Vacuum skin pack packaging machine and vacuum skin pack packaging method

Abstract

To provide a vacuum skin pack packaging machine having a new shape provided with cutter means configured to cut a skin film from below, and to provide a vacuum skin pack packaging method.SOLUTION: A vacuum skin pack packaging machine 1 according to an embodiment covers a tray, on which an object to be packed is placed, with a skin film F and performs skin packaging to the tray T in a chamber. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine 1 includes: a first chamber 30 which incorporates a heater plate 31 therein; a second chamber 20 having cutter means 240 configured to cut the skin film F around the tray T from below after the skin packaging is performed; a vacuum pump 410 which evacuates a chamber formed by joining the first chamber 30 to the second chamber 20; and a push-up mechanism which is connected to the vacuum pump 410 and pushes up the cutter means 240 configured to cut the skin film F from below.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the present invention relate to a vacuum skin pack packaging machine and a vacuum skin pack packaging method.

Background Art

[0002] Vacuum packaging is a type of packaging that evacuates air from a packaging bag containing an object to be packaged and seals it. Vacuum packaging can prevent the deterioration of the contents and is widely used, for example, in the food industry and industrial fields.

[0003] As a type of such vacuum packaging, in recent years, skin packs using a vacuum skin pack packaging machine have become common. A vacuum skin pack packaging machine is a packaging form in which an object to be packaged typified by food is sandwiched between a film and a mount, and the space between them is tightly heat-bonded without any gaps to achieve complete sealing, that is, vacuum packaging. Since the vacuum skin pack packaging machine provides complete sealing, drips, which are moisture that comes out of food during food storage, are suppressed, and it is widely implemented as a technique for maintaining the freshness of food and extending its shelf life.

[0004] There is also known a vacuum skin pack packaging machine that can obtain a skin pack packaging bag that adheres strongly to the surface of a tray made of a foamed styrene pressure floating roller without causing aggregation breakdown, maintains the closed state without curling up during normal handling, and can be easily opened, and is also suitable for packaging electronically heated foods (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0005] There is also a skin pack packaging body manufacturing apparatus that manufactures a skin pack packaging body by interposing an object to be packaged between a base material and a heated film and evacuating the space between the base material and the film. The apparatus includes a heating unit that heats the film, a film conveyance unit that conveys the film from the heating unit, and a degassing unit that is located downstream of the heating unit in the film conveyance direction and evacuates the space between the base material and the film in a state where the object to be packaged is interposed between the heated film and the base material (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0006] In the prior art vacuum skin packager, since the heater and cutter were arranged in the upper plate shape, for example, if two skin packagings were to be performed simultaneously, it was necessary to divide the heater into two. Also, since the heater and cutter were arranged on the upper plate version, the structure became complicated. Furthermore, when changing the size of the skin pack product, it was necessary to change the heater and cutter according to the size, and it was necessary to prepare food trays of various varieties. Moreover, there were problems such as difficulty in aligning the upper cutter and the lower tray table.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0007]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0008] The problem to be solved by the invention is to provide a new-shaped vacuum skin packager and a vacuum skin packaging method provided with cutter means for cutting the skin film from below.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0009] The vacuum skin packager according to the embodiment is a vacuum skin packager that covers a tray on which an object to be packaged is mounted with a skin film and performs a skin pack on the tray in the chamber, and includes a first chamber having a heater plate built therein, and a second chamber having a cutter means for cutting the skin film around the tray from below after performing the skin pack, and a vacuum pump for evacuating the chamber formed by joining the first chamber to the second chamber, and a lifting mechanism connected to the vacuum pump for lifting the cutter means for cutting the skin film from below. The vacuum skin pack packaging method according to the embodiment is a vacuum skin pack packaging method of a vacuum skin pack packaging machine including a first chamber having a heater plate built therein, a second chamber having a cutter means for cutting the skin film around the tray from below after performing a skin pack on the tray on which the object to be packaged is placed in the chamber, and a vacuum pump for evacuating the first chamber and the second chamber, and covering the upper part of the second chamber with the skin film, joining the first chamber to the second chamber to form a chamber, energizing the heater plate, evacuating the chamber by the vacuum pump when the heater plate reaches the set temperature, and cutting the skin film around the tray from below by the cutter means when the skin film adheres closely to the tray.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0010]

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0011] Hereinafter, a vacuum skin packager and a vacuum skin packag ing method according to an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0012] (Overall Configuration) The configuration of the vacuum skin packager according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 12, and FIGS. 35 and 36. FIG. 1 shows a perspective view and a side view of the vacuum skin packager 1 with the upper chamber 30 in the raised state. FIG. 2 shows a perspective view and a side view of the vacuum skin packager 1 with the upper chamber 30 in the lowered state. The vacuum skin packager 1 according to the embodiment can use, as the work W to be packaged, not only foods such as meat (such as fish, beef, pork, chicken), vegetables, but also industrial products such as substrates, as well as processed foods, frozen foods, etc. That is, any item that can be skin-packed may be used. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the vacuum skin packager 1 includes a substantially rectangular housing 10 with a built-in vacuum pump 410 and the like inside. The outer dimensions of the housing 10 are, for example, W650 mm × D630 mm × H1400 mm.

[0013] The housing 10 is provided with a substantially box-shaped lower chamber 20 (also referred to as the lower chamber or the second chamber) that is open at the upper surface by an opening 201. The size of the lower chamber 20 is, for example, W440 mm × D340 mm × H40 mm. The size of the work to be skin-packed is, for example, W130 mm × D240 mm × H30 mm. The lower chamber 20 houses a tray table unit, and a tray T on which the work W to be skin-packed is placed can be set (placed) on the tray table unit. The size of the tray T is, for example, W170 mm × H280 mm.

[0014] In the embodiment, the lower chamber 20 is formed in a size that can set two trays T on which the work W to be packaged is placed, and it is possible to simultaneously skin-pack two works W. The number of trays T to be skin-packed may be designed according to the size of the vacuum skin packager 1.

[0015] The skin film F (for example, 485 mm in width) that packs the tray T on which the work W is mounted is a laminated film made of a resin material such as polyethylene, and it is particularly preferable that it has a barrier property. When the skin film F is heated at a predetermined temperature or higher (softening temperature) for a predetermined time, it softens, and at least one surface, specifically the surface facing the work W, becomes in a state where it can be attached to the work W and the tray T. In the vacuum skin packaging machine 1, for example, the skin film F with a softening temperature of 130 °C and a heating time of about 10 seconds is used. Examples of such a film include the skin packaging film manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation.

[0016] The tray T is a flat cardboard on which the work W is mounted, and it is preferably one having a barrier property similar to that of the skin film F. From the viewpoints of cost and heat insulation, as the tray T, a tray made of a resin material such as expanded polystyrene may be used, but a paper tray is preferable. Examples of such a tray include Green Flat (registered trademark) manufactured by Toppan Printing Co., Ltd.

[0017] An operation panel 11 is provided on the front surface of the housing 10. The operator of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 operates the start and end of the skin packaging by operating this operation panel 11. Also, the operating conditions of the skin packaging such as the vacuum conditions, heating time, and heating temperature can be set from the operation panel 11.

[0018] On both ends in the left - right direction on the upper surface on the back side of the housing 10, plate - like frames 12 are respectively provided so as to extend vertically and laterally. On the inner - side surfaces of the upper - end portions of the two frames 12, support frames 121 with their upper - end portions notched are respectively provided. The two support frames 121 have the rotation shafts of the film rolls FR around which the skin film F is wound so as to be wound - up rotatably inserted through their notched portions, and support them so as to be relatively rotatable. The skin film F is guided by a guide roller (not shown) provided on the back side of the lower chamber 20 and can be pulled out so as to cover the entire upper surface of the lower chamber 20.

