Sandwich packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a sandwich packaging machine capable of forming an opening notch for opening a sandwich packaging body.SOLUTION: A sandwich packaging machine wraps a film 10 around a sandwich 12 being conveyed toward a belt-like film 10 stretched vertically across a conveyance path of the sandwich 12, an overlapped film 10 is sealed and cut in a width direction by sealing means 13 at a rear part of conveyance of the sandwich 12 to form a back sealed part in a palm-joint form, and an extending part of a cylindrical film extending from an end edge of the sandwich 12 is folded along a surface of the sandwich 12 for packaging. In the conveyance path leading to the seal position of the belt-like film 10 by the sealing means 13, notch forming means 17 is provided to form an opening notch on one widthwise edge part of the belt-like film 10 which corresponds to both sides sandwiching the back sealed part formed by the sealing means 13.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sandwich packaging machine that produces a package by packaging a sandwich in a packaging material. [Background technology]

[0002] As an apparatus for packaging sandwiches, an apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. The apparatus in Patent Document 1 pushes the sandwich toward a packaging material that has been pulled out from a packaging material roll and stretched in the vertical direction to wrap the packaging material around the body, and then melt-seals the packaging material behind the sandwich wrapped around the body, and receives the sandwich wrapped around the body with the packaging material onto a transfer conveyor, and then, in the process of transferring the sandwich to the downstream side while holding it by the transfer conveyor, folds the upper parts of the extension parts of the wrapped packaging material that extend to the left and right from the sandwich so as to follow the respective inclined surfaces of the sandwich, and folds each of the lateral extension parts of the packaging material that extend outward from each side in the thickness direction of each inclined surface of the sandwich so as to follow the inclined surfaces, seals the base parts of the folded extension parts of the packaging material that extend outward from the bottom surface of the sandwich in the thickness direction of the sandwich, and cuts one of the folded extension parts along the seal outside the sealed area to obtain a sandwich package. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 2676308 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The packaging device disclosed in Patent Document 1 can produce a sandwich package with excellent sealing properties by sealing three places in the packaging material that encases a sandwich: the overlapped edge portions of the wrapped tubular packaging material and the extension base portions of the folded extension portions that extend to the left and right from the bottom of the sandwich. However, the packaging does not take into consideration the ease of opening the sandwich when eating it.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a sandwich packing machine capable of forming a notch for opening a sandwich package. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The invention according to claim 1 of the present application is as follows: A sandwich packaging machine which wraps a packaging material (10) around a sandwich (12) being drawn from a supply source (11) and conveyed toward a strip-shaped packaging material (10) stretched so as to cross a conveying path of the sandwich (12), sandwiches the wrapped and overlapping overlapping portion of the packaging material (10) with a sealing means (13) and cuts it to form a palm-shaped back seal portion (14), and folds and wraps the extended portions (55, 56, 57) of the packaging material (10) wrapped around the sandwich (12) along the surface of the sandwich (12), a notch forming means (17) for forming an opening notch (16) in one widthwise edge portion of the strip-shaped packaging material (10) corresponding to positions on both sides of the strip-shaped packaging material (10) in a conveying path of the strip-shaped packaging material (10) from when it is drawn out from a supply source (11) until the back seal portion (14) is formed by the sealing means (13); The notch forming means (17) is characterized in that it is configured to form an opening notch (16) in the packaging material (10) by means of cutting blades (47, 48) during a period when the transport of the strip-shaped packaging material (10) is stopped. According to the invention of claim 1, opening notches are formed on both sides of the spine seal portion formed by sealing and cutting the packaging material with the sealing means, so that the starting end of the spine seal portion becomes a pull tab and can be opened smoothly. Also, since the spine seal portion can be torn as a tear strip, the tearing proceeds linearly and provides good tearing guidance, making it possible to manufacture a sandwich package with excellent openability. Also, since opening notches are formed during a period when the packaging material is not being transported on the transport path of the strip-shaped packaging material leading to the sealing position by the sealing means, opening notches can be formed with precision at positions corresponding to both sides of the spine seal portion of the strip-shaped packaging material.

[0007] In the invention of claim 2, the notch forming means (17) is characterized by comprising a guide plate (52) that supports one widthwise edge portion of the strip-shaped packaging material (10), a slit (52a) provided in the guide plate (52), and a linear actuator (43) that inserts cutting blades (47, 48) into the slit (52a). According to the invention of claim 2, a cutting blade is simply inserted into a strip-shaped packaging material supported by a guide plate using a linear actuator, and an opening notch can be formed on one side edge of the packaging material without being misaligned.

[0008] In the invention of claim 3, the notch forming means (17) is characterized in that it comprises a blade holder (45, 46) having a pair of cutting blades (47, 48) arranged at a predetermined distance apart, and a guide plate (52) having slits (52a) corresponding to each of the cutting blades (47, 48), and is provided with adjustment sections (53, 54) that can adjust the blade holder (45, 46) and the guide plate (52) by moving them back and forth in the pulling direction of the strip-shaped packaging material (10) toward the sealing means (13). According to the invention of claim 3, the cutting blade and the guide plate can be moved forward and backward in the pulling direction of the strip-shaped packaging material toward the sealing means by the adjustment part, so that the opening notch can be positioned at the desired position on both sides of the spine seal portion in accordance with the formation position of the spine seal portion corresponding to the overlap thickness of the sandwich and the overlap width of the packaging material at the spine seal portion.

