Filling and packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a filling and packaging machine comprising a mechanism capable of suppressing swelling of a trunk part of a content-filled container to be formed by sealing an upper opening while pressing the trunk part of the container filled with the content from the outside, the filling and packaging machine having no possibility of blowing out the content or damaging the trunk part when the trunk part is pressed, and capable of installing the mechanism without any trouble even when a conveyance conveyor for conveying the container in multiple rows at a narrow interval is provided.SOLUTION: In a filling and packaging machine 1, a pressing member 13A for pressing a trunk part C12 of a container C1 from the outside to a container holder 44 of a conveyance conveyor 4 is provided movably between a pressing position that presses the trunk part C12 and a standby position that does not press the trunk part C12. A guide member 15A capable of moving the pressing member 13A from the standby position to the pressing position by contacting with a contacted part 132 of the pressing member 13A is fixedly provided along a conveyance path R near a top seal part 9 where an upper opening C10 of the container C1 is sealed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a filling and packaging machine, and more particularly to a filling and packaging machine that forms content-filled containers by transporting a plurality of containers made of cartons along a predetermined transport path, filling the containers with contents such as beverages, food, etc., and sealing and packaging them. [Background technology]

[0002] A commonly known container used in this type of filling and packaging machine is a carton made by forming a carton blank, primarily made of paper, into a rectangular tubular shape with a bottom. This container is formed, for example, by folding a carton blank into a flat sleeve shape, and then folding one end inward and sealing it to form a rectangular tubular shape with a bottom and an opening at the top. The formed plurality of containers are then transported in a predetermined direction on a transport conveyor within a filling and packaging machine, whereby the contents are filled, the top openings of the containers are sealed, and other processes are carried out in sequence to form content-filled containers. With this type of container, there is a demand to reduce the thickness of the carton blank, which is the material, to reduce weight and cost, while also increasing the capacity of the contents.However, meeting these demands has presented the problem that meeting these demands causes the body of the finished product, the content-filled container, to bulge outward, damaging its appearance.

[0003] As a means of solving the above problem, a filling and packaging machine has been proposed that is equipped with a mechanism that prevents bulging in the body of the resulting product by pressing the body of a container filled with contents from the outside while sealing the top opening of the container. Specifically, first, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a filling and packaging machine in which a top seal section for sealing the top opening of a carton filled with contents on a conveying path is provided with a reciprocating member that is reciprocated by a drive means in a direction toward and away from the conveying path, and when a container is conveyed to the top seal section, the tip (roller) of the reciprocating member that is actuated in the approaching direction presses the body of the container from the outside, thereby suppressing bulging of the container. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 listed below discloses a filling and packaging machine in which membranes are provided along both sides of the conveying path in the top seal section, and when a container is conveyed to the top seal section, fluid pressure is supplied to expand the membrane, which presses the body of the container from the outside, thereby preventing the container from swelling. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-280091 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2018-520069 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Here, in a filling and packaging machine having a high production capacity (number of products produced per unit time), the time required for the top seal section to seal the top opening of the container (top seal) is extremely short. However, in the case of the filling and packaging machines described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above, the means for pressing the body of the container is provided in the top seal section, so if the body of the container is pressed rapidly during the short top seal time described above, there is a risk that the contents of the container will spray out from the top opening or that the outer surface of the body of the container will be damaged. Furthermore, in the case of a filling and packaging machine that has the function of transporting a large number of containers in multiple rows using a transport conveyor equipped with container holders that can store and hold multiple containers lined up side by side, the spacing between the containers held in the container holders is narrow, making it difficult to secure space to install a mechanism to suppress container expansion to the side of the transport path in the top seal section, as in the filling and packaging machines described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 above.

[0006] This invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a filling and packaging machine equipped with a mechanism that can suppress bulging of the body of a content-filled container by sealing the upper opening while pressing the body of the container filled with contents from the outside, without the risk of the contents spraying out or the body being damaged when the body is pressed, and to enable the mechanism to be installed without any problems even when the machine is equipped with a transport conveyor that transports containers in multiple rows at close intervals. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention comprises the following aspects.

[0008] (1) A filling and packaging machine that forms content-filled containers by conveying a plurality of containers, each made of a carton with an upper opening, in a single row or in multiple rows along a conveying path extending in the front-to-rear direction by a conveyor, and filling the containers with contents and sealing the upper openings in sequence, the transport conveyor includes a plurality of container holders that are provided at predetermined intervals along the transport path and that hold the containers one by one or a plurality of containers arranged side by side, a top seal portion for sealing the top opening is provided at a predetermined location on the transport path, a pressing member for pressing the body portion of the container from the outside is provided on the container holder and is movable between a pressing position where the body portion is pressed and a standby position where the body portion is not pressed; a guide member is fixedly provided along the conveying path near the top seal portion, the guide member being capable of moving the pressing member from the standby position to the pressing position by contacting a predetermined portion of the pressing member.

[0009] (2) In the filling and packaging machine of (1), the pressing member has a pressing portion that presses the body portion and a contacted portion that is brought into contact with the guide member, and is provided so as to be able to swing freely around a swing axis extending in a predetermined direction, and the contacted portion is brought into contact with the guide member, thereby causing the pressing member to swing between the standby position and the pressing position.

[0010] (3) The pressing member has a longitudinal direction in the vertical direction, has the pressing part at its upper part and the contacted part at its lower part, and is freely swingable around a swing axis extending in the front-to-back direction at the middle part of its length, in the filling and packaging machine of (2).

[0011] (4) The filling and packaging machine of (3) above, wherein the pressing members are provided in pairs on the left and right for each corresponding container so as to be able to press the body from both the left and right sides.

[0012] (5) The filling and packaging machine according to any one of (1) to (4) above, further comprising an urging member that urges the pressing member toward the standby position.

