Bag conveying device and bag making machine

Abstract

To transport normal bags downstream and remove defective bags, the system provides a configuration that can accommodate small-sized bags. [Solution] The bag conveying device comprises an upstream conveyor, a downstream conveyor, and an upper conveyor. The downstream conveyor is positioned downstream of the upstream conveyor with a gap between them. The upper conveyor comprises a plurality of endless belts wound around a head pulley and a tail pulley, and positioned at intervals between them in a lateral direction perpendicular to the bag conveying direction. The bag conveying device comprises a separation guide having a base that extends laterally within the contour of the belt and a plurality of guide parts protruding from the base; an actuator for moving the separation guide between a retracted position in which the guide parts do not extend outside the belt from the belt gap and an entry position in which the guide parts enter the gap through the gap to remove bags through the gap; and an auxiliary roller driven in cooperation with the belt to transfer bags from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to a bag conveying device and a bag making machine including the same.

Background Art

[0002] A bag making machine feeds at least one web in its longitudinal direction by a feed roller, processes the web by at least one processing device (typically heat-seals by a heat-sealing device), and cross-cuts the web in its width direction by a cross-cutting device to form bags (e.g., pouches).

[0003] When starting bag making, the operator manually pulls out the web from the roll and sets it on the feed roller in the downstream part of the bag making machine. Then, the operator operates the bag making machine to feed the web to the feed roller, thereby causing the bag making machine to manufacture bags.

[0004] Therefore, the web set as described above at the start of bag making cannot receive some or all of the essential processing in the part downstream of the processing device located most upstream. Therefore, the bags formed from this part should be excluded as defective bags.

[0005] In addition, defective bags may be formed because the processing device cannot appropriately process the bag material (such as the above-mentioned web) that becomes the body or gusset part of the bag. For example, as a result of the folding device not being able to appropriately fold the bag material, a bag with a folding defect is formed. As another example, as a result of the punching device not being able to appropriately remove the scraps generated when punching the web, a bag with scraps mixed in is formed. Such defective bags can be detected by a sensor and should be appropriately excluded.

[0006] The bag-making machine described in Patent Document 1 has a function for removing defective bags. The bag-making machine includes an upstream conveyor and a downstream conveyor for transporting bags. The downstream conveyor is positioned downstream of the upstream conveyor with a predetermined gap between them, and this gap is a region for removing defective bags. The bag-making machine further includes a sensor for detecting defective bags, which is provided upstream of the gap, a separation guide (stopper) positioned directly above the gap, and an actuator for moving the separation guide vertically up and down. The separation guide has an inclined surface on the upstream side.

[0007] When the bag-making machine detects a defective bag using a sensor, an actuator lowers a stopper at a predetermined timing, allowing it to enter the gap. As a result, the defective bag, as it is transported from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor, hits the inclined surface of the separation guide, is guided by the inclined surface, and is removed downward through the gap.

[0008] In such conventional configurations, it must be ensured that normal bags are properly transferred from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor. Therefore, conventional configurations cannot accommodate bags smaller than the gap between the upstream and downstream conveyors.

[0009] It is conceivable to shorten the distance of the gap to match the size of the manufactured bags. However, the distance of the gap is constrained by the size of the inclined surface of the vertically moving separation guide, and the clearance required between the bag being removed and the downstream end of the upstream conveyor, so that the defective bag does not interfere with the downstream end of the upstream conveyor or the upstream end of the downstream conveyor. For this reason, the conventional configuration is not suitable for small bags.

[0010] Furthermore, as disclosed in Patent Document 2, a multi-row bag manufacturing method is known in which two or more bags are formed at once by a single cross-cut. There is a high demand for manufacturing small-sized bags using multi-row bag manufacturing. In addition, the bag conveying device described in Patent Document 1 had the problem of being large in vertical dimensions. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-160780 [Patent Document 2] WO2020 / 235188 [Overview of the project]

[0012] This invention provides an arrangement structure that can accommodate small-sized bags when transporting normal bags downstream and removing defective bags.

