Horizontal bag making and filling machine

Abstract

To provide a horizontal-type bag-making filling machine that can enhance workability in work for setting packing materials.SOLUTION: A pair of plates 26 and 26 are supported above a vertical seal device 12 so that the plates can move to approach and separate in a width direction crossing a conveying direction of a cylindrical film. The pair of plates 26 and 26 are moves to opened and closed between an opening position and a closing position by opening / closing means. In the pair of plates 26 and 26, clearances where an overlapped part of the cylindrical film is permitted to pass are formed at the closing position. In a state where the belt-like film 11 positioned above the pair of plates 26 and 26 at the closing position is supported so that both side parts in the width direction thereof hang down, the film is formed in a cylindrical shape and the overlapped part extending to lower sides of the plates 26 and 26 is formed, by making the pair of plates 26 and 26 moved to the closing position by the opening / closing means overlap edge parts of the hung down portions of the film with each other, and the overlapped part is guided toward the vertical seal part 12 along the clearances.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a horizontal form-fill-seal machine equipped with a vertical sealing device that applies a vertical seal in the conveying direction to a folded portion of a cylindrically formed packaging material. [Background technology]

[0002] In packaging machines such as horizontal form-fill-seal machines, film (packaging material) drawn from a roll and guided by a bag-making means is folded at both widthwise edge portions to form a tubular shape, and a vertical sealing device applies a vertical seal to the folded portion in the film conveyance direction, while a horizontal sealing device applies horizontal seals intersecting the conveyance direction at the front and rear positions of each article fed into the tubular film to obtain pillow-packaged products. The vertical sealing device is provided below a conveyor bed on which the articles are placed via the film, with a pair of feed rollers that sandwich and feed the folded portion of the tubular film extending downward through a narrow gap extending along the film conveyance line in the conveyor bed in the conveyance direction, and a pair of sealing rollers that sandwich and heat-seal the folded portion located downstream of the feed rollers (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6204300 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In a packaging machine, as a preparation for packaging, an operator pulls the film unwound from a roll along a predetermined path, and then inserts the overlapped portion of the tubular film formed by the bag-making means into a narrow gap in the conveying bed from an upstream opening, and sets it between a pair of spaced-apart feed rollers and a pair of sealing rollers. In the packaging machine of Patent Document 1, the conveying bed is fixed in place, so the task of passing the overlapped portion of the film through the narrow gap in the conveying bed is complicated, and if an inexperienced operator performs this setting task, the setting task cannot be performed smoothly, resulting in reduced work efficiency. In other words, the time required for the setting task varies depending on the operator's level of skill, which can hinder efficient production, and therefore improvements in workability are needed.

[0005] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a horizontal form-fill-seal machine that can improve the workability of the packaging material setting operation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Original wish First solution teeth, A horizontal form-fill-seal machine is provided with a vertical sealing device (12) that applies a vertical seal in a conveying direction to a folded portion (11b) of a tubular packaging material (11a) formed by folding both widthwise edge portions of a strip-shaped packaging material (11) in a folded state, a pair of support members (26, 26) supported so as to be movable toward and away from each other in a width direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the packaging material (11, 11a); and an opening / closing means (27) for moving the pair of support members (26, 26) toward and away from each other between an open position and a closed position, The pair of support members (26, 26) have a gap (S) formed therebetween in the closed position, which allows both end edges of the tubular packaging material (11a) to pass through. The packaging material (11) is supported between the pair of support members (26, 26) in the open position so that the hanging portions (e, e) from which both widthwise sides of the strip-shaped packaging material (11) hang down face the gap, and the pair of support members (26, 26) are moved to the closed position by the opening / closing means (27) to bring the edge portions of the hanging portions (e, e) closer together so that they face the gap (S), and the approached both edge portions can be guided along the gap (S) toward the vertical sealing device (12). This configuration According to the present invention, a belt-shaped packaging material is supported so that both widthwise sides hang down, and the hanging portions are sandwiched between a pair of support members that move from an open position to a closed position to form a cylindrical shape, and both end edges that form the overlapping portions are brought close together, and the close-coupled end edges can be guided to the vertical sealing device through the gap between the pair of support members, making it easier for an operator to manually guide the packaging material to the vertical sealing device. In other words, this eliminates the need for the complicated task of passing both end edges that form the overlapping portions of the packaging material through a narrow gap, improving the workability of the packaging material setting operation and preventing a decrease in production efficiency due to variations in setting time caused by differences in operator skill level.

