Packaging material support device

Abstract

To provide a packaging material support device that can suppress twisting and wrinkling of packaging material without laborious work in setting the packaging material.SOLUTION: The packaging material support device has a support surface 43, 214 that moves while supporting one end edge Fs of a packaging material F, with the longitudinal direction of a case body portion 41, 210 facing to a direction along the one end edge Fs of the packaging material F. The support surface 43, 214 is provided with holding means 45, 215 that hold the center portion of the one end edge Fs of the packaging material F and non-contact suction means 47a, 47b that support both end sides from the center portion in the one end edge Fs so as to draw them together. Air outlet ports 56, 57, 225 are located outside of the supported packaging material F. Air can be discharged along the longitudinal direction of the case body 210 from an air discharge port 223 provided at a tip 217 of the case body 210. Therefore, discharged air, which may hinder the holding of the packaging material F, is not blown toward the one end edge Fs of the supported packaging material F, and the packaging material F can be supported stably.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging material supporting device. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a device that holds the starting end of a raw roll by using a hand unit attached to the tip of a robot arm and pulls out a strip-shaped film from the raw roll. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a robot hand unit that pulls out a strip-shaped film by magnetic attraction without causing wrinkles or curls. Permanent magnets are arranged at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction of a rod-shaped member that constitutes the hand unit. In addition, an attracted member (magnetic body) is attached to the starting end of the film in advance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6584709 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in this type of film pulling by magnetic attraction, it is necessary to attach an attracted member (magnetic material) to the starting end of the original roll every time the original roll is replaced, and the film setting work tends to be time-consuming. In addition, further improvement is desired in application to a mode in which one edge of a flat packaging material is supported while it is moved.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a packaging material support device that can reduce the time and effort required for setting the packaging material and can prevent the packaging material from being twisted or wrinkled. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the packaging material support device of the present invention takes the following measures. First, the invention according to claim 1 is a packaging material support device that can move while supporting one end edge portion (Fs) of a packaging material (F), comprising: a case main body portion (41, 210) having a support surface (43, 214) whose longitudinal direction is oriented in a direction along the one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F); a holding means (45, 215) provided on the supporting surface (43, 214) for contacting the one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) and holding a central portion of the one end edge portion (Fs) in a direction along the one end edge portion (Fs); and a holding means (45, 215) provided on the supporting surface (43, 214) on both sides of the holding means (45, 215) in the longitudinal direction of the supporting surface (43, 214) and receiving a supply of air. the case main body (41, 210) is provided with an air exhaust port (56, 57, 223, 225) for exhausting air passing through the inside of the case main body (41, 210) to the atmosphere outside the case main body (41, 210), and the air exhaust port (56, 57, 223, 225) is provided at a position that is outside the packaging material (F) in the longitudinal direction when the one end edge portion (Fs) is supported by the support surface (43, 214), and / or is provided at a tip portion (52, 217) of the case main body (41, 210) in the longitudinal direction so that air can be exhausted along the longitudinal direction.

[0007] According to the invention of claim 1, the packaging material support device moves while supporting one end edge (Fs) of the packaging material (F) with the support surface (43, 214) with the longitudinal direction of the case body (41, 210) facing in a direction along one end edge (Fs) of the packaging material (F). The packaging material support device holds the center of one end edge (Fs) of the packaging material (F) with the holding means (45, 215), and supports the one end edge (Fs) of the packaging material (F) by drawing both ends from the center of the one end edge (Fs) with the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b). This makes it possible to support one end edge (Fs) of the packaging material (F) up to both ends in the direction along the one end edge (Fs) while keeping the contact area between the support surface (43, 214) and the packaging material (F) small. That is, by holding the center of one edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) and sucking both ends in a non-contact manner, it is possible to prevent the packaging material (F) from twisting or wrinkling. Furthermore, the case main body (41, 210) is provided with air exhaust ports (56, 57, 223, 225) for exhausting air passing through the inside of the case main body (41, 210) to the atmosphere outside the case main body (41, 210), so as to be located outside the packaging material (F) in the longitudinal direction of the case main body (41, 210) when the one edge portion (Fs) is supported by the support surface (43, 214) and / or so as to be provided at the tip portion (52, 217) of the case main body (41, 210). This prevents exhaust air that would hinder the holding of the packaging material (F) from being blown out toward the one edge portion (Fs) of the supported packaging material (F), making it possible to stably support the packaging material (F) and efficiently perform the setting operation of the packaging material (F).

[0008] Next, the invention of claim 2 dependent on claim 1 is characterized in that the air supplied to the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b) is sent along the support surface (43, 214), passes through the inside of the case main body (41, 210), and is discharged from the air discharge port (56, 57, 223).

[0009] According to the invention of claim 2, when air is supplied to the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b) and one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) is attracted in a non-contact manner, the air flowing out of the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b) is not discharged from the support surface (43, 214) side, but passes through the inside of the case main body (41, 210) and is discharged from the air exhaust port (56, 57, 223). As a result, exhaust air that would interfere with the holding of the packaging material (F) is not blown toward the one end edge portion (Fs) of the supported packaging material (F), and the packaging material (F) can be stably supported.

[0010] Next, the invention according to claim 3 dependent on claim 1 or claim 2 is characterized in that the case body (41, 210) is pivotally supported at one end (51, 216) of the case body (41, 210) in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable about an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the support surface (43, 214), and air can be supplied to the one end (51, 216) side of the case body (41, 210) toward the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b) and the air exhaust port (56, 225). The holding means (45, 215) is characterized in that it includes a plurality of air supply units (54) respectively connected to a plurality of air pipes (60, 236) arranged inside the case body (41, 210), and the holding means (45, 215) holds the one edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) by negative pressure generated inside an air pipe (61, 237) branched from the air pipe (60, 236) that supplies air from the air supply unit (54) toward the air outlet (56, 225) by an ejector system.

[0011] According to the invention of claim 3, an ejector system is used for the holding means (45, 215), and compressed air flows through the air piping (60, 236) that communicates with the air supply unit (54) and the air outlet (56, 225), causing an air flow from the holding means (45, 215) through the branched air piping (61, 237) toward the air outlet (56, 225, so that the center of one edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) is sucked and held. By using the ejector system, the holding force of the holding means (45, 215) can be further increased. Even if compressed air flows through the air pipe (60, 236) in which the air supply unit (54) and the air outlet (56, 225) of the holding means (45, 215) communicate, the air is exhausted along the longitudinal direction from the air outlet (56) located outside the supported packaging material (F) in the longitudinal direction of the case body (41, 210) and / or the air outlet (225) located at the tip end (217) of the case body (210), so that suction of the packaging material (F) is stably maintained. Furthermore, by juxtaposing the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b) and the ejector-type holding means (45, 215) on the support surface (43, 214), it is possible to reliably hold one edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) while preventing the packaging material (F) from twisting or wrinkling.

[0012] Next, the invention according to claim 4 which is dependent on claim 3 is characterized in that the holding means includes a suction device (46, 229, 230) connected to the branched air piping (61, 237), and the one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) is held by the suction device (46, 229, 230).

