Film feeding device

The disk rotation mechanism in the film supply device addresses gear-related issues by using a hand unit to rotate the disk, ensuring durability and cost-effectiveness in film supply for packaging machines.

JP2025136581APending Publication Date: 2025-09-19OMORI MACH CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
JP2024035259
Authority / Receiving Office
JP · JP
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2024-03-07
Publication Date
2025-09-19

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing film supply devices for packaging machines face issues with gear damage and increased costs due to the addition of multiple rotating support shafts, leading to potential gear failure and high manufacturing expenses when increasing the number of spare rolls.

Method used

A disk rotation mechanism that uses a hand unit to contact and separate from rod-shaped portions, allowing the disk to rotate without gears, ensuring durability and reducing manufacturing costs.

Benefits of technology

The mechanism enables continuous film supply for extended periods without gear damage and reduces manufacturing costs, allowing for efficient and reliable operation of packaging machines.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

To provide a film feeding device that can improve durability with a new disk rotation mechanism.CONSTITUTION: In front of a disk 13 there are eight rotary support shafts on which jumbo rolls are mounted. On the back of the disk, eight first pins 51 are arranged upright at equal angular intervals along the outer periphery. A drive device 55 that moves the first pins is mounted to the back of a support wall 12, which rotatably supports the disk. The drive device lifts, lowers, and horizontally moves a bifurcated hand part 56, which can support the first pins by clamping them, it is lifted with the first pin in a clamped state by using a ball screw 64 rotated by a second drive motor 65, and is moved backward and away from the first pin driven by a second cylinder 75, and then moves downward. At the lowered position, it moves forward again, clamping the next first pin and waiting.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7
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Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a film supply device. [Background technology]

[0002] A pillow packaging machine continuously supplies a strip of packaging film, for example, wound on a roll, to a bag former on the inlet side of the packaging machine body, where it is formed into a tubular bag as it passes through the bag former. A center seal device located downstream of the bag former seals the overlapping portions of the packaging film, forming the tubular bag. A product conveying / feeding device is located upstream of the bag former, and products conveyed from the product conveying / feeding device at predetermined intervals are fed into the bag former. As a result, as the products pass through the bag former, they are placed in the tubular packaging film at predetermined intervals, and the products are conveyed together with the tubular packaging film. An end seal device located on the outlet side of the pillow packaging machine seals and cuts the tubular packaging film horizontally at predetermined intervals to produce a pillow package containing the product.

[0003] As described above, the supply of strip-shaped packaging film to the packaging machine body is performed by rotatably supporting a roll of raw material wound up in a roll, and unwinding the strip-shaped packaging film from the roll and supplying it to the packaging machine body. Naturally, the supply of packaging film from one raw material roll is limited, and when the wound packaging film is all unwound, packaging film must be supplied from another raw material roll. However, there are film supply devices that automatically perform this switchover.

[0004] This film supply device supports multiple (usually two) raw rolls, each of which can rotate freely, and connects the end of the strip of packaging film (A) unwound from one raw roll to the leading edge of the packaging film (B) from the other raw roll, so that the packaging film (B) is supplied to the packaging machine main body continuously following the packaging film (A).

[0005] For example, the revolver-type film supply device shown in Patent Document 1 has two rotating support shafts for loading a raw roll onto a disk that rotates in a vertical plane perpendicular to the installation surface of the device. A spare packaging film is set alongside the packaging film from the raw roll currently being supplied, and when the remaining amount of packaging film on the supplied raw roll becomes low, the two packaging films are sealed, cut, and connected at an appropriate time. When the spare packaging film is connected and supplied to the packaging machine main body, the disk rotates, and the rotating support shaft carrying the raw roll onto which the spare packaging film was wound moves to the position previously occupied by the rotating support shaft carrying the raw roll that had previously supplied packaging film to the packaging machine main body.

[0006] This allows the positional relationship between the raw roll of packaging film currently being supplied to the packaging machine body and the raw roll of packaging film waiting as a spare to be the same, making it possible to use the same mechanism and process for connecting the spare packaging film.

[0007] The drive mechanism for rotating the disk of the film supply device may be configured, for example, by attaching a ring with a gear part with teeth arranged circumferentially around the outer periphery to the disk, and by configuring a gear that meshes with the gear part to be rotatable by a drive motor, so that the gear rotates as the drive motor rotates, thereby rotating the ring and the disk. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 7265247 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] For example, if the continuous operation time of the packaging machine is extended by increasing the number of rotating support shafts provided on the disk and the number of spare raw material rolls, the load applied to the gears rotated by the drive motor will increase, and there is a risk of the gears being damaged early. In other words, the diameter of the disk will increase to accommodate the attachment of multiple rotating support shafts, which will increase the weight of the disk itself. Furthermore, the weight will increase due to the increased number of rotating support shafts attached to the disk, and the load associated with the total weight of the raw material rolls attached to each rotating support shaft will be applied to the rotating gears. Furthermore, because the pitch of the gears in pre-fabricated rings is narrow, the gears will be damaged early, as mentioned above.

[0010] On the other hand, if a ring with a wide-pitch gear portion is used to prevent early damage to the gears, it will have to be custom-made, which will increase costs.

[0011] Therefore, we found it necessary to provide a new disk rotation mechanism that does not use gears rotated by a drive motor.

[0012] The above-mentioned problems are described as being independent of each other, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the problems described, but it is sufficient if it can solve at least one of the problems. Furthermore, we intend to obtain rights to the configurations for solving these problems separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0013] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the film supply device of the present invention comprises (1) a rotating support shaft that rotatably supports a raw roll on which packaging film is wound, a disk having a plurality of the rotating support shafts on its front surface, a support mechanism that rotatably supports the disk in a vertical plane perpendicular to the installation surface, a plurality of first rod-shaped portions arranged upright along the outer periphery on the back surface of the disk, and a drive device that rotates the disk, wherein the drive device comprises a hand unit that can contact and separate from the first rod-shaped portions, and a drive unit that moves the hand unit forward and backward toward the outer periphery of the disk and reciprocates in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the forward and backward movement, and the hand unit moves along a first direction of the reciprocating movement while in contact with the first rod-shaped portions, and moves backward relative to the first rod-shaped portions and away from them and moves along a second direction opposite to the first direction.

[0014] In this configuration, when the hand unit moves in the first direction while in contact with the first rod-shaped portion, the disk rotates accordingly, and the rotary support shaft attached to the disk also rotates. The drive unit that moves the hand unit may move the hand unit in the first direction and move it toward or away from the first rod-shaped portion, and this can be operated by a combination of linear motions, thereby achieving a simple configuration and improved durability. In this embodiment, the first rod-shaped portion corresponds to the first pin portion 51. The first rod-shaped portions may be arranged at approximately equal angular intervals. By raising and lowering the hand unit at a predetermined equal distance, the first rod-shaped portion can be moved one pitch at a time, thereby rotating the disk at equal angular intervals. The first rod-shaped portion moves in the first direction as the disk rotates, and also moves in a direction intersecting the first direction. Therefore, the hand unit may be configured to allow the first rod-shaped portion to move relative to the first direction in a direction intersecting the first direction.

