Packaging workbench and product packaging method

Abstract

To provide a wrapping work stage that is easy to manually operate without utilities such as electricity or air and adapted to wrap a product with a sheet having an appropriate size for the product allowed to be cut.SOLUTION: A wrapping work stage 1 comprises a supply unit 20 that rotatably supports a roll-formed sheet, a slit unit 30 that includes a slit-cutting edge for slitting at a predetermined width, a cut unit 40 for cutting widthwise, and a wrapping unit 50 that can wind the sheet around a product into wrapping with the product held. The cut unit 40 comprises a cutter unit 47 including a cutter edge and a cutter-edge hold part to hold the same, a first shaft 43 axially slidably supporting the same, and guide rails 41 spaced by a predetermined spacing to provide a groove along an axial direction. When the cutter unit 47 is slid along the axial direction of the first shaft 43, it moves parallel in a state inserted into the groove, thereby allowing a sheet arranged on the guide rails 41 to be cut widthwise.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging workbench for cutting rolled sheets and packaging products. [Background technology]

[0002] One job involves rolling up long printed sheets into small rolls, wrapping them in wrapping paper, and transporting them. Because the roll width and diameter of these small rolls vary depending on the specifications, workers had to manually cut the required size of wrapping paper from the roll using a ruler or a utility knife to fit the product size. This type of work was not only heavy on the workload, but also posed health and safety issues, such as the risk of injury from the utility knife.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a cutting device for a paper or film packaging container, characterized in that when a start switch is operated, a microswitch sends a command to a control device via a pulley transmission mechanism, allowing a slide plate containing a cutter to slide alternately left and right on a rail of a base, and the rotation speed of the rotating roller can be adjusted appropriately by pressing the support plate with an adjustment screw, thereby enabling the paper or film to be automatically cut.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a method for multiple packaging of cylindrical bodies, in which multiple types of packaging sheets of predetermined lengths with different functions are sequentially supplied to the outer periphery of a cylindrical body, and the preceding packaging sheet is joined to the following packaging sheet while being wrapped around the cylindrical body in multiple layers for packaging. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-72118 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-175517 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In both patent documents, the film is automatically cut or the packaging sheet is conveyed using a motor or other power source. However, the packaging of the above-mentioned products is often carried out in the open space of a warehouse or factory, and there is a possibility that utilities such as power and air may not be sufficiently secured. Furthermore, the use of a motor or other device increases the manufacturing cost of the device and incurs maintenance costs. On the other hand, it is preferable to be able to easily cut out sheets of the required dimensions from the same roll of packaging paper to suit the product.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and aims to provide a packaging workbench for packaging products and a method for packaging products that can be easily operated manually even without utilities such as electricity or air, and that can cut sheets of appropriate dimensions to suit the product. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The packaging workbench for packaging a product with a sheet according to this embodiment comprises a supply section for rotatably supporting a roll-shaped sheet, a slitting section including a slitting blade for slitting the sheet to a predetermined width along the flow direction of the sheet, a cutting section for cutting the slit sheet along the width direction, and a packaging section for supporting a product and wrapping the cut sheet around the product for packaging. The cutting section comprises a cutter unit including a cutter blade and a cutter blade holding section for holding the cutter blade, a first shaft for supporting the cutter unit axially so that it can slide, and a guide rail arranged a predetermined distance apart from the first shaft and having a groove along its axial direction. When the cutter unit is slid along the axial direction of the first shaft, the cutter unit moves parallel while inserted into the groove of the guide rail, thereby cutting the sheet placed on the guide rail in the width direction.

[0009] In another embodiment of the present invention, in a packaging workbench for packaging a product with a sheet, the cutting section may further include a clamping section for clamping the sheet at a position spaced upstream along the flow direction from the intended cutting position of the sheet.

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, in a packaging workbench for packaging products with sheets, a tension generating unit may be attached to one end of the cutter unit so that the cutter unit returns to its initial position when the cutter unit is not being operated.

[0011] In a packaging workbench for packaging a product with a sheet according to another embodiment of the present invention, the slitting section may be capable of changing the predetermined width of the sheet to be slit.

[0012] In another embodiment of the present invention, in a packaging workbench for packaging a product with a sheet, the slit section further includes a second shaft and a third shaft rotatably fixed around the axis of the second shaft and holding the slit blade, and the third shaft may abut against the outer surface of the roll-shaped sheet.

