Packaging product and manufacturing method of the same

Abstract

To efficiently manufacture a packaging product in which a plurality of individual packages with different designs are collectively packaged.SOLUTION: A manufacturing method for a packaging product includes: an individual packaging step in which a package raw sheet 1 in which packaged bodies 2 of several different designs are continuously connected is cut between the packaged bodies 2 to obtain individual packaged bodies 2, and one packaged body 2 is used to package one article 3 to be packaged, thereby forming a plurality of individually packaged articles 4; and a collective packaging step of packaging the plurality of individual packaged articles 4 in one exterior body 5 to obtain the packaging product 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaged product in which a plurality of individually packaged items are packaged in one exterior body, and a manufacturing method for obtaining the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to a packaged product in which a plurality of individually packaged items, each of which is formed by individually packaging a stack of sanitary paper in a flexible film or the like, are collectively packaged in an exterior body. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, products in which sanitary paper such as tissue paper is packaged in a resin film (so-called soft pack products) have been known (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Furthermore, tissue paper is generally manufactured using a method in which a continuous sheet fed from multiple rolls is folded by a multi-stand interfolder, and then cut into individual sizes by a cutter to obtain a sanitary paper bundle (Patent Document 2). This method makes it possible to obtain sanitary paper bundles at high speed and continuously.

[0004] Also known is an individual packaging machine for automatically packaging a bundle of multiple articles in a packaging bag made of resin film or the like (Patent Document 3). This type of individual packaging machine is configured to expand the opening of the packaging bag, and then push multiple articles into the packaging bag through the opening while maintaining the expanded state of the packaging bag.

[0005] Furthermore, a collective packaging machine for collectively packaging (packaging) a plurality of individually packaged items, each of which is a bundle of sanitary paper wrapped in a carton, with a resin film or the like is also known (Patent Document 4). In the collective packaging machine of Patent Document 4, after aligning the orientation of a plurality of cartons, these cartons are packaged with a resin film to obtain packaged products, for example, five cartons in one pack. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-133981 [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-011170 A [Patent Document 3] JP 2014-125228 A [Patent Document 4] JP 2016-175667 A [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Publication No. 134815 / 1983 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] Meanwhile, it has also been proposed to improve the appearance of a packaged product in which a plurality of individual packages are collectively packaged in a resin film or the like by arranging the individual packages in one pack in various patterns, for example, alternating up and down or left and right, in order to improve the appearance of the packaged product (Patent Document 5). In this Patent Document 5, individual packages (blocks) with different designs are produced separately, and these different individual packages are transported on separate lanes, and then the lanes are merged so that an individual package with a second design is placed between two individual packages with a first design, thereby arranging the individual packages with different designs alternately on the lanes. After that, a plurality of the alternatingly arranged individual packages are collectively packaged, thereby obtaining a packaged product with an improved design.

[0008] However, as in Patent Document 5, when individually packaged items with different designs are conveyed on separate lanes, it is necessary to prepare as many lanes as there are different designs, which causes a problem of lengthening the production line. In addition, in order to merge multiple lanes and arrange individually packaged items with different designs alternately on one lane after the merging, it is necessary to strictly synchronize the conveying speed of each lane and the intervals between the individually packaged items on each lane, which causes a problem of complicating the control. In addition, when the conveying control of the individually packaged items becomes complicated, there is a high possibility that an error will occur in the arrangement of the individually packaged items, which causes a problem of reducing the yield rate.

[0009] Therefore, a main object of the present invention is to efficiently produce a packaged product in which a plurality of individual packages having different designs are collectively packaged. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The first aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a packaged product. The manufacturing method according to the present invention includes an individual packaging step and a collective packaging step. In the individual packaging step, a packaging roll 1 in which packages 2 of multiple designs are continuously connected is cut between the packages 2 to obtain individual packages 2, and one package 2 is used to package one packaged item 3 to obtain multiple individually packaged items 4. The term "design" as used here refers to decoration such as pattern, color, and shape, and a package 2 of multiple designs means that there are multiple types of packages 2 that differ in at least one of pattern, color, and shape. The number of types of designs may be two or more, and may be three or more, four or more. When there are two types of designs, the packaging roll 1 basically alternates between packages 2 (A) of a first design and packages 2 (B) of a second design. However, when there are two types of designs, packages 2 of partially the same design may be continuous, such as (A)(B)(A)(A)(B)(A).... Furthermore, when there are three or more types of designs, for example, a package 2 (A) of a first design, a package 2 of a second design, and a package 2 (C) of a third design are connected in a certain order on the packaging roll 1. In the collective packaging process, a packaged product 6 is obtained by packaging a plurality of individual packages 4 in one outer casing 5. In this way, by using the packaging roll 1 in which packages 2 of a plurality of types of designs are connected in a continuous manner to sequentially package the packaged items 3, individual packages 4 with different designs are obtained sequentially. This makes it possible to omit a process of rearranging the conveying order of the individual packages 4, and therefore makes it possible to efficiently manufacture the packaged product 6 in which a plurality of individual packages 4 with different designs are collectively packaged.

[0011] In the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the packaged item 3 may be a sanitary paper stack in which multiple sheets of sanitary paper are stacked. In this way, the manufacturing method according to the present invention is suitable for individually packaging a sanitary paper stack. In particular, it is preferable that the package 2 for individually packaging the sanitary paper stack is a flexible packaging bag made of a resin film or the like, and the individually packaged item 4 is a so-called soft pack product.

[0012] In the manufacturing method according to the present invention, it is preferable that a register mark 2a is provided on each of the packages 2. In this case, the packaging roll 1 is cut by detecting the register mark 2a with a sensor 40 to identify the gaps between the packages 2. This allows the packaging roll 1 to be cut accurately between the packages 2.

[0013] The manufacturing method according to the present invention preferably further includes a conveying step and an inspection step. The conveying step is a step performed between the packaging step and the collective packaging step, and conveys individual packages 4 with a plurality of different designs of packages 2 along a predetermined conveying path. In the inspection step, during the conveying step, whether or not the order of the individual packages 4 is proper is inspected based on the design of the individual packages 4. For example, in the inspection of a certain individual package 4, the design of the individual package 4 in question is compared with the design of the previous individual package 4 to determine whether or not the order of the individual packages 4 in question is proper. To perform such an inspection, the design of the individual packages 4 may be detected by a sensor or the like, and information about the design may be stored in a computer or the like. In this way, by inspecting the order of the individual packages 4 during the conveying step, a packaged product 6 in which the individual packages 4 are arranged in an appropriate pattern can be obtained in the subsequent collective packaging step. In particular, by inspecting the order of the individual packages 4 before packaging a plurality of individual packages 4 together to obtain the packaged product 6, the rate of defective packaged products 6 can be reduced.

