Filling and packaging device and filling and packaging method

Abstract

To provide a filling and packaging device which can reduce an impact of fall applied to a product or a film, and to provide a filling and packaging method.SOLUTION: A filling and packaging device 1 for filling and packaging an object M to be packaged includes: a package formation part 2 for forming a cylindrical package P in which one end is closed and the other end opens from a continuous film F; and an object to be packaged supply part 10 for supplying the object M to be packaged into the package P. The object to be package supply part 10 includes a cylindrical body 3 for maintaining the continuous film F in a cylindrical shape. In the cylindrical body 3, the axial direction is inclined downward so that one end of the package P is positioned below the other end. As the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3 which maintains the shape of the package P is inclined downward from the other end toward the one end of the package P, an impulse can be reduced which is generated when the object M to be packaged supplied to the cylindrical body 3 moves to the package P. Therefore, damage on the object M to be packaged or the package P when filling the package P with the object M to be packaged can be suppressed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a filling and packaging apparatus and a filling and packaging method, and more particularly to a filling and packaging apparatus and a filling and packaging method for filling and packaging articles into packaging bags. [Background technology]

[0002] Currently, many packaged products in which multiple products are filled in a single packaging bag are sold, and these packaged products are transported and stored in this state. Pillow packaging is one method for manufacturing such packaged products. Pillow packaging can be formed by forming a tubular packaging bag from a roll of film, placing products in the packaging bag, and sealing it. For example, when packaging liquid or powdery products or when performing integrated packaging in which multiple items are packaged together, vertical pillow packaging is used, in which the product is dropped from above into a packaging bag with the opening facing upward and supplied into the packaging bag.

[0003] In vertical pillow packaging, a product is dropped into a packaging bag, and the impact of the drop can be felt by the product and the packaging bag, potentially damaging the product or breaking the packaging bag. Patent Document 1 (Patent Document 1) has been developed to address this issue. Patent Document 1 discloses a vertical pillow packaging device that includes a holder that moves around inside a cylindrically formed film. The holder temporarily holds the product as it drops from a chute, then moves the held product downward, after which the product drops from the holder into the packaging bag. Patent Document 1 states that this configuration reduces the drop distance and speed of the product, thereby reducing the impact of the product when it drops and preventing damage to the product and film. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 63-307010 DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in Patent Document 1, when holding a product, the holder moves within the film with its top surface horizontal, and after dropping the product, the holder moves in a vertical position. Therefore, the height at which the product is dropped from the holder is at least the length of the holder (the vertical length of the holder when upright) above the bottom edge of the film. While this reduces the impact of the drop compared to dropping from a chute, it cannot be said that the impact of the drop is sufficiently reduced.

[0006] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a filling and packaging apparatus and a filling and packaging method that can reduce the impact of a drop on a product or film. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] <Filling and packaging equipment> The filling and packaging apparatus of the first invention is a filling and packaging apparatus that fills and packages objects to be packaged, and comprises a package forming section that forms a tubular package from a continuous film, with one end closed and the other open, and a packaged object supply section that supplies the objects to be packaged into the package, wherein the package forming section comprises a tubular body that maintains the continuous film in a tubular shape, and the axial direction of the tubular body is inclined downward so that one end of the package is located lower than the other end. The filling and packaging device of the second invention is characterized in that, in the first invention, the packaging object supply section is arranged within the cylindrical body and includes a conveying mechanism that conveys the packaging objects toward one end of the packaging body, and the conveying mechanism includes a rotating member that moves in a circular motion along the axial direction of the cylindrical body and limits the axial movement of the cylindrical body of the packaging objects that are supplied to the packaging body. The filling and packaging device of the third invention is characterized in that, in the second invention, the conveying mechanism is a belt conveyor having a circumferential member on the surface of the belt, the surface of the belt moving along the axial direction of the cylindrical body, and the circumferential member is a movement prevention member erected at a predetermined interval on the surface of the belt of the belt conveyor. <Filling and packaging method> The filling and packaging method of the fourth invention is a filling and packaging method for filling and packaging an object to be packaged, characterized in that a cylindrical package is formed by wrapping a continuous film around a cylindrical body whose axial direction is inclined downward so that one end is located lower than the other end, and the object to be packaged is supplied into the cylindrical body. The filling and packaging method of the fifth invention is characterized in that, in the fourth invention, an object to be packaged is supplied onto the inner surface of the cylindrical body. The filling and packaging method of the sixth invention is characterized in that, in the fourth invention, a belt conveyor is provided inside the cylindrical body, and the upper surface of the belt conveyor moves from one end of the cylindrical body to the other end, with a circumferential member on the surface of the belt that restricts the axial movement of the cylindrical body of the object to be packaged, and the object to be packaged is supplied to the upper surface of the belt conveyor. A filling and packaging method according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the fourth aspect of the present invention, characterized in that it is carried out by the filling and packaging apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention.