[0013] (6) A filling and packaging machine according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein an inclined surface is provided at the upper part of the pressing portion of the pressing member, which can be brought into sliding contact with the edge of the bottom wall of the container when the container is placed in the container holder, thereby moving the pressing member to the standby position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] In the filling and packaging machine of (1) above, a pressing member for pressing the body of the container from the outside is provided on the container holder, and a guide member for moving the pressing member from a standby position to a pressing position by contacting a predetermined part of the pressing member is fixedly provided along the conveyance path near the top seal portion, so that the body of the container can be pressed by gradually increasing the pressing force from just before the top seal portion until the required pressing force is obtained at the top seal portion. Therefore, with the filling and packaging machine of (1) above, there is no risk of the contents spraying out or the body being damaged when the body is pressed. Furthermore, according to the filling and packaging machine of (1) above, even if it is equipped with a transport conveyor that transports containers in multiple rows at close intervals, the pressing member and guide member can be installed without any problems at the specified locations, so that the body of the container can be pressed during top sealing, thereby reliably preventing swelling of the product, which is a content-filled container.

[0015] According to the filling and packaging machine of (2) or (3), the pressing member is configured to be oscillated between the standby position and the pressing position around the oscillating axis, so that the contacted portion is brought into contact with the guide member, thereby allowing the pressing force of the pressing portion to be efficiently applied to the body of the container. Furthermore, with the filling and packaging machine of (2) or (3) above, the pressing member and its mounting structure are not complicated, and maintenance is easy. In particular, with the filling and packaging machine of (3) above, these effects are even more reliably achieved.

[0016] According to the filling and packaging machine (4) above, the body of the container is pressed from both the left and right sides by a pair of pressing members at the top seal section, so that the body of the product, the content-filled container, can be more reliably prevented from expanding.

[0017] According to the filling and packaging machine of (5) above, the pressing member, when the predetermined portion is not in contact with the guide member, can be reliably held in the standby position by the biasing force of the biasing member. In particular, if the transport conveyor is a chain conveyor or belt conveyor having two sprockets, one in front and one in back, that rotates about a horizontal axis, when the container holder is turned upside down at the rear end of the transport conveyor, the pressing member may move to the pressing position or to a position intermediate between the pressing position and the standby position, which may cause problems in placing containers in the container holders. However, according to the filling and packaging machine of (5) above, this situation can be reliably prevented from occurring.

[0018] According to the filling and packaging machine of (6) above, when a container is placed in the container holder of the transport conveyor, even if the pressing member is in the pressing position or an intermediate position between the standby position and the pressing position, the inclined surface of the pressing member is brought into sliding contact with the edge of the bottom wall of the container, causing the pressing member to move to the standby position, so that the container can be placed in the container holder without any problems. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a filling and packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 3 is a side view showing a part of the transport conveyor of the filling and packaging machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 2(a) is a plan view showing a part of the transfer conveyor, and FIG. 2(b) is a front view of the same. [Figure 4] 4(c) shows a first holding plate and a second holding plate that constitute a container holder provided on the transport conveyor, where (a) is a front view of the first holding plate, (b) is a side view of the first holding plate, (c) is a side view of the second holding plate, and (d) is a front view of the second holding plate. In Fig. 4(c), the part surrounded by the two-dot chain circle E is an enlarged cross-section of the part surrounded by the two-dot chain circle e. [Figure 5] 1 shows a container (carton) used in the filling and packaging machine, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a plan view. [Figure 6]1 shows a content-filled container formed by the filling and packaging machine, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a plan view. [Figure 7] 1 shows a pressing member used in a first embodiment of the container bulge suppression mechanism in the filling and packaging machine, where (a) is a plan view, (b) is a front view, (c) is a side view, and (d) is a bottom view. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a partially cutaway side view showing the mounting state of the pressing member. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IX-IX in FIG. 8. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the top seal portion of the filling and packaging machine. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a front view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the top seal portion of the filling and packaging machine. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the top seal portion of the filling and packaging machine. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an enlarged plan view of a part of FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a partially enlarged front view showing the states of the pressing member and the guide member at the positions indicated by the dashed dotted lines A to C in FIG. 13. [Figure 15] This shows a modified example of a pressing member used in the container bulge suppression mechanism of the first embodiment, where (a) is a front view of the pressing member, and (b) and (c) are partially cutaway front views sequentially showing the operation of the pressing member when a container is placed in the container holder. [Figure 16] 10 is a partially cutaway front view showing the configuration of the vicinity of the top seal portion in a container bulge suppression mechanism of a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. [Figure 18] 10 is a plan view showing a guide member used in the container bulge suppression mechanism and its installation mode. FIG. [Figure 19] 10 is a plan view showing a pressing member used in a container bulge suppression mechanism of a third embodiment and its mounting mode. FIG. [Figure 20] 10 is a partially cutaway side view showing the configuration of the top seal portion and its vicinity in the container bulge suppression mechanism. FIG. [Figure 21] 10 is a plan view showing a guide member used in the container bulge suppression mechanism and its installation mode. FIG. [Figure 22] 10 is a plan view showing a pressing member used in a container bulge suppression mechanism of a fourth embodiment and its mounting mode. FIG. [Figure 23] 10 is a partially cutaway side view showing the configuration of the top seal portion and its vicinity in the container bulge suppression mechanism. FIG. [Figure 24] 10 is a plan view showing a guide member used in the container bulge suppression mechanism and its installation mode. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] A filling and packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS. In the following description, the right side of FIG. 1 will be referred to as the "front" and the left side as the "rear", and left and right refer to the left and right when viewed from the front. 1, 2 and 10 show the side of the entire or part of the filling and packaging machine, with the front side wall of the chamber omitted.

[0021] The filling and packaging machine (1) of this embodiment is for filling a container (C1) made of a carton with a content such as a beverage or food and sealing it to form a content-filled container (C2). As shown in Figure 1, the filling and packaging machine (1) has a long, sealed (box-shaped) chamber (2) in the front-to-rear direction. A carton blank inlet (201) is provided in the front end wall (23) of the chamber (2), and a content-filled container outlet (202) is provided at the rear end of the top wall (21) of the chamber (2).

