Packaging device

Abstract

To provide a packaging device having a clamp part that clamps a pair of conveyor belts that convey a film to hold the film therebetween, the packaging device being capable of suppressing misalignment of the clamped film.SOLUTION: A packaging device includes a front conveyance part 300F and a front clamp part 400F. The front conveyance part sandwiches a film F between upper and lower belts 316F and 326F, and conveys the film by driving at least one of the upper and lower belts. The front clamp part temporarily clamps the upper and lower belts. The front clamp part includes: a fixed member 410F and a movable member 420F arranged opposite each other with the upper and lower belts sandwiched therebetween; and a clamp drive part that rotates the movable member to press the movable member against a first surface 412 of the fixed member. The movable member has a second surface 422 that is parallel to the first surface and sandwiches the upper and lower belts between itself and the first surface when the upper and lower belts are clamped between the movable member and the fixed member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging device.

Background Art

[0002] As disclosed in Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2011-20700), a film fed out from a film roll is sandwiched between a pair of conveyor belts and conveyed to a packaging position, and a tray containing an article is pressed against the film disposed at the packaging position, and the peripheral edge of the film covering the tray is folded below the tray to package the tray. A packaging device is known.

[0003] In this packaging device, when pressing the tray against the film, in order to maintain the tension of the film, a movable member and a fixed member are arranged sandwiching the pair of conveyor belts, and the pair of conveyor belts are clamped by pressing the movable member toward the fixed member to hold the film.

[0004] Conventionally, in such a packaging device, from the viewpoints of installation space and installation cost, a drive unit for rotating a flat movable member is provided, and as depicted in FIG. 11, while rotating the movable member, the movable member is pressed toward the fixed member (see the arrow), and it is common to clamp the pair of conveyor belts.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 11, since the pair of conveyor belts are only locally sandwiched between the movable member and the fixed member, the holding of the film is also partial, and there is a possibility that the film may be displaced.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The packaging device according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a holding part, a conveying part, and a clamping part. The holding part holds a film roll. The conveying part sandwiches the film unwound from the film roll between a first conveying belt and a second conveying belt, and conveys the film to the packaging position by driving at least one of the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt. The clamping part temporarily clamps the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt. The clamping part includes a fixed member and a movable member that are disposed opposite to each other with the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt therebetween, and a driving part that rotates the movable member and presses the movable member against the first surface of the fixed member. The movable member has a second surface that is parallel to the first surface and sandwiches the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt between the second surface and the first surface when the movable member is driven by the driving part to clamp the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt between the fixed member and the movable member.

[0007] In the packaging device according to the first aspect, since the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt can be sandwiched in a relatively wide range by the first surface and the second surface, displacement of the film sandwiched by the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt hardly occurs.

[0008] The packaging device according to the second aspect of the present invention is the packaging device according to the first aspect, wherein the movable member rotates around a rotation axis along the conveying direction of the film by the conveying part. The first conveying belt and the second conveying belt each include a plurality of round belts extending in the conveying direction.

[0009] In the packaging device according to the second aspect, since a plurality of round belts are used for conveying, the film can be firmly held and conveyed in a state where the film meanders between the belts. However, when using round belts, if a movable member with a conventional structure is used, the holding force of the film by the fixed member and the movable member becomes partial, and when the upper and lower round belts are not parallel and a force acts on the film, there is a risk of displacement of the round belts.

[0010] In contrast, in the packaging device of the second aspect, the film is meandered between the round belts of the first conveyor belt and the round belts of the second conveyor belt by the first surface and the second surface, and the upper and lower round belts are kept parallel in a relatively wide range, so that the film can be sandwiched. Therefore, even if a force acts on the film, it is difficult for the round belt to be displaced. In particular, in the packaging device of the second aspect, since the rotation axis of the movable member is along the film conveyance direction, the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt can be sandwiched in a wider range than in the conventional device.

[0011] The packaging device according to the third aspect of the present invention is the packaging device of the second aspect, wherein the first surface and the second surface sandwich the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt in a state where a plurality of round belts of the first conveyor belt and a plurality of round belts of the second conveyor belt are arranged alternately in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction.

[0012] In the packaging device according to the third aspect, since the round belts of the first conveyor belt and the round belts of the second conveyor belt sandwich the film in a state where they are arranged alternately in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction, the film can be firmly sandwiched between the belts and conveyed.