[0013] According to the invention of claim 4, the suction device (46, 229, 230) sucks and holds the center of one edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) by using an ejector system. By using the ejector system, the suction force of the suction device (46, 229, 230) can be further increased. Furthermore, by juxtaposing the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b) and the ejector-type suction device (46, 229, 230) on the support surface (43, 214), it is possible to reliably suck the one edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) while preventing the packaging material (F) from twisting or wrinkling.

[0014] Next, the invention according to claim 5 which is dependent on claim 4 is characterized in that the holding means comprises a pair of suction devices (229, 230) arranged so as to be able to move toward and away from each other along the longitudinal direction, and a pair of clamping portions (234, 235) arranged so as to move integrally with each of the suction devices (229, 230) and grip the one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F), and the pair of clamping portions (234, 235) clamp the one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) which rises as the pair of suction devices (229, 230) which have sucked the one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) approach each other.

[0015] According to the invention of claim 5, when one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) is supported by the pair of suction devices (229, 230) and the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b) on the support surface (214), the pair of suction devices (229, 230) approach each other, so that the one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F) between the opposing suction devices (229, 230) is brought closer to the center of the one end edge portion (Fs) without moving away from the support surface (214) due to suction by the non-contact suction means (47a, 47b), thereby raising the center of the one end edge portion (Fs). As a result, the pair of clamping portions (234, 235) can clamp the raised one end edge portion (Fs) of the packaging material (F), making it more difficult for the packaging material (F) to separate from the support surface (214).

[0016] Next, the invention according to claim 6 dependent on claim 1 or claim 2 is a case in which the support surface (43, 214) is supported at one end (51, 216) of the case body portion (41, 210) in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable around an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the support surface (43, 214), and the support surface (43, 214) is supported between the one end (51, 216) and the other end (52, 217) of the case body portion (41, 210) opposed to the one end (51, 216). The case is characterized in that the boundary between the surface (43, 214) and the surface (76) adjacent to the supporting surface (43, 214) or the adjacent surface (76) is provided with an anti-slip portion (78) that prevents the packaging material (F) from slipping when the packaging material (F) comes into contact with the boundary between the surface (43, 214) and the surface (76) adjacent to the supporting surface (43, 214), and when the packaging material (F) is supported and moved, the case main body portion (41, 210) rotates so as to wrap around the packaging material (F), thereby causing the anti-slip portion (78) to come into contact with the packaging material (F).

[0017] According to the invention of claim 6, when the packaging material support device moves while supporting the packaging material (F), the case body (41, 210) rotates about its axis so as to wrap the packaging material (F), causing the non-slip portion (78) to come into contact with the packaging material (F). This increases the frictional resistance of the packaging material support device, making it difficult for the packaging material (F) to come off the support surface (43, 214) due to resistance when pulling the packaging material (F). Effect of the Invention

[0018] The present invention can provide a packaging material support device that reduces the time and effort required for setting the packaging material and can prevent the film from twisting or wrinkling. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a film supply path of the bag making, filling and packaging machine according to the embodiment, as viewed from the front. FIG. [Diagram 2] 2 is a right-side view of the transfer robot in FIG. 1, showing a state in which the second support body of the pay-out roller unit has moved to a retracted position and the strip-shaped film has been wound around each roller. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a view of the hand unit according to the first embodiment as viewed from the support surface side. [Figure 4] 3 is a schematic diagram showing the inside of a case main body of the hand unit according to the first embodiment and paths through which air flows. FIG. [Diagram 5] 13 is a view showing a state in which the hand unit according to the first embodiment rotates to wind the supported film, as viewed from the connection unit side. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a view of a hand unit according to the second embodiment as viewed from the support surface side. [Figure 7] 13 is a schematic diagram showing the inside of a case main body of a hand unit according to a second embodiment and paths through which air flows. FIG. [Figure 8] 13 is a diagram showing an air exhaust port provided in a case main body of a hand unit according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] 13A is a diagram showing the movement of the holding parts of the hand part according to the second embodiment and the state in which the center of the starting end of the film is raised, and FIG. 13B is a diagram showing the state in which the starting end of the film is clamped by the suction tool of the holding parts. [Figure 10] 13A is a diagram showing the movement of the holding parts and the state in which the center of the starting end of the film is raised in a hand part according to a modified example of the second embodiment, and FIG. 13B is a diagram showing the state in which the starting end of the film is clamped by the holding parts. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] First Embodiment The first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The packaging material support device according to this embodiment is a device for supporting a start end Fs (one end edge) of a strip-shaped film F (packaging material) pulled out from a film roll R in a bag-filling and packaging machine such as a horizontal bag-filling and packaging machine, while winding the film F around a roller or the like provided along a film supply path 20 that transports the film F to a bag former 5. Here, the start end Fs of the film F includes not only the peripheral portion at the leading end, but also a surface area that spreads inward from the peripheral portion of the leading end. In other words, the start end Fs of the film F is a supported area that has a length from the leading end toward the film roll R that can be supported by at least a support surface 43 described later.

[0021] Here, the form-fill-seal packaging machine according to this embodiment is a machine that forms a strip-shaped film F drawn out from a film roll R into a cylindrical shape using a bag former 5, applies vertical seals along the feed direction of the tubular film at overlapping points of the film formed into a cylindrical shape by overlapping both side edges by the bag former 5, and applies horizontal seals to the tubular film in a direction intersecting the feed direction of the tubular film to enclose articles in the tubular film, and is a horizontal form-fill-seal machine in which articles are supplied into the tubular film toward the bag former 5 by a supply conveyor 11. The left-right direction shown in Fig. 1 is the conveying direction in which the supply conveyor 11 conveys the articles and is also the feed direction of the tubular film.

[0022] 1, the make-fill-seal machine is formed with a film supply path 20 that transfers a film F from a film roll R toward a bag former 5. The film roll R, which is the most upstream in the film supply path 20, is supported by a wrapping paper setting unit 1, and a strip-shaped film F pulled out from the film roll R is fed downstream, in the order of a guide roller 2, a pay-out roller unit 3, and an approach angle adjustment unit 4. The strip-shaped film F is fed by a hand unit 7 provided on a transfer robot 6. The make-fill-seal machine also includes a packaging control unit (not shown) that controls the packaging operation, a transfer robot control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of the transfer robot 6, and a SCARA robot control unit (not shown) that controls the operation of a SCARA robot 9 described below.

