Horizontal pillow packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a horizontal type pillow packaging machine capable of appropriately forming a gusset irrespective of rigidity of a belt-like packaging material.SOLUTION: A horizontal type pillow packaging machine comprises: a cylinder-making device that forms a belt-like packaging material into a cylinder; a conveyance device that conveys, in a conveyance direction, the belt-like packaging material formed into the cylinder; a center seal device that seals a portion where end portions of the belt-like packaging material formed into the cylinder overlap one another; a suction device that is arranged on a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the center seal device, and conveys, in the conveyance direction, the belt-like packaging material formed into the cylinder, while upwardly suctioning it; a gusset device that is arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the suction device, and inwardly folds both side surfaces in a width direction of the belt-like packaging material formed into the cylinder; and an end seal device that is arranged on the downstream side in the conveyance direction of the suction device, and seals both ends in the conveyance direction of the belt-like packaging material with a product encased therein, and both side surfaces thereof inwardly folded.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, a horizontal pillow packaging machine has been known which includes a former that overlaps both widthwise ends of a strip-shaped packaging material in a palm-to-palm shape, a center seal device that seals both widthwise ends of the overlapped material to form the strip-shaped packaging material into a cylindrical shape, and an end seal device that seals both conveying ends of the cylindrically formed strip-shaped packaging material.

[0003] Some of these horizontal pillow packaging machines are equipped with a gusset device (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2). The gusset device advances and retreats gusset claws against both sides of a strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape. This makes it possible to form a bag with both sides folded inward (hereinafter referred to as "gusset"). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-206726 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2009-046167 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, a highly rigid (in other words, strong) packaging strip has both cylindrical side surfaces perpendicular to the direction in which the gusset tabs move, so that the gussets can be properly formed. On the other hand, a less rigid (in other words, weak) packaging strip cannot maintain the shape of both side surfaces, so that it is difficult to properly form the gussets.

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and its object is to provide a horizontal pillow packaging machine that can properly form gussets regardless of the rigidity of the strip-shaped packaging material. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a horizontal pillow packaging machine for filling products into bags formed from strip-shaped packaging material, the machine 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 conveying device that is arranged downstream of the cylinder former in the conveying direction and below the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape and conveys the cylindrically formed strip-shaped packaging material in the conveying direction; and a sealing device that is arranged downstream of the cylinder former in the conveying direction and seals the overlapped ends of the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape. a center seal device, a suction device disposed downstream of the center seal device in the conveying direction and above the strip packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape, for conveying the strip packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape in the conveying direction while sucking it upward, a gusset device disposed downstream of the suction device in the conveying direction and folding inward both side surfaces in the width direction of the strip packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape, and an end seal device disposed downstream of the suction device in the conveying direction and sealing both ends in the conveying direction of the strip packaging material containing a product and with both side surfaces folded inward. a pair of guide plates disposed upstream of the gusset device and the end seal device in the conveying direction and facing both side surfaces in the width direction of the strip packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape, the suction device is provided within an extension range of the pair of guide plates in the conveying direction, and the pair of guide plates are configured to be able to adjust the distance in the width direction, the suction device comprises a drive wheel and a driven wheel disposed at positions spaced apart in the conveying direction, an endless circular belt having a plurality of through holes formed therein and stretched around the drive wheel and the driven wheel, and a vacuum box disposed inside the endless circular belt and sucking the strip packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape through the plurality of through holes, and the width direction length of the endless circular belt is shorter than the width direction length of the strip packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape and shorter than the minimum distance between the pair of guide plates. It is characterized by: Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present invention, a horizontal pillow packaging machine capable of appropriately forming gussets regardless of the rigidity of a strip-shaped packaging material can be obtained. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [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] 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA and BB in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a configuration of an end unit. [Diagram 5] 1 is a perspective view of a suction device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the distance between a pair of guide plates and the width of an endless circular belt. [Figure 7] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a configuration for moving an endless circular belt forward and backward in a width direction. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating a configuration for raising and lowering an endless circular belt. [Figure 9] 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 10] 3 is a cross section taken along line CC in FIG. 2, comparing the case where a suction device is not installed (A) with the case where a suction device is installed (B). [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a main part of a suction device according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] 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.

[0011] 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 feeding device 20, a transport device 30, a center seal device 40, an end unit 50 including an end seal device and a gusset device, and a suction device 60.

[0012] The supply conveyor 10 supplies the products P, which are sequentially supplied from a supply device, to a former 26 (a cylinder former). As shown in Fig. 1, the supply conveyor 10 is composed 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.

[0013] 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.

[0014] The film feeding device 20 feeds the strip film Fw toward the conveying device 30. 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.

