Packaging material separation and supply device

Abstract

The objective is to provide a packaging material separation and supply device that can separate laminated packaging materials stored in a stacked state into individual packaging materials and supply them to the next process. [Solution] The present invention relates to a packaging material separation and supply device that can separate laminated packaging material, which is stored in a manner in which a large number of packaging materials are stacked, into individual packaging materials one by one and supply them to a transport mechanism, comprising: a separation unit that can store a large number of the packaging materials in a manner in which they are stacked; and a drive unit that separates the laminated packaging material stored in the separation unit into individual packaging materials, wherein the separation unit comprises a packaging material support unit that can store a large number of the packaging materials in the manner of laminated packaging material, and a suction unit that is provided below the packaging material support unit so as to be able to move up and down and adsorb the laminated packaging material, wherein the drive unit comprises a separation mechanism for separating the laminated packaging material stored in the packaging material support unit into two parts, an upper packaging material and a lower packaging material, and a separation plate unit for separating the lower packaging material separated by the separation mechanism into one individual packaging material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging material separation and supply device that separates and supplies a stacked packaging material into individual packaging materials.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a packaging material supply device for packaging food materials used in a food factory or the like is configured to adsorb the packaging material located at the lowermost part of a storage part by a suction mechanism provided below the storage part from a storage part that stores a plurality of packaging materials in a stacked state, separate them into individual packaging materials, place them on a conveying belt, and convey them to a position where the food materials can be supplied.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a configuration provided with a packaging material supply part that stores a plurality of packaging materials in a stacked state and a suction mechanism provided below the packaging material supply part. According to such a configuration, by the suction action of the suction mechanism, the stacked packaging materials can be taken out one by one from the lower end and supplied to a conveying belt for conveying the packaging materials to the next process.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in packaging film separation devices such as those described in Patent Document 1, since the packaging material has a certain core, such as seaweed or a core material, there is no risk of the stacked packaging materials sticking together when suction is performed by the suction mechanism. However, when the packaging material does not have a core material, the weight of the stacking makes it easy for the packaging materials to stick together. Therefore, when attempting to separate stacked packaging materials without a core material into individual packaging materials using a suction mechanism, multiple stacked packaging materials are sucked up simultaneously during the suction process of the suction mechanism, making it difficult to separate them into individual packaging materials.

[0006] This invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a packaging material separation and supply device that can separate laminated packaging material stored in a stacked state into individual packaging materials and supply them to the next process. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The packaging material separation and supply device according to the present invention is a packaging material separation and supply device that can separate laminated packaging materials, which are stored in a manner in which a large number of packaging materials are stacked, into individual packaging materials one by one and supply them to a transport mechanism, and comprises a separation unit that can store a large number of the packaging materials in a manner in which the packaging materials are stacked, and a drive unit that separates the laminated packaging materials stored in the separation unit into individual packaging materials, wherein the separation unit comprises a packaging material support unit that can store a large number of the packaging materials in the manner of laminated packaging materials stacked, and a suction unit that is provided below the packaging material support unit so as to be able to move up and down and adsorb the laminated packaging materials, and the drive unit comprises a separation mechanism for separating the laminated packaging materials stored in the packaging material support unit into two parts, an upper packaging material and a lower packaging material, and a separation plate unit that separates the lower packaging material separated by the separation mechanism into one individual packaging material.

[0008] In another embodiment of the present invention, the packaging material separation and supply device is configured such that the separation plate portion is movable back and forth between a first packaging material located at the bottom of the lower layer packaging material and a second packaging material located directly above the first packaging material, and has a separation plate body interposed between the first packaging material and the second packaging material to separate the two packaging materials.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, the packaging material separation and supply device comprises a suction unit body, a suction restricting unit erected on the upper surface of the suction unit body, a plate insertion recess formed by the suction unit body and the suction restricting unit, and a suction port provided on the upper surface of the plate insertion recess for adsorbing the first packaging material, wherein the separation plate body can be inserted into the plate insertion recess.

[0010] Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a packaging material separation and supply device in which the drive unit has a separation plate guide unit that enables ions to be ejected onto the laminated packaging material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The packaging material separation and supply device according to the present invention is capable of separating laminated packaging materials, which are stored in a manner in which a large number of packaging materials are stacked, into individual packaging materials one by one and supplying them to a transport mechanism. The device comprises a separation unit capable of storing a large number of the packaging materials in a stacked manner, and a drive unit for separating the laminated packaging materials stored in the separation unit into individual packaging materials. The separation unit comprises a packaging material support unit capable of storing a large number of the packaging materials in the manner of laminated packaging materials, and a suction unit provided below the packaging material support unit so as to be able to move up and down and adsorb the laminated packaging materials. The drive unit comprises a separation mechanism for separating the laminated packaging materials stored in the packaging material support unit into two parts: an upper packaging material and a lower packaging material, and a separation plate unit for separating the lower packaging material separated by the separation mechanism into one individual packaging material. This configuration enables the separation of laminated packaging materials into individual packaging materials.

[0012] According to another embodiment of the packaging material separation and supply device of the present invention, the separation plate portion is configured to move back and forth between a first packaging material located at the bottom of the lower layer packaging material and a second packaging material located directly above the first packaging material, and has a separation plate body that interposes between the first packaging material and the second packaging material to separate the two packaging materials. By inserting and interposing the separation plate body between the first packaging material located at the bottom of the lower layer packaging material and the second packaging material located directly above it, the first packaging material and the second packaging material can be reliably separated.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the packaging material separation and supply device of the present invention, the suction unit has a suction unit body, a suction restricting unit erected on the upper surface of the suction unit body, a plate insertion recess formed by the suction unit body and the suction restricting unit, and a suction port provided on the upper surface of the plate insertion recess for adsorbing the first packaging material, and the separation plate body can be inserted into the plate insertion recess. In this configuration, when the first packaging material is adsorbed to the suction unit body by the suction action of the suction port, a gap is formed between the first packaging material and the second packaging material in the plate insertion recess, and the separation plate body can enter into this gap to separate the first packaging material and the second packaging material. In other words, the first packaging material can be reliably separated by the action of the suction unit to create a gap between the first packaging material and the second packaging material by adsorption, and by the separation action of the separation plate body to interpose in the gap between the first packaging material and the second packaging material and support the second packaging material, thereby separating the first packaging material and the second packaging material.