[0023] The transfer robot 6 is supported as part of the frame FL by a pair of upper and lower guide rails 38 extending in the left-right direction so as to be capable of moving in the left-right direction, and is configured to be able to move in the left-right direction (conveyance direction) while changing the height and orientation of the hand unit 7 supporting the starting end Fs of the strip-shaped film F in response to a drive command from the transfer robot control unit. The transfer robot 6 is an articulated robot, and includes an arm unit 36 ​​and a hand unit 7 attached to the tip of the arm unit 36. With reference to FIG. 2, the arm unit 36 ​​has multiple arms connected in series that each rotate along the conveyance direction when winding and guiding the film F around each roller. The hand unit 7 will be described as an example of a packaging material support device according to this embodiment.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 3, the hand unit 7 includes a case body 41 whose longitudinal direction extends along the width direction of the film F (a direction along one edge of the packaging material), and a connection part 42 connected to the tip of the arm part 36 at one end side of the case body 41 in the longitudinal direction. The case body 41 has a support surface 43 formed in a flat shape longer than at least the length of the film F in the width direction. The hand unit 7 supports the starting end (Fs) of the film F by the support surface 43 whose longitudinal direction of the case body 41, i.e., the support surface 43, faces the direction along the starting end Fs of the film F (the width direction of the film F). The support surface 43 is provided with a holding part 45 (holding means) and non-contact suction parts 47a, 47b (non-contact suction means). Here, in the case body 41, one end on the side connected to the arm part 36 is a connection side end 51, and the other end opposite the connection side end 51 in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 43 is a tip part 52. The case body 41 is supported at a connection side end 51 via a connection part 42 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the support surface 43. The support surface 43 may be formed into a rounded shape according to the shape of the case body 41.

[0025] As shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the case body 41 includes an air supply unit 54 provided on the connection end 51 side, and includes a first outlet 56 provided at the tip 52 and a second outlet 57 provided near the connection end 51 as air outlets. The air supply unit 54 is disposed on the connection end 51 side in the case body 41 so that the multiple connectors communicate with the multiple holes provided in the connection unit 42. The air supply unit 54 receives air sent through the inside of the arm 36 of the transfer robot 6 and supplies it toward the first outlet 56 and the non-contact suction units 47a and 47b. The supply of air into the case body 41 is set to operate by switching ON and OFF of an electromagnetic valve provided in the arm 36 upon receiving a drive command from the transfer robot control unit.

[0026] The two air exhaust ports 56, 57 are provided so as to be located outside the film F in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 43 when the starting end Fs of the film F is supported by the support surface 43. The first exhaust port 56 exhausts exhaust air flowing through a duct space 69 described later, where the tip portion 52 of the case body 41 is open to the external space of the case body 41. A connector 62 that connects to a driving air pipe 60 described later is also provided in the duct space 69, and exhausts air flowing through the driving air pipe 60. The second exhaust port 57 is provided adjacent to the connection portion 42 on the same plane as the support surface 43 of the case body 41, and exhausts exhaust air flowing through a duct space 70 described later.

[0027] Inside the case main body 41, there are provided a driving air pipe 60 (air pipe) arranged so that the air supply unit 54 and the first exhaust port 56 communicate with each other, and a branch air pipe 61 branching from the driving air pipe 60 and communicating with the holding unit 45. Specifically, a branching connector 63 is arranged inside the case main body 41, and the driving air pipe 60 is connected by a tube such as a hose (not shown) so that the air supply unit 54 and the first exhaust port 56 communicate with each other via the connector 63. Air is supplied from the air supply unit 54 to the first exhaust port 56 through this driving air pipe 60. The connector 63 is also connected to a suction tool 65 of the holding unit 45, which will be described later.

[0028] The holding unit 45 has a suction device 65 disposed in a space recessed inward in the thickness direction of the case body 41 (direction perpendicular to the support surface 43) near the center in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 43. The holding unit 45 can contact the starting end Fs of the film F with the suction device 65 to hold the center of the starting end Fs in the direction along the starting end Fs (holding means). The holding unit 45 is connected to the branch air pipe 61, and is configured to suck and hold the starting end Fs of the film F by generating suction air using negative pressure generated inside the branch air pipe 61 by the ejector method. Specifically, when compressed air is supplied from the air supply unit 54 toward the first discharge port 56, the branch air pipe 61 side becomes negative pressure at the boundary between the driving air pipe 60 and the branch air pipe 61, and a flow of suction air is generated in the branch air pipe 61 from the suction device 65 toward the connector 63. As a result, the suction tool 65 comes into contact with the starting end Fs of the film F and sucks the center of the starting end Fs of the film F in the width direction of the film F. The range of the center of the starting end Fs of the film F includes an area that extends from the center in the width direction of the film to the inside of both end portions. The air flowing from the holding unit 45 to the branch air pipe 61 also passes from the connector 63 through the driving air pipe 60 and is discharged from the first exhaust port 56.

[0029] In the case main body 41, air supply paths 67a, 67b are formed to supply air from the air supply unit 54 to the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b. Specifically, the air supply unit 54 and grippers 72 of the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b, which will be described later, are connected by a tube such as a hose (not shown). These tubes may be connected via a connector 80 disposed in the case main body 41. In addition, in the case main body 41, duct spaces 69, 70 are provided to send exhaust air from the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b to the first exhaust port 56 or the second exhaust port 57, respectively, and air exhaust paths 68a, 68b are formed.

[0030] The non-contact suction units 47a and 47b are provided on the support surface 43 at a distance from each other on both sides of the holding unit 45 in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 43. The non-contact suction units 47a and 47b are provided with a circular gripper 72 disposed inside the support surface 43 in the case body 41. The gripper 72 is provided with a disk 73 on its bottom (the surface facing the support surface 43). A substantially rectangular extension cover 74 having an area larger than the outer circumference of the gripper 72 is attached to the support surface 43 side of the gripper 72. When air is supplied into the gripper 72 via the air supply paths 67a and 67b, the supplied air is blown toward the disk 73 and flows out radially to the side by hitting the disk 73. This air flow generates a negative pressure air layer on the support surface 43 side of the disk 73, and the starting end Fs of the film F is drawn to the support surface 43. In this way, the non-contact suction sections 47a, 47b are configured to receive air from the air supply section 54, and to attract and support the starting end Fs of the film F without coming into contact with the film F by the air flow generated by Bernoulli's law (non-contact support means).

[0031] The periphery of the extended cover 74 is provided with a gap 75 that communicates with the duct spaces 69, 70 that form the air exhaust paths 68a, 68b. As a result, the air that hits the disk 73 and flows out passes through the gap 75 on the periphery of the extended cover 74 and flows through the air exhaust paths 68a, 68b. That is, the air supplied to the non-contact suction parts 47a, 47b is sent along the support surface 43, passes through the inside of the case main body 41, and is discharged from the first discharge port 56 and the second discharge port 57. Therefore, the air that flows out from the non-contact suction parts 47a, 47b is not blown toward the starting end Fs of the supported film F, but is discharged to the outside of the case main body 41 from the first discharge port 56 and the second discharge port 57, respectively. In addition, by disposing the extended cover 74 on the support surface 43 side of the gripper 72, the area of ​​the negative pressure air layer is expanded, and the film F can be sucked in a non-contact manner over a wider area.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 5, the case body 41 is provided with a non-slip portion 78 that prevents the film F from slipping when the film F comes into contact with a surface 76 adjacent to the support surface 43 between the connection side end 51 and the tip portion 52. The non-slip portion 78 is made of a non-slip material such as rubber. With this configuration, when the hand unit 7 supports and moves the film F, the case body 41 rotates around the axis so as to wrap the film F around it, so that the non-slip portion 78 comes into contact with the film F. The frictional resistance caused by this contact can prevent the film F from being pulled and coming off the adhesion. The non-slip portion 78 may be provided at the boundary between the support surface 43 and the adjacent surface 76 depending on the shape of the case body 41.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 1, the paper wrapper setting section 1 includes a disk-shaped rotating body 10 rotatably supported by a frame FL, and a cylindrical holding shaft 12 that is supported at one end by the rotating body 10 and extends in the horizontal direction. The holding shaft 12 is driven to rotate by a motor that is driven and controlled by the packaging control section. That is, the holding shaft 12 rotatably supports the film roll R and functions as a driving means that drives the film roll R to rotate. The film roll R is placed on a dolly (not shown) such as an unmanned transport vehicle, and is transported to the vicinity of the paper wrapper setting section 1, where it is set on the holding shaft 12 by a robot (not shown). When the film roll R is set, the holding shaft 12 rotates and stops so that the starting end Fs of the film F located at the outermost periphery of the film roll R comes to a predetermined position. In addition, a known method is used to detect the position of the starting end Fs of the film F of the film roll R, such as detecting the position of a mark (not shown) previously attached to the film F with a sensor (not shown).

