Bag bundle unfolding device and automatic bag supply device equipped with the bag bundle unfolding device

Abstract

Conventional bag supply devices require workers to manually unfold the bag bundles in a domino-like fashion and store them in storage boxes, which can result in the bags being stored unevenly, overlapping diagonally in a domino-like fashion. [Solution] The bag bundle unfolding device 2 of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first conveying conveyor 6A that unfolds the bag bundles Wa in a domino-like manner and transports the unfolded bag bundles Wa to the rotary packaging machine side; a bag bundle alignment mechanism 21 that aligns the bag bundles Wa placed on the bag bundle supply position B of the first conveying conveyor 6A in the width direction; a bag bundle holding mechanism 22 that holds down one end of the bag bundles Wa supplied to the bag bundle supply position B on the first conveying conveyor 6A; and a bag bundle gate mechanism 23 that, while holding down one end of the bag bundles Wa with the bag bundle holding mechanism 22, reverses the rotation of the belt 6A1 of the first conveying conveyor 6A toward the upstream side, thereby restricting the movement of the upper side of the bag bundles Wa and unfolding the bag bundles Wa in a domino-like manner.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bag bundle unfolding device for unfolding a bag bundle in a state where the bags overlap front and back and are connected obliquely (hereinafter referred to as "domino state"), and an automatic bag supply device that stocks a large number of unfolded bag bundles (hereinafter referred to as "bag group") and separates and supplies bags one by one from the bag group.

Background Art

[0002] In a rotary packaging machine, there is provided a bag supply device that stocks a large number of bags and separates the bags one by one using a suction cup or the like and sequentially supplies them to the rotary packaging machine. As disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the like, this conventional bag supply device stocks the bag bundle in a domino state in order to facilitate sequential separation and supply of the bags one by one.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, when the number of bags in the conveyor magazine of the empty bag stocker device decreases, a plurality of stockers that store the bag group in a domino state in advance are arranged in parallel adjacent to the conveyor magazine so that the bag group can be quickly replenished to the conveyor magazine. Then, when the number of bags in the conveyor magazine decreases, the stocker is slid horizontally to connect it in series to the conveyor magazine, and the bag group in a state where the bags overlap obliquely is pushed out to the conveyor magazine to supply the bag group.

[0004] Patent Document 2 discloses a packaging material supply device in which a stocker is arranged at the rear end of a feed belt, a plurality of storage cases are stacked in the vertical direction of this stocker, and a bag bundle (bag group) is stored in this storage case. In this packaging material supply device, when the number of bags on the feed belt decreases, the entire bag bundle stored in the lower storage case is pushed in from the rear by a push plate of an air cylinder provided at the lower rear of the stocker and supplied to the feed belt.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-191156 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-337217 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-8972 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0006] However, Patent Document 1 states that when storing a group of bags stacked in a domino-like fashion in a stocker, the bags must be arranged in a domino-like fashion by an operator beforehand and then placed in the stocker. Preparing such a domino-like group of bags by an operator manually is time-consuming and laborious. Furthermore, since the spacing between the bags when the bundle is unfolded in a domino-like fashion differs depending on the operator, this affects the stability when the bags are fed towards the stopper side by the rapid-feed belt. Moreover, automating the preparation work of such a domino-like group of bags is extremely difficult.

[0007] Furthermore, as with the packaging material supply device described in Patent Document 2, if the bag bundles (groups of bags) are stored in stacked storage cases and the entire lower bag bundle is pushed in from the rear by the push plate of an air cylinder, there is a risk that the bag bundles cannot be supplied in a domino-like stacked state, and therefore the bag bundles may not be supplied onto the feed belt in good condition.

[0008] The present invention has been made to solve the aforementioned problems, and aims to provide a bag bundle unfolding device that can continuously stock domino-like unfolded bag bundles in an automatic bag supply device and hand them over to a packaging machine, thereby automating the packaging work, and an automatic bag supply device equipped with the bag bundle unfolding device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention relates to a bag bundle unfolding device that unfolds bundled bag bundles in a domino-like manner and provides them to another device, and is characterized by comprising: a conveying conveyor that unfolds the bag bundles in a domino-like manner and transports the unfolded bag bundles to another device; a bag bundle alignment mechanism that aligns the bag bundles placed on the bag bundle supply position of the conveying conveyor in the width direction; a bag bundle holding mechanism that holds one end of the bag bundles supplied to the bag bundle supply position on the conveying conveyor; and a bag bundle gate mechanism that, while holding one end of the bag bundles with the bag bundle holding mechanism, reverses the rotation of the conveying conveyor belt upstream, thereby restricting the movement of the upper side of the bag bundles and unfolding the bag bundles in a domino-like manner.

[0010] The present invention provides an automatic bag supply device that automatically unfolds bundles of bags in a domino-like manner, stocks a group of bags formed by collecting the unfolded bundles, separates bags one by one from the group of bags, and transfers them to other devices. The automatic bag supply device comprises: a bundle unfolding device that unfolds bundled bags in a domino-like manner; a bundle replenishment device that replenishes the domino-like bundles of bags transported from the bundle unfolding device to an adjacent downstream device; a bag stock transfer device that stocks a group of bags formed by collecting the domino-like bundles of bags replenished from the bundle replenishment device and transfers the bags to the next process; and a conveying conveyor device that transports the bundles of bags and the group of bags from the upstream side to the downstream side. The bundle unfolding device is characterized by comprising: a bundle holding mechanism that holds one end of a bundle of bags supplied to a bundle supply position on the conveying conveyor device; and a bundle gate mechanism that unfolds bundles of bags in a domino-like manner while restricting the movement of the upper side of the bundles of bags by rotating the conveying conveyor belt in the reverse direction upstream. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The bag bundle unfolding device and automatic bag feeding device of the present invention can unfold bag bundles in a domino-like manner with minimal effort and time. It also allows for adjustment of the overlapping state of the bags that overlap in a domino-like manner. Furthermore, it can improve the reliability of subsequent devices such as packaging machines, reduce the number of personnel required, and eliminate variations in the bag feeding method by operators. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] Front view showing the automatic bag supply device of the present invention [Figure 2] Plan view of the automatic bag supply device of the present invention [Figure 3] Partial front view of the automatic bag supply device of the present invention [Figure 4] Partial plan view of the automatic bag supply device of the present invention [Figure 5] Partial front view of the automatic bag supply device of the present invention [Figure 6] Front view of the bag bundle unfolding device of the present invention [Figure 7] Plan view of the bag bundle unfolding device of the present invention [Figure 8] Explanatory drawing showing the operation of the bag bundle pressing mechanism of the bag bundle unfolding device of the present invention [Figure 9] Explanatory drawing showing the operation of the bag bundle gate mechanism of the bag bundle unfolding device of the present invention [Figure 10] Explanatory drawing showing the operation of the bag bundle gate mechanism of the bag bundle unfolding device of the present invention [Figure 11] Explanatory drawing showing the operation of unfolding the bag bundle of the bag bundle unfolding device of the present invention [Figure 12] Explanatory drawing showing the operation of the lift mechanism of the bag bundle unfolding device of the present invention [Figure 13] Explanatory drawing showing the operation of the lift mechanism of the bag bundle unfolding device of the present invention [Figure 14] Plan view showing the usage state of the automatic bag supply device of the present invention [Figure 15] Side view showing the usage state of the automatic bag supply device of the present invention