[0014] According to another embodiment of the packaging material separation and supply device of the present invention, the drive unit has a separation plate guide portion that can eject ions onto the laminated packaging material, thereby preventing the first packaging material and the second packaging material from sticking together due to their electrical properties, and ensuring that the first packaging material is reliably separated from the second packaging material. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a packaging material supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing a packaging material separation and supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing a packaging material separation and supply device according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view showing a separation unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing a drive unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This is a perspective view showing a suction unit according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7]It is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for separating a packaging material by a packaging material separation and supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] It is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for separating a packaging material by a packaging material separation and supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] It is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for separating a packaging material by a packaging material separation and supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] It is a schematic diagram showing the procedure for separating a packaging material by a packaging material separation and supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] It is a diagram showing the packaging material separated by a packaging material separation and supply device according to an embodiment of the present invention, (a) is a plan view of the packaging material, and (b) is a schematic diagram showing a state of being separated into a laminated packaging material and an individual packaging material.

Embodiments for Carrying out the Invention

[0016] The present invention can surely separate a laminated packaging material stored in a laminated manner into one individual packaging material by devising a mechanism for separating the laminated stored packaging materials. Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0017] The overall configuration of the packaging material separation and supply device M1 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 6. FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the packaging material supply device M. FIG. 2 is a plan view schematically showing the separation unit 2 of the packaging material separation and supply device M1, and FIG. 3 is a front view thereof. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the separation unit 2. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the drive unit 3 for separating the packaging material P. FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the suction unit 22 located below the storage space S of the separation unit 2. FIGS. 7 to 10 are diagrams schematically showing the operation of the packaging material separation and supply device M1. Further, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the packaging material P exemplified in the description of the present embodiment, a laminated packaging material LP in a state where the packaging materials P are laminated, and individual packaging materials SP separated from the laminated packaging material LP into individual packaging materials P. In addition, in describing the present embodiment, the direction connecting the front right and the left rear in FIG. 1 will be described as the front-rear direction, and the direction connecting the front left and the right rear will be described as the left-right direction. That is, the front-rear direction in the present embodiment is the direction along the conveyance direction of the individual packaging materials SP after separation, and the left-right direction refers to the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction of the individual packaging materials SP after separation.

[0018] Also, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, the packaging material P is exemplified as being formed in a substantially "T" shape in plan view. This packaging material P is obtained by processing a single film into a substantially "T" shape, and does not have a core in the film by attaching a core material, nori seaweed, or two films, etc., and is a packaging film formed with a uniform thickness. Note that the packaging material separation and supply device M1 in the present invention can also be used for packaging materials P formed in a rectangular shape in addition to the packaging material P formed in a "T" shape.

[0019] As shown in Figure 11, the packaging material P according to this embodiment has, in a plan view, a packaging material body P1 formed in a substantially rectangular shape with the left-right direction as the longitudinal direction, and a protruding portion P2 projecting from the left end of the packaging material body P1 in a direction along the front-rear direction with a certain width. The packaging material P is formed in a substantially "T" shape in a plan view by the packaging material body P1 and the protruding portion P2. The packaging material P is stored in the packaging material separation and supply device M1 in a stacked manner, with the longitudinal direction of the packaging material body P1 aligned in a direction perpendicular to the transport direction of the packaging material P, and the protruding portion P2 located on the left side. In the following description, an individual packaging material separated into one sheet will be referred to as an individual packaging material SP, and the packaging material in which the individual packaging materials SP are stacked will be referred to as a stacked packaging material LP (see Figure 11(b)).

[0020] As shown in Figure 1, the packaging material supply device M includes a packaging material separation and supply device M1 that stores laminated packaging material LP and separates it into individual packaging material SP as needed to supply packaging material P to the next process; a packaging material position adjustment device M2 that adjusts the placement position of the individual packaging material SP supplied from the packaging material separation and supply device M1 on the transport device; and a label application device M3 located after the packaging material position adjustment device M2 that applies labels to specific locations on the individual packaging material SP that have been transported in a predetermined form. In this invention, the detailed configurations of the packaging material position adjustment device M2 and the label application device M3 are not essential to the present invention, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0021] The packaging material separation and supply device M1 includes a separation unit 2 that stores individual packaging materials SP in the form of laminated packaging material LP, and a drive unit 3 for separating the laminated packaging material LP stored in the separation unit 2 into individual packaging materials SP.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the separation unit 2 includes a packaging support unit 21 for housing and supporting the laminated packaging material LP, and a suction unit 22 provided below the packaging support unit 21.

[0023] The packaging support section 21 includes a wall 211 for forming a storage space S for storing and supporting the packaging material P, a space adjustment body 212 provided on the inner circumferential surface 211a side of a portion of the wall 211 so as to be able to move toward and away from the inner circumferential surface 211a, a support body 213 provided on a portion of the space adjustment body 212, a support rod 214 provided below the lower end of the support body 213, and a support piece 215 projecting from the lower end of the wall 211 toward the storage space S.

[0024] The wall 211 is formed in the shape of a roughly rectangular thin plate. As shown in Figure 2, in a plan view, the wall 211 is positioned with the head side (corresponding to the protruding part P2 of the packaging material P) of the letter "T" on the left and the leg side (right side of the packaging material body P1) on the right. In other words, the wall 211 is arranged to follow the outline of the T-shape in a manner in which the T-shape has been rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise. By connecting the front and rear or left and right ends of each wall 211, a roughly T-shaped storage space S is formed in a plan view. The storage space S is formed in the shape of a hollow cylinder with an opening in the vertical direction, and has a main body mounting part S1 located on the drive unit 3 side with the front-to-back direction as its longitudinal direction, and a protruding part mounting part S2 which, like the main body mounting part S1, has the front-to-back direction as its longitudinal direction. Of the wall bodies 211 that form the storage space S, the wall body 211 that forms the main body mounting section S1 is referred to as the main body wall body 211b, and the wall body 211 that forms the protruding section mounting section S2 is referred to as the protruding section wall body 211c.