[0034] The guide roller 2 is supported at one end by a frame FL and extends horizontally downstream of the rotating body 10. The guide roller 2 wraps around and guides the strip-shaped film F pulled out from the film roll R by the hand unit 7.

[0035] The pay-out roller unit 3 is equipped with a main body 14 located behind a film supply path 20 that transports the film F (on one side in the width direction of the strip-shaped film F), a drive roller 15 and a driven roller 16 that form a pair and extend in the width direction of the strip-shaped film F, and a first support 17 and a second support 18 that rotatably support these rollers 15, 16. In addition, a guide roller 24 that can wrap around and guide the strip-shaped film F is provided upstream of the drive roller 15 so as to be parallel to the drive roller 15.

[0036] One end of the drive roller 15 is drivingly connected to a drive motor (not shown), such as a servo motor, which is driven and controlled by a packaging control unit. The driven roller 16 is positioned so as to be aligned horizontally (left-right direction) with the drive roller 15. As the drive roller 15 is driven to rotate, the driven roller 16 rotates following the drive roller 15 with the strip-shaped film F sandwiched between the drive roller 15 and the driven roller 16. With this configuration, the strip-shaped film F between the guide roller 2 and the bag former 5 is sandwiched from the front and back, and sent out toward the bag former 5.

[0037] The second support 18 is connected to a servo motor or the like that is driven and controlled by the packaging control unit so that it can move from the clamping position to a retracted position spaced upward relative to the first support 17. This allows the second support 18 and the driven roller 16 to move up and down between the clamping position and the retracted position. When the second support 18 moves to the retracted position together with the driven roller 16, the gap between the second support 18 and the first support 17 opens.

[0038] The approach angle adjustment unit 4 is disposed downstream of the pay-out roller unit 3, and includes a guide roller 30 and a SCARA robot 9. The SCARA robot 9 includes a first rotating arm 31 and a second rotating arm 32 that extend along the conveying direction and rotate. The first rotating arm 31 rotates upon receiving a driving force from a servo motor (not shown) that is driven and controlled by the SCARA robot control unit. The second rotating arm 32 is rotatably supported by the first rotating arm 31, and rotates upon receiving a driving force from another servo motor (not shown) that is driven and controlled by the SCARA robot control unit. Two guide rollers 33, 34 are cantilever-supported by the second rotating arm 32 so as to extend in the depth direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. One of the two guide rollers functions as an approach angle adjustment roller 34, and can adjust the angle at which the strip-shaped film F approaches the bag making machine 5. The SCARA robot 9 is set so that the rotary arms 31, 32 can change the position of the approach angle adjusting roller 34 based on pre-stored operation information in response to switching of the type of packaging.

[0039] The bag former 5 is disposed downstream of the approach angle adjustment unit 4, and forms a tubular film by overlapping both side edges of the fed strip-shaped film F. The bag former 5 is structured such that the upper part of the bag former 5 main body is moved by a driving means (not shown) to separate the main body of the bag former 5 into an upper and lower part, the film F is passed between the upper and lower parts by a transfer robot 6, and then the upper part of the main body of the bag former 5 is returned to its original position, so that the film F is automatically set in the bag former 5, but detailed explanations thereof will be omitted in the present application.

[0040] The transfer robot 6 travels horizontally while changing the height and orientation of the hand unit 7 supporting the starting end Fs of the strip-shaped film F in response to a drive command from the transfer robot control unit. The angle and moving speed of the arm unit 36 ​​when the hand unit 7 passes each roller are stored in advance in the packaging control unit, and a series of operation information for passing the film F is sent to the transfer robot control unit. As a result, the starting end Fs of the film F supported on the support surface 43 of the hand unit 7 is transferred from the film roll R, past the position of the guide roller 2, and further through the pay-out roller unit 3 and multiple rollers arranged in the entry angle adjustment unit 4, to reach the bag former 5. The hand unit 7 of the transfer robot 6 moves on the movement path indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1.

[0041] Furthermore, when the hand unit 7 moves along the movement path, it moves while rotating itself by approximately 90 degrees so that the support surface 43 faces forward in the movement direction, thereby increasing the contact area with the film F. By changing the orientation of the hand unit 7 in this way so as to increase the contact area (frictional resistance) with the film F, the film F is less likely to come off the support surface 43.

[0042] In the film supply path 20, a gap is provided between each roller, bag former 5, etc. so that the hand unit 7 supporting the starting end Fs of the strip-shaped film F can pass through. The transfer robot 6 can wind the strip-shaped film F around a designated roller while moving on its own. By moving the transfer robot 6, which is equipped with the hand unit 7 that adsorbs or sucks the starting end Fs of the film F, along the movement path along which the film passes, the film F comes into contact with the guide rollers 2, 24, the drive roller 15, and the guide rollers 30, 33, 34 in a slack state, and the starting end Fs of the film F can be supported without excessively increasing the suction force of the hand unit 7, and the same operation as an operator can be performed in setting the film F.

[0043] The packaging control section drives and controls the drive sections such as the drive motor and air cylinder. The packaging control section also issues drive commands based on operation signals (pulses, etc.) from encoders, etc., attached to these drive sections. The operation patterns of the robot, such as the movement path, position, and movement speed of the support surface 43 provided on the hand section 7, are preset in the packaging control section via the operation panel before operation. The transfer robot control section and the SCARA robot control section receive information on the preset operation patterns from the packaging control section and issue drive commands to the respective robots. The support surface 43 of the hand section 7 moves along its movement path based on a series of film threading movements that are preset and stored before operation. The packaging control section also receives information on the angle and position of the robot arm, the position of the hand section 7, etc., through mutual communication with the transfer robot control section and the SCARA robot control section, and drives and controls the drive sections that drive the rollers.

