packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a packaging machine with good work efficiency.SOLUTION: There is provided a packaging machine 10 that puts a work into a bag H with one openable side, which comprises: a magazine 21 capable of accommodating a plurality of bags H stacked in a thickness direction; a conveying unit 31 for taking out the bag H from the magazine 21; and a turning unit 40 that turns the bag H conveyed from the conveying unit 31 so that an opening H3 of the bag H faces upward. The conveying unit 31 includes: a supply pad 331 that sucks and holds the lowest bag H in the magazine 21; and reciprocating driving means 31 for reciprocating the supply pad 331 between the magazine 21 and the turning unit 40. Thereby, it is possible to shorten the time per cycle and improve work efficiency.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging machine that packages predetermined workpieces into bags that are configured so that one side can be opened. [Background technology]

[0002] A conventional packaging machine that places workpieces into a predetermined bag is described in Patent Document 1. This packaging machine includes a magazine that can store multiple bags stacked in the thickness direction, a suction pad that suction-holds the topmost bag in the magazine, a lifting drive source that raises and lowers the suction pad, and a rotation drive source that rotates the lifting drive source, the suction pad, and the bag. At the predetermined bag supply position where the supply unit supplies bags, there is provided an opening mechanism that opens the bag, a loading mechanism that loads works into the bag opened by the opening mechanism, and a sealing unit that seals the opening of the bag into which the workpiece has been loaded by the loading mechanism. This allows the opening and loading processes to be performed without moving the bags supplied from the supply unit from the bag supply position, making it possible to make the packaging machine relatively small. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5016275 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the packaging machine described in Patent Document 1, the suction pad that removes bags from the magazine continues to hold the bags even when the workpieces are being inserted, so the supply unit cannot remove the next bag until the workpiece insertion operation is completed. This poses the problem of longer time per cycle, as it requires time for the bag removal process, rotation process, and workpiece insertion process each time. Furthermore, because the bag is held only by the suction pad when the workpieces are inserted, there is also the problem that the impact of the inserted workpieces can cause the bag to fall off the suction pad. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention was conceived in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a packaging machine with high work efficiency. To achieve this objective, the present invention provides a packaging machine that places workpieces inside bags configured with one side openable, characterized by including: a magazine that can store multiple bags stacked in the thickness direction; a conveying unit that removes bags from the magazine; and a turning unit that turns bags handed over from the conveying unit so that the openings of the bags face upward. The conveying unit preferably includes a supply pad that suction-holds the lowest bag in the magazine and a reciprocating drive means that moves the supply pad back and forth between the magazine and the turning unit. It is also preferable that the conveying unit includes a gripping unit that grips the bag rotated by the turning unit. Furthermore, the gripping unit is configured to lower the bag after the workpieces are placed inside it, and a sealing unit that seals the openings of the bag is preferably provided at the lowered position of the gripping unit. Furthermore, the transport section is preferably provided with an opening pad facing the supply pad and an opening pad lifting section for moving the opening pad toward the supply pad, and the opening pad and supply pad are configured to move toward and away from each other to open the bag, and the turning unit is preferably provided with a turning support section that enters the bag and supports the bag from the inside. Grip Unitis preferably configured to grip the bag together with the spreading rod. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The packaging machine of the present invention has a separate conveying unit that removes bags from the magazine and a turning unit that rotates the bags removed from the magazine by the conveying unit. This allows the conveying unit to prepare the next batch of bags after transferring the bags to the turning unit. This reduces the standby time of each mechanism, thereby shortening the time per cycle. Furthermore, because the conveying unit is configured to remove the lowest bag from the magazine and no drive mechanism is located above the magazine, bags can be replenished into the magazine without stopping the packaging machine. This improves work efficiency. Furthermore, because the gripping unit grips the bag rotated by the turning unit, it prevents the bag from falling out. Furthermore, because the gripping unit descends to the sealing unit after the workpiece is inserted into the bag, the turning unit can receive the next batch of bags from the supply unit while the bag is being sealed by the sealing unit, further shortening the cycle time. Furthermore, the conveying section is equipped with an opening pad that faces the supply pad that removes the bags, and the bags are supplied to the swivel unit in an open state, and the swivel unit is equipped with a swivel support section that enters the interior of the bag and supports it from the inside, which has the advantage of allowing the bag to be smoothly received when handed over from the conveying section to the swivel support section.Furthermore, because the gripping section is configured to grip the swivel support section, there is the advantage that the bag can be gripped more firmly, making it less likely to fall off. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a partially cross-sectional side view showing the structure of a packaging machine according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 2 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the operation of transitioning from the state of FIG. 1 to the next state. [Figure 3] 3 is a partial cross-sectional side view showing the operation of transitioning from the state of FIG. 2 to the next state. [Figure 4] 1A and 1B are plan views showing the structure of a packaging machine according to the present invention, in which FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a state in which a supply cylinder extends a piston rod, and FIG. 1B is a plan view showing a state in which a supply cylinder extends a piston rod. [Figure 5] 1 showing the operation of the supply unit of the packaging machine according to the present invention, in which (a) is an enlarged side view of the main part showing the state in which a bag is being removed, (b) is an enlarged side view of the main part showing the state in which the bag is being transported, and (c) is an enlarged side view of the main part showing the state in which the gripping claws have opened the opening of the bag. [Figure 6] 1 is a schematic front view showing the structure of a magazine of a packaging machine according to the present invention. [Figure 7] 3A and 3B are enlarged views of part B in FIG. 2 showing the operation of the swivel unit of the packaging machine according to the present invention, where (a) is an enlarged side view of the main part showing the swivel member in a vertical state, and (b) is an enlarged side view of the main part showing the swivel member in a horizontal state. [Figure 8] 5 is an enlarged view of part C in FIG. 4 showing the operation of the rotating unit of the packaging machine according to the present invention, where (a) is an enlarged plan view of the main part showing the state in which the spreading rod is closed, and (b) is an enlarged plan view of the main part showing the state in which the spreading rod is open. [Figure 9] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the gripping unit of the packaging machine according to the present invention, in which (a) is an enlarged plan view of the main part showing the state before the gripping unit grips the bag, (b) is an enlarged plan view of the main part showing the state after the gripping unit grips the bag, (c) is an enlarged plan view of the main part showing the state when the bag is sealed by the sealing unit, and (d) is an enlarged view of part D in (b) showing the state of the side edge of the gripped bag. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are operation explanation sections showing another embodiment of the swivel unit of the packaging machine according to the present invention, in which (a) is an enlarged side view of the main part showing the state in which the oscillating cylinder is contracted, and (b) is an enlarged side view of the main part showing the state in which the oscillating cylinder is extended. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. In Figures 1 to 9, reference numeral 10 denotes a packaging machine that puts predetermined workpieces (not shown) into bags H. As shown in Figure 1, this packaging machine 10 comprises a supply unit 20 that can supply bags H one by one, a turning unit 40 that is disposed in front of this supply unit 20 and turns the bags H supplied from this supply unit 20 into a vertical position, a gripping unit 50 that grips the bags H that have been turned into a vertical position by this turning unit 40, a sealing unit 60 that seals the bags H, and a control unit (not shown) that controls the drive of each mechanism. The supply unit 20 also comprises a magazine 21 that can store a large number of bags H and a conveying unit 31 that conveys the bags H in this magazine 21 toward the turning unit 40.

