Packaging equipment

Abstract

This prevents a defect where the widthwise edge of the upper film, which covers the top of the packaged item, is folded inward and welded to the lower film, resulting in poor adhesion. [Solution] In a packaging machine 1 that wraps an object to be packaged 100 with the ends of a first packaging material, an upper film F1, and a second packaging material, a lower film F2, welded together, the machine includes an upper film pressing member 26 positioned upstream of the joining position in the transport direction, the lower end of which contacts the upper film F1, thereby suppressing upward displacement of the upper film F1's movement path toward the transport path of the object to be packaged 100. The upper film pressing member 26 blocks at least a portion of the area through which the object to be packaged 100, moving in the transport direction, passes, and deforms when pressed by the object to be packaged 100, moving in the transport direction, so as to allow the object to be packaged 100 to pass.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging device.

Background Art

[0002] [[ID=1l]] The applicant of the present application has proposed a packaging device in Patent Document 1 in which an article is placed on a mount, and the film is wound around the article together with the mount so that the film adheres. This packaging device packs an object to be packaged, which is placed on a mount, with two strip-shaped packaging materials such as a film. The tip of the object to be packaged abuts against the tips of two packaging materials joined to each other, and as the object to be packaged moves downstream in the conveyance direction, the two packaging materials pushed by the object to be packaged are wound around the object to be packaged for packaging, and the packaging process is completed by joining the two packaging materials upstream of the rear end of the object to be packaged. In this packaging device, by joining the packaging materials upstream of the rear end of the object to be packaged with the two packaging materials extended, the article can be fixed to the mount by the force with which the film tends to contract.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, when a product in which an article is fixed to a mount is created with the packaging device described in Patent Document 1, there is a problem that the end portions in the width direction of the upper film covering the upper side of the object to be packaged of the two films are bent inward and welded to the lower film, resulting in poor fixing. Such a problem is not limited to a packaging device that welds two films by overlapping them, but can occur in any packaging device that joins two strip-shaped packaging materials by overlapping them. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a conveying means for conveying an object to be packaged so that its horizontal position moves; a first packaging material supply means for supplying one of two strip-shaped packaging materials for packaging the object to be packaged from above the conveying path of the object to be packaged; a second packaging material supply means for supplying the other of the packaging materials, a second packaging material, from below the conveying path of the object to be packaged; and a joining means for joining the first packaging material and the second packaging material so as to form a joining region extending in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction by the conveying means, the leading edge of the object to be packaged in the conveying direction comes into contact with the first packaging material and the second packaging material whose ends are joined to each other, and as the object to be packaged moves downstream in the conveying direction, the first packaging material and the second packaging material, which are pushed by the object to be packaged, wrap around the object to be packaged. A packaging device is provided in which a first packaging material supply means and a second packaging material supply means are supplied while the packaged object is being transported, and after the rear end of the packaged object in the transport direction passes the joining position of the joining means, the joining means joins the first packaging material and the second packaging material to wrap around the packaged object and package it, the packaging device is provided with a packaging material movement path displacement suppression member which is positioned upstream of the joining position in the transport direction, and whose lower end contacts the first packaging material to suppress upward displacement of the movement path of the first packaging material toward the transport path of the packaged object, the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member which blocks at least a part of the area through which the packaged object moving in the transport direction passes, and which is displaced or deformed when pushed by the packaged object moving in the transport direction so that the packaged object can pass. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, by suppressing the upward displacement of the movement path of the first packaging material using the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member, it is possible to prevent the first packaging material from being supplied from the first packaging material supply means by inertial force when the packaged object stops. As a result, it is possible to prevent loosening of the first packaging material downstream of the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member, which makes it less likely for deformation to occur in which the widthwise ends of the first packaging material are curled inward, and thus has the excellent effect of preventing the occurrence of joining defects caused by the widthwise ends of the first packaging material being joined in an overlapping state. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a packaging machine according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Front view of the packaging machine shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Schematic lateral cross-sectional view of the packaging machine shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 1 shows a horizontal cross-sectional view of the packaging machine. [Figure 5] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the packaged product wrapped in film by the packaging machine. [Figure 6] Figures 6(a) to 6(c) illustrate the operation of the packaging machine in chronological order. [Figure 7] Figures 7(a) to 7(c) illustrate the operation of the packaging machine in chronological order. [Figure 8] Figures 8(a) to 8(c) illustrate the operation of the packaging machine in chronological order. [Figure 9] Figures 9(a) to 9(c) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the packaging machine in modified example 3. [Figure 10] Figures 10(a) to (c) are explanatory diagrams of the operation of the packaging machine in modified example 4. [Figure 11] Figures 11(a) to (c) illustrate the operation of the packaging machine in the comparative example. [Figure 12] Figures 12(a) to (c) illustrate the operation of the packaging machine in the comparative example. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The descriptions of embodiments are illustrative and not limiting to the invention, and the features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. The same or equivalent components, members, and processes shown in each drawing are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted as appropriate. Furthermore, the dimensions of members in each drawing may be enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Also, some members that are not important for explaining the embodiments may be omitted from the drawings.

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the packaging machine 1 according to an embodiment, Figure 2 is a front view of the packaging machine 1 of Figure 1, and Figure 3 is a schematic side cross-sectional view showing the general layout of the interior of the packaging machine 1 of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional view taken from above of the horizontal cross-section at the position of the transport path in the vertical direction of the packaging machine 1 of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the packaged product 200 in which the object to be packaged 100 has been wrapped in film F by the packaging machine 1. The packaging machine 1 is a stretch packaging device that creates a packaged product 200 by wrapping the object to be packaged 100 using the elasticity of film F.

[0010] The packaged item 100 includes a cardboard base 102, which is a plate-shaped support material, and an article 104 placed on the cardboard base 102. The cardboard base 102 is, for example, corrugated cardboard. The shape of the cardboard base 102 is not particularly limited, but in this example it is rectangular when viewed from the direction normal to the surface on which the article 104 is placed.

[0011] The items 104 included in the packaged item 100 are, for example, goods purchased from an e-commerce site (e.g., an online store's mail-order site). The packaged item 100 is then stretch-wrapped with film F to form a packaged product 200, which is then packed in a packaging box, for example, made of cardboard, and delivered to the purchaser.

[0012] The packaging machine 1 creates a packaged product 200 by sandwiching the object to be packaged 100 between two films F (F1, F2) supplied from two film rolls R (R1, R2) and welding them at the welding part Fx. The packaging machine 1 is a device that packages the article 104 together with the backing paper 102 with the film F, and the packaging machine 1 can also be regarded as a device that fixes the article 104 to the backing paper 102 with the film F.

[0013] The packaging machine 1 has an insertion port 2 located at the right end in FIG. 3 and a discharge port 4 located at the left end in FIG. 3. In the packaging machine 1, the object to be packaged 100 is inserted into the packaging machine 1 from the insertion port 2 so that one side of the rectangular backing paper 102 is parallel to the width direction (X-axis direction in FIGS. 1 to 4). Outside the insertion port 2, an entrance lower surface guide 21 for guiding the lower surface of the object to be packaged 100 inserted into the insertion port 2 and side guides 22 for guiding both sides in the width direction are provided, making it easier for the user to insert the object to be packaged 100 by hand. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the opening width (opening height) in the vertical direction of the insertion port 2 has a shape where the central part in the width direction is wide and the outer sides in the width direction are narrow. This is because only the backing paper 102 passes through the outer sides in the width direction, so the opening width is such that the backing paper 102 can pass through, and the central part in the width direction has a wide opening width so that an article 104 of a certain height placed on the backing paper 102 can pass through.

[0014] In this embodiment, the object to be packaged 100 is inserted by the user by hand, but instead of the guide members (entrance lower surface guide 21, side guides 22), a device that automatically supplies the object to be packaged 100 in parts may be connected for automatic supply.

[0015] The inserted object to be packaged 100 is conveyed inside the device in the direction of the arrow "α" in FIG. 1 while being sandwiched between the respective films F (F1, F2) pulled out from the upper film roll R1 on the upper side and the lower film roll R2 on the lower side, and the front end side and the rear end side in the conveyance direction α are heat-welded and packaged, and then discharged from the discharge port 4 and sequentially discharged to the package tray 40. In the conveyance direction α from the insertion port 2 to the discharge port 4, the insertion port 2 side is the upstream side and the discharge port 4 side is the downstream side.

[0016] As shown in FIG. 1, an operation panel 45 is provided on the upper surface of the left housing wall portion 10b on the left side in the width direction of the packaging machine 1. The operation panel 45 functions as an input unit for receiving various inputs from the user for operating the packaging machine 1, and also functions as a display unit for displaying various information within the packaging machine 1. As shown in FIG. 2, a power switch 46 for turning on the power to the packaging machine 1 is provided on the front surface of the right housing wall portion 10a on the right side in the width direction of the packaging machine 1.

[0017] The object to be packaged 100 is inserted through the insertion port 2 such that the two opposite sides of the backing paper 102 are parallel or substantially parallel to the conveyance direction α. The packaging machine 1 packages the object to be packaged 100 inserted through the insertion port 2 with the film F until it is discharged from the discharge port 4.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 3, the packaging machine 1 includes an upper roll support shaft 61, a lower roll support shaft 62, an upstream pressing member 11, an upstream pressing receiving portion 41, a heater 13, a heater receiving portion 42, a downstream pressing member 12, and a downstream pressing receiving portion 43. The heater 13 is supported by a heater support member 14, and the downstream pressing member 12 is supported by a downstream pressing support member 15. The downstream pressing support member 15 is configured to move up and down together with the downstream pressing member 12.

