Seal device of sheet material

Abstract

To provide a seal device of a sheet material that prevents friction from being generated between a horn and an anvil.SOLUTION: A seal device 21 comprises: a disk-like anvil 28; and a long-length type ultrasonic horn 26 that is provided to be opposed to the anvil 28. The anvil 28 is pivoted to a support plate 38 together with an identical-diameter idle gear 36 meshing therewith, and the idle gear 36 is engaged with a rack gear 40A fixed to a frame 40. The support plate 38 is lifted / descended to / from the frame 40 via a link mechanism 50 by a motor 48. A double-folded sheet S is sandwiched between the anvil 28 and the ultrasonic horn 26, and the anvil 28 is moved along a seal direction of the sheet S and is rotated in synchronization with movement in the seal direction via the idle gear 36 by lifting / descending the support plate 38 via rotation of the motor 48.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing device for sheet material. [Background technology]

[0002] A filling and packaging machine for extraction bags is known that produces, for example, tetrahedral-shaped extraction bags from a strip-shaped extraction bag sheet (see Patent Document 1). This machine is equipped with an ultrasonic horn with a tapered tip and an anvil facing it, and the sheet is sandwiched between the ultrasonic horn and pressed against the anvil, and the sheet is welded using an ultrasonic horn (traveling seal head) that moves along the sealing portion of the sheet. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5240482 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the device of Patent Document 1, friction occurs between the sealing head (horn) and the anvil, which causes the tip of the horn to wear over time, deteriorating the sealing performance. When the sealing performance deteriorates, the film stretches into a paste-like shape and adheres to the tip of the horn. The fibers that adhere to the tip of the horn can then adhere to the product, deteriorating its appearance.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a sealing device for sheet material in which no friction occurs between the horn and the anvil. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The first invention of the present invention is a sheet material sealing device that comprises a disk-shaped anvil, a long ultrasonic horn arranged opposite the anvil, a rotating means for rotating the anvil, and a moving means for moving the anvil in the sealing direction of the sheet material, and is characterized in that the sheet material is sealed by clamping the sheet material between the anvil and the ultrasonic horn, rotating the anvil with the rotating means, and moving the anvil along the sealing direction of the sheet with the moving means.

[0007] The second invention of the present invention is a sheet material sealing device, which is characterized in that, in the first invention, the rotating means comprises a rack arranged parallel to the sealing direction of the sheet material, and a conversion gear that engages with the rack and the anvil, and the anvil is rotated by applying a rotational force to the anvil by rotation of the conversion gear. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sealing device for sheet material in which no friction occurs between the horn and the anvil. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a filling device that fills articles into bags using a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the sealing device of the present embodiment as seen from the sheet conveying direction. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view showing the configuration of an ultrasonic horn and an anvil. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a side view of an ultrasonic horn and anvil that perform welding and cutting processes on the sealed portion of a sheet, viewed from the sheet conveyance direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view showing the position of the anvil relative to the sheet in a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveying direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of a filling device that fills articles into bags using a sealing device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] The filling device 10 continuously transports a large number of filling nozzles 12 along an endless track. A hopper 14 for supplying items such as coffee is disposed above the straight portion of the endless track, and a weighing device 16 for weighing the items supplied from the hopper 14 is disposed between the hopper 14 and the filling nozzle 12. The weighing device 16 is configured as a rotary drum, and on its outer periphery, measuring storage sections 16A, each capable of holding a predetermined volume of items, are provided at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction. The weighing device 16 is continuously rotated in synchronization with the transported filling nozzles 12. At a supply position P, each storage section 16A is sequentially positioned directly above the filling nozzle 12 transported along the straight portion, and the items in the storage sections 16A are fed into the filling nozzle 12 at the same positions.

[0012] Meanwhile, below the straight section, a packaging sheet S runs continuously along the straight section. The sheet S is unwound from a roll film (not shown) via a pull-out roller 18, and is sandwiched between a pair of left and right feed rollers 20 just before the straight section and folded upward in half. Also, just before a supply position P for the sheet S running along the straight section, a sealing device 21 is disposed that seals the folded sheet S in the longitudinal direction at predetermined intervals.

