Primary packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a primary packaging machine for wrapping an object with a film.SOLUTION: In place of a conventional primary packaging machine, a pair of films welded in a strip shape and integrated with each other is fed along an X-axis from left and right sides of an opening toward a central portion of the opening, a horizontal surface on which an object is placed is maintained in a state of being stopped so as to coincide with a stop position lowered from the opening by a predetermined vertical distance, and after the object passes through the opening and falls and is placed on the integrated pair of films, the pair of films passing through the opening and hanging downward is welded in a strip shape at a position above the object and cut to be separated vertically.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a primary packaging machine for wrapping and packaging objects in a film, and more particularly to a primary packaging machine for wrapping and packaging objects in a film as a preparatory process for vacuum packaging the objects in a downstream vacuum packaging machine. [Background technology]

[0002] A primary packaging machine is used to wrap and encase the object in film. A primary packaging machine may be used to wrap objects in film as a prelude to vacuum packaging the objects in a downstream vacuum packaging machine. For example, after a primary packaging machine wraps an object in film, the wrapped object is sent to a downstream vacuum packaging machine, which draws a vacuum through the film to vacuum-package the object.

[0003] Cuts of meat from livestock such as beef, pork, chicken, and large fish that have been separated into many parts (cut meats) are vacuum-packaged one by one at high speed using a small amount of film, and information about the history of the cut meat is printed on each individual package. Traditionally, beef carcasses are distributed as chilled beef, where a whole cow is divided into 26 parts, including loin, belly and fillet, vacuum-packed, and then stored and transported at around 0°C by heating the packaging to shrink the film, or by cooling the packaging without shrinking the film. For example, beef carcasses are packed into 200mm to 600mm wide inflation-molded bags with the bottom sealed, the bags are degassed through the opening with a vacuum packaging machine, the bags are vacuum-sealed, the film is shrunk with a hot water shower, the bags are cooled with cold water, and the bags are stored and delivered at around 0°C.

[0004] For example, the rolled lower film is unwound, the cut meat is placed on top of the lower film, the rolled upper film is unwound and placed over the lower film to seal each cut meat, the center of the sealed portion is cut to form a cylindrical sealed body with the cut meat sandwiched between the upper and lower films, and this cylindrical sealed body is sucked from both openings, the openings are sealed and vacuum sealed to obtain a four-sided sealed body. Various films are available for packaging these cuts of meat. Additionally, users such as mass retailers who wish to simplify tray packaging operations sometimes request that a single animal be divided into 74 or 138 parts, each of which be individually vacuum-packaged.

[0005] When providing a packaging machine that meets these needs, even if the above packaging method is used, the upper and lower films are unwound at a fixed interval for each portion of meat, and the operations of suction and vacuum sealing are performed, so as the portion of meat becomes smaller, the amount of packaging material used increases by two or three times, and packaging efficiency drops to one half or one third. With the above packaging method, the time required for the suction and vacuum sealing operations accounts for a large proportion of the packaging time.

[0006] The inventors have investigated a primary packaging machine that can meet the above needs and further improve the throughput of the work.

[0007] The inventors have considered a primary packaging machine in which, instead of sandwiching an object from above and below with the above-mentioned pair of films to form a cylindrical sealed body, an object is sandwiched from the left and right with a pair of unwound films to seal the top and bottom of the object, the center of the sealed welded part is cut to form a cylindrical sealed body with the portion of meat sandwiched between the left and right films, suction is applied from the openings at both ends of this cylindrical sealed body, the openings are sealed and vacuum sealed to obtain a four-sided sealed body.

[0008] Furthermore, in the above-mentioned primary packaging machine, when the opening is sealed and vacuum sealed to obtain a four-sided sealed body, if the upper and lower sealed areas overlap, sufficient pressure and time are required to vacuum seal the area where the upper and lower sealed areas overlap. The inventors have investigated an operating method for preventing the upper and lower sealing points from overlapping, in order to prevent a decrease in the throughput of the primary packaging machine.

[0009] Furthermore, in the primary packaging machine, if there is an unevenness in the separation dimensions of each of the pair of films, when the remaining length of one film runs out, there is a risk that the remaining length of the other film will become significant. The inventors have investigated an operating method for using up a pair of films at approximately the same time even if there is a difference in the separation dimensions of the pair of films.

[0010] In addition, a pair of films with different remaining lengths may be loaded into the primary packaging machine, and we investigated an operating method that would allow the pair of films to be used up almost simultaneously even in such cases. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0011] The inventors aim to provide a primary packaging machine that meets the above market needs and aims to improve the throughput of operations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a primary packaging machine for wrapping an object in a film, comprising: When the X-axis and Y-axis directions, which are the directions in which the film is fed, are perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane as viewed from above, a work set unit having a frame that forms an opening penetrating in the vertical direction; an object support structure disposed below the opening and supporting the object by aligning a lower surface of the object with a main virtual horizontal plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane; a film supply device that can feed a pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis; a film welding and cutting device that welds the pair of films that have passed through the openings and are hanging down in a strip shape along a Y axis at a position above an object placed on the pair of films, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts; A control device; Equipped with The control device a film feeding function in which the film supply device feeds the pair of films along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening in a state in which the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis while being viewed along the Y axis; a film separation function in which, after the object passes through the opening and falls onto the pair of integrated films laid on the main virtual horizontal plane, the film welding and cutting device welds the pair of films that have passed through the opening and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts; a film lifting function in which the film supply device rewinds one of the pair of films along the X-axis and feeds the other film along the X-axis, or does not feed or rewind, or rewinds the other film along the X-axis, so that the pair of films welded in a strip shape along the Y-axis can be pulled up through the opening; The above steps are repeated in order, and an object wrapped in the pair of films, the upper and lower portions of which are welded with strip-shaped welding portions along the Y axis, is placed on the object support structure.

[0013] In the above configuration of the present invention, When the X-axis and Y-axis directions, which are orthogonal film feed directions within a horizontal plane as viewed from above, are imagined, the work set unit has a frame that forms an opening that penetrates in the vertical direction. The object support structure is disposed below the opening and supports the object by aligning the bottom surface of the object with a virtual main horizontal plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane. The film feeding device can feed a pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening along the X-axis toward the center of the opening, respectively, when viewed along the Y-axis. The film welding and cutting device can weld the pair of films that have passed through the opening and are hanging downward into a strip along the Y-axis above the object, and cut the welded strip along the Y-axis to separate the upper and lower parts. A control device repeatedly performs the film feeding function, the film separating function, and the film lifting function, and places an object wrapped in film whose upper and lower parts are welded with strip-shaped welding parts along the Y axis on an object support structure. The film feeding function is a function in which the film feeding device feeds a pair of films, welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis, from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening along the X axis, when viewed along the Y axis. The film separation function is a function in which, after the object passes through the opening and falls onto a pair of integrated films laid on the main virtual horizontal plane, the film welding and cutting device welds the pair of films that have passed through the opening and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis above the object, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The film lifting function is a function in which the film supply device either rewinds one of a pair of films along the X axis and feeds the other film along the X axis, or does not feed or rewind, or rewinds along the X axis, so that the pair of films welded in a strip shape along the Y axis can be pulled up through the opening. The above functions are repeated in order, and an object wrapped in a pair of films, the upper and lower ends of which are welded with strip-shaped welds along the Y axis, is placed on the object support structure. As a result, the object can be efficiently wrapped in a film connected at the upper and lower welded portions and placed on the main imaginary horizontal plane.

[0014] The primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below. The present invention includes any one of the embodiments described below, or a combination of two or more of them.

[0015] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the film cutting function is realized once, a difference between the cutting dimension of one of the pair of films and the cutting dimension of the other film is a predetermined value, Here, the separation dimension is the dimension along the surface of the film from the upper welded portion of the film enclosing the separated object to the lower welded portion of the film. In the configuration of the above embodiment, when the film separation function is realized once, the difference between the separation dimension of one of the pair of films and the separation dimension of the other film is a predetermined value. As a result, by repeatedly realizing the film separation function, it is possible to differentiate the separation dimensions of the pair of films.

[0016] For each of the pair of films, The separation dimension of the one film is: is a value obtained by subtracting the rewinding dimension of one film when the film pull-up function is performed once immediately before the film feed function from the feed dimension of one film when the film feed function is performed once, The separation dimension of the other film is: When the other film is fed out when the film pulling-up function is performed once, the sum of the feed dimension of the other film when the film pulling-up function is performed once and the feed dimension of the other film when the film pulling-up function is performed once immediately before the film feeding function, When the film pull-up function is performed once, the other film is not fed or rewound; when the film feed-out function is performed once, the feed-out dimension of the other film; The value is either the value when the other film is rewound when the film pull-up function is performed once, or the value obtained by subtracting the value obtained by ... In the configuration of the above embodiment, The separation dimension of the one film is: This is the value obtained by subtracting the rewinding dimension of one film when the film pulling function is realized once from the feeding dimension of one film when the film feeding function is realized once. The separation dimension of the other film is: When the other film is fed out when the film pulling-up function is performed once, the sum of the feed dimension of the other film when the film pulling-up function is performed once and the feed dimension of the other film when the film pulling-up function is performed once immediately before the film feeding function, When the film pull-up function is performed once, the other film is not fed or rewound; when the film feed-out function is performed once, the feed-out dimension of the other film; When the other film is rewound when the film pull-up function is performed once, the value is either the feed dimension of the other film when the film feed-out function is performed once minus the rewind dimension of the other film when the film pull-up function is performed once immediately before the film feed-out function. As a result, by repeatedly realizing the film separation function, it is possible to differentiate the separation dimensions of the pair of films.

[0017] The primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a film remaining length smaller / larger estimating device for estimating a smaller remaining length dimension and a larger remaining length dimension of the pair of films; Equipped with Of the pair of films, the separation dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is smaller than the separation dimension of the film having the larger estimated remaining length dimension. In the configuration of the above embodiment, The remaining film length smaller / larger estimation device estimates the remaining length smaller and the remaining length larger of the pair of films. The separation dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension of the pair of films is smaller than the separation dimension of the film having the larger estimated remaining length dimension. As a result, by repeating the film lifting function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0018] In a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the film pulling-up function is realized once, the rewinding dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is larger by a predetermined value than the rewinding dimension of the film having the larger estimated remaining length dimension. In the configuration of the above embodiment, when the film pulling function is realized once, the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is larger by a predetermined value than the rewinding dimension of the film with the larger estimated remaining length dimension. As a result, by repeating the film lifting function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0019] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the film pulling-up function is realized once, the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is a predetermined value, and the film with the larger remaining length dimension is neither rewound nor fed out. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension when the film pulling function is realized once is a predetermined value, and the film with the larger remaining length dimension is neither rewound nor fed out. As a result, by repeating the film lifting function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0020] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the film pulling-up function is realized once, the sum of the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension and the feeding dimension of the film with the larger estimated remaining length dimension is a predetermined value. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the sum of the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension and the feeding dimension of the film with the larger estimated remaining length dimension when the film pulling function is realized once is the predetermined value. As a result, by repeating the film lifting function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0021] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the film feeding function is realized once, the feeding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is smaller than the feeding dimension of the film with the larger remaining length dimension. In the configuration of the above embodiment, when one film feeding function is realized, the feeding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is smaller than the feeding dimension of the film with the larger remaining length dimension. As a result, by repeating the film feeding function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0022] In a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, when an object wrapped in film is placed on the object support structure, the lower and upper welded portions of the pair of films are spaced apart a predetermined distance along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis. In the configuration of the above embodiment, when an object wrapped in film is placed on the object support structure, when viewed along the Y axis, the lower welded portion and the upper welded portion of the pair of films are separated by a predetermined distance along the X axis. As a result, when the opening is sealed by squeezing from above and below in a subsequent process to form a vacuum seal, the lower welded portion and the upper welded portion do not overlap.

[0023] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, the work set unit has a frame that forms an opening that passes through in the vertical direction, and a gate that has a door structure that can open and close the opening and has an upper gate surface that is an upper surface on which an object can be placed, The control device When the gate closes the opening, and the pair of films fed by the film feeding device along the X-axis from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening as viewed along the Y-axis are welded together in a strip shape along the Y-axis and laid together on the upper surface of the gate, and an object is placed on the pair of films laid together on the upper surface of the gate, the gate realizes an opening opening function in which the gate opens the opening. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the work set unit has a frame that forms an opening that penetrates in the vertical direction, and a gate that has a door structure that can open and close the opening and has an upper gate surface that is an upper surface on which an object can be placed. A control device realizes the opening opening function. The opening opening function is a function of the gate that opens the opening when the gate closes the opening, and the pair of films that the film feeding device feeds along the X-axis from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening as viewed along the Y-axis are welded together in a strip shape along the Y-axis and laid together on the upper surface of the gate, and an object is placed on the pair of films that have been laid on the upper surface of the gate. As a result, the object can be efficiently wrapped in film and placed on the main virtual horizontal plane.

[0024] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, a control device realizes a film feed size determination function that determines a film feed size, which is a size of the film that is fed by the film feed device to wrap and wrap an object, The film feeding function is a function of the film feeding device to feed the pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening along the X axis toward the center of the opening, respectively, so that the total feed dimension, which is the sum of the pair of feed dimensions when the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis and are then fed along the X axis, matching the film feed dimension. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the film feeding size determination function is a function that determines the film feeding size, which is the size of the film that the film feeding device feeds in order to wrap and wrap an object. The film feeding function is a function of the film feeding device to feed the pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening along the X axis toward the center of the opening, respectively, so that the total feed dimension, which is the sum of the pair of feed dimensions when the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis and are then fed along the X axis, matching the film feed dimension. As a result, the object can be efficiently wrapped in film and placed on the main virtual horizontal plane.

[0025] A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises: a lifting device that is disposed below the opening and that can support the object by aligning the bottom surface of the object with a main virtual horizontal plane, which is an imaginary horizontal plane, and raise and lower the object support structure; and a first sensor having an optical sensor that can detect whether an optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not blocked by the object at least at one point on an opening virtual line, which is a virtual line that extends along the X axis near the opening when viewed along the Y axis. Preparation, The control device the film feeding function; an elevator device stop maintaining function that causes the elevator device to stop the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with a stop position that is lowered by a predetermined vertical distance from the specific opening portion, which is a specific portion of the opening, and maintains that state; The film separation function; The film lifting function; and where: The lifting equipment stop maintaining function is a function that maintains the state in which the lifting equipment stops the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with the first stop position, which is a stop position that is a first vertical distance lower than the specific opening portion, and when an object passes through the opening and the optical axis of the first sensor is not obstructed by the object, the lifting equipment maintains the state in which the lifting equipment stops the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with the first stop position. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the lifting device is a device that is arranged below the opening and can support the object by aligning the lower surface of the object with a virtual horizontal plane, which is a main virtual horizontal plane, and raise and lower the object support structure. The first sensor has an optical sensor that can detect whether an optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not blocked by an object at least at one point on the opening virtual line, which is a virtual line extending along the X axis near the opening when viewed along the Y axis. The control device the film feeding function; an elevator device stop maintaining function that causes the elevator device to stop the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with a stop position that is lowered by a predetermined vertical distance from the specific opening portion, which is a specific portion of the opening, and maintains that state; The film separation function; The film lifting function; Achieve this. where: The lifting equipment stop maintaining function is a function that maintains the state in which the lifting equipment stops the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with the first stop position, which is a stop position that is a first vertical distance lower than the specific opening portion, and when an object passes through the opening and the optical axis of the first sensor is not obstructed by the object, the lifting equipment maintains the state in which the lifting equipment stops the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with the first stop position. As a result, the object can be placed on the main virtual horizontal plane supported by the lifting device.

