Packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine

Abstract

In a packaging machine that links a cushion roller mechanism for pulling out strip-shaped packaging material with a brake mechanism applied to the roll holder of the packaging material roll, the present invention provides a packaging material pulling device that allows the cushion roller mechanism, when disengaged, to absorb the slack that occurs when pulling out the strip-shaped packaging material. [Solution] When the strip of packaging material wrapped around the cushion roller 20 is fed out too far towards the packaging machine, the cushion roller 20 rises due to a force greater than its own weight, and the cushion roller shaft 21 comes into contact with the cushion roller contact plate 17 of the brake lever 15, releasing the band brake device 3 and preventing obstruction of the strip of packaging material being pulled out from the packaging material roll. When slack occurs in the strip of packaging material wrapped around the cushion roller 20, the cushion roller 20, having come into contact with and detached from the cushion roller contact plate 17, descends due to its own weight and can continue to absorb the slack, thus avoiding the occurrence of wrinkles and distortions caused by the slack and ensuring stable pulling out of the strip of packaging material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging material drawing device provided with a cushion roller mechanism for drawing a strip-shaped packaging material from a packaging material roll loaded on a roll holder and a brake mechanism for applying a braking force to the roll holder, in a packaging machine for packaging products using the strip-shaped packaging material drawn from the packaging material roll loaded on the roll holder.

Background Art

[0002] As packaging machines for successively manufacturing packages by packaging products having a certain shape with a packaging material, for example, there are vertical and horizontal bag-making and filling packaging machines and overwrapping packaging machines. In any of these packaging machines, a packaging material roll in a wound state in which a strip-shaped packaging material is wound is mounted on a roll holder which is a winding shaft, and as the strip-shaped packaging material is consumed in accordance with the packaging of products in the packaging machine, the strip-shaped packaging material drawn from the packaging material roll by the packaging material drawing device is supplied to the packaging machine, and in the packaging machine, the product to be packaged is accommodated or covered with the packaging material, whereby packages are manufactured.

[0003] The bag-making and filling packaging machine forms a strip-shaped packaging material supplied through a packaging material drawing device into a tubular shape by a tube former to form a tubular packaging material, applies a center seal to the overlapping portion, supplies the product to be packaged inside the tubular packaging material, and manufactures a bag package containing the product to be packaged inside by applying end seals to the front and rear of the product to be packaged and cutting. The bag-making and filling packaging machine has a continuous operation type that continuously performs the conveyance of the packaging material without stopping and an intermittent operation type that conveys the packaging material for each bag.

[0004] The overwrapping packaging machine is a packaging machine that cuts the packaging material used for packaging products, so the supply operation of the packaging material and the operation of the packaging machine are basically of the intermittent operation type. A strip-shaped packaging material is cut into a certain dimension and wrapped around the product to manufacture an overwrapped package.

[0005] In the case of intermittent-operation type bag-making, filling, and packaging machines and overwrapping machines, the operation basically involves the paper feeder temporarily stopping the strip of packaging material each time it pulls out a strip of a certain length. Even if a brake is applied to the packaging material roll when the packaging material is intermittently stopped in the packaging machine, the packaging material roll will continue to rotate due to its inertia, which may cause slack in the strip of packaging material being pulled out from the packaging material roll. If the strip of packaging material slackens, the strip of packaging material supplied to the packaging machine may meander, causing wrinkles or distortions in the strip of packaging material, or the center seal area may not be formed in the desired location in the packaging machine due to lateral displacement of the strip of packaging material. As a result, there is a concern that the final package may be a defective product. To prevent this slack in the strip of packaging material, a braking device is installed on the packaging material roll to brake its rotation, thereby preventing the slack in the strip of packaging material from occurring.

[0006] The simplest brake mechanism for applying braking force to the rotation of a packaging material roll is a leather band brake mechanism (hereinafter simply referred to as "brake mechanism" in the background technology), in which a leather belt (leather band) is wrapped around a brake drum formed on the outer circumference of the roll holder on which the packaging material roll is mounted. One end of the leather band is fixed to the packaging machine frame, and the other end is attached to a rotating lever. By tightening or loosening the leather belt around the brake drum in accordance with the movement of the rotating lever, a braking force is applied to or released from the rotation of the roll holder by the frictional force acting between the leather belt and the brake drum.

[0007] For the extraction of strip packaging material from the packaging roll, a cushion roller mechanism has been conventionally employed. Specifically, in the cushion roller mechanism, a rotatable cushion roller is provided at the tip of a rotating lever. The strip packaging material is wrapped around this cushion roller, and the force of rotation around the pivot point of the rotating lever due to the weight of the cushion roller (including the weight of the rotating lever and, if a spring is provided as described later, its spring force; the same applies hereinafter) is used to extract the strip packaging material from the packaging roll. The rotating lever rotates in a direction that causes the cushion roller to rise as the strip packaging material is fed to the packaging machine due to its consumption. The raised cushion roller then attempts to descend based on its weight, thereby extracting the strip packaging material from the packaging roll, and as a result, the amount (length) of strip packaging material to be fed to the packaging machine is replenished in the cushion roller mechanism. In this case, the cushion roller can be considered a movable pulley for the strip of packaging material being wound around it. The pulling force of the strip of packaging material is reduced compared to the weight of the cushion roller due to the action of the movable pulley, thus making the pulling force lighter (and preventing it from becoming excessively large). Another advantage is that the winding diameter of the strip of packaging material around the cushion roller does not directly affect the pulling side.

