Method for manufacturing packaged products and packaging apparatus

Abstract

To provide a manufacturing method and a packaging device which are capable of automatically packaging a packaging article in which an article is wrapped in a protective state using packaging material with a low environmental impact.SOLUTION: An article 11 is conveyed by a separation conveyor 10 toward cushioning sheets 12A and 12B that are pulled out from above and below the separation conveyor 10, with their pulled end parts pressed and extending in a vertical direction, and a compressed overlapping part of the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B is clamped by a chuck 15a and pulled out downstream so as not to apply excessive tension to the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B that would cause them to lose a cushioning function. The article 11 is covered from above and below with the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B which are pulled out by the chuck 15a. The cushioning sheets 12A and 12B covering the article 11 are clamped and cut by pressure-bonding and cutting means 14 behind the article 11 in a conveying direction, and the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are pressed and cut.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a manufacturing method and a packaging device that can be automatically packaged to obtain a package in which an article is covered with a cushioning material, for example, for temporarily storing articles handled in mail-order sales or the like, or for protecting articles during the delivery of articles by postal services or courier services.

Background Art

[0002] With the expansion of Internet shopping, the logistics form of delivering articles consisting of various products by postal services or courier services has increased dramatically. A cushioning material packaging device that manufactures a packaging product having a cushioning function to protect articles from damage during the distribution process has been proposed, for example, as Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses a cushioning material packaging method and a cushioning material packaging device for automatically packaging products using a sheet-like bubble cushioning material, a foamed sheet, or the like.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Recently, as part of measures against environmental problems such as marine pollution and global warming caused by plastic waste, regulations for reducing plastic waste have been strengthened, and the momentum for plastic reduction initiatives has been increasing. However, the packaging products manufactured by the above-mentioned cushioning material packaging device have a large environmental impact because a plastic bubble cushioning material is used. By reducing the amount and volume of such packaging plastic materials, or replacing plastic packaging materials with packaging materials with a small environmental impact such as paper, environmentally friendly packaging products have come to be adopted.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing and a packaging apparatus for automatically packaging articles, in which articles are protected and packaged using environmentally friendly packaging materials. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the intended objective, the first means is: The three-dimensional, mesh-like paper upper cushioning sheet (12A) and lower cushioning sheet (12B) are drawn out to a crossing position (M1) that crosses the material transport path of the supply conveyor (10) vertically, and their drawn ends are overlapped and clamped together in a gable shape, and the cushioning sheets (12A, 12B) are cut outside the clamping position. The overlapping portion (13) of the upper and lower cushioning sheets (12A, 12B) is clamped and pulled downstream. When the overlapping portion (13) is pulled downstream, the article (11) is placed on the lower cushioning sheet (12B) which is supported and transported by the feed conveyor (16), and the upper and lower cushioning sheets (12A, 12B) that are pulled out cover the top and bottom of the article (11). The upper and lower cushioning sheets (12A, 12B) are supplied to the compression position without excessive tension being applied that would cause them to lose their cushioning function. The lower cushioning sheet (12B) is pulled out to a length corresponding to the front-to-back length of the article (11). The upper cushioning sheet (12A) is placed over the article (11) which is resting on the lower cushioning sheet (12B) in a non-extended state. The overlapping portion (13) of the upper and lower cushioning sheets (12A, 12B) is then clamped and compressed at the rear of the article (11) which is covered from both above and below. According to this method, a product can be automatically packaged using a three-dimensional mesh-like paper cushioning sheet to wrap the item in a mat-like fashion, resulting in a packaged product with cushioning properties. Furthermore, by using packaging materials that do not contain plastic, environmentally friendly packaging products can be manufactured.

[0007] The second method involves gripping the overlapping portion (13) of the cushioning material sheets (12A, 12B), which are positioned at the same height as the article transport surface of the supply conveyor (10), and pulling them downstream. In the conveying conveyor (16), the lower cushioning sheet (12B) is laid flat on the underside of the article (11) and transported, while the upper cushioning sheet (12A) covers the upper side of the article (11) in a non-extended state. According to this method, goods can be effectively packaged by covering the top and bottom with cushioning sheets while being transported on a conveyor belt.

[0008] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the intended objective, the third means is: A cushioning material supply means (17, 18) pulls out and guides the expanded paper upper cushioning material sheet (12A) and lower cushioning material sheet (12B) to a transverse position (M1) that crosses vertically at the end of the transport of the supply conveyor (10), The cushioning material supply means (17, 18) pulls out the ends of the upper and lower cushioning material sheets (12A, 12B), which are then compressed together in a gable-like manner, and the compression cutting means (14) cuts the cushioning material sheets (12A, 12B) outside the compression position. The supply conveyor (10) places and transports the article (11) toward the aforementioned crossing position (M1), A chuck (15a, 15a) that clamps the overlapping portion (13) of the upper and lower cushioning material sheets (12A, 12B) that have been crimped together by the crimping cutting means (14), A pull-out means (15) pulls the overlapping portion (13) held by the chucks (15a, 15a) downstream in accordance with the front-to-back length of the article (11), The system includes a feed conveyor (16) that transports articles (11) sent from the supply conveyor (10) beyond the crossing position (M1) while they are placed on a lower cushioning sheet (12B) as the overlapping portion (13) is pulled downstream by the pull-out means (15), The cushioning material supply means (17, 18) grips the overlapping portion (13) with the chucks (15a, 15a) and pulls it downstream, and guides the upper cushioning material sheet (12A, 12B) to be pulled out so that excessive tension does not act on the upper and lower cushioning material sheets (12A, 12B) and cause them to lose their cushioning function. The upper cushioning material sheet (12A) is pulled out by an amount equal to the length of the lower cushioning material sheet (12B) plus the height of the article (11), and covers the top of the article (11) in a non-stretched state. This configuration allows for the automated production of wrapped packages using a three-dimensional, mesh-like expanded paper cushioning sheet, ensuring that the top and bottom of the item remain cushioned. In other words, it can be a new packaging device that produces packaging with a low environmental impact. Furthermore, it enables the production of environmentally friendly packaging that does not use plastic materials.

