Defective packaging detection device of package by odor detection

Abstract

To provide a defective package detection device for surely detecting defective package with high sensitivity by detecting a little oder component in gas leaked outside through a defective package part of the package by an odor sensor arranged related to a packaging machine.SOLUTION: In a conveyance line for conveying a package manufactured by a packaging machine, a pressing pusher 25 presses a bag package Bp. If the bag package Bp is defective package such as defective sealing, pressure inside the bag package Bp rises up, and gas containing an odor component of a product in the bag package Bp is leaked from the defective package part. By detecting that the odor component peculiar to the product previously specified is contained in the leaked gas by an odor sensor unit 24 arranged related to the pressing pusher 25, it is determined that the bag package Bp is defective package.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging defect detection device for a package that detects whether a package produced by a packaging machine packaging a product (contents) in packaging material has a packaging defect, such as a poor seal, by measuring the odor leaking from the package. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in bag packages manufactured by sealing products (contents) consisting of solids or liquid powders with packaging material, packaging defects that impair the hermeticity of the package can occur due to, for example, pinholes in the packaging material of the bag, foreign objects caught in the seal that closes the bag, or poor sealing caused by incomplete sealing, although this should be avoided as much as possible. Bag packages discharged from the packaging machine are inspected for defective packaging in a specified process before being individually or grouped and packed into boxes, and defective packages detected by this inspection are removed from the process before packaging so as not to be distributed to the market (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] As an example of detecting packaging defects that impair the hermeticity of such a bag package, a bag package being conveyed on a conveyor is clamped by a pressing tool, and the change (difference) in the clamping dimension at the clamping inlet and outlet is measured. A standard dimension for the thickness (height) of the bag package is set, and if the measured value is less than the standard dimension, it is detected as a packaging defect (see Patent Documents 2 and 3). However, depending on the bag package, the inside of the bag may be almost entirely occupied by the contents, and the amount of gas in the bag may be small. Also, when the contents are hard, they may not be clamped efficiently by the pressing tool. In such cases, it is difficult to effectively measure the change in the clamping dimension of the bag.

[0004] A leak inspection device for sealed bodies has been proposed (Patent Document 4), which detects leaks in sealed bodies by sealing a tracer gas inside the package in advance and detecting the tracer gas outside the package in a package filled with gas to prevent oxidation of the contents. In a package filled with nitrogen gas for preventing oxidation, nitrogen gas has almost the same thermal conductivity as air, so a tracer gas with a different thermal conductivity from nitrogen gas is sealed inside the package to make the thermal conductivity of the gas inside the package different from that of air. By forcibly pressurizing the package transported by the conveyor, if there is a defect in the package, the internal gas leaks from the defect. In the detection device, the detection circuit has at least two resistors that are energized, and the detection circuit has a detection circuit having at least two resistors that are energized. One resistor is supplied with standard normal air, and the other resistor is supplied with air mixed with the leaked gas. The difference in resistance changes caused by the difference in thermal conductivity between the gases (air and tracer gas) supplied to the two resistors is used to detect the presence of the tracer gas, thereby performing a leak inspection for sealed bodies.

[0005] A leak test method for a sealed bag has been proposed, in which a sealed bag containing helium gas together with an enclosed object is placed in a container with an airflow, the internal pressure of the bag is increased by a mechanical pressing means inside the bag, and the airflow is led to a helium leak detector to determine the presence of helium in the airflow, thereby testing the airtightness of the bag (Patent Document 5). A sealed bag is made by directly or indirectly sealing an enclosed object such as an article in a synthetic resin sealed bag, filling it with helium gas and sealing the opening, and the sealed bag is placed in a container connected to a suction pump or a helium leak detector. An airflow is generated inside the container by a suction pump or the like, and the sealed bag is pressed with an appropriate force inside the container by a mechanical pressing means, so that if the bag is not sealed properly, the helium gas leaking from the inside is led to the helium leak detector and detected, and the sealed bag is judged to be defectively sealed without being destroyed or the enclosed object being damaged. The airflow can be generated by using the suction force of an exhaust pipe connected to a suction pump or a helium leak detector. Note that tracer gas (especially helium gas) is currently an expensive gas, and there are problems with the handling of the gas and the cost of inspection.

[0006] An inspection device for detecting leaks in sealed bodies has been proposed that improves the detection sensitivity of leaking gas when the sealed body has a leak, even when the amount of gas inside the sealed body is small (Patent Document 6). According to this proposal, when there is a leak in the sealed body, the gas inside the sealed body is pushed out by compressing the sealed body with an elastic body. By arranging the sealed body and the elastic body inside the container, the pushed-out gas does not dissipate to the outside. By using an elastic body with air permeability, the pushed-out gas passes through the elastic body and reaches the gas detection unit and is detected. With this inspection device, when leak inspection is performed on sealed bodies that are transported sequentially on a conveyor, there is a concern that the mechanism becomes complicated, such as circulating the container covering the sealed body on the conveyor.

[0007] A method and device for inspecting sealed packages such as alcohol packs for defective seals has been proposed, which includes a cover part that ensures a shielded area at least in the upper sealed part of the package, a sensor that is provided in the cover part and detects volatile components (e.g., alcohol) from the alcohol contained in the package, and a pressing means for pressing the package, and the method and device for inspecting sealed packages online have been proposed (Patent Document 7). According to this proposal, by pressing the sealed package with the pressing means, the internal pressure of the sealed package is increased, activating the movement of the volatile components present in the internal space of the sealed package, i.e., the diffusion speed, and if there is a defective seal in the sealed package, the probability of the volatile components leaking out from there in a short period of time is increased. On the other hand, since the outside of the sealed package is at atmospheric pressure, the diffusion speed of the volatile components is slowed down, and the volatile components leaking out of the sealed package do not instantly diffuse into the external atmosphere, and the volatile components leaking through the gaps in the sealed part remain for a while in the shielded area secured in the sealed part of the sealed package, so it is possible to detect the presence or absence of volatile components even in a shielded area that is not a sealed space. Also, in this proposal, since the detection means detects the volatile components from the contents contained in the sealed package, it is not necessary to fill the sealed package with a replacement gas, and it is preferable to provide the shielding means with a purging means that sprays clean gas, such as a clean air nozzle that can spray clean air.

[0008] As described above, the devices that detect the enclosed gas leaking from inside the package and the devices that detect packaging defects by measuring the dimensional change of the package by, for example, clamping the package with a pressing means have the problem that the inspection mechanism is complicated and takes a long time for the inspection. Devices that detect gas such as volatile components leaking from defectively sealed parts require a cover to cover the sealed part or the package and to detect the gas to be detected with a sensor. These devices are not necessarily suitable for reliably inspecting for packaging defects in a short time without missing any of the bag packages produced by packaging machines such as form-fill-seal machines that have a high packaging speed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-24556 A [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 05-063375 [Patent Document 3] Publication number 07-48490 [Patent Document 4] Special Publication No. 07-37912 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-187152 [Patent Document 6] JP 2004-257917 A [Patent Document 7] JP 2006-327621 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] Therefore, rather than detecting defects in a package using structures and methods such as detecting an expensive tracer gas such as helium injected inside the package, or measuring changes in the dimensions of the package by, for example, clamping the package with a pressing means, there is a problem to be solved in that defects in a package are detected by focusing on the odor volatilizing from the packaged contents and detecting slight odors that leak to the outside through defective packaging parts, even for packages manufactured by a packaging machine with a high packaging speed.

[0011] The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a packaging defect detection device for a package that can detect slight odors that leak to the outside through defective packaging parts of the package, with a simple structure, high sensitivity and reliability to detect packaging defects, even in packages produced by a packaging machine with a high packaging speed. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, the packaging defect detection device according to the present invention comprises: an output line, in which the package produced by sealing the product by the packaging machine is output from the packaging machine; a pressing means arranged in association with the discharge line and configured to press the package being conveyed by the discharge line; an odor sensor is provided in the vicinity of the pressing means and outputs a detection signal in response to a previously designated odor component specific to the product; The package is determined to be defective in response to the odor sensor detecting the odor component while the package is being pressed by the pressing means. It consists of the following:

[0013] According to this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The packaging machine produces a package with the product sealed in it, and the produced package is conveyed from the packaging machine to the next process (for example, an alignment process for aligning the packages and a boxing process for packing the aligned packages) via a conveying line. A pressing means for pressing the package being conveyed in relation to the conveying line is disposed in association with the pressing means, and the pressing means presses the package in accordance with the package conveyed to the conveying line. An odor sensor is disposed near the pressing means and outputs a detection signal in response to an odor component specific to the product. The odor component that outputs the detection signal is determined in advance at the time of packaging the product as an odor component specific to the product. If the package is defective (either the packaging material itself is defective or the sealing portion of the packaging material is defective), when the pressing means presses the package, the gas pressure inside the package rises and gas containing odor components specific to the product contained in the package leaks out from the defective packaging. Since the odor sensor is located near the package being pressed by the pressing means, when the odor sensor reacts with the odor components specific to the product contained in the leaking gas at this time, the odor sensor outputs a detection signal for the odor components. In this way, in response to detecting the odor components specific to the product that have been specified in advance for the product, it is determined that the odor components specific to the product have leaked from the package, and the package is determined to be defective. Since the odor sensor has a sufficiently fast response speed, it is possible to reliably detect the odor components in a short time, even if the packaging speed at which the packaging machine produces the packages is high. The product to be packaged by the packaging machine may be a gas, liquid, powder or solid, or a mixture thereof, as long as it has or emits an odor component.

