Cutting device of belt-like continuous package

Abstract

To provide a cutting device of a belt-like continuous package that cuts a belt-like continuous package including a plurality of bag bodies connected in a long belt-like shape and a plurality of articles packaged in the bag bodies, and separates the bag bodies from each other, the cutting device capable of cutting the belt-like continuous package stably while preventing occurrence of cutting failure in response to increased speed of cutting operation.SOLUTION: A cutting device of a belt-like continuous package includes: a revolving drum 10 (drum body 11) that conveys a belt-like continuous package W in a longitudinal direction of the belt-like continuous package W while holding the belt-like continuous package W along an outer peripheral surface; and a cutting mechanism part 20 including a cutting blade 21 movable in an approaching direction and a separation direction with respect to the drum body 11. The cutting mechanism part 20 cuts the belt-like continuous package W by moving the cutting blade 21 in the approaching direction. The drum body 11 includes a suction mechanism part 12 that sucks at least both sides in a longitudinal direction to hold the belt-like continuous package W with respect to a cut portion of the belt-like continuous package W.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cutting device for a continuous strip packaging body, which cuts and separates a continuous strip packaging body comprising a plurality of bags connected in a long strip shape and a plurality of items packaged in each of the bags. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a cutting device that continuously cuts and separates a continuous strip of packaging material, which is made up of a plurality of items, such as straws and spoons, each packaged in a plurality of bags connected in a long strip, while conveying the packaging material in the longitudinal direction. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a sheet cutting device (a cutting device for a strip-shaped continuous packaging material) that includes a drum (rotating drum) that holds a long strip-shaped film sheet (strip-shaped continuous packaging material) along its outer peripheral surface while transporting the strip-shaped continuous packaging material in the longitudinal direction, and a cutting mechanism that cuts the strip-shaped continuous packaging material by moving a blade (cutting blade) toward the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum.

[0003] In the conventional cutting device for continuous strip packaging material described in Patent Document 1, multiple slits are arranged on the outer surface of the rotating drum at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotating drum, and the cutting mechanism moves the cutting blade in an approximately elliptical motion each time each slit reaches a predetermined cutting position, and inserts the cutting edge of the cutting blade into the slit. As a result, the cutting edge of the cutting blade cuts into the continuous band-shaped packaging material at the cutting position, and the continuous band-shaped packaging material is cut into individual pouches.

[0004] Here, when the cutting mechanism performs the cutting operation on the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, the area near the cutting point (more specifically, the area upstream and downstream of the cutting point in the conveying direction) tends to float up toward the cutting mechanism (i.e., the side opposite the cutting direction of the cutting blade) as the cutting blade cuts into the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, which can be a factor that causes poor cutting. For this reason, the cutting mechanism of conventional cutting devices is provided with a pair of movable pad members that can extend and retract along the cutting direction of the cutting blade, on both sides of the thickness of the cutting blade, and these pair of movable pad members are positioned so that the end faces on the cutting direction side are located closer to the rotating drum than the tip of the cutting blade.

[0005] When the cutting blade is moved by the cutting mechanism, first, a pair of moving pad members are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum via the strip-shaped continuous packaging, and the area near the cutting point on the strip-shaped continuous packaging is clamped between the pair of moving pad members and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum.Then, as the cutting blade continues to move, the cutting blade advances from between the pair of moving pad members, and the cutting edge of the cutting blade cuts into the strip-shaped continuous packaging. As a result, in the conventional cutting device, the continuous strip packaging material can be cut while preventing the area around the cutting point from lifting up, and the occurrence of cutting defects and the like can be suppressed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-296816 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in recent years, in order to improve production efficiency, there has been an increasing demand for cutting devices for continuous strip packaging material to have faster cutting operations, but the conventional cutting devices mentioned above had the following problems.

[0008] In other words, the pair of moving pad members are generally made of resin materials, and as the cutting operation speeds up, the frequency with which they are pressed against the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum increases, accelerating wear.As a result, the pair of moving pad members and the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum are unable to adequately hold the area near the cutting point on the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, which could lead to poor cutting.

[0009] Furthermore, when the cutting edge of the cutting blade cuts into the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, the amount of cutting by the cutting edge of the cutting blade is the distance obtained by subtracting the movement stroke when the pair of movable pad members appear and disappear from the movement stroke when the cutting blade is moved together with the pair of movable pad members by the cutting mechanism. As a result, it becomes difficult to ensure a sufficient amount of cutting, which may result in poor cutting. Furthermore, if the movement stroke of the cutting blade when moving it together with the pair of moving pad members is extended in order to ensure a sufficient cutting depth, it will not be able to keep up with the rotational speed of the rotating drum, which rotates at high speed, and it will be very difficult for the cutting mechanism to move the cutting blade while following the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the current problems described above, and aims to provide a cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging that cuts a strip-shaped continuous packaging comprising a plurality of bags connected in a long strip and a plurality of items packaged in each of the bags, and separates the strip-shaped continuous packaging into individual bags.The present invention has an objective of providing a cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging that can stably cut the strip-shaped continuous packaging while preventing cutting defects as the cutting operation is accelerated. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The problem to be solved by the present invention is as described above, and the means for solving this problem will now be described.

