Method for dividing sanitary paper bundle and method for manufacturing sanitary paper bundle products

Abstract

To appropriately divide bundles of sanitary paper to multiple conveyance paths.SOLUTION: A method for dividing a sanitary paper bundle includes a process to convey multiple sanitary paper bundles at intervals along one conveyance path, and a process to subsequently divide the sanitary paper bundles into multiple conveyance paths. The conveying process includes a first speed pattern and a second speed pattern relating to a conveying speed V3 of the upstream adjustment conveyor and a conveying speed V4 of the downstream adjustment conveyor. In the first speed pattern, for example, the conveying speed V3 of the upstream adjustment conveyor and the conveying speed V4 of the downstream adjustment conveyor are substantially the same. In the second speed pattern, during the first speed pattern, the conveying speed V4 of the downstream adjustment conveyor is temporarily made faster than the conveying speed V3 of the upstream adjustment conveyor to form a wide gap portion in which the gap between the sanitary paper bundles is enlarged. In the dividing process, the conveying paths are switched between the downstream sanitary paper bundle and the upstream sanitary paper bundle across the wide gap portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for diverting a conveyance path during conveyance of a bundle of sanitary paper such as tissue paper. The present invention is also related to a method for manufacturing a sanitary paper product in which a bundle of sanitary paper is wrapped with a flexible film or the like.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, products in which sanitary paper such as tissue paper is wrapped with a resin film (so-called soft pack products) have been known (Patent Document 1).

[0003] In the production of tissue paper, generally, a continuous sheet fed from a number of original roll is folded by a multi-stand (also referred to as a multi-stand type interfolder), and then cut into individual sizes by a cutting machine to obtain a bundle of sanitary paper. A method is used (Patent Document 2). According to such a method, a bundle of sanitary paper can be obtained at high speed and continuously.

[0004] Furthermore, a packaging machine for automatically accommodating a plurality of articles bundled together in a packaging bag such as a resin film is also known (Patent Document 3). Such a packaging machine is configured to push a plurality of articles into the packaging bag from the opening thereof while maintaining the state in which the opening of the packaging bag is widened after widening the opening of the packaging bag.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Incidentally, when manufacturing a soft pack product in which a bundle of sanitary paper such as tissue paper is wrapped with a resin film, it is conceivable to adopt a manufacturing process in which a multi-roll machine is used to continuously generate the sanitary paper bundle at high speed and then a wrapping machine as described in Patent Document 3 is used to push the sanitary paper bundle into a packaging bag. However, as described above, since the packaging machine for the resin film needs to go through the procedure of expanding the packaging bag and then pushing the sanitary paper bundle into the packaging bag while maintaining that state, there is a problem that it is difficult to quickly store the sanitary paper bundle in the packaging bag. In particular, since both the sanitary paper bundle and the inside of the packaging bag are soft, in order to appropriately store the sanitary paper bundle in the packaging bag, it is necessary to push the sanitary paper bundle into the packaging bag at a relatively low speed. Thus, while a multi-roll machine can continuously generate the sanitary paper bundle at high speed, the fact that the film packaging machine cannot sufficiently cope with the generation speed of this multi-roll machine has become a problem in the manufacture of soft pack products.

[0007] In order to address the above problems, the inventor mainly considers, when manufacturing a soft pack product, distributing the sanitary paper bundles obtained by a multi-roll machine to a plurality of transport paths for transport, and arranging a packaging machine for each transport path to sequentially package the sanitary paper bundles with a plurality of packaging machines. Therefore, the main object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of appropriately distributing the sanitary paper bundles to a plurality of transport paths.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0008] A first aspect of the present invention relates to a method of distributing toilet paper bundles. The distribution method according to the present invention includes a conveying step and a distribution step. In the conveying step, a plurality of toilet paper bundles are conveyed in a single conveying path at intervals by a conveyor. In the distribution step, after the conveying step, the toilet paper bundles are distributed to a plurality of conveying paths. Here, the conveying step includes a first speed pattern and a second speed pattern regarding the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjustment conveyor and the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjustment conveyor. The first speed pattern is a pattern in which the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjustment conveyor and the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjustment conveyor are substantially equal. In the present specification, substantially equal means that in addition to the case where the two conveying speeds are exactly the same, when there is a slight difference between the two conveying speeds, when the faster conveying speed is set to 100%, the slower conveying speed is 90 to 100%. Alternatively, the first speed pattern may be a pattern in which the speed difference (V4 - V3, where the positive value is taken) obtained by subtracting the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjustment conveyor from the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjustment conveyor is made smaller than the second speed pattern to convey the toilet paper bundles. The second speed pattern is a pattern in which, during the first speed pattern, the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjustment conveyor is temporarily made relatively higher than the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjustment conveyor to form a wide interval portion in which the interval between the toilet paper bundles is expanded. Then, in the distribution step, the switching of the conveying path is performed between the downstream toilet paper bundle and the upstream toilet paper bundle with the wide interval portion interposed therebetween. In this way, by forming a wide interval portion between the toilet paper bundles during conveyance and performing the switching of the conveying path in this wide interval portion, the toilet paper bundles can be appropriately distributed to a plurality of conveying paths.

[0009] In the sorting method according to the present invention, the second speed pattern may increase the conveyance speed (V4) of the downstream adjustment conveyor compared to the first speed pattern. Also, the second speed pattern may decrease the conveyance speed (V3) of the upstream adjustment conveyor compared to the first speed pattern. Further, it is also possible to simultaneously increase the speed of the downstream adjustment conveyor and decrease the speed of the upstream adjustment conveyor. Thereby, the interval between the toilet paper bundles can be efficiently widened. Note that the "deceleration" mentioned here also includes setting the conveyance speed to zero, that is, stopping the adjustment conveyor.

[0010] In the sorting method according to the present invention, the conveyance process may further include a third pattern. The third pattern conveys the toilet paper bundles at a speed lower than that in the first speed pattern while making the conveyance speeds (V3, V4) of the upstream adjustment conveyor and the downstream adjustment conveyor substantially equal after the second speed pattern and before returning to the first speed pattern. As described above, the interval between the toilet paper bundles widens by executing the second speed pattern, and then the interval between the toilet paper bundles can be further widened by executing the third speed pattern.

[0011] In the sorting method according to the present invention, the conveyance process may include a process of inspecting the interval between the toilet paper bundles by a sensor. In this case, in the sorting process, when a wide interval portion is detected by the sensor, it is preferable to switch the conveyance path between the downstream toilet paper bundle and the upstream toilet paper bundle across the wide interval portion. Thereby, the sorting of the toilet paper bundles can be performed more reliably.

[0012] In the sorting method according to the present invention, when the conveying process includes a process of inspecting the intervals between the toilet paper bundles by a sensor, after the second speed pattern, if a wide interval portion is detected by the sensor, it may be returned from the second speed pattern to the first speed pattern. Thereby, the control of the second speed pattern and the second speed pattern can be appropriately performed. Further, after the second speed pattern, when a wide interval portion is detected by the sensor, it is also possible to shift from the second speed pattern to the third speed pattern and then return to the first speed pattern.