[0014] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The packaging machine may be a packaging machine that continuously produces the package by forming a container for containing a product from a packaging material, filling the container with the product, and sealing the container with the product contained therein. This packaging machine forms a container while filling it with a product, and seals the container containing the product to produce a package, so it is a packaging machine that performs operations from forming the container to producing the package in one go and is also suitable for high packaging speeds. There are no particular restrictions on the shape of the container as long as it can be formed from the packaging material and can be filled and contained with the product. The odor sensor quickly and reliably detects the odor components of the product leaking from the container, so this packaging defect detection device can fully detect defective packages even with such a packaging machine.

[0015] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The packaging machine is a form-fill-seal packaging machine in which the packaging material is a strip-shaped packaging material, the container is a bag having a longitudinal seal portion formed by sealing the strip-shaped packaging material fed in a longitudinal direction and a transverse seal portion formed by sealing in a direction intersecting the longitudinal seal, and the package is a bag package produced by sealing the bag with the longitudinal seal portion and the transverse seal portion to contain the product, The bag package is conveyed out with the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal seal portion aligned with the conveying direction of the conveying line, and the odor sensor is positioned close to the longitudinal seal portion of the bag package pressed by the pressing means. It can be said that: The form-fill-seal machine is a high-speed packaging machine that produces bag packages by forming bags from a strip-shaped packaging material and sealing the bags filled with a product. This packaging defect detection device can reliably detect packaging defects in the bag packages produced one after another by the form-fill-seal machine. The packaging material used in the packaging machine is a strip-shaped packaging material, but there is no particular restriction on the manner in which the bag is formed while the strip-shaped packaging material is fed, and it is sufficient that the bag is one in which the product is sealed by a longitudinal seal portion and a lateral seal portion. For example, such a bag does not need to be specified as being formed into a cylindrical packaging material, and does not need to be specified as being something like a center seal sealed at the "center", and may be a bag package such as a bag package sealed on three sides. The odor sensor can be configured by arranging multiple sensors along the longitudinal seal portion. In this way, the possibility of erroneous detection can be reduced, and the detection accuracy of odorous components can be improved.

[0016] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The form-fill-seal packaging machine includes: The packaging material strip is fed in a transverse direction as the longitudinal direction, the strip-shaped packaging material is formed into a tubular packaging material by overlapping and sealing both side edge portions of the strip-shaped packaging material to form a center seal portion as the longitudinal seal portion, The product is filled into the tubular packaging material while being fed laterally into the tubular packaging material; The cylindrical packaging material is sealed at a position that sandwiches the product in the longitudinal direction to form an end seal portion as the lateral seal portion, The bag may be sealed by the center seal portion and the end seal portion while the bag is filled with the product, thereby producing the bag package. In the horizontal form-fill-seal packaging machine, as one form of the machine, the feed of the strip-shaped packaging material and the product is in the horizontal direction, the strip-shaped packaging material is formed into a tubular packaging material, the longitudinal seal portion and the horizontal seal portion are a center seal portion and an end seal portion, respectively, and the bag package is carried out in the horizontal direction while placed on the carry-out line. The odor sensor disposed near the pressing means is located close to the center seal portion of the bag package carried out from the horizontal form-fill-seal packaging machine and pressed by the pressing means. The packaging defect detection device detects packaging defects for the bag package placed on the carry-out line. Note that the center seal portion is assumed to be in the horizontal center position due to restrictions such as the former, but it does not have to be in the center in the strict sense as long as it is substantially near the horizontal center. Also, the horizontal direction in which the carry-out line carries out the bag package is substantially synonymous with the horizontal direction, but may have a slight inclination.

[0017] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The form-fill-seal packaging machine is an inverted pillow packaging machine in which the center seal portion is formed on an upper side surface of the bag packaging body, The discharge line is a discharge conveyor that conveys the bag packaging body in a loaded state, The odor sensor can be disposed above and adjacent to a path through which the center seal portion of the bag package passes as it is transported by the discharge conveyor. Regarding the packaging defect detection device for this package, the packaging machine is an inverted pillow packaging machine, which is one form of a horizontal bag form, fill and seal machine. The bag package manufactured by the inverted pillow packaging machine is a pillow package in which a center seal portion is formed on the upper side of the bag package, and is transported on the discharge conveyor with the center seal portion facing up. If there is a seal defect in the center seal portion of this bag package, when the pressing means presses the bag package on the discharge conveyor, gas with increased pressure inside the bag package leaks upward from the defective seal portion of the center seal portion of the bag package. The odor sensor is located above and close to the path along which the center seal portion of the bag package passes, so that it is easy to detect odor components specific to the product contained in the leaked gas.

[0018] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The form-fill-seal packaging machine is a regular pillow packaging machine in which the center seal portion is formed on the lower surface of the bag packaging body, The discharge line is an discharge conveyor that includes a breathable conveyor belt and conveys the bag package on the conveyor belt, The odor sensor can be positioned below the pressing means, adjacent to the pressing means across the conveyor belt, and corresponding to the path through which the center seal portion of the bag packaging body being pressed by the pressing means passes. Regarding the packaging defect detection device for this package, the packaging machine is a normal pillow packaging machine, which is one form of a horizontal bag form-fill-seal machine. The bag package manufactured by the normal pillow packaging machine is a pillow package with a center seal part formed on the lower side of the bag package. If there is a seal defect in the center seal part of this bag package, when the pressing means presses the bag package on the conveyor belt, gas with increased pressure inside the bag package leaks downward from the seal defect part of the center seal part formed on the lower side of the bag package. The discharge line is an discharge conveyor equipped with a breathable conveyor belt, and the odor sensor is disposed near the pressing means by being placed in a state in which it is close to the belt underside of the conveyor belt on which the bag package is placed from below, and is positioned corresponding to the path through which the center seal part of the bag package pressed by the pressing means passes. The gas leaking downward from the bag package due to being pressed passes through the breathable conveyor belt, and the product-specific odor components contained in the gas are detected by the odor sensor disposed in close proximity to the belt underside of the conveyor belt.

[0019] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The discharge line of the packaging machine includes an inspection intermediate conveyor section that is connected to the downstream side of the end seal device for inspection of the end seal device, and a discharge conveyor that is connected to the downstream side of the inspection intermediate conveyor section, The odor sensor may be disposed on the intermediate inspection conveyor section. Regarding the discharge line of the horizontal packaging machine, the odor sensor is placed by utilizing the space of the inspection intermediate conveyor, which is a configuration specific to the horizontal packaging machine that is required to be installed downstream of the end sealer for inspecting the end sealer section, so there is no need to provide a space just for installing the odor sensor, and the horizontal packaging machine can be configured to save space. This configuration can be applied to both forward and reverse pillow packaging machines.

[0020] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The bag form, fill and seal machine is a vertical bag form, fill and seal machine in which the strip-shaped packaging material is formed into a tubular packaging material while being fed vertically, the product is filled into the tubular packaging material, and the center seal portion and the end seal portion are formed in the tubular packaging material to produce the bag package, the discharge line is a lateral discharge conveyor along which the bag packages discharged in a vertical downward direction from the vertical form fill and pack packaging machine are changed in direction and discharged in a lateral direction, The odour sensor may be located in relation to the lateral exit conveyor. When the packaging machine is a vertical form-fill-seal packaging machine, the odor sensor can be disposed on the lateral discharge conveyor that changes direction and discharges the bag packages. In this case, the bag packages are discharged with the center seal portion facing up, and the odor sensor is disposed adjacent to the center seal portion that extends in the direction following the discharge direction of the bag packages discharged by the lateral discharge conveyor, just as in the case of bag packages produced by an inverted pillow packaging machine. If the center seal portion is defective, the odor sensor can detect odor components leaking from the center seal portion.

[0021] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, In order to detect a seal defect in the transverse seal portion, the odor sensor can also be disposed adjacent to the transverse seal portion. As for defective sealing of the transverse seal portion, it is possible to detect it by arranging an odor sensor close to the transverse seal portion. Since the transverse seal portion of the bag package is in a direction intersecting with the longitudinal seal portion that follows the direction in which the bag package is transported, when detecting with the odor sensor, it is preferable to arrange the odor sensor close to the transverse seal portion depending on the shape of the bag package and the transport state.

[0022] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The pressing member may include a pressing tool that presses the bag packaging body from above in a manner that clamps it between the bag packaging body and the discharge line, or a pressing tool that presses the bag packaging body in a manner that clamps it from both lateral sides. The pressing member may be a pressing tool having various structures. As a pressing tool structure, typically, a pressing tool that sandwiches the bag package from above between the carrying-out line and the bag package, or a pressing tool that presses the bag package by sandwiching it from both sides may be used as a pressing tool having a simple and easy-to-handle structure. Normally, a pressing tool that presses the bag package only from above, or a pressing tool that only sandwiches the bag package from both sides is assumed to be sufficient, but the pressing effect can be increased by providing both pressing tools.