[0025] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the main body wall 211b facing the drive unit 3 has a shutter opening 211d located approximately in the center, a separation plate opening 211e located below the shutter opening 211d, and support rod fixing parts 211f located to the left and right of the separation plate opening 211e and below the separation plate opening 211e.

[0026] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the shutter opening 211d is formed in a roughly rectangular shape with its longitudinal direction aligned with the front-to-back direction. The shutter opening 211d is formed to be approximately two-thirds the length of the main body wall 211b. Below the approximate center of the shutter opening 211d in the front-to-back direction, an opening 211e for a separation plate is provided.

[0027] The opening 211e for the separation plate is drilled in an oval shape with the longitudinal direction being along the front-rear direction, and relief holes 211g, 211g are provided in series from the center of the semicircular portions formed at the front and rear ends, extending in the direction along the front-rear direction. The relief holes 211g are formed in a substantially rectangular shape when viewed from the left and right sides.

[0028] The support rod fixing parts 211f are provided below both the front and rear ends of the shutter opening 211d. The support rod fixing parts 211f are for fixing the support rod 214, which will be described later, to the main body wall 211b facing the drive unit 3. The shape of the support rod fixing parts 211f is not particularly limited as long as the base end of the support rod 214, which will be described later, can be supported and fixed to the main body wall 211b. In this embodiment, an oval-shaped recess with the front-rear direction as the longitudinal direction is formed, and the base end of the support rod 214 can be fixed to the main body wall 211b by fixing the base end of the support rod 214 to the recess.

[0029] Furthermore, the front and rear main body walls 211b, which are located opposite the main body wall 211b facing the drive unit 3, are provided with space adjustment members 212 at a certain distance from the inner circumferential surface 211a of the main body wall 211b.

[0030] The space adjustment body 212 is formed to be slightly longer in the vertical direction than the main wall body 211b, and its width in the front-to-back direction is approximately the same as that of the main wall body 211b. Furthermore, the space adjustment body 212 is configured to be able to move closer to and further away from the inner circumferential surface 211a of the main wall body 211b. In other words, the distance between the space adjustment body 212 and the main wall body 211b facing the drive unit 3 can be adjusted to any desired distance. To put it another way, by configuring the space adjustment body 212 to adjust the left-right width of the main body mounting section S1, the size of the storage space S can be arbitrarily adjusted to match the size of the packaging material body P1 of the packaging material P, and the oscillation of the packaging material body P1 within the storage space S can be reduced as much as possible.

[0031] Furthermore, the front and rear protruding wall bodies 211c, 211c that constitute the protruding portion mounting section S2, and the protruding wall body 211c installed on the right end of the front and rear protruding wall bodies 211c, 211c, have space adjustment bodies 212, 212, 212 provided at a certain distance from the inner circumferential surface 211a of each wall body 211.

[0032] Each space adjustment body 212 is configured to move closer to or further away from the projection wall body 211c that forms the projection mounting section S2. In other words, the front-to-back width and left-to-right width of the projection mounting section S2 can be adjusted by each space adjustment body 212. In other words, by configuring the space adjustment body 212 to adjust the front-to-back and left-to-right width of the projection mounting section S2, the size of the storage space S can be adjusted to match the size of the legs of the packaging material P, and the oscillation of the packaging material P within the storage space S can be reduced as much as possible.

[0033] Furthermore, each space adjustment body 212 provided on the protrusion mounting section S2 side is provided with a support body 213 on the surface facing the protrusion mounting section S2. The support body 213 is provided slightly forward of the approximate center in the front-rear direction of the protrusion wall body 211c provided at the left end of the front and rear protrusion wall bodies 211c, 211c, and the right end of the protrusion wall body 211c. The support body 213 located at the right end of the protrusion mounting section S2 has its rear end positioned forward of the approximate center in the front-rear direction of the space adjustment body 212.

[0034] The support body 213 is provided with its longitudinal direction oriented vertically. The support body 213 has a support body 213a formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a cog 213b provided on one side of the support body 213a, which bulges out in a substantially triangular shape in the thickness direction of the support body 213a, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the support body 213a. The support body 213a has the same thickness direction as the wall body 211. Multiple cogs 213b are provided continuously along the longitudinal direction of the support body 213a. Each cog 213b is formed to the same height (thickness) along the thickness direction of the support body 213a from one side of the support body 213a. Furthermore, the lower end of the support body 213 is located above the upper end of the lower receiving plate 317 in the receiving plate portion 311 of the drive unit 3, which will be described later.

[0035] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the base end of the support rod 214 is connected to the main body wall 211b facing the drive unit 3. The support rod 214 is formed as a solid cylinder with a substantially circular cross-sectional view, extending from the main body wall 211b toward the storage space S. The tip of the support rod 214 is formed to be slightly shorter than the left-right width of the main body mounting section S1. Also, as shown in Figure 2, the support rods 214, 214 provided at the front and rear of the main body wall 211b are spaced at approximately the same interval as the front-rear width of the projection mounting section S2.

[0036] The support piece 215 is connected to the lower ends of the main body walls 211b, 211b provided at the front and rear, and to the lower ends of the protruding wall bodies 211c, 211c provided at the front and rear.

[0037] The support pieces 215, 215 connected to the lower ends of the main body walls 211b, 211b are formed in a flat, plate-like shape with the vertical direction as the thickness direction. These support pieces 215 are formed to extend approximately 2 / 3 of the length of the main body wall 211b in the left direction from the left end of the connected main body wall 211b. In other words, the width of the support piece 215 is shorter than the width of the main body wall 211b. The support piece 215 extends approximately horizontally toward the main body mounting section S1. The support piece 215 is formed to be shorter than 1 / 3 of the length of the front-to-back width of the front and rear main body walls 211b, 211b connected to the main body wall 211b facing the drive unit 3. In other words, the tip of the support piece 215 and the support rod 214 are provided at a certain distance apart. Furthermore, the support piece 215 provided on the main wall 211b is formed to have a shorter width on the left and right than the main wall 211b.

