Packaging machine

Abstract

To prevent a lower block from colliding with a chamber base even when an upper block is lowered by a lifting mechanism so as to be pressed against the lower block. [Solution] The packaging machine 10 comprises a chamber base 21 on which a packaging bag can be placed, a chamber cover 22 provided on the upper side of the chamber base 21, a lower block 31 provided on the upper surface of the chamber base 21 and on which the opening periphery of the packaging bag can be placed, an upper block 32 provided on the underside of the chamber cover 22 so as to be able to move up and down, a heater 33 provided on the lower block 31 for welding the opening periphery of the packaging bag, and a lifting mechanism 40 for raising and lowering the upper block 32, the lower block 31 being detachably provided on the upper surface of the chamber base 21, and a buffer member 35 provided between the lower block 31 and the chamber base 21 to prevent the lower block 31 from contacting the upper surface of the chamber base 21.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging machine that seals a packaging bag by clamping the peripheral edge of the opening between a lower block and an upper block that is lowered by a lifting mechanism. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vacuum packaging machine that vacuum packages packaging bags containing food ingredients, cooked foods, and other packaged items. This vacuum packaging machine includes a chamber base on which the packaging bag can be placed, a chamber cover that is provided above the chamber base and forms an airtight space between the chamber base and the chamber cover, a vacuum pump that reduces the pressure in the airtight space between the chamber base and the chamber cover, a lower block that is provided on the top surface of the chamber base and on which the peripheral opening edge of the packaging bag can be placed, an upper block that is provided above the lower block and on the underside of the chamber cover so as to be movable up and down, a heater that is provided on the top surface of the lower block and welds the peripheral opening edge of the packaging bag, and an elevating mechanism that elevates the upper block between a position where it is spaced above the lower block and a position where it presses against the upper block.

[0003] The lifting mechanism lifts and lowers the upper block by inflating and deflating a closing air bag provided on the underside of the chamber cover, and when the sealed space between the chamber base and the chamber cover is depressurized by a vacuum pump, the closing air bag is inflated to lower the upper block. In this vacuum packaging machine, the opening periphery of a packaging bag is placed on the upper side of the lower block above the chamber base, the chamber cover is closed, and the sealed space between the chamber base and the lower block is depressurized by the vacuum pump. Then, when the closing air bag that constitutes the lifting mechanism is inflated, the opening periphery of the packaging bag is sandwiched between the lower and upper blocks, and by passing electricity through a heater on the upper surface of the lower block, the opening periphery of the packaging bag is welded and sealed, and the packaging bag is sealed in a vacuum state (vacuum packaged). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2022-075376 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In the vacuum packaging machine of Patent Document 1, when vacuum-packaging a packaging bag containing a liquid-containing packaged item in the sealed space between the chamber base and the chamber cover, the liquid in the packaging bag may boil and spill out, potentially contaminating the chamber base. If the lower block cannot be removed from the upper side of the chamber base, it is difficult to remove the lower block and clean the upper surface of the chamber base. Furthermore, if the lower block is detachably attached to the upper side of the chamber base, the upper surface of the chamber base can be more easily cleaned. However, if the lower block is also detachably attached to the upper side of the chamber base, a small gap may be formed between the lower block and the chamber base in the longitudinal direction. When the upper block is lowered by the lifting mechanism so as to press it against the lower block to seal the opening edge of the packaging bag, the lower block may collide with the chamber base, where a small gap is formed, potentially generating a collision noise.

[0006] In particular, the vacuum packaging machine of Patent Document 1 has a long lower block to enable simultaneous vacuum packaging of multiple packaging bags, which tends to leave a small gap between the lower block and the chamber base in the longitudinal direction, and when the upper block is lowered by the lifting mechanism and pressed against the lower block, a collision noise is likely to occur when the lower block collides with the chamber base.The object of the present invention is to prevent the lower block from colliding with the chamber base even when the upper block is lowered by the lifting mechanism so as to be pressed against the lower block. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a packaging machine comprising a chamber base on which a packaging bag can be placed, a chamber cover provided above the chamber base, a lower block provided on the upper surface of the chamber base and on which the opening edge of the packaging bag can be placed, an upper block provided above the lower block on the underside of the chamber cover so as to be able to move up and down, a heater provided in the lower block or the upper block for welding the opening edge of the packaging bag, and a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the upper block between a position spaced above the lower block and a position where it presses against the lower block, wherein the lower block is detachably provided on the upper surface of the chamber base, and a buffer member is provided between the lower block and the chamber base to prevent the lower block from contacting the upper surface of the chamber base.