[0019] Above the housing 10 and between the two frames 12, a substantially box-shaped upper chamber 30 (also referred to as the upper chamber or the first chamber) is provided. As shown in FIG. 3, a heater plate 31 is attached to the inner side (the surface facing the lower chamber) of the upper chamber 30. Note that FIG. 3 shows a state in which the inner surface of the heater plate 31 is upright so as to be visible. The heater plate 31 is formed, for example, in a substantially rectangular flat plate shape and is controlled to be energized by a control device 400 (see FIG. 13) described later. Since the heater plate 31 is heated to 100° C. or higher in a state adjacent to the skin film F, the skin film F can be softened.

[0020] A number of ventilation holes 32 are drilled in the heater plate 31 regularly. Air (atmosphere) supplied through a connecting pipe 34 attached to the back surface of the heater plate 31 jets out from the number of ventilation holes 32, and by pressing the heated skin film F from above (the opposing surface) with air and evacuating the lower chamber 20, the skin film F can be adhered to the packaged object (work) W of the tray T. Note that the connecting pipe 34 is connected to a vacuum pump 410 as described later and is used for evacuating the upper chamber 30. In addition, a rubber-like packing 33 is attached to the outer periphery of the four sides of the heater plate 31, which enhances the adhesion when the upper chamber 30 swings and overlaps on the lower chamber 20.

[0021] The upper chamber 30 is formed with dimensions in its front-rear direction and left-right direction corresponding to those of the lower chamber 20, and both end portions in the left-right direction are pivotally supported at one end of a plate-shaped swing frame 13 formed in a long shape. The other end of the swing frame 13 is pivotally supported with respect to the inner side surface of the frame 12. Thereby, the upper chamber 30 is swingable up and down about this axis while being supported by the swing frame 13. The upper chamber 30 can swing from the uppermost position shown in FIG. 1 to the lowermost position shown in FIG. 2, and its upper surface is configured to maintain horizontal during the swing.

[0022] The upper chamber 30 positioned at the lowermost position in FIG. 2 can airtightly close the opening 201 of the lower chamber 20, and in this state, the upper chamber 30 and the lower chamber 20 are closely joined to each other. That is, the lower chamber 20 and the upper chamber 30 function as lids for both. A handle 301 is provided on the front surface of the upper chamber 30, and by an operator gripping and moving up and down the handle 301, the lifting operation of the upper chamber 30 can be easily performed. Note that the lifting of the upper chamber 30 may be manual, or may be lifted according to the operation of the operation panel 11 by a control device 400 described later operating a driving device such as a motor.

[0023] Next, the internal configuration of the lower chamber 20 will be described. FIG. 4 shows a perspective view of a state where two cutter-integrated tray bases are stored in the lower chamber 20. (a) is a view showing a state where the pattern cutter 240 is not visible, and (b) is a view showing a state where the pattern cutter has risen. FIG. 5 is a view showing a state where a tray T on which a work piece (work) W is mounted is placed on a cutter-integrated tray unit stored in the lower chamber 20. FIG. 6 is a view showing A-A cross-sectional view and B-B cross-sectional view of the lower chamber 20 in a state where the pattern cutter 240 is not visible. FIGS. 7 and 8 are views showing A-A cross-sectional view and B-B cross-sectional view of the lower chamber 20 in a state where the pattern cutter 240 has risen. FIG. 9 is a view showing a perspective view, a top view, and a side cross-sectional view of the pattern cutter 240 attached to the cutter-integrated tray unit 210. FIG. 10 is a view showing a perspective view, a top view, and a side cross-sectional view of the cutter-integrated tray unit 210 in a state where the pattern cutter 240 is not visible. FIG. 11 is a view showing a perspective view, a top view, and a side cross-sectional view of the cutter-integrated tray unit 210 in a state where the pattern cutter 240 has risen. FIG. 12 is a view showing another embodiment of a cutter-integrated tray unit incorporating a cutter plate. FIG. 35 is a view showing an embodiment of an air pack 500 for raising and lowering a cutter plate 290 provided in the lower chamber 30. FIG. 36 is a view showing the attachment of the fixed block in FIG. 35.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 4, two cutter-integrated tray units 210 and 220 shown in FIG. 10 (FIG. 11) are stored in the lower chamber 20. That is, the lower chamber 20 is designed with a width in which two tray units 210 and 220 are provided side by side. Therefore, if a tray unit corresponding to the size of the work piece (work) W is prepared in advance, various skin packs can be manufactured with good workability simply by setting (exchanging) it in the lower chamber 20 in a cassette type.

[0025] Inside the tray units 210 and 220, a pattern cutter 240 for cutting the skin film F that adheres closely to the tray T is incorporated. And a cutter groove 230, which is a gap for the pattern cutter 240 to move up and down, is formed on the outer periphery of the placement area of the tray T of the tray units 210 and 220.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4(a), when the tray units 210 and 220 are stored in the lower chamber 20, the pattern cutter 240 is not visible. In the process of cutting the skin film F that adheres closely to the tray T during the skin pack operation, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the pattern cutter 240 pops out from the cutter groove 230 to cut the skin film F on the outer periphery of the tray T. The details of these skin pack operations will be described later.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 4(b), micro-adhesive members 250a to 250d may be attached to at least the outer periphery of the placement area (inner surface part 291b2 to be described later) of the tray T of the tray units 210 and 220 by means such as, for example, coating or pasting (for details, refer to FIG. 6 or FIG. 7). The micro-adhesive members 250a to 250d serve as weak fixing means when setting the tray T (paper pack) to be skin-packed on the tray units 210 and 220. Also, as shown in FIG. 4(a), micro-adhesive members 251a to 251d may be attached to the outer peripheral area (outer peripheral surface part 291b1 to be described later) sandwiching the cutter groove 230 (for details, refer to FIG. 7). In the operation of quickly pushing up (poking up) the pattern cutter 240 to cut the skin film F from below, there is a possibility that the skin film F that has been adhering closely to the tray T may lift up (peel off). By attaching the micro-adhesive members 251 to 251d, it is possible to prevent the lifting during the cutting operation. Note that the micro-adhesive members 250a to 250d and 251 to 251d are for attaching members (such as tapes, seals, sheets, etc.) having a weak adhesive force that can be gripped.

[0028] The anti-lifting means may be other configurations. For example, mushroom-shaped protrusions are attached to the film adhesion part so that the skin film F is caught. Also, holes may be made in the film adhesion part so that the skin film F is caught. Further, holes are made in the sheet metal that stands up in the direction perpendicular to the skin film F, and the skin films may adhere to each other when the film adheres to create a catch.

[0029] Furthermore, instead of the anti-lifting means, a suction cup may be attached to the film adhesion to provide means for holding the skin film F. The means for holding the skin film F may be to install a box with holes at the upper part of the film adhesion part, and after depressurization, the film and the tray T adhere to form an independent sealed space and be adsorbed by the vacuum state. These may also be applied as alternative means for the slightly adhesive members 260a to 260c (see Fig. 5) on the upper outer frame of the lower chamber 20 described later.

[0030] Fig. 5 shows a state in which the trays T with the workpieces (works) W placed on the tray units 210 and 220 are set. When the operator sets the tray T in the state shown in Fig. 5, the skin film F is pulled out to cover the upper side of the lower chamber 20. Then, the upper chamber 30 is moved as a lid to fit the lower chamber 20, and the skin packing operation is started. As shown in Fig. 5, a region for attaching the slightly adhesive members 260a to 260c may be provided on the upper outer frame of the lower chamber 20. When the upper side of the lower chamber 20 is covered with the skin film F by these slightly adhesive members 260a to 260c, the skin film F can be fixed so as not to move, thus preventing wrinkles from occurring in the skin film F and enabling the skin packing operation to be performed smoothly.