[0023] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The packaging material is a belt-shaped sheet material and a belt-shaped lid material, The packaging machine is a cup forming, filling and packaging machine which forms cups, each having a filling port open, in a manner arranged in a longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped sheet material by drawing the strip-shaped sheet material, fills the cups with the product through the openings, sequentially covers the cups with the strip-shaped lid material, and produces cup packages in which the strip-shaped lid material is sealed around the openings of the cups; The odor sensor is disposed adjacent to the strip-shaped lid material sealing the cup, and is capable of detecting packaging defects in the cup package. In the case of a cup forming, filling and packaging machine, a strip-shaped sheet material and a strip-shaped lid material are used as packaging materials, and the strip-shaped sheet material is squeezed to form cups with filling ports aligned in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped sheet material to accommodate the product as a container, the product is filled into the cup while the cup is being formed, and the periphery of the opening of the cup containing the product is sealed with the strip-shaped lid material, thereby continuously manufacturing cup packages. An odor sensor located in close proximity to the strip-shaped lid material sealing the cup detects odor components previously specified for the product, and the cup package is determined to be defectively packaged.

[0024] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, The package can be determined to be defective when the difference between the detection value of the odor sensor and the detection value of an environmental odor sensor that detects the odor of the environment surrounding the packaging machine exceeds a predetermined set value. The environment surrounding the packaging machine may already contain odor components of the product. If an odor sensor provided as a packaging defect detection device detects odor components floating in the environment, doubts arise as to whether the odor components it detects are from defective packaging. By providing an environmental odor sensor that detects odors in the environment surrounding the packaging machine, and when there is a significant difference between the detection value of the odor sensor and the detection value of the environmental odor sensor, it can be determined that odor components have leaked due to defective packaging of the package.

[0025] In this packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies, monitoring whether the packaging body is in a pressed state in which it is pressed by the pressing means or in a non-pressed state in which it is not pressed, When the odor sensor detects the odor component under the condition that the package is in the pressed state under the monitoring, the package can be determined to be defective. Whether the package is in a pressed state, in which it is pressed by the pressing means, or in an unpressed state, can be monitored, for example, by detecting fluctuations in the spring or air pressure that drives the pressing means, or by simply detecting that the package has reached a predetermined pressing position on the conveying line. When the package is in a pressed state, the odor sensor detects an odor component and the package is determined to be defective. Therefore, if the odor sensor outputs that it has detected an odor component when the package is in an unpressed state, it is expected that the odor sensor may have broken down, and it is determined that this is a case that should be addressed through maintenance. Effect of the Invention

[0026] Since the packaging defect detection device for packages according to the present invention is configured as described above, the packaging machine manufactures packages that contain and seal products, and the manufactured packages are conveyed from the packaging machine to the next process, such as an alignment process for aligning the packages and a boxing process for packing the aligned packages, via a conveying line. A pressing means for pressing the packages being conveyed is associated with the conveying line, and the pressing means presses the packages in accordance with the packages conveyed to the conveying line. An odor sensor that reacts to odor components and outputs a detection signal is disposed near the pressing means, so that the odor sensor is located near the package in the pressed state. The odor components that output a detection signal when detected by the odor sensor are specified in advance as odor components specific to the product. If the package is defectively packed, the gas pressure inside the package increases when the pressing means presses the package, and gas containing odor components volatilized from the product contained in the package leaks out from the defectively packed part. The odor sensor reacts to the odor components specific to the product contained in the leaked gas and outputs a detection signal for the odor components. In response to the odor component being detected by the odor sensor, it is determined that an odor component specific to the product has leaked from the package, and the package is determined to be defective. Since the odor sensor has a sufficiently fast reaction speed for detecting odor, it is possible to reliably detect the odor component in a short time, even if a large number of packages are conveyed out of the packaging machine. Therefore, it is possible to provide a packaging defect detection device for a package that has a simple structure, is highly sensitive, and reliably detects defective packages by having an odor sensor disposed in association with the packaging machine detect a slight odor component in the gas leaking to the outside through defectively packaged parts of the package. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of a packaging defect detection device for a package according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a part of a packaging machine to which the packaging defect detection device shown in FIG. 1 is applied. [Diagram 3]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part illustrating a state in which the packaging defect detection device for a package shown in FIG. 1 detects a packaging defect in the package. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the packaging defect detection device for a package according to the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the packaging defect detection device for a package according to the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing still another embodiment of the packaging defect detection device for a package according to the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing another example of a pressing means for use when the package is a bag package, in relation to the packaging defect detection device for the package according to the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an outline of another embodiment of a packaging defect detection device for a package according to the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing still another embodiment of the packaging defect detection device for a package according to the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a system diagram for detecting odors in the packaging defect detection device for packages according to the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of an odor sensor used in the packaging defect detection device for packages according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0028] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the packaging defect detection device for packages according to the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The packaging defect detection device for packages according to the present invention can be applied to, for example, a horizontal form-fill-seal packaging machine. Fig. 1 shows an embodiment in which the packaging defect detection device for packages according to the present invention is applied to a so-called inverted pillow packaging machine, which is one form of a horizontal form-fill-seal packaging machine, and shows an overview of the packaging defect detection device including the packaging machine. Fig. 1(a) is a schematic side view of the packaging defect detection device including the inverted pillow packaging machine, and Fig. 1(b) is a schematic top view of the same.

[0029] 1 is a packaging machine that bends a strip-shaped packaging material Fw as a film-like packaging material for packaging a product A, which is an object to be packaged, into a cylindrical shape while conveying the strip-shaped packaging material Fw in the horizontal direction to form the cylindrical packaging material Ft, feeds the product A from the bent strip-shaped packaging material Fw into the inside of the cylindrical packaging material Ft, and continuously produces bag packages Bp by sealing the bags B containing the product A by end sealing the cylindrical packaging material Ft at positions before and after the feeding direction of the product A. The reverse pillow packaging machine 1 basically includes an input section 2 that supplies the product A in the horizontal direction, a packaging machine main body 1a that is connected and disposed downstream of the input section 2, and an output section 3 for the bag packages Bp that is connected and disposed downstream of the packaging machine main body 1a.

[0030] The carry-in section 2 for the product A includes a chain conveyor 4 with pushers 5 attached at predetermined intervals, and a loading plate 6 on which the product A is placed and on which a groove 7 through which the pusher 5 passes is formed in the carry-in direction. The pushers 5 attached to the chain conveyor 4 protrude upward from the grooves 7 formed in the loading plate 6, and when the chain conveyor 4 is in operation, the pushers 5 push the product A from behind, so that the product A is sent from the loading plate 6 into the interior of the packaging material while still placed on the product A, and is supplied to the packaging machine 1a.

[0031] A packaging material supply section 1d is provided below the packaging machine main body 1a, which can load an original roll Fr of packaging material wound in a roll shape and pays out a strip-shaped packaging material Fw from the loaded original roll Fr and supplies it to the packaging machine main body 1a. The packaging machine main body 1a is equipped with a former 8 that bends the strip-shaped packaging material Fw paid out from the original roll Fr loaded in the packaging material supply section 1d into a substantially cylindrical shape, as well as a paper feed means 11, a center seal means 13, and an end seal means 15, which are sequentially arranged on the lateral downstream side of the former 8.

[0032] The former 8 bends the strip packaging material Fw unwound from the original roll Fr into a generally cylindrical shape so that both side edges fe,fe are on the upper side. The products A fed from the feed section 2 into the former 8 are sequentially delivered in a manner that they are placed at predetermined intervals on the strip packaging material Fw bent into a generally cylindrical shape, and are transported laterally together with the strip packaging material Fw. Downstream of the former 8, the strip packaging material Fw and the products A placed thereon are transported toward the end seal means 15 by a belt conveyor 9 serving as a transport conveyor having a plurality of conveyor rollers 9b. The belt conveyor 9 is driven at a speed synchronized with a paper feed means 11 for the strip packaging material Fw, which will be described later.

[0033] The paper feed means 11 includes a pair of paper feed rollers 12, 12 that can rotate while sandwiching both side edges fe, fe of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw that has been folded in a folded shape by the former 8. The paper feed rollers 12, 12 rotate while sandwiching both side edges fe, fe, and feed the strip-shaped packaging material Fw on which the product A is placed in the lateral direction in cooperation with the belt conveyor 9. The center seal means 13, which is connected to the downstream side of the paper feed means 11, includes a pair of center seal rollers 14, 14 that can rotate while sandwiching both side edges fe, fe of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw that have been folded in a folded shape. The center seal means 13 pressurizes and heats both side edges fe, fe while sandwiching them, and heat-seals the both side edges fe, fe to form a center seal portion Sc, thereby forming the strip-shaped packaging material Fw into a tubular packaging material Ft.

[0034] The end sealing means 15, which is connected to the downstream side of the center sealing means 13, includes an upper end sealer 16 and a lower end sealer 17 that can circulate while sandwiching the tubular packaging material Ft from above and below in the transverse direction. Both end sealers 16, 17 pressurize and heat the tubular packaging material Ft while sandwiching it from above and below, and form end seal portions Se, Se by heat sealing the tubular packaging material Ft. Both end sealers 16, 17 are driven by driving means (not shown) in synchronization with the feeding operation of the tubular packaging material Ft, and perform a rotating operation or a circulating operation like a box motion whose orbit is shown by imaginary lines. Both end sealers 16, 17 are fed sequentially into the tubular packaging material Ft, sandwiching the tubular packaging material Ft from above and below at the midpoint between the products A, A which are adjacent to each other in the front and rear, and perform a sealing operation in a sufficient amount of time without moving relative to the tubular packaging material Ft which moves laterally. After the sealing operation, they move away from the tubular packaging material Ft from above and below and return further upstream to prepare for the next end sealing operation.