[0015] In the embodiment, the reciprocating movement corresponds to vertical movement, but it may be movement in various directions such as horizontal or inclined directions. Also, in the embodiment, movement in the first direction corresponds to upward movement, and movement in the second direction corresponds to downward movement, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the directions may be reversed.

[0016] (2) The movement in the first direction may be an upward movement, and the movement in the second direction may be a downward movement.

[0017] In this way, when the hand unit lifts the first rod-shaped part upward, the disk rotates accordingly, and the rotary support shaft attached to the disk also rotates. The drive unit that moves the hand unit can move the hand unit up and down as well as toward and away from the first rod-shaped part, and can operate using a combination of linear motions, thereby improving durability with a simple configuration. Furthermore, the first rod-shaped part moves horizontally while moving upward as the disk rotates. Therefore, it is preferable that the hand unit be configured to allow relative horizontal movement of the first rod-shaped part.

[0018] (3) The hand unit may have a bifurcated portion with upper and lower arm portions, and may be configured to move upward while sandwiching the first rod portion between the pair of arms.

[0019] In this way, the first rod-shaped portion, which is lifted by the hand portion and moves upward, moves above the hand portion, and excessive rotation of the disk can be suppressed.

[0020] (4) The hand unit may be configured to wait in a state where it holds the first rod-shaped portion at a lower position.

[0021] In this way, the hand unit in the lower position can clamp the first rod-shaped part between the upper and lower arms, preventing the first rod-shaped part from moving up and down in this state, and therefore preventing the disk from rotating.

[0022] (5) The number of the first rod-shaped parts and the number of the rotary support shafts should preferably be equal. In this way, when the first rod-shaped parts are moved one pitch, the rotary support shafts also rotate one pitch, allowing, for example, a raw web roll that was waiting as a spare to be moved to a supply position. Although the number of rotary support shafts is eight in the present embodiment, any number is possible. However, when the number of first rod-shaped parts and the number of rotary support shafts are equal as in the present invention, if the number of shafts is small, the distance the first rod-shaped parts must be lifted increases, and accordingly, the horizontal movement distance of the first rod-shaped parts also increases. Therefore, the dimensions and shape of the hand unit should also correspond to this. Furthermore, if the number of shafts is six or more, the lift distance per movement can be made appropriate. In the case of eight shafts as in the embodiment, the disk only needs to rotate approximately 45 degrees, which is preferable. Furthermore, while increasing the number of shafts reduces the rotation angle per movement, there is a limit to the number of rotary support shafts and raw web rolls that can be attached to a disk of the same diameter, which increases the diameter and leads to an increase in the size of the device. Therefore, it is most preferable to have eight as in this embodiment.

[0023] (6) The back surface of the disk may be provided with a plurality of second rod-shaped portions arranged upright along the outer periphery, and a pusher member that can contact and separate from the second rod-shaped portions, the pusher member having a guide portion that guides the pusher member to a predetermined position, and when the pusher member moves forward toward the second rod-shaped portions, the second rod-shaped portions are guided by the guide portion and led to the predetermined position.

[0024] In this way, when the stop position of the pusher member is fixed, the second rod-shaped portion guided by the guide portion of the pusher member is guided to the predetermined position. Therefore, the disk can be accurately positioned at a predetermined angle. In this embodiment, the pusher member corresponds to the pusher block 73, the guide portion corresponds to the V-shaped notch portion 73a, and the predetermined position corresponds to the deepest part of the notch portion 73a.

[0025] (7) The pusher member may be arranged on the radially opposite side of the hand unit in the raised position, with the disk therebetween.

[0026] In this way, the hand portion can receive the impact when the pusher member comes into contact with and pushes the second rod-shaped portion.

[0027] (8) It is preferable to configure the device so that at least one of a first contact state in which the hand portion and the first rod-shaped portion come into contact and a second contact state in which the pusher member and the second rod-shaped portion come into contact occurs.

[0028] In this way, at least one of the hand portion and the first rod-shaped portion or the pusher member and the second rod-shaped portion comes into contact with each other, thereby preventing the disk from rotating unintentionally.

[0029] (9) Among the raw rolls mounted on the plurality of rotary support shafts, a feed roller for laying the packaging film on the conveying path of the packaging film supplied to the packaging machine body and a pressure roller arranged near the feed roller and capable of moving toward and away from the feed roller are provided, and the feed roller has the function of rotating on its own axis to apply a conveying force to the packaging film and the function of sandwiching the packaging film between the feed roller and the pressure roller and stopping the rotation to stop the conveyance of the packaging film, and preferably has a gas injection device for injecting gas into the gap between the side of the feed roller and the packaging film.

[0030] In this way, the packaging film does not get stuck at the feed rollers but can pass through smoothly, and the packaging film does not become loose.

[0031] Furthermore, the configurations shown in (1) to (9) above can be configured by combining them as appropriate, and based on such combined configurations, it is advisable to combine the components described in the embodiments and drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0032] According to the present invention, the disk can be rotated with a simple configuration without using a ring with gears attached to the outer periphery of the disk and a gear that meshes with the ring and is rotated by a drive motor. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing a preferred embodiment of a film supply device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a front view. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view showing a portion where film bonding processing is performed. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view (part 1) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view (part 2) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is an enlarged perspective view (part 3) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a rear view showing the film supply device. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing the film supply device. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing the film supply device. [Figure 10] FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view (part 4) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is an enlarged rear view (part 1) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 12] FIG. 5 is an enlarged perspective view (part 5) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 13] FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view (part 6) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 14] FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view (part 7) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is an enlarged perspective view (part 1) showing a part of the hand unit and the mechanism for raising and lowering it. [Figure 16] FIG. 2 is an enlarged perspective view (part 2) showing the hand unit and part of the mechanism for raising and lowering it. [Figure 17] FIG. 8 is an enlarged perspective view (part 8) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 18] FIG. 2 is an enlarged rear view (part 2) showing a part of the film supply device. [Figure 19] FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the drawings omit illustration of appropriate components.

[0035] The figures show a preferred embodiment of a film supply device according to the present invention. The film supply device 10 of this embodiment can hold eight rolls of packaging film, one of which is used to supply a strip of packaging film to the packaging machine, and the remaining rolls are used as spares. When the remaining packaging film on the supply roll becomes low, the packaging film on the adjacent spare roll is spliced ​​onto the remaining packaging film, and the supply roll is replaced. By sequentially switching the spare rolls to supply packaging film in this manner, packaging film can be continuously supplied to the packaging machine over long periods of time.

[0036] In this embodiment, a disk 13 is placed in a circular opening 12a provided in a support wall 12 that is installed upright in the center in the front-to-rear direction of the upper surface of a base 11 that is installed at a predetermined position in the packaging machine. The thickness of this disk 13 is made thicker (longer) than the thickness of the support wall 12. The front surface of the disk 13 is set in the opening 12a so that it is flush with the surface of the support wall 12. Accordingly, the back side of the disk 13 protrudes beyond the back surface of the support wall 12.