[0014] The manufacturing method according to the present invention preferably further includes a jamming process. In the jamming process, at least one of the individual packages 4 in the conveying process is temporarily stopped or decelerated, and the individual packages 4 following the stopped or decelerated individual packages 4 are jammed on the conveying path. The term "jam" as used herein means that the interval between a certain individual package 4 and the following individual package 4 is eliminated or the interval is reduced, and includes contacting these two individual packages 4 and reducing the interval between them without contacting these two individual packages 4. In this case, in the inspection process, a predetermined number of two or more individual packages 4 in the jamming are set as one inspection unit, and the individual packages 4 are preferably inspected for each inspection unit. The predetermined number may be two, three, or four or more. In this case, in the collective packaging process, one inspection unit or more of the individual packages 4 that have undergone inspection are set as one packaging unit, and the individual packages 4 are packaged in one exterior body 5 for each packaging unit. This makes it possible to confirm that the arrangement order of the individual packages 4 is appropriate for each inspection unit. Furthermore, in the subsequent collective packaging process, one or more inspection units of individually packaged items 4 whose arrangement order has been confirmed to be appropriate are packaged together to obtain a packaged product 6 in which the individually packaged items 4 are arranged in an appropriate pattern. In particular, it is preferable to temporarily suspend the individually packaged items 4. The reason for temporarily suspending the individually packaged items 4 is that, for example, when the apparatus is stopped due to a problem, the last one is allowed to remain in the inspection area, and after the apparatus is restarted, inspection can be resumed using the individually packaged item 4 remaining in this inspection area.

[0015] In the manufacturing method according to the present invention, the conveying step may convey two or more types of individual packages 4 in a predetermined pattern, and the inspection step may inspect whether a predetermined number of individual packages 4 are jammed in a proper pattern corresponding to the predetermined pattern for each inspection unit. In this way, in the conveying step, individual packages 4 with different designs are conveyed in a predetermined pattern, and a plurality of individual packages 4 with different designs being conveyed are inspected together, thereby making it possible to efficiently inspect whether the arrangement order is proper.

[0016] In the manufacturing method according to the present invention, in the jamming step, the individual packages 4 may be jammed on the conveying path so that a stopped or decelerated individual package 4 is followed by a different type of individual package 4. In this case, in the inspection step, it is sufficient to inspect whether or not two different types of individual packages 4 are jammed consecutively for each inspection unit. This allows the inspection to proceed at high speed, since it is only necessary to inspect whether or not two consecutive individual packages 4 are different.

[0017] In the manufacturing method according to the present invention, an area in which a non-driven section that does not actively transport the individual packages 4 is provided on the transport path may be provided between two driven sections that actively transport the individual packages 4 downstream. In this case, in the jamming process, the individual packages 4 may be temporarily stopped or decelerated on the non-driven section. This makes it possible to jam the individual packages 4 on the transport path with simple equipment.

[0018] In the manufacturing method according to the present invention, in the congestion step, at least one of the individual packages 4 being conveyed may be clamped laterally to temporarily stop the individual package 4. As a device for clamping the individual package 4, for example, a pusher 72 can be used.

[0019] In the production method according to the present invention, in the congestion step, a stopper 73 may be raised in front of at least one of the individual packages 4 being conveyed, thereby temporarily stopping that individual package 4.

[0020] The manufacturing method according to the present invention preferably further includes a removal step of removing the individual packages 4 determined to be inappropriate by the inspection from the conveying path. This allows the individual packages 4 with an inappropriate arrangement to be removed before the individual packages 4 are collectively packaged in the outer body 5. The method of removing the inappropriate individual packages 4 is not particularly limited, but examples include a method of removing the individual packages 4 from the conveying path by operating a pusher, air, or a branching conveyor (up and down, left and right, etc.). In addition, in the removal step, not only the individual packages 4 determined to be inappropriate by the inspection, but also the individual packages 4 before and after it can be removed as all inappropriate products. As described above, when the individual packages 4 are temporarily stopped for inspection, it is preferable that the individual packages 4 determined to be inappropriate are removed before the individual packages 4 stopped for inspection start being conveyed again. In addition, during the temporary stop, it is also possible to fix one design (color) and judge the arrangement of one set. In this case, it is also possible to remove one set after the temporary stop as being inappropriate in arrangement.

[0021] A second aspect of the present invention relates to a packaged product 6. The packaged product 6 according to the present invention includes a plurality of individually packaged items 4 in which a sanitary paper bundle (packaged item 3) having multiple layers of sanitary paper is individually packaged in a package 2, and an exterior body 5 in which the plurality of individually packaged items 4 are packaged. In this case, the plurality of individually packaged items 4 include two or more types of items packaged in packages 2 having different designs. The packaged product 6 is packaged in the exterior body 5 in a state in which the different types of individually packaged items 4 are arranged alternately one above the other or side by side. Such a packaged product 6 according to the second aspect can be manufactured by the manufacturing method according to the first aspect described above.

[0022] In the packaged product 6 according to the present invention, the individually wrapped items 4 may be packaged in the exterior body 5 in a state in which they are arranged in two or more layers, one above the other, and two or more rows, one below the other.

[0023] In the packaged product 6 of the present invention, the individual packages 4 may be packaged in an outer casing 5 in a state in which different types of individual packages 4 are arranged vertically and horizontally.

[0024] In the packaged product 6 according to the present invention, the individual packages 4 packaged in one exterior body 5 may consist of only two different designs. In this case, the multiple individual packages 4 may be packaged in the exterior body 5 in such a state that the two designs are stacked one above the other in an odd number of layers and arranged in a row from left to right.

[0025] In the packaged product 6 according to the present invention, the individual packages 4 packaged in one exterior body 5 may consist of only two different designs. In this case, the multiple individual packages 4 may be arranged in two rows, one on top of the other, in an odd number of layers, with the two designs alternately stacked one on top of the other, and packaged in the exterior body 5 in such a manner that adjacent individual packages 4 on the left and right have different designs.

