Packaging equipment

Abstract

To provide a packaging device that can prevent bias in the gathering of packaging sheets.SOLUTION: A packaging device 1 includes: support means 25 having a support body 33 that supports a crop through a packaging sheet; and collecting means 131 that collects an upper portion of the packaging sheet located above the crop on the support body 33. The collecting means 131 includes: a pair of collecting rotators 143, 144 that collects the upper portion of the packaging sheet by rotating in a direction approaching each other. One collecting rotator 143 of the collecting rotators is rotatable about a first fulcrum 181, and the other collecting rotator 144 of the collecting rotators is rotatable about a second fulcrum 182. The first fulcrum 181 and the second fulcrum 182 are located at point symmetrical positions around a center point P of the support 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging device for packaging agricultural produce with a packaging sheet. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, a packaging device is known, for example, as described in Patent Document 1 below.

[0003] This conventional packaging device has a pair of sheet-pulling arms that swing in a direction perpendicular to the sliding direction of the support plate, and the pair of sheet-pulling arms are supported on the underside of the support plate so that they can swing freely around vertical axes that are close to each other on the same side. The sheet-pulling arms have elongated holes that are shaped like a V, and a pair of rollers on the back side of the support plate are inserted into the elongated holes, and a guide plate that supports the sheet-pulling arms so that they do not point downward is installed across both rollers. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-67165 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the above-mentioned conventional packaging device, the pair of sheet gathering arms are supported so that they can swing freely around vertical axes on the same side that are close to each other, so when the sheet gathering arms swing around the vertical axes on the same side to gather the upper portion of the packaging sheet, there is a risk that the gathering of the packaging sheet by the sheet gathering arms will be uneven.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and has an object to provide a packaging device that can prevent uneven gathering of packaging sheets. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The packaging device of the present invention is a packaging device that packages agricultural products in packaging sheets, and is equipped with a gathering means that gathers the packaging sheets, and the gathering means has a pair of gathering rotating bodies that gather the packaging sheets by rotating in directions toward each other, one of the pair of gathering rotating bodies is rotatable around a first fulcrum, and the other of the pair of gathering rotating bodies is rotatable around a second fulcrum, and the first fulcrum and the second fulcrum are located on different sides so that the gathering of the packaging sheets does not occur unevenly.

[0008] In addition, the packaging device of the present invention is a packaging device that packages agricultural produce in a packaging sheet, and is equipped with a support means having a support body that supports the agricultural produce via the packaging sheet, and a gathering means that gathers an upper portion of the packaging sheet that is located above the agricultural produce supported by the support body, the gathering means having a pair of gathering rotating bodies that gather the upper portion of the packaging sheet by rotating in directions toward each other, one of the pair of gathering rotating bodies is rotatable around a first fulcrum, and the other of the pair of gathering rotating bodies is rotatable around a second fulcrum, and the first fulcrum and the second fulcrum are located at positions that are point-symmetrical about the center point of the support body.

[0009] Furthermore, the packaging device of the present invention is a packaging device that packages agricultural produce in a packaging sheet, and includes a support means having a support body that supports the agricultural produce via the packaging sheet, and a gathering means that gathers an upper portion of the packaging sheet that is located above the agricultural produce supported by the support body, the gathering means including a pair of gathering movable bodies that gather the upper portion of the packaging sheet by moving in directions toward each other, and a pair of gathering rotating bodies that gather the upper portion of the packaging sheet by rotating in directions toward each other, one of the pair of gathering rotating bodies is rotatable around a first fulcrum, and the other of the pair of gathering rotating bodies is rotatable around a second fulcrum, and the first fulcrum and the second fulcrum are located at positions that are point-symmetrical about the center point of the support body. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, uneven gathering of packaging sheets can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view of a packaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the interior of the packaging device (when the first lifting body is in the raised position). [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a partial front view of the interior of the packaging device (with the first lifting body in the lowered position). [Figure 6] FIG. 3 is a side view showing a first lifting and lowering drive means of the packaging device. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a support means of the packaging device. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the collecting means of the packaging device (when the collecting mobile body is positioned at the standby position). [Figure 9]FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the same collection means (when the collection mobile body is located at the collection position). [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the same collecting means (when the collecting rotating body is located at the standby position). [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a partial plan view of the same collecting means (when the collecting rotating body is located at the collecting position). [Figure 12] FIG. [Figure 13] 4A to 4D are explanatory diagrams for explaining the operation of the packaging process by the packaging device. [Figure 14] (e) to (h) are explanatory diagrams continuing from FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] An embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] In the figure, reference numeral 1 denotes a packaging device, which is a lettuce packaging machine (vegetable packaging machine) that uses, for example, a rectangular packaging sheet S of a predetermined size to package a spherical agricultural product (item to be packaged) W, such as lettuce.

[0014] In other words, the packaging device 1 automatically packages agricultural produce W that has been manually supplied into the packaging device 1 from the supply port 2 by an operator with a packaging sheet S, and then automatically discharges the packaged agricultural produce W from the discharge port 3 to the outside of the packaging device 1.

[0015] The packaging sheet (packaging film) S is obtained by cutting a long sheet S0 drawn out from a roll-shaped sheet roll R into pieces of a predetermined size, and is, for example, a transparent sheet (film) made of a relatively flexible synthetic resin. The sheet roll R is a long, continuous packaging sheet S0 wound into a roll, and is rotatably supported by support rollers 5 of a roll support means 4. The material of the packaging sheet S is, for example, OPP film or stretch film.