[0022] The front end (2a) of the chamber (2) is provided with a bottom forming section (3) that seals one end of a carton blank (CB12) bent into a rectangular cylindrical shape and forms the bottom to form a bottomed rectangular cylindrical container (carton) (C1). The bottom forming section (3) has a turret (30) having a plurality of radial carton holders (30a) that are rotatable around a horizontal axis. Along the rotation direction of the turret (30) (counterclockwise in Figure 1), the following are provided in order: a receiving section (31) that sets a rectangular tubular carton blank (CB12) introduced from a carton blank inlet (201) into the carton holder (30a); a bottom heating section (32) that heats one end of the carton blank (CB12); a bottom breaker section (33) that folds one end of the carton blank (CB12) inward to create a crease; a bottom sealing section (34) that seals one end of the carton blank (CB12) to form a rectangular tubular container (C1) with a bottom; and a transport section (35) that transports the formed container (C1) to the next process using a carton unloader (35a). A carton blank (CB12) that has been pulled out of a carton magazine by a picker and formed into a rectangular cylindrical shape is sent to the receiving section (31) through a carton blank entrance (201) by a carton loader (36). In the case of the filling and packaging machine 1 shown in the figure, the front end 2a of the chamber 2, where the bottom forming section 3 is provided, has a double-roofed shape that slopes diagonally upward and forward when viewed from the side. This shape reduces the height of the front end 2a of the chamber 2.

[0023] Also, within the chamber (2), a transport conveyor (4) is provided in a tunnel-shaped section (2b) extending from the rear (downstream) side of the bottom forming section (3) to the rear end, which transports multiple containers (C1) with their openings facing upward along a horizontal transport path (R) extending rearward. On the conveying path (R), from the upstream side (front side) to the downstream side (rear side), there are sequentially arranged a preliminary breaker section (5) that preliminarily creases the container (C1), a top breaker section (6) that creases the top of the container (C1), a sterilization section (7) that sterilizes the container (C1), a filling section (8) that fills the contents into the container (C1), a top seal section (9) that seals the top opening (C10) of the container (C1), a flap seal section (10) that folds the flap (C21) formed on the top of the content-filled container (C2) to seal it to the surface of the container (C2) when sealing, and a discharge section (11) that discharges the content-filled container (C2) out of the chamber (2).

[0024] In filling and packaging machine (1) having the above basic configuration, clean air is blown out and supplied from a plurality of predetermined locations into chamber (2), and the clean air that has circulated within chamber (2) is sucked out and discharged from a plurality of predetermined locations. As a result, almost the entire interior of chamber (2), except for the clean air suction and discharge area, is maintained at a positive pressure by the clean air, and a sterile state is maintained. More specifically, since particularly high sterility is required for the sterilization section (7), filling section (8) and top seal section (9) in the chamber (2), clean air purified by an ULPA filter (F) (an air filter with a particle collection rate of 99.9995% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.15 μm at the rated flow rate specified in JIS Z8122:2000 and an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less) is blown out from the clean air outlets (AB1) (AB2) through the air supply pipe (P1). Furthermore, areas other than the sterilization section (7), filling section (8) and top seal section (9) within the chamber (2), such as the hot air outlet (101) (see Figure 1) provided in the flap seal section (10) and the hot air outlet (not shown) provided in the bottom molding section (3), do not require such high levels of cleanliness, so clean air purified by a HEPA filter (an air filter with a particle collection rate of 99.97% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm at the rated flow rate specified in JIS Z8122:2000 and an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less) is supplied thereto. The clean air that has circulated within the chamber (2) is sucked and discharged through clean air suction ports provided at a plurality of predetermined locations within the chamber (2) and connected to an exhaust fan through exhaust piping. As shown in Figure 1, clean air suction ports (AS1) and (AS2) provided in the top wall (21) above the bottom forming section (3) and the flap seal section (10) of the chamber (2) are connected to the exhaust fan (E) through exhaust piping (P2). A flow control valve such as a butterfly valve (V) is provided in the exhaust piping (P2) so that the flow rate of the clean air discharged from the chamber (2) can be adjusted.

[0025] The chamber (2) is configured so that the entire interior can be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP). During cleaning, the carton blank inlet (201) and the content-filled container outlet (202) of the chamber (2) are closed, and a cleaning agent such as an alkaline solution or an acidic solution is sprayed from cleaning nozzles (12) provided at multiple predetermined locations, followed by rinsing. Similarly, during sterilization, the carton blank inlet (201) and the content-filled container outlet (202) of the chamber (2) are closed, and a sterilizing agent is supplied from multiple predetermined locations to perform sterilization.

[0026] As shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4, the transport conveyor (4) of this embodiment has a 4-row, 1-pitch feed configuration and includes two endless conveyor chains (42) on the left and right sides of the transport path (R) and wound around front and rear sprockets (41), four bottom rails (43) arranged parallel to each other along the transport path (R) between the left and right conveyor chains (42) and supporting the bottom of the containers (C1), and a number of container holders (44) installed between the opposing links on the left and right of both conveyor chains (42) and holding the containers (C1) on the four bottom rails (43) with their openings facing upward. At the front end of the transfer conveyor 4, the containers C1 are sequentially transferred from the transfer section 35 of the bottom forming section 3 to the container holders 44 by the carton unloader 35a (see FIG. 1).

