Packaging device

Abstract

To provide a packaging device for making a packaged product, wherein a packing material is wound to a product together with its supporting material, the product is packaged by the packing material, and the product is fixed to the supporting material, and which can reduce workloads of users on fabricating a packaged product including a rising part standing to a product fixing part to which a product in a supporting material is fixed.SOLUTION: A packaging device 1 includes a transportation part 22 for transporting a product 104 together with a supporting material 102 and a package part 70 for packaging a product 104 with a packing material F being wound to the product 104 together with the supporting material 102 so as to fix the product 104 to the supporting material 102; and also includes a supporting material processing part 50 for applying weakened line processing or folding flexure processing for forming a folding line 102b comprising perforations to the supporting material 102.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a packaging device that places an object on a mount, wraps a film around the object together with the mount, and fixes the object to the mount while packaging the object. This packaging device is said to be able to securely package the object together with the mount so as to prevent damage to the object during transportation. Patent Document 1 also describes a mount on which an article is fixed, which includes a base around which the article is wrapped and fixed with a film, and two folding pieces folded at right angles to the base (see Figures 1 and 2 of Patent Document 1). It also describes that the folding pieces are for fixing the mount so that it does not move inside the box when the mount is stored in the box (paragraph number 0017 of Patent Document 1, etc.). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-172287 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the extension direction of the folded piece bent at a right angle to the base portion of the backing paper is defined as the height direction, it is believed that by setting the height of the folded piece to a value close to the height of the inner space of the box, when the box containing the backing paper to which the items are fixed by the film is transported, the folded piece will come into contact with the bottom surface and ceiling surface of the inside of the box, preventing the backing paper from moving in the height direction within the box. Here, the folded piece of the mount described in Patent Document 1 is formed by folding the mount before packaging in the packaging device, or by folding the article packaged by the packaging device when storing it in a box. Therefore, in order to form an appropriate folded piece for the mount, in addition to the task of fixing the article to the mount with the packaging device, the user needs to perform tasks such as weakening line processing to form weakening lines such as fold streaks that make it easier to fold in appropriate positions on the mount, or folding processing to fold the mount so that it rises at a right angle in an appropriate position on the mount. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a packaging device that includes a conveying section that conveys a packaged item consisting of a plate-shaped support material and an item, and a packaging section that wraps the packaging material together with the support material around the item to package the packaged item, and is characterized in that it also includes a support material processing section that applies weakening line processing or folding processing to the support material. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present invention, there is an excellent effect of reducing the workload of a user when creating a packaged product in which a packaging material is wrapped around an object together with a support material, and the object is fixed to the support material by the wrapped packaging material, and the packaged product has a raised portion that rises up relative to the object fixing portion to which the object is fixed on the support material. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a packaging device according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view showing a packaged product wrapped in film by the packaging apparatus of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which a rising portion of the packaging product shown in FIG. 2 is raised. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the packaging product shown in FIG. 3 is about to be inserted into a packaging box. [Diagram 5]5(a) to (d) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the packaging device in chronological order. [Figure 6] 6(a) to (d) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the packaging device in chronological order. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The description of the embodiments is illustrative and does not limit the invention, and the features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing are given the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions may be omitted as appropriate. In addition, the dimensions of the parts in each drawing may be enlarged or reduced as appropriate to facilitate understanding. In addition, some parts that are not important for explaining the embodiments may be omitted in each drawing.

[0009] Fig. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a packaging device 1 according to this embodiment. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a packaged product 200 in which an object 100 is packaged with a film F by the packaging device 1. The packaging device 1 is a stretch packaging device that packages the object 100 by utilizing the stretchability of the film F to create the packaged product 200. The packaging device 1 also forms a fold line 102b in the backing paper 102 of the packaged product 200 that is parallel to the winding direction of the film F, as indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 2.

[0010] The packaged item 100 includes a mount 102, which is a plate-shaped support material, and an item 104 placed on the mount 102. The mount 102 is, for example, cardboard. The mount 102 is not particularly limited, but in this example, it is rectangular when viewed in a direction perpendicular to the placement surface 102a on which the item 104 is placed. In this embodiment, the fold line 102b, which is a weakened line, is a perforation formed in the surface layer of the mount 102 made of cardboard. Since cardboard is formed from multiple layers, even if a perforation is formed in the surface layer, the perforation is not formed to the layer forming the back surface, and the perforation formed by the perforation creating member can function as a fold line. The mount 102 on which the fold line 102b is formed includes an item fixing portion 102c to which the item is fixed by the film F, and a rising portion 102d that is folded at the fold line 102b and stands up relative to the item fixing portion 102c.

[0011] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the state in which the packaging product 200 shown in FIG. 2 is folded at right angles along the fold line 102b, and the two raised portions 102d are raised in the normal direction of the mounting surface 102a of the item fixing portion 102c to which the item is fixed on the backing sheet 102.

[0012] Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which the packaging product 200 with the rising portion 102d shown in Fig. 3 raised is about to be inserted into the box body 501 of the packaging box 500. The packaging product 200 can be packaged by inserting the packaging product 200 into the box body 501 from the state shown in Fig. 4 and closing the box lid 502 by overlapping it with the box body 501. It is preferable to form the rising portion 102d so that, when the length of the rising portion 102d in the normal direction of the placement surface 102a is defined as the "rising height", the "rising height" is slightly lower than the "box internal height" which is the thickness of the internal space of the packaging box 500 in the normal direction of the placement surface 102a when the packaging product 200 is packed. As a result, even if the packed packaging product 200 tries to move inside, the rising portion 102d hits the upper surface of the inner space of the packing box 500 and the upper surface, preventing the packaging product 200 from moving in the direction of the inner height inside the packing box 500, and preventing damage to the item 104 caused by the packaging product 200 rattling inside the packing box 500. Also, even if the rising height is sufficiently lower than the inner height and the packaging product 200 rattles in the inner height direction inside the packing box 500, by making the rising height higher than the height of the item 104 (the thickness of the item 104 in the normal direction of the placement surface 102a), the tip of the rising portion 102d hits the inner wall of the packing box 500 before the item 104 comes into contact with the inner wall of the packing box 500, preventing damage to the item 104 caused by the item 104 coming into contact with the inner wall of the packing box 500.

