Horizontal pillow packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a lateral type pillow packaging machine capable of forming a highly rigid belt-shaped packaging material into a cylinder of a desired size and conveying it appropriately.SOLUTION: A lateral type pillow packaging machine (1) includes: a cylinder making device (26) for forming a belt-shaped packaging material (Fw) conveyed in a conveyance direction into a cylindrical shape by overlapping both end parts in a width direction; a sandwiching conveyance device (30) for sandwiching the overlapped end parts of the cylindrical belt-shaped packaging material (Fw) and conveying it in the conveyance direction; a suction conveyance device (50) for conveying the cylindrical belt-shaped packaging material (Fw) in the conveyance direction while sucking it upward; a center seal device (35) for sealing the overlapped end parts of the cylindrical belt-shaped packaging material (Fw); and an end seal device (40) for sealing the belt-shaped packaging material (Fw) containing a product on both sides of the product in the conveyance direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a horizontal pillow packaging machine. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, horizontal pillow packaging machines have been known that form a strip of film Fw pulled out from an original roll Fr into a tubular film Ft, wrap a packaged item P transported horizontally with the tubular film Ft, and seal and cut the tubular film Ft on both sides of the packaged item P (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] A horizontal pillow packaging machine includes, for example, a film feed roller that pulls out a strip of film Fw from an original roll Fr, a tube former that folds the strip of film Fw to form a tubular film Ft, a film pull roller that clamps and transports the overlapped edge of the tubular film Ft containing the packaged item P, a center sealer that seals the overlapped portion of the tubular film Ft, and an end sealer that seals and cuts the tubular film Ft on both sides of the packaged item P. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-158341 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2012-240709 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Due to the recent trend to reduce plastic materials, paper-based films are increasingly being used as the belt-shaped film Fw instead of conventional plastic laminated films. Furthermore, paper-based films have the characteristic of being more rigid than plastic laminated films.

[0006] Therefore, the first problem is that the paper-based strip film Fw is difficult to form into a cylindrical shape when passing through the cylinder former (more specifically, the cross-sectional area of ​​the cylinder tends to become small).The second problem is that the paper-based strip film Fw faces a large resistance when passing through the cylinder former, and the pulling force of the film pulling roller alone is insufficient.

[0007] The present invention has been developed in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its object is to provide a horizontal pillow packaging machine that can form highly rigid strip packaging material into a cylindrical shape of a desired size and properly transport it. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides Paper-based A horizontal pillow packaging machine that fills products into bags formed from a strip-shaped packaging material, the machine comprising: a cylinder former that forms the strip-shaped packaging material conveyed in a conveying direction into a cylindrical shape by overlapping both ends of the strip-shaped packaging material in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; tube a suction conveying device that is disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction and above the cylindrically formed strip packaging material and conveys the cylindrically formed strip packaging material in the conveying direction while sucking the cylindrically formed strip packaging material upward; a center seal device that is disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction and seals the overlapped ends of the cylindrically formed strip packaging material; and an end seal device that is disposed downstream of the center seal device in the conveying direction and seals the strip packaging material containing a product on both sides of the product in the conveying direction. The suction conveying device starts suctioning the strip-shaped packaging material upward downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction and upstream of the clamping conveying device in the conveying direction. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a horizontal pillow packaging machine can be obtained that can form a highly rigid strip-shaped packaging material into a tubular shape of a desired size and transport it appropriately. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a side view of a horizontal pillow packaging machine. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a horizontal pillow packaging machine. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a former, a clamping and conveying device, and a center seal device. [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view of a suction transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a configuration for moving an endless circular belt forward and backward in a width direction. [Figure 6] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a configuration for raising and lowering an endless circular belt. [Figure 7] 4 is a schematic diagram of a driving force transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of a conveying motor to a driving gear. [Figure 8] 4A and 4B are cross-sectional views taken along the lines α-α and β-β in FIG. 3, comparing the case where a suction transport device is installed (A, B) with the case where a suction transport device is not installed (C, D). [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a main part of a suction transport device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] A horizontal pillow packaging machine 1 according to an embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. Note that the embodiment of the present invention described below is an example of how the present invention is embodied, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope of the embodiment. Therefore, the present invention can be implemented by making various modifications to the embodiment.