[0012] That is, the cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging material according to aspect 1 of the present invention is a cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging material that cuts a strip-shaped continuous packaging material comprising a plurality of bags connected in a long strip and a plurality of items packaged in each of the bags, and separates the strip-shaped continuous packaging material into individual bags, and is characterized in that it comprises a rotating drum that holds the strip-shaped continuous packaging material along its outer peripheral surface and transports the strip-shaped continuous packaging material in the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, and a cutting mechanism unit having a cutting blade that can move in a direction toward and away from the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum, and the cutting mechanism unit cuts the strip-shaped continuous packaging material held by the rotating drum in the width direction, which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, by moving the cutting blade in the approaching direction, and the rotating drum has a suction means that holds the strip-shaped continuous packaging material by suctioning at least both sides of the longitudinal direction of the cutting point of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material. Due to this configuration, in the cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging material of the present invention, the cutting blade is moved in the approaching direction by the cutting mechanism, and when the cutting blade cuts into the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, the area in the vicinity of the cutting point on the strip-shaped continuous packaging material (on both sides of the cutting point in the longitudinal direction) is sucked and held by the suction means to the outer surface of the rotating drum, so that the strip-shaped continuous packaging material can be cut while preventing the area in the vicinity from floating up. Therefore, since the cutting mechanism does not require a pair of moving pad members as in conventional cutting devices, by eliminating these pair of moving pad members, it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of poor cutting caused by wear of the pair of moving pad members as described above, and the strip-shaped continuous packaging material can be cut stably. In addition, by eliminating the pair of moving pad members, the entire range of the movement stroke when moving the cutting blade by the cutting mechanism can be used to determine the amount of cutting depth of the cutting blade tip into the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, and this amount of cutting depth can be sufficiently ensured. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cutting defects caused by an insufficient cutting depth as described above, and to cut the continuous strip packaging material stably.

[0013] In addition, a cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging material according to aspect 2 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned aspect 1, the rotating drum has on its outer surface a plurality of holding grooves arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotating drum, each capable of accommodating one of the bags packaging the item, and a plurality of slits arranged between adjacent pairs of the holding grooves, each capable of accommodating the cutting edge of the cutting blade moved in the approaching direction, and the suction means holds the strip-shaped continuous packaging material by sucking the bag contained in the holding groove through a suction port provided at the bottom of the holding groove. In this way, in the cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging material of the present invention, the bag bodies contained in the holding groove are sucked through a suction port provided at the bottom of the holding groove, thereby holding the strip-shaped continuous packaging material on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum.Therefore, when performing the cutting operation of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, each individually divided bag body is prevented from falling out of the holding groove, and each bag body can be reliably transported by the rotating drum toward the removal position located downstream in the conveying direction.

[0014] In addition, a cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging material according to aspect 3 of the present invention is characterized in that, in the above-mentioned aspect 1 or aspect 2, the conveying path of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material is provided with a contact start position where the strip-shaped continuous packaging material starts to come into contact with the outer surface of the rotating drum, a cutting position located downstream of the contact start position in the conveying direction and where the cutting mechanism performs the cutting operation of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material, and a removal position located downstream of the cutting position in the conveying direction and where the cut bag bodies packaging the items are removed, and the suction means performs a suction operation on the holding grooves located in an upstream region from the contact start position to a first position adjacent to the cutting position on the upstream side of the conveying direction, a downstream region from a second position adjacent to the cutting position on the downstream side of the conveying direction to a third position adjacent to the removal position on the upstream side of the conveying direction, and the removal position, and has a suction operation switching means that stops the suction operation on the holding grooves located in regions other than the upstream region, the downstream region, and the removal position. By having this configuration, the cutting device for strip-shaped continuous packaging material of the present invention can use the suction operation switching means to appropriately stop the suction operation by the suction means for holding grooves that do not contain bags containing items. Therefore, by performing suction operation by the suction means through a suction port open to the outside, it is possible to prevent the suction force of the suction means from decreasing, and the long continuous packaging material can be stably held on the outer surface of the rotating drum. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] The present invention has the following effects. That is, the cutting device for continuous strip packaging material according to the present invention can cut the continuous strip packaging material stably while preventing cutting defects due to the increased speed of the cutting operation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a cutting device for continuous strip packaging material according to one embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the rotating drum, and is a partially cross-sectional front view seen in the direction of the arrow X1 in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a cross-sectional plan view showing the configuration of the rotating drum as seen in the direction of the arrow X2 in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the cutting mechanism section near the cutting blade. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining the cutting operation of the cutting mechanism, in which FIG. 10A is an enlarged plan view showing the state of the cutting mechanism waiting at a predetermined waiting position, and FIG. 10B is an enlarged plan view showing the state of the cutting mechanism having moved to the cutting end position. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a strip-shaped continuous packaging body. [Figure 7]1A and 1B are diagrams for explaining the cutting operation of a conventional cutting mechanism, in which (a) is an enlarged plan view showing the state of the conventional cutting mechanism waiting at a predetermined waiting position, (b) is an enlarged plan view showing the state of the conventional cutting mechanism having moved to the first cutting end position, and (c) is an enlarged plan view showing the state of the conventional cutting mechanism having moved to the second cutting end position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Next, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. For convenience in the following explanation, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions of the cutting device 1 for strip-shaped continuous packaging material W (or a conventional cutting device 101 for strip-shaped continuous packaging material W) will be defined and described using the directions of the arrows shown in Figures 1 to 7.