[0013] This application provides a bag conveying device, The bag conveying device is It is equipped with an upstream conveyor, a downstream conveyor, and an upper conveyor for transporting bags. The downstream conveyor is positioned with a gap between it and the upstream conveyor. The upper conveyor is positioned above the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor. The aforementioned upper conveyor is, Head pulley and, Tail pulley and, The system comprises a plurality of endless belts that are wound around the head pulley and the tail pulley, extending above the gap in the direction of bag transport, and arranged at intervals from each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to the transport direction, The bag conveying device further includes, A separation guide having a base portion extending laterally within the contour range of the belt and a plurality of guide portions protruding from the base, An actuator for moving the separation guide between a retracted position where the guide portion does not extend outside the belt from the spacing of the belt, and an entry position where the guide portion enters the gap through the spacing in order to remove the bag through the gap, The system includes an auxiliary roller positioned downstream of the entry position in the gap, extending laterally, contacting the belt, and driven to cooperate with the belt to transfer the bag from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor.

[0014] The bag conveying device further includes a rotating shaft provided upstream of the downstream end of the upstream conveyor, extending in the lateral direction, and directly or indirectly supporting the separation guide. The actuator may be operably connected to the separation guide so as to rotate the separation guide around the rotating shaft and move it between the retracted position and the inserted position.

[0015] The upstream conveyor is a belt conveyor having an endless belt. The rotating shaft may extend in the lateral direction within the contour range of the belt of the upstream conveyor.

[0016] The guide portion may have a concave curved guide surface that is located within the gap and faces the downstream end of the upstream conveyor when the separation guide is in the inserted position.

[0017] The tip portion of the guide portion may extend downward and downstream when the separation guide is in the inserted position.

[0018] The diameter of the auxiliary roller may be smaller than the diameter of the tail pulley of the upstream conveyor and the diameter of the head pulley of the downstream conveyor.

[0019] Also, in the present application, a bag-making machine for sequentially manufacturing bags from at least one web is provided. The bag-making machine <W000S086>includes a cross-cutting device that cross-cuts the web in its width direction to form bags, and the bag conveying device according to claim 1 provided downstream of the cross-cutting device.

[0020] The bag-making machine further includes at least one sensor for detecting defects related to the bags or bag materials, and a processor configured to determine whether there is a defect based on an output from the at least one sensor and to control the actuator. The processor is further configured to when there is no such defect, position the separation guide at the retracted position to allow conveyance of the bag without defects from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor, and when there is such a defect, move the separation guide from the retracted position to the entry position to exclude the bag having such a defect by the separation guide.

Brief Description of Drawings

[0021] [Figure 1] FIG. 1A is a schematic plan view of the upstream and middle stream portions of an exemplary bag making machine, and FIG. 1B is a schematic side view thereof. [Figure 2] FIG. 2A is a schematic side view showing an exemplary bag conveying device, and FIG. 2B schematically shows the bag conveying device of FIG. 2A in a standby state. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view of the bag conveying device of FIG. 2A. [Figure 4] FIG. 4A is a schematic partial side view of the bag conveying device with the guide member at the retracted position, and FIG. 4B is a schematic partial side view of the bag conveying device with the guide member at the entry position. [Figure 5] FIG. 5A is a schematic plan view of the guide member, FIG. 5B is a schematic side view of the exclusion structure, and FIG. �C is a partial schematic side view of the guide structure as viewed from the upstream. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the bag making machine for excluding defective bags. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows a superposition of the embodiment and the comparative example.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0022] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present application will be described with reference to the drawings. The following is merely an example of the present application. The drawings are merely schematic and may not be drawn to actual scale. It should also be understood that the same reference numerals are used throughout the figures to represent the same or similar components.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, the bag-making machine is equipped with an accumulator 20 and a dancer mechanism 21. A roll of raw material 1' is positioned at the upstream end of the bag-making machine. One web 1 is taken out of the roll of raw material 1' and continuously fed in direction X1, passing through the accumulator 20 and the dancer mechanism 21. In the process, the web 1 is slit along its longitudinal direction by a cutter (not shown) to become two webs 10 and 11 for the body material. The webs 10 and 11 are then overlapped. The dancer mechanism 21 appropriately switches the transport of the webs 10 and 11 from continuous feeding to intermittent feeding.