[0008] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the cylindrical body that maintains the shape of the package has an axial direction that slopes downward from one end of the package to the other end of the package, which reduces the impact that occurs when the packaged object fed into the cylindrical body moves from the cylindrical body to the package, thereby suppressing damage to the packaged object and the package when the packaged object is filled into the package. According to the second invention, the movement of the packaged object being supplied to the packaging body can be restricted by the circumferential member, thereby reducing the impact that occurs when the packaged object moves from the cylindrical body to the packaging body. According to the third aspect of the present invention, if the packaged object is supplied between adjacent movement prevention members, the movement of the packaged object can be controlled by the movement prevention members until just before it is supplied to the packaging body, thereby further reducing the impact when the packaged object falls into the packaging body. <Filling and packaging method> According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the axial direction of the cylindrical body around which the film is wrapped is inclined downward from the other end to the one end, which reduces the impact that occurs when the packaged object fed into the cylindrical body moves from the cylindrical body to the package, thereby suppressing damage to the packaged object and the package when the packaged object is filled into the package. According to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the packaged object is transferred from the inner surface of the cylindrical body to the package body, thereby reducing the distance the packaged object falls into the package body. Therefore, even heavy packaged objects can be suitably transported to the package body. According to the sixth aspect of the present invention, the movement of the packaged objects on the belt conveyor can be controlled by the rotating member until just before they are fed into the packaging body, which reduces the impact when the packaged objects fall into the packaging body. In addition, since the packaged objects are fed onto the belt conveyor, it is easy to transport objects with special shapes (such as those with corners or flat shapes). According to the seventh aspect of the present invention, damage to the packaged object and the package can be suppressed when the packaged object is filled into the package. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a filling and packaging apparatus 1 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of the filling and packaging apparatus 1 of the first embodiment conveying packaged objects M using conveying method 1. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a schematic explanatory diagram of a filling and packaging apparatus 1B of a second embodiment that implements conveying method 1, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of filling and packaging apparatus 1B of the second embodiment conveying packaged objects M using conveying method 1. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 1A is a schematic explanatory diagram of a filling and packaging apparatus 1B of a second embodiment that implements a conveying method 2, and FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view taken along line BB of FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is an explanatory diagram of the operation of filling and packaging apparatus 1B of the second embodiment conveying packaged objects M using conveying method 2. FIG. [Figure 7]10(A) is a schematic explanatory diagram of a filling and packaging apparatus 1C of a third embodiment, and FIG. 10(B) is a diagram showing an example of a product S. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The filling and packaging device of this embodiment is a device that fills and packages objects to be packaged, and is a device that is designed to prevent damage to the objects to be packaged and packaging materials such as film during the packaging process.

[0011] The filling and packaging device of this embodiment can be used for integrated packaging in which multiple packaged items, such as food products or industrial parts, are filled and packaged in one bag, but the packaged items are not particularly limited. Furthermore, the packaging material used to package the objects in the filling and packaging device of this embodiment is a film commonly used for pillow packaging, etc., and is made of a heat-sealable material. For example, resin films such as polyethylene and polypropylene can be used as the packaging material to package the objects in the filling and packaging device of this embodiment.

[0012] <Filling and packaging device 1 of the first embodiment> As shown in FIG. 1, the filling and packaging apparatus 1 of the first embodiment includes a package forming section 2 that forms packages P, and a packaged object supply section 10 that supplies packaged objects M to the packages P. In the following description, the package P refers to the state before the packaged object M is filled, and the state after the packaged object M is filled and sealed is called the product S (see Figure 7(B)).