[0035] The end sealing means 15 applies end seals to the tubular packaging material Ft to apply end seals to the bag B that was previously formed and contains the product A, producing a bag package Bp that contains and seals the product A with the center seal portion Sc and the end seal portions Se, Se formed at positions before and after the product A, and also applies an end seal portion Se to the tip of the tubular packaging material Ft to form the succeeding bag B. A cutter 18 that cuts the tubular packaging material Ft can be incorporated in the end sealing means 15. The cutter 18 cuts the tubular packaging material Ft at a midpoint between the end seal portions Se, Se applied by the end sealing means 15, thereby separating the produced bag package Bp from the tubular packaging material Ft.

[0036] The bag packages Bp separated from the tubular packaging material Ft are transferred to an intermediate belt conveyor 19 connected to and disposed on the belt conveyor 9 with the conveying surface at the same height downstream of the end sealing means 15. The intermediate belt conveyor 19 has several conveyor rollers 19b and a conveyor belt 19c wound around them. The belt conveyor 9 and the intermediate belt conveyor 19 constitute a so-called shuttle conveyor, and the ends 9a, 19a of both conveyors move back and forth to open and close (the ends 9a, 19a open during the end sealing operation) in accordance with the circulation operation of the end sealing means 15, and the movement of the tubular packaging material Ft and the bag packages Bp on which the products A are placed is smooth. An output conveyor 20 is connected and disposed further downstream of the intermediate belt conveyor 19, and the output conveyor 20 and other means for outputting the bag packages Bp from the intermediate belt conveyor 19 onwards constitute the output line. The discharge line beyond the discharge conveyor 20 is connected to further processing of the bag packages Bp, such as a process of grouping multiple bag packages Bp, a process of aligning the grouped bag packages Bp, and a boxing process of packaging the aligned packages Bp.

[0037] As described above, the inverted pillow packaging machine 1 packages the product A while it is fed smoothly without any significant lateral impact, so that, particularly when the product A is an individual block of goods, the product A is not deformed or damaged when fed from the feed section 2 to the packaging machine main body 1a, and the product A to be packaged is placed on the widthwise center portion of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw (the flush portion where the center seal portion Sc is not formed) and is stably transported together with the strip-shaped packaging material Fw. Downstream of the center sealing means 13, end sealing means 15, which is normally equipped with end sealers 16, 17 that perform a circulating operation, is disposed, and end sealing (cutting by a built-in cutter is also possible) is performed by the end sealing means 15 at positions before and after the cylindrical packaging material Ft sandwiches the product A, and this series of operations allows a good bag package Bp of the product A to be produced. In the inverted pillow packaging machine 1, the center sealing means 13 is disposed above the tubular packaging material Ft, so there is less chance of pieces of the product A getting caught in the center sealing means 13, making it suitable for packaging foods such as bread, confectionery, etc. The basic structure and operation of a horizontal form-fill-seal packaging machine are well known and therefore will not be described in further detail.

[0038] In the pillow package Bp, although it is very rare, sealing defects may occur due to the inclusion of foreign matter in the center seal portion Sc or the end seal portion Se, insufficient pressurization and heating of the seal, or seal misalignment. Such sealing defects are more likely to occur in the center seal portion Sc than in the end seal portion Se. One of the reasons for this is thought to be that the center seal portion Sc has a longer seal length and a narrower seal width than the end seal portion Se. In this embodiment, an odor sensor unit 24 is provided to detect packaging defects in the bag package Bp transported laterally by the intermediate belt conveyor 19, and a pressure pusher 25 is provided as a pressing means for pressing the bag package Bp to increase the air pressure in the internal space of the bag package Bp.

[0039] Fig. 3 is a perspective view that illustrates the schematic positional relationship of the odor sensor unit to the bag package shown in Fig. 1. Referring to Fig. 1 and Fig. 3 together, the pillow package Bp manufactured by the inverted pillow packaging machine 1 is a package in which a product A is sealed in a bag B by a center seal portion Sc and end seal portions Se, Se that are sealed in a direction intersecting the center seal portion Sc. The pillow package Bp is placed on an intermediate belt conveyor 19 and transported in the discharge direction indicated by the arrow (Fig. 3).

[0040] In the inverted pillow packaging machine 1, covers are provided in the areas of each part disposed downstream of the end sealing means 15 to prevent intrusion of foreign objects into these areas from the outside and to ensure the working safety of the operator. That is, in the inverted pillow packaging machine 1 shown in Fig. 1, a front cover 21 for covering the area including the end sealing means 15, an intermediate cover 22 for covering the area including the intermediate belt conveyor 19, and a rear cover 23 for covering the area including the discharge conveyor 20 are provided consecutively without gaps along the conveying direction of the bag package Bp.

[0041] In FIG. 1, the covers 21, 22, and 23 are generally drawn with imaginary lines. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of a part of an inverted pillow packaging machine to which the packaging defect detection device for the package shown in FIG. 1 is applied. In the inverted pillow packaging machine 1 shown in FIG. 2, the same components as those shown in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG. 1, and the description thereof will be omitted. In FIG. 2, as a part of the perspective view, a front cover 21, a middle cover 22, and a rear cover 23 are shown in relation to the packaging machine main body 1a. When the areas of the packaging machine main body 1a covered by the covers 21, 22, and 23 become soiled due to the adhesion of pieces of the product A (often flowing from the upstream) or pieces of packaging material due to packaging, the covers 21, 22, and 23 are made openable, and the areas can be easily cleaned by inserting a cleaning tool into the inside of the areas to clean them.

[0042] In this embodiment, the odor sensor unit 24 is provided to detect defective sealing of the center seal portion Sc, which is the sealing portion of the bag package Bp. In the case of the inverted pillow packaging machine 1, since the center seal portion Sc is located above the bag package Bp, if the odor sensor unit 24 is hung and attached to the intermediate cover 22 that covers the intermediate belt conveyor 19, the odor sensor unit 24 will be located close to the center seal portion Sc of the bag package Bp from above, which is convenient in terms of installation and arrangement structure. The odor sensor unit 24 is disposed near the downstream side of the pressure pusher 25 described later. In this embodiment, since the bag package Bp is conveyed out by continuous feeding rather than intermittent feeding, the odor sensor unit 24 is not in contact with the center seal portion Sc so as not to interfere with the conveyance of the bag package Bp, such as by colliding with the conveyed bag package Bp, and is disposed in a position directly above the passing center seal portion Sc and close to the center seal portion Sc of the bag package Bp in the height direction. Here, the odor components for which the odor sensor unit 24 outputs a detection signal are identified in advance at the time of packaging the product as odor components specific to the product.

[0043] In relation to the intermediate belt conveyor 19, a pressure pusher 25 is disposed upstream of the odor sensor unit 24 as a pressing means. The pressure pusher 25 has a pusher plate 25a at its tip that presses the bag package Bp downward from above, and vertically sandwiches the bag package Bp between the intermediate belt conveyor 19 and the bag package Bp. While the bag package Bp is continuously conveyed out by the intermediate belt conveyor 19, the position of the pressure pusher 25 is fixed, so that the pusher plate 25a performs an instantaneous pressing action on the bag package Bp being conveyed out. Although the mechanism for driving the pressure pusher 25 is not particularly shown, an air cylinder mechanism that is driven in the vertical direction can be adopted so that the action can be simplified and the instantaneous pressing action can be performed. The pressure pusher 25 operates in synchronization with the arrival of the transported bag package Bp at the position of the pressure pusher 25, and performs a pressing operation on the bag package Bp. By monitoring the air pressure of the air cylinder mechanism and detecting an increase in air pressure caused by the air cylinder mechanism actually pressing the bag package Bp, it is possible to monitor the state in which the pressing mechanism is pressing the bag package Bp.

[0044] Assume that a packaging defect (including a case where the packaging material itself is defective, but here it is assumed that the center seal portion Sc, which is the sealing portion of the bag B, is defective) occurs in the package Bp. When the pressure pusher 25 pinches and presses the bag package Bp between the bag package Bp and the intermediate belt conveyor 19 in time with the bag package Bp being carried out by the intermediate belt conveyor 19, the gas pressure inside the bag package Bp rises. The pressure pusher 25 once rises and separates from the bag package Bp, and after the bag package Bp moves slightly, it descends again and presses the same bag package Bp, repeating this operation multiple times as necessary. Gas containing odor components generated from the product A contained in the bag package Bp leaks out from the defective sealing portion. When the odor sensor unit 24, which is positioned close to the bag package Bp being pressed by the pressure pusher 25, reacts with a previously specified product-specific odor component contained in the leaking gas, the odor sensor unit 24 outputs a detection signal indicating that the odor component has been detected. In response to the output of the detection signal, it is determined that a specific odor component from the product A has leaked out of the bag package Bp, and the bag package Bp is determined to be defectively packaged. Since the odor sensor unit 24 has a sufficiently fast response speed, it is possible to reliably detect the odor component in a short time, even if the packaging speed for manufacturing the bag package Bp is high.