[0031] Fig. 6 shows a cross-sectional view taken along line A-A and a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of the lower chamber 20 in a state where the pattern cutter 240 is in a fixed position (state at the time of setting). On the bottom surface of the lower chamber 20, connection pipes 270 and 275 for evacuating the lower chamber 20 by a vacuum pump 410 and raising the pattern cutter 240 are connected corresponding to the tray base units 210 and 220. Also, on the bottom surface of the lower chamber 20, reinforcing frames 280 and 285 for reinforcing the strength of the lower chamber 20 are attached. When the vacuuming process of the skin pack starts, the air in the lower chamber 20 is evacuated (depressurized) by the vacuum pump 410 through the connection pipes 270 and 275. As a result, the heated and softened skin film F is air-pressed from above the upper chamber 30, and at the same time, the lower chamber 20 is evacuated, so the skin film F is attracted to the tray T side and adheres closely.

[0032] FIG. 7 shows the shape of the lower chamber 20 in a state where the pattern cutter 240 is pushed up (cutting operation), its A-A cross-sectional view, and FIG. 8 shows its B-B cross-sectional view. In the cutting process of the skin pack, the pattern cutter 240 pops out from the cutter groove 230 and cuts the skin film F. That is, the air from the vacuum pump 410 is sent through the connection pipes 270 and 275, and the cutter plates 290 and 295 to which the pattern cutter 240 is attached are quickly pushed up, so that the outer periphery of the tray T of the adhered skin film F can be cut. When the operation of the vacuum pump 410 is stopped after the cutting operation, the cutter plates 290 and 295 return to the fixed positions shown in FIG. 6 by the spring coils described later.

[0033] FIG. 9 shows a perspective view, a top view, an A-A cross-sectional view, and a B-B cross-sectional view of the cutter plate 290. Here, the cutter plate 290 is described, but the cutter plate 295 also has the same shape. The cutter plate 290 cuts the skin film F around the periphery of the tray T to manufacture a finished product of one skin pack. Therefore, the cutter plate 290 has an inner box shape with an upward blade portion for cutting the outer periphery of the tray T.

[0034] The pattern cutter 240 may be an integral (annular) cutter with a blade formed at its upward tip, or it may be a cutter formed by connecting cutter parts with standard cutters arranged on four sides. For example, as a standard cutter, a replacement blade of a stationery cutter knife (about 10 mm wide) may be arranged without gaps on the outer periphery of the cutter plate 290. When the cutting edge of the replacement blade becomes dull, only the blade at that location needs to be replaced, so the operation is simple. Also, it can accommodate various sizes. Inside the cutter plate 290, intake parts 290a to 290d (for example, four locations) connected to the vacuum pump 410 are provided. When the vacuum pump 410 is operated to evacuate the lower chamber 20, the air in the lower chamber 20 is degassed from the intake parts 290a to 290d.

[0035] FIG. 10 shows a perspective view, a top view, an A-A cross-sectional view, and a B-B cross-sectional view of a cutter-integrated tray table unit 210 incorporating the cutter plate 290 of FIG. 9. Here, the tray table unit 210 will be described, but the tray table unit 220 has the same shape. The tray table unit 210 has a bottom plate 291a, a top plate 291b, and a plurality of support columns 291c connecting the bottom plate 291a and the top plate 291b. The plurality of support columns 291c ensure the height of the cutter plate 290. The top plate 291b has an outer peripheral surface portion 291b1 located outside the cutter groove 230 and an inner surface portion 291b2 inside the cutter groove 230. That is, the outer peripheral surface portion 291b1 and the inner surface portion 291b2 are adjacent via the cutter groove 230, and their four corners are screwed. The inner surface portion 291b2 serves as the placement surface for the tray T. With the inner surface portion 291b2 removed, the cutter plate 290 is inserted and the inner surface portion 291b2 is attached, and the cutter-integrated tray table unit 210 is completed.

[0036] For the screws at the four corners for attaching the inner surface portion 291b2, support columns are attached to the bottom surface of the cutter plate 290, and spring coils 292a to 292d are inserted into the support columns. Due to the action of the spring coils 292a to 292d, the pushed-up cutter plate 290 can be returned to its fixed position.

[0037] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a perspective view, a top view, and a side cross-sectional view of the cutter-integrated tray base unit 210 with the cutter plate 290 pushed up. Here, the tray base unit 210 will be described, but the tray base unit 220 also has the same shape. The bottom of the tray base unit 210 is connected to the vacuum pump 410 via a pipe 270 (see FIG. 6). A three-way solenoid valve 340, which will be described later, is provided between the vacuum pump 410 and the pipe 270, and an operation of quickly pushing up (punching up) the cutter plate 290 is executed according to its opening and closing operation. In the operation of pushing up the cutter plate 290, the blade portion is pushed up from the cutter groove 230 to a position higher than the surface of the inner surface portion 291b2 (for example, about 10 mm). Thereby, the closely attached skin film F around the tray T can be cut. The height position of the cutter plate 290 is regulated by the spring coils 292a to 292d. When the operation of the vacuum pump 410 is stopped, the tray base unit 210 returns to its fixed position due to the action of the spring coils 292a to 292d.

[0038] FIG. 12 shows another embodiment of the cutter-integrated tray base unit incorporating the cutter plate 290. (a) is a perspective view of the tray base unit 300 of another embodiment, (b) is a top view of the same tray base unit 300, (c) is its cross-sectional view taken along the line A - A, (d) is its cross-sectional view taken along the line B - B, and (e) is an enlarged view of the up-and-down mechanism of the guide pin. As shown in Fig. 12, guide pins 310a to 310d are provided at the four corners of the tray unit 300 with a predetermined height (for example, 5 to 8 mm) from the horizontal plane of the tray unit 300. And, as shown in Fig. 12(b), the guide pins 310a to 310d serve as a guidance when placing the tray T on which the work (package) W is mounted on the tray unit 300. The operator can place the tray T inside the guide pins 310a to 310d at the four corners, so the workability is good.

[0039] And, as shown in Figs. 12(c) and (e), a spring coil 320 is attached between the horizontal plane 300a of the tray unit 300 and the fixing part 330 at the lower part of the support shaft that constitutes each of the guide pins 310a to 310d. Therefore, each of the guide pins 310a to 310d is configured to descend to the horizontal plane 300a of the tray unit 300 by the pressing by the skin film.

[0040] Each of the guide pins 310a to 310d can achieve the purpose when used as a guidance when placing the tray T, but it becomes an obstacle in the operation of closely adhering with the skin film F from above the tray T. In this tray unit 300, when the skin film F is pressed by the wind pressure from the many ventilation holes 32 of the heater plate 31, each of the guide pins 310a to 310d descends (retracts) to the horizontal plane 300a of the tray unit 300, so it has a shape that does not become an obstacle in the skin packing operation. When the skin film F is cut by the pattern cutter 240 and the tray T is taken out, the tips of each of the guide pins 310a to 310d return to a predetermined height position.

[0041] Fig. 35 shows an embodiment of the air pack 500 that raises and lowers the cutter plate 290 provided in the lower chamber 20. Fig. 35(a) shows the shape when the air pack 500 is not inflated, and Fig. 35(b) shows the shape when the air pack 500 is inflated. As shown in Fig. 35, an air pack 500 is provided under the tray unit 210. For the air pack 500, for example, a pressure-resistant hose-shaped one obtained by cutting a fire hose short is used. On the air pack 500, a cutter plate 290 to which a pattern cutter 240 is attached to the outer periphery is placed via an intermediate plate 510. Further, fixing blocks 520 and 530 are provided as height limiting means so that the intermediate plate 510 cannot be pushed up beyond a predetermined height.