[0013] <Package forming section 2> As shown in FIG. 1, the package forming unit 2 forms a continuous film F into a cylindrical shape, and seals one axial end of the cylindrical film F to form a package P having an open other end.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1 , the packaging forming unit 2 includes a cylindrical body 3 that forms a film F into a cylindrical shape. The cylindrical body 3 is made of a highly rigid material such as metal, and has open ends 3a, 3b and a through hole 3h that communicates between the ends 3a, 3b. The direction along the central axis 3s of the through hole 3h corresponds to the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3, and may hereinafter be simply referred to as the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3. In the packaging forming unit 2, a continuous film F (e.g., film F unwound from a roll) is supplied from a film supply unit (not shown). The continuous film F is wound around the cylindrical body 3 via a former 3f so that the side edges overlap each other. In this state, the continuous film F moves along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3, and is formed into a cylindrical structure extending along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3. In other words, the cylindrical body 3 functions as a mold for forming the film F into a cylindrical shape, and also functions as a guide for guiding the movement of the cylindrically formed film F while maintaining the cylindrical state. The cylindrical body 3 is provided so that its axial direction is inclined relative to the horizontal and vertical directions (see FIG. 1). Specifically, the cylindrical body 3 is provided so that one end 3a is located below the other end 3b, in other words, so that its axial direction is inclined relative to the horizontal and vertical directions so that it is inclined downward from the other end 3b toward the one end 3a. Therefore, the axial direction of the film F wound around the cylindrical body 3 and formed into a cylindrical shape also inclines downward from the upstream side in the conveying direction (the right side in FIG. 1) toward the downstream side in the conveying direction (the left side in FIG. 1).

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, a vertical sealing device 4 is provided on the side of the cylindrical body 3. This vertical sealing device 4 connects the side edges of the film F by heat sealing, and is a device that performs vertical sealing in a typical pillow packaging device. In other words, when the film F, which is wrapped around the cylindrical body 3 with its side edges overlapping, moves along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3, the vertical sealing device 4 continuously heat-seals the overlapping side edges. By continuously heat-sealing the side edges by the vertical sealing device 4, the cylindrical shape of the film F is maintained.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1 , a horizontal sealing device 5 is provided outside one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3, i.e., downstream in the direction in which the cylindrically formed film F moves, at a position a predetermined distance L1 from the one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3. This horizontal sealing device 5 has the function of sandwiching and heat-sealing the cylindrically formed film F and is a device that performs horizontal sealing in a typical pillow packaging device. This horizontal sealing device 5 heat-seals the cylindrically formed film F in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3 (i.e., a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the cylindrically formed film F). Therefore, by heat-sealing one end of the cylindrically formed film F using the horizontal sealing device 5, a cylindrical film F with one closed end can be formed, i.e., a package P with one end (the left end in FIG. 1 ) sealed and the other end (the right end in FIG. 1 ) open. Moreover, because the cylindrical body 3 is positioned so that one end 3a is positioned below the other end 3b, the formed package P also tilts downward from the other end to the one end. Hereinafter, one end of the packaging body P may be referred to as the bottom of the packaging body P. Furthermore, with the packaged object M contained in the packaging body P, the film F is moved along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3 and the other end of the packaging body P is heat-sealed by the horizontal sealing device 5, thereby forming a product S with both ends closed (see Figures 1 and 7(B)).

[0017] <Packaged object supply section 10> The packaged object supply section 10 supplies packaged objects M to the packaging body P. As shown in Fig. 1, the packaged object supply section 10 is equipped with a supply section 11 such as a chute that supplies packaged objects M near the other end 3b of the cylindrical body 3. This supply section 11 is provided so that the packaged objects M are supplied into the cylindrical body 3 through an opening at the other end 3b of the cylindrical body 3. For example, the supply section 11 is arranged so that the packaged objects M supplied from the supply section 11 are supplied onto the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3.

[0018] <Packaging Work Using Filling and Packaging Apparatus 1 of First Embodiment> With the above-described configuration, the filling and packaging apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can produce a product S by filling and packaging an object to be packaged M as follows.

[0019] <Package formation process> First, as shown in FIG. 2(A), a continuous film F is supplied from a film supply unit (not shown) to the package forming unit 2. The supplied film F then moves along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3, wrapped around the cylindrical body 3 with its side edges overlapping. During this process, the side edges of the film F are vertically sealed by the vertical sealing device 4. When the leading edge of the film F eventually reaches the position of the horizontal sealing device 5, the movement of the film F stops, and the leading edge of the film F is sealed by the horizontal sealing device 5 (see FIG. 2(B)). This forms a cylindrical package P having a bottom, i.e., a cylindrical package P with one end closed.