[0044] The holding shaft 12 is set to rotate in accordance with the amount of film F pulled out, and to feed out the strip-shaped film F. Specifically, the rotation speed and amount of rotation of the drive motor per unit time are programmed based on the relationship between the movement path and speed of the hand unit 7. As a result, the rotation of the holding shaft 12 is controlled to pull out the film F so that the film F is always in a slack state. By rotating the film roll R in this way so that slack is generated in the film F, the resistance of the pulled-out film F increases, and it is possible to prevent the support of the starting end Fs of the film F by the holding unit 45 and the non-contact suction units 47a and 47b from coming off.

[0045] Next, the movements and actions of the transfer robot 6 and the hand unit 7 will be described. After the setting of the film F is set to the automatic mode, the film roll R carried by the dolly is set on the holding shaft 12 of the paper roll setting unit 1 by the robot. When the film roll R is set on the holding shaft 12, the state is detected and a signal is sent to the packaging control unit. The holding shaft 12 receives a drive command from the packaging control unit, rotates and stops so that the mark on the film F of the film roll R is located at a predetermined position. In addition, the transfer robot 6 and the SCARA robot 9 operate by receiving commands from their respective control units. In addition, the unwinding roller unit 3 receives a drive command from the packaging control unit, and the second support 18 and the driven roller 16 move to the retracted position.

[0046] The hand unit 7 of the transfer robot 6 operates based on a series of film threading information that has been set and stored in advance. When the rotation of the film roll R set on the holding shaft 12 stops, the packaging control unit issues a drive command based on the detection signal to start air supply. With the film roll R at a halt in rotation, the hand unit 7 supports the starting end Fs of the film F with the holding unit 45 and non-contact suction units 47a, 47b on the support surface 43, and pulls out the film F from the film roll R.

[0047] The transfer robot 6 travels horizontally, and the pivot arms 31 and 32 rotate. The transfer robot 6 then changes the orientation of the hand unit 7, and moves it through the guide roller 2, the open payout roller unit 3, the guide roller 30 of the entry angle adjustment unit 4, the guide roller 33 of the SCARA robot 9, and the entry angle adjustment roller 34 in this order. This causes the support surface 43 of the hand unit 7 to move along the set movement path. The hand unit 7 is set so that the longitudinal direction always faces the depth direction perpendicular to the conveying direction when passing the film F. Note that the packaging control unit is programmed in advance to rotate the holding shaft 12 so that slack is always generated in the film F in the film supply path 20 in accordance with the movement path and speed of the hand unit 7, and to send out the film F. The hand unit 7 also rotates approximately 90 degrees in the axial direction so that the case main body 41 wraps the film F in accordance with the traveling direction of the film F. When the case main body 41 of the hand unit 7 rotates in the axial direction, the film F comes into contact with the anti-slip portion 78, and the film F can be prevented from coming off the support surface 43.

[0048] After the film F is automatically loaded (wrapped around) the guide rollers 33 and the approach angle adjustment rollers 34 in the film supply path 20, a drive command from the packaging control unit stops the rotation of the film roll R and moves the second support 18 of the pay-out roller unit 3 to the clamping position. Also, the air supply to the hand unit 7 is stopped, and the support of the film F by the holding unit 45 and the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b is released. In this embodiment, the hand unit 7 of the transfer robot 6 is configured to carry the film F to the bag former 5 and the center sealer (not shown), and then a drive command is issued to move the second support 18 to the clamping position.

[0049] The device according to the first embodiment has the following advantages. (1) The hand unit 7 (packaging material support device) moves while supporting the starting end Fs (one end edge) of the film F with the support surface 43, with the longitudinal direction of the case body 41 facing the width direction (direction along one end edge) of the film F (packaging material). The hand unit 7 suction-holds the center of the starting end Fs of the film F with the holding unit 45 (holding means), and supports both ends of the starting end Fs of the film F by drawing them with the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b (non-contact suction means). This makes it possible to support the starting end Fs of the film F up to the end side in the width direction while keeping the contact area between the support surface 43 and the film F small. In other words, by suctioning the center of the starting end Fs of the film F and non-contact suctioning both ends, it is possible to prevent the film F from twisting or wrinkling. The same effect is achieved in the second embodiment described later. (2) The hand unit 7 has a first exhaust port 56 and a second exhaust port 57, which pass through the inside of the case body 41 and exhaust air to the atmosphere outside the case body 41 via the holding unit 45 and the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b, respectively, and are provided in the case body 41 so as to be located outside the film F in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 43 when the starting end Fs of the film F is supported by the support surface 43. This completely prevents exhaust air from being blown toward the starting end Fs of the supported film F, which would interfere with the adsorption of the film F, and allows the film F to be stably supported. Therefore, this configuration allows the setting operation of the film F pulled out from the film roll R to be efficiently performed. (3) The hand unit 7 uses an ejector system in the holding unit 45, and compressed air flows through the driving air pipe 60 (air pipe) in which the air supply unit 54 and the first exhaust port 56 (air exhaust port) communicate with each other, causing an air flow from the holding unit 45 toward the first exhaust port 56 via the branch air pipe 61 (branched air pipe), and the center of the starting end Fs of the film F is adsorbed. By using the ejector system, the adsorption force of the holding unit 45 can be further increased. In addition, even if compressed air flows through the driving air pipe 60 in which the air supply unit 54 and the first exhaust port 56 in the holding unit 45 communicate with each other, the air is exhausted from the first exhaust port 56 located outside the supported film F in the longitudinal direction of the case main body 41, so that the adsorption of the film F is stably maintained. Furthermore, by arranging non-contact suction portions 47a, 47b and ejector-type holding portion 45 side by side on support surface 43, it is possible to achieve both reliable suction of the starting end Fs of film F and prevention of twisting or wrinkling of film F. (4) When the hand unit 7 moves while supporting the film F, the case main body 41 rotates about its axis to wrap the film F around it, causing the anti-slip portion 78 to come into contact with the film F. This increases the frictional resistance of the hand unit 7, making it possible to configure the film F so that it is less likely to come off the adhesion. In other words, it is possible to prevent the film F from coming off the support surface 43 due to the resistance when pulling the film F. (5) In non-contact suction units 47a, 47b, extension covers 74 are provided on the support surface 43 side of gripper 72. This increases the area of ​​the negative pressure air layer generated on the support surface 43 side of disk 73, allowing the starting end Fs of film F to be sucked in a non-contact manner over a wider area. A similar effect is achieved in the second embodiment described below. (6) The periphery of the extension cover 74 is provided with a gap 75 that communicates with the duct spaces 69, 70 that form the air exhaust paths 68a, 68b. As a result, the air that hits the disk 73 and flows out passes through the gap 75 on the periphery of the extension cover 74, and is discharged to the outside of the case body 41 from the first exhaust port 56 and the second exhaust port 57 via the air exhaust paths 68a, 68b. That is, when the hand unit 7 is supplied with air to the non-contact suction parts 47a, 47b and the starting end Fs of the film F is attracted in a non-contact manner, the air that flows out from the non-contact suction parts 47a, 47b is not discharged from the support surface 43 side, but is discharged from the air exhaust ports 56, 57 through the inside of the case body 41. As a result, exhaust air that would hinder the holding of the starting end Fs of the film F is not blown out toward the starting end Fs of the supported film F, and the film F can be stably supported. The same effect is achieved in the second embodiment described later.