[0018] [Overall configuration of cutting device 1 for continuous strip packaging material W] First, the overall configuration of a cutting device 1 for continuous strip-shaped packaging material W (hereinafter simply referred to as "cutting device 1") embodying the present invention will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 5.

[0019] The cutting device 1 in this embodiment is a device that continuously cuts and separates a continuous strip-shaped packaging body W, which is made up of a plurality of items Wa·Wa···, such as straws and spoons, each packaged in a plurality of bags Wb·Wb···, connected in a long strip, as shown in Figure 6, while conveying it in the longitudinal direction (the direction of arrow R in Figure 1) into each of the bags Wb. As shown in Figure 1, the cutting device 1 mainly comprises a rotating drum 10 that transports the continuous strip packaging material W in the longitudinal direction, and a cutting mechanism unit 20 that cuts the continuous strip packaging material W transported by the rotating drum 10.

[0020] The rotating drum 10 has a drum body 11 having a substantially cylindrical shape and a suction mechanism 12 that holds the continuous strip-shaped packaging material W by suction on the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 11.

[0021] The drum body 11 is arranged so that the direction of the axis Z is approximately vertical, and is configured to be rotatable in one direction (the direction of arrow R) around the axis Z by a drive mechanism (not shown). In addition, when viewed in a plane, the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 11 is provided with a plurality of retaining grooves 11a·11a··· arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the drum main body 11, and a plurality of slits 11b·11b··· each arranged between a pair of adjacent retaining grooves 11a·11a.

[0022] Each retaining groove 11a is a recess capable of accommodating each bag body Wb in which an item Wa is packaged, and is formed to extend parallel to the axis Z of the drum main body 11 and have an approximately U-shaped cross-sectional shape when viewed in the extension direction. In addition, each slit 11b is a recess into which the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 moved in the approaching direction (rearward in this embodiment) described below can be inserted when the cutting mechanism 20 performs the cutting operation of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, and is formed to extend parallel to the axis Z of the drum main body 11 and have an approximately rectangular cross-sectional shape with a gap that is slightly larger than the thickness of the cutting blade 21 when viewed in the extension direction.

[0023] The drum body 11 holds the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W in an engaged state by aligning the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W along its outer surface and accommodating each bag body Wb in each holding groove 11a, and by being rotated in the above-mentioned one direction (the direction of arrow R), the drum body 11 continuously transports the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W in the longitudinal direction (in this embodiment, the counterclockwise direction).

[0024] In this embodiment, a pair of fixed guide members 13, 13 for guiding the continuous band-shaped wrapping material W along the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 11 is provided.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 2, a pair of suction ports 11c and 11c are provided in the bottom portion 11a1 of each holding groove 11a. As shown in FIG. 3, the upper end surface 11e of the drum body 11 is provided with a plurality of suction passages 11d·11d···, each corresponding to one of the holding grooves 11a, along the axis Z (see FIG. 1), and each of the pair of suction ports 11c·11c (see FIG. 2) is connected to the suction passage 11d corresponding to each of the holding grooves 11a.

[0026] The number of suction ports 11c provided in the bottom portion 11a1 of each holding groove 11a is not limited to that in this embodiment, and may be, for example, one, or three or more.

[0027] Each suction passage 11d is connected to a suction device 12a (see FIG. 2) via a mechanical valve 12b (described later), and the bag Wb accommodated in the holding groove 11a corresponding to the suction passage 11d is sucked through a pair of suction ports 11c, 11c, thereby holding the strip-shaped continuous packaging body W on the outer circumferential surface of the drum body 11.

