Filling and packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a filling and packaging machine which prevents a thin layer part from being broken in the vicinity of a step part between the thin layer part and a laminate around the thin layer part even when ultrasonic sealing is performed on a square cylindrical container having the thin layer part for attaching a spout.SOLUTION: In the carton blank of the side C1 of the square cylindrical vessel, a thin layered part for attaching the pouring device having a layered structure in which a paper layer is omitted is provided in the top wall forming part. The top seal part 9 seals an edge part of an opening side C1 of a square cylindrical vessel side C10 by sandwiching it between an ultrasonic horn 911 and an anvil 912. The top seal part 9 is provided with a vibration absorbing member (pressing plate) 901 which abuts on a top wall forming part above the thin layer part for attaching the pouring tool of the carton blank and absorbs ultrasonic vibration transmitted to the thin layer part for attaching the pouring tool.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a filling and packaging machine, and more particularly to a filling and packaging machine that forms content-filled containers by transporting a plurality of containers made of cartons along a predetermined transport path, filling the containers with contents such as beverages, food, etc., and sealing and packaging them. [Background technology]

[0002] A commonly known container used in this type of filling and packaging machine is a carton made by forming a carton blank, primarily made of paper, into a rectangular tubular shape with a bottom. This container is formed, for example, by folding a carton blank into a flat sleeve shape, and then folding one end inward and sealing it to form a rectangular tubular shape with a bottom and an opening at the top. The formed plurality of containers are then transported in a predetermined direction on a transport conveyor in a filling and packaging machine, whereby the contents are filled, the top openings of the containers are sealed, and other processes are carried out in sequence to form content-filled containers.

[0003] In such filling and packaging machines, in the top sealing section that seals the top opening, ultrasonic sealing is used in addition to heat sealing. For example, it is known that the top of a rectangular tubular paper container is clamped between an ultrasonic horn and anvil, and the front and rear edges formed on the top opening are overlapped to seal.

[0004] The carton blank is formed by punching a paper-based laminate into a predetermined shape, with both the inner and outer surfaces made of thermoplastic resin layers, and the laminate may optionally have a barrier layer made of aluminum foil or the like in the middle of its thickness. Some bottomed rectangular cylindrical containers have a spout attached, and in this case, a circular spout attachment part is formed in the top forming part of the carton blank. This spout attachment part is a thin layer part (thin layer part for spout attachment) made of a barrier layer in which the paper layer is removed from the laminate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2023-109306 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In conventional filling and packaging machines, when ultrasonic sealing was performed on a square cylindrical container having a thin layer portion for attaching a pouring tool, the thin layer portion for attaching the pouring tool resonated with the ultrasonic vibrations, and there was a possibility that the weak thin layer portion would tear near the step between it and the surrounding laminate.

[0007] This invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a filling and packaging machine that, even when ultrasonic sealing is performed on a square tubular container having a thin layer portion for attaching a pouring device, does not cause the thin layer portion to tear near the step between it and the surrounding laminate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises the following aspects.

[0009] 1) A conveyor that intermittently conveys rectangular cylindrical containers with their openings facing upward; a filling section for filling the rectangular cylindrical container with contents; a top seal portion that seals the opening of the filled rectangular tubular container, The rectangular cylindrical container is formed by folding a carton blank into a predetermined shape, and the carton blank is made of a paper-based laminated material whose inner and outer surfaces are covered with thermoplastic resin layers and which has a barrier layer in the middle of its thickness, and a thin layer for attaching a spout, which has a layer structure in which the paper layer is omitted, is provided in the top wall forming portion, In the filling and packaging machine, the top sealing section clamps and pressurizes the edge of the opening of the filled rectangular tubular container between an ultrasonic horn and an anvil, and ultrasonically vibrates the ultrasonic horn to weld and seal the thermoplastic resin on the surface of the opening edge. A filling and packaging machine characterized in that the top seal portion abuts against the top wall forming portion above the thin layer portion for attaching a pouring tool of the carton blank and is equipped with a vibration absorbing member that absorbs ultrasonic vibrations transmitted to the thin layer portion for attaching a pouring tool.

[0010] 2) A filling and packaging machine according to 1), wherein the vibration absorbing member is supported by a support member that moves back and forth toward the anvil together with the ultrasonic horn, and the support member is biased toward the anvil by an elastic member.

[0011] 3) A filling and packaging machine according to 1), wherein the vibration absorbing member is made of metal.

[0012] 4) A filling and packaging machine according to 1), wherein the surface of the vibration absorbing member that abuts against the top wall forming portion has a notch at the portion that abuts against the corner of the square tubular container.

[0013] 5) The filling and packaging machine of 1), wherein the force with which the vibration absorbing member presses the top wall forming portion is within a range of 0.5 to 5.0 kgf. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the filling and packaging machine of 1) above, ultrasonic vibrations at the step between the weak thin layer and the surrounding laminate can be reduced, thereby eliminating the problem of the thin layer tearing near the step between the thin layer and the surrounding laminate when ultrasonically sealing a square cylindrical container having a thin layer for attaching a pouring tool.

[0015] According to the filling and packaging machine of 2) above, when the support member advances toward the anvil, the vibration absorbing member is brought into contact with the top wall forming portion of the container via the elastic force of the elastic member, so that the seal at the top seal portion is not adversely affected by pressing the top wall forming portion too hard.

[0016] According to the filling and packaging machine of 3) above, by using a vibration absorbing member made of metal (preferably stainless steel) rather than an elastic material such as elastomer, the effort of replacing the vibration absorbing member due to wear can be eliminated.

[0017] According to the filling and packaging machine of 4) above, it is preferable that the width of the contact surface is greater than the width of the container, and in this case, there is a risk that the corners of the rectangular tubular container, which are thicker than other parts, may be damaged when pressed by the contact surface. Therefore, by making the part that contacts the corner of the rectangular tubular container notched, it is possible to prevent damage to the corners of the container.