[0016] 1 and 2, the packaging device 1 includes a box-shaped device body 11 having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped outer shape. An upper plate 12 of the device body 11 is formed with a rectangular upper supply port 13. A horizontal support plate (packaging sheet support portion) 14 is provided below the upper plate 12 to support the packaging sheet S, which is unfolded in a planar state, in a placed state.

[0017] Support plate 14 is formed with a circular lower supply port 15 facing upper supply port 13. A portion (the outer peripheral portion) of lower supply port 15 is openably and closably covered by resin plates 16, which are a plurality of elastic, plate-like bodies that are elastically deformable and aligned in the circumferential direction of lower supply port 15. Upper supply port 13 and lower supply port 15 facing each other form supply port 2, through which an operator manually supplies unpackaged agricultural produce W from above into device body 11.

[0018] A rectangular discharge opening 3 is formed on the rear panel 18 of the device body 11 for discharging the packaged agricultural produce W out of the device body 11. That is, the packaged agricultural produce W, which is entirely wrapped in the packaging sheet S, is discharged from the device body 11 through the discharge opening 3. The agricultural produce W (packaged agricultural produce) W discharged from the discharge opening 3 is transported to the next process by transport means such as a conveyor. Alternatively, the agricultural produce W discharged from the discharge opening 3 may be stored in a container, for example.

[0019] A rectangular surplus portion discharge outlet 20 is formed on the right panel 19 of the device body 11 for discharging the surplus portion S1 of the packaging sheet S after packaging out of the device body 11. That is, the surplus portion (surplus waste that is the surplus part of the packaging sheet) S1 cut off from the upper portion of the packaging sheet S in a state in which the agricultural produce W is wrapped is discharged from this surplus portion discharge outlet 20 out of the device body 11. The device body 11 is provided with, for example, a manual operation switch (operation means) 21, a setting panel (setting means) 22, etc.

[0020] As shown in Figure 3, the packaging device 1 is equipped with a support means (receiving section) 25 that receives and supports the unpackaged agricultural produce W supplied from the supply port 2 of the device main body 11 via the packaging sheet S and sends the packaged agricultural produce W toward the discharge port 3 and discharges it from the discharge port 3, and a processing means (sliding section) 26 that performs a predetermined process (e.g., gathering, cutting, and heat welding) on ​​the upper part of the packaging sheet S that is wrapped around the agricultural produce W on the support body 33 of this support means 25.

[0021] Furthermore, the packaging device 1 is equipped with an air injection means (air injection unit) 27 that injects compressed air onto the excess part (excess waste) S1 separated from the packaging sheet S by the processing means 26, and discharges the excess part S1 from the excess part discharge outlet 20.

[0022] The packaging device 1 also includes a pull-out means (sheet pull-out section) 28 that pulls out the long sheet S0 in a pull-out direction (leftward) from the sheet roll R on the support roller 5 of the roll support means 4, and a cutting means (sheet cutting section) 29 that cuts the long sheet S0 pulled out by this pull-out means 28 to obtain a packaging sheet S of a predetermined dimension (predetermined length).

[0023] As described above, the packaging device 1 includes the device body 11, the roll support means 4, the support means 25, the processing means 26, the air injection means 27, the drawing means 28, the cutting means 29, and the like.

[0024] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the support means (support and sending means) 25 comprises a guide body 30 erected on the bottom 17 of the device main body 11, a first lifting body 31 that can be raised and lowered and is guided by this guide body 30, a second lifting body 32 that is mounted on the first lifting body 31 and can be raised and lowered, a support body 33 that is rotatable on the second lifting body 32 about a left-right rotation center axis (rotation fulcrum) L1 and supports the underside of the crop W in a placed state from below via a packaging sheet S, and a pair of left and right holding bodies (clamping bodies) 34 that are rotatable on the first lifting body 31 about a front-to-rear rotation center axis (rotation fulcrum) L2 and hold (clamp) the left and right sides of the crop W supported by the support body 33 from both the left and right sides via the packaging sheet S.

[0025] The support means 25 also includes a first lifting / lowering drive means 36 for raising and lowering the first lifting body 31 relative to the guide body 30, a second lifting / lowering drive means 37 for raising and lowering the second lifting body 32 relative to the first lifting body 31, a first rotation drive means 38 for rotating the support body 33 relative to the second lifting body 32 about the rotation center axis L1, and a second rotation drive means 39 for rotating (opening and closing) the left and right holding bodies 34 relative to the first lifting body 31 about the rotation center axis L2.

[0026] The guide body 30 that guides the first lifting body 31 in the vertical direction has a first guide member 51 that is elongated in the vertical direction and has a round rod shape that guides the cylindrical portion 41 of the first lifting body 31, and a second guide member 52 that is elongated in the vertical direction and has a U-shaped frame shape that guides the roller portion 42 of the first lifting body 31.

[0027] The first lifting drive means 36 has a motor (drive source) 55, which is a drive source for raising and lowering the support body 33 together with the first lifting body 31 etc. relative to the device main body 11, and an endless chain 56 that rotates based on the power from this motor 55. This chain 56 is stretched over upper and lower sprockets 57 that are spaced apart and facing each other, and the tension of the chain 56 can be adjusted by a tension adjustment means 58.