[0013] The second aspect of the present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a toilet paper bundle product. The toilet paper bundle product referred to here is a product obtained by packaging one or a plurality of toilet paper bundles. The package of the toilet paper bundle is preferably a packaging bag such as a resin film, rather than a carton. The method for manufacturing a toilet paper bundle product according to the present invention includes a process of sorting toilet paper bundles by the sorting method according to the first aspect described above, and a process of packaging the toilet paper bundles sorted by this sorting method. As described above, in a multi-unit machine, toilet paper bundles can be generated at high speed and continuously, whereas in a packaging machine for films, there is a problem that it cannot sufficiently cope with the production speed of the multi-unit machine. Therefore, by providing a packaging machine for each of a plurality of conveyance paths for the toilet paper bundles and packaging the toilet paper bundles in each conveyance path, even when the packaging speed of the packaging machine is relatively slow, the toilet paper bundles produced by the multi-unit machine can be efficiently packaged.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, toilet paper bundles can be appropriately sorted into a plurality of conveyance paths.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described below, and also includes those appropriately modified by those skilled in the art within an obvious range from the following embodiments.

[0017] FIG. 1 shows the process of a method for manufacturing a toilet paper bundle product until the toilet paper bundle B obtained using the multi-unit machine 1 is packaged by the packaging machine 4. As shown in FIG. 1, the multi-unit machine 1 folds the toilet paper P (base paper) fed from a number of original paper rolls to form a laminate of continuous toilet paper P. Note that the multi-unit machine 1 is provided with the original paper rolls in a number corresponding to the number of laminated sheets of toilet paper. For example, when obtaining a product with 200 sets (a total of 400 sheets) of tissues in a set of 2 sheets laminated, 200 sets (a total of 400 rolls) of original paper rolls in a set of 2 rolls are installed in the multi-unit machine 1. Such a multi-unit machine 1 (multi-stand type interfolder) may adopt a known one. Next, the laminate of the toilet paper P formed by the multi-unit machine 1 is conveyed downstream and cut at predetermined intervals by the cutting machine 2. Thereby, individual toilet paper bundles B are obtained. As the cutting machine 2, a known rotary cutter may be adopted. In this way, the toilet paper bundle B can be generated at high speed and continuously. Each toilet paper in the toilet paper bundle B is approximately folded in half, and by inserting half pieces of another two sheets of toilet paper that overlap above and below it between a certain sheet of toilet paper, when one sheet of toilet paper is lifted, the underlying toilet papers are also lifted together, and it is integrated in a pop-up type in a bundled shape.

[0018] Thereafter, a plurality of toilet paper bundles B are conveyed downstream in a line by a conveyor or the like. There is a speed difference between the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B in the cutting device 2 and the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B by the conveyor immediately after it, and the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B by the conveyor immediately after is set to be faster. As a result, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B widens. A sorting device 3 is provided on the downstream side of the cutting device 2. Although the details of the sorting device 3 will be described later, this sorting device 3 has a function of sorting a plurality of toilet paper bundles B conveyed in a line along one conveyance path into a plurality of conveyance paths. It should be noted that a known discharging device for detecting defects in the toilet paper bundle B and discharging the toilet paper bundle B recognized as defective may be installed in the conveyance path between the cutting machine 2 and the sorting device 3. Such a discharging device is arranged for the purpose of discharging the toilet paper bundle B in a state that does not become a product at the start-up, or discharging the toilet paper bundle B in a state that does not become a product when a sudden stop occurs due to troubles in the downstream process, etc. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of toilet paper bundles B are sorted into three conveyance paths. Note that the number of conveyance paths for the toilet paper bundle B is not limited to three, and may be two, or may be four or more. At this time, as shown in FIG. 1, it is preferable to switch the conveyance path for every predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B. For example, in the example of FIG. 1, the conveyance path is switched for every four toilet paper bundles B. That is, the sorting device 3 repeats the operation of guiding a predetermined number (four) of toilet paper bundles B to a certain conveyance path, then executing the switching of the conveyance path, and guiding a predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B to another conveyance path adjacent to this again. When switching from the conveyance paths on both sides to the conveyance path on the central side, it is preferable to send out a predetermined number (for example, four) of toilet paper bundles B twice (for example, eight) to the toilet paper bundles on the side and then switch to the conveyance path on the central side. As a result, finally, an equal amount of toilet paper bundles B will be sent out in the conveyance paths on both sides and the central conveyance path.

[0019] Also, a packaging machine 4 is provided downstream of each conveying path. As the packaging machine 4, it is preferable to adopt one having a function of packaging one or more bundles of toilet paper B into a flexible packaging bag such as a resin film. The packaging bag is preferably formed of a resin such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyester, polyvinyl acetate, etc. However, the packaging bag may be a paper bag. As such a packaging machine, for example, a known one as disclosed in Patent Document 3 can be adopted. In this way, a toilet paper bundle product (so-called soft pack product) in which one or more bundles of toilet paper B are packaged in a packaging bag can be manufactured.

[0020] FIG. 2 shows an example of the sorting device 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the sorting device 3 includes a conveying device 10 for conveying the toilet paper bundle B and a sorting conveyor 20 for sorting the toilet paper bundle B. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the sorting conveyor 20 is depicted as supporting the toilet paper bundle B only from the lower surface side so that the position of the toilet paper bundle B is easily understood. In this way, the sorting conveyor 20 may be configured to have a conveyor device only on the lower surface side of the toilet paper bundle B. However, as will be described later, it is preferable that the sorting conveyor 20 is configured to have upper and lower conveyor devices for sandwiching the toilet paper bundle B from both its lower and upper surfaces.

[0021] The conveying device 10 includes, in order from the upstream side, a main conveyor device 11, a sorting conveyor 20, a wide conveyor 12, and a plurality of individual conveyors 13(a) to 13(c). Note that the main conveyor device 11 is composed of a plurality of conveyors as will be described later (see FIG. 5). Each of the conveyors 11 to 13 and 20 may be a general conveyor having a structure in which an endless belt is wound around pulleys including a driving pulley and a driven pulley, for example. The main conveyor device 11 conveys the toilet paper bundles B in a single row and delivers them to the sorting conveyor 20. The sorting conveyor 20 switches the conveying path of the toilet paper bundles B. Further, the sorting conveyor 20 delivers the toilet paper bundles B to the wide conveyor 12 while switching the conveying path. As a result, a plurality of conveying paths of the toilet paper bundles B are formed in parallel on the wide conveyor 12. A plurality of individual conveyors 13(a) to 13(c) are arranged in parallel on the downstream side of the wide conveyor 12, and each of the individual conveyors 13(a) to 13(c) corresponds to the conveying path on the wide conveyor 12. That is, the wide conveyor 12 delivers the toilet paper bundles B to any one of the plurality of individual conveyors 13(a) to 13(c) according to the conveying path switched by the sorting conveyor 20. Note that as the wide conveyor 12, as shown in FIG. 2, one having a width equal to or greater than the total width of at least the plurality of individual conveyors 13(a) to 13(c) is adopted.