[0009] The fourth means is that the clamping height position of the upper cushioning sheet (12A) and the lower cushioning sheet (12B) in the crimping cutting means (14) is equal to the height of the article placement surface of the feed conveyor (16), In the aforementioned conveying conveyor (16), the lower cushioning sheet (12B) is laid flat on the underside of the article (11) and transported. The crimping cutting means (14) is designed to crimp and cut the upper cushioning sheet (12A), which is placed over the article (11) on the lower cushioning sheet (12B) in a non-extended state, while the upper cushioning sheet (12A) is held together with the lower cushioning sheet (12B) at points separated in front of and behind the article (11). With this configuration, it is possible to manufacture packaged goods that are wrapped in cushioning material by covering the top of the goods with a non-stretched cushioning sheet while they are being transported by a conveyor belt.

[0010] The fifth means includes a detection means (25) for detecting the size of the article (11) as it is being transported toward the transverse position (M1), The gist of this is to control the length of the lower cushioning sheet (12B) pulled out by the pull-out means (15) based on the size information detected by the detection means (25). With this configuration, even if items of different sizes are supplied randomly, it is possible to manufacture packaged products in which the items are covered with cushioning sheets of the appropriate length to match the size of each item.

[0011] The sixth means is characterized in that, based on the length information of the article (11) detected by the detection means (25), the amount of the overlapping portion (13) held by the chucks (15a, 15a) pulled out downstream is controlled, and the upper cushioning sheet (12A) is pulled out tension-free so as to cover the upper side of the article (11) in a non-stretched state above the lower cushioning sheet (12B) which is pulled out flat. With this configuration, the item can be covered with a cushioning sheet of the appropriate length to match the front-to-back length of the item, thus enabling the creation of a packaged product with a more appropriate amount of cushioning sheet.

[0012] The seventh means is characterized by the provision of a holding means (42) that holds the upper and lower cushioning sheets (12A, 12B) overlapping behind the crimping position from before the cushioning sheets (12A, 12B) are crimped and cut by the crimping cutting means (14) until the overlapping portion (13) is clamped by the chucks (15a, 15a) after the cushioning sheets (12A, 12B) have been crimped. This configuration prevents the cushioning sheet from shifting during the crimping process, which can hinder proper crimping and cutting. It also prevents misalignment when the overlapping portion is held in place by the chuck after crimping and cutting, allowing the cushioning sheet to be properly held and pulled out by the chuck. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, it is possible to automatically package a packaging product with a buffering function without using a plastic packaging material, which is packaged by covering an article with a paper-made buffering material sheet for protecting the article, such as kraft paper. That is, it is possible to manufacture a packaging product that protects an article by using a paper-made packaging material with a small environmental load as a buffering material for covering the article through automatic packaging.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] [Figure 1] It is a schematic configuration diagram showing an automatic packaging device. [Figure 2] It is a schematic perspective view showing a buffering material sheet. [Figure 3] (a) is a schematic perspective view showing a pressure-bonding cutting means, and (b) is a schematic perspective view showing an enlarged arrangement site of a lower bite tool. [Figure 4] It is a schematic perspective view showing a buffering material holding means. [Figure 5] It is a schematic perspective view showing a buffering material drawing-out means. [Figure 6] It is a schematic perspective view showing a primary packaging product. [Figure 7] It is a schematic perspective view showing a horizontal sealing means. [Figure 8] It is a schematic front view of a main part showing a horizontal sealing means. [Figure 9] It is a schematic perspective view showing a kraft paper drawing-out means. [Figure 10] It is a schematic side view showing an upper chuck unit. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of a chuck for drawing out kraft paper. [Figure 12] It is a schematic perspective view showing a side sealing means. [Figure 13] It is a schematic side view showing a side sealing means.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Next, preferred embodiments of the method for manufacturing packaged products and the packaging apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. [Examples]