[0009] The bag H is a rectangular flat bag formed by folding a resin film, and has a folded short side H1 (hereinafter referred to as bottom H1), two long sides H2, H2 (hereinafter referred to as lateral side edges H2, H2) adjacent to the bottom H1 that are sealed in advance by heat welding or the like, and an unsealed short side H3 (hereinafter referred to as opening H3) facing the bottom H1. The bag H is stored in the magazine 21 in a horizontal position with the opening H3 facing forward.

[0010] The magazine 21 of the supply unit 20 is configured to be able to store a plurality of horizontally arranged bags H stacked in the thickness direction, and includes a bottom 22 that supports the bags H from below and a frame 26 that supports the bags H from the sides. The bottom 22 of the magazine 21 has a support plate 23 that is fixed to the base 11 of the packaging machine 10, and side support members 241, 241 configured to have approximately the same dimensions in the front-to-rear direction as the bags H are fixed to the support plate 23. The side support members 241, 241 are formed in a cylindrical shape and are arranged with a predetermined gap between them so that they can abut against the lateral side edges H2, H2 of the bags H. A plate-like rear support member 242 that is slightly thinner in diameter than the side support members 241, 241 is disposed between the side support members 241, 241. The rear support member 242 is set to be less than half the front-to-rear dimension of the bag H and is positioned so as to be able to support the bottom H1 of the bag. With this structure, the bag H placed in the magazine 21 has its lateral edges H2, H2 supported by the side support members 241, 241, while its lateral center portion curves downward and this curved portion abuts against the rear support member 242. Note that the vicinity of the opening H3 of the bag H that is not supported by the rear support member 242 is raised above the support plate 23, forming a gap therebetween. In addition, the support plate 23 and the base 11 are formed with a notched groove 25 (hereinafter referred to as the pad passing path 25) at a position corresponding to the lateral center of the bag, and this pad passing path 25 is configured so that a supply pad 331 (described later) can move freely back and forth and up and down. The support plate 23 and the pad passage 25 extend to the vicinity of the swivel unit 40 arranged in front, and when the bag H is supported by the swivel unit 40 described later, as shown in (b) of Figure 4, the front end of the support plate 23 is configured to be able to support both ends of the bottom H1 of the bag H.