[0024] The bag-making machine further includes a feeder 25 (including a pair of drive rollers) for intermittently feeding the webs 10 and 11 in direction X1.

[0025] The bag-making machine further includes vertical heaters 22 and horizontal heaters 23 that heat-seal the webs 10,11 with each intermittent feed. This heat-sealing process is a three-side seal, so that the subsequently formed bag 100 is heat-sealed along three sides, with the remaining side open.

[0026] The bag-making machine further includes a plurality of slitters 24 located downstream of these heaters 22, 23. The slitters 24 are spaced apart in the width direction of the webs 10, 11, i.e., in the horizontal direction Y which is perpendicular to the feed direction X1. The bag-making machine of this embodiment, which provides five-row bags, includes four slitters 24. The webs 10, 11 are slit longitudinally by the slitters 24 as they are fed.

[0027] The bag-making machine further includes a cross-cutting device 26 located downstream of these components 20-25, which cross-cuts the webs 10 and 11 in the width direction. The cross-cutting device 26 includes a cross-cutter 260 that moves up and down by an actuator (not shown). Each time the intermittent feed stops, the cross-cutting device 26 cross-cuts the webs 10 and 11 in the lateral direction Y (width direction) with the cross-cutter 260. This forms the bag 100 (e.g., pouch).

[0028] This bag-making machine provides multi-row bag making, in which multiple bags (five in this embodiment) 100 are formed simultaneously in a single cross-cut. These bags 100 are arranged in the lateral direction Y (width direction of the webs 10, 11).

[0029] The configuration from the raw material 1' to the cross-cutting device 26 is a well-known one, so a detailed explanation is omitted here. For example, instead of the webs 10 and 11 being formed from a single large web 1, the web 10 may be produced from one raw material and the web 11 from another. In addition, additional steps may be taken to form notches and corner cuts. Furthermore, the bag-making machine may manufacture bags from other bag materials, such as gussets (side gussets, bottom gussets, top gussets, etc.) and zippers, in addition to the webs 10 and 11 that form the body of the bag 100.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2A, the bag-making machine is located downstream of the cross-cutting device 26 and includes a bag conveying device 27 for conveying bags 100 arranged in the lateral direction Y. The direction of conveyance of the bags 100 by the bag conveying device 27 is indicated by X1.

[0031] The bag conveying device 27 includes an upstream conveyor 3, a downstream conveyor 4, and an upper conveyor 5 for conveying the bags 100.

[0032] The upstream conveyor 3 is a belt conveyor that transports the bag 100 in direction X1 while supporting its underside. The upstream conveyor 3 comprises a head pulley 30, a tail pulley 31, and a plurality of endless belts 32 wound around these pulleys 30 and 31 at intervals from each other in the lateral direction Y.

[0033] The downstream conveyor 4 is a belt conveyor that transports the bag 100 in direction X1 while supporting its underside. The downstream conveyor 4 is positioned downstream of the upstream conveyor 3, with a gap G between them. The downstream conveyor 4 comprises a head pulley 40, a tail pulley 41, a drive pulley 42, an endless flat belt 43 wound around these pulleys 40-42, and a tension pulley 44 that engages with the flat belt 43 from the outside.

[0034] The flat belt 43 has a width greater than the width of the webs 10 and 11, and can receive all of the bags 100 that are formed at once by cross-cutting and arranged in the lateral direction Y without any overhang (see Figure 3). The flat belt 43 has a flat outer surface without holes or irregularities. The flat belt 43 extends horizontally in the section from the head pulley 40 to the tail pulley 41, and in this section defines a conveying plane that conveys the bags 100 in the conveying direction X1 while supporting their lower surfaces.

