Device for supplying large quantities of stored bags to other devices.

Abstract

An apparatus for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices includes: a bag storage mechanism for storing a large quantity of upright bags as a bag group; a bag removal mechanism for removing bags from the bag storage mechanism; a bag opening direction detection device for detecting the direction of the bag opening of the bag removed by the bag removal mechanism; a bag rotation mechanism for rotating the bag in a predetermined direction on a bag rotation table based on the direction of the bag opening detected by the bag opening direction detection device, so that the bag opening faces the predetermined direction; and a bag transport mechanism for transporting the bag rotated in the predetermined direction by the bag rotation mechanism to a delivery position. The bag transport mechanism includes a linear actuator. The linear actuator includes a clamping device that reciprocates between the bag rotation mechanism and the bag delivery position. The clamping device includes clamping members that clamp the front two sides of the bag.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying bags, which can store a large quantity of stacked packaging bags, such as stand-up pouches, corner pouches, other general flat bags or zippered bags (storing a quantity of bags that is orders of magnitude greater than that of existing apparatuses), and accurately deliver each bag to a packaging machine that is another apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] JP2014-131926A discloses a supply device for storing a large number of bags at once in a space-saving and stable manner by employing a vertical bag storage mechanism that stores a large number of bags in an upright state, and supplying the stored bags to a packaging machine that is used as another device.

[0003] In the supply device described in JP2014-131926A, the bag openings of bundled bags are arranged in a bag storage mechanism with the bags reversed left and right for each bundle. Therefore, even when storing bundles of bags with many bags, the thickness on both sides can be made more even. As a result, this bag storage mechanism can eliminate suction errors when using suction cups or the like to remove the last bag from the stored bag bundle, and can store a large number of bags without any problems.

[0004] This supply device can store large quantities of bags without problems, thus enabling packaging machines, which are other devices, to operate continuously for longer periods of time compared to existing bag supply devices, thereby reducing the workload of packaging workers.

[0005] However, the bag supply device in JP2014-131926A uses a conveyor with a rope-like belt in its bag handling mechanism, which transports bags stored in the bag storage mechanism one by one to the packaging machine. Therefore, bags are prone to slipping on the conveyor, sometimes making stable handling difficult. Furthermore, a stop is provided at the end of the belt conveyor to stop the bags being transported by it; however, when a bag comes into contact with the stop to stop it, the front end of the bag may deviate due to rebound. Moreover, the bag opening lifting mechanism must use a suction cup to pick up the bag opening after it has stopped at the stop and lift it up. The bag transfer mechanism then clamps the opening of the lifted bag and delivers it to the packaging machine. However, when using the suction cup for picking up the bag or delivering it from the suction cup to the bag transfer mechanism, the bag position is unstable, and the bag is prone to deviation. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide an apparatus for supplying a large number of stored bags to other devices, which suppresses bag deviation and improves the accuracy of bag position when delivering bags to packaging machines, etc.

[0007] The apparatus of the present invention for supplying bulk storage bags to other devices is characterized by comprising:

[0008] The bag storage mechanism stores a large number of upright bags as a bag group and guides the stored bag group downstream.

[0009] A bag retrieval mechanism that retrieves bags from a bag storage mechanism;

[0010] A bag opening orientation detection device that detects the orientation of the bag opening of a bag taken out by a bag removal mechanism;

[0011] A bag rotation mechanism, based on the direction of the bag opening detected by a bag opening direction detection device, rotates the bag on a bag rotation table in a predetermined direction to align the bag opening with a specified orientation; and

[0012] The bag handling mechanism transports bags, which have been rotated in a predetermined direction by the bag rotation mechanism, to the delivery location.

[0013] The bag handling mechanism is equipped with a linear actuator.

[0014] The linear actuator has a clamping device that reciprocates between the bag rotation mechanism and the bag delivery position.

[0015] The clamping device has clamping components that clamp the front two sides of the bag.

[0016] The control method of the present invention for supplying a bulk storage bag to other devices is characterized in that the aforementioned device for supplying a bulk storage bag to other devices comprises:

[0017] The bag storage mechanism stores a large number of upright bags as a bag group and guides the stored bag group downstream.

[0018] A bag retrieval mechanism that retrieves bags from a bag storage mechanism;

[0019] A bag opening orientation detection device that detects the orientation of the bag opening of a bag taken out by a bag removal mechanism;

[0020] A bag rotation mechanism, based on the direction of the bag opening detected by a bag opening direction detection device, rotates the bag on a bag rotation table in a predetermined direction to align the bag opening with a specified orientation; and

[0021] The bag handling mechanism transports bags, which have been rotated in a predetermined direction by the bag rotation mechanism, to the delivery location.