[0007] Second solution The molding device (25) is provided with a molding means (25) that can be moved up and down by a lifting means (28) between a spaced position where the molding means (25) is spaced upward from the pair of support members (26, 26) and a molding position where the molding means (25) is close to the pair of support members (26, 26), The forming means (25) has a pair of side walls (30, 30) spaced apart in the width direction, With the strip-shaped packaging material (11) positioned between the forming means (25) in the separated position and the pair of support members (26, 26) in the open position, the forming means (25) is lowered by the lifting means (28) toward the forming position, whereby the pair of side walls (30, 30) form both widthwise sides of the strip-shaped packaging material (11) to hang down, with the hanging portions (e, e) facing between the pair of support members (26, 26) in the open position, and then the opening / closing means (27) moves the pair of support members (26, 26) to the closed position to bring the edge portions of the hanging portions (e, e) closer together. This configuration According to this, the side walls of the forming means are used to form both widthwise sides of the strip-shaped packaging material so that they hang down, and the position of the hanging parts can be regulated by the side walls, so that the packaging material can be well formed into a cylindrical shape by the pair of support members and both end edges that become the overlapping parts can be brought close to each other.

[0008] Third Solution is characterized by comprising a transfer means (36, 37) for transferring and positioning the strip-shaped packaging material (11) drawn from the packaging material supply source (10) between the forming means (25) at the spaced position and the pair of support members (26, 26) from upstream in the conveying direction. This configuration According to this, the operation of positioning the strip-shaped packaging material above the pair of support members can be automated, thereby reducing the workload of the worker.

[0009] Fourth Solution is characterized in that the transport means (36, 37) detects that the strip-shaped packaging material (11) has been transported to a position where the pair of support members (26, 26) can clamp the hanging portions (e, e), and the opening / closing means (27) moves the pair of support members (26, 26) from the open position to the closed position. This configuration According to this, the process from pulling out the strip-shaped packaging material above the pair of support members to forming it into a cylindrical shape can be automated, thereby further improving production efficiency.

[0010] Fifth SolutionThe transport means (36, 37) is characterized in that it is equipped with a robot hand (39) that holds a strip-shaped packaging material (11), and is configured to transport the strip-shaped packaging material (11) held by the robot hand (39) between the forming means (25) at the separated position and the pair of support members (26, 26) while winding the strip-shaped packaging material (11) held by the robot hand (39) around a plurality of guide rollers (17, 21, 20). This configuration This makes it possible to easily accommodate changes in packaging size. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present invention, the workability of the packaging material setting operation can be improved, and production efficiency can be improved. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing a horizontal bag making and filling machine. [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic plan view of a horizontal form-fill-seal machine showing a pair of plates in an open position. FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic front view showing the bag making apparatus, illustrating a state in which the upper and lower forming units are spaced apart from each other vertically and the pair of plates are spaced apart from each other horizontally. [Figure 4] 1 is a schematic plan view of a bag making apparatus showing a pair of plates in a closed position. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the main part of the bag making device, showing the upper and lower forming units joined together. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a process diagram showing how to set a film in the bag making section of a horizontal bag making and filling machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a process diagram showing the process of setting a film in the bag making section of a horizontal bag making and filling machine according to another embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Next, a preferred embodiment of a horizontal bag making and filling machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Example]

[0014] Figures 1 to 3 show a horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. The horizontal form-fill-seal machine includes a bag-making device that forms a tubular film (tubular packaging material) 11a by overlapping both longitudinal edge portions (both widthwise edge portions) of a strip of film (strip-shaped packaging material) 11 pulled out from a raw roll (packaging material supply source) 10 in a folded state during the transport process; a supply conveyor (not shown) that supplies articles toward the tubular film 11a at predetermined intervals; a vertical sealing device 12 that applies a vertical seal to the overlapped portion 11b of the folded tubular film 11a; and a horizontal sealing device (not shown) that sandwiches the tubular film 11a at the front and rear of the articles supplied into the tubular film 11a and applies a horizontal seal in a direction intersecting the transport direction of the tubular film 11a. The horizontal form-fill-seal machine is also provided with an approach angle adjuster 13 in the film transport path between web roll 10 and bag making section 22 (described later) of the bag making apparatus, which adjusts the approach angle of strip film 11 toward bag making section 22, and a film feeder 14 is provided in the film transport path between web roll 10 and approach angle adjuster 13, which transports strip film 11 unwound from web roll 10 toward bag making section 22. The horizontal form-fill-seal machine of the embodiment is disposed inside a housing 15 formed by arranging a transparent panel or the like on the main body frame. One side of the film transport path for strip film 11 and tubular film 11a is designated as the operating side of the horizontal form-fill-seal machine; this operating side will be referred to as the front, and the opposite side as the back.

[0015] 1 and 2, within the housing 15, multiple (two in this embodiment) loading shafts 16, on which the film roll 10 is rotatably loaded, are cantilevered and extend from the rear frame toward the front. The film supply device 14 and approach angle adjuster 13 are disposed at a distance from the loading shafts 16 to the right side in FIG. 1 (the side closer to the vertical sealing device 12). The film supply device 14 includes a drive roller (guide roller) 17 driven by a drive motor such as a servo motor, a driven roller 18 capable of sandwiching the strip film 11 between itself and the drive roller 17, and a roller moving means (not shown) for moving the driven roller 18 toward or away from the drive roller 17. The roller moving means moves the driven roller 18 between a clamping position where the strip film 11 is sandwiched between itself and the drive roller 17 and a spaced position where a robot hand 39 of a robot 36 (described later) can pass between itself and the drive roller 17. Then, with the strip film 11 clamped between the drive roller 17 and the driven roller 18 moved to the clamping position, the drive roller 17 is driven to rotate, thereby pulling out the strip film 11 from the raw roll 10 and sending it downstream.

