Sandwich packaging machine

Abstract

This invention provides a sandwich packaging device that can efficiently package sandwiches as individual items using strip-shaped packaging material drawn from a supply source. [Solution] The left and right edges of the strip-shaped film 11 guided along the transport path 12 are raised, and a seal is applied in the transport direction to the overlapping section in a gable shape to form a tubular film 11b. The inner film 15 on which the sandwich 17 is placed is fed so as to overlap the strip-shaped film 11, supplying the sandwich 17 into the tubular film 11b at predetermined intervals. The tubular film 11b is cut in the width direction before and after the sandwich 17 to obtain a rolled-up package 21, which is then rotated 90 degrees and handed over to the packaging folding device 29.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sandwich packaging apparatus that wraps a packaging material in a cylindrical shape around a triangular sandwich and transfers the same to a packaging material folding device.

Background Art

[0002] As an apparatus for packaging triangular sandwiches, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. In Patent Document 1, a sandwich is pushed toward the upper and lower stretched portions of a film (packaging material) pulled out from a film roll, the sandwich is body-wrapped with the film, sealed and cut, and the body-wrapped and sealed sandwich is received by a transfer conveyor and conveyed downstream. In this process, in an extending portion extending left and right from the sandwich of the body-wrapped cylindrical film, portions opposing each inclined surface of the sandwich are bent from the top along each inclined surface, films extending outward from each of the upstream side and downstream side in the thickness direction of each inclined surface are folded and stacked along the inclined surface, and on the bottom side of the sandwich, sealing is performed in the thickness direction of the sandwich at an extension base of the folded and stacked extension portion of the film extending outward, thereby obtaining a packaged sandwich product.

Prior Art Literature

Patent Literature

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of Invention

Problem to be Solved by Invention

[0004] In the packaging apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1, the film wrapped around the preceding sandwich is sealed and cut, and the remaining sealed portion on the stretched part is wound up as excess film by a winding roller and moved to a position where it will not be used for packaging the next supplied sandwich. This results in a packaging configuration where each sandwich, as it is sequentially covered with film, has only one sealed portion facing the top. Therefore, time is required in one packaging cycle to wind up the excess film, which hinders the improvement of packaging capacity. Furthermore, the sandwiches supplied to the packaging apparatus consist of two roughly square slices of bread with fillings in between, which are cut diagonally to form a pair of roughly right-angled triangular sandwiches, which are fed in with their cut surfaces facing each other. For an operator to lift each sandwich individually and convert it to a feeding position with the cut surface facing forward in the direction of transport, as with conventional equipment, they must twist their wrist horizontally while holding the sandwich. This slows down the operator's ability to transfer the sandwiches from the previous process onto the conveyor, making it difficult to feed them in the correct position. Furthermore, it takes a considerable amount of time to arrange the sandwiches neatly. Thus, the time spent on sandwich feeding was a challenge to improving processing capacity.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a sandwich packaging device that can efficiently package sandwiches as individual items using strip-shaped packaging material drawn from a supply source. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the intended objective, the first means is: A device for packaging a sandwich (17) with a triangular side (17a), A transport path (12) supports and transports the sandwich (17) placed on the packaging material (11, 11b) from below, A molding means (13) is provided which the left and right end edges (11a, 11a) in the width direction intersecting the conveying direction of the strip-shaped packaging material (11) drawn out from the lower supply source (10) to the conveying path (12) are raised, and a packaging guide (37) is provided to guide the strip-shaped packaging material (11) along the conveying path (12), The left and right end edges (11a, 11a) of the strip-shaped packaging material (11) raised by the molding means (13) are overlapped in a gable shape above the transport path (12) to form a cylindrical packaging material (11b), and a center sealing means (14) forms a vertical sealing portion (41) at the overlapping portion of the cylindrical packaging material (11b), Upstream from the starting position of the polymerization of the aforementioned polymerization section, there is at least a region having an upper open space on which a sandwich (17) can be placed on the strip-shaped packaging material (11), and the article supply section (18) is capable of placing a sandwich (17) in a position where the side surface (17a) faces left and right and the cut surface (17c) corresponding to the long side faces downward, Distributed in the article supply unit (18), and supporting the left and right sides (17a) of the sandwich (17) placed in the article supply unit (18), the item has support edges (32b) that can be spaced apart according to the thickness of the sandwich (17), and has inclined guide surfaces (32c) that are spaced apart from each other as they extend upward from the support edges (32b), and the item supply unit (12) has placement guides (32) spaced apart on the left and right sides, Between each sandwich (17) contained in the tubular packaging material (11b), there is a cutting means (19) for cutting the tubular packaging material (11b) in the width direction, A discharge conveyor (49) transports the wrap-around packaging (21) of the sandwich (17) separated by the cutting means (19) with the opening (20a) facing forward and backward in the transport direction, A transfer means (25) detects the wrap-around packaged product (21) that has been discharged on the discharge conveyor (49), and lifts the wrap-around packaged product (21) by holding it with a holder (52) from both sides in the thickness direction of the sandwich (17) and transfers it to the packaging folding device (29), The device is characterized by comprising a direction changing means (58) that changes the orientation of the opening (20a) from front to back in the transport direction to left to right in the transport direction before the body-wrapped package (21) is handed over to the packaging folding device (29). According to the first method, the cylindrical packaging material is cut at both ends of the sandwich that has been supplied into the cylindrically molded packaging material, and the resulting rolled-up package is transferred to the packaging material folding device by changing the direction of transport using a transfer means. This eliminates the need to spend time winding up the remaining seal portion when wrapping the sandwich with the packaging material, as in the conventional method, thus shortening the cycle time for one package. It also reduces the effort and cost involved in disposing of the wound-up packaging material. In addition, sandwiches can be packaged efficiently. Furthermore, in order to lift and supply the sandwich that is fed in from the previous process with its thickness direction facing up and down, the worker can supply the sandwich, which is lying on its side, to the item supply unit in an upright position with the cut surface facing down, and can supply the sandwich in the feeding position without twisting the wrist horizontally, making it easier for the worker to handle the sandwich. As a result, the workload on the worker during the supply operation is reduced, and the time required for supply can be significantly reduced. Furthermore, since the tubular packaging material is formed and the overlapping portion of the strip packaging material is held in a gable-like manner at the top during transport, and a continuous seal is applied to the overlapping portion in the direction of transport, even with sandwiches of a type where the surrounding area expands due to the fillings, there is no risk of the bread being forcibly compressed and its commercial value being reduced when it is covered with the tubular packaging material. In addition, since each sandwich wrapped in the tubular packaging material is lifted by a transfer means and transferred to a packaging folding device, stable handling of the wrapped packaging can be ensured during the transfer.

[0007] The second means is characterized in that the holder (52) in the transfer means (25) comprises a pair of gripping pieces (52a) capable of supporting the side surface of the body-wrapped product (21) and an inclined piece (52b) capable of supporting the lower edge of the side surface (17a) of the body-wrapped sandwich (17). According to the second method, the left and right sides of the sandwich wrapped around the body, as well as the bottom corners of those sides, are supported by the gripping piece and the inclined piece. This makes it less likely for the sandwich to be missupported when lifting it or for it to shift position when being transferred, allowing for a stable handover.

[0008] The third means is that the packaging folding device (29) is equipped with a holding conveyor (24) that has a support (63) for holding and transporting the rolled-up packaging (21) of the sandwich (17) at predetermined intervals, The transfer means (25) is characterized by having multiple handling parts (53, 54) that alternately lift the body-wrapped packaged product (21) from the discharge conveyor (49) using the holder (52), and transfer it to the support (63) in a position where the cut surface (17c) faces downward and the opening (20a) faces left and right in the conveying direction of the holding conveyor (24). According to the third method, the rolled-up packaged products, which are sequentially transported by the discharge conveyor, are picked up one after another by multiple handling units and handed over to the packaging folding device with the cut surface of the sandwich facing downwards, thereby improving processing capacity.

[0009] The fourth means is characterized in that the direction changing means (58) is composed of a rotating means (58) that changes the direction in which the holder (52) holds the body-wrapped packaged product (21) and changes the direction of the opening (20a) to the left or right in the conveying direction before handing it over to the packaging folding device (29). According to the fourth method, the orientation of the body-wrapped packaged product can be changed while it is being transferred by the transfer means, thus saving time solely for orientation changes and improving processing capacity.