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0013] Hereinafter, an automatic bag supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the automatic bag supply device 1 automatically expands a bundle of bags Wa in a domino shape, stocks a group of bags Wb obtained by collecting the domino-shaped expanded bundle of bags Wa, and separates the bags W one by one from this group of bags Wb and delivers them to a rotary packaging machine (not shown). The automatic bag supply device 1 includes a bag bundle unfolding device 2 that unfolds the bundled bag bundle Wa in a domino shape, a bag bundle replenishing device 3 that replenishes the domino-shaped bag bundle Wa conveyed from this bag bundle unfolding device 2 to a downstream device adjacent thereto, a bag stock receiving and delivering device 4 that collects and stocks the domino-shaped bag bundle Wa replenished from this bag bundle replenishing device 3 and delivers the bags to the next process, and a control device (not shown) that controls the automatic bag supply device 1. The automatic bag supply device 1 is provided with a conveyor device 6 composed of four conveyors (first conveyor 6A, second conveyor 6B, third conveyor 6C, delivery conveyor 6D) that convey the bag bundle Wa and the group of bags Wb from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0014] Note that the bag W in this embodiment can be used for flat bags, gusset bags having gusset portions at the bottom or sides, chucked bags having a chuck at the bag mouth, and the like. Hereinafter, each component of the automatic bag supply device 1 of this embodiment will be described in the order of the bag bundle unfolding device 2, the bag bundle replenishing device 3, and the bag stock receiving and delivering device 4 according to the conveyance direction of the bag bundle Wa, the group of bags Wb, or the bag W. Each conveyor 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D of the conveyor device 6 will be described at the corresponding device location. Note that, according to the direction of conveying the bag bundle Wa, the group of bags Wb, or the bag W, the terms upstream and downstream may be used, and the upstream side may be described as the rear and the downstream side as the front. Also, the direction in which the bag bundle Wa, the group of bags Wb, or the bag W is conveyed will be described as the longitudinal direction, and the direction crossing the longitudinal direction will be described as the width direction. Also, the bag bundle Wa grouped together will be described as the group of bags Wb.

[0015] (Bag Bundle Unfolding Device) The bag bundle unfolding device 2 is part of the automatic bag supply device 1 and is a device that unfolds bundled bag bundles Wa in a domino-like manner. The bag bundle unfolding device 2 includes a first conveyor 6A that unfolds the bag bundles Wa in a domino-like manner and transports the unfolded bag bundles Wa to the downstream bag bundle replenishment device 3, a bag bundle alignment mechanism 21 that aligns the bag bundles Wa placed on the bag bundle supply position B of the first conveyor 6A in the width direction, a bag bundle holding mechanism 22 that holds one end (bag opening side) of the bag bundles Wa supplied to the bag bundle supply position B on the first conveyor 6A, and a bag bundle gate mechanism 23 that unfolds the bag bundles Wa in a domino-like manner while restricting the movement of the upper side of the bag bundles Wa by rotating the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor 6A in the reverse direction upstream. These mechanisms will be described in order below.

[0016] (First conveyor belt) The first conveyor belt 6A has an endless belt 6A1 stretched across driven pulleys 6A2... and a drive pulley 6A3, and the driving force of the drive motor 6A4 is transmitted to the drive pulley 6A3, causing the belt 6A1 to rotate. The belt 6A1 is most preferably a flat belt that is flexible and has a high coefficient of friction, and this flat belt can unfold the bag bundles Wa in a domino-like manner. As shown in Figure 6, the drive motor 6A4 is mounted on the underside of the top plate of the base 7, and not only rotates the belt 6A1 in the forward direction to convey it upstream and unfold it in a domino-like manner, but can also convey the unfolded bag bundles Wa to the bag bundle replenishment device 3 on the downstream side.

[0017] The total length of the first conveyor belt 6A is such that when the bundles of bags Wa on the belt 6A1 are unfolded in a domino-like manner, the domino-shaped bundles of bags Wa can be placed on it. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, a rear end detection sensor 6A6 is provided at the rear end of the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor belt 6A to detect the rear end of the bundles of bags Wa. When the bundles of bags Wa are transported upstream and the rear end of the bundles of bags Wa is detected by the rear end detection sensor 6A6, the rotation of the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor belt 6A is stopped. However, to prevent the bundles of bags Wa, which are unfolded in a domino-like manner by the reverse rotation of the belt 6A1, from falling off the rear end of the belt 6A1, a stopper plate 6A5 is attached to the rear end of the first conveyor belt 6A. As shown in Figure 7, the stopper plate 6A5 is formed in a convex shape in plan view and is inclined upward toward the downstream side.