[0018] According to the filling and packaging machine of 5) above, reducing ultrasonic vibrations using a vibration absorbing member may cause damage to the container, but by setting the force with which the vibration absorbing member presses the top wall forming portion within an appropriate range (0.5 to 5.0 kgf), the ultrasonic vibrations can be reduced without damaging the container and without interfering with ultrasonic sealing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a filling and packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a side view showing a part of the transport conveyor of the filling and packaging machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 2(a) is a plan view showing a part of the transfer conveyor, and FIG. 2(b) is a front view showing a part of the transfer conveyor. [Figure 4] 4(c) shows a first holding plate and a second holding plate used in the transport conveyor, where (a) is a front view of the first holding plate, (b) is a side view of the first holding plate, (c) is a side view of the second holding plate, and (d) is a front view of the second holding plate. In Fig. 4(c), the part surrounded by the two-dot chain circle E is an enlarged cross-section of the part surrounded by the two-dot chain circle e. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a front view showing a carton blank in an initial state for forming a bottomed rectangular tubular container used in the filling and packaging machine. [Figure 6] This shows a secondary carton blank in which the initial carton blank has been folded into a flat sleeve shape, (a) being a front view and (b) being a plan view, with (b) also showing the process of bending the carton blank into a rectangular tube shape. [Figure 7] 1 shows a rectangular cylindrical container with a bottom, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a plan view. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the state in which the corners of the container are deformed. [Figure 9] 1 shows a content-filled container with its top opening sealed at the top seal section of the filling and packaging machine, with (a) being a front view, (b) being a side view, and (c) being a plan view. [Figure 10] The figures show a content-filled container in its completed state, with the flap sealed to the surface of the container in the flap sealing section of the filling and packaging machine, with (a) being a front view, (b) being a side view, and (c) being a plan view. [Figure 11] 1A and 1B show the top seal portion of the filling and packaging machine, with (a) being a plan view and (b) being a side view. [Figure 12] FIG. 11(b) is an enlarged side view of the main part of FIG. [Figure 13] 1A and 1B show a vibration absorbing mechanism, where FIG. 1A is a plan view and FIG. 1B is a side view. [Figure 14] 1A, 1B, and 1C show a vibration absorbing member of a vibration absorbing mechanism, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view, FIG. 1B is a side view, and FIG. 1C is a front view. [Figure 15] FIG. 3 is a side view showing a flap sealing unit of the filling and packaging machine. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the container bulge suppression mechanism of the flap seal portion. [Figure 17] 10 is a plan view showing the container bulge suppression mechanism of the flap seal portion of FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 17 is an enlarged front view of the main part of FIG. 16. [Figure 19]FIG. 18 is an enlarged plan view of the main part of FIG. [Figure 20] FIG. 4 is a partially cutaway side view of the container bulge suppression mechanism. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] A filling and packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the right side of FIG. 1 will be referred to as the "front" and the left side as the "rear", and left and right refer to the left and right when viewed from the front. 1 and 2 show the side of the entire or part of the filling and packaging machine, with the front side wall of the chamber omitted.

[0021] The filling and packaging machine (1) of this embodiment is for filling a container (C1) made of a carton with a content such as a beverage or food and sealing it to form a content-filled container (C2). As shown in Figure 1, the filling and packaging machine (1) has a long, sealed (box-shaped) chamber (2) in the front-to-rear direction. A carton blank inlet (201) is provided in the front end wall (23) of the chamber (2), and a content-filled container outlet (202) is provided at the rear end of the top wall (21) of the chamber (2).

[0022] The front end (2a) of the chamber (2) is provided with a bottom forming section (3) that seals one end of a carton blank (CB12) bent into a rectangular cylindrical shape and forms the bottom to form a bottomed rectangular cylindrical container (carton) (C1). The bottom forming section (3) has a turret (30) having a plurality of radial carton holders (30a) that are rotatable around a horizontal axis. Along the rotation direction of the turret (30) (counterclockwise in Figure 1), the following are provided in order: a receiving section (31) that sets a rectangular tubular carton blank (CB12) introduced from a carton blank inlet (201) into the carton holder (30a); a bottom heating section (32) that heats one end of the carton blank (CB12); a bottom breaker section (33) that folds one end of the carton blank (CB12) inward to create a crease; a bottom sealing section (34) that seals one end of the carton blank (CB12) to form a rectangular tubular container (C1) with a bottom; and a transport section (35) that transports the formed container (C1) to the next process using a carton unloader (35a). A carton blank (CB12) that has been pulled out of a carton magazine by a picker and formed into a rectangular cylindrical shape is sent to the receiving section (31) through a carton blank entrance (201) by a carton loader (36). In the case of the filling and packaging machine 1 shown in the figure, the front end 2a of the chamber 2, where the bottom forming section 3 is provided, has a double-roofed shape that slopes diagonally upward and forward when viewed from the side. This shape reduces the height of the front end 2a of the chamber 2.

[0023] Also, within the chamber (2), a transport conveyor (4) is provided in a tunnel-shaped section (2b) extending from the rear (downstream) side of the bottom forming section (3) to the rear end, which transports multiple containers (C1) with their openings facing upward along a horizontal transport path (R) extending rearward. On the conveying path (R), from the upstream side (front side) to the downstream side (rear side), there are sequentially arranged a preliminary breaker section (5) that preliminarily folds the top of the container (C1), a top breaker section (6) that creases the container (C1), a sterilization section (7) that sterilizes the container (C1), a filling section (8) that fills the contents into the container (C1), a top seal section (9) that seals the top opening of the container (C1), a flap seal section (10) that folds the flap (C21) formed on the top of the content-filled container (C2) to seal it to the surface of the container (C2) upon sealing, and a discharge section (11) that discharges the content-filled container (C2) out of the chamber (2).

[0024] In filling and packaging machine (1) having the above basic configuration, clean air is blown out and supplied from a plurality of predetermined locations into chamber (2), and the clean air that has circulated within chamber (2) is sucked out and discharged from a plurality of predetermined locations. As a result, almost the entire interior of chamber (2), except for the clean air suction and discharge area, is maintained at a positive pressure by the clean air, and a sterile state is maintained. More specifically, since particularly high sterility is required for the sterilization section (7), filling section (8) and top seal section (9) in the chamber (2), clean air purified by an ULPA filter (F) (an air filter with a particle collection rate of 99.9995% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.15 μm at the rated flow rate specified in JIS Z8122:2000 and an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less) is blown out from the clean air outlets (AB1) (AB2) through the air supply pipe (P1). Furthermore, areas other than the sterilization section (7), filling section (8) and top seal section (9) within the chamber (2), such as the hot air outlet (101) (see Figure 1) provided in the flap seal section (10) and the hot air outlet (not shown) provided in the bottom molding section (3), do not require such high levels of cleanliness, so clean air purified by a HEPA filter (an air filter with a particle collection rate of 99.97% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm at the rated flow rate specified in JIS Z8122:2000 and an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less) is supplied thereto. The clean air that has circulated within the chamber (2) is sucked and discharged through clean air suction ports provided at a plurality of predetermined locations within the chamber (2) and connected to an exhaust fan through exhaust piping. As shown in Figure 1, clean air suction ports (AS1) and (AS2) provided in the top wall (21) above the bottom forming section (3) and the flap seal section (10) of the chamber (2) are connected to the exhaust fan (E) through exhaust piping (P2). A flow control valve such as a butterfly valve (V) is provided in the exhaust piping (P2) so that the flow rate of the clean air discharged from the chamber (2) can be adjusted.