[0038] The support pieces 215, connected to the lower ends of the front and rear protruding wall bodies 211c, 211c, are formed in a flat, plate-like shape with the vertical direction as the thickness direction, and extend in a substantially horizontal manner. The support pieces 215 are provided at the lower ends of the protruding wall bodies 211c, on the left and right lower ends of the protruding wall bodies 211c, respectively. The tip of the support piece 215 extends to the vicinity of the front and rear ends of the space adjustment body 212, which is provided to the left of the right protruding wall body 211c. In other words, in a plan view, the support pieces 215 are provided at a certain distance from the space adjustment body 212.

[0039] The packaging support section 21 is configured as described above, and by connecting each wall 211, it forms a storage space S for storing the packaging material P, while the packaging material P is stored and supported within the storage space S by the support body 213, the support piece 215, and the upper receiving plate 314 and lower receiving plate 317 of the receiving plate section 311 of the drive unit 3, which will be described later. Below the packaging support section 21 configured in this way, a suction section 22 is provided.

[0040] As shown in Figure 6, the suction section 22 includes a main body suction section 221 located below the main body mounting section S1 in the storage space S, and a protruding suction section 227 that is provided so as to straddle the boundary between the protruding mounting section S2 and the main body mounting section S1 in the storage space S, and is located below that boundary.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6, the main suction unit 221 includes a suction unit body 222, a suction restricting portion 223 protruding upward from the upper surface of the suction unit body 222, a plate insertion recess 224 formed between the suction unit body 222 and the suction restricting portion 223, a suction port 225 provided on the upper surface of the suction unit body 222, and a suction pipe 226 connected to the lower surface of the suction unit body 222 for drawing air into the interior of the suction unit body 222 from the suction port 225.

[0042] The suction unit body 222 is located on the main body mounting section S1 and is positioned near the main body wall 211b facing the drive unit 3. The suction unit body 222 is an internally hollow box-shaped body formed with the front-to-back direction as its longitudinal direction. The front-to-back length of the suction unit body 222 is shorter than the distance between the front and rear support rods 214, 214. The left-to-right width of the suction unit body 222 is approximately half the left-to-right width of the support pieces 215, 215 connected to the lower ends of the front and rear main body walls 211b, 211b. In other words, the suction unit body 222 extends from the main body wall 211b facing the drive unit 3 to approximately the center of the support piece 215 in the left-to-right direction.

[0043] The suction restricting section 223 protrudes vertically from the upper surface of the suction section body 222 and has a central suction restricting section 223a and front and rear suction restricting sections 223b, 223b.

[0044] The central suction restricting section 223a is formed in a roughly triangular shape in plan view. The outer walls of the front and rear hypotenuses of the central suction restricting section 223a are formed in a slightly curved arc shape toward the inside of the triangle. The front and rear suction restricting sections 223, 223 are formed in a roughly right-angled trapezoidal shape in plan view, with the front and rear sides being roughly parallel and the left end extending in the direction along the front-rear direction to connect the front and rear sides.

[0045] The opposing surfaces (short sides 223e) of the front and rear suction restricting sections 223b, 223b are formed in an inclined direction from the upper surface of the suction section body 222 outwards from approximately the center of the suction section body 222 in the front-rear direction. The portions corresponding to the right-angled trapezoidal hypotenuses (hypotenuses 223d) of the front and rear suction restricting sections 223b, 223b are provided opposite the triangular front and rear hypotenuses 223c of the central suction restricting section 223a. Furthermore, the hypotenuses 223d are inclined in a direction that moves away from the front and rear hypotenuses 223c as they extend upward from the upper surface of the suction section body 222.

[0046] The plate insertion recess 224 is formed between the front and rear slanted edges 223c of the central suction restricting section 223a and the slanted edges 223d of the front and rear suction restricting sections 223b. In other words, the plate insertion recess 224 is formed to curve from the left end to the right end, moving away from the center of the suction section body 222 from approximately the center in the front-rear direction, by the front and rear slanted edges 223c and 223d. This plate insertion recess 224 has a width that allows the separation plate body 320, which will be described later, to be inserted.

[0047] The suction port 225 is provided on the upper surface of the suction unit body 222 and is an air passage that connects the hollow part of the suction unit body 222 to the outside. The suction port 225 is provided on the upper surface of the suction unit body 222 located inside the triangular shape of the central suction restricting unit 223a, between the front and rear hypotenuses 223c, 223c and hypotenuse 223d of the suction unit body 222, near the triangular vertex of the central suction restricting unit 223a (where the front and rear hypotenuses 223c, 223c intersect), and near the short side 223e of the front and rear suction restricting units 223b, 223b.

[0048] By providing the suction port 225 in the position described above, the risk of the end of the packaging material P getting caught when the separation plate body 320 enters the plate insertion recess 224 is reduced, and the laminated packaging material LP can be reliably separated into individual packaging materials SP. In other words, by providing the suction port 225 in the part into which the separation plate body 320 enters, the floating portion of the packaging material body P1 that is adsorbed by the suction unit body 222 is eliminated, and the risk of the separation plate body 320 entering below the packaging material body P1 or protruding portion P2 that is adsorbed by the suction unit body 222 is eliminated, thereby minimizing the risk of the packaging material P breaking when separating it from the laminated packaging material LP into individual packaging materials SP.

[0049] The suction tube 226 is connected to the center of the lower end of the suction unit body 222. The base end of the suction tube 226 is connected to the suction unit body 222, and the other end is connected to the suction motor. As a result, the air in the hollow portion of the suction unit body 222 is sucked in by the suction motor connected to the other end, and the packaging material P can be adsorbed onto the upper surface of the suction unit body 222.