[0022] The sorting conveyor 20 is disposed between the main conveyor device 11 and the wide conveyor 12. All the toilet paper bundles B conveyed by the main conveyor device 11 are introduced into the sorting conveyor 20, guided by the sorting conveyor 20, and then transferred from the wide conveyor 12 to any one of the individual conveyors 13(a) to (c). As shown in FIG. 2, the sorting conveyor 20 has a predetermined rotation fulcrum 23. The leading end side of the sorting conveyor 20 rotates in the horizontal direction with respect to the predetermined fulcrum 23, that is, along the conveying surface of the wide conveyor 12. Specifically, the fulcrum 23 of the rotation operation of the sorting conveyor 20 is provided on the leading end side thereof (that is, the end side for receiving the toilet paper bundle B). For this reason, the position of the leading end of the sorting conveyor 20 is substantially fixed immediately after the main conveyor device 11, but the leading end of the sorting conveyor 20 will greatly shift on the side of the wide conveyor 12. Such a rotation operation of the sorting conveyor 20 with respect to the fulcrum 23 can be realized by a known actuator such as a motor or a piston. Further, the rotation operation of the sorting conveyor 20 is controlled by a control device (not shown) such as a computer.

[0023] In addition, the sorting conveyor 20 includes a sensor 24 near the discharge end or within the guiding path. This sensor 24 is arranged for the purpose of identifying the gap between the bundles of toilet paper B discharged from the sorting conveyor 20 to the wide conveyor 12. Specifically, the sensor 24 identifies that the gap between the bundles of toilet paper B has approached the tip of the sorting conveyor 20 by detecting the presence or absence of the bundle of toilet paper B near the tip of the sorting conveyor 20 or within the guiding path. Based on the detection information of the sensor 24, the sorting conveyor 20 is controlled by a control device (not shown), and the sorting conveyor 20 is rotated at the timing when the gap between the bundles of toilet paper B occurs near the tip of the sorting conveyor 20, so that the conveyance path of the bundle of toilet paper B can be switched. Further, the sensor 24 can also measure the length of the interval between the bundles of toilet paper B. If the interval between the bundles of toilet paper B is equal to or greater than a certain length, the conveyance path of the bundle of toilet paper B can be switched at that interval, and if the interval is less than the certain length, control such as not switching the conveyance path of the bundle of toilet paper B at that interval is possible. The sensor 24 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the presence or absence of the bundle of toilet paper B, and for example, a known sensor such as an optical sensor (photoelectric sensor), an ultrasonic sensor, or a pressure sensor may be used. Further, the switching of the conveyance path can be executed by setting a timer after the gap between the bundles of toilet paper B is detected by the sensor 24 (executing the switching after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection) or by adjusting the position of the sensor 24.

[0024] Next, with reference to FIG. 3, the operation of the sorting conveyor 20 will be mainly described. As shown in FIG. 3, the sorting conveyor 20 rotates the leading end side about the fulcrum 23. Thereby, the sorting conveyor 20 switches the conveyance path of the toilet paper bundle B on the wide conveyor 12. In the state shown in FIG. 3, the first to third individual conveyors 13(a) to 13(c) are arranged in parallel at the conveyance destination of the wide conveyor 12. Here, in the state shown in FIG. 3(a), a plurality of toilet paper bundles B continuously conveyed by the main conveyor device 11 are introduced into the sorting conveyor 20 and then guided by the sorting conveyor 20 to the conveyance path on the wide conveyor 12 for feeding to the third individual conveyor 13(c).

[0025] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 3(b), when the sorting conveyor 20 sends out a predetermined number (for example, 4) of toilet paper bundles B to the conveyance path leading to the third individual conveyor 13(c), the sorting conveyor 20 starts the conveyance path switching operation in order to send out the next predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B to the second individual conveyor 13(b). At this time, based on the detection information of the sensor 24 provided in the guiding path of the sorting conveyor 20, the control device can identify that a predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B have been derived from the sorting conveyor 20 and that the gap between the toilet paper bundles B has reached the vicinity of the leading end of the sorting conveyor 20, and control the sorting conveyor 20 to start the conveyance path switching operation.

[0026] As shown in Fig. 3(b), when switching the conveyance path, a part of the toilet paper bundle B' located at the leading end of the sorting conveyor 20 may be located on the sorting conveyor 20 and another part may be located on the wide conveyor 12. In such a state where the toilet paper bundle B' bridges between the sorting conveyor 20 and the wide conveyor 12, since the sorting conveyor 20 rotates to switch the conveyance path, this toilet paper bundle B' will slide on the conveyance surface of the wide conveyor 12. To prepare for such a case, in order to prevent the toilet paper bundle B' from losing its shape, the sorting conveyor 20 is configured to rotate with respect to a predetermined fulcrum 23 while sandwiching at least a part of the toilet paper bundle B' from above and below, as will be described later, so as to switch the conveyance path. However, as will be described later, it is preferable to ensure a sufficient interval (wide interval portion) between the toilet paper bundles B for each predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B. By switching the conveyance path at a timing corresponding to such a sufficient interval (wide interval portion) of the toilet paper bundles B, it is also possible to avoid the toilet paper bundle B' from sliding on the conveyance surface of the wide conveyor 12.

[0027] Thereafter, as shown in Fig. 3(c), when the sorting conveyor 20 sends out a predetermined number (for example, 4) of toilet paper bundles B to the conveyance path leading to the second individual conveyor 13(b), in order to send out the next predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B to the conveyance path leading to the first individual conveyor 13(a), the sorting conveyor 20 starts the operation of switching the conveyance path. At this time, based on the detection information of the sensor 24 provided in the guiding path of the sorting conveyor 20, the control device identifies that a predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B have been derived from the sorting conveyor 20 and that the gap between the toilet paper bundles B has reached the vicinity of the leading end of the sorting conveyor 20, and controls the sorting conveyor 20 to start the conveyance path switching operation.