[0027] Each container holder (44) has a pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) made of long vertical plate material extending in the left-right direction and connected to the links (421) of both conveyor chains (42), and a total of four pairs of second holding plates (442) made of short vertical plate material extending in the front-back direction and fixed at multiple points along a predetermined length of the front and rear first holding plates (441), each pair consisting of two left and two right plates. The front and rear side walls of the four containers (C1), the bottoms of which are supported by the four bottom rails (43), are held by two front and rear first holding plates (441), and the left and right side walls of each of the four containers (C1) are held by four pairs of two left and right second holding plates (442). In other words, the pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) and the four pairs of two left and right second holding plates (442) form a holding portion (440) that surrounds and holds the container (C1) from the front, rear, left and right. If the container holder (44) is configured with the first holding plates (441) and second holding plates (442) as described above, the vertical flow of clean air within the chamber (2) is not impeded, and a rectifying effect that stably directs the clean air downward is easily achieved. The left and right ends of the pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) are attached to the inner surfaces of the mutually facing links (421) of the left and right conveyor chains (42) via vertical plate-like blocks (45). The pitch of the links (421) of the conveyor chains (42) corresponds to the transport pitch (P) of the containers (C1) by the transport conveyor (4) (see Figure 2). Each of the first holding plate 441 and each of the second holding plates 442 has a hemispherical protrusion 441a, 442a formed thereon to be brought into point contact with the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1. The presence of these hemispherical protrusions 441a, 442a prevents the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1 from coming into close contact with the inner surfaces of each of the first holding plate 441 and each of the second holding plate 442, thereby ensuring that the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1 is sterilized by spraying a sterilant in the sterilization section 7. The upper edge of each first holding plate (441) is provided with an upper protrusion (441b) that protrudes higher than the other portions in the portion that holds the container (C1). These upper protrusions (441b) enable the container (C1) to be held more stably. Furthermore, by reducing the height of the upper edge of the first holding plate (441) other than the upper protrusions (441b), processing of the upper portion of the container (C1) by the top breaker section (6) and the like can be performed smoothly. The tip of each upper protrusion (441b) is inclined obliquely upward and outward in the front-rear direction so as to serve as a guide when the carton unloader (35a) transfers the container (C1) to the holding section (440). The rear first holding plate (441) of the pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) has rear convex portions (441c) bent horizontally rearward at the upper edge between the upper convex portions (441b). These rear convex portions (441c) close the gaps between the adjacent container holders (44) in the front and rear direction where no container (C1) is present, thereby concentrating the flow of clean air around the container (C1). A vertically rectangular window portion (442b) is formed in the center of the front-rear width of each second holding plate (442).

[0028] The carton blank used as the material for the container (C1) is formed by punching a laminate mainly made of paper into a predetermined shape, and both the inner and outer surfaces of the blank are made of thermoplastic resin layers. If necessary, the laminate is provided with a barrier layer made of aluminum foil or the like in the middle of its thickness. As shown in Figure 5, the container (C1) has a rectangular bottom wall (C11) and four side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124) extending upward from the four sides of the bottom wall (C11). The four side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124) form the body (C12) of the container (C1), and the upper edges of the four side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124) form an upper opening (C10). The bottom wall (C11) may be square as shown in the figure, or it may be rectangular, in which case the cross section of the body will also be rectangular. The container (C1) filled with contents through the top opening (C10) in the filling section (8) has the upper parts of the front, rear, left, and right side walls (C121), (C122), (C123), and (C124) folded outward in the left-right direction along predetermined fold lines in the top seal section (9) downstream of the filling section (8), and the front and rear edges formed in the top opening (C10) are overlapped and sealed to form a content-filled container (C2) with a left-right-long flap (C21) at the top, as shown in Figure 6. The above-mentioned content-filled container (C2) is then formed into its final shape, an approximately rectangular parallelepiped, by folding the left and right side portions of the flap (C21) downward and sealing them to the upper surfaces of the left and right side walls in the next flap seal section (10). The content-filled container (C2) shown in the figure has a top wall that slopes diagonally downward toward the rear, but the filling and packaging machine of this invention can also be applied to other cases, such as when forming a rectangular content-filled container with a horizontal top wall.

[0029] 5 to 14 show a first aspect of a container bulge suppression mechanism provided in a filling and packaging machine (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention. This container bulge suppression mechanism comprises a pressing member (13A) and a guide member (15A) described below.

[0030] That is, first, each container holder (44) of the transport conveyor (4) is provided with a pressing member (13A) for pressing the body (C12) of the container (C1) from the outside. The pressing member (13A) is movable between a pressing position (for example, the position shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 9) where it presses the body portion (C12) of the container (C1) and a standby position (for example, the position shown by the solid line in FIG. 9) where it does not press the body portion (C12). As shown in Fig. 3, in this embodiment, a pair of pressing members 13A are provided on the left and right sides of each of the four holding portions 440 of the container holder 44. That is, the pair of pressing members 13A presses the body portion C12 (specifically, the left and right side walls C123, C124) of the container C1 held in each holding portion from both the left and right sides. Note that while it is possible to provide one pressing member per container, providing a pair of pressing members on the left and right as described above is advantageous in that it can more effectively prevent the body portion of the container from expanding. Each pressing member (13A) has a pressing portion (131) that presses the body portion (C12) of the container (C1) and a contacted portion (132) that is brought into contact with the guide member (15A).

[0031] 10 to 12, guide members 15A are fixedly provided near the top seal portion 9 of the filling and packaging machine 1. The guide members 15A come into contact with predetermined portions of the pressing members 13A, thereby moving the pressing members 13A from the standby position to the pressing position. In this embodiment, eight guide members 15A are provided in parallel on the left and right, corresponding to the four pairs of pressing members 13A (eight in total) provided in each container holder 44, and are adapted to come into sliding contact with predetermined portions of the pressing members 13A. When a container C1 filled with contents in the filling section 8 is housed in a container holder 44 and conveyed by the conveyor 4 toward the top seal section 9, the contacted portion 132 of the pressing member 13A slides against the guide member 15A, gradually moving the pressing member 13A from the standby position toward the pressing position. When the container C1 reaches the top seal section 9, the movement of the pressing member 13A to the pressing position is completed, and the pressing portion 131 of the pressing member 13A presses the body C12 of the container C1 from both the left and right sides with a predetermined pressing force, sealing the top opening C10 of the container C1 with the sealing device (ultrasonic sealing in this embodiment using an ultrasonic horn 91 and anvil 92) (see FIG. 10). The manner of contact between the pressing member and the guide member is not limited to the sliding contact described above, but may be rolling contact using a roller on one side and a cam on the other side, for example.