[0016] 1, the approach angle adjustment device 13 has a swing arm 19 supported on the frame at the rear of the housing 15 so as to be swingable up and down around one longitudinal end as a fulcrum, and a plurality of (two in this embodiment) guide rollers 20, which can wrap around and guide the strip film 11, are supported at one end of the arm 19 in a cantilevered manner at the rear so as to extend toward the front, and the guide rollers 20 are spaced apart by a distance that allows the robot hand 39 to pass through. Between the film supply device 14 and the approach angle adjustment device 13, an intermediate roller (guide roller) 21, which can wrap around and guide the strip film 11, is supported at one end of the frame at the rear of the housing 15 in a cantilevered manner so as to extend toward the front, and the strip film 11 wound around the intermediate roller 21 is wound around the two guide rollers 20 before reaching the bag making section 22 of the bag making device. By swinging the swing arm 19, the angle of entry of the strip film 11 into the bag making unit 22 from the guide roller 20 immediately before the bag making unit 22 can be adjusted. The film supply device 14 and the entry angle adjustment device 13 are also configured to rotate and swing the drive roller 17 and the swing arm 19 in a direction that pulls the drive roller 17 and the swing arm 19 upstream from the bag making unit 22 (the opposite direction to the film transport direction), thereby applying tension to the strip film 11 that reaches the bag making unit 22. The intermediate roller 21 is positioned so that the robot hand 39 can pass between the drive roller 17 and the guide roller 20 on the upstream side of the film transport path.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, the bag making apparatus includes a bag making unit 22 disposed to the right of the approach angle adjustment device 13. The bag making unit 22 includes a lower forming unit 23 extending along the conveyance path for the tubular film 11a, and an upper forming unit (forming means) 25 that, together with the lower forming unit 23, forms a forming path 24 for shaping the strip film 11 into a tubular shape, and the upper forming unit 25 is supported above the lower forming unit 23 so as to be movable in the vertical direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 4, the lower forming unit 23 includes a pair of plates (support members) 26, 26 symmetrically positioned on either side of the center of the film conveyance line in the width direction, and the pair of plates 26, 26 are moved toward and away from each other in the left-right direction (width direction) by an opening / closing means 27 configured to operate a link mechanism with an air cylinder. The opening / closing means 27 is configured to move the pair of plates 26, 26 between a closed position (see Figures 4 and 6(c)) in which the plates 26, 26 approach each other to form a gap S between the plates 26, 26 that allows the overlapping portion 11b of the tubular film 11a (both end edge portions of the packaging material that are close together) to pass through, and an open position (see Figures 2, 6(a) and (b)) in which the plates are spaced apart from the closed position.

[0018] 4, each plate 26 of the lower forming section 23 includes a bed portion 26a that extends above the vertical sealing device 12 along the conveying path for the tubular film 11a in the closed position and supports articles fed into the tubular film 11a from below via the film, and a support portion 26b that extends upstream from the bed portion 26a and forms the bottom surface of the forming path 24, supporting and guiding the lower part of the tubular film 11a in contact with it. The support portion 26b also supports articles fed into the tubular film 11a from below via the film. The edge of each support portion 26b facing the other support portion 26b is an inclined edge 26c that moves away from the other support portion 26b as it moves upstream, and a V-shaped introduction portion is defined between the inclined edges 26c facing each other in the closed position. The downstream end of the inclined side 26c is located upstream of the upstream end of the bed portion 26a, and the gap S formed when the pair of plates 26 is in the closed position extends from the downstream end of the support portions 26b to the downstream end of the bed portions 26a. The vicinity of the longitudinal edge of the strip film 11, which is drawn from an entrance into the forming path 24 formed by the upper forming portion 25 and the lower forming portion 23 that have descended to a forming position described below, is folded downward via the inclined sides 26c, thereby forming the strip film 11 into a cylindrical shape and forming the overlapped portion 11b. The overlapped portion 11b passes through the gap S formed between the support portions 26b and the bed portions 26a, extends below the plates 26, and is transported downstream. When the pair of plates 26, 26 are in the open position, the inclined sides 26c, 26c are configured to be spaced apart by a distance greater than the distance between the pair of side walls 30, 30 of the upper molding portion 25 (see FIG. 2).

