A delivery device for a bag making machine, a bag making system, and a method for delivering bagged products.

Abstract

To provide a delivery device of a bag-making machine which can convey long bag products stably to a predetermined position after cut processing and can accumulate them, with a comparatively simple constitution.SOLUTION: A delivery device 1 includes an actuator 120 which has a holding part, can convey a bag product before cut processing to a first position along a first conveyance passage while holding the bag product by a holding part, at a speed synchronized with a feeding speed in which a nip roller of an intermittently driven bag-making machine 2 feeds the bag product, can convey the bag product cut and processed at the first position to the a second position along the first conveyance passage, and can accumulate the plurality of bag products in a thickness direction by stopping the holding of the holding part at the second position and dropping the plurality of bag products. Also, the delivery device includes a reject unit 160 which is provided closer to the nip roller than the first position, and has a flap capable of switching a conveyance direction of the bag product before cut processing which is a defective product into a second conveyance passage when feeding the bag product.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a delivery device that transports and accumulates bag-shaped products processed by a bag-making machine at a predetermined position. [Background technology]

[0002] Bag-making machines that feed a long strip of film and produce a plurality of bag-shaped bags from the film have been known. For example, the bag-making machine is described in Patent Document 1. This bag-making machine has a plurality of processing sections that are arranged along the transport direction of the raw film and perform predetermined processing on the raw film. The multiple processing sections include, for example, one or more of a sealing section that seals the raw film, a cooling section that cools the raw film sealed by the sealing section, and a cutting section that cuts the raw film sealed by the sealing section.

[0003] Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes a sheet-like workpiece transfer mechanism for placing sheet-like workpieces, such as bags manufactured by a bag-making machine and sent from a previous process, onto a conveyor in a subsequent process for stacking. This mechanism includes a pair of upper and lower rollers, each consisting of an upper roller and a lower roller, near the input section of the conveyor, with at least one of the upper and lower rollers rotatably driven by a drive source, and the operation of the drive source is controlled by a control means. This allows the sheet-like workpieces discharged from the previous process to be temporarily clamped and gripped between the upper and lower rollers, and then driven to send out the sheet-like workpieces. This stabilizes the behavior of the sheet-like workpieces without being affected by the previous process, allowing the sheet-like workpieces to be accurately and reliably transferred to the subsequent process.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes a delivery device for a bag making machine that automates the delivery process of a multi-panel bag making machine that simultaneously makes multiple rows of bags, and is characterized by having the following (a) to (h): (a) is a mechanism that clamps the center of the bag with a belt and conveys it in a straight line without dropping it immediately after cutting by the bag making machine, (b) is a mechanism that inspects the quality of the bags, (c) is a mechanism that rotates the flaps to convey the bags separately from good work for sampling inspection and removal of defective products, and (d) is a mechanism that inserts plate-shaped guides between adjacent bags during conveyance, (e) is a mechanism that aligns the bags as they are dropped, and (f) is a mechanism that keeps the dropped position of the bags constant, (g) is a mechanism that temporarily receives the bags to separate them into bundles of a certain number, and (h) is a mechanism that compresses the thickness of the bundles of a certain number of bags. This allows the system to keep up with the increasing speed of bag-making machines, transporting bags one by one in succession and stacking them in a set number for packaging, thereby increasing the operating rate of the bag-making machine and enabling unmanned operation for long periods of time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-107834 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-165718 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-91661 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Bags made into bags by a bag making machine usually fall freely after cutting and are stacked in a certain number as a bundle of bag products, which are then moved in parallel on a belt conveyor or the like and accumulated. Alternatively, as in the above-mentioned Patent Documents 2 and 3, the bag products after cutting are sandwiched between a pair of rollers from above and below, and are transported a certain distance by the rotation of the rollers before being piled up and accumulated on the conveyor.

[0007] While bag-shaped products can take on a variety of shapes depending on their intended use, it can be difficult to stably transport long products—those exceeding 500 mm in length in the conveying direction—to the designated location after cutting and accurately stack them. Because the film that makes up the bags is not flexible, long bags that are allowed to fall freely tend to twist and bend, making it difficult to neatly align them. For this reason, when long bags are sandwiched between a pair of rollers, the tension applied to the film tends to be uneven, causing the products to meander or warp vertically, resulting in poor conveyance.

[0008] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a delivery device for a bag making machine that has a relatively simple configuration but can stably transport and accumulate long bag products to a predetermined position after cutting, a bag making system that includes the delivery device for the bag making machine, and a delivery method for bag products. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A delivery device for a bag making machine according to this embodiment, which transports and accumulates bag products that have been cut by the bag making machine to a predetermined position, comprises an actuator that has a gripping section and is capable of transporting the uncut bag products by the gripping section along a first conveying path to a first position at a speed synchronized with the feed speed at which the intermittently driven nip rollers of the bag making machine deliver the bag products; transporting the cut bag products at the first position along the first conveying path while still being gripped by the gripping section to a second position farther from the nip rollers than the first position; and stopping the gripping by the gripping section at the second position to drop the multiple bag products and accumulate them in the thickness direction; and a reject unit that is located closer to the nip rollers than the first position and has a flap that is capable of switching the conveying direction of the defective uncut bag products to a second conveying path different from the first conveying path when the nip rollers deliver the bag products.

[0010] In another embodiment of the present invention, a delivery device of a bag making machine that transports and accumulates bag products that have been cut by the bag making machine to a predetermined position may include, as the actuators, a first actuator having a first gripping portion of the gripping portions and a second actuator having a second gripping portion of the gripping portions, and while the first actuator transports a first bag product among the bag products to the second position while gripping it with the first gripping portion, the second actuator may transport a subsequent second bag product that has been separated from the first bag product by the cutting process toward the first position while gripping it with the second gripping portion.

[0011] In another form of the present embodiment, in a delivery device of a bag making machine that transports and accumulates bag products that have been cut by the bag making machine to a predetermined position, the actuator may be provided with a plurality of the gripping portions, and multiple rows of bag products that have been cut at once in the cutting process may be gripped by the multiple gripping portions at the same time and transported to the first position and the second position at the same time.

[0012] In another form of this embodiment, in a delivery device of a bag making machine that transports and accumulates bag products that have been cut by the bag making machine to a predetermined position, the reject unit may include a plurality of flaps, and switch the transport direction of the bag products before cutting to a second transport path different from the first transport path when only one of the flaps corresponding to a row of defective bag products among the plurality of rows of bag products is defective.

[0013] In another form of this embodiment, in a delivery device of a bag making machine that transports and accumulates bag products that have been cut by the bag making machine to a predetermined position, the reject unit may further include a conveyor, and the space between the flap and the conveyor may be used as the second transport path, and the conveyor may be driven in a direction that discharges the bag products that are defective, thereby assisting in the transport of the bag products.

[0014] The bag making system according to this embodiment is a bag making system for producing bag products from a strip of film stock, and includes a bag making machine that transports the strip of film stock, is arranged along the transport direction of the film stock, and has a plurality of processing units that perform processing including one or more of the group consisting of a sealing unit that seals the film stock, a cooling unit that cools the film stock sealed by the sealing unit, and a cutting unit that cuts the film stock sealed by the sealing unit, and a delivery device for the bag making machine.

[0015] A delivery method for bag products according to this embodiment, in which bag products that have been cut by a bag making machine are transported to a predetermined position and piled up, includes the steps of: gripping the uncut bag products and transporting them along a first transport path to a first position at a speed synchronized with the feed speed at which nip rollers of the intermittently driven bag making machine deliver the bag products; transporting the cut bag products at the first position along the first transport path while still gripping them to a second position farther from the nip rollers than the first position; stopping gripping of the bag products at the second position, allowing a plurality of the bag products to fall and be piled up in the thickness direction; and, when the nip rollers deliver the bag products, switching the transport direction of the uncut defective bag products to a second transport path different from the first transport path and transporting them. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to this embodiment, it is possible to provide a delivery device for a bag making machine that has a relatively simple configuration but can stably transport and accumulate long bag products to a predetermined position after cutting, a bag making system that includes the delivery device for the bag making machine, and a delivery method for bag products. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a delivery device and a bag making system of a bag making machine according to a first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a delivery device. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the operation of the delivery device as viewed from the +X direction. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the operation of the delivery device as viewed from the +X direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a side view illustrating the operation of the delivery device as viewed from the +X direction. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are a front view and a plan view of the delivery device as seen from the -Y direction side and the +Z direction side. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the delivery device. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the delivery device. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram illustrating the operation of the delivery device. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view illustrating an example of a delivery device and a bag making system of a bag making machine according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a front view of the delivery device as seen from the -Y direction side. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a plan view of the delivery device as seen from the +Z direction side. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] An example of a delivery device of a bag making machine, a bag making system including the delivery device of the bag making machine, and a method for delivering made-up products according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings, etc. However, the delivery device and the like according to the present disclosure are not limited to the devices and methods according to the embodiments described below.

