclosed magazine
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type packaging machine is further unsuitable for stock of
large-sized gazette bags and large-sized zippered bags and a bag
placing work.
Furthermore, grips of the conventional packaging machines
are structured so that a holding portion supporting a packaging
bag is manually adjusted according to a width of the bag. This
results in a problem that switching with change in the bag size
requires much time and labor.
SUMMARY
Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide
a gas-filling packaging method which can pack an article into
a large-sized packing bag in the form of good quality and
stability and can achieve automation of the whole work including
switching of related apparatus with change in bag size, and a
gas-filling packaging machine therefor.
The present disclosure provides a gas-filling packaging
method using a track type gas-filling packaging machine in which
a number of grip units each horizontally moved along an annular
passage including two linear sections and semicircular sections
located at opposite ends of the linear sections, the grip units
being intermittently moved for every one of a plurality of work
steps, and a packaging bag supported by grips of each grip unit
in a suspended manner with a bag mouth up is filled with an article
and then with a gas, and the bag mouth is heat-sealed, wherein
the packaging bag includes a larger-sized gusset bag having two
side edges including respective folded portions, a larger-sized
standing pouch having a bottom including a folded portion or a
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larger-sized zippered bag which is the gusset bag provided with
a zipper or the standing pouch provided with a zipper, and a size
and a type of the packaging bag and a type of the article are
entered on an operation panel, the method comprising a bag feeding
step in which a number of packaging bags set in a magazine in
a stacked state are turned up one by one from a top by a sucker
of a bag replenishing unit thereby to be picked up and then passed
to a bag chuck, the sucker being controlled so as to be moved
in an up-down direction, and the packaging bag grasped by a bag
chuck of a bag supply unit is transferred to an adjacent bag
positioning unit to be thrown into a guide of the positioning
unit, and the packaging bag is positioned by automatically
adjusting a position of a side guide corresponding to a bag width
of the guide and positions of a front end guide and a rear end
guide at the bag mouth side corresponding to a bag length based
on the entered data, and the packaging bag in the guide is gripped
by a chuck of the bag supply unit and is held by a cramp of a
cramp unit standing by above and having a bag height compensating
function to be sent from the cramp to the grips standing by at
the bag placing step; a bag opening/inflating step of opening
the bag mouth by an adsorption action of suction discs and
inflating the bottom of the bag by the adsorption action of the
suction discs; a bag filling step of lowering a synchronous funnel
which is controlled for up-down movement and horizontal movement
in synchronization with transfer of the bag to be inserted into
the bag and applying a receiving member of a bottom tapping unit,
whereby the bag is filled with a predetermined amount of article
while the bottom is tapped so that the article is prompted to
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fall, wherein an inert gas is continuously discharged from a gas
discharge nozzle provided on the synchronous funnel into the bag,
during a period from a last moment of the filling operation to
a plurality of subsequent steps; wherein the bag is shaped into
a desired shape by a joint work between the bag zapping unit and
a shaping unit provided with at least a pair of conveyor units
which are controlled so as to hold one or a plurality of packaging
bags and so as to be controlled so that a rotational speed
synchronizes a transfer speed of the packaging bag, during a
period from the bag filling step and to the deaeration/temporally
sealing step; wherein the funnel and the gas nozzle are caused
to get out of the bag and a part of the bag mouth is kept open
by the adsorption action of the suction discs, while the bag is
moved to the deaeration/temporarily sealing step, the method
further comprising the deaeration/temporarily sealing step of
inserting a deaeration nozzle into the bag to remove air remaining
in the bag, causing the deaeration nozzle to get out of the bag,
holding the bag mouth by a temporary heater so that a temporary
seal is applied to the bag mouth; a bag mouth sealing step of
heat-sealing the temporarily sealed part; and a seal cooling/bag
removing step of cooling the heat-sealed part and subsequently
removing the bag outside the system.
According to the above-described gas-filling packaging
method, since the article can be packaged into the large-sized
bag in a high-quality and stable manner, the method has an
advantage that collapse of packaged products is unlikely to occur
when the products are laid out flat. Additionally, when the size
and type of the bag and the type of article are entered on the
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operation panel, all the works can automatically be executed
which includes changes in related machines with change in a bag
size, for example, changes in a magazine accommodation space of
a supplying machine, guide position adjustment in a bag
positioning unit, distance adjustment of the holding portions
of the grip, whereupon packaging with the use of large-sized bags
can smoothly be executed.
