Packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a packaging machine which inserts rod-like bodies, the cross-sectional area of which gradually decreases from one side to the other side in the longitudinal direction, aligned in pairs into a sheet-like bag body from the one side and packages the rod-like bodies, and can stably insert and package the pair of rod-like bodies into the bag body.SOLUTION: A packaging machine 1 of the present invention includes a pusher member 71b that pushes out the ends of a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa and Wa, thereby moving the pair of rod-shaped bodies in the longitudinal direction and inserting them into a bag body 100. The pusher member includes a contact portion 71b1 capable of contacting the pair of rod-shaped bodies and a canopy portion 71b2 provided continuously above the contact portion and capable of preventing the pair of rod-shaped bodies from lifting. The contact portion is formed by a planar section T1 perpendicular to the movement direction of the pusher member and a pair of inclined sections T2 and T2 that slope toward the ejection direction of the pusher member from both ends of the planar section in the direction perpendicular to the movement direction in plan view.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging machine technology for inserting rod-shaped objects, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction, aligned in pairs into a sheet-like bag body for packaging. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Packaging machines are known that package rod-shaped objects, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction, in a state where the rod-shaped objects are aligned in pairs. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic chopstick packaging machine (packaging machine) that continuously packages two chopsticks (rod-shaped bodies) aligned with each other in a packaging sheet.

[0003] In the packaging machine described in Patent Document 1, a long strip of packaging sheet is bent into a U-shape and transported horizontally, and a chopstick supplying device positioned above the packaging sheet supplies a number of pre-stocked rod-shaped objects, aligned in pairs, from above to the packaging sheet in order. The pair of rod-shaped objects supplied to the packaging sheet are then transported together with the packaging sheet, and the packaging sheet is then sealed at a predetermined position at the upper edge of the packaging sheet and at the front and rear positions of the rod-shaped objects, and is then cut at the vertical seal position (the front and rear positions of the rod-shaped objects), thereby packaging the rod-shaped objects in a bag made of the packaging sheet.

[0004] Meanwhile, as another example of such a packaging machine, a packaging machine has been known in the past that, in order to improve equipment capacity (processing speed) compared to the packaging machine in Patent Document 1, places and transports pre-prepared sheet bags with their openings facing sideways, and then pushes out rod-shaped objects in a pair in the sideways direction, inserts them into the bags, and packages them.

[0005] The conventional packaging machine in the above-mentioned other example is generally provided with a pusher member that simultaneously pushes the ends of a pair of rod-shaped bodies laterally while moving the rod-shaped bodies along their longitudinal direction, and a guide mechanism that guides the movement of the rod-shaped bodies toward the opening of the bag body in the placed position. The guide mechanism is composed of a pair of long rectangular rod-shaped guide members extending along the movement direction of the rod-shaped bodies, and these pair of guide members are arranged parallel to each other with a spacing approximately equal to the dimension of the pair of rod-shaped bodies in the width direction (the direction perpendicular to the movement direction when viewed in plan). The pair of rod-shaped bodies are then moved between the pair of guide members while being aligned with each other and regulated against lateral movement, and are simultaneously pushed out by the pusher member, and are inserted into the bag body through the opening and packaged. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-145212 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] In the other example of a conventional packaging machine described above, the rod-shaped bodies have a shape in which the cross-sectional area gradually decreases from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction, and therefore the gap between the pair of guide members and the pair of rod-shaped bodies gradually increases from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, for example, when a pair of rod-shaped bodies are moved while simultaneously pushing out their ends from the other side (the side with the reduced cross-sectional area), as the pair of rod-shaped bodies gradually move out from between the pair of guide members from their ends on one side (the side with the increased cross-sectional area) toward the other side, the gap between the pair of guide members and the pair of rod-shaped bodies increases, causing the lateral movement of each rod-shaped body to increase relative to one another.As a result, the pair of rod-shaped bodies cannot be inserted stably into the bag body, and there is a problem that insertion errors are likely to occur.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the current problems described above, and has an object to provide a packaging machine that inserts, in pairs, rod-shaped objects whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction into a single-leaf bag body having an opening at one end, and packages the pair of rod-shaped objects in the bag body, and that can stably insert and package a pair of rod-shaped objects into the bag body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0010] That is, a packaging machine according to a first aspect of the present invention is a packaging machine that inserts a pair of rod-shaped bodies, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases from one side to the other in a longitudinal direction, into a sheet-like bag body having an opening at one end, while the rod-shaped bodies are aligned with each other, from the one side, and packages the pair of rod-shaped bodies in the bag body, and is equipped with bag body conveying means that places and conveys the bag body with the opening facing horizontally, rod body conveying means that places and conveys the pair of rod-shaped bodies together, and rod body inserting means that is provided between the bag body conveying means and the rod body conveying means and receives the pair of rod-shaped bodies from the rod body conveying means and inserts the pair of rod-shaped bodies into the bag body, the bag body conveying means having an insertion position on the conveying path for inserting the pair of rod-shaped bodies into the bag, and the rod body inserting means comprises a moving mechanism that moves the pair of rod-shaped bodies from the rod body conveying means towards the insertion position, and a moving mechanism that moves the pair of rod-shaped bodies from the rod body conveying means towards the insertion position, and a guide mechanism that guides the movement direction of the pair of rod-shaped bodies by a moving mechanism, the moving mechanism having a pusher member that is movable back and forth horizontally between the rod-shaped body conveying means and the guide mechanism, and between the guide mechanism and the insertion position, the pusher member pushing out the ends of the pair of rod-shaped bodies, and while being guided by the guide mechanism, the pair of rod-shaped bodies are moved along the longitudinal direction and inserted into the bag body, the pusher member having abutment portions that can abut against the pair of rod-shaped bodies, and a visor portion that is provided continuous with an upper part of the abutment portions and can prevent the pair of rod-shaped bodies from floating up, the abutment portions being formed by a flat portion that is perpendicular to the movement direction of the pusher member, and a pair of inclined portions that are inclined from both ends of the flat portion in the direction perpendicular to the movement direction in a planar view, toward the pushing direction of the pusher member. With this configuration, when the ends of a pair of rod-shaped bodies are pushed out longitudinally through the flat portion of the pusher member, the ends are prevented from floating up by the eave portion, while the pair of inclined portions prevent each rod-shaped body from swaying sideways. Therefore, with the packaging machine of the present invention, a pair of rod-shaped bodies can be aligned with each other and moved stably horizontally along the longitudinal direction using a pusher member, and the pair of rod-shaped bodies can be reliably inserted into and packaged in a single-leaf bag body placed with the opening facing sideways.