[0019] 3 to 5, the upper molding section 25 includes a moving member 29 that is moved up and down by an elevating means 28 driven by a drive motor such as a servo motor, and a pair of side walls 30 that extend downward from the moving member 29 and are arranged opposite each other and spaced apart in the left-right direction across the center of the film conveying line. The elevating means 28 is configured to move the upper molding section 25 between a spaced position (see FIG. 3) where the upper molding section 25 is spaced upward from the lower molding section 23 by a distance that allows passage of a robot hand 39, and a molding position (see FIG. 5) where the upper molding section 25 approaches the lower molding section 23 and the lower ends of the side walls 30 abut against the upper surfaces of the support portions 26 b of the lower molding section 23, forming the molding path 24 together with the support portions 26 b. Each side wall 30 is formed with an inclined guide edge (inclined guide portion) 30a that inclines downward from the entrance to the forming path 24 toward the exit side (from upstream to downstream in the film transport direction) and that guides the strip film 11 drawn into the forming path 24 (conveyed to the upper forming section 25 of the forming position) between the pair of side walls 30, 30, and is also provided with bag-making wings 31 that extend outward from the inclined guide edge 30a. The strip film 11 is supplied from above to the base ends of the pair of inclined guide edges 30a, 30a and the bag-making wings 31, 31 on the film entry side, and is guided by the inclined guide edge 30a and the bag-making wings 31, and is transported downstream to be drawn into the forming path 24, whereby the strip film 11 is formed into a tubular shape.

[0020] The upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23 are positioned and fixed together by locking means 32 at the molding position where the molding path 24 is formed. The locking means 32 includes engaging portions provided on the outer surfaces of each side wall 30 of the upper molding section 25 and holding means provided on the support portions 26b of the lower molding section 23 for releasably engaging and holding the engaging portions. When the pair of plates 26, 26 of the lower molding section 23 is moved from the open position to the closed position with respect to the upper molding section 25 positioned at the molding position, the holding means engages and holds the engaging portions, thereby positioning and fixing the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23. Furthermore, when the holding means releases the engagement of the engaging portions, the fixing of the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23 is released, allowing the pair of plates 26, 26 to move from the closed position to the open position and allowing the upper molding section 25 to move to the separated position.

[0021] 2, the vertical sealing device 12 includes a pair of feed rollers 33, 33 located below the bed portions 26a, 26a of the lower molding unit 23, which sandwich the overlapped portion 11b of the tubular film 11a that is guided to extend downward from the gap S defined between the bed portions 26a, 26a in the closed position, and is configured to convey the tubular film 11a with the overlapped portion 11b sandwiched between the feed rollers 33, 33 downstream by rotating the pair of feed rollers 33, 33 in opposite directions. The vertical sealing device 12 also includes a pair of seal rollers 34, 34 disposed downstream of the feed rollers 33, 33, on both sides of the overlapped portion 11b of the tubular film 11a, and a vertical seal is formed by applying pressure to the overlapped portion 11b with the pair of heated seal rollers 34, 34. The pair of sealing rollers 34, 34 are configured to open and close using an opening and closing mechanism not shown, and are configured to separate the sealing rollers 34, 34 from each other to release the overlapping section 11b when setting the film in the bag making section 22 or when the horizontal bag making and filling machine is stopped.

[0022] 3, a rail 35 is disposed at the front interior of the housing 15, above the positions of the loading shaft 16, film supply device 14, entrance angle adjustment device 13, bag making section 22, and vertical sealing device 12. The rail 35 extends horizontally from the position of the loading shaft 16 to a position beyond the position of the vertical sealing device 12, and a robot 36 is suspended and supported on the rail 35. The robot 36 is configured to move back and forth along the rail 35 by a linear slide mechanism 37 operated by a drive motor such as a servo motor. The robot 36 may be an articulated robot having a robot hand 39 attached to a robot arm 38 and holding portions 40 and 41 capable of holding the strip film 11. Robot hand 39 is cantilevered by robot arm 38 and extends horizontally toward the rear by a predetermined length so that it can pull the held strip film 11 along the film transport path without interfering with film supply device 14, approach angle adjustment device 13, and bag making unit 22. Robot 36 is configured to hold the leading end of strip film 11 from web roll 10 loaded on loading shaft 16 with holding units 40, 41 of robot hand 39, and to control the operation of robot arm 38 while moving along rail 35 using linear slide mechanism 37 so that tubular film 11a held by holding units 40, 41 is pulled from web roll 10 and positioned between upper forming unit 25 and lower forming unit 23, which are spaced apart from each other, in bag making unit 22, via film supply device 14 and approach angle adjustment device 13. That is, the robot hand 39 is configured to transport the strip film 11 held by it while winding it around a plurality of rollers 17, 21, and 20 located on the film transport path from the raw roll 10 to between the upper forming section 25 and the lower forming section 23. In this embodiment, the robot 36 and linear slide mechanism 37 constitute a transport means that transports and positions the strip film 11 drawn from the raw roll 10 from upstream in the transport direction between the spaced-apart upper forming section 25 and lower forming section 23 (plates 26, 26) in the bag making section 22. The movement position of the robot hand 39 in the extension direction of the rail 35 can be obtained by a pulse signal or the like from an encoder provided on the drive motor of the linear slide mechanism 37.