[0010] The fifth means includes an inner film supply means (16) that pulls out a strip-shaped inner film (15) from a supply source (30) and places it on top of the strip-shaped packaging material (11) being transported along the transport path (12) and transports it at the same speed as the transport speed of the strip-shaped packaging material (11). The inner film supply means (16) is provided on the upstream side of the molding means (13) and is characterized by having an auxiliary feed conveyor (16a) that supports the lower surface of the inner film (15) and transports it so that it overlaps in the molding means (13). According to the fifth method, the inner film for preventing soiling is transported by suction toward the molding means so that it overlaps with the packaging material, and the packaging material and the inner film are transported at the same speed while overlapping. This allows the inner film to be fed in a proper position so that the cut surface of the sandwich is covered by the inner film. Furthermore, since the packaging material and the inner film are transported at the same speed while overlapping, misalignment and sagging of the two can be prevented, and a good packaged sandwich can be obtained in which the inner film is properly attached to the packaging material without slack.

[0011] The sixth means is characterized in that the auxiliary feed conveyor (16a) is configured as an article supply unit (18) equipped with a guide surface (16b) connected upstream of the molding means (13) along the transport path (12) so as to support the lower surface of the inner film (15), and a suction belt that runs on the guide surface (16b). According to the sixth method, upstream of the transport path of the strip-shaped packaging material, where both left and right edges are raised, the cut surface of the sandwich is placed on top of the inner film, which is supported by the guide surface of the auxiliary feed conveyor. The weight of the sandwich is added to the inner film, causing it to overlap with the strip-shaped packaging material. As the strip-shaped packaging material and the inner film are transported together in this overlapping state, it is possible to prevent the adhesive material exposed on the cut surface of the sandwich from rubbing and spreading on the inner film. In addition, since the sandwich can be supplied in the area before the sides of the strip-shaped packaging material are raised and transported, the material supply section becomes an obstacle-free workspace, making manual supply work easier. Furthermore, since the material supply section is equipped with a placement guide, both the left and right sides of the sandwich are supported during supply, preventing the overlapping sandwiches placed on the inner film from separating or shifting from the transport center.

[0012] The seventh means is that the cutting means (19) comprises a pair of upper and lower clamping bodies (19a, 19b) that clamp the cylindrical packaging material (11b) being transported along the transport path (12), and a cutting blade (46) disposed on one of the pair of clamping bodies (19a, 19b). characterized in that the cylindrical packaging material (11b) and the inner film (15) are clamped by the clamping bodies (19a, 19b) and simultaneously cut by the cutting blade (46). According to a seventh means, the cylindrical packaging material is clamped by a pair of clamping bodies, and the inner film and the cylindrical packaging material are cut together in the width direction by the cutting blade, so that the ends of the cylindrical packaging material and the inner film can be aligned and cut favorably.

[0013] An eighth means is characterized in that product guides (51) are adjustably disposed at intervals corresponding to the thickness dimension of the sandwich (17) supplied from the article supply unit (18) on the conveyance path (12) downstream from the forming means (13) leading to the discharge conveyor (49), and the product guides (51) support both side surfaces of the cylindrical packaging material (11b) along the side surfaces (17a) of the sandwich (17). According to the eighth means, the packaging material is supported from the left and right by the product guides at intervals corresponding to the thickness dimension of the sandwich on the left and right sides of the packaging material conveyance path, so that the belt-shaped packaging material is supported and conveyed in an erected state along the left and right outer positions corresponding to the thickness direction of the sandwich. The belt-shaped packaging material is erected without slack on the side surfaces of the sandwich to form the left and right dimensions of the cylindrical packaging material, whereby the sandwich does not adhere to the packaging material in a compressed state, and can be wrapped in a cylindrical body wrap while maintaining a voluminous feel. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the present invention, sandwiches can be efficiently wrapped into a cylindrical body wrap. [Brief Description of Drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] It is a schematic side view showing a body wrapping means and a packaging material folding device. [Figure 2] It is a schematic plan view showing the body wrapping means and the packaging material folding device. [Figure 3] It is a schematic perspective view of essential parts showing from the inner film supply means to the horizontal sealing means in the body wrapping means. [Figure 4] It is a front view of the auxiliary feeding conveyor as viewed from the upstream side. [Figure 5] It is a schematic perspective view showing a cutting blade of a cutting means. [Figure 6] It is a schematic perspective view showing a transfer means. [Figure 7] It is a front view of essential parts showing a handling unit. [Figure 8] It is a schematic perspective view of the near side of the packaging material folding device as viewed from the upstream side. [Figure 9] It is a schematic perspective view of the far side of the packaging material folding device as viewed from the upstream side. [Figure 10] It is an explanatory view showing a step of wrapping a sandwich in a body wrap. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory view showing a packaging material folding step after body wrapping. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Next, a preferred embodiment of the sandwich packaging device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The sandwich 17 to be packaged is formed by stacking ingredients between square bread slices and cutting the stacked bread along a diagonal line, so that the side surface 17a is formed into a triangular shape consisting of one long side and two short sides (see FIG. 10), and ingredients are exposed on the cut surface 17c corresponding to the long side. In the case of a product variety in which the exposed ingredients are viscous food materials or the like that easily adhere to the packaging material to be used for packaging, it may be required to install an inner film 15, which is a stain prevention sheet covering the cut surface 17c, on the inner side of the packaging material. EXAMPLE

[0017] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sandwich packaging apparatus according to the embodiment consists of a body-wrap packaging means M that supplies triangular sandwiches 17 onto a strip-shaped film (strip-shaped packaging material) 11 at predetermined intervals and covers the sandwiches 17 with a tubular film (tubular packaging material) 11b for packaging, and a transfer means 25 that transfers the body-wrapped packaged product 21 obtained by body-wrap packaging to a downstream packaging material folding device 29. The body-wrap packaging means M consists of a transport path 12 that supports and transports the sandwiches 17 placed on the strip-shaped film 11 drawn from the lower packaging material roll (supply source) 10 from below, a forming means 13 that raises the left and right end edges 11a, 11a in the width direction that intersect with the transport direction of the strip-shaped film 11 guided along the transport path 12, and a center seal that overlaps the raised left and right end edges 11a, 11a of the strip-shaped film 11 in a gusset shape at the top and applies a vertical seal to the overlapping part to form a tubular film 11b The system includes means 14, an inner film supply means 16 that feeds a strip-shaped inner film 15 onto a flat strip-shaped film 11 between the raised left and right end edges 11a, 11a, and an article supply unit 18 located upstream (upstream region) from the overlapping start position where the left and right end edges 11a, 11a of the strip-shaped film 11 overlap in a gable shape, and which places a sandwich 17 with triangular side surfaces 17a onto the inner film 15 before it overlaps onto the strip-shaped film 11 being transported along the transport path 12. The sandwich 17 is placed on the inner film 15 in a position where the two inclined surfaces 17b, 17b on which the short sides are located face forward and backward in the transport direction, with the cut surface 17c on which the long side is located facing downward (see Figure 10). Furthermore, the body-wrap packaging means M is provided with a cutting means 19 that cuts the tubular film 11b and the inner film 15 together (simultaneously) in a width direction intersecting the transport direction at an intermediate position of each sandwich 17 contained (supplied) at predetermined intervals within the tubular film 11b. In addition, a transfer means 22 is provided that transports the body-wrapped package 21, which has been separated from the continuous tubular film 11b by the cutting means 19 and wrapped with a body-wrap film (packaging material) 20 of a predetermined length, downstream with the opening 20a of the body-wrapped package 21 facing forward and backward in the transport direction.Furthermore, a transfer means 25 is provided to lift the body-wrapped packaged product 21, which has been transported to the lifting position 23 by the transfer means 22, from the transfer means 22 and change its transport direction by 90 degrees (so that the opening 20a faces left and right) before handing it over to the downstream packaging folding device 29.