[0013] In another form of this embodiment of a packaging workbench for packaging products with sheets, the slit section further includes a retracting device and a support frame that supports the third shaft and is fixed so that it can rotate around the axis of the second shaft, and the support frame includes a fixed piece, a rotating piece that is fixed to the fixed piece so that it can rotate around a predetermined fulcrum, and a pin that regulates the rotation of the rotating piece, and the support frame can be raised while rotating the rotating piece in a predetermined direction so that the retracting device abuts against one surface of the rotating piece and the other surface is spaced apart from the pin, and then the support frame can be lowered while rotating the rotating piece in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction around the fulcrum so that the other surface of the rotating piece abuts against the pin and the retracting device, thereby holding the support frame in a position where the third shaft is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the roll-shaped sheet.

[0014] The product packaging method including cutting a sheet according to this embodiment comprises a sheet arrangement process in which a roll-shaped sheet is arranged in a rotatable manner, a slitting process in which the sheet is pulled out and slit to a predetermined width along the flow direction, a cutting process in which the slit sheet is cut along the width direction, and a packaging process in which the product is supported and the cut sheet is wrapped around the product for packaging. The cutting process involves sliding a cutter unit including a cutter blade and a cutter blade holder that holds the cutter blade in the axial direction of a first shaft, and moving it parallel while inserted into a groove in a guide rail that is spaced a predetermined distance from the first shaft and has a groove along the axial direction, thereby cutting the sheet arranged on the guide rail in the width direction. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a packaging workbench for packaging products and a method for packaging products that can be easily operated manually without utilities such as electricity or air, and that can cut sheets of appropriate dimensions to suit the product. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a packaging work table according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Figure 2] 2 is a side view illustrating the packaging work table of FIG. 1 as viewed from the -Y direction. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view illustrating a slit portion in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are enlarged side and plan views illustrating a cut portion. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a sheet cutting method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] An example of a packaging work table and a product packaging method according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the packaging work table and the product packaging method according to the present disclosure are not limited to the apparatus and method according to the embodiment described below.

[0018] The figures shown below are schematic illustrations. Therefore, the size and shape of each part, the thickness of each layer in the cross-sectional view, etc., are appropriately exaggerated for ease of understanding. Hatching indicating the cross section of a component is also omitted where appropriate in each figure. The numerical values, such as dimensions, and material names of each component described in this specification are examples of embodiments and are not limited to these. They may be selected and used as appropriate. In this specification, terms specifying shape or geometric conditions, such as parallel, orthogonal, and vertical, are intended to include not only their strict meanings but also substantially the same state. For convenience of explanation, terms such as "upper" or "lower" relative to the paper may be used, but the up-down direction may be reversed, and the same applies to the left-right direction.

[0019] 1. Embodiments of the present disclosure A typical embodiment of the packaging work table of the present disclosure will be described. Here, for convenience of describing the packaging work table 1, an XYZ coordinate system is established. In the packaging work table 1, the Y axis is established along the axial direction of the sheet roll 100 on which wrapping paper is wound, and the Z axis is established along the vertical direction. An X axis perpendicular to the Y and Z axes is also established. A wide sheet 110 unwound from the sheet roll 100 is slit in the slitting section 30 and separated into a slit sheet 110a and a slit remaining sheet 110b used for product packaging. Regarding the Y axis, the direction from the slit remaining sheet 110b toward the slit sheet 110a is defined as the +Y direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -Y direction. Furthermore, when the +Y direction is viewed to the right, the direction from the back to the front is defined as the +X direction, and the opposite direction is defined as the -X direction. The vertically upward direction is defined as the +Z direction, and the vertically downward direction is defined as the -Z direction.

[0020] As an example, the packaging workbench 1 is a workbench that can unwind wrapping paper, which is a roll of a long sheet, onto a small roll product, which is a long printed sheet wound into a roll, cut the wrapping paper to a size corresponding to the small roll product, and package the small roll product. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the sheet roll 100 has a roll shaft that passes through the center of the sheet roll 100, and both ends of the roll shaft are rotatably supported from below by a supply unit 20 composed of roll shaft supports 21 and 22. This allows the sheet 110 to be easily unwound by simply pulling the leading edge of the sheet 110 by hand.

[0021] A third shaft 31 of the slitting section 30 abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the sheet roll 100 via a contact section 33, and a slitting blade 34 is provided at one end of the third shaft 31 in the -Y direction. The sheet 110 unwound from the sheet roll 100 in the +Z direction is slit along the width direction by this slitting blade 34. As a result, the sheet 110 becomes a slit sheet 110a of a predetermined width narrower than the original width, and is further unwound for subsequent processes.