[0026] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, the lifting device stop maintaining function is a function in which, when the lifting device has stopped the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with the first stop position and an object passes through the opening and the optical axis of the first sensor is blocked by the object, the lifting device lowers the object support structure, and when the optical axis of the first sensor is no longer blocked by the object, the lifting device stops the descent and maintains the stopped state of the object support structure. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the lifting equipment stop maintaining function is a function that, when the lifting equipment has stopped the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with the first stop position and an object passes through the opening and the optical axis of the first sensor is blocked by the object, the lifting equipment lowers the object support structure, and when the optical axis of the first sensor is no longer blocked by the object, stops the descent and maintains the stopped state of the object support structure. As a result, the object can be supported by the lifting device and placed on the main virtual horizontal plane according to the size of the object.

[0027] In a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, a second sensor is provided having a plurality of optical sensors that are arranged at predetermined intervals along an opening virtual line, which is a virtual line that extends along the X axis in the vicinity of the opening when viewed along the Y axis, and that can detect whether each optical axis that is emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not blocked by an object, When the film feed dimension determining function is realizing the lifting device stop maintaining function, the film feed dimension is determined based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the plurality of optical sensors of the second sensor. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the second sensor has a plurality of optical sensors that are arranged at predetermined intervals along the opening virtual line, which is a virtual line that extends along the X axis near the opening when viewed along the Y axis, and can detect whether each optical axis that emits along the Y axis is blocked or not by an object. When the film feed dimension determining function is realizing the lifting device stop maintaining function, the film feed dimension is determined based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the plurality of optical sensors of the second sensor. As a result, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is realized, the film feed dimensions are determined based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, so that the film feed dimensions can be determined according to the size of the object.

[0028] In a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, the film feed dimension determination function is a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is realized, derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the contour of the object as viewed along the Y axis, based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the film feed dimension determination function is a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is realized, derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the object contour as viewed along the Y axis, based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter. As a result, the film feeding dimensions can be determined according to the size of the object.

[0029] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, the film feed dimension determination function is a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is realized, records the maximum number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, and determines the film feed dimension from the object contour circumference based on a combination of the vertical separation distance between the specific opening portion and the main virtual horizontal plane when the lifting equipment maintains the state in which the object support structure is stopped and the maximum number of blocked optical sensors recorded. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the film feed dimension determination function is a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is realized, records the maximum number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, and determines the film feed dimension from the object contour circumference based on a combination of the vertical separation distance between the specific opening portion and the main virtual horizontal plane when the lifting equipment maintains a state in which the object support structure is stopped and the maximum number of blocked optical sensors recorded. As a result, the film feeding dimensions corresponding to the size of the object can be easily determined.

[0030] The primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is a device for wrapping an object in a film as a pre-processing step for vacuum packaging the object in a downstream vacuum packaging machine, the object support structure has a main conveyor that is operated by the lifting device to be able to freely move up and down and that can laterally transport an object wrapped in film placed on the main virtual horizontal plane along an X-axis; The primary packaging machine further: a transverse conveyor that supports the object and transports it transversely along the X-axis by aligning the bottom surface of the object wrapped in film with a virtual horizontal transverse plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane, in a state where the object can be received from the main conveyor and by the vacuum packaging machine; a third sensor having an optical sensor that is provided at the boundary between the main conveyor and the transverse conveyor and that can detect whether an optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not by an object being transversely fed from the main conveyor to the transverse conveyor; Equipped with The control device The maximum overall length along the X-axis of an object wrapped in one or more films that can be accepted by the vacuum packaging machine is defined as the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M; an object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function that estimates an object contour X-axis width dimension, which is a width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of an object when the line of sight is aligned along the Y-axis for the object passing through the opening when the lifting equipment stop maintaining function is realized; a function of the lifting device starting the elevation of the main conveyor, aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with a third stop position which is the same vertical position as the traversing virtual horizontal plane, and stopping the main conveyor and maintaining that state; a transverse feeding function in which, when it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour that the overall length along the X-axis direction of the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, does not exceed the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the main conveyor and the transverse conveyor start to transport the film-wrapped object transversely while the main virtual horizontal plane and the transverse feed virtual horizontal plane are aligned, and when the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor are arranged in series and placed on the transverse conveyor, the main conveyor and the transverse conveyor stop their transverse feeding; and where: The vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane is an imaginary horizontal plane that supports an object so that the vacuum packaging machine can receive the object. In the configuration of the above embodiment, the primary packaging machine is a device for wrapping an object in a film as a pre-processing step for vacuum-packaging the object in a downstream vacuum packaging machine. The object support structure has a main conveyor that is operated to be raised and lowered by the lifting device and can laterally transport an object wrapped in film placed on the main virtual horizontal plane along the X axis. The primary packaging machine further: a transverse conveyor that supports the object and transports it transversely along the X-axis by aligning the bottom surface of the object wrapped in film with a virtual horizontal transverse plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane, in a state where the object can be received from the main conveyor and by the vacuum packaging machine; a third sensor having an optical sensor that is provided at the boundary between the main conveyor and the transverse conveyor and that can detect whether an optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not by an object being transversely fed from the main conveyor to the transverse conveyor; Equipped with. The control device The maximum overall length along the X-axis of an object wrapped in one or more films that can be accepted by the vacuum packaging machine is defined as the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M; The device realizes an object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function that estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of an object seen by aligning the line of sight along the Y-axis for an object passing through the opening while the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is being realized; a function that causes the lifting equipment to start raising and lowering the main conveyor, align the main virtual horizontal plane with a third stop position that is the same vertical position as the lateral feed virtual horizontal plane, stop the main conveyor, and maintain that state; and a lateral feed function. The lateral feeding function is a function in which, when it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour, that the overall length along the X-axis direction of the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the lateral feed conveyor, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, does not exceed the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the main conveyor and the lateral feed conveyor start lateral feeding of the film-wrapped object with the main virtual horizontal plane and the lateral feed virtual horizontal plane coinciding, and when the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the lateral feed conveyor are arranged in series and placed on the lateral feed conveyor, the main conveyor and the lateral feed conveyor stop lateral feeding. The vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane is an imaginary horizontal plane that supports an object so that the vacuum packaging machine can receive the object. As a result, one or more objects can be fed transversely into the vacuum packaging machine without waste or overflow.

[0031] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, when it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour, that the total length along the X-axis direction of the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the cross feed conveyor, which are hypothetically arranged in series along the X-axis, exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the main conveyor does not perform cross feed, and the cross feed conveyor lines up the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the cross feed conveyor in series and cross feeds them to the vacuum packaging machine, with the cross feed virtual horizontal plane and the vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane coinciding. In the configuration of the above embodiment, when it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour, that the total length along the X-axis direction of the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor, which are hypothetically lined up in series along the X-axis, exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the transverse function is a function in which, with the transverse feed virtual horizontal plane and the vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane coinciding, the main conveyor does not perform transverse transport, and the transverse conveyor lines up the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor in series and feeds them transversely to the vacuum packaging machine. As a result, one or more objects can be fed transversely into the vacuum packaging machine without waste or overflow.

[0032] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, When the X-axis and Y-axis directions, which are the directions in which the film is fed, are perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane as viewed from above, a work set unit having a frame that forms an opening penetrating in the vertical direction; an object support structure disposed below the opening and supporting the object by aligning a lower surface of the object with a main virtual horizontal plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane; a film supply device that can feed a pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis; a film welding and cutting device that welds the pair of films that have passed through the openings and are hanging down in a strip shape along a Y axis at a position above an object placed on the pair of films, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts; A control device; Equipped with The control device a film feeding function in which the film supply device feeds the pair of films along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening in a state in which the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis while being viewed along the Y axis; a film separation function in which, after the object passes through the opening and falls onto the pair of integrated films laid on the main virtual horizontal plane, the film welding and cutting device welds the pair of films that have passed through the opening and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts; the above steps are repeated in order, and the object wrapped in the pair of films, the upper and lower portions of which are welded with strip-shaped welding portions along the Y axis, is placed on the object support structure; When the film separation function is realized once, a difference between a separation dimension of one of the pair of films and a separation dimension of the other film is a predetermined value, Here, the separation dimension is the dimension along the surface of the film from the upper welded portion of the film enclosing the separated object to the lower welded portion of the film.

[0033] In the configuration of the above embodiment, when the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, which are the directions in which the film is supplied that are perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane when viewed from above, are imagined, the work set unit has a frame that forms an opening that penetrates in the vertical direction. The film supply device can feed a pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis. The film welding and cutting device can weld the pair of films that have passed through the opening and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis above an object, and cut the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts. A control device repeatedly performs the film feeding function, the film separation mechanism, and the film lifting function, and places an object wrapped in a pair of films, the upper and lower ends of which are welded with strip-shaped welding portions along the Y axis, on an object support structure. The film feeding function is a function in which the film feeding device feeds a pair of films, welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis, from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening along the X axis, when viewed along the Y axis. The film separation function is a function in which, after the object passes through the opening and falls onto a pair of integrated films laid on the main virtual horizontal plane, the film welding and cutting device welds the pair of films that have passed through the opening and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis above the object, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The above functions are repeated in order, and an object wrapped in a pair of films, the upper and lower ends of which are welded with strip-shaped welds along the Y axis, is placed on the object support structure. When the film separation function is realized once, the difference between the separation dimension of one of the pair of films and the separation dimension of the other film is a predetermined value. Here, the separation dimension is the dimension along the surface of the film from the upper welded portion of the film enclosing the separated object to the lower welded portion of the film. As a result, by repeatedly realizing the film separation function, it is possible to differentiate the separation dimensions of the pair of films.

[0034] In the primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention, when the film feeding function is realized once, the feeding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is smaller than the feeding dimension of the film with the larger remaining length dimension. In the configuration of the above embodiment, when one film feeding function is realized, the feeding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is smaller than the feeding dimension of the film with the larger remaining length dimension. As a result, by repeating the film feeding function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously. [Effects of the Invention]

[0035] As described above, the primary packaging machine according to the present invention has the following effects due to its configuration.

[0036] An object is placed on the pair of films that have been welded together above the opening, the pair of films is fed out, and after the object covered with the pair of films from bottom to top is placed on the main imaginary horizontal plane, the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape above the object and separated into upper and lower parts at the welded part, one of the pair of films connected by the welded part is rewound so that the pair of films can pass through the opening and be pulled up, and the other film is either fed out, not fed out, or rewound, or rewound, so that the object can be efficiently wrapped and wrapped in films connected at the upper and lower welded parts and placed on the main imaginary horizontal plane.

[0037] When the film separation function is realized once, the difference between the separation dimension of one film of the pair of films and the separation dimension of the other film is set to a predetermined value, so that the separation dimensions of the pair of films can be made different each time the film separation function is realized.

[0038] The separation dimension of the one film is: is a value obtained by subtracting the rewinding dimension of one film when the film pull-up function is performed once immediately before the film feed function from the feed dimension of one film when the film feed function is performed once, The separation dimension of the other film is: When the other film is fed out when the film pulling-up function is performed once, the sum of the feed dimension of the other film when the film pulling-up function is performed once and the feed dimension of the other film when the film pulling-up function is performed once immediately before the film feeding function, When the film pull-up function is performed once, the other film is not fed or rewound; when the film feed-out function is performed once, the feed-out dimension of the other film; When the other film is rewound when the film pull-up function is performed once, or when the other film is fed out when the film feed-out function is performed once minus the rewinding dimension of the other film when the film pull-up function is performed once immediately before the film feed-out function. The difference in the separation dimension of the pair of films can be selected.

[0039] When the film pulling-up function is performed once, the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is set to be larger by a predetermined value than the rewinding dimension of the film with the larger estimated remaining length dimension, so that by repeating the film pulling-up function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0040] When the film pulling-up function is performed once, the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is set to be larger by a predetermined value than the rewinding dimension of the film with the larger estimated remaining length dimension, so that by repeating the film pulling-up function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0041] When the film pulling-up function is performed once, the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is a predetermined value, and the film with the larger remaining length dimension is neither rewinded nor fed out, so that by repeating the film pulling-up function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0042] When the film pulling-up function is performed once, the sum of the rewinding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension and the feeding dimension of the film with the larger estimated remaining length dimension is set to a predetermined value, so that by repeating the film pulling-up function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0043] When the film feeding function is realized once, the film feeding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is set to be smaller than the film with the larger remaining length dimension, so that by repeating the film feeding function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0044] When an object wrapped in film is placed on the object support structure, if the lower and upper welded parts of the pair of films are spaced a predetermined distance apart along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis, the lower and upper welded parts will not overlap when they are compressed from above and below and vacuum welded in a later process.

[0045] The gate closes the opening, and the pair of films welded together above the opening are placed on the gate, with the object being placed on the films; after the gate opens the opening, the pair of films are fed out, and after the object covered by the pair of films from bottom to top is placed on the main imaginary horizontal plane of the object support structure, the pair of films are welded in a strip shape above the object, and the welded parts are cut to separate the top and bottom, so that the object can be efficiently wrapped and wrapped in film and placed on the main imaginary horizontal plane of the object support structure.

[0046] The gate closes the opening, and the pair of films that have been welded together are placed on the gate, and the object is placed on the films with the pair of films then opened. After the gate opens the opening, the pair of films are fed out so that the sum of the feed dimensions of the pair of films matches the film feed dimension. After the object is placed on the main imaginary horizontal plane of the object support structure, the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape above the object, and the welded portion is cut to separate the object into top and bottom halves. This allows the object to be efficiently wrapped in film and placed on the main imaginary horizontal plane of the object support structure.

[0047] A first sensor is disposed at at least one location on an opening virtual line, which is a virtual line extending along the X-axis near the opening when viewed along the Y-axis, and when the object support structure is stopped at a first stop position and an object passes through the opening, and the optical axis of the first sensor is not blocked by the object when the object passes through the opening, the lifting device does not raise or lower the object support structure and maintains the state of being stopped at the first stop position, so that the object can be placed on the main virtual horizontal plane of the object support structure.

[0048] A first sensor is arranged at at least one location on the virtual line of the opening, and when the object passes through the opening while the object support structure is stopped at a first stop position, the lifting device raises and lowers the object support structure and starts to descend from the first stop position when the optical axis of the first sensor is no longer blocked by the object, maintaining the state of stopping at the second stop position, which is the position where the object support structure will stop when the optical axis of the first sensor is no longer blocked by the object.Therefore, an object can be placed on the main virtual horizontal plane of the object support structure according to its size.