[0026] In the packaged product 6 according to the present invention, the individual packages 4 packaged in one exterior body 5 may consist of N types (N is an integer of 2 or more) of different designs. In this case, the multiple individual packages 4 may be packaged in the exterior body 5 in a state where they are stacked vertically in M ​​times N (M is an integer of 2 or more) layers. For example, when two types of individual packages 4 with different designs are packaged in the exterior body 5, the individual packages 4 are stacked vertically in two layers. Furthermore, when three types of individual packages 4 with different designs are packaged in the exterior body 5, the individual packages 4 are stacked vertically in six layers. Effect of the Invention

[0027] According to the present invention, a packaged product in which a plurality of individual packages having different designs are collectively packaged can be efficiently produced. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a schematic example of a series of processes from the introduction of packaged items (sanitary paper stacks) to the removal of packaged products. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a method for cutting the packages from the original packaging material in the individual packaging process. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a first example of a means for fastening individual packages. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 shows a schematic diagram of a second example of the means for fastening individual packages. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a third example of the means for fastening individual packages. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth example of the means for congesting individual packages. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a schematic example of an application of the jamming means for individual packages. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows an example of a pattern for arranging individual packages contained in a packaged product. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows examples of patterns of arrangement of individual packages contained in a packaged product. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and includes appropriate modifications of the embodiments described below within the scope obvious to those skilled in the art.

[0030] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a series of processes from the bringing in of packaged items 3 to the bringing out of packaged products 6, that is, a bringing-in process, an individual packaging process, a conveying process, an inspection process, a collective packaging process, and a carrying-out process. Note that Fig. 1 shows each process simply and conceptually in order to show this series of processes in an easy-to-understand manner, and does not reproduce the actual process.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 1, in the carrying-in process, a carrying-in device 10 using a known conveyor or the like carries a plurality of packaged items 3 at intervals and introduces them into an individual packaging machine 20. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a sanitary paper bundle is assumed as the packaged item 3. This sanitary paper bundle can be obtained by a known method using, for example, a multi-roller. Specifically, the multi-roller folds sanitary paper unwound from a number of original rolls to form a continuous stack of sanitary paper. The multi-roller is provided with original rolls in a number corresponding to the number of stacked sheets of sanitary paper. For example, when a product is obtained in which 200 sets of tissues each consisting of two sheets are stacked (a total of 400 sheets), 200 sets of original rolls each consisting of two rolls (a total of 400 rolls) are installed in the multi-roller. The stack of sanitary paper formed by the multi-roller is transported downstream and cut at predetermined intervals by a cutter. This results in individual sanitary paper bundles. A known rotary cutter may be used as the cutter. In this way, sanitary paper stacks can be produced continuously at high speed. Each sheet of sanitary paper is folded roughly in half, and two halves of sanitary paper are inserted between each sheet of sanitary paper, so that when one sheet of sanitary paper is lifted up, the sanitary paper underneath is also lifted up, forming a pop-up style stack.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 1, in the individual packaging process, the packaged items 3 are individually packaged by an individual packaging machine 20. At this time, a packaging roll 1 is supplied to the individual packaging machine 20. The packaging roll 1 is a continuous line of multiple packages 2, and is usually wound in a roll shape. In particular, in this embodiment, the packaging roll 1 is a continuous line of packages 2 with multiple designs (colors, shades, shapes). In the example shown in FIG. 1, the packaging roll 1 is configured by alternately connecting packages 2(A) and 2(B) with two different designs. Note that the packaging roll 1 may be, for example, a line of packages 2(A), 2(B), and 2(C) (not shown) with three different designs, which are repeatedly connected in this order.

[0033] Such a packaging roll 1 can be obtained, for example, by printing a color or pattern on a plain or white film using a known printer. The packaging roll 1 (package 2) is preferably a flexible packaging bag made of a resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, or polyvinyl acetate. The winding direction (winding flow direction) of the packaging roll 1 is preferably the short side direction of the package 2 (i.e., the width direction of the individual packages 4). By making the short side direction of the package 2 the flow direction of the packaging roll 1, the length of one design in the flow direction of the packaging roll 1 can be reduced. Since the design is determined by the size of the printing roll of the printing equipment, a shorter pitch allows more designs to be implemented. In addition, since one pitch is short, more sheets can be produced for the same diameter of the original roll, so the frequency of replacing the original roll can be reduced. In addition, it is preferable that the packaging roll 1 does not include a design printed on the heat-sealed portion during packaging. The presence of this non-printed portion increases the spacing between the packages 2, making it easier to cut the film between the packages 2. Even if printing is to be added, the film cutting area should have a blank area of ​​4 mm or more, preferably 10 mm or more, or an area with a design that will look natural no matter which design is used. When printing the design on the packaging roll 1, a register mark 2a (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, can also be printed. The register mark 2a is preferably placed on the heat-sealed portion (cut surface) on the side, and should be the same color as the product (e.g., a stack of sanitary paper) (white for normal products, a mark of the same color for colored products).

[0034] The individual packaging machine 20 cuts the packaging roll 1 between the packages 2 to obtain individual packages 2, and individually packages the packaged items 3 carried in by the carry-in device 10 one by one with the individual packages 2. FIG. 2 shows an example of a method for cutting the packaging roll 1 in the individual packaging machine 20. As shown in FIG. 2, the packaging roll 1 is made up of, for example, packages 2(A) and 2(B) of two different designs that are alternately connected, and a register mark 2a is printed on each of the packages 2(A) and 2(B). The register mark 2a is provided for the purpose of identifying the cutting position of the packaging roll 1, and the packaging roll 1 may be cut immediately after the register mark 2a in the flow direction of the packaging roll 1, for example. Specifically, a register mark sensor 21 is provided in the individual packaging machine 20, and the register mark sensor 21 detects the register mark 2a provided on each package 2 that constitutes the packaging roll 1. A known photoelectric sensor equipped with a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element may be used as the register mark sensor 21. In addition, a cutter 22 is disposed immediately behind the register mark sensor 21. When the register mark sensor 21 detects the register mark 2a, the cutter 22 is driven to cut the packaging roll 1 at a position immediately behind the register mark 2a. A known cutter used for cutting resin films, such as an electric heat cutter, can be used as the cutter 22. In this way, individual packages 2 are obtained from the continuous packaging roll 1 in the individual packaging machine 20.

[0035] The individual packaging machine 20 sequentially individually packages the packaged items 3 using the individual packaging bodies 2 obtained as described above. As the individual packaging machine 20, a known machine such as that disclosed in Patent Document 3 can be adopted. Specifically, the individual packaging machine 20 may be configured to expand the opening of the packaging body 2, and then push the packaged items 3 into the packaging body 2 from the opening while maintaining the packaging body 2 in the expanded state. In this way, individually packaged items 4 are obtained in which the packaged items 3 (bundles of sanitary paper) are individually packaged in the packaging bodies 2.