[0037] A total of eight rotary support shafts 15 are attached to the front side of the disk 13 at 45-degree intervals, cantilevered via bearings 16. Each rotary support shaft 15 is arranged on a circumference of the same diameter. A web roll 17 can be attached to each rotary support shaft 15. This allows the film supply device 10 to hold up to eight web rolls 17. Therefore, the film supply device 10 can continuously supply packaging film 14 to the packaging machine body using eight web rolls 17 without having to load new web rolls 17 onto the rotary support shafts 15. For example, if the supply of packaging film from one web roll 17 takes more than one hour, the film supply device 10 can continuously supply packaging film for more than eight hours. This allows packaging processing to continue even when workers are absent, for example, at night. 24-hour operation is possible, for example, by having workers present during the day to replace web rolls.

[0038] The rotary support shaft 15 has a cylindrical support shaft body 15a. A pair of front and rear stoppers 15b, which can protrude from the circumferential surface, are arranged circumferentially at 120-degree intervals on the support shaft body 15a. The stoppers 15b move toward and away from each other along the axial direction by rotating a handle 15c attached to the front end side of the support shaft body 15a forward or backward. At least the front stopper 15b protrudes from and retracts into the circumferential surface of the support shaft body 15a. When the handle 15c is rotated in a predetermined direction, the pair of front and rear stoppers 15b move away from each other, and at least the front stopper 15b retracts into the support shaft body 15a. This allows the raw roll 17 to be attached to the support shaft body 15a from the front side of the rotary support shaft 15. When the handle portion 15c is rotated in the reverse direction with the web roll 17 positioned appropriately, the pair of front and rear stopper portions 15b move toward each other, and the front stopper portion 15b protrudes outward from the circumferential surface. The pair of front and rear stopper portions 15b then come into contact with both axial side surfaces of the web roll 17, fixing the web roll 17 in place. As a result, the web roll 17 rotates integrally with the rotation support shaft 15.

[0039] Film setting members 18 are attached to the front side of the disks 13, close to each of the rotary support shafts 15. The film setting members 18 attach the leading film portion of the packaging film 14 unwound from the raw roll 17 set on the paired rotary support shaft 15. If a positioning mark (sometimes referred to as an "I mark") is printed on the packaging film 14, the film portion is set and fixed on the film setting member 18 by aligning the positioning mark. In this manner, the position of the positioning mark of the spare packaging film in standby is known based on its position relative to the film setting member 18. The packaging film 14 being fed from the raw roll 17 to the packaging machine body is moved along the standby packaging film 14 to be spliced. At this timing, the positioning mark of the packaging film 14 being fed and the positioning mark of the standby packaging film 14 overlap. By splicing the two packaging films 14 together, the packaging film 14 can be continuously supplied to the downstream packaging machine body without changing the pitch of the positioning marks. Furthermore, when the packaging films 14 are set, the sealing layers of the packaging films 14 are made to face each other. By sandwiching the two packaging films 14 from both sides with an appropriate pair of MIGs and applying pressure and heat, the sealing layers are heat-sealed to bond and integrate them.

[0040] As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the film setting member 18 has a configuration in which a flat sealer receiving member 21, a film mounting roller 22, a first free roller 23, etc. are hung between an L-shaped first mounting plate 19 and a substantially rectangular second mounting plate 20, which are arranged parallel to each other with a predetermined distance between them. The second mounting plate 20 is fixed at a predetermined position on the disk 13. As a result, the sealer receiving member 21, the film mounting roller 22, and the first free roller 23 are arranged so as to extend perpendicular to the front surface of the disk 13, i.e., forward, and rotate integrally with the rotation of the disk 13.

[0041] Further, a groove 21b extending in the longitudinal direction, i.e., the front-rear direction, is formed on the upper surface 21a of the sealer receiving member 21. Furthermore, cushioning materials 21c are attached and fixed to both sides of the groove 21b on the upper surface 21a.

[0042] The film attachment roller 22 is hollow and cylindrical, and has axially extending slits 22a at predetermined positions on its circumferential surface. Two slits 22a are provided facing each other in the diameter direction. The two slits 22a are configured so that the leading edge of the packaging film 14 can be inserted into them. That is, the length of the slits 22a is at least longer than the width of the packaging film 14. The film attachment roller 22 is supported rotatably about its axis by the first attachment plate 19 and the second attachment plate 20. Furthermore, one end of the film attachment roller 22 on the first attachment plate 19 side reaches the outside of the first attachment plate 19, and an operating handle 22d is attached to that end. As a result, when the operating handle 22d is rotated forward or backward, the film attachment roller 22 also rotates forward or backward.

[0043] Then, with the leading edge of the packaging film 14 unwound from the raw roll 17 inserted into the slits 22a of the film attachment roller 22, or more preferably with the leading edge inserted through one slit 22a and unwound through the other slit 22a, the operating handle 22d is rotated in a predetermined direction. This causes the leading edge of the packaging film 14 to be wrapped around and fixed to the film attachment roller 22. The amount of packaging film 14 unwound can also be adjusted by rotating the operating handle 22d. This allows the positioning marks printed on the side edges of the packaging film 14 to be set in the predetermined positions.

[0044] Furthermore, a film guide plate 24 is disposed between the sealer receiving member 21 and the film attachment roller 22. This film guide plate 24 is fixed by screws to the side surface of the sealer receiving member 21 and to the first mounting plate 19. When fixed, the upper surface of the film guide plate 24 is positioned approximately flush with the upper surface of the cushion material 21c. As a result, the packaging film 14 that is pulled out from the spare roll 17 and passes over the upper side of the sealer receiving member 21 (cushion material 21c) to reach the film attachment roller 22 is guided by the film guide plate 24 along the way, and is held taut on the path from the cushion material 21c to the film attachment roller 22 while waiting.

[0045] In this embodiment, the packaging film 14 wound onto the raw roll 17 attached to the rotary support shaft 15 is set in a film setting member 18 located at the front side in the rotation direction of the disk 13 (the end in the clockwise direction when viewed from the front side). Each raw roll 17 attached to the rotary support shaft 15 is set in its corresponding film setting member 18 and waits.

[0046] The packaging film 14 pulled out from the supply roll 17 at the supply position A for the packaging film relative to the packaging machine body comes into contact with the first free roller 23 of the film setting member 18 that sets the packaging film 14 from the spare roll 17 at the adjacent waiting position B, and is guided along the conveying path, and is conveyed along the upper side of the spare packaging film 14 set on the film setting member 18 at a short distance without contacting it (see Figure 3, etc.), and is then passed over the second free roller 25, feed roller 26 and dancer roller 27, etc., and is then transported out of the film supply device 10 and supplied to the packaging machine body not shown in the figure.

[0047] A joining sealing device 28 is provided at a predetermined position on the front side of the disk 13, which joins together the two vertically overlapping packaging films 14, one for supply and one for standby. This joining sealing device 28 is disposed in proximity to the film setting member 18, which is located between the supply raw web roll 17 and the standby raw web roll 17 that will next be switched to supply, and is equipped with a joining sealer 29 attached to the sealer receiving member 21 of the film setting member 18 so as to be movable back and forth, and a first cylinder 30 that moves the joining sealer 29 back and forth.