[0045] The attachment position of the odor sensor unit 24 relative to the packaging machine body 1a may basically be a fixed position within the cover 22 along the path of the intermediate belt conveyor 19, but fine adjustments are possible. The odor sensor unit 24 may be disposed on both sides (lateral sides) of the center seal portion Sc, avoiding the center seal portion Sc, in which case interference with the center seal portion Sc that may cause warping can be avoided, while detecting any leaked odor components before they diffuse into the surroundings. The attachment position of the odor sensor unit 24 is changeable to accommodate the specifications of the bag package Bp, such as the size, and is preferably fixed at a fixed attachment position according to the specifications.

[0046] FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the packaging defect detection device for packaging bodies according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the packaging machine to which the packaging defect detection device is applied is a horizontal bag-filling and packaging machine, so-called a normal pillow packaging machine. The normal pillow packaging machine 30 shown as a side schematic diagram in FIG. 4(a) is the same as the inverted pillow packaging machine 1 shown in FIG. 1 except that the strip-shaped packaging material Fw is supplied from above the packaging machine main body 1b, and therefore the postures of the tubular packaging material Ft and the bag packaging body Bp are upside down. Therefore, the same reference numerals are given to corresponding components, and a repeated description is omitted. In the packaging material supply section 31, the paper feed rolls 32, 32 sandwich the strip-shaped packaging material Fw and feed it. In addition, the covers 21 to 23 can also be arranged in the normal pillow packaging machine, but are not shown here.

[0047] The packaging defect detection device applied to the normal pillow packaging machine is basically the same as the packaging defect detection device applied to the inverted pillow packaging machine shown in Figs. 1 to 3, and includes an odor sensor unit 24 and a pressure pusher 25 disposed upstream of the odor sensor unit 24, which are disposed with respect to the discharge conveyor 20 that conveys the bag package Bp. Since the center seal portion Sc of the tubular packaging material Ft in the horizontally placed state is located below the tubular packaging material Ft, the center seal portion Sc of the bag package Bp is also located below the bag package Bp. The odor sensor unit 24 and the pressure pusher 25 are located above the bag package Bp (and therefore above the discharge conveyor 20), but when the pressure pusher 25 presses the bag package Bp against the discharge conveyor 20, gas containing odorous components leaking from the center seal portion Sc that is defective in sealing diffuses around the bag package Bp, so that the odor sensor unit 24 disposed near the pressure pusher 25 can detect the diffused odorous components.

[0048] FIG. 4(b) is a schematic diagram of a packaging defect detection device applied to a normal pillow packaging machine, which is different from the one shown in FIG. 4(a). In this packaging defect detection device, the discharge conveyor 20a is composed of a breathable conveyor belt. The breathable conveyor belt can be composed of a mesh material or a porous material, and may also be a lattice-like material or a material with a large number of holes. For the breathable conveyor belt, for example, one disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-198211 can be used. In the example shown in FIG. 4(b), the structure and arrangement of the pressure pusher 25 may be the same as that of the pressure pusher 25 shown in FIG. 4(a), but the odor sensor unit 24a is arranged downstream of the pressure pusher 25 and immediately below the running portion of the discharge conveyor 20a on which the bag package Bp is placed, but within a range near the pressure pusher 25. When the pressure pusher 25 presses the bag package Bp against the discharge conveyor 20a, gas containing odorous components leaking from the defectively sealed center seal Sc spreads downward through the breathable discharge conveyor 20a, and the odor sensor unit 24a arranged directly below the running portion of the discharge conveyor 20a can immediately detect the odorous components. Here, an example has been described in which the discharge conveyor 20a is configured as a breathable conveyor belt and the odor sensor is arranged below the discharge conveyor 20a, but if the manufactured bag package Bp is turned upside down by the upside-down turning mechanism, the center seal Sc will be located on the upper side of the bag package Bp, so that the defective packaging detection device provided for the inverted pillow packaging machine 1 can be used as is.

[0049] Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of the packaging defect detection device for a package according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the packaging machine to which the packaging defect detection device is applied is a vertical bag-making, filling and packaging machine. The packaging machine body 1c of the vertical bag-making, filling and packaging machine 40 shown in Fig. 5 is basically similar to the horizontal bag-making, filling and packaging machine shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 4 except that the tubular packaging material Ft is fed vertically so that the strip-shaped packaging material Fw is supplied from the top to the bottom of the packaging machine body 1c, the packaging machine body 1c includes a hopper 42 into which the product A is fed, a filling tube 41 that extends vertically from the hopper 42 and is a tube for filling the product A into the tubular packaging material Ft, the strip-shaped packaging material Fw is wrapped around the periphery and feeds and guides the product A in the vertical direction, and the vertical bag-making, filling and packaging machine includes a chute 43 that slides down the bag-making package Bp separated from the tubular packaging material Ft. Therefore, the same reference numerals are used to designate the same components as those used in the horizontal bag-making, filling and packaging machine, and a description thereof will be omitted.

[0050] Each bag package Bp produced by applying the end seals Se and cutting is discharged by sliding down the chute 43 so that the center seal Sc gradually becomes the upper side. The bag package Bp discharged by the chute 43 changes direction and is discharged by the discharge conveyor 20. The conveying path of the discharge conveyor 20 is unique to the vertical form-fill-seal packaging machine 40 and is slightly inclined upward in the horizontal direction, but the discharge conveyor 20 discharges the bag package Bp to the next process (a process of grouping multiple bag packages, a process of aligning the grouped bag packages, and a process of packaging the aligned bag packages in a case such as a cardboard box) in the same way as in the case of the horizontal form-fill-seal packaging machine described above. An odor sensor unit 24 and a pressure pusher 25 are provided on a part of the discharge conveyor 20, and are placed in the odor detection chamber 45. Since the bag package Bp is conveyed with the center seal portion Sc facing up, the odor sensor unit 24 and the pressure pusher 25 have the same configuration as in the bag package Bp manufactured by the inverted pillow packaging machine 1. Detection of odor components leaking from the center seal portion Sc is the same as detection by the inverted pillow packaging machine 1, so detailed description will be omitted here.

[0051] In the surrounding environment where the packaging machine is installed, odor components of the product may already be floating around. In particular, in a vertical form-fill-seal packaging machine 40 equipped with a feeder for products such as goods and powdered granules, such as a hopper 42, odor components leaking from the feeder may already be floating around. The odor sensor 24 is originally intended to detect odor components leaking to the outside due to packaging defects of the package, but if it detects odor components floating in the surrounding environment, it may not be able to distinguish between the odor components that it should detect. Therefore, in addition to the odor sensor 24 that detects packaging defects of the bag package Bp, an environmental odor sensor 44 (an odor sensor associated with the chute 43 in the example shown in FIG. 5) is provided that detects odor components in the surrounding environment away from the bag package Bp, and when the difference between the detection values ​​of the two odor sensors 24, 44, i.e., the detection value of the odor sensor 24 that detects packaging defects is significantly higher than the detection value of the environmental odor sensor 44 by exceeding a predetermined set value, it is determined that odor components have leaked due to packaging defects of the bag package Bp, and the two odors can be distinguished. The environmental odor sensor 44 can be provided not only at the position shown in the figure, but also for detecting specific odors in other surrounding environments (installed at multiple locations and the average of the detected odors is used as the odor detection value for the surrounding environment). Note that the odor detection chamber 45 can be purged with fresh air so that the air in the odor detection chamber 45 does not remain in a state containing odorous components.

[0052] As a packaging machine other than the bag form, fill and pack machine to which the present invention can be applied, there is, for example, a cup forming, filling and packing machine 50 shown in FIG. 6, which continuously forms a cup-shaped container by drawing a packaging material, fills the cup-shaped container with a product, and then covers the cup-shaped container with a lid material. In the cup forming, filling and packing machine 50, the packaging material is a strip-shaped sheet material Fs and a strip-shaped lid material Fc, and by drawing the strip-shaped sheet material Fs, cups C with filling ports opening on the upper side are formed in a manner lined up in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped sheet material Fs. The row of cups C may be formed in a single row, but by forming multiple rows, the cups C are formed in a matrix. The cup forming, filling and packing machine 50 continuously produces cup packages Bc by filling the cups C with a product through the openings, sequentially covering the cups C with the strip-shaped lid material Fc, and sealing (for example, heat sealing) the periphery of the openings of the cups C. The objects to be molded, filled and packaged in cups can be any type of food, including not only general products but also jellies, puddings and other foods.

[0053] Regarding the discharge conveyor 51 on which the cup packages Bc are placed and transported, a gate 52 is disposed across the discharge conveyor 51, and a plurality of odor sensor units 54 are suspended from a beam 53 of the gate 52 corresponding to each row of the cups C. A pressure pusher 55 as a pressing means is provided on the beam 53 corresponding to each row of the cups C, and each odor sensor unit 54 is disposed adjacent to the corresponding pressure pusher 55. The odor sensor unit 54 is located adjacent to the cup packages Bc that arrive by being transported on the discharge conveyor 51 and pressed by the pressure pusher 55. If there is a defect in the seal of the strip-shaped lid material Fc around the opening of the cup C, the cup packages Bc are determined to be defectively packaged in response to detection of a pre-specified odor component of the product leaking from the defective seal part of the cup packages Bc pressed by the pressure pusher 55.