[0036] In particular, as described above, the packaging roll 1 is made up of a plurality of packaging bodies 2 of different designs arranged alternately, so the individual packaging machine 20 sequentially individually packages the packaged items 3 using the packaging bodies 2 cut from the packaging roll 1 in order. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 1, the individual packaging machine 20 sequentially discharges individual packages 4 of different designs covered by packaging bodies 2 of different designs. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the individual packaging machine 20 is supplied with a packaging roll 1 in a pattern in which two types of packaging bodies 2(A) and 2(B) are arranged alternately, so that the individual packaging machine 20 alternately discharges two types of individual packages 4 of different designs according to the pattern of the packaging roll 1. In this way, the arrangement order of the individual packages 4 discharged from the individual packaging machine 20 corresponds to the pattern of the packages 2 constituting the packaging roll 1 supplied to the individual packaging machine 20.

[0037] In the conveying step, the individual packages 4 are conveyed by a conveying device 30 using a known conveyor or the like. Specifically, this conveying step is a step of conveying a plurality of individual packages 4 downstream in the section between the individual packaging step described above and the collective packaging step described below. As described above, on the conveying device 30, the individual packages 4 of a plurality of different designs are arranged at intervals in a predetermined pattern.

[0038] During this conveying process, a sensor 40 is used to inspect whether the arrangement of the individual packages 4 on the conveying device 30 is proper. As the sensor 40, a known sensor capable of identifying the design of the individual packages 4 (package 2), such as an image sensor such as a CMOS and a CCD, or a color sensor that simply detects color, can be used. For example, an image sensor may be used when the design of the individual packages 4 (package 2) is complex, and a color sensor may be used when the difference in the design of the individual packages 4 is simply a difference in color. The information detected by the sensor 40 is transmitted to a control device (not shown) such as a computer, and an analysis process is performed by this control device. If the control device determines that the arrangement of the individual packages 4 is improper as a result of the analysis process, it may drive a known removal device (not shown) to remove the improper individual packages 4 from the conveying device 30. This makes it possible to correct the arrangement of the individual packages 4 on the conveying device 30 to the proper one.

[0039] In this embodiment, the inspection of the arrangement of the individual packages 4 is performed by treating a predetermined number of individual packages 4 (two or more) as one inspection unit, and inspecting the individual packages 4 for each inspection unit. For example, when an image sensor is used as the sensor 40, the arrangement of the individual packages 4 may be inspected by simultaneously placing the individual packages 4 included in one inspection unit within the field of view of the image sensor. Furthermore, when a color sensor is used as the sensor 40, the same number of color sensors as the number of individual packages 4 included in one inspection unit may be provided, and the arrangement of the individual packages 4 included in one inspection unit may be inspected simultaneously by the multiple color sensors. Furthermore, the inspection of the arrangement of the individual packages 4 is not limited to the case where the arrangement of the individual packages 4 is performed simultaneously within one inspection unit. For example, the individual packages 4 may be inspected one by one in order, and at the stage where inspection of all the individual packages 4 included in one inspection unit is completed, it may be determined whether the arrangement of the individual packages 4 is appropriate for each inspection unit. In this manner, the arrangement order of the individual packages 4 is inspected for each inspection unit, and the individual packages 4 within the unit that are determined to be proper are sent to the subsequent collective packaging process.

[0040] To explain in more detail with a specific example, in the example shown in FIG. 1, individual packages 4 (A) of design A and individual packages 4 (B) of a different design B are alternately conveyed in the conveying process. Such an arrangement order is the proper arrangement order. In this way, when handling two types of individual packages 4 (A, B) of designs A and B, it is preferable to include the two individual packages 4 in one inspection unit. In the inspection by the sensor 40, two individual packages 4 (one inspection unit) may be inspected simultaneously as inspection targets. In this case, if the arrangement order of the two individual packages 4 that are simultaneously inspected is A, B, it can be said that the arrangement order of these two individual packages 4 is proper. On the other hand, if the arrangement order of the two individual packages 4 that are simultaneously inspected is A·A or B·B, it can be said that the arrangement order of these two individual packages 4 is improper. In this case, the rear one of the set of individual packages 4 that is determined to be improper can be removed from the conveying path of the conveying device 30 by an excluding device. In addition, in this case, the order A, B is considered to be proper, and if the order is B, A, it is determined to be improper because the order is A, B, B, A in consideration of the relationship with the previous inspection unit. In this case, the front package 4 (i.e., B) of the set of improper individual packages 4 may be removed from the conveying device 30 by the removal device. In addition, such an inspection is possible even if the individual packages 4 in one inspection unit are not inspected at the same time. That is, when two individual packages 4 are one inspection unit, first, the front individual package 4 in one inspection unit is inspected and its design type is stored in the control device. Next, the rear individual package 4 in one inspection unit is inspected and its design type is stored in the control device. Then, after the inspection of the design types of the two individual packages 4 constituting one inspection unit is completed, the design types of these two individual packages 4 are collated in the control device, and if the order of the two individual packages 4 is A, B, it can be said that the order of the two individual packages 4 is proper. On the other hand, if the arrangement of the two individual packages 4 is A·A or B·B, or B, A, the arrangement of these two individual packages 4 is determined to be inappropriate for the same reasons as described above.In this way, even if all the individual packages 4 in one inspection unit are not necessarily inspected at the same time, it is possible to determine whether the arrangement order of the individual packages 4 is appropriate or inappropriate.

[0041] In addition, in the conveying process, it is preferable to temporarily stop at least one of the individual packages 4 being conveyed and to jam the subsequent individual packages 4. It is preferable to inspect the arrangement order of the multiple individual packages 4 in this jam by a sensor 40. The means for jamming the individual packages 4 in this way will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 3 to 7.

[0042] Fig. 3 shows a first example of a means for jamming the individual packages 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the conveying device 30 includes a first conveyor 31 provided on the upstream side and a second conveyor 32 provided on the downstream side thereof, with a gap 33 provided between the first conveyor 31 and the second conveyor 32. The first conveyor 31 and the second conveyor 32 are each driven to actively convey the individual packages 4 toward the downstream side. For such first conveyor 31 and second conveyor 32, for example, a general conveyor device having a structure in which an endless belt is stretched around pulleys including a drive pulley and a driven pulley may be used.

[0043] Further, a non-driven portion 71 that does not actively transport the individual packages 4 is provided in the gap 33 between the conveyors 31, 32. This non-driven portion 71 functions as a jamming means for jamming the individual packages 4. An example of the non-driven portion 71 is a plate-like member on which a plurality of individual packages 4 can be placed at the same time, as shown in FIG. 3. The material of the plate-like member is not particularly limited, and it may be made of metal or plastic. Note that, since the individual packages 4 need to be slid on this plate-like member, a plate-like member made of rubber, which has a large coefficient of friction, is not suitable. Furthermore, the non-driven portion 71 is not limited to a plate-like member, and a free roller conveyor that is not driven may be used.