[0012] Fig. 1 is a side view of a horizontal pillow packaging machine 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the horizontal pillow packaging machine 1. The horizontal pillow packaging machine 1 is a device that packages products P supplied from a supply device (not shown) one by one. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the horizontal pillow packaging machine 1 mainly includes a supply conveyor 10, a film feed device 20, a clamping and conveying device 30, a center seal device 35, an end seal device 40, and a suction conveying device 50.

[0013] The supply conveyor 10 supplies products P, which are sequentially supplied from a supply device (not shown), to a former 26 (a cylinder former). As shown in Fig. 1, the supply conveyor 10 is made up of a drive sprocket 14, a driven sprocket 15, an endless circular conveyor chain 16 stretched around the drive sprocket 14 and the driven sprocket 15, and a drive motor 17 that drives the drive sprocket 14.

[0014] Further, the conveyor chain 16 is provided with a plurality of pushers 18. The plurality of pushers 18 are arranged at predetermined intervals in the conveying direction of the product P. The product P supplied from the supply device enters between two adjacent pushers 18. The pushers 18 come into contact with the rear end of the product P to push the product P.

[0015] The film feeding device 20 feeds the strip film Fw toward the clamping conveying device 30 and the suction conveying device 50. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the film feeding device 20 mainly includes a winding shaft 21 around which the strip film Fw is wound, a driving roller 22, a driven roller 23, a feed motor 24, guide rollers 25a and 25b, and a former 26.

[0016] The strip film Fw is a strip-shaped packaging material that is used to make bags for packaging the product P. The strip film Fw is a film-like member that can be welded by applying heat, and examples of the material include polyethylene (PE), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), biaxially oriented polypropylene (OPP), aluminum-backed paper, and aluminum-vapor-deposited paper. Note that the paper-based (i.e., aluminum-backed paper, aluminum-vapor-deposited paper) strip film Fw has higher rigidity (in other words, it is stiffer) than the strip film Fw made of plastic material.

[0017] The drive roller 22 and the driven roller 23 rotate with the strip film Fw sandwiched between them. The drive roller 22 rotates by the driving force of the feed motor 24 being transmitted thereto. As a result, the drive roller 22 and the driven roller 23 pay out the strip film Fw wound around the winding shaft 21 toward the former 26. The guide rollers 25a, 25b are disposed along the transport path of the strip film Fw from the winding shaft 21 through the drive roller 22 and driven roller 23 to the former 26, and apply tension to the strip film Fw as it is paid out.

[0018] The former 26 forms the strip film Fw fed by the film feed device 20 into a cylindrical shape, and serves as an entrance through which the products P fed from the supply conveyor 10 enter the cylindrical strip film Fw. The former 26 is disposed on the transport path of the strip film Fw from the film feed device 20 to the center seal device 35. The former 26 is also disposed facing the downstream end of the supply conveyor 10 in the transport direction.

[0019] The strip film Fw fed by the film feed device 20 is formed into a cylindrical shape by overlapping both ends in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction below as it moves along the former 26. The product P fed from the supply conveyor 10 passes through the internal space of the former 26 and enters the inside of the cylindrical strip film Fw.

[0020] 1, the strip film Fw is transported obliquely downward between the guide roller 25b and the former 26. The transport direction of the strip film Fw is switched to the horizontal direction by the former 26. That is, the transport direction of the strip film Fw coincides with the transport direction of the product P while passing through the former 26, the clamping transport device 30, the center seal device 35, the end seal device 40, and the suction transport device 50.

[0021] In this specification, when the term "conveyance direction" is used simply, it refers to the conveyance direction (i.e., the horizontal direction) of the strip film Fw and the product P downstream of the former 26. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and thickness direction of the strip film Fw is defined as the "width direction of the strip film Fw (sometimes simply referred to as the "width direction"). In other words, the width direction downstream of the former 26 refers to the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction on a horizontal plane.

