Component exchange system in filling and packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a replacement system of components in a filling and packaging machine capable of efficiently replacing the components of the filling and packaging machine by a robot.SOLUTION: In a bag-making device 12 and a lateral sealing device 15 constituting a packaging machine, an upper forming part 26 and a knife unit 37 are detachably attached to a corresponding moving member 28 and a supporting member 34. The upper forming portion 26 and the knife unit 37 for replacement are stored in the part holder 45. The robot 40 operates to store the upper molding section 26 detached from the moving member 28 and the knife unit 37 detached from the support member 34 in the parts holder 45, and to attach a replacement upper molding section 26 and a replacement knife unit 37 stored in the parts holder 45 to the corresponding moving member 28 and support member 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a replacement system that automatically replaces components of a filling and packaging machine using a robot. [Background technology]

[0002] In filling and packaging machines such as horizontal form-fill-seal machines, when the type or size of the product to be packaged changes, the bag maker that forms a strip of film unwound from a roll of raw material into a cylindrical shape must be replaced with a bag maker that can form a cylindrical film of the appropriate size. Traditionally, bag maker replacement has been performed manually by an operator, but the time required for the replacement varies depending on the operator's level of skill. Inexperienced operators require a long replacement time, which halts the production of packaged products during the replacement time, resulting in a decrease in production capacity per unit time. Patent Document 1, for example, proposes a form-fill-seal machine that allows the bag maker to be attached and detached from the machine base with a single touch, thereby reducing the effort required for bag maker replacement and shortening the work time.

[0003] Furthermore, in horizontal sealing devices used in filling and packaging machines, foreign matter can adhere to the knife's cutting edge when the welded film adheres to the knife or the packaged product gets caught in it, and in such cases the knife needs to be removed from the horizontal sealing device and cleaned.Since special bolts and the like have been used to attach knives to conventional horizontal sealing devices, making the removal and installation work complicated, for example, Patent Document 2 proposes a device that provides an operating means that changes its position between a state that allows the knife disposed in the sealer to be removed and a state that prevents removal, and that makes the removal and installation work of the knife easier by switching the position of the operating means. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4278775 [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 5306737 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The devices in Patent Documents 1 and 2 simplify the work of replacing components such as bag makers and knives in filling and packaging machines, thereby reducing the burden on workers. However, because parts replacement still relies on manual labor by workers, there is a risk of installation errors, and there is room for improvement in terms of work efficiency and time efficiency. Furthermore, when replacing parts that require careful handling, such as knives, workers have to be extra careful to prevent injuries during the work, which results in a problem of longer work times.

[0006] An object of the present invention is to provide a component replacement system for a filling and packaging machine that allows components of the filling and packaging machine to be efficiently replaced by a robot. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above problems and achieve the intended purpose, the first means is: A replacement system capable of replacing components in a filling and packaging machine that produces packaged products by filling and sealing manufactured bags (11a) with articles, The components (26, 37) are configured to be detachably attached to the mounting portions (28, 34), a storage section (45) for storing replacement components (26, 37); The system is characterized by including a robot (40) that performs the work of replacing the components (26, 37) attached to the mounting parts (28, 34) with the components (26, 37) stored in the storage part (45). With this configuration, the robot replaces the components, eliminating the need for human intervention and making the replacement process more efficient and error-free. This also reduces the time required for the replacement process, saving manpower. Furthermore, the robot is safe and prevents workers from getting injured during the replacement process.

[0008] The second means is that the filling and packaging machine a bag-making device (12) for forming a strip-shaped packaging material (11) drawn from a supply source (10) into a cylindrical shape during the conveying process; and a horizontal sealing device (15) that performs horizontal sealing and cutting in a width direction intersecting with the conveying direction on the tubular packaging material (11a) formed by the bag making device (12) and having a longitudinal seal applied to the overlapping portion in the longitudinal direction facing the conveying direction and filled with articles, The bag making device (12) includes a bag making means (26) as a component that is detachably attached to a mounting portion (28) provided on the bag making device (12), The transverse sealing device (15) is characterized by including a knife unit (37) as a component that is detachably mounted on a mounting portion (34) provided on the transverse sealing device (15). With this configuration, the bag making means and knife unit, which need to be changed depending on the size of the article to be packaged, can be replaced efficiently, quickly, and safely by the robot.

[0009] The third means is characterized in that the robot (40) is configured to hold the starting end of the packaging material (11) in the supply source (10) with a robot hand (43) attached to an arm (40a) and transport the starting end beyond the bag making device (12) to a position upstream of the horizontal sealing device (15). With this configuration, the robot that replaces the components can perform the initial packaging setup, reducing the workload of the workers. Also, because no human intervention is required in the initial packaging setup, there is no variation in the setup state of the packaging and the time required for the setup, making it possible to produce bags of consistent quality.

[0010] The fourth means is a gate-shaped frame (21) in which the filling and packaging machine is disposed, The robot (40) is disposed inside the gate-shaped frame (21) and is movably suspended and supported on a rail (39) extending from the supply source (10) to at least a position upstream of the horizontal sealing device (15). According to this configuration, rails that movably support the robot are arranged in a gate-shaped frame inside which the filling and packaging machine is placed, so there is no need to arrange a dedicated frame for arranging the rails, and the configuration can be simplified.