[0050] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment will be described. The packaging material support device according to this embodiment is configured to include a hand unit 207 shown in FIG. 6 instead of the hand unit 7 of the transfer robot 6 in the first embodiment. Therefore, the bag making, filling and packaging machine and the film supply path are substantially similar to those in the first embodiment, and therefore their description will be omitted. Note that the parts of the hand unit 207 that are different from the hand unit 7 in the first embodiment will be described using reference numerals in the 200 range. Also, the parts that are substantially similar to those in the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals, and their description will be omitted.

[0051] 6, the hand unit 207 includes a case body 210 extending in the width direction of the film F (a direction along one edge of the packaging material), and a connection unit 212 connected to the tip of the arm unit 36 ​​at one end side in the longitudinal direction of the case body 210. The case body 210 is provided with a support surface 214 formed in a flat shape, and a holding unit 215 (holding means) and non-contact suction units 47a, 47b (non-contact suction means) are arranged in parallel along the longitudinal direction of the support surface 214. The hand unit 207 can support the starting end Fs of the film F by the case body 210, i.e., the support surface 214, whose longitudinal direction is oriented in the direction along the starting end Fs of the film F (the width direction of the film F). Here, in the case main body 210, one end on the side connected to the arm portion 36 is a connection side end 216, and the other end opposite the connection side end 216 in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 214 is a tip portion 217. The case main body 210 is pivotally supported at the connection side end 216 via a connection portion 212 so as to be rotatable around an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the support surface 214.

[0052] In this embodiment, the case main body 210 of the hand unit 207 is configured such that, in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 214, the length along the starting end Fs of the film F supported on the support surface 214 extends outward from the support surface 214. In other words, when supporting the starting end Fs of the film F, the tip 217 of the case main body 210 is located inside the film F in the longitudinal direction of the case main body 210. The support surface 214 may be formed into a rounded shape depending on the shape of the case main body 210.

[0053] As shown in FIG. 7, the case body 210 includes air supply units 54, 221 provided on the connection end 216 side, and includes a third outlet 223 provided at the tip 217, and a second outlet 57 and a fourth outlet 225 provided near the connection end 216 as air outlets. The air supply units 54, 221 are disposed on the connection end 216 side in the case body 210 so that a plurality of connectors communicate with a plurality of holes provided in the connection unit 212. The air supply unit 54 receives air sent through the inside of the arm unit 36 ​​of the transfer robot 6, and supplies it toward the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b and the fourth outlet 225. The air supply unit 221 is configured to supply air toward a cylinder 232 described later or to suck air from the cylinder 232. The supply of air into the case main body 210 is set up so that a drive command is received from the transfer robot control unit, and an electromagnetic valve provided in the arm unit 36 ​​is switched between ON and OFF.

[0054] Third exhaust port 223 is configured such that tip 217 of case body 210 is open to the external space of case body 210, and can exhaust exhaust air flowing out from non-contact suction portion 47a located on the tip 217 side along the longitudinal direction of case body 210. For example, air is exhausted from third exhaust port 223 such that the exhaust direction is perpendicular to the feed direction of film F. This can prevent air from being blown out onto film F supported on support surface 214, causing film F to become detached.

[0055] The second exhaust port 57 and the fourth exhaust port 225 are provided at positions on the outer side of the film F in the longitudinal direction of the case body 210 when the starting end Fs of the film F is supported by the support surface 214. The second exhaust port 57 is provided adjacent to the connection portion 212 on the same surface as the support surface 214 of the case body 210, and exhausts the exhaust air flowing through a duct space 70 described later. The fourth exhaust port 225 is provided near the boundary between the upper surface and the rear surface in the movement direction of the hand unit 207 when the support surface 214 of the case body 210 is the lower surface, for example, and exhausts the air flowing through a driving air pipe 236 described later (see FIG. 8). This makes it possible to prevent the exhaust air from being blown onto the supported film F.

[0056] Inside the case body 210, there are provided a driving air pipe 236 (air pipe) arranged so that the air supply unit 54 and the fourth exhaust port 225 communicate with each other, and a branch air pipe 237 (branched air pipe) branching from the driving air pipe 236 and communicating with the holding unit 215. Specifically, a branching connector 238 is arranged inside the case body 210, and the driving air pipe 236 is connected by a tube such as a hose (not shown) so that the air supply unit 54 and the fourth exhaust port 225 communicate with each other via the connector 238. Air is supplied from the air supply unit 54 to the fourth exhaust port 225 through this driving air pipe 236. The connector 238 is also connected to suction tools 229 and 230 of the holding unit 215, which will be described later.

[0057] A holding portion 215 (holding means) is provided in the center of the case body 210. The holding portion 215 can contact the start end Fs of the film F and hold the center of the start end Fs in the direction along the start end Fs. Specifically, the start end Fs of the film F is held at a position spaced the same distance from both side edges in the direction along the start end Fs of the film F, that is, the start end Fs of the film F is held so that it has an equal length on both sides of the holding portion 215. The holding portion 215 has a recess 227 recessed inward from the support surface 214 in the thickness direction of the case body 210 (direction perpendicular to the support surface 214) across the width direction of the support surface 214. The recess 227 is formed to have an arc shape as shown in FIG. 9, and can accommodate a raised portion of the film F between suction devices 229 and 230 described later when supporting the start end Fs of the film F.

[0058] The holding unit 215 has a pair of suction devices 229, 230 disposed in accordance with the position of the recess 227, and is located on either side of the apex of the recess 227. The pair of suction devices 229, 230 are connected to a branch air pipe 237, and similarly to the first embodiment, the suction devices 229, 230 are configured to suck and hold the starting end Fs of the film F by using the ejector system, using negative pressure generated inside the branch air pipe 237, which branches off from the driving air pipe 236 that supplies air from the air supply unit 54 toward the fourth exhaust port 225.

[0059] The holding unit 21 also includes a pair of clamping units 234, 235 that are arranged to move integrally with the suction devices 229, 230, respectively, to grip the starting end Fs of the film F. The pair of clamping units 234, 235 are each formed in a flat shape, with their surfaces facing each other. An attachment such as a rubber plate is provided on each of the clamping units 234, 235.

[0060] As shown in Figs. 7 and 9, the pair of suction devices 229, 230 are configured to be able to move toward and away from each other along the longitudinal direction of the support surface 214 by the operation of a cylinder 232 arranged in the case main body 210. Specifically, the suction devices 229, 230 are each connected to the cylinder 232 via a guide member 233. Each of the cylinders 232 communicates with two connectors (one of which is not shown) in the air supply unit 221, and an air supply outward path 241 for supplying air to the cylinder 232 and an air supply return path 242 for sucking air from the cylinder 232 are formed. In addition, a pair of upper and lower guide rails (not shown) are arranged in the case main body 210 along the longitudinal direction of the support surface 214. The guide member 233 can move along the guide rails by switching the supply of air to the cylinder 232.