[0013] The item 104 contained in the packaged item 100 is, for example, a product purchased on an e-commerce site (e.g., an online shopping site for a store on the Internet), and the packaged item 100 is in the form of a packaged product 200 stretch-wrapped with film F, which is then packed into a packaging box 500, for example, made of a cardboard box, and delivered to the purchaser.

[0014] The packaging device 1 is a device that packages an object 100 to be packaged with a film F to create a packaged product 200. In other words, the packaging device 1 is a device that packages an object 104 together with a mount 102 with a film F. The packaging device 1 can also be regarded as a device that fixes the object 104 to the mount 102 with the film F.

[0015] The packaging device 1 has an insertion opening 2 located at the right end in Fig. 1 and a discharge opening 4 located at the left end in Fig. 1. Hereinafter, the direction from the insertion opening 2 toward the discharge opening 4 is referred to as a conveying direction D, and in the conveying direction D, the insertion opening 2 side is referred to as the upstream side, and the discharge opening 4 side is referred to as the downstream side. The packaging device 1 includes a packaging unit 70 that packages the packaged object 100 with a film F, a crease-inserting unit 50 that forms a fold 102b on a mount 102 of a packaged product 200 in which the packaged object 100 is packaged in the packaging unit 70, and a control unit 30. The packaged object 100 is inserted from the insertion opening 2 so that two opposing sides of the mount 102 are parallel or approximately parallel to the conveying direction D. The packaging device 1 packages the packaged object 100 inserted from the insertion opening 2 with a film F before it is discharged from the discharge opening 4, and forms fold creases 102b on both ends of the mount 102.

[0016] The packaging section 70 of the packaging device 1 includes a first roll support shaft 10, a second roll support shaft 12, a receiving section 14, a first presser 16, a second presser 18, a heater 20, a heater support member 34, a conveying section 22, a first sensor 24, and a second sensor 26. The scoring section 50 of the packaging device 1 includes a rotary perforation blade 51 as a scoring member, a perforation blade opposing roller 52, a discharge roller pair 60, and a third sensor 28.

[0017] The first roll support shaft 10 is inserted into the core (e.g., a cardboard tube) of the first film roll R1 and rotatably supports the first film roll R1. The first roll support shaft 10 is particularly provided so that the first film roll R1 is located above the insertion opening 2.

[0018] The second roll support shaft 12 is inserted through the core of the second film roll R2 and rotatably supports the second film roll R2. The second roll support shaft 12 is particularly provided so that the second film roll R2 is located below the insertion opening 2.

[0019] The two film rolls R (R1, R2) are formed by winding a long continuous film around a core. A first continuous film F1 is pulled out from the first film roll R1 and hung on an upper film guide 32, with its tip positioned above the receiving part 14 of the heater 20. A second continuous film F2 is pulled out from the second film roll R2 and hung on a lower film guide 33, with its tip positioned above the receiving part 14. The continuous films (F1, F2) are narrower in width (length in the width direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction D and perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 1) than the mount 102 of the packaged item 100. As a result, both sides in the width direction of the mount 102 of the packaged product 200 are not covered by the film F and are exposed.

[0020] The leading ends of the two continuous films (F1, F2) are welded together (i.e., connected) in the previous packaging operation. In addition, the two film rolls R (R1, R2) are supported so as to be freely rotatable as described above. Therefore, when the packaged item 100 is inserted and moves downstream, the welded leading ends of the continuous films (F1, F2) pushed by the leading ends of the packaged item 100 move downstream together with the packaged item 100, and the continuous films (F1, F2) are pulled out from the two film rolls R (R1, R2) by the distance the leading ends have moved.

[0021] The film F constituting the continuous film (F1, F2) is transparent, although there is no particular limitation. The film F is a stretch film that has elasticity at least in the conveying direction D. Having elasticity in the conveying direction D means that the film stretches without breaking when a tensile force is applied in the conveying direction D, and shrinks when the tensile force is removed. It does not matter whether the film returns to its original state when the tensile force is removed, i.e., whether it returns to its original length. The direction in which the film F, which is a packaging material, is stretched when wrapped around the film is the wrapping direction.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, in the packaging section 70, the first presser 16, the heater 20, and the second presser 18 are arranged in this order from the upstream side. A receiving section 14 is provided below the first presser 16, the heater 20, and the second presser 18. The receiving section 14 has a flat receiving upper surface 14a. The first presser 16, the heater 20, the second presser 18, and the receiving section 14 are all members that are elongated in the width direction.

[0023] The first presser 16 can be raised and lowered by a drive mechanism (not shown). In the illustrated example, the first presser lower surface 16a of the first presser 16 is a flat surface, but is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a curved surface.

[0024] Both the heater 20 and the second presser foot 18 are supported by a heater support member 34. The heater support member 34 can be raised and lowered by a drive mechanism (not shown). Therefore, the heater 20 and the second presser foot 18 can be raised and lowered as the heater support member 34 is raised and lowered. In this case, only one drive mechanism is required to raise and lower the heater 20 and the second presser foot 18, which reduces costs. Note that the heater 20 and the second presser foot 18 may be raised and lowered by separate drive mechanisms. In this case, the heater support member 34 is not necessary.

[0025] The second presser 18 is supported by a heater support member 34 so as to be movable up and down relative to the heater 20. The second presser 18 is biased downward, i.e., toward the receiving upper surface 14a of the receiving portion 14, by a spring 36 having one end (upper end) 34a fixed to the heater support member 34 and the other end (lower end) 34b fixed to the upper end of the second presser 18.