[0028] Incidentally, the ratio of the length of the guiding path of the distributing conveyor 20 to the amplitude of one pitch when switching the conveying path by the distributing conveyor 20 is preferably such that the amplitude: the length of the guiding path is 1:5 or more, more preferably 1:8 or more, and particularly preferably 1:10 or more. If this ratio is small, the swinging angle becomes large and wrinkles and collapses are likely to occur in the toilet paper bundle B. Therefore, it is advisable to ensure that this ratio is 1:5 or more. Also, as described above, when switching from the conveying paths on both sides (the first individual conveyor 13(a) and the third individual conveyor 13(c)) to the conveying path on the central side (the second individual conveyor 13(b)), it is preferable to send out a predetermined number (for example, 4) of toilet paper bundles B twice (for example, 8) to the side toilet paper bundles and then switch to the central conveying path. As a result, an equal amount of toilet paper bundles B will ultimately be sent out on the conveying paths on both sides and the central conveying path.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows an example of the distributing conveyor 20 suitable for executing the various operations described in FIG. 3. In the example shown in FIG. 4, the distributing conveyor 20 includes a lower conveyor 21 and an upper conveyor 22. The upper and lower conveyors 21, 22 are each constituted by a belt conveyor. The upper and lower conveyors 21, 22 sandwich the toilet paper bundle B from above and below by belts 21a, 22a and convey the toilet paper bundle B to the downstream side as the belts 21a, 22a move forward. More specifically, the upper and lower conveyors 21, 22 each include endless belts 21a, 22a, drive pulleys 21b, 22b, and head pulleys 21c, 22c. The belts 21a, 22a are looped around these pulleys. The drive pulleys 21b, 22b are pulleys that rotate and drive themselves to move the belts 21a, 22a in a certain direction, and are arranged on the most introduction end side of the distributing conveyor 20 among each pulley. Also, the head pulleys 21c, 22c are pulleys that are driven passively as the belts 21a, 22a rotate, and are arranged on the most derivation end side of the distributing conveyor 20 among each pulley.

[0030] As a result, the belt 21a of the lower conveyor 21 contacts the lower surface of the toilet paper bundle B, and while the upper surface of the toilet paper bundle B contacts the belt 22a of the upper conveyor 22, the toilet paper bundle B is sandwiched between these upper and lower conveyors 21 and 22 and conveyed downstream. While the toilet paper bundle B passes through the guiding path of the distributing conveyor 20, it is sandwiched between the upper and lower conveyors 21 and 22. However, as it advances along the guiding path, it protrudes from the upper and lower conveyors 21 and 22 from its leading end side. Therefore, the ratio of the length sandwiched between the upper and lower conveyors 21 and 22 gradually decreases. In particular, during the operation of switching the conveying path by the distributing conveyor 20, it is preferable that, until the operation of the distributing conveyor 20 stops, 20% or more, more preferably 30% or more, of the length in the conveying direction of the toilet paper bundle B' located at the head of the guiding path of the distributing conveyor 20 is sandwiched between the upper and lower conveyors 21 and 22. Thereby, even when the distributing conveyor 20 moves laterally by the operation of switching the conveying path, the switching of the conveying path can be executed without causing the toilet paper bundle B' to be deformed. Incidentally, it is preferable that the rotational speeds of the upper and lower conveyors 21 and 22 are substantially equal. Also, it is preferable that the upper and lower conveyors 21 and 22 are arranged substantially parallel to each other so that the upper and lower surfaces of the toilet paper bundle B continue to contact the upper and lower conveyors 21 and 22 while the toilet paper bundle B is being guided by the distributing conveyor 20.

[0031] Here, an example of the distributing device 3 has been described with reference to FIGS. 2 to 4. However, in the present invention, the distributing device 3 is not limited to the one described above. For example, as the distributing device 3, in addition to the type in which the conveyor as described above swings left and right, for example, a type in which the distributing device swings left and right while sandwiching both sides of the toilet paper bundle with a pair of belts on a wide conveyor, a type in which the distributing device swings left and right while sandwiching both sides of the toilet paper bundle with guides on a wide conveyor, a type in which the distributing device swings up and down while sandwiching the toilet paper bundle with a pair of conveyors from above and below, a method of discharging the toilet paper bundle to another path by paddles, etc. can be adopted.

[0032] FIG. 5 shows an example of a main conveyor device 11 capable of adjusting the interval between sanitary paper bundles B in the conveying process from the cutting machine 2 to the sorting device 3 (specifically, the sorting conveyor 20). As shown in FIG. 5, the main conveyor device 11 includes, in order from the upstream side, a cutter conveyor 11a, a separation conveyor 11b, a first adjustment conveyor 11c, and a second adjustment conveyor 11d. The cutter conveyor 11a is a conveyor for discharging the sanitary paper bundles B individually cut by the cutting machine 2 from the cutting machine 2. On the cutter conveyor 11a, there is almost no gap between the sanitary paper bundles B. The separation conveyor 11b is located on the downstream side of the cutter conveyor 11a, and its conveying speed is set higher than that of the cutter conveyor 11a. For this reason, when the sanitary paper bundle B transfers from the cutter conveyor 11a to the separation conveyor 11b, the interval between the sanitary paper bundles B expands. The first adjustment conveyor 11c is located on the downstream side of the separation conveyor 11b and is configured to be able to adjust its conveying speed. Further, the second adjustment conveyor 11d is located on the downstream side of the first adjustment conveyor 11c and is configured to be able to adjust its conveying speed. Furthermore, on the downstream side of the second adjustment conveyor 11d, the sorting conveyor 20 constituting the sorting device 3 is arranged. As shown in FIG. 5, in this specification, the conveying speed of the cutter conveyor 11a is denoted as V1, the conveying speed of the separation conveyor 11b is denoted as V2, the conveying speed of the first adjustment conveyor 11c is denoted as V3, the conveying speed of the second adjustment conveyor 11d is denoted as V4, and the conveying speed of the sorting conveyor 20 is denoted as V5.

[0033] FIG. 6 shows an example of the operation of the main conveyor device 11. First, FIG. 6(a) shows the first speed pattern of the main conveyor device 11. In this first speed pattern, the conveying speed V2 of the separating conveyor 11b is set higher compared to the conveying speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a, and the conveying speeds V3, V4, and V5 of the other conveyors (the first adjustment conveyor 11c, the second adjustment conveyor 11d, and the distributing conveyor 20) are set substantially equal to the conveying speed V2 of the separating conveyor 11b. In this way, by setting the conveying speed V2 of the separating conveyor 11b higher than the conveying speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a, when the toilet paper bundle B transfers from the cutter conveyor 11a to the separating conveyor 11b, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B will increase. In FIG. 6, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B generated at this time is indicated by the symbol α. Such an interval α will basically be formed between all the toilet paper bundles B.

[0034] More specifically, when the conveying speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a is taken as 100%, the conveying speed V2 of the separating conveyor 11b is preferably 105 - 150%, and particularly preferably 110% - 130%. If the conveying speed V2 is less than 105% of the conveying speed V1, the interval α between the toilet paper bundles B cannot be ensured sufficiently. On the contrary, when the conveying speed V2 exceeds 150% of the conveying speed V1, the toilet paper bundle B will accelerate rapidly when transferring from the cutter conveyor 11a to the separating conveyor 11b, so there is a risk that the toilet paper bundle B will collapse. Therefore, it is appropriate that the conveying speed V2 is 105 - 150% of the conveying speed V1. The interval α is preferably, for example, 20 - 150 mm, more preferably 30 - 100 mm, and particularly preferably 30 - 80 mm. Note that the conveying speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a and the conveying speed V2 of the separating conveyor 11b are basically always maintained constant. In this embodiment, it is not assumed to change these conveying speeds V1 and V2.