[0011] Meanwhile, the frame portion 26 has a pair of side walls 27, 27 that support the bags H from both lateral sides. These side walls 27, 27 are fixed to the base 11, with their upper ends positioned higher than the uppermost bag H and their rear ends bent inward so that they can support the bags H from behind. A restricting member 28 is attached to the front ends of the side walls 27, 27. This restricting member 28 is a plate that supports the bags H from the front and has a through hole 281 formed in the center of its lower end. The through hole 281 has a lateral dimension slightly shorter than the lateral dimension of the bags H and a height dimension slightly longer than the diameter of the side support members 241, 241, and a restricting protrusion 282 is formed in its center. This restricting protrusion 282 extends from the top of the passing hole 281 into the pad passing path 25, divides the passing hole 281 in the horizontal direction, and is configured to be sufficiently narrower than the pad passing path 25, allowing bags H with their horizontal central portion curved downward to pass through, as shown in Figure 6. With this configuration, only the lowermost bag H, whose horizontal central portion has been pulled downward by a supply pad 331 of the conveying unit 31 (described later), can pass through the passing hole 281 and the pad passing path 25.

[0012] The magazine 21 has a lid member 29 that is placed on the stored bags H. The lid member 29 is a plate that is the same shape as the bags H or smaller than the bags H, and a pressing protrusion 291 that extends downward is formed on the underside of the lid member 29. The pressing protrusion 291 is provided so as to face a supply pad 331, which will be described later, and presses downward near the opening H3 of the bag H. For this reason, the lowest bag H will abut against the bottom 22 regardless of the number of bags H stored in the magazine 21.

[0013] The conveying section 31 of the supply unit 20 is equipped with a supply cylinder 32, an example of a reciprocating drive means, fixed to the underside of the base 11. This supply cylinder 32 is attached forward of the magazine 21 and is arranged so that its piston rod extends rearward. A lower suction section 33 that can reciprocate in the front-to-rear direction is attached to the tip of the piston rod of the supply cylinder 32. This lower suction section 33 is provided with a suction pad 331 (hereinafter referred to as the supply pad 331) that is arranged below the pad passing path 25 and a supply pad lifting section 332 that lifts this supply pad 331 toward the bag H, and suction means such as a vacuum generator is connected to the supply pad 331. In the lower suction section 33 configured in this manner, the supply pad 331 can be raised and lowered directly below the magazine 21 by being driven by the supply pad lifting section 332, and can also be moved back and forth below the magazine 21 and the swivel unit 40 by being driven by the supply cylinder 32, so that it is possible to extract the lowest bag H from the magazine 21 and supply it to the swivel unit 40. The stroke of the supply pad lifting section 332 is sized so that when the drive rod is extended, the supply pad 331 is positioned above the upper ends of the side support members 241, 241, and when the drive rod is retracted, the supply pad 331 is positioned below the lower ends of the restricting protrusions 282.

[0014] A sliding rod 34 extending in the front-rear direction is fixed on the base 11, and an upper suction part 35 is attached to the sliding rod 34 so as to be slidable along the sliding rod 34. The upper suction part 35 is provided with a suction pad 351 (hereinafter referred to as an opening pad 351) arranged above the pad passing path 25 and an opening pad lifting part 352 that lowers the opening pad 351 toward the pad passing path 25, and suction means such as a vacuum generator is connected to the opening pad 351. The upper suction part 35 is connected to the lower suction part 33 via a connecting spring 36 and is configured to follow the front-rear movement of the lower suction part 33, and the sliding rod 34 is provided with a stop part 341 that abuts against the upper suction part 35 before the upper suction part 35 hits the magazine 21. Therefore, the upper suction portion 35 moves back and forth in the front-rear direction following the lower suction portion 33 until it abuts against the stop portion 341, and after abutting against the stop portion 341, it waits in front of the magazine 21 as shown in Figure 4(a). Note that the opening pad 351 is disposed so as to be positioned slightly forward of the supply pad 331 of the lower suction portion 33 when it is driven.

[0015] The conveying unit 31 configured as described above is capable of opening the opening H3 of the bag H by moving the supply pad 331 and the opening pad 351 toward and away from each other after the lower suction unit 33 has extracted the lowermost bag H from the magazine 21 as described above. Thereafter, the supply cylinder 32 is driven to move the bag H with the opening H3 open toward the turning unit 40.