[0028] The tension adjusting means 58 has a tightener 60 that can rotate around a support shaft 59, and the lower sprocket 57 is attached to the tip of the tightener 60. A connecting rod 61 is connected to the base end of the tightener 60, and this connecting rod 61 is urged upward by an adjustment spring 62. In addition, a mounting plate 63 is attached to the middle of the chain 56, and the mounting part 43 of the first lifting body 31 is attached to this mounting plate 63.

[0029] The first lifting body 31 is raised to an elevated position relative to the guide body 30 by the rotation of the chain 56 in one direction based on the power from the motor 55 (see Figure 4), and is lowered to a lowered position relative to the guide body 30 according to the size (height) of the crops W by the rotation of the chain in the other direction based on the power from the motor 55 (see Figure 5).

[0030] Here, the raised position is a predetermined fixed position regardless of the size of the crop W. On the other hand, the lowered position is an arbitrary position determined according to the size of the crop W (a packaging position, which is a lowered position corresponding to the size of the crop).

[0031] That is, for example, based on information from detection means (e.g., photoelectric sensor) 49 that detects the passage of crops W supplied from supply port 2, control means 50 determines a lowering position according to the size of the crops W. Control means 50 appropriately controls each drive source (e.g., motor, air cylinder, etc.) based on information from, for example, sensors and switches. Then, under the control of this control means 50, for example, after detection means 49 detects the passage of crops W, collecting means 131 automatically starts a collecting operation while support body 33 supporting the crops W is descending before motor 55 stops.

[0032] The second lifting body 32 has a plurality of guided portions 65 that can be raised and lowered and are guided by a plurality of guiding portions 44 (for example, two on the left and right) that the first lifting body 31 has, and the upper ends of these rod-shaped guided portions 65 that are elongated in the vertical direction are attached to a horizontal base plate portion 66.

[0033] Second lifting body 32 has a U-shaped frame 67 that is movable up and down relative to base plate 66, and support 33 is attached to this U-shaped frame 67 so that it can rotate up and down about rotation center axis L1. Although not shown, U-shaped frame 67 is elastically supported by a buffer spring that serves as a buffer means for absorbing impact on crops W when the crops W are placed on support 33 (when the crops are set on the support), and a guide pin inside this buffer spring is slidably inserted into a cylindrical buffer guide.

[0034] The second lifting / lowering drive means 37 has a lifting / lowering cylinder (drive source) 71, which is an extendable and retractable fluid pressure cylinder. In other words, the second lifting / lowering drive means 37 is composed only of the lifting / lowering cylinder 71. The lifting / lowering cylinder 71 has a cylinder body 72 attached to the first lifting body 31, and a rod 73 that moves in and out of the cylinder body 72. The tip of the rod 73 is attached to the base plate portion 66 of the second lifting / lowering body 32.

[0035] The second lifting body 32 is lowered to a lower position relative to the first lifting body 31 by the contraction of the lifting cylinder 71, and is raised to an upper position relative to the first lifting body 31 by the extension of the lifting cylinder 71. In other words, the second lifting body 31 can be raised and lowered relative to the first lifting body 31, and the support body 33 can be raised and lowered between an upper position and a lower position relative to the holder 34, so as to be able to accommodate crops W of different sizes.

[0036] The holding body (clamping body) 34 can be placed in an open state (where the crops are not clamped) or a closed state (where the crops are clamped from both sides) by rotating around the central axis L2 of rotation relative to the first lifting body 31.

[0037] In other words, the pair of holders 34 are closed by synchronous movement toward each other (closing operation) based on rotation around the rotation center axis L2, and are open by synchronous movement away from each other (opening operation) based on rotation around the rotation center axis L2.

[0038] The holder 34 has an L-shaped arm portion 76 that is rotatably mounted on the first lifting body 31 around the rotation center axis L2, a holder portion 77 that is mounted at the tip of the upper end of the arm portion 76 and that contacts the side of the agricultural product W via the packaging sheet S when the holder 34 is closed to hold the side, and a roller portion 78 that is mounted at the base end of the lower end of the arm portion 76 and that contacts the roller contact plate 85 of the second rotation drive means 39 when the holder 34 is open.

[0039] The holding portion 77 is composed of, for example, a rectangular holding plate 79 and a cushioning material 80 such as sponge attached to the holding plate 79 so as to cover the surface of the holding plate 79 (at least the surface that comes into contact with the agricultural produce via the packaging sheet).

[0040] The second rotation drive means 39 has an opening / closing cylinder (drive source) 81, which is an extendable fluid pressure cylinder. The opening / closing cylinder 81 has a cylinder body 82 attached to the first lifting body 31, and a rod 83 that moves in and out of the cylinder body 82. A roller contact plate 85 is attached to the tip of the rod 83, and lifts the roller part 78 against the biasing force of a closing spring 84, which serves as biasing means. The roller contact plate 85 moves up and down while being guided by a guide pin 86 that extends in the vertical direction.

[0041] A closing spring 84 for closing the holder 34 is installed between the first lifting body 31 and the holder 34. That is, one end of the closing spring 84 is attached to the spring attachment portion 45 of the first lifting body 31, and the other end is attached to the spring attachment portion 46 of the holder 34.

[0042] Then, as the opening / closing cylinder 81 extends, the holding body 34 rotates around the rotation center axis L2 relative to the first lifting body 31, bringing it into an open state (see Figure 4), and as the opening / closing cylinder 81 contracts, it receives a biasing force (elastic restoring force) from the closing spring 84, and based on this biasing force, it rotates around the rotation center axis L2 relative to the first lifting body 31, bringing it into a closed state (see Figure 5).