[0019] Furthermore, the packaging machine 1 includes an inlet roller pair 31 (inlet lower roller 31a, inlet upper roller 31b), an upstream conveyance roller pair 32 (upstream lower conveyance roller 32a, upstream upper conveyance roller 32b), a downstream conveyance roller pair 33 (downstream lower conveyance roller 33a, downstream upper conveyance roller 33b), and an outlet roller pair 34 (outlet lower roller 34a, outlet upper roller 34b). The lower roller of each roller pair (inlet lower roller 31a, upstream lower conveyance roller 32a, downstream lower conveyance roller 33a, outlet lower roller 34a) is a driving roller that rotates. Furthermore, the packaging machine 1 includes an inlet sensor S1, a heater position passing sensor S2, an outlet sensor S3, and a control unit 30.

[0020] The upper roll support shaft 61 is inserted through the core (e.g., paper tube) of the upper film roll R1 and rotatably supports the upper film roll R1. The upper roll support shaft 61 is particularly positioned so that the upper film roll R1 is located above the insertion opening 2.

[0021] The lower roll support shaft 62 is inserted through the core of the lower film roll R2 and rotatably supports the lower film roll R2. The lower roll support shaft 62 is positioned so that the lower film roll R2 is located below the insertion opening 2. The two film rolls R(R1, R2) have a long continuous film F(F1, F2) wound around a core.

[0022] The upper roll support shaft 61 is supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction relative to the main body of the packaging machine 1, and an upper roll support roller 51 is provided below the upper roll support shaft 61 that contacts the lower end of the surface of the upper film roll R1. When the upper film F1 is consumed and the diameter of the upper film roll R1 decreases, the upper roll support shaft 61 moves downward so as to approach the upper roll support roller 51, with the lower end of the surface of the upper film roll R1 being supported by the upper roll support roller 51. Similarly, the lower roll support shaft 62 is supported so as to be slidable in the vertical direction relative to the main body of the packaging machine 1, and a lower roll support roller 54 is provided below the lower roll support shaft 62 that contacts the lower end of the surface of the lower film roll R2. When the lower film F2 is consumed and the diameter of the lower film roll R2 decreases, the lower roll support shaft 62 moves downward so as to approach the lower roll support roller 54, with the lower end of the surface of the lower film roll R2 being supported by the lower roll support roller 54.

[0023] The upper film F1 is pulled out from the upper film roll R1 and wrapped around the upper film first guide 52 and the upper film second guide 53, with its tip positioned above the heater receiving section 42. The lower film F2 is pulled out from the lower film roll R2 and wrapped around the lower film guide 55, with its tip positioned above the heater receiving section 42. As shown in Figure 5, the film F(F1,F2) is narrower in width (length in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction α and perpendicular to the paper plane in Figure 3) than the backing paper 102 of the packaged product 100. As a result, both sides of the backing paper 102 of the packaged product 200 in the width direction are not covered by the film F and remain exposed.

[0024] The ends of the two films F(F1,F2) were welded together (i.e., connected) during the previous packaging process, forming a welded section Fx. The two film rolls R(R1,R2) are also supported to rotate freely as described above. Therefore, when the packaged object 100 is inserted and moves downstream, the welded ends of the films F(F1,F2), which are pushed by the end of the packaged object 100, move downstream together with the packaged object 100, and the film F(F1,F2) is pulled out from the two film rolls R(R1,R2) by the amount the ends have moved.

[0025] The film F is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment it is transparent and is a stretch film that is stretchable at least in the transport direction α. ​​Being stretchable in the transport direction α means that when a tensile force is applied in the transport direction α, it stretches without breaking, and when the tensile force is removed, it shrinks. Whether or not it returns to its original state, i.e., whether or not it returns to its original length, is irrelevant. The direction in which the film F is stretched when it is wrapped as a packaging material becomes the wrapping direction.

[0026] As shown in Figure 3, in the packaging machine 1, the upstream pressing member 11, heater 13, and downstream pressing member 12 are arranged in this order from the upstream side. Below the upstream pressing member 11 is an upstream pressing support portion 41, below the heater 13 is a heater support portion 42, and below the downstream pressing member 12 is a downstream pressing support portion 43. Each support portion (41, 42, 43) has a flat receiving upper surface. The upstream pressing member 11, the upstream pressing support portion 41, the heater 13, the heater support portion 42, the downstream pressing member 12, and the downstream pressing support portion 43 are all members that are long in the width direction.

[0027] The upstream retaining member 11 can be raised and lowered by a drive mechanism (not shown). In the illustrated example, the lower surface of the upstream retaining member 11 is flat, but it is not limited to this and may be curved, for example.

[0028] The heater 13 is supported by the heater support member 14, and the downstream retaining member 12 is supported by the heater support member 14 via the downstream retaining support member 15. The heater support member 14 can be raised and lowered by a drive mechanism (not shown). Therefore, the heater 13 and the downstream retaining member 12 can be raised and lowered in conjunction with the raising and lowering of the heater support member 14. In this case, only one drive mechanism is needed to raise and lower the heater 13 and the downstream retaining member 12, resulting in lower costs. Alternatively, the heater 13 and the downstream retaining member 12 may be raised and lowered by separate drive mechanisms. In this case, a mechanism to move the downstream retaining support member 15 up and down together with the downstream retaining member 12 is unnecessary.

[0029] The downstream pressing support member 15 is supported by the heater support member 14 so that the downstream pressing member 12 can move relative to the heater 13 in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the downstream pressing member 12 is biased downward, i.e., toward the upper surface of the downstream pressing receiving portion 43, by a spring 16, one end (upper end) of which is fixed to the heater support member 14 and the other end (lower end) of which is fixed to the downstream pressing support member 15.

[0030] The lower surface of the downstream retaining member 12 is a flat surface, but is not limited to this; for example, it may be a curved surface.

[0031] The heater 13 is made of, for example, lightweight aluminum or an aluminum alloy with good thermal conductivity. The lower end of the heater 13 is formed at an acute angle. A rubber heater (not shown) is baked onto the heater 13, and the heater 13 can be heated by passing electricity through this rubber heater.

[0032] The distance "L1" in the transport direction from the upstream pressing member 11 to the heater 13 is preferably configured to be longer than the distance "L2" in the transport direction from the heater 13 to the downstream pressing member 12, as shown in the figure. Distance "L1" is, for example, the distance between the center of the lower surface of the upstream pressing member 11 in the transport direction α and the tip of the heater 13. Distance "L2" is, for example, the distance between the tip of the heater 13 and the center of the lower surface of the downstream pressing member 12 in the transport direction α.

[0033] Upstream of the upstream pressing member 11, there is an inlet roller pair 31 for transporting the packaged object 100 inserted from the insertion opening 2 to the downstream side. Downstream of the downstream pressing member 12, there is an upstream transport roller pair 32 and a downstream transport roller pair 33 for transporting the packaged object 100 within the packaging machine 1 to the downstream side. Downstream of the downstream transport roller pair 33, there is an outlet roller pair 34 for discharging the packaged product 200, in which the packaged object 100 is wrapped by the film F, from the discharge opening 4.

[0034] These roller pairs (31, 32, 33, 34) are composed of two pairs of rollers spaced apart in the width direction (in Figure 3, only one is shown on the far side of the paper, i.e., the right side in the width direction), as shown in Figure 4 for the lower rollers (31a, 32a, 33a, 34a). The distance between these two pairs of rollers spaced apart in the width direction is wider than the width of the film F and narrower than the width of the backing 102 of the packaged item 100 to be inserted. Furthermore, when inserting the packaged item 100, it is necessary to place the item 104 on the backing 102 so that its width direction position is inside the two pairs of rollers spaced apart in the width direction. As a result, the roller pairs (31, 32, 33, 34) are configured to grip and transport only the backing 102, and the height of the item 104 is not limited by the distance between the rollers of the roller pairs, thereby improving the degree of freedom of the height of the insertable item 104.

[0035] The roller pairs (31, 32, 33, 34) that transport the packaged item 100 grasp both ends of the backing paper 102 in the width direction where the film F (F1, F2) is located on the outside of the film F (F1, F2) in the width direction and where the leading edge of the film F (F1, F2) on the packaged item 100, or the film F cut from the film F (F1, F2) (hereinafter simply referred to as "film F") is not covering it, and transport the packaged item 100. The upper rollers (31b, 32b, 33b, 34b) of each roller pair (31, 32, 33, 34) contact the backing paper 102 from above, and the lower rollers (31a, 32a, 33a, 34a) contact the backing paper 102 from below. Each roller pair (31, 32, 33, 34) uses its upper and lower rollers to grip the cardboard backing 102 and, consequently, the packaged item 100, to transport it downstream.

[0036] The inlet sensor S1 is a through-type sensor located upstream of the upstream pressing member 11 and in the center in the width direction. The heater position passage sensor S2 is a reflective type sensor located at the same position as or downstream of the downstream pressing member 12 in the transport direction, upstream of the upstream transport roller pair 32, and paired on both outer sides of the downstream pressing receiving portion 43 in the width direction. The outlet sensor S3 is a through-type sensor located downstream of the outlet roller pair 34 and in the center in the width direction. Each sensor (S1, S2, S3) detects the presence or absence of the packaged object 100 (or packaged product 200) at its respective detection position, thereby detecting the passage of the leading edge and the trailing edge of the packaged object 100 (or packaged product 200).