[0015] 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.

[0016] 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.

[0017] The former 26 forms the strip film Fw fed by the film feeding device 20 into a cylindrical shape, and serves as an entrance through which the products P fed from the supply conveyor 10 enter the cylindrically formed strip film Fw. The former 26 is disposed on the transport path of the strip film Fw from the film feeding device 20 to the center seal device 40. The former 26 is also disposed facing the downstream end of the supply conveyor 10 in the transport direction.

[0018] 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 strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape.

[0019] 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, in the process of passing through the former 26, the transport device 30, the center seal device 40, the end unit 50, and the suction device 60, the transport direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape coincides with the transport direction of the product P.

[0020] In this specification, when the term "conveyance direction" is used simply, it refers to the conveyance direction (i.e., horizontal direction) of the strip film Fw and the product P formed into a cylindrical shape downstream of the former 26. In addition, the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction and thickness direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape is defined as the "width direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape (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.

[0021] The conveying device 30 conveys, in the conveying direction, the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape by the former 26. The conveying device 30 is disposed downstream of the former 26 in the conveying direction. The conveying device 30 is also disposed below the strip film Fw and the product P that have passed through the former 26 and been formed into a cylindrical shape. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the conveying device 30 mainly includes a support plate 31, a pair of film feed rollers 32, 33, a feed motor 34, conveyors 35, 36, a pair of guide plates 37, 38, and a tilting plate 39.

[0022] The support plate 31 is connected to the downstream side of the former 26 in the transport direction. The support plate 31 supports the product P contained in the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape. The support plate 31 also extends in the transport direction to the position of the transport conveyor 35. The support plate 31 is further provided with a slit 31a extending along the transport direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape at the center in the width direction. The overlapping end T of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape protrudes from the underside of the support plate 31 through the slit 31a.

[0023] 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 hold the overlapped end T of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw protruding through the slit 31a. The film feed roller 32 rotates by the driving force of a feed motor 34. The pair of film feed rollers 32, 33 hold the overlapped end T of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw and transport it in the transport direction toward the center seal device 40.

[0024] The transport conveyors 35, 36 are disposed downstream in the transport direction from the pair of film feed rollers 32, 33 and the center seal device 40. The transport conveyors 35, 36 are disposed below the cylindrically formed strip film Fw that has passed through the former 26 and the product P. The transport conveyors 35, 36 rotate in contact with the underside of the cylindrically formed strip film Fw containing the product P, thereby transporting the cylindrically formed strip film Fw in the transport direction.

[0025] The pair of guide plates 37, 38 are disposed facing both widthwise sides of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape. The pair of guide plates 37, 38 extend in the transport direction. The pair of guide plates 37, 38 are provided downstream in the transport direction from the film feed rollers 32, 33 (more specifically, pressure rollers 43, 44 described below) and upstream in the transport direction from the end unit 50 (more specifically, gusset claws 55a, 55c described below). The pair of guide plates 37, 38 guide both sides of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape.

[0026] The center seal device 40 seals the overlapped end T of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape by the former 26. The center seal device 40 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction from the former 26 and a pair of film feed rollers 32, 33, and upstream in the conveying direction from the end unit 50 and the suction device 60. The center seal device 40 is disposed below the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape and the product P (in other words, the support plate 31). The center seal device 40 mainly comprises a pair of bar heaters 41, 42, a pair of pressure rollers 43, 44, a pair of weight rollers 45, 46, and a weight motor 47.

[0027] The pair of bar heaters 41, 42 are disposed on the underside of the support plate 31, downstream of the former 26 in the conveying direction. The pair of bar heaters 41, 42 are disposed opposite each other, sandwiching the overlapped end portion T of the strip film Fw molded into a cylindrical shape and protruding through the slit 31a. The pair of bar heaters 41, 42 heat the overlapped end portion T of the strip film Fw molded into a cylindrical shape and protruding through the slit 31a. This causes the overlapped end portion T of the strip film Fw molded into a cylindrical shape to become molten.

[0028] The pair of pressure rollers 43, 44 are disposed on the lower surface side of the support plate 31, downstream in the conveying direction from the pair of bar heaters 41, 42. The pair of pressure rollers 43, 44 clamp and pressurize the overlapped end T of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw protruding through the slit 31a, thereby sealing (welding) the overlapped end T in a molten state.