[0042] And the tray unit 210 is connected to a vacuum pump 410 via a three-way solenoid valve (see Fig. 17). In the process of manufacturing a skin pack, the lower chamber 20 that houses the tray unit 210 is depressurized to a predetermined value using the vacuum pump 410. During the decompression in the lower chamber 20, as shown in Fig. 35(a), the air pack 500 has not yet inflated. When the decompression in the lower chamber 20 progresses and at the timing of the cutting operation of the skin film F by the pattern cutter 240, the atmosphere valve of the three-way solenoid valve is opened. Then, air is sent into the tray unit 210, and due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the air pack 500, the air pack 500 expands and pushes up the cutter plate 290 and the cutter pattern 240 together with the intermediate plate 510. Thereby, the skin film F can be cut at the outer periphery of the tray T.

[0043] Fig. 36 shows an attachment view of the fixing blocks 520 and 530 which are height limiting means, and shows the shape visible when the tray unit 210 is removed from the lower chamber 20. Since the fixing blocks 520 and 530 are fixed to four fixing columns 540 whose heads are nut-fixed, the vertical movement height width of the intermediate plate 510 provided inside thereof is limited. Thereby, the height to which the cutter plate 290 is pushed up is limited by the fixing blocks 520 and 530.

[0044] Even when the cutter plates 290, 295 and the cutter pattern 240 are lifted up and down using the air pack 500 in this way, by providing the fixed blocks 520, 530, the pattern cutter 240 will not be lifted more than necessary (it will only rise by the amount required for cutting), so the safe operation of the operator can be ensured. Also, as long as the lower chamber 20 is not depressurized (i.e., when the lid is closed), a situation where the pattern cutter 240 pops out will not occur, so the safe operation of the operator can also be ensured during the installation of the tray T and the removal operation of the tray T.

[0045] Figure 13 is a block diagram showing the control system of the vacuum skin packager 1. The control device 400 that controls the overall control of the vacuum skin packager 1 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 403 and a memory used as the working area of the CPU 403, and a storage device 406 that stores various programs of the vacuum skin packager 1 and set values of various vacuum packaging conditions (decompression standby time, degree of vacuum, heater temperature, softening time, etc.), and an IF (InterFace) circuit 409 that performs input / output processing of each signal, etc.

[0046] The control device 400 is connected via the IF circuit 409 to the above-described operation panel 11, heater plate 31, vacuum pump 410, upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420, upper chamber release solenoid valve 425, lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430, lower chamber soft release solenoid valve 435, cutter drive solenoid valve 440, temperature sensor 450, lock mechanism 460, pressure sensor 470, cut heater 480, notification unit 490 so that signals from each device can be input and / or control signals for operating and controlling each device can be output.

[0047] The temperature sensor 450 here detects the temperature of the heater plate 31. The lock mechanism 460 locks the upper chamber 30 so that it cannot be separated, that is, it cannot rise, when the upper chamber 30 is positioned at the lowest position and closes the opening 201 of the lower chamber 20. The lock mechanism 460 is configured to maintain the lock in a non-energized state and release the lock when energized. The locking method is appropriate, and for example, a solenoid lock in a latch mechanism may be used. The pressure sensor 470 detects the vacuum pressure in the lower chamber 20 and the upper chamber 30.

[0048] The cut heater 480 melts and cuts the skin film F unwound from the film roll FR by sandwiching it from above and below with the contact terminals generating heat at a high temperature by pressure and heat. Note that it is not limited to melting and cutting, and it may be configured to cut with a cutter blade. The notification unit 490 notifies the operator that the skin pack is completed. The notification unit 490 is preferably configured as a buzzer, but may also be configured as a lamp and blink.

[0049] The vacuum pump 410 is connected to the intake flow paths that communicate with the lower chamber 20 and the upper chamber 30 respectively (see FIG. 17). The upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415 is provided in the intake flow path between the upper chamber 30 and the vacuum pump 410, and allows / releases the fluid connection between the upper chamber 30 and the vacuum pump 410. That is, the inside of the upper chamber 30 is evacuated through this solenoid valve 415. The upper chamber opening soft solenoid valve 420 is provided between the upper chamber 30 and the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, and softly opens the upper chamber 30 to a set value during soft opening and adhesion. The upper chamber opening solenoid valve 425 is provided between the upper chamber 30 and the upper chamber opening soft solenoid valve 420, and opens the upper chamber 30 to 20% to the atmosphere to completely adhere the skin film F.

[0050] The lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 is provided in the intake air flow path between the lower chamber 20 and the vacuum pump 410, and permits / releases the fluid connection between the lower chamber 20 and the vacuum pump 410. That is, the inside of the lower chamber 20 is evacuated through this solenoid valve 430. The lower chamber opening solenoid valve 435 is a solenoid valve provided between the lower chamber 20 and the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 via a vacuum release branch flow path provided in the intake air flow path. When this solenoid valve 435 is opened, the inside of the lower chamber 20 can be returned from the depressurized state to the atmospheric pressure. The cutter drive solenoid valve 440 is a three-way solenoid valve and is used when driving the cutter plates 290 and 295. In the evacuation operation of the lower chamber 20, the space between the lower chamber and the vacuum pump 410 becomes "open" and evacuation is similarly performed. Then, when the pattern cutting process is reached, the vacuum pump side valve of the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 is "closed" and the atmosphere side valve is "opened", and the cutter plates 290 and 295 are quickly pushed up (lifted).

[0051] FIG. 14 shows an example of the display during the operation of the operation panel 11. The operation panel 11 is composed of, for example, a touch panel display. The operation panel 11 is provided with "operation mode" buttons and "stop mode" buttons of the vacuum skin packager 1, and the power ON / OFF is set. Also, a plurality of course setting buttons are prepared, and the operation mode (courses 1 to 4) can be selected and set according to the skin pack target product. The temperature of the heater plate 31 during operation and the vacuum pressures in the lower chamber 20 and the upper chamber 30 are displayed so as to be monitorable. Also, in accordance with the process transition during operation, the transition state is displayed in the order of "warm 1" ⇒ "warm 2" ⇒ "upper and lower vacuum" ⇒ "adhesion release" ⇒ "cut", and the operation states in the lower chamber 20 and the upper chamber 30 are displayed. FIG. 14 shows that the operation has reached the "warm 2" process.

[0052] (Device Operation) Next, the vacuum skin pack packaging method according to the present embodiment will be described. FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing the control of the vacuum skin packager 1 by the control device 400. FIG. 16 is a timing chart showing the operating states of the heater plate 31, the vacuum pump 410, the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber open solenoid valve 425, the upper chamber soft open solenoid valve 420, the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430, the lower chamber soft open solenoid valve 435, and the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 in each control step. FIGS. 17 to 34 show the operating states of the vacuum skin packager 1 in each step. In the timing chart of FIG. 16, the horizontal bar indicates the operating state or the open state of the solenoid valve. Also, in FIGS. 17 to 34, the lifting and lowering control of the cutter plate 290 by the airbag 500 shown in FIG. 35 is performed. Hereinafter, the operation of the vacuum skin packager 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 13 to 36.