[0008] A mechanism has been devised to link a cushion roller mechanism that pulls strip-shaped packaging material from a packaging material roll with a brake mechanism provided on the winding shaft of the packaging material roll. Specifically, the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism are linked such that when the cushion roller rises (or falls), the braking force applied to the packaging material roll by the brake mechanism changes in a direction that loosens (or strengthens). When slack or tension occurs in the strip-shaped packaging material in the cushion roller mechanism, this slack or tension is reflected in the movement of the cushion roller so as to increase or decrease the braking force of the brake mechanism. By linking the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism, the packaging material pull-out device operates as follows: That is, when the supply of strip-shaped packaging material from the cushion roller mechanism to the packaging machine increases for some reason, such as a change in the packaging operation, the upward movement of the cushion roller reduces the braking force applied to the roll holder in the brake mechanism, and the braking force on the roll holder decreases (or is released). The strip packaging material becomes easier to pull out from the packaging material roll, and the amount of strip packaging material fed to the packaging machine is replenished. Conversely, when slack occurs in the strip packaging material in the cushion roller mechanism, the downward movement of the cushion roller to absorb the slack acts in conjunction with the above to increase the braking force in the braking device. The braking force on the roll holder increases, making it more difficult to pull out the strip packaging material from the packaging material roll, thereby suppressing the pulling of the strip packaging material from the packaging material roll to the cushion roller mechanism.

[0009] In cushion roller mechanisms and brake mechanisms, a spring force is applied to the rotating lever to provide a constant braking force to the leather belt based on the spring force, and also to assist in the force of pulling out the strip packaging material from the packaging material roll. If the weight of the cushion roller is increased beyond a certain point, the force of pulling out the strip packaging material from the packaging material roll increases, and a large inertial force may act on the dynamically moving cushion roller mechanism. To avoid this, making the cushion roller lighter also reduces the braking force of the brake mechanism. By applying the spring force of the above-mentioned spring (tension spring) to the rotating lever, a certain level of braking force can be ensured in the brake mechanism, and the weight of the cushion roller that pulls out the strip packaging material from the packaging material roll can be made appropriate. Instead of the spring force of the spring, air pressure from an air cylinder may be applied.

[0010] Regarding packaging material dispensing devices, conventional methods have been proposed to address the varying degrees of rotational inertia of the packaging material roll's winding diameter. Specifically, when the winding diameter of the packaging material roll is large, the roll's rotational inertia is high, and the braking device cannot immediately stop the roll's rotation, potentially resulting in excess strip of packaging material being dispensed. Conversely, when the winding diameter of the packaging material roll is small, the roll's rotational inertia is low, making it easier for the braking device to stop the roll's rotation. However, if the pulling force acting on the strip of packaging material from the packaging machine is large, the tension on the strip of packaging material increases, causing it to stretch. To easily address these situations, the braking force of the braking device is set to match the winding diameter of the packaging material roll when it is at an intermediate diameter. In such a configuration, the appropriate range of winding diameters for the packaging material rolls in which the braking force of the brake device is appropriate becomes limited. When the winding diameter is outside this appropriate range, the braking force of the brake device may be insufficient or excessive, which may result in the strip packaging material being pulled out excessively or the strip packaging material being stretched due to tension. Patent Document 1 proposes a packaging machine that applies a variable braking force to the packaging material in accordance with the change in the roll diameter of the packaging material by using a braking device that controls the rotational speed of the packaging material roll and the rotational torque of the torque motor in relation to each other.

[0011] In the above-described packaging material dispensing device, which links a cushion roller mechanism and a brake mechanism, the position of the cushion roller provided at the tip of the rotating lever is always constrained by the rotating lever. That is, once the position of the leather band of the brake mechanism comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the brake body of the roll holder, it hardly changes any further, and the rotational position of the rotating lever also hardly changes from the state when the leather band comes into contact with the circumferential surface of the brake body. Therefore, the raising and lowering position of the cushion roller provided on the rotating lever also hardly changes. Before the packaging material roll comes to a complete stop due to the brake mechanism, the strip-shaped packaging material may continue to be pulled out from the packaging material roll based on the pulling action of the cushion roller and the inertial rotation of the packaging material roll. In this case, the cushion roller cannot move in accordance with the slack in the strip-shaped packaging material, and slack occurs in the strip-shaped packaging material that has been pulled out from the packaging material roll to the cushion roller mechanism. This slack causes the strip-shaped packaging material to meander, which in turn causes wrinkles and distortions in the packaging material.

[0012] Patent Document 2 describes a brake device for the winding shaft of a packaging machine, which is equipped with a friction brake device driven by a motor installed on the winding shaft of a film roll. Based on input data indicating the type of packaging material to be used, data is stored to determine the required maximum braking force for the maximum diameter of the film roll and the required minimum braking force for the minimum diameter. The winding diameter of the film roll mounted on the winding shaft is calculated, and the motor is controlled to apply a braking force to the winding shaft that falls between the maximum and minimum braking forces according to the calculated winding diameter. In other words, this proposal involves pre-storing the braking force corresponding to the maximum and minimum winding diameters of the film roll as data, and forcibly controlling the magnitude of the braking force according to the calculated winding diameter.

[0013] Patent Document 3 discloses a film braking device for a packaging machine in which a control device calculates the winding diameter of a packaging material roll based on a measurement signal from a winding diameter measuring device, sends an air pressure command signal proportional to the calculated winding diameter to an electro-pneumatic regulator, and the electro-pneumatic regulator supplies air pressure based on the air pressure command to an air cylinder, thereby changing the force with which the air cylinder pulls the leather belt of the belt brake, and maintaining the braking force on the winding shaft of the film roll at an appropriate value according to the winding diameter of the film roll. This film braking device makes it possible to control the braking force according to the winding diameter of the film roll by controlling the air pressure to an air cylinder, which can be constructed at a relatively low cost, without using an expensive motor. In other words, this proposal also forcibly controls the magnitude of the braking force according to the calculated winding diameter by controlling the air pressure to the air cylinder according to the calculated winding diameter.

[0014] The control of braking force on a film according to its winding diameter, as proposed in Patent Documents 2 and 3, requires a winding diameter measurement and calculation means for calculating the winding diameter of the packaging material roll Fr, and a control means for controlling the braking force of the leather band brake according to the calculated winding diameter (motor control means in Patent Document 2, and control means for air pressure and its supply in Patent Document 3). Even if a braking force corresponding to the calculated winding diameter can be obtained, the configuration becomes complex, and consequently, high costs are unavoidable. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0015] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 7-76017 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-213319 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-206790 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0016] Therefore, in a packaging material dispensing device for a packaging machine that links a cushion roller mechanism for dispensing strip-shaped packaging material from a packaging material roll with a brake mechanism applied to the roll holder of the packaging material roll on which the strip-shaped packaging material has been wound, there is a problem that needs to be solved in terms of how the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism are linked, so that even after the braking force from the brake mechanism is applied to the packaging material roll, the slack in the strip-shaped packaging material is absorbed by the continuous slack absorption action of the cushion roller mechanism.