[0029] The pair of weight rollers 45, 46 are disposed on the lower surface side of the support plate 31, downstream of the pair of pressure rollers 43, 44 in the conveying direction. The pair of weight rollers 45, 46 hold the overlapped end T of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw protruding through the slit 31a. The outer circumferential surfaces of the pair of weight rollers 45, 46 are formed with a plurality of circumferential grooves extending in the circumferential direction. The weight roller 45 is rotated by the driving force of the weight motor 47. Thus, the end T sealed by the pair of pressure rollers 43, 44 is weighted.

[0030] Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line AA and BB in Fig. 2. As shown in Fig. 3(A), the overlapping end T of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw protruding through the slit 31a protrudes downward when it is sandwiched between a pair of weight rollers 45, 46. If the end T reaches the transport conveyor 35 in this state, it will be crushed by being sandwiched between the product P and the transport conveyor 35. Therefore, before the end T reaches the transport conveyor 35, the end T is pushed down by a knockdown plate 39 onto the bottom side of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 1, the tilting plate 39 is disposed downstream of the weight rollers 45, 46 in the conveying direction and upstream of the transport conveyor 35 in the conveying direction. The tilting plate 39 is disposed within an extension range of the guide plates 37, 38 in the conveying direction. As shown in Fig. 3(B), the tilting plate 39 is disposed on the lower surface of the support plate 31. The tilting plate 39 protrudes obliquely downward from one side of the slit 31a to the other side. The tilting plate 39 abuts against an end T of the strip film Fw that has been formed into a cylindrical shape and sealed by the center seal device 40, and tilts the end T toward the bottom side of the strip film Fw that has been formed into a cylindrical shape.

[0032] As shown in Fig. 1, the end unit 50 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction from the center seal device 40 and the suction device 60. The end unit 50 folds inward both widthwise sides of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape. The end unit 50 also seals both ends of the product P in the conveying direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape with both sides folded inward, containing the product P, to form bags Bp containing the product P. The end unit 50 also separates the bags Bp one by one by cutting the boundaries between adjacent bags Bp.

[0033] 4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the end unit 50. The end unit 50 is a unit consisting of an end seal device that seals the end of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape in the transport direction, and a gusset device that folds inward both sides of the width direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape. The end seal device mainly includes lift blocks 52a, 52b, heater blocks 53a, 53b, and a horizontal sealer drive motor (not shown). The gusset device mainly includes gusset claws 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d, slide blocks 56a, 56b, air cylinders 57a, 57b, plate cams 58a, 58b, and cam followers 59a, 59b.

[0034] The lifting blocks 52a and 52b are arranged facing each other in the vertical direction, sandwiching the transport path of the cylindrically formed strip film Fw. The lifting blocks 52a and 52b receive the driving force of a horizontal sealer drive motor and perform a so-called "box motion operation." The box motion operation refers to an operation in which the lifting blocks 52a and 52b are each caused to revolve by combining vertical movement and transport direction movement.

[0035] First, the lifting blocks 52a, 52b move in the opposite direction to the conveying direction in the process of moving the heater blocks 53a, 53b apart and then moving them close to each other again. Next, the lifting blocks 52a, 52b move in the conveying direction while moving the heater blocks 53a, 53b close to each other. Then, at the downstream end in the conveying direction, the lifting blocks 52a, 52b move the heater blocks 53a, 53b even closer to each other to seal the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape. Note that in this specification, attention is focused on the vertical movement of the lifting blocks 52a, 52b (heater blocks 53a, 53b), and a description of their movement in the conveying direction is omitted.

[0036] Heater block 53a is fixed to the lower surface of lift block 52a. Heater block 53b is fixed to the upper surface of lift block 52b. That is, heater blocks 53a and 53b are arranged facing each other in the vertical direction, sandwiching the transport path of the cylindrically formed strip film Fw. The opposing surfaces of heater blocks 53a and 53b (i.e., the lower surface of heater block 53a and the upper surface of heater block 53b) are sealing surfaces.

[0037] The heater blocks 53a and 53b are configured to be movable vertically together with the lift blocks 52a and 52b between a separated position shown in Fig. 4(A) and an abutting position shown in Fig. 4(C) and Fig. 4(D). The separated position is a position where the sealing surfaces of the heater blocks 53a and 53b are separated from each other. On the other hand, the abutting position is a state where the sealing surfaces of the heater blocks 53a and 53b are abutting each other.

[0038] The heater blocks 53a and 53b are heated by heaters (not shown), so that the cylindrically formed belt-like film Fw sandwiched between the sealing surfaces of the heater blocks 53a and 53b at the contact position is sealed (welded).