[0018] The packaging folding device 29 includes a holding conveyor 24 that intermittently transports individual body-wrapped packages 21 received from the transfer means 25, holding them (by a support 63) in a position where the openings 20a, 20a face left and right and the cut surface 17c of the sandwich 17 faces downward. The device also includes a folding means 27 that, when the body-wrapped packages 21 being transported by the holding conveyor 24 are intermittently stopped, folds the cylindrical extensions 26, 26 on one side and the other side that extend outward from the edges of the sandwich 17 of the body-wrapped package 21 along the inclined surfaces 17b, 17b facing the openings 20a, 20a of the sandwich 17, and a lateral sealing means (sealing means) 28 that folds the cylindrical extensions 26 and seals the bottom extensions (folded parts) 26c that extend from the left and right outer edges 17f of the cut surface 17c of the sandwich 17.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the inner film supply means 16 includes a film feed means 31 consisting of a pair of rotating rollers that pull out the inner film 15 from the film roll 30, and a film roll (supply source) 30, which is a roll of transparent film made of a strip-shaped inner film 15, that is rotatably supported below the transport path 12, and a suction belt conveyor (auxiliary feed conveyor) 16a disposed upstream of the transport start end of the transport path 12. The suction belt conveyor 16a has a plurality of suction ports arranged in a row toward the direction of travel of the endless belt so as to attract the inner film 15 with the negative pressure of the suction means and provide transport force. In the upper horizontal travel region where the endless belt travels, the inner film 15 is supported from below with the surface of the endless belt as a guide surface 16b, and the inner film 15 attracted by the suction action of the suction belt (endless belt) is fed to the molding means 13 located at the start end of the transport path 12 so as to overlap with the strip-shaped film 11. The surface of the suction belt traveling in the horizontal travel area is a guide surface 16b that connects to the upstream side of the molding means 13 along the transport path 12.

[0020] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the inner film 15, whose lower surface is supported by the guide surface 16b, is made of a transparent film with a predetermined film width that can cover the adhesive material exposed on the cut surface 17c. The guide surface 16b is provided with a mounting guide 32 that supports the outer sides of both sides of the sandwich 17 when the sandwich 17 is placed on the inner film 15. Specifically, the spacing of the mounting guide 32 is adjusted so that the sandwich 17 is placed on the inner film 15 such that the center of the width dimension of the inner film 15 coincides with the center of the thickness dimension of the sandwich 17. The mounting guide 32 comprises a pair of plate-shaped guide members 32a, 32a spaced apart to the left and right, and both guide members 32a, 32a have a lower support edge 32b and an inclined guide surface 32c that slopes so that the distance between them increases as it moves upward from the support edge 32b. Then, the lower ends (support edges 32b, 32b) of the pair of opposing guide members 32a, 32a are adjusted so that the sandwich 17 is placed in the center of the inner film 15 in the width direction, thereby supporting the left and right outer portions of the sandwich 17 in the thickness direction (overlapping direction) on the bottom side. In this embodiment, the guide surface 16b corresponds to the article supply unit 18 that places the sandwich 17 on the inner film 15 before it overlaps the strip-shaped film 11, and the article supply unit 18 may include a placement guide 32. Above the guide surface 16b, there is an open space above which there are no obstacles that would hinder the work of placing the sandwich 17 on the inner film 15. In addition, the pair of guide members 32a, 32a are configured so that the spacing between them can be adjusted by position adjustment means according to the overlap dimension (thickness dimension) in the overlap direction (thickness direction) of the bread slices in the sandwich 17. The inner film 15 can be marked with placement position indicators (not shown) such as lines or dots at predetermined intervals in the transport direction (by printing, etc.) to indicate the placement position of the sandwich 17, thereby enabling good alignment with the transport position of the strip film 11.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, a conveyor 33 that circulates on an endless belt is arranged downstream of the inner film supply means 16, and belt conveyors 34 and 35 support and transport the packaging material (strip film 11 or tubular film 11b) on which the sandwich 17 is placed on the upper surface (conveying surface) 34a and 35a of the belt, which runs horizontally. The conveyor 33 comprises a first conveyor 34 located on the upstream side and a second conveyor 35 located on the downstream side. The molding means 13 is arranged at the transport starting end of the first conveyor 34. Below the conveyor 33, a packaging material feed means 36 is arranged, which consists of a packaging material roll 10 in which the strip film 11 is wound into a roll shape, and a pair of rotating rollers that pull the strip film 11 out of the packaging material roll 10 and supply it toward the upstream end of the molding means 13 (the transport starting end of the strip film 11). In this embodiment, the molding means 13 and the conveying conveyor 33 form the conveying path 12. The conveying height of the conveying path 12 (height of the belt upper surfaces 34a, 35a) is preferably set to be approximately the same level as or slightly lower than the height of the guide surface 16b, from the viewpoint of preventing misalignment of the overlapping state when the inner film 15 is conveyed overlapping on the strip-shaped film 11.

[0022] As shown in Figures 2 and 10, the molding means 13 is equipped with a pair of packaging guides 37, 37 spaced apart to the left and right in the width direction, and the pair of packaging guides 37, 37 are configured to be adjustable in position according to the thickness dimension of the sandwich 17. Each packaging guide 37 is equipped with a support portion 37a that extends along the transport path 12 and guides the strip-shaped film 11 downwards, and a rising portion 37b that extends upwards from the left and right of the support portion 37a so as to move away from the other packaging guide 37, and the upstream guide edge portion 37c of the rising portion 37b is inclined toward the front (downstream) in the transport direction as it moves upwards. The strip-shaped film 11 supplied to the upstream end of the molding means 13 by the packaging material dispensing means 36 is guided inward by the guide edges 37c, 37c of the rising parts 37b, 37b at both left and right end edges 11a, 11a, and the strip-shaped film 11 with both left and right end edges 11a, 11a raised upward by the rising parts 37b, 37b is guided downstream. In addition, the strip-shaped film 11 between the end edges 11a, 11a is supported from below by the support parts 37a, 37a, and the end edges 11a, 11a are formed into an inverted V shape and conveyed downstream. It is desirable that the upper surfaces of the support parts 37a, 37a be set at a height level slightly lower than or approximately the same as the guide surface 16b of the inner film supply means 16 and the conveying surface of the conveying conveyor 33.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, downstream of the molding means 13 and above the second conveyor 35 (transport conveyor 33), a superposition guide means 38 is provided to guide the left and right end edges 11a, 11a of the raised strip-shaped film 11 to overlap in a gable shape. The superposition guide means 38 comprises a pair of plates 38a, 38a spaced apart on the left and right sides in the width direction with the center of the film transport line in between. The left and right end edges 11a, 11a of the strip-shaped film 11 are introduced into the gap formed between the pair of plates 38a, 38a, thereby forming the strip-shaped film 11 into a tubular shape and overlapping the left and right end edges 11a, 11a in a gable shape. At the upstream end of the superposition guide means 38, round bar-shaped guide members 39, 39 extending vertically at predetermined intervals are provided in the width direction center. The left and right end edges 11a, 11a, guided from the inside of the rising portions 37b, 37b by the two guide members 39, 39, are narrowed to a predetermined distance, and the left and right end edges 11a, 11a are guided through the two guide members 39, 39 into the gap between the plates 38a, 38a and overlap in a girdle shape. A pair of feed rollers 40 are provided to extend upward from the gap between the pair of plates 38a, 38a and guide the overlapping portion downstream, gripping it and transporting it downstream. Further downstream of the feed rollers 40, a center sealing means 14 is provided, which has a pair of seal rollers provided on both sides of the overlapping portion of the tubular film 11b. By gripping the overlapping portion with the pair of seal rollers and heat-welding it, a continuous seal is applied to the overlapping portion in the transport direction, forming a vertical seal portion 41 (see Figure 10). The overlapping guide means 38, the feed roller 40, and the center sealing means 14 are provided with a height adjustment means 42 that allows the support base 43 to be raised and lowered by a slide guide (not shown) located on one side of the transport path 12 in the second conveyor 35. This configuration allows the height position of the overlapping guide means 38, the feed roller 40, and the center sealing means 14 relative to the transport surface of the second conveyor 35 to be adjusted according to the height dimension of the sandwich 17 placed with its cut surface 17c facing downwards.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3, the cutting means 19 is arranged downstream of the second conveyor 35. The cutting means 19 comprises a pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b that face each other vertically across the transport path 12 of the tubular film 11b transported by the second conveyor 35, an opening and closing moving means 44 that moves the pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b closer to and further apart from each other, a reciprocating moving means 45 that moves the pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b back and forth in the transport direction, and a cutting blade (main cutting blade) 46 housed in one of the clamping bodies 19a and 19b. The cutting means 19 operates the opening / closing moving means 44 and the reciprocating moving means 45 so that a pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b clamp the tubular film 11b at an intermediate position between each sandwich 17 housed in the tubular film 11b, and the cutting blade 46, which is operated to protrude from between the upper clamping bodies 19a and 19b, cuts the tubular film 11b in a direction intersecting the transport direction. The clamping bodies 19a and 19b are configured to perform a so-called box motion operation in which, after moving downstream in the transport direction of the tubular film 11b while clamping the tubular film 11b, they move apart from each other and return to their initial positions. On one side of the cutting blade 46, as shown in Figure 5, a pair of notch-forming blades (auxiliary cutting blades) 47, 47 are provided spaced apart to the left and right in the center in the width direction. When the tubular film 11b is cut by the cutting blade 46, the cut edge of the body-wrapped film 20 in the body-wrapped packaging product 21 is configured to form opening notches 48 on both sides of the vertical seal portion 41 (see Figure 10). The notch-forming blade 47 is fixed to the cutting blade 46 by fixing means such as bolts so that it can be attached and replaced and its position can be adjusted in the width direction.