[0016] The swivel unit 40 has a swivel member 41 disposed below the hopper 12 fixed to the base 11, and a swing cylinder 47, which is an example of a swing drive source that swings the swivel member 41. The swivel member 41 is configured to rotate about support shafts 46, 46 fixed to the base 11, and has a supply hole 42 formed therethrough in the longitudinal direction that is large enough for the workpieces. The supply hole 42 is configured to communicate with the hopper 12 when the swivel member 41 is in a vertical position, and is configured to guide the workpieces passing through the hopper 12 downward. Meanwhile, the swing cylinder 47 is attached to the underside of the base 11, and the swivel member 41 is connected to the tip of its piston rod via a connecting member 471 that allows angle change. The stroke of this swing cylinder 47 is dimensioned so that when the piston rod is extended, the swivel member 41 assumes a horizontal position facing the magazine 21 as shown in Fig. 1, and when the piston rod is retracted, the swivel member 41 assumes a vertical position as shown in Fig. 2. The hopper 12 is configured in a funnel shape that allows works to pass through, and its upper opening is provided with a work supply device (not shown) that can feed a predetermined amount of works into the hopper 12.

[0017] Furthermore, a swivel support section 43 is provided on the outer surface of the swivel member 41 to support the bags H supplied from the supply unit 20. This swivel support section 43 is composed of a pair of spreading rods 44, 44 that can swing parallel to the bags H and a pair of spreading plates 451, 452 that can swing perpendicular to the bags H, and these spreading plates 451, 452 and spreading rods 44, 44 are designed so that their tips protrude outward in the rotation direction (at a position away from the support shafts 46, 46) from the tip of the swivel member 41. The spreading rods 44, 44 are urged in the direction in which their tips open by a compression spring (not shown) provided between them and the swivel member 41, and the spreading plates 451, 452 are composed of leaf springs that urge their tips in the direction in which they open. Meanwhile, a pair of pressure cylinders 48, 48 are attached to the base 11 with a predetermined gap therebetween so as to sandwich the horizontally positioned swivel member 41, and these pressure cylinders 48, 48 are arranged so that their piston rods abut against the spreader rods 44, 44. Furthermore, the base 11 is provided with a presser pin 491 configured to be able to press the spreader plate 451 from above when the swivel member 41 is in the horizontal position, and the connecting member 471 is provided with a presser pin 492 configured to be able to press the spreader plate 452 from below when the swivel member 41 is in the horizontal position. Therefore, the spreader rods 44, 44 and the spreader plates 451, 452 are pressed in the closing direction by the presser cylinders 48, 48 and the presser pins 491, 492. As a result, when the spreading rods 44, 44 and spreading plates 451, 452 are pressed by the pressure cylinders 48, 48 and pressure pins 491, 492, they wait in a closed state on the path of movement of the bag H, but when the pressure cylinders 48, 48 and pressure pins 491, 492 are released, they spread open and are able to support the bag H. With this structure, the turning unit 40 can support the bag H in a horizontal position supplied from the supply unit 20, and can also turn the bag H by 90 degrees to a vertical position.

[0018] The gripping unit 50 is composed of an elevation cylinder 51 that extends and retracts a piston rod vertically upward, and a gripping part 52 fixed to the tip of the piston rod of the elevation cylinder 51. As shown in Figure 9(a), the gripping part 52 is provided with guide rods 53 that extend laterally and a pair of slide blocks 54 that slide along the guide rods 53, and the slide blocks 54 are connected so as to be able to move toward and away from each other by a claw reciprocating cylinder 55 that extends and retracts the piston rod laterally. Claw fixing plates 56 are attached to the slide blocks 54 via a slide table that is configured to slide freely in the front-to-rear direction, and gripping claws 57 that grip bags H that have been made vertical by the swivel unit 40, and claw opening / closing drivers 58 that drive the gripping claws 57 to open and close are attached to the upper surface of the claw fixing plate 56. The gripping claw 57 is made up of a fixed claw 571 fixed to the claw fixing plates 56, 56, and an opening / closing claw 572 that opens and closes relative to the fixed claw 571, and unevenness is formed on the opposing surfaces of the fixed claw 571 and the opening / closing claw 572. In this embodiment, the opening / closing claw 572 is constantly biased by a claw spring in a direction away from the fixed claw 571, while the tip thereof approaches the fixed claw 571 when driven by the claw opening / closing drive unit 58.