[0011] A packaging machine according to a second aspect of the present invention is the same as that of the first aspect, wherein the rod-shaped object conveying means comprises an upstream pulley and a downstream pulley arranged parallel to each other with their axial direction horizontal, an endless conveying belt wound around the upstream pulley and the downstream pulley, and a plurality of holder portions arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the conveying belt on the outer circumferential surface of the conveying belt, for placing and holding the pair of rod-shaped objects together, wherein an upper region of the conveying belt constitutes a conveying path for conveying the pair of rod-shaped objects, and a lower region of the conveying belt constitutes a return path for moving the holder portions to the upstream side of the conveying path. The holder portion has a divided structure that is divided in the circumferential direction of the conveying belt, and holds the pair of rod-shaped bodies by placing them in an orientation along the circumferential direction, and the rod-shaped body conveying means gradually pushes in the pair of rod-shaped bodies using the holder portion as the holder portion moves from the conveying path toward the return path on the downstream pulley, transferring the pair of rod-shaped bodies to the rod-shaped body inserting means, and the rod-shaped body inserting means receives the pair of rod-shaped bodies by further pushing out the pair of rod-shaped bodies that have been transferred to the rod-shaped body inserting means using the pusher member. By virtue of this configuration, the packaging machine according to the present invention has a rod-shaped body conveying means that continuously conveys a pair of rod-shaped bodies, and each time a pair of rod-shaped bodies reaches the downstream part of the rod-shaped body conveying means, the conveying operation of the rod-shaped body conveying means is not temporarily stopped, and the pair of rod-shaped bodies can be transferred to the rod-shaped body inserting means while being pushed in by the holder part in the order in which they reach the downstream part, thereby improving the equipment capacity of the packaging machine.

[0012] Furthermore, a packaging machine according to a third aspect of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned first or second aspect, the bag body has an adhesive layer formed in a band shape along the opening on one outer surface thereof, and release paper covering the adhesive layer, and is placed and conveyed by the bag body conveying means with the adhesive layer facing upward, the packaging machine further comprising a peeling means provided upstream of the insertion position, and the peeling means has a gas blowing section that blows gas toward the release paper and lifts one end of the release paper, a regulating guide section that regulates the position of the lifted one end of the release paper, and a clamping section that moves while clamping the lifted one end of the release paper and peels the release paper from the bag body. By being equipped with a peeling means having such a configuration, the packaging machine according to the present invention can regulate, by the regulating guide section, when a portion of the release paper is lifted by the gas ejection section, so that the portion of the release paper is always lifted to a substantially constant height, and the portion of the release paper can be securely held by the clamping section, allowing the release paper to be stably peeled off.

[0013] A packaging machine according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is any of the first to third aspects, further comprising a stock section for stocking a plurality of the bags in a stacked state, provided upstream of the bag conveying means, and further comprising transfer means for sequentially removing the bags from the stock section, starting with the topmost one, and transferring the removed bags to an upstream end of the bag conveying means, the transfer means having at least one pair of first and second suction sections that are each provided to be able to rise and fall and to be able to move back and forth integrally between directly above the stock section and directly above the upstream end of the bag conveying means, and the first suction section is located directly above the stock section at a position that overlaps one end of the bag in a plan view, and the second suction section is located directly above the stock section at a position that overlaps one end of the bag in a plan view .... The suction portion is positioned at a position overlapping with the other end of the bag body in a planar view, and the first suction portion and the second suction portion simultaneously descend from a predetermined first upper limit position and a predetermined second upper limit position, respectively, to abut against the bag body to suction the bag body, and then simultaneously rise again to remove the bag body, and the distance between the first suction portion waiting at the first upper limit position and one end of the bag body located in the top layer of the multiple bag bodies stacked in the stock section and in which the bag body has not yet been removed is approximately the same as the height between the second suction portion waiting at the second upper limit position and the other end of the bag body located in the top layer of the multiple bag bodies stacked in the stock section and in which the bag body has not yet been removed. With this configuration, for example, even if the heights of multiple stacked bags stored in a stock section are different at one end and the other end, when the first suction portion and the second suction portion are each lowered to adsorb and hold the bag located in the top layer, the first suction portion and the second suction portion can be abutted against the bag at approximately the same time. Therefore, with the packaging machine of the present invention, the bag body located at the top layer that has not yet been removed from the multiple bag bodies stacked in the stock section can be securely held in order from the top layer by the transfer means without causing the stacked state of the multiple bag bodies to collapse (the stacked state is likely to collapse if the first suction portion and the second suction portion abut each other at different times), and can be stably transferred to the upstream portion of the bag body conveying means. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] The present invention has the following effects. In other words, with the packaging machine of the present invention, rod-shaped objects whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction can be stably inserted into a bag body from one side while aligned in pairs, and packaged in the bag body. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] 5A and 5B are diagrams showing the configuration of a transfer device, in which (a) is a front view thereof and (b) is a side view seen in the direction of an arrow X1 in FIG. 5A. [Figure 3] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of a rod-shaped material transport device, in which (a) is a plan view and (b) is a side view. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of a rod-shaped object insertion device, in which (a) is a plan view thereof and (b) is a side view thereof. [Figure 5] 4(a) and 4(b) are diagrams showing the configuration of a pusher member, in which (a) is a side view thereof and (b) is a partially cross-sectional plan view including a cross section seen in the direction of the arrow X2 in FIG. 4(a). [Figure 6] 6A and 6B are diagrams showing the configuration of a peeling device, in which (a) is a side view thereof and (b) is a rear view seen in the direction of the arrow X3 in FIG. 6A. [Figure 7]1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining the operating procedure of the peeling device, in which (a) is a side view showing a state in which a part of the release paper is lifted by spraying compressed air, (b) is a side view showing a state in which the release paper is clamped by clamping members, and (c) is a side view showing a state in which the release paper is peeled off while rising. [Figure 8] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the configuration of a bag body, in which (a) is a plan view thereof and (b) is a cross-sectional side view thereof. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. For the sake of convenience, the following description will be given by defining the front-rear direction, left-right direction, and up-down direction of the packaging machine 1 according to the directions of the arrows shown in FIGS. In the following description, the direction of arrow A1 in Figures 1 and 2(a) is defined as the conveying direction of the bag body conveying device 2, the direction of arrow A2 in Figures 1 and 2(b) is defined as the conveying direction of the bag body supplying device 3, the direction of arrow A3 in Figures 1 and 3(a)(b) is defined as the conveying direction of the rod-shaped body conveying device 6, and the direction of arrow A4 in Figures 1 and 4(a)(b) is defined as the conveying direction of the rod-shaped body inserting device 7.

[0017] [Overall configuration of packaging machine 1] First, the overall configuration of a packaging machine 1 embodying the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5(a)(b) and 8(a)(b).

[0018] The packaging machine 1 in this embodiment is a device that inserts a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa, such as chopsticks or the like, whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases from one side of the longitudinal direction to the other, into a bag body 100 while pushing them out in a lateral direction (approximately horizontal direction) while aligning them with each other, and packages the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa in the bag body 100.

[0019] Here, as shown in Figures 8(a) and (b), the bag body 100 consists of a single-leaf packaging bag extending in one direction, and has sufficient storage space along the entire longitudinal direction to accommodate a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa.

[0020] The bag body 100 is made of a plastic film such as polypropylene or polyethylene, and comprises a bag main body portion 101 and a flap portion 102 which are integrally formed with each other, and a release paper 103 which is removably attached to the bag main body portion 101.

[0021] The material of the bag body 100 is not limited to that of this embodiment, and may be other materials such as nylon or aluminum foil. Furthermore, the material of the release paper 103 is not limited to paper, but may be a plastic film or the like, and is not particularly limited.