[0048] The sealing surface of the joining sealer 29 faces the upper surface 21a of the sealer receiving member 21. That is, as the disk 13 rotates, the eight film setting members 18 and the rotation support shaft 15 rotate clockwise together, and when the disk 13 pauses, the upper surfaces 21a of the sealer receiving members 21 provided on the eight film setting members 18 face the sealing surface of the joining sealer 29. When the joining sealer 29 moves forward (downward) toward the temporarily stopped sealer receiving member 21, the two packaging films 14 are sandwiched between the joining sealer 29 and the sealer receiving member 21 and heated and pressurized. In the sandwiched state, both packaging films 14 are sandwiched between the sealing surface of the joining sealer 29 and the cushion material 21c, and the cushion material 21c elastically deforms, pressurizing the two packaging films 14 with a desired force.

[0049] The splicing sealer 29 also has a built-in cutter blade. With the two sheets of packaging film 14 bonded together as described above, the cutter blade descends, protruding outward from the sealing surface of the splicing sealer 29 and entering the groove 21b. This causes the cutter blade to horizontally cut the sealed portion of the two joined sheets of packaging film 14. This cutting process separates the packaging film 14 wound around the currently supplied web roll 17 from the packaging film 14 being supplied to the packaging machine body. Instead, the packaging film 14 wound around the next web roll 17, which has been waiting as a spare, is continuously supplied to the packaging machine body. When supply to the packaging machine body begins, the web roll 17 is in standby position B, and the packaging film 14 pulled out from the web roll 17 is passed over the second free roller 25 and feed roller 26 and reaches the dancer roller 27.

[0050] When the film splicing process is completed, the splicing sealer 29 moves away from the sealer receiving member 21, and the disk 13 rotates 45 degrees in this state, after which the disk 13 pauses again. As a result, the rotary support shaft 15 and the raw web roll 17 attached thereto, which were at standby position B before the film splicing process, reach supply position A, and thereafter continue to supply the packaging film 14 to the packaging machine body from that position.

[0051] As the disk 13 rotates 45 degrees, the film setting member 18, on which the leading edge of the packaging film 14 wound around the next spare roll 17 is set, moves with the leading edge of the packaging film 14 still attached, and the sealer receiving member 21 waits facing the joining sealer 29. During this 45-degree rotation, the first free roller 23 provided on the film setting member 18 comes into contact with the packaging film 14 that was previously joined and is currently being supplied, and pushes it up, changing the movement path of the packaging film 14. Finally, as shown in FIG. 3 etc., the first free roller 23 is controlled to be conveyed along the upper side of the spare packaging film 14 set on the film setting member 18 at a short distance without contact.

[0052] 7 and subsequent figures, the rotary support shaft 15 rotates upon receiving the output of a first drive motor 31 installed on the back side of the support wall 12. As the rotary support shaft 15 rotates, the raw web roll 17 rotates integrally with the rotary support shaft 15, unwinding the packaging film 14. A drive mechanism for rotating the rotary support shaft 15 around its axis and a drive mechanism for rotating the disk 13 are installed on the back side of the disk 13 and the support wall 12.

[0053] First, the innermost axial end of the rotation support shaft 15 penetrates the bearing portion 16 and is rotatably supported by the bearing portion 16. Furthermore, the innermost end of the rotation support shaft 15 is located on the rear side of the disk 13, and a first gear 33 is attached to the innermost end of the rotation support shaft 15 via a clutch mechanism portion 32.

[0054] A large-diameter second gear 34 is rotatably disposed at the center of the back side of the disk 13. The second gear 34 is disposed parallel to the disk 13, and its rotational axis coincides with the rotational center of the disk 13.

[0055] A rotating shaft 36 connected to the center of the second gear 34 protrudes from the back side of the second gear 34, and the center of a fourth gear 37 is connected to the tip side of the rotating shaft 36. This allows the second gear 34 and the fourth gear 37 to rotate integrally. The rotating shaft 36 is rotatably supported by a first bearing 38 and a second bearing 39 on both the front and rear sides of the fourth gear 37. The first bearing 38 is formed in the shape of a long, thin flat plate extending horizontally, and both ends thereof are supported by two first support columns 40 formed in an upright position on the base 11. The second bearing 39 is connected to and supported by the upper end of a second support column 42 formed in an upright position on the base 11.

[0056] A fifth gear 43 that meshes with the fourth gear 37 is rotatably mounted on the front surface of the upper side of the second support column 42. A first drive motor 31 is attached to the rear surface of the upper side of the second support column 42. The output of this first drive motor 31 is configured to be linked to the fifth gear 43. A position-controllable motor such as a servo motor may be used as the first drive motor 31. As a result, when the first drive motor 31 rotates, the fifth gear 43 rotates, and the rotation is transmitted to the fourth gear 37, causing the second gear 34 to rotate.

[0057] The first gear 33 and the second gear 34 are spur gears and are arranged on approximately the same plane. The center of the circumference on which the eight first gears 33 are arranged coincides with the center of the second gear 34. A third gear 35 that meshes with both the first gear 33 and the second gear 34 is arranged in the area between the first gear 33 and the second gear 34. Eight third gears 35 are arranged at equal angular intervals on a circumference with a smaller diameter than the circumference on which the first gear 33 is arranged. When the second gear 34 rotates, the third gear 35 that meshes with the second gear 34 rotates, and the first gear 33 rotates in response to this rotation. Since the rotation directions are alternately reversed, the first gear 33 rotates in the same direction as the second gear 34. The gears are configured to constantly mesh with each other, so when the second gear 34 rotates, the eight first gears 33 rotate in the same direction.

[0058] As described above, the second gear 34 rotates upon receiving the rotational output of the first drive motor 31, so when the first drive motor 31 rotates, the first gear 33 rotates, and when the first drive motor 31 stops, the first gear 33 also stops. Furthermore, as described above, each rotation support shaft 15 is linked to the first gear 33 via the clutch mechanism 32. Therefore, when the clutch of the clutch mechanism 32 is engaged (connected), the rotational output of the first drive motor 31 is transmitted to the rotation support shaft 15, causing the rotation support shaft 15 to rotate, which in turn rotates the web roll 17 integrated with the rotation support shaft 15, and the strip-shaped packaging film 14 wound around the web roll 17 is unwound at a predetermined speed. On the other hand, when the clutch mechanism 32 is disengaged (disconnected), the rotational output of the first drive motor 31 is not transmitted to the rotation support shaft 15, allowing the rotation support shaft 15 to rotate freely.

[0059] On the other hand, the disk rotation mechanism that rotates the disk 13 is configured as follows: A ring portion 45 is attached to the peripheral surface of the disk 13 that protrudes rearward from the back surface of the support wall 12. An outer peripheral edge 45a of the ring portion 45 is formed in a tapered shape.

[0060] A number of support rollers 46 are arranged on the back surface of the support wall 12 near the periphery of the opening 12a. These support rollers 46 have rotation axes extending in a direction perpendicular to the support wall 12 and are rotatably attached to the support wall 12. A V-groove 46a extending in the circumferential direction is formed on the periphery of the support rollers 46, and the tip portion of the outer circumferential edge 45a of the ring portion 45 is configured to fit into this V-groove 46a. In other words, the disk 13 is supported from the outer periphery by the multiple support rollers 46, and the support rollers 46 are configured to be rotatable like free rollers. When the disk 13 attempts to rotate, the support rollers 46 rotate on their own axes in conjunction with the rotation of the ring portion 45, guiding the smooth rotation of the disk 13.