[0053] The vacuum skin packager 1 according to the present embodiment is set to execute, by default, a skin pack process with reduced rated power consumption as described below as a processing operation. Here, it is assumed that various vacuum packaging conditions, heater temperatures, etc. have been set to predetermined set values in advance by the administrator of the vacuum skin packager 1. Also, it is assumed that a tray T on which the object to be packaged W is placed in advance has been prepared.

[0054] FIG. 17 shows a state in which the cutter-integrated tray table units 210 and 220 adapted to the tray T of the skin pack target product, for example, food, are stored in the lower chamber 20. At this point, the vacuum pump 410 is not operating, but the control device 400 controls, by default control, the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber soft open solenoid valve 420, and the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 to be "closed", the upper chamber open solenoid valve 425 to be "closed", and the lower chamber soft open solenoid valve 435 and the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to be "closed". Note that the "closed" state of the three-way cutter drive solenoid valve 440 represents the atmosphere-side valve, and the space between the vacuum pump 410 and the lower chamber 20 is "open".

[0055] When the operator turns on the power and changes the film roll FR around which the skin film F is wound (S100 in FIG. 15), the film roll FR around which the skin film F to be changed is wound is set on the support frame 121 (S102 in FIG. 15). Then, a course suitable for the skin film F to be used is selected from the operation panel 11 (S104 in FIG. 15). When the course selection operation is completed or when there is no change in the skin film F, the operator presses the "operation mode" button on the operation panel 11. In response to this operation, the control device 400 commands the heater plate 31 to heat, and the heating is started (S105 in FIG. 15).

[0056] At this time, the control device 400 heats the heater plate 31 while acquiring the measured temperature from the temperature sensor 450 until the heater plate 31 reaches the set temperature, and when the set temperature is reached, performs control to repeatedly turn the heater plate 31 on and off to maintain that temperature (period T1 in FIG. 16). When the heater plate 31 reaches the set temperature, the control device 400 operates the vacuum pump 410. The vacuum pump 410 maintains the operating state until the pattern cutting process is completed thereafter (periods T2 - T10 in FIG. 16).

[0057] FIG. 18 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 when the heater plate 31 is turned on (T1 in FIG. 16). In FIG. 18, the vacuum pump 410 has not yet started operating, and the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420, and the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 remain closed in their default states.

[0058] FIG. 19 shows the state of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 with the tray T on which the work piece (work) W is placed placed on the tray units 210, 220 of the lower chamber 20. When the operator needs to change the tray (Yes in S106 of FIG. 15), the operator reinstalls the tray units 210 and 220 according to the tray T to be changed (S108 of FIG. 15). Then, the operator selects the tray T to be used (S110 of FIG. 15) and sets the tray T loaded with the work piece W to be skin-packed at the defined positions of the tray units 210 and 220 (S112 of FIG. 15). Each solenoid valve in FIG. 19 is in the same state as in FIG. 18.

[0059] Next, the operator covers the lower chamber 20 with the skin film F (S114 of FIG. 15). FIG. 20 shows the state of the vacuum skin-packaging machine 1 with the skin film F covering the upper part of the lower chamber 20 without wrinkles. The operator unwinds the skin film F from the film roll FR, pulls it downward, then pulls it forward (toward the operator), and closes the opening 201 of the lower chamber 20 with the pulled skin film F. As a result, the skin film F and the work piece W are arranged in a shape facing each other. In FIG. 20, the film roll FR is simply illustrated beside the lower chamber 20.

[0060] Next, the operator lowers the upper chamber 30 to closely adhere to cover the opening 201 of the lower chamber 20, specifically, to adhere through the skin film F (S116 of FIG. 15). At this time, the close adhesion of the upper chamber 30 and the lower chamber 20 activates a limit switch (not shown), and accordingly, the locking mechanism 460 operates to prevent the upper chamber 30 from separating upward from the lower chamber 20, that is, to lock it to maintain the close adhesion state.

[0061] The control device 400 turns off the heater plate 31 by the operation of the limit switch. Then, it operates the vacuum pump 410 to start evacuation (S116 in FIG. 15). Further, it operates the cut heater 480 to cut the skin film F behind the lower chamber 20 (S118 in FIG. 15). Since the heater plate 31 is turned off at this stage, power consumption can be reduced. The temperature of the heater plate 31 is maintained in a well-closed state in the upper chamber 30, so almost the same temperature is maintained during the operation of the skin pack.

[0062] FIG. 21 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packager 1 that evacuates by the vacuum pump 410 and cuts the skin film F by the cut heater 480. As shown in FIG. 21, when the evacuation by the vacuum pump 410 is started, the control device 400 opens the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, closes the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420, closes the upper chamber release solenoid valve 425, opens the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430, closes the lower chamber soft release solenoid valve 435, and controls the atmospheric side valve of the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to be closed (period T2 in FIG. 16).

[0063] After the descent of the upper chamber 30, the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420 and the upper chamber release solenoid valve 425 are blocked, and the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415 is opened, so the inside of the upper chamber 30 is depressurized and evacuation is performed. Similarly, the lower chamber soft release solenoid valve 435 and the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 are blocked, and the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 is opened, so the inside of the lower chamber 20 is depressurized and evacuation is performed. The control device 400 performs evacuation until the lower chamber 20 and the upper chamber 30 are depressurized by, for example, 20% after the descent of the upper chamber 30. When it reaches this state, the packing 33 on the inner outer periphery of the upper chamber 30 is in a state where it has completely sunk, so the cutting heater 480 is activated to cut the skin film F. As a cutter means for the skin film F supplied from the roll film RF, a receiving groove between the cutter and the presser of the skin film F may be formed, and the cutter may be adjusted to a dimension capable of cutting the skin film F by the amount of sinking of the chamber packing.

[0064] Next, when the control device 400 has evacuated (depressurized) the lower chamber 20 and the upper chamber 30 to 20% respectively, it stops the evacuation (S120 in FIG. 15). Then, it preheats the skin film F (S122 in FIG. 15). FIG. 22 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packager 1 when the skin film F is being preheated. As shown in FIG. 22, in the preheating process of the skin film F, the control device 400 closes the atmosphere side valve of the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 and controls all the solenoid valves to be "closed" (period T3 in FIG. 16). By introducing this preheating process of the skin film F, it is possible to prevent the formation of holes when the skin film F is heated.

[0065] Next, the control device 400 performs pre-stretching of the skin film F (S124 in FIG. 15). FIG. 23 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packager 1 when the skin film F is being pre-stretched. As shown in FIG. 23, in the pre-stretching process of the skin film F, the control device 400 opens the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 and controls all the other solenoid valves to be "closed" (period T4 in FIG. 16). That is, by evacuating only the lower chamber 20, the skin film F can be inflated in a dome shape downward. By introducing this pre-stretching process of the skin film F, the skin film F is slowly stretched downward, so that the generation of wrinkles can be suppressed and the close contact followability can be improved.

[0066] When the upper chamber 30 is opened to the atmosphere, if a valve with a reduced orifice diameter is used for the upper chamber soft opening solenoid valve 420, the skin film F can be slowly inflated toward the lower chamber 20 side, thereby suppressing the rapid stretching of the skin film F and making it less likely to form holes. Alternatively, close the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415 to stop the decompression of the upper chamber 30 and allow the film to slowly expand downward. By slowly inflating the skin film F downward in this way, the rapid stretching of the skin film F can be suppressed and it becomes less likely to form holes.