[0022] When controlling the aforementioned device for supplying large quantities of stored bags to other devices,

[0023] The position of the front edge of the bag after it has rotated in a specified direction on the bag turntable is measured.

[0024] Based on the measurement results of the position of the front edge of the bag, the deviation of the bag in the long side direction relative to the original moving distance of the bag handling mechanism is calculated to determine the actual required moving distance of the bag handling mechanism.

[0025] Based on the calculation results of the above-mentioned moving distance, the original moving distance of the bag handling mechanism is corrected.

[0026] With the above-described configuration, the bag supply device of the present invention can suppress bag deviation when delivering bags from the supply device to the packaging machine side, thereby improving the accuracy of bag positioning.

[0027] The control method of the bag supply device of the present invention can simplify the mechanism for suppressing bag position deviation by measuring the position of the front edge of the bag to correct the bag deviation. Attached Figure Description

[0028] Figure 1 This is an overall front view of the supply device for the bulk storage bags of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 2 This is an overall top view of the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 3 This is a right view of the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A magnified view of a portion of the image.

[0032] Figure 5A This is a front view showing the operating state of the bag storage mechanism that constitutes the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5B This is a top view showing the operating state of the bag storage mechanism that constitutes the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a top enlarged view of the bag turntable in the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 This is a rear view of the rotary device in the bag supply apparatus of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 8 This is a side enlarged view of the bag centering mechanism in the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 9 This is a front enlarged view of the bag centering mechanism in the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 10 This is a top view of the bag handling mechanism in the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 11 This is a side view of the bag handling mechanism in the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 12A This is a front view showing the operating state of the bag handling mechanism in the bag supply device of the present invention.

[0041] Figure 12B This is a top view showing the operating state of the bag handling mechanism in the bag supply device of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0042] Figure 1 This is a front view of an apparatus for supplying bags for large-scale storage according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is its top view. Figure 3 This is its right view. The supply device 1 of this embodiment for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices includes: a bag storage mechanism 2, which stores a large quantity of upright bags W and has a mechanism for guiding the stored bag group towards the front end; a bag removal mechanism 3, which removes bags W from the bag storage mechanism 2; a bag opening direction detection device 4, which detects the direction of the bag opening of the bag W removed by the bag removal mechanism 3; a bag rotation mechanism 5, which rotates the bag W in a predetermined direction based on the direction of the bag W detected by the bag opening direction detection device 4; and a bag transport mechanism 7, which transports the bag W, after being rotated in the predetermined direction by the bag rotation mechanism 5, to a packaging machine 6, which is another device. The aforementioned packaging machine 6, which is another device, is provided at the front end of the device 1 for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices. Bags W are received from the bag supply device 1 via a bag transfer mechanism 8, and the received bags W are delivered to the packaging machine 6. The packaging machine 6 uses a rotary packaging machine, but it can also be a linear packaging machine or an elliptical packaging machine. Packaging machine 6 is well-known, therefore in Figure 1 Its detailed structure is not shown, and its detailed description is omitted.

[0043] The following describes in detail the various devices and mechanisms described above. Here, sometimes the side from which the bag W moves is referred to as "upstream" and the side to which it moves is referred to as "downstream," according to the transport direction of the bag W. Additionally, sometimes the transport direction of the bag W is referred to as the "long side direction," the direction perpendicular to the long side direction is referred to as the "width direction," the front side of the transport direction is referred to as the "front end," and the rear side of the transport direction is referred to as the "rear end." Furthermore, the following embodiments detail the structure of the device of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the structure of these embodiments.

[0044] (Bag storage mechanism)

[0045] exist Figure 1 , Figure 2 The bag supply device 1 has a bag storage mechanism 2 in the upstream to midstream section. This bag storage mechanism 2 has a passageway 22 along the long side of a base 21 made of steel assembled into a rectangle, for storing bags W. Bags with horizontally oriented openings are stored in this passageway 22 in a standing position. While flat bags can also be used in the bag supply device 1, stand-up pouches, corner-supported bags, zippered bags, etc., are preferred. That is, when the thickness of the bags W differs between the opening and bottom sides as described above, stacking multiple bags W with the openings aligned increases the thickness difference between the opening and bottom sides. This causes the bag bundles to become bent, potentially leading to retrieval errors in the bag retrieval mechanism 3. Therefore, each bundle of bags, grouped in numbers such as 10 or 20, is stored with the opening and bottom sides reversed to even out the thickness difference, aligning the bag bundles as a whole and storing them in the passageway 22 without any overall skewing.