[0043] As shown in Figure 5, when the holding body 34 switches from the open state to the closed state, the crops W on the support body 33 are clamped from both the left and right sides by the holding portions (clamping portions) 77 of both holding bodies 34 based on the biasing force of the closing spring 84.

[0044] The support body (placing body) 33 can be placed in a first state (a supporting state in which the agricultural products are supported from below) or a second state (a sending-out state in which the agricultural products are sent out to the side) by rotating around the central axis L1 of rotation relative to the second lifting body 32.

[0045] In other words, the support body 33 is placed in a horizontal first state (a state in which agricultural products are placed) when rotated in one direction (forward) around the rotation center axis L1, and is placed in a tilted second state (a state in which agricultural products are discharged) when rotated in the other direction (rearward) around the rotation center axis L1.

[0046] 7, in the first state of support 33, support 33 supports the underside of crop W from below via packaging sheet S, while supporting crop W in a resting state, but in the second state of support 33, support 33 has a dish-shaped support portion 91 that sends crop W rearward (sideways) under its own weight, and a downward-projecting mounting portion 92 that protrudes downward from support portion 91. In other words, support 33 has mounting portion 92 that is mounted to second lifting body 32 so as to be rotatable about rotation central axis L1, and support portion (receiving portion) 91 that is fixed to the upper part of mounting portion 92 and supports the underside of crop W.

[0047] The mounting portion 92 has a mounting plate 94 attached to the underside of the support portion 91 with fasteners 93 such as screws. A pair of left and right opposing plates 95, spaced apart and facing each other, protrude downward from both ends of the mounting plate 94. A cylindrical insertion tube 96 extending in the left-right direction is provided in the center of each opposing plate 95 in the front-to-rear direction.

[0048] A bolt 97 is inserted into the insertion tube 96 and a nut 98 is screwed onto the bolt 97, whereby the mounting part 92 is attached to the U-shaped frame part 67 of the second lifting body 32 so as to be rotatable about a rotation central axis L1. A line passing through the axis of the shaft part of this bolt 97 is the rotation central axis L1.

[0049] Furthermore, the tip of the rod 123 of the rotation cylinder 121 of the first rotation drive means 38 is rotatably attached to the front ends of both opposing plates 95 of the attachment portion 92 via attachment means 100. The attachment means 100 is composed of, for example, a bolt 101, a nut 102, and a spacer 103.

[0050] The support portion 91 supports the crops W from below when the support 33 is in the first state, and sends the crops W to the rear side when the support 33 is in the second state. It is composed of, for example, a dish-shaped support plate (receiving tray) 105 that is cross-shaped when viewed from above, and a cushioning material 106 such as a sponge attached to the support plate 105 so as to cover the surface of the support plate 105 (at least the surface that comes into contact with the crops via the packaging sheet).

[0051] Here, the support portion 91 has a rectangular plate-shaped central support portion 107 that supports the central portion of the underside of the crop W via the packaging sheet S, and rectangular plate-shaped peripheral support portions 108a, 108b that protrude diagonally upward from the four ends (outer edges) of the front, back, left and right of the central support portion 107 and support four points of the peripheral portion of the underside of the crop W that are located around the central portion via the packaging sheet S.

[0052] The pair of front and rear peripheral support portions 108a are larger than the pair of left and right peripheral support portions 108b. Each of the pair of front and rear peripheral support portions 108a is composed of an inclined portion 109 that is inclined relative to the central support portion 107 and a tip portion 110 that is parallel to the central support portion 107. Each of the pair of left and right peripheral support portions 108b is composed of only an inclined portion 111 that is inclined relative to the central support portion 107. When the support body 33 is in the first state, the central support portion 107 is positioned along a horizontal plane. On the other hand, when the support body 33 is in the second state, the inclined portion 109 of the front peripheral support portion 108a is positioned along a vertical plane.

[0053] The first rotation drive means 38 has a rotation cylinder (drive source) 121, which is an extendable and retractable fluid pressure cylinder. In other words, the first rotation drive means 38 is composed only of the rotation cylinder 121. The rotation cylinder 121 has a cylinder body 122 attached to a cylinder attachment portion 124 of the second lifting body 32, and a rod 123 that moves in and out of the cylinder body 122. The tip end of the rod 123 is attached to the attachment portion 92 of the support body 33 via attachment means 100.

[0054] Then, as the rotating cylinder 121 contracts, the support body 33 rotates around the rotation center axis L1 relative to the second lifting body 32, becoming a horizontal first state (support state), and as the rotating cylinder 121 extends, the support body 33 rotates around the rotation center axis L1 relative to the second lifting body 32, becoming a tilted second state (discharge state).

[0055] When the support 33 is in the second state, the crops W on the support portion 91 are sent (discharged) onto the conveying portion 127 of the conveying body 126, and then the crops W are conveyed by the inclined conveying portion 127 toward the discharge outlet 3 and discharged from the discharge outlet 3 outside the device main body 11.

[0056] The transport section 127 of the transport body 126 is composed of, for example, a transport plate 128 that is inclined downward at the rear, and a cushioning material 129 such as a sponge attached to the transport plate 128 so as to cover the upper surface of the transport plate 128 .