[0061] The pair of suction devices 229, 230 and the cylinder 232 are set to operate by switching ON and OFF of solenoid valves provided in the arm unit 36 ​​upon receiving drive commands from the transfer robot control unit. In this embodiment, the operation of the cylinder 232 is set to ON at the same time that the suction devices are turned ON. Instead of an air cylinder, the cylinder 232 may be an electric cylinder operated by a motor, for example.

[0062] The pair of suction devices 229, 230 are separated from each other when suctioning the starting end Fs of the film F, and when the starting end Fs of the film F is suctioned and held, they move toward each other in this state. As the suction devices 229, 230 move toward each other, the starting end Fs of the film F on the film roll R may rise toward the support surface 214 (see FIG. 9(A)). Then, as the case main body 210 moves in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction, the pair of clamping parts 234, 235 clamp the raised starting end Fs of the film F (see FIG. 9(B)). Here, immediately after the suction of the suction devices 229, 230 and the operation of the cylinder 232 are simultaneously turned ON, the force pressing the starting end Fs of the film F by the hand part 207 is greater than the thrust of the cylinder 232, so the state is maintained, but the film F may rise toward the support surface 214 of the hand part 207 by slowly raising the hand part 207. At this time, air gets between the starting end Fs of the adsorbed film F and the film F in the layer below, reducing frictional resistance with the film F in the layer below, making it easier to lift the film F in one direction when the adsorbers 229, 230 slide to the center. Furthermore, by holding the starting end Fs of the film F by the non-contact suction means 47a, 47b on both sides of the holding part 215, the film F can be lifted smoothly without interfering with the operation of the cylinder 232.

[0063] 6, the non-contact suction parts 47a, 47b are provided on the support surface 214 at a distance from each other on both sides of the holding part 215 in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 214. The non-contact suction parts 47a, 47b are configured to generate air according to Bernoulli's law, and are substantially similar to the first embodiment, so detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 7, air supply paths 67a, 67b are formed in the case body 210 to supply air from the air supply unit 54 to the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b. Specifically, the air supply unit 54 and the grippers 72 of the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b are connected by a tube such as a hose (not shown). These tubes may be connected via a connector 248 disposed in the case body 210. At the tip side of the case body 210, the non-contact suction unit 47a located at the tip side and the third exhaust port 223 are adjacent to each other, and an air exhaust path 243 is formed. In addition, a duct space 70 is provided in the case body 210 to send exhaust air from the non-contact suction unit 47b located in the center to the second exhaust port 57, and an air exhaust path 68b is formed.

[0065] Instead of the suction devices 229, 230 of the holding unit 215 according to this embodiment, the holding unit may be configured with holding members 250, 251 for simply drawing the film together, as shown in Fig. 10(A) and (B). For example, two rubber holding members 250, 251 with high contact resistance may be arranged, and the film F may be raised by suction of negative pressure between them using an ejector system. By bringing the holding members 250, 251 close to each other, the contact area of ​​the starting end Fs of the film F with the holding members 250, 251 may move closer to the center, and the starting end Fs of the film F may be raised so as to be drawn toward the support surface by the negative pressure generated by the driving air 253. Also, without suction using the ejector system, the holding members 250, 251 made of rubber may be brought close to each other to simply pinch (pinch) the starting end Fs of the film F.

[0066] The method of supporting the film F on the support surface 214 according to this embodiment is appropriately selected depending on the supply mode of the film F, etc. For example, when the film F is automatically set in the bag making machine 5 before operation or when the overlapping edge portion of the film F is automatically set between a pair of sealers arranged in a vertical sealing means (not shown), a method can be selected in which only the center portion of the starting end Fs of the film F is held so that both ends of the film F hang down, and the film F is prevented from separating from the support surface 214 by clamping the starting end Fs of the raised film F; however, when the film F is set on the guide roller 2, the payout roller 3, etc. arranged in the film supply path 20, or when the film F is set as a spare film in the splicer, a method can be selected in which the starting end Fs of the film F is supported without being clamped in order to prevent unevenness from occurring on the surface of the film F.

[0067] In addition to the effects described above, the device according to the second embodiment has the following effects. (1) The hand portion 207 (packaging material support device) has a second exhaust outlet 57 and a fourth exhaust outlet 225, which exhaust air passing through the inside of the case main body portion 210 to the atmosphere outside the case main body portion 210, arranged so as to be positioned outside the film F in the longitudinal direction of the case main body portion 210 when the starting end Fs is supported by the support surface 214, and by providing a third exhaust outlet 223 at the tip portion 217 of the case main body portion 210, exhaust air that would interfere with the holding of the film F is not blown out toward the starting end Fs of the supported film F, so that the film F can be stably supported and the setting operation of the film F can be performed efficiently. (2) In a state in which the starting end Fs of the film F is supported by the pair of suction devices 229, 230 and the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b on the support surface 214, the pair of suction devices 229, 230 approach each other, so that the starting end Fs of the film F between the opposing suction devices 229, 230 is brought closer to the center of the starting end Fs by the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b without being separated from the support surface 214, and the center of the starting end Fs can be raised. This allows the pair of clamping units 234, 235 to clamp the raised starting end Fs of the film F, making it more difficult for the film F to separate from the support surface 214. (3) The hand portion 207 has a recess 227 in the center of the case main body portion 210, which can prevent the starting end Fs of the raised film F from interfering with the support surface 214 and causing wrinkles or the like in the film F. (4) By setting the direction in which air is discharged from the third exhaust port 223 to the direction along the longitudinal direction of the case body 210, when the hand unit 207 supports the starting end Fs of the film F on the support surface 214, the hand unit 207 can maintain the holding of the film F by the non-contact suction units 47a, 47b even if the film F protrudes outward from the leading end 217 in the longitudinal direction of the case body 210. Therefore, the length of the support surface 214 can be made shorter than the length across the width of the film F, and therefore the length of the case body 210 can be shortened. This allows the weight of the case body 210 to be reduced. (5) The hand unit 207 moves the starting end Fs of the raised film F while clamping and supporting the starting end Fs of the film F. Therefore, for example, when the starting end Fs of the film F is moved above a bag maker, vertical sealing device, etc., the non-contact suction holding is released and the film F is left hanging down in an inverted U-shape to prevent the film F from coming off the hand unit when the film F is automatically set in the bag maker, vertical sealing device, etc.