[0022] The slit sheet 110a passes through a predetermined path in the cutting section 40 and is then pulled out so as to pass between the product 200 and guide rollers 51 and 52 of the packaging section 50 on which the product 200 is placed. The product 200 is not particularly limited, but for example, it is a small roll product made by winding a long printed sheet into a roll. The product 200 may also have another shape, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped. The product 200 is placed on the rotatable guide rollers 51 and 52, and because the guide rollers 51, 52 and the product 200 are both rotatable, it is easy to pull out the slit sheet 110a so as to pass between the guide rollers 51 and 52 and the product 200.

[0023] 1, the sheet 110 is shown partially transparent so as to show the configuration of the cutter unit 47 of the cutting section 40. Furthermore, the second guide rail 41b is configured to extend continuously along the Y-axis direction, but in FIG. 1, the second guide rail 41b is shown as if it is divided near the cutter unit 47.

[0024] Here, the slit sheet 110a is placed on the guide rail 41 of the cutting section 40 while maintaining a certain tension. The cutting section 40 is provided with a cutter unit 47 that is slidably supported on a first shaft 43 below the guide rail 41 along a groove 42 provided in the guide rail 41, and the cutter unit 47 moves parallel to the width direction of the slit sheet 110a along the groove 42. As a result, the slit sheet 110a is cut in the width direction.

[0025] The cut sheet 110c, slit and cut widthwise in this manner, can be prepared by adjusting the slit width and length in the machine direction as needed, depending on the size of the product 200. Furthermore, the slitting and widthwise cutting of the sheet 110 can be performed in parallel with the unwinding of the sheet 110 and the packaging of the product 200, eliminating the need for the worker to directly hold a cutter knife to perform the cutting work. This improves work efficiency and safety. Furthermore, since it is not necessary to prepare multiple types of wrapping paper for different sizes of products, wrapping paper inventory can be reduced. Thus, this embodiment provides a packaging workbench for packaging products that is easy to operate manually, even without utilities such as electricity or air, and that can cut sheets to the appropriate dimensions for each product. The configuration of the packaging workbench of this embodiment is described in detail below.

[0026] [a] Packaging workbench configuration [i] Supply section 1 and 2, a housing 10, which is the frame structure of the packaging work table 1, is provided with roll shaft support units 21 and 22 on the -Y and +Y sides that rotatably support a roll shaft 130, which passes through the axis of the sheet roll 100, from below at both ends as a supply unit 20. This allows the sheet roll 100 to rotate, facilitating the work of manually unwinding the sheet 110 from the sheet roll 100. The roll shaft support units 21 and 22 are also positioned relatively low on the packaging work table 1, reducing the workload of placing the sheet roll 100 on them. For example, the roll shaft support units 21 and 22 are positioned so that the axis of the roll shaft is within 300 mm of the floor.

[0027] By arranging the roll shaft support units 21 and 22 below the packaging work table 1 in this way, the worker does not need to transfer the sheet roll 100 using a crane or the like. Then, one end of the sheet roll 100 placed on the floor is first tilted and placed on one of the roll shaft support units 21 and 22, and then the other end is placed on the other. This allows even a single worker to easily set the sheet roll 100 in the supply unit 20 without using the power of a crane or the like.

[0028] In this embodiment, the roll shaft support section is configured to rotatably support the roll shaft 130 from below at both ends. However, the configuration for rotatably supporting the sheet roll 100 is not limited to this. For example, two long support rollers with axes parallel to the sheet roll 100 may be disposed below the sheet roll 100, or small rollers such as casters may be disposed at the four corners below the sheet roll 100.

[0029] [ii] Slit section As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a second shaft 35 and a third shaft retractor 36, each having an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the sheet roll 100, are provided in a housing 10 above the supply unit 20 of the packaging work table 1. A third shaft 31, also having an axis substantially parallel to the axis of the sheet roll 100, is fixed via a third shaft support frame 32 so as to be slidable in its axial direction relative to the second shaft 35 and rotatable about its axis. The third shaft 31 moves downward due to its own weight, and therefore the third shaft 31 abuts against the outer surface of the sheet roll 100 via a contact portion 33, which has a larger diameter than the third shaft 31. The area including the second shaft 35, the third shaft retractor 36, the third shaft support frame 32, and the third shaft 31 including the slit blade 34 is referred to as the slitting unit 30.