[0022] The bag body 101 has a rectangular, strip-shaped bag structure and has an opening 101a at one end in the longitudinal direction. The flap portion 102 is formed in the shape of a rectangular sheet and is provided on one side 101b (hereinafter referred to as the "first side 101b1" as appropriate) of the bag main body portion 101, along the edge of the opening 101a, and continuous with the first side 101b1.

[0023] On the other hand, on the other side 101b (hereinafter referred to as the "second side 101b2" as appropriate) of the bag main body 101, a strip-shaped adhesive layer 104 is formed along the edge of the opening 101a on the outer surface (i.e., the surface opposite to the first side 101b1). A rectangular sheet of release paper 103 is removably attached to the second side surface 101b2 via an adhesive layer 104, and the adhesive layer 104 is covered with the release paper 103 in advance. In other words, the bag body 100 has, on one outer surface (the outer surface of the second side surface 101b2), an adhesive layer 104 formed in a strip shape along the opening 101a, and a release paper 103 covering the adhesive layer 104.

[0024] Then, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are aligned with each other and inserted into the bag main body portion 101 through the opening 101a from the end portion (hereinafter referred to as the "expanded side end portion Wa1") on one side in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the side on which the cross-sectional area is expanded). Furthermore, after the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are accommodated inside the bag main body portion 101 from the enlarged side end portion Wa1 to the end portion on the other side in the longitudinal direction (i.e., the side on which the cross-sectional area is reduced) (hereinafter referred to as the "reduced side end portion Wa2" as appropriate), the flap portion 102 is folded toward the second side surface 101b2 at the edge of the opening 101a and is adhered to the second side surface 101b2 via the adhesive layer 104 from which the release paper 103 has been peeled off. As a result, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa is packaged in the bag body 100.

[0025] As shown in Figure 1, the packaging machine 1 mainly includes a bag body conveying device 2 that places a bag body 100 with the adhesive layer 104 facing upward and conveys the bag body 100 horizontally in one direction (the direction of arrow A1, which in this embodiment is to the left), a bag body supplying device 3 that supplies the bag body 100 to the bag body conveying device 2, a transfer device 4 that is provided between the bag body conveying device 2 and the bag body supplying device 3 and transfers and feeds the bag body 100 into the bag body conveying device 2, and a peeling device 5 that peels off the release paper 103 attached to the bag body 100 on the bag body conveying device 2. The packaging machine 1 also includes a rod-shaped body conveying device 6 that conveys a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa toward the bag body conveying device 2, and a rod-shaped body inserting device 7 that is provided between the bag body conveying device 2 and the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 and that inserts the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa into the bag body 100.

[0026] The bag conveying device 2 is an example of the bag conveying means according to the present invention. The bag body conveying device 2 is composed of, for example, a belt conveyor having double rows (four rows in this embodiment) of endless conveying belts 21·21·21·21, and each conveying belt 21 is provided with a plurality of suction ports 21a·21a··· arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the conveying belt 21. In addition, a suction box (not shown) is provided on the back side of the conveyor belt 21 to support the conveyor belt 21 along the conveying direction, and the suction box is connected to a blower or the like (not shown), and generates negative pressure in the plurality of suction ports 21a·21a holes through openings provided on the top surface of the suction box.

[0027] The bag body 100 fed into the bag body conveying device 2 is adsorbed through these multiple suction ports 21a·21a···, and is held on the double row conveying belts 21·21·21·21 with the opening 101a facing horizontally, and is then conveyed by the bag body conveying device 2.

[0028] On the conveying path of the bag conveying device 2, a bag positioning position P1, a release paper peeling position P2, and a rod-shaped body insertion position P3 are arranged in order from the upstream end of the bag conveying device 2 toward the downstream side.

[0029] Here, the bag positioning position P1 is a position where the transfer device 4 positions the bag 100 at a predetermined position on the bag conveying device 2 and then inserts the bag 100 into the bag conveying device 2. Further, the release paper peeling position P2 is a position where the peeling device 5 peels off the release paper 103 stuck to the bag body 100. Furthermore, the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 is an example of an insertion position according to the present invention, and is a position where the rod-shaped body insertion device 7 performs the insertion operation of inserting a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa into the bag body 100 in a mutually aligned state.

[0030] The bag body 100 fed into the bag body conveying device 2 reaches the bag positioning position P1, the release paper peeling position P2, and the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 in that order, whereby the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are inserted, and then continues to be conveyed in the conveying direction (leftward in the direction of arrow A1) until it reaches a sealing position (not shown), where the flap portion 102 is folded and attached to the adhesive layer 104 (after being sealed by the flap portion 102), and then it reaches an unloading position (not shown) and is unloaded from the packaging machine 1.

[0031] The bag body supply device 3 has a conveying conveyor 31 that is horizontal and has one direction as the conveying direction (the direction of arrow A2, which in this embodiment is the forward direction), and a regulating guide 32 that is arranged along the conveying direction of the conveying conveyor 31, and is arranged near the upstream side of the bag body conveying device 2 so as to be perpendicular to the conveying direction of the bag body conveying device 2 in a planar view.

[0032] The bag supplying device 3 transports a predetermined number of bags 100 stacked on top of one another while being guided by a regulating guide 32 in the transport direction (forward). Specifically, a plurality of stacked bag bodies 100·100··· (hereinafter referred to as "bag body group 100A" as appropriate) are placed on the conveying conveyor 31 with the adhesive layer 104 facing upward, the longitudinal direction in a planar view being the above-mentioned conveying direction (forward direction), and the opening 101a facing the upstream side of the conveying direction (rear side in this embodiment), and are conveyed by the conveying conveyor 31 while the regulating guide 32 prevents the load from falling.

[0033] Here, on the conveying path of the bag body supplying device 3, a stock section Z is set in advance at a position adjacent to the upstream end (in this embodiment, the right end) of the bag body conveying device 2, and the bag body supplying device 3 temporarily stops operating when the bag group 100A reaches the stock section Z. In other words, on the upstream side of the bag body conveying device 2, a stock section Z is provided that stocks a plurality of bags 100 in a stacked state.

[0034] Then, when all of the bags 100 constituting the bag group 100A have been transferred to the bag conveying device 2 by the transfer device 4, the bag supply device 3 starts operating again and moves a new bag group 100A to the stock section Z.

[0035] The transfer device 4 is an example of the transfer means according to the present invention. As shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the transfer device 4 is located between directly above the upstream end (right end) of the bag body conveying device 2 and directly above the stock section Z of the bag body supplying device 3, and is movable back and forth horizontally in one direction (left and right in this embodiment), and has a movable frame 41 that is movable up and down, and a pair of suction sections 42, 42 that are movable up and down individually (movable up and down) relative to the movable frame 41. The pair of suction portions 42, 42 are configured to be individually movable relative to the moving frame 41 by a spring or the like (not shown), and are configured to be able to absorb the bag body 100 even if the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B abut against the bag body 100 at different times.