[0067] Next, the control device 400 performs heating of the skin film F and evacuation of the upper chamber 30 (S126 in FIG. 15). FIG. 24 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 when the skin film F is being heated and the upper chamber 30 is being evacuated. As shown in FIG. 24, in this step, the control device 400 sets the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415 and the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 to "open", and the upper chamber soft opening solenoid valve 420, the upper chamber opening solenoid valve 425, the lower chamber soft opening solenoid valve 435 to "closed", and controls the atmosphere side valve of the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to be "closed" (period T5 in FIG. 16). As a result, the lower chamber 20 and the upper chamber 30 are evacuated to the set value. As a result, the skin film F that has become dome-shaped as shown in FIG. 23 returns to its original position. Then, the skin film F is heated again by the heat plate 31 that maintains a high temperature state.

[0068] Next, the control device 400 stops the evacuation of the upper chamber 30 and performs additional evacuation of the lower chamber 20 (S130 in FIG. 15). Figure 25 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 when the evacuation of the upper chamber 30 is stopped and the lower chamber 20 is additionally evacuated. As shown in Figure 25, in this process, the control device 400 opens the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 and controls the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420, the upper chamber release solenoid valve 425, and the lower chamber soft release solenoid valve 435 to be closed, and controls the atmosphere side valve of the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to be closed (period T6 in Figure 16). As a result, the evacuation of the upper chamber 30 stops and the lower chamber 20 enters an additional evacuation state, so the skin film F descends toward the lower chamber 20. By introducing the additional evacuation process for the lower chamber, it is possible to prevent the skin film F from having holes.

[0069] Next, the control device 400 softly releases the upper chamber 30 and slowly adheres the skin film F to the tray T (S132 in Figure 15). Figure 26 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 when the upper chamber 30 is softly released and the skin film F is slowly adhered to the tray T. As shown in Figure 26, in this process, the control device 400 opens the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420 and the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430, closes the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber release solenoid valve 425, the lower chamber soft release solenoid valve 435, and controls the atmosphere side valve of the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to be closed (period T7 in Figure 16).

[0070] As a result, with the evacuation of the upper chamber 30 stopped and only the lower chamber 20 being evacuated, the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420 is opened, so the outside air (a small amount of atmosphere) flowing in from the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420 is blown out from the many ventilation holes 32 of the heater plate 31 in the upper chamber 30 toward the skin film F. As a result, the skin film F can be slowly adhered to the tray T. By softly releasing the upper chamber 30 and introducing a process of slowly adhering the skin film F to the tray T, it is possible to prevent the formation of holes in the skin film F.

[0071] Next, when the control device 400 determines from the measured value of the pressure sensor 470a that the upper chamber 30 has been softly released to, for example, 20% atmospheric release (S134 in FIG. 15), it fully adheres the skin film F (S136 in FIG. 15). FIG. 27 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 when the skin film F is fully adhered. As shown in FIG. 27, in this process, the control device 400 sets the upper chamber opening solenoid valve 425 and the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 to "open", and the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420, the lower chamber soft release solenoid valve 435 to "closed", and the atmospheric side valve of the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to "closed" for control (period T7 in FIG. 16).

[0072] As a result, following step S134, the vacuum pumping of the upper chamber 30 stops, and in a state where only the lower chamber 20 is being vacuum pumped, the upper chamber opening solenoid valve 425 is opened. Thus, the outside air (atmosphere) flowing in from the upper chamber opening solenoid valve 425 is blown out from the numerous ventilation holes 32 of the heater plate 31 of the upper chamber 30 toward the skin film F. The outside air flowing in from the upper chamber opening solenoid valve 425 is in a larger amount than the outside air flowing in from the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420 in step S134. As a result, the skin film F can be fully adhered to the tray T.

[0073] Next, the control device 400 executes a pre-pattern cut wait until the adhesion of the skin film F stabilizes. Figure 28 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 until the adhesion of the skin film F becomes stable. As shown in Figure 28, in this process, the control device 400 opens the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 and controls the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420, the upper chamber release solenoid valve 425, the lower chamber soft release solenoid valve 435 to be closed, and the atmospheric side valve of the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to be closed (period T8 in Figure 16).

[0074] As a result, with the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420 opened in step S136 being closed, the adhesion of the skin film F waits for stability. Due to this waiting, the skin film F can be cooled slightly.

[0075] Next, the control device 400 pattern cuts the outer peripheral film of the tray T to which the skin film F is adhered (S138 in Figure 15). Figure 29 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packaging machine 1 when cutting the outer peripheral film of the tray T. As shown in Figure 29, in this process, the control device 400 controls the opening and closing of the same solenoid valves as in step S136 (the lower chamber 20 continues to be in a vacuum state), and controls the connection between the atmospheric side and the lower chamber 20 of the three-way cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to be open (period T9 in Figure 16).

[0076] As a result, the outside air flowing in from the three-way cutter drive solenoid valve 440 is guided to the tray table units 210 and 220 of the lower chamber 20, and due to the pressure difference inside and outside the air pack 500, the air pack 500 expands to a predetermined size. Due to the expansion of the air pack 500, the cutter plates 290 and 295 and the cutter pattern 240 built in the tray table units 210 and 220 are pushed up. As a result, the outer peripheral film of the tray T to which the skin film F is adhered is cut by the cutter pattern 240.

[0077] FIG. 29 illustrates a configuration in which the airbag 500 is inflated and pushed up by opening the atmosphere valve of the three-way cutter drive solenoid valve 440 during cutter operation. However, for example, any mechanism that directly jets air upward from below to quickly push up the cutter plates 290 and 295 is acceptable without particular limitation. Alternatively, as a pattern cutter, a heating wire may be arranged in the shape of the tray cut of the cutter plates 290 and 295, and after skin packing, an electric current may be passed to generate heat to melt the skin film F.

[0078] Next, the control device 400 stores the pushed-up cutter plates 290 and 295 (S140 in FIG. 15). FIG. 30 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packing machine 1 when storing the pushed-up cutter plates 290 and 295. As shown in FIG. 30, in this step, the control device 400 sets the opening and closing control state of the same solenoid valve as in step S136 (the lower chamber 20 continues to be in a vacuum state), but the atmosphere side of the three-way cutter drive solenoid valve 440 shown in FIG. 30 is set to "closed", and the control is such that the space between the lower chamber 20 and the vacuum pump 410 is "opened" (period T10 in FIG. 16). Thereby, the inside of the airbag is evacuated, and by the action of the spring coils 292a to 292d shown in FIG. 11, the cutter plates 290 and 295 can be stored in their original positions.

[0079] Next, when the control device 400 confirms the storage of the cutter plates 290 and 295, it releases the upper chamber 30 and the lower chamber 20 to the atmosphere (S142 in FIG. 15). FIG. 31 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin packing machine 1 when releasing the upper chamber 30 and the lower chamber 20 to the atmosphere. As shown in FIG. 31, in this step, the control device 400 stops the vacuum pump 410, closes the upper chamber soft release solenoid valve 420, and opens all other solenoid valves. However, the atmosphere side of the three-way cutter drive solenoid valve 440 is controlled to be "closed" (period T11 in FIG. 16).

[0080] As a result, the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber open solenoid valve 425, the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430, the lower chamber soft open solenoid valve 435, and the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 are opened, so that the residual pressure up to the vacuum pump 410 can be released. As a result, the same skin pack can be repeatedly executed in the same set state. Then, the control device 400 turns on the heater plate 31 for the next skin pack at this stage.