[0039] As shown in FIG. 2, the gusset claws 55a and 55b are fixed to the slide block 56a at one side in the width direction of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw, spaced apart in the transport direction of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw. The gusset claws 55c and 55d are fixed to the slide block 56b at the other side in the width direction of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw, spaced apart in the transport direction of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw. That is, the gusset claws 55a and 55b and the gusset claws 55c and 55d are arranged opposite each other in the width direction across the transport path of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw. Furthermore, the gusset claws 55a and 55c are arranged upstream of the end seal device in the transport direction, and the gusset claws 55b and 55d are arranged downstream of the end seal device in the transport direction.

[0040] The air cylinder 57a moves the gusset claws 55a and 55b supported by the slide block 56a in the width direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape between the retracted position shown in Fig. 4(A) and Fig. 4(D) and the protruding position shown in Fig. 4(C). The air cylinder 57b moves the gusset claws 55c and 55d supported by the slide block 56b in the width direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape between the retracted position and the protruding position. More specifically, when the air cylinders 57a and 57b are extended, the gusset claws 55a to 55d move to the retracted position. On the other hand, when the air cylinders 57a and 57b are contracted, the gusset claws 55a to 55d move to the protruding position.

[0041] Plate cam 58a is supported by lift block 52a on one widthwise side of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw. Plate cam 58b is supported by lift block 52a on the other widthwise side of the cylindrically molded strip film Fw. Plate cams 58a and 58b have cam surfaces that slope upward in the direction approaching the cylindrically molded strip film Fw.

[0042] The cam followers 59a, 59b are supported by the slide blocks 56a, 56b. The cam followers 59a, 59b engage with the cam surfaces of the plate cams 58a, 58b while the air cylinders 57a, 57b are contracting, and control the vertical positions of the gusset claws 55a to 55d supported by the slide blocks 56a, 56b along the movement trajectory of the cam surfaces accompanying the vertical movement of the lift block 52a.

[0043] As shown in Fig. 4(A), the initial position of the end unit 50 is such that the heater blocks 53a and 53b are in the separated position and the gusset claws 55a to 55d are in the retracted position. Then, as shown in Fig. 4(A) to Fig. 4(C), the horizontal sealer drive motor is driven to move the heater blocks 53a and 53b from the separated position to the abutting position, and the air cylinders 57a and 57b are contracted to move the gusset claws 55a to 55d from the retracted position to the protruding position. The movement of the heater blocks 53a and 53b and the movement of the gusset claws 55a to 55d in Fig. 4(A) to Fig. 4(C) are performed in conjunction with each other.

[0044] Next, as shown in Fig. 4(C) and Fig. 4(D), the air cylinders 57a and 57b are extended to move the gusset claws 55a to 55d from the protruding position to the retracted position. At this time, the heater blocks 53a and 53b are held in the abutting position. Then, after the gusset claws 55a to 55d reach the retracted position, the horizontal sealer drive motor is driven to move the heater blocks 53a and 53b from the abutting position to the separated position. This returns the end unit 50 to the initial position of Fig. 4(A).

[0045] As a result, both sides of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape are folded inward by the gusset claws 55a, 55c on the upstream side in the conveying direction from the end seal device, and folded inward by the gusset claws 55b, 55d on the downstream side in the conveying direction from the end seal device. The strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape is sealed by the heater blocks 53a, 53b between the gusset claws 55a, 55c and the gusset claws 55b, 55d. The sealed portion of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape is then cut off by a cutter. By repeating this operation, a plurality of bags Bp, each containing a product P, are formed in sequence.

[0046] The suction device 60 conveys the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape in the conveying direction while sucking it upward. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the suction device 60 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction of the center seal device 40 and the tilting plate 39, and upstream in the conveying direction of the end unit 50 (more specifically, the gusset claws 55a, 55c). The suction device 60 is disposed within the extension range of the guide plates 37, 38 in the conveying direction. The suction device 60 is also disposed above the strip film Fw and the product P that have passed through the former 26 and been formed into a cylindrical shape.

[0047] 5 is a perspective view of the suction device 60 according to this embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 5, the suction device 60 mainly includes a frame 61, a rotating shaft 62, a rotating frame 63, a pair of support shafts 64a and 64b, a pair of side plates 65a and 65b, a driving wheel 66, a driven wheel 67, a vacuum box 68, an endless circular belt 69, a conveying motor 70, and a suction pump 71.

[0048] The frame 61 supports the entire suction device 60 including the conveying motor 70 and the suction pump 71. The rotating shaft 62 extends in the conveying direction. The rotating shaft 62 is rotatably supported by the frame 61. The rotating frame 63 is supported by the rotating shaft 62. That is, the rotating frame 63 rotates together with the rotating shaft 62. A pair of support shafts 64a, 64b are supported by the rotating frame 63. The pair of support shafts 64a, 64b are each provided to extend in the width direction at positions spaced apart in the conveying direction. In addition, the pair of support shafts 64a, 64b are supported by the rotating frame 63 so as to be slidable in the axial direction.