[0009] In the invention according to claim 4, the notch forming means (17) is characterized in that a pair of cut-off blades (47, 48) are individually detachably and replaceably disposed on the blade holders (45, 46). According to the invention as defined in claim 4, a pair of cut-off blades that have become worn or damaged can be replaced individually, thereby making it possible to reduce running costs.

[0010] In the invention of claim 5, the notch forming means (17) is configured as cutting blades (47, 48) that form an opening notch (16) by cutting the strip-shaped packaging material (10) in a line extending linearly from one widthwise edge to the other widthwise edge. According to the invention of claim 5, a notch for opening is formed extending linearly from one side edge to the other side edge of the packaging material, so that the formed notch for opening can smoothly tear and guide the packaging material along the back seal portion.

[0011] In the invention according to claim 6, a protruding portion (59) protruding from one edge of the sandwich (12) folded along the surface of the sandwich (12) is configured to form a horizontal seal portion (58) that intersects with the back seal portion (14) at a base of the protruding portion (59), The notch forming means (17) is characterized in that an opening notch (16) having a length extending from an edge portion at which one end of the back seal portion (14) formed by the sealing means (13) faces the protruding portion (59) to the horizontal seal portion (58) is formed in one end edge portion of the strip-shaped packaging material (10). According to the invention of claim 6, an opening notch is formed at a position that is the edge of the extended portion of the packaging material outside the horizontal seal that seals the package. Therefore, the packaging material torn from the opening notch is torn and guided across the horizontal seal to be opened, making it easier to open the package without compromising the sealability of the package.

[0012] The invention according to claim 7 is characterized in that the sealing means (13) is provided with a folding means (38) for creating a fold (39) so that the palm-shaped back seal portion (14) falls along the surface of the packaging material (10a) when the seal is cut by the sealing means (13). According to the invention of claim 7, a package can be obtained in which the formed back seal portion is aligned with the body portion of the tubular packaging material in a fixed direction, and the position of the opening notch formed by sandwiching the back seal portion is fixed, so that opening of the package is not impaired. Effect of the Invention

[0013] According to the invention, an easy to open sandwich package can be produced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0014] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a sandwich packaging machine. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view showing a main part of the sandwich packaging machine. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view showing a notch forming means. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a notch forming means. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the sandwich surrounded by a film formed into a cylindrical shape. [Figure 6] This is a schematic perspective view of a sandwich package, viewed from one and the other of the first and second inclined planes sloping from the apex of the triangle when the cut surface of a triangular sandwich (the surface obtained by cutting a square loaf of bread diagonally) is placed on the bottom side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0015] Next, a preferred embodiment of a sandwich packaging machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. EXAMPLES

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1 , in the sandwich packaging machine of the embodiment, a strip-shaped film (packaging material) 10 is pulled out from a wound film roll (supply source) 11 and stretched vertically so as to cross the conveying path of the sandwich 12, and a sandwich 12 is conveyed toward the strip-shaped film 10 with the overlap direction being up and down, from the bottom side which will become a cut surface 12A when a triangular sandwich is manufactured, and the strip-shaped film 10 is wrapped around the sandwich 12 in a cylindrical shape, and a rear side (upstream side) of the conveying direction of the sandwich 12 (hereinafter referred to as the article conveying direction) facing the cut surface (bottom surface) 12A of the sandwich 12 is conveyed. The film 10 is overlapped with the triangular apex (the side facing the film 10) overlapped in a palm-shaped manner in the width direction intersecting the article transport direction, and the overlapped portion is sealed and cut by sealing means 13 to form a back seal portion 14 (see Figure 5) extending in the width direction to the required width.In the process of transporting the wrapped sandwich 12 downstream by a transport device not shown, an upper extension portion 55 and side extension portions 56, 57 of the tubular film 10a extending to the left and right from the peripheral portion of the sandwich 12 are folded along the surface of the sandwich 12, thereby producing a package 15 in which the sandwich 12 is tightly wrapped with the film 10a. In addition, the sandwich packaging machine is equipped with a notch forming means 17 that forms an opening notch 16 during a pause in the transport of the strip-shaped film 10 after sealing by the sealing means 13, at one widthwise edge (see Figure 6(a)) of the strip-shaped film 10, which is the side on which a protrusion 59 (described later) of the packaging body 15 of the strip-shaped film 10 is formed, leading to a sealing position of the film 10 by the sealing means 13, and at a position corresponding to both sides that sandwich the back seal portion 14 when the back seal portion 14 is formed by the sealing means 13. As shown in Figure 5, the sandwich 12 of the embodiment has an isosceles triangle shape consisting of one long side 12a and two short sides 12b, 12b on its side when the cut surface 12A is placed on the bottom side, and has the cut surface 12A extending in the thickness direction corresponding to the long side 12a, and two first inclined surfaces 12B and second inclined surfaces 12C that incline from the triangular apex opposite the cut surface 12A and extend in the thickness direction corresponding to the short side 12b, and a back seal portion 14 extends in the width direction on the side facing the triangular apex of the tubular film 10a wrapped around the sandwich 12.