[0046] The passage 22 is a structure formed by arranging a pair of side plates 22a along the long side on both sides of the base 21 in the width direction. The pair of side plates 22a are supported by two guide rods 22b mounted on the base 21 in the width direction and can slide in the width direction of the passage 22. A screw 22c is installed between the pair of side plates 22a, and the spacing between the pair of side plates 22a can be adjusted according to the size of the bag W by rotating the handle 22d provided at the end of the screw 22c.

[0047] A bag-pressing belt 23 is laid in the center of the width direction at the bottom of the passage 22, with a bag-pressing member 23a arranged on the bag-pressing belt 23. The bag-pressing member 23a can be loaded and unloaded in the vertical direction. A bag-pressing belt motor 23b is provided on the downstream side of the passage 22. When the sensor determines that the bag W on the downstream side of the passage 22 is empty, the bag-pressing belt motor 23b rotates and the bag-pressing belt 23 moves at a low speed. At the same time, the bag-pressing member 23a arranged on the bag-pressing belt 23 slowly moves forward, pushing the group of bags stored in the passage 22 from upstream to downstream.

[0048] A pair of corresponding upright plates 24 are erected at the downstream end of a pair of side plates 22a, and locking pieces 24a (see reference). Figure 5B (A partial enlarged view) protrudes inward from these uprights 24. Moreover, a gate plate 24b is mounted between a pair of uprights 24. These locking tabs 24a and gate plates 24b hold the bags W in such a way that the front end of the bag group being pushed forward by the bag pressing member 23a toward the passage 22 does not fly out.

[0049] like Figure 5BAs shown in the enlarged view, a pair of cylindrical alignment rods 25 are vertically arranged on both sides of the inner side of the upright plate 24 in the vertical direction. Bags W sometimes have a tendency to bend; therefore, if bags W are stored as is in the passageway 22, they will become undulating. If the bag pressing member 23a is used to push the bag group in this state, the bags W at the front end of the undulating bag group may bend. Therefore, the suction cup 31 of the bag removal mechanism 3 will not be completely in contact with the bag W, resulting in a suction error. Thus, as... Figure 5B As shown, the alignment rod 25 restricts the movement of the two sides of the bag group stored in the passage 22 and bends its central part in a way that protrudes slightly downstream, thereby allowing the suction cup 31 to reliably adhere to the surface of the bag W.

[0050] like Figure 5B As shown in the enlarged view, the upper end of the alignment rod 25 is fitted onto the sliding piece 25a, as... Figure 5A As shown, the sliding piece 25a is configured to slide upstream and downstream through a horizontal slit 24c formed in the upright plate 24. By moving the sliding piece 25a, the position of the alignment rod 25 can be adjusted accordingly to the bending position of the bag group based on the size or type of the bag W.

[0051] A vibratory plate air cylinder 24d is mounted on the outer center of a pair of upright plates 24 via a mounting metal fitting. Furthermore, a trapezoidal vibratory plate 24e is mounted on the vibratory plate air cylinder 24d, and this vibratory plate 24e is embedded in the trapezoidal cutout portion of the upright plate 24 (see reference). Figure 1 and Figure 5A The vibrating plate 24e vibrates in the width direction of the passage 22 via the air cylinder 24d, aligning the bag group that is in an irregular state upstream of the alignment rod 25.

[0052] (Bag removal mechanism)

[0053] The bag retrieval mechanism 3 uses a suction cup 31 to remove the bag W from the front end of the bag storage mechanism 2 and deliver it to the bag rotation mechanism 5. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the bag removal mechanism 3 is constructed using a pair of four-section connecting rods 32 spaced apart in the width direction. Each four-section connecting rod 32 consists of a lower driving connecting rod 32a, a middle connecting rod 32b, and a driven connecting rod 32c. A driven shaft 32C is mounted on the upper part of the mechanical frame 9 in the width direction, and one end of each driven connecting rod 32c is fixed to both ends of the driven shaft 32C.

[0054] Furthermore, a drive shaft 32A is mounted on the lower width of the mechanical frame 9, and one end of each drive link 32a is fixed to both ends of the drive shaft 32A. For example... Figure 3As shown, one end of the drive shaft 32A extends toward the connecting rod drive device 32E, which includes a drive motor 32e and a bevel gear 32f. The rotational force of the drive motor 32e is transmitted to the drive shaft 32A via the bevel gear 32f.

[0055] like Figure 3 As shown, an assembly shaft 32h for assembling suction cups 31 is mounted between a pair of joints 32g that connect each drive link 32a to the intermediate link 32b. Three suction cups 31 are mounted on this assembly shaft 32h. A suction tube 32i is provided in the width direction at the upper part of the suction cup 31, and the suction tube 32i is connected to the suction cup 31 by a tube 32j. Furthermore, in this invention, the bag removal mechanism 3 is not limited to the configuration shown in the figure; for example, it could be a bag removal mechanism as described in JP2014-131926A.