[0044] The non-driven portion 71 has a length in the conveying direction of the individual packages 4 such that one inspection unit or more of the individual packages 4 can be placed on the non-driven portion 71 at the same time. In the example shown in FIG. 3, two types of individual packages 4 are conveyed alternately, and two individual packages 4 are one inspection unit. For this reason, the non-driven portion 71 may have a length such that at least two individual packages 4 can be placed on the non-driven portion 71 at the same time. In this case, when the individual packages 4 are conveyed by the first conveyor 31 and reach the non-driven portion 71, they run up on the non-driven portion 71. When the individual packages 4 that run up on the non-driven portion 71 collide with the individual packages 4 that follow, the previous individual packages 4 are pushed forward and the subsequent individual packages 4 also run up on the non-driven portion 71. This causes a gap between at least two individual packages 4 to be jammed, creating a traffic jam. The sensor 40 may inspect two individual packages 4 on the non-driven portion 71 as one inspection unit. In this inspection, if the arrangement order of the two individual packages 4 is correct (for example, A, B), the individual packages 4 included in this one inspection unit are determined to be correct. Thereafter, when the further rear individual package 4 reaches the non-driven section 71, the individual package 4 that had previously climbed up onto the non-driven section 71 is pushed out and falls from the non-driven section 71 onto the second conveyor 32 beyond. The individual packages 4 that have reached the second conveyor 32 in this way are transported downstream by this second conveyor 32.

[0045] In particular, when the plate-like member shown in FIG. 3 is used as the non-driven portion 71, the placement surface of the plate-like member is preferably set at a position higher than the conveying surface of the first conveyor 31 so that the individual package 4 can ride up on it. As a result, after the individual package 4 rides up on the plate-like member, the individual package 4 is supported only by the plate-like member, and the bottom surface of the individual package 4 is less likely to contact the conveying surface of the first conveyor 31. Since the conveying surface of the first conveyor 31 is rotating, if the bottom surface of the individual package 4 continues to contact the conveying surface of the first conveyor 31 even after the individual package 4 rides up on the plate-like member, the bottom surface of the individual package 4 may be rubbed by the conveying surface of the first conveyor 31, causing the bottom surface to become dirty or damaged. Therefore, by setting the placement surface of the plate-like member at a position slightly higher than the conveying surface of the first conveyor 31, it is possible to prevent such problems from occurring.

[0046] FIG. 4 shows a second example of a jamming means for the individual packages 4. In the example shown in FIG. 4, pushers 72 are provided on both the left and right sides of the conveying path for the individual packages 4. The left and right pushers 72 are configured to advance and retreat toward the individual packages 4. When the left and right pushers 72 advance toward the individual packages 4, the individual packages 4 are sandwiched between the pushers 72 from the left and right. As a result, the individual packages 4 sandwiched between the pushers 72 are temporarily stopped on the conveyor 31 of the conveying device 30. In addition, the gap between the individual packages 4 sandwiched between the pushers 72 and the following individual packages 4 becomes smaller, causing a jam of the individual packages 4 on the conveying path. In particular, the following individual packages 4 collide with the individual packages 4 sandwiched between the pushers 72, and the individual packages 4 are also stopped on the conveying path.

[0047] Also, in the example shown in Fig. 4, two different designs of individual packages 4 are conveyed alternately, and two individual packages 4 constitute one inspection unit. In this case, when an individual package 4 (A) sandwiched by the pusher 72 collides with another individual package 4 (B) and stops, the sensor 40 inspects these two individual packages 4 (A, B). At this time, the sensor 40 may inspect the two individual packages 4 (A, B) stopped by the pusher 72 as one inspection unit. In this inspection, if the arrangement order of the two individual packages 4 (A, B) is proper (for example, A, B), the individual packages 4 included in this one inspection unit are determined to be proper.

[0048] When the inspection by the sensor 40 is completed, the pusher 72 retreats and the individual package 4(A) is released, and is conveyed again by the conveyor 31 of the conveying device 30. After the pusher 72 releases one individual package 4(A), it pinches the next individual package 4(B) from both the left and right sides. Since this individual package 4(B) has already been inspected as one inspection unit together with the previous individual package 4(A), inspection of this individual package 4(B) is not necessarily required. However, this individual package 4(B) and the following other individual package 4(A) may be inspected as one inspection unit by the sensor 40. In this case, the proper order of the two individual packages 4 is B, A. In this way, the pusher 72 pinches each individual package 4 from both the left and right sides and temporarily stops the conveyance. This makes it possible to maintain a constant interval between the individual packages 4 after the pusher 72.

[0049] FIG. 5 shows a third example of a congestion means for the individual packages 4. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the conveying device 30 includes a first conveyor 31 provided on the upstream side and a second conveyor 32 provided on the downstream side thereof, and a gap 33 is provided between the first conveyor 31 and the second conveyor 32. A stopper 73 that can move up and down is provided in the gap 33 between the conveyors 31 and 32. When the stopper 73 rises up in front of the individual package 4 being conveyed, the individual package 4 is temporarily stopped on the first conveyor 31. In addition, the gap between the individual package 4 blocked by the stopper 73 and another individual package 4 following it becomes smaller, and a congestion of the individual packages 4 occurs on the conveying path. In particular, the individual package 4 blocked by the stopper 73 collides with the individual package 4 following it, and this individual package 4 also stops on the conveying path.

[0050] 5, individual packages 4 of two different designs are conveyed alternately, and two individual packages 4 constitute one inspection unit. In this case, when an individual package 4 (A) stopped by the stopper 73 collides with another individual package 4 (B) and stops, the sensor 40 inspects these two individual packages 4 (A, B). At this time, the sensor 40 may inspect the two individual packages 4 (A, B) stopped by the stopper 73 as one inspection unit. In this inspection, if the arrangement order of the two individual packages 4 (A, B) is proper (for example, A, B), the individual packages 4 included in this one inspection unit are determined to be proper.

[0051] When the inspection by the sensor 40 is completed, the stopper 73 descends and the individual package 4(A) is released, and is conveyed by the second conveyor 32 of the conveying device 30. After releasing one individual package 4(A), the stopper 73 rises in front of the next individual package 4(B) that follows it, and temporarily stops this individual package 4(B). Since this individual package 4(B) has already been inspected as one inspection unit together with the previous individual package 4(A), inspection of this individual package 4(B) is not necessarily required. However, the inspection by the sensor 40 may be performed with this individual package 4(B) and the following another individual package 4(A) as one inspection unit. In this case, the order of the two individual packages 4 is appropriately B, A. In this way, the stopper 73 temporarily stops the individual packages 4 one by one. This makes it possible to maintain a constant interval between the individual packages 4 after the stopper 73.