[0030] A slitting blade 34 is provided at the end of the third shaft 31 on the -Y direction side. The arrangement and angle of the blade of the slitting blade 34 are set so that the sheet 110 can be slit to a predetermined width when the sheet 110 is unwound from the sheet roll 100 toward the cutting unit 40. Furthermore, regardless of the diameter of the sheet 110, the third shaft 31 is always adjusted and positioned to abut against the outer circumferential surface of the sheet roll 100, so the slitting blade 34 can always stably slit the sheet 110 under the same conditions. The contact portion 33 of the third shaft 31 may be configured to rotate in accordance with the rotation of the sheet roll 100, or may be configured not to rotate.

[0031] The slit blade 34 may be a general-purpose one with safety features, such as a safety cutter or a string cutter. The third shaft 31 is rotatably fixed to the second shaft 35 via the third shaft support frame 32, and the third shaft 31 can constantly abut against the outer circumferential surface of the sheet roll 100 due to its own weight. That is, the third shaft 31 abuts against the outer circumferential surface of the sheet roll 100 using a swing arm mechanism. However, instead of being rotatably supported by another shaft, the third shaft 31 may be disposed vertically above the axis of the sheet roll 100 and fixed to the housing 10 so as to be slidable in the vertical direction. Even in this case, the third shaft 31 can constantly maintain contact with the outer circumferential surface of the sheet roll 100 due to its own weight, regardless of changes in the diameter of the sheet roll 100.

[0032] The third shaft 31 is slidable in its axial direction relative to the second shaft 35 fixed to the housing 10 via the third shaft support frame 32. Therefore, the arrangement of the third shaft 31 along the Y axis can be changed within a predetermined range. This allows the arrangement of the slit blade 34 along the Y axis to be changed, and therefore the slit width of the sheet 110 can be freely changed within a predetermined range.

[0033] The third shaft 31 moves downward due to its own weight, and therefore, normally, the third shaft 31 and the outer peripheral surface of the sheet roll 100 are always in contact via the contact portion 33, which has the largest diameter among the third shaft 31. However, for maintenance such as replacing the slit blade 34 or adjusting the third shaft 31, it is convenient to hold the third shaft 31 in a retracted state away from the outer peripheral surface of the sheet roll 100.

[0034] Based on the above, a third shaft support 37 is further provided on the third shaft support frame 32 of the slit portion 30. This configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 3. FIGS. 3(a) to 3(c) are enlarged views of the vicinity of the slit portion 30 in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 3(a), the third shaft support 37 is fixed to the third shaft support frame 32 midway between the third shaft 31 and the second shaft 35. The third shaft support 37 includes a fixed piece 37a fixed to the third shaft support frame 32, a rotating piece 37b fixed to the fixed piece 37a so as to be rotatable about a predetermined fulcrum 37c, and a pin 37d that restricts the rotation of the rotating piece 37b.

[0035] In Fig. 3(a), the rotating piece 37b can rotate freely as long as it does not come into contact with the pin 37d, for example, in a clockwise direction as indicated by the dashed line. As indicated by the rotating piece 37b shown by the solid line in Fig. 3(a), the third shaft support frame 32 can be raised by rotating the rotating piece 37b in a predetermined direction so that one surface of the rotating piece 37b comes into contact with the third shaft retractor 36 and the other surface is spaced apart from the pin 37d. Fig. 3(b) shows a state in which the third shaft support frame 32 is being raised in this manner.

[0036] Here, "one surface of rotating piece 37b" refers to the side surface along the Y axis that constitutes the end face of rotating piece 37b on the +Z direction side, shown by the solid line, and "the other surface" refers to the side surface along the Y axis that constitutes the end face of rotating piece 37b on the -Z direction side, shown by the solid line. Also, the predetermined direction in this case refers to the clockwise rotation direction.

[0037] 3(c), the third shaft support frame 32 is lowered while rotating the rotating piece 37b in a direction opposite to the predetermined direction about the fulcrum 37c so that the other surface of the rotating piece 37b abuts against the pin 37d and the third shaft retractor 36. This allows the third shaft support frame 32 to be held in a position where the third shaft 31 is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the sheet 110 of the sheet roll 100. In other words, by lowering the third shaft support frame 32 while rotating the rotating piece 37b counterclockwise, the end surface of the rotating piece 37b on the -Z direction abuts against both the pin 37d and the third shaft retractor 36, thereby locking its rotation. Therefore, the third shaft support frame 32 can be stably held in a position where it is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the sheet 110 of the sheet roll 100, facilitating various maintenance tasks.