[0018] (Bag bundle alignment mechanism) Guide plates 21A and 21B of the bag bundle alignment mechanism 21 are provided on both sides of the width direction of the first conveyor belt 6A. These guide plates 21A and 21B serve to guide the bag bundle Wa when it is being conveyed. Furthermore, when the bag bundle Wa is placed on the bag bundle supply position B of the first conveyor belt 6A by the arm mechanism 8A of the handling robot device 8 (described later), these guide plates 21A and 21B vibrate the bag bundle Wa in the width direction to align the bag bundle Wa. The guide plates 21A and 21B are rectangular metal plates when viewed from the front (see Figure 6), but their lower parts are bent inward, giving them an L-shape when viewed from the side. The total length of the guide plates 21A and 21B is approximately the same as that of the first conveyor belt 6A.

[0019] As shown in Figures 7 and 9, the guide plates 21A and 21B are positioned on both sides of the conveyor frame 6A7 and are attached to the tips of the piston rods of the width-aligning air cylinder 21C. When the bag bundle Wa is placed at the bag bundle supply position B on the first conveyor 6A, the width-aligning air cylinder 21C is driven, causing the guide plates 21A and 21B to vibrate and align any unevenness on both sides of the bag bundle Wa in the width direction.

[0020] The width-adjusting air cylinder 21C, to which guide plates 21A and 21B are attached, is supported by a linear bush type manual unit 21D. This manual unit 21D has a long screw shaft 21E mounted in the width direction at the bottom of the conveyor frame 6A7. The screw shaft 21E has male threads 21e on both the left and right sides that are opposite to each other, and nuts 21F are screwed onto each of these male threads 21e. The width-adjusting air cylinder 21C is attached to the top of the nuts 21F via a bracket 21G. A width adjustment handle 21H is attached to one end of the screw shaft 21E, and when changing the distance between the pair of guide plates 21A and 21B according to the bag width, the width adjustment handle 21H is rotated in a forward and reverse direction to change the distance between the pair of nuts 21F on the left and right sides, thereby adjusting the distance between the guide plates 21A and 21B. Also, as shown in Figure 6, a pair of guide rods 21I are mounted parallel to the screw shaft 21E on both sides of the screw shaft 21E. This pair of guide rods 21I allows the pair of guide plates 21A and 21B to be erected firmly and stably, and also allows them to slide smoothly from side to side to adjust the distance between them. Furthermore, as described above, even when the width-aligning air cylinder 21C is driven to vibrate the guide plates 21A and 21B in the width direction to align both sides of the bag bundle Wa in the width direction, the guide rods 21I can firmly support the guide plates 21A and 21B.

[0021] As shown in Figure 6, a notch 21a is provided in one of the guide plates 21A. Through this notch 21a, the arm mechanism 8A of the handling robot device 8 places the bag bundle Wa at the bag bundle supply position B of the first conveyor 6A, and then the finger part 8B is pulled out. In this way, the lateral movement of the bag bundle Wa supplied to the bag bundle supply position B is restricted by the guide plate 21A. Therefore, the shape of the bag bundle Wa placed on the bag bundle supply position B of the first conveyor 6A can not be distorted, and the finger part 8B can be pulled out. As will be described later, the bag bundle Wa is taken out by the finger part 8B from the packaging bag stocker 9 stored in the multi-tiered shelf equipment 9B and supplied to the bag bundle supply position B of the first conveyor 6A.

[0022] (Bag bundle holding mechanism) The bag bundle holding mechanism 22 is part of a mechanism for unfolding the bag bundle Wa in a domino-like manner by pressing one end (bag opening side) of the bag bundle Wa supplied to the bag bundle supply position B on the first conveyor belt 6A with appropriate pressure. The bag bundle holding mechanism 22 presses one end (bag opening side) of the bag bundle Wa with appropriate pressure using a cylindrical pressing body 22A. The contact portion 22A1 at the lower end of the pressing body 22A is hemispherical or semi-ellipsoidal in shape, and is formed to reliably and smoothly press the surface of the bag bundle Wa. However, the shape of the pressing body 22A is not limited to this shape. The material of the pressing body 22A is not limited to metal, synthetic resin, wood, etc., but it is preferable that the surface is smooth so as not to damage the bags W. The cylindrical portion 22A2 and the contact portion 22A1 of the pressing body 22A may be integrated or separate.

[0023] The pressing body 22A is supported by being inserted into the cylindrical support portion 22B1 of the mounting bracket 22B so as to be slidable vertically. Multiple ring-shaped weights 22A3 are inserted through the rear end (upper end) of the cylindrical portion 22A2. These weights 22A3 allow the pressing force of the bag bundle pressing mechanism 22 against the surface of the bag bundle Wa to be adjusted. The weights 22A3 consist of multiple ring-shaped weights, and the pressing force is adjusted by increasing the number of weights 22A3 to increase the pressure, or by decreasing the number of weights if the pressure is too strong. The pressing force of the bag bundle pressing mechanism 22 is not limited to the weights 22A3, and other means may be used as described later.

[0024] Next, we will describe the drive mechanism 24 for setting the pressing body 22A onto the first conveyor 6A, as shown by the solid line in Figure 8, or for retracting it outside the first conveyor 6A, as shown by the dashed line. The first drive mechanism 24A of the drive mechanism 24 is the pressing lifting cylinder 24A shown in Figure 8. This pressing lifting cylinder 24A is one of the drive mechanisms 24 for setting the pressing body 22A by raising or lowering it so that it does not interfere with the guide plate 21B on one side even when the pressing body 22A moves laterally (left or right in Figure 8). A rectangular mounting bracket 22B is horizontally attached to the upper end of the piston rod of the pressing lifting cylinder 24A, and the cylindrical support part 22B1 is attached to the other end (tip) of the mounting bracket 22B, and the cylindrical part 22A2 is inserted through and supported in this support part 22B1 so as to be able to slide up and down. This pressing lifting cylinder 24A is mounted vertically to a fixed plate 24A1, and this fixed plate 24A1 is connected to the piston rod of the second drive mechanism 24B, which is the retraction cylinder 24B.

[0025] Although the pressing lifting cylinder 24A uses a general-purpose air cylinder, the first drive mechanism 24A does not necessarily have to be an air cylinder. For example, a servo motor and a ball screw can be combined, and a slider screwed onto the ball screw can be moved up and down to raise and lower the mounting bracket 22B attached to the slider. By using such a servo motor, the opening side of the bag bundle Wa can be properly pressed by the control of the servo motor instead of the weight 22A3.