[0011] The fifth means is configured so that robot hands (43, 44) for different processing operations can be attached, detached, and replaced by the robot itself on the arm (40a) of the robot (40), the storage unit (45) is configured to be able to store the robot hands (43, 44), The robot (40) is characterized in that the robot hands (43, 44) attached to the arm (40a) are automatically replaced with the robot hands (43, 44) stored in the storage section (45) depending on the processing work. According to this configuration, the storage section can store multiple types of robot hands corresponding to different processing tasks, thereby shortening the cycle time when switching between processing tasks. [Effects of the Invention]

[0012] According to the present invention, the replacement of components in a filling and packaging machine is performed by a robot, which eliminates human intervention and errors, making the replacement work more efficient and reducing the time required. Furthermore, the worker is safe and will not be injured during the part replacement work. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing a horizontal bag making and filling machine. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing the bag making device. [Figure 3]FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view showing a horizontal sealing device. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a first upper forming unit of the bag making apparatus is removed by a robot. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a first knife unit of the horizontal sealing device is removed by a robot. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view showing a part holder storing a plurality of components. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a state in which a part replacement hand stored in a part holder is attached to an arm and removed. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view of a main part showing a state in which a first upper molding part is placed on a rack of a part holder by a robot. [Figure 9] 10 is an explanatory diagram showing a state in which a strip film is set by a film drawing hand of a robot. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] Next, a preferred embodiment of a component replacement system for a filling and packaging machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the embodiment, a horizontal form-fill-seal machine will be described as an example of a filling and packaging machine in which components are automatically replaced by a robot. [Example]

[0015] The horizontal form-fill-seal machine (hereinafter simply referred to as a packaging machine) shown in Figure 1 is equipped with a bag-making device 12 that forms a tubular shape by overlapping both longitudinal edge portions of a strip of film (strip-shaped packaging material) 11 pulled out from a raw roll (packaging material supply source) 10 in a palm-on configuration during the conveying process, a supply conveyor 13 that supplies (fills) articles at predetermined intervals toward the tubular film (made bag) 11a formed by the bag-making device 12, a vertical sealing device 14 that applies a vertical seal to the overlapping portion of the overlapping palm-on configuration of the tubular film 11a, and a horizontal sealing device 15 that sandwiches the tubular film 11a at the front and rear of the articles fed into the tubular film 11a and applies a horizontal seal and cuts the tubular film 11a in a direction (width direction) intersecting the conveying direction of the tubular film 11a. The packaging machine is also provided with a transport conveyor 16 and an output conveyor 17, on the front and rear sides of the film transport direction in horizontal sealing device 15, on which articles fed into tubular film 11a are placed and which support tubular film 11a from below and transport it downstream. Packaged products separated from the continuous tubular film 11a by horizontal sealing and cutting are transported to the next process by output conveyor 17. The packaging machine is also provided with an approach angle adjuster 18, on the film transport path between web roll 10 and bag making device 12, which adjusts the approach angle of the strip film toward bag making device 12. The film transport path between web roll 10 and approach angle adjuster 18 is also provided with a film supply device 19, which transports strip film 11 unwound from web roll 10 toward bag making device 12, and multiple guide rollers 20 around which strip film 11 is wrapped and guided. The packaging machine of this embodiment is disposed within a portal frame (portal frame) 21. The periphery of the gate-shaped frame 21 is covered with transparent panels or the like and has an opening / closing door. One side of the film transport path for the strip film 11 and the tubular film 11a is set as the operation side of the packaging machine, and this operation side will be referred to as the front, and the opposite side as the back.

[0016] The replacement system of the embodiment constitutes the bag making device 12 and horizontal sealing device 15 of the packaging machine, and is configured so that the upper forming section 26 and knife unit 37 as components can be detachably attached to mounting parts such as the movable member 28 and support member 34 provided on the devices 12 and 15, and is equipped with a parts holder 45 that can store replacement upper forming sections 26 and knife units 37, and a robot 40 that performs the replacement work of the upper forming section 26 and knife unit 37 attached to the movable member 28 and support member 34 and the replacement upper forming section 26 and knife unit 37 stored in the parts holder 45, so that the upper forming section 26 and knife unit 37 can be automatically replaced by the robot 40 without human intervention.