[0037] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the packaging machine 1 has an upstream guide plate 71 and a downstream guide plate 72 fixed to the device housing, which support the lower surface of the object to be packaged 100 (or packaged product 200) moving inside the device. The upstream end of the upstream guide plate 71 is adjacent to the lower film guide 55, and the downstream end of the upstream guide plate 71 is adjacent to the heater receiving portion 42. The upstream end of the downstream guide plate 72 is adjacent to the downstream pressing receiving portion 43, and the downstream side of the downstream guide plate 72 extends to the discharge port 4.

[0038] As shown in Figure 4, the inlet lower roller 31a, the inlet sensor S1, and the upstream pressing support portion 41 are positioned to be exposed upward from an opening provided in the upstream guide plate 71. The outlet sensor S3 and the outlet lower roller 34a are positioned to be exposed upward from an opening provided in the downstream guide plate 72. The upstream transport roller pair 32 and the downstream transport roller pair 33 are positioned on the outside in the width direction of the downstream guide plate 72 in the portion where the width of the downstream guide plate 72 is narrowed.

[0039] The control unit 30 comprehensively controls the packaging machine 1. Specifically, the control unit 30 controls the operation of actuators such as motors that drive each mechanism, and the heating of the heater 13 for welding the films F (F1, F2). For example, based on the detection results of the packaged object 100 (or packaged product 200) by each sensor (S1, S2, S3), the control unit 30 starts and stops the transport of the packaged object 100 (or packaged product 200) by each roller pair (31, 32, 33, 34).

[0040] As shown in Figures 1, 3, and 4, the packaging machine 1 is equipped with a plate-shaped separator 25 that extends from the insertion opening 2 to the vicinity of the upstream end of the heater receiving section 42. The separator 25 is positioned between the upper film F1 and the lower film F2 on the upstream side in the conveying direction relative to the heater receiving section 42, which is the joining position, and functions as a plate-shaped packaging material adhesion prevention member that prevents the upper film F1 and the lower film from adhering to each other.

[0041] The upstream end of the separator 25 can be fixed to the inlet bottom guide 21. The inlet bottom guide 21 to which the separator 25 is fixed is attached below the insertion opening 2 of the packaging machine 1 body, and the separator 25 made of a flexible material is pushed in from the insertion opening 2. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, only the upstream end is fixed to the packaging machine 1 body, and the separator is positioned to extend along the conveying direction of the packaged item 100.

[0042] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the position where the upstream end of the separator 25 is fixed is upstream of the lower film guide 55, which guides the lower film F2, pulled from the lower film roll R2 (which is positioned below the upstream guide plate 71 that forms the transport path), to the height of the transport path. With this arrangement, the separator 25 can be positioned between the transport path of the packaged item 100 to be inserted and the movement path of the lower film F2.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the packaging machine 1 is equipped with an upper film pressing member 26, which is a packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member that suppresses upward displacement of the movement path from the upper film second guide 53 to the welding section Fx. The upper film pressing member 26 is positioned upstream of the heater receiving section 42 in the conveying direction and consists of a plate-shaped flexible material with its upper part fixed to the device housing and hanging down. As shown in Figure 3, the lower end of the upper film pressing member 26 contacts the upper film F1, thereby suppressing upward displacement of the movement path of the upper film F1 toward the heater receiving section 42, which forms the conveying path of the packaged material 100. Furthermore, if the article 104 placed on the cardboard backing 102 has a certain height, and the article 104 of the packaged item 100 moving in the transport direction α comes into contact with the upper film pressing member 26 with the upper film F1 in between, the upper film pressing member 26 bends so that its lower end moves downstream in the transport direction, allowing the packaged item 100, including the article 104, to pass through.

[0044] The above describes the basic configuration of packaging machine 1. Next, we will explain an example of its operation.

[0045] Figures 6 to 8 are enlarged views of the vicinity of the transport path in the lateral cross-sectional view of the packaging machine 1 shown in Figure 3, illustrating an example of the operation of the packaging machine 1 in chronological order. In Figure 3, the upstream pressing member 11, heater 13, and downstream pressing member 12 are in a standby position spaced upward from the upper receiving surfaces of their respective receiving parts (41, 42, 43). In this state, the item to be packaged 100 is inserted into the packaging machine 1. The standby position is a position (height) where the upstream pressing member 11, heater 13, and downstream pressing member 12 do not come into contact with the item to be packaged 100 being inserted. In the standby position, the lower end of the downstream pressing member 12 is located below the lower end of the heater 13 (closer to the upper surface of the receiving part). In the standby state, each transport roller pair that applies transport force to the item to be packaged 100 (inlet roller pair 31, upstream transport roller pair 32, downstream transport roller pair 33, and outlet roller pair 34) is stopped.

[0046] Figure 6(a) shows the state in which the item to be packaged 100 has been inserted into the packaging machine 1 and the leading edge of the item to be packaged 100 has passed the detection position of the entrance sensor S1. The control unit 30 starts rotating each transport roller pair (31, 32, 33, 34) when the entrance sensor S1 detects the leading edge of the inserted item to be packaged 100. As a result, both ends of the backing paper 102 of the item to be packaged 100, which has been pushed further in from the state in Figure 6(a), are gripped by the entrance roller pair 31 and transported in the transport direction α.

[0047] Figure 6(b) shows the state in which the leading edge of an article 104 placed on the backing 102 of the packaged item 100 being transported has reached the installation position of the upper film retainer member 26 in the transport direction α. ​​The lower end of the upper film retainer member 26 is positioned higher than the surface of the backing 102, allowing the backing 102 to pass between the lower end of the upper film retainer member 26 and the upstream guide plate 71 that forms the transport path. On the other hand, the uppermost part of the article 104 may be positioned higher than the lower end of the upper film retainer member 26, as shown in Figure 6. In this case, as shown in Figure 6(b), the article 104 contacts the upper film retainer member 26 via the upper film F1. The upper film retainer member 26, made of a flexible material, is pushed by the article 104 moving downstream together with the backing 102 to which the transport force is applied, causing its lower end to bend so that it is displaced downstream in the transport direction, allowing the passage of the article 104 whose uppermost part is higher than the lower end of the upper film retainer member 26.

[0048] Figure 6(c) shows the state in which the packaged item 100 has been transported to the upstream transport roller pair 32. The upstream transport roller pair 32 and the downstream transport roller pair 33 grip both ends of the backing paper 102 of the packaged item 100 that has arrived, and transport the packaged item 100 downstream.

[0049] Figure 7(a) shows the state in which the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the upstream pressing member 11 and transport has stopped. The stopping timing is determined by driving the drive motor for a predetermined number of steps or counts after the inlet sensor S1 detects the passage of the rear end of the packaged item 100, and then stopping. Also, in the state shown in Figure 7(a), the rear end of the article 104 has passed below the upper film pressing member 26, and the flexible upper film pressing member 26 is in a state in which the elastic force pushes down the upper film F1, similar to the state shown in Figure 6(a) (the state before the packaged item 100 pushes down the upper film pressing member 26 and causes it to bend).

[0050] In Figure 7(b), after the transport of the packaged item 100 is stopped, the upstream pressing member 11 descends from the standby position shown in Figure 7(a) to the gripping position. After the upstream pressing member 11 descends to the gripping position, the transport of the packaged item 100 is resumed, and the upstream transport roller pair 32 and the downstream transport roller pair 33 transport the packaged item 100 further downstream.

[0051] The gripping position of the upstream pressing member 11 is the position in which the upstream pressing member 11 is pressed against the upper surface of the upstream pressing receiving portion 41. When the upstream pressing member 11 is in the gripping position, the film F(F1,F2) is gripped by the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiving portion 41 with the separator 25 in between. In other words, the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiving portion 41 constitute a gripping portion that grips the film F(F1,F2).

[0052] When the film F(F1,F2) is gripped by the gripping part, the supply of film F(F1,F2) from the two film rolls R(R1,R2) is stopped. In other words, the force exerted by the packaged object 100 being transported downstream, pushing the welded part Fx downstream in the transport direction and pulling the film F(F1,F2) downstream in the transport direction, no longer acts upstream of the gripping part where the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiving part 41 grip the film F(F1,F2). As a result, even when the packaged object 100 is transported downstream, the film F(F1,F2) will not be pulled out any further from the film rolls R(R1,R2). In other words, the speed at which film F(F1,F2) is pulled out from the film rolls R(R1,R2) (hereinafter referred to as "pulling speed") becomes zero. In other words, the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiving part 41 constitute a gripping part, and consequently, a film supply adjustment part that stops the supply of film F(F1,F2) (sets the withdrawal speed to zero). The withdrawal speed is the speed of the portion of film F(F1,F2) immediately after it is pulled from the film roll R(R1,R2). The withdrawal speed can also be considered as being equal to the peripheral speed of the outer surface of the film roll R(R1,R2) that rotates as the film F(F1,F2) is pulled out.

[0053] More specifically, after the rear end of the packaged object 100 has passed below the upstream pressing member 11 and before it has passed below the heater 13, the upstream pressing member 11 reaches the gripping position and grips the film F(F1,F2) together with the upstream pressing receiving portion 41.