[0028] The suction mechanism section 12 is an example of the suction means according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the suction mechanism 12 includes a suction device 12a, which is, for example, a general-purpose vacuum pump, a mechanical valve 12b that switches between performing and stopping the suction operation of the suction device 12a, and a connecting member 12c that is composed of piping components, a flow control valve, etc., and that connects the suction device 12a and the mechanical valve 12b.

[0029] The mechanical valve 12b is an example of the suction operation switching means according to the present invention. The mechanical valve 12b is made of, for example, a disk-shaped member, and is arranged coaxially with the drum main body 11 on the upper end surface 11e of the drum main body 11. Furthermore, unlike the drum main body 11, the mechanical valve 12b is fixed so as not to be rotatable about the axis Z (see FIG. 1). In other words, the drum main body 11 is configured to be rotatable about the axis Z relative to the mechanical valve 12b.

[0030] In the mechanical valve 12b, the flat surface (hereinafter referred to as "contact surface 12b1") on the side that contacts the upper end surface 11e of the drum main body 11 (in this embodiment, the lower side) is provided with a pair of arc-shaped recesses in plan view (specifically, the first arc-shaped recess 12b2 and the second arc-shaped recess 12b3 described later) and one round recess in plan view (specifically, the round recess 12b4 described later). In addition, in the mechanical valve 12b, a first communication passage 12b6 communicating with the first arc-shaped recess 12b2, a second communication passage 12b7 communicating with the second arc-shaped recess 12b3, and a third communication passage 12b8 communicating with the round recess 12b4 are provided on the flat surface opposite to the contact surface 12b1 (hereinafter referred to as the "connecting surface 12b5" as appropriate).

[0031] The first communication passage 12b6, the second communication passage 12b7, and the third communication passage 12b8 are each connected to the connecting member 12c, and the mechanical valve 12b is connected to the suction device 12a via the connecting member 12c.

[0032] Here, as shown in Figure 3, in a plan view, a reference cutting position P2, a contact start position P1 located upstream of the cutting position P2 in the conveying direction of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, and a removal position P3 located downstream of the cutting position P2 in the conveying direction are pre-set on the outer surface of the drum main body 11. In other words, on the conveying path L of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, in the area where it comes into contact with the outer surface of the drum main body 11, a contact start position P1, a cutting position P2, and a removal position P3 are each set in that order from the upstream side to the downstream side of the conveying direction of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W.

[0033] The contact start position P1 is a position where the continuous strip-shaped packaging material W enters the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 11 and starts to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 11. The cutting position P2 is located downstream of the contact start position P1 in the conveying direction, and is a position where the cutting mechanism 20 cuts the continuous strip-shaped packaging material W. Furthermore, the take-out position P3 is a position where a predetermined take-out device 30 takes out the bag body Wb in which the article Wa is packaged and which has been cut at the cutting position P2.

[0034] In addition, when any slit 11b reaches the cutting position P2, a first arrival position P4 is preset for the slit 11b, at which the adjacent holding groove 11a (holding groove 11a2 in Figure 3) on the upstream side of the conveying direction reaches the slit 11b, and a second arrival position P5 is preset for the adjacent holding groove 11a (holding groove 11a3 in Figure 3) on the downstream side of the conveying direction reaches the slit 11b. Furthermore, a third arrival position P6 is set in advance where the adjacent holding groove 11a (holding groove 11a4 in FIG. 3) on the upstream side in the conveying direction reaches the holding groove 11a that has reached the take-out position P3. The first arrival position P4 is an example of a first position according to the present invention, the second arrival position P5 is an example of a second position according to the present invention, and the third arrival position P6 is an example of a third position according to the present invention.

[0035] On the conveying path L of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, the mechanical valve 12b is configured to perform a suction operation by the suction device 12a on the multiple holding grooves 11a·11a··· that have reached (or are positioned at) the area from the contact start position P1 to the first arrival position P4 (hereinafter referred to as the "upstream area S1" where appropriate), the area from the second arrival position P5 to the third arrival position P6 (hereinafter referred to as the "downstream area S2" where appropriate), and the removal position P3, and to stop the suction operation by the suction device 12a on the multiple holding grooves 11a·11a··· that have reached (or are positioned at) areas other than the upstream area S1, the downstream area S2, and the removal position P3.

[0036] Specifically, in a planar cross-sectional view, the first arc-shaped recess 12b2 is formed in the shape of an arc-shaped elongated hole that simultaneously overlaps with each of the suction paths 11d·11d···, which are connected to the multiple retaining grooves 11a·11a··· that reach the upstream region S1. In addition, the second arc-shaped recess 12b3 is formed in the shape of an arc-shaped elongated hole that simultaneously overlaps with each of the suction paths 11d·11d···, which are connected to the multiple holding grooves 11a·11a··· that reach the downstream region S2. Furthermore, the round recess 12b4 is formed in the shape of a round hole that is in communication with the holding groove 11a that has reached the removal position P3 and that overlaps coaxially with the suction path 11d.