[0008] In the packaging machine configured as described above, the lower block is detachably mounted on the upper surface of the chamber base, and a buffer member is provided between the lower block and the chamber base to prevent the lower block from contacting the upper surface of the chamber base. By detachably mounting the lower block on the upper surface of the chamber base, the lower block can be removed to clean the upper surface of the chamber base, improving the cleanability of the upper surface of the chamber base. Furthermore, by providing a buffer member between the lower block and the chamber base to prevent the lower block from contacting the upper surface of the chamber base, when the upper block is lowered by the lifting mechanism so as to press it against the lower block, the buffer member prevents the lower block from colliding with the chamber base, thereby preventing the generation of a collision noise when the lower block collides with the chamber base.

[0009] In the packaging machine configured as described above, the lower block is preferably a long block, and cushioning members are preferably disposed at both longitudinal ends and the longitudinal center of the lower block. Since cushioning members are disposed between the long lower block and the chamber base, in addition to both longitudinal ends, the cushioning members prevent the particularly flexible central portion of the long lower block from colliding with the chamber base when the upper block is lowered by the lifting mechanism and pressed against the lower block, and thus no impact noise is generated when the long lower block collides with the chamber base. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum packaging machine according to an embodiment of the packaging machine of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the chamber cover of FIG. 1 when it is opened. [Figure 3] AA cross-sectional view. [Figure 4] BB cross section. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum packaging machine. [Figure 6] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view of FIG. 3. [Figure 7] FIG. 5 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the upper block of FIG. 6 lowered to a lower position. [Figure 9] 8 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing the upper block of FIG. 7 lowered to a lower position. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a control device. [Figure 11] 1 is a flowchart of a packaging program. BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0011] A vacuum packaging machine, which is one embodiment of the packaging machine of the present invention, will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this embodiment, the vacuum packaging machine 10 clamps the opening periphery of a packaging bag between a lower block 31 and an upper block 32 above a chamber base 21, and then heat-welds and seals the opening periphery of the packaging bag using a heater 33 provided in the lower block 31. In particular, the vacuum packaging machine 10 uses elongated blocks extending in the left-right direction for the lower and upper blocks 31 and 32, enabling it to seal multiple packaging bags at once. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the vacuum packaging machine 10 includes a chamber 20 provided in the upper part of a substantially rectangular parallelepiped casing 11, a sealing device 30 that seals the opening periphery of a packaging bag contained in the chamber 20, and a vacuum pump 51 provided in the lower part of the casing 11 that evacuates the chamber 20 to create a negative pressure.

[0012] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the chamber 20 includes a chamber base 21 provided on the top of the casing 11 and a chamber cover 22 that forms a sealed space S (shown in FIGS. 3 and 4) between the chamber base 21 and the upper side. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the upper surface of the chamber base 21 has a generally rectangular shape that is longer in the left-right direction than in the front-to-back direction, allowing multiple packaging bags to be placed side by side. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the chamber cover 22 has a shallow box shape with an open bottom, forming a sealed space S between the chamber base 21 and the upper surface. The chamber cover 22 is supported on the rear of the chamber base 21 so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis in the left-right direction. As shown in FIG. 1, when the chamber cover 22 is in a closed position in which it covers the upper side of the chamber base 21, a sealed space S is formed between the upper side of the chamber base 21 and the chamber cover 22. As shown in FIG. 2, when the front of the chamber cover 22 is rotated upward to the open position, the upper surface of the chamber base 21 is exposed. In addition, the upper surface of the chamber cover 22 has an upwardly bulging shape, which makes it easy for stress to concentrate on both the left and right sides of the lower surface of the chamber cover 22, but by increasing the thickness of both the left and right sides of the lower surface of the chamber cover 22, the strength of the chamber cover 22 is increased.