[0025] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a transfer means 22 consisting of a belt conveyor whose transport level matches that of the second conveyor 35 is arranged downstream of the cutting means 19. The transfer means 22 comprises an output conveyor 49 located on the upstream side and a transfer conveyor 50 located on the downstream side. The output conveyor 49 transports the tubular film 11b and the rolled packaging product 21 fed from the second conveyor 35 downstream, while the transfer conveyor 50 is configured to intermittently transport the rolled packaging product 21 fed from the output conveyor 49 to the lifting position 23 of the transfer means 25. The opposing ends of the second conveyor 35 and the discharge conveyor 49, which are located on either side of the cutting means 19, are configured such that when the pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b move toward the clamping position to clamp the tubular film 11b, they move toward each other, allowing the pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b to pass through, and when the pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b move toward each other, they move toward each other, allowing for the smooth transfer of the sandwich 17 inside the tubular film 11b from the second conveyor 35 to the discharge conveyor 49. Furthermore, the belt travel speed of the discharge conveyor 49 is set to be faster than the belt travel speed of the second conveyor 35, which is the same speed as the transport speed of the tubular film 11b, so that the end of the tubular film 11b can be reliably cut off and transported downstream as a rolled-up package 21. A sensor SE is provided that can detect the wrapped packaged goods 21 being sent from the discharge conveyor 49 to the transfer conveyor 50, and the transfer conveyor 50 is configured to intermittently stop when the wrapped packaged goods 21 detected by the sensor SE reach the lifting position 23.

[0026] In the transport path 12 downstream from the molding means 13, sandwiches 17 are supplied at predetermined intervals to a strip-shaped film 11 that is transported with both left and right end edges 11a, 11a raised upwards. In the transport path 12, product guides 51 are provided on the left and right outer sides so as to support both sides of the sandwich 17, and the spacing of these guides can be adjusted to correspond to the thickness of the sandwich 17. The product guides 51 include a first side guide 51a provided on the side of the transport path 12 in the first conveyor 34 to the second conveyor 35, and a second side guide 51b provided on the side of the transport path 12 in the discharge conveyor 49. A pair of side guides 51a and 51b are provided on both the left and right sides of the transport paths of the first conveyor 34, the second conveyor 35, and the discharge conveyor 49.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 6, a sensor SE is installed to detect when a wrapped packaged product 21, which has been wrapped in packaging material and transported with its openings 20a, 20a facing forward and backward in the transport direction, has been transported to the lifting position 23 of the transfer conveyor 50. Upon detection of the signal from the sensor SE, the transport on the transfer conveyor 50 is stopped, and a transfer means 25 is installed to lift the wrapped packaged product 21 that has been transported to the transfer conveyor 50 and transfer it to the holding conveyor 24 of the packaging material folding device 29. The transfer means 25 consists of a first handling section 53 and a second handling section 54, each equipped with a holder 52 having a pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a that hold the body-wrapped package 21 between the thickness direction of the sandwich 17. The first handling section 53 and the second handling section 54 take turns lifting the body-wrapped package 21, which is sequentially transported to the lifting position 23, from the transfer conveyor 50. The orientation of the body-wrapped package 21 is changed by 90 degrees by rotating the holder 52 horizontally using a direction changing means 58 (described later), so that the transport direction of the body-wrapped package 21 faces the holding conveyor 24 at the transfer destination, with the opening 20a facing left or right in the transport direction, and then the body-wrapped package 21 is transferred to the holding conveyor 24.

[0028] As shown in Figures 2 and 6, the configuration of the first handling unit 53 and the second handling unit 54 are the same. Therefore, the configuration of the first handling unit 53 will be described in detail, and the same reference numerals will be used for the same components of the second handling unit 54, and the description will be omitted. The first handling unit 53 includes a reciprocating means 55 for moving the holder 52 back and forth between the transfer conveyor 50 and the holding conveyor 24, a lifting means 56 for moving the holder 52 in the vertical direction, and a left-right moving means 57 for moving the holder 52 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the reciprocating means 55. The forward / backward means 55 has a holder 55b that moves by a slide mechanism 55a consisting of a linear actuator driven by a servo motor, and a lifting means 56 driven by a linear actuator consisting of an air cylinder located to the side of the holder 55b, and below the bracket 56a that moves up and down by the lifting means 56, there is a left / right moving means 57 which has a holder 57b that moves in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the forward / backward means 55. Below the left / right moving means 57, there is a holder 57b of a slide mechanism 57a driven by a linear actuator consisting of an air cylinder, and the holder 57b is movable in a direction perpendicular to the direction of movement of the forward / backward means 55. A rotating means (direction changing means) 58 consisting of a rotary cylinder is provided on the holder 57b. Furthermore, the rotary holder 58a, which is disposed on the rotor of the rotary cylinder and rotates horizontally, is provided with an opening / closing means 59 such as a parallel opening / closing type air chuck, and a holder 52 that is supported by the opening / closing means 59 so as to be movable between a holding position and a release position of the sandwich 17. That is, the holder 52 is configured to move forward and backward, left and right and up and down by operating the advance / return means 55, left and right moving means 57 and lifting means 56, and the opening / closing means 59 moves the pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a from a holding position that approaches to hold the wrapped package 21 to a release position that separates from the wrapped package 21.Furthermore, the holder 52 is rotated horizontally by the rotating means 58 to a lifting position in which the opening 20a of the wrapped package 21 is oriented front to back at the lifting position 23, and the wrapped package 21, with its side surfaces 17a, 17a facing left and right in the thickness direction of the sandwich 17, can be held from both sides in the thickness direction, and to a handover position in which the opening 20a of the held wrapped package 21 is oriented left and right, and the side surfaces 17a, 17a of the sandwich 17 face front and back in the conveying direction. In other words, the rotating means 58 changes the direction in which the holder 52 holds the wrapped package 21, changing the orientation of the wrapped package 21 from having the opening 20a facing front to back to having it facing left and right. The wrapped package 21 is changed in orientation by the horizontal rotation of the holder 52 before being handed over to the holding conveyor 24. The first handling section 53 and the second handling section 54 are configured such that when the holding bodies 52, 52 move between the lifted position 23 and the receiving section 60, the body-wrapped packaged product 21 held by one holding body 52 does not interfere with the other holding body 52. ​​The forward and backward means 55, 55 are positioned above both conveyors 50, 24 at a predetermined distance apart to the left and right, and the forward and backward means 55, left and right moving means 57 and lifting means 56 are operated and controlled.