[0035] Next, FIG. 6(b) shows the second speed pattern of the main conveyor device 11. The speed pattern of the main conveyor device 11 basically becomes the first speed pattern described above, but temporarily transitions to the second speed pattern at a predetermined timing and then returns to the first pattern again. In this second pattern, the conveyance speed V4 of the downstream second adjustment conveyor 11d is adjusted to be higher than the conveyance speed V3 of the upstream first adjustment conveyor 11c (V4 > V3). In the example shown in FIG. 6(b), the conveyance speed V4 of the downstream second adjustment conveyor 11d is increased compared to the first speed pattern, and the conveyance speed V3 of the upstream first adjustment conveyor 11c is decreased compared to the first speed pattern. For this reason, in this example, the conveyance speed V4 of the downstream second adjustment conveyor 11d becomes higher than the conveyance speed V2 of the separation conveyor 11b, while on the other hand, the conveyance speed V3 of the upstream first adjustment conveyor 11c becomes lower than the conveyance speed V2 of the separation conveyor 11b. Note that the conveyance speed V3 of the upstream first adjustment conveyor 11c may be substantially equal to the conveyance speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a, or may be a speed greater than or equal to the conveyance speed V1 and less than the conveyance speed V2. In this way, by executing the second speed pattern, when the toilet paper bundle B transfers from the first adjustment conveyor 11c to the second adjustment conveyor 11d, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B becomes even larger than the interval α described above. In FIG. 6, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B caused by the execution of this second speed pattern is indicated by the symbol β. Also, in this specification, this interval β between the toilet paper bundles is also referred to as the "wide interval portion". Note that since the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c becomes lower than the conveyance speed V2 of the separation conveyor 11b, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B becomes narrower when transferring from the separation conveyor 11b to the first adjustment conveyor 11c, but there is no particular problem because the interval between the toilet paper bundles B expands again in the subsequent process. However, if the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c is made slower than the conveyance speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B disappears and they collide, which is not preferable.

[0036] More specifically, in the second pattern, it is preferable to decelerate the conveying speed V3 of the upstream first adjustment conveyor 11c to 65 - 95% when the speed in the first speed pattern is taken as 100%. In the second pattern, it is preferable to increase the conveying speed V4 of the downstream second adjustment conveyor 11d to 105 - 150% when the speed in the first speed pattern is taken as 100%. When the conveying speed V3 of the upstream first adjustment conveyor 11c is 100%, the conveying speed V4 of the downstream second adjustment conveyor 11d is preferably 105 - 230%, and particularly preferably 110% - 150%. If the conveying speed V4 is less than 105% of the conveying speed V3, it becomes impossible to sufficiently secure the wide interval portion β between the toilet paper bundles B. Conversely, when the conveying speed V4 exceeds 150% of the conveying speed V3, since the toilet paper bundle B will accelerate rapidly when transferring from the first adjustment conveyor 11c to the second adjustment conveyor 11d, there is a risk that the toilet paper bundle B will collapse. Therefore, it is appropriate that the conveying speed V4 is 105 - 150% of the conveying speed V3. The wide interval portion β is preferably, for example, 100 - 350 mm, and particularly preferably 150 - 280 mm. Also, the wide interval portion β is preferably at least twice the interval α, and particularly preferably at least four times or five times. As shown in the example of FIG. 6(b), it is preferable to increase the conveying speed V4 and decelerate the conveying speed V3 compared to the first speed pattern, but it is not limited thereto. That is, if either one of increasing the conveying speed V4 and decelerating the conveying speed V3 is performed, as a result, the conveying speed V4 will be higher than the conveying speed V3, so it is possible to form the wide interval portion β due to the speed difference between the conveying speed V4 and the conveying speed V3.

[0037] Also, as shown in Fig. 6(b), it is not necessary to form wide space portions β between all the toilet paper bundles B, and it is preferable to form them every predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B. That is, in the example shown in Fig. 6(b), one group is formed by 4 toilet paper bundles B, and a wide space portion β is formed between a certain group and another succeeding group. That is, the wide space portion β is formed every 4 toilet paper bundles B. Note that the number of toilet paper bundles B included in one group is not limited to 4, and may be 2 or 3, or may be 5 or more. Also, in the example shown in Fig. 6, all groups include 4 toilet paper bundles B, but this is not a limitation, and the number of toilet paper bundles B included in one group and another group may be made different.

[0038] Thus, in order to form the wide space portion β every predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B, control such as temporarily transitioning from the first speed pattern to the second speed pattern and then returning to the first speed pattern is required. That is, as shown in Fig. 6(b), for example, when one group includes 4 toilet paper bundles B, after the last toilet paper bundle B1 of the previous group has transferred onto the downstream second adjustment conveyor 11d, before the first toilet paper bundle B2 of the subsequent group following this transfers onto the second adjustment conveyor 11d (that is, in a state where the toilet paper bundle B2 is still on the upstream first adjustment conveyor 11c), the conveyance speeds of these two adjustment conveyors 11c and 11d are changed from the first speed pattern to the second speed pattern. In other words, when the interval to be the wide space portion β reaches the boundary between the first adjustment conveyor 11c and the second adjustment conveyor 11d, a transition is made from the first speed pattern to the second speed pattern. Thereby, since the 4 toilet paper bundles B included in the previous group are relatively accelerated, a wide space portion β is formed between the last toilet paper bundle B1 of the previous group and the first toilet paper bundle B2 of the subsequent group.

[0039] Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 6(c), after a wide interval portion β of a desired length is formed, all the toilet paper bundles B belonging to the downstream leading group across this wide interval portion β have finished transferring from the second adjustment conveyor 11d to the distribution conveyor 20, and before the subsequent group of toilet paper bundles B transfers to the distribution conveyor 20 (i.e., in the state on the second adjustment conveyor 11d), the conveyance speeds of the second adjustment conveyor 11d and the first adjustment conveyor 11c are returned from the second speed pattern to the first speed pattern. That is, the second adjustment conveyor 11d is decelerated and the first adjustment conveyor 11c is accelerated. In other words, when the wide interval portion β reaches the boundary between the second adjustment conveyor 11d and the distribution conveyor 20, it is returned from the second speed pattern to the first speed pattern. As a result, since the conveyance speeds of the first adjustment conveyor 11c and the second adjustment conveyor 11d become substantially equal, the wide interval portion β is no longer formed by these two adjustment conveyors 11c and 11d. In this way, during normal operation, while transporting the toilet paper bundles B in the first speed pattern, by temporarily executing the second speed pattern for every predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B, it is possible to form the wide interval portion β every predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B.