[0056] When the drive motor 32e of the linkage drive device 32E is activated, the drive shaft 32A will rotate, and the four-section linkage 32 of the bag extraction mechanism 3 will move as follows: Figure 4 As shown by the dotted line, the four-section linkage 32 bends upwards into an S-shape, positioning it to remove the front end of the bag W from the bag storage mechanism 2. When the four-section linkage 32 is in the position of removing the front end of the bag W, the suction cup 31 will adhere to the front end of the bag W. Furthermore, when the drive motor 32e rotates, the four-section linkage 32 will extend downwards, placing the bag W onto the... Figure 2 On the bag rotary table 51 of the bag rotary mechanism 5 shown. When the four-section connecting rod 32 moves in this way, as Figure 1 or Figure 4 As shown in Figure 5, the suction cup 31 moves from a horizontal position where the front end of the bag W is removed, tracing an arc downwards, until it becomes a vertical position on the bag turntable 51. During the period from when the bag W is removed from the bag storage mechanism 2 by the bag removal mechanism 3 until it is placed on the bag turntable 51, the bag opening direction detection device 4 detects its direction, i.e., the direction of the bag opening.

[0057] (Bag opening direction detection device)

[0058] The bag opening orientation detection device 4 is used to detect the left or right orientation of the bag opening of bag W during the period from when bag W is moved from bag removal mechanism 3 to bag rotation mechanism 5. As described above, in the passage 22 of bag storage mechanism 2, multiple bundles of bags, each grouped to a certain number, are stored sequentially with the bag opening side and bag bottom side reversed. Therefore, when the front end of bag W is removed from bag storage mechanism 2 by bag removal mechanism 3, it is necessary to detect whether its bag opening is facing left or right.

[0059] In this embodiment, the bag opening direction detection device 4 uses a camera, such as a CCD camera, to determine the direction of the bag W, i.e., the direction of the bag opening. For example, the direction can be determined by the text, patterns, or shape printed on the bag W. Alternatively, the bag opening direction detection device 4 can determine the direction by measuring the surface irregularities or thickness of the bag W using a laser; the type of sensor is not limited. The sensor of the bag opening direction detection device 4 can be positioned between the bag removal mechanism 3 and the bag rotation mechanism 5; there are no particular limitations.

[0060] (Bag rotation mechanism)

[0061] Figure 6 It is shown Figure 2 The diagram shows a top view of an example of a bag rotation mechanism 5. The bag rotation mechanism 5 is located adjacent to the downstream side of the bag storage mechanism 2, and rotates the bag W, which is placed on the bag turntable 51 by the bag removal mechanism 3, in either the forward or reverse direction. The function of this bag rotation mechanism 5 is to allow the clamping members of the packaging machine to grip the bag opening side, and to rotate the bag W, which is placed in either the left or right opposite direction in the width direction, 90 degrees as shown in the diagram, before delivering it to the bag transport mechanism 7. The bag W is transported by the bag transport mechanism 7 in a horizontal position with the bag opening facing downstream after being rotated by the bag rotation mechanism 5, and is delivered to the clamping members of the packaging machine 6 after being received from the bag transport mechanism 7 by the bag transfer mechanism 8.

[0062] like Figure 6 and Figure 4 As shown, the bag turning mechanism 5 includes: the aforementioned bag turning table 51, which holds the bag W taken out from the bag storage mechanism 2; a turning device 52, which turns the held bag W in a predetermined direction as described above; and a bag centering mechanism 53, which centers the bag W after it has been turned by the turning device 52 when it is delivered to the bag transport mechanism 7.

[0063] like Figure 6 As shown, the rotary table 51 is configured to have: a table body 51a, which is mounted in the width direction of the mechanical frame 9; and a rectangular support member 51b, which protrudes horizontally downstream from the center portion of the table body 51a in the width direction. In the table body 51a, four rows of slits 51c, facing each other across the center portion in the width direction, are arranged along the long side in such a way that they do not interfere with the protrusion 53e of the alignment plate 53E of the bag centering mechanism 53, as described later. These slits 51c are formed to be long, thereby accommodating bags W of different sizes.