[0019] 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.

[0020] 1. First embodiment A first embodiment of a delivery device for a bag making machine according to the present disclosure will be described. Here, for the sake of convenience in describing the delivery device 1, an XYZ coordinate system is established. In the bag making system 10 and the delivery device 1, the Y axis is established along the conveyance direction of the non-defective bag products 500, and the Z axis is established along the vertical direction. Furthermore, the X axis, perpendicular to the Y axis and Z axis, is established along the parallel direction in which the bag products 500 are conveyed in parallel. The direction in which the bag products 500 are conveyed 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, 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.

[0021] The delivery device 1 automatically receives the bag-shaped bag products 500 produced as a result of a predetermined process performed on the film roll by the bag making machine 2, transports them to a predetermined position on the transport conveyor 170, and stacks the bag-shaped bag products 500 in the thickness direction at that point. The bag making machine 2 delivers a long, strip-shaped film and produces multiple bag-shaped bag products from the film. An example of the bag making machine 2 is the device described in Patent Document 1 mentioned above. In this case, the bag making machine 2 conveys the film roll while sandwiching it between a pair of nip rollers, and uses a turn bar or the like to change the orientation and transport direction of the film roll, stacking the film rolls face-to-face, and then heating and sealing the edges. The sealed film roll is then cooled and cut into individual bag-shaped bag products 500.

[0022] In both the bag making machine 2 and delivery device 1 of this embodiment, the bag products 500 are arranged in two rows along the X-axis direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and can be conveyed simultaneously. However, as will be described later, the bag making machine 2 and delivery device 1 may convey more than two rows of bag products in parallel, such as four rows, or conversely, may convey bag products in a single row. However, the more rows that are conveyed at one time, the more the processing capacity of the bag making machine 2 and delivery device 1 can be improved. The entire bag product manufacturing system including the bag making machine 2 and delivery device 1 is referred to as bag making system 10.

[0023] 1 illustrates the bag making machine 2 as a housing 210, a pair of nip rollers 221 and 222 fixed to the housing 210 and positioned adjacent to the delivery device 1, and a cutting unit 230, which is a cutting section composed of a guillotine blade or the like, but omits other sections such as a sealing section and a cooling section. In this embodiment, the individual bag products 500 produced by the bag making machine 2 are in the form of long bags as indicated by the dashed lines in FIG. 1, and are transported along the Y-axis, which is the longitudinal direction. The length of the individual bag products 500 along the transport direction is 500 mm or more, for example 1000 mm.

[0024] 1, uncut bag products 500 continuously formed along the conveyance direction from the bag making machine 2 are sandwiched between a pair of nip rollers 221 and 222 arranged near the portion adjacent to the delivery device 1, and are repeatedly and intermittently conveyed a fixed amount downstream, i.e., toward the -Y direction. At this time, the leading edge of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side fed by the nip rollers 221 and 222 is placed on the horizontal portions of the first flap 163 and the second flap 164 of the reject unit 160 that protrudes above the upper surface of the conveyor table 171 of the transport conveyor 170.

[0025] 3 as an example, the bag product 500 placed on the horizontal portion of the second flap 164 is gripped at position A21, which is closer to the +Y direction, by the second gripping portion 132 of the first actuator 130, which is capable of translation along the Y-axis direction, as shown in FIG. 3(a). Note that in this embodiment, the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140 are illustrated as gripping the bag product 500 by vacuum suction using the first gripping portion 131, the second gripping portion 132, the third gripping portion 141, or the fourth gripping portion 142. That is, the first gripping portion 131, the second gripping portion 132, the third gripping portion 141, and the fourth gripping portion 142 are described as suction heads. However, the actuators included in the delivery device of the present disclosure are not limited to a configuration in which the bag product 500 is gripped by suction using a suction head. That is, the actuator provided in the delivery device of the present disclosure may be configured to grip the bag product 500, for example, by grabbing it with an arm or claw, or by attaching it using a magnet or static electricity, etc.

[0026] The bag product 500 gripped by the second gripping unit 132 is then repeatedly intermittently conveyed downstream by a fixed amount, and along the way, as shown in FIG. 3(c), it is cut into individual pieces by the cutting unit 230 of the bag making machine 2. Finally, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the bag product 500 is conveyed by the second gripping unit 132 to position A24, which is closer to the -Y direction, after which the gripping by the second gripping unit 132 is stopped and released, and the bag product 500 is placed on the conveyor table 171. By repeating this process, a predetermined number of bag products 500 are stacked and accumulated. Note that the leading end of the -Y direction side of the cut bag product 500 gripped by the second gripping unit 132 is held at a position spaced a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the conveyor table 171 below. However, the bag product 500 other than the leading end is not held by the gripping portion or the like, and therefore hangs down on the conveyor table 171 as shown in FIG. 4(a), and is conveyed in the -Y direction while contacting it.

[0027] The first actuator 130 further includes a first gripping unit 131 arranged in parallel on the -X direction side of the second gripping unit 132 along the X axis perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the bag products 500, and the first gripping unit 131 also performs the same operation as the second gripping unit 132 described above. As a result, the delivery device 1 grips the two-row bag products 500 discharged by the pair of nip rollers 221 and 222 of the bag making machine 2 with both the gripping units of the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132. Then, by both gripping units performing the same operation, the bag products 500 are conveyed to a predetermined position, and then they can be placed and accumulated on the conveyor table 171.

[0028] When a long bag product 500 of 500 mm or more is conveyed, there is a period during which one end of the bag product 500, that is, the end on the -Y direction side, is gripped by the first gripping unit 131 or the second gripping unit 132, and the other end, that is, the end on the +Y direction side, is sandwiched between the nip rollers 221 and 222. If the conveying speeds of one end and the other end of the bag product 500 differ significantly at this time, the bag product 500 is likely to sag, be damaged due to excessive tension, fall off the gripping unit, or have poor conveyance due to nip roller slippage.

[0029] However, in the delivery device 1 of this embodiment, the first actuator 130 can transport the pre-cut bag products 500 gripped by the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132 at a speed synchronized with the feed speed at which the nip rollers 221 and 222 of the intermittently driven bag making machine 2 deliver the bag products 500. Therefore, even when transporting long bag products 500 of 500 mm or more, damage to the bag products 500 and transport failures can be suppressed, and the bag products 500 can be stably transported to the predetermined position and accumulated.

[0030] 3(a), a reject unit 160 having a second flap 164 is provided closer to the nip rollers 221 and 222 than position A21 where the second gripping section 132 first grips the bag product 500. The reject unit 160 further includes a first flap 163 that is arranged in parallel on the -X direction side of the second flap 164 along the X axis perpendicular to the conveyance direction of the bag product 500. The first flap 163 and the second flap 164 can perform different operations.

[0031] For example, as shown in FIG. 5( a), suppose that the leading end of a preceding bag 500 is gripped by the second gripping unit 132 at its -Y direction end as described above, and the remaining portion of the bag 500 hangs down and is conveyed toward the -Y direction, after which the leading end of the following bag 500 is sent toward the -Y direction by the nip rollers 221 and 222. If the second flap 164 rises at a predetermined timing, defective bag 500 in the +X direction row discharged from the bag making machine 2 will be unable to move straight along the Y axis. That is, as shown in FIG. 5( b), the leading end of the -Y direction of the bag 500 abuts the underside of the second flap 164, and the conveyance path is changed downward for conveyance. As a result, as shown in FIG. 5( c), the defective bag 500 is stored in the defective bag storage unit 180, which is in a different location from the non-defective bag 500.