[0049] The pair of side plates 65a, 65b are supported at the tip sides of the pair of support shafts 64a, 64b. The pair of side plates 65a, 65b are provided extending in the conveying direction at positions spaced apart in the width direction. The driving wheel 66 and the driven wheel 67 are disposed between the pair of side plates 65a, 65b. The driving wheel 66 and the driven wheel 67 are supported by the pair of side plates 65a, 65b to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the width direction.

[0050] The driving wheel 66 is supported at the downstream end of the pair of side plates 65a, 65b in the conveying direction. The driven wheel 67 is supported at the upstream end of the pair of side plates 65a, 65b in the conveying direction. In other words, the driving wheel 66 and the driven wheel 67 are supported by the pair of side plates 65a, 65b at positions spaced apart in the conveying direction.

[0051] The driving wheel 66 according to this embodiment is disposed upstream of the end unit 50 in the conveying direction. Moreover, the driven wheel 67 according to this embodiment is disposed downstream of the center seal device 40 and the tilting plate 39 in the conveying direction. However, the distance between the driving wheel 66 and the driven wheel 67 may be shorter or longer than that in the example of Fig. 1. Moreover, the arrangement of the driving wheel 66 and the driven wheel 67 may be reversed.

[0052] The vacuum box 68 is supported by a pair of side plates 65a, 65b. The vacuum box 68 is disposed between the pair of side plates 65a, 65b in the width direction and between the driving wheels 66 and the driven wheels 67 in the conveying direction. A suction port (not shown) for sucking air is formed on the lower surface of the vacuum box 68. That is, the vacuum box 68 is disposed between the center seal device 40 and the end unit 50 in the conveying direction.

[0053] The endless circular belt 69 is stretched around a drive wheel 66 and a driven wheel 67. The endless circular belt 69 also surrounds a vacuum box 68. The lower end of the endless circular belt 69 is located above the upper end of the product P. The endless circular belt 69 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 68. The size and density of the through holes are set appropriately depending on, for example, the rigidity of the strip-shaped film Fw.

[0054] The conveying motor 70 generates a driving force for rotating the drive wheel 66. The conveying motor 70 and the drive wheel 66 are connected via a driving force transmission mechanism 85, a driving gear 72, a driven gear 73, and a drive shaft 74, which will be described later. The drive gear 72 rotates when the driving force of the conveying motor 70 is transmitted to it via the driving force transmission mechanism 85. The driven gear 73 is engaged with the lower side of the drive gear 72. One end of the drive shaft 74 is connected to the driven gear 73, and the other end is connected to the drive wheel 66.

[0055] As a result, the driving force of the conveying motor 70 is transmitted via the driving force transmission mechanism 85, the driving gear 72, the driven gear 73, and the driving shaft 74, thereby rotating the driving wheel 66. The endless circular belt 69 then rotates in association with the rotation of the driving wheel 66. The endless circular belt 69 rotates in a direction such that the lower side (the side facing the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape) moves in the conveying direction, and the upper side moves in the opposite direction to the conveying direction.

[0056] The suction pump 71 is connected to the vacuum box 68 through an air passage (e.g., a hose). The suction pump 71 is supplied with power from an external power source 75 via an inverter 76, thereby sucking air from the underside of the endless circular belt 69 through the communicating through-hole and suction port. As a result, the suction device 60 can transport the cylindrically formed strip film Fw in the transport direction while sucking it upward within the range in which the suction port of the vacuum box 68 is formed.

[0057] In addition, by changing the settings of the inverter 76, the frequency of the power supplied to the suction pump 71 can be varied, thereby adjusting the suction force. The settings of the inverter 76 may be changed by operating an operation panel of the inverter 76, or may be changed by an external command signal.

[0058] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the relationship between the interval between the pair of guide plates 37, 38 and the width of the endless circular belt 69. As shown in Fig. 6, the pair of guide plates 37, 38 are configured so that the interval in the width direction can be adjusted between a maximum interval W1 and a minimum interval W2. The specific configuration for adjusting the interval between the pair of guide plates 37, 38 is not particularly limited, but a well-known configuration such as a rack and pinion mechanism can be adopted. This allows the interval between the pair of guide plates 37, 38 to be adjusted to the width of the product P.