[0035] The tension pulley 44 engages with the flat belt 43 from the outside to control the tension of the flat belt 43 and is propelled toward the inside of the loop of the flat belt 43 with a predetermined force by a propulsion member (e.g., a spring, cylinder, etc.) not shown.

[0036] Motor 45 is directly or indirectly connected to drive pulley 42, and the motor 45 rotates pulleys 40-42, 44, thereby driving (endless rotation) the flat belt 43. Other pulleys such as pulleys 40, 41 may also function as drive pulleys by being connected to motor 45, thereby driving the flat belt 43.

[0037] The upper conveyor 5, together with the downstream conveyor 4, transports the bag 100 while holding it between them, and also assists in the transfer of the bag 100 from the upstream conveyor 3 to the downstream conveyor 4. For this purpose, the upper conveyor 5 is positioned above the upstream conveyor 3 and the downstream conveyor 4.

[0038] The upper conveyor 5 comprises a head pulley 50, a tail pulley 51, and a plurality of endless, thin belts 52 (see also Figure 3) wound around these pulleys 50 and 51 at intervals from each other in the lateral direction Y.

[0039] The head pulley 50 is located upstream of the downstream end of the upstream conveyor 3. The tail pulley 51 is positioned so that, at least at the location of the tail pulley 51, the upper conveyor 5 and the downstream conveyor 4 can cooperate to transport the bag 100. More specifically, the head pulley 50 is located directly above the head pulley 30 of the upstream conveyor 3, and the tail pulley 51 is located directly above the downstream conveyor 4. Therefore, the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5 extends in the transport direction X1 over the gap G (area for removing defective bags) between the upstream and downstream conveyors 3 and 4.

[0040] As shown in Figure 3, each belt 52 extends parallel to the conveying direction X1. The distance between adjacent belts 52 is narrower than the width of the bag 100. The same applies to the belts 32 mentioned above. It is preferable that the bag 100 is sandwiched between at least two sets of belts 32, 52. These belts 32, 52 are narrow, flat belts with a flat outer surface.

[0041] The bag conveying device 27 further includes a lifting mechanism 270 (Figure 2A) movably connected to the head pulley 50 of the upper conveyor 5 in order to move the head pulley 50 up and down. The lifting mechanism 270 can retract the head pulley 50 upward by its actuator (not shown) (Figure 2B). The upper conveyor 5 waits with the head pulley 50 retracted upward, waiting for the bags 100 to be introduced from the cross-cutting device 26 between the two conveyors 3 and 5.

[0042] The bag conveying device 27 includes at least one motor (not shown) for rotating pulleys 30, 31, 50, and 51 around their axes, thereby driving (endlessly rotating) belts 32 and 52. A motor for the upstream conveyor 3 and a motor for the upper conveyor 5 may be provided. Alternatively, belts 52 and 32 may be driven synchronously using a single motor and an appropriate transmission mechanism (including, for example, a transmission belt).

[0043] Therefore, the bag conveying device 27 lowers the head pulley 50 with the lifting mechanism 270 at the timing when the bag 100 is introduced from the cross-cutting device 26 between the upper conveyor 5 and the upstream conveyor 3 (a timing determined based on the output of the detection sensor and other devices), grips the bag 100 with the belts 32 and 52, and conveys it straight in the conveying direction X1 by driving these belts 32 and 52.

[0044] The bag conveying device 27 drives multiple belts 32 and 52, and there is a risk of fingers getting caught. Therefore, the bag conveying device 27 is equipped with a cover 272 (Figures 2A and 2B) installed above the upper conveyor 5.

[0045] The bag conveying device 27 may be driven continuously, or it may be driven only when conveying the bag 100 by timing control using sensors or the like.