[0032] As described above, delivery device 1 of the bag making machine of this embodiment has first gripping unit 131 and second gripping unit 132 as gripping units. Furthermore, first actuator 130 of delivery device 1 grips pre-cutting processed bag product 500 with its gripping units at a speed synchronized with the feed speed at which nip rollers 221 and 222 of intermittently driven bag making machine 2 feed out processed bag product 500. Furthermore, first actuator 130 transports the gripped processed bag product 500 along the first transport path along the Y axis to position A21, which is a first position.

[0033] Furthermore, the first actuator 130 can transport the bag products 500 cut at the first position, while holding them with the gripping parts, along the first transport path to position A24, which is a second position farther from the nip rollers 221 and 222 than the first position. Furthermore, the first actuator 130 can stop the gripping of the gripping parts at the second position, allowing the bag products 500 to drop and be stacked in the thickness direction.

[0034] Meanwhile, the delivery device 1 includes a reject unit 160 having flaps 163 and 164, which is located closer to the nip rollers 221 and 222 than the first position. When the nip rollers 221 and 222 send out the bag product 500, the conveying direction of the defective bag product 500 before cutting can be switched to a second conveying path different from the first conveying path.

[0035] As a result, the delivery device 1 of this embodiment has a relatively simple configuration, but can stably transport and accumulate long bag products to a predetermined position after cutting. The details of the configuration of the delivery device 1 will be described below mainly with reference to Figures 1 to 6.

[0036] [a] Delivery device configuration [i] Actuator 1, the delivery device 1 is equipped with two systems of actuators, a first actuator 130 and a second actuator 140, as the actuators 120. First, the first actuator 130 will be described. The first actuator 130 has two rotation axes along the X axis, and is equipped with a belt support shaft 151 and a first drive shaft 152 that are rotatably fixed to the housing 110. The belt support shaft 151 is disposed near the end of the delivery device 1 on the -Y direction side and is a freely rotating shaft, while the first drive shaft 152 is disposed near the end of the delivery device 1 on the +Y direction side and is rotationally driven in synchronization with the rotation of the first motor 154.

[0037] The belt support shaft 151 and the first drive shaft 152 are each provided with a pulley (not shown), and two timing belts, a first belt 133 and a second belt 134, are wound around the pulleys to engage with the pulleys. Also, Figures 6(a), 6(b), and 6(c) are front views of the first actuator 130, the second actuator 140, and the transport conveyor 170, which are the main parts of the delivery device 1, as seen from the -Y direction side. Figure 6(d) is a plan view of the delivery device 1 and the vicinity of the cutting unit 230 of the bag making machine 2.

[0038] 1 and 6(a), the first belt 133 is disposed on the −X direction side of the delivery device 1, and the second belt 134 is disposed on the +X direction side. However, the actual arrangement order of the timing belts along the X axis direction is, from the −X direction side, the first belt 133 of the first actuator, the third belt 143 of the second actuator, the second belt 134 of the first actuator, and the fourth belt 144 of the second actuator.

[0039] Taking the first belt 133 as an example, a first gripping unit 131, which is a gripping unit having a suction cup at its lower end, is fixed to the lower side of the first belt 133 so as to be movable in parallel along the Y-axis direction. That is, the first gripping unit 131 can move together with the first belt 133 as it moves in the Y-axis direction. Furthermore, the first gripping unit 131 is an air cylinder whose suction cup position can move along the Z-axis as the rod moves. Therefore, the rod can be lowered to the bottom end to grip the bag-made product 500 with the suction cup, and then the rod can be raised to the top end to translate along the Y-axis and then released from the grip, thereby moving the bag-made product 500 a predetermined distance.

[0040] The second belt 134 has a similar configuration to the first belt 133, and a second gripping unit 132 is fixed to the second belt 134, and the second gripping unit 132 is movable parallel to the Y-axis direction in synchronization with the first gripping unit 133. The second gripping unit 132 is also an air cylinder with a suction cup similar to the first gripping unit 131. Therefore, the first actuator 130 can transport two bag products 500 that are perpendicular to the transport direction of the bag products 500 at once using the two gripping units, the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit.

[0041] In this embodiment, the first belt 133 and the like are described as timing belts. However, the first belt 133 and the like may be configured as a V-belt or a chain as long as it can convert the rotational driving force of the first motor 154 into driving force for horizontal movement along the Y-axis. Furthermore, instead of the first belt 133 and the like, a single-axis robot configured with a ball screw, a linear guide, or the like may be used. In this case, the first gripping unit 131 and the like may not be an air cylinder, and the first gripping unit 131 and the like may be configured as a two-axis or multi-axis robot capable of moving in the Y-axis and Z-axis directions. However, in this embodiment, by using timing belts for the first belt 133 and the like and air cylinders for the first gripping unit, the device configuration is simplified and the device costs can be reduced.

[0042] The driving force of the first motor 154 is transmitted to the first drive shaft 152 via gears, a belt, etc., and moves the first belt 133 and the second belt 134 that are wound around the pulleys of the belt support shaft 151 and the first drive shaft 152, respectively. As a result, the rotation of the first motor 154 can move the first gripping portion 131 and the second gripping portion 132 simultaneously in a predetermined direction. Similarly, the driving force of the second motor 155 is transmitted to the second drive shaft 153 via gears, a belt, etc., and moves the third belt 143 and the fourth belt 144 that are wound around the pulleys of the belt support shaft 151 and the second drive shaft 153, respectively. As a result, the rotation of the second motor 155 can move the third gripping portion 141 and the fourth gripping portion 142 simultaneously in a predetermined direction, independently of the movement of the first gripping portion 131 and the second gripping portion 132.

[0043] In addition, the first gripping unit 131 and the third gripping unit 141 are capable of transporting the bag products 500 in the row on the -X direction side of the bag products 500 transported in two rows, and the second gripping unit 132 and the fourth gripping unit 142 are capable of transporting the bag products 500 in the row on the +X direction side.

[0044] The first motor 154 and the second motor 155 need to move the first belt 133 to the fourth belt 144 at a speed synchronized with the conveying speed of the bag product 500 that is fed by the rotation of the pair of nip rollers 221 and 222. As a result, the first gripping unit 131 to the fourth gripping unit 142 can be moved at a speed synchronized with the conveying speed of the bag product 500. For this reason, the first motor 154 and the second motor 155 are preferably servo motors or stepping motors whose rotational acceleration and deceleration can be controlled relatively freely in accordance with the behavior of the nip rollers 221 and 222.

[0045] Here, the operation of the first actuator 130 will be specifically described, focusing on the operation of the second gripper 132, which transports the bag products 500 on the +X side of the two-row bag products 500. Each of FIGS. 3 to 5 is a side view of the main components of the bag making machine 2 and delivery device 1, viewed from the +X side, with the second actuator 140 partially omitted. However, FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c) do not omit the second actuator 140. First, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the uncut bag products 500 sandwiched between a pair of nip rollers 221 and 222 located downstream of the bag making machine 2 are intermittently fed in the -Y direction at a predetermined timing and by a predetermined feed amount in accordance with the drive of the nip rollers 221 and 222. The predetermined feed amount is defined as a distance d.

[0046] The -Y direction end of the bag product 500, which has been transported a distance d along the -Y direction, is placed on a horizontal portion of a first portion 164a of the second flap 164 that constitutes the second reject unit 162, which is generally L-shaped in a cross section along the X direction. The second gripping unit 132 is on standby above the -Y direction end of the bag product 500. This position is designated position A21. The position upstream of this position by a distance d, i.e., the position of the cutting unit 230, is designated position A20. At position A21, the rod of the second gripping unit 132 descends toward the bag product 500, whose transport has stopped, and its suction cups grip the bag product 500.

[0047] 3(b), the second gripping unit 132 then conveys the gripped bag product 500 at a predetermined speed to position A22, which is a distance d away from position A21 in the -Y direction. At this time, the movement speed of the second gripping unit 132 is synchronized with the conveyance speed of the bag product 500 being fed by the rotation of the pair of nip rollers 221 and 222. This makes it possible to prevent sagging of the bag product 500 during conveyance, twisting due to excessive tension, falling off the gripping unit, and conveyance problems due to nip roller slippage.