[0081] Next, the control device 400 opens the upper chamber 30 that serves as a lid (S144 in FIG. 15). FIG. 32 shows the operating state of the vacuum skin pack packaging machine 1 when the upper chamber 30 that serves as a lid is opened. As shown in FIG. 32, in this step, the control device 400 controls the upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve 415, the upper chamber soft open solenoid valve 420, and the lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 430 to be “closed” while maintaining the state where the vacuum pump 410 is stopped, and the upper chamber open solenoid valve 425, the lower chamber soft open solenoid valve 435, and the cutter drive solenoid valve 440 to be “open”. However, the atmosphere side of the three-way cutter drive solenoid valve 440 is controlled to be “closed” (period T12 in FIG. 16). As a result, a form can be formed in which the tray T on which the work piece (work) W shown in FIG. 19 is mounted is set on the tray table units 210 and 220. As a result, the next skin pack can be prepared. Note that it is preferable to use a gas spring or the like for the operation of opening the upper chamber 30 that serves as a lid.

[0082] As shown in FIG. 33, the operator takes out the tray T skin-packed from the lower chamber 20. Finally, as shown in FIG. 34, the skin film F remaining inside and outside the lower chamber 20 is removed. The opening and closing states of the solenoid valves in FIGS. 33 and 34 are the same as those in FIG. 32. When the operator continues to place the tray T on which the next spin pack is to be performed on the tray table units 210 and 220, the above-described respective steps can be immediately carried out.

[0083] According to the vacuum skin packager of the embodiment described above, since the cutter means 240 for cutting the skin film F is arranged in the lower chamber 20, the upper chamber 30 becomes a full-panel-shaped heater plate, so that a beautiful skin pack can be manufactured with a simple structure. Further, when changing the tray according to the object to be packaged (work) W, it is only necessary to change the cutter-integrated tray base unit 210 (or 220) housed in the lower chamber 20, so the workability is good. Also, since it is a cutter-integrated tray base unit 210 (or 220), precise alignment between the upper chamber 30 and the lower chamber 20 is not required. Further, since the blade portion of the cutter means 240 is built in such a form that it does not protrude from the upper surface of the tray base unit except during the cutting operation, the safety of the operator is ensured.

[0084] Also, even if the cutter plates 290, 295 and the cutter pattern 240 built in the tray base unit 210 are configured to move up and down using the air pack 500, by providing the fixed blocks 520, 530, the pattern cutter 240 will not be pushed up more than necessary (it rises only by the amount required for cutting), so the safe operation of the operator can be ensured. Further, as long as the lower chamber 20 is not depressurized (i.e., when the lid is closed), a situation where the pattern cutter 240 pops out will not occur, so the safe operation of the operator can also be ensured during the installation and removal of the tray T.

[0085] The vacuum skin packager of the above-described embodiment is a vacuum skin packager 1 for performing a skin pack on an object to be packaged, and includes a first chamber 30 incorporating a heater plate 31, and a second chamber 20 capable of placing a tray T on which the object to be packaged W is mounted, and having cutter means 290 for cutting the skin film F around the tray T after the skin pack from below. Thus, since the cutter means for cutting the skin film F is arranged in the second chamber, the first chamber becomes a full-panel-shaped heater plate, so that a beautiful skin pack can be manufactured with a simple structure.

[0086] The vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the above-described embodiment is a vacuum skin pack packaging machine that covers a tray T on which an object to be packaged is mounted with a skin film F and performs a skin pack on the tray T in the chamber. It includes a first chamber 30 having a built-in heater plate 31 inside, a second chamber 20 having cutter means 240 for cutting the skin film F around the tray T from below after performing the skin pack, a vacuum pump 410 for evacuating the chamber formed by joining the first chamber 30 to the second chamber 20, and a lifting mechanism connected to the vacuum pump 410 for lifting the cutter means 240 for cutting the skin film F from below. Thus, since the cutter means for cutting the skin film F is arranged in the second chamber, the first chamber becomes a full-panel heater plate, and a beautiful skin pack can be manufactured with a simple structure.

[0087] The vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment is a vacuum skin pack packaging machine that covers a tray T on which an object to be packaged is mounted with a skin film F and performs a skin pack on the tray T in the chamber. It includes a first chamber 30 having a built-in heater plate 31 inside, a second chamber 20 having cutter means 240 for cutting the skin film F around the tray T from below after performing the skin pack, a vacuum pump 410 for evacuating the chamber formed by joining the first chamber 30 to the second chamber 20, and a lifting mechanism for lifting the cutter means 240 for cutting the skin film F from below by an air pack 500. Thus, since the cutter means for cutting the skin film F is arranged in the second chamber, the first chamber becomes a full-panel heater plate, and a beautiful skin pack can be manufactured with a simple structure.

[0088] Also, the vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment has a tray table unit 210 set in the second chamber 20 for placing the tray T, and the blade part of the cutter means 240 is built into the tray table unit in such a form that it does not protrude from the upper surface of the tray table unit. Thereby, since the blade part of the cutter means is built in a form that does not protrude from the upper surface of the tray table unit except during the cutting operation, the safety of the operator is ensured.

[0089] Also, the vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment is provided with guide pins 310a to 310d at the four corners of the tray table unit 300 when placing the tray T, and the guide pins 310a to 310d have a mechanism that descends by pressing from above. Thereby, when the operator places the ray T on the tray table unit, it is only necessary to set it inside the guide pins, so the workability is good. Since the guide pins descend by pressing from above, it does not affect the skin pack operation at all.

[0090] Also, the vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment is configured such that the first chamber 30 is joined above the second chamber 20, and the vacuum pump 410 is operated when the heater plate 31 reaches the set temperature. Thereby, since the operation of the vacuum pump is controlled based on the set temperature of the heater plate, the power consumption can be reduced.

[0091] Also, the vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment is configured to turn off the heater plate 31 simultaneously with the operation of the vacuum pump 410 and decompress the first chamber 30 and the second chamber 20 to the set value by the vacuum pump 410. Thereby, since the heater plate 31 is turned off when it reaches the set temperature, the power consumption can be reduced.

[0092] In addition, in the vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment, a first vacuum solenoid valve 415 and one or a plurality of open solenoid valves 420(425) are provided between the first chamber 30 and the vacuum pump 410, and a second vacuum solenoid valve 430, a second open solenoid valve 435, and a cutter drive solenoid valve 440 for pushing up the cutter means 240 are provided between the second chamber 20 and the vacuum pump 410. Thus, since the driving of the cutter means is executed by the opening and closing control of the cutter drive solenoid valve, it has a low-cost configuration.

[0093] In addition, in the vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment, a large number of ventilation holes 32 for sending out air toward the skin film F are formed in the heater plate 31 when the skin film F is brought into close contact with the tray T. Thus, it is a simple mechanism for blowing air in a state where the skin film F is heated by the heater plate and softened, and the skin film F can be brought into close contact with the tray T.

[0094] In addition, in the vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment, micro-adhesive members 250a to 250d, 251a to 251d are attached to at least a part of the inner surface portion 291b2 on which the tray T of the tray table unit 210 is placed and the outer peripheral surface portion 291b1 that is separated from and contacts the inner surface portion 291b2 with the cutter groove 230 through which the cutter means 240 moves up and down interposed therebetween. Thus, the tray T placed on the inner surface of the tray table unit (210) can be easily fixed. Also, it is possible to prevent the skin film F from lifting when cutting.

[0095] In addition, in the vacuum skin pack packaging machine of the embodiment, height limiting means 520, 530 for limiting the height for pushing up the cutter means 240 are provided. Thus, since the cutter means is not pushed up more than necessary (it rises only by the amount required for cutting), the safe operation of the operator can be ensured.

