Patent Application
20210300610
This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from the prior Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-059805 filed on Mar. 30, 2020, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
The present disclosure relates to a packaging machine provided with a bottom-supporting device which supports a bottom of a packaging bag to be filled with an object to be packaged in order to assist packaging processes.
Packaging machines have conventionally been widely used which mass-produce products by intermittently moving packaging bags and sequentially performing packaging processes. These types of packaging machines are required to assist each packaging process by supporting a packaging bag or by another way in carrying out each packaging process. For example, the packaging machines are required to reduce the shaking of the packaging bag after having filled the packaging bag with the object, or to vibrate the packaging bag in order to promote the dropping of the object into the packaging bag.
For example, in the former case, the packaging bag is pressed by a guide such as a circumferential guide to reduce the runout of the packaging bag, and in the latter case, the dropping is promoted by vibrating means or the like that taps the bottom of the packaging bag.
However, in the former case, the packaging machines have a problem that different height adjustments cannot be sufficiently performed for each product. Furthermore, the conventional packaging machines have limitations in steps in which the packaging bag can be assisted by supporting the packaging bag or by another way in the packaging process.
Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a packaging machine provided with a bottom-supporting device, capable of assisting each packaging process by adjusting vibration conditions, height adjustment, etc. in any step according to the product.
To achieve the object, the present disclosure provides a packaging machine with a bottom-supporting device, which intermittently moves a packaging bag to each one of packaging stations where each packaging process is performed, fills the packaging bag with an object to be packaged, and seals a bag mouth. The bottom-supporting device capable of supporting a bottom of the packaging bag is provided so as to be present in all the packaging stations. The bottom-supporting device includes a bottom-support which supports the bottom of the packaging bag, an elevator that raises and lowers the bottom of the packaging bag, and a pneumatic drive unit which controls the raising and lowering of the bottom-support by the elevator and vibration of the bottom-support.
According to the above-described packaging machine, each packaging process can be assisted by adjusting the vibration conditions and height in any process according to the product.
The bottom-supporting device may be configured to be sequentially intermittently moved through the packaging stations in synchronization with the intermittent movement of the packaging bag. Since the bottom-supporting device can provide necessary assistance to the packaging bag during the intermittent movement thereof, continuous and smoother assistance can be provided to each packaging bag over the packaging processes. Furthermore, the packaging stations may include an object filling station where the bottom-supporting device is controlled so that the bottom of the packaging bag is supported by the bottom support after the packaging bag has been filled with the object. According to the packaging machine, the packaging bag can be prevented from shaking after the packaging bag has been filled with the object.
The packaging stations may include a gas filling station where the bottom-supporting device is controlled so that vibration is applied to the bottom of the packaging bag in the bottom-support. According to the packaging machine, the dropping of the object into the packaging bag can be promoted. Furthermore, the packaging stations may include a sealing station where the bottom-supporting device is controlled so that the bottom of the packaging bag is lifted by the bottom support. According to the packaging machine, the packaging bag can be deflated before being sealed. Furthermore, the packaging stations may include a product discharge station where the bottom-supporting device is controlled so that the bottom support is lowered to release the bottom of the packaging bag from a supported state. According to the packaging machine, the packaging bag can be placed on a product discharge conveyor.
In the accompanying drawings:
The present disclosure realizes a packaging machine with a bottom-supporting device 11, which intermittently moves a packaging bag a to each one of packaging stations 1 to 10 where respective packaging processes are performed, fills the packaging bag with an object to be packaged, and seals a bag mouth. In the packaging machine, the bottom-supporting device 11 capable of supporting a bottom of the packaging bag a is provided so as to be present in all the packaging stations 1 to 10 and includes a bottom-support 12 which supports the bottom of the packaging bag a, an elevator 13 that raises and lowers the bottom of the packaging bag a, and a pneumatic drive unit 14 which controls the raising and lowering of the bottom-support 12 by the elevator 13 and vibration of the bottom-support 12, with the result that each packaging process can be assisted by adjusting the vibration conditions and height in any process according to the product.
The packaging machine provided with the bottom-supporting device of the present disclosure will be described with reference to an embodiment shown in
The packaging machine P with the bottom-supporting device of the embodiment intermittently moves a packaging bag a to each one of packaging stations 1 to 10 where respective packaging processes are performed, fills the packaging bag a with an object to be packaged, and seals a bag mouth. In the packaging machine P, the bottom-supporting device 11 capable of supporting a bottom of the packaging bag a is provided so as to be present in all the packaging stations 1 to 10 and includes a bottom support 12 which supports the bottom of the packaging bag a, an elevator 13 that raises and lowers the bottom of the packaging bag a, and a pneumatic drive unit 14 which controls the raising and lowering of the bottom support 12 by the elevator 13 and vibration of the bottom support 12. Each configuration will hereinafter be described in detail in order.
As shown in
The packaging bag a may include a gazette bag having folds on both side edges, a self-supporting bag with a fold at the bottom, and a zippered or flat bag with zippers on these bags. Furthermore, examples of the object to be packed in the packaging bag a may include pet food, fertilizer, rice, and sugar.