[0013] 2 to 4, a rubber packing 23 is provided as a sealing member around the periphery of the underside of chamber cover 22, and when chamber cover 22 is closed to the closed position, packing 23 provides an airtight seal between chamber base 21 and chamber cover 22. As shown in Fig. 3, a gas spring (biasing member) 12 is provided inside casing 11, and gas spring 12 biases the front part of chamber cover 22 upward, biasing chamber cover 22 to the open position.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 5 , an open / close detector 13 that detects the open / close state of the chamber cover 22 is provided at the rear of the casing 11, and a magnet 14 that causes the open / close detector 13 to detect that the chamber cover 22 is in the closed position is provided at the rear of the chamber cover 22. The open / close detector 13 uses a proximity switch such as a reed switch, and detects whether the chamber cover 22 is in the closed position or the open position when the magnet 14 provided at the rear of the chamber cover 22 approaches or moves away. When the chamber cover 22 is in the closed position, closing the top opening of the chamber base 21, the magnet 14 approaches the open / close detector 13, and the open / close detector 13 outputs an ON signal due to the magnet 14 approaching, thereby detecting that the chamber cover 22 is in the closed position. When the chamber cover 22 is in the open position, opening the top opening of the chamber base 21, the magnet 14 moves away from the open / close detector 13, and the open / close detector 13 does not output an ON signal (outputs an OFF signal) due to the magnet 14 moving away, thereby detecting that the chamber cover 22 is in the open position.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4 , the sealing device 30 seals the packaging bag by thermally sealing the opening periphery of the packaging bag contained in the chamber 20. In this embodiment, the sealing devices 30 are disposed at the front and rear of the chamber 20. The front and rear sealing devices 30 are symmetrical in shape in the front-to-rear direction, so a description of the rear sealing device 30 will be omitted and only the front sealing device 30 will be described. The sealing device 30 includes lower and upper blocks 31 and 32 that clamp the opening periphery of the packaging bag. The lower and upper blocks 31 and 32 are elongated and extend left and right within the chamber 20. These blocks enable multiple packaging bags to be arranged side by side and simultaneously clamp and heat-seal the multiple packaging bags by thermal welding. The lower block 31 is detachably mounted on the upper surface of the chamber base 21, and the upper block 32 is mounted on the underside of the chamber cover 22 so that it can be raised and lowered.

[0016] As shown in Figures 2 to 4, the lower block 31 is made by processing an aluminum square pipe member and is detachably supported on the front upper surface of the chamber base 21. A band-shaped heater 33 made of nichrome material is provided on the upper surface of the lower block 31, and the heater 33 heats a heat-sealable packaging bag to seal the opening periphery of the packaging bag. A pair of electrodes 34 protrude upward from the front of the chamber base 21 and are inserted into the lower block 31. The electrodes 34 are electrically connected to the heater 33 within the lower block 31.

[0017] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the lower block 31 is disposed at a position slightly above and spaced apart from the upper surface of the chamber base 21, and a resin buffer member 35 is provided between the lower block 31 and the upper surface of the chamber base 21. The buffer member 35 functions to prevent the lower block 31, which is disposed at a distance from the upper surface of the chamber base 21, from colliding with (contacting) the upper surface of the chamber base 21 when the upper block 32 is lowered so as to press (press) against the lower block 31. The lower block 31 extends long in the left-right direction above the chamber base 21, and is prone to bending downward at the longitudinal center of the lower block 31. For this reason, the buffer member 35 is disposed at the longitudinal center of the long lower block 31 in addition to both longitudinal ends thereof, preventing the long lower block 31 from contacting the chamber base over the entire longitudinal direction.