[0054] As a control of gripping and conveying, for example, when the entrance sensor S1 detects the rear end of the packaged item 100, conveying by the upstream conveying roller pair 32 and the downstream conveying roller pair 33 is stopped after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the upstream pressing member 11 and before it has passed below the heater 13 (state shown in Figure 7(a)). Then the upstream pressing member 11 is lowered to the gripping position (state shown in Figure 7(b)), and then conveying by the upstream conveying roller pair 32 and the downstream conveying roller pair 33 may be resumed. As another control method, for example, without stopping the transport by the upstream transport roller pair 32 and the downstream transport roller pair 33, the upstream presser member 11 may be lowered when the inlet sensor S1 detects the rear end of the packaged item 100, so that the upstream presser member 11 reaches the gripping position after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the upstream presser member 11 and before it has passed below the heater 13.

[0055] With the upstream pressing member 11 lowered to the gripping position and the supply of film F(F1,F2) stopped, the upstream transport roller pair 32 and the downstream transport roller pair 33 transport the packaged item 100 further downstream. As a result, the leading edge of film F(F1,F2) stretches downstream of the upstream pressing member 11.

[0056] In Figure 7(c), the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes below the downstream pressing member 12, and the downstream pressing member 12 has reached the gripping position. When it is detected that the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the downstream pressing member 12, the heater support member 14 is lowered from the standby position shown in Figure 7(b), and consequently, the downstream pressing member 12 held by the heater support member 14 is lowered from the standby position to the gripping position. Also, when it is detected that the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the downstream pressing member 12, the transport of the packaged item 100 by the upstream transport roller pair 32 and the downstream transport roller pair 33 is stopped.

[0057] The gripping position of the downstream pressing member 12 is the position in which the downstream pressing member 12 is pressed against the upper surface of the downstream pressing receiving portion 43. When the downstream pressing member 12 is in the gripping position, the film F(F1,F2) is gripped by the downstream pressing member 12 and the upper surface of the downstream pressing receiving portion 43. In other words, the downstream pressing member 12 and the downstream pressing receiving portion 43 constitute a gripping portion that grips the film F(F1,F2).

[0058] More specifically, the downstream pressing member 12 reaches the gripping position after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the downstream pressing member 12, and together with the downstream pressing receiving portion 43, it grips the film F(F1,F2).

[0059] For example, when the heater position passing sensor S2 detects the rear end of the packaged item 100, the conveyance by the upstream conveyor roller pair 32 and the downstream conveyor roller pair 33 is stopped at a predetermined timing, and then the heater support member 14 is lowered to lower the downstream pressing member 12 to the gripping position.

[0060] In Figure 8(a), the upstream pressing member 11 is raised from the gripping position to the standby position. After the downstream pressing member 12 descends to the gripping position, raising the upstream pressing member 11 releases the film F(F1,F2) from being gripped by the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiver 41. As a result, tension is maintained on the film F(F1,F2) wrapping the packaged object 100 downstream of the downstream pressing member 12, while the tension on the film F(F1,F2) upstream of the downstream pressing member 12 decreases. This reduces the tension at the location of the welded portion Fx, thus suppressing the occurrence of welding defects in the subsequent heat welding process.

[0061] In Figure 8(b), the heater support member 14 has descended further from the state shown in Figure 8(a), and the tip of the heater 13 has reached the upper surface of the heater receiving portion 42. The downstream pressing member 12 has already reached the gripping position when it reaches the state shown in Figure 7(c), so the downstream pressing member 12 does not descend further with the further descent of the heater support member 14. The material of each receiving portion (41, 42, 43) is not particularly limited, but for example, it may be a material that does not substantially deform, i.e., not dent, even when pressed downward by at least the pressing members (11, 12). On the other hand, the heater 13 descends with the descent of the heater support member 14 and reaches the welding position. The welding position is the position where the tip of the heater 13 is pressed against the upper surface of the heater receiving portion 42. In other words, as the heater support member 14 descends further from the state shown in Figure 8(a), the downstream pressing member 12 and the heater 13 move relative to each other. The heater 13 contacts the two overlapping films F(F1, F2) and heat-welds them together. As a result, the films F(F1, F2) downstream of the downstream pressing member 12 are stretched, and their upstream sides are welded to each other, forming a welded portion Fx (rear end welded portion FxR).

[0062] In Figure 8(c), the heater support member 14 rises, and the heater 13 and the downstream pressing member 12 rise from the welding position and gripping position, respectively, to the standby position. When the heater 13 and the downstream pressing member 12 reach the standby position and conveyance by the upstream conveying roller pair 32 and the downstream conveying roller pair 33 resumes, the film F(F1,F2) is cut at the welding section Fx. This cutting causes the film F that wrapped the packaged item 100 (the portion of film F that has been cut from the continuous film F connected to each film roll R(R1,R2)) to shrink, resulting in a packaged product 200 in which the packaged item 100 is tightly stretch-wrapped by the film F.

[0063] In the embodiment described above, the downstream pressing member 12 is lowered as shown in Figure 7(c), the upstream pressing member 11 is raised as shown in Figure 8(a), and then the heater 13 is lowered until its tip reaches the heater receiving portion 42, as shown in Figure 8(b), to perform welding. That is, the upstream pressing member 11, which has been raised as shown in Figure 8(a), is controlled not to be lowered until the next packaging process. Alternatively, the downstream pressing member 12 may be lowered as shown in Figure 7(c), then the upstream pressing member 11 may be raised, and then the upstream pressing member 11 may be lowered again to the gripping position.

[0064] In this control system, where the upstream pressing member 11 is raised once and then lowered again before welding, the films F(F1, F2) to be welded are pressed against the upstream pressing receiving part 41 by the upstream pressing member 11 on the upstream side of the heater 13, and pressed against the downstream pressing receiving part 43 by the downstream pressing member 12 on the downstream side of the heater 13. Furthermore, the downstream end of the separator 25 that suppresses the adhesion of the two films F(F1, F2) is located upstream in the transport direction relative to the heater receiving part 42, and the separator 25 is not located above the heater receiving part 42. Therefore, at the position to be welded by the heater 13, that is, below the heater 13, the films F(F1, F2) are in close contact with each other, and by sandwiching the films F(F1, F2) in an overlapping, close-fitting state between the heater 13 and the heater receiving part 42 and welding them, the welding quality can be stabilized.

[0065] In this control system, after the downstream pressing member 12 descends to the gripping position, the film F(F1,F2) is temporarily released from the grip of the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiver 41 (as shown in Figure 8(a)). After that, it is gripped again by the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiver 41. By temporarily releasing the grip, the tension of the film F(F1,F2) between the upstream pressing member 11 and the downstream pressing member 12 is reduced, which suppresses the occurrence of welding defects in the subsequent heat welding process. Furthermore, by lowering the upstream pressing member 11 back to the gripping position, the position of the upper film F1, which is located below the tip of the heater 13, can be lowered, bringing the position where the tip of the heater 13 begins to contact the upper film F1 during welding closer to the heater receiver 42, thereby stabilizing the welding quality. In this type of control, which lowers the upstream pressing member 11 after it has been raised once, the position of the upstream pressing member 11 when it is raised once may be raised to the standby position, or it may be sufficient for the upstream pressing member 11 to be separated from the upper surface of the upstream pressing receiving portion 41, and it may not be necessary to raise it to the standby position.

[0066] Furthermore, when lowering it again, the upstream pressing member 11 may be returned to a position slightly above the upper surface of the upstream pressing receiver 41, rather than being returned to the gripping position. Even if the upstream pressing member 11 does not press the films F(F1,F2) against the upstream pressing receiver 41, if it is positioned slightly above the upper surface of the upstream pressing receiver 41, it is possible to prevent the upper film F1 and the lower film F2 from separating too much.

[0067] The above is an example of the operation of the packaging machine 1. Next, in Figure 7(b), it is noted that the upstream pressing member 11 reaches the gripping position "before the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes below the heater 13", and the film F (F1, F2) is gripped by the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiving part 41. In the packaging machine 1, the film F that is wrapping the packaged item 100 in Figure 8(c), that is, the film F that has been separated from the continuous film (F1, F2) downstream of the welding part Fx (rear end welding part FxR) by the heater 13, still tries to contract, and this force fixes the article 104 to the cardboard backing 102.

[0068] In contrast, if the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes below the heater 13 before the upstream pressing member 11 reaches the gripping position, the film F (F1, F2) downstream of the heater 13 is already long enough at that point (i.e., before stretching) to loosely wrap the packaged item 100. Naturally, even if the film F is released and shrinks after stretching, it will not become shorter than its length before stretching. In this case, the film F wrapping the packaged item 100 cannot fix the article 104 to the cardboard backing 102.

[0069] Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the upstream pressing member 11 reaches the gripping position before the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes below the heater 13, so that the film F(F1,F2) is gripped by the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiving portion 41.

[0070] However, even if the upstream pressing member 11 reaches the gripping position before the rear end of the packaged item 100 passes below the heater 13, if the distance "L3" (see Figure 7(b)) in the transport direction from the rear end of the packaged item 100 to the heater 13 at that point is short, there is still a risk that the packaged item 100 can only be packaged loosely. Specifically, even if the stretched film shrinks, it may not return to its original length, and if the length of the part that has become longer than its original length in this shrunk state (hereinafter referred to as the "stretched part") is longer than "L3", the packaged item 100 can only be packaged loosely. Therefore, "L3" must be longer than the length of the stretched part, and the longer "L3" is, the tighter the packaging can be. In order to obtain the length of "L3", "L1" needs to be of a certain length. On the other hand, the length of "L2" does not affect this, and it is better if it is as short as possible in order to make the device compact.