[0013] However, when this configuration is adopted, if the clamping of the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt by the clamp portion is insufficient, when a force acts on the film supported by the clamp portion, the round belt of one conveyor belt may move over the adjacent round belt of the other conveyor belt, and there is a possibility that a conveyance failure of the conveyance portion may occur.

[0014] In contrast, in this packaging device, the first surface and the second surface can sandwich the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt in a state where they are alternately aligned in a relatively wide range, so that the occurrence of displacement of the round belt due to the displacement of the film can be suppressed.

[0015] The packaging device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is the packaging device of the second aspect or the third aspect, wherein the movable member is made of metal. The second surface is a smooth surface.

[0016] When a round belt is used for the conveyor belt, the film meanders between parallel round belts, and a part of the upper surface and a part of the lower surface of the film are respectively in contact with the first surface and the second surface. In the packaging apparatus of the fourth aspect, since the film is sandwiched between the smooth surfaces (the second surface) of the metal movable members, the film is likely to be in a state of sticking to the second surface, and the slippage of the film on the second surface can be suppressed.

[0017] The packaging apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is any one of the packaging apparatuses from the first aspect to the fourth aspect, and further includes a pressing portion. The pressing portion presses the tray in which the article is accommodated from below against the film disposed at the packaging position in a state where the clamping portion temporarily clamps the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt. The fixing member is disposed above the movable member. The first surface is a resin surface.

[0018] In the packaging apparatus of the fifth aspect, by making the first surface a resin surface, after the pressing portion presses the tray against the film disposed at the packaging position (when the holding of the film by the clamping portion becomes unnecessary), the film can be easily peeled off from the first surface.

Advantages of the Invention

[0019] In the packaging apparatus of the present invention, displacement of the film during packaging is less likely to occur.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0020]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0021] A packaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiments shown below are examples, and the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments. Various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0022] In the following description and drawings, for the convenience of explanation, in order to explain directions, arrangements, etc., expressions such as "front (front side)", "rear (back side)", "left", "right", "up", "down", etc. may be used using the directions of the arrows shown in the drawings. Unless otherwise specified, these expressions do not limit the invention.

[0023] (1) Overall Overview The packaging device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is not limited to the packaged product. For example, it is a device that pushes up a tray (hereinafter referred to as product G) on which fresh food products or the like are placed and presses it against a stretch film (hereinafter simply referred to as film F) to package the product G with the film F. Specifically, the packaging device 100 measures the product G input from the input space Si, moves it backward after measurement, and then pushes up the product G toward the film F disposed at the upper packaging position PP. The packaging device 100 packages the product G with the film F by folding the peripheral edge of the film F against which the product G is pressed onto the bottom surface of the product G, and discharges it to the discharge space Sd. In the packaging device 100 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the input space Si is disposed at the lower front of the packaging device 100, and the discharge space Sd is disposed at the upper front of the packaging device 100.

[0024] The packaging device 100 mainly includes a weighing and loading device 10, a lifter 20, a supply unit 30, a cutter 200, a moving mechanism 250, a conveying unit 300, a clamping unit 400, a folding mechanism 40, a discharge pusher 50, a take-out table 70, and a control unit 80 (see FIGS. 1 to 5).

[0025] The weighing and loading device 10 is provided at the lower front of the center of the packaging device 100. The weighing and loading device 10 includes a weighing instrument 12 (see FIG. 2). The weighing instrument 12 measures the weight of fresh food products or the like stored in the tray of the product G input to the input space Si. After weight measurement, the weighing and loading device 10 pushes the product G backward with a loading member (not shown) driven by a drive unit (not shown) such as a motor, and moves the product G onto the movable mounting table 22 of the lifter 20.