[0057] Furthermore, in a side view of the support 33 in the first state, the rotation center axis (rotation fulcrum) L1 of the support 33 is located on the anti-sending side of the center point (center of the support) P of the central support portion 107 of the support unit 91, i.e., shifted forward from the center position in the front-to-back direction of the central support unit 107 in the horizontal position. In other words, in a side view of the support 33 in the first state, the rotation center axis L1 is located forward (on the anti-sending side) of a vertical line passing through the center point (center of gravity) O of the spherical crop W supported in a placed state by the support unit 91. Furthermore, in a plan view, the center point (center of tray) P of the support unit 91 and the center point (center of gravity) O of the crop W on the support unit 91 coincide (or substantially coincide) with each other.

[0058] 7, the cushion material 106 of the support body 33 and the cushion material 80 of the holder 34 are omitted. The three cylinders (lifting cylinder 71, opening / closing cylinder 81, and rotating cylinder 121) shown in FIG. 7 are, for example, air cylinders. Also, the packaging sheet S is omitted from FIG. 5.

[0059] As shown in Figures 8 to 12, the processing means 26 performs a predetermined process on the upper portion (the outer peripheral portion in the unfolded state before packaging) of the packaging sheet S that is wrapped around the agricultural product W supported by the support 33 of the support means 25 (wrapping almost the entire agricultural product), which is located above the agricultural product W on the support 33, and is equipped with, for example, a collection means 131, a cutting means 132, and a heat-sealing means 133.

[0060] Gathering means (converging means) 131 is a means for converging and gathering together an upper portion of packaging sheet S located above crops W supported by support portions 91 of support body 33 in a manner that squeezes the upper portion from the periphery.

[0061] The cutting means 132 is a means for separating the excess portion S1 from the packaging portion of the packaging sheet S, which is the portion that wraps the entire agricultural produce W, by cutting a predetermined cutting position in the upper portion of the packaging sheet S that has been gathered by the gathering means 131, and is composed of, for example, a cutting blade 135.

[0062] The heat sealing means 133 is a means for heat sealing (closing) the upper portion of the packaging sheet S gathered by the gathering means 131, which is located slightly below the cutting position, and is composed of, for example, a pair of front and rear heaters 136, 137.

[0063] The gathering means 131 includes guide rods 140, which are a pair of left and right guide bodies formed in the shape of elongated rods in the front-to-rear direction; a front gathering mobile body 141 and a rear gathering mobile body 142, which are a pair of front and rear gathering movable bodies that gather the upper portion of the packaging sheet S so as to sandwich it from the front and rear sides by moving (sliding) in a direction toward each other along the guide rods 140; and a left gathering rotary body 143 and a right gathering rotary body 144, which are a pair of left and right gathering rotary bodies that rotate in a direction toward each other in conjunction with the gathering mobile bodies 141, 142 to gather the upper portion of the packaging sheet S so as to sandwich it from the left and right sides.

[0064] The collection means 131 also includes a first movement drive means 146 that moves the front collection mobile body 141 in the forward and backward directions relative to the guide rod 140 between the standby position and the collection position, and a second movement drive means 147 that moves the rear collection mobile body 142 in the forward and backward directions relative to the guide rod 140 between the standby position and the collection position.

[0065] The two collection rotating bodies 143, 144 have the same configuration (consisting of a plurality of common parts) and rotate left and right (a second direction intersecting with the first direction) in response to the movement of the two collection moving bodies 141, 142 in the front-to-back direction (a first direction) based on the operation of the two movement drive means 146, 147. In other words, the collection rotating bodies 143, 144 rotate in conjunction with the collection moving bodies 141, 142 which move based on the power from the movement drive means 146, 147. The two collection moving bodies 141, 142 and the two movement drive means 146, 147 also have the same configuration, and the collection means 131 uses common parts.

[0066] 8 and other figures, the front collection movable body 141 has a movable member 151 that slides in the front-rear direction along the front portion 140a of the guide rod 140, and the guide rod 140 is inserted into slider portions 152 on both the left and right ends of the movable member 151. The movable member 151 is provided with a guide collar 153, a slide plate 154, and a sheet clamping plate 155, and the cutting blade 135 and heater 136 are attached to the tip side of the sheet clamping plate 155.

[0067] The first movement drive means 146 has a cylinder 156 (a drive source such as an air cylinder) which is an extendable and retractable fluid pressure cylinder, and this cylinder 156 is composed of a cylinder body 158 and a rod 159 which moves in and out of this cylinder body 158. The rear end of a cylinder arm 160 is connected to the tip of the rod 159, and the front end of this cylinder arm 160 is connected to the left end of the moving member 151.

[0068] The rear-side collecting movable body 142 has a movable member 161 that slides in the front-rear direction along the rear portion 140b of the guide rod 140, and the guide rod 140 is inserted into slider portions 162 on both left and right ends of the movable member 161. The movable member 161 is provided with a guide collar 163, a slide plate 164, and a sheet clamping plate 165, and a heater 137 is attached to the tip side of the sheet clamping plate 165. A predetermined portion of the packaging sheet S is clamped and heat-sealed between the heater 136 on the front-side collecting movable body 141 side and the heater 137 on the rear-side collecting movable body 142 side.

[0069] The second movement drive means 147 has a cylinder 166 (a drive source such as an air cylinder) which is an extendable and retractable fluid pressure cylinder, and this cylinder 166 is composed of a cylinder body 168 and a rod 169 which moves in and out of this cylinder body 168. The front end of a cylinder arm 170 is connected to the tip of the rod 169, and the rear end of this cylinder arm 170 is connected to the right end of the movement member 161. The two guide rods 140, which are spaced apart and facing each other, are installed between the front frame 138 and the rear frame 139.