[0016] The automatic packaging apparatus (packaging device) of the embodiment shown in Figure 1 includes a cushioning material packaging section G1 that manufactures a primary packaged product 19 by primary packaging an article 11 transported on a supply conveyor 10 by wrapping it in cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B that have been expanded into a three-dimensional mesh shape. The cushioning material packaging section G1 includes a cushioning material supply means 42 that pulls out and guides the paper upper cushioning material sheet 12A and cushioning material sheet 12B, which have been expanded into a three-dimensional mesh shape by expansion means 32 and 33 (described later), to a cushioning material crossing position (crossing position) M1 at the transport end position of the supply conveyor 10, and at the cushioning material crossing position M1, which guides the article 11 vertically across the transport path, the upper cushioning material sheet 12A and lower cushioning material sheet 12B pulled out by the cushioning material supply means 42 are overlapped in a gable shape at the ends of the pulled-out section and held in place, The device includes a crimping and cutting means 14 that crimps and fastens the overlapping portion 13 of the lower cushioning sheets 12A and 12B and cuts the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B at a position outside the crimping position, and a cushioning material pulling means (pulling means) 15 that clamps the overlapping portion 13 where the upper and lower cushioning sheets 12A and 12B overlap by crimping with chucks 15a, 15a and pulls out (pulls) the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B downstream by a pulling amount (pulling length) corresponding to the length of the article (the front-to-back length in the transport direction of the article 11). Between the upper cushioning sheet 12A and the lower cushioning sheet 12B, which are gripped and pulled out by the cushioning material pulling means 15, the article 11 that has been sent by the supply conveyor 10 beyond the cushioning material crossing position M1 is placed on the lower cushioning sheet 12B. The lower cushioning sheet 12B is supported and transported by the transport surface of the feed conveyor 16 connected to the downstream end of the supply conveyor 10 as the cushioning material pulling means 15 pulls it downstream. Furthermore, the upper cushioning sheet 12A is pulled out tension-free so that it loosely covers the article 11 that is placed on the lower cushioning sheet 12B as it is pulled downstream.The cushioning material supply means 17 and 18 assist in the transport of the upper cushioning material sheet 12A and the lower cushioning material sheet 12B by maintaining a slack state until the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B, which have been expanded by the expansion means 32 and 33, are transported to the cushioning material crossing position M1, without applying excessive tensile force that would stretch the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B and cause them to lose their cushioning function. The upper cushioning material sheet 12A is configured to cover the upper side of the article 11 placed on the lower cushioning material sheet 12B in a non-expanded state.

[0017] Furthermore, the automatic packaging device includes a kraft paper packaging section G2 downstream of the cushioning material packaging section G1 for secondary packaging of the primary packaged product 19, which has been primary packaged in the cushioning material packaging section G1, by covering it with kraft paper 20A and 20B and sealing it as a bag. The kraft paper packaging section G2 includes a kraft paper pulling means (pulling means) KM which holds the ends of the kraft paper 20A and 20B, which are stretched vertically at the kraft paper stretching position M2 across the transport path of the primary packaged product (article) 19 by the feed conveyor 16, with a horizontal seal section 20a that is horizontally sealed at a height position corresponding to the height of the primary packaged product 19, and pulls out the kraft paper 20A and 20B downstream by a pulling length (predetermined length) corresponding to the length of the article as the primary packaged product 19 is fed past the kraft paper stretching position M2, and the kraft paper pulling means (pulling means) KM The system includes a kraft paper pulling means KM that pulls out the kraft paper 20A and 20B covering the top and bottom of the primary package 19, a horizontal sealing means 22 that horizontally seals and cuts the kraft paper 20A and 20B in a width direction intersecting the transport direction at an intermediate height position of the height of the primary package 19 as it is placed on the feed conveyor 16 behind the primary package 19 and transported, and a side sealing means 23 that side-seals and cuts the kraft paper 20A and 20B covering the primary package 19 in the transport direction at an intermediate height position of the height of the primary package 19 on both sides (left and right sides) in the width direction that sandwiches the primary package 19. The kraft paper pulling means KM is configured such that, when the height of a preceding primary packaged product 19 (article 11) fed by the feed conveyor 16 beyond the kraft paper spreading position M2 is different from that of a subsequent primary packaged product 19 (article 11), the horizontal seal portion 20a is positioned at an intermediate height position relative to the height of the preceding primary packaged product 19 with the horizontal seal applied. The chucks 21a, 21a grip the horizontal seal portion 20a at the height of the horizontal seal portion 20a relative to the preceding primary packaged product 19. When the horizontal seal portion 20a gripped by the chucks 21a, 21a is moved downstream by a pulling length (a predetermined amount of movement) corresponding to the length of the subsequent primary packaged product 19, the gripping height of the chucks 21a, 21a changes so that the gripping height of the horizontal seal portion 20a by the chucks 21a, 21a moves to a height position corresponding to an intermediate position relative to the height of the subsequent primary packaged product 19.