[0048] Here, the movement speed of the second gripping unit 132 does not need to be exactly the same as the conveyance speed of the bag products 500 sent out by the rotation of the pair of nip rollers 221 and 222, but may be within a speed range that allows the long bag products 500 to be conveyed normally without damage. As an example, if the conveyance speed along the first conveyance path of the bag products 500 sent out by the rotation of the pair of nip rollers 221 and 222 is Va and the movement speed along the first conveyance path of the second gripping unit 132 is Vb, Vb is preferably equal to or greater than Va × 0.5 and equal to or less than Va × 1.5. By keeping Vb in this range, even for long bag products 500 having a length of 500 mm or more, damage to the bag products 500, falling off the gripping unit, poor conveyance due to nip roller slippage, etc. can be suppressed.

[0049] Furthermore, Vb is more preferably equal to or greater than Va × 0.8 and equal to or less than Va × 1.2. When Vb is in this range, even if the conveying speed of the bag product 500 by the bag making machine 2 is high, the long bag product 500 can be conveyed accurately and quickly without damage, thereby improving productivity.

[0050] 3(c), the second gripping unit 132 conveys the gripped bag product 500 from position A22 to position A23 using a moving speed profile similar to the profile from position A21 to position A22. Position A23 is a position spaced a distance d away from position A22 in the -Y direction. Furthermore, while the second gripping unit conveying the bag product 500 is stopped at position A23, the cutting unit 230 of the bag making machine 2 lowers a guillotine blade to cut the bag product 500 along the X-axis direction, which is the width direction. Note that the cutting unit 230 is not limited to a guillotine blade, and may also be a Thomson blade (Vic blade).

[0051] Then, as shown in FIG. 4(a), the second gripping unit 132 further transports the -Y direction leading end of the gripped bag product 500 from position A23 to position A24 using the same moving speed profile as the previous sections. Position A24 is a distance d away from position A23 in the -Y direction. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 4(b), the second gripping unit 132 stops gripping the -Y direction leading end of the bag product 500 at position A24 and releases it. As a result, the bag product 500 falls freely downward at this position and is placed on the conveyor table 171 of the transfer conveyor 170. As described above, the -Y direction leading end of the cut bag product 500 gripped by the second gripping unit 132 is held at a position spaced a predetermined distance above the upper surface of the conveyor table 171 below. However, the bag products 500 other than the leading end hang down on the conveyor table 171 and are conveyed in the -Y direction while in contact with the conveyor table 171.

[0052] Note that, because the bag product 500 is cut into individual pieces while the second gripping unit 132 is at position A23, the moving speed profile when the bag product 500 gripped by the second gripping unit 132 moves from position A23 to position A24 may be different from the moving speed profiles of the previous sections. Furthermore, position A24 may be a position that is away from position A23 in the -Y direction by a distance different from distance d.

[0053] Thereafter, the second gripping portion 132 skips the transport of the bag product 500 succeeding the previously transported bag product 500, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4(c), and moves to its initial position, position A21, to transport the subsequent bag product 500.

[0054] As shown in FIGS. 4(b) and 4(c), after the second gripper transports the leading bag product 500 to position A24, the fourth gripper 142, which is fixed to a fourth belt 144 arranged parallel to the second belt 134 along the X-axis, transports the following bag product 500 in the row on the +X-axis side while the second gripper transports the leading bag product 500. That is, while the second gripper transports the leading bag product 500, the fourth gripper 142 waits at position A41 where it overlaps with position A21 along the X-axis. The -Y-side end of the following bag product 500, which has been transported a distance d along the -Y direction, is placed on the second flap 164. Then, at position A41, the rod of the fourth gripper 142 descends toward the bag product 500 whose transport has stopped, and the suction cups grip the bag product 500.

[0055] Thereafter, as described in the operation of the second gripping unit 132, the fourth gripping unit 142 intermittently transports the leading edge of the gripped bag product 500 on the -Y direction side to positions A42, A43, and A44 at a predetermined speed profile, and stops gripping the bag product 500 at position A44 and releases it. As a result, the bag product 500 freely falls downward at this position and is placed on the conveyor table 171 of the transfer conveyor 170, where it is stacked and accumulated on top of the preceding bag product 500. Positions A42, A43, and A44 are located a distance d away from positions A41, A42, and A43, respectively, in the -Y direction. Furthermore, the position upstream of position A41 by the distance d, i.e., the position of the cutting unit 230, is defined as position A40.

[0056] Note that positions A41, A42, A43, and A44 of the fourth gripping unit 142 are shifted a predetermined distance in the +X direction from positions A21, A22, A23, and A24 of the second gripping unit 132, respectively. However, the position of the bag product 500 at the above-mentioned position of the fourth gripping unit 142 coincides with the position of the bag product 500 at the above-mentioned position of the second gripping unit 132. That is, the position at which the fourth gripping unit 142 grips the leading edge of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side is shifted by the above-mentioned predetermined distance in the -X direction from the position at which the second gripping unit 132 grips the leading edge of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side. Therefore, when viewed from the +Z direction side, the arrangement of the bag products 500 intermittently transported by the second gripping unit 132 and the fourth gripping unit 142 along the X axis and the arrangement along the Y axis are substantially the same.

[0057] The above has described how the second gripping unit 132 fixed to the second belt 134 and the fourth gripping unit 142 fixed to the fourth belt 144 alternately transport and stack the made-up products 500 to a predetermined position on the conveyor table 171. As mentioned above, the first actuator 130 includes the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132 fixed to the first belt 133 and the second belt 134, respectively, which are hung on the belt support shaft 151 and the first drive shaft 152. Therefore, the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132 operate in the same manner, so that two rows of made-up products 500 along the X-axis direction can be transported at once.

[0058] Meanwhile, the second actuator 140 also includes a third gripping unit 141 and a fourth gripping unit 142 fixed to a third belt 143 and a fourth belt 144, respectively, which are wound around a belt support shaft 151 and a second drive shaft 153. The third gripping unit 141 and the fourth gripping unit 142 alternately perform the same operations as the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132, thereby enabling two rows of finished products 500 along the X-axis direction to be conveyed at once.

[0059] To summarize the above description, the delivery device 1 includes, as the actuator 120, a first actuator 130 having a first gripping portion of the gripping portions and a second actuator 140 having a second gripping portion of the gripping portions. The first gripping portion is, for example, first gripping portion 131 or second gripping portion 132, and the second gripping portion is, for example, third gripping portion 141 or fourth gripping portion 142. The first actuator 130 transports a first bag product of the bag products 500 to a second position while gripping the leading end of the first bag product on the -Y direction side with the first gripping portion. During this time, the second actuator 140 can transport a subsequent second bag product, which has been separated from the first bag product by cutting, toward the first position while gripping the leading end of the second bag product on the -Y direction side with the second gripping portion. The first position is, for example, the position of the tip of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side corresponding to positions A13, A23, A33 and A43, and the second position is, for example, the position of the tip of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side corresponding to positions A14, A24, A34 and A44.

[0060] Furthermore, first actuator 130 and second actuator 140 each have a plurality of gripping sections, namely, first gripping section 131 and second gripping section 132, and third gripping section 141 and fourth gripping section 142. The leading ends on the -Y direction side of the multiple rows of bag products 500 that have been cut at once in the cutting process can be gripped at the same time by these multiple gripping sections, namely, first gripping section 131 and second gripping section 132, or third gripping section 141 and fourth gripping section 142, and can be transported to the first position and the second position at the same time.

[0061] The actuator 120 is composed of two systems of actuators, a first actuator 130 and a second actuator 140, each of which has a gripping portion that performs different operations. This allows the gripping portion of one actuator to start conveying the subsequent bag product 500 before the gripping portion of the other actuator finishes conveying the preceding bag product 500 and returns to its initial position, thereby improving the delivery device 1's ability to convey the bag products 500.