[0032] 7 to 9, the pressing member (13A) is generally stick-shaped with its longitudinal direction extending vertically, has a pressing portion (131) at its upper portion, and a contacted portion (132) at its lower portion, and is swingable about a swing axis extending in the front-rear direction at its intermediate portion. The front-rear width of the pressing member (13A) is smaller than the front-rear width of the window portion of the second holding plate. Furthermore, the pressing member (13A) has a generally V-shaped configuration bent toward the holding portion (440) when viewed from the front. A through-hole (133) extending in the front-rear direction is formed through the intermediate portion of the pressing member (13A), and a horizontal shaft member (135) is inserted and fixed into the through-hole (133) so as to protrude both front and rear. Threaded holes (not shown) are formed in the front and rear ends of the horizontal shaft member (135). Mounting bolts (137) are screwed into the threaded holes at the front and rear ends of the horizontal shaft member (135) through insertion holes (441d) (see FIG. 4) formed at required locations on the front and rear first holding plates (441) of the container holder (44). This allows each pressing member (13A) to be pivotally attached to the left and right outer portions of the holding portion (440) of the container holder (44). In other words, in this embodiment, the central axis of the horizontal shaft member (135) extending in the front-rear direction serves as the pivot axis of the pressing member (13A). Cylindrical collars (136) are loosely fitted on the outer sides of portions of the horizontal shaft member (135) that are located between the pressing member (13A) and the front and rear first holding plates (441). The pressing portion 131 is formed on the upper portion of the pressing member 13A so as to protrude toward the holding portion 440. When the pressing member 13A is swung to the pressing position, the pressing portion 131 is pressed against the outer surface of the body portion C12 (left and right side walls) of the container C1 through the window portion 442b of the second holding plate 442. As shown in FIG. 7(c), the pressing portion 131 has a flat pressing surface 131a that is rectangular when viewed from the holding portion 440 side, and the upper, lower, front, and rear edges of the pressing surface 131a are chamfered. This configuration prevents the edges of the pressing surface 131a from scratching the surface of the body portion C12 when the pressing portion 131 presses the body portion C12 of the container C1. The size of the pressing surface (131a) is not particularly limited, but typically has a front-to-rear width that is approximately 40 to 60% of the front-to-rear width of the body (C12) of the container (C1). The pressing portion (131) of the illustrated pressing member (13A) is provided so as to press the center of the body of the container. However, the position of the body (C12) pressed by the pressing portion (131) is not limited to this and can be set arbitrarily. The contacted portion (132) is formed on the lower part of the pressing member (13A) on the side of the holding portion (440). In consideration of changes in the contact position between the pressing member (13A) and the guide member (15A) during swinging of the pressing member (13A), the contacted portion (132) in this embodiment is configured to include a first contacted portion (132a) consisting of a flat surface extending obliquely upward from the lower end of the pressing member (13A) toward the holding portion (440), a second contacted portion (132b) consisting of a flat surface extending parallel to the longitudinal direction of the lower part of the pressing member (13A) above the first contacted portion (132a), and a third contacted portion (132c) consisting of a horizontal ridge portion between the first contacted portion (132a) and the second contacted portion (132b). The front and rear edges of the first contacted portion (132a) and the second contacted portion (132b) are chamfered, and accordingly, the front and rear ends of the third contacted portion (132c) are also inclined in directions away from the holding portion (440). As a result, the first to third contacted portions (132a), (132b), and (132c) smoothly slide in contact with the guide member (15A) without getting caught on it. An upwardly convex stopper (134) is formed at the upper end of the pressing member (13A). When the pressing member (13A) attempts to swing further from a predetermined pressing position toward the body (C12) of the container (C1), this stopper (134) comes into contact with the upper edge of the window (442b) of the second holding plate (442), thereby restricting the swing of the pressing member (13A). Therefore, there is no risk of the pressing force of the pressing member (13A) becoming greater than necessary, and swelling due to pressing on the body (C12) of the container (C1) can be smoothly suppressed.

[0033] The container holder 44 is provided with a biasing member 14 that biases the pressing member 13A toward the standby position. Therefore, when no external force is applied due to sliding contact with the guide member 15A, the pressing member 13A is held at the standby position by the biasing force of the biasing member 14. The biasing member 14 is made of a torsion coil spring 14. The torsion coil spring 14 is made up of two coil portions 141, one in the front and one in the rear, a U-shaped connecting portion 142 connecting one end of each of the coil portions 141, and two L-shaped arm portions 143, one in the front and one in the rear, that extend from the other end of each of the coil portions 141 in the direction opposite to the connecting portion 142 and have their tips bent outward in the front-to-rear direction. The two coil portions (141) are fitted onto the outside of the two collars (136), the connecting portion (142) is engaged with the lower portion of the outer surface of the pressing member (13A) in the front-to-rear direction, and the tip portions of the two arm portions (143) are engaged with the outer surface of the second holding plate (442) in the left-to-right direction, so that the spring elastic force (biasing force) of the torsion coil spring (14) acts in a direction that swings the pressing member (13A) toward the standby position (in a direction in which the pressing portion (131) moves away from the second holding plate (442)). If the container holder (44) were not provided with the above-mentioned biasing member, when the container holder (44) was turned upside down at the rear end position of the transport conveyor (4) and transported forward in this state and returned to the transfer section (35), the pressing member (13A) would swing to the pressing position or an intermediate position between the pressing position and the standby position due to the action of its own weight, etc., which could cause problems in storing the container (C1) in the holding section (440) of the container holder (44). However, the biasing force of the biasing member (14) reliably returns the pressing member (13A) to the standby position, thereby preventing such problems from occurring.