[0018] As shown in Figure 1, the cushioning material packaging section G1 includes a separation conveyor 10, which serves as the supply conveyor, for transporting articles 11 supplied from the previous process downstream one by one at predetermined intervals. The separation conveyor 10 consists of an upstream conveyor 10a and a downstream conveyor 10b. A first article sensor SE1, a second article sensor SE2, and a third article sensor SE3 are correspondingly positioned at the transport end of the upstream conveyor 10a and the transport start and end of the downstream conveyor 10b to detect the articles 11. When the supplied articles 11 are sent from the moving upstream conveyor 10a to the downstream conveyor 10b and the passage of the articles 11 is detected by the second article sensor SE2, the movement of the upstream conveyor 10a is stopped. When the articles that have been transported to the downstream end of the downstream conveyor 10b are detected by the third article sensor SE3, the movement of the upstream conveyor 10a is restarted. Furthermore, the continuously moving downstream conveyor 10b is controlled to stop when the third item sensor SE3 detects an item 11, and to start moving again when the first item sensor SE1 detects the passage of an item 11 while the third item sensor SE3 is in the item detection state. A size detection sensor 25 for detecting the length, width, and height of an item 11 is installed between the transport end of the upstream conveyor 10a and the transport start end of the downstream conveyor 10b, and the detection signal from the size detection sensor 25 is input to a control unit (not shown). The control unit calculates the length of the item based on the time it takes for the item 11 to pass the size detection sensor 25. Based on the detection value detected by the size detection sensor 25, the size of the item, including the length, width, and height of the item 11, is calculated by a detection means provided in the control unit. The control unit also controls the operation of the cushioning material supply means 17, 18, cushioning material extraction means 15, crimping and cutting means 14, and separation conveyor 10 in the cushioning material packaging section G1. Then, in the secondary packaging, which involves obtaining a primary packaging item 19 of a length corresponding to the size of the item and covering and sealing the primary packaging item 19 with kraft paper 20A, 20B, the kraft paper pulling means KM, the lateral sealing means 22, the side sealing means 23, and other various operating mechanisms in the kraft paper packaging section G2 are controlled to operate so that the packaging size corresponds to the length, width, and height of the primary packaging item 19 covered with cushioning sheets 12A, 21B, as the size of the item.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the cushioning material packaging section G1 is supported above and below the separation conveyor 10 by rotatably supporting an upper cushioning material roll 27 and a lower cushioning material roll 28, each consisting of strips of paper such as kraft paper 26a and 26b wound to a predetermined diameter. As shown in Figure 2, the strips of paper 26a and 26b of the cushioning material rolls 27 and 28 have staggered cuts 31 extending in the width direction intersecting the pulling direction. When the paper is pulled out, tension is applied in the pulling direction by the expansion means 32 and 33, causing the cuts 31 in the strips of paper to expand and form a three-dimensional mesh (see Figure 6). The expanded, three-dimensional mesh cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are wound and guided by a plurality of guide rollers 29 and 30 provided in the pulling path, and are guided vertically at the cushioning material crossing position M1 so as to cross the article transport path downstream from the end of the downstream conveyor 10b.

[0020] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, the cushioning material packaging section G1 is provided with upper and lower cushioning material supply means 17 and 18 that guide the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B, which are expanded into a three-dimensional mesh shape via the expansion means 32 and 33, to the cushioning material crossing position M1. The cushioning material supply means 17 and 18 supply the expanded cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B to the cushioning material crossing position M1 in a relaxed state, without applying excessive tensile force that would cause the expanded state (change to a flat state) formed by the expansion means 32 and 33 to change (change to a flat state) and lose its cushioning function, as the expanded state is held in place by the crimping cutting means 14 at the end of the cushioning material being drawn out. The upper cushioning material supply means 17 includes a swinging roller 34a pivotally supported at the lower end of an upper swinging arm 34 that is swingably supported, and a guide bar 17a provided downstream of the conveying of the cushioning material from the swinging roller 34a, around which the upper cushioning material sheet 12A is wound and guided. The guide bar 17a is configured to move up and down between an upwardly moved storage position and a downwardly moved release position by an operating means 17b such as an air cylinder. After the upper cushioning material sheet 12A is wound around the guide roller 29, it is pulled in a slack state around the swinging roller 34a provided between the guide roller 29, which is disposed at the pivot point of the upper swinging arm 34, and the guide bar 17a, and reaches the guide bar 17a. When the upper cushioning material sheet 12A is pulled out by the cushioning material withdrawal means 15, the upper cushioning material sheet 12A, which is stored in a slack state in the upper cushioning material supply means 17, is guided to the cushioning material crossing position M1. This allows for tension-free pulling out without applying excessive tensile force to the upper cushioning sheet 12A. Furthermore, when the upper and lower cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are held by the cushioning material holding means 42 (described later) before being clamped by the crimping cutting means 14, the guide bar 17a moves (descends) from the storage position to the release position by the operating means 17b, slackening the upper cushioning sheet 12A due to the difference in winding at both positions. As a result, when the upper cushioning sheet 12A is held by the cushioning material holding means 42, no excessive tension is applied to the upper cushioning sheet 12A.Furthermore, as shown in Figure 1, the lower cushioning material supply means 18 includes a swinging roller 35a pivotally supported at the lower end of a swingable lower swinging arm 35, two feed rollers 18a, 18a positioned transversely to the swinging roller 35a to grip the lower cushioning material sheet 12B, and a drive motor (not shown) that rotates the feed rollers 18a, 18a. The swinging roller 35a is positioned between the guide roller 30, which is disposed at the pivot point of the lower swinging arm 35, and the feed rollers 18a, 18a, so that the lower cushioning material sheet 12B, which is wrapped around the guide roller 30, is pulled loosely around the swinging roller 35a and reaches the feed rollers 18a, 18a. Then, when the cushioning material is pulled out by the cushioning material pulling means 15, the drive motor rotates the feed rollers 18a, 18a in accordance with the amount and speed of the downstream movement of the cushioning material pulling means 15 so as to pull out an amount corresponding to the size of the item, and sends the lower cushioning material sheet 12B, which is stored in a slack state in the lower cushioning material supply means 18, to the cushioning material crossing position M1, so that the lower cushioning material sheet 12B is pulled out without excessive tension being applied. The upper and lower swinging arms 34, 35 are equipped with balance weights above the guide rollers 29, 30 arranged at the pivot point, and are configured to swing when even a small force is applied to the swinging rollers 34a, 35a. Then, when the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are pulled out, the oscillating rollers 34a and 35a are pulled in the pulling direction, causing the oscillating arms 34 and 35 to swing. A sensor detects the swing, and the corresponding expansion means 32 and 33 are activated to expand a predetermined amount of strip paper 26a and 26b while unwinding the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B. As the oscillating arms 34 and 35 return to their original positions, the unwinded cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are stored loosely around the oscillating rollers 34a and 35a.