[0019] The stroke of the claw reciprocating cylinder 55 is configured so that when its piston rod is extended, the distance between the gripping claws 57, 57 is wider than the width of the bag H, as shown in Figure 9(a), and when its piston rod is retracted, the claw fixing plates 56, 56 abut against the spreader rods 44, 44, as shown in Figure 9(b). The claw fixing plates 56, 56 are constantly biased rearward so that the gripping claws 57, 57 can grip bags H in a vertical position, and the bags H gripped by the gripping claws 57, 57 wait at a predetermined position between a heater member 61 and an opposing member 62 of a sealing unit 60, which will be described later. The gripping claws 57 and claw opening / closing drive units 58, 58 configured in this manner can move forward and backward by the slide table and can move closer to and away from each other when driven by the claw reciprocating cylinder 55. Furthermore, the stroke of the lifting cylinder 51 is sized so that when the piston rod is extended, the gripping claws 57, 57 clamp the bag H together with the expansion rods 44, 44 of the swiveling support part 43 that have entered the bag H, as shown in Figure 2, while when the piston rod is contracted, the swiveling support part 43 comes out of the bag H, as shown in Figure 3.

[0020] The sealing unit 60 is composed of a heater member 61 positioned at a height slightly higher than the gripping portion 52 when it reaches the lowered position, an opposing member 62 positioned opposite the heater member 61, and a sealing cylinder 63 that reciprocates the heater member 61 toward the opposing member 62. The heater member 61 is configured to be heated to a temperature at which the bag H can be welded when power is applied. The heater member 61 and the opposing member 62 are arranged at a predetermined distance apart so that the bag H containing the work can pass through. The sealing cylinder 63 is configured to move the heater member 61 toward the opposing member 62 when the gripping portion 52 reaches the lowered position, so that the heater member 61 and the opposing member 62 sandwich the opening H3 of the bag H. This welds the opening H3 of the bag H. A guide plate 64 is provided above the opposing member to ensure that the bag H, which has been lowered by the drive of the gripping unit 50, is placed between the heater member 61 and the opposing member 62. Furthermore, below the sealing unit 60, a discharge chute 70 is provided for discharging the bags H to a predetermined discharge position.

[0021] Next, the operation of the packaging machine 10 configured as above will be described. First, in the standby state, the lower suction portion 33 is retracted to below the magazine 21, and the upper suction portion 35 is retracted by the tension spring 37 following the lower suction portion 33 until it abuts against the stop portion 341. When a drive signal is input in this state, the control portion drives the suction means and also drives the supply pad lifting portion 332 to raise and lower the supply pad 331 multiple times toward the lowest bag H. As the supply pad 331 rises and lowers multiple times in this manner, swinging the bags H in the magazine 21 up and down, the bags H in the magazine 21 are released from their fixed state in which their lateral centers are bent downward, allowing them to be smoothly removed. Furthermore, the suction means is driven, and the supply pad 331 adsorbs the lowermost bag H that it abuts, so that the lowermost bag H is pulled downward as the supply pad 331 descends. At this time, the side support members 241 and the rear support member 242 form a gap between the vicinity of the opening H3 of the bag H and the support plate 23, allowing the vicinity of the opening H3 of the bag H to move freely by the gap, allowing the suction pad 331 to pull downward only the vicinity of the opening H3 of the lowest bag H. As a result, the center portion of the opening H3 of the lowest bag H is pulled downward below the lower end of the restricting protrusion 282, as shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 6, and the corners between the opening H3 and the lateral side edges H2 are released from the side support members 241, 241, causing the bag H to bend into a shape that allows it to pass through the passage hole 281. Thereafter, the supply cylinder 32 is driven to move the supply pad 331 forward. At this time, the lowest bag H, because it is bent as described above, can pass through the passage hole 281 without being locked by the restricting member 28, while the bags H in the next and subsequent rows are locked by the restricting member 28. As a result, the next bag H will not be pulled out at the same time as the bottom bag H, and only the bottom bag H can be pulled out from the magazine 21. As described above, when the opening H3 of the bag H is pulled down by the supply pad 331, the side edges H2, H2 are pulled toward the center by the amount that the opening H3 is lowered, causing slack in the upper surface of the bag H near the opening H3. However, this slack portion of the upper surface is pressed down by the bags H in the next or subsequent rows above, or by the pressing protrusion 291 of the lid member 29, and so slackens downward.Therefore, when the bag H is pulled down onto the supply pad 331, the opening H3 does not open and the bag H can bend to the aforementioned state, and its upper surface does not get caught on the restricting protrusion 282, allowing it to pass smoothly through the passage hole 281. Furthermore, as described above, the side edges H2 of the lowest bag H are pulled toward the center, and the corners on the opening H3 side are released from the side support members 241, so that the weight of the bags H stacked above is not applied to those corners and the contact area with the bag H in the next tier directly above is reduced. This reduces friction with the lowest bag H, allowing it to be pulled out smoothly. After passing through the passage hole 281 in this way, the bag H is driven by the supply cylinder 32 and moves toward the turning unit 40 with its side edges H2 supported by the support plates 23.