[0017] 1, multiple (two in this embodiment) loading shafts 22, on which the raw film rolls 10 are rotatably loaded, are cantilevered and supported inside the portal frame 21 so as to extend from the rear frame toward the front. The film supply device 19 and approach angle adjuster 18 are disposed above the supply conveyor 13 in the portal frame 21, spaced downstream in the article conveying direction from the positions of the loading shafts 22. Two film supply devices 19 are provided, spaced apart at the front and rear in the article conveying direction, and each film supply device 19 clamps the strip film 11 between a drive roller 19a and a driven roller 19b, which are driven to rotate by a drive motor such as a servo motor, and conveys the strip film 11 by rotating the drive roller 19a. Drive roller 19a and driven roller 19b are both cantilevered from the rear frame to extend toward the front, and driven roller 19b is configured to be movable between a clamping position where it clamps strip film 11 with drive roller 19a and an upper, spaced position where film pulling hand 43 (described later) of robot 40 can pass between it and drive roller 19a (see Figure 9). Approach angle adjuster 18 has swing arm 18a supported on the rear frame so that it can swing up and down around one longitudinal end as a fulcrum, and feed roller 18b, which can wrap around and guide strip film 11, is cantilevered at the rear so as to extend toward the front. Furthermore, the multiple guide rollers 20 arranged in the film transport path are all cantilevered so as to extend from the rear frame toward the front, and the spacing between adjacent guide rollers 20, 20 in the transport direction, and the spacing between the guide rollers 20 and the drive roller 19a of the film supply device 19 and the feed roller 18b of the approach angle adjustment device 18 are all spaced apart to allow the film pull-out hand 43 to pass through (see Figure 9).

[0018] 1, a splicer 23 is disposed between the raw web roll 10 and an upstream film supply device 19, which automatically splices together the strip film between the raw web roll 10 currently in use in the packaging machine and a spare raw web roll 10. A dancer roller device 24 is also disposed between the two film supply devices 19, 19, for storing the strip film 11 consumed by the packaging machine while the splicer 23 is splicing the strip films together. The dancer roller device 24 includes a plurality of (two in this embodiment) fixed position rollers 24a and a plurality of (two in this embodiment) movable rollers 24b that are movable up and down relative to the fixed position rollers 24a. The fixed position rollers 24a and the movable rollers 24b are alternately disposed at a distance from each other in the front and rear of the film transport direction. The strip film 11 stored between the fixed position roller 24a and the movable roller 24b is supplied to the bag making device 12 by moving the movable roller 24b, thereby enabling the joining of strip films without stopping the operation of the packaging machine. The movable roller 24b is also configured to move to a spaced position above the fixed position roller 24a, allowing the film pulling hand 43 to pass between the rollers 24a and 24b (see FIG. 9).

[0019] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the bag-making apparatus 12 is disposed between the approach angle adjustment device 18 and the transport conveyor 16 and includes a lower forming section 25 extending along the transport path for the tubular film 11a, and an upper forming section (bag-making means) 26 that, together with the lower forming section 25, forms a forming path for shaping the strip film 11 into a tubular shape. The upper forming section 26 is a component that is automatically replaced by the robot 40. In the embodiment, two types of upper forming sections 26A, 26B are provided, as described below, but Figures 1 and 9 show the upper forming section 26A installed. The lower forming section 25 includes a pair of plates 25a, 25a that are symmetrical in the width direction across the center of the transport line for the tubular film 11a, and the pair of plates 25a, 25a are moved toward and away from each other in the left-right (width direction) direction by an opening / closing means. The opening and closing means is configured to move a pair of plates 25a, 25a between a closed position in which the plates 25a, 25a approach each other to form a gap between the plates 25a, 25a that allows the overlapping portion of the tubular film 11a (both edge portions of the packaging material that are close together) to pass through, and an open position in which the plates are spaced apart from the closed position.

[0020] 2 and 4, the upper forming section 26 (26A or 26B) is disposed on a movable member (mounting section) 28 that is moved up and down by an elevating means 27 driven by a drive motor such as a servo motor, and the upper forming section 26 is configured to be moved by the elevating means 27 between a spaced position (FIG. 9) where it is spaced upward from the lower forming section 25 by a distance that allows passage of the film drawing hand 43, and a forming position (FIG. 1) where it approaches the lower forming section 25 and forms the forming path. Then, the strip film 11 supplied from above the upper forming section 26 is transported downstream so as to be drawn into the forming path formed by the upper and lower forming sections 25, 26, and the strip film 11 is formed into a cylindrical shape. The upper molding section 26 is provided with a downwardly U-shaped hook member 29 that can be hooked with the finger portion 44a of a part replacement hand 44 (described later) and that protrudes upward, and is configured so that the upper hook portion 29a, which extends along the film transport direction of the hook member 29, can be hooked from below with the finger portion 44a and carried. The hook member 29 also has a lower hook portion 29b that is spaced downward from and parallel to the upper hook portion 29a, and the lower hook portion 29b is detachably attached to the moving member 28 and fixed by a locking means, so that the upper molding section 26 can be removed from the moving member 28 by releasing the fixation of the locking means. As a locking means for fixing the upper molding portion 26 to the movable member 28, for example, a configuration is adopted in which a protruding portion protruding from the movable member 28 is inserted from below into an engaging hole provided in the lower hook portion 29b, and air is supplied to the locking means to press the engaging portion protruding radially from the protruding portion against the inner surface of the engaging hole to fix the upper molding portion 26.