[0068] <Example of change> The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-mentioned embodiments, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. (1) The packaging material support device is not limited to a strip of film wound around a film roll, but can be used to support and move packaging materials such as flat (including approximately flat) films and wrapping paper of various shapes, such as rectangular shapes. (2) In the above first embodiment, an example of a configuration in which a single suction device is used to suction the center portion in the width direction of the film is shown, but a configuration in which multiple suction devices are used to suction the center portion may also be used. The range of the center portion of the starting end Fs of the film F includes an area extending from the center in the width direction of the film to the inside of both end portions. (3) In the above embodiment, an example of a hand unit 7, 207 (packaging material support device) attached to a robot that moves freely in a curved line through space was shown, but this is not limited to this. For example, the hand unit 7, 207 may be attached to a device that moves in a linear manner. (4) In the above embodiment, an example was given in which the suction tool (holding portion) was configured to generate an air flow by an ejector system. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a vacuum pump or the like may be used to perform suction. (5) In the above embodiment, an air exhaust port is provided on both the tip side and the connection side of the case body, but an air exhaust port may be provided only on either the tip side or the connection side of the case body. The case body may also be configured to have both an air exhaust port provided at a position outside the film F in the longitudinal direction of the support surface when the starting end of the film F is supported by the support surface, and an air exhaust port provided at the tip of the case body in the longitudinal direction so as to exhaust air along the longitudinal direction of the support surface, or a configuration in which only one of these air exhaust ports is provided. (6) In the above first embodiment, an example was shown in which the air exhaust port (first exhaust port 56) at the tip 52 of the case body 41 was provided at a position that was outer than the film F in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 43 when the starting end Fs of the film F was supported by the support surface 43, but the air exhaust port at the tip may be provided at a position that is inner than the film F, that is, with the film F on the outside. In this case, air can be exhausted from the air exhaust port at the tip along the longitudinal direction of the support surface. (7) As long as the direction of air discharge from the air discharge port (third discharge port 223) provided at the tip 217 of the case main body 210 in the second embodiment described above can be changed within a range that does not affect the holding force due to non-contact suction, i.e., within a range in which the film F does not separate from the support surface 214, for example, a configuration in which air is discharged from the third discharge port 223 in a direction slightly diagonal to the film feed direction is also included. (8) In the above-mentioned second embodiment, the case main body 210 is configured such that, when the starting end Fs of the film F is supported by the support surface 214, the film F extends outside the tip 217 of the case main body 210 in the longitudinal direction of the support surface 214. However, the tip of the case main body may be configured to be positioned outside the film F. (9) The holding means according to the present invention may take various forms, such as holding the film by suction, holding the film by clamping, and holding the film by both suction and clamping. (10) As one aspect of the holding means according to the second embodiment, as shown in Fig. 10, a large frictional force is generated between the holding member made of rubber or the like and the film, and the film is sucked by air, but the invention is not limited to this, and the film may be held in another aspect. For example, a mode may be applied in which the gripping claws provided on the support surface side of the case main body are caused to slip under the center of one edge of the packaging material located at the outermost periphery of the film roll by a pneumatic or electric driving force, and then the gripping claws are pulled up together with the packaging material by a driving force of another driving means to hold the packaging material in a raised state. (11) The air discharged from the "air outlet" according to the present invention includes air used for the non-contact suction means and air used for the holding means. The air used for the holding means includes air for generating suction force in the suction tool, air used for raising the packaging material, air for driving the gripping jaws that grip the packaging material, and the like, and may be, for example, exhaust air from an ejector. (12) The number of non-contact suction parts disposed on both sides of the holding part may be multiple. (13) The packaging material support device may be used in a variety of packaging machines. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] F: Film (packaging material) Fs: Starting end of film (one edge of packaging material) R: Film roll 1: Paper roll setting section 2: Guide roller 3: Feed roller unit 4: Approach angle adjustment section 5: Bag making device 6: Transfer robot 7: Hand section (packaging material support device) 20: Film supply path 41: Case body 43: Support surface 45: Holding part (holding means) 46: Suction tool 47a, 47b: Non-contact suction part (non-contact suction means) 51: Connection side end (one end) 52: Tip portion (other end) 54: Air supply portion 56: 1st outlet (air outlet) 57: 2nd outlet (air outlet) 60: Drive air pipe (air pipe) 61: Branch air pipe (branched air pipe) 67a, 67b: Air supply path 68a, 68b: Air exhaust path 76: Adjacent surface 78: Anti-slip part 207: Hand section (packaging material support device) 210: Case body section 214: Support surface 215: Holding portion (holding means) 216: Connection side end portion (one end portion) 217: Tip (other end) 221: Air supply section 223: Third discharge port (air discharge port) 225: 4th outlet (air outlet) 227: Recess 229,230: Suction tool 234,235: Holding part (holding means) 236: Drive air piping (air piping) 237: Branch air piping (branched air piping) 241: Air supply outward path 242: Air supply return path 243: Air exhaust path

Claims

1. A packaging material support device that can move while supporting one edge portion of a packaging material, a case main body portion having a support surface, the support surface supporting the one end edge portion of the packaging material with the longitudinal direction of the support surface oriented in a direction along the one end edge portion of the packaging material; a holding means provided on the support surface, the holding means contacting the one end edge portion of the packaging material to hold a center portion of the one end edge portion in a direction along the one end edge portion; non-contact suction means that are provided on the support surface on both sides of the holding means in the longitudinal direction of the support surface and spaced apart from each other, and that receive a supply of air to attract and support the one end edge of the packaging material without coming into contact with the packaging material; the case body is provided with an air exhaust port for exhausting air passing through the inside of the case body to the atmosphere outside the case body, a packaging material support device, characterized in that the air exhaust port is provided at a position that is outside the packaging material in the longitudinal direction when the one end edge portion is supported by the support surface, and / or is provided at a tip portion of the case main body in the longitudinal direction so as to be able to exhaust air along the longitudinal direction.

2. 2. The packaging material support device according to claim 1, characterized in that the air supplied to the non-contact suction means is sent along the support surface, passes through the inside of the case main body, and is then discharged from the air exhaust port.

3. The case main body portion is The support surface is supported at one end of the case body in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable about an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the support surface, a plurality of air supply units connected to a plurality of air pipes disposed inside the case body so as to supply air toward the non-contact suction means and the air exhaust port at the one end side of the case body, 3. The packaging material support device according to claim 1, wherein the holding means holds the one edge portion of the packaging material by using a negative pressure generated inside an air pipe branched off from the air pipe that supplies air from the air supply unit toward the air exhaust port using an ejector system.

4. 4. The packaging material supporting device according to claim 3, wherein the holding means includes a suction tool connected to the branched air pipe, and the one edge portion of the packaging material is held by the suction tool.

5. the holding means comprises a pair of suction devices arranged so as to be movable toward and away from each other along the longitudinal direction, and a pair of clamping parts arranged so as to move integrally with each of the suction devices to grip the one edge of the packaging material, 5. The packaging material support device according to claim 4, characterized in that the pair of clamping parts clamps the one end edge of the packaging material that rises as the pair of suction devices that have sucked the one end edge of the packaging material approach each other.

6. The case main body portion is The support surface is supported at one end of the case body in the longitudinal direction so as to be rotatable about an axis extending along the longitudinal direction of the support surface, a non-slip portion that prevents the packaging material from slipping when the packaging material comes into contact with the boundary between the support surface and a surface adjacent to the support surface or the adjacent surface between the one end and the other end of the case body that faces the one end, 3. The packaging material support device according to claim 1, characterized in that when the packaging material is supported and moved by the holding means and the non-contact suction means, the case main body rotates to wrap around the packaging material, thereby causing the anti-slip portion to come into contact with the packaging material.

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