[0037] On the other hand, the suction device 12a (see FIG. 2) is always in a state of sucking the first arc-shaped recess 12b2, the second arc-shaped recess 12b3, and the round recess 12b4 via the connecting member 12c.

[0038] As the drum body 11 rotates around the axis Z, and the suction passage 11d connected to each holding groove 11a reaches the first arc-shaped recess 12b2, the second arc-shaped recess 12b3, and the round recess 12b4 in sequence, a suction operation is performed by the suction device 12a through a pair of suction ports 11c·11c (see Figure 2) in the holding groove 11a. In addition, each time the suction path 11d connected to each holding groove 11a passes through the first arc-shaped recess 12b2, the second arc-shaped recess 12b3, and the round recess 12b4, the suction operation by the suction device 12a in that holding groove 11a is stopped.

[0039] Thus, in this embodiment, the rotating drum 10 (more specifically, the drum main body 11) has, on its outer surface, a plurality of holding grooves 11a·11a··· that are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the drum main body 11 and that can accommodate each bag body Wb in which an item Wa is packaged, and a plurality of slits 11b·11b··· that are each arranged between a pair of adjacent holding grooves 11a·11a and that can accommodate the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 that has been moved in the approaching direction (rearward in this embodiment) described below.

[0040] The drum body 11 is configured to hold the strip-shaped continuous packaging body W by using a suction mechanism section (suction means) 12 to suck the bag body Wb contained in the holding groove 11a through a pair of suction ports 11c·11c provided in the bottom 11a1 of the holding groove 11a.

[0041] With this configuration, the cutting device 1 in this embodiment holds the strip-shaped continuous packaging body W on the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 11 by sucking the bag bodies Wb contained in the holding grooves 11a through a pair of suction ports 11c·11c provided at the bottom 11a1 of each holding groove 11a.This prevents the individually separated bag bodies Wb from falling out of the holding grooves 11a when cutting the strip-shaped continuous packaging body W, and allows the drum main body 11 to reliably transport each bag body Wb toward the removal position P3 located downstream in the conveying direction.

[0042] In addition, in this embodiment, on the conveying path L of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, there are provided a contact start position P1 where the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W starts to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum 10 (more specifically, the drum main body 11), a cutting position P2 located downstream in the conveying direction from the contact start position P1, where the cutting operation of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W is performed by the cutting mechanism unit 12, and a removal position P3 located downstream in the conveying direction from the cutting position P2, where the cut bag body Wb that packages the item Wa is removed.

[0043] The suction mechanism (suction means) 12 performs suction operations on the holding grooves 11a located in an upstream region S1 from the contact start position P1 to a first arrival position (first position) P4 adjacent to the cutting position P2 on the upstream side in the conveying direction, a downstream region S2 from a second arrival position (second position) P5 adjacent to the cutting position P2 on the downstream side in the conveying direction to a third arrival position (third position) P6 adjacent to the removal position P3 on the upstream side in the conveying direction, and the removal position P3, while having a mechanical valve (suction operation switching means) 12b that stops the suction operation on the holding grooves 11a located in regions other than the upstream region S1, downstream region S2, and removal position P3.

[0044] By having such a configuration, according to the cutting device 1 of this embodiment, the mechanical valve (suction operation switching means) 12b can appropriately stop the suction operation by the suction mechanism unit (suction means) 12 for the holding groove 11a that does not contain a bag body Wb in which an item Wa is packaged. Therefore, by performing the suction operation by the suction mechanism unit 12 through the suction port 11c open to the outside, it is possible to prevent the suction force of the suction mechanism unit 12 from decreasing, and the strip-shaped continuous packaging body W can be stably held on the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum (drum main body 11).

[0045] As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting mechanism section 20 has a cutting mechanism main body 22 that holds the cutting blade 21 and a drive mechanism 23 that drives the cutting mechanism main body 22.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 4, the cutting blade 21 is made of, for example, a long rectangular plate-like member, and is provided with a saw-tooth cutting edge 21a at one end portion extending in the longitudinal direction. Furthermore, the dimension Y1 of the cutting blade 21 in the longitudinal direction is set to be approximately the same as the dimension Y2 of the entire length of the outer circumferential surface of the drum body 11 (Y1≈Y2).