[0026] The lifter 20 is an example of a pressing part. The lifter 20 is arranged behind the weighing and carrying device 10. The lifter 20 includes a movable mounting table 22 (see Fig. 2). When receiving the product G from the weighing and carrying device 10, the upper surface of the movable mounting table 22 is arranged at the same or slightly lower position as the conveying surface on which the weighing and carrying device 10 conveys the product G. The lifter 20 drives the movable mounting table 22 on which the product G is placed by a driving part (not shown) such as a motor and moves it upward to the upper packaging area PA, thereby moving the product G on the movable mounting table 22 upward. Specifically, the lifter 20 moves the product G to the upper packaging area PA and presses the product G against the film F that is held in a stretched state at the packaging position PP at the upper center of the packaging device 100. More specifically, the lifter 20 presses the product G from below against the film F arranged at the packaging position PP in a state where the clamp part 400 temporarily clamps the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt (belt 316F and belt 326F, and belt 316R and belt 326R) of the conveying part 300 described later. By the lifter 20 pushing up the product G from below the film F, the upper surface of the product G is covered by the film F. After the product G covered by the film F on the movable mounting table 22 is discharged into the discharge space Sd, the lifter 20 returns the movable mounting table 22 to the lower position where it receives the product G from the weighing and carrying device 10.

[0027] The supply part 30 of the film F is arranged at the upper left part of the packaging device 100 (see Fig. 1). As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the supply part 30 includes a pair of support rollers 32 that hold the film roll R around which the film F is wound, and a guide mechanism 34 arranged below the holding position of the film roll R.

[0028] The pair of support rollers 32 is an example of a holding part that holds the film roll R. The pair of support rollers 32 both extend in the front-rear direction and are arranged side by side in parallel with each other in the left-right direction. Above the pair of support rollers 32, the film roll R is placed. The support roller 32 is a free roller (a roller that does not require a power source) that can rotate in one direction. The pair of support rollers 32 rotatably supports the film roll R in the direction in which the film F is paid out.

[0029] The guide mechanism 34 is a mechanism that guides the film F fed out from the film roll R between the upper belt and the lower belt of the conveying unit 300 (between the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F of the front conveying unit 300F described later, and between the upper belt 316R and the lower belt 326R of the rear conveying unit 300R).

[0030] The cutter 200 cuts the film F after the film F fed out from the film roll R is conveyed to the packaging position PP by the conveying unit 300. The cutter 200 (the cutting blade 210 of the cutter 200) is moved by the moving mechanism 250.

[0031] The conveying unit 300 conveys the film F to the right so that the film F fed out from the film roll R is disposed at the packaging position PP (above the movable mounting table 22 of the lifter 20). Specifically, the conveying unit 300 sandwiches the film F fed out from the film roll R between the upper and lower belts and drives at least one of the upper and lower belts to convey the film F to the packaging position PP. Hereinafter, the conveying direction of the film F conveyed by the conveying unit 300 is referred to as the conveying direction D (see FIGS. 3 and 4). Details of the conveying unit 300 will be described later.

[0032] The clamping unit 400 temporarily clamps the upper and lower belts of the conveying unit 300. Specifically, the clamping unit 400 temporarily clamps the upper and lower belts of the conveying unit 300 that are sandwiching the film F conveyed to the packaging position PP, so as to hold the film F separated from the film extending from the film roll R by the cutter 200 in a stretched state. Details of the clamping unit 400 will be described later.

[0033] The folding mechanism 40 folds the peripheral edge of the film F covering the upper part of the product G, which is the object to be packaged, onto the bottom surface of the product G (the bottom surface of the tray of the product G) in the packaging area PA.

[0034] The folding mechanism 40 includes a front folding member 42 disposed in front of the packaging area PA where the product G is packaged with the film F, a rear folding member 44 disposed behind the packaging area PA, a right folding member 46 disposed on the right side of the packaging area PA, and a left folding member 48 disposed on the left side of the packaging area PA. The front folding member 42 is a stationary rod-shaped member extending in the left-right direction, and the rear folding member 44, the right folding member 46, and the left folding member 48 are each movable plate-shaped members. When the lifter 20 presses the product G against the film F held at the packaging position PP, the rear folding member 44 moves forward, the right folding member 46 moves to the left, and the left folding member 48 moves to the right by being driven by a driving unit (not shown) such as a motor, so as to fold the film F disposed on the rear side, right side, and left side of the product G onto the bottom surface of the product G. When the discharge pusher 50 moves the product G covered by the film F above and with the film F folded onto the bottom surface of the tray at the rear, right, and left sides forward, the front folding member 42 contacts the film F disposed in front of the product G from the front and folds the film F disposed in front of the product G onto the bottom surface of the product G. In this way, the product G is covered with the film F by the folding mechanism 40.