[0049] When the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is realized, the film feed dimensions are determined based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, so that the film feed dimensions can be determined according to the size of the object.

[0050] When the object is falling, the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the object's contour as seen along the Y-axis, is calculated based on the number of optical sensors of the second sensor whose optical axes are blocked, and the film feed dimension is determined from the calculated object contour perimeter, so that the film feed dimension can be determined according to the size of the object.

[0051] When the object is falling, the film feed dimensions are determined based on the vertical distance between the specific opening portion and the main virtual horizontal plane at the stop position where the stopped state is maintained, and the maximum number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, so that the film feed dimensions can be easily determined according to the size of the object.

[0052] The X-axis width dimension of the object contour is estimated, and when it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour that the total length along the X-axis direction of the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and one or more film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, does not exceed the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the object placed on the main conveyor is fed transversely to the transverse conveyor, so that one or more objects can be fed transversely to the vacuum packaging machine efficiently and without protrusion.

[0053] The X-axis width dimension of the object contour is estimated, and when it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour that the total length along the X-axis direction of the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the main conveyor is not moved, and the single or multiple objects placed on the transverse conveyor are sent transversely in their entirety to the vacuum packaging machine, so that the single or multiple objects can be sent transversely to the vacuum packaging machine efficiently and without protrusion.

[0054] A pair of films welded together in a strip shape above the opening is fed out, and after the lower surface of the object placed on the pair of films is aligned with the main virtual horizontal plane, the pair of films are welded in a strip shape above the object and separated into upper and lower parts at the welded part.When one film separation function is realized, the difference between the separation dimensions of one of the pair of films and the separation dimensions of the other film is set to a predetermined value, so that the separation dimensions of the pair of films can be differentiated each time the film separation function is realized.

[0055] When the film feeding function is realized once, the film feeding dimension of the film with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is set to be smaller than the film with the larger remaining length dimension, so that by repeating the film feeding function, the pair of films can be used up almost simultaneously. Therefore, it is possible to provide a primary packaging machine that meets market needs and aims to improve work throughput. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0056] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a side view of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a first explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a second explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a third explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a fourth explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]FIG. 5 is a fifth explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 6 is a sixth explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 7 is a seventh explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 8 is an eighth explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is an eleventh explanatory diagram of the operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0057] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described. A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a plan view of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a first explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a second explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a third explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 7 is a fourth explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a functional block diagram of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 9 is a fifth explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 10 is a sixth explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 11 is a seventh explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 12 is an eighth explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a ninth explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 14 is a tenth explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 15 is an eleventh explanatory diagram of the operation of a primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0058] The primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention is a device for wrapping an object 20 in a film 50 . The primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be an apparatus for wrapping and wrapping an object 20 in a film 50 as a preliminary step for vacuum packaging the object 20 in a downstream vacuum packaging machine 900. Here, the vacuum packaging machine 900 is a device that sucks from both openings a cylindrical sealed body in which a cut of meat is wrapped in a film 50, and seals both openings to obtain a four-sided sealed body that is vacuum sealed. In the following, for the sake of convenience, unless otherwise specified, the object 20 will be described as a beef carcass, and the primary packaging machine will be described as an apparatus for wrapping and packaging the object 20 in film 50 as a pre-processing step for vacuum packaging the object 20 in a downstream vacuum packaging machine 900.

[0059] The primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention comprises a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, and a control device (not shown). A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured with a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, a control device (not shown), and a film remaining length smaller / larger estimation device 700. A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be comprised of a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a lifting device 200, a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, and a control device (not shown).

[0060] A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured with a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a lifting device 200, a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, a control device (not shown), and a first sensor L1. A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured with a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a lifting device 200, a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, a control device (not shown), a first sensor L1, and a second sensor L2. A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured with a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a lifting device 200, a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, a control device (not shown), a cross-feed conveyor 600, a first sensor L1, a second sensor L2, and a third sensor L3. A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured with a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a lifting device 200, a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, a control device (not shown), a cross-feed conveyor 600, a first sensor L1, a second sensor L2, a third sensor L3, and a fourth sensor L4. A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured with a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, a control device (not shown), a cross-feed conveyor 600, a second sensor L2, and a third sensor L3. A primary packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured with a work set unit 100, an object support structure (not shown), a film supply device 300, a film welding and cutting device 400, a control device (not shown), a cross-feed conveyor 600, a second sensor L2, a third sensor L3, and a fourth sensor L4.

[0061] For convenience of explanation, the following description will be given assuming that X-axis and Y-axis directions are orthogonal to each other in a horizontal plane as viewed from above. The X axis is the direction in which the film is fed. For example, the X-axis is an imaginary axis that extends in the direction in which the object 20 is transported from the primary packaging machine to the vacuum packaging machine 900 when viewed from above. In the following, the following terms are used for ease of explanation: The main imaginary horizontal plane H is an imaginary horizontal plane that coincides with the lower surface of the object 20 wrapped in a film supported by the object support structure. When the lifting device 200 controls the main conveyor 500 so that it can move up and down freely, the main virtual horizontal plane H is a virtual horizontal plane that coincides with the bottom surface of the object 20 supported by the main conveyor 500. The opening imaginary line G is an imaginary line that extends along the X axis near the opening O when viewed along the Y axis. For example, the opening imaginary line G is an imaginary line that extends along the X axis along the top surface T of the gate 120 that closes the opening O when viewed along the Y axis. The transverse feed virtual horizontal plane J is a virtual plane that coincides with the bottom surface of the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 that is supported by the transverse feed conveyor 600 and transported transversely. The vacuum packaging machine imaginary horizontal plane K is an imaginary plane that coincides with the bottom surface of the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 supported by the vacuum packaging machine 900. Vertical is the direction in which gravity acts.

[0062] The work set unit 100 is the basic structure of the primary packaging machine and is composed of a frame 110. The work set unit 100 is the basic structure of the primary packaging machine and may be composed of a frame 110 and a gate 120 . The frame 110 has a structure that forms an opening O that penetrates in one direction. The frame 110 may have a structure in which an opening O is formed through the frame 110 in the vertical direction. The frame 110 may have a structure in which an opening O is formed that penetrates obliquely. The opening may have a contour formed of four sides that are substantially parallel to the X-axis and Y-axis when viewed from above. The frame 110 may be structured to support the lifting device 200, film supply device 300, film welding and cutting device 400, main conveyor 500, cross-feed conveyor 600, first sensor L1, second sensor L2, third sensor L3, and fourth sensor L4, which will be described later.

[0063] The gate 120 has a door structure that can open and close the opening O and has a gate upper surface T that is an upper surface on which the target object 20 can be placed.

[0064] The gate 120 may be composed of a pair of slide gates 121 and 122 . The pair of slide gates 121, 122 can open the opening O by moving left and right along the X axis from the center of the opening O when viewed along the Y axis, and can close the opening O by bringing their tips facing each other at the center of the opening O. At this time, the frame 110 has a structure that forms the opening O that penetrates in the vertical direction. The gate upper surface T formed by the pair of slide gates 121 and 122 may be a surface that slopes upward as it transitions from the tip to the base. In this way, when the pair of slide gates 121, 122 close the opening O with their tips facing each other in the center of the opening O, the gate upper surface T formed by the pair of slide gates 121, 122 has a shallow V-shape. For example, a pair of slide gates 121 and 122 can open the opening O by moving their ends to the left and right of the opening O along the X axis, respectively. For example, a pair of slide gates 121 and 122 can open the opening O by moving their ends to the left and right of the opening O along the Y axis, respectively.

[0065] The object support structure (not shown) is a structure that is disposed below the opening O and supports the object 20 by aligning the lower surface of the object 20 with a main virtual horizontal plane H, which is an imaginary horizontal plane. The object support structure (not shown) may be configured as the main conveyor 500. For ease of explanation, the following description will be given assuming that the object support structure (not shown) is the main conveyor 500.

[0066] The lifting device 200 is a device that supports an object support structure and manipulates it so that it can be raised and lowered. For example, the lifting device 200 is a device that manipulates the main conveyor 500, which is the object support structure, so that it can be raised and lowered. The lifting device 200 can support the object 20 by aligning the lower surface of the object 20 with the main virtual horizontal plane H via the object support structure. The lifting device 200 may be disposed below the opening O and supported by the frame 110 . For example, the lifting device 200 is disposed directly below the opening O and is supported by the frame 110. The lifting device 200 can freely raise and lower the main conveyor 500. The surface of the main conveyor 500, which is controlled by the lifting device 200 and on which the object 20 is placed, coincides with the main virtual horizontal plane H. For example, the lifting device 200 can freely raise and lower the main conveyor 500, align the main virtual horizontal plane H with one of the first stop position Z1, the second stop position Z2, and the third stop position Z3 to stop the main conveyor 500, and maintain that stopped state. Here, the second stop position Z2 varies depending on the size of the object. For example, the second stop position Z2 is lower when the vertical dimension of the target object 20 is large, and is higher when the vertical dimension of the target object 20 is small. When the lifting device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 and the main imaginary horizontal plane H coincides with the first stop position Z1, the main imaginary horizontal plane H coincides with a position lower than the specific opening portion by a first vertical distance h1. Here, the first vertical distance h1 corresponds to the height dimension of the outline of a predictably small object 20 among the objects 20 when viewed along the Y axis. For example, the first vertical distance h1 corresponds to the height dimension of the contour of a predictably small object 20 when viewed along the Y axis, plus a margin of height. When the lifting device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 and the main virtual horizontal plane H coincides with the second stop position Z2, the main virtual horizontal plane H coincides with a position that is lowered by a second vertical distance h2 from the specific opening portion. The second stop distance h2 is an arbitrary distance that varies depending on the size of the object 20 that is lifted or lowered as a result of the lifting device 200 lifting or lowering the main conveyor 500. For example, the second stop distance h2 is an arbitrary distance that varies depending on the height dimension of the object 20 that is raised or lowered as a result of the lifting device 200 raising or lowering the main conveyor 500. When the lifting device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 and the main virtual horizontal plane H coincides with the third stop position Z3, the main virtual horizontal plane H coincides with a position that is lowered by a third vertical distance h3 from the specific opening portion. When the elevator device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 and the main imaginary horizontal plane H coincides with the third stop position Z3, the main imaginary horizontal plane H becomes the same height as a lateral feed imaginary horizontal plane J, which will be described later. The opening specific portion is a specific portion of the opening O. The specific opening portion may be a specific portion of the V-shaped virtual opening line G. For example, the opening specific portion coincides with the bottom of the opening virtual line G. For example, the specific opening portion coincides with the optical axis of the optical sensor of the first sensor L1. In the following, a case where the opening specific portion coincides with the bottom of the opening virtual line G will be described as an example.

[0067] Film supply device 300 is a device that can feed a pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of opening O toward the center of opening O along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis. The film supply device 300 may be a device that can feed a pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis and along the top of the opening O, when viewed along the Y axis. The film supply device 300 may be a device that can feed a pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis. The film supply device 300 may be a device that can feed a pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis and rewind them in the opposite directions when viewed along the Y axis. The film supply device 300 may be comprised of a pair of film roll holders 310 , a pair of film roll rotation mechanisms 320 , and a pair of film roll diameter sensors 330 . When viewed along the Y axis, a set of film roll holder 310, film roll rotation mechanism 320, and film roll diameter sensor 330 are arranged on the left and right sides of opening O, respectively. The film roll holder 310 is a device that holds the film roll 51 around which the film 50 is wound so that the film roll 51 can rotate freely. The film roll rotation mechanism 320 is a mechanism that can rotate the film roll 51 . The film roll diameter sensor 330 is a sensor that can detect the diameter of the film roll 51 . The length of the unwound film 50 can be calculated based on the diameter of the film roll 51 detected by the film roll diameter sensor 330 and the forward rotation angle of the film roll 51. For example, when the film roll rotation mechanism 320 rotates the film roll holder 310 in the forward direction, the film 50 is fed out. For example, when viewed along the Y axis, the film supply device 300 can feed a pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis so that the total feed dimension, which is the sum of the pair of feed dimensions, matches the film feed dimension. For example, when viewed along the Y axis, the film supply device 300 feeds one film 50 along the X axis toward the center of the opening O by half the film feed dimension, and feeds the other film 50 along the X axis toward the center of the opening O by half the film feed dimension. As a result, the total feed dimension matches the film feed dimension. Here, the film delivery dimension is the dimension of the film 50 that is required for the primary packaging machine to wrap and encase the object 20 .

[0068] For example, when viewed along the Y axis, the film supply device 300 feeds one film 50 along the X axis toward the center of the opening O by the feed dimension of the one film 50, and feeds the other film 50 along the X axis toward the center of the opening O by the feed dimension of the other film 50. The sum of the feed dimension of one film 50 and the feed dimension of the other film 50 corresponds to the film feed dimension. For example, the feed dimension of one film 50 and the feed dimension of the other film 50 are each half the film feed dimension. As a result, the sum of the pair of film feed dimensions matches the film feed dimension.

[0069] Furthermore, when viewed along the Y axis, the film supply device 300 rewinds one film 50 from the center of the opening O in one direction along the X axis by one film rewinding dimension, and also rewinds the other film 50 from the center of the opening O in the other direction along the X axis by the other film rewinding dimension.

[0070] Furthermore, when viewed along the Y axis, the film supply device 300 rewinds one film 50 from the center of the opening O in one direction along the X axis by the rewinding dimension of one film, and does not feed or rewind the other film 50.

[0071] Furthermore, when viewed along the Y axis, the film supply device 300 rewinds one film 50 from the center of the opening O in one direction along the X axis by one film rewinding dimension, and feeds the other film 50 toward the center of the opening O along the X axis by the other film feeding dimension.

[0072] For example, when the film roll rotation mechanism 320 reverses the film roll holder 310, the film 50 is unwound. For example, the film supply device 300 can rewind the pair of films 50 along the X axis from the center of the opening O to the left and right of the opening O, respectively, so that the total rewind dimension, which is the sum of the pair of rewind dimensions when viewed along the Y axis, matches the film rewind dimension. For example, when viewed along the Y axis, the film supply device 300 rewinds one film 50 by half the film rewinding dimension along the X axis toward either the left or right of the opening O, and rewinds the other film 50 by half the film rewinding dimension along the X axis toward the other left or right of the opening O. As a result, the total rewinding dimension matches the film rewinding dimension. Here, the film rewinding dimension is the dimension by which the film supply device 300 rewinds the film. The length of the film 50 to be rewound can be calculated based on the diameter of the film roll 51 detected by the film roll diameter sensor 330 and the reverse rotation angle of the film roll 51.