[0059] As one example, the length of the endless circular belt 69 in the conveying direction may be set shorter than the minimum distance W2 between the pair of guide plates 37, 38, as shown in Fig. 6(A). As another example, the length of the endless circular belt 69 in the conveying direction may be set longer than the maximum distance W1 between the pair of guide plates 37, 38, as shown in Fig. 6(B). In addition, the multiple through holes formed in the endless circular belt 69 may be configured to be openable and closable. When the upper surface of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape is sucked by the suction device 60, the through holes located on the outer side in the width direction than the pair of guide plates 37, 38 may be closed, as shown by "●" in Fig. 6(B).

[0060] 7 is a diagram showing a configuration for advancing and retracting the endless circular belt 69 in the width direction. The suction device 60, together with a pair of side plates 65a, 65b, a driving wheel 66, a driven wheel 67, and a vacuum box 68, supports the endless circular belt 69 so that it can advance and retract in the width direction. More specifically, the suction device 60 advances the endless circular belt 69 to a position where it can face the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape (FIG. 7(A)), and retreats it to a position shifted in the width direction from the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape (FIG. 7(B)). The suction device 60 further includes a regulating member 77, a guide roller 78, and a stopper 79 in order to advance and retract the endless circular belt 69 in the width direction.

[0061] The regulating member 77 is fixed to the frame 61. The guide roller 78 is supported by the frame 61 so as to be rotatable about a rotation axis extending in the conveying direction. The regulating member 77 and the guide roller 78 are provided corresponding to the pair of support shafts 64a, 64b, respectively. The stoppers 79 are attached to the base ends of the pair of support shafts 64a, 64b (the ends opposite the endless circular belt 69 across the rotating frame 63).

[0062] 7(A), when the support shafts 64a, 64b are extended horizontally, the base ends of the support shafts 64a, 64b come into contact with the underside of the regulating member 77, and the stopper 79 comes into contact with the side of the regulating member 77. This causes the endless circular belt 69 to advance to a position facing the cylindrically molded strip film Fw. In addition, the support shafts 64a, 64b are restricted from sliding in the direction in which the endless circular belt 69 retreats from the position where it can face the cylindrically molded strip film Fw.

[0063] Next, when the operator rotates the rotating frame 63 in a direction to lift the endless circular belt 69, the base ends of the support shafts 64a, 64b and the stopper 79 move away from the regulating member 77. This allows the support shafts 64a, 64b to slide in a direction in which the endless circular belt 69 retreats from a position where it can face the cylindrically formed strip film Fw. In addition, the driven gear 73 moves away from the drive gear 72.

[0064] Next, as shown in Fig. 7(B), when the support shafts 64a, 64b are slid in a direction in which the endless circular belt 69 approaches the rotating frame 63, either by its own weight or manually by the operator, the guide rollers 78 come into contact with the upper surfaces of the support shafts 64a, 64b and rotate. As a result, the endless circular belt 69 moves away from a position where it can face the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape. In addition, the guide rollers 78 come into contact with the upper surfaces of the support shafts 64a, 64b, thereby restricting the rotation of the support shafts 64a, 64b in a direction returning to the state shown in Fig. 7(A).

[0065] Next, when the operator slides the support shafts 64a, 64b shown in Fig. 7(B) in a direction in which the endless circular belt 69 moves away from the rotating frame 63, the weight of the endless circular belt 69 etc. causes the rotating frame 63 to rotate in a direction in which the extension direction of the support shafts 64a, 64b approaches the horizontal direction. As a result, the endless circular belt 69 advances to a position where it can face the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape. In addition, the base ends of the support shafts 64a, 64b and a stopper 79 come into contact with the regulating member 77, and the driven gear 73 meshes with the drive gear 72.

[0066] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration for raising and lowering the endless circular belt 69. Fig. 9 is a schematic diagram of a driving force transmission mechanism 85 for transmitting the driving force of the conveying motor 70 to the driving gear 72. The suction device 60 supports the endless circular belt 69 together with a pair of side plates 65a, 65b, a driving wheel 66, a driven wheel 67, and a vacuum box 68 so that the endless circular belt 69 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction. As shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the suction device 60 further includes a fixed block 80, a pair of slide rails 81a, 81b, a pair of sliders 82a, 82b, a base plate 83, a height adjustment handle 84, and a driving force transmission mechanism 85.

[0067] The fixed block 80 and the pair of slide rails 81a, 81b are fixed to the horizontal pillow packaging machine 1. The pair of slide rails 81a, 81b are provided at positions spaced apart in the conveying direction, and each extends in the vertical direction. The sliders 82a, 82b are supported by the slide rails 81a, 81b so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. The base plate 83 is attached to the pair of sliders 82a, 82b, and slides in the vertical direction together with the sliders 82a, 82b. The base plate 83 is supported by the fixed block 80 so as to be movably in the vertical direction via a feed screw extending in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the base plate 83 supports the frame 61.