[0025] The chamber (2) is configured so that the entire interior can be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP). During cleaning, the carton blank inlet (201) and the content-filled container outlet (202) of the chamber (2) are closed, and a cleaning agent such as an alkaline solution or an acidic solution is sprayed from cleaning nozzles (12) provided at multiple predetermined locations, followed by rinsing. Similarly, during sterilization, the carton blank inlet (201) and the content-filled container outlet (202) of the chamber (2) are closed, and a sterilizing agent is supplied from multiple predetermined locations to perform sterilization.

[0026] As shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4, the transport conveyor (4) has a four-row, one-pitch feed configuration and includes two endless conveyor chains (42) on the left and right sides of the transport path (R) and wound around front and rear sprockets (41), four bottom rails (43) arranged parallel to each other along the transport path (R) between the left and right conveyor chains (42) and supporting the bottoms of the containers (C1), and a large number of container holders (44) installed between the opposing links on the left and right of both conveyor chains (42) and holding the containers (C1) on the four bottom rails (43) with their openings facing upward. At the front end of the transfer conveyor 4, the containers C1 are sequentially transferred from the transfer section 35 of the bottom forming section 3 to the container holders 44 by the carton unloader 35a (see FIG. 1).

[0027] Each container holder (44) has a pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) made of long vertical plate material extending in the left-right direction and connected to the links (421) of both conveyor chains (42), and a total of four pairs of second holding plates (442) made of short vertical plate material extending in the front-back direction and fixed at multiple points along a predetermined length of the front and rear first holding plates (441), each pair consisting of two left and two right plates. The front and rear side walls of the four containers (C1), the bottoms of which are supported by the four bottom rails (43), are held by two front and rear first holding plates (441), and the left and right side walls of each of the four containers (C1) are held by four pairs of two left and right second holding plates (442). In other words, the pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) and the four pairs of two left and right second holding plates (442) form a holding portion (440) that surrounds and holds the container (C1) from the front, rear, left and right. If the container holder (44) is configured with the first holding plates (441) and second holding plates (442) as described above, the vertical flow of clean air within the chamber (2) is not impeded, and a rectifying effect that stably directs the clean air downward is easily achieved. The left and right ends of the pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) are attached to the inner surfaces of the mutually facing links (421) of the left and right conveyor chains (42) via vertical plate-like blocks (45). The pitch of the links (421) of the conveyor chains (42) corresponds to the transport pitch (P) of the containers (C1) by the transport conveyor (4) (see Figure 2). Each of the first holding plate 441 and each of the second holding plates 442 has a hemispherical protrusion 441a, 442a formed thereon to be brought into point contact with the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1. The presence of these hemispherical protrusions 441a, 442a prevents the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1 from coming into close contact with the inner surfaces of each of the first holding plate 441 and each of the second holding plate 442, thereby ensuring that the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1 is sterilized by spraying a sterilant in the sterilization section 7. The upper edge of each first holding plate (441) is provided with an upper protrusion (441b) that protrudes higher than the other portions in the portion that holds the container (C1). These upper protrusions (441b) enable the container (C1) to be held more stably. Furthermore, by reducing the height of the upper edge of the first holding plate (441) other than the upper protrusions (441b), processing of the upper portion of the container (C1) by the top breaker section (6) and the like can be performed smoothly. The tip of each upper protrusion (441b) is inclined obliquely upward and outward in the front-rear direction so as to serve as a guide when the carton unloader (35a) transfers the container (C1) to the holding section (440). The rear first holding plate (441) of the pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) has rear convex portions (441c) bent horizontally rearward at the upper edge between the upper convex portions (441b). These rear convex portions (441c) close the gaps between the adjacent container holders (44) in the front and rear direction where no container (C1) is present, thereby concentrating the flow of clean air around the container (C1).

[0028] FIG. 5 shows a carton blank (CB10) in its initial form used as a material for the container (C1). This carton blank (CB10) is formed by punching a laminate mainly made of paper into a predetermined shape, and both its inner and outer surfaces are composed of thermoplastic resin layers. Furthermore, the laminate may have a barrier layer made of aluminum foil or the like in the middle of its thickness, as needed. The carton blank (CB10) made of the laminate with the above configuration can be folded to form a predetermined shape, but because it has some flexibility, springback may occur after the folding process. As shown in FIG. 5, the carton blank (CB10) is a slightly horizontally elongated rectangular shape, and has a plurality of creases formed thereon for folding into a predetermined shape. Specifically, first, first to fourth vertical fold creases (FR11), (FR12), (FR13), (FR14) for folding the carton blank (CB10) into a rectangular tube shape are formed on the carton blank (CB10) at predetermined intervals in the left-right direction. The first vertical fold crease (FR11) on the far left in Fig. 5 and the third vertical fold crease (FR13) third from the left are straight along their entire length, but the second vertical fold crease (FR12) second from the left has a vertically elongated parallelogram portion (FR121) in its middle, and the fourth vertical fold crease (FR14) on the far right has a vertically elongated hexagon portion (FR141) in its middle. These portions (FR121) and (FR141) form vertically elongated parallelogram and vertically elongated hexagonal chamfered portions (omitted in Figures 7 to 10) at two corners of the content-filled container (C2), which is the final product, making the content-filled container (C2) easy to hold in the hand. Note that the shape of the fold lines constituting the chamfered portions is not limited to the above, and may be, for example, a curved shape other than a parallelogram, such as a rectangle or an oval. Also, there are cases where no chamfered portions are formed. The carton blank (CB10) is also formed with a first upper horizontal fold line (FR21) and a first lower horizontal fold line (FR23) for dividing and folding the area defined by the first to fourth vertical fold lines (FR11), (FR12), (FR13), and (FR14) into a top wall forming area (CB101), a side wall forming area (CB102), and a bottom wall forming area (CB103). The first upper horizontal fold line (FR21) is formed in a diagonal line that slopes slightly upward toward the left between the first and second vertical fold lines (FR11), (FR12), and in a diagonal line that slopes slightly upward toward the right between the third and fourth vertical fold lines (FR13), (FR14). In the bottom wall forming portion (CB103) of the carton blank (CB10), in the portion between the first and second vertical fold lines (FR11) (FR12) and in the portion between the third and fourth vertical fold lines (FR13) (FR14), two lower diagonal fold lines (FR32) are formed so as to form an isosceles triangle with the first lower horizontal fold line (FR23) as its upper side, and a second lower horizontal fold line (FR24) is formed extending in the left-right direction to connect the intersections of each of the two lower diagonal fold lines (FR32), and further, a lower vertical fold line (FR42) is formed extending a short distance from each of the intersections to the lower edge of the carton blank (CB10). A second upper horizontal fold crease (FR22) extending laterally across the entire width of the carton blank (CB10) is formed in the top wall forming portion (CB101) of the carton blank (CB10) slightly below its upper edge. The portion of the carton blank (CB10) above the second upper horizontal fold crease (FR22) serves as a sealing margin for sealing the top opening (C10) of the bottomed rectangular tubular container (C1). Two upper diagonal fold creases (FR31) are formed in the top wall forming portion (CB101) between the first and second vertical fold creases (FR11) (FR12) and between the third and fourth vertical fold creases (FR13) (FR14), respectively, so as to form triangles with the first upper horizontal fold crease (FR21) as the lower side. Each section surrounded by the first upper horizontal fold crease (FR21) and the two upper diagonal fold creases (FR31) forms an upper triangular panel portion (C14) that falls outward in the left-right direction when the top of the container (C1) is folded, as described below (see Figures 5 to 7). The intersections of the two upper diagonal fold creases (FR31) are located on the second upper horizontal fold crease (FR22). An upper vertical fold crease (FR41) is formed so as to extend a short distance from each intersection to the upper edge of the carton blank (CB10). A circular spout attachment portion (CB104) is formed in the top wall-forming portion (CB101) between the second and third vertical fold creases (FR12) and (FR13). This spout attachment portion (CB104) is a thin layer portion (hereinafter referred to as the "spout attachment thin layer portion (CB104)") made of a barrier layer in which the paper layer has been removed from the laminate.