[0017] As shown in FIG. 1, the sandwich packaging machine includes a film supplying means 18 that stretches the strip-shaped film 10 in the vertical direction, an article supplying means 19 that intermittently transports the sandwich 12 toward the film stretching section M, a sealing means 13 that is disposed downstream of the stretching section M and clamps the film 10 wrapped around the sandwich 12 in a cylindrical shape to form a back seal section 14 of the required width that is overlapped in a folded shape, and cuts the film at an outer position of the overlapped seal section, and a delivery conveyor 20 composed of a lower conveyor 20a and an upper conveyor 20b that sends the wrapped sandwich 12 to a conveying device. The article supply means 19 includes a first supply conveyor 21 on the upstream side and a second supply conveyor 22 on the downstream side, which are arranged in series in the article conveying direction to place and transport the sandwich 12, and an upper conveyor 23 located above both supply conveyors 21, 22 and transporting the sandwich 12 by sandwiching it between both supply conveyors 21, 22. The article supply means 19 is configured to supply the sandwich 12 from the cut surface 12A side towards the stretched portion M of the film in an attitude in which the thickness direction is vertical and the triangular apex facing the cut surface 12A faces rearward in the article conveying direction.

[0018] 1, an article pushing device 24 is disposed above the second supply conveyor 22, which pushes the sandwich 12 transported by the second supply conveyor 22 toward the strip-shaped film 10 stretched on the film stretching section M. The article pushing device 24 includes pushing members 25, 25 (only one of which is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) located on both sides in the width direction sandwiching the sandwich 12 transported by the second supply conveyor 22 and capable of abutting against first and second inclined surfaces 12B, 12C facing the sides of the sandwich 12, a first moving mechanism 26 which moves both pushing members 25, 25 toward and away from each other in the width direction, and a second moving mechanism 27 which moves both pushing members 25, 25 back and forth in the article transport direction. The article pushing device 24 moves the pushing members 25, 25 closer to each other by the first moving mechanism 26 in synchronization with the timing when the sandwich 12 conveyed by the second supply conveyor 22 arrives at an appropriate position and stops conveying, and abuts them against the corresponding first and second inclined surfaces 12B, 12C of the sandwich 12. Next, as the second supply conveyor 22 intermittently conveys, the pushing members 25, 25 are moved downstream by the second moving mechanism 27 in synchronization with the second supply conveyor 22, and the second supply conveyor 22 and the pushing members 25, 25 supply the sandwich 12 from the cut surface 12A side toward the stretched portion M of the film.

[0019] 2, the article pushing device 24 advances the pushing members 25, 25 to a position where the sandwich 12 supported from both sides by the pushing members 25, 25 is transferred to the delivery conveyor 20 beyond the spreading section M, and then moves the pushing members 25, 25 away from each other by a first moving mechanism 26 and moves them backward by a second moving mechanism 27. The pushing members 25 have a film support surface that protrudes slightly downstream from the cut surface 12A of the sandwich 12 or faces the same position when in contact with the inclined surfaces 12B, 12C of the sandwich 12, and is configured to prevent the cut surface 12A of the sandwich 12 from being deformed by the pulling resistance of the film 10 when the pushing members 25, 25 pull out the strip-shaped film 10 to wrap the sandwich 12.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 1, a roll holder 29 driven to rotate by a servo motor is rotatably disposed above the article supply means 19, and a film roll 11 is mounted on the roll holder 29, on which a strip-shaped film 10 wider than the length of the long side 12a of the sandwiches 12 to be packaged is wound. The strip-shaped film 10 pulled out from the film roll 11 is supplied from above to below via a plurality of guide rollers 31 so as to cross the conveying path of the sandwiches 12 downstream of the second supply conveyor 22. An upper conveying roller 30 driven to rotate by a servo motor is disposed on the film conveying path above the article supply means 19, sandwiching the strip-shaped film 10 therebetween, and the strip-shaped film 10 is pulled out and rewound from the film roll 11 by driving the roll holder 29 and the upper conveying roller 30 to rotate in the forward and reverse directions. Further, below the article supply means 19, a winding roller 33 driven to rotate by a servo motor is rotatably disposed, and a lower conveying roller 34 driven to rotate by a servo motor is disposed in a film conveying path along which the strip-shaped film 10 is guided by a plurality of guide rollers 35 until it reaches the winding roller 33, and sandwiching the strip-shaped film 10 therebetween. The winding roller 33 and the lower conveying roller 34 are driven to rotate in the forward and reverse directions to pull out and take up the strip-shaped film 10 from the winding roller 33. In this embodiment, the film supply means 18 includes a roll holder 29, an upper conveying roller 30, a guide roller 31, the winding roller 33, a lower conveying roller 34, and a guide roller 35.

[0021] The film supplying means 18 is configured to pull out the strip film 10 from the film roll 11 and the winding roller 33 when the strip film 10 is pushed by the pushing members 25, 25 together with the sandwich 12, and after the strip film 10 wrapped around the sandwich 12 is seal-cut, to rewind the strip film 10 onto the film roll 11 and the winding roller 33 so as to spread the strip film 10 in the spreading section M. In addition, when the film is wound by the winding roller 33 after the seal cutting of the strip film 10, the film supplying means 18 stops winding the film by the winding roller 33 when a detection means such as an encoder provided on the lower conveying roller 34 detects that a preset amount of film has been wound. This allows the sealed portion 10b of the strip of film 10, which has been sealed and cut, to be moved to a position where it will not be used for packaging the next sandwich 12, and the strip of film 10 is stretched on the downstream side of the second supply conveyor 22, resulting in a packaging configuration in which one back seal portion 14 is formed on the top side of the sandwich 12.