[0021] 1 and 9, an auxiliary feed conveyor 30 is disposed above the transport conveyor 16 between the bag making device 12 and the horizontal sealing device 15. The auxiliary feed conveyor 30 supports the tubular film 11a with a support member from above the articles fed into the tubular film 11a and travels forward together with the tubular film 11a to assist in transporting the tubular film 11a toward the horizontal sealing device 15. The auxiliary feed conveyor 30 is configured to be moved by an elevating means 31 between a separated position where it is separated upward from the transport conveyor 16 by a distance that allows the film pulling hand 43 to pass, and a feed position where it approaches the transport conveyor 16 and can auxiliary feed the tubular film 11a.

[0022] 1 and 2, the vertical sealing device 14 includes a pair of feed rollers 32, 32 located below the plates 25a, 25a of the lower molding unit 25, which sandwich the overlapping portion of the tubular film 11a that is guided to extend downward through the gap defined between the plates 25a, 25a in the closed position, and is configured to convey the tubular film 11a downstream with the overlapping portion sandwiched between the feed rollers 32, 32 by rotating the pair of feed rollers 32, 32 in opposite directions. The vertical sealing device 14 also includes a pair of sealing rollers 33, 33 disposed downstream of the feed rollers 32, 32, on both sides of the overlapping portion of the tubular film 11a, and applies pressure to the overlapping portion with the pair of heated sealing rollers 33, 33, thereby forming a vertical seal.

[0023] 1 and 3, the horizontal sealing device 15 includes a pair of sealing bodies 15a, 15b that move toward and away from each other and face each other across the transport path of the tubular film 11a transported by the transport conveyor 16. The pair of sealing bodies 15a, 15b sandwich the tubular film 11a at a position between the articles, thereby sealing the tubular film 11a laterally in the width direction. A support member (mounting portion) 34 that supports the upper sealing body 15a is provided with a knife unit 37 that includes a knife 35 (see FIG. 6) that cuts the tubular film 11a and an advancing / retracting means 36, such as an air cylinder, that moves the knife 35 back and forth in the vertical direction. When the tubular film 11a is sandwiched between the pair of sealing bodies 15a, 15b, the advancing / retracting means 36 moves the knife 35 back and forth to cut the tubular film 11a in the width direction. The knife unit 37 is a component that is automatically replaced by the robot 40, and in this embodiment, two types of knife units 37A and 37B are prepared as described below, but Figures 1 and 9 show the knife unit 37A attached. The knife unit 37 has a unit body 53 in which the knife 35 and the advancing / retreating means 36 are disposed, and is detachably attached to the support member 34 and fixed by a locking means, and the knife unit 37 can be removed from the support member 34 by releasing the locking means. The locking means that fixes the knife unit 37 to the support member 34 has the same configuration as the locking means that fixes the upper molding portion 26 to the moving member 28. Furthermore, the advancing / retreating means 36 of the knife unit 37 and the air supply source on the support member side are connected by an auto-coupler consisting of a male coupler and a female coupler that can be freely inserted and removed, and when the robot 40 automatically replaces the knife unit 37, the advancing / retreating means 36 and the air supply source are connected by attaching the knife unit 37 to the support member 34. The knife unit 37 is provided with a downward-facing U-shaped hook member 38 that can be hooked by the finger portion 44a of the part replacement hand 44 so as to protrude upward, and the hook portion 38a, which extends along the film transport direction of the hook member 38, can be hooked from below by the finger portion 44a.

[0024] 1 and 9, a robot travel rail (rail) 39 is disposed on the front side of the interior of the portal frame 21, extending horizontally from the position where the loading shaft 22 (raw material roll 10) is disposed to a predetermined position downstream of the position where the horizontal sealing device 15 is disposed, and a robot 40 is suspended and supported on the robot travel rail 39. The robot 40 is a so-called ceiling-suspended robot that moves back and forth along the robot travel rail 39 by a movement mechanism 41 (see FIG. 7) operated by a drive motor such as a servo motor. The robot 40 is configured to be automatically attachable, detachable, and interchangeable to various robot hands 43, 44 prepared for different processing tasks of the packaging machine, by means of a master holder 42 provided at the tip of an arm 40a of the articulated robot.

[0025] As shown in Figure 9, the robot 40 is configured so that by attaching a film pulling hand 43 to the arm 40a, the robot 40 holds the strip of film 11 from the raw roll 10 with the film pulling hand 43, and moves the film pulling hand 43 along a path that can wrap and guide the strip of film 11 around the guide roller 20, the drive roller 19a of the film supply device 19, the fixed position roller 24a of the dancer roller device 24, and the feed roller 18b of the approach angle adjustment device 18, passing through the installation position of the bag making device 12, and on the path from the bag making device 12 to a position upstream of the horizontal sealing device 15, it passes below the auxiliary feed conveyor 30 to a position just upstream of the horizontal sealing device 15, and performs an automatic film pulling process that sets the strip of film 11 in an initial setting state.