[0018] 3 and 4, upper block 32 is disposed directly above lower block 31 when chamber cover 22 is closed, and is arranged to be able to move up and down by lifting mechanism 40 on the underside of chamber cover 22. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, upper block 32 is composed of a frame body 32a with an open bottom and a U-shaped cross section in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and two types of flexible elastic bodies 32b and 32c provided within frame body 32a. Silicon rubber is used for lower flexible elastic body 32b, and silicone sponge is used for upper flexible elastic body 32c. The lower flexible elastic body 32b has a higher hardness than the upper flexible elastic body 32c, and when the upper block 32 is pressed against the lower block 31, the upper flexible elastic body 32c elastically deforms before the lower flexible elastic body 32b, thereby causing the lower flexible elastic body 32b to elastically deform uniformly over the entire longitudinal direction and preventing the lower flexible elastic body 32b from elastically deforming in such a way that it is locally crushed excessively in part of the longitudinal direction.

[0019] 3 to 7, the lifting mechanism 40 lowers the upper block 32 by introducing air into the lifting bag 41, and lifts the upper block 32 by discharging the air from the lifting bag 41. The lifting mechanism 40 includes the lifting bag 41 provided on the underside of the chamber cover 22, a holder 42 that supports the lifting bag 41 on the underside of the chamber cover 22, a support shaft 43 that supports the holder 42 so that it can be raised and lowered vertically, a spring member 44 that is interposed in the support shaft 43 and biases the holder 42 toward the underside of the chamber cover 22, and a height adjustment block 45 that is provided on the underside of the holder 42 and positions the upper block 32 immediately above the lower block 31.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 4, the lifting bag 41 is a long bag that extends in the left-right direction on the underside of the chamber cover 22, similar to the lower block 31, and moves the lower block 31 up and down by expanding and contracting. As shown in Figs. 3 to 5, an air vent pipe 46 is connected to the lifting bag 41, and outside air can flow into and out of the lifting bag 41 through the air vent pipe 46. When outside air is introduced into the lifting bag 41 through the air vent pipe 46, the lifting bag 41 expands, moving the lower block 31 down, and when air is discharged from the lifting bag 41 through the air vent pipe 46, the lifting bag 41 contracts, moving the lower block 31 up.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 5, the holder 42 is made of a long sheet metal member extending laterally on the underside of the chamber cover 22, similar to the lifting bag 41, and its cross-sectional shape in a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction is a generally U-shape with an open top. The holder 42 can accommodate the lifting bag 41 between itself and the chamber cover 22. As shown in FIG. 4, support shafts 43 protrude downward from both left and right ends of the front underside of the chamber cover 22, and each support shaft 43 on the left and right supports both ends of the holder 42 in the longitudinal direction so that it can move up and down. A stopper ring 43a is fixed to the lower end of the support shaft 43, and a spring member 44 is interposed between the holder 42 and the stopper ring 43a on the support shaft 43. The spring member 44 biases the holder 42 toward the underside (upward) of the chamber cover 22. The upper block 31 is attached to the underside of the holder 42 via a height adjustment block 45, and when the chamber cover 22 is closed, the upper block 31 is positioned just above the position separated from the lower block 31 by the height adjustment block 45.

[0022] 6 and 7, when outside air is not flowing into the lift-up bag 41, the lift-up bag 41 is in a contracted state, and the holder 42 is urged toward the lower surface of the chamber cover 22 by the urging force of the spring member 44. When the chamber cover 22 is closed in this state, the upper block 32 is in a raised position, spaced apart from and immediately above the lower block 31. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, when outside air is allowed to flow into the lift-up bag 41, the lift-up bag 41 is in an expanded state, and the holder 42 moves downward against the urging force of the spring member 44, and the upper block 32 is in a lowered position where it is pressed against (pressed by) the lower block 31.