[0026] In the illustrated example, the second presser lower surface 18a of the second presser is a flat surface, but is not limited thereto and may be, for example, a curved surface.

[0027] The heater 20 is made of, for example, aluminum or an aluminum alloy, which has good thermal conductivity and is lightweight. The lower end of the heater 20 is formed at an acute angle. A rubber heater (not shown) is baked and fixed to the heater 20, and the heater 20 can be heated by passing electricity through the rubber heater.

[0028] Distance L1 in the transport direction from the first presser 16 to the heater 20 is preferably configured to be longer than distance L2 in the transport direction from the heater 20 to the second presser 18, as shown in the figure. Distance L1 is, for example, the distance between the center of the first presser lower surface 16a of the first presser 16 in the transport direction D and the tip of the heater 20. Distance L2 is, for example, the distance between the tip of the heater 20 and the center of the second presser lower surface 18a of the second presser 18 in the transport direction D.

[0029] A conveying section 22 for conveying the packaged article 100 downstream is provided downstream of the second presser 18. The conveying section 22 conveys the packaged article 100 by clamping both ends of the backing paper 102 in the width direction on the outer side of the continuous film (F1, F2) in the width direction of the packaged article 100, or on the front end side of the continuous film (F1, F2) in the packaged article 100, where the film F (hereinafter simply referred to as "film F") cut from the continuous film (F1, F2) is not hung. In this example, the conveying section 22 includes two upstream conveying roller pairs 38 (only one of which is visible on the front side of the paper in FIG. 1) spaced apart from each other in the width direction with a gap wider than the width of the film F, and two downstream conveying roller pairs 40 (only one of which is visible on the front side of the paper in FIG. 1) spaced apart from each other in the width direction with a gap wider than the width of the film F. Each of the conveying roller pairs (38, 40) includes an upper roller that contacts the backing paper 102 from above, and a lower roller that contacts the backing paper 102 from below. The conveying roller pairs (38, 40) sandwich the backing paper 102 between the upper and lower rollers and convey the backing paper 102 and, by extension, the packaged object 100 downstream. While the packaged object 100 is conveyed in the conveying section 22, packaging with the film F is completed, and the packaged object 100 is conveyed further downstream in the form of a packaged product 200 including the packaged object 100.

[0030] A scribing unit 50 is provided downstream of the conveying unit 22. The scribing unit 50 conveys the packaged product 200 while making fold scribbles 102b on both ends of the backing sheet 102 in the width direction that are outside the continuous films (F1, F2) and are not covered by the film F of the packaged product 200. In this example, the scribing unit 50 includes two rotary perforation blades 51 (only one of which is visible on the front side of the paper in FIG. 1) that are spaced apart from each other in the width direction with a gap wider than the width of the film F, and two perforation blade opposing rollers 52 (only one of which is visible on the front side of the paper in FIG. 1) that are disposed in positions opposing the rotary perforation blades 51 across the conveying path of the packaged product 100 and the packaged product 200 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1. The outer circumferential blade of the rotary perforation blade 51 bites into the packaged product 200, which is conveyed by the downstream conveying roller pair 40 and has its underside supported by the perforation blade facing roller 52, and the rotary perforation blade 51 rotates along with the conveyed packaged product 200 or the rotating perforation blade facing roller 52, forming perforations on the upper surface (placing surface 102a) of the backing sheet 102 of the packaged product 200. The portion where the perforations are formed becomes the fold line 102b. The perforation blade facing roller 52 and the discharge roller pair 60 receive driving force from a drive source common to the conveying roller pair (38, 40) of the conveying section 22, and are driven to rotate together with the conveying roller pair (38, 40) when they are driven.

[0031] Downstream of the rotary perforation blade 51 and the perforation blade opposing roller 52, two discharge roller pairs 60 (only one of which, on the near side of the page, is visible in FIG. 1 ) are disposed spaced apart in the width direction with a gap wider than the width of the film F. The discharge roller pair 60 includes an upper roller that contacts the backing sheet 102 from above, and a lower roller that contacts the backing sheet 102 from below. The discharge roller pair 60 sandwiches the backing sheet 102 between the upper and lower rollers, transports the backing sheet 102 and thus the packaged product 200 downstream, and discharges them from the discharge opening 4.

[0032] The first sensor 24 is disposed upstream of the first presser 16. The second sensor 26 is disposed downstream of the second presser 18 and upstream of the conveying section 22. The third sensor 28 is disposed downstream of the pair of discharge rollers 60. Each sensor (24, 26, 28) detects the leading or trailing end of the packaged item 100 (or the packaged product 200) at its respective position.

[0033] The control unit 30 comprehensively controls the packaging device 1. Specifically, the control unit 30 controls the operation of actuators such as motors that drive each mechanism and the overheating of the heater 20 for welding the continuous films (F1, F2). For example, the control unit 30 starts and stops the conveyance of the packaged item 100 (or the packaged product 200) by the conveying unit 22, the perforation blade facing roller 52, and the discharge roller pair 60 based on the detection results of the packaged item 100 (or the packaged product 200) by each sensor (24, 26, 28).

[0034] The above is the basic configuration of the packaging device 1. Next, an example of the operation of the packaging unit 70 will be described.

[0035] 5(a)-(d) and 6(a)-(d) are diagrams for explaining an example of the operation of the packaging unit 70 in chronological order. In FIG. 5(a), the first presser 16, the heater 20, and the second presser 18 are in a standby position spaced above the upper receiving surface 14a of the receiving unit 14. In this state, the packaged item 100 is inserted into the packaging device 1. The standby position is a position (height) at which the first presser 16, the heater 20, and the second presser 18 do not come into contact with the packaged item 100 being inserted. In the standby position, the second presser 18 is located closer to the upper receiving surface 14a of the receiving unit 14 than the heater 20. The pair of conveying rollers (38, 40) of the conveying unit 22 is stopped.