[0035] The discharge pusher 50 pushes out the product G covered by the film F toward the discharge space Sd. Specifically, the discharge pusher 50 is a pusher member 52 driven by a drive unit (not shown) such as a motor, which pushes the back of the product G forward to push out the product G covered by the film F into the discharge space Sd. When the discharge pusher 50 pushes out the product G into the discharge space Sd, a pressing member (not shown) contacts the product G from above (presses the product G) to prevent the product G from falling. The pressing member is attached to the apparatus frame so as to be movable in the vertical direction and extends from the rear to the discharge space Sd along the conveyance direction D.

[0036] The take-out table 70 is provided in the discharge space Sd and is a table on which the product G covered by the film F is conveyed by the discharge pusher 50. The take-out table 70 mainly includes a mounting plate 72 and a heater 74. The product G discharged into the discharge space Sd by the discharge pusher 50 moves on the mounting plate 72. The heater 74 contacts the film F on the bottom surface side of the product G when the product G is moved by the discharge pusher 50, and welds the film F folded at the bottom of the product G.

[0037] The control unit 80 is a device that controls the operations of each part of the packaging apparatus 100. As shown in FIG. 5, the control unit 80 is electrically connected to the weighing and loading device 10, the lifter 20, the moving mechanism 250, the conveyance unit 300, the clamp unit 400, the folding mechanism 40, the discharge pusher 50, and the heater 74. The control unit 80 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU and storage devices such as a ROM and a RAM. By the arithmetic processing device executing the programs stored in the storage device, the operations of various devices 10, 20, 30, 250, 300, 400, 40, 50, 74 are controlled.

[0038] In addition to the above configuration, the packaging device 100 includes a label issuing device 92, a display 94, and an input unit 96. The label issuing device 92 generates a label for attachment to a film F on which the name, weight, price, etc. of the product G are printed. The display 94 displays various information. The control unit 80 is electrically connected to the label issuing device 92, the display 94, and the input unit 96. The control unit 80 controls the operations of the label issuing device 92 and the display 94, and receives operations and information input to the input unit 96.

[0039] (2) Detailed configuration The details of the transport unit 300 and the clamp unit 400 will be described.

[0040] (2-1) Transport unit The conveying unit 300 includes a front conveying unit 300F that holds the vicinity of the front end of the film F and conveys the film F to the right, and a rear conveying unit 300R that holds the vicinity of the rear end of the film F and conveys the film F to the right. The front conveying unit 300F includes an upper belt 316F and a lower belt 326F (see FIG. 3). One of the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F is an example of a first conveying belt, and the other of the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F is an example of a second conveying belt. The rear conveying unit 300R includes an upper belt 316R and a lower belt 326R (see FIG. 4). One of the upper belt 316R and the lower belt 326R is an example of a first conveying belt, and the other of the upper belt 316R and the lower belt 326R is an example of a second conveying belt. Further, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the conveying unit 300 includes pulleys 312, 314, 322, and 324 that extend in the front-rear direction and are common to the front conveying unit 300F and the rear conveying unit 300R. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the pulley 312 and the pulley 322 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction, and the pulley 314 and the pulley 324 are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. Gears that mesh with each other are attached to the rotation shafts of the pulley 312 and the pulley 322, and when one pulley 312 is rotationally driven, the other pulley 322 is also configured to be rotationally driven. The upper belts 316F and 316R are wound around the pulley 312 and the pulley 314. The lower belts 326F and 326R are wound around the pulley 322 and the pulley 324. Among the four pulleys, the pulley 312 is rotationally driven by a conveying drive unit 350 such as a motor. However, the pulley directly rotationally driven by the conveying drive unit 350 may be the other pulley 322.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a side view showing the upper belt 316F wound around the pulley 312 and the lower belt 326F wound around the pulley 322 as viewed from the left side. As depicted in FIGS. 6 and 9, the upper belt 316 includes a plurality of round belts 317, and the lower belt 326 includes a plurality of round belts 327. The round belts 317 and 327 are string-shaped belts with a circular cross-section. The round belt 317 is wound around the pulleys 312 and 314 and extends between the pulleys 312 and 314 along the conveyance direction D of the film F by the conveyance unit 300. The round belt 327 is wound around the pulleys 322 and 324 and extends between the pulleys 322 and 324 along the conveyance direction D. In FIGS. 6 and 9, the number of the round belts 317 and 327 is three each, but the number is for illustration purposes only and does not limit the present disclosure. The plurality of round belts 317 are wound around the pulleys 312 and 314 at intervals in the front-rear direction (the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction D), and the plurality of round belts 327 are wound around the pulleys 322 and 324 at intervals. The plurality of round belts 317 and the plurality of round belts 327 are preferably arranged alternately and adjacent to each other as shown in FIG. 6. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 9, the film F is held in a state of meandering in an S shape by the round belts 317 and 327 in a side view.