In one embodiment, the bag replenishing unit includes a
plurality of magazines each of which has an accommodation space
automatically adjustable according to a size of the bag, wherein
the magazines are circulated from a supply position where the
magazines are charged with bags to a replenishing position where
the bags are taken out of the magazines by the bag chuck.
Since each magazine has the accommodation space
automatically adjustable according to the size of the bag, a
troublesome work resulting from the change in the bag size is
not required. This can contribute to automatization of the
packaging machine.
In another embodiment, the paired right and left holding
portions of the grip supporting the bag have a distance
therebetween, and the distance is automatically adjusted
according to a size of the bag.
Since the grip automatically adjusts the distance between
the paired right and left holding portions according to a size
of the bag, a troublesome work of adjusting a number of grips
one by one with change in the bag size is not required, and
handling of the packaging machine can be carried out smoothly
and promptly with change in the bag size.
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In further another embodiment, when the bag is the zippered
gusset bag, after the bag has been supplied, the bag is unzipped
and a one-point seal is applied to overlapping portions of the
front or the back of the bag and one of V-shaped folded portions
of both side edges of the bag, whereby the overlapping portions
are fixed together.
When a lower opening of the synchronous funnel is inserted
with the bag being open, there is a possibility that the lower
opening interferes with the folded portions when the folded
portions protrude to an inwardly central part. In view of this,
a one-point seal is applied to overlapping portions of the front
or the back of the bag and one of V-shaped folded portions of
both side edges of the bag, whereby the overlapping portions are
fixed together.
Consequently, the synchronous funnel can
smoothly be inserted.
In further another embodiment, in the bag mouth sealing step,
the bag mouth is heat-sealed in a first sealing step and
thereafter, the bag mouth is also heat-sealed in a second sealing
step.
The bag mouth is heat-sealed in a first sealing step and
in a second sealing step, whereby a reliable high quality seal
can be applied.
All the steps from the bag feeding step to the seal
cooling/bag removing step are arranged at one of the linear
sections constituting the annular passage.
All the steps are arranged at one of the linear sections,
whereby a time period required for a worker or an administrator
to move can be reduced. This can contribute to a reduction in
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the work of the worker or the like.
In further another embodiment, when the bag is a paper bag,
the paper bag is formed into a shape such that a front and a bag
thereof include respective bag mouth portions having different
heights, and the paper bag has an inner surface coated with a
resin, and in the deaeration/temporarily sealing step, the
temporary seal is applied to the bag mouth and thereafter, apart
of the bag located above the seal is folded and sewn by a sewing
unit installed outside the system.
The disclosure also provides a gas-filling packaging
machine which is of a track type in which a number of grip units
each horizontally moved along an annular passage including two
linear sections and semicircular sections located at opposite
ends of the linear sections, the grip units being intermittently
moved for every one of a plurality of work stages, and a packaging
bag supported by grips of each grip unit in a suspended manner
with a bag mouth up is filled with an article and then with a
gas, and the bag mouth is heat-sealed, wherein the packaging bag
includes a larger-sized gusset bag having two side edges
including respective folded portions, a larger-sized standing
pouch having a bottom including a folded portion or a larger-sized
zippered bag which is the gusset bag provided with a zipper or
the standing pouch provided with a zipper, the machine comprising
an operation panel on which a size and a type of the packaging
bag and a type of the article are entered; a bag replenishing
unit which turns up a number of packaging bags set in a magazine
in a stacked state, one by one from a top by a sucker movable
in an up-down direction, picks up and then passes the bags to
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a horizontally movable bag chuck, and transfers the bag grasped
by the bag chuck to an adjacent bag positioning unit to throw
the bag into a guide of the positioning unit; the bag positioning
unit automatically adjusting a position of a side guide
corresponding to a bag width of the guide and positions of a front
end guide and a rear end guide at the bag mouth side corresponding
to a bag length based on the entered data; a bag feeding unit
which grips the bag in the guide by the chuck of a bag supply
unit, causes a cramp of a cramp unit standing by above and having
a bag height compensating function to hold the bag with the bag
mouth up to send the bag to the grip standing by at a bag feeding
step; an opening unit which opens the bag mouth by an adsorption
action of first suckers provided at both sides of the bag so that
suckers are movable forward and backward; a preshaping unit which
inflates a bottom of the bag by an adsorption action of second
suckers provided below both sides of the bag; a filling unit which
fills the bag with a predetermined amount of an article by a
synchronous funnel which is controlled to be moved upward and
downward and horizontally in synchronization with transfer of
the bag, the filling unit also brings an inert gas into the bag
by a gas nozzle provided on the funnel during a period from a
last moment of the filling operation to a plurality of subsequent
steps; a shaping unit which shapes the bag into a desirable shape
by a joint work between the bag tapping unit and at least a pair
of conveyor units during a period from the bag filling step and
to the deaeration/temporally sealing step, said bag tapping unit
including a receiving member applied to the bottom of the bag
and tapped so that the article is prompted to fall, said conveyor
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units being controlled so as to hold one or a plurality of bags
and so that a rotating speed synchronizes with a transfer speed
of the bag; a movable bag mouth auxiliary opening unit which opens
part of the bag mouth by the adsorption action of the suckers
which are provided at both sides of the bag mouth so as to be
movable forward and backward, so that a deaeration nozzle is
insertable, the auxiliary opening unit being capable of closing
the part of the bag other than the open part; a temporarily sealing
unit which holds the bag mouth by a temporary heater to apply
a temporary seal to the bag mouth; a main sealing unit which
applies heat seal to the temporarily sealed part of the bag; and
a cooling unit which cools the heat-sealed part of the bag.