[0062] [ii] Reject Unit 1, the delivery device 1 includes a reject unit 160 that redirects defective bag products 500 to a different conveyance path from that of non-defective bag products 500. Of the reject unit 160, the first reject unit 161 is provided closer to the nip rollers 221 and 222 than positions A11 and A31, where the first gripping section 131 and the third gripping section 141 grip the leading edge of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side. Also, of the reject unit 160, the second reject unit 162 is provided closer to the nip rollers 221 and 222 than positions A21 and A41, where the second gripping section 132 and the fourth gripping section 142 grip the leading edge of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side. The detailed configuration of the reject unit 160 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3(a), 5(a), 5(b), 5(c), and 6(d).

[0063] As shown in Figures 3(a) and 6(d), the reject unit 160 has a configuration in which a first reject unit 161 on the -X direction side and a second reject unit 162 on the +X direction side are arranged in parallel along the X axis direction when viewed along the X axis direction. The second reject unit 162 has a second flap 164 and a second conveyor 166. The second flap 164 has a plate-like flat area along the XY plane and is composed of a first portion 164a that is approximately L-shaped in a cross section viewed along the X axis direction and a second portion 164b that is approximately arc-shaped in a cross section viewed along the X axis direction. The first reject unit 161 has a similar configuration.

[0064] If the bag product 500 is a non-defective product, the bag product 500 sent out from the nip rollers 221 and 222 is conveyed directly in the -Y direction, and as shown in FIG. 3(a), the leading edge of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side is placed on the first portion 164a of the second flap 164. The bag product 500 is then gripped by the second gripping unit 132 at position A21 and further conveyed intermittently in the -Y direction along the Y axis. The conveyance path for non-defective bag products 500 is also referred to as the first conveyance path. The first conveyance path is used for both rows of the two-row bag products 500.

[0065] On the other hand, if the bag product 500 is defective, the bag product 500 sent out from the nip rollers 221 and 222 is conveyed directly in the -Y direction. However, at a predetermined timing after the cutting unit 230 cuts the preceding bag product 500 and before the subsequent bag product 500 is sent out, the second flap 164 of the second reject unit 162 rises, as shown in Fig. 5(a). Therefore, the leading edge of the bag product 500 on the -Y direction side sent out from the nip rollers 221 and 222 comes into contact with the lower surface of the second part 164b of the second flap 164, as shown in Fig. 5(b), and is sent diagonally downward along the curved surface of the lower surface, that is, toward the -Y direction and the -Z direction.

[0066] As a result, as shown in FIG. 5(c), the defective bag products 500 are stored in a defective bag product storage section 180 below the conveyor table 171, which is different from the first conveying path for non-defective products. This conveying path, which passes through the area between the second flap 164 and the second conveyor 166 below it in a cross-sectional view along the X axis and stores the products below the conveyor table 171, is also referred to as the second conveying path. The second conveying path applies to both rows of the two-row bag products 500. When the second flap 164 rises and the defective bag products 500 pass through the area between the second flap 164 and the second conveyor 166 below it, the belt of the second conveyor 166 is driven in the conveying direction of the bag products 500. That is, the belt of the second conveyor 166 moves with the surface facing the bag products 500 in the -Y and -Z directions.

[0067] In this way, when a defective bag product 500 is transported along the second transport path, the belt of the second conveyor 166 is driven, which prevents the bag product 500 from clogging the second transport path and impeding the transport of the following non-defective bag products 500. That is, the second reject unit 162 further includes the second conveyor 166, and the space between the second flap 164 and the second conveyor 166 serves as the second transport path, and the second conveyor is driven in a direction to discharge the defective bag product 500, thereby assisting the transport of the defective bag product 500. This is also true when the second reject unit 162, the second flap 164, and the second conveyor 166 are replaced with the first reject unit 161, the first flap 163, and the first conveyor 165, respectively.

[0068] The flap 164 of the second reject unit 162 descends to its original position at a predetermined timing after the cutting unit 230 cuts the preceding defective bag product 500 and before the subsequent non-defective bag product 500 is sent out. Therefore, the leading end on the -Y direction side of the non-defective bag product 500 sent out from the nip rollers 221 and 222 is conveyed along the first conveying path, as shown in FIG. 3(a).

[0069] In this way, when a signal indicating that the bag products 500 are defective is input to the delivery device 1 for some reason, it is possible to properly distinguish and collect only the specified defective bag products 500 from the non-defective products among the bag products continuously conveyed from the bag making machine 2. Furthermore, the configuration of the first reject unit 161 and the first flap 163 is the same as the configuration of the second reject unit 162 and the second flap 164, and the first reject unit 161 and the second reject unit 162 can be operated separately.

[0070] Therefore, if defective products occur only in the row on the -X direction side of the bag products 500 being processed in two rows, only the first reject unit 161 will operate, raising the first flap 163 and driving the first conveyor 165. Therefore, even if defective products occur only in one row of the two-row system, only those defective products can be properly removed. This reduces the possibility of removing non-defective bag products 500 as defective products, improving the yield of bag products.

[0071] [iii] Transport conveyor 1, the delivery device 1 is equipped with a transfer conveyor 170, which is a belt conveyor for accumulating or moving parallel along a predetermined direction the bag products 500 transported in the -Y direction by the gripping parts of the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140. In Fig. 1, the transfer conveyor 170 is equipped with a conveyor base 171 that is a platform-shaped portion along the XY plane, and is configured so that a bundle of a predetermined number of accumulated bag products 500 can be moved parallel along the Y-axis direction by moving the belt.

[0072] However, the direction of movement of the bag products 500 on the transfer conveyor 170 is not limited to this, and can be any direction, including up and down. Furthermore, the conveyor table 171 does not necessarily have to have a conveyor function, and may simply be a work table for collecting the bag products 500 in one place. Furthermore, the transfer conveyor 170 does not necessarily transport by a belt conveyor, but may instead transport the bag products 500 by, for example, gripping parts that grip the bag products 500 and moving the gripping parts in parallel.

[0073] [iv] Control Unit Next, the functional configuration of the delivery device 1 will be described. Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of the delivery device 1. The control unit 300 is composed of a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), memory, etc. The control unit 300 receives input signals from an operation unit 370 that accepts operations from an operator, etc., a bag cutting signal 511 from the bag making machine 2, a nip roller encoder signal 512, a defective bag occurrence signal 513, and various input signals from the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140. These signals are then stored in memory as necessary.

[0074] The control unit 300 reads out information stored in memory as necessary based on information from these various input signals, performs various calculation processes and judgment processes, and outputs the results to the display unit 360 and the alarm output unit 380. It also outputs various instruction signals to the first actuator 130, the second actuator 140, the first reject unit 161, the second reject unit 162, the transport conveyor 170, etc. The control unit 300 is illustratively configured by an information processing device such as a personal computer, a server, or a sequencer, but is not limited to these.

[0075] The control unit 300 has, as its functional configuration, components such as a movement speed calculation unit 310, a movement distance calculation unit 320, a reject instruction unit 330, a bag counting unit 340, and an alarm instruction unit 350. The movement speed calculation unit 310 calculates the movement speed of the gripping unit of the actuator 120 based on information from a nip roller encoder signal 512, which is a signal from an encoder attached to the nip roller 211 or 212. However, the function of calculating the movement speed of the gripping unit is just one example, and the movement speed calculation unit 310 may also have a function of calculating the movement acceleration of the gripping unit. The movement speed can be easily calculated by integrating the movement acceleration over time.

[0076] Furthermore, movement distance calculation unit 320 is a component that calculates the movement distance of the gripping unit of actuator 120 based on the information from the above-described movement speed calculation unit 310. Specifically, the movement distance of the gripping unit can be easily calculated by integrating the movement speed calculated by movement speed calculation unit 310 over time. Furthermore, if movement speed calculation unit 310 has a function of calculating the movement acceleration of the gripping unit, the movement distance can be easily calculated by integrating the movement acceleration twice over time.

[0077] For example, based on receiving a defective bag occurrence signal 513 from the bag making machine 2, the reject instruction unit 330 outputs an instruction signal to the reject unit 160 in the corresponding row to raise or lower the first flap 163 or second flap 164 in accordance with the timing of the transport of the target bag product 500. The reject instruction unit 330 also outputs an instruction signal to drive or stop the first conveyor 165 or second conveyor 166 in accordance with the timing. Specifically, the reject instruction unit 330 outputs an instruction signal to the driver 441 or 442 of the first reject unit 161 or second reject unit 162 as necessary, and the driver 441 or 442 instructs the flap or conveyor operation.