[0073] The film welding and cutting device 400 is a device that can weld a pair of films 50 that have passed through an opening O and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, and cut the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded part 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. As a result, the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 can be separated from the pair of films 50 . The film welding and cutting device 400 may be a device that can weld a pair of films 50 that have passed through an opening O and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, and cut the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The film welding and cutting device 400 may be a device that can weld a pair of films 50 that have passed through an opening O and are hanging down in a strip shape along the Y axis at a position near the opening O and above the object, and cut the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The film welding and cutting device 400 may be a device that can weld a pair of films 50 that have passed through an opening O and are hanging downward into a strip along the Y axis at a position below the opening O and above the object, and cut the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The film welding and cutting device 400 may be a device that can weld a pair of films 50 that have passed through an opening O and are hanging down in a strip shape along the Y axis at a position above the opening O and above an object, and cut the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The film welding and cutting device 400 may be a device that can weld a pair of films 50 that are sent out along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O, pass through the opening O, and hang down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, and cut the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The film welding and cutting device 400 is composed of a film welding device 410 and a film cutting device 420 . The film welding device 410 is a device that welds the pair of films 50 that have passed through the opening O and are hanging down in a strip shape along the Y axis at a position above the object 20. The film welding device 410 may be a device that welds a pair of films 50 that are sent out from the left and right sides of the opening O along the X axis toward the center of the opening O, pass through the opening O, and hang down in a strip shape along the Y axis at a position above the object 20. For example, the film welding device 410 applies pressure along the Y axis to the pair of films 50 hanging downward from the center of the opening O at a position above the object 20, and heats them. For example, the film welding device 410 vibrates and applies pressure to a pair of films 50 hanging downward from the center of the opening O along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, thereby heating the films. The film cutting device 420 is a device that cuts the welded portion 60, which is a band-shaped welded portion, along the Y axis. For example, the film cutting device 420 cuts the film 50 with a cutter along the Y axis at the center in the width direction of the band-shaped welded portion 60, which is the welded band-shaped portion. For example, the film cutting device 420 is a cutter, and cuts the film 50 along the Y axis at the center in the width direction of the welded band-shaped portion 60, which is the welded band-shaped portion. As a result, the pair of welded films 50 are separated into upper and lower parts, and the pair of welded films 50 that have been integrated remain above the opening O, and the film 50 that has been welded to each other at the top and bottom to form a tube is left below the opening O, wrapping around the object 20.

[0074] The main conveyor 500 is a device that is arranged below the opening O, supports the object 20 by aligning the bottom surface of the object 20 with a main virtual horizontal plane H, which is an imaginary horizontal plane, and can transport the object 20 wrapped in a film 50 placed on the main virtual horizontal plane H laterally along the X axis. The main conveyor 500 may be a device that is positioned directly below the opening O and supports the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 by aligning the underside of the object 20 with a main virtual horizontal plane H, which is an imaginary horizontal plane, and can transport the object 20 placed on the main virtual horizontal plane H laterally along the X-axis. For example, the main conveyor 500 is a roller conveyor driven by a servo motor. The roller conveyor has multiple rollers arranged at equal intervals along the X axis. An imaginary horizontal line connecting the tops of a plurality of rollers arranged at equal intervals along the X axis coincides with the main imaginary horizontal plane H. For example, the main conveyor 500 is a belt conveyor driven by a servo motor. The main conveyor 500 is disposed below the opening O. For example, the main conveyor 500 is positioned directly below the opening O. The main virtual horizontal plane H may coincide with a traversing virtual horizontal plane J, which will be described later. Here, the transverse feed virtual horizontal plane J is a virtual horizontal plane that supports the bottom surface of the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 when the transverse feed conveyor 600 described later transports the object 20 transversely along the X axis.

[0075] The main conveyor 500 may be a device that can be raised and lowered by the lifting device 200 and can laterally transport the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main virtual horizontal plane H along the X axis. For example, the main conveyor 500 is a roller conveyor driven by a servo motor. The main conveyor 500 can be raised and lowered by being freely operated by the lifting device 200. When the lifting device 200 raises and lowers the main conveyor 500 and stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, the main virtual horizontal plane H is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion. When the lifting device 200 raises and lowers the main conveyor 500 and stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the second stop position Z2, the main virtual horizontal plane H is lowered by a second vertical distance h2 from the specific opening portion. When the lifting device 200 raises and lowers the main conveyor 500 and stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3, the main virtual horizontal plane H is lowered by a third vertical distance h3 from the specific opening portion. When the lifting device 200 raises and lowers the main conveyor 500 and stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3, the main virtual horizontal plane H becomes at the same height as the lateral feed virtual horizontal plane J described later.

[0076] The transverse conveyor 600 is a device that can transversely feed the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 in a state where it can be received from the main conveyor 500 and in a state where it can be received by the vacuum packaging machine 900. The transverse conveyor 600 is a device that can transversely feed the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 along the X axis in a state where it can be received from the main conveyor 500 and in a state where it can be received by the vacuum packaging machine 900. The transverse conveyor 600 is a device that can support the object 20 and feed it transversely along the X-axis by aligning the underside of the object 20 wrapped in film 50 with a virtual horizontal transverse plane J, which is a virtual horizontal plane, in a state where it can be received from the main conveyor 500 and by the vacuum packaging machine 900. The horizontal plane J of the horizontal conveyor 600 can coincide with the horizontal plane K of the vacuum packaging machine 900. The transverse conveyor 600 may be a plurality of transverse conveyors 600 connected in series. For example, the transverse conveyor 600 is composed of a first transverse conveyor 610 and a second transverse conveyor 620 that are arranged in series along the X axis. The first transverse conveyor 610 can transversely convey the object 20 wrapped in film 50 along the X axis in a state where it can be received from the main conveyor 500 and by the second transverse conveyor 620. The second transverse conveyor 610 can transversely convey the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 along the X axis in a state where it can be received from the first transverse conveyor 610 and by the vacuum packaging machine 900.

[0077] The remaining film length smaller / larger estimation device 700 is a device that estimates the remaining length of a pair of films, ie, the smaller remaining length dimension and the larger remaining length dimension. When a pair of films is unwound in a roll, the remaining film smaller / larger length estimation device 700 may estimate the smaller remaining length dimension and the larger remaining length dimension based on the output of the pair of film roll diameter sensors 330.

[0078] The vacuum packaging machine 900 supports the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 by aligning the lower surface of the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 with the virtual horizontal plane K of the vacuum packaging machine. The vacuum packaging machine 900 is a device that receives the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 from the transverse conveyor 600, and draws a vacuum at both openings of the cylindrical film 50 to seal it. The maximum overall length along the X axis of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 that can be accepted by the vacuum packaging machine 900 is defined as the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M.

[0079] The first sensor L1 has an optical sensor that can detect whether the optical axis emitted along the Y axis at one point on the opening virtual line G is blocked or not blocked by the object 20 when viewed along the Y axis. The opening imaginary line G is an imaginary line that extends along the X axis near the opening when viewed along the Y axis. The opening imaginary line G may be an imaginary line along the gate 120 when the gate 120 closes the opening O when viewed along the Y axis. The opening imaginary line G may be an imaginary line along the gate upper surface T of the gate 120 in a state where the gate 120 closes the opening O when viewed along the Y axis. The first sensor L1 has an optical sensor that can detect whether the optical axis emitted along the Y axis at a point approximately in the center of the opening virtual line G is blocked / not blocked by the object 20 when viewed along the Y axis with the gate 120 closing the opening O. The optical sensor of the first sensor L1 is composed of a light emitter arranged on one side along the Y axis with an opening O in between, a light receiver arranged on the other side along the Y axis, and a drive circuit that drives the light emitter and the light receiver. The first sensor L1 is composed of one or more optical sensors. The first sensor L1 may be configured with one optical sensor. The first sensor L1 may be configured as one of a plurality of optical sensors of the second sensor L2, which will be described later.

[0080] The second sensor L2 has a sensor that can output information for estimating the X-axis width dimension of the object contour, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when viewed with the line of sight along the Y-axis for the object 20 passing through the opening O. The second sensor L2 may have a camera system capable of outputting information for estimating the X-axis width dimension of the object contour, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 as it passes through the opening O when the line of sight is aligned along the Y-axis. The second sensor L2 may have a plurality of optical sensors that are arranged at predetermined intervals along the opening virtual line G and can detect whether each optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked / not blocked by the object 20 when viewed along the Y axis. The opening imaginary line G is an imaginary line that extends along the X axis near the opening when viewed along the Y axis. The opening imaginary line G may be an imaginary line along the gate upper surface T of the gate 120 in a state where the gate 120 closes the opening O when viewed along the Y axis. The structure of the optical sensor of the second sensor L2 may be the same as the structure of the optical sensor of the first sensor L1. The plurality of optical sensors of the second sensor L2 may include the optical sensor of the first sensor L1.

[0081] The third sensor L3 is located at the boundary between the main conveyor 500 and the cross-feed conveyor 600 and has an optical sensor that can detect whether the optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not by the object 20 being transported laterally from the main conveyor 500 to the cross-feed conveyor 600. The structure of the optical sensor may be the same as that of the optical sensor of the first sensor L1.

[0082] The fourth sensor L4 is located at the boundary between the transverse conveyor 600 and the vacuum packaging machine 900 and has an optical sensor that can detect whether the optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not by the object 20 being transported transversely from the transverse conveyor 600 to the vacuum packaging machine 900. The structure of the optical sensor may be the same as that of the optical sensor of the first sensor L1.

[0083] The control device (not shown) is a device that can control the primary packaging machine. For example, the control device (not shown) is configured as a computer. A computer consists of a CPU, memory, and I / O. Software for realizing multiple functions is installed on the computer.

[0084] The control device (not shown) has software installed therein that allows the primary packaging machine to perform a number of functions. The control device (not shown) may be configured to realize a film feeding function F30, a lifting device stop maintaining function F40, a film separation function F50, and an opening closing function F80. The control device (not shown) may be configured to realize an opening function F20, a film feeding function F30, a lifting device stop maintaining function F40, a film separation function F50, and an opening closing function F80. The control device (not shown) may be configured to implement a film feed size determination function F10, an opening opening function F20, a film feed function F30, a lifting device stop maintaining function F40, a film separation function F50, and an opening closing function F80. The control device (not shown) may be configured to realize a film feed dimension determination function F10, an opening opening function F20, a film feed function F30, a lifting device stop maintenance function F40, a film separation function F50, an opening closing function F80, and a film lifting function F70. The control device (not shown) may be configured to realize a film feed dimension determination function F10, an opening opening function F20, a film feed function F30, a lifting device stop maintenance function F40, a film separation function F50, an opening closing function F80, a film rewind dimension determination function F60, and a film pull-up function F70. The control device (not shown) may be configured to implement a film feed dimension determination function F10, an opening opening function F20, a film feed function F30, a lifting device stop maintenance function F40, a film separation function F50, an opening closing function F80, a film rewind dimension determination function F60, a film pulling up function F70, an object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90, and a lateral feed function F100.

[0085] The control device (not shown) implements a plurality of functions in a specific order by means of software installed therein. The control device (not shown) may perform the following functions in order: opening opening function F20, film feeding function F30, lifting device stop maintaining function F40, film separation function F50, opening closing function F80, film pulling up function F70, and lateral feeding function F100. The control device (not shown) may perform the opening function F20, the film feeding function F30, the lifting device stopping and maintaining function F40, the film separation function F50, the film pulling function F70, the opening closing function F80, and the lateral feed function F100 in that order. The control device (not shown) may be configured to implement the film delivery dimension determination function F10 when implementing the opening function F20 and the lifting device stop maintenance function F40. The control device (not shown) may implement the object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 when implementing the film delivery function F30 and the elevator device stop maintenance function F40.

[0086] A control device (not shown) sequentially realizes a film feeding function F30, a film separation function F50, and a film lifting function F70, and places an object wrapped in film whose upper and lower parts are welded with strip-shaped welding portions along the Y axis onto an object support structure. The control device (not shown) sequentially realizes a film feeding function F30, a lifting device stop maintaining function F40, a film separation function F50, and a film lifting function F70, and an object wrapped in film whose upper and lower parts are welded with strip-shaped welding portions along the Y axis may be placed on the object support structure.

[0087] The film feed size determination function F10 is a function that determines the film feed size, which is the size of the film 50 that the film supply device 300 needs to feed in order to wrap the object 20 around.

[0088] The film feeding dimension determination function F10 may be a function that determines the film feeding dimension based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked by the object 20 among the plurality of optical sensors of the second sensor L2. The film feed dimension determination function F10 may be a function that records the number of optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axes are blocked by the object 20, and determines the film feed dimension based on the recorded number of blocked optical sensors. The film feed dimension determination function F10 may be implemented when the opening function F30 and the elevator device stop maintenance function F40 are implemented. For example, the film feed dimension determination function F10 is implemented when the opening function F30 and the lifting device stop maintenance function F40 are implemented and the target object 20 is falling. For example, when the opening function F30 and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 are realized, the film feed dimension determination function F10 records in chronological order the number of optical sensors among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axis is blocked by the object 20, and determines the film feed dimension based on the number of blocked optical sensors recorded in chronological order.

[0089] The film feed dimension determination function F10 may be a function that records the number of optical sensors among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axis is blocked by the object 20, derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the contour of the object 20 when viewed with the line of sight along the Y axis, based on the recorded number of blocked optical sensors, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter. The film feed dimension determination function F10 may be implemented when the opening function F30 and the elevator device stop maintenance function F40 are implemented. For example, the film feed dimension determination function F10 realizes the opening function F30 and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40, and when the object 20 is falling, it records the number of optical sensors among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axis is blocked by the object 20 in accordance with the elevation position of the main virtual horizontal plane H, which changes over time, and derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the contour of the object 20 as viewed with the line of sight along the Y axis, based on the number of blocked optical sensors recorded in accordance with the elevation position of the main virtual horizontal plane H, which changes over time, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter.

[0090] The film feed dimension determination function F10 may be a function that realizes the opening function F30 and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40, and records the maximum number of optical sensors among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axes are blocked by the object 20 when the object 20 is falling, and determines the film feed dimension from the object contour circumference based on a combination of the vertical distance between the specific opening location and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the lifting equipment 200 maintains the stopped state of the main conveyor 500 and the maximum recorded number of blocked optical sensors.