[0023] 6(a), the holding sections 40, 41 of the robot hand 39 consist of three holding sections 40, 41, 41: a middle holding section 40 that adsorbs the center section in the width direction of the strip film 11, and side holding sections 41, 41 that adsorb each side section in the width direction. The middle holding section 40 is configured to adsorb the film by the negative pressure generated by air suction from the suction source, while the side holding sections 41 are configured as so-called ejector types that adsorb the film by the negative pressure generated on the adsorption surfaces of the side holding sections 41 by the supply of air from the main air supply source, and the adsorption of the film is released by stopping the supply of air from the main air supply source and assisting in breaking the negative pressure by supplying air from the auxiliary air supply source. The three holding portions 40, 41, 41 are configured so that their suction and release can be controlled independently, and by releasing the suction of the film by the two side holding portions 41, 41, the strip film 11 can be held (supported) in a state where both sides in the width direction hang down relative to the central portion in the width direction of the strip film 11 that is suctioned by the middle holding portion 40.

[0024] The robot 36 is configured to release the suction of the film by the two side holding portions 41, 41 when it detects, via a pulse signal from an encoder, that the leading end of the strip film 11 held by the robot hand 39 has reached a position downstream and above where gap S is formed when support portions 26b, 26b of the plates 26, 26 are in the closed position. After suction by side holding portions 41, 41 is released, the opening / closing means 27 moves the pair of plates 26, 26 from the open position to the closed position, and sandwiches the lower portions (edge ​​portions) of hanging portions e, e that hang down on both sides in the width direction of the strip film 11, the center of which is held by middle holding portion 40, between the pair of plates 26, 26 to form a cylindrical shape, and brings both edge portions closer together to form overlapping portion 11b (see FIG. 6(c)). That is, the opening / closing means 27 is configured to detect when the robot hand 39 has reached a position where the left and right hanging portions e, e of the strip film 11 can be sandwiched between the pair of plates 26, 26 at the location where the gap S is formed, and to move the pair of plates 26, 26 from the open position to the closed position. The height position of the strip film 11 pulled above the plates 26, 26 by the robot 36 is set to a position that matches the height position of the tubular film 11a to be formed in the bag making unit 22 (a position corresponding to the height dimension of the article).

[0025] Next, the operation of the horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to the embodiment will be described.

[0026] 2, 3, and 6(a), when performing a film setting operation in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine, the pair of plates 26, 26 in the lower molding section 23 are moved to the open position by the opening / closing means 27, and the upper molding section 25 is moved to a separated position away from the lower molding section 23 by the lifting means 28. In addition, the driven roller 18 of the film supply device 14 is moved to a separated position away from the drive roller 17 by the roller moving means. Then, the leading end of the strip film 11 on the raw roll 10 is adsorbed onto the robot hand 39 of the robot 36, and while the robot 36 is moved along the rail 35 using a linear slide mechanism 37, the operation of the robot arm 38 is controlled to change the height position of the robot hand 39, so that the strip film 11 pulled out from the raw roll 10 passes between the drive roller 17 and the driven roller 18, and the strip film 11 wound around the intermediate roller 21 is wound alternately around the two guide rollers 20, 20 of the approach angle adjustment device 13, and then positioned so that it reaches between the lower molding section 23 and the upper molding section 25 (see Figure 1).

[0027] When the robot hand 39 passes under the upper molding section 25 and both sides of the strip film 11 it is holding hang down, if the robot hand 39 detects that the hanging parts e, e have reached a position where they face between a pair of plates 26, 26 in the open position (above the area where gap S is formed in the closed position), the movement of the robot 36 by the linear slide mechanism 37 is stopped, the upper molding section 25 is lowered toward the molding position by the lifting means 28, and the suction of the film by both side holding parts 41, 41 of the robot hand 39 is released. 6(b), as the upper molding section 25 descends, the lower ends of the side walls 30, 30 come into contact with and press down on the strip film 11 from above, causing both left and right sides of the strip film 11, the center of which is sucked by the middle holding section 40, to hang down along the inside of the side walls 30, 30, and the strip film 11 is molded into a generally U-shape, with the center part sucked by the middle holding section 40 and the hanging portions e, e hanging down from both sides of the center part, each a predetermined length of which continues to the center, facing the inside of the side walls 30, 30 and opening downward. In addition, the strip film 11 reaching the upper molding section 25 comes into contact with the inclined guide edges 30a, 30a of the side walls 30, 30 and the base ends of the bag-making wings 31, 31 on the film entry side. When the suction force of the side holding portions 41, 41 is released, air for breaking the negative pressure is blown out from the side holding portions 41, 41, and this air assists in folding both sides of the strip film 11.