[0029] The carton blank (CB10) in the initial form described above is folded into an envelope shape at the first and third vertical fold lines (FR11) (FR13) so that the surfaces that make up the inner surface of the container (C1) overlap, and the left and right side edges are overlapped and joined by gluing, heat sealing, etc., to form the carton blank (CB11) in the second form folded into a flat sleeve shape as shown in Figure 6, and many of these blanks are stacked and stored in a carton magazine in this form. Next, as described above, the second type carton blank (CB11) is pulled out one by one by a picker from the carton magazine, and folded at approximately right angles along the first to fourth vertical fold lines (FR11), (FR12), (FR13), and (FR14) to form a rectangular cylindrical carton blank (CB12) with a square cross section (see Figure 6(b)), which is then sent by the carton loader (36) to the receiving section (31) of the bottom forming section (3). One end (bottom wall forming section CB103) of this rectangular tubular carton blank CB12 is heated to a predetermined temperature in the bottom heating section 32, and then folded inward along the first lower horizontal fold line FR23, the two lower diagonal fold lines FR32, the second lower horizontal fold line FR24, and the lower vertical fold line FR42 in the bottom breaker section 33 to form creases, and then sealed by ultrasonic sealing, heat sealing, or the like in the bottom sealing section 34. This forms a rectangular tubular container C1 with a bottom.

[0030] As shown in Figure 7, the container (C1) has a rectangular bottom wall (C11) and four side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124) extending upward from the four sides of the bottom wall (C11), with an upper opening (C10) formed by the upper edges of the four side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124). The bottom wall (C11) may be square as shown in the figure, or it may be rectangular, in which case the cross sections of the four side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124) will also be rectangular. In addition, the four side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), (C124) have a side wall forming portion (CB102) below the first upper horizontal fold line (FR21) that forms the side wall of the content-filled container (C2), and a top wall forming portion (CB101) above the first upper horizontal fold line (FR21) that forms the top wall of the content-filled container (C2). The four corners C131, C132, C133, and C134 of the container C1 are all approximately right angles, at least in the lower portion near the bottom wall C11, but may be deformed in the upper portion and not form right angles. More specifically, as shown in Figure 8, the upper portion of the container C1 may be deformed so that the first and third corners C131 and C133 corresponding to the first and third vertical fold creases FR11 and FR13 of the carton blank CB10 form acute angles, and the second and fourth corners C132 and C134 corresponding to the second and fourth vertical fold creases FR12 and FR14 form obtuse angles. This is because, due to the flexibility of the laminate constituting the carton blank (CB10), a springback action occurs in the four side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124) of the container (C1), causing them to return to the shape of the second form of the carton blank (CB11) shown in Figure 6, i.e., a folded, flat sleeve shape, resulting in deformation of the corners (C131), (C132), (C133), and (C134).

[0031] The container (C1) filled with contents through the top opening (C10) in the filling section (8) is folded in the top seal section (9) downstream of the filling section (8) so that the upper parts of the front, rear, left, and right side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), (C124) are folded outward in the left-right direction along the first upper horizontal fold line (FR21), the upper diagonal fold line (FR31), the second upper horizontal fold line (FR22), and the upper vertical fold line (FR41), thereby overlapping and sealing the front and rear edges formed in the top opening (C10) (portions above the second upper horizontal fold line (FR22)). This forms a content-filled container (C2) with a left-right-long flap (C21) at the top, as shown in Figure 9. In the next flap seal section (10), the left and right sides of the flap (C21) are folded downward and sealed to the upper surfaces of the left and right side walls, thereby giving the content-filled container (C2) its final shape of an approximately rectangular parallelepiped as shown in Figure 10. The content-filled container (C2) shown in the figure has a top wall that slopes diagonally downward toward the rear, but the filling and packaging machine of this invention can also be applied to forming content-filled containers with horizontal top walls.

[0032] Figures 11 to 14 show the detailed structure of the top seal portion (9) and its constituent members. In the following description of the top seal portion (9), "front" refers to the right in Figures 11 to 13 and the bottom in Figure 14(a), "rear" refers to the left in Figures 11 to 13 and the top in Figure 14(a), and "left and right" refer to the left and right when viewed from the front. Furthermore, "up and down" refers to the top and bottom in Figures 11(b), 12, 13(b), and 14(c), with the right being the top and the left being the bottom in Figure 14(b).

[0033] As shown in Figures 11(a) and (b), the top seal part (9) includes a sealing mechanism (9A) that performs sealing, and a buckling correction mechanism (9B) that corrects buckling at the top of the container (C1) during sealing.

[0034] The sealing mechanism 9A performs ultrasonic sealing using an ultrasonic horn 911 and anvil 912 of an ultrasonic unit 910. If the first and third corners C131 and C133 of the container C1 are deformed to acute angles and the second and fourth corners C132 and C134 are deformed to obtuse angles as shown by the thick solid lines in Fig. 8 during ultrasonic sealing, the buckling correction mechanism 9B corrects the four corners, shown by the thin two-dot chain lines in Fig. 8, to right angles using the left and right guide members 92L and 92R.