[0022] 3 is a perspective view of the former 26, the clamping and conveying device 30, and the center sealing device 35. The former 26 forms the strip film Fw unwound from the winding shaft 21 into a cylindrical shape, and also serves as an entrance through which the product P supplied from the supply conveyor 10 enters the interior of the cylindrical strip film Fw. As shown in FIG. 3, the former 26 is composed of a pair of side walls 26a, 26b, a pillar portion 26c, and a pair of bottom walls 26d, 26e.

[0023] The pair of side walls 26a, 26b are arranged at positions spaced apart in the width direction. The pair of side walls 26a, 26b extend in the conveying direction. The pillar portion 26c connects the inner surfaces of the pair of side walls 26a, 26b at the upstream end in the conveying direction. That is, the pillar portion 26c extends in the width direction. The pillar portion 26c is arranged above the space through which the product P passes.

[0024] The bottom walls 26d and 26e are disposed downstream of the pillar portion 26c in the conveying direction. The bottom wall 26d protrudes from the lower end of the side wall 26a toward the side wall 26b. The bottom wall 26e protrudes from the lower end of the side wall 26b toward the side wall 26a. A slit 26f is formed between the bottom walls 26d and 26e, extending in the conveying direction through the center in the width direction. The bottom walls 26d and 26e are disposed below the space through which the products P pass.

[0025] The strip film Fw is conveyed obliquely downward from the guide roller 25b, and the widthwise center portion abuts against the lower end of the column portion 26c, and the conveying direction is switched to the horizontal direction. On the other hand, both sides of the widthwise direction of the strip film Fw extend downward along the inner surfaces of the side walls 26a, 26b, as shown in FIG. 8(A), and are located outside the former 26 through the lower ends of the side walls 26a, 26b. When the strip film Fw is conveyed in the conveying direction from this state, both sides of the widthwise direction of the strip film Fw are drawn into the interior of the former 26 by the bottom walls 26d, 26e. Then, as shown in FIG. 8(B), the strip film Fw is formed into a cylindrical shape along the inner wall surface of the former 26, and protrudes downward from the slit 26f with both ends of the widthwise direction overlapping each other.

[0026] The product P supplied from the supply conveyor 10 passes through the interior of the former 26 in the conveying direction between the pair of side walls 26a, 26b, below the pillar portion 26c, and above the bottom walls 26d, 26e. In the process of passing through the former 26, the product P enters the interior of the strip-shaped film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape.

[0027] The pinching and conveying device 30 pinches the overlapped ends of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape by the former 26, and conveys it in the conveying direction. The pinching and conveying device 30 is disposed downstream of the former 26 in the conveying direction. The pinching and conveying device 30 is also disposed below the strip film Fw and product P that have passed through the former 26. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the pinching and conveying device 30 mainly includes a support plate 31, a pair of film feed rollers 32, 33, and a feed motor 34.

[0028] The support plate 31 is connected downstream in the conveying direction from the former 26. The support plate 31 supports the product P contained in the cylindrical strip film Fw. The support plate 31 also extends in the conveying direction to the position of the center seal device 35. The support plate 31 is further provided with a slit 39 that extends in the widthwise center along the conveying direction of the strip film Fw. The slit 39 of the support plate 31 is connected to the slit 26f of the former 26. Therefore, the overlapped end of the strip film Fw protrudes through the slit 39 to the underside of the support plate 31.

[0029] The pair of film feed rollers 32, 33 are disposed on the underside of the support plate 31. The pair of film feed rollers 32, 33 clamp the overlapped ends of the strip film Fw protruding through the slit 39. The film feed roller 32 rotates by the driving force of the feed motor 34. As a result, the cylindrical strip film Fw is transported in the transport direction toward the center seal device 35.

[0030] The center seal device 35 seals both widthwise ends of the strip film Fw overlapped by the former 26. The center seal device 35 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction from the former 26 and the clamping and conveying device 30. The center seal device 35 is also disposed below the strip film Fw and the product P (in other words, the support plate 31). The center seal device 35 mainly comprises a pair of sealing rollers 36, 37, and a sealing motor 38.