[0068] The height adjustment handle 84 is a handle for rotating the feed screw mechanism. That is, the base plate 83 rises when the operator rotates the height adjustment handle 84 forward, and falls when the operator rotates the height adjustment handle 84 reversely. As a result, the frame 61 supported by the base plate 83 rises and falls together with the endless circular belt 69.

[0069] The driving force transmission mechanism 85 serves to transmit the rotational driving force of an input shaft 86 (output shaft of the conveying motor 70) to an output shaft 93 connected to the driving gear 72. Moreover, the driving force transmission mechanism 85 can transmit the driving force of the conveying motor 70 to the driving gear 72 regardless of the vertical position of the endless circular belt 69. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the driving force transmission mechanism 85 includes pulleys 87-91 and an endless belt 92 stretched around the pulleys 87, 88, and 91.

[0070] Pulleys 87-91 are configured to be rotatable around a rotation axis extending in the width direction. Pulley 87 is an input shaft pulley connected to input shaft 86. Pulley 91 is an output shaft pulley connected to output shaft 93. Pulleys 88-90 are idle pulleys that apply tension to endless belt 92. Pulleys 87, 88 are fixed pulleys that are rotatably fixed to horizontal pillow packaging machine 1. On the other hand, pulleys 89-91 are movable pulleys that are rotatably supported by base plate 83 and are vertically movable.

[0071] The pulleys 87, 88 are disposed vertically apart from each other. The pulleys 89, 90 are disposed between the pulleys 87, 88 in the vertical direction. The pulleys 89, 90 are disposed downstream of the pulleys 87, 88 in the conveying direction and upstream of the pulley 91 in the conveying direction. The pulleys 89, 90 are disposed vertically apart from each other. The pulley 91 is disposed between the pulleys 89, 90 in the vertical direction. The pulley 91 is disposed downstream of the pulleys 89, 90 in the conveying direction. The pulleys 87, 88, 91 are in contact with the inner peripheral surface of the endless belt 92. The pulleys 89, 90 are in contact with the outer peripheral surface of the endless belt 92.

[0072] As a result, the rotation of pulley 87 is transmitted to pulley 91 through endless belt 92. Also, as shown in Fig. 9, when base plate 83 is raised or lowered, pulleys 89 to 91 move up and down without changing their relative positions. More specifically, when base plate 83 is raised, the distance between pulleys 88, 89 becomes shorter and the distance between pulleys 87, 90 becomes longer. On the other hand, when base plate 83 is lowered, the distance between pulleys 88, 89 becomes longer and the distance between pulleys 87, 90 becomes shorter.

[0073] According to the above embodiment, for example, the following advantageous effects are achieved.

[0074] Fig. 10 is a cross section taken along CC in Fig. 2, comparing (A) a case where the suction device 60 is not installed with (B) a case where the suction device 60 is installed. As shown in Fig. 10(A), in the case of a conventional horizontal pillow packaging machine 1 not equipped with a suction device 60, the upper surface of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape drops, and the shape of both sides cannot be maintained. This tendency becomes more pronounced as the rigidity of the strip film Fw becomes lower (the stiffness becomes weaker).

[0075] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 10(B), by sucking the cylindrically formed strip film Fw upward with the suction device 60, both side surfaces in the width direction of the cylindrically formed strip film Fw can be made perpendicular to the advancing and retreating directions of the gusset claws 55a to 55d (in other words, parallel to the guide plates 37, 38). This makes it possible to properly form gussets regardless of the rigidity of the strip film Fw. In addition, since the suction device 60 transports the cylindrically formed strip film Fw while sucking it, the movement of the cylindrically formed strip film Fw in the transport direction is not impeded.

[0076] Furthermore, according to the above embodiment, both side surfaces in the width direction of the cylindrically formed strip film Fw can be made perpendicular to the advancing and retreating directions of the gusset claws 55a to 55d by guiding the both side surfaces of the cylindrically formed strip film Fw with the pair of guide plates 37, 38. Furthermore, by providing the tilting plate 39 in the extension range of the pair of guide plates 37, 38, it is possible to restrict the cylindrically formed strip film Fw from moving in the width direction by the tilting plate 39. Furthermore, by making the distance between the pair of guide plates 37, 38 adjustable, products P of various sizes can be accommodated.

[0077] Furthermore, by setting the distance between the pair of guide plates 37, 38 and the width of the endless circular belt 69 as shown in Fig. 6(A), it is possible to selectively suck the center in the width direction of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape, regardless of the width of the product P. On the other hand, by setting the distance between the pair of guide plates 37, 38 and the width of the endless circular belt 69 as shown in Fig. 6(B), it is possible to suck the entire upper surface of the strip film Fw formed into a cylindrical shape, regardless of the width of the product P.