[0078] The bag counting unit 340 also counts the number of made-up products 500 that the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140 have stacked and accumulated on the conveyor table 171 of the transport conveyor 170. For example, the bag counting unit 340 counts the number of made-up products 500 that have been stacked and accumulated on the conveyor table 171, and when a predetermined number has been reached, the control unit 300 outputs a signal to drive the conveyor belt of the transport conveyor 170, thereby moving the stack of made-up products 500 a predetermined distance. The bag counting unit 340 may also count the total number of made-up products 500, including the stack of made-up products 500 moved by the transport conveyor 170. The number of defective made-up products 500 sorted by the reject unit 160 may also be counted separately.

[0079] Counting by the bag counting unit 340 may be performed, for example, by counting the number of cycles of conveying the bag products 500 by the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140. Alternatively, a photoelectric sensor equipped with a light-emitting unit and a light-receiving unit may be placed along the first conveying path, and the number of times the light-receiving unit of the sensor is blocked may be counted. Counting may also be performed by photographing the conveyed bag products 500 with a camera or the like, and counting the number of bag products 500 through image processing. In either method, it is preferable to not count or to subtract from the number of defective bag products 500 sorted by the reject unit 160.

[0080] The alarm indicator 350 outputs an instruction signal for necessary alarm information when the control unit 300 detects a malfunction that interferes with the normal operation of the delivery device 1, such as the actuator 120, the reject unit 160, or the transport conveyor 170. The alarm information may be output as a display on the display unit 360, as an audio output from a speaker, or as an output to an alarm output unit 380 including the illumination of a warning light, or as a notification to another information processing device via a network line. Note that the bag counting unit 340 and the alarm indicator 350 are not essential components of the delivery device 1.

[0081] [v] Display section, operation section, etc. In addition to the above, the delivery device 1 may be equipped with additional devices such as an operation unit 370 for inputting changes to the setting conditions of the bag 500 and for starting and stopping the delivery device 1, and a display unit 360 for displaying confirmation and confirmation of the setting conditions of the delivery device and displaying the production status of the bag 500. The same applies to an alarm output unit 380 when an abnormality occurs. The operation unit 370 may be an input device such as a mouse, keyboard, operation switch, button, or touch pen, or may be configured as a touch panel that allows predetermined information to be input by touching the screen of the display unit 360. Furthermore, the display unit 360 may have a display such as a liquid crystal display, organic electroluminescence display, or electronic paper display. The alarm output unit 380 may be a speaker or a warning light, or may directly display or notify alarm information on the display unit 360.

[0082] [b] Method for delivering bagged products using a delivery device Next, a method for delivering made-up bags using the delivery device 1 described above, in which made-up bags cut by the bag making machine 2 are transported to a predetermined position and accumulated, will be described with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 7 to 9 in addition to Figures 1 to 6. First, made-up bags 500 are produced in the bag making machine 2 having the function shown in Patent Document 1. That is, the bag making machine 2 transports a roll of film while nipping it between a pair of nip rollers, and overlaps the rolls of film facing each other while using a turn bar or the like to change the front and back sides and transport direction of the roll of film, and then heats and seals the edges.

[0083] The sealed raw film is then cooled, and at the portion of the bag making machine 2 on the delivery device 1 side, as shown in Figures 1, 3(a), 3(b), and 3(c), a continuous film-like bag product 500 sandwiched between a pair of nip rollers 221 and 222 is intermittently sent out in the -Y direction. Furthermore, a cutting unit 230 having a guillotine blade is disposed on the -Y direction side of the pair of nip rollers 221 and 222, and cuts the bag product 500 into individual pieces in accordance with the timing at which the intermittent movement of the bag product 500 stops. In this embodiment, for example, the bag product 500 repeatedly moves intermittently a distance d, and the cutting unit 230 cuts the bag product 500 once every three intermittent movements.

[0084] The delivery device 1 first detects whether or not an encoder signal 512 has been input from either nip roller 221 or 222 of the bag making machine 2 (step S601 in the flow diagram of FIG. 7). If the encoder signal 512 has not been input, it is assumed that the bag making machine 2 is not yet operating, and the delivery device 1 remains in a standby state. On the other hand, if the encoder signal 512 has been input, the bag making machine 2 has started intermittently transporting the bag product 500, and the process proceeds to the next step.

[0085] When the encoder signal 512 is input, the delivery device 1 detects whether or not a defective bag occurrence signal 513 related to the target bag 500 has been input (step S602). The defective bag occurrence signal 513 is output from the bag making machine 2 to the delivery device 1 in response to a bag 500 in which some defect, such as poor quality, has been detected, for example, during the manufacturing process of the bag making machine 2. However, the defective bag occurrence signal 513 may also be output reflecting the results of inspection by a sensor, camera, or the like installed on the delivery device 1 side.

[0086] If a defective bag occurrence signal 513 relating to the bag products 500 is input, the process proceeds to step A, which will be described later. On the other hand, if a defective bag occurrence signal 513 relating to the bag products 500 is not input and the bag products 500 are non-defective, the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140 are alternately operated to sequentially transport two rows of the bag products 500 along the first transport path on the -Y direction side (step S603). Specifically, the process proceeds through steps B to C shown in FIG. 8.

[0087] First, in the first actuator 130, whose grippers have already been returned to their initial positions, the first gripper 131 and the second gripper 132 grip the leading edge on the -Y direction side of the two-row bag products 500 sent out from the nip rollers 221 and 222 (step S641 in FIG. 8 ). In other words, when the first gripper 131 and the second gripper 132 are aligned along the X axis at positions A11 and A21, respectively, at a distance d from the cutting unit 230, a signal from the control unit 300 activates the air or vacuum switch 431 via a solenoid valve or the like. The gripper rod is then lowered, and the suction cups grip the bag products 500 at their lower end positions. After confirming that the vacuum sensor 421 is on, the gripper rod is raised again. Note that if the target bag products 500 have been rejected as defective, the gripping operation on the bag products 500 is not performed.

[0088] Next, based on nip roller encoder signal 512, movement speed calculation unit 310 and movement distance calculation unit 320 of control unit 300 calculate the movement speed and movement distance of the gripping unit caused by first actuator 130 (step S642). The nip roller encoder is a disk-shaped member that rotates in accordance with the rotation of the nip roller, and the rotation angle of the nip roller can be determined by detecting the presence or absence of multiple slits provided in the encoder with a transmission-type photoelectric sensor. The movement speed of the outer periphery of the nip roller, i.e., the conveying speed of bag product 500, can be calculated by multiplying the rotational angular velocity of the nip roller calculated in this manner by a constant.

[0089] Because the nip rollers 221 and 222 intermittently feed the bag products 500, their speed profile can be approximated by a graph, where the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents speed, forming a roughly trapezoidal shape with the upper base smaller than the lower base. In other words, the profile sequentially repeats a phase in which the speed first increases at a constant rate, then maintains a constant value, then decreases at a constant rate, and finally reaches a zero speed, i.e., stops. As mentioned above, the conveyance distance of the bag products 500 can be easily obtained by integrating the conveyance speed over time. Based on this information, the control unit 300 outputs instruction signals to the first actuator 130 regarding the movement speed and distance of the first gripper 131 and the second gripper 132.

[0090] As a result, the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132 of the first actuator 130 intermittently move the uncut bag product 500 a predetermined number of times at a speed synchronized with the feed speed at which the intermittently driven nip rollers 221 and 222 feed the bag product 500 (step S643). Specifically, in the first intermittent movement, the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132 are displaced from positions A11 and A21 to positions A12 and A22, respectively, and in the second intermittent movement, they are displaced from positions A12 and A22 to positions A13 and A23, respectively. At these positions, the cutting unit 230 cuts the rear end of the bag product 500 being transported by the gripping units.

