Sealing and cutting unit for packaging material sheet

Abstract

To solve a problem that when seal strength is enhanced, cutting sharpness becomes dull by that amount, thereby having a cut surface with no clean cross-section, according to a receiving member having both a seal function and a cut function.SOLUTION: According to a reception port 35 constituted of a facing surface of an ultrasonic horn 13 and a receiving member, for example, a receiving roll 15, an execution distance (L1) of seal before cutting from a position at which the seal is started by displacing the receiving roll 15 to a position at which cutting is most adjacently made is secured. Further, the receiving roll 15 relatively moves to the ultrasonic horn 13 in a direction of nipping a packaging material sheet S. Accordingly, a clean cut face can be obtained together with a sufficient seal strength via preferential cutting during cutting. Further, crud (N) of a paste is generated and accumulated by dissolving the packaging material sheet S, but since the receiving roll 15 rotates, the crud (N) of the paste as a foreign matter is blown out to a supply side along with rotation thereof at a light step before increasing the same, and thus generation of seal failure caused by generation of the crud (N) of the paste can be inhibited.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a unit for performing sealing and cutting on a packaging sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] Extraction bags such as tea bags are manufactured using a form-fill-seal packaging machine that fills the packaging material with tea leaves or other contents and seals the opening during the process of forming a packaging material sheet into a bag. If the form-fill-seal packaging machine is vertical, the tubular packaging material is cut when the horizontal seal is applied to separate it from the subsequent packaging material sheet. The current mainstream method of sealing and cutting is the ultrasonic method, in which an ultrasonic horn is subjected to ultrasonic vibrations under pressure to fuse and cut the packaging material. As described in Patent Document 1, a cylindrical packaging material sheet is held in a flat, overlapping state, and an ultrasonic horn and a roll-shaped receiving member are placed opposite each other and sandwiched between the sheet, and the sheet is moved in the transverse direction to seal and cut the packaging material. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-79536 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Recently, there has been an increasing demand to further increase the sealing strength while at the same time producing a clean cut surface. However, since the ultrasonic horn and the receiving member correspond one-to-one and the receiving member performs both the sealing and cutting functions, increasing the sealing strength dulls the cutting sharpness accordingly, and the cut surface does not have a clean cross section. On the other hand, because the receiving member performs both functions, the structure of the unit can be simplified, making maintenance and replacement easier.

[0005] The present invention has been made paying attention to the above-mentioned conventional problems, and in a seal and cut unit, while enjoying the merit of simplifying the structure of the unit, it is an object of the present invention to provide a novel and useful ultrasonic seal and cut unit that can satisfy the requirement of increasing the seal strength and at the same time making the cut surface neat.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and the invention of claim 1 is an ultrasonic horn and Receiving roll equipped with, the ultrasonic horn The tip opening When the flatly overlapped packaging material sheets facing each other are relatively fed in, An inlet and an outlet are formed by a gap between the outer peripheral surface forming the cut-and-seal surface of the receiving roll, After receiving and performing seal and cut, From the said inlet In a seal and cut unit for a packaging material sheet that seals and cuts the packaging material sheet by discharging it, From the said outlet The pre-cut seal implementation distance from the position where the seal starts to the position closest to the cut position is secured for the ultrasonic horn The axial direction of the ultrasonic horn is arranged to be horizontal, and the axial direction of the receiving roll is arranged to be vertical. The axis of the receiving roll is located at a position offset from the axial direction of the ultrasonic horn, and a parallel line extending parallel to the axis through the axis has a gap with the axis, so that the inlet is set larger than the outlet, And a seal and cut unit characterized in that the continuous opposing surface on the opposing surface becomes the next opposing surface. The distance from the outer peripheral surface facing the tip opening As the receiving roll rotates in the direction of sandwiching the packaging material sheet, among the outer peripheral surfaces, the one facing the tip opening of the ultrasonic horn

[0007] The invention of claim 2 is a seal and cut unit for a packaging material sheet according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing portion for holding the flatly overlapped packaging material sheets stationary and stretched, and the ultrasonic horn And Receiving roll While maintaining the facing state By moving, a seal and cut unit characterized in that the packaging material sheet is relatively fed between the ultrasonic horn and the opposing surface of the Receiving roll

[0009] The invention of claim 3 is the claim 1 or 2 ​​​In the seal and cut unit of the packaging material sheet described in [reference], it is a seal and cut unit characterized by being provided as a horizontal seal and cut unit in a vertical bag-making and filling packaging apparatus.