According to the above-described gas-filling packaging
method, since the article can be packaged into the large-sized
bag in a high-quality and stable manner, the method has an
advantage that collapse of packaged products is unlikely to occur
when the products are laid out flat. Additionally, when the size
and type of the bag and the type of article are entered on the
operation panel, all the works can automatically be executed
which includes changes in related machines with change in a bag
size, for example, changes in a magazine accommodation space of
a supplying machine, guide position adjustment in a bag
positioning unit, space adjustment of the holding portions of
the grip, whereupon packaging with the use of large-sized bags
can smoothly be executed.
In one embodiment, the bag resupply unit includes a
plurality of magazines each of which has an accommodation space
automatically adjustable according to a size of the bag, wherein
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the magazines are circulated from a supply position where the
magazines are charged with bags to a resupply position where the
bags are taken out of the magazines by the bag chuck.
In another embodiment, the magazines are provided with
chains which are disposed in parallel to each other in a
horizontal direction and are driven by different drive units so
as to be capable of normal rotation and reverse rotation; the
side guides are attached to the respective chains, and rotating
directions of the chains are opposed to each other so that a
distance between the side guides is automatically adjusted to
a predetermined bag width; and when the chains are rotated in
one and the same direction, the side guides are circulated with
the predetermined bag width being maintained.
Since each magazine has the accommodation space
automatically adjustable according to the size of the bag, a
troublesome work resulting from the change in the bag size is
not required. This can contribute to automatization of the
packaging machine.
In further another embodiment, the paired right and left
holding portions of the grip supporting the bag has a distance
therebetween, and the distance is automatically adjusted
according to a size of the bag.
Since the grip automatically adjusts the distance between
the paired right and left holding portions according to a size
of the bag, a troublesome work of adjusting a number of grips
one by one with change in the bag size is not required, and
handling of the packaging machine can be carried out smoothly
and promptly with change in the bag size.
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In further another embodiment, when the bag is the zippered
gusset bag, the chuck is opened at a chuck opening step after
bag supply, the machine further comprising a one-point sealing
unit which applies a one-point seal to overlapping portions of
the front or the back of the bag and one of V-shaped folded
portions of both side edges of the bag, thereby fixing the
overlapping portions together.
When a lower opening of the synchronous funnel is inserted
with the bag being open, there is a possibility that the lower
opening interferes with the folded portions when the folded
portions protrude to an inwardly central part. In view of this,
a point seal is applied to overlapping portions of the front or
the back of the bag and one of V-shaped folded portions of both
side edges of the bag, whereby the overlapping portions are fixed
together. Consequently, the synchronous funnel can smoothly
be inserted.
In further another embodiment, the bag mouth sealing unit
includes a first sealing unit and a second sealing unit.
The bag mouth is heat-sealed in a first sealing step and
in a second sealing step, whereby a reliable high quality seal
can be applied.
In further another embodiment, all the steps from the bag
feeding step to the seal cooling/bag removing step are arranged
at one of the linear sections constituting the annular passage.
All the steps are arranged at one of the linear sections,
whereby a time period required for a worker or an administrator
to move can be reduced. This can contribute to a reduction in
the work of the worker or the like.