[0028] When the upper molding section 25 is lowered to the molding position, the extensions extending downward from within the side walls 30 at the hanging portions e on both sides of the strip film 11 pressed down by the side walls 30 extend downward between the support portions 26b on the pair of plates 26 in the open position of the lower molding section 23 (see FIG. 6(b)). When the opening / closing means 27 moves the pair of plates 26 from the open position to the closed position, as shown in FIG. 6(c), the edge portions of the hanging portions e of the strip film 11 are sandwiched between the support portions 26b to mold the film into a tubular shape, and the longitudinal edge portions of the strip film 11 are brought closer together and overlapped in a palm-to-palm manner, with the overlapping portions 11b extending below the plates 26. When the pair of plates 26, 26 move to the closed position, the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23 are positioned and fixed by the locking means 32 and combined, and with the film facing the inside of the upper molding section 25 and the upper side of the lower molding section 23, a molding path 24 is formed by both molding sections 25, 23 to mold the strip film 11 into a cylindrical shape.

[0029] Next, the linear slide mechanism 37 moves the robot 36 downstream, and the feed rollers 33, 33 rotate at a low speed. The tubular film 11a held by the middle holding unit 40 of the robot hand 39 is transported downstream, and when the overlapped portion 11b (the adjacent two edge portions) of the tubular film 11a, guided by the gap S formed between the bed portions 26a, 26a of the plates 26, 26, is fed between the feed rollers 33, 33 of the vertical sealing device 12, the feed rollers 33, 33 also transport the tubular film 11a downstream. Then, when the overlapped portion 11b passes between the sealing rollers 34, 34, the rotation of the feed rollers 33, 33 is stopped, and the middle holding unit 40 of the robot hand 39 releases the film from its suction. The movement of the robot 36 downstream also stops.

[0030] With the driven roller 18 of the film supply device 14 moved to the clamping position, the drive roller 17 is rotated in the reverse direction, and the swing arm 19 of the approach angle adjuster 13 is swung in the direction pulling the film upstream (the opposite direction to the film transport direction) from the bag making section 22. As a result, the strip film 11 reaching the bag making section 22 comes into tensioned contact with the inclined guide edges 30a, 30a of the side walls 30, 30 of the upper forming section 25 and the bag making wings 31, 31, and the strip film 11 is set in a state where it can be pulled into the forming path 24 in a tensioned state without slack.

[0031] In the horizontal bag making and filling machine of the embodiment, the bag making section 22, which forms the strip film 11 into a cylindrical shape, is divided into an upper forming section 25 and a lower forming section 23, and the strip film 11 is positioned between the upper forming section 25 and the lower forming section 23, which are spaced apart from the lower forming section 23.The upper forming section 25 is then lowered toward the forming position to press down both sides of the strip film 11 so that it hangs down.Then, a pair of plates 26, 26 in the lower forming section 23 are moved from the open position to the closed position, and the hanging portions e, e are sandwiched so that they overlap each other to form the film into a cylindrical shape, and the both end edges of the hanging portions e, e are brought close to each other to form a polymerization section 11b, with the polymerization section 11b facing the gap S between the plates 26, 26, so that the film faces the forming path 24 formed by the combined upper and lower forming sections 25, 23. That is, the operator is not required to perform the cumbersome task of passing the tubularly formed film from the entrance to the exit of the forming path 24, and the film setting operation is simplified, improving workability and reducing the operator's workload. Furthermore, the upper forming unit 25 actively presses down both sides of the strip film 11 so that they hang down, facing between the side walls 30, 30, and restricts the outward movement of the hanging portions e, e in the width direction. This allows the pair of plates 26, 26 to effectively form the film into a tubular shape and form the overlapped portion 11b. This prevents the time required for the setting operation from varying depending on the operator's skill level, thereby preventing a decrease in production efficiency due to fluctuations in production efficiency. Furthermore, the film can be set in a consistent state in the bag making unit 22, enabling the production of bags of consistent quality.

[0032] Furthermore, in the horizontal form-fill-seal machine of the embodiment, the bed portions 26a of the pair of plates 26, 26 of the lower forming section 23 double as a transport bed that supports articles via the film above the vertical sealing device 12, and the overlapping portion 11b (both end edges brought closer together) extending downward from the plates 26, 26 formed when the pair of plates 26, 26 are moved from the open position to the closed position is guided through the gap S between the pair of plates 26, 26 to the feed rollers 33, 33 and the seal rollers 34, 34 of the vertical sealing device 12, thereby facilitating the work of setting the film in the vertical sealing device 12. In other words, this eliminates the need for the complicated work of inserting the overlapping portion 11b of the tubular film 11a into the narrow gap in the transport bed from the upstream opening and setting it so that it reaches the feed rollers and seal rollers, improving the workability of the film setting work and preventing a decrease in production efficiency caused by differences in the time required for the work of setting the film in the vertical sealing device 12 depending on the level of skill of the workers.