[0052] FIG. 6 shows a fourth example of the jamming means using both the pusher 72 and the stopper 73 described above. In the example shown in FIG. 6, two different designs of individual packages 4 are conveyed alternately, and two individual packages 4 constitute one inspection unit. First, as shown in FIG. 6(a), the stopper 73 is raised in front of the individual package 4(A) being conveyed, and the individual package 4(A) is temporarily stopped on the first conveyor 31 by the stopper 73. In addition, the individual package 4(A) blocked by the stopper 73 is collided with by another individual package 4(B) following the individual package 4(A). Then, when the individual package 4(B) collides with the individual package 4(A) stopped by the stopper 73 and stops, the sensor 40 inspects these two individual packages 4(A, B). In this inspection, if the order of the two individual packages 4 (A, B) is correct (for example, A, B), the individual packages 4 included in this inspection unit are determined to be correct. Up to this point, it is the same as the third example shown in Figure 5.

[0053] 6(b), while stopper 73 rises to hold the leading individual package 4(A), pusher 72 pinches individual package 4(B) following this leading individual package 4(A) from the left and right. As a result, the leading individual package 4(A) is stopped by stopper 73, and at the same time, the following individual package 4(B) is also stopped by pusher 72.

[0054] 6(c), while the individual package 4(B) remains sandwiched between the pusher 72, the stopper 73 is lowered to release the leading individual package 4(A) and transport it downstream by the second conveyor 32 of the transport device 30. In this state, since the individual package 4(B) remains sandwiched between the pusher 72, this individual package 4(B) is not transported downstream together with the leading individual package 4(A).

[0055] 6(d), the stopper 73 is raised again while the pusher 72 continues to pinch the individual package 4(B). In this way, the pusher 72 continues to pinch the individual package 4(B) from the time the stopper 73 descends until it ascends again. This widens the gap between the individual package 4(A) and the individual package 4(B), so that the stopper 73 can be reliably inserted between these individual packages 4(A) and 4(B).

[0056] Finally, as shown in Fig. 6(e), after the stopper 73 has finished rising, the pusher 72 is retracted to release the individual package 4(B). The released individual package 4(B) is transported by the first conveyor 31 and reaches the stopper 73, which again temporarily stops the package 4(B). Thereafter, the process returns to the process shown in Fig. 6(a). In this manner, the processes shown in Figs. 6(a) to (e) are repeated.

[0057] Fig. 7 shows an application example in which there are three designs of individual packages 4. As shown in Fig. 7, in the conveying process, individual packages 4(A) of design A, individual packages 4(B) of design B, and individual packages 4(C) of design C are repeatedly conveyed in this order. Note that in the examples shown in Fig. 7, pusher 72 is used as the congestion means, but instead of pusher 72, the non-driven portion 71 (plate-shaped member) or stopper 73 described above can also be used.

[0058] As shown in FIG. 7(a), when there are three designs of individual packages 4, one individual package 4(A) may be stopped by a pusher 72 (jamming means), and then two more individual packages 4(B), 4(B) may be collided with it in a chain reaction, so that these three individual packages 4(A), 4(B), 4(C) are stopped on the conveying path. In this case, the three individual packages 4(A, B, C) are one inspection unit. In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), the three individual packages 4(A, B, C) included in this one inspection unit are inspected simultaneously or in order, and the designs are identified by the sensor 40. In this case, if the order of the three individual packages 4(A, B, C) included in one inspection unit is A, B, C, it can be said that the three individual packages 4(A, B, C) included in this one inspection unit are properly arranged. In this manner, in the example of FIG. 7(a), three individual packages 4 constitute one inspection unit, and the proper pattern is one in which the order of A, B, and C is repeated for each inspection unit.

[0059] In the example shown in FIG. 7(b), there are three designs of the individual packages 4, but one inspection unit consists of two individual packages 4. That is, an inspection is performed to check whether the arrangement order of the individual packages 4 is correct, two at a time. After stopping one individual package 4(A) by a pusher 72 (congestion means), the following individual package 4(B) is caused to collide in a chain reaction, and these two individual packages 4(A) and 4(B) are stopped on the conveying path. In this case, these two individual packages 4(A, B) become one inspection unit. In the example shown in FIG. 7(b), the two individual packages 4(A, B) included in this one inspection unit are inspected simultaneously or in order, and the design is identified by the sensor 40. At this time, if the arrangement order of the two individual packages 4(A, B) included in one inspection unit is A, B, it can be said that the arrangement order of the two individual packages 4(A, B) included in this one inspection unit is correct. Next, after the leading individual package 4(A) is released, the following individual package 4(B) is stopped again by the pusher 72, and the following individual package 4(C) is collided with it, and these two individual packages 4(B) and 4(C) are stopped on the conveying path. In this case, these two individual packages 4(B, C) are one inspection unit. Then, the two individual packages 4(B, C) included in this one inspection unit are inspected simultaneously or in order, and the designs are identified by the sensor 40. If the order of these is B, C, it can be said that the two individual packages 4(B, C) included in this one inspection unit are properly arranged. Similarly, after the leading individual package 4(B) is released, the following individual package 4(C) is stopped again by the pusher 72, and the following individual package 4(A) is collided with it, and these two individual packages 4(C) and 4(A) are stopped on the conveying path. In this case, these two individual packages 4 (C, A) constitute one inspection unit. The two individual packages 4 (C, A) included in this one inspection unit are inspected simultaneously or in sequence to identify their designs using the sensor 40. If the order of these packages is C, A, then the two individual packages 4 (C, A) included in this one inspection unit can be said to be properly arranged.In this manner, in the example of Figure 7(b), two individually packaged items 4 constitute one inspection unit, and the first inspection unit has the order A, B, the next inspection unit has the order B, C, and the final inspection unit has the order C, A, and this cycle is repeated to form the appropriate pattern.

[0060] In the example shown in Fig. 7(c), there are three different designs of the individual packages 4, and one inspection unit consists of two individual packages 4, but inspection by the sensor 40 is not performed every time the individual packages 4 are temporarily stopped by the pusher 72 (jamming means), but rather inspection by the sensor 40 is performed every other time the individual packages 4 are temporarily stopped by the pusher 72 (jamming means). That is, in the example of Fig. 7(C), two individual packages 4 are one inspection unit, and the first inspection unit is arranged in the order A, B, the next inspection unit is arranged in the order C, A, and the last inspection unit is arranged in the order B, C, and this cycle is repeated, which is the appropriate pattern.