[0046] Furthermore, as described later, the bag conveying device 27 is equipped with a removal structure 6 for removing defective bags (hereinafter referred to as "defective bags") from the conveying path, specifically downward through the gap G.

[0047] As shown in Figure 4A, the exclusion structure 6 comprises a separation guide 60 for removing defective bags and an actuator 61 operably connected to the separation guide 60 for moving the separation guide 60.

[0048] The exclusion structure 6 of this embodiment further comprises a rotating shaft 62 and a support arm 63. The rotating shaft 62 is located upstream of the downstream end of the upstream conveyor 3. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 62 extends laterally within the contour of the upstream conveyor 3 and is rotatably supported by a frame (not shown).

[0049] Both ends of the rotating shaft 62 extend beyond the outermost belts 52 and 32, and support arms 63 are attached to each end of the rotating shaft 62, allowing them to rotate around the rotating shaft 62. As shown in Figure 3, these two support arms 63 support the separation guide 60 at both ends. In this way, the separation guide 60 is rotatable around the rotating shaft 62.

[0050] As shown in the partially enlarged plan view of Figure 5A, the separation guide 60 is comb-shaped and comprises a base portion 600 extending in the lateral direction Y, and a plurality of guide portions 601 projecting from the base portion 600 at intervals and parallel to each other in the lateral direction Y. As shown in Figure 5B, each guide portion 601 is curved in an arc shape and has a concave guide surface 601a.

[0051] As shown in Figures 5B and 5C, the base 600 is attached to the support arms 63 at both ends by fastening with bolts 64. In addition, to prevent the central part of the separation guide 60 from deforming vertically, a long angle 65 may be attached to the separation guide 60 (base 600) along its longitudinal direction to reinforce the separation guide 60.

[0052] As shown in Figure 4A, the base portion 600 extends laterally in the Y direction within the contour range of the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5. The curved guide portion 601 substantially follows the outer shape of the tail pulley 31 of the upstream conveyor 3 in a side view.

[0053] As shown in region T of Figure 3, the guide portions 601 of the separation guide 60 are each offset in the lateral direction Y with respect to the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5 in a plan view.

[0054] The actuator 61 is, for example, a servo motor. The actuator 61 rotates the rotating shaft 62 to move the separation guide 60 between the retracted position (Figure 4A) and the entry position (Figure 4B).

[0055] When the separation guide 60 is in the retracted position shown in Figure 4A, in a side view, the entire separation guide 60 is within the contour range of the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5, and the guide portion 601 does not protrude outward from the belt 52.

[0056] On the other hand, when the separation guide 60 moves from the retracted position to the entry position shown in Figure 4B, each guide section 601 passes between the belts 52, and at least its tip enters the gap G (the area for removing the bag 100). This is made possible because the belts 52 and the guide sections 601 are offset from each other in the lateral direction Y, as shown in Figure 3.

[0057] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the bag conveying device 27 is equipped with an auxiliary roller 271 provided in the gap G. The auxiliary roller 271 is a drive roller driven by an actuator (motor) not shown.

[0058] The auxiliary roller 271 extends in the lateral direction Y so as to contact the belt 52 with a predetermined contact force, and, as described later, cooperates with the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5 to transfer the bag 100 from the upstream conveyor 3 to the downstream conveyor 4.

[0059] As shown in Figure 4A, the auxiliary roller 271 is positioned within the gap G downstream of the separation guide 60 at the entry position. In other words, the auxiliary roller 271 is positioned so as not to interfere with the movement of the separation guide 60 between its retracted position and entry position. Furthermore, the auxiliary roller 271 is positioned such that the horizontal distance b (Figure 4A) between the auxiliary roller 271 and the tail pulley 31 of the upstream conveyor 3 is less than or equal to the transport direction dimension of the bags 100 being manufactured.

[0060] The auxiliary roller 271 is driven to rotate so that its peripheral speed is equal to or greater than the conveying speed of the belt 52.