[0026] 1, inside the gantry frame 21, a parts holder 45, which is a storage section for components of the packaging machine, is disposed downstream of a work area (packaging work area) N, which is an area required for an operator to perform various processing tasks such as various settings and maintenance in preparation for packaging machine operation, outside the work area N of the packaging machine, and within a movable area M of the robot 40, to which the robot 40 is moved downstream by the movement mechanism 41. The parts holder 45 is supported by a mounting shaft 46a suspended from a mounting member 48 disposed on an upper machine casing 47 of the gantry frame 21 so that a cylindrical support bar 46 made of a hollow pipe is erected. The support bar 46 is provided with a plurality of racks 49A, 49B, 49C, 49D, 49E, and 49F disposed vertically at intervals. 6, racks 49A-49F are configured to support and store replacement parts, such as the various robot hands 43, 44 that are replaced depending on the processing task, such as automatic film unwinding as an initial packaging preparation task, or part replacement required when switching packaging types or parts are worn out, and various components 26A, 26B, 37A, and 37B of the packaging machine that are automatically replaced by the robot 40 using the robot hands 44, by placing or hanging them on them, and each of racks 49A-49F is provided to extend radially outward from support bar 46. The movement position of the robot hands 43, 44 attached to arm 40a in the extension direction of robot travel rail 39 can be obtained by a pulse signal from an encoder provided to the drive motor of movement mechanism 41.

[0027] 7, the replaceable robot hands (replacement parts) provided for the robot 40 include a film drawing hand 43 having a holding portion 43a that adsorbs the strip film 11, and a part replacement hand 44 having fingers 44a that hook onto components (automatically replaceable parts), and these robot hands 43, 44 are stored by being placed on corresponding racks 49A, 49C of a parts holder 45. The film drawing hand 43 and the part replacement hand 44 are equipped at the base ends of the holding portion 43a and fingers 44a with tool holders 50 that can be automatically attached by the master holder 42 attached to the tip of the arm 40a. Furthermore, in the packaging machine of the embodiment, the upper forming section 26 of the bag making device 12 and the knife unit 37 of the horizontal sealing device 15 are configured as replacement parts that can be automatically replaced by the robot 40, and different types of upper forming sections 26A, 26B and knife units 37A, 37B that need to be replaced depending on the packaged product are prepared, and the upper forming sections 26A, 26B and knife units 37A, 37B are stored by being hung on corresponding racks 49B, 49D, 49E, 49F of the parts holder 45. In the embodiment, the two types of upper forming sections 26A, 26B are referred to as the first upper forming section 26A and the second upper forming section 26B, and the two types of knife units 37A, 37B are referred to as the first knife unit 37A and the second knife unit 37B. Each upper forming unit 26A, 26B and each knife unit 37A, 37B is carried by hooking the hook portions 29a, 38a from below onto the finger portions 44a of the part exchange hand 44. The part exchange hand 44 is provided with locking means having the same configuration as the locking means that secures the upper forming unit 26 and knife unit 37 to the corresponding moving member 28 and support member 34, and is configured to fix the hook portions 29a, 38a to the finger portions 44a with air supplied to the locking means, preventing them from falling off during transport. The tool holder 50 and the air supply source on the master holder side are configured to be connected by the same autocoupler as described above, and by attaching the tool holder 50 to the master holder 42, the air supply source is connected to the holding unit 43a on the robot hand side and the locking means.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 6, the parts holder 45 has a first rack 49A, a second rack 49B, a third rack 49C, a fourth rack 49D, a fifth rack 49E, and a sixth rack 49F arranged on the support bar 46 in this order from top to bottom, with the first rack 49A and the third rack 49C configured as racks for storing the film pulling hand 43 and the part replacing hand 44, the second rack 49B and the fifth rack 49E configured as racks for storing the first upper molding section 26A and the second upper molding section 26B, and the fourth rack 49D and the sixth rack 49F configured as racks for storing the first knife unit 37A and the second knife unit 37B. Furthermore, racks 49B, 49D, 49E, and 49F, which hang and store the upper molding sections 26A, 26B and the knife units 37A, 37B, are provided with holding means 51 that releasably holds the hooking members 29, 38 hooked on the racks 49B, 49D, 49E, and 49F, and the upper molding sections 26A, 26B and the knife units 37A, 37B can be removed from or hooked onto the racks 49B, 49D, 49E, and 49F by releasing the holding of the hooking members 29, 38 by the holding means 51. Furthermore, the fourth rack 49D and sixth rack 49F, which store the knife units 37A, 37B, are provided with protection members 52 that house and protect the cutting edges of the knives 35 in the knife units 37A, 37B. The racks 49B, 49D, 49E, 49F on which the upper molding sections 26A, 26B and the knife units 37A, 37B are hung and stored are configured so that the part replacement hand 44 does not come into contact with or interfere with the racks 49B, 49D, 49E, 49F when the robot 40 hangs or removes the upper molding sections 26A, 26B or the knife units 37A, 37B from the racks 49B, 49D, 49E, 49F.