[0013] As will be described later, the sealing device 21 is equipped with an ultrasonic horn 26 and an anvil 28 (see FIG. 2), and clamps the continuously running, double-folded sheet S from both sides and welds it vertically, forming side seals at predetermined intervals. As a result, bags B of a predetermined width that are open at the top along the longitudinal direction are formed from the double-folded sheet S. Simultaneously with the welding, the sealing device 21 also welds the side seals, separating the bags B. Each cut bag B is held by a holding device (not shown) and transported downstream along the straight portion.

[0014] When the stuffing nozzle 12, which is transported on the endless track, reaches the straight section, it is lowered and its lower end (tip) is inserted between the folded sheets S. The stuffing nozzle 12 is then transported with its tip inserted between the sheets S, and the front and rear sides are side-sealed by the sealing device 21. In other words, the tip of the stuffing nozzle 12 is inserted into each bag B. As a result, when items are supplied to the stuffing nozzle 12 at supply position P, the items are dispensed from the stuffing nozzle 12 into each bag B of the sheets S.

[0015] Once the items have been placed into each bag B at supply position P, the filling nozzle 12 is immediately raised and the items are removed from the bag B. A top sealing device 22 that seals the opening at the top of the bag B is located on the transport path of the bags B as they are filled with items and transported along the straight section, and downstream of this is a top seal inspection device 24 that determines whether the top seal is good or bad. The top seal inspection device 24 determines the seal condition using, for example, image processing, and the bags B that pass the top seal inspection device 24 are sent to a downstream processing device (not shown), and bags B that are determined to be defective are discharged from the line.

[0016] Fig. 2 is a schematic side view of the sealing device 21 of this embodiment as seen from the sheet conveying direction, and Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view showing the configuration of the ultrasonic horn 26 and the anvil 28.

[0017] The ultrasonic horn 26 of the sealing device 21 extends horizontally from the vibrator 26A toward the folded sheet S traveling horizontally along the straight portion of the conveying track. The vibrator 26A is held via a slider 30A on a base plate 30 supported on a rail 32A arranged on a base 32. The base plate 30 is movable along the rail 32A in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the sheet S by a linear actuator such as an air cylinder 34. The ultrasonic horn 26 has a vertically elongated rectangular shape in side view and a cross-sectional shape that tapers toward the tip. The vertical width (height) of the ultrasonic horn 26 is set to a dimension that extends at least from the bottom end to the top end of the folded sheet S.

[0018] Meanwhile, the anvil 28 has a disk shape that can rotate freely around a rotation axis 28A provided at its center, and a portion of the outer periphery is configured as an abutment portion 28B with a tapered tip. A gear portion 28C, which is part of the remaining outer periphery, is provided with teeth that mesh with an idle gear (conversion gear) 36 of the same diameter as the anvil 28. The rotation axis 28A of the anvil 28 and the rotation axis 36A of the idle gear 36 are journaled on a support plate 38 that is arranged in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the running direction of the sheet S, and the support plate 38 is supported by a frame 40 so that it can be raised and lowered while maintaining its posture.

[0019] The anvil 28 faces the ultrasonic horn 26 across the traveling sheet S, and the idle gear 36 (rotation means) is disposed on the opposite side of the sheet S. The frame 40 is supported by a rail 44A provided on a base 44 via a slider 40B, and can be moved forward and backward along the rail 44A in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the sheet S by a linear actuator such as an air cylinder 46.

[0020] A motor 48 is provided on the frame 40, and the rotation shaft of the motor 48 is connected to the support plate 38 via a link mechanism 50 (movement means). When the motor 48 is rotated, the support plate 38, i.e., the anvil 28 and idle gear 36, are raised and lowered in the sealing direction relative to the frame 40 via the link mechanism 50, and the engagement of the idle gear 36 with the rack gear 40A causes the idle gear 36 to rotate, and the anvil 28 to rotate in the opposite direction to the idle gear 36 at the same speed.

[0021] 3, in front of and behind (in the sheet conveying direction) the contact portion 28B of the ultrasonic horn 26 and the anvil 28, presser members 52 and 54 are respectively arranged to pinch the sheet S traveling between the ultrasonic horn 26 and the anvil 28 from the left and right to prevent the sheet S from shifting. The bases 32 and 44 can reciprocate in the conveying direction in accordance with the movement of the sheet S by a mechanism not shown.