[0036] The number of suction portions 42 is not limited to that in this embodiment, and three or more may be provided along the bag group 100A stocked in the stock section Z. Furthermore, when the bag body supply device 3 is composed of multiple rows of conveying conveyors 31, the stock section Z also becomes multiple rows, and accordingly the suction sections 42 are also arranged in multiple rows in the left-right direction, so that many bag bodies 100 can be transferred to the bag body conveying device 2 in a single operation.

[0037] A suction port (not shown) is provided on the lower surface of each suction portion 42, and the bag body 100 can be held by suction through the suction port. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, when the movable frame 41 is positioned directly above the stock section Z in the bag body supply device 3, one of the suction sections 42 (hereinafter referred to as the "first suction section 42A" as appropriate) is positioned in a position overlapping, in a planar view, one end section of the bag body 100 located in the top layer on the opening 101a side (in this embodiment, the flap section 102 located at the rear end section), and the other suction section 42 (hereinafter referred to as the "second suction section 42B" as appropriate) is positioned in a position overlapping, in a planar view, the other end section of the bag body 100 located in the top layer on the opposite side from the opening 101a side (in this embodiment, the front end section).

[0038] The transfer device 4 then operates according to the following procedure to sequentially remove the bag body 100 from the group of bag bodies 100A stored in the stock section Z, starting with the bag body 100 located in the top layer, and transfers the bag body 100 by placing it with the adhesive layer 104 facing upward while positioning it at the upstream end of the bag body conveying device 2 (more specifically, at the bag positioning position P1).

[0039] That is, as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the transfer device 4 moves directly above the stock section Z via the moving frame 41 while keeping the first suction section 42A waiting at a predetermined upper limit position (hereinafter referred to as the "first upper limit position V1" as appropriate) and the second suction section 42B waiting at a predetermined upper limit position (hereinafter referred to as the "second upper limit position V2" as appropriate).

[0040] When it reaches directly above the stock section Z, the transfer device 4 simultaneously lowers the first suction section 42A and the second suction section from the predetermined first upper limit position V1 and second upper limit position V2, respectively, and abuts the first suction section 42A and the second suction section 42B against the bag body 100 located in the uppermost layer to adsorb it. Thereafter, the transfer device 4 simultaneously raises the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B again, thereby removing the bag body 100 located in the uppermost layer from the stock portion Z.

[0041] When the bag body 100 is removed from the stock section Z, the transfer device 4 moves via the moving frame 41 to a position directly above the upstream end of the bag body conveying device 2 (bag positioning position P1). Then, when the bag 100 reaches directly above the upstream end (bag positioning position P1), the transfer device 4 simultaneously lowers the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B to release the suction state. As a result, the bag 100 is transferred by the moving frame 41 and placed in a positioned state at the bag positioning position P1 of the bag conveying device 2.

[0042] Incidentally, depending on the type of bag body 100, for example, there is a bag having a header with a through hole formed for hanging at the other end in the longitudinal direction (for example, the end opposite the opening 101a side), and such a bag with a header is formed by folding the header portion, and the thickness of the header portion is thicker than the thickness on the opening 101a side. In the bag group 100A formed by stacking a plurality of bags 100·100·· having such a configuration, as shown in FIG. 2(b), one end (in this embodiment, the rear end) in the longitudinal direction and the other end (in this embodiment, the rear end) have different heights.

[0043] Therefore, in this embodiment, the heights of the above-mentioned first upper limit position V1 and second upper limit position V2 are pre-set to different positions, and the distance L1 between the first suction portion 42A waiting at the first upper limit position V1 and one end of the bag body 100 located in the top layer is set to be equal to the distance L2 between the second suction portion 42B waiting at the second upper limit position V2 and the other end of the bag body 100 located in the top layer.

[0044] Here, it is preferable that the above distances L1 and L2 are adjusted to the distance to the bag body 100 in the top layer at the beginning of the bag body group 100A transported to the stock section Z (i.e., the initial state when no bag body 100 has yet been removed). When multiple stacked bags 100·100·· are stacked, the stacked state is most likely to collapse towards the beginning, so the above-mentioned distances L1 and L2 can be determined according to the height of the stacked state that is most likely to collapse, so that the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B abut against the bag body 100 at the same time. In this case, as the number of stacked bags 100·100··· decreases, the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B will come into contact with the bag body 100 located in the uppermost layer at different times. However, since the stacked state is less likely to collapse as the number of stacked bags decreases, there is no particular problem even if the contact timings are different.

[0045] By having this configuration, for example, in the case of a plurality of stacked bag bodies 100·100·· stored in the stock section Z, even if the heights of the plurality of bag bodies 100·100·· are different at one end and the other end, when the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B are lowered to adsorb and hold the bag body 100 located in the uppermost layer, the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B can abut against the bag body 100 at approximately the same time.

[0046] Therefore, according to the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment, the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B abut against the bag body 100 located in the top layer at the beginning (initial state when the bag bodies 100 have not yet been removed) at different times, so that the stacked state of the multiple bag bodies 100·100·· is not disrupted, and the transfer device 4 can securely hold the bag bodies 100 in order from the top layer and stably transfer them to the upstream end (bag positioning position P1) of the bag body conveying device 2.

[0047] Furthermore, since the heights of the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B are different, when the bag body 100 is transferred to the upstream end (bag positioning position P1) of the bag body conveying device 2, the timing at which the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B contact each conveying belt 21 when lowered onto the double row conveying belts 21 at the bag positioning position P1 will be different. However, each suction portion (first suction portion 42A or second suction portion 42B) is configured to be able to move up and down using a spring or the like not shown, and is configured to be able to accommodate the different heights of the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B. Here, when the bag body 100 is placed at the bag positioning position P1 of the bag body conveying device 2, the timing at which the first suction portion 42A and the second suction portion 42B contact each conveying belt 21 is different, but there is no particular problem as there is no risk of the bag body collapsing like with multiple stacked bag bodies 100·100··.

[0048] The peeling device 5 is an example of the peeling means according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the peeling device 5 is disposed above the bag conveying device 2 at a release paper peeling position P2.

[0049] Then, when the bag body 100 fed into the bag body conveying device 2 reaches the release paper peeling position P2, the peeling device 5 starts operating and peels off the release paper 103 attached to the bag body 100. The bag 100 from which the release paper 103 has been peeled off by the peeling device 5 is then transported by the bag transport device 2 to reach the rod-shaped body insertion position P3, where the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are inserted.

[0050] The configuration of the peeling device 5 will be described in detail later.

[0051] The rod-shaped body transfer device 6 is an example of the rod-shaped body transfer means according to the present invention. The rod-shaped body conveying device 6 is composed of a belt conveyor that is horizontal and has one direction as the conveying direction (the direction of arrow A3, which in this embodiment is the forward direction), and is arranged upstream (rear) of the rod-shaped body insertion device 7, which is located near the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 in the bag body conveying device 2.

[0052] Specifically, as shown in Figures 3(a) and (b), the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 comprises an upstream pulley 61 and a downstream pulley 62 arranged parallel to each other with their axial direction horizontal, an endless conveying belt 63 wound around the upstream pulley 61 and the downstream pulley 62, and a plurality of holder portions 64·64··· arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the conveying belt 63 on the outer surface of the conveying belt 63, and which hold a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa mounted integrally thereon. In addition, the upper region of the conveying belt 63 forms a conveying path S1 that conveys the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa, and the lower region of the conveying belt 63 forms a return path S2 that moves each holder portion 64 upstream of the conveying path.