[0031] The pair of sealing rollers 36, 37 are disposed on the underside of the support plate 31, downstream of the film feed rollers 32, 33 in the transport direction of the strip film Fw. The pair of sealing rollers 36, 37 clamp the overlapped ends of the strip film Fw protruding through a slit 39. The outer circumferential surfaces of the sealing rollers 36, 37 are heated by a heater (not shown). The driving force of a sealing motor 38 is transmitted to the sealing roller 36 to rotate. This causes the overlapped ends of the strip film Fw clamped between the sealing rollers 36, 37 to be sealed (welded).

[0032] The end sealing device 40 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction of the former 26, the clamping conveying device 30, the center sealing device 35, and the suction conveying device 50. The end sealing device 40 seals the cylindrical strip film Fw sealed by the center sealing device 35 on both sides of the product P in the conveying direction to form bags Bp containing the product P. The end sealing device 40 also cuts the boundaries between adjacent bags Bp to separate the bags Bp one by one. The end sealing device 40 mainly comprises a pair of sealing blocks 41, 42 and a contact / separation motor 43.

[0033] The pair of sealing blocks 41, 42 are arranged vertically, sandwiching the cylindrically formed strip film Fw. The surfaces of the pair of sealing blocks 41, 42 facing the strip film Fw are heated by a heater (not shown). The pair of sealing blocks 41, 42 are brought into contact with and separated from each other by the driving force of a contact / separation motor 43. Furthermore, the sealing block 41 is equipped with a cutter for cutting the boundaries between adjacent bags Bp.

[0034] The end seal device 40 brings a pair of seal blocks 41, 42 into contact between adjacent products P. This causes the portions of the strip film Fw sandwiched between the seal blocks 41, 42 to be sealed (welded) between the adjacent products P. The end seal device 40 also cuts off the welded portions with a cutter. The end seal device 40 then separates the pair of seal blocks 41, 42. By repeating this operation, multiple bags Bp are formed, each containing a product P.

[0035] The suction conveying device 50 conveys the tubularly formed strip film Fw in the conveying direction while sucking it upward. The suction conveying device 50 is disposed downstream of the former 26 in the conveying direction and upstream of the end sealing device 40 in the conveying direction. The suction conveying device 50 is disposed above the strip film Fw and the product P that have passed through the former 26.

[0036] 4 is a perspective view of the suction conveying device 50 according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the suction conveying device 50 mainly includes a frame 51, a rotating shaft 52, a rotating frame 53, a pair of support shafts 54a and 54b, a pair of side plates 55a and 55b, a driving wheel 56, a driven wheel 57, a vacuum box 58, an endless circular belt 59, a conveying motor 60, and a suction device 61.

[0037] The frame 51 supports the entire suction conveying device 50 including the conveying motor 60 and the suction device 61. The rotating shaft 52 extends in the conveying direction. The rotating shaft 52 is rotatably supported by the frame 51. The rotating frame 53 is supported by the rotating shaft 52. That is, the rotating frame 53 rotates together with the rotating shaft 52. A pair of support shafts 54a, 54b are supported by the rotating frame 53. The pair of support shafts 54a, 54b are each provided to extend in the width direction at positions spaced apart in the conveying direction. In addition, the pair of support shafts 54a, 54b are supported by the rotating frame 53 so as to be slidable in the axial direction.

[0038] The pair of side plates 55a, 55b are supported at the tip ends of the pair of support shafts 54a, 54b. The pair of side plates 55a, 55b are provided extending in the conveying direction at positions spaced apart in the width direction. The driving wheel 56 and the driven wheel 57 are disposed between the pair of side plates 55a, 55b. The driving wheel 56 and the driven wheel 57 are supported by the pair of side plates 55a, 55b to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the width direction.

[0039] The driving wheels 56 are supported on the downstream ends of the pair of side plates 55a, 55b in the conveying direction. The driven wheels 57 are supported on the upstream ends of the pair of side plates 55a, 55b in the conveying direction. In other words, the driving wheels 56 and the driven wheels 57 are supported by the pair of side plates 55a, 55b at positions spaced apart in the conveying direction.