[0091] Next, in the third intermittent movement, the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132 are displaced from positions A13 and A23 to positions A14 and A24, respectively. Here, the distance of each intermittent movement is distance d, as described above. Note that, because the encoder signals 512 of the nip rollers 221 and 222 have the same profile in each intermittent movement, there is a possibility that the delivery device 1 will not be able to determine to which position on the bag product 500 the current conveying portion of the nip rollers 221 and 222 corresponds. In this case, by also detecting the timing at which the bag cutting signal 511 is input from the bag making machine 2, the delivery device 1 can accurately determine which intermittent movement of the same bag product 500 is being performed.

[0092] After the third intermittent movement, the first actuator 130 ends the transport of the bag product 500 along the first transport path along the Y axis, stops the gripping of the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132, and releases the bag product 500 (step S644). Specifically, a signal from the control unit 300 activates the air or vacuum switch 431 via an electromagnetic valve or the like. The gripping unit rod is then lowered, and the bag product 500 is released from the suction cup at its bottom end position. After confirming that the vacuum sensor 421 is off, the gripping unit rod is raised again.

[0093] Thereafter, the first actuator 130 returns the first gripping unit 131 and the second gripping unit 132 to their initial positions, positions A11 and A21 (step S645). However, typically, before this operation is completed, the subsequent bagged product 500 has already been sent out from the nip rollers 221 and 222. Therefore, regardless of the operation of the first actuator 130, the third gripping unit 141 and the fourth gripping unit 142 of the second actuator 140 are waiting at positions A31 and A41. Then, the second actuator 140, which includes the third gripping unit 141 and the fourth gripping unit 142, operates in place of the operation of the first actuator 130, thereby executing each of the steps from step B to step C described above.

[0094] Here, the first gripping portion 131, the second gripping portion 132, and positions A11, A12, A13, A14, A21, A22, A23, and A24 correspond to the third gripping portion 141, the fourth gripping portion 142, and positions A31, A32, A33, A34, A41, A42, A43, and A44, respectively. The positions A11, A21, A31, and A41, the positions A12, A22, A32, and A42, and the positions A13, A23, A33, and A43 are all aligned on the same line along the X-axis, and the distance between these aligned lines is a distance d. Furthermore, positions that are a distance d upstream of positions A11, A21, A31, and A41, ie, positions cut by cutting unit 230, are defined as positions A10, A20, A30, and A40, respectively.

[0095] In this way, the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140 operate alternately to repeatedly execute the above-described steps B to C. As a result, a predetermined number of the bag products 500 are stacked and accumulated on the conveyor table 171 of the transfer conveyor 170 to form two rows of bundles of the bag products 500.

[0096] On the other hand, if a defective bag occurrence signal 513 relating to the bag 500 is input in step S601, the process proceeds to step A. In this case, as shown in FIG. 9, the first flap 163 or the second flap 164 of the first reject unit 161 or the second reject unit 162, which is the reject unit 160 corresponding to the row in which the defective bag 500 occurred, rises at a predetermined timing (step S621 in FIG. 9). Specifically, upon receiving the defective bag occurrence signal 513, the reject instruction unit 330 of the control unit 300 outputs a reject instruction signal to the driver 442, for example, if a defective bag has occurred on the side of the second reject unit 162. Upon receiving this signal, the driver 442 raises the second flap 164 at a predetermined timing and simultaneously drives the second conveyor 166.

[0097] As a result, only the specific bag products 500 in the row on the +X direction side are retracted to the second conveyance path side and conveyed. As a result, the defective bag products 500 can be sorted into the defective bag product storage section 180 (step S622). In this case, the gripping operation of the gripper of the first actuator 130 or the second actuator 140 described above can be skipped (step S623), thereby minimizing operational interference due to gripping errors. Then, at a predetermined timing when the defective bag products 500 have been sorted, the second flap 164 is returned to its original position, and the second conveyor 166 stops (step S624). If a defective product is found in the row on the -X direction side, the driver 441 receives a reject instruction signal, raises the first flap 163 at a predetermined timing, and simultaneously drives the first conveyor 165. The subsequent operations are the same as those of the second reject unit described above.

[0098] After the above reject operation, the delivery device 1 proceeds to step D, and sequentially performs step S603 and subsequent steps in Fig. 7. When an end process is performed from the operation unit 370 in the delivery device 1, the series of operations ends (step S604). As a result of the transport and accumulation of the bag products 500 to the transport conveyor 170 by the actuator 120, the completed bundle of bag products 500 can be transported to another location at any time by driving the transport conveyor 170. Alternatively, the completed bundle of bag products 500 may be packed manually rather than transported automatically.

[0099] As described above, the delivery device 1 of the bag making machine of this embodiment has the function of transporting and stacking the bag products 500 cut by the bag making machine 2 to a predetermined position. The delivery device 1 has a first gripping unit, which is a gripping section. Furthermore, the delivery device 1 can transport the bag products 500 before cutting, while gripping them with the gripping unit, along a first transport path along the Y axis, to a first position at a speed synchronized with the feed speed at which the nip rollers 221 and 222 of the bag making machine 2, which are intermittently driven, deliver the bag products 500. The first position is a position of the bag products 500 corresponding to positions A13, A23, A33, A43, etc.

[0100] Furthermore, the delivery device 1 can transport the bag products 500 cut at the first position along the first transport path while holding them with the gripping units to a second position farther from the nip rollers 221 and 222 than the first position. The second position is a position of the bag products 500 corresponding to positions A14, A24, A34, A44, etc. The delivery device 1 can also stop the gripping with the gripping units at the second position, allowing the multiple bag products 500 to drop and accumulate in the thickness direction. These operations are performed by the actuator 120, which is the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140.

[0101] Furthermore, the delivery device 1 is provided with a reject unit 160 that is disposed closer to the nip rollers 221 and 222 than the first position and that can switch the conveying direction of defective, uncut bag products 500 to a second conveying path different from the first conveying path when the nip rollers deliver the bag products 500. The reject unit 160 includes a first reject unit 161 having a first flap 163 and a second reject unit 162 having a second flap 164. The second conveying path is a conveying path that leads to the defective bag product storage section 180 disposed below the transfer conveyor 170, as described above.

[0102] With this configuration, the delivery device 1 of this embodiment can stably transport and accumulate long, cut-processed bags to a predetermined position despite its relatively simple configuration. Furthermore, defective bags can be reliably separated from non-defective bags for storage, preventing non-defective bags from being mistakenly sorted into the defective products via the second transport path and preventing problems such as a decrease in the transport efficiency of the delivery device 1 due to the removal of defective bags.

[0103] Furthermore, the delivery device 1 of this embodiment, together with the bag making machine 2, can constitute a bag making system 10 for producing bag products 500 from a strip-shaped raw film. The bag making machine 2 can transport the strip-shaped raw film and has multiple processing units that perform one or more of the following processes. That is, these are groups that are arranged along the transport direction of the raw film and include a sealing unit that seals the raw film, a cooling unit that cools the raw film sealed by the sealing unit, and a cutting unit such as a cutting unit 230 that cuts the raw film sealed by the sealing unit. The bag making system 10 of this embodiment is equipped with the bag making machine 2 that produces long bag products 500 and the delivery device 1 that stably transports the produced bag products 500 to a predetermined position and accumulates them, thereby enabling the stable production and accumulation of long bag products 500.

[0104] 2. Second embodiment Next, a delivery device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described, focusing mainly on differences from the first embodiment. FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a delivery device 1a according to the second embodiment and the main components of a bag-making machine 2a related thereto. FIGS. 11(a), 11(b), and 11(c) are front views of the first actuator 130a, the second actuator 140a, and the transport conveyor 170, which are the main components of the delivery device 1a, as viewed from the -Y direction. These figures correspond to FIGS. 6(a), 6(b), and 6(c), respectively. FIG. 12 is a plan view of the vicinity of the delivery device 1a and the cutting unit 230 of the bag-making machine 2a, corresponding to FIG. 6(d).

[0105] The delivery device 1a of this embodiment differs from the delivery device 1 of the first embodiment in that it can transport and accumulate four-row bag products 500 to a predetermined position at once, in accordance with a bag making machine 2a that can manufacture and transport four-row bag products 500 at once.