[0020] <Supply process for packaged objects> As shown in Figure 2(B), once the package P is formed, the packaged objects M are supplied from supply section 11 of packaged object supply section 10 into the cylindrical body 3 of the package forming section 2. Then, the packaged objects M move through the cylindrical body 3 toward the bottom of the package P and are contained within the package P, that is, between one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 and the horizontal sealing device 5 (in other words, the bottom of the package P) (see Figure 2(C)).

[0021] At this time, since the central axis 3s (see FIG. 1) of the cylindrical body 3 is inclined toward one end 3a, the packaged object M supplied into the cylindrical body 3 moves as if sliding down the inner surface (the surface located on the lower side) of the cylindrical body 3 (see FIG. 2(C)). Also, since the inner surface of the packaging body P is in contact with or slightly separated from the outer surface of the cylindrical body 3, the packaged object M moves as if sliding down from one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 onto the packaging body P.

[0022] <Sealing process> When a predetermined amount of packaged objects M is supplied to the package P, the package P (i.e., the film F) is moved downstream along the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3. Then, when the package P has moved a predetermined amount, that is, when the package P has moved to a position where the supplied packaged objects M are completely contained within the package P, the other end of the package P is heat-sealed by the horizontal sealing device 5 so as to close the opening of the package P (see FIG. 1). After the other end of the package P has been heat-sealed, the other end of the package P (i.e., the heat-sealed portion) is cut, and a product S filled with the packaged objects M and sealed is produced. Next, the package P is formed to contain the packaged objects M.

[0023] Thereafter, the packaging object supplying step and the sealing step are repeated, thereby continuously producing products S filled with predetermined packaging objects M and sealed.

[0024] As described above, the filling and packaging apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can continuously produce products S that are filled and sealed with predetermined packaged objects M. Moreover, because the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3 is inclined toward one end 3a, the filling and packaging apparatus 1 of the first embodiment can supply the packaged objects M to the packaging body P by moving the packaged objects M so that they slide down from one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 into the packaging body P. This reduces the impact that occurs when the packaged objects M are supplied to the packaging body P, thereby preventing damage to the packaging body P or the packaged objects M when the packaged objects M are supplied to the packaging body P. <Regarding the cylindrical body 3>

[0025] One end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 may be configured so that the packaged object M can move smoothly from the cylindrical body 3 to the packaging body P. For example, it is desirable that one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 does not have a step between it and the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3, but there may be a step that allows the packaged object M to easily climb over it.

[0026] The cylindrical body 3 may be a hollow cylindrical member, and its cross-sectional shape is not particularly limited. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical body 3 may be circular, elliptical, polygonal (rectangular (square or rectangle), pentagonal, hexagonal, etc.), or other shapes. Any shape may be used as long as it allows the film F to be formed into a cylindrical shape by wrapping the film F around the outer periphery of the cylindrical body 3. The cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical body 3 may also be an appropriate shape to match the folded diameter of the package P. For example, if the folded diameter is small, the cross-sectional shape of the cylindrical body 3 is preferably square or rectangular. The folded diameter refers to the width of the package P (the length in the left-right direction in Figure 7(B)).

[0027] Furthermore, the inclination angle of the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3 is not particularly limited, and may be any angle that allows the packaged object M to slide or roll on the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3 and be supplied to the package P, and that reduces the impact that occurs when the packaged object M moves to the package P. The preferred inclination angle varies depending on the shape, size, and weight of the packaged object M, but the angle that the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3 makes with the horizontal and vertical directions is preferably 5 to 80°, more preferably 20 to 60°, and particularly preferably 30 to 45°.