[0071] Furthermore, as is clear from the fact that the packaged object 100 is packaged by the elasticity of the film, the distance "L2" in the transport direction from the heater 13 to the downstream pressing member 12, the distance "L5" in the transport direction from the leading edge position of the packaged object 100 in Figure 7(c) to the upstream pressing member 11, and the distance "L4" in the transport direction from the rear end position of the packaged object 100 in Figure 7(c) to the downstream pressing member 12 all affect whether the packaged object 100 is securely packaged so that the position of the article 104 relative to the backing paper 102 does not shift when the packaged object 100 is subjected to vibration or shock. These distances "L2", "L4", and "L5" should be determined based on experiments, etc., to appropriate values ​​according to the elasticity of the film F (F1, F2) that constitutes the film F.

[0072] The upstream pressing member 11, the downstream pressing member 12, and the heater 13 may each be able to move independently in the transport direction. In this case, the distances "L2", "L4", and "L5" can be changed. For example, when changing the films F(F1,F2) to films with different elasticity, or when changing the length of the backing paper 102 in the transport direction, the distances "L2", "L4", and "L5" should be adjusted so that the packaged item 100 is securely packaged.

[0073] According to the example of operation of the packaging machine 1 described above, the packaged object 100 can be stretch-packaged with a relatively simple operation: without moving the packaged object 100 upstream (reverse movement) or rewinding the film F(F1,F2), as in the configuration described in Patent Document 2, the packaged object 100 is transported downstream while gripping the film F(F1,F2) upstream of the packaged object 100, stretching the film F(F1,F2), and then welded in that state. As a result, the time required for packaging can be shortened.

[0074] The above description of the operation of the packaging machine 1 is illustrative, and it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications are possible in the combination of its components and processing processes, and that packaging devices that perform such modified operations also fall within the scope of the present invention. These modifications will be described below.

[0075] <Example 1> In the example of the operation of the packaging machine 1 described above, the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiving part 41 constitute the gripping part and, consequently, the film supply adjustment part. However, the machine is not limited to this. For example, the packaging machine 1 may be equipped with a braking mechanism that applies a brake to prevent the film roll R(R1,R2) from rotating, or releases the brake to allow it to rotate. In this case, by applying the brake to prevent the film roll R(R1,R2) from rotating, the supply of film F(F1,F2) from the film roll R(R1,R2) is stopped. In other words, the braking mechanism constitutes the film supply adjustment part.

[0076] <Modification 2> In the example of the operation of the packaging machine 1 described above and in the modified example 1 described above, the case in which the film supply adjustment unit stops the supply of film, in other words, sets the film withdrawal speed to zero, was explained. However, it is not limited to this, and the film supply adjustment unit does not need to set the withdrawal speed to zero; it only needs to reduce the withdrawal speed, specifically by making the withdrawal speed slower than the speed at which the packaged item 100 moves downstream. If the withdrawal speed is slower than the speed at which the packaged item 100 moves downstream, the two films F(F1,F2) will stretch, thus producing the same effect as in the example of the operation of the packaging machine 1 described above. For example, if the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiving part 41 constitute the film supply adjustment unit, the withdrawal speed can be slowed by weakening the force pressing the upstream pressing member 11 against the upstream pressing receiving part 41. Also, for example, if the brake mechanism described in modified example 1 constitutes the film supply adjustment unit, the withdrawal speed can be slowed by the brake mechanism applying a weaker brake.

[0077] Next, the separator 25 provided in the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment will be described. In the packaging machine 1, as described above, the films F(F1,F2) at the positions to be welded by the heater 13 are in close contact with each other. However, if the films F(F1,F2) are in close contact with each other and form a contact area upstream of the leading end welding portion FxF (see Figure 8(c)) which is the continuous film side of the welded portion Fx after welding and cutting (on the film roll R side), the following problems may occur.

[0078] In other words, if a contact area between the films F is formed upstream of the tip-side welding portion FxF, the tip of the inserted packaged object 100 will not reach the tip-side welding portion FxF, but will instead abut against the upstream end of the contact area formed further upstream. Subsequently, as the tip of the packaged object 100 is transported downstream, the contact area of ​​the films F is pushed downstream, and films F (F1, F2) are pulled out from the two film rolls R (R1, R2) respectively. Then, with the contact area upstream of the welding portion Fx being pushed instead of the tip of the packaged object 100, the packaging process described using Figures 6 to 8 is performed, and the film F wrapping the packaged object 100 shrinks while the contact area remains formed, resulting in a packaged product 200 in which the packaged object 100 is stretch-wrapped by the film F. The contact area of ​​the packaged product 200 thus created is only held together by the force of the films F trying to stick together, and the state in which the films F stick together is not fixed, unlike the welding portion Fx. Therefore, if the adhesion in the contact area is released for any reason, the force attempting to contract will cause loosening of the film F that was fixing the article 104 to the backing paper 102, reducing the contracting force acting on the article 104 and the backing paper 102. This could release the article 104 from the backing paper 102, rendering the stretch film packaging ineffective.

[0079] To address these problems, the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment is equipped with a separator 25, which limits the range in which the upper film F1 and the lower film F2 can be in close contact upstream of the position to be welded by the heater 13, thereby preventing the packaging process from being performed with a contact area remaining formed between the tip-side welded portion FxF and the tip of the packaged item 100. This prevents the film F that was in close contact with the backing paper 102 and the article 104 of the packaged product 200 from loosening due to the formation of a contact area during the packaging process, and prevents the occurrence of problems in which the fixing of the article 104 to the backing paper 102 of the packaged product 200 is released.

[0080] In particular, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment is positioned such that the downstream end of the separator 25 is close to the upstream end of the heater receiving portion 42. This further prevents the upper film F1 and the lower film F2 from coming into close contact upstream of the position where they should be welded by the heater 13, thereby preventing the occurrence of problems where the film F of the packaged product 200 loosens and the fixing of the article 104 to the backing paper 102 of the packaged product 200 is released.

[0081] Patent Document 2 describes a packaging device in which the welded film is rewound to create a state where the two welded films are stretched vertically, and the inserted item to be packaged moves horizontally perpendicular to the vertically stretched film, pushing the film downstream. In such a packaging device, even if an adhesive area is formed upstream of the welded portion, it may be possible to prevent the occurrence of a problem in which the fixing between the item and the backing is released due to the formation of an adhesive area by pulling the two films vertically to the point where this adhesive area disappears.

[0082] However, it takes time to rewind the film after welding until the adhesive area disappears, which increases the time it takes to insert the next item to be packaged, thus reducing productivity. Furthermore, the mechanism for rewinding the film leads to a larger device. In contrast, by simply arranging the packaging machine 1 and separator 25 of this embodiment, the formation of an adhesive area can be suppressed, and the work of rewinding the film is unnecessary, thus preventing a decrease in productivity and preventing the device from becoming larger.

[0083] In this embodiment, the separator 25 is made of "Clarino® #3910-0403 t=1.0" manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd., but is not limited to this material. Any material that can prevent the two films F (F1, F2) from sticking together without hindering the movement of the contacting films F when positioned between them is acceptable. As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 6-8, in a configuration where the separator 25 is positioned so as to straddle the upstream pressing support portion 41 in the transport direction, it is desirable that the separator 25 has characteristics (such as a coefficient of friction with the films F) that prevent the films F (F1, F2) from moving downstream even when the films F are pulled downstream while sandwiched between the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing support portion 41 together with the separator 25. Furthermore, it is desirable that the separator 25 has characteristics such as flexibility that prevents plastic deformation even when repeatedly sandwiched between the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing support portion 41.

[0084] Furthermore, in configurations without the separator 25, when the film F was welded by the heater 13 and the rear end welded portion FxR and the front end welded portion FxF were separated, a problem sometimes occurred where the film F would curl up, causing the front end welded portion FxF to be rolled inward. In contrast, by arranging the separator 25, which is more rigid than the film F, it is possible to prevent the film F from curling up.

[0085] Next, the upper film pressing member 26 provided in the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment will be described. The packaging machine 1 can package articles 104 of various heights placed on a cardboard base 102. Therefore, there are no guide members to guide the upper film F1 at positions lower than the maximum height of the insertable article 104, and in the standby state, a wide space is formed in the height direction in the transport path for the packaged items 100. Therefore, in the standby state in a configuration without an upper film holding member 26, a wide space exists above the upstream guide plate 71 that forms the transport path, allowing the upper film F1 to move so that tall articles 104 can pass through. If the movement path of the upper film F1 is unstable and the upper film F1 enters this space, the surfaces of the upper film F1 will adhere to each other and become difficult to peel off, and there is a risk that the upper film F1 will jam inside the device.

[0086] To address these problems, the packaging machine 1 is equipped with an upper film retaining member 26, which restricts the upward movement of the upper film F1 and prevents the upper film F1 from jamming within the device. Furthermore, the upper film retaining member 26 is made of a flexible material, so even when a packaged item 100 containing an article 104 with some height is inserted, the upper film retaining member 26 deforms to avoid the article 104, as shown in Figure 6(c). Therefore, the packaging machine 1 can package a packaged item 100 containing an article 104 with a certain height while suppressing jamming of the upper film F1.

[0087] Furthermore, after diligent research by the inventors, it was found that in a packaging machine 1 that presses the film F with an upstream pressing member 11 and welds it with a heater 13, a configuration without an upper film pressing member 26 sometimes resulted in welding defects. Figures 11 and 12 illustrate the operation of a comparative example packaging machine 1 without an upper film pressing member 26, showing the process up to the lowering of the upstream pressing member 11 in chronological order.