[0053] Each holder portion 64 has a divided structure divided in the circumferential direction of the conveying belt 63, and in this embodiment, for example, is composed of a first holder member 64a, a second holder member 64b, a third holder member 64c, and a fourth holder member 64d that are arranged at equal intervals on the conveying path S1 from the upstream side (in this embodiment, the rear side) to the downstream side (in this embodiment, the front side) in the above-mentioned conveying direction (direction of arrow A3).

[0054] Here, the upper surfaces of the first holder member 64a, the second holder member 64b, the third holder member 64c, and the fourth holder member 64d are each formed with a protrusion portion that can hold a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa together while aligning them with each other.

[0055] Specifically, a first protrusion 64a1 that is generally U-shaped in plan view and opens toward the second holder member 64b is formed on the top surface of the first holder member 64a. Further, a pair of second protrusions 64b1, 64b1 extending parallel to each other along the transport direction (the direction of arrow A3) are formed on the upper surface of the second holder member 64b. Similarly to the second bail member 64b, a pair of third protrusions 64c1 extending parallel to each other along the transport direction (the direction of arrow A3) is also formed on the upper surface of the third holder member 64c. Furthermore, a fourth protrusion 64d1 that is generally U-shaped in plan view and opens toward the third holder member 64c is formed on the upper surface of the fourth holder member 64d.

[0056] It should be noted that the projections on the top surfaces of the second holder member 64b and the third holder member 64c may not be provided, and there are no particular limitations.

[0057] Then, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are fed into the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 with the enlarged side end portions Wa1·Wa1 facing downstream in the conveying direction (direction of arrow A3) and the reduced side end portions Wa2·Wa2 facing upstream in the conveying direction (direction of arrow A3). Furthermore, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa introduced into the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 is placed on the upper surface of the holder portion 64 with its periphery restricted by the above-mentioned protrusions (first protrusion 64a1, second protrusion 64b1, third protrusion 64c1, and fourth protrusion 64d1). As a result, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa is held by the holder portion 64 in a position along the circumferential direction of the conveyor belt 63.

[0058] The rod-shaped body transfer device 6 transfers pairs of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa that are continuously fed on the transfer path S1 in the transfer direction (the direction of arrow A3) while holding the pairs of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa in order by the holder parts 64.

[0059] Then, in the rod-shaped body conveying device 6, as the conveying belt 63 turns around the downstream pulley 62 located downstream (front side) in the conveying direction (direction of arrow A3) and the holder portion 64 moves from the conveying path S1 toward the return path S2, the holder portion 64 (more specifically, the first protrusion portion 64a1 of the first holder member 64a) gradually pushes in the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa, transferring the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa to the rod-shaped body inserting device 7. Immediately after being pushed in by the holder portion 64, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are transferred to the rod-shaped body inserting device 7 with their upstream ends (rear ends) remaining in the conveying direction (direction of arrow A3).

[0060] In addition, above the downstream pulley 62, a pusher member 71b (described later) provided in the rod-shaped body insertion device 7 is waiting in advance, and the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are pushed in by the holder portion 64 and transferred onto the rod-shaped body insertion device 7, and are then further pushed out by the pusher member 71b, so that the rod-shaped body insertion device 7 completely receives the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa.

[0061] By virtue of this configuration, the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment allows the rod-shaped body conveying device 6, which continuously conveys a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa, to transfer the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa to the rod-shaped body inserting device 7 by pushing them in using the holder portion 64 in the order that they reach the downstream end, without temporarily stopping the conveying operation of the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 each time the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa reach the downstream end (front end), thereby improving the equipment capacity of the packaging machine 1.

[0062] The rod-shaped body inserting device 7 is an example of the rod-shaped body inserting means according to the present invention. As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the rod-shaped body insertion device 7 mainly includes a moving mechanism 71 that moves the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa from the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 toward a rod-shaped body insertion position P3 located on the conveying path of the bag body conveying device 2, and a guide mechanism 72 that guides the movement direction of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa by the moving mechanism 71 (the direction of arrow A4, which in this embodiment is the forward direction).

[0063] The moving mechanism 71 has a drive mechanism 71a including an actuator or the like having an extendable rod portion 71a1, and a pusher member 71b fixed to the tip of the rod portion 71a1.

[0064] The drive mechanism 71a is configured so that the rod 71a1 is extendable and contractible in the horizontal direction and along the movement direction (the direction of the arrow A4), and is movable (raised and lowered) in the vertical direction.

[0065] The drive mechanism 71a is arranged so that when the rod portion 71a1 is in its most retracted state, the pusher member 71b fixed to the tip of the rod portion 71a1 is located slightly upstream (rear) of the position directly above the downstream end (front end) of the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 (hereinafter referred to as the "push-out start position Q1" where appropriate), and when the rod portion 71a1 is in its most extended state, the pusher member 71b is located at a position directly above the end (rear end in this embodiment) of the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 at the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 of the bag body conveying device 2 (hereinafter referred to as the "push-out completion position Q2" where appropriate). In other words, the pusher member 71b is configured to be able to move back and forth horizontally between the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 (more specifically, the extrusion start position Q1) and the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 (more specifically, the extrusion completion position Q2) of the bag body conveying device 2 by the extension and contraction movement of the rod portion 71a1.

[0066] As shown in Figures 5(a) and (b), when the pusher member 71b is fixed to the rod portion 71a1 of the drive mechanism portion 71a, the pusher member 71b has an abutment portion 71b1 provided on the side of the extension side (in this embodiment, the front side) of the rod portion 71a1, and a canopy portion 71b2 provided continuously to the upper part of the abutment portion 71b1.

[0067] The contact portion 71b1 is a portion that contacts the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa, and is formed by a flat portion T1 that is perpendicular to the movement direction of the pusher member 71b (the extension direction of the rod portion 71a1, which in this embodiment is the front-to-back direction) and a pair of inclined portions T2·T2 that are inclined from both ends (in this embodiment, the left and right ends) of the flat portion T1 in a direction perpendicular to the movement direction when viewed in a plane toward the extrusion direction of the pusher member 71b (the extension direction of the rod portion 71a1, which in this embodiment is the front direction).

[0068] Then, by pressing the pusher member 71b against the reduced side ends Wa2 / Wa2 of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa / Wa via the flat portion T1 and extending the rod portion 71a1, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa / Wa are pushed out with their longitudinal direction in the above-mentioned movement direction (the direction of arrow A4), and moved toward the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 of the bag body conveying device 2.

[0069] In plan view, it is preferable that the width Y1 of the flat portion T1 is approximately equal to the width Y2 of the reduced-side ends Wa2 of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa (Y1≈Y2). Here, when inserting rod-shaped objects of multiple sizes using the packaging machine 1, the width dimension Y1 can be set to match the width dimension Y2 at the reduced side ends Wa2 / Wa2 of the pair of rod-shaped objects Wa / Wa of the largest rod-shaped object.