[0028] Furthermore, the distance L1 from one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 to the horizontal sealing device 5 is not particularly limited and may be set appropriately depending on the size and length of the objects M to be packaged, the number of objects M to be packaged, and other factors. Note that if the distance L1 is long, the weight of the objects M contained in the package P will cause the lower portion of the package P to sag, which will cause the package P to wrinkle when the horizontal sealing device 5 seals the opening of the package P. To prevent such wrinkles from occurring, a support plate 6 may be provided to support the package P from below (see FIGS. 2(A) and 2(B)). In this case, the support plate 6 may be fixed or movable. If the support plate 6 is movable, it can be retracted from the vicinity of the cylindrical body 3. This prevents the support plate 6 from getting in the way when the continuous film F is set into the cylindrical body 3, and also prevents the lower portion of the package P from sagging when the objects M to be packaged are filled into the package P, thereby suppressing wrinkles in the package P.

[0029] In the above example, a single continuous film F is formed into a cylindrical shape, but the opposite side edges of two films F may be fused together to form a cylindrical package P. In this case, two vertical sealing devices 4 may be provided on the sides of the cylindrical body 3.

[0030] <Filling and packaging device 1B of second embodiment> Filling and packaging apparatus 1B of the second embodiment has substantially the same configuration as filling and packaging apparatus 1 of the first embodiment, except that packaging object supply section 10B is provided with conveying mechanism 12 arranged inside cylindrical body 3. Below, we will explain packaging object supply section 10B of filling and packaging apparatus 1B of the second embodiment, and will not explain the other configurations.

[0031] As shown in FIG. 3, the packaging object supply section 10B is equipped with a belt conveyor 12 that transports the packaging objects M toward the opening 3a of the cylindrical body 3 (in other words, toward the bottom of the package P). The belt conveyor 12 is inserted through the opening 3b of the cylindrical body 3, with its leading end 12a located near one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 and its base end 12b located near the other end 3b of the cylindrical body 3. The belt conveyor 12 is equipped with an endless belt 13 wound around a driven shaft provided at the leading end 12a and a drive shaft provided at the base end 12b. The belt conveyor 12 is installed so that the driven shaft and drive shaft are approximately horizontal and the direction of movement of the endless belt 13 is approximately parallel to the axial direction of the cylindrical body 3. The relative position of the base end 12b of the belt conveyor 12 with respect to the other end 3b of the cylindrical body 3 is not particularly limited, but if the base end 12b is positioned outside the other end 3b of the cylindrical body 3, it becomes easy to fix and install the belt conveyor 12 to equipment or the like.

[0032] A plurality of fence-like members 14 are erected on the surface of the endless belt 13. That is, the surfaces of the plurality of fence-like members 14 are arranged so that they are perpendicular (or nearly perpendicular) to the surface of the endless belt 13. The plurality of fence-like members 14 are arranged at equal intervals in the moving direction of the endless belt 13. For example, the fence-like members 14 are arranged so that adjacent fence-like members 14 are spaced apart at a predetermined interval in the moving direction of the endless belt 13. Each fence-like member 14 is formed so that the distance H1 from its tip to the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3 (the distance at the farthest point, see FIG. 3(B)) is long enough to prevent the packaged object M from passing between them. Furthermore, each fence-like member 14 is formed so that the distances D1 and D2 from its both ends to the inner surface of the adjacent cylindrical body 3 (the distance at the farthest point, see FIG. 3(B)) are both long enough to prevent the packaged object M from passing between them.

[0033] <Transportation method 1> Because the belt conveyor 12 has the above-described structure, when the belt conveyor 12 is driven so that the lower portion LP of the endless belt 13 moves from the other end 3b toward the one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 (so that it moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 4), the packaged objects M can be conveyed as follows: Note that conveying method 1 can shorten the falling distance of the packaged objects M when they fall into the packaging body P (to the same extent as when the conveying mechanism 12 is not provided), and therefore can reduce the impact when the packaged objects M fall into the packaging body P. Therefore, this conveying method is suitable for supplying relatively heavy packaged objects M, such as frozen foods, metal objects, and root vegetables, to the packaging body P.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4(A), when packaged objects M are first supplied from supply unit 11 onto the inner surface of cylindrical body 3, fence-like member 14 restricts the movement of packaged objects M, i.e., movement along the inner surface of cylindrical body 3 toward one end 3a. This prevents packaged objects M from being supplied from cylindrical body 3 to packaging body P at a high speed by fence-like member 14, thereby mitigating the impact when packaged objects M fall into packaging body P. This reduces the impact received by packaged objects M and packaging body P when packaged objects M are supplied to packaging body P, effectively preventing damage to packaged objects M and packaging body P.