[0050] The protruding suction unit 227 includes a suction unit body 228, a suction restricting unit 229 projecting upward from the upper surface of the suction unit body 228, a recess 230 formed between the suction restricting unit 229 and the suction unit body 228, a suction port 231 provided on the upper surface of the suction unit body 228, and a suction pipe 232 connected to the lower surface of the suction unit body 228 for drawing air into the interior of the suction unit body 228 from the suction port 231.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, the suction unit body 228 is provided so as to straddle the main body mounting section S1 and the projection mounting section S2, with its central part located at the boundary between the main body mounting section S1 and the projection mounting section S2. The suction unit body 228 is a hollow box-shaped body. In a plan view, the left end of the suction unit body 228 is located near the tip of the support rod 214, and the right end is located near the right end of the left support piece 215, one of the left and right support pieces 215 connected to the lower end of the space adjustment body 212 provided near the front and rear projection walls 211c, 211c of the projection mounting section S2. The front and rear ends of the suction unit body 228 are located near the tips of the support pieces 215, 215 provided on the left side.

[0052] The suction restricting section 229 has a central suction restricting section 229a formed linearly along the left-right direction approximately in the center of the suction section body 228, and front and rear suction restricting sections 229b formed linearly along the left-right direction at the front and rear ends of the suction section body 228.

[0053] The central suction restricting section 229a is formed in a substantially rectangular shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction in a plan view, and extends from the left end to the right end of the suction section body 228. The front and rear suction restricting sections 229b, 229b are also formed in a substantially rectangular shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction in a plan view, and extend from the left end to the right end of the suction section body 228. In this embodiment, the width of the central suction restricting section 229a is the sum of the front and rear widths of the front and rear suction restricting sections 229b, 229b provided at the front and rear ends of the suction section body 228. However, the width of each suction restricting section is not limited to this, and may be formed to any width as long as, when the suction operation of the protruding suction section 227 is performed, the first packaging material FP of the packaging material P placed on the upper surface of the suction section body 228 is sucked, and a gap is created between the first packaging material FP and the second packaging material FP2.

[0054] The recesses 230 are provided on the upper surface of the suction unit body 228 between the central suction restricting section 229a and the front and rear suction restricting sections 229b, 229b. The front and rear recesses 230, 230 are formed with a uniform front-to-back width along the left-to-right direction. Suction ports 231 are formed on the upper surface of the recesses 230 thus formed.

[0055] Multiple suction ports 231 are provided on the upper surfaces of the front and rear recesses 230, 230, respectively. The suction ports 231 are formed in an oval shape with the front-to-back direction as the longitudinal direction, and extend from the ends of the front and rear suction restricting sections 229b, 229b to the end of the central suction restricting section 229a. Furthermore, the suction ports 231 are formed smaller than the suction holes provided near the left and right ends of the suction unit body 228 compared to the other suction holes. By forming the suction ports 231 in this way, the suction force near the center of the suction unit body 228 is improved, and the individual packaging material SP placed on the suction unit body 228 can be reliably adsorbed to the suction unit body 228.

[0056] The suction tube 232 is connected to the center of the lower end of the suction unit body 228. The suction tube 232 has its base end connected to the suction unit body 228 and its other end connected to the suction motor. As a result, the air in the hollow portion of the suction unit body 228 is drawn in by the suction motor connected to the other end, and the packaging material P can be adsorbed onto the upper surface of the suction unit body 228.

[0057] The protruding suction section 227 is configured as described above. By reducing the air flow area of ​​each suction port 231 that forms the suction hole compared to the air flow area of ​​the suction tube 232, the suction force of each suction port 231 is improved. Additionally, by providing a suction restricting section 223 that protrudes upward from the upper surface of the suction section body 222, a recess 230 is formed on the upper surface of the suction section body 222. This allows the suction from the suction ports 231 to reliably separate the packaging material P, which is placed on the upper surface of the protruding suction section 227 in a stacked manner, into individual packaging materials SP (first packaging material FP).

[0058] Furthermore, by configuring the suction restricting portion 223 to protrude upward from the upper surface of the suction unit body 222, and the suction restricting portion 229 to protrude upward from the upper surface of the suction unit body 228, when the packaging material P is adsorbed by the suction port 231, a gap equal to the height of the suction restricting portion 223 from the upper surface of the suction unit body 222 (or the height of the suction restricting portion 229 from the upper surface of the suction unit body 228) can be created between the first packaging material FP and the second packaging material FP2. This, in conjunction with the separation plate body 320 of the drive unit 3 described later, ensures that the first packaging material FP and the second packaging material FP2 are reliably separated.

[0059] The drive unit 3 includes a separation mechanism 31 for separating the stacked packaging material LP, which is stored in a stacked manner in the storage space S of the separation unit 2, into two layers: an upper packaging material UP and a lower packaging material DP, and a separation plate section 313 for separating the lower packaging material DP into a single individual packaging material SP.

[0060] As shown in Figure 5, the separation mechanism 31 includes a receiving plate section 311 for separating the lower layer packaging material DP into a predetermined number of pieces, a separation plate guide section 312 located below the receiving plate section 311 and adjacent to the main body wall 211b at its left end, and a separation plate section 313 located in substantially the same horizontal plane as the separation plate guide section 312 for separating the lower layer packaging material DP into individual packaging materials SP.

[0061] The receiving plate section 311 includes an upper receiving plate 314 for separating the laminated packaging material LP into an upper packaging material UP and a lower packaging material DP, an upper receiving plate guide rail 315 that allows the upper receiving plate 314 to move back and forth along the left-right direction while maintaining a substantially horizontal position, a swing restrictor 316 provided between the upper receiving plate guide rail 315 and the main body wall 211b that separates the separation section 2 and the drive section 3, and a lower receiving plate 317 provided below the upper receiving plate 314 and capable of moving back and forth along the left-right direction in the same manner as the upper receiving plate 314. The lower receiving plate 317 also has a lower receiving plate guide rail 317b and a swing restrictor, similar to the upper receiving plate 314. The lower receiving plate guide rail 317b has the same configuration as the upper receiving plate guide rail 315 except that it is located below the upper receiving plate guide rail 315, so its description is omitted. Furthermore, since the oscillation restrictor is the same as the oscillation restrictor 316 for restricting the forward and backward oscillation of the upper support plate 314, its explanation will be omitted.