[0034] The guide members (15A) are vertically bent plates with their longitudinal direction extending in the front-to-rear direction, and eight of them are provided in pairs on the left and right sides in the space below the container holder (44) near the top seal portion (9), sandwiching one of the four bottom rails (43). The guide members (15A) are generally T-shaped when viewed from the left and right, with their upper edges extending outward on both the front and rear sides. Of both surfaces of the upper edge, the surface opposite the bottom rails (43) forms a guide portion (151) that slides in contact with the contacted portion (132) of the pressing member (13A). Each guide member (15A) has its lower end joined to a mounting base (161) in the form of a horizontal plate that is long in the front-to-rear direction, and the mounting base (161) is mounted across two support bars (162) in the front and rear that are horizontally installed on the left and right side walls (22) of the chamber (2), thereby fixedly providing the guide member at the above position. However, the method of installing the guide member is not limited to the above. The guide portion 151 extends a predetermined length from the top seal portion 9 to both the front and rear of the top seal portion 9. In this embodiment, the guide portion 151 has a length that extends over approximately two transport positions (positions where the container holder 44 temporarily stops) before and after the top seal portion 9 (see Figures 12, 13, etc.). More specifically, the guide portion (151) is made up of a first guide portion (151a) to a fifth guide portion (151e) that are provided in this order from front to rear. The first guide portion (151a) at the front end is located closest to the holding portion (440) and extends a short distance substantially parallel to the conveying path (R). The first contacted portion (132a) of the pressing member (13A) at the standby position is brought into sliding contact with the first guide portion (151a) (see FIGS. 13 and 14(a)). The second guide portion (151b) following this is inclined rearward so as to gradually move away from the holding portion (440). The third contacted portion (132c) of the pressing member (13A) slidingly contacts this second guide portion (151b) during transition from the standby position to the pressing position (see FIGS. 13 and 14(b)). The third guide portion (151c) is disposed in the top seal portion (9) and extends parallel to the conveying path (R). The second contacted portion (132b) of the pressing member (13A) in the pressing position is brought into sliding contact with the third guide portion (151c) (see FIGS. 13 and 14(c)). The fourth guide portion (151d) is inclined backward in contrast to the second guide portion (151b) so as to gradually approach the holding portion (440). The third contacted portion (132c) of the pressing member (13A) is in sliding contact with the fourth guide portion (151d) during transition from the pressing position to the standby position (see FIGS. 13 and 14(b)). The fifth guide portion (151e) at the rear end is located closest to the holding portion (440) and extends a short distance substantially parallel to the conveying path (R), similar to the first guide portion (151a). The first contacted portion (132a) of the pressing member (13A) in the standby position is brought into sliding contact with this fifth guide portion (151e) (see FIGS. 13 and 14(a)).

[0035] According to the container bulge suppression mechanism of the first aspect described above, bulging of the body of the content-filled container (C2) is suppressed in the following manner. That is, each container C1 held in the container holder 44 of the transport conveyor 4 is filled with contents in the filling section 8, and then transported downstream by the transport conveyor 4 toward the top seal section 9. At this stage, the pressing member 13A provided on the container holder 44 is in a standby position where it does not press against the body C12 of the container C1. As the container holder 44 approaches the top seal 9, the contacted portion 132 of the pressing member 13A slides against the guide portion 151 of the guide member 15A, causing the pressing member 13A to slowly swing from the standby position toward the pressing position. Accordingly, the pressing portion 131 of the pressing member 13A begins to press the body C12 of the container C1, and the pressing force gradually increases. When the container holder (44) reaches the top seal portion (9), the pressing member (13A) is moved completely to the pressing position, and a predetermined pressing force is applied to the body portion (C12) of the container (C1) by the pressing portion (131). In this state, the top opening (C10) of the container (C1) is sealed, thereby forming a content-filled container (C2). When the container holder (44) moves away from the top seal portion (9) toward the downstream flap seal portion (10), the pressing member (13A) is swung from the pressing position toward the standby position. Accordingly, the pressing portion (131) of the pressing member (13A) gradually moves away from the body of the content-filled container (C2). When the contacted portion (132) of the pressing member (13A) reaches the fifth guide portion (151e) at the rear end, the pressing member (13A) returns to the standby position. In the container bulge prevention mechanism of the first embodiment, the pressing member (13A) is configured to return from the pressing position to the standby position by the biasing force of the biasing member (torsion coil spring) (14). Therefore, it is possible to omit the guide members (15A) (i.e., the fourth guide portion (151d) and the fifth guide portion (151e)) that are provided after the top seal portion (9) to guide the rocking movement of the pressing member (13A). However, if the biasing force of the biasing member (14) acts too quickly on the pressing member (13A) in the pressing position, the pressing member (13A) will return to the standby position too quickly, which could result in damage to the pressing member (13A). Therefore, it is preferable that the pressing member (13A) be gradually guided to the standby position by the guide member (15A) as in the above embodiment.

[0036] As described above, according to the filling and packaging machine (1) of this embodiment, the first aspect of the container bulge suppression mechanism, consisting of the pressing member (13A) and the guide member (15A), gradually applies a pressing force to the body (C12) of the filled container (C1) from just before the top seal portion (9), and the top opening (C10) of the container (C1) is sealed while maintaining the desired pressing force at the top seal portion (9). This reliably suppresses bulging of the formed content-filled container (C2) without causing the contents to spill out or damaging the body during pressing. Furthermore, when forming a content-filled container (C2) with a sloped top wall as in the above embodiment, the top space above the liquid level is large. However, by sealing the top opening (C10) while pressing the body (C12) of the container (C1) with the top seal portion (9), the liquid level rises and the top space decreases, which may contribute to preventing deterioration of the contents and extending the shelf life. Furthermore, in the container bulge prevention mechanism of the first aspect, the pressing member (13A) and the guide member (15A) that swings it are provided in separate locations, so that it can be installed without any problems even in a filling and packaging machine (1) that transports containers (C1) in multiple rows at close intervals, such as the filling and packaging machine (1) of the above embodiment. Moreover, in the case of the above mechanism, the pressing member (13A) can be swung between the standby position and the pressing position by sliding contact with the guide member (15A) as the containers (C1) move on the transport conveyor (4) without using any special power means, thereby simplifying the structure and facilitating maintenance and adjustment. It should be noted that the filling and packaging machine (1) in the above embodiment forms a content-filled container (C2) by intermittently transporting a container (C1) using a transport conveyor (4), but the present invention can also be applied to a filling and packaging machine that continuously transports containers.