[0054] Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing another example of a pressing means when the package is a bag package in relation to the packaging defect detection device for packages according to the present invention. In the example shown in Fig. 7, the same reference numerals as those used in Fig. 3 are used for components equivalent to those of the packaging defect detection device shown in Fig. 3, and the repeated description of those components is omitted. In the example shown in Fig. 7(a), the pressing means is a pressing roller means 65 that presses the bag package Bp from the side. The pressing roller means 65 is pressing rollers 65a, 65a and pressing rollers 65b, 65b that press the bag package Bp from the left and right sides, respectively. The pressing rollers 65a to 65b are rollers that have a rotation axis that extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface of the intermediate belt conveyor 19, which is the discharge conveyor, and are all the same size.

[0055] The lower end of each of the pressing rollers 65a-65b is positioned as close as possible to the conveying surface of the intermediate belt conveyor 19 without contacting it, and the roller length of each of the pressing rollers 65a-65b is set to a length sufficient to cover the thickness direction of the bag package Bp in consideration of the deformation of the bag package Bp caused by pressing. The bag package Bp is pressed by the pressing rollers 65 in the thickness direction of the bag package Bp from both the left and right sides, and the gas pressure inside the bag package Bp is sufficiently increased in the pressed state. The number of pressing rollers is not limited to the example shown in the figure, and may be three or more on one side. However, it is preferable that the two pressing rollers 65a, 65b on the left and right are a pair of pressing rollers that occupy symmetrical positions with respect to the bag package Bp and are structured to press the bag package Bp in directions facing each other from the left and right sides. By pressing the bag package Bp evenly from the left and right, unnatural deformation and change in posture of the bag package Bp can be avoided.

[0056] In the example shown in Fig. 7(b), the pressing means is a pressing belt means 66 which presses the bag package Bp from the left and right sides. In this example, the pressing belt means 66 is composed of pressing belt means 66a, 66b on the left and right sides, and the pressing belt means 66a, 66b are provided with pressing belts 68a, 68b which are wound around and guided by three guide rollers 67a, 67a, 67a; 67b, 67b, 67b, respectively. In the pressing belt means 66a, 66b, the parallel surface portions of the pressing belts 68a, 68b which are wound around and guided by two guide rollers 67a, 67a; 67b, 67b located on the intermediate belt conveyor 19 press the bag package Bp symmetrically from both the left and right sides with the same amount of pressure over its entire surface.

[0057] The lower edges of the left and right pressure belts 68a, 68b are positioned as close as possible to the conveying surface of the intermediate belt conveyor 19 without contacting it, and the width of the pressure belts 68a, 68b is set to be wide enough to cover the thickness of the bag package Bp, taking into account the deformation of the bag package Bp caused by the pressure. The bag package Bp is entirely pressed in the thickness direction of the bag package Bp from both the left and right sides by the parallel surface parts of the pressure belts 68a, 68b, and in the pressed state, the gas pressure inside the bag package Bp is sufficiently increased. The guide rollers 67a, 67b arranged on the most upstream side are arranged to guide the left and right pressure belts 68a, 68b toward the intermediate belt conveyor 19, making it easy for the bag package Bp to be smoothly introduced by the left and right pressure belts 68a, 68b so as to follow the detection position of the odor sensor unit 24.

[0058] The pressing means 65, 66 shown in Fig. 7 may press the bag package Bp from the side while the bag package Bp is stopped on the intermediate belt conveyor 19 or while it is being carried out by the intermediate belt conveyor 19. When pressing the bag package Bp while it is stopped, in the example shown in Fig. 7(a), the rotation of the pressing rollers 65a-65b is stopped and the bag package Bp is only pressed. In the example shown in Fig. 7(b), the belt movement of the pressing belts 68a, 68b is stopped and the bag package Bp is only pressed. By repeatedly slightly feeding the bag package Bp in the direction of carrying out by the intermediate belt conveyor 19 and detecting odor by the odor sensor unit 24 each time, it is possible to detect a seal defect in the center seal portion Sc.

[0059] When pressing the bag package Bp during its conveying, in the example shown in FIG. 7(a), all the pressing rollers 65a-65b are rotated in a direction following the conveying direction of the bag package Bp and at a peripheral speed that matches the conveying speed of the bag package Bp. A driving mechanism that distributes power from a single driving source can be used to drive each pressing roller 65a-65b, but an appropriate structure is also possible. In the example shown in FIG. 7(b), the pressing belts 68a, 68b are made to run in a direction following the conveying direction of the bag package Bp and at a speed that matches the conveying speed of the bag package Bp. A driving mechanism that distributes power from a single driving source with the most downstream guide rollers 67a, 67b as driving rollers can be used to drive the pressing belts 68a, 68b, but an appropriate structure is also possible in this case. Since the bag packages Bp are not conveyed intermittently but continuously, during that time the odor sensor unit 24 can detect sealing defects in the center seal portion Sc of the bag packages Bp that pass by. In this case, although the position of the odor sensor unit 24 is fixed, the pressing means 65, 66 can continuously press the bag packages Bp that are being conveyed out without interfering with the odor sensor unit 24, which is suitable for detecting packaging defects by odor detection.

[0060] It is preferable that the pressing means are disposed symmetrically in the width direction of the intermediate belt conveyor 19, the pressing means presses (moves) the bag package Bp by the same amount from both the left and right sides, the center of the bag package Bp in the width direction (left and right direction) is in a fixed position when pressed, and as a result, the odor sensor unit 24 is aligned with the position of the center seal portion Sc of the bag package Bp. In addition, the pressing portions of the pressing rollers 65a-65b or pressing belts 68a, 68b against the bag package Bp can be made of a soft material such as a sponge material to reduce the impact on the bag package Bp when it is pressed by pinching it from the side.

[0061] In both the example shown in Fig. 7(a) and the example shown in Fig. 7(b), the mechanism for pressing the bag packaging Bp in the width direction in the pressing means may be, for example, a spring mechanism that presses by spring force or an air cylinder mechanism that presses based on air pressure. In either case, the state in which the pressing mechanism is pressing the bag packaging Bp can be monitored by measuring the change in the spring force or air pressure that fluctuates when pressing the bag packaging Bp with a sensor. Also, instead of physical quantities such as spring force or air pressure, the state in which the pressing mechanism is pressing the bag packaging Bp can be monitored by detecting with an optical sensor that the bag packaging Bp has arrived at the pressing position by the pressing mechanism and that the bag packaging is expanding.

[0062] FIG. 8 shows an outline of another example of a packaging defect detection device for a package according to the present invention. This packaging defect detection device is a device that can detect not only defective sealing of the center seal portion Sc but also defective sealing of the end seal portions Se, Se. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the same components as those of the packaging defect detection device shown in FIG. 3 are designated by the same reference numerals as those used in FIG. 3, and a repeated description of those components is omitted. This packaging defect detection device includes a pressing tool 75a (collectively, pressing tool 75) that presses the four corners of the bag package Bp to detect defective sealing of the end seal portions Se, Se, and four odor sensor units 74a (collectively, odor sensor units 74) to detect odor components leaking due to defective sealing of the end seal portions Se, Se.

[0063] The pressing tool 75 is a member that presses the four corners of the space of the bag that contains the product A, and in the illustrated example, two pressing tools 75a, 75a are provided for one end seal part Se near the inside of the bag. When attempting to detect defective sealing of the end seal parts Se, Se of the bag package Bp, the pressing tool 75 is lowered by a drive mechanism (not shown) and its lower end pinches and presses the corners of the bag package Bp between the intermediate belt conveyor 19. The pressing of the four corners by the pressing tool 75 contributes to the action of increasing the pressure of the gas inside the bag package Bp in addition to the pressing action of the pressing tool 25. The pressing tool 75 is shown in the form of a support pillar, but this is merely an example and may be any shape as long as it does not directly or indirectly interfere with the product A or other components. The odor sensor unit 74 is an odor sensor unit having a configuration equivalent to that of the odor sensor unit 24, and two (three or more are also possible) odor sensor units 74a are provided for one end seal portion Se, and when attempting to detect odor components, they descend to a position close to a position directly above the end seal portion Se.

[0064] The odor sensor unit 74 for the end seal portion and the pressing tool 75 are preferably configured to move up and down in unison by a drive mechanism (e.g., a common air cylinder mechanism) not shown, so that the four pressing tools 75a press the four corners of the bag package Bp, and at the same time, the four odor sensor units 74a take odor detection positions adjacent to the end seal portions Se, Se of the bag package Bp. With such a structure, the pressing tool 75 presses the four corners of the bag package Bp between the pressing tool 75 and the intermediate belt conveyor 19, and in this pressing state, the height position of the pressing tool 75 above the intermediate belt conveyor 19 is determined by the thickness of the bag packaging material, and the height position of the odor sensor unit 74 above the intermediate belt conveyor 19 can naturally take an odor detection position directly above and adjacent to the end seal portion Se. The odor sensor unit 74 can detect odor components caused by poor sealing of the end seal portions Se, Se at the odor detection position.