[0035] In particular, if the position at which packaged object M can pass between the tip of fence-like member 14 and the inner surface of cylindrical body 3 is near one end 3a of cylindrical body 3, the movement of packaged object M can be controlled by belt conveyor 12 (i.e., fence-like member 14) until just before packaged object M moves from one end 3a of cylindrical body 3 to packaging body P. This prevents packaged object M from moving unexpectedly and colliding with packaging body P with great impact, further mitigating the impact when packaged object M falls into packaging body P and more effectively preventing damage to packaged object M and packaging body P.

[0036] Furthermore, when packaging a predetermined number of multiple packaged objects M, the number of packaged objects M supplied to one package P can be limited by supplying a predetermined number of packaged objects M between adjacent fence-shaped members 14.

[0037] For example, as shown in Figure 4(A), when the tip of fence member 14a is positioned so as to face the inner surface of cylindrical body 3 and fence member 14b located behind it is far away from the inner surface of cylindrical body 3, a predetermined number of packaged objects M are supplied from supply unit 11 onto the inner surface of cylindrical body 3 behind fence member 14a (to the right in Figure 4(A)). When this happens, the packaged objects M will attempt to move along the inner surface of cylindrical body 3 toward one end 3a of cylindrical body 3, but because fence member 14a is arranged as described above, the packaged objects M will be held by fence member 14a.

[0038] When the belt conveyor 12 is operated from this state, the fence-shaped member 14a moves, and the packaged objects M move along the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3 toward one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 as the fence-shaped member 14a moves. Eventually, the fence-shaped member 14b moves to a position where it can supply the packaged objects M onto the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3 behind it, and a predetermined number of packaged objects M are supplied from the supply unit 11 onto the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3 behind the fence-shaped member 14b. At this time, the packaged objects M also try to move along the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3 toward one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3, but because the fence-shaped member 14b is provided as described above, the packaged objects M are held by the fence-shaped member 14b (FIG. 4(B)). In other words, since the packaged objects M supplied to the rear of the fence 14b cannot move downward from the position of the fence 14b, the packaged objects M supplied to the rear of the fence 14a and the packaged objects M supplied to the rear of the fence 14b do not mix. Therefore, even if the fence 14a moves to the end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 and the packaged objects M can move between the tip of the fence 14a and the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3, only the packaged objects M initially supplied to the rear of the fence 14a can be supplied to the package P (FIG. 4(C)). If the sealing process described above is then performed before the fence 14b moves to the end 3a of the cylindrical body 3, a product S containing a predetermined amount of packaged objects M can be obtained.

[0039] <Transportation method 2> On the other hand, when the belt conveyor 12 is driven so that the upper portion UP of the endless belt 13 moves from the other end 3b of the cylindrical body 3 toward the one end 3a (in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 6 ), the packaged object M can be conveyed as follows while placed on the endless belt 13 of the belt conveyor 12. Note that because conveying method 2 conveys the packaged object M while placed on the endless belt 13, it is suitable as a conveying method for supplying packaged objects M having special shapes (such as those with corners or flat shapes) to the package P. In other words, if the packaged object M has a special shape, it may be difficult to move the packaged object M by sliding or rolling along the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3. However, with conveying method 2, the packaged object M can be conveyed to the package P through the cylindrical body 3 while placed on the endless belt 13 of the belt conveyor 12, so that the packaged object M can be reliably supplied to the package P even if the packaged object M has a special shape.

[0040] As shown in Figure 5, first, the packaged objects M are supplied from the supply unit 11 to the upper surface of the endless belt 13 of the belt conveyor 12, behind the fence 14. Then, because the belt conveyor 12 is inclined downward from the base end 12b to the tip 12a, the packaged objects M attempt to move along the upper surface of the endless belt 13 toward the tip 12a. However, because the fence 14 is erected on the surface of the endless belt 13, the packaged objects M are restricted in their movement by the fence 14 and are held by the fence 14. When the belt conveyor 12 is operated in this state, the fence 14 moves, and the packaged objects M move toward one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3 as the fence 14 moves (in other words, as the endless belt 13 moves). When the fence-like member 14 eventually reaches one end 12a of the belt conveyor 12, the fence-like member 14 rotates downward and is no longer able to restrict the movement of the packaged objects M, so that the packaged objects M slide along the upper surface of the endless belt 13 and the upper surface of the fence-like member 14 toward the packaging body P and are supplied to the packaging body P. At this time, even if the packaged objects M fall into the packaging body P, the falling distance will be approximately the height from the tip of the fence-like member 14 to the inner surface of the cylindrical body 3. Therefore, when the packaged objects M are supplied to the packaging body P, the impact received by the packaged objects M and the packaging body P can be reduced, effectively preventing damage to the packaged objects M and the packaging body P.