[0035] According to the sealing mechanism (9A), when the container (C1) is transported to the top seal section (9), the arm (913) rotates, the anvil (912) lowers, the ultrasonic horn (911) advances toward the container (C1), the anvil (912) and the ultrasonic horn (911) clamp the top end of the container (C1), and the top opening (C10) is sealed by ultrasonic sealing. The left and right guide members (92L) (92R) of the buckling correction mechanism (9B) are capable of reciprocating movement between a support position (S) that supports (guides and positions) the container (C1) and a retracted position (T) that does not interfere with the container (C1).

[0036] While the container C1 is being moved by the transport conveyor 4, the left and right guide members 92L and 92R are in the retracted position T indicated by T in FIG. 11(a), and when the transport stops, the left and right guide members 92L and 92R are swung to the support position S indicated by S in FIG. 11(a). The left and right guide members (92L) (92R) are adapted to swing about the vertical axes of the pivot shafts (93L) (93R) which are arranged symmetrically in front of the container (C1) transported to the top seal section (9) across the transport path (R) of the container (C1), as the swing center (931L) (931R). The left guide member (92L) and the right guide member (92R) are simultaneously swung left and right from the retracted position (T) toward the support position (S), and each pair of left and right guide members (92L) (92R) supports each row of containers (C1) with their four corners at right angles. In this state, sealing is performed by the sealing mechanism (9A). In the top seal portion (9), the upper portions of the front, rear, left, and right side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124) of the container (C1) shown in Figure 7 are folded outward in the left-right direction along the first upper horizontal fold line (FR21), the upper diagonal fold line (FR31), the second upper horizontal fold line (FR22), and the upper vertical fold line (FR41), and the front and rear edges (hereinafter referred to as top fins (CB105)) formed in the top opening (C10) are overlapped and sealed, thereby forming a content-filled container (C2) with a flap (C21) that is long in the left-right direction at the top.

[0037] 11(b), a pair of levers 914, 915, an air cylinder 916, a cam (not shown), etc. are provided as a device for driving the ultrasonic unit 910. When the levers 914, 915 are swung by a cam (not shown), the ultrasonic horn 911 moves toward or away from the anvil 912. In conventional filling and packaging machines such as those described in Patent Document 1, when ultrasonic sealing is performed on a rectangular tubular container (C1) having a thin layer (CB104) for attaching a pouring tool in the top seal section (9), the thin layer (CB104) for attaching a pouring tool resonates with the ultrasonic vibrations, and the weak thin layer (CB104) for attaching a pouring tool may be unable to withstand the vibrations and tear at the step between it and the laminate where the paper layer has not been removed. The present invention solves this problem, and below, with reference to Figures 12 to 14, a detailed description will be given of an embodiment of a sealing mechanism (9A) for the top seal section (9).

[0038] The sealing mechanism (9A) of this embodiment is characterized in that it is provided with a vibration absorbing mechanism (9C) equipped with a pressing plate (vibration absorbing member) (901), as shown in FIG. 11(b). As shown enlarged in Figure 12, left and right L-shaped blocks 902 are attached to a plate 917 fixed to the ultrasonic unit 910. Stoppers 903 are attached to the upper and lower middle portions of each L-shaped block 902. When the ultrasonic horn 911 advances, the tip of the stopper 903 comes into contact with the stopper contact surface 912a of the anvil 912 and stops the movement. The stopper (903) has a screw-in portion at its tip that allows the tip position to be adjusted so that a predetermined gap (G) remains between the ultrasonic horn (911) and the anvil (912) even when the ultrasonic horn (911) moves forward. This predetermined gap (G) is adjusted to, for example, 0.2 mm. This gap (G) adjusts the amount of compression of the top fin (CB105) during sealing to an appropriate sealing pressure, and also prevents the ultrasonic horn (911) and the anvil (912) from coming into contact when there is no container (C1).

[0039] In addition to the pressure plate (901), the vibration absorbing mechanism (9C) includes left and right pressure plate support members (support members) (904) supported by L-shaped blocks (902), respectively, and compression coil springs (elastic members) (905) interposed between the L-shaped blocks (902) and each pressure plate support member (904) to bias each pressure plate support member (904) toward the anvil (912). The pressing plate (901) is positioned directly below the ultrasonic horn (911) with a gap therebetween so as not to interfere with the ultrasonic horn (911). 13, the pressure plate support member 904 includes a shaft 904a movably inserted through a through-hole 902a formed in the L-shaped block 902, and a mounting portion 904b provided at the front end of the shaft 904a to which the pressure plate 901 is attached. A threaded portion 904c having a smaller diameter than the shaft 904a is provided at the rear end of the shaft 904a, and double nuts 904d and 904e are threaded onto the threaded portion 904c. The position of the pressure plate support member 904 relative to the plate 917 (the position of the pressure plate 901 relative to the plate 917) can be slightly adjusted by changing the screw-fit positions of the double nuts 904d and 904e. The compression coil spring (905) is supported between a rear end surface (904f) of the attachment portion (904b) and a stepped surface (902b) provided on the L-shaped block (902).

[0040] As shown enlarged in Figure 14, the pressing plate (901) consists of a main body (901a) with a wedge-shaped cross section that becomes thinner towards the tip, and rectangular left and right protruding edge portions (901b) that are connected to the left and right edges of the base end of the main body (901a). The tip of the main body 901a forms a contact surface 901c that contacts the top wall forming portion CB101 of the container C1, and the width of the contact surface 901c in the left-right direction is greater than the width of the container C2 including the flap C21. The contact surface 901c is substantially flush with the tip of the ultrasonic horn 911. The contact surface 901c has notches 901d at the portions that contact the corners C131, C132, C133, and C134 of the container C1. The pressure plate (901) is attached so as to connect the left and right pressure plate support members (904), and its left and right protruding edges (901b) are fixed to the mounting portions (904b) of the pressure plate support members (904) by bolts (906).