[0047] The cutting blade 21 is disposed parallel to the outer circumferential surface of the drum body 11 with the cutting edge 21a facing the drum body 11 side (the rear side in this embodiment). As shown in FIG. 3, the cutting blade 21 is disposed so as to be able to face the slit 11b that has reached the cutting position P2.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 1, the cutting mechanism main body 22 has a pair of holding blocks 22a that clamp and hold the cutting blade 21 in the thickness direction (in this embodiment, the left-right direction), a holder 22b to which the pair of holding blocks 22a are detachably fixed via fastening members such as bolts, and a connecting member 22c to which the holder 22b is detachably fixed via fastening members such as bolts.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the pair of holding blocks 22a holds the cutting blade 21 in a state in which the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 protrudes toward the drum body 11 side. Here, the protruding dimension Y3 of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 is set to be slightly smaller than the depth dimension Y4 of each slit 11b of the drum body 11 (Y3>Y4). In addition, end faces 22a1 of the pair of holding blocks 22a on the drum main body 11 side are formed in a curved shape that follows the outer circumferential surface of the drum main body 11 in a plan view.

[0050] As will be described later, when the cutting operation is performed by the cutting mechanism 20, the pair of holding blocks 22a·22a are moved in the approaching direction (rearward direction) together with the cutting blade 21 by the drive mechanism 23 (see Figure 1) and are brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 11 via the end faces 22a1·22a1, with the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W interposed therebetween (see Figure 5(b)). As a result, the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 is inserted into the slit 11b located at the cutting position P2, and the continuous belt-shaped packaging material W is cut.

[0051] As shown in Figure 4, the holder 22b is made of a plate-like member formed, for example, in an approximately L-shape, and has a first flat portion 22b1 extending along the end of the cutting blade 21 on the opposite side to the cutting edge 21a (in this embodiment, the front side), and a second flat portion 22b2 extending from the first flat portion 22b1 toward the opposite side to the drum main body 11 (in this embodiment, the front side).

[0052] As shown in FIG. 1, the holder 22b is detachably fixed to the pair of holding blocks 22a in a state where the holder 22b is sandwiched between the pair of holding blocks 22a at the first flat portion 22b1. As shown in FIG. 4, the holder 22b is detachably fixed to the lower surface of the connecting member 22c via the upper end surface of the second flat portion 22b2.

[0053] The configurations of the holding block 22a and the holder 22b are not limited to those in this embodiment. For example, the holding block 22a may have any configuration as long as it can hold the cutting blade 21 and has a curved end surface 22a1 that fits along the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 11. Moreover, the holder 22b may have any configuration as long as it is capable of supporting the holding block 22a holding the cutting blade 21 by the connecting member 22c.

[0054] As shown in FIG. 1, the connecting member 22c is made of a flat, approximately rectangular member extending in one direction, and is arranged on the opposite side of the cutting blade 21 from the drum body 11 (the front side in this embodiment) with its thickness direction oriented in the approximately vertical direction and its longitudinal direction oriented in the cutting direction of the cutting blade 21 (the front-to-rear direction in this embodiment).

[0055] The connecting member 22c is fixed to the holder 22b at one end in the longitudinal direction (in this embodiment, the rear end). Furthermore, a bearing member (not shown) is provided at the center in the longitudinal direction of the connecting member 22c. Furthermore, an elongated hole 22c1 extending in the longitudinal direction is formed in the other end portion (the front end portion in this embodiment) of the connecting member 22c.

[0056] On the other hand, the drive mechanism 23 has a first rotating shaft 23a that can be driven to rotate around its axis by a drive motor or the like (not shown), and a second rotating shaft 23b that is arranged parallel to the first rotating shaft 23a and can be driven to rotate around its axis in synchronization with the first rotating shaft 23a.

[0057] A first eccentric shaft 23a1 is provided at the tip of the first rotating shaft 23a, and the first rotating shaft 23a is fitted into the bearing member of the connecting member 22c via the first eccentric shaft 23a1. In addition, a second eccentric shaft 23b1 is provided at the tip of the second rotating shaft 23b, and a bearing 23c is attached to the outer periphery of the second eccentric shaft 23b1. The second rotating shaft 23b is inserted into the long hole 22c1 of the connecting member 22c via the second eccentric shaft 23b1, and is arranged to be slidable against the inner surface of the long hole 22c1 via the bearing 23c.

[0058] The first rotary shaft 23a and the second rotary shaft 23b rotate synchronously while performing crank motion with respect to each other, thereby causing the connecting member 22c to move back and forth. As a result, the cutting blade 21 supported by the connecting member 22c via the holding block a and the holder 22b moves back and forth in the approaching direction (rearward in this embodiment) and the moving away direction (forward in this embodiment) relative to the outer surface of the rotating drum body 11, tracing an approximately elliptical trajectory in accordance with the outer surface of the drum body 11.

[0059] In addition, since the configuration of the connecting member 22c and the drive mechanism 23 in this embodiment is approximately the same as the configuration of the connecting member and the drive mechanism in conventional cutting devices, detailed explanations of the configuration and operating procedures of these connecting member 22c and the drive mechanism 23 will be omitted.

[0060] [Cutting operation of cutting device 1] Next, the cutting operation by the cutting device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. First, in FIG. 5(a), the cutting mechanism 20 is stopped at a predetermined standby position P11. The drum body 11 is rotated around the axis Z (see Figure 1) while holding the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, and when the specified slit 11b reaches the cutting position P2, the cutting operation by the cutting device 1 begins.