[0022] 1 and 2, the sealing means 13 comprises a pair of sealing bodies 28a, 28b facing each other vertically across the article conveying path, and a knife 28c built into one of the sealing bodies 28a, and by bringing the pair of sealing bodies 28a, 28b close to each other, the overlapping portions of the film 10 wrapped around the body and overlapping at the rear of the conveying of the sandwich 12 are sandwiched and sealed in the width direction, and the film 10 is cut in the width direction by the knife 28c to form the spine seal portion 14. Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the spine seal portion 14 comprises a welded portion 14a of a required width overlapping in a palm-to-palm shape, and an unsealed portion 14b of a required width on the open end side of the outer portion of the welded portion 14a. The lower conveyor 20a is configured as a shuttle conveyor in which an endless belt 20d is wound around a plurality of pulleys 20c, and the conveyance start end of the endless belt 20d moves forward and backward along the article conveying direction relative to the conveyance end of the second supply conveyor 22, following the approaching and separating movement of the pair of sealing bodies 28a, 28b. That is, when the pair of sealing bodies 28a, 28b approach each other, the opposing ends of the second supply conveyor 22 and the lower conveyor 20a separate to allow the film 10 to pass toward the clamping position where the pair of sealing bodies 28a, 28b clamp the film 10, and when the pair of sealing bodies 28a, 28b separate, the opposing ends of the lower conveyor 20a and the second supply conveyor 22 approach each other to allow the sandwich 12 to be conveyed downstream without hindrance. In addition, the delivery conveyor 20 sends the wrapped sandwich 12 to the conveying device by intermittent running that is controlled to stop when the sealing bodies 28a, 28b clamp the film 10 in relation to the sealing operation by the sealing bodies 28a, 28b.

[0023] 2, an upper guide member 36 that moves integrally with sealing body 28a is disposed to extend in the width direction near the sealing surface at a position closer to the upstream side of upper sealing body 28a in the article conveying direction. In addition, a lower guide member 37 is disposed to extend in the width direction between the conveying end of second supply conveyor 22 and the conveying start end of delivery conveyor 20. When the pair of sealing bodies 28a, 28b approach each other from positions spaced apart from each other, the strip-shaped film 10 can be supported by both guide members 36, 37 on the upstream side of sealing bodies 28a, 28b.

[0024] As shown in Fig. 2, in the sealing means 13, a crease forming means 38 is disposed on the side of the downstream sealing member of the upper and lower sealing bodies 28a, 28b. The crease forming means 38 includes a first crease forming body 38a disposed on the upper sealing body 28a and a second crease forming body 38b disposed on the lower sealing body 28b facing the first crease forming body 38a, and is configured such that when the pair of sealing bodies 28a, 28b clamp the film 10 to seal and cut it, the overlapping portion of the film 10 on the sandwich side from the sealing position is clamped by the uneven portions formed on the tips of the crease forming bodies 38a, 38b, and a fold 39 (see Fig. 5) extending in the width direction parallel to the back seal portion 14 is formed in the overlapping portion. The crease forming means 38 of the embodiment forms a fold 39 shaped to tilt the back seal portion 14 downward in Fig. 2.

[0025] 1, notch forming means 17 for forming a pair of spaced-apart opening notches 16, 16 on one widthwise edge of strip-shaped film 10 is disposed along a film transport path of strip-shaped film 10 as it is pulled out from film roll 11 and reaches a sealing position by sealing means 13. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, notch forming means 17 is disposed such that a guide member 40 is installed in the width direction of strip-shaped film 10 and an attachment member 41 is supported movably along guide member 40, and the position of notch forming means 17 can be adjusted to match the width dimension of strip-shaped film 10. An air cylinder 43 serving as a linear actuator for the cut-off blade is disposed on attachment member 41 via a first bracket 42. A first blade holder 45 and a second blade holder 46 are disposed on support member 44, which is moved back and forth in the thickness direction of strip-shaped film 10 by air cylinder 43, and a first cut-off blade 47 and a second cut-off blade 48, which form opening notch 16 in strip-shaped film 10, are individually and detachably disposed on first blade holder 45 and second blade holder 46. Furthermore, a first packaging material guide 50 and a second packaging material guide 51 are disposed on second bracket 49, which is disposed on first bracket 42, at positions where the cutting edges of cut-off blades 47, 48 face in correspondence with each blade holder 45, 46. Each packaging material guide 50, 51 includes a pair of guide plates 52, 52 disposed on either side of the strip-shaped film 10 at a predetermined distance to allow the strip-shaped film 10 to pass therethrough, and the guide plates 52, 52 are formed with a slit 52a that allows the cutting edges of the cut-off blades 47, 48 to penetrate. The cut-off blades 47, 48 are configured to advance from a retreated position away from the guide plates 52 of the packaging material guides 50, 51 to an advanced position where the cutting edges are inserted into the slits 52a, thereby forming an opening notch 16 in the strip-shaped film 10 supported by the guide plates 52, 52 by cutting the film 10 in a line that extends linearly a predetermined length from one edge of the film 10 in the width direction to the other end.