[0062] As shown in Figure 2, the upper support plate 314 is formed in a pentagonal shape with two right-angled portions on the base end side in a plan view, in other words, it is roughly home plate shaped, and its leading edge is continuous in an arc shape. The upper support plate 314 has its thickness in the vertical direction and has a guide hole portion 314a approximately in the center in the front-to-back direction.

[0063] The guide hole 314a is formed along the left-right direction from near the base end to near the tip end of the upper receiving plate 314. In a plan view, the guide hole 314a is formed in an oval shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction.

[0064] The upper support plate guide rail 315 is located above the upper support plate 314 and extends along the left-right direction. The upper support plate guide rail 315 is for the movement of the movable body 314b, which is connected to the base end of the upper support plate 314. In a cross-sectional view, the upper support plate guide rail 315 is formed in a solid oval shape with the front-rear direction as its longitudinal direction and is provided across the left-right direction of the drive unit 3. By enabling the movable body 314b to move along the upper support plate guide rail 315 in the left-right direction, the upper support plate 314, which is fixed to the movable body 314b, can move along the left-right direction as the movable body 314b moves. In this way, the configuration with the upper support plate guide rail 315 enables the upper support plate 314 to move along the left-right direction.

[0065] The oscillation restrictor 316 is constructed in a solid cylindrical shape and is suspended from the frame of the packaging material separation and supply device M1 (not shown) between the tip of the upper support plate guide rail 315 and the main body wall 211b. The oscillation restrictor 316 is inserted through the guide hole 314a of the upper support plate 314. The diameter of the oscillation restrictor 316 is formed to be slightly smaller than the front-to-back width of the guide hole 314a. By mounting the oscillation restrictor 316 suspended from the frame in this way and inserting the vicinity of its tip through the guide hole 314a, the upper support plate 314 can move in the left-to-right direction along the upper support plate guide rail 315 without oscillating in the front-to-back direction. In other words, the upper support plate 314 can move along the left-right direction by means of the upper support plate guide rail 315, and the swing restrictor 316 can be inserted through the guide hole 314a, thereby restricting swinging in the front-back direction while allowing movement in the left-right direction.

[0066] The lower support plate 317 is provided below the upper support plate 314 and approximately parallel to it. In other words, the lower support plate 317 is provided in a roughly horizontal position, similar to the upper support plate 314. The lower support plate 317 is formed in a plate shape with the vertical direction as the thickness direction, and in a plan view, it is formed in a roughly pentagonal shape with a slightly larger area than the upper support plate 314. The lower support plate 317 also has two right-angle portions on the base end side, similar to the upper support plate 314. The tip end of the lower support plate 317 is formed in a roughly triangular shape, and the tip is continuous in an arc shape. The tip end of the lower support plate 317 is formed at a roughly obtuse angle.

[0067] The lower support plate 317 has a guide hole 317a approximately in the center in the front-to-back direction. The guide hole 317a is formed in an oval shape with the left-to-right direction as its longitudinal direction, and is provided extending from near the base end to near the tip end of the lower support plate 317.

[0068] The guide hole 317a is formed along the left-right direction from near the base end to near the tip end of the lower support plate 317. In a plan view, the guide hole 317a is formed in an oval shape with the left-right direction as its longitudinal direction.

[0069] Furthermore, the lower end of the aforementioned swing restrictor 316 is inserted through the guide hole 317a of the lower support plate 317. In this way, the swing restrictor 316 inserted through the guide hole 317a restricts the swinging motion of the lower support plate 317, allowing it to move left and right along the lower support guide rail.

[0070] The upper support plate 314 and lower support plate 317, which constitute the support plate section 311 described above, can move in the left-right direction along guide rails that extend in the left-right direction, while their swinging in the front-rear direction is restricted by the swing restrictor 316. When the upper support plate 314 and lower support plate 317 extend, most of them can enter the storage space S of the separation section 2 through the shutter opening 211d of the main body wall 211b, and the laminated packaging material LP stored in the storage space S in a stacked manner can be separated into the upper packaging material UP and the lower packaging material DP.

[0071] In this configuration, the upper support plate 314 and the lower support plate 317 are arranged in a substantially horizontal manner, which allows for reliable separation of the laminated packaging material LP into the upper packaging material UP and the lower packaging material DP. The number of lower packaging material DP sheets can be changed according to the distance between the upper support plate 314 and the lower support plate 317. In other words, if the distance between the upper support plate 314 and the lower support plate 317 is wide, the number of lower packaging material DP sheets will be large, and conversely, if the distance between the upper support plate 314 and the lower support plate 317 is narrow, the number of lower packaging material DP sheets will be small. As will be described in detail later, the laminated packaging material LP can be separated into the upper packaging material UP and the lower packaging material DP by extending the upper support plate 314 into the storage space S with the lower support plate 317 supporting the laminated packaging material LP.

[0072] The separation plate guide section 312 is located below the receiving plate section 311 and near the separation plate opening 211e of the main body wall 211b. The separation plate guide section 312 is a static eliminator (so-called ionizer) having an outlet 318a on its right side that can eject air ions.

[0073] The separation plate guide section 312 is formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape with the front-to-back direction as its longitudinal direction, and has separation plate guide bodies 318, 318 arranged parallel to each other vertically. Each separation plate guide body 318 has an inlet 318b on its left side and an outlet 318a on its right side. The inlet 318b and the outlet 318a are connected by an air passage provided inside the separation plate guide body 318. In other words, air ions flowing into the separation plate guide body 318 from the inlet 318b can be ejected from the outlet 318a via the air passage.

[0074] The separation plate guide bodies 318, 318 configured in this way are arranged side by side, one above the other, and a separation plate guide space 319 is provided between the upper and lower separation plate guide bodies 318, 318. The upper and lower separation plate guide bodies 318, 318 are arranged such that the separation plate guide space 319 is located approximately in the center of the separation plate opening 211e in the vertical direction, and the aforementioned air outlet 318a is provided so as to be exposed from the separation plate opening 211e.