[0040] Further, whether the wide interval portion β has reached the boundary between the second adjustment conveyor 11d and the sorting conveyor 20 may be detected by the sensor 25. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sensor 25 is provided near the discharge end of the second adjustment conveyor 11d or within the guiding path. Based on the detection information from this sensor 25, a control device (not shown) measures the interval between the toilet paper bundles B and determines that the interval corresponds to the wide interval portion β. Then, when the control device determines that the interval between the toilet paper bundles B corresponds to the wide interval portion β, it controls the first adjustment conveyor 11c and the second adjustment conveyor 11d to return the conveyance speeds of these conveyors from the second speed pattern to the first speed pattern. Thereby, the switching of the speed pattern can be appropriately performed. The sensor 25 is not particularly limited as long as it can detect the presence or absence of the toilet paper bundle B. For example, a known sensor such as an optical sensor (photoelectric sensor), an ultrasonic sensor, or a pressure sensor may be used. Further, the switching of the speed pattern can be executed by setting a timer after the gap between the toilet paper bundles B is detected by the sensor 25 (executing the switching after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection) or by adjusting the position of the sensor 25.

[0041] Also, Fig. 6(c) mainly shows the timing for switching the conveyance path of the toilet paper bundle B by the distribution conveyor 20 (distribution device 3). As described above, wide interval portions β are formed at predetermined intervals in the conveyance row of the toilet paper bundle B. In this case, the distribution conveyor 20 switches the conveyance path between the downstream toilet paper bundle B1 and the upstream toilet paper bundle B2 with the wide interval portion β therebetween. That is, in the present embodiment, as described above, the wide conveyor 12 is provided downstream of the distribution conveyor 20, and the toilet paper bundle B that has passed through the distribution conveyor 20 is delivered to this wide conveyor 12. Also, a plurality of conveyance paths are formed in this wide conveyor 12. In this case, after the downstream toilet paper bundle B1 with the wide interval portion β therebetween has moved from the distribution conveyor 20 onto the wide conveyor 12, at the timing when the downstream toilet paper bundle B2 with the wide interval portion β therebetween is still on the distribution conveyor 20, the distribution conveyor 20 is rotated to switch the conveyance path. As a result, the toilet paper bundles B1 and B2 are sent to different conveyance paths on the wide conveyor 12 by the distribution conveyor 20. In this way, by forming the wide interval portion β with a sufficient interval in the conveyance row of the toilet paper bundle B and switching the conveyance path at this wide interval portion β, it is possible to avoid a situation where the toilet paper bundle B collapses or falls from the conveyor when switching the conveyance path.

[0042] Also, as described above, the distribution conveyor 20 includes the sensor 24 near the leading end or within the guiding path (see Fig. 2 etc.). Based on the detection information from this sensor 24, the control device (not shown) may measure the interval between the toilet paper bundles B and determine that the interval corresponds to the wide interval portion β. Then, when the control device determines that the interval between the toilet paper bundles B corresponds to the wide interval portion β, the control device controls the distribution conveyor 20 and rotates the distribution conveyor 20 at the timing when a gap occurs between the toilet paper bundles B near the leading end of the distribution conveyor 20, so that the conveyance path of the toilet paper bundle B can be switched. Thereby, the switching of the conveyance path can be surely executed at the wide interval portion β.

[0043] FIG. 7 shows a modified example of the operation of the main conveyor device 11 shown in FIG. 6. FIG. 7(a) shows the second speed pattern in the same manner as FIG. 6(b). After the execution of this second speed pattern and before returning to the first speed pattern shown in FIG. 6(c), the third speed pattern shown in FIG. 7(b) is executed. That is, in FIG. 7, it is assumed that the speed patterns repeatedly change in the order of the first speed pattern, the second speed pattern, the third speed pattern, and the first speed pattern.

[0044] More specifically, after the wide interval portion β of the desired length is formed, after all the toilet paper bundles B belonging to the downstream group sandwiching this wide interval portion β have finished transferring from the second adjustment conveyor 11d to the distribution conveyor 20, before the toilet paper bundles B of the subsequent group are transferred to the distribution conveyor 20 (i.e., in the state on the second adjustment conveyor 11d), the conveyance speed V4 of the second adjustment conveyor 11d is changed from the second speed pattern to the third speed pattern. As shown in FIG. 7(b), in the third speed pattern, the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c is adjusted to be lower than the conveyance speed in the first speed pattern, and this conveyance speed V3 is made substantially equal to the conveyance speed V4 of the second adjustment conveyor 11d. That is, in the second speed pattern, the conveyance speed V4 of the second adjustment conveyor 11d is made higher than the conveyance speed V2 of the separation conveyor 11b, and the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c is made lower than the conveyance speed V2 of the separation conveyor 11b (specifically, substantially equal to the conveyance speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a) (see FIG. 7(a)). In the subsequent third speed pattern, the conveyance speed V4 of the second adjustment conveyor 11d is decelerated so as to be substantially equal to the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c (V4 = V3). At this time, it is not necessary to change the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c, and the conveyance speed V3 may remain lower than the conveyance speed V2 of the separation conveyor 11b, specifically, substantially equal to the conveyance speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a. Thus, in this example, the conveyance speed V4, the conveyance speed V3, and the conveyance speed V1 become substantially equal (V4 = V3 = V1). Note that the conveyance speed V5 of the distribution conveyor 20 is set to be substantially equal to the conveyance speed V2 of the separation conveyor 11b. Thereby, since the toilet paper bundle B on the second adjustment conveyor 11d decelerates to the same extent as the toilet paper bundle B on the first adjustment conveyor 11c, the interval between the toilet paper bundle B on the second adjustment conveyor 11d and the toilet paper bundle B on the distribution conveyor 20 further expands. That is, by executing the third speed pattern, the wide interval portion β can be further expanded. In FIG. 7(b), the expanded wide interval portion is indicated by the reference sign β´.Note that whether the wide interval part β has reached the boundary between the second adjustment conveyor 11d and the distribution conveyor 20 may be determined based on the detection information from the sensor 25 provided near the discharge end of the second adjustment conveyor 11d or the like. In this way, by temporarily executing the third speed pattern between the time of returning from the second speed pattern to the first speed pattern, it is possible to form a widened interval part β' in which the wide interval part β is further widened. In the example described above, the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c is not changed when transitioning from the second speed pattern to the third speed pattern. However, for example, when the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c is set to be equal to or higher than the conveyance speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a in the second speed pattern, the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c may be decelerated so as to be substantially equal to the conveyance speed V1 of the cutter conveyor 11a when transitioning to the third speed pattern.

[0045] Thereafter, after the wide interval part β' of the desired length is formed, all the toilet paper bundles B belonging to the downstream group sandwiching this wide interval part β' have finished transferring from the second adjustment conveyor 11d to the distribution conveyor 20, and further, after the leading toilet paper bundle B2 of the subsequent group has transferred to the distribution conveyor 20, the conveyance speeds of the second adjustment conveyor 11d and the first adjustment conveyor 11c are returned from the second speed pattern to the first speed pattern. That is, the conveyance speeds V3 and V4 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c and the second adjustment conveyor 11d are accelerated so as to be substantially equal to the conveyance speed V2 of the separation conveyor 11b. Further, thereafter, after the position where the interval between the toilet paper bundles has returned to α reaches between the first adjustment conveyor 11c and the second adjustment conveyor 11d, it is transitioned back to the second speed pattern at a predetermined timing.