[0070] Therefore, when pushing out a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa via the pusher member 71b, even if the reduction side end portions Wa2·Wa2 of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa tend to sway left and right, the pair of inclined portions T2·T2 can immediately return the position of the reduction side end portions Wa2·Wa2 to the flat portion T1, and the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa can be moved horizontally stably without lateral wobble while aligned with each other.

[0071] The eaves portion 71b2 is a portion that prevents the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa from floating up, and is arranged to protrude toward the extrusion direction (forward direction) so as to cover the upper part of the reduced side end portions Wa2·Wa2 of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa when the reduced side end portions Wa2·Wa2 are abutted against the flat portion T1.

[0072] Therefore, when pushing out a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa via the pusher member 71b, even if the reduced side end portions Wa2·Wa2 of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa tend to float upward, the eave portion 71b2 can prevent the reduced side end portions Wa2·Wa2 from floating up, and the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa can be moved horizontally stably while being aligned with each other.

[0073] As shown in Figures 4(a) and (b), the guide mechanism 72 is composed of, for example, a pair of long rectangular rod-shaped guide members 72a, 72a, and is arranged between the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 and the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 of the bag body conveying device 2, with its longitudinal direction aligned with the movement direction (direction of arrow A4). The pair of guide members 72a are arranged parallel to each other and facing each other in a direction (left-right direction in this embodiment) perpendicular to the movement direction (direction of arrow A4) in a plan view.

[0074] Here, it is preferable that the dimension Y3 between the pair of guide members 72a is substantially equal to the width dimension Y4 of the enlarged side ends Wa1 of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa (Y3≈Y4). Here, when inserting rod-shaped objects of multiple sizes using the packaging machine 1, the width dimension Y3 can be set to match the rod-shaped object whose width dimension Y4 at the enlarged side ends Wa1-Wa1 of the pair of rod-shaped objects Wa-Wa is the largest. Furthermore, if necessary, the width Y3 between the pair of guide members 72a may be configured to be adjustable.

[0075] Then, a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa pushed out from the downstream end (front end) of the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 is temporarily transferred between a pair of guide members 72a·72a, and then pushed out by the pusher member 71b of the moving mechanism 71, and moved toward the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 of the bag body conveying device 2 while being guided in the moving direction (direction of arrow A4) by the pair of guide members 72a·72a.

[0076] The rod-shaped body inserting device 7 configured as described above operates according to the following procedure to receive a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa from the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 and insert the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa into the bag body 100.

[0077] That is, first, the drive mechanism 71a is stopped at a predetermined upper limit position with the rod 71a1 retracted, and the pusher member 71b is in a waiting state at the waiting position Q3 located directly above the extrusion start position Q1.

[0078] When a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa is pushed out from the downstream end (front end) of the rod-shaped body conveying device 6, the drive mechanism part 71a descends to a predetermined lower limit position, and the pusher member 71b moves toward the push-out start position Q1.

[0079] Then, when the pusher member 71b reaches the push-out start position Q1, the drive mechanism 71a extends the rod portion 71a1. As a result, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are pushed out by the pusher member 71b via the reduced-side end portions Wa2·Wa2, and are moved along the longitudinal direction while being guided in the movement direction (the direction of arrow A4) by the guide mechanism 72.

[0080] Thereafter, when the pusher member 71b reaches the extrusion completion position Q2, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa is inserted through the opening 101a into the bag 100 located at the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 of the bag conveying device 2. Here, an insertion guide (not shown) may be separately provided between the guide mechanism 72 and the bag body 100 to regulate the vertical and horizontal directions of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa. In this case, the insertion guide is provided between the downstream side of the guide mechanism 72 and the bag body 100, and is configured to be insertable into the bag body 100 through the opening 101a, and the pusher member 71b inserts the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa into the bag body 100 through this insertion guide.

[0081] When a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa is inserted into the bag body 100, the drive mechanism 71a retracts the rod portion 71a1 to such an extent that the pusher member 71b comes out of the opening 101a of the bag body 100 (or the insertion guide described above), then rises to the upper limit position, and then further retracts the rod portion 71a1. As a result, the pusher member 71b is moved toward the standby position Q3, and when the pusher member 71b reaches the standby position Q3, the series of operations in the rod-shaped object inserting device 7 is completed.

[0082] As described above, the rod-shaped body insertion device 7 in this embodiment is configured to have one moving mechanism 71, but this is not limited to this, and for example, it may be configured to have two or more moving mechanisms 71·71··· depending on the distance between the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 and the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 of the bag body conveying device 2. In this case, these two or more moving mechanisms 71·71··· are arranged in a straight line along the conveying direction (the direction of arrow A4), and each moving mechanism 71 is configured to work integrally with the others. Also, a pusher member 71b provided in each moving mechanism 71 moves a pair of rod-like bodies Wa·Wa in sequence from the downstream end (front end) of the rod-like body conveying device 6 toward the rod-like body insertion position P3 of the bag conveying device 2. In other words, in the rod-shaped body insertion device 7, the pusher member 71b is arranged to be able to move back and forth horizontally at least between the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 (extrusion start position Q1) and the guide mechanism 72, and between the guide mechanism 72 and the rod-shaped body insertion position P3 (extrusion completion position Q2) of the bag body conveying device 2, by the extension and contraction action of the rod portion 71a1 in the drive mechanism portion 71a. Furthermore, when the rod-shaped body conveying device 6 conveys two rows of pairs of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa, two moving mechanisms 71 may be provided in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and may be designed appropriately to match the configuration of the preceding and following devices.

[0083] [Configuration of peeling device 5] Next, the configuration of the peeling device 5 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. As described above, the peeling device 5 is disposed above the bag conveying device 2 and at the release paper peeling position P2 located upstream of the rod-shaped body insertion position P3, and is a device that peels off the release paper 103 from the bag body 100 that has reached the release paper peeling position P2.

[0084] As shown in Figures 6(a) and (b), the peeling device 5 mainly has a clamping section 51 that clamps one end 103a of the release paper 103 on the side opposite to the opening 101a (in this embodiment, the front side), a regulating guide section 52 that regulates the vertical position of the one end 103a, and a gas ejection section 53 that sprays gas R from above toward the release paper 103. Furthermore, these clamping portion 51, regulating guide portion 52, and gas ejection portion 53 are integrally configured with each other and are configured to be able to move simultaneously in the horizontal direction (in this embodiment, the front-to-back direction) and the up-and-down direction.

[0085] The clamping portion 51 has, for example, a flat first inclined portion 51a that inclines upward toward the side opposite to the opening 101a (front side) with respect to the bag body 100 positioned at the release paper peeling position P2, and an abutment member 51b that is provided above the first inclined portion 51a and is capable of moving back and forth between the approaching side and the away side relative to the first inclined portion 51a along a direction perpendicular to the first inclined portion 51a.

[0086] The clamping portion 51 then clamps one end 103a of the release paper 103, and by moving the abutting member 51b to the proximal side, the abutting member 51b and the first inclined portion 51a clamp the one end 103a of the release paper 103.