[0036] In Fig. 5(b), the packaged item 100 has been inserted up to the conveying section 22. The pair of conveying rollers (38, 40) of the conveying section 22 start to rotate when the first sensor 24 detects the leading edge of the inserted packaged item 100, and conveys the packaged item 100 downstream by clamping both ends of the backing paper 102 of the packaged item 100 that has reached the conveying section 22.

[0037] In Fig. 5(c), the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes under the first presser 16. The first presser 16 descends from the standby position to the gripping position. The conveying section 22 conveys the packaged item 100 further downstream.

[0038] The gripping position of the first presser 16 is a position where the first presser 16 is pressed against the upper receiving surface 14a of the receiving portion 14. When the first presser 16 is in the gripping position, the continuous film (F1, F2) is gripped by the first presser 16 and the receiving portion 14. In other words, the first presser 16 and the portion of the receiving portion 14 facing the first presser 16 constitute a gripping portion that grips the continuous film (F1, F2). As the continuous film (F1, F2) is gripped, the supply of the continuous film (F1, F2) from the two film rolls R (R1, R2) is stopped. In other words, the force of the packaged article 100 conveyed downstream pulling the continuous film (F1, F2) does not act upstream of the gripping portion where the first presser 16 and the receiving portion 14 grip the continuous film (F1, F2), and the continuous film (F1, F2) is not pulled out any further from the film roll R (R1, R2). In other words, the speed at which the continuous film (F1, F2) is pulled out from the film roll R (R1, R2) (hereinafter referred to as the "pulling speed") becomes zero. In other words, the first presser 16 and the portion of the receiving portion 14 facing the first presser 16 constitute the gripping portion, and thus the film supply adjustment portion that stops the supply of the continuous film (F1, F2) (sets the pulling speed to zero). The pulling speed is the speed of the portion of the continuous film (F1, F2) immediately after it is pulled out from the film roll R (R1, R2). The unwinding speed can also be considered to be equal to the peripheral speed of the outer circumferential surface of the film roll R (R1, R2) that rotates as the continuous film (F1, F2) is unwound.

[0039] In detail, the first presser 16 reaches the gripping position after the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes below the first presser 16 but before it passes below the heater 20, and grips the continuous film (F1, F2) together with the receiving part 14.

[0040] For example, when the first sensor 24 detects the rear end of the packaged item 100, the conveying by the conveying unit 22 may be stopped after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed under the first presser 16 and before it has passed under the heater 20, the first presser 16 may then be lowered to the gripping position, and conveying by the conveying unit 22 may then be resumed. Alternatively, without stopping conveying by the conveying unit 22, when the first sensor 24 detects the rear end of the packaged item 100, the first presser 16 may be lowered so that the first presser 16 reaches the gripping position after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed under the first presser 16 and before it has passed under the heater 20.

[0041] When the first presser 16 is lowered to the gripping position and the supply of the continuous film (F1, F2) is stopped, the conveying section 22 conveys the packaged item 100 further downstream, causing the film F at the tip side of the continuous film (F1, F2) to stretch downstream of the first presser 16.

[0042] In Fig. 5(d), the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes under the second presser 18. The heater support member 34 is lowered from the standby position (Fig. 5(a)), and accordingly the second presser 18 is lowered from the standby position to the gripping position. The conveying of the packaged item 100 by the conveying section 22 is stopped.

[0043] The gripping position of the second presser foot 18 is a position where the second presser foot 18 is pressed against the upper receiving surface 14a of the receiving portion 14. When the second presser foot 18 is in the gripping position, the continuous film (F1, F2) is gripped by the second presser foot 18 and the upper receiving surface 14a of the receiving portion 14. In other words, the second presser foot 18 and the part of the receiving portion 14 facing the second presser foot 18 constitute a gripping portion that grips the continuous films (F1, F2).

[0044] In detail, the second presser 18 reaches the gripping position after the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes below the second presser 18, and grips the continuous film (F1, F2) together with the receiving portion 14.

[0045] For example, when the second sensor 26 detects the rear end of the packaged item 100, the conveying section 22 stops conveying, and then the second presser 18 is lowered to the gripping position.

[0046] In FIG. 6(a), the first presser 16 is raised from the gripping position to the standby position. It is sufficient for the first presser 16 to be able to separate from the receiving upper surface 14a of the receiving portion 14, and it is not necessary for the first presser 16 to be raised to the standby position. In FIG. 6(b), the first presser 16 is lowered again from the standby position to the gripping position. That is, the continuous film (F1, F2) is temporarily released from being gripped by the first presser 16 and the receiving portion 14. This reduces the tension of the continuous film (F1, F2) between the first presser 16 and the second presser 18. This prevents poor welding in the subsequent heat welding.

[0047] The continuous films (F1, F2) are pressed against the receiving portion 14 by a first presser 16 on the upstream side of the heater 20 and by a second presser 18 on the downstream side of the heater 20. Therefore, the continuous films (F1, F2) are in close contact with each other at the position to be welded by the heater 20, i.e., the position below the heater 20.

[0048] In addition, in Fig. 6(b), the first presser 16 may be returned to a position slightly above the receiving upper surface 14a of the receiving section 14, rather than to the gripping position. Even if the first presser 16 does not press the continuous film (F1, F2) against the receiving section 14, if the first presser 16 is located at a position slightly above the receiving upper surface 14a of the receiving section 14, it is possible to prevent the first continuous film F1 and the second continuous film F2 from being separated too far apart. In other words, the two continuous films (F1, F2) are relatively in close contact with each other. In this case, the first presser 16 only needs to be returned to the gripping position before Fig. 6(d) described below, specifically, before conveyance by the conveyance section 22 is resumed.