[0088] Figure 11(a), similar to Figure 6(a), shows the state in which the item to be packaged 100 is inserted into the packaging machine 1 and the leading edge of the item to be packaged 100 has passed the detection position of the inlet sensor S1. Figure 11(b) shows the state in which the leading edge of the article 104 placed on the backing 102 of the item to be transported is in contact with the upper film F1. In the embodiment described above, the leading edge of the article 104 is in contact with the upper film F1, but in Figure 6(b), the item to be packaged 100 is pushed further in the transport direction α.

[0089] Figure 11(c), similar to Figure 6(c), shows the state in which the packaged item 100 has been inserted up to the upstream conveyor roller pair 32. In the configuration with the upper film pressing member 26, as shown in Figure 6(c), the upper film pressing member 26 contacts the upper surface of the article 104 via the upper film F1, and the upper film F1, sandwiched between the upper film pressing member 26 and the upper surface of the article 104, is thought to wrap around the article 104 in close contact with the upper surface of the article 104. On the other hand, in the configuration without the upper film pressing member 26, since there is no member to press the upper film F1 against the upper surface of the article 104, as shown in Figure 11(c), the upper film F1 is separated from the upper surface of the article 104 and is thought to be stretched between the front end of the article 104 and the lower end of the upstream pressing member 11 (or another member if the standby position of the upstream pressing member 11 is higher than in Figure 11).

[0090] Figure 12(a), similar to Figure 7(a), shows a state in which the transport of the packaged item 100 is stopped at a predetermined timing after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the upstream pressing member 11. Figure 12(b) is an explanatory diagram of a comparative example after the transport has stopped as in Figure 12(a) but before the upstream pressing member 11 begins to descend. In Figure 12(b), the upper film F1 downstream of the upstream pressing member 11 is shown to be loose.

[0091] Figure 12(c) shows the upstream retaining member 11 in the gripping position, similar to Figure 7(b).

[0092] In the comparative example packaging machine 1 shown in Figures 11 and 12, as shown in Figure 12(c), when the upstream pressing member 11 was lowered, the widthwise end of the upper film F1 was sometimes rolled inward, and the end of the upper film was folded inward and overlapped, and was gripped by the upstream pressing member 11 and the upstream pressing receiver 41. In this state, similar to the operation from Figure 7(b) onward, the packaged item 100 was further transported downstream to stretch the film F, and the film F was gripped by the downstream pressing member 12 and the downstream pressing receiver 43. Then, when the heater 13 was lowered to the welding position, welding was performed with the end of the upper film F1 still overlapping. As a result, welding defects occurred in the overlapping portion, or the appearance quality deteriorated due to the overlap. This is thought to be due to the following reasons.

[0093] In other words, as in the comparative example packaging machine 1, if there is no member to hold the upper film F1 downstream of the upper film second guide 53, which is a guide member for the upper film F1 positioned above the space through which the article 104 can pass, then when the transport of the packaged item 100 stops after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the upstream holding member 11 (the state shown in Figure 12(a)), even though the packaged item 100 has stopped, a force acts on the upper film F1 to move downstream due to inertia. Since there is no member to prevent this downstream movement of the upper film F1, excess upper film F1 may be unwound. As a result, as shown in Figure 12(b), the upper film F1 around the area below the upstream holding member 11 becomes loose, and as shown in Figure 7(a), deformation such that the end in the width direction is curled inward is more likely to occur than when tension is applied. If the upstream pressing member 11 is lowered to the clamping position while this deformation is occurring (as shown in Figure 12(c)), the edges of the upper film will be folded inward and overlap, which is likely to result in poor welding and a decrease in quality.

[0094] To address this problem, the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment includes an upper film pressing member 26, which prevents the edges of the upper film F1 from overlapping during welding. This is thought to be due to the following reasons. In other words, when the transport of the packaged item 100 stops after the rear end of the packaged item 100 has passed below the upstream pressing member 11 (the state shown in Figure 7(a)), even if the upper film F1 is subjected to a force that tries to move it downstream due to inertia, the lower end of the upper film pressing member 26 presses the upper film F1 downward, preventing the upper film F1 from moving downstream due to inertia. This prevents excess upper film F1 from being fed out and prevents the upper film F1 from becoming loose, making it less likely for deformation to occur in which the widthwise end of the upper film F1 is curled inward. Furthermore, since it is possible to prevent the end of the upper film F1 from being folded inward and overlapping, it is considered that welding can be performed with the widthwise end of the upper film F1 overlapping.

[0095] Furthermore, in the comparative example packaging machine 1, if the upstream pressing member 11 is lowered from the standby position shown in Figure 12(b), and the control is performed to stop the upstream pressing member 11 before it reaches the gripping position shown in Figure 12(c), and then, after a certain period of time, the downward movement of the upstream pressing member 11 is resumed to reach the gripping position, the problem of the widthwise edge of the upper film F1 being rolled inward becomes less likely. Therefore, if the amount of downward pressure the descending upstream pressing member 11 applies to the upper film F1 at once is large, the problem of the widthwise edge being rolled inward may be more likely to occur. To address this problem, as described above, if the control is performed to stop the upstream pressing member 11 and then, after a certain period of time, resume the downward movement of the upstream pressing member 11, it leads to a decrease in processing speed.

[0096] To address these problems, by providing an upper film pressing member 26, as in the packaging machine 1 of this embodiment, the upper film F1 can be kept in a position lower than the lower end of the upstream pressing member 11, as shown in Figure 7(a). This reduces the amount by which the upstream pressing member 11 pushes down the upper film F1 at once compared to lowering the upstream pressing member 11 from the state shown in Figure 12(b). Therefore, even if the amount of pressure applied by the upstream pressing member 11 is the cause, the packaging machine 1 of the embodiment described using Figures 6 to 8 can prevent welding from occurring with the widthwise edges of the upper film F1 overlapping.

[0097] In this embodiment, the upper film pressing member 26 does not contact the transport surface of the transport path (the upper surface of the separator 25, the upper surface of the upstream guide plate 71) when the upper film F1 is not mounted, and the distance from the lower end of the upper film pressing member 26 to the transport surface is 20 mm. As shown in Figure 4, the width of the separator 25 is narrower near the inlet roller pair 31, and if the upper film pressing member 26 is positioned to come into contact with the transport surface, the lower surface of the upper film F1 and the upper surface of the lower film F2, which are pushed downward by the upper film pressing member 26, will come into close contact outside the narrowed part of the separator 25, which may cause problems due to the films F coming into close contact with each other. Furthermore, if the gap between the lower end of the upper film retaining member 26 and the conveying surface is greater than the height of the packaged item 100, when the conveying of the packaged item 100 is stopped, the upper film F1 may float above the top surface of the packaged item 100, as shown in Figure 12(a), or the upper film retaining member 26 may not be able to press down on the upper film F1 effectively, causing it to loosen due to inertia. To prevent these problems, the upper film retaining member 26 may be positioned so that its lower end is in contact with the conveying surface, or the distance from the lower end of the upper film retaining member 26 to the conveying surface may be greater than 20 mm.

[0098] If the lower end of the upper film pressing member 26 is in contact with the conveying surface, when the two films F are pulled downstream by the conveying of the packaged item 100, with each pressing member (11, 12) in a standby position, a problem may occur in which films F (F1, F2) are not supplied from the film roll R (R1, R2). In more detail, because the film F is elastic, uncontrolled stretching may occur in the film F downstream of the portion sandwiched between the upper film pressing member 26 and the conveying surface, and the force pulling the film F upstream of the sandwiched portion may not be applied.

[0099] In the embodiment described above, the amount of elongation of the film F is controlled by controlling the vertical position of each pressing member (11, 12). However, when the packaged item 100 is transported, if the film F is not supplied even when the pressing members (11, 12) are in the standby position, and the film F stretches, the amount of elongation cannot be controlled. In this state, welding may occur with the film F stretched, i.e., with tension still applied to the film F, and the welding state may not be stable.

[0100] To address these problems, by separating the lower end of the upper film pressing member 26 from the transport surface, it is possible to achieve a configuration that suppresses only the upward displacement of the upper film F1 while not hindering the film F from being fed out when each pressing member (11, 12) is in the standby position. This prevents the film F from stretching due to being sandwiched between the lower end of the upper film pressing member 26 and the transport surface, resulting in a state where no tension acts on the film F at the welding position, or a state where the tension can be controlled, thereby stabilizing the welding quality.

[0101] In this embodiment, the material used for the upper film retaining member 26 is "Clarino (registered trademark) #3910-0403 t=1.0" manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd. However, it is not limited to other artificial leathers, etc., as long as it can allow the passage of the article 104 while preventing the upper film F1 from moving upwards or being unwound excessively.