[0017] The object of this invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to provide a packaging material dispensing device for a packaging machine that links a cushion roller mechanism for dispensing strip-shaped packaging material from a packaging material roll with a brake mechanism applied to the roll holder of the packaging material roll on which the strip-shaped packaging material has been wound, thereby absorbing the slack in the strip-shaped packaging material by the continuous slack absorption action of the cushion roller mechanism even after the braking force of the brake mechanism has been applied to the packaging material roll, thereby enabling the strip-shaped packaging material to be dispensed stably without causing wrinkles or distortion. [Means for solving the problem]

[0018] To solve the above problems, the packaging material dispensing device in the packaging machine according to this invention is: In a packaging machine that is a band brake mechanism, the cushion roller mechanism is provided to pull out a strip of packaging material from a packaging material roll on which the strip of packaging material has been wound, and the brake mechanism is applied to the roll holder of the packaging material roll, wherein the cushion roller mechanism is provided to pull out the strip of packaging material from the packaging material roll and is rotatable in accordance with the feeding of the strip of packaging material and is provided on the packaging machine frame and is provided to guide the cushion roller so as to move while maintaining its position, and the brake mechanism is provided on the roll holder and is a band brake mechanism, the brake lever is provided on the roll holder and is pivotably mounted on the packaging machine frame so as to be pivotable around a pivot point and is wound slidably along the brake drum and is provided to be attached to the brake lever at both ends separated on the same side as viewed from the pivot point, The cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism are in a detachable linked relationship, such that the cushion roller can contact the brake lever when biasing the brake lever in the direction that releases the brake state by the brake mechanism, and can detach from the brake lever in the direction opposite to the direction of contact. It consists of these things.

[0019] In the packaging material dispensing device of this packaging machine, the cushion roller mechanism that dispenses the strip packaging material from the packaging material roll on which the strip packaging material has been wound, and the brake mechanism applied to the roll holder of the packaging material roll, have a detachable linkage relationship in which the cushion roller can contact the brake lever when biased toward the direction that releases the brake state by the brake mechanism, and can detach from the brake lever in the direction opposite to the direction of contact. For example, if the amount of strip packaging material fed from the cushion roller mechanism to the packaging machine exceeds the amount of strip packaging material pulled from the packaging roll, the cushion roller will move while being guided by the guide mechanism, and after contacting the brake lever, the cushion roller will bias the brake lever in the direction that releases the brake state of the brake mechanism. As the braking force on the roll holder by the brake mechanism is reduced and eliminated, the strip packaging material becomes easier to pull from the packaging roll, and the pull of strip packaging material to the cushion roller mechanism is replenished. Furthermore, for example, as the consumption of strip packaging material on the packaging machine side decreases, the amount of strip packaging material pulled out from the packaging material roll increases compared to the amount of strip packaging material fed from the cushion roller mechanism to the packaging machine side, which tends to cause slack in the strip packaging material in the cushion roller mechanism. In the brake mechanism, after the brake lever stops moving due to the brake band sliding against the brake drum, the cushion roller can contact and detach from the brake lever in the linked relationship between the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism, but does not move together with the brake lever. The cushion roller that has detached from the brake lever can move while being guided by the guide mechanism without being constrained by the brake lever, and if slack has already occurred in the strip packaging material, it can move in response to the slack in the strip packaging material and absorb the slack. Since the linked relationship between the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism is released by this detachment, the braking force of the brake mechanism does not increase beyond the braking force at the time of detachment. By setting the cushion roller's pulling force on the strip of packaging material to be greater than the braking force applied to the packaging material roll by the braking mechanism, the cushion roller can stably pull out the strip of packaging material from the packaging material roll without slackening, even while resisting the braking force.

[0020] In the packaging material dispensing device of this packaging machine, the brake lever can be biased by the spring force of the spring in the direction in which braking is applied by the band brake. According to the packaging material drawing-out device in this packaging machine, the weights of the cushion roller and the rotating lever and the spring force of the spring serve as the source of the force for drawing out the strip-shaped packaging material from the packaging material roller. When, in addition to the weight of the cushion roller and the weight of the rotating lever, the spring force of the spring acts as a braking operation force on the brake lever, braking by a band brake is applied to the packaging material roll loaded in the roll holder based on this braking operation force. When the cushion roller starts to push the brake lever in the braking release direction and the braking release force exceeds the braking operation force based on the spring force of the spring, the braking by the band brake is released.

[0021] In the packaging material drawing-out device in this packaging machine, the guide mechanism included in the cushion roller mechanism is provided on the packaging machine frame so as to face each other, and two guide parts in which guide holes extending along the moving direction of the cushion roller are respectively formed at corresponding positions, a rack rail attached along the guide holes of each frame plate, and a pinion gear rotatably attached to the shaft ends of the cushion roller penetrating through the respective guide holes and meshing with the rack rail. The cushion roller can move along the guide holes by rolling while the pinion gear meshes with the rack rail. According to the packaging material drawing-out device in this packaging machine, in the two guide parts, the pinion gear rotatably attached to the shaft ends of the cushion roller penetrating through the respective guide holes can roll while meshing with the rack rail attached along the guide holes. When the cushion roller moves along the guide holes, the direction of the axis of the cushion roller is constant (for example, horizontal) and the posture with respect to the strip-shaped packaging material is maintained, and the function of the cushion roller is fulfilled.

[0022] In the packaging material drawing device of this packaging machine, the packaging machine can be a vertical or horizontal bag-making and filling packaging machine that manufactures a bag packaging body by forming a bag from a strip-shaped packaging material drawn from the packaging material roll, accommodating a product to be packaged in the bag, and sealing the bag, or an overwrapping packaging machine that manufactures an overwrapping package by cutting out a packaging sheet from the strip-shaped packaging material drawn from the packaging material roll and wrapping the packaging sheet around the product to be packaged. The vertical and horizontal bag-making and filling packaging machines can be well-known bag-making and filling packaging machines. The bag-making and filling packaging machine can be either an intermittent operation type or a continuous operation type. The overwrapping packaging machine can be, for example, a packaging machine that folds a packaging sheet around a box-shaped product or a product of any shape.