[0040] The driving wheel 56 according to this embodiment is disposed between the pinching and conveying device 30 and the center seal device 35 in the conveying direction. Moreover, the driven wheel 57 according to this embodiment is disposed between the former 26 and the pinching and conveying device 30 in the conveying direction. However, the distance between the driving wheel 56 and the driven wheel 57 may be shorter or longer than that in the example of Fig. 1. Moreover, the arrangement of the driving wheel 56 and the driven wheel 57 may be reversed.

[0041] The vacuum box 58 is supported by a pair of side plates 55a, 55b. The vacuum box 58 is disposed between the pair of side plates 55a, 55b in the width direction and between the driving wheels 56 and the driven wheels 57 in the conveying direction. A suction port (not shown) for sucking air is formed on the lower surface of the vacuum box 58. The vacuum box 58 is disposed between the former 26 and the clamping conveying device 30 in the conveying direction.

[0042] The endless circular belt 59 is stretched around a driving wheel 56 and a driven wheel 57. The endless circular belt 59 also surrounds a vacuum box 58. The lower end of the endless circular belt 59 is located above the upper end of the product P. The endless circular belt 59 is further formed with a plurality of through holes. The multiple through holes communicate with the suction port when passing a position facing the lower surface of the vacuum box 58. The size and density of the through holes are set appropriately depending on, for example, the rigidity of the strip-shaped film Fw.

[0043] The conveying motor 60 generates a driving force for rotating the drive wheel 56. The conveying motor 60 and the drive wheel 56 are connected via a driving force transmission mechanism 75, a driving gear 62, a driven gear 63, and a drive shaft 64, which will be described later. The drive gear 62 rotates when the driving force of the conveying motor 60 is transmitted to it via the driving force transmission mechanism 75. The driven gear 63 is engaged with the lower side of the drive gear 62. One end of the drive shaft 64 is connected to the driven gear 63, and the other end is connected to the drive wheel 56.

[0044] As a result, the driving force of the conveying motor 60 is transmitted via the driving force transmission mechanism 75, the driving gear 62, the driven gear 63, and the drive shaft 64, causing the drive wheel 56 to rotate. The endless circular belt 59 then rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the drive wheel 56. The endless circular belt 59 rotates in a direction such that the lower side (the side facing the strip film Fw) moves in the conveying direction and the upper side moves in the opposite direction to the conveying direction.

[0045] The suction device 61 is connected to the vacuum box 58 through an air passage (e.g., a hose). The suction device 61 sucks air from the vacuum box 58 by receiving power from an external power source 65 via an inverter 66. This causes air to be sucked from the underside of the endless circular belt 59 through the communicating through-hole and suction port. As a result, the suction conveying device 50 can convey the cylindrically formed strip film Fw in the conveying direction while sucking it upward within the range in which the suction port of the vacuum box 58 is formed. In addition, by changing the settings of the inverter 66, the frequency of the power supplied to the suction device 61 can be varied to adjust the suction force. The settings of the inverter 66 can be changed by operating an operation panel of the inverter 66 or by a command signal from the outside.

[0046] 5 is a diagram showing a configuration for advancing and retracting the endless circular belt 59 in the width direction. The suction conveying device 50, together with a pair of side plates 55a, 55b, a driving wheel 56, a driven wheel 57, and a vacuum box 58, supports the endless circular belt 59 so that it can advance and retract in the width direction. More specifically, the suction conveying device 50 advances the endless circular belt 59 to a position where it can face the strip film Fw (FIG. 5(A)), and retreats it to a position shifted from the strip film Fw in the width direction (FIG. 5(B)). The suction conveying device 50 further includes a regulating member 67, a guide roller 68, and a stopper 69 in order to advance and retract the endless circular belt 59 in the width direction.

[0047] The regulating member 67 is fixed to the frame 51. The guide roller 68 is supported by the frame 51 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the conveying direction. The regulating member 67 and the guide roller 68 are provided corresponding to the pair of support shafts 54a, 54b, respectively. The stopper 69 is attached to the base end portion of the pair of support shafts 54a, 54b (the end portion opposite the endless circular belt 59 across the rotating frame 53).