[0087] The restriction guide portion 52 has, for example, a second inclined portion 52a above the first inclined portion 51a, the second inclined portion 52a being inclined parallel to the first inclined portion 51a. In addition, the regulating guide portion 52 has an opening 52b located in the center of the second inclined portion 52a, and the abutment member 51b of the clamping portion 51 is configured to be able to pass through the second inclined portion 52a through the opening 52b.

[0088] The restricting guide portion 52 prevents the one end 103a of the release paper 103 from lifting upward via the back surface 52a1 of the second inclined portion 52a, and restricts the position of the one end 103a in the up-down direction.

[0089] The gas ejection part 53 has, for example, an ejection nozzle 53a capable of ejecting the gas R, and a blower device (not shown) that is connected to the ejection nozzle 53a.

[0090] The ejection nozzle 53a is provided, for example, on the opposite side of the first inclined portion 51a of the clamping portion 51 from the regulating guide portion 52 (in this embodiment, the front side), and is positioned so that the ejection direction of the gas R is diagonally downward approximately along the first inclined portion 51a.

[0091] The gas ejection section 53 then ejects gas R from above, on the opposite side (front side) of the opening 101a, of the bag body 100 positioned at the release paper peeling position P2, toward one end 103a of the release paper 103, thereby lifting the one end 103a upward.

[0092] The peeling device 5 configured as described above operates in the following procedure to peel off the release paper 103 from the bag 100 that has reached the release paper peeling position P2.

[0093] That is, first, as shown in FIG. 7(a), the peeling device 5 is in a standby state at a standby position Q11, which is a predetermined upper limit position. Further, the contact member 51b of the clamping portion 51 is moved to the separating side and is in a stopped state. Furthermore, the gas ejection part 53 is in a state where the ejection of the gas R from the ejection nozzle 53a is stopped.

[0094] When the bag body 100 being transported by the bag body transporting device 2 (see Figure 1) reaches the release paper peeling position P2, the peeling device 5 moves downward (descends) toward the first peeling start position Q12, which is a predetermined lower limit position, while spraying gas R from the spray nozzle 53a. As a result, the gas R is sprayed onto one end 103a of the release paper 103 attached to the bag body 100, and the one end 103a is lifted upward.

[0095] When the peeling device 5 reaches the first peeling start position Q12, the peeling device 5 continues to eject the gas R and moves toward the second peeling start position Q13 located on the opening 101a side (in this embodiment, the rear side) of the bag body 100.

[0096] When the peeling device 5 reaches the second peeling start position Q13, the position of one end 103a of the release paper 103 lifted upward is regulated by the back surface 52a1 of the second inclined portion 52a of the regulating guide portion 52. In this state, as shown in FIG. 7(b), the contact member 51b of the clamping unit 51 is moved to the proximal side, and one end 103a of the release paper 103 is clamped by the clamping unit 51.

[0097] When one end 103a of the release paper 103 is clamped by the clamping unit 51, the gas jetting unit 53 stops jetting the gas R from the jetting nozzle 53a. With one end 103a of the release paper 103 clamped at the second peeling start position Q13, the peeling device 5 moves toward the peeling completion position Q14, which is a predetermined final position, and the release paper 103 (see Figure 8) that was attached to the adhesive layer 104 of the bag body 100 is peeled off from the bag body 100.

[0098] Thereafter, the peeling device 5 rises toward the release paper discarding position Q15, which is a predetermined upper limit position.

[0099] When the peeling device 5 reaches the release paper discarding position Q15, the contact member 51b of the clamping portion 51 is moved to the above-mentioned approach side, and the clamped state of the release paper 103 is released. As a result, the release paper 103 is sucked by a suction device (not shown) located near the peeling device 5 and discarded.

[0100] The operation of the peeling device 5 is not particularly limited, and for example, the release paper 103 can be peeled off from the bag body 100 by clamping one end 103a of the release paper 103 at the second peeling start position Q13 and then moving upward. However, when the peeling device 5 moves upward, an upward force is likely to be applied to the bag body 100, so it is more preferable to peel off the release paper 103 by moving sideways after clamping one end 103a of the release paper 103 at the second peeling start position Q13.

[0101] Thereafter, the peeling device 5 is moved again toward the standby position Q11, and when the peeling device 5 reaches the standby position Q11, the series of operations in the peeling device 5 is completed.

[0102] As described above, the packaging machine 1 in this embodiment is equipped with a peeling device (peeling means) 5 that is provided upstream of the rod-shaped body insertion position (insertion position) P3, and the peeling device (peeling means) 5 is configured to include a gas ejection section 53 that sprays gas R toward the release paper 103 of the bag body 100 that has reached the release paper peeling position P2, thereby lifting one end 103a of the release paper 103, a regulating guide section 52 that regulates the position of the one end 103a of the lifted release paper 103, and a clamping section 51 that clamps and moves the one end 103a of the lifted release paper 103, and peels the release paper 103 from the bag body 100.

[0103] By being equipped with a peeling device 5 having such a configuration, the packaging machine 1 in this embodiment can regulate the one end 103a of the release paper 103 by the gas ejection section 53 so that the one end 103a of the release paper 103 is always lifted to a substantially constant height by the regulating guide section 52, and the one end 103a of the release paper 103 is securely held by the clamping section 51, allowing the release paper 103 to be stably peeled off. In this embodiment, the gas R is sprayed from above toward one end 103a of the release paper 103, but the gas R may be sprayed from a horizontal direction to lift one end 103a of the release paper 103, and the position of the spray nozzle 53a is not particularly limited to being from above.

[0104] As described above, the packaging machine 1 in this embodiment is a packaging machine that inserts a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa, whose cross-sectional area gradually decreases from one side to the other in the longitudinal direction, into a sheet-shaped bag body 100 having an opening 101a at one end, aligned with each other, from that side (more specifically, the expanded side end Wa1 side), and packages the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa in the bag body 100.

[0105] Here, the packaging machine 1 is equipped with a bag body conveying device (bag body conveying means) 2 that places and conveys the bag body 100 with the opening 101a facing sideways, a rod-shaped body conveying device (rod-shaped body conveying means) 6 that places and conveys a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa as a unit, and a rod-shaped body inserting device (rod-shaped body inserting means) 7 that is provided between the bag body conveying device (bag body conveying means) 2 and the rod-shaped body conveying device (rod-shaped body conveying means) 6 and receives the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa from the rod-shaped body conveying device (rod-shaped body conveying means) 6 and inserts the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa into the bag body 100.

[0106] The bag body conveying device (bag body conveying means) 2 has a rod-shaped body insertion position (insertion position) P3 on the conveying path for performing the insertion work of inserting a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa into the bag body 100, and the rod-shaped body insertion device (rod-shaped body insertion means) 7 has a moving mechanism 71 that moves the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa from the rod-shaped body conveying device (rod-shaped body conveying means) 6 toward the rod-shaped body insertion position (insertion position) P3, and a guide mechanism 72 that guides the movement direction of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa by the moving mechanism 71.

[0107] The moving mechanism 71 also has a pusher member 71b that is movable back and forth horizontally at least between the rod-shaped body conveying device (rod-shaped body conveying means) 6 and the guide mechanism 72, and between the guide mechanism 72 and the rod-shaped body insertion position (insertion position) P3. The pusher member 71b pushes out the ends (more specifically, the reduced side ends Wa2-Wa2) of the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa-Wa, and while being guided by the guide mechanism 72, the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa-Wa are moved along the longitudinal direction and inserted into the bag body 100.