[0075] In this configuration, the outlets 318a, 318a of the vertically arranged separation plate guide bodies 318, 318 are exposed from the separation plate opening 211e. This allows air ions to be blown onto the laminated packaging material LP through the outlets 318a, thereby eliminating the charged state of the laminated packaging material LP stored in the storage space S and making it easier to separate into individual packaging materials SP.

[0076] In other words, the separation plate guide section 312 is formed in a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape with upper and lower sections, and has a configuration that allows the flow of air ions. The air ions ejected from the air ion outlet 318a eliminate the charged state that occurs in the stacked packaging materials P when they rub against each other, making it easier to separate them into individual packaging materials SP.

[0077] As shown in Figure 5, the separation plate section 313 includes a separation plate body 320 that reliably separates the packaging materials P stored in a stacked manner in the storage space S from the stacked packaging materials LP into individual packaging materials SP, and a rotating shaft 321 connected to the base of the separation plate body 320 and rotatably supporting the separation plate body 320.

[0078] The separation plate body 320 is a flat plate with its thickness in the vertical direction, and has a straight section 320a and an arc section 320b.

[0079] The straight section 320a is connected at its base to the rotating shaft 321 and extends a constant length radially outward from the rotating shaft 321. The curved section 320b is connected to the tip of the straight section 320a. The straight section 320a and the curved section 320b are formed integrally.

[0080] The arc portion 320b is formed to be narrower than the straight portion 320a, and is formed to be approximately the same length as the semicircular arc length obtained by dividing a circle with a radius equal to the length of the straight portion 320a into four equal parts. The base end of the arc portion 320b is integrally connected to the tip of the straight portion 320a. The arc portion 320b also has an outer edge portion 320c that forms the outside of the arc and an inner edge portion 320d that forms the inside, with the length of the inner edge portion 320d being shorter than that of the outer edge portion 320c. Furthermore, the arc portion 320b has a connecting portion 320e that extends linearly from the tip of the inner edge portion 320d toward the tip of the outer edge portion 320c, and the tip of the connecting portion 320e and the tip of the outer edge portion 320c are connected in an arc shape. In other words, the arc portion 320b is formed in a tapered shape at its tip, with its width gradually narrowing towards the outer edge portion 320c.

[0081] The rotating shaft 321 has its axial direction in the vertical direction. The rotating shaft 321 is located near the front and rear edges of the main body wall 211b that separates the separation unit 2 and the drive unit 3. A drive motor for rotating the shaft is provided at the bottom of the rotating shaft 321. By driving the motor, the separation plate body 320 connected to the rotating shaft 321 can be rotated.

[0082] The rotating shaft 321 is configured in this way, and when the motor for driving the rotating shaft 321 is driven, the separation plate body 320 connected to the upper end of the rotating shaft 321 can rotate in a direction such that the separation portion 2 of the separation plate body 320 enters the separation plate guide space 319 formed between the upper and lower separation plate guide bodies 318, 318, around the rotating shaft 321. The rotating shaft 321 is configured to rotate approximately 90 degrees. Furthermore, the rotating shafts 321 provided at the front and rear ends of the main body wall 211b rotate in symmetrical directions in a plan view. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 321 located at the rear rotates clockwise, and the rotating shaft 321 located at the front rotates counterclockwise.

[0083] As described above, the upper receiving plate 314 and the lower receiving plate 317 constituting the receiving plate section 311 are provided substantially parallel to each other with a certain distance between them vertically, and guide rails connected to each receiving plate allow them to move along the left-right direction. This configuration makes it possible to separate the laminated packaging material LP, which is stored in a stacked manner in the storage space S, into the upper packaging material UP and the lower packaging material DP.

[0084] Then, the first packaging material FP, located at the bottom of the lower layer packaging material DP which has been separated into an appropriate number of pieces, is adsorbed by the main body suction part 221 and the protruding suction part 227 of the suction part 22, while the separation plate bodies 320, 320 are inserted into the plate insertion recess 224 of the main body suction part 221, and the first packaging material FP can be separated from the second packaging material FP2 located directly above the first packaging material FP by the upper surface of the separation plate body 320 and the plate insertion recess 224, and only the first packaging material FP can be transported to the conveyor C.

[0085] Furthermore, when separating the first packaging material FP from the lower packaging material DP, air ions are ejected from the outlet 318a of the separation plate guide body 318, which forms the operating path of the separation plate body 320, onto the lower packaging material DP. This eliminates the charged state of the lower packaging material DP, making it easier to separate the first packaging material FP from the lower packaging material DP.

[0086] Furthermore, by providing the suction port 225 of the main body suction section 221 near the tip of the front and rear slanted edges 223c, and by having the tip of the separation plate body 320 tapered toward the outer edge 320c, the risk of the first packaging material FP being ruptured by the separation plate body 320 when the separation plate body 320 enters the plate insertion recess 224 during separation of the first packaging material FP from the lower packaging material DP is reduced as much as possible.

[0087] The operation of separating the laminated packaging material LP into individual packaging material SP (first packaging material FP) using the packaging material separation and supply device M1 configured in this way will be explained with reference to Figures 7 to 10.

[0088] First, as shown in Figure 7(a), the lower support plate 317 and the front and rear separation plate bodies 320, 320 of the drive unit 3 are inserted into the storage space S of the separation unit 2. Then, the laminated packaging material LP, which is formed by stacking individual packaging materials SP, is placed on the lower support plate 317 that has entered the storage space S. At this time, the laminated packaging material LP is placed with the side of the packaging material P having the protruding portion P2 on the body mounting portion S1 side, and the tip side of the packaging material body P1 is placed on the protruding portion mounting portion S2 side. The packaging material P placed on the body mounting portion S1 side is supported by the lower support plate 317, and the packaging material P placed on the protruding portion mounting portion S2 side is supported by the portion of the cog 213b of the support body 213 provided on the space adjustment body 212 that is above the same horizontal plane as the lower support plate 317. In other words, in the storage space S, the laminated packaging material LP is stored in an upward sloping manner from left to right. In other words, the laminated packaging material LP is aligned at the main body wall 211b, where its left end is located at the boundary between the separation section 2 and the drive section 3, while the left end of the first packaging material FP, located at the bottom of the laminated packaging material LP, is supported without floating away from the lower support plate 317.