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BRIEF DESCRIPTIION OF THE DRAWINGS
In the accompanying drawings:
FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of a gas-filling
packaging machine which executes a method of one embodiment;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the machine;
FIG. 3 is a side view of the machine;
FIGS. 4A to 4L illustrate a schematic diagram to explain
contents of work in a packaging step;
FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cramp unit;
FIG. ,6 is a plan view of the camp unit;
FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram explaining a cooperative work
in a bag placer;
FIG. 8 is a front view of the bag placer;
FIG. 9 is a side view of the bag placer;
FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate a normal plastic bag and a paper
bag respectively;
FIG. 11 illustrates a process flow from a filling process
to sealing process;
FIG. 12 illustrates arrangement of a filling apparatus and
a shaping apparatus in the filling process;
FIG. 13 is a plan view of a conveyor unit; and
FIG. 14 is a schematic view showing a work in a
deaeration/temporary sealing process.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
An embodiment of the invention will be described with
reference to the accompanying drawings.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a track type gas-filling
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packaging machine P is shown to which the gas-filling packaging method
and machine each according to the present invention are applied. The
packaging machine P continuously executes shaping during steps from
filling a large-sized bag with an article such as about 10 to 20-kilogram
rice, pet food or fertilizer and sealing the bag to temporarily sealing
a bag mouth, whereby packaging can be executed which achieves stable
products that are unlikely to cause collapse when the products are laid
out flat. Furthermore, the packaging machine P can automatically execute
all works including switch of related apparatus with change in a bag
size based on operator's instructions. The packaging process includes
a bag feeding step (1), an unzipping step (2) in which a zippered bag
is unzipped when the zippered bag is used, a one-point sealing step (3),
a bag opening/inflating step (4), a filling step (5), a vibrating/gas
filling step (6) and (7), a deaeration/temporary sealing step (8), a
first sealing step (9), a second sealing step (10) and a cooling/
discharging step (11), as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4A to 4L.
With respect to FIGS. 4A-4L, FIG. 4A illustrates an embodiment of
step (1), FIG. 4B illustrates an example height detection printing, FIG.
4C illustrates an embodiment of step (3), FIG. 4D illustrates one example
of step (4), FIG. 4E illustrates an example of step (5), FIG. 4F
illustrates examples of steps (6) and (7), FIG. 4G illustrates an
embodiment of step (8), FIG. 4H represents an embodiment of step (9),
FIG. 41 and 4L represent embodiments of discharging outside the system,
FIG. 4J represents step (10), and FIG. 4K represents an embodiment of
step (11).
The packaging machine P is constructed so that a number of grip
units 5 are each horizontally moved along an annular passage 3 including
two linear sections 3a and 3b and two semicircular sections 3c and 3d
located at opposite ends of the linear sections 3a and 3b respectively,
as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3. The packaging machine P is also constructed
so that the grip units 5 are intermittently moved for every one of the
above-mentioned steps and so that a packaging bag supported by grips 11
of each grip unit 5 in a suspended manner with a bag mouth up is filled
with an article and then with an inert gag (nitrogen gas) for
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maintenance of quality. The packaging machine P is further
constructed so that the bag mouth is heat-sealed. Ail the steps
from the bag placing step to the seal cooling/bag removing step
are arranged at one 3a of the linear sections constituting the
annular passage 3. Main apparatus and units composing the
packaging machine P and essential points of the main apparatus
and the units will be described as follows.
Although the packaging machine P divides a bag mouth sealing
step into a first sealing step (9) and a second sealing step (10)
to maintain the certainty of heat sealing, a single step may be
employed, instead of the two steps.
A packaging bag includes a gusset bag having two side edges
including respective folded portions, a standing pouch having
a bottom including a folded portion, a zippered gusset bag and
a zippered standing pouch. Regarding a size of the bag in the
embodiment, the width ranges from 300 to 400 mm and the length
(height) ranges from 600 to 1050 mm. The folded portion has the
length ranging from 100 to 200 mm when expanded.
Each grip unit 5 includes a base 6, a plurality of sets of
rollers 7 rotatably mounted on the base 6 as shown in FIGS. 5
and 6. The rollers 7 are attached to the rails 4a and 4b forming
the annular passage 3. The base 6 is mounted to an annular
conveyor belt 4 driven by a known intermittent drive unit (not
shown) including a Geneva drive and a servomotor both
incorporated in a machine base 1, so as to be intermittently
moved.