[0049] In FIG. 6(c), the heater support member 34 is further lowered. Since the second presser 18 has already reached the gripping position at the time of FIG. 5(d), the second presser 18 does not lower with the further lowering of the heater support member 34. The material of the receiving portion 14 is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, a material that does not substantially deform or dent even when pressed downward by at least the presser (16, 18). On the other hand, the heater 20 is lowered with the lowering of the heater support member 34 and reaches the welding position. The welding position is a position where the tip of the heater 20 is pressed against the receiving upper surface 14a of the receiving portion 14. In other words, the first presser 16 and the heater 20 are moving relative to each other. The heater 20 comes into contact with the continuous films (F1, F2) that are in close contact with each other and heat-welds them. As a result, the continuous films (F1, F2) downstream of the second presser 18 are welded to each other in a state in which they are stretched.

[0050] In Fig. 6(d), the heater support member 34 rises, and the heater 20 and the second presser 18 rise from the welding position and the gripping position, respectively. In this state, transportation by the transport unit 22 is resumed, and the continuous film (F1, F2) is cut at the welding position. Then, the film F that has wrapped the packaged item 100 (i.e., the film F cut off from the continuous film (F1, F2)) shrinks, and the packaged item 100 is firmly stretch-wrapped by the film F to become the packaged product 200.

[0051] The above is an example of the operation of the packaging unit 70. Next, in Fig. 5(c), reference will be made to the fact that the first presser 16 reaches the gripping position and grips the continuous film (F1, F2) together with the receiving unit 14 before the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes under the heater 20. In the packaging unit 70, the film F packaging the packaged item 100 in Fig. 6(d), i.e., the film F separated from the continuous film (F1, F2) downstream of the welding portion by the heater 20, fixes the article 104 to the backing sheet 102 by a force that still tends to shrink.

[0052] In contrast, if the first presser 16 reaches the gripping position after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed under the heater 20, the continuous film (F1, F2) downstream of the heater 20 is already long enough to loosely wrap the packaged item 100 at that point (i.e., before stretching). Naturally, even if the film F is released after stretching and shrinks, it will not become shorter than the length before stretching. Therefore, in this case, the film F that wraps the packaged item 100 cannot fix the article 104 to the backing 102.

[0053] Therefore, it is necessary to make the first presser 16 reach the gripping position and grip the continuous film (F1, F2) together with the receiving portion 14 before the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes under the heater 20.

[0054] However, even if the first presser 16 reaches the gripping position before the rear end of the packaged article 100 passes under the heater 20, if the distance L5 (see FIG. 5(c)) in the conveying direction from the rear end of the packaged article 100 to the heater 20 at that time is short, the packaged article 100 may still only be loosely wrapped. Specifically, even if the stretched film shrinks, it may not return to its original length, and if the length of the part that is longer than the original length (hereinafter referred to as the "stretched part") is longer than L5, the packaged article 100 can only be loosely wrapped. Therefore, L5 must be longer than the length of the stretched part, and the longer L5 is, the tighter the packaging can be. In order to obtain the length of L5, a certain length is required for L1. On the other hand, the length of L2 does not affect this, and it is better to make it as short as possible in order to configure the device compactly.

[0055] As is clear from the fact that the packaged item 100 is packaged using the elasticity of the film, the distance L2 in the conveying direction from the heater 20 to the second presser 18, the distance L3 in the conveying direction from the leading end position of the packaged item 100 in Fig. 5(d) to the first presser 16, and the distance L4 in the conveying direction from the trailing end position of the packaged item 100 in Fig. 5(d) to the second presser 18 affect whether the packaged item 100 is securely packaged so that the article 104 does not shift in position relative to the backing paper 102 when vibration, impact, or the like is applied to the packaged item 100. These distances L2, L3, and L4 may be determined to appropriate values ​​based on the elasticity of the film F that constitutes the continuous film (F1, F2) based on experiments, etc.

[0056] The first presser 16, the second presser 18, and the heater 20 may be movable separately in the conveying direction. In this case, the distances L2, L3, and L4 can be changed. For example, when changing the continuous film (F1, F2) to one with different elasticity of the film F or when changing the length of the backing paper 102 in the conveying direction, the distances L2, L3, and L4 can be adjusted so that the packaged item 100 is securely packaged.

[0057] According to one example of the operation of the packaging unit 70 described above, the packaged item 100 can be stretch-packaged with a relatively simple and straightforward operation of conveying the packaged item 100 downstream while holding the continuous film (F1, F2) upstream of the packaged item 100, stretching the continuous film (F1, F2), and welding it in that state, without moving the packaged item 100 upstream (reversing the flow) or rewinding the continuous film (F1, F2) as in the configuration described in Patent Document 1, and as a result, the packaged item 100 can be stretch-packaged with a relatively simple and straightforward operation of conveying the packaged item 100 downstream while stretching the continuous film (F1, F2), and welding it in that state, thereby shortening the time required for packaging.

[0058] The above description of the operation of the packaging unit 70 is merely an example, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of each of the components and each of the processing processes, and that packaging devices equipped with a packaging unit 70 that operates in such modified manners are also within the scope of the present invention. Such modified embodiments will be described below.

[0059] (Variation 1) In the above-mentioned example of the operation of the packaging unit 70, the first presser 16 and the portion of the receiving unit 14 facing the first presser 16 constitute the gripping unit and therefore the film supply adjustment unit, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the packaging device 1 may be equipped with a brake mechanism that applies a brake to prevent the film roll R (R1, R2) from rotating and releases the brake to allow it to rotate. In this case, applying the brake to prevent the film roll R (R1, R2) from rotating stops the supply of the continuous film (F1, F2) from the film roll R (R1, R2). In other words, the brake mechanism constitutes the film supply adjustment unit.

[0060] (Variation 2) In the above-mentioned example of the operation of the packaging unit 70 and the above-mentioned modified example 1, the film supply adjustment unit stops the supply of the film, in other words, the film pull-out speed is set to zero. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The film supply adjustment unit does not need to set the pull-out speed to zero, but may simply reduce the pull-out speed. Specifically, the film supply adjustment unit may make the pull-out speed slower than the speed at which the packaged item 100 moves downstream. If the pull-out speed is slower than the speed at which the packaged item 100 moves downstream, the two continuous films (F1, F2) will stretch, and the same effect as the above-mentioned example of the operation of the packaging unit 70 can be achieved. For example, when the first presser 16 and the part of the receiving part 14 facing the first presser 16 constitute the film supply adjustment unit, the pull-out speed can be slowed by weakening the force pressing the first presser 16 against the receiving part 14. Also, for example, when the brake mechanism described in modified example 1 constitutes the film supply adjustment unit, the brake mechanism may apply the brake weakly to slow the pull-out speed.