[0038] To release the locked state, the third shaft support frame 32 is lifted slightly upward and the rotating piece 37b is rotated slightly clockwise to the state shown in FIG. 3(b). Then, the third shaft support frame 32 is lowered while keeping the third shaft retractor 36 away from the end face of the rotating piece 37b on the -Z direction side. In this way, with a simple operation, the third shaft support frame 32 can be held in a position spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the sheet 110 of the sheet roll 100, or can be brought into contact with the outer peripheral surface of the sheet 110 of the sheet roll 100, improving workability.

[0039] [iii] Cutting section 1 and 2, downstream of the slit section 30 of the packaging work table 1 in the conveyance direction of the slitted sheet 110a, i.e., above the slit section 30, a guide rail 41, a first shaft 43, guide rollers 44 and 45, a clamp plate 46, etc. are fixed to the housing 10. In addition, a cutter unit 47 including a cutter blade 47b and a cutter blade holder 47a that holds the cutter blade 47b is supported on the first shaft 43 so as to be slidable along the axial direction of the first shaft 43. This configuration is referred to as a cutting section 40.

[0040] The guide rail 41 is provided at a predetermined distance from the first shaft 43, and has a groove 42 formed along its axial direction. When the cutter unit 47 slides along the axial direction of the first shaft 43, the cutter unit 47 moves parallel to the guide rail 41 while being inserted into the groove 42. This allows the slit sheet 110a placed on the guide rail 41 to be cut in the width direction.

[0041] The configuration and operation of the cutting unit 40 will now be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4(a) is an enlarged view of the vicinity of the cutting unit 40 in Figure 2. Figure 4(b) is a cross-sectional view of the first shaft 43 and the cutter unit 47 taken along line AA in Figure 4(a) as viewed from the +X direction. Figures 4(c) and 4(d) are plan views of the cutting unit 40 in Figure 4(a) as viewed from the +Z direction, with the clamp plate 46 omitted for ease of explanation.

[0042] As shown in Figure 4(a), the guide rail 41 is configured with a first guide rail 41a and a second guide rail 41b, each with an L-shaped cross section, spaced apart so that their upper surfaces are substantially flush with one another. This space forms a groove 42. Guide rollers 44 and 45 are provided below the first guide rail 41a and the second guide rail 41b, respectively. These rollers facilitate the transport of the slit sheet 110a from the slitting section 30 to the cutting section 40, and the transport of the slit sheet 110a or the cut sheet 110c from the cutting section 40 to the packaging section 50, respectively.

[0043] Guide rollers 44 and 45 may be rotatable rollers or non-rotating shafts. Preferably, one or both of guide rollers 44 and 45, especially guide roller 45, are cylindrical pipes made of vinyl chloride. This maintains good transport of slit sheet 110a while providing an appropriate frictional force to effectively prevent wrinkles and bending of cut sheet 110c due to dropping after cutting.

[0044] The slit sheet 110a conveyed from the slitting section 30 is guided by guide rollers 44, which form the entrance to the cutting section 40, and enters between the first guide rail 41a and the clamp plate 46. It then crosses the area where the cutter unit 47 moves along the Y axis and passes over the second guide rail 41b. It is then guided by guide rollers 45 and conveyed toward the packaging section 50. The clamp plate 46 is a pressing plate for the sheet 110 that is movable in the vertical direction and can be retracted upward while the sheet 110 is being pulled out. Meanwhile, when the cutter unit 47 cuts the slit sheet 110a in the width direction, the clamp plate 46 presses the sheet 110 by its own weight, applying appropriate tension to the sheet 110, allowing the cutter unit 47 to smoothly cut it.

[0045] The clamp plate 46 clamps the slit sheet 110a at a position upstream of the intended cutting position of the slit sheet 110a in the flow direction. When the first guide rail 41a and the clamp plate 46 are both made of a metal such as aluminum, the coefficient of friction between these components and the sheet 110 is generally small. This can result in insufficient clamping force, potentially reducing the cutting quality of the cutter unit 47. Therefore, to ensure an appropriate clamping force, it is preferable to attach a resin sheet to the upper surface of the first guide rail 41a or the lower surface of the clamp plate 46 to improve friction. In particular, attaching a plastic cardboard sheet to the upper surface of the first guide rail 41a is effective in achieving a good clamping force.

[0046] 4(d), the line parallel to the Y axis passing through the approximate center of the groove 42 in the X axis direction, shown by the dashed dotted line, is the planned cutting position of the cutter unit 47. The planned cutting position may be identified from the cutting position of the cut sheet 110c after it has actually been cut by the cutter unit 47. If the distance along the X axis from this planned cutting position to the end of the clamp plate 46 on the +X direction side is d1, the slit sheet 110a will be cut in the width direction at a position spaced d1 from the end of the clamp plate 46.