[0026] A mark sensor (not shown) is disposed on the film transport path extending from the supply source film roll 11 to the sealing means 13 to detect a registration mark applied to the strip-shaped film 10 for each packaging length. Then, based on detection of the registration mark by the mark sensor, during a period when transport of the strip-shaped film 10 is stopped after it has reached the position where the notch forming means 17 is disposed, a portion corresponding to the formation position of the spine seal portion 14 formed by the sealing means 13 is configured to cause the cutting edges of the cut-off blades 47, 48 to penetrate the guide plates 52 of the packaging material guides 50, 51 by the operation of the air cylinder 43 of the notch forming means 17, thereby forming opening notches 16, 16 in the strip-shaped film 10.

[0027] The first and second blade holders 45, 46 are configured so that the mutual distance between the pair of cut-off blades 47, 48 in the film transport direction can be adjusted by a blade adjustment section (adjustment section) 53 consisting of an elongated hole provided in the blade holders 45, 46 and a fastening means such as a bolt that is inserted into the elongated hole and positions the blade holders 45, 46 on the support member 44. The first and second packaging material guides 50, 51 are configured so that the mutual distance between the two packaging material guides 50, 51 in the film transport direction can be adjusted by a guide adjustment section (adjustment section) 54 consisting of an elongated hole provided in the second bracket 49 and a fastening means such as a bolt that is inserted into the elongated hole and positions the packaging material guides 50, 51 on the second bracket 49. In addition, the mounting member 41 is configured so that the positions of the cutting edges 47, 48 and the packaging material guides 50, 51 can be adjusted in the width direction of the strip of film 10 to match the changed width dimension of the strip of film 10 in accordance with a change in the type of sandwich 12, by using a fastening means such as a bolt that positions the mounting member 41 movably along the guide member 40.

[0028] Here, in the sandwich packaging machine of the embodiment, the strip-shaped film 10 drawn out to the spreading section M for the next packaging after packaging is positioned so that the second opening notch 16 formed by the upper second cutting blade 48 of the notch forming means 17 and the first opening notch 16 formed by the lower first cutting blade 47 in the next cycle are separated by one packaging length, and the middle between the lower second opening notch 16 and the upper first opening notch 16 coincides with the middle position S (see FIG. 2) in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the sandwich 12 placed on the conveying surface of the second supply conveyor 22. Also, the seal portion 10b formed by the previous packaging is wound up by the winding roller 33 to a lower position that will not be used in the next packaging.

[0029] Next, the operation of the sandwich packing machine according to the embodiment will be described. 1, on the downstream side of the second supply conveyor 22, the strip-shaped film 10 is positioned so that the lower second opening notch 16 and the upper first opening notch 16 are separated by one package length, and the midpoint between the second opening notch 16 and the first opening notch 16 coincides with the midpoint position S. When the sandwich 12 is placed at the center of the first supply conveyor 21 with its top facing upstream, the sandwich 12 is supplied to the second supply conveyor 22 by the intermittent conveyance of the article supply means 19, and when the sandwich 12 reaches a predetermined position on the second supply conveyor 22, the push members 25, 25 are moved toward each other by the first moving mechanism 26, and the push members 25, 25 are brought into contact with the first and second inclined surfaces 12B, 12C of the sandwich 12 that is stopped at a predetermined position due to the stop of conveyance of the second supply conveyor 22. Then, as the pushing members 25, 25 are advanced by the second moving mechanism 27 in synchronization with the intermittent transport of the second supply conveyor 22, the sandwich 12 is supplied from the cut surface (bottom surface) 12A side toward the expanded portion M of the strip-shaped film 10.

[0030] The pushing members 25, 25 first come into contact with the stretched strip of film 10, and the strip of film 10 is pushed downstream as the pushing members 25, 25 move forward. At this time, the roll holder 29, upper transport rollers 30, 30, take-up roller 33, and lower transport rollers 34, 34 of the film supply means 18 are rotated in a direction that pulls out the strip of film 10 from the film roll 11 and take-up roller 33, and the strip of film 10 is wrapped around the cut surface 12A and the side surfaces (the upper and lower surfaces on the second supply conveyor 22) of the sandwich 12 that is transported downstream beyond the stretched section M. As shown in Fig. 2, when the pushing members 25, 25 advance to the forward end and the sandwich 12 stops being conveyed, the upper and lower sealing bodies 28a, 28b move toward each other, and the film 10 wrapped around the sandwich 12 is clamped by the sealing bodies 28a, 28b at the middle position in the thickness direction of the sandwich 12 on the upstream side of the sandwich 12, and a seal of a predetermined width is applied by overlapping the two palms in a folded manner, and the film 10 is cut by the knife 28c at the rear position of the sandwich 12, which is outside the seal portion. As a result, the sandwich 12 is wrapped around the body in a state in which the sandwich 12 is contained in the cylindrical film 10a in which the spine seal portion 14 of a predetermined width is formed at the approximately center of the thickness of the cylindrical film 10a, where the sandwich 12 overlaps at a position facing the two inclined surfaces 12B, 12C of the sandwich 12, and the sandwich 12 is overlapped at a position facing the two inclined surfaces 12B, 12C of the cylindrical film 10a. Furthermore, when the film 10 is sandwiched between the upper and lower sealing bodies 28a, 28b, the portion of the strip-shaped film 10 pulled out from below the second supply conveyor 22 where the second opening notch 16 is formed is overlapped with the portion of the strip-shaped film 10 pulled out from above the second supply conveyor 22 where the first opening notch 16 is formed, so that the first opening notch 16 and the second opening notch 16 are located on both the upper and lower sides of the spine seal portion 14. Furthermore, the side of the wrapped film 10a facing the sandwich 12, which is inside the spine seal portion 14 formed thereon, is sandwiched between the shaping bodies 38a, 38b of the shaping means 38 heated by heat conduction from the upper and lower sealing bodies 28a, 28b, so that a fold 39 is formed along the spine seal portion 14.As sealing bodies 28a, 28b move away from each other, spine seal portion 14 falls along the body of tubular film 10a due to fold 39 formed by fold-forming bodies 38a, 38b.