[0061] As shown in FIG. 1, the packaging device 1 is equipped with a scoring section 50 downstream of the packaging section 70, and can form fold lines 102b consisting of perforations at both widthwise ends of the packaged product 200 produced in the packaging section 70.

[0062] In a packaging product such as the packaging product 200 in which an article 104 is fixed to a mount 102, a process for forming raised portions such as the raised portion 102d at both ends of a support material such as the mount 102 has been conventionally performed by processing the product in a packaging device using a dedicated support material with a fold line formed therein in advance, by performing a process for forming a fold line before processing in the packaging device, or by performing a process for forming a fold line after processing in the packaging device, which requires a process for forming a fold line separately from the process in the packaging device or by obtaining a dedicated support material, which places a burden on the user. In addition, a dedicated packaging material is known in which a fold line is formed and a film is attached in advance. When using this dedicated packaging material, the user places an article between the film and the support material, folds the support material to expand the film and fix the article to the support material, and folds up the other parts of the support material to form the raised portions, but this relies on the user's manual work, which places a large burden on the user when packaging a large number of articles.

[0063] In contrast, with the packaging device 1 of this embodiment, the user can simply insert the packaged item 100, with the item 104 placed on the backing sheet 102, through the insertion opening 2 to create a packaged product 200 in which a fold line 102b is formed as the boundary between the item fixing portion 102c and the raised portion 102d, as shown in FIG. 2, and then, by simply folding the backing sheet 102 at a right angle at the fold line 102b, the user can create a packaged product 200 in which the raised portion 102d is raised relative to the item fixing portion 102c, as shown in FIG. 3.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the crease forming member of the crease inserting unit 50 that forms the crease 102b on the backing sheet 102 of the packaged product 200 is the rotary perforation blade 51 that forms perforations on the surface of the backing sheet 102, but the crease forming member is not limited to this. The crease forming member according to the present invention is not particularly limited as long as it forms a weakened line by linearly reducing the strength of the support material to facilitate the subsequent folding process. Other examples of the crease forming member include a disk-shaped creaser that forms linear creases instead of perforations and a guillotine-type scoring plate, and the like, as long as it can form the crease 102b on the backing sheet 102. Alternatively, a weakened line may be formed by making a slit in the surface of the support material. Here, when the fold 102b is formed using a guillotine-type scoring plate, the packaging product 200 is moved to a position where the entire area of ​​the backing sheet 102 in the conveying direction D faces the scoring plate, the conveyance of the packaging product 200 is stopped once, the scoring plate is lowered to form the fold, and the conveyance is resumed. In this configuration, a space is required to place the scoring plate that is longer than the entire area of ​​the backing sheet 102 in the conveying direction D, so the installation space in the conveying direction D of the packaging device 1 is large, and the processing speed is reduced because the conveyance of the packaging product 200 is stopped. In contrast, if a rotating perforation blade 51 or a disk-shaped creaser is used, the installation space in the conveying direction D of the packaging device 1 is reduced, thereby saving space, and the processing speed is improved because the fold can be made without stopping the conveyance.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the packaging device is described as having the crease inserting unit 50. However, the packaging device for producing the packaged product 200 having the raised portion 102d on the backing sheet 102 may have a folding unit that performs folding so that the fold line 102b shown in FIG. 2 becomes a fold line. If the device has a folding unit, the user does not need to fold the backing sheet 102 at the fold line 102b, and the user's workload can be further reduced. However, a configuration that performs folding may lead to a complicated mechanism, which may lead to the device becoming larger and more expensive. In contrast, if the device has a crease inserting unit 50 that inserts the fold line 102b at the position where the fold line will be, the user's workload when producing the packaged product 200 having the raised portion 102d can be reduced with a simple configuration.

[0066] The fold line forming member such as rotary perforation blade 51 provided in crease inserting unit 50 may be movable between a contact position where it contacts backing sheet 102 to insert fold line 102b in backing sheet 102, and a retracted position where it does not contact backing sheet 102. This makes it possible to produce both packaged products 200 in which backing sheet 102 has raised portion 102d and in which backing sheet 102 does not have raised portion 102d.

[0067] The widthwise position of the fold line forming member such as the rotary perforation blade 51 provided in the crease inserting unit 50 may be changeable. As the packaging box 500 shown in FIG. 4, there is a service that uses a standard shape determined by a delivery company to reduce the delivery fee. When creating a packaging product 200 corresponding to only one type of standard packaging box 500, the widthwise position of the fold line forming member may be fixed. On the other hand, by making the widthwise position of the fold line forming member changeable, it is possible to create a packaging product 200 corresponding to a standard packaging box 500 of multiple types or a packaging product 200 corresponding to a non-standard packaging box 500. The configuration for changing the widthwise position of the fold line forming member may be one in which the fold line forming member is moved to a desired position in the width direction by a driving source such as a motor, or one in which the fold line forming member is moved to a desired position in the width direction manually.

[0068] The present invention has been described using specific terms based on the embodiments, but the embodiments merely show one aspect of the principles and applications of the present invention, and many modifications and changes in arrangement are permitted to the embodiments without departing from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims.

[0069] The above description is merely an example, and each of the following aspects provides unique effects.