[0037] Fig. 15 shows a modified example of the pressing member used in the container bulge suppression mechanism of the first embodiment. Note that components and parts having substantially the same configurations and functions as those described above are given the same reference numerals in the figure, and redundant explanations will be omitted (the same applies hereinafter). In the illustrated pressing member (13B), an inclined surface (139) is formed in the upper part of the pressing portion (131) and inclined upward in a direction away from the holding portion (440) (to the left in FIG. 15). When the container (C1) is accommodated from above in the holding portion (440) of the container holder (44) in the transfer section (35), this inclined surface (139) slides against the edge of the bottom wall (C11) of the container (C1) when the pressing member (13B) is in the pressing position or an intermediate position between the standby position and the pressing position, thereby moving the pressing member (13B) to the standby position. Therefore, for example, when the container holder (44) is turned upside down at the rear end position of the transport conveyor (4), is transported forward in this state, and returns to the transfer section (35) again, even if the pressing member (13B) has swung to the pressing position or an intermediate position between the pressing position and the standby position due to the action of its own weight or the like, the inclined surface (139) of the pressing member (13B) will come into sliding contact with the edge of the bottom wall (C11) of the container (C1) when it is stored, and the pressing member (13B) will be reliably returned to the standby position, so there is no risk of interference with the storage of the container (C1). In addition, when the pressing member (13B) is used, the biasing member can be omitted, which has the advantage of reducing the number of parts. However, it is also possible to use a biasing member in combination, which will more reliably achieve the above effect.

[0038] 16 to 18 show a second aspect of a container bulge suppression mechanism that can be applied to a filling and packaging machine (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the second embodiment of the container bulge prevention mechanism, pressing members (13C) provided on both the left and right sides of the holding portion (440) of the container holder (44) are slidable in the left-right direction so as to move toward and away from the holding portion (440). The pressing member (13C) has a substantially block-shaped base (130a) and a depending leg (130b) extending downward from the bottom surface of the base (130a), and a pressing portion (131X) is formed on the surface of the base (130a) closer to the holding portion (440), and a contacted portion (132X) is formed at the lower end portion of the depending leg (130b). The pressing member (13C) is disposed such that the bottom surface of the base (130a) is placed on a support plate (443) that is horizontally supported by two first holding plates (441), one in front and one in back, and an engaging protrusion (138) provided at the center of the front-to-rear width of the bottom surface of the base (130a) is inserted into a guide groove (443a) formed in the support plate (443) and extending in the left-to-right direction, thereby allowing the pressing member to slide freely between the pressing position and the standby position. Note that the shape and slide support structure of the pressing member are not limited to those described above and can be modified as appropriate. Also, only one of the pair of pressing members (13C) on the left and right may be provided. Although not shown, the container holder (44) is preferably provided with a biasing member, such as a coil spring or a leaf spring, for biasing the pressing member (13C) toward the standby position. On the other hand, the guide member (15C) has a shape almost identical to the guide member (15A) used in the container bulge suppression mechanism of the first embodiment, but of the two surfaces of its upper edge, the surface closer to the bottom rail (43) is made into a guide portion (151) that is brought into sliding contact with the contacted portion (132X) of the pressing member (13C). The container bulge suppression mechanism of the second embodiment, which is composed of the pressing member (13C) and the guide member (15C), also achieves substantially the same effects as the container bulge suppression mechanism of the first embodiment described above.

[0039] 19 to 21 show a third aspect of a container bulge suppression mechanism that can be applied to the filling and packaging machine (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the third aspect of the container bulge suppression mechanism, pressing members (13D) provided on both the left and right sides of the holding portion (440) of the container holder (44) are capable of swinging freely between a pressing position and a standby position around a swing axis extending in the vertical direction. The pressing member (13D) has a base (130c) whose longitudinal direction is the front-to-rear direction and which is bent in a generally V-shape in a plan view, and a depending leg (130d) extending downward from the front end of the base (130c), with a pressing portion (131Y) formed at the rear end of the base (130c) near the holding portion (440), and a contacted portion (132Y) formed at the lower end of the depending leg (130d) near the holding portion (440). In addition, a stopper (134Y) capable of abutting against the rear edge of the window (442b) of the second holding plate (442) is formed at the rear end of the base (130c). The pressing member (13D) is configured to swing freely about a vertical axis (445) extending in the up-down direction and formed as a central axis of the vertical axis (445) by inserting the vertical axis (445) into a vertical insertion hole formed in the middle of the length of the base (130c) of the pressing member (13D). The shape and support structure of the pressing member are not limited to those described above and can be modified as appropriate. Alternatively, only one of the pair of pressing members (13D) on the left and right may be provided. Although not shown, the container holder (44) is preferably provided with a biasing member, such as a torsion coil spring, for biasing the pressing member (13D) toward the standby position. On the other hand, the guide member (15D) has a planar shape that is almost bilaterally symmetrical to the planar shape of the guide member (15A) used in the container bulge prevention mechanism of the first embodiment, but since the contacted portion (132Y) of the pressing member (13D) is positioned forward of the center of the front-to-back width of the container holder (44) when viewed from above, it is positioned shifted forward by that amount (toward the filling section (8)). The container bulge suppression mechanism of the third aspect, which is composed of the pressing member (13D) and the guide member (15D), also achieves substantially the same effects as the container bulge suppression mechanism of the first aspect described above.