[0089] Next, as shown in Figure 7(b), the upper support plate 314 of the drive unit 3 is inserted into the storage space S of the separation unit 2. This separates the laminated packaging material LP, which is supported by the lower support plate 317, into the upper packaging material UP, which is supported by the upper support plate 314, and the lower packaging material DP, which is supported by the lower support plate 317. At this time, the leading edges of the packaging material bodies P1 of the upper packaging material UP and the lower packaging material DP are supported by the support body 213 of the space adjustment body 212.

[0090] Next, as shown in Figure 8(a), the lower support plate 317 is moved back from the storage space S of the separation unit 2 toward the drive unit 3, causing the lower layer packaging material DP that was supported by the lower support plate 317 to drop downward. The separation plate body 320, which had previously entered the storage space S, supports the packaging material body P1 and the protruding part P2 on the body mounting section S1 side, while the packaging material body P1 of the protruding part mounting section S2 is supported by the support pieces 215 connected to the lower end of the protruding part wall 211c.

[0091] Next, as shown in Figure 8(b), the separation plate body 320 is moved back from the storage space S of the separation unit 2 towards the drive unit 3, causing the lower layer packaging material DP that was supported by the separation plate body 320 to fall. The packaging material body P1 on the main body mounting section S1 side is supported by the front and rear support rods 214, 214, while the protruding part P2 is supported by the support pieces 215, 215 connected to the lower ends of the front and rear main body walls 211b, 211b. In this way, by gradually dropping the lower layer packaging material DP in the order of the lower support plate 317, the separation plate body 320, and the support rods 214, it is prevented that the left end of the stacked lower layer packaging material DP will separate from the main body wall 211b located at the boundary between the separation unit 2 and the drive unit 3 when it falls.

[0092] Next, as shown in Figure 9(a), the main body suction section 221 and the protruding suction section 227 that constitute the suction section 22 are raised and brought into contact with the bottom of the lower layer packaging material DP. Then, by driving the suction mechanism of each suction section, the first packaging material FP located at the bottom of the lower layer packaging material DP is attracted to each suction section. This creates a gap between the second packaging material FP2 located directly above the first packaging material FP and the first packaging material FP equal to the difference in height between the upper surfaces of the suction section bodies 222 and 228 and the suction restricting sections 223 and 229.

[0093] Next, as shown in Figure 9(b), the separation plate body 320 is extended from the drive unit 3 side into the storage space S of the separation unit 2. Then, by inserting the arc portion 320b of the separation plate body 320 into the front and rear plate insertion recesses 224, 224, the arc portion 320b of the separation plate body 320 can be interposed between the first packaging material FP and the second packaging material FP2.

[0094] Next, as shown in Figure 10, the suction unit 22 is lowered while adsorbing the first packaging material FP. At this time, since the lower packaging material DP, which includes the second packaging material FP2, is supported by the arc portion 320b of the separation plate body 320, the lower packaging material DP does not move downward in accordance with the lowering motion of the suction unit 22.

[0095] Furthermore, since the bottom dead center of the suction unit 22 is located below the upper surface of the conveyor belt C that transports the packaging material P to the next process, when the suction unit 22 descends to its bottom dead center, the packaging material P is transferred to the conveyor belt C.

[0096] By repeating the operations described above, the stacked packaging materials P stored in the storage space S can be separated into individual packaging materials SP (first packaging materials FP).

[0097] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described, the above description is merely an example of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. Therefore, it goes without saying that various modifications are possible depending on the design, etc., even in embodiments other than those described above, as long as they do not depart from the technical idea of ​​the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 2 Separation section 3. Drive Unit 21 Packaging material support part 22 Suction part 222, 228 Suction unit body 223, 229 Suction regulation part 224 Plate insertion recess 225, 231 Suction port 311 Receiving plate part 312 Separation plate guide section 313 Separation plate part 320 Separator body LP laminated packaging material SP individual packaging material FP (Financial Planner) - First Packaging Material FP2 Second Packaging Material

Claims

1. In a packaging material separation and supply device that can separate stacked packaging materials, which are stored in a manner in which numerous packaging materials are stacked, into individual packaging materials one by one and supply them to a conveying mechanism, A separation section that can accommodate a large number of the aforementioned packaging materials stacked on top of each other, A drive unit for separating the laminated packaging material stored in the separation unit into individual packaging materials, It has, The aforementioned separation unit is A packaging material support section that can accommodate a laminated packaging material in which a large number of the aforementioned packaging materials are stacked, A suction unit is provided below the packaging support unit so as to be movable up and down and for adsorbing the laminated packaging material, It has, The aforementioned drive unit is A separation mechanism for separating the laminated packaging material housed in the packaging material support section into two parts: an upper packaging material and a lower packaging material. A separation plate section for separating one individual packaging material from the lower packaging material separated by the separation mechanism, A packaging material separation and supply device having the following features.

2. The aforementioned separation plate portion is The packaging material separation and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a separation plate body which is configured to move back and forth between a first packaging material located at the bottom of the lower layer packaging material and a second packaging material located directly above the first packaging material, and which is interposed between the first packaging material and the second packaging material to separate the two packaging materials.

3. The suction section is The suction unit body and A suction restricting unit erected on the upper surface of the suction unit body, The plate insertion recess formed by the suction unit body and the suction restricting unit, A suction port is provided on the upper surface of the plate insertion recess for adsorbing the first packaging material, It has, The packaging material separation and supply device according to claim 2, characterized in that the separation plate body can be inserted into the plate insertion recess.

4. The aforementioned drive unit is The packaging material separation and supply device according to claim 1, characterized in that it has a separation plate guide portion that enables ions to be ejected from the laminated packaging material.

Images