[0041] When the ultrasonic horn (911) vibrates ultrasonically and starts sealing, the vibrations are transmitted from the top fin (CB105) to the thin layer portion (CB104) for attaching the spout of the top wall forming portion (CB101). At this time, the contact surface (901c) of the pressing plate (901) is in contact with the top fin (CB105), so that the vibrations transmitted to the thin layer portion (CB104) for attaching the spout can be absorbed and suppressed. When the ultrasonic horn (911) presses and crushes the top fin (CB105), the contact surface (901c) of the pressing plate (901) also contacts the top fin (CB105), but the compression coil spring (905) bends to prevent excessive force from being applied to the top fin (CB105). The thickness of the contact surface 901c of the pressing plate 901 is preferably 2.0 to 6.0 mm, more preferably 3.0 to 5.0 mm, and is set to, for example, 4.3 mm. The contact surface 901c of the pressing plate 901 may contact anywhere between the sealing position and the thin portion CB104 for attaching the spout, but it is preferable that it contacts the top fin CB105 supported by the anvil 912. To achieve this, the thickness of the contact surface 901c needs to be thin, but if it is too thin, it will damage the container C1. The force with which the contact surface (901c) is pressed against the top fin (CB105) is preferably 0.5 to 5.0 kgf, more preferably 2.0 to 3.5 kgf, for example 3.0 kgf. The greater the pressing force, the greater the effect of absorbing vibrations, but if the pressing force is too great, it may absorb the vibrations necessary for sealing, causing poor sealing or damaging the container (C1). Although a fluid pressure cylinder or the like may be used instead of the compression coil spring (905) to press the pressing plate (901), the use of a spring as an elastic member allows for a simpler structure. Furthermore, if the pressure plate (901) is made of an elastic material such as elastomer, it will be less likely to damage the container (C1) and the sliding structure and springs can be eliminated, but since the pressure plate (901) needs to be replaced every time it wears out, it is preferable to use a metal plate. Other metals such as aluminum can also be used, but stainless steel (SUS304) is more preferable because of its excellent strength and corrosion resistance. The corners (C131), (C132), (C133), and (C134) of the container (C1) are thicker than other parts due to the line processing of the blank, and there is a risk of them being scratched when pressed by the contact surface (901c). However, by providing cutouts (901d) in the parts of the contact surface (901c) of the pressing plate (901) that come into contact with the corners (C131), (C132), (C133), and (C134) of the container (C1), scratching of the corners (C131), (C132), (C133), and (C134) of the container (C1) is prevented.

[0042] Figure 15 shows the detailed structure of the flap seal portion 10. In the following description of the flap seal portion 10, "front" refers to the right side of Figure 15, "rear" refers to the left side of Figure 15, and "left and right" refer to the left and right sides when viewed from the front. The flap seal section (10) includes a sealing mechanism (10A) that seals the flap (C21) of the content-filled container (C2), and a heating mechanism (10B) that is provided one pitch forward of the sealing mechanism (10A).

[0043] The sealing mechanism (10A) includes a sealing unit (101) consisting of a flap pusher (101a) that folds the flap (C21), an air cylinder (101b), and a tie rod (101c) that connects the flap pusher (101a) and the air cylinder (101b), and an L-shaped lever (102) that lowers the sealing unit (101) toward the content-filled container (C2). The heating mechanism (10B) includes a heater (103) and a nozzle (104). The heating mechanism (10B) blows hot air from the heater (103) through the nozzle (104), thereby melting the resin layer at the sealing position on the underside of the flap (C21) and the side surface of the content-filled container (C2) immediately before the hot air is sent to the sealing mechanism (10A). When a content-filled container (C2) is transported to the flap seal section (10), the L-shaped lever (102) rotates around the swing center axis (102a) located at the intersection of the L, and the seal unit (101) descends toward the content-filled container (C2). Next, the air cylinder (101b) operates, causing the flap pusher (101a) connected by the tie rod (101c) to rotate so as to fold the flap (C21) toward the content-filled container (C2) (shown in Figure 9). The folded flap (C21) is pressed and held against the side of the content-filled container (C2), and a content-filled container (C2) (shown in Figure 10) is obtained in which the flap (C21) has been sealed.

[0044] The sealing mechanism (10A) and heating mechanism (10B) of the above-mentioned flap seal portion (10) are conventional, but the flap seal portion (10) of this embodiment differs from conventional ones in that it is provided with a container bulge suppression mechanism that holds the content-filled container (C2) during sealing. This container bulge suppression mechanism comprises a pressing member 13A and a guide member 15A. The pressing member 13A is for pressing the body portion C22 of the container C2 from the outside and is provided in each container holder 44 of the transfer conveyor 4. The pressing member 13A is movable between a pressing position where it presses the body portion C22 of the container C2 and a standby position where it does not press the body portion C22. The guide member 15A is fixedly provided so that it can contact a predetermined portion of the pressing member 13A to move the pressing member 13A from the standby position to the pressing position.

[0045] The container bulge suppression mechanism will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 16 and 17, a pair of pressing members 13A in this embodiment is provided on the left and right sides of each of the four holding portions 440 of the container holder 44. That is, the pair of pressing members 13A presses the body portion C22 (specifically, the left and right side walls C123, C124) of the container C2 held in each holding portion 440 from both the left and right sides. Note that while it is possible to provide one pressing member per container, providing a pair of pressing members on the left and right as described above is advantageous in that it can more effectively prevent the body portion of the container from expanding. A total of eight guide members (15A) are provided in parallel on the left and right sides in correspondence with the four pairs (eight in total) of pressing members (13A) provided on each container holder (44), and are adapted to be in sliding contact with predetermined portions of each pressing member (13A). Each pressing member 13A has a pressing portion 131 that presses the body portion C22 of the container C2 and a contacted portion 132 that comes into contact with the guide member 15A. Each guide member 15A has a guide portion 151 that comes into sliding contact with the contacted portion 132 of the pressing member 13A. The guide members (15A) are vertically bent plate-shaped members with the longitudinal direction extending in the front-to-rear direction, and eight of them are provided in the space below the container holder (44) near the flap seal portion (10), one pair on each side, with one of the four bottom rails (43) sandwiched between them. Each guide member (15A) has its lower end joined to a mounting base (161) in the form of a horizontal plate that is long in the front-to-rear direction, and the mounting base (161) is mounted across two support bars (162) in the front and rear that are horizontally installed on the left and right side walls (22) of the chamber (2), thereby fixedly providing the guide member at the above position. However, the method of installing the guide member is not limited to the above.

[0046] The guide portion 151 extends a predetermined length from the flap seal portion 10 to both the front and rear of the flap seal portion 10. In this embodiment, the length of the guide portion 151 is such that it extends to the transport positions (positions where the container holder 44 temporarily stops) two pitches before and after the flap seal portion 10. In the top seal section (9) shown in Figure 15, when a content-filled container (C2) with the top opening (C10) of the container (C1) sealed is housed in a container holder (44) and transported by the transport conveyor (4) toward the flap seal section (10), the contacted portion (132) of the pressing member (13A) is brought into sliding contact with the guide member (15A), thereby gradually moving the pressing member (13A) from the standby position (position shown by the solid line in Figure 18) toward the pressing position (position shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 18). Then, when the container (C2) reaches the flap seal portion (10), the movement of the pressing member (13A) to the pressing position is completed, and the body portion (C22) of the container (C2) is pressed from both the left and right sides with a predetermined pressing force by the pressing portion (131) of the pressing member (13A), while the flap (C21) is sealed by the sealing unit (101). The manner of contact between the pressing member and the guide member is not limited to the sliding contact described above, but may be rolling contact using a roller on one side and a cam on the other side, for example.