[0029] Next, the operation of the component replacement system for the packaging machine according to the embodiment will be described. When storing the film drawing hand 43 attached to the arm 40a of the robot 40 in the parts holder 45, the robot 40 is moved to a position downstream from the work area N of the packaging machine operated by the worker, corresponding to the position of the parts holder 45 arranged within the movable area M of the robot 40, and the replacement part is placed on an empty third rack 49C without being stored therein. The robot 40 releases the connection between the master holder 42 and the tool holder 50, and separates the film drawing hand 43 from the arm 40a. Next, when replacing a replacement part, a parts replacement hand 44 is attached to the arm 40a. The part replacement hand 44 moves the arm 40a, and faces the master holder 42 attached to the tip of the arm 40a to the mounting surface of the tool holder 50 of the part replacement hand 44 stored in the first rack 49A, and by connecting the master holder 42 and the tool holder 50, the part replacement hand 44 is automatically attached to the arm 40a (see FIG. 7). The robot 40 raises the arm 40a and picks up the part replacement hand 44 from the first rack 49A in the part holder 45, thereby completing the replacement of the robot hands 43, 44.

[0030] When the first upper molding section 26A in the bag making device 12 is replaced with the second upper molding section 26B using the part replacement hand 44 attached to the arm 40a, the robot 40 is moved to a position close to the bag making device 12, and as shown in Figure 4, the finger portion 44a of the part replacement hand 44 is inserted from the front side between the upper and lower hook portions 29a, 29b of the hook member 29 in the first upper molding section 26A, and the upper hook portion 29a is hooked from below with the finger portion 44a, and the upper hook portion 29a is fixed to the finger portion 44a by a locking means. Then, after the locking means of the movable member 28 has released the fixation of the lower hook portion 29b, the first upper molding part 26A is removed from the movable member 28, and the robot 40 is moved toward the part holder 45, where the upper hook portion 29a of the hook member 29 of the first upper molding part 26A is hooked onto an empty second rack 49B that does not store anything, and the first upper molding part 26A is handed over to the second rack 49B by the holding means 51 (see FIG. 8).

[0031] Next, the robot 40 uses the fingers 44a of the part replacement hand 44 to hook the upper hook portions 29a of the hook members 29 of the second upper forming unit 26B stored in the fifth rack 49E and secures them with a locking means. After the second upper forming unit 26B is released from the fifth rack 49E by the holding means 51, the robot 40 removes the second upper forming unit 26B from the fifth rack 49E. Then, the robot 40 moves to a position close to the bag making device 12, and places the movable member 28 facing below the lower hook portions 29b of the hook members 29 of the second upper forming unit 26B, placing the lower hook portions 29b on the movable member 28, and securing the lower hook portions 29b to the movable member 28 with the locking means. Thereafter, the upper hook portion 29a is released from the locking means for fixing the finger portion 44a to the hook member 29, and the finger portion 44a is pulled out from the hook member 29, thereby completing the replacement of the first upper molding portion 26A with the second upper molding portion 26B.

[0032] 5, when the first knife unit 37A of the horizontal sealing device 15 is replaced with the second knife unit 37B by the part replacement hand 44 attached to the arm 40a, the robot 40 is moved to a position close to the horizontal sealing device 15, and the finger portions 44a of the part replacement hand 44 are inserted from the front side below the hook portions 38a of the hooking members 38 of the first knife unit 37A to hook the hook portions 38a from below with the finger portions 44a, and the hook portions 38a are fixed to the finger portions 44a with the locking means. After the first knife unit 37A is released from the locking means of the support member 34, the first knife unit 37A is removed from the support member 34, the robot 40 is moved close to the part holder 45, and the hook members 38 of the first knife unit 37A are hooked onto the empty sixth rack 49F, which does not contain anything, and the first knife unit 37A is delivered. The first knife unit 37A is held by the holding means 51 on the sixth rack 49F.

[0033] Next, the robot 40 hooks the hooking member 38 of the second knife unit 37B stored in the fourth rack 49D with the finger 44a of the part replacement hand 44 and secures it with the locking means. After the holding means 51 of the second knife unit 37B on the fourth rack 49D is released, the robot 40 removes the second knife unit 37B from the fourth rack 49D. The robot 40 then moves to a position close to the horizontal sealing device 15, places the second knife unit 37B on the support member 34, and secures the second knife unit 37B with the locking means. Thereafter, the second knife unit 37B is released from the locking means by the finger 44a, and the finger 44a is pulled out from the hooking member 38, completing the replacement of the first knife unit 37A with the second knife unit 37B. By placing the second knife unit 37B on the support member 34, the advancing / retreating means 36 and the air supply source are connected by the auto-coupler, and the knife 35 becomes operable.

[0034] When performing the automatic film unwinding process in which the robot 40 sets the strip film 11 to the initial setting state, the part replacement hand 44 attached to the arm 40a is replaced with the film unwinding hand 43 in the reverse order of the above-described procedure for replacing the film unwinding hand 43 with the part replacement hand 44. Also, as shown in Figure 9, the driven roller 19b of the film supply device 19, the moving roller 24b of the dancer roller device 24, the upper forming section 26 of the bag making device 12, and the auxiliary feed conveyor 30 are positioned at spaced positions so as not to interfere with the film unwinding hand 43, and the pair of plates 25a, 25a in the lower forming section 25 of the bag making device 12 are also positioned at the spaced positions. The robot 40 moves along the robot running rail 39 until it approaches the raw roll 10, and holds the starting end of the strip film 11 in the raw roll 10 in the holding portion 43a of the film pulling hand 43, with the film pulling hand 43 attached to the arm 40a in a position extending horizontally from the front to the back.