[0046] In the above-described example, in the first speed pattern, the conveyance speed V3 of the upstream first adjustment conveyor 11c and the conveyance speed V4 of the downstream second adjustment conveyor 11d are made substantially equal. However, it is not limited to this. In the first speed pattern, the speed difference (taking a positive value) obtained by subtracting the conveyance speed V3 of the first adjustment conveyor 11c from the conveyance speed V4 of the second adjustment conveyor 11d may be made smaller than that in the second speed pattern. That is, as described above, in the second speed pattern, basically the conveyance speed V4 is adjusted to be higher than the conveyance speed V3, so the speed difference between these conveyance speeds V4 and V3 becomes relatively large. On the other hand, in the first speed pattern, although it is ideal to make the speed difference between the conveyance speed V3 and the conveyance speed V4 substantially zero, in practice it is difficult to eliminate this speed difference. Therefore, in the first speed pattern, at least the speed difference between the conveyance speed V3 and the conveyance speed V4 should be smaller than the speed difference between the conveyance speed V3 and the conveyance speed V4 in the second speed pattern. For example, when the speed difference between the conveyance speed V3 and the conveyance speed V4 in the second speed pattern is set to 100%, the speed difference between the conveyance speed V3 and the conveyance speed V4 in the first speed pattern is preferably 0 to 50%, and preferably 0 to 30% or 0 to 10%.

[0047] Subsequently, FIG. 8 shows a flowchart from when the interval between the toilet paper bundles B is expanded, the toilet paper bundles B are distributed to a plurality of conveyance paths, and then the toilet paper bundles B are packaged in each conveyance path to obtain a toilet paper bundle product. As shown in FIG. 8, the manufacturing method of the toilet paper bundle product preferably includes a conveyance step (S1), a distribution step (S2), a deceleration step (S3), an interval adjustment step (S4), and a packaging step (S5) in this order.

[0048] The conveyance step (S1) is a step of continuously conveying the individual toilet paper bundles B formed by the cutting machine 2 along one path while expanding the interval between the toilet paper bundles B in the conveyance path. The details of this conveyance step are as described above.

[0049] The sorting process (S2) is a process of sorting a plurality of bundles of toilet paper B that are continuously conveyed along one path into a plurality of conveying paths. The details of the sorting process are as described above.

[0050] The speed reduction process (S3) is a process of reducing the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B in each conveyance path after the sorting process. As described above, in the multi-unit machine 1 (see FIG. 1), the toilet paper bundle B is generated at a high speed, and the toilet paper bundle B is sorted by the sorting device 3 into each conveyance path while maintaining the conveyance speed. At this time, the packaging machine 4 provided in each conveyance path may not be able to cope with the conveyance speed after the sorting process. Therefore, it is preferable to reduce the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B to a speed that the packaging machine 4 can cope with after the sorting process. In particular, when the interval between the toilet paper bundles B is 55% or more with respect to the product length (length in the conveyance direction) of the toilet paper bundle B, the speed reduction process is essential after the sorting process. FIG. 9 shows an example of this speed reduction process. In the example shown in FIG. 9, in each conveyance path, a plurality of speed reduction conveyors 14 and 15 are arranged on the downstream side of the individual conveyor 13, and the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B is gradually reduced. If the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B is rapidly reduced, there is a risk that the interval between the toilet paper bundles B becomes too clogged and the toilet paper bundles B collide with each other, or the toilet paper bundle B collapses in shape. Therefore, the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B should be gradually decreased. In the example shown in FIG. 9, for each conveyance path, an individual conveyor 13 that receives the toilet paper bundle B from the wide conveyor 12, a first speed reduction conveyor 14 having a slower conveyance speed than this individual conveyor 13, and a second speed reduction conveyor 15 having an even slower conveyance speed than this first speed reduction conveyor 14 are arranged in this order. Thereby, the conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B can be gradually reduced to a speed that the packaging machine 4 can cope with.

[0051] As another example of the deceleration step (S3), a non-driven area such as a metal plate may be provided after the wide conveyor 12, and the toilet paper bundle B may be put from the wide conveyor 12 into this non-driven area to temporarily stop the toilet paper bundle B on the non-driven area. The toilet paper bundle B rides onto the non-driven area by the momentum of conveyance by the wide conveyor 12 and stops under the frictional resistance of the non-driven area. Then, after a certain number of toilet paper bundles B are accumulated in the non-driven area, a pusher (such as a conveyance bar) or the like is used to send out the toilet paper bundle B on the non-driven area to the downstream individual conveyor 13. Thereby, it becomes possible to rapidly decelerate the toilet paper bundle B in a shorter space.

[0052] The interval adjustment step (S4) is a step of adjusting the interval between the toilet paper bundles B in each conveyance path after the deceleration step. Since there may be variations in the intervals of the toilet paper bundles B distributed to each conveyance path, it is advisable to adjust the intervals between the toilet paper bundles B to be somewhat uniform at the stage before introducing the toilet paper bundles B into the packaging machine 4. Here, an example of executing the interval adjustment step mainly for the purpose of widening the intervals between the toilet paper bundles B will be described. As described above, it is preferable to gradually decelerate the speed of the toilet paper bundles B in each conveyance path. In this case, however, the intervals between the toilet paper bundles B gradually become narrower. That is, in each conveyance path, a predetermined number (for example, 4) of toilet paper bundles B are conveyed in a row. For example, when transferring the first toilet paper bundle B from a conveyor with a high conveyance speed to a conveyor with a low conveyance speed, the first toilet paper bundle B will decelerate. Then, since the second toilet paper bundle B following it is continuously conveyed by the fast conveyor, the interval between the first toilet paper bundle B and the second toilet paper bundle B will become narrow. Therefore, it is advisable to perform interval adjustment for the purpose of widening again the intervals between the toilet paper bundles B that have become narrow after the deceleration step. When the overall conveyance speed of the equipment is slow, the deceleration step (S3) is not necessarily required, and it is possible to handle it with only the interval adjustment step (S4).

[0053] FIG. 10 shows an example of this interval adjustment process. In the example shown in FIG. 10, in each conveyance path, a first interval adjustment conveyor 16 and a second interval adjustment conveyor 17 are arranged in this order on the downstream side of the deceleration conveyors 14 and 15 described above. In this case, the downstream second interval adjustment conveyor 17 is set to have a faster conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B than, for example, the upstream first interval adjustment conveyor 16. In this case, when the toilet paper bundle B is transferred from the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 to the second interval adjustment conveyor 17, it accelerates, and at that time, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B becomes wider. Also, the downstream second interval adjustment conveyor 17 may be set to have a slower conveyance speed of the toilet paper bundle B than the upstream first interval adjustment conveyor 16. In this case, when the toilet paper bundle B is transferred from the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 to the second interval adjustment conveyor 17, it decelerates, and at that time, the interval between the toilet paper bundles B becomes narrower. Thus, the interval of the toilet paper bundle B can be adjusted by using the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 and the second interval adjustment conveyor 17 with different conveyance speeds. For example, in this interval adjustment process, adjustments such as narrowing the interval of the toilet paper bundles B that have opened for each group (several bundles) by sorting, making the intervals of the toilet paper bundles B closer to equal intervals, or discharging the toilet paper bundles one by one in accordance with the timing of the packaging machine on the conveyor immediately before packaging can be performed.