[0022] After the bag H has been pulled out of the magazine 21 as described above, the control unit further drives the supply cylinder 32 to move the lower suction unit 33 forward toward the turning unit 40. After the lower suction unit 31, which has started to move toward the turning unit 40 in this manner, reaches below the upper suction unit 35, the control unit drives the suction means to enable suction of the opening pad as well, and drives the supply pad lifting / lowering unit 332 and the opening pad lifting / lowering unit 352 to bring the supply pad 331 and the opening pad 351 closer together. As a result, when the opening pad 351 also suctions and holds the bag H, as shown in FIG. 5(b), the control unit again drives the supply pad lifting / lowering unit 332 and the opening pad lifting / lowering unit 352 to separate the supply pad 331 and the opening pad 351, thereby opening the bag H. At this time, the opening pad 351 is misaligned with the supply pad 331 as described above, and the front and back surfaces near the opening H3 bend differently to open the bag H. This distributes the force applied to the surface of the bag H, allowing it to open relatively smoothly. The bag H thus opened is moved by the drive of the supply cylinder 32 toward the turning unit 40 disposed in front.

[0023] As described above, the bag H moves forward in an open state, covering the swivel support part 43 of the swivel unit 40, which is waiting along its path of movement, as shown in FIG. 5(c). At this time, the spreader rods 44, 44 and spreader plates 451, 452 of the swivel support part 43 are sandwiched between the pressure cylinders 48, 48 and the pressure pins 491, 492, respectively, as shown in FIG. 8(a) and FIG. 7(b), and are waiting in a closed state. This allows the bag H to be smoothly covered without the opening H3 getting caught on these. At this time, as described above, the opening pad 351 is shifted forward from the supply pad 331 and suction-holds the opening H3 side of the bag H, making it difficult for the upper surface of the opening H3 to sag downward. As a result, when the bag H covers the swivel support part 43, the swivel support part 43 does not get caught on the opening H3, preventing the opening pad 351 from coming off the bag H or the bag H from being torn. When the bag H covers the spreading rods 44 and spreading plates 451, 452 in this manner, the control unit contracts the presser cylinders 48, spreading the spreading rods 44 as shown in Figure 8(b). As a result, the spreading rods 44 come into contact with the lateral edge portions H2 of the inner surface of the bag H, supporting the bag H in a state in which it is opened laterally. The control unit then stops the suction means to remove the supply pad 331 and opening pad 351 from the bag H, and double-acts the supply cylinder 32 to move the lower suction portion 33 and the upper suction portion 35 toward the magazine 21. After the lower suction portion 33 leaves the bag H, the control unit contracts the swing cylinder 47 to rotate the swivel member 41. At this time, as the rotating member 41 assumes a vertical position, the retaining pins 491, 492 are released from the spreader plates 451, 452, and the spreader plates 451, 452 gradually open, as shown in Figure 7(a). As a result, the opening H3 of the bag H is stretched by the spreader plates 451, 452 and the spreader rods 44, 44, preventing the bag from falling out during rotation. Furthermore, because the bag H rotates with the spreader rods 44, 44 and the spreader plates 451, 452 inserted inside the bag H, the bag H is not deformed by the influence of wind or the like during rotation, and can reliably reach between the gripping jaws 57, 57, as shown in Figure 9(a).

[0024] When the bag H reaches between the gripping claws 57, 57 as described above, the control unit drives the claw reciprocating cylinder 55 of the gripping unit 50 to move the gripping claws 57, 57 toward the bag H. As a result, the lateral edges H2, H2 of the bag H enter deeply between the gripping claws 57, 57, as shown in Figure 9(b), and the bag H is sandwiched between the spreader rod 44 and the claw fixing plate 56. At this time, because the gripping claws 57, 57 are configured to be movable in the front-rear direction by the slide table, the front-rear position of the gripping claws 57, 57 is corrected so that they are aligned with the spreader rods 44, 44. Thereafter, when the claw reciprocating cylinder 55 is fully retracted, the control unit drives the claw opening / closing drive units 58, 58 to close the gripping claws 57, 57. 9(d), the gripping unit 50 can firmly grip the bag H by pinching the periphery of the side edge H2 at three points: between the spreading rod 44 and the jaw fixing plate 56, between the spreading rod 44 and the fixed jaw 571, and between the spreading rod 44 and the opening / closing jaw 572. When the gripping jaws 57 grip the bag H in this way, the work supply device is driven to feed the work into the bag H via the hopper 12 and the supply hole 42 of the rotating means. At this time, the opening H3 of the bag H is wide open in all directions by the spreading rod 44 and the spreading plates 451, 452, and the supply hole 42 is formed in the center of the spreading rod 44 and the spreading plates 451, 452 that open the opening H3, so the work is reliably guided into the bag H. Furthermore, because the gripping jaws 57 firmly grip the bag H together with the spreading rod 44 as described above, the bag H is less likely to slip, and a relatively large amount of work can be supplied. This results in a relatively clean product. Furthermore, the unevenness formed on the opposing surfaces of the gripping claws 57, 57 acts as a slip prevention, further preventing the bag H from slipping off.