[0065] In the example shown in Fig. 8, the pressing tool 75 presses the four corners of the bag package Bp onto the intermediate belt conveyor 19, and the pressing pusher 25 also has a pusher plate 25a that presses the bag package Bp from above, so the pressing tool 75 and the pressing pusher 25 press the bag package Bp when the transport is stopped, or press the bag package Bp for a short time even when the bag package Bp is being transported. It is preferable that the drive mechanism that drives the odor sensor unit 74 for the end seal portion and the pressing tool 75 be a separate drive mechanism from the drive mechanism that drives the odor sensor unit 24 and the pressing tool 25 for detecting sealing defects in the center seal portion Sc. The pressing tools 75 at the four corners press the four corners of the bag package Bp onto the intermediate belt conveyor 19, and the odor sensor unit 74 for the end seal portion Se approaches a position directly above the end seal portion Se to detect odors. Regarding the odor sensor unit 24 and the pressure pusher 25 for the center seal portion, the pressure pusher 25 descends and presses the center seal portion Sc of the bag package Bp, and the odor sensor unit 24 detects an odor for the center seal portion Sc. Since the center seal portion Sc is often long in the discharge direction, when the odor sensor unit 74 for the end seal portion and the pressing tool 75 rise and are separated from the bag package Bp, the pressure pusher 25 rises and separates from the bag package Bp once, and after the bag package Bp moves slightly in the discharge direction, the pressure pusher 25 descends again and presses the bag package Bp, thereby detecting an odor for the center seal portion Sc. If the discharge operation of the intermediate belt conveyor 19 is controlled, it is possible to ensure that the odor sensor unit 74 for the end seal portion Se remains in a position close to and directly above the end seal portion Se for a certain period of time, thereby more reliably detecting an odor for the end seal portion Se.

[0066] FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the discharge speed of the bag package on the discharge line is devised to enable the change of the detection mode of the odor component by the odor sensor. In the example shown in FIG. 9, a shuttle conveyor 80 is used instead of the intermediate belt conveyor 19 compared to the example shown in FIG. 1. The pressing means also has a structure corresponding to this example. The same reference numerals are used for the other equivalent components, and the repeated explanation is omitted. The shuttle conveyor 80 used in the example shown in FIG. 9(a) includes a drive pulley 81, driven pulleys 82, 82, 82, shuttle pulleys 83, 83, and a conveyor belt 84 wound around these pulleys. The drive pulley 81 rotates in the direction indicated by the arrow (clockwise in the figure), and the discharge direction of the bag package Bp is the direction indicated by the arrow (to the right in the figure). The conveyor belt 84 has an uppermost running path, ie, a conveying path 86, which receives the bag packages Bp transferred from the upstream conveying means and transfers them to the subsequent conveying means.

[0067] The shuttle pulleys 83, 83 are rotatable relative to each other, but are connected by a connector 85 in such a manner that the positions of their rotational axes are restricted. When the shuttle pulleys 83, 83 are moved in the illustrated X direction (rightward) at a speed that matches the running speed of the conveyor belt 84 while the drive pulley 81 is being driven to rotate, the running of the conveyor belt 84 caused by the drive pulley 81 is absorbed by the shuttle pulleys 83, 83, the running of the conveyor belt 84 on the discharge path 86 stops, and the bag packages Bp being transferred also stops. When the shuttle pulleys 83, 83 move in the illustrated Y direction (leftward), the running of the conveyor belt 84 is decelerated in accordance with the moving speed. When the shuttle pulleys 83, 83 are moved in the illustrated Y direction (leftward), the running of the discharge path 86 is accelerated (when the movement in the Y direction is set to a speed that matches the running speed of the conveyor belt 84, the running of the discharge path 86 is doubled), and the delayed discharge of the bag packages Bp can be resumed.

[0068] In the example shown in Fig. 9, as shown in Fig. 9(b), the odor sensor unit 24 is the same as that already described in Fig. 1 etc. The pressing tool 87 combined with the odor sensor unit 24 is provided with a pressing roller 88 that is horizontally placed and rotatable. The rotation axis of the pressing roller 88 is set in a direction parallel to the road surface of the carry-out path 86 and perpendicular to the carry-out direction of the bag packaging Bp. Therefore, the pressing roller 88 is at a height position where it presses against the bag packaging Bp, and when there is relative movement with respect to the bag packaging Bp in the carry-out direction, it can press the upper surface of the bag packaging Bp while rolling in the carry-out direction of the bag packaging Bp.

[0069] Since the bag package Bp has a thickness, if the odor sensors for the center seal portion Sc and the end seal portion Se of the bag package Bp are brought into instantaneous proximity with the respective seal portions Sc, Se of the bag package Bp being transported and detected, there is a possibility that the odor sensors may collide with the bag package Bp if the timing is off. In the case of the embodiment shown in Figures 1, 3 and 8, as already explained, the odor sensor unit 24 and the pressure pusher 25 do not perform a circulating operation, and the pressure pusher 25 momentarily presses the bag package Bp being transported by the intermediate belt conveyor 19, and the bag package Bp is moved little by little in the transport direction, and the pressure pusher 25 repeats the momentary press against the bag package Bp each time, so that the odor sensor unit 24 detects odor components for the long center seal portion Sc. In contrast, in this example, by applying a shuttle conveyor 80 to the carry-out line, the carry-out of the bag package Bp is temporarily slowed down or stopped, and the pressing tool 87 moves relative to the bag package Bp being decelerated and carried out, allowing the odor sensor unit 24 to detect odors. Also, by making the odor sensor unit 24 and the pressing tool 87 perform a circulating motion such as a box motion with respect to the stopped bag package Bp, it is possible to continuously detect seal defects in the center seal portion Sc. In the example shown in Fig. 9, the structure of the pressing tool 87 is simplified, and reliable odor detection can be performed on the bag package Bp whose carry-out is slowed down or stopped, and the carry-out of the bag package Bp can be quickly resumed after the detection time has elapsed.

[0070] Although the explanation has been made in comparison with the example shown in FIG. 1, in the case of the example shown in FIG. 9 in which the discharge of the bag package Bp is temporarily stopped, it is possible to apply a unit that performs odor detection for the end seal portions Se, Se as in the example shown in FIG. 8. In order to reliably press the bag package Bp (assuming there is a seal defect, time is ensured for the gas inside the bag package Bp to leak out from the seal defect to reliably detect the odor), it is preferable to continue pressing the bag package Bp for a certain period of time rather than pressing the bag package Bp momentarily. Since the bag package Bp can be kept pressed for a certain period of time while the discharge of the bag package Bp by the shuttle conveyor 80 is stopped, it is also suitable for odor detection for the end seal portions Se, Se. The combination of the odor sensor unit 24 and the pressing tool 87 shown in FIG. 9 can also be applied to the discharge conveyor (intermediate belt conveyor 19) shown in FIG. 1, which does not use the shuttle conveyor 80.

[0071] FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a system for odor detection in a defective packaging detection device for a package according to the present invention. FIG. 10(a) is a block diagram of a simple system for determining and dealing with defective packaging based on detection only from the odor detection unit. A detection signal from an odor detection unit 94 equipped with an odor sensor unit 24 (54) is input to a control unit 95. Data related to the judgment reference value used for the defective judgment in the control unit 95 is input from an external setting input unit 100 to the control unit 95. In the defective judgment unit 96 of the control unit 95, the detection value from the odor detection unit 94 is compared with the judgment reference value from the setting input unit 100, and if it is determined based on the comparison result that the package has a defective packaging, a command is issued to a defective ejection command unit 97 to eject the corresponding package from the carry-out line. In response to the command from the defective ejection command unit 97, a defective ejection device 98 provided for the carry-out line of the packaging machine is operated, and the corresponding package is ejected from the carry-out line.

[0072] Fig. 10(b) is a block diagram of a system that can determine and deal with packaging defects by considering not only the detection information from the odor detection unit, but also the odor detection information from the environmental odor detection unit and the pressing operation status information of the pressing means. The same reference numerals are used for the same components as those used in the system shown in Fig. 10(a) to omit repeated explanation. In the system shown in Fig. 10(b), in addition to the detection signal from the odor detection unit 94, the detection signal from the environmental odor detection unit 94a is also input to the control unit 95. The environmental odor detection unit 94a is, for example, the environmental odor sensor 44 shown in Fig. 5. The environmental odor sensor included in the environmental odor detection unit 94a may be a plurality of odor sensors, and in this case, the comparison unit 99 uses, for example, the average value of the plurality of odor sensors as the comparison standard. The control unit 95 receives a judgment reference value used for comparing and judging the detection signal from the odor detection unit 94 and the detection signal from the environmental odor detection unit 94a from the setting input unit 100.

[0073] The control unit 95 further receives input of information on the operation state of the pressing means, i.e., whether the package is in a pressed state in which it is pressed by the pressing means or in a non-pressed state in which it is not pressed, from the pressing operation input unit 101. The information on the operation state of the pressing means is operation information on a drive mechanism that drives the pressing means (for example, the pressing pusher 25 shown in Figs. 1, 3 to 5, and 8, the pressing unit 55 shown in Fig. 6, the pressing roller means 65 or the pressing belt means 66 shown in Fig. 7, and the pressing tool 87 shown in Fig. 9), and can be obtained by monitoring a fluctuation value caused by pressing the package (for example, in the case of a drive mechanism such as a spring force mechanism or an air cylinder mechanism, fluctuations in spring force or air pressure caused by pressing the package), or by directly observing the operation of an operating part of the drive mechanism (for example, the operating position of the operating part by a sensor such as an optical sensor).