[0021] As shown in Figure 1, the feed conveyor 16 is located downstream of the downstream conveyor 10b. The article transport surface of the feed conveyor 16 is set at the same height as or slightly lower than the article transport surface of the downstream conveyor 10b. When the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are gripped by the cushioning material pulling means 15 and pulled downstream, the lower cushioning sheet 12B is pulled out from below at the transport end of the separation conveyor 10 and guided to be supported on the transport surface of the feed conveyor 16. The article 11 that has been fed from the separation conveyor 10 is then transported by the feed conveyor 16 with the lower cushioning sheet 12B laid flat on its underside. The feed conveyor 16 also transports the primary packaged product 19, in which the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are pressed and sealed on the front and back of the article 11 covered with the upper and lower cushioning sheets 12A and 12B, toward the kraft paper packaging section G2. The feed conveyor 16 is connected to the transport end of the downstream conveyor 10b and is configured as a shuttle conveyor with an endless belt 16b wrapped around multiple pulleys 16a so that the pulley 16a at the transport start end facing the transport end of the downstream conveyor 10b moves back and forth along the direction of article transport (see Figure 5). The width of the transport surface of the feed conveyor 16 is set to be smaller than the width of the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B, and the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are configured to extend to the left and right sides from the feed conveyor 16. A fourth article sensor SE4 for detecting the arrival of the primary packaged product 19 is placed at the transport end of the feed conveyor 16. When the fourth article sensor SE4 detects the primary packaged product 19, the feed conveyor 16, which is in motion, is controlled to stop.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the crimping and cutting means 14 comprises a pair of clamping bodies 36 and 37 that face each other vertically across the article transport path provided by the downstream conveyor 10b and the feed conveyor 16. The pair of clamping bodies 36 and 37 are configured to move closer together and further apart vertically by an opening and closing moving means 38. The opening and closing moving means 38 comprises a link mechanism 38a connected to the upper and lower clamping bodies 36 and 37, and a drive means 38b such as a servo motor that operates the link mechanism 38a. By operating the link mechanism 38a with the drive means 38b, the pair of clamping bodies 36 and 37 move closer together to clamp the stacked cushioning sheets 12A and 12B at a clamping position (clamping height position) at the same height as the article transport surface of the downstream conveyor 10b (feed conveyor 16). Furthermore, the crimping and cutting means 14 is equipped with pressure springs 36a, 36a that bias the clamping bodies 36, 37, which are in a clamping position close to each other by the opening and closing moving means 38, to move closer to each other. The lower clamping body 37 has a long groove 37a extending in the width direction in the center in the front-rear direction, and a lower occlusal device 39a is provided at two locations spaced apart in the width direction on the front and rear clamping surfaces that sandwich the long groove 37a, with a wave-like, uneven tooth portion at its upper end, as shown in Figure 3(b). Furthermore, the upper clamping body 36 is supported in the center in the front-to-back direction, allowing a knife 41 to move up and down, with its cutting edge moving back and forth in the long groove 37a of the lower clamping body 37 by an air cylinder 40a. In addition, at two locations in the width direction corresponding to the lower occlusal devices 39a, 39a, on both the front and rear sides of the knife 41, upper occlusal devices 39b are provided, each having a wave-like, uneven tooth surface at its lower end that meshes with the teeth of the lower occlusal device 39a, and are provided to move up and down by an air cylinder 40b. The meshing position of the upper and lower occlusal devices 39a, 39b is set to be slightly below the clamping position of the clamping bodies 36, 37.Then, the opening and closing moving means 38 brings the pair of clamping bodies 36, 37 closer to each other, and the overlapping portion 13 of the upper and lower cushioning sheets 12A, 12B is clamped by the pressure springs 36a, 36a. With the upper occlusal devices 39b, 39b approaching the lower occlusal devices 39a, 39a by the air cylinder 40b, sandwiching the upper and lower cushioning sheets 12A, 12B, the overlapping cushioning sheets 12A, 12B are crushed and pressed together, forming two pressed portions K in the width direction (see Figure 6). At the same time, the knife 41 is driven into the long groove 37a by the air cylinder 40a to cut the cushioning sheets 12A, 12B in the width direction between the front and rear pressed positions (outside the pressed positions). Furthermore, the transport start end of the feed conveyor 16, which is configured as a shuttle conveyor, is configured to move horizontally relative to the transport end end of the downstream conveyor 10b in accordance with the approaching and separating movements of the pair of clamping bodies 36 and 37. That is, when the pair of clamping bodies 36 and 37 approach each other, the opposing ends of the downstream conveyor 10b and the feed conveyor 16 separate, allowing them to pass towards the clamping position where the pair of clamping bodies 36 and 37 clamp the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B. When the pair of clamping bodies 36 and 37 separate, the opposing ends of the downstream conveyor 10b and the feed conveyor 16 approach each other, enabling the transport of the article 11 downstream without hindrance.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 and 4, upstream of the crimping and cutting means 14, a cushioning material holding means 42 is provided to hold the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B after they have been pulled out by the cushioning material pulling means 15 and before they have been crimped and cut by the crimping and cutting means 14. The cushioning material holding means 42 includes a receiving member 42a that is positioned between the opposing ends of the downstream conveyor 10b and the feed conveyor 16 and extends in the width direction, and a pressing member 42b that is positioned above the downstream conveyor 10b and is moved toward and toward the receiving member 42a by an air cylinder 42c. In this embodiment, the pressing member 42b is brought toward the receiving member 42a by the air cylinder 42c before the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are clamped by the pair of clamping bodies 36 and 37, so that the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are clamped and held by the pressing member 42b and the receiving member 42a behind the clamping position by the clamping bodies 36 and 37. The cushioning material holding means 42 holds the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B after the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B have been crimped and cut by the crimping cutting means 14, until the chucks 15a, 15a of the cushioning material pulling means 15 grip the overlapping portion 13 of the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B, and then releases them.