[0070] Next, as shown in FIG. 10 etc., the left-side collection moving body 143 has a plurality of, for example, two plate-shaped blade members, an upper blade 171 and a lower blade 172, and the lower blade 172 has a curved long hole portion 173 formed in it, and a guide collar (roller portion) 163, which is an insertion portion of the rear collection moving body 142, is inserted into this long hole portion (cam hole portion) 173 so as to be slidable along the long hole portion 173.

[0071] The right-side collection moving body 144 has a plurality of blade members, for example, an upper blade 176 and a lower blade 177, which are two plate-shaped blade members, and a long hole portion 178 is formed in a curved shape in the lower blade 177. A guide collar (roller portion) 153, which is an insertion portion of the front collection moving body 141, is inserted into this long hole portion (cam hole portion) 178 so as to be slidable along the long hole portion 178.

[0072] Furthermore, a restricting plate (a resin plate guide that serves as a sagging prevention plate) 180 is attached to the upper blade 176 of the right-side rotating collection body 144 via a plurality of support rods 179. The restricting plate (a resin plate guide that serves as a sagging prevention plate) restricts downward elastic deformation of the resin plate 16 by contacting the underside of the resin plate 16 when compressed air is injected by the air injection means 27. That is, the plurality of support rods 179 are erected at the tip side of the upper surface of the upper blade 176 of the right-side rotating collection body 144, and the restricting plate 180 is fixed to the upper ends of the support rods 179 and disposed in the vicinity of the underside of the resin plate 16. Note that the left and right rotating collection bodies 143, 144 have the same configuration (both are made up of the same plurality of common parts), but as described above, the restricting plate 180 is attached via the support rod 179 only to the right-side rotating collection body 144.

[0073] Here, the left-side collecting rotary body (upper and lower blades on the left side) 143, which is one of the pair of collecting rotary bodies 143, 144, can rotate left and right around a first support shaft portion (first rotation center) 181, which is a first fulcrum fixedly provided on the rear side of the device main body 11, between a standby position (a separated position where it does not overlap with the support portion 91 of the support body 33 in a planar view) and a collecting position (a close position where it overlaps with the support portion 91 of the support body 33 in a planar view).

[0074] In contrast, the other of the pair of collecting rotating bodies 143, 144, the right collecting rotating body (upper and lower blades on the right side) 144, is rotatable left and right around a second support shaft portion (second rotation center) 182, which is a second fulcrum fixedly provided on the front side of the device main body 11, between a standby position (a separated position where it does not overlap with the support portion 91 of the support body 33 in a planar view) and a collecting position (a close position where it overlaps with the support portion 91 of the support body 33 in a planar view).

[0075] The left and right rotating collecting bodies 143, 144 rotate toward the collecting position (rotate toward each other) to gather the upper portion of the packaging sheet S, and when the collecting rotating bodies 143, 144 are positioned at the collecting position, a gap 183 of a predetermined dimension is present between them (see FIG. 11). The presence of this gap 183 allows the heaters 136, 137 to properly heat-seal the packaging sheet S.

[0076] As is clear from Figure 10, in a plan view, the first support shaft 181 that rotatably supports the rear end (base end on the first fulcrum side) of the left-side collection rotating body 143 and the second support shaft 182 that rotatably supports the front end (base end on the second fulcrum side) of the right-side collection rotating body 144 are located in point-symmetric positions with respect to the center point P (center of the crop) of the support part 91 of the support body 33.

[0077] That is, the support shafts 181 and 182 are located on different sides of a straight line La in the left-right direction that passes through the center point P of the support 33 in a plan view, more specifically, the first support shaft 181 is located rearward of the straight line La, and the second support shaft 182 is located forward of the straight line La. Furthermore, the support shafts 181 and 182 are located on different sides of a straight line Lb in the front-rear direction that passes through the center point P of the support 33 in a plan view, more specifically, the first support shaft 181 is located leftward of the straight line Lb, and the second support shaft 182 is located rightward of the straight line Lb.

[0078] The state shown in Figure 10 is a state in which both gathering mobile bodies 141, 142 are positioned away from each other and in standby positions, and both gathering rotating bodies 143, 144 are also positioned away from each other and in standby positions, so that the agricultural produce W can be set from the supply port 2 onto the support body 33. When both cylinders 156, 166 begin to extend from this state (i.e., the gathering means 131 begins its gathering operation), the extension of both cylinders 156, 166 causes both gathering mobile bodies 141, 142 to move synchronously in directions approaching each other to the gathering position, and as a result, the upper portions of the packaging sheet S are gathered from the front and back by both gathering mobile bodies 141, 142.

[0079] At the same time, as the guide collars 153, 163 slide within the long hole portions 173, 178, the two gathering rotation bodies 143, 144 rotate synchronously around the point-symmetric support shaft portions 181, 182 in a direction approaching each other to the gathering position, and as a result, the upper portion of the packaging sheet S is gathered from the left and right sides by the two gathering rotation bodies 143, 144.

[0080] In this way, the upper portion of the packaging sheet S is gathered by both gathering movable bodies 141, 142 and both gathering rotary bodies 143, 144. At the end of the gathering operation by gathering means 131, cutting blade 135 cuts the upper portion of packaging sheet S at the desired cutting position to separate excess portion S1 from the packaging portion of packaging sheet S, and both heaters 136, 137 heat-seal and seal a portion of the upper portion of packaging sheet S that is slightly below the cutting position. As a result, the entire agricultural produce W is packaged in packaging sheet S that has been heat-sealed and sealed, completing the packaging.