[0074] The control unit 95 is provided with a comparison unit 99, which compares the detection signal from the odor detection unit 94 with the detection signal from the environmental odor detection unit 94a. The defect determination unit 96 compares the comparison signal from the comparison unit 99 with a judgment reference value from the setting input unit 100, and determines whether or not the package has a packaging defect based on the comparison result, on the premise that the pressing means is determined to be performing its pressing operation based on the operating state of the pressing means from the pressing operation input unit 101. When it is determined that the pressing means is performing the pressing operation, if the comparison result shows that the comparison signal from the comparison unit 99 is significantly greater than the judgment reference value from the setting input unit 100, it is determined that the package has a packaging defect. The measures taken after the judgment are the same as those shown in FIG. 10(a), and therefore will not be described again. If the comparison signal from the comparison unit 99 is determined by the setting input unit 100 to be significantly greater than the judgment reference value even though it is not determined that the pressing means is performing a pressing operation, there may be a malfunction or breakdown in the odor sensor detection unit 94 (which may also include the environmental odor detection unit 94a), and this is reported to the maintenance information report unit 102.

[0075] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing an outline of an example of an odor sensor used in the packaging defect detection device of the present invention. The odor sensor 90 shown in FIG. 11 is one of the image diagrams of odor sensors published by Aroma Bit Co., Ltd. on its website. This type of odor sensor is equipped with a sensor element array 91 in which a large number of sensor elements 92 are arranged, imitating the mechanism by which the noses of humans and animals smell odors. An odor adsorption film having different adsorption characteristics depending on odor molecules 93 (shown diagrammatically) is applied to the surface of the arranged sensor elements 92. An odor is a complex of an unspecified number of chemical substances, and based on the mass change and charge change caused by the adsorption and desorption of the odor molecules 93 on the film surface, numerical data is obtained as a pattern specific to the odor components, and the odor is databased and judged. In addition, a multi-array sensor can be manufactured to respond to the specific odor components emitted by known contents upon request of the user, and the odor components (contents) can be identified based on the combination of multiple detected odor components. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1 Reverse pillow packaging machine 1a, 1b, 1c Packaging machine body 1d Packaging material supply section 2 Loading section 3. Discharge section 4. Chain conveyor 5 Pusher 6 Placement plate 7 Groove 8 Former 9 Belt conveyor 9a End 10 Conveyor roller 11 Paper feed means 12, 12 Paper feed roller 13 center seal means 14, 14 center seal roller 15 End seal means 16 Upper end sealer 17 Lower end sealer 18 Cutter 19 Intermediate belt conveyor 19a End 19b Conveyor roller 20, 20a Discharge conveyor 21 Front cover 22 Middle cover 23 Rear cover 24, 24a Odor sensor unit 25 Pressurized pusher 25a Pusher plate 30 Regular pillow packaging machine 31 Packaging material supply section 32,32 Paper feed roll 40 Vertical bag making, filling and packaging machine 41 Filling tube 42 Hopper 43 Shoot 44 Environmental odor sensor 45 Odor detection chamber 50 Cup forming, filling and packaging machine 51 Discharge conveyor 52 Gate 53 Beam 54 Odor sensor unit 55 Pressing unit 65 Pressing roller means 65a, 65a; 65b, 65b Pressing roller 66 Pressing belt means 66a, 66b Pressing belt means 67a, 67a, 67a; 67b, 67b, 67b Guide roller 68a, 68b Pressure belt 74 Odor sensor unit (general name) 74a Odor sensor unit 75 Pressing tool (general name) 75a Pressing tool 80 Shuttle conveyor 81 Drive pulley 82,82,82 Driven pulley 83,83 Shuttle pulley 84 Conveyor belt 85 Connector 86 Export path 90 Odor sensor 91 Sensor element array 92 Sensor element 93 Odor molecules 94 Odor detection unit 95 Control unit 96 Defect Judgment Department 97 Defect Discharge Headquarters 98 Defective ejection device 99 Comparison section 100 Setting input section 101 Pressing operation input section 102 Maintenance Information Report Section A Product Bp bag packaging Fr Original roll Fw Strip-shaped packaging material fe,fe Both side edges Ft Cylindrical packaging material Fs Strip-shaped sheet material Fc Belt-shaped lid material Sc Center seal part Se,Se End seal part C cup Bc cup packaging

Claims

1. an output line, in which the package produced by sealing the product by the packaging machine is output from the packaging machine; a pressing means arranged in association with the discharge line and configured to press the package being conveyed by the discharge line; an odor sensor disposed near the pressing means and adapted to react with a pre-specified odor component specific to the product and output a detection signal; The package is determined to be defective in response to the odor sensor detecting the odor component while the package is being pressed by the pressing means. The packaging defect detection device for a packaged body comprises:

2. The packaging machine is a packaging machine that continuously produces the package by forming a container for accommodating a product from a packaging material, filling the inside of the container with the product, and sealing the container with the product accommodated therein.

2. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 1, comprising:

3. The packaging machine is a form-fill-seal packaging machine in which the packaging material is a strip-shaped packaging material, the container is a bag having a longitudinal seal portion formed by sealing the strip-shaped packaging material fed in a longitudinal direction and a transverse seal portion formed by sealing in a direction intersecting the longitudinal seal, and the package is a bag package produced by sealing the bag with the longitudinal seal portion and the transverse seal portion to contain the product, The bag package is conveyed out with the longitudinal direction of the longitudinal seal portion aligned with the conveying direction of the conveying line, and the odor sensor is positioned close to the longitudinal seal portion of the bag package pressed by the pressing means.

3. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 2, further comprising:

4. The form-fill-seal packaging machine includes: The packaging material strip is fed in a transverse direction as the longitudinal direction, the strip-shaped packaging material is formed into a tubular packaging material by overlapping and sealing both side edge portions of the strip-shaped packaging material to form a center seal portion as the longitudinal seal portion, The product is filled into the tubular packaging material while being fed laterally into the tubular packaging material; The cylindrical packaging material is sealed at a position that sandwiches the product in the longitudinal direction to form an end seal portion as the lateral seal portion, The bag is sealed by the center seal portion and the end seal portion in the filled state of the product, thereby producing the bag package.

4. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 3, further comprising:

5. The form-fill-seal packaging machine is an inverted pillow packaging machine in which the center seal portion is formed on an upper side surface of the bag packaging body, The discharge line is a discharge conveyor that conveys the bag packaging body in a loaded state, The odor sensor is disposed above and adjacent to a path through which the center seal portion of the bag package transported by the discharge conveyor passes.

5. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 4, further comprising:

6. The form-fill-seal packaging machine is a regular pillow packaging machine in which the center seal portion is formed on the lower surface of the bag packaging body, The discharge line is an discharge conveyor that includes a breathable conveyor belt and conveys the bag package on the conveyor belt, The odor sensor is disposed near the pressing means on the lower side of the conveyor belt and in correspondence with the path through which the center seal portion of the bag package pressed by the pressing means passes.

5. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 4, further comprising:

7. The discharge line of the packaging machine includes an inspection intermediate conveyor section that is connected to the downstream side of the end seal device for inspection of the end seal device, and a discharge conveyor that is connected to the downstream side of the inspection intermediate conveyor section, The odor sensor is disposed on the inspection intermediate conveyor section. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to any one of claims 4 to 6, comprising:

8. The bag form, fill and seal machine is a vertical bag form, fill and seal machine in which the strip-shaped packaging material is formed into a tubular packaging material while being fed vertically, the product is filled into the tubular packaging material, and the center seal portion and the end seal portion are formed in the tubular packaging material to produce the bag package, the discharge line is a lateral discharge conveyor along which the bag packages discharged in a vertical downward direction from the vertical form fill and pack packaging machine are changed in direction and discharged in a lateral direction, The odor sensor is disposed relative to the lateral discharge conveyor.

4. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 3, further comprising:

9. In order to detect a seal defect in the transverse seal portion, the odor sensor is also disposed in close proximity to the transverse seal portion.

4. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 3, further comprising:

10. The pressing member includes a pressing tool that presses the bag package from above in a manner to sandwich the bag package between the upper side and the carrying-out line, or a pressing tool that presses the bag package from both lateral sides in a manner to sandwich the bag package.

4. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 3, further comprising:

11. The packaging material is a belt-shaped sheet material and a belt-shaped lid material, The packaging machine is a cup forming, filling and packaging machine which forms cups, each having a filling port open, in a manner arranged in a longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped sheet material by drawing the strip-shaped sheet material, fills the cups with the product through the openings, sequentially covers the cups with the strip-shaped lid material, and produces cup packages in which the strip-shaped lid material is sealed around the openings of the cups; The odor sensor is disposed adjacent to the strip-shaped lid material sealing the cup and detects packaging defects of the cup package.

3. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 2, further comprising:

12. When a difference between a detection value of the odor sensor and a detection value of an environmental odor sensor that detects an odor in the surrounding environment of the packaging machine exceeds a predetermined set value, the package is determined to be defective.

2. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 1, comprising:

13. monitoring whether the packaging body is in a pressed state in which it is pressed by the pressing means or in a non-pressed state in which it is not pressed, The package is determined to be defective in response to the odor sensor detecting the odor component under the condition that the package is in the pressed state under the monitoring.

2. The packaging defect detection device for a package according to claim 1, comprising:

Images