[0042] Although illustration and description are omitted, the upper belt 316R wound around the pulley 312 includes a plurality of round belts 317, the lower belt 326R wound around the pulley 322 includes a plurality of round belts 327, and the rear conveyance unit 300R has the same configuration as the front conveyance unit 300F.

[0043] In the conveyance unit 300, when the pulley 312 is rotationally driven by the conveyance drive unit 350, the upper belt 316F and the upper belt 316R wound around the pulley 312 travel in the conveyance direction D, and accordingly, the pulley 314 rotates. Further, when the pulley 312 rotates, the pulley 322 rotates via a gear (not shown), and accordingly, the lower belt 326F and the lower belt 326R travel in the conveyance direction D, and accordingly, the pulley 324 rotates.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, the supply unit 30 guides the film F to the vicinity of the belt of the transport unit 300 by the guide mechanism 34, and supplies the film F from the left to between the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F of the front transport unit 300F and between the upper belt 316R and the lower belt 326R of the rear transport unit 300R. The transport unit 300 rotationally drives the pulley 322 by the transport drive unit 350, and thus rotates the upper belts 316F and 316R and the lower belts 326F and 326R as described above, and sandwiches the film F fed out from the film roll R of the supply unit 30 between the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F and between the upper belt 316R and the lower belt 326R, and transports it in the transport direction D to the packaging position PP.

[0045] Note that instead of a plurality of round belts 317 and 327, a single flat belt may be used.

[0046] (2-2) Clamping section The clamping section 400 includes a front clamping section 400F that holds the vicinity of the front end of the film F disposed at the packaging position PP, and a rear clamping section 400R that holds the vicinity of the rear end of the film F disposed at the packaging position PP. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 8, the front clamping section 400F includes a fixed member 410F and a plurality of movable members 420F arranged side by side in the left-right direction. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 8, the rear clamping section 400R includes a fixed member 410R and a plurality of movable members 420R arranged side by side in the left-right direction. Note that the numbers of the fixed members 410F and 410R and the movable members 420F and 420R shown in FIGS. 3, 4, and 8 are examples and are not limited to the numbers drawn in the drawings. The numbers of the fixed members 410F and 410R and the movable members 420F and 420R may be determined as appropriate.

[0047] Hereinafter, the front clamp portion 400F will be described as an example. Since the rear clamp portion 400R has the same configuration as the front clamp portion 400F, for the sake of brevity, only the front clamp portion 400F will be described here, and the description of the rear clamp portion 400F will be omitted.

[0048] In FIGS. 3, 4, and 8, the clamp portion 400 is schematically drawn. In particular, the movable member 420F of the clamp portion 400 is a member having a shape as drawn in FIGS. 9 and 10 in a left side view. Note that in FIGS. 9 and 10, the movable member 420F is rotatable around the rotation axis O disposed forward with respect to the conveyance portion 300, but is not limited thereto. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, when three movable members 420F are provided, in the left-right direction, the movable members 420F disposed at both ends may be rotatable around the rotation axis O disposed forward with respect to the conveyance portion 300, and the movable member 420F disposed at the center may be rotatable around the rotation axis O disposed rearward with respect to the conveyance portion 300. Further, the movable member 420F is not limited to a plate shape as long as it has a second surface 422 to be described later.