[0102] Furthermore, if a polyester film such as Mylar (registered trademark) with a smooth surface is used as the upper film retaining member 26, the polyester film may stick to the upper film F1, hindering the upper film F1's movement downstream. Therefore, a suede-like material with a napped surface may be preferable. In terms of shape, it may be a single plate-like member in the width direction, or it may be divided into multiple sections at least at the lower end, like a curtain, to allow it to easily deform along the surface of the passing article 104. Moreover, the upper film retaining member 26 is not limited to being flexible; any member that is located upstream of the upstream retaining member 11 and restricts the movement path of the upper film F1, thereby preventing loosening of the upper film F1 around the lower part of the upstream retaining member 11, is acceptable. For example, it may be a plate-like member that can rotate around an upstream pivot axis, holding down the upper film F1 when in standby, and rotating so that its lower end moves upward when pushed by the packaged item 100 during the packaging process, allowing the packaged item 100 to pass through (see Modification 3 below). Furthermore, the member whose lower end moves upward when pressed by the packaged item 100 may be a roller member whose roller rotation axis moves upward when pressed by the packaged item 100, such as a roller rotation axis support member which rotates around a rotation axis when pressed by the packaged item 100 (see Modification 4 below).

[0103] Modifications 3 and 4 are described below. These modifications are common to the embodiments described above, except for the specific configuration of the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member, so the common configuration will not be explained.

[0104] <Variation 3> Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the packaging machine 1 of Modification 3. Modification 3 includes, as a packaging material movement path displacement suppression member, an upper film pressing plate 260 as a plate-shaped oscillating member, and a pressing plate oscillating shaft 261 that supports the upper film pressing plate 260 so as to be oscillating relative to the main body of the device. Figure 9(a) shows the state in which the item to be packaged 100 has been inserted into the packaging machine 1, similar to Figure 6(a), and the leading edge of the item to be packaged 100 has passed the detection position of the inlet sensor S1. Figure 9(b) shows the state in which the item to be packaged 100 has been transported to the upstream transport roller pair 32, similar to Figure 6(c). Figure 9(c) shows the state in which the rear end of the item to be packaged 100 has passed below the upstream pressing member 11, and transport has stopped, similar to Figure 7(a). After the state in Figure 9(c), the same packaging process as in the embodiment described above is performed.

[0105] The upper film retaining plate 260 has higher rigidity than the upper film retaining member 26 and is a member that does not deform under the tension of the upper film F1 or the impact of the packaged item 100. Examples of materials that can be used include, but are not limited to, resin materials such as polycarbonate, acrylic, and polypropylene, and metal materials such as aluminum.

[0106] As shown in Figure 9(a), by providing an upper film retaining plate 260 above the upstream guide plate 71, the upper film F1's upward movement is restricted by the upper film retaining plate 260, preventing the upper film F1 from jamming within the device. Furthermore, the upper film retaining plate 260 is pivotable around the retaining plate pivot axis 261, so that even when a packaged item 100 containing a tall article 104 is inserted, the upper film retaining plate 260 moves to avoid the article 104, as shown in Figure 9(b). Therefore, the packaging machine 1 can package a packaged item 100 containing an article 104 with a certain height while suppressing jamming of the upper film F1. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9(c), after the packaged object 100 has passed, the upper film retaining plate 260 returns to the same position as in Figure 9(a) and pushes the upper film F1 downward. This prevents the upper film F1 from loosening due to inertia when the packaged object 100 stops, and reduces the amount the upper film F1 is pushed down when the upstream retaining member 11 descends. As a result, deformation such as the widthwise edges of the upper film F1 being curled inward is less likely to occur, and welding defects caused by the widthwise edges of the upper film F1 being welded in an overlapping state can be prevented.

[0107] As shown in Figures 9(a) and 9(c), the lower end of the upper film press plate 260 and the conveying surface are separated when the packaged item 100 is not passing through. This prevents the film F, which is sandwiched between the lower end of the upper film press plate 260 and the conveying surface, from stretching.

[0108] <Modification 4> Figure 10 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the packaging machine 1 of Modification 4. Modification 4 includes an upper film pressing roller 264 that can rotate around the pressing roller rotation axis 264a as a packaging material movement path displacement suppression member. The pressing roller rotation axis 264a can pivot relative to the main body of the device around the pressing roller oscillation axis 265 via the axis holding arm 263. Figure 10(a) shows the state in which the item to be packaged 100 has been inserted into the packaging machine 1, similar to Figure 6(a), and the leading edge of the item to be packaged 100 has passed the detection position of the inlet sensor S1. Figure 10(b) shows the state in which the item to be packaged 100 has been transported to the upstream transport roller pair 32, similar to Figure 6(c). Figure 10(c) shows the state in which the rear end of the item to be packaged 100 has passed below the upstream pressing member 11, and transport has stopped, similar to Figure 7(a). After the state in Figure 10(c), the same packaging process as in the embodiment described above is performed.

[0109] As shown in Figure 10(a), by providing an upper film pressing roller 264 above the upstream guide plate 71, the upper film F1's upward movement is restricted by the upper film pressing plate 260, preventing the upper film F1 from jamming within the device. Furthermore, the upper film pressing roller 264 is pivotable around the pressing roller pivot axis 265, so even when a packaged item 100 containing a tall article 104 is inserted, as shown in Figure 10(b), the upper film pressing roller 264 moves to avoid the article 104. Therefore, the packaging machine 1 can package a packaged item 100 containing an article 104 of a certain height while suppressing jamming of the upper film F1. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 10(c), after the packaged item 100 has passed, the upper film pressing roller 264 returns to the same position as in Figure 10(a) and pushes the upper film F1 downward. As a result, the upper film F1 adheres tightly to the upper surface of the article 104, preventing the upper film F1 from loosening due to inertia when the packaged item 100 stops, and reducing the amount the upper film F1 is pushed down when the upstream pressing member 11 descends. This makes it less likely for deformation to occur in which the widthwise edges of the upper film F1 are curled inward, and prevents welding defects caused by the widthwise edges of the upper film F1 overlapping during welding.

[0110] As shown in Figures 10(a) and 10(c), the upper film retaining roller 264 and the conveying surface are separated when the packaged object 100 is not passing through. However, if it is the upper film retaining roller 264, it does not hinder the upper film F1, which is sandwiched between the upper film retaining roller 264 and the conveying surface, from being fed out from the upstream side, so the upper film retaining roller 264 and the conveying surface may be in contact.

[0111] In the embodiment described above, the joining means for joining the upper film F1, which is the first packaging material, and the lower film F2, which is the second packaging material, was described as a heater, which is a heat welding means. However, the joining method is not limited to heat welding. Other joining methods, such as pressure bonding or ultrasonic welding, may be used as long as they join the first packaging material and the second packaging material.

[0112] The above is just one example; each of the following embodiments produces its own unique effects.

[0113] [Aspect 1] Embodiment 1 comprises a conveying means such as an inlet roller pair 31, an upstream conveying roller pair 32, and a downstream conveying roller pair 33 for conveying a packaged object such as a packaged object 100 so that its horizontal position moves; a first packaging material supply means such as an upper film roll R1 for supplying a first packaging material such as an upper film F1, one of two strip-shaped packaging materials such as films F that wrap the packaged object, from above the conveying path of the packaged object; a second packaging material supply means such as a lower film roll R2 for supplying a second packaging material such as a lower film F2, the other of the packaging materials, from below the conveying path of the packaged object; and a joining means such as a heater 13 for joining the first packaging material and the second packaging material so as to form a joining region such as a welded portion Fx extending in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction by the conveying means, the leading edge in the conveying direction of the packaged object abuts against the first and second packaging materials whose tips are joined together, and as the packaged object moves downstream in the conveying direction, the first packaged object is pushed against the first packaging material. In a packaging device such as a packaging machine 1, the packaging material and the second packaging material are supplied from a first packaging material supply means and a second packaging material supply means while wrapping around the object to be packaged, and after the rear end of the object to be packaged in the transport direction passes the joining position of the joining means, the joining means joins the first packaging material and the second packaging material to wrap around the object to be packaged and package it, the device includes a packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member such as an upper film pressing member 26, an upper film pressing plate 260, or an upper film pressing roller 264, which is positioned upstream of the joining position in the transport direction and whose lower end contacts the first packaging material, thereby suppressing upward displacement of the movement path of the first packaging material toward the transport path of the object to be packaged, wherein the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member blocks at least a part of the area through which the object to be packaged moving in the transport direction passes, and is displaced or deformed when pressed by the object to be packaged moving in the transport direction so that the object to be packaged can pass.

[0114] According to Embodiment 1, by suppressing upward displacement of the movement path of the first packaging material using the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member, the movement path of the first packaging material is stabilized, preventing jamming or loosening of the first packaging material, while enabling packaging of items including articles of a certain height.

[0115] [Aspect 2] Embodiment 2 is a packaging apparatus of Embodiment 1 in which the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member, such as the upper film pressing member 26, is made of a flexible material such as a plate-shaped artificial leather that extends in the vertical direction and whose upper part is fixed to the apparatus housing, and when pressed by the packaged object moving in the conveying direction, the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member deforms, allowing the packaged object to pass through. According to Embodiment 2, a configuration can be realized in which the movement path of the first packaging material is suppressed from being displaced upward, while the deformation of the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member allows the passage of the packaged object, including an article of a certain height.

[0116] [Aspect 3] Embodiment 3 is a packaging device of Embodiment 1 in which the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member has a pivot shaft such as a presser plate pivot shaft 261 fixed to the device, and a pivot member such as an upper film presser plate 260 whose upper end is attached to the pivot shaft and whose lower end is pivotable around the pivot shaft, and the pivot member pivots so that its lower end moves upward when pressed by the packaged object moving in the conveying direction, thereby allowing the packaged object to pass through. According to embodiment 3, a configuration can be realized in which the movement path of the first packaging material is suppressed from being displaced upward, while the deformation of the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member allows the passage of the packaged object, including an article of a certain height.