[0026] Next, the second drive mechanism 24B of the bag bundle holding mechanism 22 will be described. This second drive mechanism 24B is a drive mechanism 24 that moves the bag bundle holding mechanism 22 and the bag bundle gate mechanism 23, which will be described later, in the width direction (left and right direction in Figures 8 and 10) to set the bag bundle holding mechanism 22 and the bag bundle gate mechanism 23 on the first conveyor belt 6A or to retract them outside the first conveyor belt 6A. Although omitted in Figure 8, the reference numeral 24B shown in Figures 6, 9, and 10 is the second drive mechanism, which is the retraction cylinder. This retraction cylinder 24B uses a guided thin cylinder and is located in the lower center of the manual unit 21D in Figure 6. This retraction cylinder 24B has an air cylinder in the center of a cubic body and guide rods on both sides of this air cylinder. A rectangular mounting plate 24B1 is attached longitudinally to the tip of the piston rod and the tip of the guide rod of the retraction cylinder 24B, and a guide rail 24B2 is attached to one side of this mounting plate 24B1. As shown in Figure 8, each dovetail-type linear guide 24A2 for the bag bundle holding mechanism 22 is fitted longitudinally into the guide rail 24B2 so as to be slidable. Furthermore, the fixing plate 24A1 for the bag bundle holding mechanism is fixed vertically to each linear guide 24A2. By loosening the fixing screw 24A3 provided on the fixing plate 24A1, the linear guide 24A2 can slide along the guide rail 24B2. By sliding the fixing plate 24A1 longitudinally, the position of the bag bundle holding mechanism 22 can be changed longitudinally.

[0027] (Bag bundle gate mechanism) The bag bundle gate mechanism 23 is positioned on the other end (bottom of the bag) of the bag bundle Wa. While the first conveyor belt 6A rotates in the reverse direction upstream, the gate section 23B restricts the upstream movement of the bag bundle Wa, and the gate section 23B is gradually raised to unfold the bag bundle Wa in a domino-like manner. The third drive mechanism (electric cylinder 24C) of the bag bundle gate mechanism 23 is attached to a vertically erected fixing plate 24C3. Similar to the bag bundle holding mechanism 22, a dovetail-type linear guide 24C4 attached to the lower part of the fixing plate 24C3 for the bag bundle gate mechanism 23 is fitted into a guide rail 24B2 attached to the mounting plate 24B1 of the extension / retraction cylinder 24B of the second drive mechanism 24B. By loosening the fixing screws 24C5 provided on the fixing plate 24C3, the linear guide 24C4 can slide along the guide rail 24B2, and the position of the bag bundle gate mechanism 23 can be changed in the longitudinal direction.

[0028] The third drive mechanism (electric cylinder) 24C, as shown in Figure 6, consists of a linear slide 24C1 and a servo motor 24C2, and can accurately control the height and upward speed of the lower end of the gate section 23B via the linear slide 24C1. Specifically, the linear slide 24C1 has a ball screw (not shown) pivotally supported in the vertical direction, and the rotation of the servo motor 24C2 rotates the ball screw. A nut (not shown) is screwed onto the ball screw, and the rotation of the ball screw causes the linear slide 24C1 to move up and down as shown in Figure 6. With this electric cylinder 24C, the vertical height and upward speed of the gate section 23B attached to the mounting bracket 23A can be accurately controlled. By controlling the gap between the lower end of the gate section 23B and the belt 6A1, the upward speed of the gate section 23B, and the reverse rotation speed of the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor 6A toward the upstream side, the bundle of bags Wa can be properly unfolded in a domino-like manner.

[0029] The gate portion 23B is fixed to the tip of the mounting bracket 23A by a screw 23C. The gate portion 23B is rod-shaped, with a semicircular tip (lower end) that is fixed at an angle by the screw 23C so as to tilt upstream. Furthermore, the screw 23C allows not only the mounting length but also the tilt angle to be changed. The tilt angle of the gate portion 23B is set to match the thickness of the bag bundle Wa and the tilt angle of the stacked bag bottoms.

[0030] In Figures 8, 9, and 10, 24B3 is a shock absorption device that absorbs the impact when the piston rod of the extension / retraction cylinder 24B extends and retracts. In Figure 10, reference numeral 24B4 denotes a wheel, which is pivotally supported on both side plates of the mounting plate 24B1 of the extension / retraction cylinder 24B and rolls on the rail 25B5 between the shock absorption devices 24B3. It supports the weight of the fixed plates 24A1 and 24C3 in accordance with the extension and retraction of the piston rod of the extension / retraction cylinder 24B1.

[0031] (bag bundle replenishment device) The bag bundle replenishment device 3 is a device for adding bag bundles Wa, which have been unfolded in a domino-like fashion by the bag bundle unfolding device 2, to the last end of the bag group Wb stocked in the bag stock transfer device 4. The bag group Wb stocked in the bag stock transfer device 4 decreases with each packaging operation, so replenishment is necessary. Therefore, the bag bundle replenishment device 3 or the last end of the bag group Wb located on the transfer conveyor 6D (described later) is lifted, and the leading end of the bag bundle Wa, which has been unfolded in a domino-like fashion by the bag bundle unfolding device 2, is tucked under the last end of the lifted bag group Wb to replenish the bundle.

[0032] The bag bundle replenishment device 3 includes a lifter mechanism 3A that lifts the last end of the bag bundle Wb, and a holding mechanism 3B that temporarily holds the last end of the bag bundle Wb lifted by the lifter mechanism 3A. A second conveyor 6B, which is connected to the first conveyor 6A, is located below the lifter mechanism 3A. As shown in Figure 4, a detection sensor 3F is provided at the lower rear center of the downstream side of the second conveyor 6B (slightly upstream of the pulley 6B1) to detect the last end of the bag bundle Wb in order to determine whether the bag bundle Wb of the bag stock transfer device 4 is running low.