[0029] As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the gripping piece 52a of the holder 52 is plate-shaped with a bifurcated lower end, and an opening is formed between the pair of extension pieces 52b, 52b that allows the passage of the clamping member 63b of the support 63, which will be described later and is arranged on the holding conveyor 24. An inclined piece 52c is provided at the lower part of each extension piece 52b, which slopes downward so as it approaches the other extension piece 52b. When the body-wrapped package 21 is gripped by the pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a from both sides in the thickness direction of the sandwich 17, the inclined pieces 52c, 52c support the lower edge of the side of the sandwich 17, preventing displacement of the body-wrapped package 21 during transfer. In addition, on the opposing surfaces of the pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a, an anti-slip member 52d is provided in the part corresponding to each extension piece 52b, extending in the vertical direction. The anti-slip member 52d is made of an elastic material that has high sliding friction against the film (packaging material), and when the body-wrapped package 21 is held between the pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a, it can hold the sandwich 17 without reducing its commercial value.

[0030] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the packaging folding device 29, located downstream of the transfer conveyor 50, intermittently transports the rolled-up packaged products 21 received from the transfer means 25, with the opening 20a facing left and right and the cut surface 17c of the sandwich 17 facing downwards, by holding them individually on the holding conveyor 24. The sandwiches 17 transported by the holding conveyor 24 are transported in a posture where the inclined surfaces 17b, 17b face left and right (the side surfaces 17a, 17a face front and back in the transport direction). During the transport process of the sandwiches 17 by the holding conveyor 24, when the holding conveyor 24 is intermittently stopped, the first processing station S1, second processing station S2, third processing station S3, and fourth processing station S4 are arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction to perform various processing, such as folding the cylindrical extensions 26, 26 that extend left and right from the edge of the wrap-around packaged product 21 of the sandwich 17, intersecting the transport direction, in stages along the inclined surfaces 17b, 17b of the sandwich 17, and sealing the folded parts 26b, 26c.

[0031] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the holding conveyor 24 has a receiving section 60 for the wrapped packaged products 21 on the upstream end of the endless belt 24a which runs intermittently by a driving means, and a discharge section 61 for the sandwich packaged products 62, in which the sandwich 17 is covered and sealed with film, on the downstream end of the conveying section. Supports 63 capable of individually holding and conveying the wrapped packaged products 21 are arranged on the endless belt 24a at predetermined intervals. The support body 63 comprises a receiving surface 63a on which the cut surface 17c of the sandwich 17 is placed and supported, and a pair of clamping members 63b, 63b arranged in the front and rear directions of the conveying direction of the holding conveyor 24, with the opening 20a facing left and right, capable of clamping and holding the body-wrapped package 21 placed on the receiving surface 63a from the thickness direction of the sandwich 17. In the receiving section 60, the support body 63 is positioned with the receiving surface 63a facing upward, and the pair of clamping members 63b, 63b spaced apart in the front and rear directions of the conveying direction, expanding beyond the thickness dimension of the sandwich 17 to allow the acceptance of the body-wrapped package 21. In addition, an expansion means 64 is provided in the receiving section 60 to move the distance between the pair of clamping members 63b, 63b to the aforementioned release position. The clamping members 63b, 63b are biased toward each other by an elastic member such as a compression spring, and in the state in which the clamping members 63b, 63b are held by the expanding means 64, the sandwich 17 can be held without losing its shape. In addition, the discharge section 61 is provided with a release means 65 that moves the clamping members 63b, 63b holding the sandwich 17 apart to the release position of the sandwich 17. The clamping members 63b, 63b, biased by the elastic member, move apart from each other, and the sandwich package 62, in which the cut surface 17c is covered with the inner film 15 and the sandwich 17 is wrapped and sealed with film, is released. The discharge section 61 is provided with an extrusion means 66 that horizontally pushes the sandwich product 62, which has been released from the pair of clamping members 63b, 63b, out from between the pair of clamping members 63b, 63b. The sandwich packaged product 62 pushed out by the extrusion means 66 is then transported to a subsequent process by a discharge conveyor 67 arranged in parallel on one side of the holding conveyor 24.

[0032] The first processing station S1 and the third processing station S3, and the second processing station S2 and the fourth processing station S4, each process different tubular extensions 26, 26, and the various processing means installed in stations S1, S3 and S2, S4 are arranged in reverse on the left and right sides of the transport path. Therefore, the configuration of the first processing station S1 and the second processing station S2 will be described, and the same processing means etc. installed in the third processing station S3 and the fourth processing station S4 will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first processing station S1 is equipped with a bending member 68 that, when the holding conveyor 24 is intermittently stopped, folds the upper extension 26a of one of the left and right openings 20a, 20a of the rolled-up packaged product 21, which is held and transported by the support 63, downward so as to follow the inclined surface 17b of the sandwich 17. The bending member 68 slides between a retracted position, which is spaced away from the transport path, and an advanced position, which is closer to the transport path, by the actuation means. It also moves downward while advancing toward one of the inclined surfaces 17b of the sandwich 17, pushing down the upper extension portion 26a from the top edge (edge) 17d side of the sandwich 17 and folding it downward along the inclined surface 17b. In addition, at the first processing station S1, a pair of folded extension portions (folded portions) 26b, 26b, which are formed to extend from the front and rear edges (inclined edges 17e) in the transport direction of the sandwich 17 by the downward folding of the upper extension portion 26a, are provided with side sealing means 73 that form vertical side sealing portions 72 (see Figure 11).

[0033] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 8, the second processing station S2 is provided with a folding member 69 that alternately folds the pair of folded extensions 26b, 26b, which are formed by folding the upper extension 26a downward with the bending member 68, onto the upper extension 26a. The folding member 69 is composed of a pair of thin, plate-shaped folding pieces 69a, 69a that are spaced apart to the left and right, and the folding pieces 69a, 69a are alternately moved by an operating means between a spaced-away position and a folded position where parts of both folding pieces 69a, 69a overlap vertically. The operating means is configured to move one folding piece 69a to the folded position, and then move the other folding piece 69a to the folded position with a delay, thereby alternately folding the left and right folded extensions 26b, 26b along the inclined surface 17b. Furthermore, the second processing station S2 is provided with a lateral sealing means 28 on the opposite side of the transport path from the position where the folding member 69 is installed. This means folds the folded extensions 26b, 26b with the folding member 69 so that the upper extension 26a, lower extension 26d and the left and right folded extensions 26b, 26b of the cylindrical extension 26 overlap and protrude from one of the left or right edges 17f of the cut surface 17c of the sandwich 17. The lateral sealing means 28 is provided with a sealing bar that seals (lateral seals) the base of the protruding part of the bottom extension 26c along the edge 17f of the cut surface 17c so as to intersect with the vertical sealing part 41, thereby forming a lateral sealing part 70. In addition, in the embodiment, the second processing station S2 is equipped with a cutting blade (not shown) on the lateral sealing means 28, and when the lateral sealing portion 70 is formed by the lateral sealing means 28, a collection means 71 is provided to cut off the portion of the bottom extension portion 26c that protrudes outward from the lateral sealing portion 70, and to collect the resulting scraps with a suction nozzle 74. The collection means 71 may be provided in either the second processing station S2 or the fourth processing station S4, or in both the second processing station S2 and the fourth processing station S4. The bending member 68 and the folding member 69 constitute the folding means 27 for the cylindrical extension portion 26.

[0034] Next, the operation of the sandwich packaging device according to the embodiment will be described. As shown in Figures 1 and 10, the strip-shaped film 11 pulled out from the packaging roll 10 by the packaging material dispensing means 36 is guided to the upstream end of the forming means 13. The forming means 13 raises the left and right edges 11a, 11a in the width direction of the strip-shaped film 11, and the film between the left and right edges 11a, 11a is guided toward the conveyor 33 by a guide width on the bottom surface set to correspond to the thickness dimension of the sandwich 17. The film is then transported downstream along the transport path 12 while being supported from below by the conveyor 33. The raised left and right edges 11a, 11a are introduced above the transport path 12 via the guide members 39, 39 into the gap between the pair of plates 38a, 38a in the overlapping guide means 38, overlapping in a gable shape, and the overlapping portion is gripped by the feed rollers 40, 40 and transported downstream. The overlapping portion is continuously sealed in the transport direction by the center sealing means 14, and a vertical sealing portion 41 is formed in the overlapping portion.