[0031] After the sealing means 13 cuts the seal of the film 10a, the film supply means 18 reverses the rotation of the roll holder 29, the upper transport rollers 30, 30, and the winding roller 33, 34, to rewind the strip-shaped film 10 onto the film roll 11 and the winding roller 33, and when it is detected that the strip-shaped film 10 has been wound up by a preset amount onto the winding roller 33, the winding roller 33 stops winding the film. As a result, on the downstream side of the second supply conveyor 22, the strip-shaped film 10 is separated by one packaging length from the lower second opening notch 16 and the upper first opening notch 16, and the midpoint between the second opening notch 16 and the upper first opening notch 16 coincides with the midpoint position S, and the seal portion 10b formed in the strip-shaped film 10 by the sealing means 13 is wound up to a lower position that will not be used in the next packaging.

[0032] During the period in which transport of strip-shaped film 10 is stopped after seal cutting by sealing means 13, air cylinder 43 of notch forming means 17 is operated, and the cutting edges of cut-off blades 47, 48 are thrust into strip-shaped film 10 supported by guide plates 52, 52, and opening notch 16 extending linearly from one edge to the other edge of strip-shaped film 10 is formed at one edge of strip-shaped film 10 at positions corresponding to both sides that sandwich spine seal portion 14 when spine seal portion 14 is formed by sealing means 13. In addition, the pressing members 25, 25 are held in a state in which they support sandwich 12 from both sides until seal bodies 28a, 28b finish cutting the seal of film 10, and the pressing members 25, 25 are moved away from each other by the first moving mechanism 26 at an appropriate timing when seal bodies 28a, 28b move away from each other. Then, the pushing members 25, 25 are moved backward (toward the upstream side) by the second moving mechanism 27 to wait for the arrival of the next sandwich 12.

[0033] As the sandwich 12 passes through the film stretching section M, the film 10 wrapped around the sandwich 12 is sealed and cut by the sealing means 13, and as shown in Fig. 5, the wrapped sandwich 12 has a back seal section 14 formed by the sealing and cutting by the sealing means 13, and is placed on the delivery conveyor 20 with the sandwich 12 housed within the cylindrical film 10a in an orientation with the overlapping direction facing up and down, and is conveyed downstream to be delivered to the conveying device. As the wrapped sandwich 12 is conveyed downstream by the conveying device, the upper extensions 55, 55 and both side extensions 56, 57 extending from the left and right edges of the sandwich 12 in the film 10a are folded along the surface of the sandwich 12 to overlap each other. That is, the upper extensions 55, 55 extending to the left and right from the reference side (top) 12c where the inclined surfaces 12B, 12C contact each other at the portion facing the inclined surfaces 12B, 12C where the back seal portion 14 is formed in the film 10a wrapped around the sandwich 12 are folded down along the inclined surfaces 12B, 12C. Note that, before folding the side extensions 56, 57, a side seal portion 62 is formed on each of the side extensions 56, 56, 57, 57 on both sides in the thickness direction corresponding to each inclined surface 12B, 12C, at a position away from the short side 12b of the sandwich 12, which extends continuously and linearly from the folded edge of the side extensions 56, 56, 57, 57 toward the first side 12d or the second side 12e where the cut surface 12A of the sandwich 12 contacts each inclined surface 12B, 12C. The side seal portion 62 is formed continuously to the end of the overlapping region, extending from the folded edge of the side extension portions 56, 56, 57, 57 on the reference side 12c side, which is near the corner, to a position beyond the corresponding first side 12d or second side 12e, without reaching the corner of the reference side 12c of the sandwich 12.As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the opening notch 16, 16 is formed in either the left or right end edge 61 of the upper extension portion 55, 55 of the film 10a which is folded so as to follow the inclined surfaces 12B, 12C, and on the one side and the other side facing the one end edge 61, the side extension portions 56, 56, 57, 57 on both sides in the thickness direction of the sandwich 12 at the corresponding inclined surfaces 12B, 12C are folded alternately so as to follow the inclined surfaces 12B, 12C, and the protrusions 59 folded over at the inclined surfaces 12B, 12C extend from the cut surface 12A of the sandwich 12. The side extensions 56, 56, 57, 57, which are folded alternately along each inclined surface 12B, 12C, overlap each other in a predetermined area near the center where the back seal portion 14 is formed, and the side extensions 56, 56, which are folded along the first inclined surface 12B toward which one end edge 61 of the upper extension 55 faces, overlap the outside of the open end where the opening notches 16, 16 are formed in the upper extension 55 of the film 10a, which has previously been folded along the first inclined surface 12B.