[0033] In the horizontal form-fill-seal machine of the embodiment, the robot 36 is configured to position the strip film 11 between the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23, which are spaced apart vertically in the bag making section 22. This automates the process of setting the film in the bag making section 22, thereby saving labor. Furthermore, since the robot 36 positions the strip film 11 between the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23 and the strip film 11 is formed into a cylindrical shape by the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23, the process from pulling the strip film 11 above the pair of plates 26, 26 to forming it into a cylindrical shape can be automated, further improving production efficiency. Furthermore, the use of the robot 36 (robot hand 39) makes it easy to change the height of the strip film 11 positioned between the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23 when changing the packaging size. Furthermore, by using the robot 36, the configuration for positioning the strip film 11 between the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23 (above the pair of plates 26, 26) can be simplified compared to when a transfer device or the like is used.

[0034] (Regarding another embodiment) Next, a horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to another embodiment will be described, focusing only on the differences from the embodiment, with the same reference numerals used for the previously mentioned components, and detailed descriptions thereof will be omitted. In the embodiment, the pair of plates 26, 26 are configured to move from the open position to the closed position after the upper forming section 25 is lowered from the separated position to the forming position, but the horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to this other embodiment differs in that this operation is reversed.

[0035] In another embodiment, a locking means for positioning and fixing the upper molding portion 25 and the lower molding portion 23 is provided, which is not shown, in the form of a holding means arranged on a pair of plates 26, 26 at a position that can engage and hold an engaging portion provided on the upper molding portion 25 that descends from a spaced position to a molding position relative to the pair of plates 26, 26 in the closed position.

[0036] 7(a), when performing a film setting operation in another embodiment, as in the embodiment, the upper molding unit 25 is moved to the separated position, the pair of plates 26, 26 are moved to the open position, and the driven roller 18 is moved to the separated position, and then the strip film 11 adsorbed to the robot hand 39 of the robot 36 is pulled out from the original roll 10 and positioned between the upper molding unit 25 and the lower molding unit 23. When the robot hand 39 passes below the upper molding unit 25 and both sides of the held strip film 11 are released from adsorption by the both-side holding units 41, 41 described below and hang down, when the robot hand 39 reaches a position where the hanging parts e, e are located between the pair of plates 26, 26 in the open position, the movement of the robot 36 by the linear slide mechanism 37 is stopped, and the both-side holding units 41, 41 of the robot hand 39 release the adsorption of the film. In addition, the robot 36 moves the robot hand 39 so that the leading end of the film held by the robot hand 39 is positioned to match the height position of the tubular film 11 a to be formed in the bag making unit 22 .

[0037] When the film is released from suction by the side holding portions 41, 41, both widthwise sides of the strip film 11 hang down from the widthwise center portion that is held by the middle holding portion 40, as shown in Figure 7(b), and the extensions of the hanging portions e, e that extend downward from within the side walls 30, 30 face between the support portions 26b, 26b of the pair of plates 26, 26 in the open position. When the opening / closing means 27 moves the pair of plates 26, 26 from the open position to the closed position, as shown in Figure 7(c), the edge portions of the hanging portions e, e of the strip film 11 are sandwiched between the support portions 26b, 26b to form the film into a tubular shape, and the longitudinal edge portions of the strip film 11 are overlapped in a palm-to-palm manner, so that the overlapping portion (the adjacent both edge portions) 11b faces the gap S between the plates 26, 26 and extends below the plates 26, 26. When the pair of plates 26, 26 move to the closed position, the lifting means 28 lowers the upper molding section 25, and the left and right sides of the strip film 11 are pushed and smoothed by the side walls 30, 30 to mold it so that it fits along the side walls 30, 30. When the upper molding section 25 reaches the molding position, the film faces the inside of the upper molding section 25 and the upper side of the lower molding section 23, and a molding path 24 is formed by both molding sections 25, 23 to mold the strip film 11 into a cylindrical shape (see Figure 7(d)). Furthermore, the strip film 11 reaching the upper molding section 25 comes into contact with the inclined guide edges 30a, 30a of the side walls 30, 30 and the base ends of the bag-making wings 31, 31 on the film entry side. When the upper molding section 25 descends to the molding position, the upper molding section 25 and the lower molding section 23 are fixed in position by the locking means 32. The operations after the upper and lower molded parts 25, 23 are positioned and fixed are the same as those in the embodiment.

[0038] The horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to the other embodiment can also achieve the same effects as those of the embodiment.