[0024] As shown in Figure 5, the cushioning material extraction means 15 is equipped with a pair of chucks (so-called air chucks) 15a on both sides in the width direction that sandwich the feed conveyor 16, which open and close vertically using air to grip a pair of gripping claws. Each of the chucks 15a is moved back and forth in the article transport direction by a linear slide mechanism 44 driven by a servo motor 4a. The cushioning material extraction means 15 grips both sides in the width direction of the overlapping portion 13 of the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B that have been crimped by the crimping and cutting means 14 with the chucks 15a, 15a, and moves the chucks 15a, 15a downstream of the extraction length corresponding to the length information (size information) of the article 11 based on the detection result of the size detection sensor 25, thereby releasing the grip of the chucks 15a, 15a. Furthermore, the two linear slide mechanisms 44, 44 (chucks 15a, 15a) are configured to be adjustable in the width direction, so as to accommodate changes in the width dimensions of the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B. In addition, the chuck 15a is positioned so that a pair of gripping claws face the other chuck 15a, gripping the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B from the side with the gripping claws. By spreading the pair of gripping claws vertically to release the grip of the overlapping portion 13, it is configured not to interfere with the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B when moving upstream, and no mechanism is required to prevent the chuck 15a from interfering with the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B.

[0025] In this embodiment, the cushioning material packaging section G1 has a maximum size of article that can be packaged that corresponds to the width dimensions of the cushioning material rolls 27 and 28. When packaging an article 11 that is within the permissible size corresponding to the width dimensions of the cushioning material rolls 27 and 28, the same width cushioning material rolls 27 and 28 are used without changing their width dimensions. Based on the length of the article 11 detected by the size detection sensor 25 and calculated by the control unit, the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are controlled to be pulled downstream by a predetermined length using the cushioning material pulling means 15. In this embodiment, based on the size information of the article 11 detected by the size detection sensor 25, the extension length of at least the lower cushioning sheet 12B is controlled, and the upper cushioning sheet 12A is guided to be pulled out from the upper cushioning supply means 17 as the portion stored loosely therein, so that the extension length of the lower cushioning sheet 12B, which is laid flat on the underside of the article 11, plus the height of the article 11, is pulled out tension-free, and the extension portion of the upper cushioning sheet 12A, which is laid loosely over the upper side of the article 11 and extends forward and backward from the article 11, hangs down and overlaps with the extension portion of the lower cushioning sheet 12B, which extends forward and backward by a predetermined length to the front and rear of the article 11 (see Figure 6).