[0023] As shown in Fig. 3, a vacuum pump 51 is provided in the lower part of the casing 11 to evacuate the chamber 20 and create a negative pressure. As shown in Fig. 5, a suction pipe (suction path) 52 is provided in the casing 11 to connect the vacuum pump 51 to the chamber 20, and a vacuum valve 53 is installed in the suction pipe 52. Air in the chamber 20 can be sucked by the vacuum pump 51 by opening the vacuum valve 53. An outside air introduction pipe 54 that introduces outside air between the chamber 20 and the vacuum valve 53 is connected to the suction pipe 52, and the outside air introduction pipe 54 has a first pipe section 54a and a second pipe section 54c branching from the first pipe section 54a. First and second outside air introduction valves 54b and 54d that open and close the first and second pipe sections 54a and 54c are installed in the first and second pipe sections 54a and 54c. The first outside air introduction valve 54b is formed with a larger valve diameter than the second outside air introduction valve 54d, and when the first outside air introduction valve 54b is opened, outside air is introduced into the chamber 20 more quickly, and when the second outside air introduction valve 54d is opened, outside air is introduced into the chamber 20 more slowly than when the first outside air introduction valve 54b is opened.

[0024] A pressure detection pipe 55 is connected to the suction pipe 52 via a first pipe section 54a of the outside air introduction pipe 54, and a vacuum sensor 56 is provided on the pressure detection pipe 55 to detect the pressure in the chamber 20. When the chamber 20 is not evacuated by the vacuum pump 51, the pressure in the chamber 20 detected by the vacuum sensor 56 is 100 kPa (abs), the same as atmospheric pressure, and the degree of vacuum at this time is 0%. When the chamber 20 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 51 to create a negative pressure and the pressure in the chamber detected by the vacuum sensor 56 is 0 kPa (abs), the degree of vacuum is 100%. Note that although the pressure in the chamber 20 is directly detected by the vacuum sensor 56, in the following explanation, the pressure detected by the vacuum sensor 56 will be referred to as the degree of vacuum P in the chamber 20.

[0025] A bypass pipe 57 branches off from the suction pipe 52 between the vacuum pump 51 and the vacuum valve 53, and the bypass pipe 57 is connected to one port of a three-way valve 58. The bypass pipe 57 is connected to one port of the three-way valve 58, and the vent pipe 46 is connected to the other port of the three-way valve 58, with the remaining port of the three-way valve 58 being openable to the outside. When the bypass pipe 57 side of the three-way valve 58 is connected to the vent pipe 46 side and the vacuum pump 51 is operated, the lift bag 41 is degassed and contracts. When the vent pipe 46 side of the three-way valve 58 is connected to the outside, the lift bag 41 is opened to the atmosphere. When the chamber 20 is sealed and the vacuum pump 51 is used to reduce the pressure inside the chamber 20, outside air flows into the lift bag 41 through the vent pipe 46 due to the reduced pressure inside the chamber 20, and the lift bag 41 expands due to the inflowing outside air. Furthermore, since a thin pipe member (a pipe member thinner than other pipe members such as the suction pipe 52) is used for the ventilation pipe 46, the lifting bag 41 does not expand suddenly (it expands gently), and the upper block 32 hits the lower block 31 slowly.

[0026] 10, this control device 60 is connected to the open / close detector 13, heater 33, vacuum pump 51, vacuum valve 53, first and second outside air introduction valves 54b, 54d, vacuum sensor 56, three-way valve 58, and an operation panel 61 provided on the front surface of the casing 11. The control device 60 has a microcomputer (not shown), and the microcomputer has a CPU, RAM, ROM, and timer (all not shown) connected to each other via a bus.

[0027] A packaging program for vacuum-packaging a degassed packaging bag by sealing it is stored in the ROM of the control device 60. The packaging program operates the vacuum pump 51 to create a negative pressure in the chamber 20, and when the pressure in the chamber 20 reaches a set vacuum level Px or higher (a set pressure or lower), controls the sealing device 30 to seal the periphery of the opening of the packaging bag, thereby vacuum-packaging the packaging bag.