[0064] The support member 51b supports the bag W when it is transported by the bag transport mechanism 7 after the bag rotation mechanism 5 has finished rotating. The width of the support member 51b is smaller than the width of the bag W, causing the front two sides of the bag W, which protrude from the front edge of the platform body 51a, to float. By causing the front two sides of the bag W to float, the clamping member 72I of the bag transport mechanism 7 ( Figure 3 The front two sides of the bag W can be gripped. An elongated hole 51d is formed from the rear end of the support member 51b to the center of the platform body 51a. Through this elongated hole 51d, the rotating suction cup 52a of the rotating device 52 can be adjusted according to the size of the bag. Figure 6 The position of the ) moves along the long side. Furthermore, another elongated hole 51e is formed downstream of the elongated hole 51d. The light projection receiver 73a of the laser sensor, mounted on the bag handling mechanism 7, ( Figures 10-16 2) The laser passes through the elongated hole 51e.

[0065] Figure 7 This is a rear view of the bag rotation mechanism 5, as shown. Figure 7 and Figure 6 As shown, the rotating device 52 is located along the long side of the lower center of the bag rotating table 51. The rotating suction cup 52a of the rotating device 52 is located below the elongated hole 51d, as shown. Figure 7 The configuration shown is such that it is opposite to the suction cup 31 of the bag-collecting mechanism 3 in the vertical direction. Therefore, as... Figure 4 and Figure 5A As shown, the bag-retrieving mechanism 3 uses a suction cup 31 to pick up the bag W at the front end of the bag storage mechanism 2, as... Figure 7 The bag W is placed onto the rotating device 52 in such a manner that the center of the bag W reaches the rotating suction cup 52a of the rotating device 52. The rotating device 52 rotates the bag W, which is placed on the bag rotating table 51, 90 degrees in a predetermined direction.

[0066] like Figure 7 As shown, the bag rotation mechanism 5 is equipped with a rotary suction cup 52a at the upper end of the elbow 52b, and a suction hose (not shown) is connected to the lower end of the elbow 52b. The elbow 52b is connected to the rotation axis of the rotary actuator 52d via a bracket 52c, and is rotated 90 degrees in both the forward and reverse directions by the rotary actuator 52d. The rotary actuator 52d is suspended from the piston rod of the lifting actuator 52e and floats. Through the lifting actuator 52e, the upper end of the rotary suction cup 52a moves up and down between a standby position lower than the bag rotary table 51 and an adsorption position higher than the bag rotary table 51 used to adsorb the bag W.

[0067] like Figure 6As shown, the lifting actuator 52e is mounted on a mounting plate 52f fixed along the long side of the mechanical frame 9. The front end of the position adjusting screw 52g is supported on the mounting plate 52f. A guide 52h with an internal thread is embedded in the screw 52g, through which the lifting actuator 52e is mounted. Figure 6 The assembly table 52i shown is equipped with Figure 7 The lifting actuator 52e is shown. At the rear end of the screw 52g, a handle shaft 52k is connected at a right angle via a bevel gear 52j. By rotating the handle 52l, the rotary device (lifting actuator 52e, rotary actuator 52d, rotary suction cup 52a, etc.) 52 can be moved along the screw 52g. Even if the size of the bag W changes, the handle 52l can be rotated to position the rotary suction cup 52a to reach the center of the bag W.

[0068] Figure 8 This is a magnified side view of the bag centering mechanism 53. Figure 9 This is an enlarged view of its main structure. The bag centering mechanism 53 centers the bag W after it has been rotated by the rotating device 52 to a direction suitable for downstream transport, enabling its delivery to the bag transport mechanism 7. In this bag centering mechanism 53, a screw 53b is mounted in the width direction of the mechanical frame 9. A pair of rod nuts 53c are fitted into the screw 53b, and a support plate 53d is mounted on each rod nut 53c. A centering device 53A is mounted on each support plate 53d. By rotating the handle 53g mounted on the end of the screw 53b, the bag can be centered. Figure 8 As shown, a pair of centering devices 53A on a pair of support plates 53d move in opposite directions. Therefore, the spacing between the pair of centering devices 53A can be arranged from a wide width (shown by the solid line) to a narrow width (shown by the dashed line) according to the width of the bag W.

[0069] like Figure 9 As shown, regarding the centering device 53A, its rotating shaft 53i is supported by a pair of bearings 53h located at both ends of the support plate 53d. A crank 53j is mounted at the end of the rotating shaft 53i, and an air cylinder 53k is connected to the crank 53j. By operating the air cylinder 53k, the rotating shaft 53i is rotated in both the forward and reverse directions. An alignment plate 53E in the vertical direction is mounted on the rotating shaft 53i. Protrusions 53e protrude from the upper edge of the alignment plate 53E, and five protrusions 53e are arranged side by side in the horizontal direction.