[0070] [Aspect 1] Aspect 1 is a packaging device such as packaging device 1 that includes a conveying section such as conveying section 22 that conveys an object to be packaged such as packaged item 100 consisting of a plate-shaped support material such as backing paper 102 and an object such as item 104, and a packaging section such as packaging section 70 that wraps a packaging material such as film F around the support material together with the object to package the object, and is characterized in that the packaging device also includes a support material processing section such as crease insertion section 50 that applies weakening line processing or folding processing to the support material by inserting weakening lines such as fold lines 102b consisting of perforations. In the packaging device according to the first aspect, the packaging material is wrapped around the article together with the support material to package the packaged item, thereby making it possible to create a packaged product in which the article is fixed to the support material by the packaging material, and furthermore, by providing a support material processing unit, it is possible to obtain a packaged product in which a weakened line is formed in the support material, or a packaged product in which the support material is folded so as to rise at a right angle. In the case of a packaged product in which a weakened line is formed in the support material, a user can easily form a rising part such as the folded piece that rises from the article fixing part to which the article is fixed in the support material by folding the support material along the weakened line that assists the folding operation. In addition, in the case of a packaged product in which the support material is folded so as to rise at a right angle, the packaged product has a rising part that rises from the article fixing part in the support material as it is. Therefore, in the first aspect, it is possible to reduce the workload of a user, etc., when creating a packaged product in which the packaging material is wrapped around the article together with the support material, and the article is fixed to the support material by the packaging material, and the packaged product has a rising part that rises from the article fixing part to which the article is fixed in the support material. The supporting material is not limited to paper such as the cardboard mount 102, but may be any material that can hold an article by wrapping the packaging material around the article and the supporting material, and can be folded to form a rising part that stands up against the article fixing part. The paper material is not limited to cardboard, but may be any material that has the rigidity to form an article fixing part and a rising part such as thick paper. It is preferable to use a wrapping material having elasticity such as film F. By applying a tensile force to the wrapping material to stretch it beyond its natural length and wrapping it around the article and support material in such a state that when the tensile force is released, the wrapping material will still have a shrinking force, thereby fixing the article to the support material. Examples of weakening line processing include processing to form perforations, slits, linear recesses, etc., but are not limited to these, and any processing that assists in folding the support material after processing is acceptable.

[0071] [Aspect 2] In the packaging device of embodiment 1, when the direction in which the packaging unit wraps the packaging material around the packaged item is defined as the winding direction and the direction perpendicular to both the plate thickness direction and the winding direction of the support material is defined as the width direction, the packaging unit wraps the packaging material so that the width direction end portion, which is the width direction end portion of the support material, is exposed, and when the direction in which the conveying unit conveys the packaged item is defined as a conveying direction such as conveying direction D, the support processing unit is positioned downstream of the packaging unit in the conveying direction, and the support processing unit forms a weakened line or crease such as fold line 102b along the winding direction in the portion of the width direction end portion of the support material exposed from the packaging material. According to the second aspect, a raised portion can be formed in the portion of the support material where the packaging material is not wrapped. In this aspect, the terms "fold line" and "crease" are used differently. A "crease" is a boundary line that is created when the support material is folded, and a "fold line" is a line (weakened line) that is processed to make it easier to fold so that a "crease" is formed at a desired position in the subsequent folding process. In the packaging device of aspect 2 and the packaging device 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, the support processing section is provided downstream in the conveying direction from the packaging section, but the support material processing section that applies the weakening line processing or folding processing may be provided upstream in the conveying direction from the packaging section. Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the configuration in which the weakening line processing is applied to both ends in the width direction of the support material is described, but the weakening line processing or folding processing may be applied to only one end in the width direction.

[0072] [Aspect 3] A third aspect is the packaging device of the second aspect, characterized in that the supporting processing portion is capable of changing the position at which the weakened line or crease is formed in the width direction. According to the third aspect, by making it possible to change the position in the width direction where the weakened line or crease is formed, such as by changing the width direction position of the fold line forming member, such as the rotary perforation blade 51, it is possible to create a packaging product that corresponds to a standard-shaped packaging box for multiple types of packaging, or to create a packaging product that corresponds to a non-standard-shaped packaging box.

[0073] Aspect 4 A fourth aspect is a packaging device according to the second or third aspect, characterized in that, when the transported support material is viewed from a direction parallel to the plate thickness direction, the transport direction and the winding direction are parallel, and the support processing section is equipped with a perforation creating member such as a rotating perforation blade 51 that rotates in contact with the support material of the packaged item moving in the transport direction and forms perforations in the support material along the transport direction as weakened lines. In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, when the packaged item 100 being transported through the packaging device 1 is viewed from above in a direction parallel to the thickness direction of the backing paper 102 (plate-shaped support material), the film F is pulled by the backing paper 102 moving in the transport direction D, and the film F wraps around the backing paper 102 and the item 104, so that the transport direction D and the wrapping direction of the film F are parallel to each other. According to the fourth aspect, the movement of the packaged product in the conveying direction rotates the perforation creating member in contact with the support material, and perforations can be easily created along the conveying direction. The positions where the perforations are created become weakened lines that are easy to fold in the subsequent folding process, making it possible to create a packaged product with weakened lines formed in the support material.

[0074] Aspect 5 A fifth aspect is a packaging device according to the second or third aspect, characterized in that, when the transported support material is viewed from a direction parallel to the plate thickness direction, the transport direction and the winding direction are parallel, and the support processing section is equipped with a disk-shaped creaser that rotates in contact with the support material of the packaged item moving in the transport direction, and forms a linear recess in the support material along the transport direction as a weakened line. According to the fifth aspect, the movement of the packaged item in the conveying direction rotates the creaser in contact with the support material, and a linear recess along the conveying direction can be easily formed. The position where the linear recess is formed becomes a weakened line that can be easily folded in the subsequent folding process, and it is possible to create a packaged product with a weakened line formed in the support material.