Advantages of the Invention

[0023] The packaging material dispensing device in the packaging machine according to this invention is configured as described above. The cushion roller mechanism that dispenses the strip packaging material from the packaging roll on which the strip packaging material has been wound, and the brake mechanism applied to the roll holder of the packaging roll, have a detachable linkage relationship such that the cushion roller can contact the brake lever when biased toward the direction that releases the brake state by the brake mechanism, and can detach from the brake lever in the direction opposite to the direction of contact. For example, when the feeding of strip packaging material from the cushion roller mechanism to the packaging machine side increases compared to the dispensing of strip packaging material from the packaging roll, in accordance with the consumption of strip packaging material associated with the packaging operation on the packaging machine side, the cushion roller moves while being guided by the guide mechanism, and after contacting the brake lever, the cushion roller biases the brake lever toward the direction that releases the brake state by the brake mechanism. The braking force on the roll holder by the brake mechanism is reduced and eliminated, so the strip packaging material becomes easier to dispensing from the packaging roll, and the dispensing of strip packaging material to the cushion roller mechanism is replenished. Furthermore, for example, as the consumption of strip packaging material on the packaging machine side decreases, the amount of strip packaging material pulled out from the packaging material roll increases compared to the amount of strip packaging material fed from the cushion roller mechanism to the packaging machine side, and when slack in the strip packaging material tends to occur in the cushion roller mechanism, after the brake lever stops moving due to the brake band sliding against the brake drum in the brake mechanism, the cushion roller can contact and detach from the brake lever in the linked relationship between the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism, but does not move together with the brake lever. The cushion roller that has detached from the brake lever can move while being guided by the guide mechanism without being constrained by the brake lever, and if slack has already occurred in the strip packaging material, it can move in response to the slack in the strip packaging material and absorb the slack. Since the linked relationship between the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism is released by this detachment, the braking force of the brake mechanism does not increase beyond the braking force at the time of detachment.By setting the cushion roller's pulling force on the strip of packaging material to be greater than the braking force applied to the packaging material roll by the braking mechanism, the cushion roller can stably pull out the strip of packaging material from the packaging material roll without slackening, even while resisting the braking force. Thus, according to the present invention, since the linkage between the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism is separable, the cushion roller mechanism can continue to absorb the slack that occurs in the cushion roller mechanism even after the linkage with the brake mechanism is separated. Therefore, it is possible to provide a packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine that prevents wrinkles and distortions that would occur in the strip-shaped packaging material due to such slack, and ensures that the strip-shaped packaging material is dispensed stably. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0024] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows an embodiment of a packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine according to the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the packaging material dispensing device in the packaging machine shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 shows one operating state of the packaging material dispensing device shown in Figure 2 (the state in which the braking force of the brake mechanism is at its highest). [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows another operating state of the packaging material dispensing device shown in Figure 2 (a state in which the braking force of the brake mechanism begins to decrease). [Figure 5] Figure 5 shows yet another operating state of the packaging material dispensing device shown in Figure 2 (a state where the braking force of the brake mechanism has decreased to the point where it is no longer effective). [Figure 6] Figure 6 shows yet another operating state of the packaging material dispensing device shown in Figure 2 (a state in which the brake band of the brake mechanism is completely detached from the brake drum). [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic graph showing the characteristics of the packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine. [Figure 8] Figure 8 shows an example of a vertical bag-making, filling, and packaging machine to which the packaging material dispensing device according to the present invention can be applied. [Figure 9] Figure 9 shows an example of an overwrapping packaging machine to which the packaging material dispensing device according to the present invention can be applied. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0025] The following describes an embodiment of the packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine according to the present invention, based on the attached drawings. Figure 1 is a side view showing one embodiment of the packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine according to the present invention, including the packaging machine to which the packaging material dispensing device is applied. The packaging machine to which the packaging material dispensing device is applied is a horizontal bag-making, filling, and packaging machine.

[0026] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the packaging machine is a horizontal bag-making, filling, and packaging machine (hereinafter abbreviated as "packaging machine") 50, and the packaging machine body to which the packaging material extraction device 1 according to the present invention is applied is a packaging machine body 50a having a conventionally known structure in packaging machines. The basic packaging operation of the packaging machine body 50a is as follows. The strip-shaped packaging material Fw fed into the packaging machine body 50a is first formed into a roughly cylindrical shape by a cylinder maker 51 so that both side edge portions fe, fe overlap each other. The both side edge portions fe, fe of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw, which has been formed into a roughly cylindrical shape, are sandwiched between feed rollers 53 driven by a drive motor 52 and pulled downstream, and a center seal Sc is formed by heat sealing with a center seal unit 54 located downstream of the feed rollers 53, and the strip-shaped packaging material Fw is formed into a cylindrical packaging material Ft. The seal unit 54 includes, from the upstream side, a heater bar 54a for heating both side edge portions fe, fe, a pressure roller 54b for applying heat seal to the heated side edge portions fe, fe by applying pressure, and a setting roller 54c for forming a seal line on the heat-sealed side edge portions fe, fe. The feed roller 53 and the center seal unit 54 also have a similar structure on the opposite side of the paper that sandwiches the side edge portions fe, fe, but the diagram omits the description of the structure on the opposite side, including the reference numerals.

[0027] Products S to be packaged are sequentially fed into the strip-shaped packaging material Fw, which is formed into a roughly cylindrical shape by the cylinder-forming device 51, at predetermined intervals by a suitable product feeding conveyor 55, such as a pusher conveyor. An end seal unit 56 is located downstream of the seal unit 54. The end seal unit 56 forms an end seal Se by sandwiching the tubular packaging material Ft between adjacent products S, S in the vertical direction and applying heat sealing. A bag B is formed and sealed by the center seal Sc and the end seals Se, Se, and bag packaging bodies Bp containing the products S inside the bag B are sequentially manufactured. The illustrated packaging machine 50 is an intermittent operation type packaging machine because the heater bar 54a of the center seal unit 54 intermittently heats the side edges fe, fe as they travel. However, the center seal unit may be configured as a continuously rotating roller-type sealer, and the packaging machine may be configured as a continuous operation type packaging machine.