[0061] First pins 51 are arranged at 45-degree intervals on the same circumference near the outer periphery of the back surface of the disk 13. Each first pin 51 includes a support 51a that is fixedly installed so as to extend rearward perpendicular to the disk 13, and a bearing 51b that is rotatably attached to the support 51a. Four bearings 51b are arranged stacked in the axial direction. The tip of the support 51a is provided with a canopy-shaped stopper that protrudes radially outward to prevent the bearing 51b from coming off the tip of the support 51a. A nut 51d is attached to the side of the support 51a that is attached to the disk 13, and the distance between the nut 51d and the stopper is adjusted to the overlapping length of the four bearings 51b. As a result, the four bearing parts 51b are attached to the support part 51a while being sandwiched between the stopper part and the nut 51d, and the support part 51a is able to rotate around its axis while being restricted from moving in the axial direction.

[0062] A drive unit 55 for moving the first pin portion 51 is disposed on the outer right side of the disk 13 when viewed from the rear side of the disk 13. The drive unit 55 includes a hand unit 56 that can come into contact with the first pin portion 51, and a drive unit 57 that raises and lowers the hand unit 56 and moves it forward and backward (approaching and moving away) toward the first pin portion 51.

[0063] The hand unit 56 is bifurcated and has two upper and lower arms 56a, and has a notch 56b cut out toward the back in the vertical center of the tip surface of the plate-like member facing the disk 13. The length between the opposing surfaces of the upper and lower arms 56a is slightly longer than the diameter of the bearing portion 51b of the first pin unit 51.

[0064] The drive device 55 includes a pair of first rails 61 extending horizontally at predetermined positions above and below the back side of the support wall 12, a first linear motion guide 60 having first blocks 62 attached so as to be able to move back and forth along the first rails 61, movable boxes 63 connected to the upper and lower first blocks 62 and moving back and forth horizontally along the first rails 61 together with the first blocks 62, and a second drive motor 70 arranged below the movable boxes 63 and moving horizontally together with the movable boxes 63.

[0065] In addition, the second cylinder 69 is connected to the moving box 63 at the vertical center position of the side surface on the support wall 12 side. Following the forward / reverse movement of the second cylinder 69, the moving box 63 is guided by the first rail 61 and moves horizontally.

[0066] A ball screw 64 is arranged to extend in the vertical direction within the moving box 63. Both ends of this ball screw 64 are rotatably supported by bearing portions 65 arranged on the top and bottom surfaces of the moving box 63. The ball screw 64 is connected to the output shaft of the second drive motor 70, and rotates forward and backward as the second drive motor 70 rotates.

[0067] A nut portion 66 is attached to the ball screw 64. This nut portion 66 is connected to a moving plate 67 that is arranged so as to be able to move up and down inside the moving box 63. The moving plate 67 is a flat rectangular plate, and its four sides are close to the inner wall surfaces of the moving box 63, preventing it from rotating. As a result, when the ball screw 64 rotates forward or backward, the nut portion 66 and the moving plate 67 move up and down inside the moving box 63 along the ball screw 64 as a unit.

[0068] Furthermore, a connecting plate 68 is installed upright at a predetermined position on the upper surface of this moving plate 67, and the hand unit 56 is connected to this connecting plate 68. As a result, when the second drive motor 70 rotates forward or backward, the moving plate 67 and therefore the hand unit 56 move up and down, and when the rotation of the second drive motor 70 stops, the hand unit 56 also stops moving up and down.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a fourth linear motion guide 90 is provided on the inner peripheral surface side of the back surface 63a of the moving box 63, and the fourth linear motion guide 90 includes a pair of left and right fourth rails 91 extending in the up and down direction, and a fourth block 92 attached so as to be able to move back and forth along the fourth rails 91. A connecting plate 68 is attached so as to straddle the two fourth blocks 92. The fourth linear motion guide 90 guides the up and down movement of the hand unit 56 in accordance with the forward and reverse rotation of the second drive motor 70, and the hand unit 56 performs linear reciprocating motion with high precision.

[0070] In this embodiment, when the hand unit 56 is temporarily stopped at the lower position, the hand unit 56 faces the first pin unit 51 located at a predetermined position on the lower side of the disk 13 (see FIG. 20, etc.). When the hand unit 56 advances toward the disk 13 (the opposing first pin unit 51) at the lower position, the opposing first pin unit 51 enters the notch unit 56b of the hand unit 56 and is sandwiched between the upper and lower arm units 56a (not shown).

[0071] When the second drive motor 70 rotates in a predetermined direction while the predetermined first pin 51 is sandwiched between the upper and lower arms 56a, the hand unit 56 rises. Accordingly, the lower arm 56a pushes up the first pin 51, causing the disk 13 to rotate. As the disk 13 rotates, the relative distance between the first pin 51 and the hand unit 56 changes. Initially, the first pin 51 gradually advances deeper into the notch 56b, then gradually returns to the entrance of the notch 56b. In this embodiment, the notch 56b extends horizontally, allowing the above-described movement associated with the upward movement of the hand unit 56 and enabling the disk 13 to rotate. When the hand unit 56 reaches a predetermined elevated position, the second drive motor 70 is stopped, and the vertical movement of the hand unit 56 is stopped. Accordingly, the upward movement of the first pin 51 sandwiched between the hand units 56, and thus the rotation of the disk 13, are temporarily stopped. At this time, the disk 13 is controlled to rotate by 45 degrees (see FIG. 7, etc.).

[0072] Thereafter, the second cylinder 69 operates to move the moving box 63 backward so as to move away from the disk 13. Accordingly, the hand portion 56 also moves backward and moves away from the first pin portion 51 (not shown).

[0073] When the second drive motor 70 is rotated in the opposite direction from the above in this retreated state, the ball screw 64 also rotates in the opposite direction, and the movable plate 67 and therefore the hand unit 56 move downward. At this time, the hand unit 56 is separated from the first pin unit 51 and does not interfere with it, so even if the hand unit 56 moves downward, the first pin unit 51 does not move downward, and the disk 13 does not rotate. Then, when the hand unit 56 reaches the lowered position, the second drive motor 70 stops. The hand unit 56, now stopped in this lowered position, faces the first pin unit 51 next to the first pin unit 51 that was previously moved upward (see Figure 20, etc.).

[0074] Next, the second cylinder 69 operates to move the moving box 63 and therefore the hand unit 56 forward toward the waiting first pin unit 51, clamping the next first pin unit 51 and waiting in that state. By repeating this process, the first pin unit 51 is moved upward by one pitch at a time, and the disk 13 is rotated intermittently by 45 degrees at a time.