[0039] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, etc., and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples, etc., are not limited to the following modifications, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention. (1) In the examples, the strip film 11 held by the robot 36 is pulled out from the raw roll 10 and transferred between the upper and lower forming sections 25 and 23, which are spaced apart vertically. However, a configuration can also be adopted in which the strip film 11 is pulled out to the upstream side of the bag making section 22 by a transfer device and received by the robot 36 and positioned between the upper and lower forming sections 25 and 23. In other words, the transfer means for positioning the strip film 11 above the pair of plates 36 and 36 can be composed of the robot 36 alone. (2) In the examples, the strip film 11 is positioned between the upper and lower molding sections 25 and 23, which are spaced apart vertically, by the robot 36. However, a configuration can also be adopted in which the strip film 11 is positioned between the upper and lower molding sections 25, 23 by a transfer device (transfer means) that moves a holding member equipped with a film holding section back and forth in the film conveyance direction. Furthermore, the task of positioning the strip film 11 between the upper and lower molding sections 25, 23 can be performed by an operator. Even in this case, the operator does not need to pass the tubular film 11a through the molding path 24, thereby reducing the workload. (3) The upper molding section 25 can be configured to be detachable and replaceable depending on the size of the bag to be formed into a cylindrical shape. In addition, the bag-making wings 31 of the upper molding section 25 may be configured so that the angle of inclination is adjustable. (4) In the examples, the pair of plates 26, 26 are configured to move from the open position to the closed position when the leading end of the strip film 11 has been transported above the support portions 26b, 26b of the pair of plates 26, 26. However, the pair of plates 26, 26 may also be configured to move from the open position to the closed position when the leading end of the strip film 11 has been transported above the bed portions 26a, 26 upstream of the feed rollers 33, 33.

[0040] (5) In the examples, the pair of plates 26, 26 are integrally formed with the support portions 26b, 26b that form the molding path 24 together with the upper molding portion 25, and the bed portions 26a, 26a that support the articles above the vertical sealing device 12. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the support portions 26b, 26b and the bed portions 26a, 26a are separate entities and each is opened and closed by a separate opening and closing means. (6) The pair of feed rollers 33, 33 can be configured to open and close in conjunction with the opening and closing of the lower molding section 23, and the overlapping section 11b of the tubular film 11a formed as the lower molding section 23 closes can be clamped between the pair of closing feed rollers 33, 33. (7) In the examples, the robot 36 is configured to transport the tubular film 11a to a position where the polymerization portion 11b passes the sealing rollers 34, 34 of the vertical sealing device 12, and then release the suction of the film by the middle holding portion 40. However, it is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the suction of the film by the middle holding portion 40 is released at a position where the polymerization portion 11b is clamped by the feed rollers 33, 33, and thereafter the tubular film 11a is transported downstream only by the feed rollers 33, 33 that clamp the polymerization portion 11b. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 10 Raw roll (packaging material supply source), 11 Strip film (strip packaging material) 11a cylindrical film (cylindrical packaging material), 11b polymerization section, 12 vertical sealing device 17 drive roller (guide roller), 20 guide roller, 21 intermediate roller (guide roller) 25 Upper molding portion (molding means), 26 Plate (support member), 27 Opening and closing means 28 lifting means, 30 side wall, 36 robot (transport means) 37 Linear slide mechanism (transport means), 39 Robot hand, e Hanging part S Gap

Claims

1. A horizontal form-fill-seal machine is provided with a vertical sealing device that applies a vertical seal in the conveying direction to overlapping portions of a tubular packaging material formed by overlapping both widthwise edge portions of a strip-shaped packaging material in a folded-over state, the overlapping portions being folded over in a folded-over state, the a pair of support members supported so as to be movable toward and away from each other in a width direction intersecting with a conveyance direction of the packaging material; an opening / closing means for moving the pair of support members toward and away from each other between an open position and a closed position, The pair of support members have gaps formed therebetween in the closed position that allow both end edges of the tubular packaging material to pass through, The strip-shaped packaging material is supported between the pair of support members in the open position so that the hanging portions, which are the hanging portions of both widthwise sides of the strip-shaped packaging material, face the gap. The pair of support members are moved to the closed position by the opening / closing means to bring the edge portions of the hanging portions closer together to form a cylindrical shape, and the overlapping portion, where the edge portions overlap, faces the gap, so that the overlapping portion can be guided along the gap toward the vertical sealing device. A horizontal form-fill-seal machine.

2. a molding means that can be moved up and down by an elevating means between a spaced position where the molding means is spaced upward from the pair of support members and a molding position where the molding means is close to the pair of support members; The molding means has a pair of side walls spaced apart in the width direction, 2. The horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1, wherein, with the strip-shaped packaging material positioned between the forming means in the spaced position and the pair of support members in the open position, the forming means is lowered toward the forming position by the lifting means, whereby both widthwise sides of the strip-shaped packaging material are formed to hang down by the pair of side walls, with the hanging down portions facing between the pair of support members in the open position, and then the opening / closing means moves the pair of support members to the closed position to bring the end edges of the hanging down portions closer together.

3. 2. A horizontal bag form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer means for transferring the strip-shaped packaging material drawn from a packaging material supply source from upstream in the conveying direction and supporting the packaging material so that the hanging portion faces between a pair of support members in the open position.

4. 4. The horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to claim 3, wherein the transport means detects that the strip-shaped packaging material has been transported to a position where the pair of support members can clamp the hanging portion, and the opening / closing means moves the pair of support members from the open position to the closed position.

5. 5. A horizontal bag form-fill-seal machine as described in claim 3 or 4, characterized in that the transfer means includes a robot hand that holds the strip-shaped packaging material, and is configured to transfer the strip-shaped packaging material held by the robot hand while wrapping it around a plurality of guide rollers.

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