[0091] The film feed dimension determination function F10 may be a function that realizes the opening function F30 and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40, and when the object 20 is falling, records the maximum number of optical sensors among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axes are blocked by the object 20, derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the contour of the object 20 as viewed along the Y axis, based on a combination of the vertical separation distance between the specific opening location and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the lifting equipment 200 maintains the main conveyor 500 in a stopped state and the maximum recorded number of blocked optical sensors, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter. The film feed dimension determination function F10 may be implemented when the opening function F30 and the elevator device stop maintenance function F40 are implemented. For example, the film feed dimension determination function F10 may be a function that, when the opening function F30 and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 are implemented and the object 20 is falling, records the maximum number of optical sensors among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axis is blocked by the object 20, derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the contour of the object 20 as viewed along the Y axis, based on a combination of the vertical separation distance between the specific opening location and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the main conveyor 500 is kept stopped while the lifting equipment 200 is implementing the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40, and the maximum recorded number of blocked optical sensors, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter. For example, the film feed dimension determination function F10 may be a function that, when the opening function F30 and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 are implemented and the object 20 is falling, records the maximum number of optical sensors among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axis is blocked by the object 20 in accordance with the elevation position of the main virtual horizontal plane H that changes over time, derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the contour of the object 20 as viewed along the Y axis, based on a combination of the vertical separation distance between the specific opening location and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the main conveyor 500 is kept stopped while the lifting equipment 200 is implementing the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40, and the maximum number of blocked optical sensors recorded in accordance with the elevation position of the main virtual horizontal plane H that changes over time, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter. FIG. 6 is an example of a table that derives the "film advance dimension" from the "stroke" and the "maximum number of blocked optical sensors." The "stroke" in FIG. 6 corresponds to the "vertical distance between the main virtual horizontal plane H and the specific opening portion when the lifting device 200 maintains a stopped state while the lifting device stop maintaining function F40 is being implemented."

[0092] The film feed dimension determination function F10 may be a function that captures an image of the object 20 from the side with a camera, derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the contour of the object 20, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter.

[0093] The opening opening function F20 is a function of the gate 120 to open the opening O when the gate 120 closes the opening O, and the pair of films that the film supply device 300 has sent out along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis and laid on the gate upper surface T, and the object 20 is placed on the pair of films 50 that have been laid on the gate upper surface T.

[0094] The opening opening function F20 may be such that, when the gate 120 closes the opening O, and a pair of films 50 that the film supply device 300 has sent out along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis and laid on the gate upper surface T, the gate 120 opens the opening O when a certain time has passed since the object 20 was placed on the pair of films 50 laid on the gate upper surface T and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 was blocked.

[0095] The film feeding function F30 is a function that feeds the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O when the film supply device 300 is viewed along the Y axis and the pair of films 50 are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis. The film feeding function F30 may be a function of feeding the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis, when the film supply device 300 is viewed along the Y axis and the pair of films 50 are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis.

[0096] The film feeding function F30 is a function that, when the gate 120 starts to open the opening O, the film supply device 300 feeds the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O, respectively, in a state where the pair of films 50 are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis when viewed along the Y axis. For example, the film feeding function F30 is a function that, when the gate 120 starts to open the opening O, the film supply device 300 feeds the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis, with the pair of films 50 welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis when viewed along the Y axis. For example, as a result of realizing the opening opening function F20, the film feeding function F30 is a function in which, when the gate 120 begins to open, the film supply device 300 feeds out the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis, with the pair of films 50 welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis when viewed along the Y axis. For example, as a result of realizing the opening opening function F20, the film feeding function F30 is a function in which, from the time when the gate 120 starts to open and the opening O starts to open, the film supply device 300 feeds the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis, with the pair of films 50 welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis when viewed along the Y axis. For example, the film feeding function F30 is a function that, as a result of realizing the opening opening function F20, when the gate 120 starts to open and the opening O is halfway open, the film supply device 300 feeds the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis, with the pair of films 50 welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis when viewed along the Y axis. For example, the film feeding function F30 is a function that, as a result of realizing the opening opening function F20, after the gate 120 starts to open and the opening O is opened, the film supply device 300 feeds the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O along the X axis toward the center of the opening O, with the pair of films 50 welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis when viewed along the Y axis.

[0097] The film feeding function F30 may be a function of feeding the pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O along the X axis toward the center of the opening O, respectively, so that the total feeding dimension, which is the sum of the pair of feeding dimensions, matches the film feeding dimension, when the pair of films 50 are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis and are integrated together when the film supply device 300 is viewed along the Y axis.

[0098] The lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 is a function in which the lifting equipment 200 aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with a stop position that is a predetermined vertical distance lower than the specific opening portion, stops the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state. When the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized, the stop position that coincides with the main virtual horizontal plane H when the lifting equipment 200 maintains the state in which the main conveyor 500 is stopped changes in the vertical direction in accordance with the dimensions of the object 20. When the elevator equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized, the stop position that coincides with the main virtual horizontal plane H when the elevator equipment 200 maintains the state in which the main conveyor 500 is stopped changes in the vertical direction in accordance with the height dimension of the outline of the object 20 when viewed along the Y axis. As a result, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized, the vertical distance between the opening O and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the lifting equipment 200 stops the main conveyor 500 changes according to the dimensions of the object 20. For example, if the dimensions of the object 20 are small, the vertical distance between the opening O and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the elevator equipment 200 stops the main conveyor 500 when the elevator equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized will be small, and if the dimensions of the object 20 are large, the vertical distance between the opening O and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the elevator equipment 200 stops the main conveyor 500 when the elevator equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized will be large. When realizing the elevator equipment stop maintenance function F40, the vertical distance of the main virtual horizontal plane H from the specific opening portion when the elevator equipment 200 stops the main conveyor 500 may change in the vertical direction in accordance with the height dimension of the outline of the object 20 when viewed along the Y axis. When the elevator equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized, the vertical distance of the main virtual horizontal plane H from the specific opening portion when the elevator equipment 200 stops the main conveyor 500 changes in the vertical direction in accordance with the height dimension of the contour of the object 20 when viewed along the Y axis. For example, if the height dimension of the contour of the object 20 when viewed along the Y axis is small, the vertical distance between the opening O and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the elevator equipment 200 stops the main conveyor 500 when the elevator equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized will be small, and if the height dimension of the contour of the object 20 when viewed along the Y axis is large, the vertical distance between the opening O and the main virtual horizontal plane H when the elevator equipment 200 stops the main conveyor 500 when the elevator equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized will be large.

[0099] The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, in a state in which the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with a first stop position Z1, which is a stop position that is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is not blocked by the object 20 when the object 20 passes through the opening O, the lifting equipment 200 does not raise or lower the main conveyor 500, but aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, stops the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state. The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, in a state in which the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with a first stop position Z1, which is a stop position that is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion, and when the object 20 passes through the opening O and falls and is supported by the main virtual horizontal plane H, the lifting equipment 200 does not raise or lower the main conveyor 500, but aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and stops the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state. The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with a first stop position Z1, which is a stop position that is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion, and the object 20 starts to fall and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 changes from a state in which it is blocked by the object 20 to a state in which it is not blocked by the object 20, the lifting equipment 200 does not raise or lower the main conveyor 500, but aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, stops the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state. The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with a first stop position Z1, which is a stop position that is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion, and the object 20 starts to fall and while the object 20 is falling, the optical axis of the first sensor L1 changes from a state in which it is blocked by the object 20 to a state in which it is not blocked by the object 20, without the lifting equipment 200 raising or lowering the main conveyor 500, so as to align the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and to stop the main conveyor 500 and maintain that state.

[0100] The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, which is a stop position that is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion, and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is not blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 has finished opening the opening O, the lifting equipment 200 does not raise or lower the main conveyor 500, but maintains the state in which the main conveyor 500 is stopped by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, which is a stop position. For example, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, which is a stop position that is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion, and the object 20 starts to fall and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20, when the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20, the lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, which is a stop position, without raising or lowering the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state.

[0101] The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1 and the object 20 passes through the opening O and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20, the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20, stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state. At this time, the stop position that coincides with the main virtual horizontal plane H when the elevator device 200 stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state is referred to as a second stop position Z2. The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1 and the object 20 has passed through the opening O but the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20, the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state when the main conveyor 500 has descended a certain Z-axis distance z from the time when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20. For example, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and the object 20 starts to fall and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20, the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20 but the optical axis of the first sensor L1 remains blocked by the object 20, the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20 and the main conveyor 500 has descended a certain Z-axis distance z, the lifting equipment 200 stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state. Here, the constant Z-axis distance z is a constant distance in the vertical direction. In this way, when the descent is stopped, a necessary gap can be secured between the upper part of the object 20 and the first sensor L1.

[0102] The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O, the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20, stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state. The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 when the object 20 falls and the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O, stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state when the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500 and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20. The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and the object 20 falls so that the underside of the object 20 aligns with the main virtual horizontal plane H and the gate 120 has finished opening the opening O, and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20, the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20, stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state. The lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O, the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state when the main conveyor 500 has descended a certain Z-axis distance z from the time when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20. For example, the lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 is a function that stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state when the lifting equipment 200 aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, the object 20 starts to fall, and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20, and when the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O, the optical axis of the first sensor L1 remains blocked by the object 20, and the lifting equipment 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and the main conveyor 500 has descended a certain Z-axis distance z from the time the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20, and maintains that state.

[0103] The lifting device stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that maintains the state in which the lifting device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 without raising or lowering it when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is not blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O in a state in which the lifting device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, which is a stop position that is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O in a state in which the lifting device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O, the lifting device 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20.

[0104] The lifting device stop maintaining function F40 may be a function that, when the lifting device 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with a first stop position Z1, which is a stop position located a first vertical distance h1 below the specific opening portion, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is not blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 has finished opening the opening O, the lifting device 200 maintains the stopped state of the main conveyor 500 without raising or lowering it, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 has finished opening the opening O while the lifting device 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500, the lifting device 200 starts descending the main conveyor 500 from the first stop position Z1, and stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20. The second stop position Z2 is a stop position where the main imaginary horizontal plane H is lowered by a second vertical distance h2 from the specific opening portion. The second vertical distance h2 corresponds to a dimension of the object 20. The second vertical distance h2 may correspond to a height dimension of the object 20. For example, the lifting device stop maintaining function F40 is a function that, in a state where the lifting device 200 has stopped the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, which is a stop position that is lowered by a first vertical distance h1 from the specific opening portion, when the object 20 starts to fall and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20, the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O, and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 becomes unblocked by the object 20 and maintains this state, the lifting device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 without raising or lowering it. When the object 20 starts to fall and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 while the lifting device 200 is stopping the main conveyor 500, if the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is still blocked by the object 20 when the gate 120 finishes opening the opening O, the lifting device 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500, and when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20, the function stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains the stopped state when it has descended a certain Z-axis distance z from the time when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20. The constant Z-axis distance z may be preset.

[0105] The film separation function F50 is a function in which, after the object 20 passes through the open opening O and falls onto a pair of integrated films 50 laid on the main imaginary horizontal plane H, the film welding and cutting device 400 welds the pair of films 50 that have passed through the opening O and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, and cuts the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded part 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. As a result, the object wrapped in the film can be separated from the pair of films 50. The film separation function F50 may be a function in which, after the object 20 passes through the open opening O and falls onto a pair of integrated films 50 laid on the main imaginary horizontal plane H, the film welding and cutting device 400 welds the pair of films 50 that have passed through the opening O and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, and cuts the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The film separation function F50 may be a function in which, after the object 20 passes through the open opening O and falls onto the pair of films 50 that have been integrated and laid on the main imaginary horizontal plane H, the film welding and cutting device 400 sends out the pair of films 50 along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O, and welds the pair of films 50 that have passed through the opening O and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, and cuts the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts.

[0106] For example, the film separation function F50 is a function in which, after the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 and a certain time has passed since the optical axis is no longer blocked, the film welding and cutting device 400 sends out a pair of films 50 along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O, passes through the opening O, and hangs down, and welds them into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, and cuts the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The certain time is sufficient for the object 20 to pass through the opening O and reach the main imaginary horizontal plane H of the main conveyor 500. For example, the film separation function F50 is a function in which, when the optical axis of the fifth sensor L5 is blocked by the object 20, the film welding and cutting device 400 sends out a pair of films 50 along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O, respectively, and welds them into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20, and cuts the welded strip-shaped portion, the welded portion 60, along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. The fifth sensor L5 has a light sensor that projects an optical axis along the main imaginary horizontal plane H. The optical axis of the optical sensor of the fifth sensor L5 is blocked by the object 20 placed on the main virtual horizontal plane H. When the object 20 is not on the main virtual horizontal plane H, the optical axis of the optical sensor of the fifth sensor L5 is not blocked.

[0107] The film rewinding dimension determination function F60 is a function that determines the film rewinding dimension, which is the dimension by which the film supply device 300 rewinds the film 50. The film rewind dimension is the sum of the rewind dimensions of a pair of films 50 . The film rewind dimension may be a preset dimension.

[0108] Here, the film rewinding dimension is the sum of the one film rewinding dimension, which is the rewinding dimension of one film 50 of the pair of films 50, and the other film rewinding dimension, which is the rewinding dimension of the other film 50. Alternatively, the film rewinding dimension is the difference between the one film rewinding dimension, which is the rewinding dimension of one film 50 of a pair of films 50, and the other film payout dimension, which is the payout dimension of the other film 50.

[0109] The film lifting function F70 is a function in which the film supply device either rewinds one film 50 of the pair of films 50 along the X axis and feeds the other film 50 along the X axis, or does not feed or rewind, or rewinds along the X axis, so that the pair of films 50 welded in a strip shape along the Y axis can be pulled up through the opening O.

[0110] For example, the film lifting function F70 is a function in which the film supply device 300 rewinds one of a pair of films 50 welded in a strip shape along the Y axis along the X axis so that the pair of films 50 welded in a strip shape along the Y axis can be pulled up through the opening O, and does not rewind or feed the other film 50.

[0111] For example, the film lifting function F70 is a function in which the film supply device 300 rewinds one of a pair of films 50 welded in a strip shape along the Y axis along the X axis, and also rewinds the other film 50 along the X axis so that the pair of films 50 welded in a strip shape along the Y axis can be pulled up through the opening O.

[0112] For example, the film lifting function F70 is a function in which the film supply device 300 rewinds one film 50 of a pair of films 50 welded in a strip shape along the Y axis along the X axis and feeds out the other film 50 along the X axis so that the pair of films 50 welded in a strip shape along the Y axis can be pulled up through the opening O.

[0113] The film pulling function F70 may be a function of rewinding the pair of films 50 along the X axis from the center of the opening O to the left and right of the opening O so that the total rewind dimension, which is the sum of the pair of rewind dimensions when the film supply device 300 is viewed along the Y axis and the pair of films 50 are rewinded along the X axis from the center of the opening O to the left and right, matches the film rewind dimension. For example, the film pulling function F70 is a function that rewinds a pair of films 50 from the center of the opening O to the left and right of the opening O along the X axis so that the total rewind dimension, which is the sum of the pair of rewind dimensions when the film supply device 300 is viewed along the Y axis and the pair of films 50 are rewinded along the X axis from the center of the opening O to the left and right, matches the film rewind dimension. After realizing the film separation function F50, the film lifting function F70 is realized.

[0114] When the film separation function F50 is realized once, the difference between the separation dimension of one film 50 of the pair of films 50 and the separation dimension of the other film 50 is a predetermined value. The separation dimension is the dimension along the surface of the film 50 from the upper weld 60 to the lower weld 60 of the film enclosing the separated object.

[0115] The separation dimension of one film 50 is the value obtained by subtracting the rewinding dimension of one film 50 when a single film feeding function F70 is realized from the feeding dimension of one film 50 when a single film feeding function F30 is realized.