[0048] 5(A), when the support shafts 54a, 54b are extended horizontally, the base ends of the support shafts 54a, 54b come into contact with the underside of the regulating member 67, and the stopper 69 comes into contact with the side of the regulating member 67. This causes the endless circular belt 59 to advance to a position facing the strip film Fw. In addition, the support shafts 54a, 54b are restricted from sliding in the direction of retracting the endless circular belt 59 from the position where it can face the strip film Fw.

[0049] Next, when the operator rotates the rotating frame 53 in a direction to lift the endless circular belt 59, the base ends of the support shafts 54a, 54b and the stopper 69 move away from the regulating member 67. This allows the support shafts 54a, 54b to slide in a direction that moves the endless circular belt 59 away from the position where it faces the strip film Fw. In addition, the driven gear 63 moves away from the drive gear 62.

[0050] Next, as shown in Fig. 5(B), when the support shafts 54a, 54b are slid by their own weight or manually by the operator in a direction that brings the endless circular belt 59 closer to the rotating frame 53, the guide rollers 68 come into contact with the upper surfaces of the support shafts 54a, 54b and rotate. As a result, the endless circular belt 59 moves out of the position where it can face the strip film Fw. In addition, the guide rollers 68 come into contact with the upper surfaces of the support shafts 54a, 54b, thereby restricting the rotation of the support shafts 54a, 54b in the direction returning to the state shown in Fig. 5(A).

[0051] 5(B) in a direction that moves the endless circular belt 59 away from the rotating frame 53, the weight of the endless circular belt 59 etc. causes the rotating frame 53 to rotate in a direction in which the extension direction of the support shafts 54a, 54b approaches the horizontal direction. As a result, the endless circular belt 59 advances to a position where it can face the strip film Fw. In addition, the base ends of the support shafts 54a, 54b and the stopper 69 come into contact with the regulating member 67, and the driven gear 63 meshes with the drive gear 62.

[0052] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration for raising and lowering the endless circular belt 59. Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram of a driving force transmission mechanism 75 for transmitting the driving force of the conveying motor 60 to the driving gear 62. The suction conveying device 50 supports the endless circular belt 59 so as to be able to rise and fall in the vertical direction together with a pair of side plates 55a, 55b, a driving wheel 56, a driven wheel 57, and a vacuum box 58. As shown in Figs. 6 and 7, the suction conveying device 50 further includes a fixed block 70, a pair of slide rails 71a, 71b, a pair of sliders 72a, 72b, a base plate 73, a height adjustment handle 74, and a driving force transmission mechanism 75.

[0053] The fixed block 70 and the pair of slide rails 71a, 71b are fixed to the horizontal pillow packaging machine 1. The pair of slide rails 71a, 71b are provided at positions spaced apart in the conveying direction, and each extends in the vertical direction. The sliders 72a, 72b are supported by the slide rails 71a, 71b so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The base plate 73 is attached to the pair of sliders 72a, 72b, and slides in the vertical direction together with the sliders 72a, 72b. The base plate 73 is supported by the fixed block 70 so as to be movably in the vertical direction via a feed screw extending in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the base plate 73 supports the frame 51.

[0054] The height adjustment handle 74 is a handle for rotating the feed screw mechanism. That is, the base plate 73 rises when the operator rotates the height adjustment handle 74 forward, and falls when the operator rotates the height adjustment handle 74 reversely. As a result, the frame 51 supported by the base plate 73 rises and falls together with the endless circular belt 59.

[0055] The driving force transmission mechanism 75 serves to transmit the rotational driving force of an input shaft 76 (output shaft of the conveying motor 60) to an output shaft 83 connected to the driving gear 62. Moreover, the driving force transmission mechanism 75 can transmit the driving force of the conveying motor 60 to the driving gear 62 regardless of the vertical position of the endless circular belt 59. As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the driving force transmission mechanism 75 includes pulleys 77-81 and an endless belt 82 stretched around the pulleys 77, 78, and 81.

[0056] Pulleys 77 to 81 are configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the width direction. Pulley 77 is an input shaft pulley connected to input shaft 76. Pulley 81 is an output shaft pulley connected to output shaft 83. Pulleys 78 to 80 are idle pulleys that apply tension to endless belt 82. Pulleys 77, 78 are fixed pulleys that are rotatably fixed to horizontal pillow packaging machine 1. On the other hand, pulleys 79 to 81 are movable pulleys that are rotatably supported by base plate 73 and are vertically movable.