[0041] Furthermore, the moving speed of the packaged objects M is limited to the moving speed of the fence-like members 14. This prevents the packaged objects M from being fed from the cylindrical body 3 to the packaging body P at a high speed, thereby reducing the impact that the packaged objects M and the packaging body P receive when the packaged objects M are fed to the packaging body P, and effectively preventing damage to the packaged objects M and the packaging body P.

[0042] Furthermore, even when a predetermined number of packaged objects M are supplied to a package P, it is possible to supply a predetermined number of packaged objects M to each package P, thereby making it possible to create a product S containing a predetermined amount of packaged objects M.

[0043] Specifically, as shown in Figure 6(A), the packaged objects M are supplied from the supply unit 11 between the adjacent fence members 14a and 14b on the upper surface of the endless belt 13 of the belt conveyor 12. Then, because the belt conveyor 12 is tilted downward from the base end 12b to the tip end 12a, the packaged objects M try to move along the upper surface of the endless belt 13 toward the tip end 12a. However, because the fence members 14a are erected on the surface of the endless belt 13, the packaged objects M are restricted in their movement by the fence members 14a and are held by the fence members 14a.

[0044] When the belt conveyor 12 is operated in this state, the fence-shaped member 14a moves, and the packaged objects M move along with the movement of the fence-shaped member 14a (in other words, along with the movement of the endless belt 13) toward one end 3a of the cylindrical body 3. When the packaged objects M can eventually be supplied between the adjacent fence-shaped members 14b and 14c, the packaged objects M are supplied from the supply unit 11 between the adjacent fence-shaped members 14b and 14c (FIG. 6(B)). At this time, the movement of the packaged objects M is restricted by the fence-shaped member 14b, and the packaged objects M are held by the fence-shaped member 14b.

[0045] 6(C), when the fence-like member 14a moves to one end 12a of the belt conveyor 12 and rotates downward, a predetermined number of packaged objects M can be supplied to the packaging body P. This allows the fence-like member 14a to control the movement of the packaged objects M until just before they are supplied to the packaging body P, thereby mitigating the impact when the packaged objects M fall from the belt conveyor 12 into the packaging body P.

[0046] Thereafter, the above-mentioned sealing process is carried out before the fence-like member 14b moves to one end 12a of the belt conveyor 12 and rotates downward, thereby producing a product S containing a predetermined amount of packaged object M.

[0047] When the above method (conveying method 2) is adopted, the height of the fence-like member 14 must be such that the packaged objects M cannot climb over the fence-like member 14 (see FIG. 5(B)). Also, the fence-like member 14 must be formed so that the distances D1 and D2 (the farthest distances) from both ends of the fence-like member 14 to the inner surface of the adjacent cylindrical body 3 are both long enough to prevent the packaged objects M from passing between them.

[0048] <Movement prevention member> In the above example, a fence-like member 14 was used as a movement prevention member, but the movement prevention member need only have a structure that can restrict the movement of the packaged object M, as in the above example, and is not necessarily limited to a fence-like member 14. Furthermore, the movement prevention member may be attached to the conveying mechanism with screws or the like, but the movement prevention member may also be formed integrally with the conveying mechanism. For example, if the conveying mechanism is an endless belt as described above, the movement prevention member may be molded integrally with the endless belt. If the movement prevention member is formed integrally with the conveying mechanism, there is no risk that parts used to secure the movement prevention member to the endless belt will fall off and become mixed in with the package P.

[0049] <Filling and packaging device 1C of third embodiment> In the second embodiment of the filling and packaging apparatus 1B, the object supply section 10B supplies the objects M to the packages P using a belt conveyor 12 having an endless belt 13 with a fence-like member 14 on its surface. A mechanism for supplying and transporting the objects M to the packages P may be a chain conveyor or belt conveyor equipped with multiple circumferentially moving storage members 15 (e.g., box-shaped containers), which store the objects M in the storage members 15 and supply the objects M to the packages P. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(A), multiple storage members 15 may be provided on the surface of the endless belt 13 of the belt conveyor 12. With this configuration, the objects M can be supplied to the packages P as follows.