[0096] The vacuum skin pack packaging method of the embodiment includes a first chamber 30 with a built-in heater plate 31 inside, a second chamber 20 having cutter means 240 for cutting the skin film F around the tray T from below after performing a skin pack on the tray T on which the packaged object W in the chamber is placed, and a vacuum pump 410 for evacuating the first chamber 30 and the second chamber 20. It is a vacuum skin pack packaging method of a vacuum skin pack packaging machine 1, covering the upper part of the second chamber 20 with the skin film F, joining the first chamber 30 to the second chamber 20 to form a chamber, energizing the heater plate 31, and when the heater plate 31 reaches the set temperature, evacuating the inside of the chamber by the vacuum pump 410, and when the skin film F adheres to the tray T, cutting the skin film F around the tray T from below by the cutter means 240. Thus, with a configuration in which the cutter means for cutting the skin film F is arranged in the lower chamber and the first chamber is a full-panel heater plate, a beautiful skin pack can be manufactured with a simple structure.

[0097] Also, the vacuum skin pack packaging method of the embodiment is a method of heating and softening the skin film F by energizing the heater plate 31, evacuating the second chamber 20, and bringing the skin film F into close contact with the tray T by the air sent out from the ventilation holes 32 provided in the heater plate 31. Thus, the skin film F can be brought into close contact with the tray T by a method of extruding the skin film with air in a state where the skin film F is heated and softened by the heater plate.

[0098] Also, the vacuum skin pack packaging method of the embodiment is a method of pushing up a cutter plate 250 to which a pattern cutter, which is the cutter means 240, is attached by the vacuum pump 410 and cutting the skin film F around the tray T. Thus, the skin film can be easily cut from below by a method of pushing up the cutter plate integrated with the cutter.

[0099] Moreover, the vacuum skin pack packaging method of the embodiment has an air pack 500 provided below the second chamber 20 that pushes up the cutter plate 250. When the skin film F adheres tightly to the tray T, the air pack 500 is inflated to push up the cutter plate 250 and cut the skin film around the tray. As a result, as long as the lower chamber is not depressurized (i.e., when the lid is closed), a situation where the pattern cutter pops out will not occur. Therefore, even in the operations of installing the tray T and removing the tray T, the safe operation of the operator can be ensured.

[0100] The embodiments of the present invention are presented as examples and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are also included in the invention described in the claims and its equivalent scope.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0101] 1... Vacuum skin pack packaging machine, 10... Housing, 11... Operation panel 20... Lower chamber (second chamber), 12... Support legs, 201... Opening 30... Upper chamber (first chamber), 31... Heater plate, 32... Vent hole 33... Packing, 34... Connecting pipe, 121... Support frame, 301... Handle 210, 220... Tray table unit, 230... Cutter groove 240... Pattern cutter (cutting means), 250a~250d 260a~260c... Slightly adhesive members, 270, 275... Connecting pipes, 280... Reinforcing plate 290a~290d... Air intake parts, 291a... Bottom plate, 291b... Top plate 291b1... Outer peripheral surface part, 291b2... Inner surface part, 291c... Support column 292a~292d... Spring coils, 290, 295... Cutter plate 300… Tray table unit, 300a… Horizontal plane, 310a to 310d… Guide pins 320… Spring coil, 330… Fixed part, 400… Control device, 403… CPU 406… Memory device, 409… IF circuit, 410… Vacuum pump 415… Upper chamber vacuum solenoid valve, 420… Upper chamber soft opening solenoid valve 425… Upper chamber opening solenoid valve, 430… Lower chamber vacuum solenoid valve 435… Lower chamber soft opening solenoid valve, 440… Cutter drive solenoid valve 450… Temperature sensor, 460… Lock mechanism 460, 470… Pressure sensor 480… Cut heater 480, 490… Notification unit, 500… Air pack 510… Intermediate plate, 520, 530… Fixed blocks (height limiting means) W… Object to be packaged (work), T… Tray, F… Skin film (roll film FR)

Claims

1. A vacuum skin pack packaging machine that performs skin packing on packaged items, a first chamber containing a heater plate; A second chamber capable of receiving the tray carrying the packaged article and having a cutter means for cutting the skin film around the tray from below after the skin packing is completed; A vacuum skin pack packaging machine comprising:

2. A vacuum skin pack packaging machine that covers a tray carrying an article to be packaged with a skin film and performs skin packing on the tray in a chamber, a first chamber having a heater plate built therein; a second chamber having cutter means for cutting the skin film around the tray from below after the skin pack has been performed; a vacuum pump that draws a vacuum in a chamber formed by joining the first chamber to the second chamber; a lifting mechanism connected to the vacuum pump for lifting up the cutter means for cutting the skin film from below; A vacuum skin pack packaging machine comprising:

3. A vacuum skin pack packaging machine that covers a tray carrying an article to be packaged with a skin film and performs skin packing on the tray in a chamber, a first chamber having a heater plate built therein; a second chamber having cutter means for cutting the skin film around the tray from below after the skin pack has been performed; a vacuum pump that draws a vacuum in a chamber formed by joining the first chamber to the second chamber; a push-up mechanism that pushes up the cutter means that cuts the skin film from below by an air pack; A vacuum skin pack packaging machine comprising:

4. a tray stand unit that is set in the second chamber and on which the tray is placed, 4. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the blade of the cutter means is built into the tray table unit in a form that does not protrude from an upper surface of the tray table unit.

5. The tray stand unit has four corners each provided with guide pins for use when placing the tray thereon; 5. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine according to claim 4, wherein the guide pin has a mechanism for lowering when pressed from above.

6. 4. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the vacuum pump is operated when the heater plate reaches a set temperature with the first chamber joined on top of the second chamber.

7. 7. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine according to claim 6, wherein the heater plate is turned off simultaneously with the operation of the vacuum pump, and the first chamber and the second chamber are depressurized to a set value by the vacuum pump.

8. a first vacuum solenoid valve and one or more open solenoid valves are provided between the first chamber and the vacuum pump; 4. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that a second vacuum solenoid valve, a second opening solenoid valve, and a cutter drive solenoid valve for pushing up the cutter means are provided between the second chamber and the vacuum pump.

9. 4. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the heater plate is formed with a number of ventilation holes for blowing air toward the skin film during the process of sealing the skin film to the tray.

10. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine according to claim 4, characterized in that a slightly adhesive material is attached to at least a portion of the inner surface of the tray stand unit on which the tray is placed, and to an outer peripheral surface portion that comes into contact with and separates from the inner surface across a cutter groove through which the cutter means moves up and down.

11. 4. The vacuum skin pack packaging machine according to claim 1, further comprising a height limiting means for limiting the height to which the cutter means is pushed up.

12. a first chamber having a heater plate built therein; A second chamber having a cutter means for cutting the skin film around the tray from below after skin packing is performed on the tray on which the packaged item is placed in the chamber; a vacuum pump that draws a vacuum in the first chamber and the second chamber; A vacuum skin pack packaging method for a vacuum skin pack packaging machine comprising: covering the second chamber with the skin film; joining the first chamber to the second chamber to form a chamber and energizing the heater plate; When the heater plate reaches a set temperature, the vacuum pump draws a vacuum inside the chamber; When the skin film is in close contact with the tray, the cutter means cuts the skin film around the tray from below. A vacuum skin pack packaging method comprising the steps of:

13. The skin film is heated and softened by energizing the heater plate; The skin film is adhered to the tray by drawing a vacuum in the chamber and blowing air through a vent hole in the heater plate.

13. The vacuum skin packaging method according to claim 12.

14. The vacuum skin packaging method according to claim 12, characterized in that the vacuum pump pushes up a cutter plate on which a pattern cutter, which is the cutting means, is attached, to cut the skin film around the tray.

15. An air pack is provided under the second chamber to push up the cutter plate, The vacuum skin packaging method according to claim 12, characterized in that, after the skin film is tightly attached to the tray, the air pack is inflated to push up the cutter plate, thereby cutting the skin film around the tray.

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