[0070] By driving the air cylinder 53k, the rotating shaft 53i rotates in the forward and reverse directions, such as Figure 8 As shown, the alignment plate 53E reciprocates from a 45° tilted position relative to the vertical axis to a vertical position. When the alignment plate 53E is at a 45° angle, the protrusion 53e is located at a position greater than... Figure 6The lower position of the table body 51a allows the bag W to be placed on it. Conversely, when the alignment plate 53E is in a vertical position, the protrusion 53e centers the bag W. A stop plate 53L is fixed to the support plate 53d by screws on the inner sides of the alignment plates 53E. The stop plate 53L is immovable, preventing the alignment plates 53E from rotating further from the vertical position. 53l is a buffer member fitted to the side of the stop plate 53L and allowing the alignment plate 53E to contact it.

[0071] (Bag handling mechanism)

[0072] like Figure 4 As shown, the bag handling mechanism 7 uses a long linear actuator 71 of the ball screw type. Figure 10 As shown, the linear actuator 71 is positioned at the center of the mechanical frame 9 in the width direction and fixed in the long side direction of the mechanical frame 9. The specific configuration of the linear actuator 71 is arbitrary and is not limited to the ball screw type described above. A sliding member 71a for mounting the clamping device 72 is provided on the upper surface of the linear actuator 71. The sliding member 71a causes the clamping device 72 to reciprocate in the long side direction, thereby enabling the clamping device 72 to perform the action of transporting the bag W on the bag turntable 51 towards the bag transfer mechanism 8.

[0073] A mounting plate 72a, which is trapezoidal in shape when viewed from above, is fixed on the sliding member 71a for assembling the clamping device 72. Two supports 72b are erected at each end of the mounting plate 72a along the width direction, and a support platform 72c is mounted on each of the two supports 72b. Furthermore, an opening and closing member 72d of the clamping device 72 is mounted on each support platform 72c.

[0074] The opening / closing member 72d has two sliding shafts 72f inserted vertically into the bearing 72e. The lower ends of each sliding shaft 72f are connected to each other by a seesaw plate 72g. An air cylinder 72h is mounted at the bottom of the support platform 72c, and the lower end of one of the sliding shafts 72f is connected to the air cylinder 72h. By driving the air cylinder 72h, one sliding shaft 72f moves up and down, resulting in the other sliding shaft 72f moving in the opposite direction (up and down) via the seesaw plate 72g. The two sliding shafts 72f move up and down alternately.

[0075] A clamping member 72I is provided at the upper end of each of the two sliding shafts 72f. The clamping member 72I consists of a pair of finger-like members 72i respectively mounted at the upper end of each of the two sliding shafts 72f. The pair of finger-like members 72i move up and down in opposite directions via the two sliding shafts 72f, thereby opening and closing the clamping member 72I. Figure 11 As shown, the clamping member 72I is located at Figure 6On both sides of the support member 51b of the table body 51a shown, the front ends of the bag W extending laterally are clamped by clamping members 72I. By clamping the bag W with the clamping members 72I in this manner, the linear actuator 71 is driven to move the bag W downstream. Furthermore, the finger-like member 72i is plate-shaped, as shown... Figure 10 As shown, when viewed from above, it is F-shaped, with anti-slip components attached to the opposite surfaces of a pair of finger-shaped pieces 72i.

[0076] like Figure 11 As shown, a light projection receiver 73a of the aforementioned laser sensor is mounted on the upper inner side of one of the bearings 72e in the clamping device 72. Furthermore, a gate 73c is erected between the bearings 72e on both sides, and a reflector 73b for the laser light from the light projection receiver 73a is mounted on the gate 73c. ​​The light projection receiver 73a and the reflector 73b constitute a measuring device 73 for the front edge of the bag W, which measures the position of the front edge of the bag W after it has been centered. Figure 10 That is, the measuring device 73 at the front end of the bag accurately measures the position of the front edge of the bag opening of the bag W after it has been centered by the bag centering mechanism 53. By accurately measuring the position of the front edge of the bag opening, as described later, the control device (not shown) calculates the actual accurate distance for the bag W to be moved by the bag transport mechanism 7. Thus, the bag transport mechanism 7 can accurately deliver the bag W moved by it to the clamping member 8a of the bag transfer mechanism 8. Furthermore, the measuring device 73 at the front end of the bag does not need to be composed of a light projection receiver 73a and a reflector 73b as described above. It can be a CCD camera, a fixed sensor, etc., as long as it can measure the position of the front end of the bag W after it has been centered on the bag turntable 51.

[0077] Next, the operation of the device for supplying a large number of stored bags to other devices will be explained.

[0078] like Figure 5A and Figure 5B As shown, in the passage 22 of the bag storage mechanism 2, the gathered bundles of bags are stored in a standing position. That is, the bag bundles are arranged in the passage 22 with the bag openings and bottoms reversed. This completes the preparation of the bag storage mechanism 2.