[0047] As described above, in this embodiment, the clamp plate 46 is provided as a clamp unit that clamps the slit sheet 110a at a position separated upstream in the flow direction from the intended cutting position of the slit sheet 110a. This prevents the slit sheet 110a on the upstream side from coming off the clamp plate 46 and falling downward after cutting. Furthermore, when cutting the slit sheet 110a continuously, the leading edge of the slit sheet 110a protrudes downstream from the clamp plate 46, making it easier to manually pull the sheet toward the packaging unit 50, improving the workability of repeated sheet cutting operations.

[0048] The optimum value of the dimension d1 is, for example, preferably 5 mm or more and 100 mm or less, and more preferably 10 mm or more and 50 mm or less. By setting the dimension d1 in the former range, it is possible to prevent the upstream sheet 110 from coming off the clamp plate 46 after cutting, making it easier to pull out the sheet 110. Furthermore, by setting the dimension d1 in the latter range, it is possible to appropriately set the width of the groove 42, eliminating the need to make the width of the cutter unit 47 extremely small, ensuring a degree of freedom in size. Furthermore, by not setting the width of the groove 42 to be extremely large, it is possible to optimize the tension of the sheet 110, improving the cutting quality of the cutter unit 47.

[0049] The cutting of the slit sheet 110a in the width direction will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 4(c), the cutter unit 47 is initially returned to its initial position, which is the end in the +Y direction. Here, it is assumed that the slit sheet 110a is placed on the guide rail 41 and the cutting position is set. In this case, while fixing the position of the slit sheet 110a in the flow direction at the cutting position, the cutter blade holder 47a at the upper end of the cutter unit 47 is grasped and slid in the -Y direction.

[0050] 4(a) and 4(b), cutter blade 47b is disposed inside cutter blade holder 47a, and cutter blade 47b is surrounded and protected by cutter blade holder 47a so that it is difficult to directly touch cutter blade 47b from the outside. The cutter blade 47b and cutter blade holder 47a may be configured as general-purpose cutter blades with safety measures such as a safety cutter or a string cutter.

[0051] A sliding portion 47d is disposed below the cutter blade holder 47a across the extension portion 47c, and the ring-shaped sliding portion 47d slides along the axial direction of the cylindrical first shaft 43 that passes through it. This causes the cutter blade holder 47a, including the cutter blade 47b, to move in parallel along the Y-axis direction along the groove 42. As a result, the slit sheet 110a is cut in the width direction, and cut sheets 110c having predetermined length and width dimensions are formed.

[0052] Here, a tension generating unit such as wire W1 is attached to one end of the cutter unit 47 on the +Y direction side. The wire W1 may be a member that has a contractile force, i.e., a restoring force, that returns it to its original position when pulled, such as a rubber band or a coil spring. Alternatively, the wire W1 itself may be a metal or resin wire or string that does not have a restoring force, and a coil spring, power spring, weight, or the like may be connected to the other end so that it returns to its initial position when the cutter unit 47 is released. In this way, the part that has the effect of returning the cutter unit 47 to its initial position when the cutter unit 47 is not being operated is referred to as the tension generating unit.

[0053] In this embodiment, since such a tension generating portion is provided at one end of the cutter unit 47, the cutter unit 47 automatically returns to its initial position after cutting the sheet 110 without having to be returned manually. This improves workability when performing repeated cutting operations.

[0054] [iv] Packaging Department 1 and 2, guide rollers 51 and 52 are fixed to the housing 10 downstream of the cutting section 40 of the packaging work table 1, i.e., on the +X direction side of the cutting section 40, and these constitute the packaging section 50. The guide rollers 51 and 52 can rotatably support the product 200, which is a small rolled product, by placing the product 200 thereon. Therefore, by passing the slit sheet 110a, which has been slit but has not yet been cut in the width direction, between the guide rollers 51 and 52 and the product 200 and rotating the product 200, the sheet 110 can be easily wrapped around the outer peripheral surface of the product 200, improving workability.

[0055] Furthermore, by wrapping the slit sheet 110a around the product 200 in this manner, an appropriate amount of tension is generated in the slit sheet 110a on the guide rails 41 of the cutting section 40. This improves the workability and cutting quality when the cutter unit 47 is slid widthwise to cut the sheet. Also, by further wrapping the cut sheet 110c around the outer periphery of the product 200 placed on the guide rollers 51 and 52 and folding it back to the side, the product 200 can be easily packaged.