[0081] After the packaging is completed, the cylinders 156, 166 of the movement drive means 146, 147 are retracted, and the moving bodies 141, 142 and the rotating bodies 143, 144 return to their original standby positions.

[0082] On the other hand, the air injection means 27 includes an injection nozzle 190 that injects compressed air, etc. The drawing means 28 includes an upper holding body 192 and a lower holding body 193 that are provided on a moving body 191 and hold the long sheet S0, etc. The cutting means 29 further includes a receiving body 195, a pressing body 197 that presses the long sheet S0 against a sheet receiving portion 196 of the receiving body 195, and a cutting blade 198 that is a cutting body that cuts the long sheet S0 that is pressed against the sheet receiving portion 196 by the pressing body 197 and is in direct contact with the sheet receiving portion 196 to obtain a packaging sheet S of a predetermined size, etc.

[0083] Next, the operation of the packaging process by the packaging device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0084] First, as shown in Figures 13(a) and (b), the upper holding body 192 and the lower holding body 193 of the pulling-out means 28 clamp and hold the leading end of the long sheet S0, and then the moving body 191 moves from the holding position to the holding release position, thereby pulling out the long sheet S0 from the sheet roll R.

[0085] Next, as shown in Figures 13(c) and (d), the pressing body 197 of the cutting means 29 presses the middle part of the long sheet S0 against the sheet receiving portion 196 of the receiving body 195, and then the cutting blade 198 cuts the long sheet S0, thereby obtaining a packaging sheet S of a specified size.

[0086] When the holding of the packaging sheet S by both the holding bodies 192, 193 of the drawing means 28 is released, the packaging sheet S falls onto the support plate 14 of the device main body 11 by its own weight.

[0087] At this time, packaging sheet S does not stick to receiving portion 196a of sheet receiving section 196 that was pressed by pressing body 197, and smoothly separates from receiving portion 196a. This allows the operator to properly place crop W on support 33 via packaging sheet S.

[0088] Next, as shown in Figure 14(e), when the packaging sheet S falls under its own weight and is placed on the support plate 14, the worker presses down on the resin plate 16 with the agricultural produce W to be packaged, which is being held in his / her hand, causing it to elastically deform, and then supplies the agricultural produce W into the packaging device 1 through the supply port 2 and places it on the support 33.

[0089] 14(f), crop W is then placed on support portion 91 of support body 33 of support means 25 with packaging sheet S interposed therebetween, with substantially the entire crop W (except for the central portion of the upper surface) wrapped in packaging sheet S. In this way, crop W is properly set on support portion 91 of support body 33 in the first state with packaging sheet S interposed therebetween.

[0090] Then, after both holders 34 are closed to clamp the left and right sides of the crop W, first lifting body 31, together with second lifting body 32 and support body 33, which rise and fall integrally with first lifting body 31, descends from the raised position to the lowered position (corresponding lowered position) using power from motor 55 and stops. As a result, the crop W placed on support portion 91 of support body 33 in the first state stops at a packaging position according to its size.

[0091] Furthermore, after the detection means 49 detects the passage of the agricultural produce W, but before the motor 55 stops, i.e., while the support body 33 is descending, the collection means 131 of the processing means 26 starts the collection operation based on the control of the control means 50, and as shown in Figure 14(g), the collection means 131 collects the upper part of the packaging sheet S on the support body 33.

[0092] At the end of the collection operation, the cutting blade 135 of the cutting means 132 cuts the cutting position in the upper part of the packaging sheet S to cut off the excess part S1, and the heaters 136, 137 of the heat sealing means 133 heat seal the part of the upper part of the packaging sheet S that is slightly below the cutting position.

[0093] That is, the processing means 26 performs predetermined processing on the upper portion of the packaging sheet S, such as gathering, cutting and heat sealing.

[0094] As a result, the entire crop W on the support 33 is wrapped in the packaging sheet S sealed by heat welding, completing the packaging, and the excess portion (excess waste) S1 is cut off from the sealed packaging sheet S.

[0095] 14(h), the cut-off excess portion S1 is blown away by compressed air injected from the injection nozzle 190 of the air injection means 27 and discharged from the excess portion discharge port 20 to the outside of the packaging device 1. Furthermore, the opening operation of both holders 34 of the support means 25 returns them from the closed state to the open state, and the clamping of the crop W by both holders 34 is released.

[0096] Next, while the first lifting body 31 remains stopped in the lowered position (the second lifting body 32 is also stopped), the support body 33 rotates relative to the second lifting body 32 by a rotation angle (for example, 60 degrees) around the rotation center axis L1, and the packaged agricultural produce W is sent out from above the support part 91 of the support body 33, slides down the conveying section 127, and is discharged outside the packaging device 1 through the discharge outlet 3.

[0097] In this way, packaging device 1 automatically packages agricultural produce W using packaging sheet S, so an operator only needs to feed agricultural produce W (for example, lettuce) to be packaged by sequentially inserting it through supply opening 2.

[0098] Furthermore, according to the packaging device 1 described above, when viewed in a plane, the first support shaft portion (first fulcrum) 181 of the left-side collecting rotating body 143 and the second support shaft portion (second fulcrum) 182 of the right-side collecting rotating body 144 are configured to be located on different sides from each other so that there is no bias in the gathering of the packaging sheet S by both collecting rotating bodies 143, 144, that is, they are configured to be located at positions that are point-symmetrical about the center point P of the support body 33, for example. This makes it possible to prevent bias in the gathering of the packaging sheet S, and therefore the gathering means 131 can gather the upper portion of the packaging sheet S evenly and neatly without bias.