[0106] [i] Actuator The delivery device 1a includes two systems of actuators, a first actuator 130a and a second actuator 140a, as the actuator 120a. The first actuator 130a has two rotation axes along the X axis, and includes a belt support shaft 151 and a first drive shaft 152 rotatably fixed to the housing 110. The first actuator 130a includes a first belt 133a, a fifth belt 133b, a second belt 134a, and a sixth belt 134b arranged from the -X direction side to the +X direction side. Meanwhile, the second actuator 140a includes a third belt 143a, a seventh belt 143b, a fourth belt 144a, and an eighth belt 144b arranged from the -X direction side to the +X direction side.

[0107] When the first actuator 130a and the second actuator 140a are combined, the belts are arranged from the −X direction side to the +X direction side as follows: First belt 133a, third belt 143a, fifth belt 133b, seventh belt 143b, second belt 134a, fourth belt 144a, sixth belt 134b, and eighth belt 144b are arranged in this order.

[0108] A first gripping portion 131a, which is a gripping portion having a suction cup at its lower end, is fixed to the lower side of the first belt 133a of the first actuator 130a so as to be movable in parallel along the Y-axis direction. Similarly, a fifth gripping portion 131b, a second gripping portion 132a, and a sixth gripping portion 132b, which are gripping portions having suction cups at their lower ends, are fixed to the lower sides of the fifth belt 133b, the second belt 134a, and the sixth belt 134b so as to be movable in parallel along the Y-axis direction. That is, the first gripping portion 131a, the fifth gripping portion 131b, the second gripping portion 132a, and the sixth gripping portion 132b can move together in accordance with the rotation of the first drive shaft 152.

[0109] Similarly, a third gripping portion 141a, which is a gripping portion having a suction cup at its lower end, is fixed to the lower side of the third belt 143a of the second actuator 140a so as to be movable in parallel along the Y-axis direction. Similarly, a seventh gripping portion 141b, a fourth gripping portion 142a, and an eighth gripping portion 142b, which are gripping portions having suction cups at their lower ends, are fixed to the lower sides of the seventh belt 143b, the fourth belt 144a, and the eighth belt 144b of the second actuator 140a so as to be movable in parallel along the Y-axis direction. That is, the third gripping portion 141a, the seventh gripping portion 141b, the fourth gripping portion 142a, and the eighth gripping portion 142b can move together in accordance with the rotation of the second drive shaft 153.

[0110] The operations of the first actuator 130a and the second actuator 140a are similar to those of the first actuator 130 and the second actuator 140 in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0111] [ii] Reject Unit The reject unit 160a includes a first reject unit 161a, a third reject unit 161b, a second reject unit 162a, and a fourth reject unit 162b, which are arranged in parallel from the -X direction to the +X direction when viewed along the X axis. Each reject unit operates to remove defective bags 500 that occur in any of the four rows. Each reject unit has a configuration similar to that described for the second reject unit 162 in the first embodiment. That is, it has a configuration corresponding to the second flap 164 and second conveyor 166 described for the second reject unit 162 in the first embodiment. The process of redirecting the defective bags 500 to the second transport path and storing them in the defective bag storage section 180 below the conveyor table 171 is also similar to that in the first embodiment.

[0112] By using the delivery device 1a of this embodiment, it is possible to significantly improve the work efficiency of conveying and stacking long bag products after cutting while maintaining a relatively simple configuration. The delivery device 1a of this embodiment, which is compatible with four-row production, can also be used in conjunction with a bag making machine 2a, which is also compatible with four-row production, to form a bag making system 10a for producing bag products 500 from a strip of raw film. Furthermore, because the delivery device of the present disclosure has a simple configuration, the number of conveying rows can be increased or decreased as desired depending on the number of production rows of the bag making machine. This makes it easy to design and develop a delivery device with an optimal number of rows depending on the production capacity of the bag making machine. [Explanation of symbols]

[0113] 1, 1a Delivery device 2, 2a bag making machine 10, 10a Bag Making System 110 Case 120, 120a actuator 130 First Actuator 131, 131a 1st gripping part 131b 5th grip part 132, 132a 2nd grip part 132b 6th grip part 133, 133a First Belt 133b 5th Belt 134, 134a Second Belt 134b 6th Belt 140 Second Actuator 141, 141a 3rd grip part 141b 7th grip part 142, 142a 4th grip part 142b 8th grip part 143, 143a Third Belt 143b 7th Belt 144, 144a 4th Belt 144b 8th Belt 151 Belt support shaft 152 First drive shaft 153 Second drive shaft 154 First Motor 155 Second Motor 160 Reject Units 161, 161a First Reject Unit 161b Third Reject Unit 162, 162a Second reject unit 162b 4th Reject Unit 163 First flap 164 Second flap 164a Part 1 164b Part 2 165 First Conveyor 166 Second Conveyor 170 Transport Conveyor 171 Conveyor table 180 Defective bag storage area 210 cabinet 221, 222 Nip roller 230 Cutting Unit 300 control section 310 Movement speed calculation section 320 Travel distance calculation section 330 Reject instruction section 340 Bag Counting Department 350 Alarm indicator 360 display 370 Operation section 380 Alarm output section 411, 412 drivers 421, 422 Vacuum sensors 431, 432 Vacuum switch 441, 442 drivers 500 Bag products 511 Bag product cutting signal 512 Encoder Signal 513 Defective bag occurrence signal

Claims

1. A delivery device for a bag making machine that conveys and accumulates bag products cut by the bag making machine to a predetermined position, conveying the bag product before cutting processing to a first position along a first conveying path while being gripped by the gripping unit at a speed synchronized with a feed speed at which a nip roller of the bag making machine, which has a gripping unit and is intermittently driven, sends out the bag product; conveying the cut bag product at the first position along the first conveying path while being held by the gripping section to a second position farther from the nip roller than the first position; and an actuator that stops the gripping of the gripping parts at the second position, allowing the plurality of bag products to drop and be stacked in the thickness direction; a reject unit that is disposed closer to the nip roller than the first position and has a flap that can switch the conveying direction of the defective bag product before cutting to a second conveying path that is different from the first conveying path when the nip roller delivers the bag product.

2. the actuators include a first actuator having a first gripping portion of the gripping portions and a second actuator having a second gripping portion of the gripping portions; 2. The delivery device of the bag making machine according to claim 1, wherein while the first actuator is gripping a first bag product among the bag products with the first gripping portion and transporting it to the second position, the second actuator is capable of gripping a subsequent second bag product separated from the first bag product by the cutting process with the second gripping portion and transporting it toward the first position.

3. the actuator includes a plurality of the gripping portions; 3. A delivery device for a bag making machine according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of gripping sections can grip multiple rows of bag products cut at one time in the cutting process at the same time, and can transport the bag products to the first position and the second position at the same time.

4. the reject unit includes a plurality of the flaps; 4. The delivery device of the bag making machine according to claim 3, wherein the conveying direction of the bag before cutting processing, in which only one of the flaps corresponding to a row of the bag products that is defective among the plurality of rows of the bag products, is switched to a second conveying path different from the first conveying path.

5. 5. A delivery device for a bag making machine according to claim 1, wherein the reject unit further includes a conveyor, and the conveyor is driven in a direction to discharge the defective bag products, using the space between the flap and the conveyor as the second transport path, thereby assisting in the transport of the bag products.

6. A bag making system for producing bag products from a strip-shaped raw film, A bag making machine that conveys a strip-shaped film roll, a bag making machine having a plurality of processing sections that are provided along the conveyance direction of the raw film and that perform processing including at least one of a group consisting of a sealing section that seals the raw film, a cooling section that cools the raw film that has been sealed by the sealing section, and a cutting section that cuts the raw film that has been sealed by the sealing section; A bag making system comprising: a delivery device for a bag making machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A method for delivering bag products, in which bag products cut by a bag making machine are transported to a predetermined position and accumulated, comprising: conveying the bag product, before cutting, along a first conveying path while gripping it at a speed synchronized with a feed speed at which nip rollers of the bag making machine, which are intermittently driven, deliver the bag product; conveying the cut bag product along the first conveying path while holding the cut bag product at the first position to a second position farther from the nip roller than the first position; a step of stopping the gripping of the bag products at the second position, dropping the plurality of bag products, and stacking them in the thickness direction; and when the nip rollers deliver the bag product, switching the conveying direction of the defective bag product before cutting to a second conveying path different from the first conveying path and conveying the bag product.

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