[0061] When the cutting operation by the cutting device 1 is started, as described above, the first rotating shaft 23a and the second rotating shaft 23b in the cutting mechanism unit 20 are rotated in synchronization with each other, and the cutting blade 21 is moved in the approaching direction (rearward direction) relative to the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 11 while tracing a roughly elliptical motion trajectory.

[0062] As mentioned above, in the multiple holding grooves 11a·11a··· located in the upstream region S1 and the downstream region S2 (see Figure 3), the bag body Wb contained in each holding groove 11a is in a state of being sucked in by the suction mechanism unit 12. In other words, at the cutting position P2, the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W is held by suction on at least both sides of the longitudinal direction of the cutting point (i.e., the point overlapping with the slit 11b located at the cutting position P2) by the suction mechanism unit 12 via the holding groove 11a adjacent to the upstream side in the conveying direction (more specifically, the aforementioned holding groove 11a2) and the holding groove 11a adjacent to the downstream side in the conveying direction (more specifically, the aforementioned holding groove 11a3).

[0063] Then, as shown in Figure 5(b), the pair of holding blocks 22a and 22a abut against the outer peripheral surface of the drum body 11 via the end faces 22a1 and 22a1, and when the cutting mechanism unit 20 reaches the predetermined cutting end position P12, the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 sinks into the slit 11b located at the cutting position P2. As a result, the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W held on the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 11 is cut by the cutting blade 21 in the width direction (in this embodiment, the vertical direction), which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W.

[0064] Thereafter, the first rotating shaft 23a and the second rotating shaft 23b in the cutting mechanism unit 20 continue to be rotated, and the cutting blade 21 moves in a direction away from (forward from) the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 11 while tracing an approximately elliptical trajectory, and returns to the predetermined standby position P11. This completes the series of cutting operations by the cutting device 1.

[0065] As shown in FIG. 7(a), in the cutting mechanism 120 of the conventional cutting device 101, a pair of movable pad members 124, which can extend and retract along the cutting direction of the cutting blade 121 (in this embodiment, the front-to-rear direction), are provided on both sides of the thickness direction of the cutting blade 121 (in this embodiment, the left-to-right direction), and these pair of movable pad members 124 are always biased toward the drum main body 111 side (in this embodiment, the rear side) by biasing members 125.

[0066] When performing a cutting operation using such a conventional cutting device 101, first, the cutting mechanism unit 120, which is stopped at a predetermined standby position P21, is moved toward (rearward of) the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 111, and reaches a first cutting end position P22 where the pair of moving pad members 124·124 abut against the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 111, as shown in Figure 7(b). As a result, the area of ​​the continuous band-shaped packaging material W near the cut portion is clamped between the pair of moving pad members 124 and the outer circumferential surface of the drum body 111.

[0067] Thereafter, the cutting mechanism 120 is further moved in the approaching direction (rearward) and reaches the second cutting end position P23 as shown in FIG. 7(c). As a result, the pair of movable pad members 124·124 are pushed in the direction opposite to the cutting direction (to the front in this embodiment), and the cutting blade 121 advances from between the pair of movable pad members 124·124, and the cutting edge 121a of the cutting blade 121 cuts into the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W.

[0068] In the conventional cutting device 101 having such a configuration, when the cutting edge 121a of the cutting blade 121 cuts into the continuous strip packaging material W, the cutting depth d1 of the cutting edge 121a of the cutting blade 121 is the distance obtained by subtracting the movement stroke d2 when the pair of movable pad members 124·124 appear and disappear from the movement stroke D when the cutting blade 121 is moved together with the pair of movable pad members 124·124 by the cutting mechanism unit 120 (d1=D-d2). As a result, it becomes difficult to ensure a sufficient cutting depth d1, which may cause poor cutting.

[0069] In contrast, in the cutting device 1 of this embodiment, as shown in Figure 5(b), when the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 cuts into the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, the cutting depth d1 of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 can be determined by utilizing the movement stroke D when moving the cutting blade 21 by the cutting mechanism unit 20, so that the cutting depth d1 can be sufficiently secured to prevent poor cutting.

[0070] As described above, the cutting device 1 in this embodiment is a cutting device 1 for a strip-shaped continuous packaging body W that cuts a strip-shaped continuous packaging body W comprising a plurality of bag bodies Wb·Wb··· connected in a long strip shape and a plurality of items Wa·Wa··· packaged in each of the bag bodies Wb, and separates the strip-shaped continuous packaging body W into each of the bag bodies Wb, and is equipped with a rotating drum 10 (more specifically, a drum main body 11) that holds the strip-shaped continuous packaging body W along its outer peripheral surface and transports the strip-shaped continuous packaging body W in the longitudinal direction, and a cutting mechanism unit 20 having a cutting blade 21 that can move toward (rearward) and away from (forward) the outer peripheral surface of the drum main body 11.