[0033] As shown in Figures 3, 4, 12, and 13, the lifter mechanism 3A consists of a lifting cylinder 3A2 vertically mounted below the second conveyor belt 6B, and a lifter 3A1 attached to the piston rod of the lifting cylinder 3A2. In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 12 and 13, the lifter 3A1 consists of four rod-shaped bodies 3A11 and a connecting plate 3A12 that supports these four rod-shaped bodies 3A11 from below, and the rod-shaped bodies 3A11 can move in and out upwards between the string belts of the transfer conveyor belt 6D.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the holding mechanism 3B consists of a holding cylinder 3B2 attached to the outside of the left and right guide walls 3E, and a holding part 3B1 attached to the tip of the piston rod of the holding cylinder 3B2 via a connecting link 3B3. The holding part 3B1 is rotatably positioned in the horizontal plane, and when the rear end of the bag group Wb is pushed up by the lifter 3A1, the piston rod of the holding cylinder 3B2 is retracted, and the holding part 3B1 rotates to the lower side of the rear end of the bag group Wb, as shown by the solid line in Figure 4. As a result, even when the rod-shaped body 3A11 is retracted downward, the holding part 3B1 holds the rear end of the bag group Wb from both sides, holding the rear end of the bag group Wb in an upward-lifted position. After this, the domino-like arrangement of bag bundles Wa on the first conveyor belt 6A is tucked behind the last end of the bag group Wb held above, the holding unit 3B1 is retracted, and the last end of the bag group Wb is placed on top of the front end of the bag bundle Wa to complete the replenishment.

[0035] The bag bundle replenishment device 3 is equipped with a second conveyor belt 6B. As mentioned above, the first conveyor belt 6A uses a flat belt to unfold the bag bundles Wa in a domino-like manner, but as shown in Figure 4, the second conveyor belt 6B uses four string conveyors. A transfer conveyor belt 6D is also positioned downstream of the second conveyor belt 6B. This transfer conveyor belt 6D is positioned between the second conveyor belt 6B and the third conveyor belt 6C and transports the bag bundles Wa replenished by the bag bundle replenishment device 3 to the third conveyor belt 6C. The pulleys 6B1 and 6C1 at both ends of the transfer conveyor belt 6D are 6-groove V-pulleys, and the string belts of the upstream second conveyor belt 6B and the third conveyor belt 6C are shared, forming part of the conveyor belt device 6. Furthermore, the pulley 6B1 on which the transfer conveyor 6D is placed has a built-in bearing, so even when the second transport conveyor 6B rotates, the transfer conveyor 6D does not rotate but spins freely. However, when the third transport conveyor 6C rotates, the transfer conveyor 6D is driven by it.

[0036] When the rear end of the bag group Wb is lifted by the lifter mechanism 3A, the rear end of the bag bundle Wa is pushed, which may cause the rear end of the bag group Wb to shift downstream and disrupt the row of bag group Wb. For this reason, the bag bundle replenishment mechanism 3 is equipped with a shift prevention device 3D to prevent the shifting of the bag group Wb when the bag bundle Wa supplied from the bag bundle deployment device 2 is replenished by the bag bundle replenishment device 3. As shown in Figure 3, the shift prevention device 3D consists of a bridge plate 3D1 spanning the width direction of the base 7 of the bag bundle replenishment mechanism 3, a triangular bracket 3D2 attached to the upper downstream side of the bridge plate 3D1, a shift prevention cylinder 3D3 attached to the downstream end of the bracket 3D2, and a shift prevention piece 3D4 attached downward to the piston rod of the shift prevention cylinder 3D3. As the piston rod of the anti-slip cylinder 3D3 extends, the anti-slip piece 3D4 extends downward and presses against the rearmost unfolded bag group Wb, thereby preventing the rearmost part of the bag group Wb from shifting downstream.

[0037] (Bag stock transfer device) A bag stock transfer device 4 is located downstream of the bag bundle replenishment device 3. This bag stock transfer device 4 is capable of storing a large-capacity bag group Wb. By storing a large-capacity bag group Wb, it becomes possible to supply bags W to the rotary packaging machine for a long period of time, thereby reducing the number of workers and enabling the automation of the packaging work. This bag stock transfer device 4 is basically the same as the conventional bag stock transfer device described in Patent Documents 1-3, so its basic configuration and operation will be briefly explained below.

[0038] The bag stock transfer device 4 has a stock mechanism 4A that occupies the main part from the upstream to the midstream, and a bag transfer mechanism 4C located in the downstream section. First, the stock mechanism 4A has bag group guide plates 4A1 erected on both sides of the base 7, and sends the bag group Wb to the downstream side in an aligned state. These bag group guide plates 4A1 are long metal plates, and the distance between the two plates can be changed according to the width of the bags using a width adjustment handle 4A2. A third conveying conveyor 6C, consisting of a string belt conveyor, is located at the bottom of the stock mechanism 4A. This third conveying conveyor 6C transports the bag group Wb, which is spread out in a domino-like fashion, to the downstream side while supplying the reduced number of bags W.

[0039] A bag separation mechanism 4B is provided at the upper downstream side of the stock mechanism 4A. The bag separation mechanism 4B is a device that sends bags W located on the upper surface of the downstream part of the bag group Wb of the stock mechanism 4A one by one to the bag transfer mechanism 4C. As shown in Figure 5, the bag separation mechanism 4B has a separation belt 4B2 positioned at the upper downstream side of the stock mechanism 4A. This separation belt 4B2 uses a string belt whose lower part is inclined toward the downstream side, and it lightly contacts the upper surface bag W of the front row of the bag group Wb, and the rotation of the separation belt 4B2 sends the upper surface bag W to the bag transfer mechanism 4C on the downstream side. The contact pressure between the tip (lower end) of the separation belt 4B2 and the upper surface bag W is adjusted so that the bag W is always sent toward the downstream side. As the bags W are gradually sent toward the downstream side in this manner, the third conveyor belt 6C is driven to slowly send the bag group Wb toward the downstream side. In Figure 5, reference numeral 4B1 denotes a separation motor for rotating the separation belt 4B2.