[0061] The diameter of the auxiliary roller 271 is smaller than the diameter of the tail pulley 31 of the upstream conveyor 3 and the diameter of the head pulley 40 of the downstream conveyor 4. The outer surface of the auxiliary roller 271 is made of a material that has a lower coefficient of friction with the material of the bag 100 compared to that with the belt 52. The diameters of the pulleys 31 and 40 are determined based on the material of the belts 32 and 43. Considering the softness and conformability of the belts 32 and 43, the diameters of the pulleys 31 and 40 in one example are 45 to 50 mm, and the diameter of the auxiliary roller 271 is set to a smaller value than this.

[0062] As shown in Figure 6, the bag-making machine further includes at least one sensor 28 for detecting defects in the bag 100 or bag material (such as the webs 1, 10, 11, gussets, and zippers), and one or more processors 29 electrically connected to at least one sensor 28 and actuator 61.

[0063] At least one sensor 28 may be a sensor for detecting processing defects in the processing equipment of the bag-making machine (e.g., heater, punching device, bending device, etc.). At least one sensor 28 may be, for example, a sensor provided in a defect detection device disclosed in WO2022 / 004102, and may include a sensor for detecting bending defects in the bag material such as the web 10,11 and gusset (e.g., a distance sensor, an angle sensor). Alternatively, at least one sensor 28 may include a sensor for detecting defects in the heat sealing process, or a sensor for detecting defects in the punching process by the punching device (e.g., punching waste that was not removed). Such processing defects result in a defective bag 100 formed by cross-cutting. These sensors may be optical sensors such as cameras.

[0064] Furthermore, at least one sensor 28 may be equipped with a sensor (e.g., an optical sensor) that detects splices (joins of raw material). A splice is the portion that connects one raw material roll 1' to the next. This is because the bag 100 formed from the splice and its vicinity is unprocessed or has defects such as misprinting.

[0065] Sensors for detecting defects in these bag materials are provided upstream of the cross-cutting device 26. Alternatively, and / or in addition, at least one sensor 28 may be provided downstream of the cross-cutting device 26 and upstream of the gap G to detect defects in the bag 100. Such a sensor is, for example, the sensor disclosed in Patent Document 1 that detects residue adhering to the bag 100.

[0066] The processor 29 functions as a determination unit and a drive unit by executing a program stored in a storage medium (not shown). The determination unit determines whether the bag 100 (formed or formed by the cross-cutting device 26) is defective based on the output from at least one sensor 28. The drive unit controls the position of the separation guide 60 via the actuator 61 based on the detection result of the determination unit.

[0067] When the processor 29 determines that there are no defects, it positions the separation guide 60 in the retracted position as shown in Figure 4A. Therefore, the bags 100 without defects (i.e., normal bags 100) are transported in direction X1 while being sandwiched between the belt 32 of the upstream conveyor 3 and the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5, and exit from the downstream end of the upstream conveyor 3. When the leading edge of the normal bag 100 comes into contact with the auxiliary roller 271, the normal bag 100 is sandwiched between the auxiliary roller 271 and the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5 and transported by them to the downstream conveyor 4, and then transported further in direction X1 by the downstream conveyor 4.

[0068] When the processor 29 determines that there is a defect, it can determine the timing at which the defective bag 100 (i.e., the defective bag 100) will reach the gap G, based on the detection by the sensor 28, the output from each device of the bag-making machine, and the design of the bag-making machine. Therefore, at the timing determined based on the output of the sensor 28 and the output from each device, the processor 29 moves the separation guide 60 from the retracted position (Figure 4A) to the entry position (Figure 4B) via the actuator 61, and causes the tip of the guide portion 601 to enter the gap G just before the defective bag 100 leaves the upstream conveyor 3.

[0069] Therefore, as shown in Figure 4B, the defective bag 100 strikes the arc-shaped guide surface 601a of the separation guide 60 located at the entry position, is guided by it, and is removed downward through the gap G.