A pair of right and left holders 8 are rotatably mounted
on the base 6 as shown in FIG. 6. The holders 8 are coupled with
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each other by a link 9. The holders 8 are provided with grips
11 having holding portions 12 respectively. A link mechanism
13 includes an actuating lever 13a further including a roller
14. A servomotor drive unit (not shown) is provided for driving
.. the roller 14 so that a pressing member (not shown) is controlled
so as to be movable forward and rearward, whereby the holding
portions 12 are openable and closable.
Regarding a distance (w) between the holding portions 12
of one set of grips II, a roller 15 mounted on a lever 8a extending
from one of the holders 8 is driven so that a pressing member
17 is controlled so as to be movable forward and rearward, whereby
the distance between the holding portions 12 is automatically
adjustable according to the bag width. Reference numeral 18
designates a coil spring suspended between the holders 8. The
roller 15 is pressed against the pressing member 17 so that the
distance (w) between the holding portions 12 is maintained at
a constant value.
Bag feeder
A bag feeder (a bag feeding unit) 20 includes a bag
replenishing unit 22 which drops into a guide of a bag positioning
unit 35 a packaging bag stacked on a magazine 31 and the bag
positioning unit 35 which positions a guide according to a bag
size entered on an operation panel 2 provided on the packaging
machine P. A packaging bag is sent in a predetermined posture
to a grip 11 standing by at a bag feeding step (1) by cooperation
of the bag supply unit 45 and a cramp unit 50. FIG. 7 shows main
work contents of the bag feeder 20.
Referring to FIG. 8, a sucker 24 is movable upward and
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downward by a servomotor drive unit (a drive mechanism) 2 3 mounted
on a frame 21. The bag replenishing unit 22 is constructed so
that a number of packaging bags set in the magazine in a stacked
state are turned up one by one from a top by the sucker 24 thereby
to be picked up to a predetermined level. Reference numeral 27
designates a bag chuck which is horizontally movable and is
openable and closable by actuation of a cylinder 26. The bag
chuck 27 is constructed to grip one of side edges (a side edge
near the bag positioning unit) of the bag picked up by the sucker
24 of the bag replenishing unit 22 and to drop the bag into a
guide of the adjacent bag positioning unit 35.
The magazine 31 includes chains 30 which are disposed on
a frame in parallel to each other in a horizontal direction and
are driven by different drive units so as to be capable of normal
rotation and reverse rotation. Two side guides 32a and 32b are
attached to the chains 30 respectively. Rotational directions
of the chains 30 are changed so that a distance between the side
guides 32a and 32b is automatically adjusted to a predetermined
bag width. A plurality of magazines 31 is configured to be
circularly movable from a supply position (Li) where a bag is
filled while a predetermined bag width is maintained or a standby
position (L2) to a replenishing position (12) where the side edge
of the bag is gripped by the bag chuck 27, when both chains 30
are driven in the same direction.
Positions of the side guides 36 and 37 corresponding to the
bag width are automatically adjusted by a servomotor drive unit
(not shown) based on entered data, and a position of a rear end
guide 38 is automatically adjusted by a servomotor drive unit
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39, whereby the bag positioning unit 35 positions the bag.
Furthermore, a front end guide 40 at the bag mouth side is provided
to automatically switch a position thereof by an actuator 41 so
as to correspond to a normal plastic bag or a paper bag. A guide
in the embodiment refers to the construction comprised of the
side guides 36 and 37 and the front end guide 40.
When the packaging bag is a paper bag, the paper bag is formed
into a shape such that a front and a back thereof include
respective bag mouth portions having different heights, and the
paper bag has an inner surface coated with a resin. The packaging
machine P applies a temporary seal to the bag mouth and thereafter,
a part of the bag located above the seal is folded and sewn by
a sewing unit installed outside the system. Accordingly, since
the heights of the bags are not equal and the lower side is the
basis in the case of the paper bag, the length (h) from a position
where the bag is held by the grips 11 to the bag mouth is adjustable
by the front end guide 40 so as to be capable of being rendered
larger than the normal plastic bag, as shown in FIG. 10.
An arm 47 is fixed to a shaft 46 controlled by a cam (not
shown) . The bag supply unit 45 is constructed to reciprocally
rotate the arm 47 between a grip position of the bag and a position
where the bag is passed to the cramp 56 of the cramp unit 50.