[0040] Downstream of the stock mechanism 4A is a bag transfer mechanism 4C. The bag transfer mechanism 4C is a mechanism that accurately positions the bags W before transferring them one by one to the rotary packaging machine. This bag positioning mechanism positions the bags W to a predetermined position when the bags W sent from the bag separation mechanism 4B come into contact with a stopper 4C1. For this reason, a stopper 4C1 is provided at the downstream end of the bag transfer mechanism 4C. However, when the bags W are sent from the bag separation mechanism 4B, the feed by the separation belt 4B2 may be weak, or conversely, the bag W may come into contact with the stopper 4C1 due to excessive force and return to the upstream side. For this reason, an impeller 4C2 is provided at the upper center of the bag transfer mechanism 4C so that the bags W stop at a predetermined position on the stopper 4C1. The rotation of this impeller 4C2 sends the bags W downstream, causing them to come into contact with the stopper 4C1 again and be positioned at a predetermined position. The impeller 4C2 has multiple flexible blades attached to the circumference of the rotating wheel, extending radially.

[0041] A bag detection sensor 4C4 located at the bottom of the stopper 4C1 detects whether the bag W is in contact with the stopper 4C1 and stopped in a predetermined position. When the bag detection sensor 4C4 detects that the bag W is stopped in the predetermined position, the impeller 4C2 stops rotating. A suction cup 4C3 is positioned between the impeller 4C2 and the stopper 4C1. This suction cup 4C3 rotates up and down in an arc shape by a link mechanism (not shown), and the suction cup 4C3 adheres to the opening of the bag, lifting the bag W. The opening of the lifted bag W is grasped by a clip-shaped clip mechanism and handed over to the clamp arm of the rotary packaging machine in the next process.

[0042] (Operating status of the automatic bag feeder) (Handling robot device) The usage state of the automatic bag feeding device 1 of the present invention will be described below. Figure 14 is a plan view of the automatic bag supply device 1 in use, and Figure 15 is a side view of the automatic bag supply device 1 in use. In these figures, a handling robot device 8 and a packaging bag stocker 9 are arranged adjacent to the upstream side of the bag bundle unfolding device 2. The handling robot device 8 is a device that takes the bag bundle Wa from the packaging bag stocker 9 and transfers it to the bag bundle unfolding device 2 of the automatic bag supply device 1, and is equipped with a multi-joint arm mechanism 8A. A box stand 8C is installed in the factory workshop, and the arm mechanism 8A is mounted on the top of this box stand 8C, with a finger part 8B at the tip of the arm mechanism 8A. The finger part 8B grips the bag bundle Wa from the packaging bag stocker 9 and places it on the bag bundle supply position B on the first conveyor belt 6A of the bag bundle unfolding device 2 (see Figures 9 and 15).

[0043] (Packaging bag stocker) The packaging bag stocker 9 is installed within the rotational range of the arm mechanism 8A of the handling robot device 8 and supplies the bag bundles Wa to the automatic bag supply device 1 via the handling robot device 8. The packaging bag stocker 9 consists of a rotating column 9A that rotates around the axis of a rotation shaft, a shelf system 9B consisting of multi-tiered shelves provided on the rotating column 9A, and a rotary drive mechanism 9C that rotates the shelf system 9B, and can stock a large quantity of bag bundles Wa. The shelves of the shelf system 9B are designed so that they extend radially outward from the rotating column 9A with downward sloping shelves, making it easy for the finger portion 8B of the handling robot device 8 to grasp the bag bundles Wa.

[0044] A drive motor 9D is provided at the bottom of the packaging bag stocker 9 to allow it to move on its own. This drive motor 9D allows the packaging bag stocker 9 to move freely within the factory, replenish empty shelf equipment 9B with bag bundles Wa at other locations, and then move on its own to the packaging work position as shown in Figure 14 to supply the bag bundles Wa to the automatic bag supply device 1. As a result, packaging work can be performed unattended and continuously for long periods of time.

[0045] (Bag bundle expansion device) When supplying the bag bundle Wa to the bag bundle supply position B on the first conveyor belt 6A, the piston rod of the pressing lifting cylinder 24A and the linear slide 24C1 of the electric cylinder 24C are extended, and the pressing body 22A and the gate section 23B are moved to a retracted position laterally to the guide plate 21B. Then, when the handling robot device 8 places the bag bundle Wa on the bag bundle supply position B on the first conveyor belt 6A as described above, the guide plates 21A and 21B of the bag bundle alignment mechanism 21 are vibrated by the width-aligning air cylinder 21C to align the bag bundle Wa in the width direction.

[0046] After raising the tip (lower end) of the pressing body 22A of the bag bundle holding mechanism 22 and the gate portion 23B of the bag bundle gate mechanism 23 above the guide plate 21B, the piston rod of the retraction cylinder 24B is retracted, and the pressing body 22A and the gate portion 23B are moved onto the bag bundle Wa on the first conveyor belt 6A. After this, the piston rod of the pressing lifting cylinder 24A is retracted, and the pressing body 22A of the bag bundle holding mechanism 22 is lowered, pressing the bag opening portion of the bag bundle Wa placed at the bag bundle supply position B. Furthermore, the servo motor 24C2 of the electric cylinder 24C is driven to lower the linear slide 24C1, lowering the gate portion 23B of the bag bundle gate mechanism 23, and setting the lower end of the gate portion 23B to a position close to the bottom of the bag bundle Wa (Figure 11(b)).

[0047] Next, the operation of unfolding the bag bundle Wa in a domino-like manner using the bag bundle unfolding device 2 will be described. After pressing the opening of the bag bundle Wa with the pressing body 22A, the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor 6A is slowly rotated upstream, causing friction between the belt 6A1 and the bottom bag W to move upstream from the bottom bag W. By properly pressing the opening of the bag bundle Wa with the pressing body 22A, the bag bundle Wa moves upstream without collapsing, slightly offset from the bottom bag W. Then, as shown in Figure 11(c), when the tip (lower end) of the gate portion 23B is gradually raised from a position close to the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor 6A, the bag bundle Wa moves upstream in a domino-like manner from between the tip of the gate portion 23B and the belt 6A1. As a result, the upper and lower bags W of the bag bundle Wa overlap with a slight offset from each other, allowing the bag bundle W to be laid flat in a domino-like fashion with good efficiency and precision.

[0048] The pressing body 22A applies appropriate pressure vertically from above to the opening side of the bag, so that the shape of the bag bundle Wa is not damaged even as the upper layers of the bag bundle Wa gradually move upstream as the first conveyor belt 6A moves upstream. The gate section 23B is set to a position that can properly contact the bag bundle Wa supplied to the bag bundle supply position B from behind, thereby restricting the upstream movement of the bag bundle Wa. This position can be changed depending on the size of the bag W.