[0116] The separation dimensions of the other film 50 differ as follows depending on whether the other film 50 is fed out, neither fed out nor rewound, or rewound when one film pulling function F70 is realized. When the other film 50 is fed out when one film pulling-up function F70 is realized, the separation dimension of the other film 50 may be the sum of the feeding dimension of the other film 50 when one film feeding function F30 is realized and the feeding dimension of the other film 50 when one film pulling-up function F70 is realized immediately before the film feeding function F30. When the other film 50 is neither fed nor rewound when one film pulling function F70 is realized, the separation dimension of the other film 50 may be the feeding dimension of the other film 50 when one film feeding function F30 is realized. When the other film 50 is rewound when one film pull-up function F70 is realized, the separation dimension of the other film 50 may be a value obtained by subtracting the rewinding dimension of the other film 50 when one film pull-up function F70 is realized immediately before the film feed-out function F70 from the feed-out dimension of the other film 50 when one film feed-out function F30 is realized.

[0117] The predetermined value may be determined in advance. The predetermined value may correspond to the remaining length dimension of the film 50, which will be described later. The predetermined value may correspond to the difference in the remaining length dimension of a pair of films 50, which will be described later. For example, the greater the difference in the remaining length dimension between the pair of films 50, the greater the predetermined value.

[0118] The separation dimension of the film 50 of the pair of films 50 having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension may be smaller than the separation dimension of the film 50 having the larger estimated remaining length dimension. By repeating this process, it may be possible to roughly synchronize the replacement times of a pair of films.

[0119] The separation dimension of the film 50 of the pair of films 50 having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension may be larger than the separation dimension of the film 50 having the larger estimated remaining length dimension. By repeating this process, the pair of films can be replaced at different times.

[0120] In the following, the film 50 with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension will be referred to as one film 50a, and the film 50 with the larger estimated remaining length dimension will be referred to as the other film 50b, and an embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the figures.

[0121] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating a first embodiment of the present invention. When one film lifting function F70 is realized, one film 50a is rewound, and the other film 50b is neither rewound nor fed. The unwound dimension of one film 50a is a predetermined value. For example, when the film feeding function F30 is realized, the feeding dimension of one film 50a and the feeding dimension of the other film 50b are approximately equal, and when the film pulling function is realized immediately before the film feeding function F30, the rewinding dimension of one film 50a is a predetermined value, and the other film 50b is neither rewound nor fed. 11(A) and (E) show how, when the film lifting function F70 is realized, one film 50a is rewound, while the other film 50b is neither rewound nor fed out. FIG. 11(B) shows how, when the film feeding function F30 is implemented immediately thereafter, one film 50a is fed out and the other film 50b is fed out by the same feeding dimension as the one film 50a. 11(C) and (D) show how, when the film separation function F50 is realized once, the separation dimension of one film 50a is smaller than the separation dimension of the other film 50b by a predetermined value. Predetermined value = [rewinding dimension of one film 50a when one film pull-up function F70 is realized].

[0122] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the present invention. When one film pulling-up function F70 is performed, one film 50a is rewound and the other film 50b is fed. The sum of the rewind dimension of one film 50a and the feed dimension of the other film 50b is a predetermined value. For example, when the film feeding function F30 is realized, the feeding dimension of one film 50a and the feeding dimension of the other film 50b are approximately equal, and when the film pulling function F70, which is performed once immediately before the film feeding function F30, is realized, the sum of the rewinding dimension of one film 50a and the feeding dimension of the other film 50b is a predetermined value. 12(A) and (E) show how one film 50a is rewound and the other film 50b is fed when film pull-up function F70 is realized. FIG. 12(B) shows how, when the film feeding function F30 is implemented immediately thereafter, one film 50a is fed out and the other film 50b is fed out by the same feeding dimension as the one film 50a. 12(C) and (D) show how, when a single film separation function F50 is realized, the separation dimension of one film 50a is smaller than the separation dimension of the other film 50b by a predetermined value. Predetermined value = [rewinding dimension of one film 50a when one film pull-up function F70 is realized] + [feed-out dimension of the other film 50b when one film pull-up function F70 is realized]

[0123] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram illustrating a third embodiment of the present invention. When the film pull-up function F70 is performed once, one film 50a is rewound and the other film 50b is also rewound. The unwinding dimension of one film 50a is larger than the unwinding dimension of the other film 50b by a predetermined value. For example, when the film feeding function F30 is realized, the feeding dimension of one film 50a and the feeding dimension of the other film 50b are approximately equal, and when the film pulling function F70 is realized immediately before the film feeding function F30, the rewinding dimension of one film 50a is larger by a predetermined value than the film rewinding dimension of the other film 50b. 13(A) and (E) show how, when the film pulling-up function F70 is realized, one film 50a is rewound and the other film 50b is rewound by a smaller rewinding dimension than the one film 50a. FIG. 13(B) shows how, when the film feeding function F30 is implemented immediately thereafter, one film 50a is fed out and the other film 50b is fed out by the same feeding dimension as the one film 50a. 13(C) and (D) show how, when a single film separation function F50 is realized, the separation dimension of one film 50a is smaller than the separation dimension of the other film 50b by a predetermined value. Predetermined value = [rewinding dimension of one film 50a when the film pull-up function F70 is realized once] - [rewinding dimension of the other film 50b when the film pull-up function F70 is realized once]

[0124] FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fourth embodiment of the present invention. When the film feeding function F30 is realized once, one film 50a is fed and the other film 50b is also fed. The payout dimension of one film 50a is smaller than the payout dimension of the other film 50b. For example, when the film feeding function F30 is realized, the feeding dimension of one film 50a is smaller than the feeding dimension of the other film 50b by a predetermined value, and when the film pulling function F70 is realized once just before the film feeding function F30, the rewinding dimension of one film 50a is equal to the rewinding dimension of the other film 50b. 14(A) and (E) show how, when the film pull-up function F70 is realized, one film 50a is rewound and the other film is rewound by the same rewinding dimension as the one film 50a. FIG. 14(B) shows how, when the film feeding function F30 is implemented immediately thereafter, one film 50 is fed out and the other film 50b is fed out by a feeding dimension greater than the feeding dimension of one film 50a. 14(C) and (D) show how, when one film separation function F50 is realized, the separation dimension of one film 50a is smaller than the separation dimension of the other film 50b by a predetermined value. Predetermined value=[the feeding dimension of the other film 50b when the single film feeding function F30 is realized]−[the feeding dimension of the one film 50a when the single film feeding function F30 is realized].

[0125] FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating a fifth embodiment of the present invention. When the film feeding function F30 is realized once, one film 50a is fed and the other film 50b is also fed. Film lifting function F70 is not realized. When the film feeding function F30 is realized, the feeding dimensions of one film 50a and the feeding dimensions of the other film 50b are different. For example, when the film feeding function F30 is implemented, the feeding dimension of one film 50a is smaller than the feeding dimension of the other film 50b by a predetermined value, and the film pulling function F70 is not implemented immediately before the film feeding function F30. 15(A) and (E) show the state in which the film lifting function F70 is not realized. FIG. 15(B) shows that when the film feeding function F30 is realized immediately thereafter, one film 50a is fed out and the other film 50b is fed out by a feeding dimension larger than the feeding dimension of the one film 50a. In FIGS. 15(C) and 15(D), when a single film separation function F50 is realized, the separation dimension of one film 50a is smaller than the separation dimension of the other film 50b by a predetermined value. Predetermined value=[the feeding dimension of the other film 50b when the single film feeding function F30 is realized]−[the feeding dimension of the one film 50a when the single film feeding function F30 is realized].

[0126] When an object wrapped in film 50 is placed on an object support structure, the lower and upper welded portions of the pair of films may be spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis. In this way, when the open portion of the film 50 that wraps the object is pressed down and welded from above and below, the lower welded portion and the upper welded portion do not overlap. Figure 10 shows that when viewed along the Y axis, the lower welded portion 60b and the upper welded portion 60a of the pair of films are spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the X axis, and that the lower welded portion 60b and the upper welded portion 60a do not overlap when vacuum sealed. FIG. 10 shows how the seal portion 70a and the seal portion 70b are vacuum sealed.

[0127] The opening closing function F80 is a function by which the gate 120 closes the opening O. The film lifting function F70 may be realized after the opening closing function F80 is realized. The opening closing function F80 may be realized after the film lifting function F70 is realized. In this manner, a pair of left and right films 50 connected by the welding portion 60 is placed on the gate 120.

[0128] The object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 is a function that estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when the line of sight is aligned along the Y-axis of the object 20, while the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 is being implemented. The estimated object contour X-axis width dimension is stored in association with the object 20 when the elevator device stop maintaining function F40 is implemented. One object contour X-axis width dimension is associated with one object 20 . The object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 is being realized, estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when viewed by aligning the line of sight along the Y-axis of the object 20, based on information from the second sensor L2. The object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 is being realized, estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when viewed by guiding the line of sight along the Y-axis of the object 20, based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2. The object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized and the object 20 is passing through the opening O, estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when the line of sight is aligned along the Y-axis of the object 20, based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2. When the elevator device stop maintaining function F40 is being implemented, the film feeding function F30 may be implemented. The object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that, when the opening function F20, the film feeding function F30, and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 are realized, estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when the line of sight is aligned along the Y-axis of the object 20, based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2. The object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that, when the opening opening function F20, the film feeding function F30, and the lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 are realized and the object 20 is passing through the opening O, estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when the line of sight is aligned with the Y-axis of the object 20, based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2. The object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that, when the opening function F20, the film feeding function F30, and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 are realized, estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when the line of sight is aligned along the Y-axis of the object 20, based on the maximum number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2. The object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that, when the opening opening function F20, the film feeding function F30, and the lifting equipment stop maintaining function F40 are realized and the object 20 is passing through the opening, estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 as viewed by guiding the line of sight along the Y-axis of the object 20, based on the maximum number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2. For example, the object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that, when the opening function F20, the film feeding function F30, and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 are realized, records the number of optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axis is blocked, and, based on the recorded number of blocked optical sensors, estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when the line of sight is aligned along the Y-axis of the object 20. For example, the object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F90 may be a function that realizes the opening function F20, the film feeding function F30, and the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40, and records the number of optical sensors of the second sensor L2 whose optical axes are blocked when the object 20 passes through the opening, and estimates the object contour X-axis width dimension, which is the width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of the object 20 when viewed by guiding the line of sight along the Y-axis of the object 20, based on the recorded number of blocked optical sensors. FIG. 7 shows an example of flowable product length for each type of beef carcass. The flowing product length corresponds to the X-axis width dimension of the object contour.

[0129] The lateral feed function F100 is a function in which the lifting device 200 starts raising and lowering the main conveyor 500, aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3, which is the same vertical position as the lateral feed virtual horizontal plane J, stops the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state. When it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour that the overall length along the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, does not exceed the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyor 600 start to transport the object 20 wrapped in film 50 transversely with the main virtual horizontal plane H and the transverse feed virtual horizontal plane J aligned, and when the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 are arranged in series and placed on the transverse conveyor 600, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyor 600 stop transporting. In addition, the lateral feed function F100 is a function in which the lifting device 200 starts raising and lowering the main conveyor 500, aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3, which is the same vertical position as the lateral feed virtual horizontal plane J, stops the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state. When it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour that the total length along the X-axis of the objects 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the objects 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the cross-feed conveyor 600, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the function is such that, with the cross-feed virtual horizontal plane J and the vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane K coinciding, the main conveyor 500 does not transport the objects 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the cross-feed conveyor 600 line up in series and transport them cross-feed to the vacuum packaging machine 900. Thereafter, with the main virtual horizontal plane H and the transverse virtual horizontal plane J coinciding, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse feed conveyor 600 start to transversely feed the object 20 wrapped in the film 50, and when the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 is placed on the transverse feed conveyor 600, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse feed conveyor 600 stop transversely feeding. For example, if the objects 20 wrapped in film 50 on the main conveyor 500 and the objects 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 on the transverse conveyor 600 are arranged in series along the X axis without overlapping each other, it is determined whether the total length along the X axis exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M. For example, if the objects 20 wrapped in film 50 on the main conveyor 500 and the objects 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 on the transverse conveyor 600 are arranged in series with a gap between them so that they do not overlap along the X axis, it is determined whether the total length along the X axis direction of the objects 20 wrapped in film 50 on the main conveyor 500 and the objects 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 on the transverse conveyor 600 exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M.

[0130] The lateral feed function F100 determines a lateral feed conveyance distance, which is the distance for lateral feeding the object, based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour, and stores the determined lateral feed conveyance distance in association with the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500; The lifting device 200 starts raising and lowering the main conveyor 300, aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3, which is the same vertical position as the traversing virtual horizontal plane J, and stops the main conveyor 300, and maintains that state. Based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour, when it is determined that the total length along the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, does not exceed the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, when the main virtual horizontal plane H and the transverse feed virtual horizontal plane J coincide with each other and the transverse feed conveyor 600 is stopped, the main conveyor 500 transversely transports the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500, and when the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, When the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyor 600 start to transport the object 20 wrapped in film 50 transversely, and the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 has been transported transversely a transverse transport distance associated with the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 from the point at which the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 intercepts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyor 600 may have a function to stop the transverse transport when the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and one or more objects 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 are lined up in series and placed on the transverse conveyor 600. In addition, the lateral feed function F100 is a function in which the lifting device 200 starts raising and lowering the main conveyor 500, aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3, which is the same vertical position as the lateral feed virtual horizontal plane J, stops the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state. When it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour that the total length along the X-axis direction of the objects 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the objects 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the function may be such that, with the transverse feed virtual horizontal plane J and the vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane K coinciding, the main conveyor 500 does not transport laterally, and the transverse conveyor 600 arranges the objects 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 in series and transports them laterally to the vacuum packaging machine 900. Thereafter, when the main virtual horizontal plane H and the transverse virtual horizontal plane J coincide and the transverse conveyor 600 is stopped, the main conveyor 500 transversely conveys the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500, and when the object wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyor 600 start to transversely convey the object 20 wrapped in film 50, and from the point when the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyor 600 stop transversely conveying the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500.