[0028] The packaging program will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 11. When the packaging program is selected using the operation panel 61, the control device 60 determines whether an ON signal has been input from the open / close detector 13 in step 101 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 11. Because no ON signal is input from the open / close detector 13 until the chamber cover 22 is closed, the control device 60 determines NO in step 101 and terminates this program. Until the chamber cover 22 is closed, the control device 60 repeatedly determines NO in the determination process of step 101. After the packaging bag is laid on the chamber base 21 so that the peripheral edge of the opening of the packaging bag is on the upper side of the lower block 31, when the chamber cover 22 is closed and the magnet 14 approaches the open / close detector 13, an ON signal is input from the open / close detector 13 to the control device 60, and the control device 60 determines YES in step 101 and proceeds to step 102.

[0029] In step 102, the control device 60 opens the vacuum valve 53, closes the first and second outside air introduction valves 54b, 54d, sets the three-way valve 58 to a state in which the bypass pipe 57 side and the vent pipe 46 side are in communication, and operates the vacuum pump 51. The chamber cover 22 is negatively sucked to the chamber base 21 against the biasing force of the gas spring 12, and the inside of the chamber 20 is degassed by the vacuum pump 51, creating a negative pressure. Furthermore, the lifting bag 41 contracts as air is discharged, but the holder 42 is biased toward the chamber cover 22 by the biasing force of the spring member 44, and the upper block 32 is in the raised position. In step 103, the control device 60 repeatedly determines whether the degree of vacuum P in the chamber 20 detected by the vacuum sensor 56 has reached or exceeded a preset degree of vacuum Px (i.e., is equal to or lower than a predetermined set pressure). When the pressure in the chamber 20 gradually decreases and the degree of vacuum P in the chamber 20 detected by the vacuum sensor 56 becomes equal to or greater than the preset degree of vacuum Px (equal to or less than a predetermined set pressure), the control device 60 determines YES in step 103 and proceeds to step 104. In step 104, the control device 60 closes the vacuum valve 53 to stop degassing the chamber 20, and proceeds to step 105.

[0030] In step 105, the control device 60 connects the vent pipe 46 side of the three-way valve 58 to the outside (opening the lift-up bag 41 to the outside). This allows outside air to flow into the lift-up bag 41 due to the negative pressure in the chamber 20, causing the lift-up bag 41 to expand. The holder 42 descends due to the expanding lift-up bag 41, and the descending holder 42 also descends so as to press against (press) the lower block 31. The peripheral edge of the opening of the packaging bag placed on the upper block 31 is pressed against the upper block 32, and the peripheral edge of the opening of the packaging bag is sandwiched between the lower and upper blocks 31, 32. Next, in step 106, the control device 60 energizes the heater 33 to generate heat. This causes the peripheral edge of the opening of the packaging bag to be sealed by thermal welding, and the packaging bag is sealed in a deaerated state (vacuum state).

[0031] In step 107, the control device 60 stops the operation of the vacuum pump 51 and opens the first or second outside air introduction valve 54b, 54d. The inside of the chamber 20 is returned to atmospheric pressure by outside air introduced from the first or second outside air introduction valve 54b, 54d, and the chamber cover 22 is opened by the biasing force of the gas spring 12 without being sucked into negative pressure. Furthermore, because the inside of the chamber 20 returns to atmospheric pressure from the reduced pressure state, the reduced pressure state inside the chamber 20 is no longer present in the lift-up bag 41, and outside air is no longer introduced into the lift-up bag 41 from the vent pipe 46, and the biasing force of the spring member 44 causes the lift-up bag 41 to be crushed between the lower surface of the chamber cover 22 and contract.

[0032] This vacuum packaging machine (packaging machine) 10 is equipped with a chamber base 21 on which a packaging bag can be placed, a chamber cover 22 provided on the upper side of the chamber base 21, a lower block 31 provided on the upper surface of the chamber base 21 on which the opening edge of the packaging bag can be placed, an upper block 32 provided on the underside of the chamber cover 22 above the lower block 31 so as to be able to move up and down, a heater 33 provided on the lower block 31 for welding the opening edge of the packaging bag, and a lifting mechanism 40 for raising and lowering the upper block 32 between a position spaced above the lower block 31 and a position where it is pressed against the lower block 31.