Reference numeral 48 designates a chuck mounted on a distal end
of the arm 47.
A main shaft la (see FIG. 3) controls timing of an entire
apparatus or mechanism by a drive mechanism incorporated in the
machine base 1 of the packaging machine P. The main shaft la
is provided with a plurality of cams (not shown) . A lever 52
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is fixed to a shaft 51 the rotation of which is controlled by
a specific one of the cams. The cramp unit 50 includes a base
55 which is provided with a pair of cramps 56 and is movable in
a front-back direction by the lever 52 as shown in FIG. 9. The
cramps 56 are constructed to be openable and closable by a lever
54 fixed to a shaft 53 the rotation of which is controlled by
a cam (not shown). The base 55 is movable upward and downward
by a servomotor drive unit 57 based on data detected by a laser
sensor 49 provided on the arm 47. As a result, the height of
the bag held by the cramps 56 is automatically adjustable to a
predetermined dimension. This function is referred to as 'bag
height compensating function." The bag height compensating
function is constructed according as a known mechanism disclosed
by Japanese patent application publication No. JP-A-2011-6129
that is an example of a packaging bag feeder by the applicant.
A number of packaging bags set in the magazine in a stacked
state are turned up one by one from a top by the sucker 24 of
the bag replenishing unit 22 thereby to be picked up to the bag
chuck 27. The bag gripped by the bag chuck 27 is transferred
to the adjacent bag positioning unit 35 to be dropped into the
guide of the unit 35. The side guides 36 and 37 and front and
rear end guides 40 and 38 are positioned by automatically
adjusting the positions of the side guides 36 and 37 corresponding
to the bag width of the guide and the positions of the front and
rear end guides 40 and 38 based on the entered data. Next, the
bag (a) in the guide is gripped by the chuck 48 of the bag supply
unit 45 and is held by the cramp 56 of a cramp unit 50 standing
by above to be sent to the grips 11 standing by at the bag feeding
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step (1) , whereby the bag feeder 20 is constructed.
One-point sealing unit
A one-point sealing unit 60 is provided in a point seal step
(3) . V-shaped folded portions (c) are formed on both side edges
of the gusset bag as shown in FIG. 10. The large-sized bag (a)
used with the packaging machine P has a folded portion with a
length of 50 mm or 100 mm in a folded state thereof. The lower
mouth of the synchronous funnel is inserted into the bag (a) while
the bag (a) is open. In this case, if the folded portion (c)
protrudes into the inner center of the bag, there is a possibility
that the lower mouth may interfere with the folded portion (c) .
In view of the possibility of interference, the one-point sealing
unit 60 is configured to apply heat seal to overlapping portions
of the front or the back of the bag and one of V-shaped folded
portions of both side edges of the bag, whereby the overlapping
portions are fixed together.
Preshaping unit
A bag opening/inflating step (4) is provided with an opening
unit 62 which opens the bag by an adsorption action of the suckers
63 which are mounted at both sides of the bag (b) so as to be
movable forward and backward respectively and a preshaping unit
65. The preshaping unit 65 is configured to render the bottom
of the bag inflated by an adsorption action of the suckers 66
provided at both lower sides so as to be movable forward and
backward respectively.
Filler
A filler (a filling unit) 70 is configured to fill the bag
with a predetermined amount of the article by the synchronous
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funnel 77 which is controlled to be moved upward and downward
and horizontally in synchronization with transfer of the bag.
In more detail, an annular conveyor belt 72 extending between
a pair of pulleys 71 disposed at a predetermined distance
therebetween as viewed in a plane view is provided with a lifting
unit 73. The lifting unit 73 includes a slide 76 on which is
mounted the synchronous funnel 77 provided with a filling nozzle
78. The lifting
unit 73 includes a lower end 73b movably attached
to a rail 75 forming a second annular passage 70a. The lifting
unit 73 is controlled by a servomotor drive unit 74 so as to be
moved upward and downward in synchronization with transfer of
the bags. Furthermore, the lifting unit 73 is also controlled
by a servomotor drive unit (not shown) so as to be moved
horizontally.
Bottom tapping unit:
Bottom tapping units 80 are disposed at a bag filling step
(9), a vibrating/gas filling step (6) and (7) and an
aeration/temporary seal step (8) respectively (FIGS. 11 and 12).