[0078] The driven wheel 67 and the endless circular belt 69 may be omitted from the suction device 60. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of a main part of a suction device 60A according to a modified example. A detailed description of commonalities with the above embodiment will be omitted, and differences will be mainly described. As shown in Fig. 11, the suction device 60A according to the modified example may have a plurality of through holes formed in the side surface of a cylindrical (drum-shaped) driving wheel 66A, and may house a vacuum box 68 inside the driving wheel 66A. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 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, 34...Feed motor, 25a, 25b...Guide roller, 26...Former, 30...Conveyor device, 31...Support plate, 31a...Slit, 32 , 33...film feed roller, 35, 36...transport conveyor, 37, 38...guide plate, 39...falling plate, 40...center seal device, 41, 42...bar heater, 43, 44...pressing roller, 45, 46...mesh roller, 47...mesh motor, 50...end unit, 52a, 52b...lifting block, 53a, 53b...heater block, 55a, 55b, 55c, 55d...gusset claw, 56a, 56b...s Ride block, 57a, 57b...air cylinder, 58a, 58b...plate cam, 59a, 59b...cam follower, 60, 60A...suction device, 61...frame, 62...rotating shaft, 63...rotating frame, 64a, 64b...support shaft, 65a, 65b...side plate, 66, 66A...driving wheel, 67...driven wheel, 68...vacuum box, 69...endless circular belt, 70...conveyor motor, 71...suction pump, 72 ...driving gear, 73...driven gear, 74...driving shaft, 75...external power source, 76...inverter, 77...regulating member, 78...guide roller, 79...stopper, 80...fixed block, 81a, 81b...slide rail, 82a, 82b...slider, 83...base plate, 84...height adjustment handle, 85...driving force transmission mechanism, 86...input shaft, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91...pulley, 92...endless belt, 93...output shaft

Claims

1. A horizontal pillow packaging machine that fills products into bags formed from a strip-shaped packaging material, 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 conveying device disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction and below the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape, the conveying device conveying the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape in the conveying direction; 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; a suction device disposed downstream of the center seal device in the conveying direction and above the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material, the suction device sucking the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material upward in the conveying direction; a gusset device disposed downstream of the suction device in the conveying direction and configured to fold inward both side surfaces in the width direction of the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material; an end seal device disposed downstream of the suction device in the conveying direction and configured to seal both ends in the conveying direction of a strip-shaped packaging material containing a product and having both side surfaces folded inward; a pair of guide plates disposed upstream of the gusset device and the end seal device in the conveying direction and facing both side surfaces in the width direction of the strip packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape, the suction device is provided in an extension range of the pair of guide plates in the conveying direction, The pair of guide plates are configured so that the interval in the width direction is adjustable, The suction device comprises: 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 widthwise length of the endless circular belt is shorter than the widthwise length of a cylindrically formed strip-shaped packaging material and shorter than the minimum distance between the pair of guide plates.

2. A horizontal pillow packaging machine that fills products into bags formed from a strip-shaped packaging material, 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 conveying device disposed downstream of the tube former in the conveying direction and below the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape, the conveying device conveying the strip-shaped packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape in the conveying direction; 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; a suction device disposed downstream of the center seal device in the conveying direction and above the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material, the suction device sucking the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material upward in the conveying direction; a gusset device disposed downstream of the suction device in the conveying direction and configured to fold inward both side surfaces in the width direction of the cylindrically shaped strip packaging material; an end seal device disposed downstream of the suction device in the conveying direction for sealing both ends in the conveying direction of a strip-shaped packaging material containing a product and having both side surfaces folded inward; a pair of guide plates disposed upstream of the gusset device and the end seal device in the conveying direction and facing both side surfaces in the width direction of the strip packaging material formed into a cylindrical shape, the suction device is provided in an extension range of the pair of guide plates in the conveying direction, The pair of guide plates are configured so that the interval in the width direction is adjustable, The suction 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 openable and closable 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 among the multiple through holes of the endless circular belt, the through holes located outside the pair of guide plates are blocked.

3. In the horizontal pillow packaging machine according to claim 1 or 2, 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.

4. In the horizontal pillow packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, 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.

5. In the horizontal pillow packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a lowering plate disposed between the center seal device and the suction device in the conveying direction and below the cylindrically formed strip packaging material, for lowering an end of the strip packaging material sealed by the center seal device toward a bottom surface of the cylindrically formed strip packaging material; A horizontal pillow packaging machine characterized in that the tilting plate is provided within an extension range of the pair of guide plates in the conveying direction.

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