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the kraft paper packaging section G2 includes a packaging material supply means 45 that pulls out kraft paper 20A and 20B from above and below the feed conveyor 16 and supplies it so as to be stretched vertically across the transport path of the primary packaged product 19 downstream of the feed conveyor 16. The packaging material supply means 45 includes a roll 46 with upper kraft paper 20A wound around it, positioned above the transport path of the article; a roll 47 with lower kraft paper 20B wound around it, positioned below the transport path of the article; an upper feed roller 48 that is rotationally driven by a servo motor to pull out the upper kraft paper 20A from the roll 46 and feed it downward; and a lower feed roller 49 that is rotationally driven by a servo motor to pull out the lower kraft paper 20B from the roll 47 and feed it upward. Downstream from the feed conveyor 16, the upper and lower kraft paper sheets 20A and 20B, fed out by the upper feed roller 48 and lower feed roller 49, are sealed by the lateral sealing means 22, and their cut ends face outwards. The inner surfaces of the kraft paper sheets 20A and 20B are coated with a heat-fusible adhesive that melts with heat. The inner surfaces of the upper kraft paper 20A and the lower kraft paper 20B, where the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B located above and below the primary packaged product 19 are not located, are sandwiched from the outside by a pair of sealing bodies 54 and 55 and a pair of side sealing bodies 89 and 91 (described later) and heated, causing the adhesive on the inner surfaces of the kraft paper sheets 20A and 20B to melt and the overlapping surfaces of the upper kraft paper 20A and the lower kraft paper 20B to bond together. The width dimensions of the upper kraft paper 20A and the lower kraft paper 20B are set to be larger than the width dimensions of the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B, and they are bonded together at the point where the inner surfaces of the kraft paper 20A and 20B overlap with the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B that overlap the item 11 in the width direction.

[0027] As shown in Figure 1, a printer 50, such as an inkjet printer, is installed in the stretching path through which the upper kraft paper 20A is stretched vertically by the packaging material supply means 45. The printer 50 receives data from the production information server regarding the items to be packaged, and based on this information, the printer 50 prints a barcode representing product code information, product name information, and other information onto the upper kraft paper 20A.

[0028] As shown in Figures 1 and 8, a transport conveyor (conveyor) 51 is provided downstream of the feed conveyor 16 to transport the primary packaged product 19 when it is transported beyond the kraft paper spreading position M2. The primary packaged product 19 is covered on the top and bottom with kraft paper 20A and 20B and supported on the bottom by the transport conveyor 51 as it is transported downstream. The transport conveyor 51 is configured as a shuttle conveyor in which an endless belt 51b is wrapped around multiple pulleys 51a, and the pulley 51a at the transport starting end moves back and forth along the direction of product transport. Furthermore, a discharge conveyor (conveyor) 52 is provided downstream of the transport conveyor 51, and is configured to discharge the packaged product 53, which has horizontal seals applied to the front and back of the primary packaged product 19 in the kraft paper 20A and 20B covering the primary packaged product 19, to the next process by the discharge conveyor 52.

[0029] As shown in Figures 1, 7, and 8, the lateral sealing means 22 comprises a pair of sealing bodies 54 and 55 that face each other vertically across the article transport path of the transport conveyor 51. The pair of sealing bodies 54 and 55 are configured to move closer together and further apart by an opening / closing moving means 56. By bringing the pair of sealing bodies 54 and 55 closer together by the opening / closing moving means 56, the kraft paper 20A and 20B are sandwiched and laterally sealed in the width direction. The transport start end of the transport conveyor 51, which is configured as a shuttle conveyor, is configured to move horizontally relative to the transport end end of the feed conveyor 16, following the movement of the pair of sealing bodies 54 and 55 closer together and further apart. In other words, when the pair of sealing bodies 54 and 55 approach each other, the opposing ends of the feed conveyor 16 and the transport conveyor 51 are separated, allowing them to pass towards the clamping position where the pair of sealing bodies 54 and 55 clamp the kraft paper 20A and 20B. When the pair of sealing bodies 54 and 55 move apart, the opposing ends of the feed conveyor 16 and the transport conveyor 51 approach each other, allowing the primary packaged product 19 to be transported downstream without hindrance.

[0030] As shown in Figure 7, the lateral sealing means 22 includes a pair of sealing support members 57, 57 spaced apart in the width direction, and a pair of holding members 58, 59 supporting the sealing bodies 54, 55, which face each other across the article transport path, are supported so as to be movable in the vertical direction between the pair of sealing support members 57, 57. A slide shaft 60 extending in the vertical direction is slidably inserted and supported through each sealing support member 57, and a first holding member 58 facing above the article transport path is provided at the upper ends of the pair of slide shafts 60, 60 extending upward from the pair of sealing support members 57, 57, while the lower ends of the pair of slide shafts 60, 60 extending downward from the pair of sealing support members 57, 57 are connected by a connecting member 61. Furthermore, a second holding member 59 facing downward from the article transport path is slidably supported via a support on slide shafts 60, 60 between the first holding member 58 and the sealing support members 57, 57, and the first holding member 58 and the second holding member 59 are configured to move relatively closer to and further apart from each other while maintaining their posture by the slide shafts 60, 60.

[0031] As shown in Figure 7, the opening and closing moving means 56 comprises a pair of left and right link mechanisms 62, 62 connecting the first and second holding members 58, 59, and opening and closing air cylinders 63, 63. By operating the link mechanisms 62, 62 with the opening and closing air cylinders 63, 63, the upper and lower seal bodies 54, 55 move closer to and further apart from each other across the article transport path. The opening and closing air cylinders 63, 63 are arranged on an adjustable lifting member 65 that can be moved vertically by a height adjustment means 64. The height adjustment means 64 comprises an adjustment mechanism 66 such as a screw mechanism connected to the adjustment lifting member 65, and an operating means 67 such as a servo motor. The height adjustment means 64 is controlled based on the height value (height information) of the article 11 detected by the size detection sensor 25, and the operating means 67 activates the adjustment mechanism 66 to adjust the height position of the adjustment lifting member 65. As a result, the upper and lower sealing bodies 54 and 55, which move closer together by the opening and closing moving means 56, engage at an intermediate height (seal height position) of the primary packaged product 19 placed on the feed conveyor 16, thereby sealing the kraft paper 20A and 20B laterally.