[0035] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 1 and 10, the strip-shaped inner film 15 pulled out from the film roll 30 by the film dispensing means 31 is guided by the inner film supply means 16 to the upstream end which is the film pull-in side of the molding means 13, and the inner film 15 is supported from below while being held in place by the guide surface 16b of the inner film supply means 16 and transported downstream. The guide surface 16b of the inner film supply means 16 serves as the article supply section 18, and the sandwich 17 is placed on the inner film 15, which is placed on the guide surface 16b and supported on its lower surface, with the previously described placement position indicator attached to the inner film 15, in a position where the sides 17a, 17a face left and right and the cut surface 17c faces downward. The sandwich 17 placed on the guide surface 16b is guided by the placement guide 32 on the left and right lower parts and is placed in the center in the width direction of the inner film 15 (see Figure 4).

[0036] As shown in Figure 10, the inner film 15 on which the sandwich 17 is placed is fed by the inner film supply means 16 so as to overlap the upper part of the center in the width direction of the strip-shaped film 11, whose left and right edge ends 11a, 11a have been raised by the molding means 13. In the transport path 12, the sandwiches 17, which are placed on the inner film 15 at predetermined intervals corresponding to the placement position indicators described above, are transported downstream overlapping the strip-shaped film 11, and the periphery of the sandwich 17 is covered with the tubular film 11b formed by the overlapping guide means 38. That is, by placing the sandwich 17 on the inner film 15 in the article supply unit 18 located upstream of the molding means 13, the sandwich 17 is placed on the strip-shaped film 11 via the inner film 15 and transported in the transport path 12 with the side surfaces 17a facing left and right and the cut surface 17c corresponding to the long side facing downwards. The strip-shaped film 11 and the tubular film 11b, whose left and right end edges 11a, 11a are raised by the molding means 13, are supported from the left and right outer sides by the first side guides 51a so as to follow the sides of the supplied sandwich 17, and are transported stably in the transport path 12 while maintaining the overlapping state of the sandwich 17.

[0037] The sandwiches 17 contained within the tubular film 11b are transported by the conveyor belt 33 downstream, and at an intermediate position between each sandwich 17 contained within the tubular film 11b at predetermined intervals, the cutting means 19 cuts the tubular film 11b in a width direction intersecting the transport direction, thereby separating the tubular film 21 so that its opening 20a faces forward or backward. When the cutting means 19 cuts the tubular film 11b, the cutting blade 46 of the cutting means 19 cuts the tubular film 11b in a width direction intersecting the transport direction at the time when the pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b clamp the tubular film 11b and move toward the transport direction of the tubular film 11b. Since the transport speed of the discharge conveyor 49 is faster than that of the second conveyor 35, when the tubular film 11b is cut by the cutting means 19, the downstream end is pulled downstream and the film becomes taut. As a result, the cut edge does not become slanted or uneven, and there are no cutting defects, and the resulting body-wrapped packaging 21 is neatly separated from the end of the tubular film 11b and transported downstream without variations in the cut size (see Figure 10). When the tubular film 11b is gripped and cut by the cutting means 19, the opposing ends of the second conveyor 35 and the discharge conveyor 49 are separated from each other to allow the movement of the cutting means 19. In addition, when the tubular film 11b is cut by the cutting blade 46, the notch-forming blades 47, 47 provided on the cutting blade 46 form opening notches 48 on both sides of the cut end (open end) of the body-wrapped packaging 21, sandwiching the vertical seal portion 41. Furthermore, as the pair of clamping bodies 19a and 19b move apart, the opposing ends of the second conveyor 35 and the discharge conveyor 49 move closer to each other, ensuring a stable transfer of the subsequent sandwich 17 between the two conveyors 35 and 49. The body-wrapped packaged product 21 transported by the discharge conveyor 49 is supported from the left and right outer sides by the second side guides 51b, and is fed to the transfer conveyor 50 without shifting its transport position from side to side.

[0038] When the body-wrapped package 21 detected by the sensor SE reaches the lifting position 23 on the transfer conveyor 50, the transfer conveyor 50 stops transporting the body-wrapped package 21 with its opening 20a facing forward or backward in the transport direction. The body-wrapped package 21, stopped at the lifting position 23, is sequentially held and lifted by the two holders 52 of the transfer means 25, and the forward / backward means 55 and left / right movement means 57 are activated to transfer it to the holding conveyor 24 in the packaging folding device 29. At the lifting position 23 of the transfer conveyor 50, the holder 52 holds and lifts the rolled-up package 21 by gripping both outer sides (sides 17a, 17a) in the thickness direction of the sandwich 17 with its pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a. Before being transferred to the holding conveyor 24, the holder 52 is rotated horizontally by 90 degrees by the rotating means 58, changing the orientation of the rolled-up package 21 from having the opening 20a facing front to back to facing left to right in the direction of transport of the packaging folding device 29 (see Figure 11).

[0039] When the holding conveyor 24 is intermittently stopped, the body-wrapped package 21, which is transferred by the holder 52 to the support 63 positioned in the receiving section 60, is placed on the receiving surface 63a of the support 63, which is positioned in the release position, with its opening 20a facing left and right and its cut surface 17c facing downward. Before releasing the body-wrapped package 21 from the holder 52, the pair of clamping members 63, 63 are brought closer to each other to clamp and hold the portions of the gripping pieces 52a, 52a of the body-wrapped package 21 that face the opening, and then the body-wrapped package 21 is released from the holder 52. The body-wrapped package 21, which has been handed over to the support 63, is transported sequentially to the first processing station S1 to the fourth processing station S4 of the packaging folding device 29. During the transport process, the rolled-up packaged product 21, which is transported by the holding conveyor 24 with its openings 20a, 20a facing left and right in the transport direction, has its tubular extensions 26, 26 folded along the inclined surfaces 17b, 17b of the sandwich 17, and the folded parts of the film (folded extensions 26b, bottom extensions 26c) are sealed by side seals or lateral seals, thereby obtaining a sealed sandwich packaged product 62.

[0040] According to the embodiment, the cylindrical film 11b is pulled out from the packaging roll 10, its left and right edge portions 11a, 11a are raised, and these left and right edge portions 11a, 11a are overlapped in a gusset shape to form a vertical seal portion 41. At the midpoint of each sandwich 17 contained within the cylindrical film 11b, the cylindrical film 11b is cut in the width direction, and the resulting body-wrapped package 21 is sent out on the discharge conveyor 49 with its opening 20a facing forward and backward. The body-wrapped package 21, which has been sent from the discharge conveyor 49 to the transfer conveyor 50, is changed direction so that its opening 20a faces left and right from the forward and backward direction of transport before being transferred to the packaging folding device 29 by the transfer means 25, and is then placed on the holding conveyor 24 of the packaging folding device 29. During the transport process on the holding conveyor 24, the opening 20a of the rolled-up package 21 faces left and right, and the tubular extensions 26 extending left and right from the edges of the sandwich 17 are folded and packaged. This allows for efficient automatic packaging of individual sandwich packages 62 with a packaging appearance similar to conventionally sold sandwich packages. Furthermore, since the sandwich 17 is supplied within the tubular film 11b, there is no need to wind up the film with the seal portion remaining in the stretched section, as in conventional devices, and discard it as excess film so that it is not used for packaging the next supplied sandwich 17. This not only reduces packaging costs but also contributes to reducing plastic waste. Additionally, by sealing the film surrounding the sandwich 17 with vertical seal portions 41 and horizontal seal portions 70, the quality of the bread and fillings can be suppressed from being exposed to the outside air during distribution until the resulting sandwich packages 62 are sold in stores. This is expected to extend the quality retention time and contribute to reducing food waste. Furthermore, the trimmings removed from the bottom extension 26c extending from the edge 17f of the sandwich 17 can be automatically collected in the collection unit, making the disposal of the trimmings easier.