[0011] Claim 4 The invention of [claim number] is, in the seal and cut unit of the packaging material sheet described in claim 3 wherein the ultrasonic horn and the receiving roll reciprocate while maintaining a heat and sealable facing state, and seal and cut are performed during the forward travel. It is a seal and cut unit characterized by this.

[0012] Claim 5 The invention of [claim number] is, in the seal and cut unit of the packaging material sheet described in claim 4 wherein the receiving roll does not rotate during the return by the reverse travel. It is a seal and cut unit characterized by this.

Effect of the Invention

[0013] In the seal and cut unit of the present invention, although the ultrasonic horn and the receiving member are in one-to-one correspondence, it can meet the requirement of increasing the seal strength of the packaging material sheet while simultaneously making the cut surface neat.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] An embodiment of the present invention relates to a vertical bag-making and filling packaging device. In a vertical bag-making and filling packaging device, as described in Patent Document 1, both edges in the width direction of a continuous packaging material sheet sent downward are vertically sealed by a vertical seal unit to form a cylindrical shape, and further, the cylindrical body is horizontally sealed by a horizontal seal and cut unit and cut in the middle of the horizontal seal portion to form a bag body, which is separated from the subsequent packaging material sheet side. The horizontal seal portion constitutes the top of the preceding bag body and the bottom of the subsequent bag body, and a filling material such as tea leaves is filled between the horizontal seals. The horizontal seal and cut unit 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention is applied to this vertical bag-making and filling packaging device. The packaging material sheet is assumed to be made of a heat-sealable material such as a non-woven fabric made of polyethylene fibers, and the seal and cut adopt an ultrasonic method that generates frictional heat by ultrasonic vibration under pressure to perform welding and cutting.

[0016] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, in the horizontal seal and cut unit 1, a pair of unit walls 3A and 3B stand facing each other and are fixed to the device body of the vertical bag-making and filling packaging device. Between these unit walls 3A and 3B, a pair of guide shafts 5A and 5B are horizontally and parallelly laid. A pair of sliding blocks 7A and 7B are slidably supported on the guide shafts 5A and 5B, respectively. The plate surface of a connecting plate 9 is fixed to the upper surfaces of the sliding blocks 7A and 7B, and the sliding blocks 7A and 7B are connected via this connecting plate 9. Therefore, the pair of sliding blocks 7A and 7B are configured to slide synchronously while being guided by the pair of guide shafts 5A and 5B between the pair of unit walls 3A and 3B. Also, the main body 11a of the cylinder type linear motion mechanism 11 is fixed to the unit wall 3A, and the tip side of the rod 11b is fixed to the connecting plate 9. The extending and contracting direction of the rod 11b is parallel to the axial direction of the guide shafts 5A and 5B.

[0017] The ultrasonic horn 13 of the ultrasonic welding and cutting device is fixed to the lower side of the sliding block 7A. The ultrasonic horn 13 is in a coaxial cylindrical shape, and its axial direction is arranged in a state perpendicular to the axial direction of the guide shaft 5A, and its tip opening 13a protrudes toward the guide shaft 5B. The outer peripheral surface 16 of the receiving roll 15 faces the tip opening 13a of the ultrasonic horn 13. This receiving roll 15 is provided on the sliding block 7B side.

[0018] A support plate 17 is attached to the lower side of the sliding block 7B via a plurality of relay members, and the receiving roll 15 is rotatably supported around the axis on the lower surface of this support plate 17. Also, a shaft 19 is supported on the lower surface of the support plate 17 via a bearing 17a, and a pinion gear 21a of a rack and pinion mechanism 21 is attached to one end side of this shaft 19. The pair of unit walls 3A and 3B are integrated with a perforated base plate 23. A rack gear 21b is attached to the edge of this base plate 23 on the guide shaft 5B side with its tooth surface facing upward, and the pinion gear 21a meshes with this rack gear 21b. The meshing movement direction of the pinion gear 21a is parallel to the axial direction of the guide shafts 5A and 5B.