[0061] 7(a) to (c) are merely examples, but such a method can also be used when there are three different designs of the individual packages 4. If the inspection is performed in a similar manner, it can also be used when there are four or more different designs of the individual packages 4.

[0062] Returning to FIG. 1, the description will be given. The individual packages 4 that have undergone the inspection process are introduced into the collective packaging machine 50 in the correct order. As described above, the individual packages 4 that are determined to be inappropriately arranged in the inspection process are removed from the conveying path by an excluding device (not shown) before being introduced into the collective packaging machine 50. The collective packaging machine 50 obtains a packaged product 6 by collectively packaging (packing) a plurality of individual packages 4 in one exterior body 5. As the exterior body 5, a transparent or semi-transparent resin film or the like is preferably used so that the design of the individual packages 4 therein can be visually recognized from the outside. At this time, the collective packaging machine 50 mechanically arranges the individual packages 4 in the order that they are introduced into the collective packaging machine 50, and then collectively packages the plurality of individual packages 4 in the exterior body 5. In the collective packaging machine 50, the order of the individual packages 4 is not basically changed in the collective packaging machine 50. For this reason, it is important to properly arrange the individual packages 4 before introducing them into the collective packaging machine 50. The collective packaging machine 50 can perform collective packaging after changing the orientation of the individual packages 4. Such collective packaging machines 50 are well known, and the one disclosed in Patent Document 4, for example, may be adopted.

[0063] 8 and 9 show an example of a packaged product 6 obtained by the collective packaging machine 50. In FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, it is assumed that the design types of the packages 2 of the individual packages 4 are two types, design A and design B, and one inspection unit to be inspected is two individual packages 4 (A, B). In FIG. 8 and FIG. 9, the longitudinal direction of the individual packages 4 in the packaged product 6 is indicated by the X axis, the height direction of the individual packages 4 is indicated by the Y axis, and the short side direction of the individual packages 4 is indicated by the Z axis, and these X axis, Y axis, and Z axis are a three-dimensional coordinate system that are mutually orthogonal. The X axis direction corresponds to the up-down direction, and the Y axis direction and Z axis direction correspond to the left-right direction. In addition, the dotted arrows shown in FIG. 8 and FIG. 9 indicate the order of the individual packages 4 introduced into the collective packaging machine 50.

[0064] The packaged product 6 shown in FIG. 8(a) is a packaged product in which five individual packages 4 (one package unit) are stacked in the Y-axis direction and packed in an exterior body 5. In this packaged product 6, individual packages 4(A) of design A and individual packages 4(B) of design B are stacked alternately. However, while there are two types of designs, this packaged product 6 has five individual packages 4 (i.e., an odd number) stacked, so the design of the individual package 4 in the bottom layer and the design of the individual package 4 in the top layer are the same. Also, as shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 8(a), the individual packages 4 constituting the packaged product 6 are introduced into the collective packaging machine 50 in order, for example, starting from the bottom layer (however, the order of introduction may be reversed). Therefore, according to this collective packaging machine 50, a packaged product 6 in which the bottom and top layers are individual packages 4(A) of design A and a packaged product 6 in which the bottom and top layers are individual packages 4(B) of design B are produced in order.

[0065] The packaged product 6 shown in FIG. 8(b) is a packaged product in which six individual packages 4 (one package unit) are stacked in the Y-axis direction and packed in an exterior body 5. In this packaged product 6, individual packages 4(A) of design A and individual packages 4(B) of design B are stacked alternately. There are two types of designs, and six individual packages 4 (i.e., three times the number of designs) are stacked in this packaged product 6, so the design of the individual packages 4 in the bottom layer is different from the design of the individual packages 4 in the top layer. In the example shown in FIG. 8(b), the individual packages 4(A) of design A are located in the bottom layer and the individual packages 4(B) of design B are located in the top layer, but the reverse is also possible. With this collective packaging machine 50, packaged products 6 in which the bottom layer and the top layer are individual packages 4 with the same design are repeatedly produced.

[0066] The packaged product 6 shown in FIG. 8(c) is a packaged product in which a total of 12 individual packages 4 (one package unit) are packed in an exterior body 5, with two rows formed in the X-axis direction, each row being made up of six individual packages 4 stacked in the Y-axis direction. In this packaged product 6, individual packages 4 (A) of design A and individual packages 4 (B) of design B are stacked alternately in each row. There are two types of designs, and the packaged product 6 has six individual packages 4 stacked in each row (i.e., three times the number of designs), so that the design of the individual package 4 in the bottom row is different from the design of the individual package 4 in the top row in each row. As shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 8(c), the individual packages 4 constituting the packaged product 6 are introduced into the collective packaging machine 50 in order, for example, with the bottom one in the first row at the front and the top one in the second row at the back. In this case, the collective packaging machine 50 first stacks the individual packages 4 introduced therein to form a first row of six tiers, and then stacks the individual packages 4 again from the beginning to form a second row of six tiers. In this case, the individual packages 4 belonging to the first row and the individual packages 4 belonging to the second row are stacked one above the other in the Y-axis direction, but are adjacent to each other in the X-axis direction. In the example shown in Fig. 8(c), in each row, the individual packages 4(A) with design A are located at the bottom and the individual packages 4(B) with design B are located at the top, but this can be reversed.

[0067] The packaged product 6 shown in FIG. 9(a) is a packaged product in which a total of 10 individual packages 4 (one package unit) are packed in an exterior body 5, with two rows formed in the X-axis direction, each row being formed of five individual packages 4 stacked in the Y-axis direction. In this packaged product 6, individual packages 4 (A) of design A and individual packages 4 (B) of design B are stacked alternately in each row. However, while there are two types of designs, this packaged product 6 has five individual packages 4 stacked (i.e., an odd number), so that the design of the individual package 4 in the bottom row and the design of the individual package 4 in the top row are the same in each row. Also, as shown by the dotted arrow in FIG. 9(a), the individual packages 4 constituting the packaged product 6 are introduced into the collective packaging machine 50 in order, for example, with the bottom one in the first row at the front and the top one in the second row at the back. In this case, the aggregate packaging machine 50 first stacks the individual packages 4 introduced therein to form a first row of five tiers, and then stacks the individual packages 4 again from the beginning to form a second row of five tiers. In this case, the individual packages 4 belonging to the first row and the individual packages 4 belonging to the second row are stacked one above the other in the Y-axis direction, and also have different designs next to each other when viewed in the X-axis direction. In this way, multiple individual packages 4 can be arranged in the packaged product 6 so that designs that differ are next to each other in the vertical (X-axis) and horizontal (Y-axis) directions.