[0117] [Aspect 4] Embodiment 4 is a packaging device according to any of Embodiments 1 to 3, wherein when no packaged material is passing through, the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member is spaced apart from the lower surface of the transport path. If the packaging material is sandwiched between the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member and the lower surface of the transport path, the pulling force of the packaging material pushed by the packaged item downstream is prevented from being transmitted to the first packaging material supply means and the second packaging material supply means, which may lead to poor transport of the packaged item or uncontrolled elongation of the packaging material. In contrast, in embodiment 4, it is possible to prevent the packaging material from being sandwiched between the packaging material movement path displacement suppression member and the lower surface of the transport path, thereby preventing poor transport of the packaged item and uncontrolled elongation of the packaging material.

[0118] [Aspect 5] Embodiment 5 is a packaging device according to any embodiment of Embodiments 1 to 4, comprising an upstream packaging material clamping means such as an upstream pressing member 11, which is located upstream in the transport direction of the joining position in the transport path of the packaged material and downstream in the transport direction of the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member, and which can be changed between an open state such as a waiting position where the first packaging material and the second packaging material can pass between them, and a clamping state such as a gripping position that clamps the first packaging material and the second packaging material and prevents the first packaging material and the second packaging material upstream of the clamping position from moving downstream of the clamping position. According to embodiment 5, by controlling the release state and the gripping state of the upstream packaging material gripping means and the conveying by the conveying means, it becomes possible to control the elongation of the packaging material downstream of the upstream packaging material gripping means.

[0119] [Aspect 6] Embodiment 6 is a packaging apparatus according to Embodiment 5, and is equipped with a downstream packaging material clamping means such as a downstream pressing member 12, which is located downstream in the transport direction of the joining position in the transport path of the packaged material and can be changed between an open state such as a waiting position where the first packaging material and the second packaging material can pass between them, and a clamping state such as a gripping position that clamps the first packaging material and the second packaging material and prevents the first packaging material and the second packaging material upstream of the clamping position from moving downstream of the clamping position, and the upstream end of the packaged material in the transport direction passes the clamping position of the upstream packaging material clamping means, This packaging apparatus performs the following steps: first, the packaging material clamping means is put into a clamping state, the upstream packaging material clamping means is put into a clamping state, then the packaging is further conveyed until the upstream end of the packaged material in the conveying direction passes the clamping position of the downstream packaging material clamping means, then the downstream packaging material clamping means is put into a clamping state, and then the joining process is performed to join the first packaging material and the second packaging material using the joining means, and then the cutting process is performed to cut the first packaging material and the second packaging material so that the joining regions (rear end welding portion FxR and front end welding portion FxF) are formed on the upstream and downstream sides of the cutting position. According to embodiment 6, after the upstream packaging material clamping means is put into a clamping state, the packaged object that has been further transported passes the clamping position of the downstream packaging material clamping means, and then the downstream packaging material clamping means is put into a clamping state again to cut the object. This allows the joining and cutting processes to be performed while the packaging material is stretched, and the force of the packaging material trying to contract as it returns to its original state from the stretched state allows the packaging material to be wrapped around the packaged object.

[0120] [Aspect 7] Embodiment 7 is a packaging apparatus of Embodiment 6, characterized in that, after the downstream packaging material clamping means is put into a clamping state, the upstream packaging material clamping means is put into an open state, and then the joining process and the cutting process are performed. According to embodiment 7, the tension in the parts of the packaging material where joining and cutting processes are performed can be reduced, thereby suppressing the occurrence of joining defects in the subsequent joining process.

[0121] [Aspect 8] Embodiment 8 is a packaging device according to any embodiment of Embodiments 1 to 7, which is equipped with a packaging material adhesion prevention member such as a plate-shaped separator 25 that is located between the first packaging material and the second packaging material on the upstream side in the conveying direction with respect to the joining position, and prevents the first packaging material and the second packaging material from adhering to each other. According to embodiment 8, by providing a packaging material adhesion prevention member, it is possible to prevent the first packaging material and the second packaging material from adhering to each other and to prevent the formation of an adhesion region, thereby preventing defects caused by the creation of a product with an adhesion region.

[0122] Furthermore, in a configuration without the separator 25 and the upper film pressing member 26, there is no member to guide the upper film F1 downstream of the upper film second guide 53 in the movement path of the upper film F1, and there is no member to guide the lower film F2 downstream of the lower film guide 55 in the movement path of the lower film F2. Therefore, in the standby state, there is no member to determine the position of the films F (F1, F2) between the upper film second guide 53 including the welded portion Fx and the lower film guide 55, resulting in unstable movement of the films F. This can lead to adhesion between the films F, twisting due to bending, and other issues, potentially causing the films F to jam or break inside, resulting in poor transport. In contrast, the packaging machine 1 equipped with the separator 25 and the upper film pressing member 26, as shown in Figures 3 and 6, guides the position of the films F (F1, F2) between the upper film second guide 53 including the welded portion Fx and the lower film guide 55 using the separator 25 and the upper film pressing member 26, stabilizing the movement of the films F and preventing poor transport. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0123] 1: Packaging machine 11: Upstream retaining member 12: Downstream retaining member 13: Heater 14: Heater support member 15: Downstream retaining support member 25: Separator 26: Upper film retaining member 31: Entrance Laura vs. 32: Upstream conveyor roller pair 33: Downstream conveyor roller pair 34: Deguchi Laura vs. 41: Upstream retaining part 42: Heater receiving section 43: Downstream retaining part 100: Packaged item 102: Mounting board 104: Goods 200: Packaging deliverables F1: Upper film F2: Lower film Fx: Welded part FxF: Tip side weld part FxR: Rear end side welding part R: Film roll R1: Upper film roll R2: Lower film roll

Claims

1. A conveying means for transporting a packaged object so that it moves in a horizontal position, A first packaging material supply means that supplies one of two strip-shaped packaging materials for packaging the packaged object from above the transport path of the packaged object, A second packaging material supply means for supplying the other second packaging material from the packaging material from below the transport path of the packaged object, The system includes a joining means for joining the first packaging material and the second packaging material so as to form a joining region extending in a width direction perpendicular to the direction of transport by the transport means, The leading edge of the object to be packaged abuts against the first and second packaging materials, whose ends are joined together, and as the object to be packaged moves downstream in the transport direction, the first and second packaging materials, pushed by the object to be packaged, are supplied from the first and second packaging material supply means while wrapping around the object to be packaged. In a packaging device in which, after the rear end of the object to be packaged in the transport direction has passed the joining position of the joining means, the joining means joins the first packaging material and the second packaging material, thereby wrapping the first packaging material and the second packaging material around the object to be packaged, The packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member is provided, which is positioned upstream in the transport direction from the aforementioned joining position and whose lower end contacts the first packaging material, thereby suppressing upward displacement of the movement path of the first packaging material toward the transport path of the packaged object. The packaging device wherein the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member blocks at least a portion of the area through which the packaged object moving in the transport direction passes, and is displaced or deformed when pushed by the packaged object moving in the transport direction so that the packaged object can pass through.

2. In the packaging apparatus of claim 1, The aforementioned packaging material movement path displacement suppression member consists of a plate-shaped flexible material that extends vertically and whose upper part is fixed to the device housing, A packaging device in which, when pressed by the object to be packaged moving in the transport direction, the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member deforms, thereby allowing the object to pass through.

3. In the packaging apparatus of claim 1, The packaging material movement path displacement suppression member comprises a pivot shaft fixed to the device and a pivot member whose upper end is attached to the pivot shaft and whose lower end is pivotable around the pivot shaft. The oscillating member swings such that its lower end moves upward when pressed by the packaged object moving in the transport direction, allowing the packaged object to pass through.

4. In the packaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, In a packaging device in which, when the object to be packaged is not passing through, the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member is spaced apart from the lower surface of the transport path.

5. In the packaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, A packaging device comprising an upstream packaging material clamping means located upstream in the transport direction of the joining position in the transport path of the packaged material, and downstream in the transport direction of the packaging material movement path displacement suppressing member, the means being able to switch between an open state in which the first packaging material and the second packaging material can pass through, and a clamping state in which the first packaging material and the second packaging material are clamped, preventing the first packaging material and the second packaging material upstream of the clamping position from moving downstream of the clamping position.

6. In the packaging apparatus of claim 5, The downstream packaging material clamping means is located downstream of the joining position in the transport path of the packaged material and can be changed between an open state, which allows the first packaging material and the second packaging material to pass between them, and a clamping state, which clamps the first packaging material and the second packaging material, preventing the first packaging material and the second packaging material upstream of the clamping position from moving downstream of the clamping position. After the upstream end of the packaged material in the transport direction passes the clamping position of the upstream packaging material clamping means, the upstream packaging material clamping means enters a clamping state. After the upstream packaging material clamping means is in the clamping state, the package is further transported until the upstream end in the transport direction of the packaged material passes the clamping position of the downstream packaging material clamping means, and then the downstream packaging material clamping means is in the clamping state. A packaging apparatus that, after placing the downstream packaging material clamping means in a clamping state, performs a joining process to join the first packaging material and the second packaging material using the joining means, and a cutting process to cut the first packaging material and the second packaging material so that the joining region is formed on the upstream and downstream sides of the cutting position.

7. In the packaging apparatus of claim 6, A packaging apparatus characterized in that, after the downstream packaging material clamping means is put into a clamping state, the upstream packaging material clamping means is put into an open state, and then the joining process and the cutting process are performed.

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