[0049] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 9, the fixed member 410F is above the portion where the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F sandwich the film F and is disposed adjacent to the upper side of the upper belt 316F. The movable member 420F is below the portion where the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F sandwich the film F and is disposed below the lower belt 326F. The fixed member 410F and the movable member 420F are disposed opposite to each other with the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F interposed therebetween.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 8, the fixed member 410F is a member extending in the longitudinal direction in the left-right direction. The fixed member 410F has a first surface 412 on the side facing the upper belt 316F (lower part in FIG. 8). The first surface 412 sandwiches the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F between itself and the movable member 420, and is preferably a resin surface. The fixed member 410F may be entirely made of resin, or a resin member forming the first surface 412 may be fixed to a metal body. When the round belts 317 and 327 are alternately arranged as shown in FIG. 9 to form the conveying unit 300, the upper surface of the film F partially comes into direct contact with the first surface 412. If the first surface 412 is likely to stick to the film F, after the product G is packaged with the film F, the film F covering the product G may be unlikely to separate from the first surface 412. On the other hand, when the first surface 412 is a resin surface, the film F is unlikely to stick to the first surface 412, and the film separation is good.

[0051] In a left side view, the movable member 420F has a shape formed by bending a flat plate at one location. The movable member 420F is preferably made of metal. The movable member 420F is driven by a clamp drive unit 450 and is configured to be movable between a standby position P1 (see FIG. 9) and a clamp position P2 (see FIG. 10). When the film F is being conveyed by the conveying unit 300, the movable member 420F is arranged at the standby position P1 away from the lower belt 326F. On the other hand, when the conveying unit 300 conveys the film F to the packaging position PP, the control unit 80 rotates the movable member 420F by the clamp drive unit 450 and presses the movable member 420F toward the first surface 412 of the fixed member 410F via the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F that sandwich the film F.

[0052] The movable member 420F is rotated by the clamp driving unit 450 about a rotation axis extending in a direction (front-rear direction) intersecting the direction in which the round belts 317 and 327 are arranged. Further, when the movable member 420F is driven by the clamp driving unit 450 to clamp the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F between the movable member 420F and the fixed member 410F (when moved to the clamping position P2), the movable member 420F has a second surface 422 that is parallel to the first surface 412 of the fixed member 410F. Here, the fact that the first surface 412 and the second surface 422 are parallel does not necessarily mean that the first surface 412 and the second surface 422 are strictly parallel, but includes cases where the first surface 412 and the second surface 422 are substantially parallel to such an extent that the result does not change substantially. The fixed member 410F and the movable member 420F sandwich the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F that sandwich the film F between the first surface 412 of the fixed member 410F and the second surface 422 of the movable member 420F.

[0053] And it is preferable that all the round belts 317 and 327 are arranged between the first surface 412 and the second surface 422 in a state where the movable member 420F is placed at the clamping position P2.

[0054] Further, the second surface 422 is preferably a smooth surface (glossy surface) polished by buffing or the like for the following reasons.

[0055] When the conveying unit 300 is configured as described above using the round belts 317 and 327, the lower surface of the film F partially contacts the second surface 422 directly. When the second surface 422 is a rough surface, the film F is less likely to stick to the second surface 422, and there is a risk that the film F may slide on the second surface 422. On the other hand, when the second surface 422 is a smooth surface, the film F is likely to stick to the second surface 422, and even when a force acts on the film F, the film F is easily held by the second surface 422. Here, the second surface 422 is the surface disposed on the lower side of the round belts 317 and 327, and since the force exerted by the lifter 20 on the film F is upward (away from the second surface 422), even if the second surface 422 is a smooth metal surface, the problem that the film F covering the product G after packaging is difficult to separate from the second surface 422 is less likely to occur. Note that the portions other than the second surface 422 of the movable member 420F, where the film F may come into contact, are preferably a rough surface or a resin surface, contrary to the second surface 422.

[0056] The effect of providing the movable member 420F with the second surface 422 that is parallel to the first surface 412 in the state where the movable member 420F is placed at the clamp position P2 will be described.

[0057] In a conventional packaging device, since only a flat plate-like movable member is rotated as shown in FIG. 11, the upper belt and the lower belt are only partially clamped by the clamp portion.

[0058] On the other hand, by providing the second surface 422, the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F (and further, the film F sandwiched between the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F) can be sandwiched in a relatively wide range by the first surface 412 and the second surface 422. Therefore, when the product G is pressed against the film F disposed at the packaging position PP by the lifter 20, even when a force acts on the film F, the film F is less likely to be displaced. In particular, when the rotation axis O of the movable member 420F is along the conveying direction D of the film F, the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F can be sandwiched in a wider range than in the conventional device.