[0028] The packaging material dispensing device 1 includes a roll holder 2 into which a packaging material roll Fr on which a strip of packaging material Fw is wound is loaded, a band brake device 3 that applies a braking force to the rotation of the roll holder 2, and a cushion roller mechanism 4 that can pull out the strip of packaging material Fw from the packaging material roll Fr and absorb any slack in the strip of packaging material Fw. The cushion roller mechanism 4 is also linked to the band brake device 3, and the details of their relationship will be described later. In this embodiment, the brake mechanism used in the present invention is embodied as the band brake device 3.

[0029] Downstream of the cushion roller mechanism 4 and upstream of the cylinder shaping device 51 of the packaging machine body 50a, a packaging material feeding mechanism 10 and an adjustment roller mechanism 11 are arranged in the order of the packaging material feeding direction. The packaging material feeding mechanism 10 is a pinch roller type feeding mechanism equipped with a drive roller 10a and a driven roller 10b. The drive roller 10a is driven with the strip-shaped packaging material Fw sandwiched between the driven roller 10b, thereby reliably feeding the strip-shaped packaging material Fw drawn from the packaging material roll Fr to the packaging machine body 51a. A control device (not shown) provided in the packaging machine 50 controls the drive of the drive roller 10a in a manner consistent with the packaging operation of the packaging machine body 50a. Specifically, it controls the ON / OFF operation of feeding the strip-shaped packaging material Fw to the packaging machine body 50a, the feeding speed, and the feeding length. The adjusting roller mechanism 11 is a mechanism that adjusts and sets the feeding position and feeding direction of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw that is fed to the cylinder maker 51 of the packaging machine body 50a after being fed out by the packaging material feeding mechanism 10. Once set in the packaging machine 50, it is fixed in that position and orientation.

[0030] Figure 2 shows a perspective view of the packaging material dispensing device 1. The roll holder 2, which can load the packaging material roll Fr, is rotatably supported on the packaging machine frame (hereinafter abbreviated as "frame") 12 by appropriate bearings. In the example shown in Figure 2, one end of the roll holder 2 is shown supported on the frame 12, and the other end is free, so the roll holder 2 is rotatably supported on the frame 12 in a cantilevered manner. On the illustrated side, the roll holder 2 protrudes outward from the frame 12, and a band brake device 3 is provided at the protruding end of the roll holder 2. The band brake device 3 comprises a brake drum (brake body) 13 provided at the protruding end and whose outer circumferential surface is a brake surface, a brake leather band 14 wrapped around a portion of the brake drum 13 over approximately 180 degrees, and a brake lever 15 that is pivotably mounted on the frame 12 and to which the brake leather band 14 is attached.

[0031] The brake lever 15 is pivotably rotatable relative to the frame 12 via a pivot shaft 16 at one end 15a, which is closer to the roll holder 2. The brake lever 15 is equipped with a cushion roller contact plate 17 at the other end (free pivot end) 15b, which is closer to the cushion roller mechanism 4, enabling coordination with the cushion roller mechanism 4. One end 14a of the brake strap 14 is attached to one end 15a of the brake lever 15 (associated with the pivot shaft 16 in this example), and the other end 14b is attached to the middle section 15c of the brake lever 15. A spring 19 is stretched taut between a mounting stalk 18, which is provided in the same direction as the brake drum 13 protrudes from the frame 12, and the middle section 15c of the brake lever 15 (a position different from where the other end 14b of the brake strap 14 is attached). The spring force of the spring 19 acts in a direction that applies a braking force, pressing the brake strap 14 against the brake drum 13.

[0032] The cushion roller mechanism 4 includes a cushion roller 20 around which a strip of packaging material Fw is wound, and guide rollers 22a and 22b, which are fixedly mounted to the frame 12 in front of and behind the cushion roller 20, and which also have the strip of packaging material Fw wound around them and are rotatable in accordance with the unwinding of the strip of packaging material Fw. The strip of packaging material Fw unwinded from the packaging material roll Fr is wound around the guide roller 22a, then wound around the cushion roller 20 over a 180-degree angle on the lower side of its circumference, and further wound around the guide roller 22b. The cushion roller 20 is rotatable around the cushion roller shaft 21 so as to rotate in accordance with the movement of the strip of packaging material Fw unwinded from the packaging material roll Fr, and the cushion roller shaft 21 has a length that protrudes outside the frame 12.

[0033] The cushion roller mechanism 4 also includes a guide section 23 in the frame 12 that guides the cushion roller 20 in the longitudinal direction (in Figure 2, the front side and rear side are indicated as 23a and 23b, respectively, and are collectively referred to as 23. The same applies to each component of the guide section 23). In the guide section 23, a guide hole 24 is formed in the frame 12 as a longitudinal (up and down) elongated hole, and both ends of the cushion roller shaft 21 of the cushion roller 20 are movable within the guide hole 24. The guide section 23 includes a rack rail 25 for the cushion roller that is fixedly attached along the guide hole 24. A pinion gear 26 that meshes with the rack rail 25 is attached to the cushion roller shaft 21.

[0034] As the cushion roller 20 moves together with the cushion roller shaft 21, the pinion gear 26 rolls while meshing with the cushion roller 20. As a result, the cushion roller shaft 21 (and therefore the cushion roller 20) moves up and down in a constant posture, with both ends of the shaft being restricted by the meshing. Therefore, even when the cushion roller 20 moves up and down, its posture does not tilt relative to the strip-shaped packaging material Fw around which it is wrapped, and the strip-shaped packaging material Fw can be stably pulled out and guided.