[0047] 18, the pressing member (13A) is generally stick-shaped with its longitudinal direction extending vertically, has a pressing portion (131) at its upper portion, and a contacted portion (132) at its lower portion, and is swingable about a swing axis extending in the front-rear direction at its intermediate portion. The front-rear width of the pressing member (13A) is smaller than the front-rear width of the window portion of the second holding plate (442). The pressing member (13A) has a generally V-shaped configuration bent toward the holding portion (440) when viewed from the front. A through-hole extending in the front-rear direction is formed through the intermediate portion of the pressing member (13A), and a horizontal shaft member (135) is inserted and fixed into this through-hole so as to protrude on both the front and rear sides. Threaded holes (not shown) are formed in the front and rear ends of the horizontal shaft member (135). Mounting bolts (137) are screwed into the threaded holes at the front and rear ends of the horizontal shaft member (135) through insertion holes formed at required locations on the front and rear first holding plates (441) of the container holder (44). This allows each pressing member (13A) to be pivotally attached to the left and right outer portions of the holding portion (440) of the container holder (44). That is, in this embodiment, the central axis of the horizontal shaft member (135) extending in the front-rear direction serves as the pivot axis of the pressing member (13A). Cylindrical collars (136) are loosely fitted on the outer sides of portions of the horizontal shaft member (135) that are located between the pressing member (13A) and the front and rear first holding plates (441). The pressing portion (131) is formed on the upper portion of the pressing member (13A) so as to protrude toward the holding portion (440), and when the pressing member (13A) is swung to the pressing position, it is pressed against the outer surfaces of the body portion (C22) (left and right side walls) of the container (C2) through the window portion (442b) of the second holding plate (442). The pressing portion (131) has a flat, rectangular pressing surface (131a) when viewed from the holding portion (440), with the upper, lower, front, and rear edges of the pressing surface (131a) chamfered. This configuration prevents the edges of the pressing surface (131a) from scratching the surface of the body (C22) when the pressing portion (131) presses the body (C22) of the container (C2). The size of the pressing surface (131a) is not particularly limited, but typically has a front-to-back width that is approximately 40 to 60% of the front-to-back width of the body (C22) of the container (C2). The pressing portion (131) of the illustrated pressing member (13A) is configured to press the center of the body of the container. However, the position of the body (C22) pressed by the pressing portion (131) is not limited thereto and can be set arbitrarily. The contacted portion (132) is formed on the lower part of the pressing member (13A) on the side of the holding portion (440). In consideration of changes in the contact position between the pressing member (13A) and the guide member (15A) during swinging of the pressing member (13A), the contacted portion (132) in this embodiment is configured to include a first contacted portion (132a) consisting of a flat surface extending at an angle from the lower end of the pressing member (13A) upward toward the holding portion (440), a second contacted portion (132b) consisting of a flat surface extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the lower part of the pressing member (13A) above the first contacted portion (132a), and a third contacted portion (132c) consisting of a horizontal ridge portion between the first contacted portion (132a) and the second contacted portion (132b). The front and rear edges of the first contacted portion (132a) and the second contacted portion (132b) are chamfered, and accordingly, the front and rear ends of the third contacted portion (132c) are also inclined in directions away from the holding portion (440). As a result, the first to third contacted portions (132a), (132b), and (132c) smoothly slide in contact with the guide member (15A) without getting caught on it. An upwardly convex stopper (134) is formed at the upper end of the pressing member (13A). When the pressing member (13A) attempts to swing further from a predetermined pressing position toward the body (C22) of the container (C2), this stopper (134) comes into contact with the upper edge of the window (442b) of the second holding plate (442), thereby restricting the swing of the pressing member (13A). Therefore, there is no risk of the pressing force of the pressing member (13A) becoming greater than necessary, and swelling due to pressing on the body (C22) of the container (C2) can be smoothly suppressed.

[0048] The container holder 44 is provided with a biasing member 14 that biases the pressing member 13A toward the standby position. Therefore, when no external force is applied due to sliding contact with the guide member 15A, the pressing member 13A is held at the standby position by the biasing force of the biasing member 14. The biasing member 14 is made of a torsion coil spring 14. As shown in Figure 20, the torsion coil spring 14 is made up of two coil portions 141, one in the front and one in the rear, a U-shaped connecting portion 142 connecting one end of each of the coil portions 141, and two L-shaped arm portions 143, one in the front and one in the rear, that extend from the other end of each of the coil portions 141 in the direction opposite to the connecting portion 142 and have their tips bent outward in the front-rear direction. The two coil portions (141) are fitted onto the outside of the two collars (136), the connecting portion (142) is engaged with the lower portion of the outer surface of the pressing member (13A) in the front-to-rear direction, and the tip portions of the two arm portions (143) are engaged with the outer surface of the second holding plate (442) in the left-to-right direction, so that the spring elastic force (biasing force) of the torsion coil spring (14) acts in a direction that swings the pressing member (13A) toward the standby position (in a direction in which the pressing portion (131) moves away from the second holding plate (442)). If the container holder (44) were not provided with the above-mentioned biasing member, when the container holder (44) was turned upside down at the rear end position of the transport conveyor (4), and was transported forward in this state and returned to the transfer section (35), the pressing member (13A) would swing to the pressing position or an intermediate position between the pressing position and the standby position due to the action of its own weight, etc., which could cause problems in storing the container (C2) in the holding section (440) of the container holder (44). However, the biasing force of the biasing member (14) reliably returns the pressing member (13A) to the standby position, thereby preventing such problems from occurring.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 19, in more detail, the guide portion (151) of the guide member (15A) is made up of a first guide portion (151a) to a fifth guide portion (151e) provided in this order from front to rear. The first guide portion (151a) at the front end is located closest to the holding portion (440) and extends a short distance substantially parallel to the conveying path (R). The first contacted portion (132a) of the pressing member (13A) at the standby position is brought into sliding contact with the first guide portion (151a). The second guide portion (151b) following this is inclined rearward so as to gradually move away from the holding portion (440). The third contacted portion (132c) of the pressing member (13A) slidingly contacts this second guide portion (151b) during the transition from the standby position to the pressing position. The third guide portion (151c) is disposed in the flap seal portion (10) and extends parallel to the conveying path (R). The second contacted portion (132b) of the pressing member (13A) in the pressing position is brought into sliding contact with the third guide portion (151c). The fourth guide portion (151d) is inclined backward in contrast to the second guide portion (151b) so as to gradually approach the holding portion (440). The third contacted portion (132c) of the pressing member (13A) is in sliding contact with the fourth guide portion (151d) during transition from the pressing position to the standby position. The fifth guide portion (151e) at the rear end is located closest to the holding portion (440) and extends a short distance substantially parallel to the conveying path (R), similar to the first guide portion (151a). The first contacted portion (132a) of the pressing member (13A) in the standby position is brought into sliding contact with the fifth guide portion (151e).