[0070] The processor 29 then returns the actuator 61 from the entry position to the retracted position, allowing the next bag 100 (a normal bag) to be transported from the upstream conveyor 3 to the downstream conveyor 4.

[0071] As described above, defective bags 100 are removed from the transport path, and only normal bags 100 are transported to the downstream conveyor 4 and further downstream.

[0072] As described in the background technology, the web 1 (10, 11) set as shown in Figures 1A and 1B at the start of bag making cannot undergo some or all of the necessary processing downstream of the processing device located at its uppermost position. Therefore, the exclusion structure 6 may be used to exclude bags 100 formed from that portion as defective bags.

[0073] In this embodiment providing a multi-row bag manufacturer, the bag conveying device 27 comprises a plurality of roller units 8, as shown in Figures 2A and 3. As shown in Figure 2A, each roller unit 8 comprises a shift roller 81 rotatably supported by a support 80 and positioned on the flat belt 43 of the downstream conveyor 4.

[0074] At least one shift roller 81 is assigned to each bag 100. The bag 100 passes between the shift roller 81 and the flat belt 43. If the shift roller 81 is oriented diagonally with respect to the conveying direction X1, the bag 100 is shifted laterally in the direction Y by the shift roller 81 as it passes. This configuration allows for adjustment of the spacing between one bag 100 and the adjacent bag 100 in multi-row bag production. For example, multiple bags 100 can be conveyed further downstream with even spacing between them. This facilitates subsequent sorting of the bags 100 into rows.

[0075] The bag-making machine may also be equipped with a post-processing device (not shown) downstream of the downstream conveyor 4. The post-processing device is, for example, a stacking device that separates the bags 100 into rows, stacks a certain number of bags at a time to form a bag stack, and then transports the bag stack further downstream.

[0076] The above embodiment, with the auxiliary roller 271 and separation guide 60, can handle bags 100 up to dimension b when transporting normal bags downstream and removing defective bags. This means that this embodiment is more advantageous than the device of Patent Document 1, which can only handle bags 100 larger than the dimension between pulleys 31 and 40. In one implementation configuration, it became possible to handle bags 100 (pouches) with a dimension of 60 mm in the transport direction X1.

[0077] In Figure 7, as shown by the dotted line in the comparative example, it is conceivable to accommodate smaller bags by moving the head pulley 40 of the downstream conveyor 4 and the tail pulley 51 of the upper conveyor 5 upstream to an extent that they do not interfere with the bag 100, without the auxiliary roller 271. However, this comparative example can only accommodate bags 100 with dimensions d larger than the smallest dimension b of bag 100 that can be accommodated in the embodiment.

[0078] In the comparative example, there is a high possibility that the bag 100 being removed will get caught on the flat belt 43 being driven at the position of the head pulley 40, causing jamming. On the other hand, the embodiment of the present invention uses an auxiliary roller 271 having a diameter smaller than the diameter of the pulley 40, so that the necessary spatial distance c (Figure 4B) for removing the bag 100 can be secured and the defective bag 100 can be reliably removed.

[0079] Furthermore, unlike Patent Document 1, the separation guide 60 of this embodiment is comb-shaped and curved, and when in the retracted position, it can be positioned within the contour range of the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5 in a side view. Therefore, the bag conveying device 27 of this embodiment can have a smaller vertical dimension than that of Patent Document 1.

[0080] In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 62 is positioned lower than the tip of the guide portion 601 of the separation guide 60 at the entry position. Therefore, the trajectory of the tip of the guide portion 601 from the retracted position to the entry position does not bulge downstream between these positions. This means that the auxiliary roller 271 can be brought as close as possible to the entry position, thereby shortening dimension b.

[0081] The position of the rotating shaft 62 is not limited to that of the embodiment, but is determined by the dimensions of the bag 100 to be manufactured, etc. For example, the rotating shaft 62 may be located within the contour range of the belt 52 of the upper conveyor 5, and in particular, directly above the tail pulley 31. In this case, the support arm 63 can be omitted, and the separation guide 60 can be directly connected to the rotating shaft 62.