[0057] The pulleys 77 and 78 are disposed so as to be spaced apart in the vertical direction. The pulleys 79 and 80 are disposed between the pulleys 77 and 78 in the vertical direction. The pulleys 79 and 80 are disposed downstream of the pulleys 77 and 78 in the conveying direction and upstream of the pulley 81 in the conveying direction. The pulleys 79 and 80 are disposed so as to be spaced apart in the vertical direction. The pulley 81 is disposed between the pulleys 79 and 80 in the vertical direction. The pulley 81 is disposed downstream of the pulleys 79 and 80 in the conveying direction. The pulleys 77, 78, and 81 are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt 82. The pulleys 79 and 80 are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 82.

[0058] As a result, the rotation of pulley 77 is transmitted to pulley 81 through endless belt 82. Also, as shown in Fig. 7, when base plate 73 is raised or lowered, pulleys 79 to 81 move up and down without changing their relative positions. More specifically, when base plate 73 is raised, the distance between pulleys 78, 79 becomes shorter and the distance between pulleys 77, 80 becomes longer. On the other hand, when base plate 73 is lowered, the distance between pulleys 78, 79 becomes longer and the distance between pulleys 77, 80 becomes shorter.

[0059] According to the above embodiment, for example, the following advantageous effects are achieved.

[0060] Fig. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines α-α and β-β in Fig. 3, comparing the case where the suction conveying device 50 is installed (A, B) with the case where it is not installed (C, D). As shown in Fig. 8(A) and Fig. 8(B), the strip film Fw is sucked upward by the suction conveying device 50, so that the strip film Fw can be formed into a cylindrical shape along the inner wall surfaces of the side walls 26a, 26b, the pillar portion 26c, and the bottom walls 26d, 26e.

[0061] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 8(C) and 8(D), in the case of a conventional horizontal pillow packaging machine 1 not equipped with a suction conveying device 50, the strip film Fw is separated from the inner wall surfaces of the side walls 26a, 26b and the pillars 26c, and becomes a smaller tube compared to Figures 8(A) and 8(B). This tendency becomes more pronounced as the rigidity (strength) of the strip film Fw increases. In other words, according to the above embodiment, the highly rigid strip film Fw can be formed into a tube of a desired size.

[0062] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, by rotating the endless circular belt 59 while suctioning the strip film Fw, it is possible to assist the pinch and conveying device 30 in pulling the strip film Fw. This makes it possible to overcome the resistance encountered when passing through the former 26 and convey the strip film Fw stably.

[0063] Also, according to the above embodiment, by configuring the endless circular belt 59 to be movable up and down, the distance between the endless circular belt 59 and the product P can be appropriately set for products P of different heights. The distance between the lower end of the endless circular belt 59 and the upper end of the product P is set to, for example, about 2 mm to 10 mm. Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, by configuring the endless circular belt 59 to be movable back and forth in the width direction, the operation of setting the strip film Fw in the horizontal pillow packaging machine 1 becomes easier.

[0064] It is preferable that the suction conveying device 50 sucks the strip film Fw at a position close to the former 26. Therefore, it is preferable that the vacuum box 58 is disposed between the former 26 and the clamping conveying device 30 in the conveying direction. However, the vacuum box 58 may be extended to the downstream side in the conveying direction from the clamping conveying device 30. The longer the length of the vacuum box 58 in the conveying direction, the greater the conveying force of the strip film Fw.