[0041] According to the embodiment, the sandwich 17, which has been transported from the previous process in a lying position with the overlapping direction (thickness direction) facing up and down, can be supplied to the product supply unit 18 with the cut surface 17c facing down and the side surface 17a of the sandwich 17 standing upright. This makes it easier for the worker to handle the supply operation and shortens the supply time. Therefore, the packaging processing time can be shortened and the packaging capacity can be increased. Furthermore, by raising the left and right end edges 11a, 11a of the strip-shaped film 11 upwards and clamping the overlapping portion of the formed film in a girdle shape from above, a vertical seal portion 41 facing the transport direction is formed on the overlapping portion. This series of processes to obtain a rolled-up package 21 in which the sandwich 17 is housed inside the tubular film 11b eliminates the waste of packaging material used for rolled-up packaging that would otherwise be discarded as excess packaging material, and also shortens the cycle time required to wind up the excess packaging material. Furthermore, since the tubular film 11b into which the sandwich 17 is supplied is cut at both ends, and the resulting individual body-wrapped packages 21 are held and lifted from both sides in the thickness direction of the sandwich 17 by the holder 52 of the transfer means 25 and handed over to the packaging folding device 29, positional displacement during the transfer of the sandwich 17 is less likely to occur, and stable handover can be achieved. In addition, when the tubular film 11b is cut, opening notches 48, 48 are simultaneously formed on both sides of the vertical seal portion 41 formed on the body-wrapped package 21, so that the notches can be formed well, and displacement of the notch formation position is less likely to occur, resulting in a sandwich package with excellent openability.

[0042] According to the embodiment, the tubular film 11b is supported on both sides of the transport path 12 by product guides 51 (first side guides 51a) at intervals corresponding to the thickness of the sandwich 17. This supports the film in an upright position along both sides of the sandwich 17, maintaining the overlapping state of the sandwich 17 during transport and enabling stable transport. It also prevents the sides of the sandwich 17 from being excessively compressed and losing their volume. Furthermore, the body-wrapped packaged product 21, which is separated by the cutting means 19 and transported by the discharge conveyor 49, is supported from the left and right outer sides by product guides 51 (second side guides 51b), allowing it to be sent to the transfer conveyor 50 without shifting its transport position from side to side. Moreover, the transfer means 25 can continuously lift the body-wrapped packaged product 21 using multiple holders 52, 52 and transfer it to the holding conveyor 24 of the packaging material folding device 29, thus enabling a sandwich packaging processing method with increased processing capacity. Furthermore, the transfer means 25 rotates the holder 52 to change the direction of the wrapped package 21 before transferring it to the packaging folding device 29, thus saving time required for direction change and improving processing capacity. In addition, the holder 52 supports the wrapped package 21 from both sides in the thickness direction of the sandwich 17 with a pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a, and supports the lower edge with inclined pieces 52c, 52c before transferring it to the packaging folding device 29. This reduces the likelihood of support errors when lifting the sandwich 17 and positional displacement during transfer, enabling stable transfer. Moreover, since anti-slip members 52d, 52d are provided on the opposing surfaces of the pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a, the support force of the wrapped package 21 by the holder 52 is increased, allowing the holder 52 to move at high speed and improving processing capacity.

[0043] According to the embodiment, the inner film 15 is adsorbed onto the strip-shaped film 11, which has raised edges 11a, 11a on both the left and right ends, and fed in, so that the inner film 15 can be overlapped with the strip-shaped film 11 at the correct position. Also, the cut surface 17c of the sandwich 17 is placed on the inner film 15, and the weight of the sandwich 17 is added to the inner film 15, causing it to overlap with the strip-shaped film 11. In this overlapping state, the strip-shaped film 11 and the inner film 15 are transported together, so that the adhesive material exposed on the cut surface 17c of the sandwich 17 does not rub and spread on the inner film 17. Furthermore, the cylindrical film 11b is cut at an intermediate position between each sandwich 17 placed at predetermined intervals on the inner film 15 that is transported overlapping with the strip-shaped film 11 to obtain a rolled-up package 21, so that the cut surface 17c of the sandwich 17 is covered with the inner film 17 for preventing soiling and can be automatically packaged as a sandwich package 62. Furthermore, since the strip-shaped film 11 and the inner film 15 are transported at the same speed while overlapping, misalignment and sagging of both can be prevented, and a good sandwich package can be obtained in which the inner film 15 is properly attached to the strip-shaped film 11 without slack. In addition, since the tubular film 11b is held between a pair of clamping bodies 19a, 19b and the inner film 15 and tubular film 11b are cut together in the width direction by the cutting blade 46, the ends of the tubular film 11b and the inner film 15 can be cut neatly and evenly.

[0044] According to the embodiment, a guide surface 16b, which is located upstream of the molding means 13 and has an open (free) space above it, is used as the article supply section 18, and the sandwich 17 is placed on the inner film 15. As a result, the packaging guides 37, 37 of the molding means 13, which guide the edges 11a, 11a of the strip-shaped film 11 to stand up, do not obstruct the worker's supply area, thus not impairing the supply of the sandwich 17. The article supply section 18 becomes an unobstructed workspace, and manual supply work is performed smoothly. Furthermore, the sandwich 17, which is placed with its cut surface 17c facing downwards in the article supply section 18, can be placed on the inner film 15 with both sides in the thickness direction of the bottom supported by the support edge 32b of the placement guide 32. As a result, the placement position of the sandwich 17 can be positioned at the appropriate location, centered in the width direction of the strip-shaped film 11, and the overlapping state of the placed sandwich can be maintained. Furthermore, the inclined guide surfaces 32c of the pair of mounting guides 32 make it easier for sandwich workers to supply the sandwiches.

[0045] Next, a sandwich packaging apparatus in a second embodiment will be described. The packaging apparatus in the second embodiment is an embodiment of the packaging apparatus in the previous embodiment in which the inner film supply means 16 is not provided, but the other configurations are the same. That is, in the packaging apparatus in the second embodiment, the strip-shaped film 11 drawn from the packaging roll 10 is supplied to the forming means 13, where the left and right end edges 11a, 11a of the strip-shaped film 11 are raised by a pair of packaging guides 37, 37 in the forming means 13, the left and right end edges 11a, 11a guided to the top are overlapped in a gusset shape, and a vertical seal is applied to the overlapped part to form a tubular film 11b. Then, in the left and right intermediate parts where the left and right end edges 11a, 11a are raised by the pair of packaging guides 37, 37 of the forming means 13, the lower surface of the strip-shaped film 11 is guided by the support part 37a. In this second embodiment, the sandwich 17 is placed at predetermined intervals on a strip-shaped film 11 guided downstream by the support portion 37a in the molding means 13, with printed information such as symbols and various product labels printed at predetermined intervals in the transport direction, and other various placement position indicators as markers. In this second embodiment, the lower ends of the pair of packaging guides 37, 37 in the molding means 13 correspond to the support edge 32b of the aforementioned placement guide 32, and the space between the two packaging guides 37, 37 functions as an upward-expanding space (upper open space), acting as the inclined guide surface 32c of the aforementioned placement guide 32. That is, in the packaging device of the second embodiment as well, the sandwich 17 is placed with its cut surface 17c facing downward on the strip-shaped film 11 with its left and right edge portions 11a, 11a raised, so that the supply work is not impaired when the worker supplies the sandwich 17, and the sandwich 17 can be supplied smoothly. Furthermore, the first and second embodiments can all be obtained to achieve similar effects.