[0131] The lateral feed function F100 determines a lateral feed conveyance distance, which is a distance for lateral feeding the object 20 wrapped in the film 50, based on the estimated object contour X-axis width dimension, and stores the determined lateral feed conveyance distance in association with the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500; The lifting device 200 starts raising and lowering the main conveyor 500, aligns the main virtual horizontal plane G with the third stop position Z3, which is the same vertical position as the traversing virtual horizontal plane J, and stops the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state. When the sum of the transverse conveyance distance associated with the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyance distance associated with each of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 is smaller than the vacuum packaging machine receiving length M, the main virtual horizontal plane H and the transverse virtual horizontal plane J coincide with each other and the transverse conveyor 600 is stopped, and the main conveyor 500 transversely conveys the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500, and the object 20 is placed on the main conveyor 500. The function may be such that when the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse feed conveyor 600 start to feed the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 transversely, and the main conveyor 500 and the transverse feed conveyor 600 stop feeding the object 20 transversely when the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 has been fed transversely a transverse transport distance associated with the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 from the time when the object 20 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3. The lateral feed function F100 determines a lateral feed conveyance distance, which is a distance for lateral feeding the object 20, based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour, and stores the determined lateral feed conveyance distance in association with the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500. The lifting device 200 starts raising and lowering the main conveyor 500, aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3, which is the same vertical position as the traversing virtual horizontal plane J, and stops the main conveyor 500, and maintains that state. When the sum of the transverse conveying distance associated with the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveying distance associated with each of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 is greater than the vacuum packaging machine receiving length M, the main conveyor 500 does not perform transverse conveyance, and the transverse conveyor 600 transversely conveys the entire object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 to the vacuum packaging machine 900, with the transverse conveying virtual horizontal plane J and the vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane K coinciding, Thereafter, when the main virtual horizontal plane H and the transverse virtual horizontal plane J coincide and the transverse conveyor 600 is stopped, the main conveyor 500 transports the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 transversely, and when the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyor 600 start transporting the object 20 wrapped in film 50 transversely, and when the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the main conveyor 500 and the transverse conveyor 600 stop transporting the object 20 transversely by a transverse transport distance associated with the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500.

[0132] When realizing the lateral feed mechanism F100, the main conveyor 500 may feed the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 laterally on the main conveyor 500 without waiting for the main conveyor 500 to stop at the third stop position Z3. For example, a sixth sensor L6, which is a separate optical sensor, is provided in front of the third sensor L3, and when the lifting device 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500 from the second stop position Z2 to the third stop position Z3, the main conveyor 500 transports the object 20 wrapped in film 50 laterally on the main conveyor 500, and when the optical axis of the sixth sensor L6 is blocked, the lateral transport of the main conveyor 500 is stopped. The third sensor L3 may also serve as the sixth sensor L6.

[0133] One traverse conveying distance relates to one object 50 wrapped in one film 50 . The traversing conveyance distance associated with the object has a value greater than the object profile X-axis width dimension associated with the object. For example, the transverse conveyance distance has a value obtained by adding a predetermined constant X-axis distance λ to the length of the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 in the X-axis direction. For example, the length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 is estimated based on the perimeter of the film 50 wrapping the object 20 . For example, the length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 is determined based on the peripheral length of the film 50 wrapping the object 20, which is estimated from the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour and the second perpendicular distance h2. For example, the length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 is the value obtained by adding a constant X-axis distance λ to half the perimeter of the film 50 wrapping the object 20, which is estimated from the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour and the second perpendicular distance h2. The constant X-axis distance λ is the distance expected as a gap between objects 20 wrapped in multiple films 50 arranged adjacent to each other in series.

[0134] The lateral feeding function F100 may be a function that, when the sum of the overall length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the lateral conveyor 600, the X-axis width dimension of the object contour of the object 20 placed on the main conveyor 500, and the fixed X-axis distance λ is smaller than the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, initially the lateral conveyor 600 does not move, and only the main conveyor 500 moves to lateral feed the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500, and when the object 20 wrapped in film 50 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the main conveyor 500 and the lateral feed conveyor 600 move simultaneously to lateral feed the object 20 wrapped in film 50, and after the object 20 wrapped in film 50 interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3 but no longer interrupts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the object 20 is lateral fed the fixed X-axis distance λ, and then stops the main conveyor 500 and the lateral feed conveyor 600. Thereafter, the main conveyor 500 does not move, and the transverse conveyor 600 transversely conveys the entire object 20 wrapped in the plurality of films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 to the vacuum packaging machine 900. In addition, when the sum of the overall length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600, the X-axis width dimension of the object contour of the object 20 placed on the main conveyor 500, and the fixed X-axis distance λ is greater than the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the transverse function F100 may not move the main conveyor 500, and the transverse conveyor 600 may transversely feed the entire object 20 wrapped in multiple films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 to the vacuum packaging machine 900.

[0135] The lateral feed function F100 is a state in which the lifting device 200 starts raising and lowering the main conveyor 500, aligns the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3, which is a stop position at the same height as the lateral feed virtual horizontal plane J, and stops the main conveyor 500, maintaining that state. When the total value of the overall length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the lateral feed conveyor 600, the object contour X-axis width dimension of the object 20 placed on the main conveyor 500, and the fixed X-axis distance λ is smaller than the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the lateral feed function F100 is first Alternatively, the conveyor 600 may not move, the main conveyor 500 may feed the object 20 wrapped in film 50 laterally, and when the object 20 wrapped in film 50 intercepts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the main conveyor 500 and the lateral feed conveyor 600 may move simultaneously to feed the object 20 wrapped in film 50 laterally, and after the object 20 wrapped in film 50 intercepts the optical axis of the third sensor L3 but no longer intercepts the optical axis of the third sensor L3, the object 20 may be fed laterally a certain X-axis distance λ, and then the main conveyor 500 and the lateral feed conveyor 600 may be stopped. In addition, when the sum of the overall length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 and the X-axis width dimension of the object contour of the object 20 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the fixed X-axis distance λ is greater than the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the main conveyor 500 may not move, and the transverse conveyor 600 may transversely feed the entire object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 to the vacuum packaging machine 900.

[0136] The overall length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 when implementing the transverse function F100 may be calculated based on the recorded X-axis width dimension of the object contour of the object 20 placed on the main conveyor 500 before the object 20 is sent from the main conveyor 500 to the transverse conveyor 600. The overall length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 when realizing the transverse feed function F100 may be calculated and recorded from the time the object 20 blocks the optical axis of the third sensor L3 when moving from the main conveyor 500 to the transverse conveyor 600 and the transverse feed speed of the transverse conveyor.

[0137] The lateral feeding function F100 is a function in which the lateral feeding conveyor 600 transfers the entire object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 onto the vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane K of the vacuum packaging machine 900. The transverse conveyor 600 transversely conveys the entire object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 by a distance equivalent to the entire length of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 along the X-axis direction, and stops the transverse conveyance when the optical axis of the fourth sensor L4 is no longer obstructed. As a result, the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 can be fed laterally into the vacuum packaging machine 900 in a state where the overall length in the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 does not exceed the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, thereby preventing the object 20 from protruding.

[0138] The operation of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 4A shows how the target object 20a is prepared.

[0139] A gate 120 closes the opening O. The film supply device 300 feeds a pair of films 50, which have been welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis, from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis. The pair of films 50 thus fed are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis and laid together on the upper surface T of the gate 120. The object 20a is placed on a pair of films 50 that are integrated together and laid on the upper surface T of the gate. For example, a worker places the object 20a on a pair of films 50 that are integrated and laid on the gate upper surface T. FIG. 4B shows a state in which the gate 120 closes the opening O, and the target 20a is placed on the upper surface T of the gate 120 with the pair of films 50 sandwiched underneath.

[0140] When a certain time (for example, 2 to 10 seconds) has elapsed since the optical axis of the first sensor L1 was blocked, the gate 120 opens the opening O, and the film supply device 300 feeds out a pair of films 50 from the left and right sides of the opening O along the X axis toward the center of the opening O. FIG. 4C shows a pair of films 50 being fed from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O along the X axis.

[0141] When the object 20a falls and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 changes from being blocked by the object to being unblocked, the lifting device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 and maintains that state. When the state in which the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object does not change even after a certain time (for example, 10 seconds) has elapsed, the lifting device 200 lowers the main conveyor 500, and when the optical axis of the first sensor is no longer blocked by the object 20a, the lifting device 200 stops the descent of the main conveyor 500 and maintains the stopped state. FIG. 4D shows the state in which the lifting device 200 lowers the main conveyor 500.

[0142] A film feed dimension, which is the dimension of the film required to roll and wrap the object 20a, is determined, and the film supply device 300 feeds the pair of films 50 along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O, respectively, so that the total feed dimension, which is the sum of the pair of feed dimensions, matches the film feed dimension. FIG. 4(E) shows a pair of films being fed along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O, and wrapping around the object 20a.

[0143] A gate 120 closes the opening O. After the object 20a passes through the open opening O and falls onto the pair of integrated films laid on the upper surface T of the gate 120, the film welding and cutting device 400 sends out the pair of films 50 along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening O toward the center of the opening O, respectively, and welds the pair of films 50 hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object 20a, and cuts the welded strip-shaped portion 60 along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower parts. Alternatively, the gate 120 may close the opening O after the welded portion 60 is cut along the Y axis to separate it into upper and lower portions. FIG. 4(F) shows that the welded portion 60, which is the strip-shaped portion where the film 50 is welded, is cut along the Y axis, resulting in the film being separated into upper and lower halves, and the gate 120 closing the opening O.

[0144] Figure 5 (A) shows how the lifting device 200 raises and lowers the main conveyor 500, aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the second stop position Z2 to stop the main conveyor 500, and the object 20a wrapped in film 50 is placed on the main conveyor 500. The lifting device 200 controls the main conveyor 500 so that it can be raised and lowered freely, lowers the main conveyor 500 so that the main virtual horizontal plane H of the main conveyor 500 descends from the second stop position Z2, and stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the third stop position Z3. FIG. 5B shows how the main virtual horizontal plane H of the main conveyor 500 and the transverse virtual horizontal plane J of the transverse conveyor 600 coincide with each other.

[0145] The main conveyor 500 transversely conveys the object 20 a wrapped in the film 50 to the transverse conveyor 600 . FIG. 5C shows how the objects 20a and 20b wrapped in two films 50 are supported by a transverse conveyor 600.

[0146] The lifting device 200 raises and lowers the main conveyor 500, and stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1. FIG. 5(D) shows the state in which the elevator device 200 stops the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1.

[0147] As described above, the use of the primary packaging machine according to the embodiment of the present invention has the following effects.

[0148] A pair of films 50 welded together above the opening O is sent out, and after the object 20 is placed on the object support structure, the pair of films 50 are welded together in a strip shape above the object 20 and separated into upper and lower parts at the welding part 60, and one of the pair of films 50 is rewound so that it is positioned above the opening O.This allows the object 20 to be efficiently wrapped and wrapped in the film 50 connected at the upper welding part 60a and the lower welding part 60b and placed on the object support structure.

[0149] When the film separation function F40 is realized once, the difference between the separation dimensions of one film 50a of the pair of films 50 and the separation dimensions of the other film 50b is set to a predetermined value, so that by realizing the film separation function F40, it is possible to create a difference in the separation dimensions of the pair of films 50.

[0150] The feed dimension of one film 50a when the single film feed function F30 is realized, the rewind dimension of one film 50a when the single film pull-up function F70 is realized, the feed dimension of the other film 50b when the single film feed function F30 is realized, the feed dimension of the other film 50b when the single film pull-up function F70 is realized, no feed or rewind, or the rewind dimension are combined, so that the difference in the separation dimension of the pair of films can be selected.

[0151] There is a predetermined difference between the tear-off dimension of one film 50a of the pair of films 50 and the tear-off dimension of the other film 50b, so that when the pair of films 50 are fed from the right and left sides and placed over an object from the left and right to form a cylindrical seal body with the object welded above and below, the upper welded portion 60a and the lower welded portion 60b are misaligned left and right when viewed from above.

[0152] When one film pulling-up function F70 is realized, the rewinding dimension of the film 50a with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is repeatedly increased by a predetermined value by the rewinding dimension of the film 50b with the larger estimated remaining length dimension, so that the pair of films 50 can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0153] When one film pulling function F70 is realized, the rewinding dimension of the film 50a with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is a predetermined value, and the film 50b with the larger remaining length dimension is neither rewound nor fed out, and this is repeated, so that the pair of films 50 can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0154] When one film pulling function F70 is realized, by repeating the sum of the rewinding dimension of the film 50a with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension and the feeding dimension of the film 50b with the larger estimated remaining length dimension being a predetermined value, the pair of films 50 can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0155] When one film feeding function F70 is realized, by repeatedly setting the film feeding dimension of the film 50a with the smaller estimated remaining length dimension to be smaller than the film feeding dimension of the film 50b with the larger remaining length dimension, the pair of films 50 can be used up almost simultaneously.

[0156] When the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 is placed on the object support structure, if the lower welding part 60b and the upper welding part 60a of the pair of films 50 are spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis, the lower welding part 60b and the upper welding part 60a will not overlap when they are pressed down and welded from above and below in a later process.

[0157] The gate 120 closes the opening O, and the pair of films 50 welded together above the opening O are placed on the gate 120, and the object 20 is placed on the films 50. After the gate 120 opens the opening O, the pair of films 50 are sent out, and after the object 20 is placed on the main conveyor 500, the pair of films 50 are welded together in a strip shape above the object 20, and the welded portion 60 is cut to separate the upper and lower parts, so that the object 20 wrapped in the film 50 can be efficiently placed on the main conveyor 500.

[0158] The gate 120 closes the opening O, and the pair of films 50, which have been welded together above the opening O, are placed on the gate 120, and the object 20 is placed on the films 50. After the gate 120 opens the opening O, the pair of films 50 are fed out so that the sum of the feed dimensions of the pair of films 50 matches the film feed dimension. After the object 20 is placed on the main conveyor 500, the pair of films 50 are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis above the object 20, and the welded portion 60 is cut and separated into upper and lower parts. This allows the object to be efficiently wrapped in film and placed on the main conveyor 500.

[0159] A first sensor L1 is arranged at least at one location on the opening virtual line G, and when the object 20 passes through the opening O while the lifting device 200 is stopping the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1, and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is not blocked by the object 20 when the object 20 passes through the opening O, the lifting device 200 does not raise or lower the main conveyor 500 but maintains the state of being stopped at the first stop position Z1, so that the object 20 can be placed on the main conveyor 500.

[0160] A first sensor L1 is arranged at least at one location on the opening virtual line G, and when the object 20 passes through the opening O while the lifting device 200 is stopping the main conveyor 500 by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane H with the first stop position Z1 and the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is blocked by the object 20 when the object 20 passes through the opening O, the lifting device 200 starts to lower the main conveyor 500 from the first stop position Z1 and stops the main conveyor 500 at the second stop position Z2, which is the stop position when the optical axis of the first sensor L1 is no longer blocked by the object 20.This allows the object 20 to be supported by the main conveyor 500 in accordance with the size of the object 20.

[0161] When the lifting equipment stop maintenance function F40 is realized, the film feed dimensions are determined based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2, so that the film feed dimensions can be determined according to the size of the target object 20.

[0162] When the object 20 is falling, the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the contour of the object 20 as seen along the Y axis, is calculated based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2, and the film feed dimension is determined from the calculated object contour perimeter, so that the film feed dimension corresponding to the size of the object 20 can be determined.

[0163] When the object 20 is falling, the film feed dimensions are determined based on the vertical distance between the specific opening portion and the main virtual horizontal plane H at the stop position where the stopped state is maintained, and the maximum number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor L2, so that the film feed dimensions corresponding to the size of the object can be easily determined.