[0065] Also, the driven wheel 57 and the endless circular belt 59 may be omitted from the suction conveying device 50. Fig. 9 is a perspective view of the main part of a suction conveying device 50A according to a modified example. Note that detailed description of commonalities with the above embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described. As shown in Fig. 9, the suction conveying device 50A according to the modified example may have a plurality of through holes formed in the side surface of a cylindrical (drum-shaped) driving wheel 56A, and may house a vacuum box 58 inside the driving wheel 56A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1...Horizontal pillow packaging machine, 10...Supply conveyor, 14...Drive sprocket, 15...Driven sprocket, 16...Conveyor chain, 17...Drive motor, 18...Pusher, 20...Film feed device, 21...Winding shaft, 22...Drive roller, 23...Driven roller, 24...Feed motor, 25a, 25b...Guide roller, 26...Former, 26a, 26b...Side wall, 26c...Column, 26d, 26e...Bottom wall, 26f, 39...Slit, 30...Nip and convey device, 31...Support plate, 32, 33...Film feed roller, 34...Feed motor, 35...Center seal device, 36, 37...Seal roller, 38...Seal motor, 40...End seal device, 41, 42...Seal block, 43...Approach and separation motor, 5 0,50A...suction conveying device, 51...frame, 52...rotating shaft, 53...rotating frame, 54a,54b...support shaft, 55a,55b...side plate, 56,56A...driving wheel, 57...driven wheel, 58...vacuum box, 59...endless circular belt, 60...conveying motor, 61...suction device, 62...driving gear, 63...driven gear, 64...driving shaft, 65...external power source, 66...inverter, 67...regulating member, 68...guide roller, 69...stopper, 70...fixed block, 71a,71b...slide rail, 72a,72b...slider, 73...base plate, 74...height adjustment handle, 75...driving force transmission mechanism, 76...input shaft, 77,78,79,80,81...pulley, 82...endless belt, 83...output shaft

Claims

1. A horizontal pillow packaging machine for filling products into bags formed from a paper-based strip-shaped packaging material, comprising: a cylinder former for forming the strip-shaped packaging material conveyed in a conveying direction into a cylindrical shape by overlapping both ends of the strip-shaped packaging material in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a clamping and conveying device disposed below the cylindrically formed strip packaging material, for clamping the overlapped end portions of the cylindrically formed strip packaging material and conveying the overlapped end portions in the conveying direction; a suction conveying device that is disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction and above the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material and conveys the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material in the conveying direction while sucking it upward; a center seal device disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction for sealing overlapped ends of the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape; an end seal device disposed downstream of the center seal device in the conveying direction and configured to seal the strip-shaped packaging material containing the product on both sides of the product in the conveying direction; A horizontal pillow packaging machine characterized in that the suction and conveying device begins to suck upwardly the strip-shaped packaging material downstream of the tube making machine in the conveying direction and upstream of the clamping and conveying device in the conveying direction.

2. A horizontal pillow packaging machine for filling products into bags formed from a paper-based strip-shaped packaging material, comprising: a cylinder former for forming the strip-shaped packaging material conveyed in a conveying direction into a cylindrical shape by overlapping both ends of the strip-shaped packaging material in a width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a clamping and conveying device disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction and below the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape, for clamping the overlapped end portions of the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape and conveying the overlapped end portions in the conveying direction; a suction conveying device that is disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction and above the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material and conveys the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material in the conveying direction while sucking it upward; a center seal device disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction for sealing overlapped ends of the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape; an end seal device disposed downstream of the center seal device in the conveying direction and configured to seal the strip-shaped packaging material containing the product on both sides of the product in the conveying direction; The suction transport device is A driving wheel and a driven wheel arranged at positions spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction; an endless circular belt having a plurality of through holes and stretched around the driving wheel and the driven wheel; a vacuum box disposed inside the endless circular belt and configured to suck the cylindrically formed strip packaging material through the plurality of through holes; A horizontal pillow packaging machine characterized in that the vacuum box begins to suck the strip-shaped packaging material upward between the cylinder making machine and the clamping and conveying device in the conveying direction.

3. In the horizontal pillow packaging machine according to claim 2, A horizontal pillow packaging machine characterized in that the lower end of the endless circular belt is positioned above the upper end of the product.

4. In the horizontal pillow packaging machine according to claim 2 or 3, A horizontal pillow packaging machine characterized in that the endless circular belt is configured to be able to be raised and lowered in the vertical direction.

5. In the horizontal pillow packaging machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, A horizontal pillow packaging machine characterized in that the endless circular belt is configured to be able to move back and forth in the width direction.

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