[0050] According to the above-described container bulge suppression mechanism, bulge of the body (C22) of the content-filled container (C2) is suppressed in the following manner. That is, after each cylindrical container (C1) held in the container holder (44) of the transport conveyor (4) is filled with contents, its top opening (C10) is sealed by the top seal section (9) to form a content-filled container (C2) having a flap (C21) at the top, which is then transported by the transport conveyor (4) toward the downstream flap seal section (10). At this stage, the pressing member (13A) provided on the container holder (44) is in a standby position where it does not press the body section (C22) of the container (C2). As the container holder 44 approaches the flap seal portion 10, the contacted portion 132 of the pressing member 13A slides against the guide portion 151 of the guide member 15A, causing the pressing member 13A to slowly swing from the standby position toward the pressing position. Accordingly, the pressing portion 131 of the pressing member 13A begins to press the body portion C22 of the container C2, and the pressing force gradually increases. When the container holder (44) reaches the flap seal portion (10), the pressing member (13A) is moved completely to the pressing position, and a predetermined pressing force is applied to the body portion (C22) of the container (C2) by the pressing portion (131). In this state, the flap (C21) of the container (C2) is sealed to form a content-filled container (C2). When the container holder (44) moves away from the flap seal portion (10) toward the downstream discharge portion (11), the pressing member (13A) is swung from the pressing position toward the standby position. Accordingly, the pressing portion (131) of the pressing member (13A) gradually moves away from the body of the content-filled container (C2). When the contacted portion (132) of the pressing member (13A) reaches the fifth guide portion (151e) at the rear end, the pressing member (13A) returns to the standby position. In the container bulge prevention mechanism of the above embodiment, the pressing member (13A) is configured to return from the pressing position to the standby position by the biasing force of the biasing member (torsion coil spring) (14). Therefore, it is possible to omit the guide members (15A) (i.e., the fourth guide portion (151d) and the fifth guide portion (151e)) that are located after the flap seal portion (10) to guide the swinging of the pressing member (13A). However, if the biasing force of the biasing member (14) acts too quickly on the pressing member (13A) in the pressing position, the pressing member (13A) will return to the standby position too quickly, which may result in damage to the pressing member (13A). Therefore, it is preferable that the pressing member (13A) be gradually guided to the standby position by the guide member (15A) as in the above embodiment.

[0051] As described above, according to the flap seal section (10) of the filling packaging machine (1) of the above embodiment, the container bulge suppression mechanism consisting of the pressing member (13A) and the guide member (15A) gradually applies a pressing force to the body (C22) of the container (C2) filled with contents from just before the flap seal section (10), and the flap (C21) of the container (C2) can be sealed while maintaining the desired pressing force in the flap seal section (10), thereby reliably suppressing the bulge of the content-filled container (C2). Therefore, in conventional filling and packaging machines, when the flap (C21) was folded in at the flap seal section (10), the side of the content-filled container (C2) was pressed by the flap (C21) and became concave, which could result in poor sealing (flap seal coming off). However, in the filling and packaging machine (1) equipped with the above-mentioned flap seal section (10), a container bulge prevention mechanism consisting of a pressing member (13A) and a guide member (15A) is provided in the flap seal section (10), so that the pressing member (13A) can pressurize the body (C22) of the content-filled container (C2) before folding in the flap (C21). This prevents the side of the content-filled container (C2) from becoming concave, eliminating poor flap sealing. Furthermore, in the container bulge prevention mechanism of the above embodiment, the pressing member (13A) and the guide member (15A) that swings it are provided in separate locations, so it can be installed without any problems even in a filling and packaging machine (1) of the above embodiment that transports containers (C2) in multiple rows at close intervals. Moreover, in the case of the above mechanism, the pressing member (13A) can be swung between the standby position and the pressing position by sliding contact with the guide member (15A) as the containers (C2) move on the transport conveyor (4) without using any special power means, which simplifies the structure and makes maintenance and adjustment easy. In addition, the flap sealing section (10) of the filling and packaging machine (1) in the above embodiment forms a content-filled container (C2) while intermittently transporting the container (C2) using the transport conveyor (4), but this invention can also be applied to a filling and packaging machine that continuously transports containers. [Industrial Applicability]

[0052] This invention is a filling and packaging machine that forms content-filled containers by filling and sealing a plurality of containers made of cartons with contents such as beverages and food while transporting them along a predetermined transport path, and is suitably used as a filling and packaging machine equipped with a top seal section that seals the top opening. [Explanation of symbols]

[0053] (1): Filling and packaging machine (4):Transport conveyor (8): Filling section (9): Top seal (901): Presser plate (vibration absorbing member) (901c): Contact surface (901d): Notched part (904): Presser plate support member (support member) (905): Compression coil spring (elastic body) (910): Ultrasonic unit (911): Ultrasonic Horn (912): Anvil (C1): Square cylindrical container (C10): Upper opening (opening) (C2): Container filled with contents (CB10): Carton Blank (CB101):Top wall forming part (CB104): Thin layer part for attaching the spout (C131)(C132)(C133)(C134): Corner

Claims

1. a conveyor that intermittently conveys rectangular cylindrical containers with their openings facing upward; a filling section for filling the rectangular cylindrical container with contents; a top seal portion that seals the opening of the filled rectangular tubular container, The rectangular cylindrical container is formed by folding a carton blank into a predetermined shape, and the carton blank is made of a paper-based laminated material whose inner and outer surfaces are covered with thermoplastic resin layers and which has a barrier layer in the middle of its thickness, and a thin layer for attaching a spout, which has a layer structure in which the paper layer is omitted, is provided in the top wall forming portion, In the filling and packaging machine, the top sealing section clamps and pressurizes the edge of the opening of the filled rectangular tubular container between an ultrasonic horn and an anvil, and ultrasonically vibrates the ultrasonic horn to weld and seal the thermoplastic resin on the surface of the opening edge. A filling and packaging machine characterized in that the top seal portion abuts against the top wall forming portion above the thin layer portion for attaching a pouring tool of the carton blank and is equipped with a vibration absorbing member that absorbs ultrasonic vibrations transmitted to the thin layer portion for attaching a pouring tool.

2. 2. The filling and packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the vibration absorbing member is supported by a support member that moves toward and away from the anvil together with the ultrasonic horn, and the support member is biased toward the anvil by an elastic member.

3. 2. The filling and packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the vibration absorbing member is made of metal.

4. 2. The filling and packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the surface of the vibration absorbing member that abuts against the top wall forming portion has a notched portion that abuts against a corner of the square tubular container.

5. 2. The filling and packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the force with which the vibration absorbing member presses the top wall forming portion is within a range of 0.5 to 5.0 kgf.

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