[0056] Note that the packaging unit 50 is configured to include guide rollers 51 and 52 to rotatably support the product 200, which is a small rolled product, but the product 200 is not necessarily limited to such a rolled product and may be a product having a rectangular parallelepiped shape or other shapes. Therefore, the packaging unit 50 may not include the guide rollers 51 and 52 and may be configured to include only a mounting table on which the product can be placed.

[0057] [v] Collection box 1 and 2, adjacent to the supply section 20 and slitting section 30 of the packaging work table 1 and below the packaging section 50, there is provided a collection box 300 for collecting slitted remaining sheets 110b that have been slit in the slitting section 30 and not used to package products. The slitted remaining sheets 110b are not used for packaging and may be discarded as is, or may be rolled up and stored for packaging small products. The collection box 300 may have any shape as long as it can reliably collect the slitted remaining sheets 110b without them spilling out, and may be, for example, a rectangular box-shaped container with an open top.

[0058] [b] Packaging methods for products, including cutting sheets Next, a method for using the above-described packaging work table 1 to slit the sheet 110 wound on the sheet roll 100 to a predetermined width, cut it in the width direction to a predetermined length, and use the sheet to package a product will be described mainly based on the flow chart in Figure 5.

[0059] First, a sheet roll 100, on which a sheet 110 such as wrapping paper is wound into a roll, is set in the supply unit 20 (step S401 in FIG. 5). As described above, the roll shaft support units 21 and 22 of the supply unit 20 are located relatively below the packaging work table 1, so that even a single worker can easily place the sheet roll 100 on the roll shaft support units 21 and 22. This makes the sheet roll 100 rotatable. This is the sheet placement process.

[0060] Next, the sheet 110 is pulled out from the sheet roll 100, slit into a predetermined width along the flow direction, and the slit sheet 110a is threaded toward the cutting unit 40 (step S402). The process of slitting the sheet 110 is referred to as the slitting process. Furthermore, the slit sheet 110a that has passed over the guide rails 41 of the cutting unit 40 is wrapped around the product 200 placed in the packaging unit 50 (step S403). Note that as a result of slitting the sheet 110, a slit remaining sheet 110b is generated together with the slit sheet 110a. The slit remaining sheet 110b is fed out together with the slit sheet 110a and collected in the collection box 300.

[0061] Next, the slit sheet 110a is cut in the width direction (step S404). This is referred to as the cutting process. The cutting process is performed by sliding the cutter unit 47 in the width direction as follows. First, the cutter unit 47 is slidable in the axial direction of the first shaft 43 via its sliding portion 47d. The cutter unit 47 moves parallel to the groove 42 provided in the guide rail 41 while inserted therein, thereby cutting the slit sheet 110a placed on the guide rail 41 in the width direction.

[0062] After the slit sheet 110a has been cut in the width direction, the hand gripping the cutter unit 47 is released, and the cutter unit 47 returns to its initial position due to the action of the wire W1, which is the tension generating section (step S405). After that, the cut sheet 110c, which has been cut in the width direction, is further wrapped around the product 200 or folded back, thereby completing the packaging of the product 200 with the sheet 110 (step S406). This is the packaging process.

[0063] Thereafter, if packaging of another product of the same specifications is to continue (step S407), the leading edge of the slit sheet 110a is pulled out from the tip of the clamp plate 46 and threaded through to the cutting unit 40 and the packaging unit 50 (step S402). Thereafter, steps S403 and onwards are repeated. On the other hand, if packaging of another product is not to be carried out (step S407), the sheet 110 is removed from the slitting unit 30, the cutting unit 40 and the packaging unit 50, and the sheet roll 100 is removed from the supply unit 20, completing the operation (step S408).

[0064] As described above, the packaging work table 1 of this embodiment includes the supply unit 20 that rotatably supports the roll-shaped sheet 110, and the slitting unit 30 that includes the slitting blade 34 and slits the sheet 110 to a predetermined width along the flow direction of the sheet. The packaging work table 1 further includes the cutting unit 40 that cuts the slit sheet 110 along the width direction, and the packaging unit 50 that supports the product 200 and can wrap the cut sheet 110 around the product 200 to package it.