[0035] 9, the robot 40, while holding the leading end of the strip film 11 with the film drawing hand 43, moves the film drawing hand 43 through the installation position of the bag making device 12 along a path that guides and wraps the strip film 11 around the guide rollers 20, the drive roller 19a of the film supply device 19, the fixed position roller 24a of the dancer roller device 24, and the feed roller 18b of the approach angle adjustment device 18. Furthermore, the robot 40 moves the film drawing hand 43 along the upper surfaces of the plates 25a, 25a on the path from the bag making device 12 to a position upstream of the transverse sealing device 15, below the auxiliary feed conveyor 30, to a position immediately upstream of the transverse sealing device 15, thereby positioning the strip film 11, which has been drawn from the web roll 10 and wrapped around the rollers 20, 19a, 24a, 18b, to pass between the lower forming section 25 and the upper forming section 26. Furthermore, when the film pulling hand 43 passes the installation position of the bag making device 12, the holding portions 43a on both sides of the strip film 11 in the width direction are released, allowing both ends of the strip film 11 to hang down, and the hanging portion of the strip film 11 is placed between the pair of plates 25a, 25a in the open position of the lower molding unit 25, and the pair of plates 25a, 25a is moved from the open position toward the closed position. As a result, the hanging portion of the strip film 11 is sandwiched between the plates 25a, 25a to mold the film into a cylindrical shape, and the longitudinal edge portions of the strip film 11 are brought close to each other and overlapped in a folded manner, with the overlapping portion extending below the plates 25a, 25a. Furthermore, by rotating feed rollers 32, 32 of vertical sealing device 14 at a speed synchronized with the downstream movement speed of film pulling hand 43, when the overlapped portion of tubular film 11a is fed between feed rollers 32, 32 as film pulling hand 43 moves downstream, tubular film 11a is also fed downstream by feed rollers 32, 32. Then, by stopping the movement of film pulling hand 43 and the rotation of feed rollers 32, 32, the automatic film pulling process is completed, returning strip film 11 to its initial setting state.

[0036] According to the replacement system of the embodiment, when the upper forming section 26 or the knife unit 37 needs to be replaced due to a change in packaging type or part wear, the robot 40 can automatically replace the components of the upper forming section 26 or the knife unit 37 without manual intervention. This allows for error-free and efficient replacement, shortening the time required for the replacement and reducing the number of workers required. Furthermore, because no manual intervention is required for part replacement, the replacement work can be performed safely without risk of injury to the worker. In particular, the robot 40 automatically replaces the knife unit 37, which could potentially result in injury if replaced manually, and this is advantageous because it can be completed in a short time without causing injury. Furthermore, the robot 40 movably supports the robot 40 and is provided on the portal frame 21 in which the packaging machine is installed. This eliminates the need for a dedicated frame for the robot rail 39, simplifying the configuration.

[0037] According to the replacement system of the embodiment, the robot 40, which replaces the components 26, 37, can automatically pull out the film strip 11 and set it to its initial setting state, thereby reducing the workload of the worker. Furthermore, because no human intervention is required for the initial setting of the film strip 11, there is no variation in the setting state of the film strip 11 or the time required for the setting process, making it possible to produce bags of consistent quality. Furthermore, because the parts holder 45 is configured to store the film pulling hand 43 and the part replacement hand 44, which have different uses, the hands 43, 44 can be automatically replaced with different types when switching between processing tasks performed by the robot 40, thereby shortening the cycle time.