The bottom tapping units 80 are configured to move a receiving
member 83 by converting a rotational movement by the servomotor
drive unit 81 installed at the machine base 1 side to a linear
movement by a crank mechanism 82. Reference
numeral 85
designates a servomotor drive unit moves the bottom tapping unit
80 attached to a vertically disposed guide member 84 thereby to
adjust the height.
In the filling step (5), the synchronous funnel 77 is lowered
by driving the servomotor drive unit 74 to be inserted into the
bag, and the receiving member 83 of the bottom tapping unit 80
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is applied to the bottom of the bag and the bag is tapped so that
the article is prompted to drop, and the bag is filled via the
synchronous funnel 77 with a predetermined amount of article
discharged from a weighing apparatus (not shown).
A filling unit 70 is constructed to insert the synchronous
funnel 77 into the bag by lowering the synchronous funnel 77 by
the drive of the servomotor drive unit 74 and to fill the bag
with a predetermined amount of an article discharged from a
weighing apparatus (not shown) in the filling step (5) while
helping the article drop by applying the receiving member 83 of
the bottom tapping unit 80 to tap the bag and to start to supply
an inert gas into the bag by a gas nozzle at a last moment of
the filling operation.
Shaping apparatus
A shaping apparatus (a shaping unit) is configured to shape
the bag into a desired form, for example , the form of a rectangular
parellelepiped by cooperation of the bottom tapping unit 80 and
at least one pair of, in the embodiment, three pairs, of conveyor
units 91 which are controlled so as to hold one or a plurality
of bags and so that a rotational speed thereof is synchronized
with the transfer speed of the bags, from the bag filling step
(5) to the aeration/temporary seal step (8), as shown in FIG.
11. As the result of application of the above-described shaping,
collapse of packaged products is avoided when the products are
laid out flat.
The conveyor units 91 are supported on bearing members 92
disposed on the machine base 1 at predetermined intervals so that
guide bars 93 are movable forward and rearward in a direction
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perpendicular to a direction (x) in which the bags are fed, as
shown in FIGS. 12 and 13. Side conveyors 98 are mounted on a
base 94 fixed to distal ends of the guide bars 93. Reference
numeral 96 designates a ball screw whose rotation is controlled
by a servomotor drive unit 95. The ball screw 96 has a distal
end which is rotatably mounted on the base 94. In the side
conveyor 98, plastic chains 100 extend between pulleys 99
disposed in parallel to the feed direction (x) of the bags at
predetermined intervals. The side conveyors 98 are configured
to synchronize rotational speeds of the plastic chains 100 with
the transfer speed of the bags. The side conveyors 98 are
disposed at the front and the back of the passing bag respectively
and are configured to be rotated in the same direction as the
feed direction (x) of the bags, as shown in FIG. 13.
Movable bag-mouth auxiliary opening unit
A movable bag mouth auxiliary opening unit 105 includes a
base 106 on which are mounted small-sized suckers 107 and bag
mouth pressing members 108 closing the bag mouth other than an
open portion into which an aeration nozzle is insertable as shown
in FIGS. 11 and 14. The base 106 is configured to be movable
forward and backward by driving an actuator (not shown). The
actuator is configured to be reciprocable by a servomotor drive
unit (not shown) between the vibrating/gas filling step (7) and
the deaeration/temporary seal step (8). The sucker 107 and the
bag mouth pressing members 108 are disposed so as to correspond
to the front and the back of the bag respectively.
A movable bag mouth auxiliary opening unit 105 is configured
so that part of the bag mouth is opened by an adsorption action
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of suckers 107 provided at both sides of the bag so as to be movable
forward and backward, with the result that a deaeration nozzle
110 is insertable into the bag and so that the part of the bag
mouth other than the opened part is closable.
In the deaeration/temporary seal step (8) , the deaeration
nozzle 110 is inserted into the bag to remove air remaining in
the bag and is then pulled out of the bag, and thereafter, the
bag is held by a temporary heater 112 of a temporary seal unit
so that temporary seal is applied to the bag.
The seal unit includes a first sealing unit installed at
the first sealing step (9) and a second sealing unit installed
at the second sealing step (10) . Heat seals are applied to a
part of the bag where the temporary seal has been applied, by
heaters 113 and 114 of the first and second sealing units
respectively.
A cooling seal unit is configured to cool the part of the
bag where heat seal has been applied by the seal unit, by cooling
lever 115 as well known in the art.