[0049] Furthermore, as described above, the gate portion 23B is configured to allow not only the mounting length to the mounting bracket 23A but also the inclination angle of the gate portion 23B toward the upstream side to be changed. By adjusting the inclination angle of the gate portion 23B to match the thickness of the bottom of the bag bundle Wa or the inclination angle of the stacked bottoms of the bags, the bag bundle Wa can be neatly unfolded in a domino-like manner. The lower end of the rod-shaped gate portion 23B is preferably hemispherical. By making the tip hemispherical, the bag bundle Wa can be unfolded flat and in a balanced manner. In addition, by positioning the tip of the gate portion 23B in the center of the width direction of the bottom of the bag, the bag bundle Wa can be unfolded well. Alternatively, a distance sensor (not shown) for detecting the thickness of the bag bundle Wa may be provided between the gate 23B and the bag bundle Wa, or near the bag bundle Wa. The thickness of the bag bundle Wa can be measured using the distance sensor while the first conveyor belt 6A is rotated in the reverse direction upstream. The gate 23B can then be raised to a height corresponding to the thickness of the bag bundle Wa, thereby adjusting the height of the gate 23B.

[0050] Furthermore, the degree to which the bags W overlap when the bundle of bags Wa unfolds in a domino-like manner changes depending on the upward speed at which the gate section 23B is gradually raised and the upstream movement speed of the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor 6A. Therefore, it is necessary to adjust these speeds so that when one bundle of bags Wa is unfolded in a domino-like manner, it fits within the length of the rear end of the first conveyor 6A. If the upward speed of the gate section 23B is slow and the upstream movement speed of the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor 6A is fast, the degree to which the bags W overlap will decrease, and as a result, there is a risk that the bundle of bags Wa unfolded in a domino-like manner will not fit within the length of the rear end of the first conveyor 6A.

[0051] (bag bundle replenishment device) When the detection sensor 3F of the bag bundle replenishment device 3 can no longer detect the last bag of the bag bundle Wb on the conveyor device 6, and the control device detects that the total number of bags in the bag bundle Wb stored in the automatic bag supply device 1 has decreased, the control device issues a command to replenish the bag bundle Wa. Then, as described above, the bag bundle unfolding device 2 begins the operation of unfolding the bag bundle Wa in a domino-like manner. However, before replenishing the bag bundle Wa that has been unfolded in this domino-like manner, the piston rod of the slip-prevention cylinder 3D3 of the slip-prevention device 3D is extended to lower the slip-prevention piece 3D4 and press against the vicinity of the last bag bundle Wb. This prevents the last bag bundle Wb on the conveyor device 6 from shifting forward when replenishing the bag bundle Wa.

[0052] Next, as shown in Figures 13(a) and (b), the lifter 3A1 of the lifter mechanism 3A lifts the last end of the bag group Wb on the bag bundle replenishment device 3 using the rod-shaped body 3A11 of the lifter 3A1. Then, the holding cylinder 3B2 is activated, bending the holding part 3B1 of the holding mechanism 3B inward towards the guide wall 3E, thereby holding the last end of the bag group Wb upward. After this, even when the bag bundle Wa, which has been unfolded in a domino-like fashion by the bag bundle unfolding device 2, is transported downstream, the rod-shaped body 3A11 of the lifter 3A1 is retracted downward to prevent it from colliding with the lifter 3A1. (Figure 13(a))

[0053] Next, the belt 6A1 of the first conveyor 6A of the bag bundle unfolding device 2 is advanced downstream, and the second conveyor 6B, the transfer conveyor 6D, and the third conveyor 6C are also advanced. As a result, as shown in Figure 13(a), the front end of the bag bundle Wa, which has been unfolded in a domino-like fashion by the bag bundle unfolding device 2, is transported to the bag bundle replenishment device 3. When the front end of the bag bundle Wa has reached below the rear end of the bag group Wb held by the holding part 3B1 of the bag bundle replenishment device 3, the holding part 3B1 of the bag bundle replenishment device 3 is retracted outward from the guide wall 3E, as shown in Figure 13(b). In this way, the front end of the bag bundle Wa, which has been unfolded in a domino-like fashion, is placed on top of the rear end of the bag group Wb of the bag bundle replenishment device 3, and replenishment is completed. Next, the anti-slip cylinder 3D3 is activated to retract the anti-slip piece 3D4 upwards, and the packaging operation begins. The second conveyor belt 6B and the third conveyor belt 6C are then driven to supply the bags W to the rotary packaging machine. Furthermore, even before packaging operations begin and the automatic bag supply device 1 is not filled with the bag group Wb, the bag group Wb can be replenished in the stock mechanism 4A of the bag stock transfer device 4 in the same manner as described above.

[0054] (Bag stock transfer device) When the packaging operation begins, a bag separation mechanism 4B, located at the upper downstream side of the bag stock transfer device 4, sends bags W located downstream of the bag group Wb of the stock mechanism 4A to the bag transfer mechanism 4C one by one. Downstream of the bag transfer mechanism 4C, there is a stopper 4C1 that precisely positions the bags W. That is, the bags W separated by the separation belt 4B2 of the bag separation mechanism 4B come into contact with the stopper 4C1 and stop at a predetermined position. If the feed by the separation belt 4B2 is weak, or conversely, if the bag W comes into contact with the stopper 4C1 with force and bounces back upstream, the impeller 4C2 rotates to send the bag W downstream so that it comes into contact with the stopper 4C1. The impeller 4C2 can move up and down around the rotation axis of the drive pulley 4C21, and when the bag W comes into contact with the stopper 4C1 and is in a predetermined position, it retracts upward.