[0033] This vacuum packaging machine 10 is capable of vacuum packaging packaging bags in a deaerated state by creating a negative pressure state within the chamber 20, but when vacuum packaging the packaging bags in the chamber 20 (packaging in a deaerated state), liquid contained in the ingredients or food in the packaging bag may boil and overflow, causing the upper surface of the chamber base 21 to become dirty. In contrast, in this vacuum packaging machine 10, the lower block 31 is detachably provided on the upper surface of the chamber base 21, so that the upper surface of the chamber base 21 can be cleaned by removing the lower block 31, improving the cleanability of the upper surface of the chamber base 21. Because the lower block 31 is detachably provided on the chamber base 21, when the upper block 32 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 40 so as to press against the lower block 31, the lower block 31 may come into contact with the chamber base 21, causing a collision noise. In particular, in order to enable this vacuum packaging machine 10 to seal multiple packaging bags at once, the lower and upper blocks 31, 32 are made of long block bodies, and there was a risk that the longitudinal center of the lower block 31 would bend downward and come into contact with the chamber base 21.

[0034] In this vacuum packaging machine 10, a buffer member 35 is provided between the lower block 31 and the chamber base 21 to prevent the lower block 31 from contacting the upper surface of the chamber base 21. In this embodiment, the buffer members 35 are provided at both longitudinal ends of the lower block 31 and the chamber base 21 as well as at the longitudinal center of the lower block 31. When the upper block 32 is lowered so as to press it against the lower block 31, the lower block 31 does not collide with the chamber base 21, and collision noise when the lower block 31 collides with the chamber base 21 is not generated. In particular, the lower block 31 is a long block body, and the longitudinal center of the lower block 31 is prone to bending downward. However, since the buffer members 35 are provided not only on both longitudinal ends of the lower block 31 but also in the longitudinal center, even if the upper block 32 is lowered by the lifting mechanism 40 so as to press it against the lower block 31, the lower block 31, including its longitudinal center, will not hit the chamber base 21.

[0035] In this embodiment, the buffer members 35 are arranged at both longitudinal ends and the center of the lower block 31, but the present invention is not limited to this. The buffer members 35 may be arranged only at both longitudinal ends of the lower block 31, or multiple buffer members 35 may be arranged in the longitudinal direction of the lower block 31 in addition to both longitudinal ends.

[0036] In this embodiment, the heater 33 is provided on the upper surface of the lower block 31, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the heater 33 may also be provided on the lower surface of the upper block 32.

[0037] In this embodiment, the embodiment has been described as one in which the packaging bag is vacuum-packaged by sealing the opening periphery of the packaging bag while the chamber 20 is evacuated and negative pressure is created inside the chamber 20, but the present invention is not limited to this and is also applicable to a case in which the packaging bag is sealed by sealing the opening periphery of the packaging bag without creating a negative pressure inside the chamber 20. [Explanation of symbols]

[0038] 10... packaging machine (vacuum packaging machine), 21... chamber base, 22... chamber cover, 31... lower block, 32... upper block, 33... heater, 35... buffer member, 40... lifting mechanism

Claims

1. a chamber base on which a packaging bag can be placed; a chamber cover provided on an upper side of the chamber base; a lower block provided on an upper surface of the chamber base, on which a peripheral edge of an opening of a packaging bag can be placed; an upper block provided above the lower block on the lower surface side of the chamber cover so as to be movable up and down; a heater provided in the lower block or the upper block for welding the periphery of the opening of the packaging bag; A packaging machine including a lifting mechanism that lifts and lowers the upper block between a position where the upper block is spaced upward from the lower block and a position where the upper block is pressed against the lower block, The lower block is detachably mounted on the upper surface of the chamber base, and a buffer member is provided between the lower block and the chamber base to prevent the lower block from contacting the upper surface of the chamber base.

2. 2. The packaging machine according to claim 1, The lower block is a long block, A packaging machine characterized in that the buffer members are disposed at both longitudinal ends and at the longitudinal center of the lower block.

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