[0035] The linkage between the cushion roller 20 and the band brake device 3 is such that the cushion roller 20 can only contact the brake lever 15 of the band brake device 3 from below. More specifically, the tip 27 of the cushion roller shaft 21 of the cushion roller 20, which protrudes from the frame 12, contacts the cushion roller contact plate 17 provided on the other end (free swing end) 15b of the brake lever 15 from below. When the cushion roller 20 rises, the tip 27 of the cushion roller shaft 21 contacts the cushion roller contact plate 17 on the brake lever 15. Since a spring force acts on the brake lever 15 as a brake operating force in the direction that applies braking force by the spring 19, the brake by the band brake device 3 can be released by applying a brake release force to the brake lever 15 from the cushion roller 20 side that exceeds the spring force. For example, if the amount of strip packaging material fed from the cushion roller mechanism 4 to the packaging machine exceeds the amount of strip packaging material pulled out from the packaging roll, the cushion roller 20 moves upward while being guided by the guide mechanism, and after contacting the brake lever 15, the cushion roller 20 biases the brake lever 15 in the direction that releases the brake state of the band brake device 3. As the braking force on the roll holder by the band brake device 3 is reduced and eliminated, the strip packaging material becomes easier to pull out from the packaging roll, and the pull of strip packaging material to the cushion roller mechanism 4 is replenished. Furthermore, if, for example, the consumption of strip packaging material on the packaging machine side decreases, and the amount of strip packaging material pulled out from the packaging material roll increases compared to the amount of strip packaging material fed from the cushion roller mechanism 4 to the packaging machine side, causing the strip packaging material to tend to slacken in the cushion roller mechanism 4, then in the linked relationship between the cushion roller mechanism 4 and the band brake device 3, after the movement of the brake lever 15 stops due to the brake leather band 14 sliding against the brake drum 13, the cushion roller 20 can contact and detach from the brake lever 15, but does not move together with the brake lever 15.Once detached from the brake lever 15, the cushion roller 20 can move downward guided by the guide mechanism without being restricted by the brake lever 15. If there is already slack in the strip packaging material, the cushion roller 20 can move in response to the slack and absorb the slack. As this detachment releases the link between the cushion roller mechanism 4 and the band brake device 3, the braking force of the band brake device 3 will not increase beyond the braking force at the time of detachment. By setting the cushion roller 20's pulling force on the strip packaging material to be greater than the braking force applied by the band brake device 3 to the packaging material roll, the cushion roller 20 can stably pull the strip packaging material from the packaging material roll without causing slack, even while being subjected to resistance from the braking force.

[0036] Figures 3 to 6 illustrate the relationship between the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism (band brake device) in a packaging material dispensing device. Figure 3 is an explanatory diagram showing one operational state of the packaging material dispensing device shown in Figure 2, that is, the state in which the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism are disengaged (the state in which the braking force of the brake mechanism is at its highest). Figure 4 is an explanatory diagram showing another operating state of the packaging material dispensing device shown in Figure 2, namely, the state in which the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism begin to engage and the brake mechanism begins to release (the state in which the braking force of the brake mechanism begins to decrease). Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing yet another operating state of the packaging material dispensing device shown in Figure 2, namely, the state in which the brake mechanism is released due to the contact and coordination of the cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism (a state in which the braking force of the brake mechanism is further reduced and disappears). Figure 6 shows another operating state of the packaging material dispensing device shown in Figure 2, namely, the state in which the brake band of the brake mechanism is completely detached from the brake drum. Figure 7 is a graph illustrating the characteristics of the packaging material dispensing device. In Figure 7, the horizontal axis represents the tension of the strip-shaped packaging material being dispensed, and the vertical axis represents the braking force (brake operating force) of the brake mechanism.

[0037] Figure 3 shows a state where the cushion roller mechanism 4 and the band brake device 3 are disconnected, indicating that the strip packaging material Fw is loose or not wrapped around the cushion roller 20. The cushion roller 20 is positioned at the lower limit of the guide hole 24, and the brake lever 15 is in the position where it is swinging most counterclockwise around the pivot axis 16 due to the spring return force of the spring 19, but the contact plate 17 for the cushion roller of the brake lever 15 is away from the cushion roller axis 21 of the cushion roller 20 and is not in contact with it. The braking force applied to the brake lever 15 is at its strongest due to the spring return force of the spring 19, and the band brake device 3 is at its strongest braking force. Therefore, a braking force is applied to the roll holder 2, providing a predetermined resistance to the pulling of the strip packaging material Fw from the packaging material roll Fr. Since the cushion roller 20 is supported at the lower limit of the guide hole 24, the tension on the strip-shaped packaging material Fw pulled out from the packaging material roll by the cushion roller 20 can be considered to be virtually zero. On the other hand, the braking force (brake operating force) is greatest due to the spring 19, so the point of operation in Figure 7 can be said to be point A.

[0038] Figure 4 shows the state in which the cushion roller mechanism 4 and the band brake device 3 begin to engage, that is, the state in which the cushion roller 20 and the brake lever 15 begin to engage. As the strip packaging material Fw is fed out, the cushion roller shaft 21 of the cushion roller 20 rises, and the cushion roller shaft 21 begins to engage with the contact plate 17 for the cushion roller of the brake lever 15. This contact initiates the release operation of the band brake device 3, and the braking force (brake operating force) begins to decrease. In Figure 7, the point of operation is at point B.

[0039] Figure 5 shows the state in which the contact linkage between the cushion roller mechanism 4 and the band brake device 3 has progressed, that is, the cushion roller shaft 21 of the cushion roller 20 remains in contact with the contact plate 17 for the cushion roller of the brake lever 15, and the lifting force of the brake lever 15 by the cushion roller 20 has increased to a magnitude that is equivalent to the spring return force of the spring 19. As a result, the braking force (brake operating force) applied to the roll holder 2 by the band brake device 3 decreases until it is eliminated. In Figure 7, the operating point is at point C.

[0040] Figure 6 shows a further advanced state of contact and coordination between the cushion roller mechanism 4 and the band brake device 3, specifically, a state in which the cushion roller shaft 21 of the cushion roller 20 remains in contact with the contact plate 17 for the cushion roller of the brake lever 15, and the lifting force of the brake lever 15 by the cushion roller 20 increases further against the spring return force of the spring 19 in response to the feeding of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw. As a result, the brake leather band 14 is completely separated from the brake drum 13, and a state in which there is no braking force (brake operating force) from the band brake device 3 is maintained. In Figure 7, the operating point is at point D. The operating point D is also, for example, the state in which the cushion roller 20 is lifted to a position above the height of the guide rollers 22a and 22b by manually resisting the spring return force of the spring 19. In this state, the strip of packaging material Fw, which has been manually pulled out from the packaging material roll Fr, is simply placed over the guide rollers 22a and 22b, and then the cushion roller 20 is lowered back through the gap between the guide rollers 22a and 22b, causing the strip of packaging material Fw to be wrapped around the cushion roller 20, making it easy to route the strip of packaging material Fw to the cushion roller mechanism 4.