Thus, the track gas-filling packaging machine according to
the invention is constructed so that:
a size and a type of the packaging bag and a type of the
article are entered on the operation panel 2;
in the bag feeding step (1) (see FIG. 7), a number of
packaging bags set in the magazine 31 in a stacked state
are turned up one by one from a top by the sucker 24 of the
bag replenishing unit 22 thereby to be picked up and then passed
to the bag chuck 27, the sucker 24 being controlled so as to be
moved in an up-down direction, and the packaging bag grasped
by the bag chuck 27 is transferred
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to the adjacent bag positioning unit 35 to be thrown into the
guide of the positioning unit, and the packaging bag is positioned
by automatically adjusting positions of the side guides 36 and
37 corresponding to the bag width and positions of the front end
guide 40 and the rear end guide 38 at the bag mouth side
corresponding to a bag length based on the entered data, and the
packaging bag in the guide is gripped by a chuck 48 of the bag
supply unit 45 and is held by a cramp 56 of a cramp unit 50 standing
by above with the bag mouth up to be sent from the cramp 56 to
the grips 11 standing by at the bag placing step;
in a bag opening/inflating step (4), the bag mouth is opened
by an adsorption action of suckers 63 and inflating the bottom
of the bag by the adsorption action of the suckers 63;
in an article filling step (5), a synchronous funnel 77,
which is controlled for up-down movement and horizontal movement
in synchronization with transfer of the bag to be inserted into
the bag is lowered to be inserted into the bag, is lowered, and
a receiving member 83 of a bottom tapping unit 80 is applied to
the bottom of the bag, whereby the bag is filled with a
predetermined amount of article while the bottom is tapped so
that the article is helped to fall,
wherein an inert gas is continuously discharged from a gas
discharge nozzle 78 provided on the synchronous funnel 77 into
the bag, during a period from a last moment of the filling
operation to a plurality of subsequent steps. The bag is shaped
into a desired shape by a cooperative work of the bag tapping
unit 80 and a shaping unit provided with at least a pair of
conveyor units 91 which are controlled so as to hold one or a
plurality of packaging bags and so as to be controlled so that
a rotational speed synchronizes a transfer speed of the packaging
bag, during a period from the bag filling step (5) and to the
deaeration/temporally sealing step (8), and the funnel 77 and
the gas-filling nozzle 78 are caused to get out of the bag and
a part of the bag mouth is kept open by the adsorption action .
of the suckers 107, while the bag is moved to the
deaeration/temporarily sealing step (8),
in a deaeration/temporarily sealing step (8), a deaeration
nozzle 110 is inserted into the bag to remove air remaining in
the bag, causing the deaeration nozzle 110 to get out of the bag,
holding the bag mouth by a temporary heater 112 so that a temporary
seal is applied to the bag mouth;
in a first seal step (9) and a second seal step (10), heat
seal is applied to a temporarily sealed part of the bag; and
in a seal cooling/bag removing step (11), the heat-sealed
part is cooled and the bag (a') as a product is removed outside
the system, whereby a work of changing related apparatus with
change io the bag size can full-automatically be carried out.
The grips 11 are opened in the point seal step (3) to
discharge the bag outside the system at 61 when a bag
supported by the grips 11 does not have a predetermined
height, when a chuck of a zipper of a zippered bag is
undone or when the bag is supported by only one grip 11.
Furthermore, the grips 11 are opened in the first seal step
(9) to discharge the bag outside the system at 64 when the
bag supported by the grips 11 is defective in the opening
of the bag mouth or in the inflating of the bag. Still
furthermore, when the article filling the bag contains any
metal,
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the grips 11 are opened in the first seal step (9) based on a
detecting operation of a metal detector (not shown) , whereby the
bag is discharged outside the system at 67. Where the seal of
the bag is defective, the bag is discharged outside the system
at 69.
The bag filled with the article weighs 15 to 20 kg, and there
is a possibility that an upper part of the bag may stretch when
supported by only the grips 11. In view of this, a group of
conveyors 120 are disposed to support the bottom of the bag from
the first seal step (9) to the cooling/discharge step (11) .
Reference numeral 121 designates a discharge conveyor.
Since the operation of the track gas-filling packaging
machine P according to the invention is described in relation
(9) to the construction of the main apparatus and the units, the
description of the operation will be eliminated.
The foregoing description and drawings are merely
illustrative of the present disclosure and are not to be construed
in a limiting sense. Various changes and modifications will
become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art. All such
changes and modifications are seen to fall within the scope of
the appended claims.
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