[0068] The packaged product 6 shown in Fig. 9(b) is a modified example of the packaged product 6 in Fig. 9(a). In the packaged product 6 in Fig. 9(b), the arrangement of the individual packages 4 is the same as in the packaged product 6 in Fig. 9(a), but the orientation in which the multiple individual packages 4 are packaged in the exterior body 5 is different from that of the packaged product 6 in Fig. 9(a). That is, the packaged product 6 in Fig. 9(a) is packaged in the exterior body 5 so that the handle is located at the top in the Y-axis direction, whereas the packaged product 6 in Fig. 9(b) is packaged in the exterior body 5 so that the handle is located at the end in the X-axis direction. In this way, after the multiple individual packages 4 are arranged in the collective packaging machine 50, the direction from which the multiple individual packages 4 are packaged in the exterior body 5 can be adjusted as desired.

[0069] The packaged product 6 shown in FIG. 9(c) is a package in which a total of 10 individual packages 4 (one package unit) are packed in an exterior body 5, with two rows formed in the Z-axis direction, each row being formed by stacking five individual packages 4 in the Y-axis direction. In the example of FIG. 9(a) described above, the rows of stacked individual packages 4 are arranged in the X-axis direction (i.e., the longitudinal direction of the individual packages 4), but in the example of FIG. 9(c), the rows of stacked individual packages 4 are arranged in the Z-axis direction (i.e., the transverse direction of the individual packages 4). In this case, the individual packages 4 belonging to the first row and the individual packages 4 belonging to the second row are stacked up and down with different designs in the Y-axis direction, and are also adjacent to each other when viewed in the Z-axis direction. In this way, after forming rows of stacked individual packages 4 in the collective packaging machine 50, it is possible to arbitrarily select whether to arrange the rows in the X-axis direction or the Z-axis direction.

[0070] In the above, in order to express the contents of the present invention, the present specification has described the embodiments of the present invention with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments, and includes modifications and improvements that are obvious to a person skilled in the art based on the matters described in the present specification. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1... Original packaging 2... Packaging body 2a…Register mark 3…Package 4...Individually packaged items 5...Outer packaging 6...Packaged products 10...Carrying device 20...Individual packaging machine 21...Register mark sensor 22: Cutter 30: Conveyor device 31...First conveyor 32...Second conveyor 33: Gap 40: Sensor 50…Collection packaging machine 60…Unloading device 71...Non-driving part 72...Pusher 73...Stopper

Claims

1. an individual packaging step of cutting a packaging roll having a plurality of differently designed packaging bodies in series between the packaging bodies to obtain individual packaging bodies, and packaging one packaged item using one of the packaging bodies to obtain a plurality of individually packaged items; and a collective packaging step of packaging a plurality of the individual packages in one exterior body to obtain a packaged product. How packaging products are manufactured.

2. The packaged item is a sanitary paper bundle in which multiple sheets of sanitary paper are stacked. The method of claim 1 .

3. A register mark is provided on each of the packages, and the packaging roll is cut by detecting the register marks with a sensor to identify the gap between the packages. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a conveying step of conveying the individual packages having a plurality of different package designs along a predetermined conveying path between the individual packaging step and the collective packaging step; The method further includes an inspection step of inspecting whether the order of the individual packages during transportation is correct based on the design of the individual packages. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

5. a conveying step of continuously conveying the individual packages along a predetermined conveying path; a jamming step of temporarily stopping or slowing down at least one of the individual packages being conveyed, and jamming the individual packages following the stopped or slowed down individual package on the conveying path; The method further includes an inspection step of inspecting the individual packages for each inspection unit, the inspection unit being set to a predetermined number of two or more individual packages during the jam, The collective packaging step is a step of packaging the individual packages that have undergone the inspection into one packaging unit, the number of the individual packages being equal to or greater than one inspection unit, into one packaging unit, and packaging the individual packages into one packaging unit in one exterior body. The method according to claim 1 or 2.

6. In the conveying step, two or more types of the individual packages are conveyed in a predetermined pattern, In the inspection step, it is inspected whether or not a predetermined number of the individual packages are packed in a proper pattern corresponding to the predetermined pattern for each inspection unit. The method according to claim 5 .

7. In the jamming step, the individual packages are jammed on the conveying path so that the individual packages that have been stopped or decelerated are followed by individual packages of a different type, In the inspection step, it is inspected whether or not two of the individual packages of different types are jammed together for each inspection unit. The method according to claim 5 .

8. an area on the conveying path in which a non-driven section that does not actively convey the individual packages is provided between two driven sections that actively convey the individual packages downstream, In the jamming step, the individual packages are temporarily stopped or decelerated on the non-driving portion. The method according to claim 5 .

9. In the jamming step, at least one of the individual packages being conveyed is pinched laterally to temporarily stop the individual package. The method according to claim 5 .

10. In the jamming step, a stopper is raised in front of at least one of the individual packages being conveyed, thereby temporarily stopping the individual package. The method according to claim 5 .

11. The method further includes a step of removing the individual packages that are determined to be unsuitable by the inspection from the conveying path. The method according to claim 4 or 5.

12. A packaged product comprising a plurality of individual packages each formed by individually packaging a sanitary paper bundle in which a plurality of sanitary paper sheets are laminated, and an exterior body in which the plurality of individual packages are packaged, The plurality of individual packages includes two or more types of packages packaged in packages with different designs, The different types of individual packages are packaged in the exterior body in a state where they are arranged alternately up and down or side by side. packaging products.

13. The individual packages are packaged in the exterior body in a state where they are arranged in two or more layers, one above the other, and two or more rows, one below the other.

13. The packaging product of claim 12.

14. The individual packages are packaged in the exterior body in a state in which the individual packages of different types are arranged vertically and horizontally.

13. The packaging product of claim 12.

15. The plurality of individual packages are of two different designs, The plurality of individual packages are packaged in the exterior body in a state where two different designs are stacked one above the other in an odd number of layers and arranged in a row on the left and right.

13. The packaging product of claim 12.

16. The plurality of individual packages are of two different designs, The plurality of individual packages are stacked vertically in an odd number of layers with two different designs, arranged in two rows on the left and right, and packaged in the exterior body in such a manner that adjacent individual packages on the left and right have different designs.

13. The packaging product of claim 12.

17. The plurality of individual packages are made up of N types (N is an integer of 2 or more) of different designs, The plurality of individual packages are packaged in the exterior body in a state where they are stacked vertically in a number of stages that is M times N (M is an integer of 2 or more).

13. The packaging product of claim 12.

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