Although the packaging machine P with the bottom-supporting device of this embodiment is a rotary packaging machine, the packaging machine P should not be limited to this type and may be, for example, a known linearly moving packaging machine or a track-moving packaging machine that horizontally moves on an annular passage including two straight parts and semi-circular parts at both ends.
In the packaging machine P with the bottom-supporting device, as shown in
The packaging machine with the bottom-supporting device of this embodiment fills the packaging bags a with the objects and sealing the packaging bags a through a bag feeding process (a first process), a process of chuck opening/printing an expiration date and/or the like (a first half of a second process), a printing quality inspecting process (a second half of the second process), a process of nozzle opening/bag opening/bag inflating/inserting a funnel for filling packaging bags with articles to be packaged (a third process), a process of filling packaging bags with articles (a fourth process), a gas filling/bottom vibrating process (a fifth process), (a sixth process) or (a seventh process), a top sealing process (an eighth process), a seal cooling/product discharging step (a ninth process), and a defective/empty bag discharging process (a tenth process), thereby mass-producing the products.
In the bag feeding process (1), as shown in
In the chuck opening/printing process (2-1), as shown in
In the printing quality inspection process (2-2), as shown in
In the nozzle opening process (3), as shown in
In the packaging bag filling process (4), as shown in
In the gas filling/bottom vibrating processes (5, 6 and 7), an inert gas (nitrogen gas in this embodiment) is ejected from the gas nozzle 38 at the gas filling stations 5, 6 and 7 to be replaced with air. As the active gas is replaced, the bottom of the packaging bag a is vibrated by the bottom support 12 of the bottom-supporting device 11.
In the top sealing process (8), the vicinity of the bag mouth b of the packaging bag a is horizontally sealed by a seal bar 39 in the sealing station 8 as shown in
In the seal cooling/product discharge process (9), the packaging bag a determined to be a non-defective product is cooled near the bag mouth b of the packaging bag a by a cooling bar 40 from both sides thereof in the product discharge station 9, and gripping claws (not shown) of the paired grips g are opened to release the packaging bag a from the gripped state, so that the product is discharged from the machine by a product discharge conveyor 41, as shown in
In the defective/empty bag discharge process (10), when the packaging bag a is determined to be a defective product or an empty bag, the gripping claws of the paired grips g are opened to release the packaging bag a from the gripped state in the defective product discharge station 10, so that the packaging bag a is discharged outside the machine by a defective product discharge chute 42, as shown in
As described above, the packaging machine 1 with the bottom-supporting device of this embodiment performs the aforementioned packaging processes in the respective packaging stations 1 to 10 for the intermittently moved packaging bag a, thereby sequentially mass-producing the products.
One of the features of the packaging machine 1 resides in that, as shown in
The bottom support 12 of the bottom-supporting device 11 is adapted to support the bottom of the packaging bag a and has two rod-shaped members 12a and 12b extending toward the outside of the moving body 20 as shown in
The elevator 13 raises and lowers the bottom support 12 and includes an elevating rail along which a proximal end 12c of the bottom support 12 is movable upward and downward.
The pneumatic drive unit 14 (pneumatic servo) controls the elevating of the bottom support 12 and the vibration of the bottom support 12 in the elevator 13. It should be noted that the bottom support 12 and the pneumatic drive unit 14 each appearing twice in
Furthermore, the bottom-supporting device 11 is of a synchronization type ad is configured to be sequentially intermittently moved through the packaging stations 1 to 10 in synchronization with the intermittent movement of the packaging bag a. As a result, the bottom-supporting device 11 can provide necessary assistance to the packaging bag a during the intermittent movement thereof, and provides continuous and smoother assistance to each packaging bag a over a plurality of packaging processes. More specifically, as shown in
In this embodiment, the bottom-supporting device 11 is controlled so that the bottom support 12 is moved upward to raise and support the bottom of the packaging bag a in the packaging bag filling station 4 after the packaging bag a has been filled with the object c. This can reduce the swing of the packaging bag a after the packaging bag a has been filled with the object c.
Furthermore, the bottom-supporting device 11 is controlled so that the bottom support 12 is moved upward and downward to vibrate the bottom of the packaging bag a in the gas filling stations 5, 6 and 7. This can prompt the dropping of the object c into the packaging bag a.
Furthermore, the bottom-supporting device 11 is controlled so that the bottom support 12 is moved upward and the bottom of the packaging bag a is lifted by the bottom support 12 at the sealing station 5. As a result, the packaging bag a can be deflated before being sealed.
Furthermore, the bottom-supporting device 11 is controlled so that the bottom support 12 is lowered in the product discharge station 9 in order that the bottom of the packaging bag a may be released from the held state. As a result, the packaging bags a can be sequentially placed on the product discharge conveyor 41. The bottom support 12 passes through the groove 41a extending in the transport direction of the product discharge conveyor 41 as shown in
As described above, in the packaging machine P provided with the bottom-supporting device of this embodiment includes the package filling station 4, the bottom-supporting device 12 is used in the gas filling stations 5, 6 and 7, the sealing station 8 and the product discharge station 9 and during the movement of the packaging bag a between these stations. However, the present disclosure should not be limited to these stations, and the present disclosure involves in its scope the use of the bottom-supporting device in other packaging stations according to the products.
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.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020-059805 | Mar 2020 | JP | national |