[0034] 6(a), a top seal portion (horizontal seal portion) 58 is formed that crosses the back seal portion 14 and the side seal portions 62, 62 and is linear and continuous in the thickness direction of the sandwich 12 at a position close to the edge portion (first side 12d) of the sandwich 12 at the overlapping portion of the upper extension portion 55 and the side extension portions 56, 56 facing the protrusion portion 59 extending from one of the cut surfaces 12A of the sandwich 12. The top seal portion 58 is formed on the inside closer to the sandwich than the formation area of ​​the opening notches 16, 16. The protrusion portion 59 extends a predetermined length outward from the top seal portion 58. 6(b), a bottom seal portion 60 is formed that is linear and continuous in the thickness direction of the sandwich 12, crossing the back seal portion 14 and the side seal portions 62, 62, at a position close to the edge (second side 12e) of the sandwich 12 at the overlapping portion of the upper extension portion 55 and the side extension portions 57, 57 of the film 10a folded along the second inclined surface 12C of the sandwich 12, and the protruding portion of the other film that protrudes outward from the bottom seal portion 60 at the overlapping portion of the upper extension portion 55 and the side extension portions 57, 57 on the second inclined surface 12C side is cut off. In this way, a package 15 is obtained in which linear tear notches 16, 16 are formed as tear starting ends for opening at the starting end of the back seal portion 14 at one end edge portion 61 of the film on both sides sandwiching the back seal portion 14. In addition, in the packaging body 15, the side seal portion 62 formed on the side extension portions 56, 56, 57, 57 continues across the top seal portion 58 and the bottom seal portion 60 to the end of the overlapping region, so that the storage portion of the sandwich 12 is sealed by the side seal portions 62, 62, 62, 62 as well as the top seal portion 58 and the bottom seal portion 60.

[0035] In the sandwich packaging machine of the embodiment, the band-shaped back seal portion 14 formed by sealing and cutting the band-shaped film 10 wrapped around the sandwich 12 with the sealing means 13 can be formed so that on both sides of the back seal portion 14, opening notches 16, 16 that were previously formed in the band-shaped film 10 by the notch forming means 17 during the conveying pause period after the seal cutting in the previous packaging cycle are positioned.Therefore, in the package 15 formed by folding each extension portion 55, 56, 57 of the tubular film 10a along the surface of the sandwich 12, the starting end of the back seal portion 14 functions as a pull tab when opening, and when tearing to open, the back seal portion 14 overlapped in a band-shaped manner can be easily opened as a strong tear strip, thereby producing a package 15 with excellent openability. In addition, since the opening notches 16 are formed during a pause in the transport of the strip-shaped film 10 along the film transport path leading to the sealing position by the sealing means 13, the opening notches 16 can be formed with precision at positions on both sides of the strip-shaped film 10 that sandwich the spine seal portion 14. Furthermore, since the opening notches 16, 16 are formed in a straight line extending from one side edge of the film 10 to the other side edge, when the package 15 of the sandwich 12 is opened, the opening notches 16, 16 extend a predetermined length along the spine seal portion 14 from the opening notches 16, 16 as a base point, and the film is satisfactorily torn and guided along the spine seal portion 14 by the opening notches 16, 16, thereby providing a wide opening.

[0036] In the sandwich packaging machine of the embodiment, the cutting edges of the cut-off blades 47, 48 are inserted into the slits 52a, 52a to form the notches 16, 16 in the film 10 while the strip-shaped film 10 located in the film transport path is supported in the thickness direction by the guide plates 52, 52, so that the notches 16, 16 can be formed well on one side edge of the strip-shaped film 10 with a simple structure. In addition, the cut-off blades 47, 48 and the guide plates 52, 52 can be adjusted forward and backward in the film transport direction by the corresponding adjustment parts 53, 54, so that the notches 16, 16 can be formed at desired positions on both sides of the spine seal portion 14 in response to changes in the one-package length of the film 10 due to changes in the overlapping thickness (thickness dimension) of the sandwich 12, the formation position of the spine seal portion 14, the overlapping width of the film in the spine seal portion 14, etc. Also, since the cut-off blades 47, 48 and the guide plates 52, 52 are configured to be adjustable in the width direction of the strip-shaped film 10, if the width dimension of the strip-shaped film 10 changes due to an order change, the cut-off blades 47, 48 and the guide plates 52, 52 can be adjusted in the width direction to form opening notches 16, 16 on one edge portion in the width direction of the strip-shaped film 10. Furthermore, since the pair of cut-off blades 47, 48 are configured to be held individually and detachably by the corresponding blade holders 45, 46, if one of the cut-off blades 47, 48 becomes worn or damaged, it is preferable because this can be addressed by replacing only the worn cut-off blade 47, 48.