[0065] The cutting section 40 includes a cutter unit 47 including a cutter blade 47b and a cutter blade holder 47a that holds the cutter blade 47b, and a first shaft 43 that supports the cutter unit 47 so that it can slide in the axial direction. The cutting section 40 also includes a guide rail 41 that is spaced a predetermined distance from the first shaft 43 and has a groove 42 formed along the axial direction. When the cutter unit 47 is slid along the axial direction of the first shaft 43, the cutter unit 47 moves parallel to the groove 42 of the guide rail 41 while inserted into the groove 42 of the guide rail 41, thereby cutting the sheet 110 placed on the guide rail 41 in the width direction.

[0066] The packaging work table 1 of this embodiment has the above-mentioned configuration, allowing for slitting and widthwise cutting of wrapping paper sheets of an appropriate size for a product while simultaneously packaging the product, thereby reducing the workload and enabling efficient work even by one person. Furthermore, since there is no need to prepare multiple types of wrapping paper for different sizes of products, wrapping paper inventory can be reduced. Furthermore, the simple configuration makes it less prone to malfunctions and reduces the burden of maintenance. Furthermore, since no power source or air is required, sheet cutting and packaging can be performed anywhere. Furthermore, since the worker does not need to directly hold the cutter knife to perform the cutting work, work efficiency and safety are high.

[0067] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a packaging workbench for packaging products that can be easily operated manually even without utilities such as electricity or air, and that can cut sheets of appropriate dimensions to suit the product. [Explanation of symbols]

[0068] 1 Packaging workbench 10. Cabinet 20 Supply section 21, 22 Roll shaft support 30 Slit section 31 Third Shaft 32 Third shaft support frame 33 Contact area 34 Slit blade 34a Holding part 34b blade 35 Second shaft 36 Third shaft retractor 37 Third shaft support 37a Fixed piece 37b Rotating piece 37c fulcrum 37d Pin 40 Cut section 41 Guide rail 41a First guide rail 41b Second guide rail 42 Groove 43 First Shaft 44, 45 Guide rollers 46 Clamp plate 47 Cutter unit 47a Cutter blade holder 47b cutter blade 47c Extension part 47d Sliding part 50 Packaging Department 51, 52 Guide rollers 100 sheet rolls 110 sheets 110a pre-slit sheet 110b Slit remaining sheet 110c pre-cut sheet 130 Roll shaft 200 products 300 Collection Box W1 Wire

Claims

1. a supply unit that rotatably supports a roll-shaped sheet; a slitting section including a slitting blade that slits the sheet to a predetermined width along the sheet flow direction; a cutting unit that cuts the slit sheet along a width direction; a packaging unit that supports a product and can wrap the cut sheet around the product to package it; The cutting unit includes a cutter unit including a cutter blade and a cutter blade holder that holds the cutter blade; a first shaft that supports the cutter unit so that the cutter unit is slidable in the axial direction; a guide rail provided at a predetermined interval from the first shaft and having a groove formed along the axial direction thereof; A packaging workbench for packaging a product with a sheet, wherein when the cutter unit is slid along the axial direction of the first shaft, the cutter unit moves parallel while inserted into the groove of the guide rail, thereby cutting the sheet placed on the guide rail in the width direction.

2. The packaging workbench according to claim 1 , wherein the cutting section further comprises a clamp section that clamps the sheet at a position spaced upstream along the flow direction from a planned cutting position of the sheet.

3. 3. The packaging workbench according to claim 1, wherein a tension generating section is attached to one end of the cutter unit so that the cutter unit returns to its initial position when the cutter unit is not being operated.

4. The packaging workbench according to claim 1 , wherein the slitting section is capable of changing the predetermined width of the sheet to be slit.

5. The packaging workbench described in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the slit section further comprises a second shaft and a third shaft fixed so as to be rotatable around the axis of the second shaft and holding the slit blade, and the third shaft abuts against the outer surface of the roll-shaped sheet.

6. The slit portion has a retraction tool and a support frame that supports the third shaft and is fixed to the second shaft so as to be rotatable about an axis of the second shaft, The support frame includes a fixing piece and a rotating piece fixed to the fixed piece so as to be rotatable around a predetermined fulcrum; a pin that restricts the rotation of the rotating piece, The support frame can be raised while rotating the rotating piece in a predetermined direction so that the retractor abuts against one surface of the rotating piece and the other surface is spaced apart from the pin, The packaging workbench described in claim 5, wherein the support frame can be held at a position where the third shaft is spaced apart from the outer peripheral surface of the roll-shaped sheet by subsequently lowering the support frame while rotating the rotating piece in a direction opposite to the specified direction around the fulcrum so that the rotating piece abuts the pin and the retraction device on the other surface.

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