[0108] The pusher member 71b has an abutment portion 71b1 that can abut against the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa, and a visor portion 71b2 that is provided continuously from the upper part of the abutment portion 71b1 and can prevent the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa from floating up.The abutment portion 71b1 is formed by a flat portion T1 that is perpendicular to the movement direction (front-to-back direction) of the pusher member 71b, and a pair of inclined portions T2·T2 that are inclined toward the pushing direction (front direction) of the pusher member 71b from both end portions (left and right end portions) of the flat portion T1 in the direction perpendicular to the movement direction when viewed in plan.

[0109] With this configuration, when the ends (reduced side ends Wa2·Wa2) of a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa are pushed out longitudinally through the flat portion T1 of the pusher member 71b, the ends are prevented from lifting up by the eave portion 71b2, while the pair of inclined portions T2·T2 prevent each rod-shaped body Wa from swaying laterally. Therefore, according to the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment, a pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa can be aligned with each other and stably moved horizontally along the longitudinal direction using the pusher member 71b, and the pair of rod-shaped bodies Wa·Wa can be reliably inserted into and packaged in a single-leaf bag body 100 placed with the opening 101a facing sideways.

[0110] The above describes one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, which is merely an example, and it goes without saying that the present invention can be embodied in various other forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims, and further includes the meaning of equivalents set forth in the claims, and all modifications within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1 Packaging machine 100 bags 101a opening 101b2 Second aspect 103 Release paper 103a One end 104 Adhesive layer 2. Bag conveying device (bag conveying means) 4 Transfer device (transfer means) 42A 1st suction part 42B 2nd suction part 5 Peeling device (peel means) 51 Clamping part 52 Regulation Guide Department 53 Gas outlet 6 Rod-shaped body conveying device (rod-shaped body conveying means) 61 Upstream pulley 62 Downstream pulley 63 Conveyor belt 64 Holder part 64a first holder member 7 Rod-shaped body insertion device (rod-shaped body insertion means) 71 Moving mechanism 71b Pusher member 71b1 Contact area 71b2 Eave part 72 Guide mechanism L1, L2 distance P3 Rod insertion position (insertion position) R gas S1 Transport route S2 return path T1 flat part T2 inclined part V1 1st upper limit position V2 2nd upper limit position Wa rod Wa1 Enlarged side end Wa2 Reduced side end Z Stock Section

Claims

1. A packaging machine that inserts a pair of rod-shaped objects, the cross-sectional area of ​​which gradually decreases from one side to the other in a longitudinal direction, into a single-sheet bag having an opening at one end, from the one side while being aligned with each other, and packages the pair of rod-shaped objects in the bag, bag body conveying means for conveying the bag body with the opening oriented horizontally; a rod-shaped body conveying means for conveying the pair of rod-shaped bodies while integrally placing them thereon; a rod-shaped body inserting means provided between the bag body conveying means and the rod-shaped body conveying means, for receiving the pair of rod-shaped bodies from the rod-shaped body conveying means and inserting the pair of rod-shaped bodies into the bag body; The bag conveying means is an insertion position on the conveying path for inserting the pair of rod-shaped bodies into the bag body; The rod-shaped body insertion means a moving mechanism that moves the pair of rod-shaped bodies from the rod-shaped body transport means toward the insertion position; a guide mechanism that guides the direction in which the pair of rod-shaped bodies are moved by the movement mechanism, The moving mechanism includes: a pusher member provided so as to be reciprocable in a horizontal direction between the rod-shaped object conveying means and the guide mechanism, and between the guide mechanism and the insertion position; the pusher member pushes out the ends of the pair of rod-shaped bodies, and the pair of rod-shaped bodies are moved along the longitudinal direction and inserted into the bag body while being guided by the guide mechanism; The pusher member is a contact portion that can contact the pair of rod-shaped bodies; a visor portion provided continuously above the abutting portion and capable of preventing the pair of rod-shaped bodies from floating up; The contact portion is a flat surface perpendicular to the moving direction of the pusher member; From both ends of the planar portion in a direction perpendicular to the moving direction in a plan view, a pair of inclined portions inclined toward the pushing direction of the pusher member; A packaging machine characterized by:

2. The rod-shaped body conveying means an upstream pulley and a downstream pulley arranged parallel to each other with their axial directions in a horizontal direction; an endless conveyor belt wound around the upstream pulley and the downstream pulley; a plurality of holder portions arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the conveying belt on the outer peripheral surface of the conveying belt, the holder portions being configured to integrally place and hold the pair of rod-shaped bodies; an upper region of the conveyor belt forms a conveying path for conveying the pair of rod-shaped bodies; a lower region of the conveyor belt forms a return path that moves the holder portion to the upstream side of the conveying path; The holder portion is The conveyor belt has a divided structure divided in the circumferential direction, The pair of rod-shaped bodies are placed and held in an orientation along the circumferential direction, The rod-shaped body conveying means In the downstream pulley, As the holder unit moves from the transport path toward the return path, The pair of rod-shaped bodies is gradually pushed in by the holder portion, and the pair of rod-shaped bodies is transferred onto the rod-shaped body inserting means, The rod-shaped body insertion means the pair of rod-shaped bodies transferred onto the rod-shaped body inserting means are further pushed out by the pusher member, thereby receiving the pair of rod-shaped bodies; 2. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the packaging machine comprises:

3. The bag body is On one outer surface, an adhesive layer formed in a strip shape along the opening; a release paper that covers the adhesive layer, the bag is placed and transported by the bag transport means with the adhesive layer facing upward, The packaging machine Further, a peeling means is provided upstream of the insertion position, The peeling means is a gas ejection section that ejects gas toward the release paper and lifts one end of the release paper; A regulating guide portion that regulates the position of one end of the lifted release paper; a clamping section that clamps one end of the lifted release paper and moves to peel the release paper from the bag body, 3. The packaging machine according to claim 1 or 2.

4. a stock unit for stocking a plurality of the bags in a stacked state is provided on the upstream side of the bag conveying means; The packaging machine a transfer means for sequentially removing the bags stored in the stock section from the top layer and transferring them to an upstream end of the bag conveying means, The transfer means is Each is provided so as to be able to rise and fall, and at least one pair of first and second suction portions provided so as to be integrally movable back and forth between directly above the stock portion and directly above the upstream end of the bag conveying means, Directly above the stock portion, The first suction portion is disposed at a position overlapping one end of the bag body in a plan view, the second suction portion is disposed at a position overlapping the other end of the bag body in a plan view, The first suction portion and the second suction portion are The first and second upper limit positions are respectively lowered at the same time from the predetermined first upper limit position and the second upper limit position, and the bag body is attracted by the abutment thereon, and the bag body is taken out by rising again at the same time. The distance between the first suction portion waiting at the first upper limit position and one end of the bag body located in the uppermost layer is the distance is equal to the distance between the second suction portion waiting at the second upper limit position and the other end of the bag body located in the uppermost layer.

3. The packaging machine according to claim 1 or 2.

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