[0075] Aspect 6 A sixth embodiment is a packaging device according to any one of the first to fifth embodiments, comprising: a conveying section such as conveying section 22 that conveys a packaged item such as packaged item 100; a film supply adjustment section such as first presser 16 that makes the pull-out speed, which is the speed at which two continuous films such as continuous films (F1, F2) whose leading ends are welded to each other and which are pulled out from two film rolls such as a first film roll R1 and a second film roll R2 as the packaged item inserted between them moves downstream, slower than the speed at which the packaged item moves downstream; and a heater such as heater 20 that heat-welds the two continuous films together when the rear end of the packaged item conveyed by the conveying section passes a heating position such as below the heater, and the film supply adjustment section makes the pull-out speed slower than the moving speed of the packaged item before the rear end of the packaged item passes the heating position of the heater. According to the sixth aspect, the item can be wrapped with stretch film without conveying the item in the reverse direction or rewinding the film, thereby shortening the time required for wrapping. In particular, in embodiments such as embodiment 4 and embodiment 5, in which the weakened line is formed by rotating in contact with the support material of the packaged goods being transported, there is no need to stop the non-packaged goods in order to form the weakened line, and by combining these embodiments, the time required for packaging and forming the weakened line can be shortened, thereby improving productivity.

[0076] Aspect 7 A seventh aspect is a packaging device in which, in the packaging device of a sixth aspect, the film supply adjustment section is configured by a first gripping section such as a gripping section configured by a first presser 16 and a receiving section 14 capable of gripping two sheets of continuous film upstream of the heater, and the first gripping section grips the two sheets of continuous film, thereby making the pulling speed of the two sheets of continuous film slower than the moving speed of the packaged item.

[0077] Aspect 8 Aspect 8 is a packaging device characterized in that, in the packaging device of aspect 7, the film supply adjustment section includes a second gripping section such as a gripping section composed of a second presser 18 and a receiving section 14 capable of gripping two continuous films downstream of the heater, and the second gripping section grips the two continuous films after the first gripping section grips the two continuous films and before they are thermally welded by the heater.

[0078] Aspect 9 A ninth aspect is the packaging device of the eighth aspect, characterized in that the distance in the conveying direction from the first gripping portion to the heater is longer than the distance in the conveying direction from the heater to the second gripping portion.

[0079] Aspect 10 A tenth aspect of the present invention is a packaging device according to the eighth or ninth aspect, characterized in that after the second gripping portion grips the two continuous films, the first gripping portion temporarily releases the grip of the two continuous films and then grips them again before the heater heats and seals them.

[0080] Aspect 11 Aspect 11 is a packaging device according to any one of aspects 6 to 10, characterized in that the two continuous films are narrower than the packaged item, and the conveying section conveys the packaged item by clamping the outer side of the two continuous films in the width direction.

[0081] Aspect 12 A twelfth aspect is a packaging device according to any one of the sixth to eleventh aspects, characterized in that the film supply adjustment unit sets the pull-out speed to zero, which is slower than the moving speed of the packaged item. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1: Packaging equipment 2: Insertion port 4: Outlet 10: First roll support shaft 12: Second roll support shaft 14: Receiving part 14a: Receiving top surface 16: First press 16a: First presser foot 18: Second press 18a: Second presser foot 20: Heater 22: Transport section 24: First sensor 26: Second sensor 28: Third sensor 30: Control section 32: Upper film guide 33: Lower film guide 34: Heater support member 36: Spring 38: upstream conveying roller pair 40: downstream conveying roller pair 50: Crease section 51: Rotary perforation blade 52: Perforation blade facing roller 60: Discharge roller pair 70: Packaging department 100: Item to be packaged 102: Mount 102a: Placement surface 102b: Folding line (weakening line) 102c: Article fixing part 102d: Rising section 104: Goods 200: Packaging deliverables 500: Packing box 501: Box body 502: Box lid part D: Transport direction F: Film F1: First continuous film F2: Second continuous film R: Film roll R1: First film roll R2: Second film roll

Claims

1. a conveying section that conveys the packaged item, which is made up of a plate-shaped support material and an article; a packaging unit that wraps a packaging material around the article together with the support material to package the item, A packaging device comprising a support material processing section that applies weakening line processing or folding processing to the support material.

2. In the packaging device of claim 1, When the direction in which the packaging unit wraps the packaging material around the packaged item is defined as a wrapping direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the plate thickness direction and the wrapping direction of the support material is defined as a width direction, A packaging device characterized in that the support material processing unit forms a weakened line or fold along the winding direction and is capable of changing the position in the width direction at which the weakened line or fold is formed.

3. The packaging device of claim 1, A packaging device characterized in that, when the direction in which the packaging unit wraps the packaging material around the packaged item is defined as the winding direction and the direction perpendicular to both the plate thickness direction and the winding direction of the support material is defined as the width direction, the packaging unit wraps the packaging material so that the width direction end, which is the width direction end of the support material, is exposed.

4. In the packaging device of claim 3, A packaging device characterized in that, when the direction in which the conveying unit conveys the packaged item is the conveying direction, the support material processing unit is positioned downstream of the packaging unit in the conveying direction, and the support material processing unit forms a weakened line or crease along the winding direction in the portion of the support material at the widthwise end exposed from the packaging material.

5. In the packaging device according to either claim 2 or 4, When the direction in which the conveying unit conveys the packaged item is set as the conveying direction, When the transported packaged item is viewed from a direction parallel to the plate thickness direction of the support material, the transport direction and the winding direction are parallel to each other, A packaging device characterized in that the support material processing unit is equipped with a perforation creating member that rotates in contact with the support material of the packaged item moving in the conveying direction and forms perforations in the support material along the conveying direction as the weakened line.

6. The packaging device according to claim 2 or 4, When the direction in which the conveying unit conveys the packaged item is set as the conveying direction, When the transported packaged item is viewed from a direction parallel to the plate thickness direction of the support material, the transport direction and the winding direction are parallel to each other, The packaging device is characterized in that the support material processing unit is equipped with a disk-shaped creaser that rotates in contact with the support material of the packaged item moving in the conveying direction and forms a linear recess in the support material along the conveying direction as the weakened line.

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