[0038] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example: Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples are not limited to the following modifications, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention. (1) The robot 40 is not limited to a ceiling-mounted robot that moves along the robot travel rail 39, but may be a self-propelled robot mounted on an AGV, for example, as long as it can move between the location where the component to be replaced is located and the parts holder (storage unit) 45. Also, by shortening the distance between the location where the component is located and the parts holder 45, a fixed-position robot can be used. (2) The robot travel rail 39 that suspends and supports the robot 40 may extend from the position where the loading shaft 22 (raw film roll 10) is disposed to at least a position upstream of the horizontal sealing device 15, which is the end where the strip film 11 is pulled out during the initial setting operation of the strip film 11 by the film pulling hand 43. The part holder 45 may be positioned within an area where the robot 40 can move along the robot travel rail 39. (3) A cleaning unit may be provided within the movable area (inside the portal frame) of the robot 40, and the knives 35 of the knife unit 37 removed from the horizontal sealing device 15 may be cleaned in the cleaning unit. The cleaning unit may include, for example, a container with an upward opening that stores cleaning liquid, and an ultrasonic cleaning function or a rotating brush. The robot 40 may immerse the cutting edges of the knives 35 of the knife unit 37 in the cleaning liquid and then remove dirt using the ultrasonic cleaning or rotating brush. Furthermore, the cleaning unit may be provided with a function to blow off water droplets adhering to the knives 35 and dry them after cleaning is complete, for example, by blowing air. (4) In the embodiment, the components are stored by being placed on or hung from the parts holder 45, but the storage unit may be a shelf or a table on which components can be placed and stored. (5) In the embodiment, the upper forming section 26 of the bag making device 12 and the knife unit 37 of the horizontal sealing device 15 are cited as components that can be replaced by the robot 40, but the components can also be replaceable parts of various devices that make up the packaging machine. (6) In the embodiment, the horizontal sealing device 15 is described as having a configuration in which the knife unit 37 is attached to the support member 34 of the upper sealing body 15a. However, even if the knife unit 37 is attached to the support member of the lower sealing body 15b, the robot 40 can be used to replace the knife unit 37 on the support member of the lower sealing body 15b. (7) In relation to the robot 40 that performs maintenance of the horizontal bag-making and filling machine and packaging preparation processing, the part holder 45 is arranged within the movable area M of the arm 40a when the robot 40 moves downstream in the film conveying direction. However, the arrangement of the part holder 45 is arbitrary as long as it does not interfere with the processing work of the robot 40. (8) The locking means between the movable member 28 or the support member 34 and the hooking members 29, 38, and the locking means between the part replacement hand 44 and the hooking members 29, 38 are not limited to the configuration in which the engaging portion of the embodiment is fixed by pressing it against the inner surface of the engaging hole, and various configurations can be adopted as long as they are capable of automatic fixing and unlocking. (9) The timing of release and fixation by the locking means that secures the moving member 28 and the hooking member 29 of the bag making device 12 is not limited to the timing in the embodiment, and it is possible to adopt a configuration in which, for example, the locking of the locking means is released based on a signal that the robot 40 is moving toward the bag making device 12 to replace the upper forming section 26, and the locking is done based on a signal that the robot 40 has completed replacing the upper forming section 26. Furthermore, the timing of release and fixation by the locking means that secures the support member 34 and the knife unit 37 of the horizontal sealing device 15 is not limited to the timing in the embodiment, and it is possible to adopt a configuration in which the locking is released and fixed based on a position signal from the robot 40. The timing of release and fixation by each locking means is not limited to the above modified examples, and various other known configurations can be adopted, such as fixing based on signals detected by various sensors that the upper molding part 26 or the knife unit 37 has been replaced relative to the movable member 28 or the support member 34, a configuration in which the position of the arm 40a of the robot 40 or the position of the part replacement hand 44 attached to the arm 40a is detected and then fixed or released, or releasing the fixation based on a replacement instruction signal sent to the robot 40 and fixing based on a replacement completion signal from the robot 40. (10) In the examples, a horizontal form-fill-seal machine is used as the packaging machine, but a vertical form-fill-seal machine, a packaging machine that fills items into pre-made bags that are sealed on three sides and open on one side, and various other packaging machines can also be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0039] 10 Raw roll (supply source), 11 Strip film (strip packaging material) 11a tubular film (made bag, tubular packaging material), 12 bag making device 15 Horizontal sealing device, 21 Gate-type frame (Gate-type frame) 26 upper forming section (component, bag making means), 28 moving member (mounting section) 34 Support member (mounting part), 37 Knife unit (component) 39 Robot running rail (rail), 40 Robot, 40a Arm 43 Film pull-out hand (robot hand) 44 Parts replacement hand (robot hand), 45 Parts holder (storage section)

Claims

1. A replacement system capable of replacing components in a filling and packaging machine that produces packaged products by filling and sealing manufactured bags with items, The component is configured to be removably attached to a mounting portion, a storage unit for storing replacement components; a robot that performs an exchange operation between the component attached to the mounting section and the component stored in the storage section, A component replacement system for a filling and packaging machine.

2. The filling and packaging machine includes: a bag-making device that forms the strip-shaped packaging material drawn from a supply source into a cylindrical shape during the conveying process; a horizontal sealing device that applies a horizontal seal and cuts the tubular packaging material, which has been formed by the bag making device and has a longitudinal seal applied to the overlapping portion in the conveying direction and which has been filled with articles, in a width direction that intersects with the conveying direction, the bag making device includes a bag making means as a component that is detachably attached to an attachment portion provided on the bag making device, 2. The component replacement system for a filling and packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal sealing device includes a knife unit as a component that is detachably attached to a mounting portion provided on the horizontal sealing device.

3. 3. A component replacement system for a filling and packaging machine according to claim 2, wherein the robot is configured to hold the leading end of the packaging material at the supply source with a robot hand attached to an arm and transport the leading end past the bag making device to a position upstream of the horizontal sealing device.

4. The filling and packaging machine is disposed inside a gate-shaped frame, 4. A component replacement system for a filling and packaging machine according to claim 3, wherein the robot is disposed inside the gate-shaped frame and movably suspended and supported on rails extending from the supply source to at least a position upstream of the horizontal sealing device.

5. The robot is configured so that a robot hand for each processing task can be attached, detached, and replaced by the robot itself on the arm of the robot, the storage unit is configured to be able to store the robot hand, A component replacement system for a filling and packaging machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the robot is configured to automatically replace the robot hand attached to the arm with a robot hand stored in the storage section depending on the processing task.

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