[0059] Furthermore, in this packaging device 100, since the film F is meandered between the round belts 317 and 327 by the first surface 412 and the second surface 422, and the upper and lower round belts 317 and 327 can be kept parallel in a relatively wide range to sandwich the film F, even if a force acts on the film F (even if the product G is pressed against the film F disposed at the packaging position PP by the lifter 20), displacement of the round belts 317 and 327 is unlikely to occur.

[0060] Furthermore, in this packaging device 100, since the round belt 317 of the upper belt 316F and the round belt 327 of the lower belt 326F sandwich the film F in a state where they are arranged alternately in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction D, the film F can be firmly sandwiched and conveyed between the belts 316F and 326F. On the other hand, when the clamping of the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F by the clamp portion 400 is insufficient, when a force acts on the film F supported by the clamp portion 400, the round belts 317 and 327 of one conveyance belt may move over the adjacent round belts 327 and 327 of the other conveyance belt, and conveyance failure may occur in the conveyance unit 300.

[0061] In contrast, here, since the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F can be sandwiched in a wide range by the first surface 412 of the fixing member 410F and the second surface 422 of the movable member 420F, the occurrence of displacement of the round belts 317 and 327 due to displacement of the film F can be suppressed. In particular, when the round belts 317 and 327 arranged alternately in the front-rear direction are clamped, as shown in FIG. 10, the round belt 327 enters between the adjacent round belts 317, and the round belt 317 enters between the adjacent round belts 327. Therefore, even if a force pulling the film F backward acts, problems such as the round belt 317 moving beyond the adjacent round belt 327 or the round belt 327 moving beyond the adjacent round belt 317 are unlikely to occur.

[0062] (3) Features Hereinafter, for the sake of simplicity of explanation, the features will be described by taking the front transfer unit 300F and the front clamp unit 400F as examples. However, the content regarding the front transfer unit 300F and the front clamp unit 400F can be read as the content regarding the rear transfer unit 300R and the rear clamp unit 400R.

[0063] (3-1) The packaging device 100 includes a support roller 32 as an example of a holding unit, a front transfer unit 300F as an example of a transfer unit, and a front clamp unit 400F as an example of a clamp unit. The support roller 32 holds the film roll R. The front transfer unit 300F sandwiches the film F fed out from the film roll R between the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F, and drives at least one of the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F to convey the film F to the packaging position PP. The front clamp unit 400F temporarily clamps the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F. The front clamp unit 400F includes a fixed member 410F and a movable member 420F that are disposed opposite to each other with the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F interposed therebetween, and a clamp drive unit 450 as an example of a drive unit. The clamp drive unit 450 rotates the movable member 420F and presses the movable member 420F toward the first surface 412 of the fixed member 410F. The movable member 420F is driven by the clamp drive unit 450 and has a second surface 422 that becomes parallel to the first surface 412 and sandwiches the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F between the second surface 422 and the first surface 412 when clamping the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F with the fixed member 410F.

[0064] In this packaging device 100, since the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F can be sandwiched in a relatively wide range by the first surface 412 and the second surface 422, displacement of the film F sandwiched between the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F is unlikely to occur.

[0065] (3-2) Preferably, the movable member 420F rotates around a rotation axis O along the conveyance direction D of the film F by the conveyance unit 300. Also preferably, the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F each include a plurality of round belts 317, 327 extending in the conveyance direction D.

[0066] When a plurality of round belts 317, 327 are used for conveyance, if a movable member having a conventional structure as shown in FIG. 11 is used, the holding force of the film F by the fixed member and the movable member becomes partial, and the upper and lower round belts 317, 327 do not become parallel, and when a force acts on the film F, there is a possibility that the round belts 317, 327 are displaced.

[0067] On the other hand, in this packaging device 100, the first surface 412 and the second surface 422 can meander the film F between the round belt 317 and the round belt 327 to keep the upper and lower round belts 317, 327 parallel in a relatively wide range and sandwich the film F. Therefore, even when a force acts on the film F, the round belts 317, 327 are less likely to be displaced. In particular, by aligning the rotation axis O of the movable member 420F along the conveyance direction D of the film F, the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F can be sandwiched in a wider range than in the conventional device.

[0068] (3-3) The first surface 412 and the second surface 422 sandwich the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F in a state where the plurality of round belts 317 of the upper belt 316F and the plurality of round belts 327 of the lower belt 326F are arranged alternately in the front-rear direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction D.