[0079] When the start button of supply device 1 is pressed, Figure 2 The bag storage mechanism 2 shown has a bag pushing belt motor 23b and Figure 3 The bag removal mechanism 3 shown is driven by a drive motor 32e, and Figure 10 The linear actuator 71 of the bag handling mechanism 7 shown in the figure is in a standby state. Driven by the drive motor 32e, as... Figure 4As shown, the four-section connecting rod 32 operates, thereby causing the suction cup 31 to attract and remove the object. Figure 1 The bag W at the front end of the bag storage mechanism 2 shown is placed in a container such as... Figure 2 , Figure 4 The bag turntable 51 is shown. As described above, the bag bundles are stored in the bag storage mechanism 2 with the bag opening and bottom reversed left and right, so it is unclear whether the bag opening is facing left or right. Therefore, during the period when bag W is loaded from the bag storage mechanism 2 onto the bag turntable 51, by... Figure 4 The bag opening direction detection device 4 shown detects the direction in which the bag W is facing, and the control device outside the diagram determines its direction. Furthermore, as... Figure 7 As shown, the bag W on the bag turntable 51 is placed such that its center reaches the rotary suction cup 52a.

[0080] like Figure 6 As shown, when the sensor outside the figure confirms that the main body 51a of the bag turntable 51 is carrying a bag W, Figure 7 The lifting actuator 52e of the rotary device 52 shown is driven, thereby causing the rotary suction cup 52a to rise and adhere to the center of the bottom surface of the bag W. Based on the direction of the bag W, i.e., the bag opening, detected by the bag opening direction detection device 4, it is determined whether the bag W is rotated to the left or right so that the bag opening faces the downstream side. Therefore, the rotary actuator 52d is activated, causing the bag W adhered by the rotary suction cup 52a to rotate in the specified direction.

[0081] After the bag W rotates in the specified direction Figure 8 and Figure 9 When the air cylinder 53k of the bag centering mechanism 53 shown is driven to rotate the rotating shaft 53i, as... Figure 8 As shown, the alignment plate 53E will stand vertically, and the protrusions 53e of the pair of alignment plates 53E will push the bag W from the left and right to center the bag W on the bag turntable 51. In addition, the bag centering mechanism 53 can correct the deviation in the width direction of the bag W, but cannot correct the deviation in the long side direction. Therefore, the deviation in the long side direction is corrected by the bag transport mechanism 7 as described below.

[0082] like Figure 6 As shown, when the rotating suction cup 52a rotates the bag W, the front two sides of the bag W will protrude from the support member 51b of the bag turntable 51 and float. Figure 12A As indicated by arrow (1), the linear actuator 71, which was originally in a standby state, is driven, causing... Figure 10 and Figure 11 The clamping device 72 shown is as follows Figure 12A and Figure 12B It slides backward, or upstream, as shown. Figure 12AAs shown, the linear actuator 71 is provided with a front-side limit sensor 71b and a rear-side limit sensor 71c, and an origin sensor 71d is provided at a position inside the rear-side limit sensor 71c.

[0083] Figure 10 and Figure 11 With the clamping member 72I open, the clamping device 72 moves rearward and upstream to clamp the two front sides of the bag W, which is floating on the support member 51b, by the clamping member 72I. At this time, the position of the front edge of the bag W can be accurately measured when the laser beam projected from the light projection receiver 73a of the measuring device 73 at the front of the bag is blocked by the front edge of the bag opening of the bag W, which is centered behind the front edge.

[0084] After the front two sides of the bag W are clamped by the clamping member 72I, as Figure 12A As indicated by arrow (2), the bag W, gripped by the clamping device 72, is moved downstream by the linear actuator 71. Since the accurate position of the leading edge of the bag W can be measured as described above, it is only necessary to calculate the position relative to the leading edge of the bag W. Figure 10 The deviation of the original moving distance of the clamping device 72 of the bag handling mechanism 7 from the long side direction of the bag W is corrected by adjusting the moving distance of the clamping device 72 based on the linear actuator 71, so that the clamping device 72 of the bag handling mechanism 7 can be accurately moved towards the direction shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2 The bag transfer mechanism 8 shown delivers the bag W to the clamping member 8a, thus accurately delivering the bag W to the clamping member 8a. As a result, the bag W can also be accurately delivered to the clamping member of the packaging machine 6.

[0085] In addition, such as Figure 12A The dashed lines in the middle and Figure 12B As shown, the front end of the bag W, held and transported downstream by a pair of clamping members 72I of the clamping device 72, remains in a floating state. Because the front end of the bag W is in a floating state, therefore... Figure 1 and Figure 2 The clamping member 8a of the bag transfer mechanism 8 shown can rotate upstream to directly grasp the front end of the bag W. Therefore, the clamping member 8a can rotate downstream to deliver the bag W to the clamping member of the packaging machine 6.