[0075] The first pin 51, which is sandwiched between the hand units 56 that move upward linearly, moves along a predetermined circumference as the disk 13 rotates. Therefore, to ensure smooth movement, the distance between the pair of arms 56a of the hand unit 56 is set slightly larger than the diameter of the first pin 51. Therefore, when the hand unit 56 stops at a predetermined elevated position, the stopping position of the first pin 51 is not precisely and uniquely determined. Furthermore, when there is no one present, such as at night, and the rotary support shaft 15 cannot be replenished with raw web rolls 17, the raw web rolls 17 are consumed sequentially over time, and the number of spare raw web rolls 17 remaining decreases. Because the raw web rolls 17 are consumed one by one in a clockwise direction, the weight balance of the disk 13, including the raw web rolls 17, gradually becomes unbalanced. For example, if each roll of raw web 17 weighs 30 kg, when four rolls (half of the total) are consumed, there will be a difference of nearly 120 kg between the unused side of the roll and the consumed side. Due to this imbalance, even if the hand unit 56's upper position is precisely controlled, the stop position of the first pin unit 51 will not be uniquely determined, as described above. If the stop position of the disk 13 becomes indeterminate, the stop positions of the rotation support shaft 15, which stops at supply position A, and the film setting member 18, which waits in a position opposite the joining sealer 29, will also be indeterminate. This may result in the sealer receiving member 21 not facing the sealing surface of the joining sealer 29 and becoming tilted relative to the film. This may result in an inability to properly join the supply and waiting packaging films 14 together.

[0076] Therefore, in this embodiment, a locking mechanism 71 is provided that stops the disk 13 at a desired position and maintains that stopped state. First, second pins 52 are arranged at 45-degree intervals near the outer periphery on the back side of the disk 13, on the same circumference as the first pins 51. Each second pin 52 is arranged at a position offset by the same angle and distance from its corresponding first pin 51. Each second pin 52 includes a support post 52a that is fixedly installed so as to extend rearward perpendicular to the disk 13, similar to the first pins 51, and four bearings 52b that are rotatably attached to the support post 52a.

[0077] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 71 has the function of holding the hand unit 56 in the raised position and the second pin unit 52 located in a predetermined position below and adjacent to the predetermined position on the radially opposite side of the disk 13 at desired positions. By holding the second pin unit 52 in a unique position, the disk 13 can be positioned with high precision.

[0078] The locking mechanism 71 includes a third cylinder 72 and a pusher block 73 attached to the tip of a cylinder rod 72a (partially omitted from the illustration) of the third cylinder 72. The third cylinder 72 is attached to the front side of a base plate 75, which is attached via multiple connecting members 74 to a predetermined position below the rear side of the support wall 12. The base plate 75 is in the shape of a roughly rectangular flat plate, and is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with the disk 13 side higher when viewed from the disk 13 and the support wall 12. In line with this inclination, the third cylinder 72 is also arranged with the cylinder rod 72a side higher and the cylinder rod 72a reciprocating along the 45-degree inclined direction.

[0079] Additionally, second linear motion guides 76 are attached to both long sides of the surface side (the side not facing the support wall 12) of the base plate 75. The second linear motion guides 76 include second rails 77 arranged along both long sides of the base plate 75, and second blocks 78 attached so as to be able to move back and forth along the second rails 77. A movable plate 79 is connected to straddle the pair of second blocks 78, and the pusher block 73 is fixed to this movable plate 79.

[0080] As a result, when the third cylinder 72 reciprocates, the cylinder rod 72a moves the pusher block 73 in a direction toward or away from the disk 13. At this time, the moving plate 79 to which the pusher block 73 is attached is guided by the second linear motion guide 76, and moves stably back and forth along the arrangement direction of the second rail 77, and the cylinder rod 72a extends and moves forward (approaching the disk 13), allowing the pusher block 73 to reach the desired position.

[0081] The tip side of the pusher block 73 is provided with a V-shaped notch 73a. The deepest part of this notch 73a, i.e., the center part in the width direction, is aligned with the extension line of the cylinder rod 72a. Furthermore, when the hand unit 56 is in the raised position and has raised the predetermined first pin 51, the predetermined second pin 52 is positioned near the extension line of the cylinder rod 72a.

[0082] Then, due to the operation of the third cylinder 72, the pusher block 73 moves toward or away from the disk 13. When the pusher block 73 is in a retracted position away from the disk 13, it does not come into contact with the second pin portion 52, allowing the disk 13 to rotate (see FIG. 19, etc.). On the other hand, when the pusher block 73 moves toward the disk 13 from that state, it comes into contact with the second pin portion 52. When the pusher block 73 reaches the forward position, it is guided by the V-shaped notch portion 73a, and the second pin portion 52 reaches the deepest part of the notch portion 73a (see FIGS. 7, 17, etc.). The movement of the pusher block 73 is guided by the second linear motion guide 76, so the position of the pusher block 73 when it reaches the forward position is uniquely identified. Therefore, even if the position of the first pin portion 51 is not uniquely determined when the hand portion 56 described above reaches the raised position, the position of the second pin portion 52 is uniquely determined when the pusher block 73 reaches the forward position. Then, by appropriately setting the position of this second pin portion 52, it is possible to control the angular position of the disk 13 when rotation is temporarily stopped to a position where the sealer receiving member 21 directly faces the joining sealer 29.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, a locking cylinder is used for the third cylinder 72. This prevents the pusher block 73 from descending even if air is released from the third cylinder 72, reliably preventing the rotation of the disk 13. Furthermore, the third cylinder 72 receives air during both the forward and backward movements of the cylinder rod 72a, and the air supply releases the lock, allowing movement in the desired direction.

[0084] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 71 is controlled so that at least one of the connection process between the pusher block 73 and the second pin portion 52 and the connection process between the hand portion 56 and the first pin portion 51 is performed, thereby preventing the disk 13 from becoming free and rotating.

[0085] The operation of the third cylinder 72 of the locking mechanism 71 is controlled based on the operation of the drive device 55 that moves the first pin portion 51. That is, when the hand portion 56 reaches the raised position, the third cylinder 72 moves forward to position the pusher block 73 in the advanced position. Until the third cylinder 72 moves forward and the pusher block 73 locks the second pin portion 52, the second cylinder 69 does not operate, and the hand portion 56 maintains a state in which it grips the first pin portion 51 in the advanced position.

[0086] During the section where the hand section 56 moves backward and away from the first pin section 51 due to the forward movement of the second cylinder 69, the section where the second drive motor 70 of the drive unit 55 operates and the hand section 56 descends, and the section where the hand section 56 moves forward and clamps the first pin section 51 due to the backward movement of the second cylinder 69, the pusher block 73 maintains the state in which the second pin section 52 is locked.

[0087] Then, before the second drive motor 70 rotates and starts to raise the hand portion 56, the third cylinder 72 operates again, the pusher block 73 reaches the rear position, the pusher block 73 moves away from the second pin portion 52, and the disk 13 becomes rotatable.

[0088] In this embodiment, the hand unit 56 is in a standby state when it is advanced to the lowered position and engaged with the first pin unit 51. In this standby state, the pusher block 73 and the hand unit 56 are both linked to their respective pins, preventing rotation of the disk 13. In this standby state, the disk 13 is held on both radial sides, so that it can be held stably even if the load applied to the disk 13 is unbalanced.

[0089] As described above, in this embodiment, the locking mechanism 71 is disposed at a predetermined position below the hand unit 56, which is in the forward position when the locking mechanism 71 is in the raised position, on the radially opposite side of the disk 13, and furthermore, when the pusher block 73 contacts the second pin unit 52 due to the forward movement of the third cylinder 72, the hand unit 56 is in a state of sandwiching the first pin unit 51. As a result, the impact when the pusher block 73 hits the second pin unit 52 is received and cushioned by the hand unit 56 as well.