[0069] When this configuration is adopted, if the clamping of the upper belt 316F and the lower belt 326F by the clamp unit 400 is insufficient, when a force acts on the film F supported by the clamp unit 400, the round belt of one of the belts 316F, 326F moves over the adjacent round belt of the other belt 326F, 316F, and there is a possibility that conveyance failure of the conveyance unit 300 occurs.

[0070] On the other hand, in this packaging device 100, since the first surface 412 and the second surface 422 can sandwich the round belts 317 and 327 in an alternately aligned state within a relatively wide range, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of displacement of the round belts 317 and 327 due to the displacement of the film F.

[0071] (3-4) The movable member 420F is preferably made of metal. Also, the second surface 422 is preferably a smooth surface.

[0072] When the round belts 317 and 327 are used for the belts 316F and 326F, the film F meanders between the parallel round belts 317 and 327, and a part of the upper surface and a part of the lower surface of the film F are in contact with the first surface 412 and the second surface 422, respectively. Here, since the film F is sandwiched by the smooth surface (the second surface 422) of the metal movable member 420F, the film F is likely to be in a state of sticking to the second surface 422, and the sliding of the film F on the second surface 422 can be suppressed.

[0073] Also, preferably, the first surface 412 of the fixed member 410F is a resin surface.

[0074] With such a configuration, after the lifter 20 as the pressing portion presses against the film F on which the product G is placed at the packaging position PP (when the holding of the film F by the clamp portion 400 becomes unnecessary), the film F can be easily peeled off from the first surface 412.

[0075] (4) Modification The following shows a modification of the above embodiment. Note that any aspect shown in the above embodiment and the following modifications may be combined as long as they do not conflict with each other. Also, the following modifications may be appropriately combined as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0076] (4-1) Modification A In the above-described embodiment, the fixed members 410F and 410R are arranged upward, and the movable members 420F and 420R are arranged downward, respectively. However, the present invention is not limited to such an arrangement, and the fixed members 410F and 410R may be arranged downward, and the movable members 420F and 420R may be arranged upward, respectively.

[0077] In this case, the first surface 412 may be a smooth surface made of metal. Also, the second surface 220 may be a resin surface.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0078] 20 Lifter (Pressing Portion) 32 Support Roller (Holding Portion) 300F Front Conveying Portion (Conveying Portion) 300R Rear Conveying Portion (Conveying Portion) 316F, 316R Upper Belt (First Conveying Belt, Second Conveying Belt) 326F, 326R Lower Belt (Second Conveying Belt, First Conveying Belt) 400F Front Clamping Portion (Clamping Portion) 400R Rear Clamping Portion (Clamping Portion) 410F, 410R Fixed Member 412 First Surface 420F, 420R Movable Member 422 Second Surface 450 Clamping Driving Portion (Driving Portion) D Conveying Direction F Film O Rotation Axis

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0079]

Patent Document 1

Claims

1. A holding part for holding a film roll, a conveying part that sandwiches the film fed out from the film roll between a first conveying belt and a second conveying belt and drives at least one of the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt to convey the film to a packaging position, a clamping part that temporarily clamps the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt, comprising: The clamping part includes a fixed member and a movable member that are disposed opposite to each other with the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt therebetween, and a driving part that rotates the movable member and presses the movable member against a first surface of the fixed member, When the movable member is driven by the driving part to clamp the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt between the movable member and the fixed member, the movable member becomes parallel to the first surface and has a second surface that sandwiches the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt between the second surface and the first surface, A packaging device.

2. The movable member rotates around a rotation axis along the conveying direction of the film by the conveying part, and the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt each include a plurality of round belts extending in the conveying direction, The packaging device according to Claim 1.

3. The first surface and the second surface sandwich the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt in a state where the plurality of round belts of the first conveying belt and the plurality of round belts of the second conveying belt are arranged alternately, The packaging device according to Claim 2.

4. The movable member is made of metal, The second surface is a smooth surface, The packaging device according to Claim 2 or 3.

5. The packaging device further includes a pressing part that presses a tray containing an article against the film disposed at the packaging position from below in a state where the clamping part temporarily clamps the first conveying belt and the second conveying belt, The fixed member is disposed above the movable member, The first surface is a resin surface, The packaging device according to Claim 1 or 2.

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