[0037] In the sandwich packaging machine of the embodiment, the opening notches 16, 16 are formed between the one end edge 61 of the film, which is the starting point of the spine seal portion 14 in the upper extension portion 55 of the manufactured package 15, and the top seal portion 58, so that the package 15 can be easily opened without reducing its sealing performance. In addition, when the film 10 is sealed and cut by the sealing means 13, a fold 39 is formed to fold the spine seal portion 14 formed by the seal cutting along the body portion of the cylindrical film 10a, so that after the seal cutting, the spine seal portion 14 can always be folded in a fixed direction along the body portion by the fold 39, so that the appearance of the package 15 is not impaired, and the extension portions 55, 56, 57 of the film 10a can be folded well in the next process. In addition, the folding state of the spine seal portion 14 does not change, and the position where the opening notches 16, 16 are formed is not shifted relative to the width of the spine seal portion 14, which prevents good opening. One edge portion 61 of the film in which the opening notches 16, 16 are formed and which becomes the starting point of the back seal portion 14 overlaps and faces the inside of the side extension portions 56, 56 at the overlapping portion with the side extension portions 56, 56, so that the back seal portion 14 can be prevented from being opened by tampering or from being caught on something and being opened by mistake.

[0038] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples can be modified in various ways within the scope of the present invention, without being limited to the following modifications. (1) The opening notch 16 is not limited to a straight cut extending from one edge of the continuous packaging material in the width direction, but may be formed by using a blade of an appropriate shape so as to form a perforation, a V-shaped notch, etc. (2) The adjustment portions 53, 54 of the cut-off blades 47, 48 and the guide plates 52, 52 are not limited to a combination of a long hole and a bolt, but may be adjustable screws that can be moved toward and away from each other or various other adjustment means using other adjustment methods. (3) The driving means for the cut-off blades 47, 48 is not limited to the air cylinder 43, and other driving means such as a motor may be used. (4) The notch forming means 17 in the embodiment is configured to form a pair of opening notches 16 at once, but a configuration can be adopted in which one opening notch 16 is formed at a position corresponding to both sides of the back seal portion 14 each time the strip-shaped film 10 is transported a predetermined length. (5) If necessary, the film 10 may be printed with markings such as an indication of the presence of the tear notches 16, 16 or markings to assist in guiding the opening of the film. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10 Strip-shaped film (packaging material), 10a Cylindrical film (packaging material) 11 film roll (source), 12 sandwich, 13 sealing means 14 back seal portion, 17 notch forming means, 38 crease forming means, 39 crease 43 Air cylinder (linear actuator), 45 First blade holder (blade holder) 46 second blade holder (blade holder), 47 first cut-off blade (cut-off blade) 48 second cutting edge (cutting edge), 52 guide plate, 52a slit 53 blade adjustment portion (adjustment portion), 54 guide adjustment portion (adjustment portion), 55 upper extension portion (extension portion) 56 Side extension (extension), 57 Side extension (extension) 58 Top seal part (horizontal seal part)

Claims

1. A sandwich packaging machine that wraps a packaging material around a sandwich that is drawn from a supply source and conveyed toward a strip-shaped packaging material stretched across a sandwich conveying path, sandwiches and cuts an overlapping portion of the wrapped packaging material with a sealing means to form a palm-shaped back seal portion, and folds and wraps an extended portion of the packaging material wrapped around the sandwich along a surface of the sandwich, a notch forming means for forming an opening notch in one widthwise edge of the strip-shaped packaging material corresponding to positions on both sides of the strip-shaped packaging material, along a conveying path of the strip-shaped packaging material from the time it is drawn out from the supply source until the back seal portion is formed by the sealing means; The notch forming means is configured to form an opening notch in the packaging material by a cutting blade during a period when the transport of the strip-shaped packaging material is stopped. A sandwich packaging machine characterized by:

2. 2. The sandwich packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the notch forming means comprises a guide plate that supports one widthwise edge of the strip-shaped packaging material, a slit provided in the guide plate, and a linear actuator that inserts a cutting blade into the slit.

3. 3. A sandwich packaging machine as described in claim 2, characterized in that the notch forming means comprises a blade holder having a pair of cutting blades arranged at a predetermined distance from each other, and a guide plate having slits corresponding to each of the cutting blades, and an adjustment section that can adjust the blade holder and guide plate back and forth in the pulling direction of the strip-shaped packaging material toward the sealing means.

4. 4. The sandwich packing machine according to claim 3, wherein said notch forming means comprises a pair of cut-off blades disposed on said blade holder so as to be individually detachable and replaceable.

5. 3. A sandwich packaging machine as described in claim 2, characterized in that the notch forming means is configured as a cutting blade that forms an opening notch by cutting a line extending linearly from one side edge to the other side edge of the strip-shaped packaging material in the width direction.

6. A protruding portion protruding from one edge of the sandwich folded along the surface of the sandwich is configured to form a transverse seal portion intersecting the spine seal portion at a base of the protruding portion; 2. The sandwich packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the notch forming means forms an opening notch in one edge of the strip-shaped packaging material, the opening notch having a length extending from an edge portion at which one end of the back seal portion formed by the sealing means in the protruding portion faces to the horizontal seal portion.

7. A sandwich packaging machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the sealing means is provided with a folding means for folding the gable-shaped back seal portion so that it falls along the surface of the packaging material when the seal is cut by the sealing means.

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