[0019] As shown in Fig. 3, a bevel gear 25a of a gear mechanism 25 is attached to the other end side of the shaft 19. The bevel gear 25a meshes and rotates with the bevel gear 25b, connecting gear 25c, idler gear 25d, and driven gear 25e, which are rotatably supported on the lower surface of the support plate 17. The driven gear 25e and the receiving roll 15 are coaxially supported, and the receiving roll 15 rotates along with the driven gear 25e. A part of the outer peripheral surfaces of the driven gear 25e and the receiving roll 15 protrudes beyond the edge of the support plate 17 toward the sliding block 7A. Also, the diameter of the receiving roll 15 is larger than that of the driven gear 25e, and the outer peripheral surface 16 of the receiving roll 15 is located outside the tooth surface of the driven gear 25e. One end side shaft 19a and the other end side shaft 19b of the shaft 19 are connected via a one-way clutch (not shown) within the bearing 17a. Therefore, by driving the cylinder, the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 reciprocate while maintaining the facing state. During the forward travel, the receiving roll 15 rotates around the axis, and during the return travel, the receiving roll 15 does not rotate.

[0020] Reference numeral 29 indicates a pressing portion, which includes a pair of horizontally long pressure contact plates 29A and 29B. Horizontally long elongated holes 29a and 29b are respectively formed in the pressure contact plates 29A and 29B, and they stand with their plate surfaces facing each other. The main body 31a of a cylinder type linear motion mechanism 31 is fixed to a mounting plate 4 connected to the unit wall 3A, and the tip side of its rod 31b is fixed to the pressure contact plate 29A. Also, the pressure contact plate 29A is connected to the pressure contact plate 29B via a link mechanism 33. Therefore, when the rod 31b extends, the pressure contact plates 29A and 29B approach each other, and at the closest approach, they press the packaging material sheet that has been flattened and overlapped in a cylindrical shape. Also, when the rod 31b retracts, the pressure contact plates 29A and 29B separate from each other to release the pressed state. Since the pressing portion 29 does not move in the vertical direction, it holds the packaging material sheet in a stationary state. The ultrasonic horn 13 and the support plate 17 protrude and face each other through the elongated holes 29a and 29b from the pressure contact plates 29A and 29B, respectively, whether in the pressed state or the released state by the above-described pressing.

[0021] The ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 reciprocate horizontally within the horizontal range of the long holes 29a and 29b. The width dimension of the tubular packaging material sheet in the flattened and overlapped state is shorter than the horizontal dimension of the long holes 29a and 29b. When the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 face each other on both ends in the horizontal direction, they are located outside the packaging material sheet S, so that it is possible to cut across the packaging material sheet in its width direction.

[0022] Next, the positional relationship between the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 will be described in detail according to FIGS. 4 and 5. As described above, the ultrasonic horn 13 has a coaxial cylindrical shape, and the rim of the circular tip opening 13a of the ultrasonic horn 13 is composed of an end face perpendicular to the axial direction. The receiving roll 15 has a disk shape, and the outer peripheral surface 16 is a perfect circle coaxial with the axial direction. This outer peripheral surface 16 is the cut-and-seal surface. When viewed from a direction parallel to the axial direction, the outer peripheral surface 16 is convex and bulges outward in the radial direction. The top is the R surface 16a, and both sides thereof are inclined surfaces 16b and 16c. Both of these inclined surfaces 16b and 16c have a linear gradient at substantially the same angle. However, since the R surface 16a is offset toward the inclined surface 16b side, the area of the inclined surface 16b is smaller than the area of the inclined surface 16c.

[0023] In this vertical bag-making and filling packaging device, the axial direction of the ultrasonic horn 13 is arranged to be horizontal, and the axial direction of the receiving roll 15 is arranged to be vertical. On the receiving roll 15 side, the inclined surface 16b is located above the inclined surface 16c. Also, the axis (C) of the receiving roll 15 is located at a position offset from the axis (x2) of the ultrasonic horn 13, and a parallel line (x1) extending parallel to the axis (x2) through the axis (C) has a gap with the axis (x2). In terms of the relationship with the operation, during the forward travel indicated by the thick arrow, the receiving roll 15 is offset to the rear position. Also, during the forward travel, the receiving roll 15 rotates counterclockwise as indicated by the thin arrow.

[0024] The inlet 35 and the outlet 37 are parts for receiving and discharging the packaging material sheet S, respectively, and are formed by the gap between the tip opening 13a and the outer peripheral surface 16 of the ultrasonic horn 13. The range of the inlet 35 is between the parallel line (x1) and the edge of the tip opening 13a of the ultrasonic horn 13 on the forward travel side, and the range of the outlet 37 is between the parallel line (x1) and the edge of the tip opening 13a of the ultrasonic horn 13 on the rear side after the forward travel. The sealing starts when the distance between the outer peripheral surface 16 facing the tip opening 13a of the ultrasonic horn 13 becomes less than or equal to a certain extent, and the cutting is performed when the distance between the outer peripheral surface 16 facing the tip opening 13a of the ultrasonic horn 13 is the closest. The inlet 35 corresponds to the position from this sealing start position to the cutting position.