[0090] The joining sealing device 28 and the locking mechanism 71, which are located at predetermined positions above the front side of the support wall 12, are arranged on the front and back of the support wall 12 and the disk 13, facing each other on opposite radial sides when viewed from the front and rear of the disk 13. That is, the locking mechanism 71 is located below, and the joining sealing device 28 is located above on the opposite left and right sides. As a result, when the joining sealing device 28 operates and the joining sealer 29 moves forward toward the sealer receiving member 21 to press the packaging film 14 against the sealer receiving member 21, the resulting biasing force is received by the pusher block 73 of the locking mechanism 71, which holds the second pin portion 52. This allows reliable sealing without the disk 13 rotating.

[0091] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a sensor that detects the specified second pin portion 52 when the disk 13 is temporarily stopped. In this way, it is possible to determine whether the system is operating normally based on the operation of the drive device 55 and locking mechanism 71 and the detection signal from the sensor. That is, for example, if the third cylinder 72 of the locking mechanism 71 moves forward and the pusher block 73 reaches the forward position, but there is no detection output from the second pin portion 52, it can be determined that the disk 13 is not stopped in the correct position. Also, if the third cylinder 72 moves backward and the pusher block 73 reaches the backward position, and the second drive motor 70 rotates and the hand unit 56 moves upward, but the sensor continues to output a detection output from the second pin portion 52, this means that the disk 13 is not rotating, for example, because the hand unit 56 does not move forward and rises without engaging the first pin portion 51, and this is an abnormality. In normal operation, the second pin 52 that the sensor was detecting temporarily leaves the sensor's detection range, and when the disc 13 rotates 45 degrees, the next second pin 52 enters the sensor's detection range, causing the sensor's detection signal to change from on to off and then back on. This on / off switching is synchronized with the operation of the drive device 55. The control unit of the film supply device 10 determines whether or not there is an abnormality based on the operation control of the drive device 55 and the sensor's detection signal, and if there is an abnormality, it should take appropriate action.

[0092] The object to be detected by this sensor is not limited to the second pin portion 52, but may be the first pin portion 51.

[0093] In this embodiment, a sensor 80 is provided to detect whether the packaging film 14 is pulled out from the raw web roll 17 attached to the rotary support shaft 15 at the second standby position C (which is the next standby position upstream of the standby position B and is used as a spare), and whether the pulled-out packaging film 14 is set in the corresponding film setting member 18. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 4 , the sensor 80 is attached to a predetermined position on the front side of the support wall 12, on a partition wall 81 that separates the area where the disks 13 are located from the area where the dancer roller 27 and other components are located. The sensor 80's detection range is the area where the packaging film 14 is located when the packaging film 14 is attached to the film setting member 18. As a result, after the raw web roll 17 is attached to the rotary support shaft 15, the leading edge of the film is pulled out from the raw web roll 17 and set in the film setting member 18. The sensor 80 detects the film when this setting is performed correctly. If the sensor 80 does not detect the packaging film 14, the control unit issues a predetermined abnormality alert. This prevents the user from forgetting to set the packaging film 14 after the raw roll 17 has been attached to the rotary support shaft 15.

[0094] Furthermore, if the sensor 80 does not detect the packaging film 14, the packaging film 14 on the raw roll 17 at standby position B and the packaging film 14 on the raw roll 17 at supply position A are joined together, but the disk 13 is not rotated and the packaging film 14 is supplied from the raw roll 17 at standby position B. Then, when the supply of the packaging film 14 from the raw roll 17 at standby position B to the packaging machine body is completed, the operation is controlled to stop.

[0095] Furthermore, if the raw roll 17 is set correctly on the rotary support shaft 15 at the second standby position C while the packaging film 14 is being supplied from the raw roll 17 at the standby position B, the disk 13 is rotated 45 degrees, and the raw roll 17, which has been supplying the packaging film 14 from the standby position B to the packaging machine body, is moved to the supply position A. Then, the film splicing described above is continued thereafter.

[0096] By doing this, first, the packaging film 14 pulled out from the raw roll 17 at the supply position A moves above the film setting member 18 on which the packaging film 14 from the raw roll 17 at the standby position B is set, and is supplied to the packaging machine main body, where it is joined to the packaging film 14 set and waiting in the film setting member 18, allowing the packaging film to be continuously supplied to the packaging machine main body.

[0097] On the other hand, if the raw web roll 17 is not attached to the rotary support shaft 15 at the second standby position C, or if it is attached but the leading end of the packaging film 14 is not set in the film setting member 18, and film splicing is performed with the packaging film 14 on the raw web roll 17 at standby position B, and then the disk 13 is rotated 45 degrees, the packaging film 14 will not be set on the film setting member 18 that has newly arrived at standby position B, and the packaging film 14 supplied to the packaging machine body will pass near the film setting member 18 to which the packaging film is not set. Under such circumstances, setting the raw web roll 17 on the rotary support shaft 15 at standby position B, and further setting the packaging film in the film setting member 18, is both cumbersome and dangerous.

[0098] Therefore, as described above, the packaging film 14 on the raw roll 17 at standby position B is joined to the packaging film 14 currently being supplied, but by continuing to supply the packaging film 14 from standby position B without rotating the disk 13, the raw roll 17 can be properly attached to the rotary support shaft 15 at the second standby position C, that is, the raw roll 17 can be attached to the rotary support shaft 15 and the leading end of the packaging film 14 wound around the raw roll 17 can be safely set in the film setting member 18. Therefore, in this embodiment, the occurrence of the dangerous setting process described above can be prevented.

[0099] Furthermore, by supplying packaging film 14 from raw roll 17 located at standby position B to the packaging machine body, the raw roll 17 that is properly installed can be used to supply packaging film 14 to the packaging machine body.

[0100] In this embodiment, a pressure roller 83 is disposed adjacent to the feed roller 26. This pressure roller 83 is driven by a fourth cylinder 85 (see FIG. 12, etc.) disposed above the rear surface side of the support wall 12 to move toward and away from the feed roller 26. When the packaging film 14 is joined (before heat sealing), the pressure roller 83 moves toward the feed roller 26. After the packaging film 14 is joined, the pressure roller 83 moves away from the feed roller 26. Then, the pressure roller 83, which has approached the feed roller 26, sandwiches the packaging film 14 between itself and the feed roller 26.

[0101] Meanwhile, the feed roller 26 rotates by being driven by a fourth drive motor 86 (see FIG. 12 , etc.). The sandwiched packaging film 14 being supplied to the packaging machine body receives a conveying force from the feed roller 26 and the pressure roller 83 and is conveyed downstream. When the positioning mark on the packaging film 14 being supplied to the packaging machine body and the positioning mark on the waiting packaging film 14 reach a desired relative positional relationship (e.g., coincidence) with each other, the rotation of the fourth drive motor 86 is stopped, and the movement of the packaging film 14 below the feed roller 26 is temporarily stopped while the packaging film 14 is sandwiched between the pressure roller 83 and the feed roller 26. In this state, the two pieces of packaging film 14 are heat-sealed, cut, and joined by the joining sealer 29. While the packaging film 14 is sandwiched between the pressure rollers 83, the action of the dancer roller 27 causes the packaging film 14 downstream of the feed roller 26 to continue to be fed to the packaging machine body.