[0040] 22 to 24 show a fourth aspect of a container bulge suppression mechanism that can be applied to the filling and packaging machine (1) according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the fourth aspect of the container bulge suppression mechanism, a pressing member (13E) is provided in front of each holding portion (440) of the container holder (44). The pressing member (13E) is swingable between a pressing position where it presses the body portion (C12) of the container (C1) from the front and a standby position where it does not press the body portion (C12). The pressing member (13E) has a base (130e) that is approximately L-shaped when viewed from above, with a first portion extending in the left-right direction and a second portion extending in the front-to-rear direction, and a hanging leg (130f) that extends downward from the tip (front end in the figure) of the second portion of the base (130e), and a pressing portion (131Z) is formed in the portion (rear portion in the figure) of the tip (right end in the figure) of the first portion of the base (130e) that is closer to the holding portion (440), and a contacted portion (132Z) is formed in the portion (left portion in the figure) of the lower end of the hanging leg (130f) that is opposite the holding portion (440). A rectangular window (441e) is formed in a portion of the front first holding plate (441) facing the holding portion (440) (see FIG. 22), and the pressing portion (131Z) presses the body portion (C12) of the container (C1) through the window (441e). In addition, a stopper (134Z) is formed at the tip end (right end in the figure) of the first portion of the base (130e) of the pressing member (13E), which is capable of coming into contact with one side edge (right edge in the figure) of the window (441e) of the first holding plate (441). The pressing member (13E) is configured to swing freely about a vertically extending pivot axis, which is the central axis of the vertical shaft member (447), by inserting the vertical shaft member (447) upright on a support plate (446) provided on the front first holding plate (441) in a forward-projecting manner into a vertical insertion hole formed at the intersection of the first and second portions of the base (130e) of the pressing member (13E). The shape and support structure of the pressing member are not limited to those described above and can be modified as appropriate. The pressing member (13E) may be provided on the rear side of the container holder (44) so ​​as to be able to press the body (C12) of the container (C1) from the rear, or on both the front and rear sides of the container holder (44) so ​​as to be able to press the container (C1) from both the front and rear. Although not shown, the container holder (44) is preferably provided with a biasing member, such as a torsion coil spring, for biasing the pressing member (13E) toward the standby position. On the other hand, the guide member (15E) has a shape substantially similar to the guide member (15A) used in the container bulge suppression mechanism of the first embodiment, but the surface of its upper edge that is closer to the bottom rail (43) serves as a guide portion (151) that is brought into sliding contact with the contacted portion (132Z) of the pressing member (13E). Note that while a pair of guide members (15E) are provided on the left and right in Figure 24, this is intended for the case in which a pressing member that presses the body portion (C12) of the container (C1) from the rear side is also provided; if only a pressing member (13E) that presses from the front side is provided as shown in Figures 22 and 23, only the left guide member (15E) is sufficient. The container bulge suppression mechanism of the fourth aspect, which is made up of the pressing member (13E) and the guide member (15E), also achieves substantially the same effects as the container bulge suppression mechanism of the first aspect described above. [Industrial Applicability]

[0041] The present invention is suitably used as a filling and packaging machine that forms content-filled containers by transporting a plurality of containers made of cartons along a predetermined transport path, filling the containers with contents such as beverages, food, etc., and sealing and packaging them. [Explanation of symbols]

[0042] (1): Filling and packaging machine (2): Chamber (4):Transport conveyor (44): Container holder (440):Holding part (5): Spare breaker part (6) Top breaker section (8): Filling section (9): Top seal (10): Flap seal part (11):Discharge section (13A) (13B) (13C) (13D) (13E): Pressing member (131)(131X)(131Y)(131Z): Pressing part (132)(132X)(132Y)(132Z): Contacted part (139): Inclined surface (14): Urging member (torsion coil spring) (15A)(15C)(15D)(15E):Guide member (C1): Container (carton) (C10):Top opening (C11): Bottom wall (C12): Body (C2): Container filled with contents (R):Transportation route

Claims

1. A filling and packaging machine that forms content-filled containers by conveying a plurality of containers, each made of a carton having an upper opening, in a state of being arranged in multiple rows on the left and right along a conveying path extending in a front-to-rear direction by a conveying conveyor, and sequentially filling the containers with contents and sealing the upper openings, the transport conveyor includes a plurality of container holders that are provided at predetermined intervals along the transport path and that hold a plurality of the containers side by side, a top seal portion for sealing the top opening is provided at a predetermined location on the transport path, a pressing member for pressing the body portion of the container from the outside is provided on the container holder and is movable between a pressing position where the body portion is pressed and a standby position where the body portion is not pressed; a guide member is fixedly provided along the conveying path near the top seal portion, the guide member being capable of moving the pressing member from the standby position to the pressing position by contacting a predetermined portion of the pressing member.

2. 2. The filling and packaging machine of claim 1, wherein the pressing member has a pressing portion that presses the body portion and a contacted portion that is brought into contact with the guide member, and is provided so as to be able to swing freely around a swing axis extending in a predetermined direction, and the contacted portion is brought into contact with the guide member, thereby causing the pressing member to swing between the standby position and the pressing position.

3. 3. A filling and packaging machine according to claim 2, wherein the pressing member has a longitudinal direction extending in the vertical direction, has the pressing portion at its upper part and the contacted portion at its lower part, and is freely swingable about a swing axis extending in the front-to-rear direction at an intermediate part of its length.

4. 4. A filling and packaging machine according to claim 3, wherein a pair of said pressing members are provided on the left and right sides for each of said containers so as to be able to press said body portion from both the left and right sides.

5. 5. The filling and packaging machine according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member that biases the pressing member toward the standby position.

6. A filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein an inclined surface is provided at an upper portion of the pressing portion of the pressing member, which can be brought into sliding contact with the edge of the bottom wall of the container when the container is placed in the container holder, thereby moving the pressing member to the standby position.

Images