[0025] The ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 are set such that the inlet 35 is larger than the outlet 37 in the above-described positional relationship. Therefore, the distance L2 that is a component of the outlet 37 becomes shorter, and accordingly, the distance L1 that is a component of the inlet 35 becomes longer, and a sealing implementation distance is ensured before cutting. The horizontal seal and cut unit 1 is configured as described above, and its operation will be described below. During the operation of the vertical bag-making and filling packaging apparatus, when the downward feeding of the tubular packaging material sheet S is stopped, the pair of pressure contact plates 29A and 29B of the pressing portion 29 approach each other and are in a pressing state above and below the opposing portions of the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15, and the packaging material sheet S exposed from between the opposing long holes 29a and 29b is also in a flat and stretched state.

[0026] In this state, during the forward travel, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, when viewed from the packaging material sheet S, it is fed toward the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15, and is received between the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 from one end side in the width direction between the tip opening 13a of the ultrasonic horn 13 and the outer peripheral surface 16 of the receiving roll 15, and is discharged after being subjected to seal and cut. FIG. 8 depicts a state where the downwardly conveyed packaging material sheet S is sealed and cut in the transverse direction. As shown in this figure, the formation of the horizontal seal portion Y precedes, and then it is cut to form the cut K. Therefore, the seal strength is ensured, and during cutting, cutting is given top priority to obtain a clean cut surface.

[0027] The outer peripheral surface 16 of the receiving roll 15 is a continuously opposing surface over the entire circumference, and a part of the arc portion constitutes the opposing surfaces forming the receiving port 35 and the discharging port 37. Due to the rotation of the receiving roll 15 around its axis, the opposing surfaces forming the receiving port 35 and the discharging port 37 sequentially transition, and the subsequent opposing surfaces move in the sandwiching direction of the packaging material sheet S to become opposing surfaces. When seal and cut are performed on the packaging material sheet S during the forward travel, the receiving roll 15 operates as described above. This rotational operation induces the flying out of foreign matter on the opposing surface on the receiving port 35 side toward the discharging direction side.

[0028] When the inner surface on the overlapping side of the packaging material sheet S is melted by ultrasonic vibration, as shown in FIG. 7, paste residue (N) of the glue is generated and accumulates. However, since the seal strength is ensured by the above mechanism, the paste residue (N) of the glue is particularly likely to accumulate on the receiving port 35 side. If left as it is, the paste residue (N) of the glue will grow. If the grown paste residue (N) of the glue adheres to the portion of the packaging material sheet S that is to be sealed next, that portion will become a seal defect, and due to this seal defect, there is a risk that the seal strength will instead decrease. However, since the receiving roll 15 is rotating, the paste residue (N) of the glue, which is a foreign matter, is flung toward the discharging side along its rotation at a light stage before it grows, as shown by the arrow. Although the generation of the paste residue (N) of the glue cannot be prevented, since it is flung to the side where the seal has already been completed before it grows significantly, the occurrence of seal defects associated with the generation of the paste residue (N) of the glue can be prevented.

[0029] Therefore, if the horizontal seal and cut unit 1 of the present invention performs seal and cut on the packaging material sheet S, an appropriate seal strength can be stably ensured, and at the same time, a cut surface with a beautiful cross-section can be obtained. In this horizontal seal and cut unit 1, the characteristic facing state between the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 can be utilized only during the forward travel. Even during the return travel, the facing state between the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 is maintained while traveling, but when the forward travel is completed, the holding by the pressing portion 29 is released, and at the time of release, the preceding bag body that has been cut separates and falls. Since it travels in the return path in this state, seal and cut as in the forward travel is not performed.

[0030] When the packaging material sheet S is sent downward while the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 are facing each other at one end side of the long holes 29a and 29b at the standby position after the reciprocating travel, the ultrasonic horn 13 and the receiving roll 15 are facing each other in a sealable and cuttable manner, but the downward feed does not interfere.