[0071] Here, the cutting mechanism 20 cuts the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W held by the drum main body 11 in the width direction (vertical direction), which is perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, by moving the cutting blade 21 in the approaching direction (rearward direction). The drum body 11 is also configured to have a suction mechanism section (suction means) 12 that holds the continuous strip packaging material W by sucking at least both sides of the longitudinal direction of the cut portion of the continuous strip packaging material W.

[0072] Due to this configuration, in the cutting device 1 for strip-shaped continuous packaging material W in this embodiment, the cutting blade 21 is moved in the approaching direction (rearward) by the cutting mechanism unit 20, and when the cutting blade 21 cuts into the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, the area in the vicinity of the cutting point in the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W (on both sides of the cutting point in the longitudinal direction) is sucked and held to the outer surface of the drum main body 11 by the suction mechanism unit (suction means) 12, so that the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W can be cut while preventing the area in the vicinity from floating up.

[0073] Therefore, in the cutting mechanism unit 20, there is no need to provide a pair of movable pad members 124·124 as in the conventional cutting device 101. By eliminating this pair of movable pad members 124·124, it is possible to eliminate the occurrence of poor cutting caused by wear of the pair of movable pad members 124·124 as described above, and the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W can be cut stably.

[0074] In addition, by eliminating the pair of movable pad members 124·124, the entire range of the movement stroke D when moving the cutting blade 21 by the cutting mechanism unit 20 can be used as the cutting depth d1 of the cutting edge 21a of the cutting blade 21 into the strip-shaped continuous packaging material W, and the cutting depth d1 can be sufficiently secured.

[0075] Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of cutting defects caused by an insufficient cutting depth d1 in the conventional cutting device 101 as described above, and to cut the continuous strip-shaped packaging material W stably.

[0076] 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]

[0077] 1. Cutting device (cutting device for continuous strip packaging) 10 rotating drum 11 Drum body 11a Retaining groove 11a1 bottom 11b Slit 11c Suction port 12 Suction mechanism section (suction means) 12b Mechanical valve (suction operation switching means) 20 Cutting mechanism section 21 Cutting blade 21a cutting edge L Transport route P1 Contact start position P2 cutting position P3 Extraction position P4 1st arrival position (1st position) P5 2nd reached position (2nd position) P6 3rd reached position (3rd position) S1 upstream region S2 downstream area Wb bag body Wa Items W Continuous strip packaging

Claims

1. A cutting device for a continuous strip-shaped packaging body that cuts a continuous strip-shaped packaging body including a plurality of bags connected in a long strip shape and a plurality of articles packaged in each of the bags, and separates the continuous strip-shaped packaging body into individual bags, a rotating drum that conveys the continuous strip packaging body in the longitudinal direction while holding the continuous strip packaging body along its outer peripheral surface; a cutting mechanism having a cutting blade that is movable toward and away from the outer circumferential surface of the rotating drum, The cutting mechanism unit includes: By moving the cutting blade in the approaching direction, the strip-shaped continuous packaging material held by the rotating drum is cut in a width direction that is a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, The rotating drum is a suction means for suctioning at least both sides of the cut portion of the continuous strip packaging body in the longitudinal direction to hold the continuous strip packaging body; A cutting device for continuous strip packaging material.

2. The rotating drum is On the outer periphery, a plurality of holding grooves that are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the rotating drum and that can accommodate each of the bags that package the article; a plurality of slits each disposed between a pair of adjacent holding grooves and into which the cutting edge of the cutting blade moved in the approaching direction can be retracted; The suction means The belt-shaped continuous packaging body is held by sucking the bag body accommodated in the holding groove through a suction port provided at the bottom of the holding groove.

2. The cutting device for continuous strip-shaped packaging material according to claim 1.

3. On the conveying path of the continuous strip packaging material, a contact start position where the continuous strip packaging material starts to come into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the rotating drum; a cutting position located downstream of the contact start position in a conveying direction, the cutting position being for performing a cutting operation of the continuous strip packaging material by the cutting mechanism; a take-out position located downstream of the cutting position in the conveying direction, for taking out the cut bag body that packages the article; The suction means an upstream region from the contact start position to a first position adjacent to the cutting position on the upstream side in the conveyance direction; a downstream region extending from a second position adjacent to the cutting position on the downstream side in the conveying direction to a third position adjacent to the removal position on the upstream side in the conveying direction; performing a suction operation on the holding groove positioned at the removal position; a suction operation switching means for stopping the suction operation for the holding grooves located in areas other than the upstream area, the downstream area, and the removal position; 3. The cutting device for continuous strip packaging according to claim 2.

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