[0102] Then, when the joining process of the two sheets of packaging film 14 is completed, the pressure roller 83 moves away from the feed roller 26, the packaging film 14 is released from the clamping, and the supply of packaging film 14 from the original roll 17 to the packaging device body is resumed.

[0103] However, when the conveyance of the packaging film 14 is resumed, the packaging film 14 that was temporarily stopped by the feed rollers 26 may stick to the feed rollers 26 or contact resistance may be high, preventing the packaging film 14 from passing smoothly through the section of the feed rollers 26. Even in such a case, the supply to the packaging machine body continues due to the action of the dancer rollers 27, but since the packaging film 14 is supplied from the raw roll 17 as the rotary support shaft 15 rotates, the packaging film 14 may slacken upstream of the feed rollers 26. Furthermore, after the film is spliced, the rotary support shaft 15 rotates at a higher speed than during normal operation to supply the film to the dancer rollers 27, which may cause the packaging film 14 to slacken significantly.

[0104] Therefore, in this embodiment, an air injection device 88 is provided near the feed roller 26, upstream in the conveying direction of the packaging film 14. This air injection device 88 is configured to blow a predetermined amount of air onto the circumferential surface of the feed roller 26, so that air gets between the circumferential surface of the feed roller 26 and the packaging film 14, reducing contact resistance between the feed roller 26 and the packaging film 14 moving around the feed roller 26. This allows the packaging film 14, which is stretched across the feed roller 26, to move smoothly around the feed roller 26, minimizing the occurrence of the phenomenon of the packaging film 14 becoming loose as described above.

[0105] Furthermore, air injection from the air injection device 88 may be performed continuously, but it is preferable to perform the injection for a certain period of time at least after the pressure roller 83 has separated from the feed roller 26 after the film has been joined and when the operation of the feed roller 26 is resumed. Once air is blown to lift (release) the packaging film 14 from the feed roller 26, it can be fed smoothly thereafter. Therefore, by wiping the air for a limited period of time, such as immediately after the operation is resumed, and then stopping the air injection, it is possible to reduce air consumption.

[0106] The film supply device to which this device for blowing air onto the peripheral surface of the feed roller 26 is applied is not limited to the device in this embodiment in which the first pin portion 51 is raised by a drive device 55 as a rotation mechanism for the disk 13, but may also be applied to film supply devices of various configurations, such as conventional devices in which a drive gear that meshes with a gear provided on a ring is driven by a motor, as in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0107] In the above-described embodiment, the pin (first pin portion 51) that is clamped by the hand portion 56 for rotating the disk 13 and the pin (second pin portion 52) that is used by the locking mechanism 71 to determine the stopping position of the disk 13 are configured as separate members, and are each provided in an appropriate position. By providing them as separate members in this manner, the position of the matching pin can be adjusted and positioned to match the raised position of the hand portion 56 and the advanced position of the pusher block 73 in accordance with the installation position of each rotation support shaft 15, and the accuracy of the stopping position can be improved.

[0108] On the other hand, if the angular positions of the first pin portion 51 and the second pin portion 52 can be made the same when the disk 13 is stopped, it is preferable to configure them to be used interchangeably. That is, it is preferable to configure the hand portion 56 to engage with a certain pin, move it upward and rotate the disk 45 degrees, and then configure the pusher block 73 to engage with the same pin and lock it when the disk 13 rotates 180 degrees from that state.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, the hand portion 56 is configured in a bifurcated shape and clamps the first pin portion 51 from above and below, but the present invention is not limited to this and may be configured in various ways, such as by a single rod-shaped or plate-shaped body whose upper surface comes into contact with the underside of the first pin portion 51 and urges it upward.

[0110] While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments thereof, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are provided to aid in understanding the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the structures and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also encompasses combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the structures of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, it is hereby expressly stated that structures not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future as disclosed herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 10: Film supply device 12 :Supporting wall 13: Disk 14: Packaging film 15: Rotating support shaft 17: Raw roll 18: Film set components 21: Sealer receiving member 22: Film mounting roller 26: Feed roller 28: Joint sealing device 29: Joint sealer 30: First cylinder 31: First drive motor 45: Ring section 51: First pin 52: Second pin section 55: Drive unit 56: Hand part 56a: Arm section 56b: Notch 57: Drive unit 64: Ball screw 69: No. 2 cylinder 70: Second drive motor 71: Locking mechanism 72: Third cylinder 73: Pusher Block 73a: Notch 83: Pressing roller 85: 4th cylinder 86: 4th drive motor 88: Air injection device

Claims

1. a rotation support shaft that rotatably supports a raw roll on which packaging film is wound; a disk having a plurality of the rotation support shafts on a front surface thereof; a support mechanism that supports the disk so that the disk can rotate within a vertical plane that is perpendicular to an installation surface; a plurality of first rod-shaped portions arranged upright along the outer periphery on the rear surface of the disk; a drive unit that rotates the disk; equipped with a groove the drive device includes a hand unit that can contact and separate from the first rod-shaped portion, and a drive unit that moves the hand unit forward and backward toward the outer periphery of the disk and reciprocates the hand unit in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the forward and backward movement, The hand unit moves along the first direction of the reciprocating movement while in contact with the first rod-shaped unit, and moves back relative to the first rod-shaped unit and moves along a second direction opposite to the first direction at a position separated from the first rod-shaped unit. Film supply device.

2. the movement in the first direction is an upward movement; The movement in the second direction is a downward movement. The film supply device according to claim 1 .

3. The hand unit has a bifurcated portion having upper and lower arm units, 3. The film supply device according to claim 2, wherein the first rod-shaped portion is moved upward while being sandwiched between the pair of arms.

4. The film supply device according to claim 3 , wherein the hand portion is configured to wait in a state where the hand portion holds the first rod portion at a lower position.

5. 2. The film supply device according to claim 1, wherein the number of the first rod-shaped portions is equal to the number of the rotation support shafts.

6. a plurality of second rod-shaped portions arranged upright along the outer periphery on the rear surface of the disk; a pusher member that can come into contact with and separate from the second rod-shaped portion; The film supply device of claim 2, wherein the pusher member has a guide portion that guides the pusher member to a predetermined position, and when the pusher member moves forward toward the second rod-shaped portion, the second rod-shaped portion is guided by the guide portion and led to the predetermined position.

7. 7. The film supply device according to claim 6, wherein the pusher member is arranged on the radially opposite side of the hand portion in the raised position across the disk.

8. The film supply device according to claim 6, wherein the control is performed so that at least one of a first contact state in which the hand portion and the first rod-shaped portion come into contact and a second contact state in which the pusher member and the second rod-shaped portion come into contact occurs.

9. a feed roller that stretches the packaging film along a conveyance path of the packaging film supplied to the packaging machine body among the raw rolls mounted on the plurality of rotation support shafts; a pressure roller disposed near the feed roller and movable toward and away from the feed roller; the feed roller has a function of rotating on its axis to apply a conveying force to the packaging film, and a function of pinching the packaging film between itself and the pressure roller and stopping the rotation on its axis to stop the conveyance of the packaging film, 9. The film supply device according to claim 1, further comprising a gas injection device that injects gas toward a gap between a side surface of the feed roller and the packaging film.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Film Supply Device

    JP7265247B2