[0050] First, as shown in FIG. 7(A), objects to be packaged M are supplied from the supply unit 11 to a storage member 15 located at an upper portion UP of the endless belt 13. When a predetermined number of objects to be packaged M are to be supplied to packages P, the predetermined number of objects to be packaged M are supplied to the storage member 15. Then, the belt conveyor 12 is driven so that the upper portion UP of the endless belt 13 moves from the base end 12b to the tip end 12a of the belt conveyor 12 (so that it moves in the direction of the arrow in FIG. 7(A)). When the storage member 15 moves to one end 12a of the belt conveyor 12 and rotates downward, the objects to be packaged M are discharged from the storage member 15 and supplied to packages P (see FIG. 7(A)). When a predetermined number of objects to be packaged M are contained in the storage member 15, the predetermined number of objects to be packaged M are supplied to packages P. Thereafter, if the above-mentioned sealing process is carried out before the next containing member 15 moves to one end 12a of the belt conveyor 12 and rotates downward, the product S containing the packaged object M can be obtained.

[0051] <About the transport mechanism> The conveying mechanism installed inside the cylindrical body 3, that is, the conveying mechanism that supplies the packaged objects M to the packaging body P, is not particularly limited, but it is desirable that the parts that convey the packaged objects M and the members that regulate the movement of the packaged objects M have as simple a structure as possible. For example, it is desirable that the conveying mechanism be a belt conveyor with a simple structure or one that is molded integrally from resin or the like. Here, a simple structure means a structure in which the packaged objects M do not get caught on any part of the conveying mechanism or cause damage to the packaged objects M when the conveying mechanism conveys them. [Industrial Applicability]

[0052] The filling and packaging apparatus of the present invention is suitable as an apparatus for packaging objects using general pillow packaging. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] 1 Filling and packaging equipment 2 Package forming section 3 Cylindrical body 3a one end 3b Other end 10 Packaging object supply section 12 conveyor belt 13 Endless belt 14 Fence-like member M Packaged object P package F film S products

Claims

1. A filling and packaging device that fills and packages objects to be packaged, a packaging body forming section that forms a cylindrical packaging body, one end of which is closed and the other end of which is open, from a continuous film; and a packaging object supply unit that supplies packaging objects into the packaging body, The packaging body forming unit includes: The film is provided with a cylindrical body that maintains the continuous film in a cylindrical shape, The cylindrical body is The axial direction of the packaging body is inclined downward so that one end of the packaging body is positioned lower than the other end. A filling and packaging device characterized by the above.

2. The packaging object supply unit includes: A conveying mechanism is provided inside the cylindrical body and conveys the packaged object toward one end of the package. The transport mechanism The wrapping device includes a rotating member that moves in a circular motion along the axial direction of the cylindrical body and limits the movement of the cylindrical body in the axial direction of the wrapping object that is to be supplied to the wrapping device.

2. The filling and packaging device according to claim 1.

3. The transport mechanism a belt conveyor in which the circulating member is provided on a surface of a belt, and the surface of the belt moves along the axial direction of the cylindrical body, The circumferential member is The belt conveyor has a plurality of movement prevention members which are erected at predetermined intervals on the surface of the belt.

3. The filling and packaging device according to claim 2.

4. A filling and packaging method for filling and packaging an object to be packaged, a continuous film is wound around a cylindrical body whose axial direction is inclined downward so that one end is located lower than the other end to form a cylindrical package; The packaged item is fed into the cylindrical body. A filling and packaging method characterized by the above.

5. The object to be packaged is placed on the inner surface of the cylindrical body.

5. The method for filling and packaging according to claim 4.

6. A belt conveyor is provided within the cylindrical body, and a circumferential member is provided on the surface of the belt to restrict the axial movement of the cylindrical body to be packaged, and the upper surface of the belt conveyor moves from one end of the cylindrical body to the other end. The items to be packaged are placed on the top of the belt conveyor 5. The method for filling and packaging according to claim 4.

7. The filling and packaging device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 is used.

5. The method for filling and packaging according to claim 4.

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