[0031] When the receiving roll 15 rotates and travels in the return path, it rotates in the opposite direction to the rotation direction during the forward travel. Therefore, the arc range of the outer peripheral surface 16 that constitutes the facing surface facing the tip opening 13a of the ultrasonic horn 13 during seal and cut in the forward travel always remains the same, and local wear progresses. However, in this horizontal seal and cut unit 1, since the receiving roll 15 does not rotate during the return travel, the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface 16 can be evenly utilized when performing seal and cut in the forward travel. Therefore, the entire circumference of the outer peripheral surface 16 wears little by little, and the replacement frequency of the receiving roll 15 becomes low.

[0032] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and even if there are design changes or the like within the scope not departing from the gist of the present invention, they are included in the invention. For example, the present invention relates to an ultrasonic sealing and cutting unit. In the above embodiment, it was incorporated into a vertical bag-making and filling packaging apparatus as the horizontal sealing and cutting unit 1, but it is not limited to being used as one unit of the bag-making and filling packaging apparatus. Also, the degree of displacement of the axis (C) of the receiving roll 15 with respect to the axis (x2) of the ultrasonic horn 13 is not constant and is optimally adjusted in consideration of the diameter of the receiving roll 15 and the like. Based on the idea of the present invention, such adjustment can be appropriately performed by those skilled in the art.

Explanation of Signs

[0033] 1... Horizontal sealing and cutting unit 3A, 3B... Unit walls 4... Mounting plate 5A, 5B... Guide shafts 7A, 7B... Sliding blocks 9... Connecting plate 11... Cylinder linear motion mechanism 11a... Main body 11b... Rod 13... Ultrasonic horn 13a... Tip opening 15... Receiving roll 16... Outer peripheral surface 16a... R surface 16b, 16c... Inclined surfaces 17... Support plate 17a... Bearing 19... Shaft 19a... Shaft on one end side 19b... Shaft on the other end side 21... Rack and pinion mechanism 21a... Pinion gear 21b... Rack gear 23... Base plate 25... Gear mechanism 25a... Bevel gear 25b... Bevel gear 25c... Connecting gear 25d... Idler gear 25e... Driven gear 29... Pressing part 29A, 29B... Pressure contact plates 29a, 29b... Long holes 31... Cylinder linear motion mechanism 31a... Main body 31b... Rod 33... Link mechanism 35... Inlet 37... Outlet x1, x2... Lines C... Axis L1, L2... Distances Y... Horizontal seal part K... Cut N... Glue residue

Claims

1. A sealing and cutting unit for a packaging material sheet, comprising an ultrasonic horn and a receiving roll, wherein an inlet and an outlet are formed by a gap between a tip opening of the ultrasonic horn and an outer peripheral surface forming a cut-and-seal surface of the receiving roll facing the tip opening. When a flatly stacked packaging material sheet is fed relatively, the sheet is received from the inlet, sealed and cut, and then discharged from the outlet to seal and cut the packaging material sheet. The axial direction of the ultrasonic horn is horizontal, and the axial direction of the receiving roll is vertical. The axis of the receiving roll is located at a position offset from the axial direction of the ultrasonic horn, and a parallel line extending parallel to the axis through the axis has a gap with the axis, so that the inlet is set larger than the outlet. A pre-cut sealing distance is ensured from the position where the distance between the outer peripheral surface facing the tip opening of the ultrasonic horn approaches and sealing starts to the position closest to and cutting. And The receiving roll rotates in a direction of sandwiching the packaging material sheet, and a continuous opposing surface that was opposed to a tip opening of the ultrasonic horn on the outer peripheral surface becomes the next opposing surface. A sealing and cutting unit characterized by this.

2. In the sealing and cutting unit for a packaging material sheet according to Claim 1, It is provided with a pressing part for holding the flatly stacked packaging material sheet stationary and in a stretched state. The ultrasonic horn and the receiving roll move while maintaining an opposing state, and the packaging material sheet is fed relatively between the opposing surfaces of the ultrasonic horn and the receiving roll. A sealing and cutting unit characterized by this.

3. In the sealing and cutting unit for a packaging material sheet according to Claim 1 or 2, It is provided as a horizontal sealing and cutting unit in a vertical bag-making and filling packaging apparatus. A sealing and cutting unit characterized by this.

4. In the seal and cut unit of the packaging material sheet according to claim 3, The ultrasonic horn and the receiving roll reciprocate while maintaining a heat and sealable facing state, A seal and cut unit characterized by performing seal and cut during the forward travel.

5. In the seal and cut unit of the packaging material sheet according to claim 4, A seal and cut unit characterized in that the receiving roll does not rotate during the return by the return travel.

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