[0082] In another embodiment, a linear actuator, such as a cylinder, may move the separation guide 60 linearly between the retracted position and the entry position.

[0083] In this embodiment, when the separation guide 60 is in the entry position, the tip of the guide portion 601 extends downstream and downward. As a result, even if there is a slight mismatch between the driving timing of the separation guide 60 and the transport timing of the defective bags 100, the defective bags 100 will not get caught on the tip of the guide portion 601, and jamming will not occur. Furthermore, by adjusting the position of the rotating shaft 62, the rotation angle, and the diameter of the auxiliary roller 271, dimension b can be made smaller, which is an advantage. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0084] 10,11 Web 100 bags 26 Cross-cut device 27 Bag conveying device 271 Auxiliary roller 28. Sensors for fault detection 29 processors 3 Upstream conveyor 32 belts 4 Downstream conveyor 43 Flat belt 44 Tension Pulley 45 Motor 5 Upper conveyor 52 belts 60 Separation Guide 600 base 601 Guide Section 601a Guide surface 61 Actuator 62 Rotating Shaft G Gap X1 Conveying direction Y (horizontal direction)

Claims

1. A bag conveying device, It is equipped with an upstream conveyor, a downstream conveyor, and an upper conveyor for transporting bags. The downstream conveyor is positioned with a gap between it and the upstream conveyor. The upper conveyor is positioned above the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor. The aforementioned upper conveyor is, Head pulley and, Tail pulley and, The system comprises a plurality of endless belts that are wound around the head pulley and the tail pulley, extending above the gap in the direction of bag transport, and arranged at intervals from each other in a lateral direction perpendicular to the transport direction. The bag conveying device further, A separation guide having a base portion extending laterally within the contour range of the belt and a plurality of guide portions protruding from the base, An actuator for moving the separation guide between a retracted position where the guide portion does not extend outside the belt from the spacing of the belt, and an entry position where the guide portion enters the gap through the spacing in order to remove the bag through the gap, The system includes an auxiliary roller located downstream of the entry position in the gap, extending laterally, contacting the belt, and driven in cooperation with the belt to transfer the bag from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor. Bag conveying device.

2. The bag conveying device further includes a rotating shaft provided upstream of the downstream end of the upstream conveyor, extending laterally, and directly or indirectly supporting the separation guide. The actuator is operably connected to the separation guide so as to rotate the separation guide around the rotating shaft, moving it between the retracted position and the entry position. The bag conveying device according to claim 1.

3. The upstream conveyor is a belt conveyor having an endless belt, The aforementioned rotating shaft extends laterally within the contour range of the belt of the upstream conveyor. The bag conveying device according to claim 2.

4. The guide portion has a concavely curved guide surface that is located within the gap and faces the downstream end of the upstream conveyor when the separation guide is in the entry position. The bag conveying device according to claim 1.

5. The tip portion of the guide extends downward and downstream when the separation guide is in the entry position. The bag conveying device according to claim 4.

6. The diameter of the auxiliary roller is smaller than the diameter of the tail pulley of the upstream conveyor and the diameter of the head pulley of the downstream conveyor. The bag conveying device according to claim 1.

7. A bag-making machine that sequentially manufactures bags from at least one web, A cross-cutting device for forming a bag by cross-cutting the aforementioned web in the width direction, The bag conveying device according to claim 1 is provided downstream of the cross-cutting device, Bag making machine.

8. A sensor for detecting defects in the bag or bag material, A processor configured to determine whether the malfunction exists based on the output from at least one of the sensors and to control the actuator, The aforementioned processor further, When there are no defects, the separation guide is positioned in the retracted position to allow the transport of bags without defects from the upstream conveyor to the downstream conveyor; and when there are defects, the separation guide is moved from the retracted position to the entry position to remove the defective bags. The bag-making machine according to claim 7.

Images