[0041] Figure 7 schematically shows the characteristics (static characteristics) of the packaging material dispensing device according to the present invention, assuming that the tension of the strip packaging material Fw and the braking force of the band brake device 3 increase slowly over time. If a spring with a strong spring force is used as the spring 19, the characteristic diagram will rise overall. In the conventional packaging material dispensing device, the relationship between the cushion roller mechanism 4 and the band brake device 3 is such that the cushion roller 20 is directly and inseparably linked to the brake lever 15 via a pivot shaft so that they can rotate relative to each other. As the tension of the strip packaging material Fw decreases from the operating point B, the weight of the cushion roller 20 tries to swing the brake lever 15 counterclockwise around the pivot shaft 16, so the weight of the cushion roller 20 increases the braking force on the brake lever 15 of the band brake device 3, and the braking force of the band brake device 3 increases sharply in accordance with the decrease in the tension of the strip packaging material Fw. Since the brake leather band 14 has little elastic deformation in the direction of lengthening, there is a limit to the increase in braking force, but in Figure 7, the rapid increase in braking force from the operating point B is shown by a dashed line. In the characteristics of conventional packaging material dispensing devices, the repeated rapid stopping of the rotation of the packaging material roll Fr in a short time and the subsequent restart of rotation based on the decrease in braking force of the band brake device 3 tend to cause the operation of the cushion roller 20 and the dispensing of the strip packaging material Fw to produce an action similar to self-excited vibration.

[0042] In the packaging material dispensing device 1, the relationship between the cushion roller mechanism 4 and the band brake device 3 is such that the cushion roller 20 can contact the brake lever 15 when biased in the direction that releases the brake state by the band brake device 3, and can detach from the brake lever 15 in the direction opposite to the direction of contact. Therefore, when the strip-shaped packaging material Fw pulled out from the packaging material roll Fr becomes loose in the cushion roller mechanism 4 (the tension of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw decreases in accordance with the loosening), the cushion roller 20 can descend based on its own weight without being linked to the brake lever 15 and absorb the loosening of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw. As a result, the occurrence of wrinkles and distortions in the strip-shaped packaging material Fw caused by the loosening of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw can be avoided, and the dispensing of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw is stabilized. Furthermore, in Figure 7, from the operating point B, the braking force (brake operating force) exhibits characteristics similar to those of a limiter, as shown by the solid line. Even in real-time operation (dynamic characteristics), the movement of the cushion roller 20 and the pulling out of the strip packaging material Fw do not produce any flapping motion similar to self-excited vibration.

[0043] In the above-described embodiment of the packaging material dispensing device in the packaging machine, the packaging machine was described as a horizontal bag-making, filling, and packaging machine. However, the packaging machine is not limited to this, and may be a vertical bag-making, filling, and packaging machine that produces a bag packaging body by forming a bag from strip-shaped packaging material drawn from a packaging material roll, while the product to be packaged is placed inside the bag and the bag is sealed, or an overwrap packaging machine that produces an overwrap packaging body by cutting a packaging sheet from strip-shaped packaging material drawn from a packaging material roll and wrapping the packaging sheet around a box-shaped or any-shaped product to be packaged.

[0044] Figure 8 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a vertical bag-making, filling, and packaging machine. In the vertical bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 60 shown in Figure 8, the strip-shaped packaging material Fw, drawn from the raw material roll section 61 (corresponding to the packaging material roll holder) that holds the packaging material roll Fr, is guided by several rotatable guide rolls 62 and fed into the cylinder-making machine (former) 63. After being formed into a cylindrical shape in the cylinder-making machine 63, the vertical sealing device 64 applies a vertical seal to the overlapping edges to form a cylindrical packaging material Ft. The product S, which is the packaged item, is fed and filled into the cylindrical packaging material Ft through the filling cylinder. The cylindrical packaging material Ft containing the product S is horizontally sealed by a horizontal sealing device 65, and the cylindrical packaging material Ft is cut to the horizontal sealing position by a cutter device 66, for example, incorporated into the horizontal sealing device 65, thereby producing a bag package P1 with the product S filled inside. The strip-shaped packaging material Fw drawn from the raw material roll section 61 is stored in the storage section 67, where tension adjustments and fluctuations in the feed amount are absorbed. A printing device 68 is also provided downstream of the storage section 67. In relation to the filling cylinder, a belt-type paper feed device 69 is provided on its outer surface as a packaging material supply device that feeds the tubular packaging material Ft. In the vertical bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 60, the cushion roller mechanism relating to the packaging material drawing device according to the present invention can be installed and applied in the storage section 67 where the strip-shaped packaging material Fw drawn from the packaging material roll Fr is stored, and the brake mechanism can be installed and applied in the raw material roll section 61 where the packaging material roll Fr is loaded. The vertical bag-making, filling, and packaging machine may be a continuously operating type bag-making, filling, and packaging machine, or an intermittently operating type bag-making, filling, and packaging machine. In the case of a continuously operating type bag-making, filling, and packaging machine, the packaging material roll is constantly rotating around the axis of the roll holder in response to the continuous consumption of the strip-shaped packaging material in the packaging machine, and a constant rotational inertia is generated. The cushion roller mechanism and brake mechanism operate in response to fluctuations caused by the continuous unwinding of the strip packaging material, effectively absorbing slack in the cushion roller mechanism.