[0055] A bag detection sensor 4C4 located at the bottom of the stopper 4C1 detects whether the bag W is in contact with the stopper 4C1 and stopped in a predetermined position. When the bag detection sensor 4C4 detects that the bag W is stopped in the predetermined position, a suction cup 4C3 positioned between the impeller 4C2 and the stopper 4C1 attracts the bag opening and lifts it up. The opening of the lifted bag W is grasped by a clip-shaped clipping mechanism and passed to the clamp arm of the rotary packaging machine in the next process. As the bags W are gradually fed downstream in this manner and the number of bags W decreases, the bag group Wb is sent downstream by a third conveyor belt 6C or the like. [Industrial applicability]

[0056] The automatic bag supply device of the present invention can be applied to automatic bag supply devices that supply bags to various packaging machines, including rotary packaging machines. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1 Automatic bag feeding device, 2 Bag bundle unfolding device, 21 Bag bundle alignment mechanism, 21A Guide plate, 21a Notch, 21B Guide plate, 21C Width adjustment air cylinder, 21D Manual unit, 21E Screw shaft, 21e Male screw, 21F Nut, 21G Bracket, 21H Width adjustment handle, 21I Guide rod, 22 Bag bundle holding mechanism, 22A Pressing body, 22A1 Contact part, 22A2 Cylindrical part, 22A3 Weight, 22B Mounting bracket, 22B1 Support part, 23 Bag bundle gate mechanism, 23A Mounting bracket, 23B Gate part, 23C Screw, 24 Drive mechanism, 24A First drive mechanism (pressing lifting cylinder), 24A1 Fixing plate, 24A2 Linear guide, 24A3 Fixing screw, 24B Second drive mechanism 3A3 (Cylinder for entry / exit), 24B1 Mounting plate, 24B2 Guide rail, 24B3 Shock absorption device, 24B4 Wheel, 24C3 Third drive mechanism (electric cylinder), 24C1 Linear slide, 24C2 Servo motor, 24C3 Fixing plate, 24C4 Linear guide, 24C5 Fixing screw, 25B5 Rail, 3Bag bundle replenishment device, 3A Lifter mechanism, 3A1 Lifter, 3A11 Rod-shaped body, 3A12 Connecting plate, 3A2 Lifting cylinder, 3B Holding mechanism, 3B1 Holding part, 3B2 Holding cylinder, 3B3 Connecting link, 3D Anti-slip device, 3D1 Pier plate, 3D2 Bracket, 3D3 Anti-slip cylinder, 3D4 Anti-slip piece, 3E Guide wall, 3F Detection sensor, 4Bag stock transfer device, 4A Stock mechanism, 4A1 4A1 Bag group guide plate, 4B Width adjustment handle, 4B Bag separation mechanism, 4B1 Separation motor, 4B2 Separation belt, 4C Bag transfer mechanism, 4C1 Stopper, 4C2 Impeller, 4C21 Drive pulley, 4C3 Suction cup, 4C4 Bag detection sensor, 6 Conveyor device, 6A First conveyor, 6A1 Belt, 6A2 Driven pulley, 6A3 Drive pulley, 6A4 Drive motor, 6A5 Stopper plate, 6A6 Rear end detection sensor, 6A7 Conveyor frame, 6B Second conveyor, 6B1 Pulley, 6C Third conveyor, 6C1 Pulley, 6D Transfer conveyor, 7 Base, 8 Handling robot device, 8A Arm mechanism, 8B Finger section, 8C Box stand, 9 Packaging bag stocker, 9A Rotating column, 9B Shelving equipment, 9C Rotary drive mechanism, 9D Drive motor, BBag supply location, W bag, Wa bag bundle, Wb bag cluster

Claims

1. A bag bundle unfolding device that unfolds bundled bags in a domino-like manner and provides them to another device, The bag bundle unfolding device is characterized by comprising: a conveying conveyor that unfolds bag bundles in a domino-like manner and transports the unfolded bag bundles to another device; a bag bundle alignment mechanism that aligns the bag bundles placed on the bag bundle supply position of the conveying conveyor in the width direction; a bag bundle holding mechanism that holds one end of the bag bundles supplied to the bag bundle supply position on the conveying conveyor; and a bag bundle gate mechanism that, while holding one end of the bag bundles with the bag bundle holding mechanism, reverses the rotation of the conveying conveyor belt upstream, thereby restricting the movement of the upper side of the bag bundles and unfolding the bag bundles in a domino-like manner.

2. The bag bundle unfolding device according to claim 1, characterized in that the bag bundle holding mechanism includes a pressing body that presses one end of the bag bundle with appropriate pressure, and the contact portion at the lower end of the pressing body is formed in a semi-spherical or semi-ellipsoidal shape so as to be able to reliably and smoothly press the surface of the bag bundle.

3. The aforementioned bag bundle gate mechanism includes a rod-shaped gate portion positioned on the other end of the bag bundle, and this gate portion is positioned to tilt upstream to match the thickness of the bag bundle and the inclination angle of the stacked bag bottoms. The bag bundle unfolding device according to claim 2, characterized in that, while holding one end of the bag bundle with the bag bundle holding mechanism, the first conveyor is rotated in the reverse direction toward the upstream side, and the gate portion is gradually raised while restricting the upstream movement of the bag bundle with the gate portion, thereby unfolding the bag bundle in a domino-like manner.

4. An automatic bag supply device that automatically unfolds bundles of bags in a domino-like pattern, stores the group of bags formed by the unfolded bundles, separates bags one by one from the group, and hands them over to other devices, The automatic bag supply device comprises: a bag bundle unfolding device that unfolds bundled bags in a domino-like pattern; a bag bundle replenishment device that replenishes the domino-like bag bundles transported from the bag bundle unfolding device to an adjacent downstream device; a bag stock transfer device that stocks the bag group containing the domino-like bag bundles replenished from the bag bundle replenishment device and transfers the bags to the next process; and a conveying device that transports the bag bundles and bag groups from the upstream side to the downstream side. The bag bundle unfolding device is characterized by comprising: a bag bundle holding mechanism that holds one end of a bag bundle supplied to a bag bundle supply position on a conveyor device; and a bag bundle gate mechanism that unfolds the bag bundle in a domino-like manner while restricting the movement of the upper side of the bag bundle while rotating the conveyor belt in the reverse direction upstream.

5. The automatic bag supply device according to claim 4, characterized in that the bag bundle replenishment device comprises a lifter mechanism for lifting the last end of the bag bundle, a holding mechanism for temporarily holding the last end of the bag bundle lifted by the lifter mechanism, and a detection sensor for detecting the last end of the bag bundle in order to determine whether the bag bundle of the bag stock transfer device is running low.

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