[0086] In this invention, instead of using a rope in the bag handling mechanism as in JP2014-131926A, the bag W is handled by clamping the front two sides of the clamping device 72 using clamping members 72I. Therefore, the bag W does not deviate during handling, and the bag W can be accurately handed over. Furthermore, unlike JP2014-131926A, this invention does not include a bag opening lifting mechanism at the downstream end of the bag handling mechanism. Since such a mechanism is unnecessary, the device can be simplified, reducing adjustments. Moreover, unlike JP2014-131926A, there is no deviation in the bag position when the bag opening lifting mechanism lifts the bag, so the bag W can be accurately handed over. Furthermore, unlike JP2014-131926A, the bag W is not transported downstream by a rope and blocked by a stopper. Therefore, there is no rebound of the bag W during this blocking action, and the bag W can be accurately handed over.

[0087] When the type of bag W changes, by Figure 1 and Figure 2 The rotation of the handle 22d of the bag storage mechanism 2 shown allows adjustment of the spacing between the pair of side plates 22a. Additionally, rotation... Figure 6 The handle 52l of the rotary device 52 shown has a handle shaft 52k, which allows adjustment of the position of the rotary suction cup 52a. Furthermore, rotating... Figure 8 The handle 53g of the bag centering mechanism 53 shown allows for adjustment of the position of the centering device 53A.

[0088] Industrial availability

[0089] This invention is useful in the packaging field using bags with varying thicknesses, such as stand-up pouches and zipper bags.

Claims

1. An apparatus for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices, characterized in that, have: The bag storage mechanism stores a large number of upright bags as a bag group and guides the stored bag group downstream. A bag retrieval mechanism that retrieves bags from a bag storage mechanism; A bag opening orientation detection device that detects the orientation of the bag opening of a bag taken out by a bag removal mechanism; A bag rotation mechanism, based on the direction of the bag opening detected by a bag opening direction detection device, rotates the bag in a predetermined direction on a bag rotation table holding bags retrieved from a bag storage mechanism, so that the bag opening faces a specified direction; and The bag handling mechanism transports bags, which have been rotated in a predetermined direction by the bag rotation mechanism, to the delivery location. The bag rotation mechanism includes: a rotation device that rotates a bag placed on a bag rotation table in a predetermined direction; and a bag centering mechanism that centers the bag after it has been rotated by the rotation device. The bag turntable comprises: a main body mounted in the width direction of a mechanical frame; and a support member that supports the bag at the center of the downstream side of the main body, in a manner narrower than the width of the bag. The aforementioned platform body has a slit in the aforementioned width direction to prevent interference from the protrusion of the alignment plate of the platform body and the bag centering mechanism. The bag handling mechanism is equipped with a linear actuator. The linear actuator has a clamping device that reciprocates between the bag rotation mechanism and the bag delivery position. The clamping device has clamping components that clamp the front two sides of the bag.

2. The apparatus for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping device is equipped with a measuring device at the front end of the bag. This measuring device measures the position of the front edge of the bag after it has rotated in a specified direction on the bag turntable as the clamping device moves toward the bag turning mechanism.

3. The apparatus for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices according to claim 2, characterized in that, The measuring device at the front end of the bag has a laser sensor or a photoelectric sensor. The laser sensor or photoelectric sensor has one element and another element. The one element and the other element are both disposed in the clamping device. The one element is disposed above the bag, and the other element is disposed below the bag.

4. The apparatus for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bag centering mechanism is equipped with a pair of alignment plates with multiple protrusions and a rotating shaft. The two rotating shafts rotate in opposite directions, and the protrusions of the alignment plates protrude upward from the slit of the main body of the platform to center the bag on the bag turntable.

5. The apparatus for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bag storage mechanism has the following features: The passageway, which stores many bags; A vibrating plate, which is located on both sides of the passage, applies vibration to the bag to align it. as well as Alignment bars, which are vertically installed structures, restrict the movement of both ends of the bag and push the center of the bag to bend it forward.

6. The apparatus for supplying a large quantity of stored bags to other devices according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bag removal mechanism consists of a four-section link, which includes a drive link, a slave link, and an intermediate link connecting the drive link and the slave link. A drive shaft is located at the lower part of the four-section connecting rod, and one end of the drive connecting rod is mounted on the drive shaft. A driven shaft is located on the upper part of the four-section connecting rod, and one end of the driven connecting rod is fitted to the driven shaft. An assembly shaft is provided at the joint between the drive link and the intermediate link. A suction cup for removing the bag is provided on the assembly shaft.

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