[0164] The X-axis width dimension of the object contour of the object 20 is estimated, and based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour, it is determined that the overall length along the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, does not exceed the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M. Therefore, the object 20 placed on the main conveyor 500 is fed transversely to the transverse conveyor 600, so that the one or more objects 20 can be fed transversely to the vacuum packaging machine efficiently and without protrusion.

[0165] The X-axis width dimension of the object contour of the object 20 is estimated, and when it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour that the total length along the X-axis direction of the object 20 wrapped in film 50 placed on the main conveyor 500 and the object 20 wrapped in one or more films 50 placed on the transverse conveyor 600, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the main conveyor 500 is not moved, and the entire one or more objects 20 placed on the transverse conveyor 600 are sent transversely to the vacuum packaging machine 900, so that the one or more objects can be sent transversely to the vacuum packaging machine efficiently and without protrusion.

[0166] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the invention. When using the primary packaging machine of the present invention to package beef carcasses, it is recommended to place the beef carcasses in the opening with their longitudinal direction aligned with the Y axis, which will reduce the amount of film used. Although the object support structure has been described as being comprised of a conveyor, this is not limiting. For example, the object support structure may be comprised of a plate structure having a surface on which the object is placed. In this case, instead of the conveyor, a separate mechanism for moving the object laterally may be provided. [Explanation of symbols]

[0167] O opening H Primary virtual horizontal plane G Opening virtual line J Virtual horizontal plane for traverse feed K Vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane M Vacuum packaging machine receiving length T-gate top Z1 First stop position Z2 Second stop position Z3 Third stop position h1 first vertical distance h2 second vertical distance h3 third vertical distance z Constant Z-axis distance λ Constant X-axis distance XX axis YY axis 20 Object 20a Objects on the main conveyor 20b Objects placed on the horizontal conveyor 50 films 51 film rolls 60 Welded area 60a Upper welded part 60b Lower welded part 70 Seal part 70a Seal part 70b Seal part L1 First sensor L2 Second sensor L3 Third sensor L4 Fourth sensor L5 Fifth sensor L6 Sixth sensor 100 work set units 110 frames 120 gates 121 Slide Gate 122 Slide Gate 200 Lifting Equipment 300 Film Supply Equipment 310 Film roll holder 320 Film roll rotation mechanism 330 Film Roll Diameter Sensor 400 Film welding and cutting equipment 500 Main Conveyor 600 horizontal conveyor 610 First cross-feed conveyor 620 Second horizontal conveyor 700 Film remaining length smaller / larger estimation device 900 vacuum packaging machine F10 Film feeding dimension determination function F20 opening opening function F30 film feed function F40 Elevator stop maintenance function F50 film separation function F60 Film rewind dimension determination function F70 film lifting function F80 opening closure function F90 Object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function F100 traverse function [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0168] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2005-170390 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-137419 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2015-202881 [Patent Document 4] Patent Publication No. 11-24327 [Patent Document 5] Patent Publication No. 2002-370282 [Patent Document 6] WO2019 / 069986 [Patent Document 7] Patent Publication No. 2016-113191 [Patent Document 8] Patent Publication No. 2004-161291 [Patent Document 9] Patent Publication No. 2015-202881 [Patent Document 10] Patent Publication No. 2008-30758 [Patent Document 11] Patent Publication No. 2004-161291 [Patent Document 12] Patent Publication No. 2006-76601 [Patent Document 13] Patent Publication No. 2006-69548 [Patent Document 14] Patent Publication No. 2008-127035 [Patent Document 15] Patent Publication No. 2020-144122 [Patent Document 16] Patent Publication No. 2006-137468 [Patent Document 17] Jipkaihei 5-82886 [Patent Document 18] JP 8-72813 [Patent Document 19] Patent Publication No. 6-206287 [Patent Document 20] Patent Publication No. 10-52889 [Patent Document 21] Patent Publication No. 10-248482 [Patent Document 22] Patent Publication No. 2008-30758

Claims

1. A primary packaging machine for wrapping objects in film, When the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, which are the directions in which the film is fed, are perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane as viewed from above, a work set unit having a frame that forms an opening penetrating in the vertical direction; an object support structure disposed below the opening and supporting the object by aligning a lower surface of the object with a main virtual horizontal plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane; a film supply device capable of feeding a pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis; a film welding and cutting device that welds the pair of films that have passed through the openings and are hanging down in a strip shape along the Y axis at a position above an object placed on the pair of films, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts; A control device; Equipped with The control device a film feeding function in which the film supply device feeds the pair of films along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening in a state in which the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis while being viewed along the Y axis; a film separation function in which, after the object passes through the opening and falls onto the pair of integrated films laid on the main imaginary horizontal plane, the film welding and cutting device welds the pair of films that have passed through the opening and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts; a film lifting function in which the film supply device rewinds one of the pair of films along the X axis and feeds the other film along the X axis, or does not feed or rewind, or rewinds the other film along the X axis, so that the pair of films welded in a strip shape along the Y axis can be lifted through the opening; and placing the object wrapped in the pair of films, the upper and lower portions of which are welded with strip-shaped welded portions along the Y axis, on the object support structure. A primary packaging machine characterized by:

2. When the film separation function is realized once, a difference between a separation dimension of one of the pair of films and a separation dimension of the other film is a predetermined value, where: The separation dimension is a dimension along the surface of the film enclosing the separated object from the upper welded portion to the lower welded portion of the film.

2. A primary packaging machine according to claim 1.

3. The separation dimension of the one film is: the value obtained by subtracting the rewinding dimension of one film when the film pull-up function is performed once immediately before the film feed function from the feed dimension of one film when the film feed function is performed once, The separation dimension of the other film is: When the other film is fed out when the film pulling-up function is performed once, the sum of the feed dimension of the other film when the film feeding-out function is performed once and the feed dimension of the other film when the film pulling-up function is performed once immediately before the film feeding-out function, When the film pulling function is performed once, the other film is not fed or rewound; when the film feeding function is performed once, the feeding dimension of the other film; When the other film is rewound when the film pull-up function is performed once, the value is either the feed dimension of the other film when the film feed-out function is performed once minus the rewind dimension of the other film when the film pull-up function is performed once immediately before the film feed-out function.

3. A primary packaging machine according to claim 2.

4. a remaining film length smaller / larger estimating device for estimating a remaining length smaller or larger of the pair of films, which is a remaining length dimension of the film; Equipped with The separation dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension of the pair of films is smaller than the separation dimension of the film having the larger estimated remaining length dimension; 4. A primary packaging machine according to claim 3.

5. When the film pulling function is realized once, the rewinding dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is larger by a predetermined value than the rewinding dimension of the film having the larger estimated remaining length dimension. The primary packaging machine according to claim 4 .

6. When the film pulling function is realized once, the rewinding dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is a predetermined value, and the film having the larger remaining length dimension is neither rewinded nor fed.

5. A primary packaging machine according to claim 4.

7. When the film pulling function is realized once, the sum of the rewinding dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension and the feeding dimension of the film having the larger estimated remaining length dimension is a predetermined value. The primary packaging machine according to claim 4 .

8. When the film feeding function is realized once, the film feeding dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is smaller than the film feeding dimension of the film having the larger remaining length dimension.

5. A primary packaging machine according to claim 4.

9. When an object wrapped in a film is placed on the object support structure, the lower welded portion and the upper welded portion of the pair of films are spaced apart by a predetermined distance along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis. The primary packaging machine according to claim 4 .

10. The work set unit has a frame that forms an opening that penetrates in the vertical direction, and a gate that has a door structure that can open and close the opening and has a gate upper surface that is an upper surface on which an object can be placed, The control device an opening opening function in which the gate opens the opening when an object is placed on the pair of films laid on the upper surface of the gate while the gate is closing the opening and the pair of films fed by the film supply device along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening as viewed along the Y axis are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis and laid on the upper surface of the gate; To achieve this, The primary packaging machine according to claim 4 .

11. The control device a film feed size determination function for determining a film feed size, which is a size of the film fed by the film supply device to wrap and wrap the object; and The film feeding function is a function of feeding the pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening along the X axis toward the center of the opening, respectively, in a state where the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis and integrated together, so that a total feed dimension, which is the sum of the pair of feed dimensions, matches the film feed dimension, when the film supply device is viewed along the Y axis. The primary packaging machine according to claim 4 .

12. an elevating device disposed below the opening, capable of supporting the object by aligning the lower surface of the object with a main virtual horizontal plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane, and elevating the object support structure; a first sensor having an optical sensor capable of detecting whether an optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not blocked by an object at least at one point on an opening virtual line, which is a virtual line extending along the X axis in the vicinity of the opening when viewed along the Y axis; Preparation, The control device the film feeding function; an elevator device stop maintaining function that causes the elevator device to stop the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with a stop position that is lowered by a predetermined vertical distance from the specific opening portion, which is a specific portion of the opening, and maintains that state; The film separation function; The film lifting function; and Here, the lifting equipment stop maintaining function is a function of maintaining the state in which the lifting equipment stops the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with the first stop position, which is a stop position lowered by a first vertical distance from the specific opening portion, when the object passes through the opening and the optical axis of the first sensor is not blocked by the object.

12. A primary packaging machine according to claim 11 .

13. The lifting equipment stop maintaining function is a function of, when the object passes through the opening and the optical axis of the first sensor is blocked by the object while the lifting device is stopping the object support structure by aligning the main virtual horizontal plane with the first stop position, the lifting device lowers the object support structure, and when the optical axis of the first sensor is no longer blocked by the object, the lifting device stops the descent and maintains the stopped state of the object support structure at the second stop position, which is the position where the lifting device stopped 13. A primary packaging machine according to claim 12 .

14. a second sensor having a plurality of optical sensors arranged at predetermined intervals along an opening virtual line, which is a virtual line extending along the X axis in the vicinity of the opening when viewed along the Y axis, and capable of detecting whether each optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked by an object; Preparation, the film feed dimension determination function is a function for determining a film feed dimension based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the plurality of optical sensors of the second sensor when the lifting device stop maintaining function is realized.

14. A primary packaging machine according to claim 13 .

15. The primary packaging machine described in claim 14, characterized in that the film feed dimension determination function is a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is realized, derives the object contour perimeter, which is the perimeter of the object contour as viewed along the Y axis, based on the number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, and determines the film feed dimension from the derived object contour perimeter.

16. The film feed dimension determination function is a function that, when the lifting equipment stop maintenance function is realized, records the maximum number of optical sensors whose optical axes are blocked among the multiple optical sensors of the second sensor, and determines the film feed dimension from the object contour perimeter based on a combination of the vertical separation distance between the specific opening portion and the main virtual horizontal plane when the lifting equipment maintains the state in which the object support structure is stopped and the recorded maximum number of blocked optical sensors.

17. A primary packaging machine according to claim 16.

17. The primary packaging machine is a device that wraps and wraps objects in film as a pre-processing step before they are vacuum-packaged in a downstream vacuum packaging machine. the object support structure has a main conveyor that is operated to be freely raised and lowered by the lifting device and that can laterally transport an object wrapped in film placed on the main virtual horizontal plane along an X axis; The primary packaging machine further: a transverse conveyor that supports the object and transports it transversely along the X axis while aligning the bottom surface of the object wrapped in film with a virtual horizontal transverse plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane, in a state where the object can be received from the main conveyor and by the vacuum packaging machine; a third sensor having an optical sensor that is provided at the boundary between the main conveyor and the transverse conveyor and that can detect whether an optical axis emitted along the Y axis is blocked or not by an object being transversely fed from the main conveyor to the transverse conveyor; Equipped with The control device The maximum overall length along the X axis of an object wrapped in one or more films that can be accepted by the vacuum packaging machine is defined as the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M; an object contour X-axis width dimension estimation function that estimates an object contour X-axis width dimension, which is a width dimension in the X-axis direction of the contour of an object passing through the opening when the line of sight is aligned along the Y-axis, while the lifting equipment stop maintaining function is being realized; the lifting device starts lifting and lowering the main conveyor, aligns the main virtual horizontal plane with a third stop position which is the same vertical position as the traversing virtual horizontal plane, and stops the main conveyor, and maintains that state; a transverse feeding function in which, when it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour that the total length along the X-axis direction of the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, does not exceed the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the main conveyor and the transverse conveyor start to transport the film-wrapped object transversely in a state in which the main virtual horizontal plane and the transverse feed virtual horizontal plane coincide, and when the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor are arranged in series and placed on the transverse conveyor, the main conveyor and the transverse conveyor stop their transverse feeding; and where:

17. The primary packaging machine of claim 16, wherein the vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane is a virtual horizontal plane on which the vacuum packaging machine supports the object in order to receive the object.

18. When it is determined based on the estimated X-axis width dimension of the object contour, that the total length along the X-axis direction of the film-wrapped object placed on the main conveyor and the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor, which are arranged in series along the X-axis, exceeds the vacuum packaging machine acceptance length M, the transverse function causes the main conveyor not to perform transverse transport, and the transverse conveyor to arrange the single or multiple film-wrapped objects placed on the transverse conveyor in series and transversely feed them to the vacuum packaging machine, with the transverse feed virtual horizontal plane and the vacuum packaging machine virtual horizontal plane coinciding.

18. A primary packaging machine according to claim 17 .

19. A primary packaging machine for wrapping objects in film, When the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction, which are the directions in which the film is fed, are perpendicular to each other in a horizontal plane as viewed from above, a work set unit having a frame that forms an opening penetrating in the vertical direction; an object support structure disposed below the opening and supporting the object by aligning a lower surface of the object with a main virtual horizontal plane, which is a virtual horizontal plane; a film supply device capable of feeding a pair of films from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening along the X axis when viewed along the Y axis; a film welding and cutting device that welds the pair of films that have passed through the openings and are hanging down in a strip shape along the Y axis at a position above an object placed on the pair of films, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts; A control device; Equipped with The control device a film feeding function in which the film supply device feeds the pair of films along the X axis from the left and right sides of the opening toward the center of the opening in a state in which the pair of films are welded together in a strip shape along the Y axis while being viewed along the Y axis; a film separation function in which, after the object passes through the opening and falls onto the pair of integrated films laid on the main imaginary horizontal plane, the film welding and cutting device welds the pair of films that have passed through the opening and are hanging down into a strip along the Y axis at a position above the object, and cuts the welded strip along the Y axis to separate the welded portion into upper and lower parts; the above steps are repeated in order, and the object wrapped in the pair of films, the upper and lower portions of which are welded with strip-shaped welded portions along the Y axis, is placed on the object support structure; When the film separation function is realized once, the difference between the separation dimension of one film of the pair of films and the separation dimension of the other film is a predetermined value. Here, the separation dimension is a dimension along the surface of the film from the upper welded portion of the film enclosing the separated object to the lower welded portion of the film. A primary packaging machine characterized by:

20. a remaining film length smaller / larger estimating device for estimating a remaining length smaller or larger of the pair of films, which is a remaining length dimension of the film; Equipped with When the film feeding function is realized once, the feeding dimension of the film having the smaller estimated remaining length dimension is smaller than the feeding dimension of the film having the larger estimated remaining length dimension.

20. A primary packaging machine according to claim 19.

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