[0025] Once a predetermined amount of workpieces has been supplied into the bag H as described above, the control unit drives the lifting cylinder 51 to lower the gripping jaws 57, 57 until the opening H3 is positioned between the heater member 61 and the opposing member 62. This releases the bag H from the pivot support part 43. When the opening H3 of the bag H reaches between the heater member 61 and the opposing member 62, the control unit stops the lifting cylinder 51 and double-acts the jaw reciprocating cylinder 55 to separate the gripping jaws 57, 57, as shown in FIG. 9(c). This causes the bag H gripped by the gripping jaws 57, 57 to gradually expand laterally, stretching the opening H3. The control unit then drives the sealing cylinder 63 to move the heater member 61 toward the opposing member 62. As a result, once the bag H is sandwiched between the heater member 61 and the opposing member 62, the control unit energizes the heater member 61. As a result, the heater member 61 and the opening H3 of the bag H that contacts it are heated, and the opening H3 is welded. At this time, as described above, the gripping claws 57, 57 are configured to be slidable in the front-rear direction by the slide table and can move until the bag H contacts the opposing member 62. Therefore, the bag H can be sandwiched between the heater member 61 and the opposing member 62 simply by moving the heater member 61 toward the opposing member 62. As a result, a drive source for moving the opposing member 62 is not required, and manufacturing costs are low. Furthermore, as described above, the bag H is welded while the opening H3 is stretched in the horizontal direction and taut, so no wrinkles are formed in the welded area. Once the bag H is sealed in this manner, the control unit re-drives the sealing cylinder 63 to separate the heater member 61 from the bag H. At this time, the gripping claws 57, 57 continue to grip the bag H, allowing the heater member 61 to smoothly separate from the bag H. Furthermore, as described above, the claw fixing plates 56, 56 are biased rearward, and when the biasing force of the heater member 61 is released, the claw fixing plates 56, 56, the gripping claws 57, 57, and the bag H move rearward and smoothly separate from the opposing member 62. This prevents the bag H from remaining attached to the heater member 61 or the opposing member 62. Thereafter, the gripping unit 50 double-acts the claw opening / closing drive parts 58, 58 to open the gripping claws 57, 57.At this time, the claw opening / closing drive units 58, 58 open and close the gripping claws 57, 57 multiple times to reliably drop the bag H from the gripping claws 57, 57. As a result, the bag H that has come off the gripping claws 57, 57 falls into the discharge chute 70 and is discharged to a predetermined discharge location, as shown by the two-dot chain line in Figure 3.

[0026] The packaging machine 10 configured as described above is configured to transfer bags H from the supply unit 20 to the turning unit 40. This allows the supply unit 20 to retrieve the next tier of bags H from the magazine 21 while the turning unit 40 and other components are rotating the bags H and while the workpieces are being inserted. Therefore, after the turning and inserting processes are completed, the next tier of bags H can be immediately supplied when the turning member 41 returns to its initial position. Similarly, since the bag transfer is configured from the turning unit 40 to the gripping unit 50, the turning unit 40 can receive and rotate the next tier of bags H from the supply unit 20 while the gripping unit 50 and the sealing unit 60 are sealing the bags H. Because the bags H are transferred between the supply unit 20 and the turning unit 40 and between the turning unit 40 and the gripping unit 50 in this manner, each mechanism can receive the next tier of bags H after transferring the bags H to the next process. This reduces the standby time of each mechanism and shortens the time per cycle, improving work efficiency. Furthermore, because the supply unit 20 is configured to remove the lowest bag H from the magazine 21, it is possible to remove bags H with the same operation regardless of the number of bags H remaining in the magazine 21. At this time, the lid member 29 is placed above the bags H, and this lid member 29 presses the bags H downward, preventing the bags H from floating even when there are only a few remaining bags. This makes it easier for the supply pad 331 to abut against the bags H. In particular, because the pressing protrusion 291 of the lid member 29 is formed in a position facing the supply pad 331, the pressing protrusion 291 and the supply pad 331 abut against the bags H so as to sandwich them. As a result, when the bag H abuts against the supply pad 331, it is prevented from bending upward and can be reliably sucked and held. Moreover, because the configuration removes the lowest bag H from the magazine 21, there is no need to stop the packaging machine 10 when adding bags H to the magazine 21. This allows the packaging machine 10 to operate for a longer period of time, further improving work efficiency.