[0054] As an example, in the example shown in FIG. 10, for each predetermined number (for example, 4) of toilet paper bundles B, an operation of widening the interval between the toilet paper bundles B is performed. That is, a group is formed by a predetermined number of toilet paper bundles B, and interval adjustment is performed between the last toilet paper bundle B1 of the first group and the first toilet paper bundle B2 of the next second group. Note that the interval between the toilet paper bundles B within each group is not adjusted. Specifically, at the timing when no interval adjustment is performed, the conveyance speeds of the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 and the second interval adjustment conveyor 17 are made substantially equal. On the other hand, when all the toilet paper bundles B (including the toilet paper bundle B1) included in the first group are on the second interval adjustment conveyor 17 and all the toilet paper bundles B (including the toilet paper bundle B2) included in the first group are on the first interval adjustment conveyor 16, the conveyance speed of the second interval adjustment conveyor 17 and the conveyance speed of the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 are made different. In the example shown in FIG. 10, the interval G between the last toilet paper bundle B1 of the first group and the first toilet paper bundle B2 of the second group is widened. For example, the second interval adjustment conveyor 17 is accelerated and its conveyance speed is set to be faster than the conveyance speed of the first interval adjustment conveyor 16. At this time, the conveyance speed of the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 may be decelerated, or the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 may be temporarily stopped. Thereby, the interval between the toilet paper bundle B1 and the toilet paper bundle B2 can be widened. Also, depending on the situation, it is also possible to control the conveyance speeds of the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 and the second interval adjustment conveyor 17 so as to narrow the interval between the toilet paper bundle B1 and the toilet paper bundle B2. In this case, the first interval adjustment conveyor 16 and the second interval adjustment conveyor 17 are made to perform the reverse operation of the above. Thereby, the intervals between the groups can be made somewhat uniform.

[0055] The packaging process (S5) uses the packaging machine 4 arranged for each conveyance path to package the toilet paper bundles B after the interval adjustment, thereby obtaining toilet paper bundle products. The packaging machine 4 may individually package the toilet paper bundles B one by one into the packaging bags, or may package a plurality of toilet paper bundles B by accumulating them in the packaging bags. In the example shown in FIG. 10, groups are formed for every predetermined number (for example, four) of toilet paper bundles B. In this case, it is preferable to accumulate and package the plurality of toilet paper bundles B belonging to each group.

[0056] As described above, in this specification of the present application, in order to express the content of the present invention, the embodiments of the present invention have been described with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and includes obvious modification forms and improvement forms that can be made by those skilled in the art based on the matters described in this specification.

[0057] Further, it is still more preferable to have a function of adjusting the sorting destination by detecting the quantity state of the toilet paper bundles on each line after sorting using a sensor or the like. When thinning occurs due to defects or troubles, the balance can be automatically corrected.

[0058] Further, for example, when the conveyance path (line) stops at a part after the individual conveyor 13 after the sorting process, the sorting conveyor 20 may be controlled to stop the supply to the corresponding conveyance path in response to the signal. In this way, the sorting conveyor 20 is controlled by the control device to perform sorting only on the operating conveyance paths. Also, if a partial stop has occurred in a part of the conveyance path downstream of the sorting conveyor 20, if the supply of the toilet paper bundles is continued at the same speed, it will overflow. Therefore, it is preferable to perform control to reduce the conveyance speed of the conveyance path upstream of the sorting conveyor 20 and the cutting speed of the laminated body of the toilet paper by the cutting machine 2. The operation is such that one line is skipped during sorting, and the movable width is doubled, so it is necessary to lower the speed to cope with it.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0059] 11…Main conveyor device 11a…Cutter conveyor 11b... Separating conveyor 11c... First adjustment conveyor 11d... Second adjustment conveyor 12... Wide conveyor 13... Individual conveyor 14... First deceleration conveyor 15... Second deceleration conveyor 16... First interval adjustment conveyor 17... Second interval adjustment conveyor 20... Distribution conveyor 21... Lower conveyor 22... Upper conveyor 23... Fulcrum 24... Sensor 25... Sensor P... Toilet paper B... Bundle of toilet paper

Claims

1. A method for distributing a bundle of toilet paper, comprising: a conveying step of conveying a plurality of bundles of toilet paper at intervals on one conveying path by a conveyor; a distributing step of distributing the bundles of toilet paper to a plurality of conveying paths after the conveying step; the conveying step includes a first speed pattern and a second speed pattern regarding the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjusting conveyor and the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjusting conveyor; the first speed pattern is a pattern in which the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjusting conveyor and the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjusting conveyor are substantially equal, or the speed difference obtained by subtracting the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjusting conveyor from the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjusting conveyor (taking a positive value) is made smaller than the second speed pattern to convey the bundles of toilet paper; the second speed pattern is a pattern in which, during the first speed pattern, the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjusting conveyor is temporarily made relatively higher than the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjusting conveyor to form a wide interval portion where the interval between the bundles of toilet paper is enlarged; in the distributing step, switching of the conveying path is performed between the bundle of toilet paper on the downstream side and the bundle of toilet paper on the upstream side with the wide interval portion therebetween. A distributing method.

2. the second speed pattern increases the conveying speed (V4) of the downstream adjusting conveyor compared to the first speed pattern. The distributing method according to claim 1.

3. the second speed pattern decelerates the conveying speed (V3) of the upstream adjusting conveyor compared to the first speed pattern. The distributing method according to claim 2.

4. The conveying process includes a third speed pattern in which, after the second speed pattern and before returning to the first speed pattern, the conveying speeds (V3, V4) of the upstream adjustment conveyor and the downstream adjustment conveyor are made substantially equal, and the toilet paper bundle is conveyed at a speed lower than that in the first speed pattern. The sorting method according to claim 3.

5. The conveying process includes a process of inspecting the intervals between the toilet paper bundles by a sensor. In the sorting process, when the wide interval part is detected by the sensor, the conveying path is switched between the toilet paper bundle on the downstream side and the toilet paper bundle on the upstream side with the wide interval part sandwiched therebetween. The sorting method according to claim 1 or claim 2.

6. The conveying process includes a process of inspecting the intervals between the toilet paper bundles by a sensor. After the second speed pattern, when the wide interval part is detected by the sensor, return from the second speed pattern to the first speed pattern. The sorting method according to claim 1 or claim 2.

7. A process of sorting the toilet paper bundles by the sorting method according to claim 1, including a process of packaging the toilet paper bundles sorted by the sorting method. A manufacturing method of a toilet paper bundle product.

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