[0045] Figure 9 is a schematic perspective view showing an example of a packaging process using an overwrapping machine. In the overwrapping machine 70 shown in Figure 9, a strip of packaging material Fw, such as wrapping paper, is drawn out from the raw material roll section 71 (corresponding to the packaging material roll holder; shown in (1) of Figure 9) which holds the packaging material roll Fr, and is further drawn out guided by a rotatable guide roll 72. In the storage section 73, tension adjustments and fluctuations in the feed amount are absorbed (shown in (2) of Figure 9). The strip of packaging material Fw is fed out by a pinch roller type packaging material feeding mechanism 74 (shown in (3) of Figure 9), and then cut into a packaging sheet W of a predetermined length by a cutter mechanism 75 (shown in (4) of Figure 9). The product to be packaged, for example, a box-shaped product C, is supplied laterally, and the packaging sheet W is supplied above the supplied product C (shown in (5) of Figure 9). In this state, by pushing product C upward, the top surface c1 of product C and both intersecting sides c2, c2 are covered by the folded portions w1 and w2, w2 of the packaging sheet W (as shown in Figure 9 (6)). Subsequently, when product C is moved laterally (horizontally) together with the packaging sheet W, the bottom surface c3 of product C is covered by folding in the flap portions w3, w3 of the packaging sheet W (as shown in Figure 9 (7)). Furthermore, as product C is moved laterally together with the packaging sheet W, the remaining end surfaces c4, c4 are covered by the side edges w4, w4 of the packaging sheet W, and then the top and bottom edges w5, w5 (as shown in Figure 9 (8)). By applying glue or the like to the overlapping portions of the packaging sheet W and gluing them together, the packaging body P2 of product C made of the packaging sheet W is completed (as shown in Figure 9 (9)). The packaging material dispensing device according to the present invention can be applied to an overwrapping machine 70 by arranging a cushion roller mechanism and a brake mechanism to ensure that the strip-shaped packaging material Fw drawn from the packaging material roll Fr reaches the storage section 73. This overwrapping machine may be a packaging machine that individually packages not only products C such as confectionery boxes and books, but also products of any shape, such as confectionery. [Explanation of symbols]

[0046] 1. Packaging material dispensing device 2. Roll holder 3. Band brake device 4. Cushion roller mechanism 10. Packaging material dispensing mechanism 10a Drive roller 10b Driven roller 11 Adjusting roller mechanism 12 Frame 13 Brake drum 14 Brake leather band 14a One end of the brake leather band 14b The other end of the brake leather band 15 Brake lever 15a One end of the brake lever 15b The other end of the brake lever (free swing end) 15c brake lever middle section 16. Oscillating shaft 17. Contact plate for cushion roller 18 Mounting culm 19 Spring 20 Cushion roller 21 Cushion roller shaft 22 (22a, 22b) Guide roller 23 (23a, 23b) Guide section 24 (24a, 24b) Guide hole 25 (25a, 25b) Rack rail 26 (26a, 26b) Pinion gear 27 Tip of cushion roller shaft 21 50 Horizontal bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 50a Packaging machine body 51 Cylinder forming machine 52 Drive motor 53 Feed roller 54 Center seal unit 54a Heater bar 54b Pressure roller 54c Grinding roller 55 Product feeding conveyor 56 End seal unit 60 Vertical bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 61 Raw material roll section 62 Guide roll 63 Cylinder forming machine (former) 64 Vertical sealing device 65 Horizontal sealing device 66 Cutter device 67 Storage section 68 Printing device 69 Paper feeding device (packaging material supply device) 70 Overwrapping packaging machine 71 Raw material roll section 72 Guide roll 73 Storage section 74 Packaging material feeding mechanism 75 Cutter mechanism Fr Packaging material roll Fw Strip packaging material fe,fe both side edges Ft tubular packaging material S Product Sc Center Seal Se,Se End Seal B Bag Bp,P1 Bag packaging P2 Packaging C product c1 Top view of product C c2, c2 Side view of product C c3 Bottom surface of product C c4, c4 End surfaces of product C W packaging sheet w1, w2 Part of packaging sheet W w3,w3 Flap portion of packaging sheet W w4,w4 Side edge portion of packaging sheet W w5,w5 Top and bottom edge portion of packaging sheet W

Claims

1. It is equipped with a cushion roller mechanism that pulls out the strip packaging material from the packaging material roll on which the strip packaging material is wound, and a brake mechanism that is applied to the roll holder of the packaging material roll. The cushion roller mechanism comprises a cushion roller around which the strip-shaped packaging material drawn from the packaging material roll is wound and which is rotatable in accordance with the feeding of the strip-shaped packaging material, and a guide mechanism provided on the packaging machine frame that guides the cushion roller to move while maintaining its orientation. The brake mechanism is a band brake mechanism comprising a brake drum provided on the roll holder, a brake lever pivotably mounted to the packaging machine frame around a pivot point, and a brake band that is wound slidably along the brake drum and whose ends are mounted on the brake lever, separated on the same side from the pivot point. In a packaging machine, The cushion roller mechanism and the brake mechanism are in a detachable linked relationship, such that the cushion roller can contact the brake lever when biasing the brake lever in the direction that releases the brake state by the brake mechanism, and can detach from the brake lever in the direction opposite to the direction of contact. A packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine, comprising the following:

2. The brake lever is biased by the spring force of the spring in the direction in which braking is applied by the band brake. A packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine according to claim 1, comprising the above.

3. The guide mechanism provided in the cushion roller mechanism is Two guide portions are provided on the packaging machine frame, facing each other, and each guide portion has a guide hole formed at a corresponding position that extends along the direction of movement of the cushion roller, Rack rails are mounted along the guide holes of each frame plate, A pinion gear is rotatably mounted on the shaft end of the cushion roller, which passes through each of the aforementioned guide holes, and engages with the rack rail. It is equipped with, The cushion roller moves along the guide hole as the pinion gear rolls while meshing with the rack rail. A packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine according to claim 1, comprising the above.

4. The packaging machine is a vertical or horizontal bag-making and filling packaging machine that produces a bag packaging body by forming a bag from a strip of packaging material drawn from the packaging material roll, placing the product to be packaged inside the bag, and sealing the bag, or an overwrap packaging machine that produces an overwrap packaging body by cutting a packaging sheet from a strip of packaging material drawn from the packaging material roll and wrapping the packaging sheet around the product to be packaged. A packaging material dispensing device in a packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising the above.

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