[0027] In the supply unit 20, the upper suction portion 35 and the lower suction portion 33 are connected by a connecting spring 36, and both the lower suction portion 33 and the upper suction portion 35 can be moved by driving the supply cylinder 32. This eliminates the need for position control using multiple drive sources, resulting in a relatively inexpensive configuration. Furthermore, the bag H removed from the supply unit magazine 21 is moved horizontally and handed over to the swivel unit 40 located on its path of movement. Because the bag H rotates parallel to the radial direction of the support shaft 46 of the swivel unit 40, the range of movement of the bag H and the swivel unit 40 is relatively narrow. As a result, the packaging machine 10 can be made smaller. At the same time, unlike conventional packaging machines, there is no need to rotate piping, such as an air intake hose connecting the suction pad that suctions the bag to the suction means, simultaneously with the bag, which has the advantage of preventing the piping from getting caught on surrounding components.

[0028] The packaging machine 10 according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration and may be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, in this embodiment, the bags H are rectangular flat bags with side edges H2, H2 welded together. However, the bags may be flat bags with gussets around the periphery or may have a shape other than rectangular. It is preferable that the magazine 21 be modified appropriately to match the shape of the bags H. The supply cylinder 32, swing cylinder 47, pressure cylinder 48, lift cylinder 51, claw reciprocating cylinder 55, and sealing cylinder 63 are examples of moving means for reciprocating various components. The moving means are not limited to cylinders, and may be a ball screw mechanism including a ball screw and a drive nut threaded thereto. The arrangement of the various drive sources may be changed, for example, by attaching the swing cylinder 47 forward of the pivoting member 41 as shown in FIG. 10 . If the swing cylinder 47 is attached forward of the pivoting member 41, the packaging machine 10 can be made smaller in the front-to-rear direction and installed in a smaller space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0029] H … bag H1...bottom H2: Lateral edge H3… Opening 10 … Packaging machine 11... Foundation 12 ... Hopper 20 … supply unit 21 … Magazine 22 … Bottom 23 … Support plate 241... Side support member 242... Rear support member 25...Pad passage 26...frame 27 … side wall 28 ... Regulatory components 281... Passing hole 282... Regulatory convexity 29... Lid member 291... Pressing protrusion 31 ... Transfer section 32 ... Supply cylinder 33…Lower suction part 331... Supply pad 332... Supply pad lifting section 34 ... Sliding rod 341...Stop part 35 … Upper suction part 351... Opening pad 352... Opening pad lifting section 36 ... Connecting spring 40... Swivel unit 41 ... Swivel member 42 ... supply hole 43 ... Swivel support part 44...Expansion rod 451,452... Expander 46 … Support shaft 47... Swing cylinder 471... Connection parts 48... Presser cylinder 491,492… Retaining pin 50... Grasping unit 51 ... Lifting cylinder 52 … Gripping part 53 ... Guide rod 54 ... Slide block 55 ... Claw reciprocating cylinder 56 … Claw fixing plate 57 … Gripping claw 571…Fixed claw 572... Opening and closing claw 58 ... Claw opening / closing drive unit 60 ... Sealing unit 61 ... heater material 62 ... opposing member 63 ... Sealed cylinder 64 ... Guide plate 70... Ejection chute

Claims

1. In a packaging machine in which a workpiece is placed inside a bag having one side that can be opened, a magazine capable of accommodating a plurality of the bags stacked in the thickness direction; A conveying unit that takes out bags from this magazine; a turning unit that turns the bag delivered from the conveying unit so that the opening of the bag faces upward, the transport unit has a supply pad that sucks and holds the lowermost bag in the magazine, and a reciprocating drive means that reciprocates the supply pad between the magazine and a turning unit, a packaging machine in which the conveying section is provided with an opening pad facing the supply pad and an opening pad lifting section that moves the opening pad toward the supply pad, and the opening pad and supply pad are configured to approach and move away from each other to open bags, and the rotating unit is provided with a rotating support section that enters the bag and supports the bag from the inside.

2. a gripping unit that grips the bag that has been turned by the turning unit, The gripping unit is configured to lower the bag after the workpiece is placed in the bag, and a sealing unit that seals the opening of the bag is provided at the lowered position of the gripping unit, 2. The packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting support portion is provided with an expansion rod that swings in a direction parallel to the plane of the bag, and the gripping unit is configured to grip the bag together with the expansion rod.

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