[0022] Next, the welding and fusing process of sheet S by sealing device 21 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. Figure 4 is a side view of ultrasonic horn 26 and anvil 28 that perform welding and fusing processes on the sealed portion of sheet S, as viewed from the sheet conveyance direction, with Figure 4(a) showing their position at the start of welding and fusing processes and Figure 4(b) showing their position at the end of welding and fusing processes. Figure 5 is a side view showing the position of anvil 28 relative to sheet S, as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the sheet conveyance direction, with Figures 5(a) and 5(b) corresponding to the timings of Figures 4(a) and 4(b), respectively.

[0023] At the start of the welding / cutting process, the ultrasonic horn 26 and the anvil 28 are pushed toward each other by the air cylinders 34, 46, respectively, toward the sheet S, and they clamp the sheet S. At this time, the support plate 38 is lowered, and the contact portion 28B of the anvil 28 is pressed against the ultrasonic horn 26 at a position slightly lower than the lower end position of the sheet S (indicated by an x ​​mark in FIG. 5(a)), as shown in FIG.

[0024] Thereafter, the motor 48 and link mechanism 50 raise the support plate 38, and the idle gear 36 and the anvil 28 are rotated in opposite directions due to the engagement of the idle gear 36 and the rack gear 40A, and are raised together with the support plate 38. At this time, the contact portion 28B of the anvil 28 sandwiches the folded sheet S and moves upward in a rolling manner along the tip of the ultrasonic horn 26. As a result, the folded sheet S is welded and cut from below without generating frictional force due to the relative movement of the ultrasonic horn 26 and the anvil 28.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4(b) and 5(b), when the anvil 28 is raised to a position where the position where the contact portion 28B of the anvil 28 presses against the ultrasonic horn 26 is slightly higher than the upper end position of the sheet S (indicated by an x ​​in Figure 5(b)), the ultrasonic horn 26 and the anvil 28 are moved away from each other by the air cylinders 34, 46 and are removed from the sheet conveying path. In parallel with this, the support plate 38 is lowered by the link mechanism 50, and the anvil 28 is lowered to the initial position shown in Figures 4(a) and 5(a). Thereafter, the same process is repeated at predetermined intervals until the sheet S is formed into a bag B of a predetermined width.

[0026] During the welding and cutting process, the sealing device 21 is moved in the sheet conveying direction following the sheet S by a moving mechanism (not shown), and is returned to its original position after one side seal is completed.

[0027] As described above, according to the sealing device of this embodiment, by rolling a disk-shaped anvil over an ultrasonic horn whose position is fixed relative to the sheet, the sheet can be sealed without generating friction between the ultrasonic horn and the anvil or between the ultrasonic horn and the sheet.

[0028] In this embodiment, the anvil is rotated and translated using a rack and pinion mechanism, but the rotation of the anvil and its movement in the sealing direction may be performed by other mechanisms, such as directly rotating the anvil using a servo motor synchronized with the movement in the sealing direction. Furthermore, in this embodiment, a filling machine that fills bags has been described as an example, but the sealing device of this embodiment is not limited to a filling machine as long as it is a machine that seals sheet material. Furthermore, in this embodiment, welding and cutting are performed simultaneously, but a configuration that does not involve cutting may also be used. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the sealing direction is vertical, but the sealing direction is not limited to this. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] 10 Filling equipment 21 Sealing device 26 Ultrasonic Horn 28 Anvil 30A, 40B slider 32A, 44A rail 34, 46 Air cylinder 36 Idle gear (conversion gear) 48 Motor 50 Link mechanism S seat

Claims

1. A sealing device for a sheet material, comprising: A disk-shaped anvil, a long ultrasonic horn provided opposite the anvil; a rotating means for rotating the anvil; a moving means for moving the anvil in a sealing direction of the sheet material, The sheet material is clamped between the anvil and the ultrasonic horn, The rotating means rotates the anvil, and A sealing device for a sheet material, characterized in that the sheet material is sealed by moving the anvil along a sealing direction of the sheet by the moving means.

2. The rotating means is a rack provided parallel to the sealing direction of the sheet material; a conversion gear meshing with the rack and the anvil; 2. The sealing device for a sheet material according to claim 1, wherein the anvil is rotated by applying a rotational force to the anvil through rotation of the conversion gear.

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