[0046] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configurations shown in the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, not limited to the following modified examples, of the configurations described in the examples. (1) The inner film 15 used in the example is attached in relation to the ingredients of the sandwich 17 being packaged, and its use can be selected depending on the type of sandwich 17. (2) The inner film 15 is supplied in a strip-shaped sheet layered on top of the strip-shaped film 11 that wraps the sandwich 17, but the inner film 15 may be attached to the strip-shaped film 11 and supplied as the packaging material. (3) Regardless of whether the inner film 15 is supplied or not, the article supply unit 18 can be set at an appropriate position upstream of the overlapping start position where the left and right end edges 11a, 11a of the strip film 11 overlap at the top, and in an area that has an upper open space where the packaging material does not obstruct the supply of the sandwich 17 when supplying the sandwich 17. For example, in an embodiment in which the inner film 15 is attached, the article supply unit 18 can be provided so as to overlap the strip film 11 at the portion where the left and right end edges 11a, 11a are raised upward by the molding means 13, and the sandwich 17 is placed on the inner film 15 at the portion where the inner film 15 and the strip film 11 overlap. (4) The position at which the inner film 15 begins to overlap the strip film 11 is not limited to the upstream end of the molding means 13 as in the embodiment, but may be overlapped in the path of the strip film 11 being pulled from the packaging roll 10 before it is molded by the molding means 13. At a minimum, the overlapping should occur between the strip film 11 and the inner film 15 until the item supply unit 18 is located in the transport path 12 that supports and transports the sandwich 17 placed on the strip film 11 from below. (5) The conveying conveyor 33 that supports and transports the sandwich 17 placed on the strip-shaped film 11 from below is configured as a belt conveying conveyor consisting of a first conveyor 34 and a second conveyor 35 made of an endless belt, but it may be configured as a single belt conveyor or as other types of conveying conveyors. The endless belt may also be a suction belt conveyor using negative pressure. Furthermore, in the transport path 12, a configuration may be adopted in which the lower surface of the film on which the sandwich 17 is placed and transported is supported by a plate-shaped bed or the like until it reaches the cutting means 19, so as to ensure that the transport of the tubular film 11b containing the sandwich 17 is not hindered. (6) When forming the opening notch 48, in this embodiment a V-shaped cut is formed, but a notch forming blade 47 capable of forming opening notches of various tear-guiding shapes that can be used to guide tearing along the vertical seal portion 41 may be used, such as a U-shaped, semicircular, trapezoidal or U-shaped cut, a straight cut, or a short perforation. (7) The transfer means 25 supports and lifts the body-wrapped package 21 by gripping it with a pair of gripping pieces 52a, 52a, but various support configurations can be adopted to transfer the body-wrapped package 21 to the packaging folding device 29, such as by suctioning and lifting the body-wrapped package 21 or by scooping and lifting it. (8) The direction change of the body-wrapped package 21 by the transfer means 25 is performed by rotating the holder 52 that lifts the body-wrapped package 21 horizontally with the rotating means 58, but any appropriate form can be adopted, such as rotating the transfer conveyor 50 horizontally. That is, the rotating means 58 of the transfer means 25 can be used as a direction change means to change the direction of transport of the body-wrapped package 21 from front to back in the transport direction to left to right in the transport direction, or the operating means that rotates the transfer conveyor 50 horizontally can be used as a direction change means, and the timing of the direction change is as long as it is within the period from when the body-wrapped package 21 that has been transported to the transfer conveyor 50 is handed over to the packaging folding device 29. (9) The number of retainers 52 may be one or three or more. (10) The placement position indicators that serve as markers for placing the sandwich 17 are attached to the inner film 15 or the strip film 11, but they may also be attached to components such as the placement guide 32 or packaging guide 37 that correspond to the article supply section 18. (11) The transfer conveyor 50 can be configured as a table on which the wrapped packaged products 21 can be placed, and the discharge conveyor 49 can be used to transport the wrapped packaged products 21 to the lifting position 23 on the table. (12) The discharge conveyor 49 and the transfer conveyor 50 may be combined into a single conveyor as the discharge conveyor 49, and the wrapped packaged product 21 may be lifted and transferred from the discharge conveyor 49 by the holder 52 of the transfer means 25. (13) The wrap-around packaged product 21 being transported on the discharge conveyor 49 can be detected, and the wrap-around packaged product 21 being transported can be lifted by the holder 52 based on its transport position information. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0047] 10 Packaging roll (supply source), 11 Strip film (strip packaging material, packaging material), 11a Edge portion 11b Tubular film (tubular packaging material, packaging material), 12 Conveyor path, 13 Molding means 14 Center sealing means, 15 Inner film 16 Inner film supply means, 16a Suction belt conveyor (auxiliary feed conveyor) 16b Guide surface, 17 Sandwich, 17a Side view, 17c Cross-section 18 Goods supply section, 19 Cutting means, 19a, 19b Holding body 20 Body-wrapped film (packaging material), 20a Opening, 21 Body-wrapped packaged product 24 Holding conveyor, 25 Transfer means, 29 Packaging material folding device 30 Film roll (supply source), 32 Mounting guide, 32b Support edge 32c Inclined guide surface, 37 Packaging guide, 41 Vertical sealing section, 46 Cutting blade 48 Opening notch, 49 Discharge conveyor, 51 Product guide, 52 Holder 52a Gripping piece, 52c Inclined piece, 53 First handling part 54 Second handling section, 58 Rotating means (direction changing means), 63 Support

Claims

1. A device for packaging sandwiches with triangular sides, A transport path that supports and transports sandwiches placed on packaging material from below, A molding means that raises both left and right edges in the width direction intersecting the conveying direction of the strip-shaped packaging material drawn out from the lower supply source to the conveying path, and is equipped with a packaging guide that guides the strip-shaped packaging material along the conveying path, The left and right edges of the strip-shaped packaging material raised by the molding means are overlapped in a gable shape above the transport path to form a tubular packaging material, and a center sealing means is provided to form a vertical sealing portion at the overlapping portion of the tubular packaging material. Upstream from the starting position of the polymerization of the aforementioned polymerization section, there is at least a region having an upper open space where a sandwich can be placed on a strip-shaped packaging material, and an article supply section where a sandwich can be placed with its sides facing left and right and the cut surface corresponding to the long side facing downwards, Distributed in the item supply section, and provided with support edges that can be spaced to adjust according to the thickness of the sandwich, to support the left and right sides of the sandwich placed in the item supply section, and having inclined guide surfaces that are spaced apart from each other as they extend upward from the support edges, and a placement guide that is spaced apart on the left and right sides of the transport path, Between each sandwich contained in the tubular packaging material, a cutting means for cutting the tubular packaging material in the width direction, A discharge conveyor transports the rolled-up sandwich packaging, separated by the cutting means, with the opening facing forward and backward in the transport direction. A transfer means that detects the rolled-up packaged product discharged on the discharge conveyor, lifts the rolled-up packaged product from both sides in the thickness direction of the sandwich with a holder, and transfers it to a packaging folding device, The device includes a direction-changing means for changing the orientation of the opening from front to back in the transport direction to left to right in the transport direction before the rolled-up package is handed over to the packaging folding device. A sandwich packaging device characterized by the following features.

2. The sandwich packaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the holder in the transfer means comprises a pair of gripping pieces capable of supporting the side surface of the rolled-up packaged product and an inclined piece capable of supporting the lower edge of the side surface of the rolled-up packaged sandwich.

3. The packaging folding device includes a holding conveyor equipped with a support for holding and transporting the rolled-up sandwich packaging at predetermined intervals. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the transfer means is provided with a plurality of handling parts that hold the rolled-up packaged product from the discharge conveyor with the holding body and lift it alternately, and transfer it to the support in a position where the cut surface is facing downwards and the opening is facing left and right in the conveying direction of the holding conveyor.

4. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the direction changing means is configured by a rotating means that changes the direction in which the holder holds the body-wrapped packaged product, and changes the direction of the opening to the left or right in the conveying direction before handing it over to the packaging material folding device.

5. The system includes an inner film supply means that pulls out a strip-shaped inner film from a supply source, places it on top of the strip-shaped packaging material being transported along the transport path, and transports it at the same speed as the transport speed of the strip-shaped packaging material. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the inner film supply means is disposed upstream of the molding means and is provided with an auxiliary feed conveyor that supports the lower surface of the inner film and transports it so that it overlaps in the molding means.

6. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that the auxiliary feed conveyor is configured as an article supply unit comprising a guide surface connected to the upstream side of the molding means along the transport path so as to support the lower surface of the inner film, and a suction belt that runs on the guide surface.

7. The cutting means comprises a pair of upper and lower clamping bodies that hold the cylindrical packaging material being transported along the transport path, and a cutting blade disposed on one of the pair of clamping bodies. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that the tubular packaging material and the inner film are held between the clamping body and simultaneously cut by the cutting blade.

8. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that, in the transport path downstream from the molding means up to the discharge conveyor, product guides are provided which are positioned at intervals corresponding to the thickness dimension of the sandwich supplied from the article supply unit and which support both sides of the cylindrical packaging material so as to follow the side of the sandwich.

Images