[0099] Furthermore, when the gathering means 131 gathers the packaging sheets S, the directions in which the crops W are pulled by the packaging sheets S are symmetrical, so that the crops W on the support 33 can be prevented from shifting position.

[0100] Furthermore, since the left and right collecting rotation bodies 143, 144 have the same configuration, it is possible to standardize parts, thereby reducing the number of types of parts that make up the collecting means 131. Of the left and right collecting rotation bodies 143, 144, only the right collecting rotation body 144 has a restricting plate 180 that restricts elastic deformation of the resin plate 16 attached via a support rod 179, and in this respect they differ from each other.

[0101] Furthermore, before the motor 55 of the first lifting / lowering drive means 36 stops, the gathering means 131 starts the gathering operation while the support body 33 is descending, so the packaging sheet S is less likely to spread, the upper part of the packaging sheet S can be gathered tightly and more neatly, and the overall operating time can be shortened, thereby improving work efficiency.

[0102] Furthermore, since the rotation center axis L1 of the support 33 of the support means 25 is located on the opposite side to the sending-out side from the center point P of the support part 91 when viewed from the side in the first state of the support 33, the agricultural products W are less likely to be impacted when being sent out from the support part 91, and damage to the agricultural products W after packaging can be appropriately prevented.

[0103] Furthermore, in the second state of the support body 33, the upper end position of the crops W on the support body 33 in the second state before being sent out is relatively low, so that the first lifting body 31, which is stopped in the lowered position, does not need to be lowered any further, thereby avoiding interference between the crops W and the processing means 26 during sending out.Therefore, damage to the crops W after packaging can be more appropriately prevented, and the elimination of the lowering operation of the first lifting body 31 also improves the durability of the motor, etc.

[0104] In addition, the support portion 91 of the support body 33 has a central support portion 107 that supports the central portion of the underside of the crop W, and multiple (e.g., four) peripheral support portions 108a, 108b that support the peripheral portion of the underside of the crop W that is located around the central portion, and since the rotation center axis L1 of the support body 33 is located on the opposite side to the sending side of the center point P of the central support portion 107 when viewed from the side in the first state, damage to the crop W after packaging can be effectively prevented.

[0105] The agricultural produce to be packaged is not limited to lettuce (a spherical vegetable), but may be, for example, cabbage, melon, apple, etc., and may have any shape.

[0106] Furthermore, the cylinder serving as the drive source is not limited to an air cylinder, which is a fluid pressure cylinder, but may be, for example, a hydraulic cylinder, or the like. Alternatively, a drive source such as a motor may be used instead of the cylinder.

[0107] Furthermore, it is preferable that the parts that come into contact with the crops (support parts, holding parts, transport parts, etc.) have cushioning material, which is an elastic material, to absorb impact on the crops, but cushioning material may not be necessary depending on the type of crop, for example.

[0108] Furthermore, the collecting means preferably includes both a collecting mobile body and a collecting rotary body, but may also include, for example, only a collecting rotary body.

[0109] Furthermore, the collection rotating body is not limited to one that rotates in conjunction with the collection moving body, and for example, a rotation driving means for rotating the collection rotating body may be provided separately from the movement driving means for moving the collection moving body.

[0110] Furthermore, the first and second fulcrums are not limited to those fixed at fixed positions relative to the device body, but may be ones whose positions can be adjusted in the left-right direction, for example. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 1 Packaging equipment 25 Support means 33 Support 55 Motor as driving source 131 Means of collection 141 Front collection vehicle, which is a collection vehicle 142 Rear collection vehicle, which is a collection vehicle 143 Left side rotating assembly (one side rotating assembly) 144 Right side rotating assembly (the other rotating assembly) 181 First support shaft, which is the first support point 182 Second support shaft, which is the second support point P center point S Packaging Sheet W Crops

Claims

1. A packaging device for packaging agricultural produce with a packaging sheet, A gathering means for gathering the packaging sheets is provided, The collection means is a pair of collecting movable bodies that move in directions approaching each other to collect the packaging sheets; a pair of rotating gathering bodies that gather the packaging sheets by rotating in directions in which they approach each other, one of the pair of rotary collecting bodies is rotatable about a first fulcrum in the up-down direction, the other of the pair of rotary collecting bodies is rotatable about a second fulcrum in the up-down direction, The first and second fulcrums are located on different sides so as to prevent uneven gathering of the packaging sheets. A packaging device characterized by:

2. The present invention provides a support means having a support for supporting the agricultural produce via the packaging sheet, The first and second fulcrums are located at positions symmetrical about a center point of the support.

2. The packaging device according to claim 1.

3. The pair of rotary collecting bodies rotates in conjunction with the pair of movable collecting bodies.

3. The packaging device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the support means includes a drive source for raising and lowering the support; Before the drive source is stopped, the collecting means starts the collecting operation while the support is descending.

3. The packaging device according to claim 2.

5. The pair of rotating bodies has the same configuration.

3. The packaging device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The apparatus includes a main body having a supply port for supplying agricultural products, The collecting means collects the packaging sheets between the supply opening and the crops within the device body.

3. The packaging device according to claim 1 or 2.

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