[0032] As shown in Figure 8, the lower seal body 55 has a cutting knife 68 supported between a pair of sealing surfaces 55a, 55a, and an air cylinder 69 is provided to move the cutting knife 68 back and forth. When the kraft paper 20A, 20B is sandwiched between the sealing surfaces 54a, 54a of the upper seal body 54 and the sealing surfaces 55a, 55a of the lower seal body 55, the air cylinder 69 moves the cutting knife 68 back and forth to cut the kraft paper 20A, 20B.

[0033] As shown in Figure 8, a lower packaging guide 71 is positioned upstream of the kraft paper stretching position M2, at approximately the same height as the conveying surface of the conveyor 51, and capable of supporting the lower kraft paper 20B from above and below. The guide is positioned to guide both sides in the width direction of the lower kraft paper 20B at a position where the left and right edges of the primary package 19 can pass without interference as the primary package 19 is conveyed toward the sealing bodies 54 and 55. The lower packaging guide 71 is configured to support the lower kraft paper 20B pulled out from the raw material roll 47 upstream of the sealing bodies 54 and 55 as they approach each other from a position separated by them.

[0034] As shown in Figures 1 and 9, the kraft paper pulling means KM is equipped with two sets of chuck units 21A and 21B that grip and pull out the horizontally sealed upper and lower kraft paper sheets 20A and 20B. When the left and right ends of the kraft paper sheets 20A and 20B are alternately gripped by the two sets of chuck units 21A and 21B and pulled downstream, the primary packaged product 19, which is covered on the top and bottom by the kraft paper sheets 20A and 20B, is placed on the conveyor belt 51 and transported. The operation of the chuck units 21A and 21B and the conveyor belt 51 are synchronized, and the pulling speed of the kraft paper sheets 20A and 20B downstream by the chuck units 21A and 21B and the travel speed of the conveyor belt 51 are set to the same speed. The two sets of chuck units 21A and 21B are arranged spaced apart vertically on either side of the article transport path. The upper chuck unit 21A and the lower chuck unit 21B are operated to alternately pull out the kraft paper 20A and 20B that are stretched at the kraft paper stretching position M2. Since the configurations of the upper chuck unit 21A and the lower chuck unit 21B are the same, only the configuration of the upper chuck unit 21A will be described, and means in the lower chuck unit 21B that are the same as or have the same function as the upper chuck unit 21A will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted.

[0035] As shown in Figures 9 and 10, the upper chuck unit 21A includes a pair of chuck mechanisms 100, 100 spaced apart on the left and right sides of the conveying conveyor 51 and the unloading conveyor 52 that transport the packaged primary packaged goods 19 with lateral seals. Each chuck mechanism 100 is connected to a chuck width adjustment mechanism 101, and the widthwise position of each chuck mechanism 100 can be adjusted by the chuck width adjustment mechanism 101. The chuck mechanism 100 includes a chuck (so-called air chuck) 21a that opens and closes a pair of gripping claws vertically using air, and the chuck 21a is moved in the front-rear and up-down directions in the article transport direction by a chuck moving means (moving means) 73. The chuck moving means 73 includes a front-rear linear slide mechanism (slide mechanism) 75, a front-rear drive motor 76 consisting of a servo motor that operates the front-rear linear slide mechanism 75, an up-down linear slide mechanism 78 disposed on a front-rear moving holder 77 connected to the front-rear linear slide mechanism 75, and an up-down drive motor 79 consisting of a servo motor that operates the up-down linear slide mechanism 78. A chuck holder 80 on which the chuck 21a is disposed is connected to the up-down linear slide mechanism 78. That is, the front-rear linear slide mechanism 75 is operated by the front-rear drive motor 76, causing the chuck 21a to move in the front-rear direction, and the up-down linear slide mechanism 78 is operated by the up-down drive motor 79, causing the chuck 21a to move in the up-down direction. The front-rear drive motor 76 is controlled based on the length and height values ​​(length information and height information) of the article 11 detected by the size detection sensor 25, and is configured to change the position of the kraft paper 20A and 20B that the chucks 21a pull out in the front-rear direction. Furthermore, the vertical drive motor 79 is controlled based on the height value (height information) of the article 11 detected by the size detection sensor 25, and is configured to change the clamping position of the kraft paper 20A, 20B by the chucks 21a, 21a in the vertical direction, so as to be able to clamp the horizontal seal portion 20a of the kraft paper 20A, 20B that is horizontally sealed by the horizontal sealing means 22 and extends downstream at an intermediate position in the height of the primary packaged product 19.Furthermore, the chuck holder 80 is equipped with a lateral movement mechanism 81, such as an air cylinder, which moves the chuck 21a in the width direction. The lateral movement mechanism 81 is configured to move the chuck 21a between an advanced position where it can grip the kraft paper 20A and 20B, and a retracted position where it is moved to a width direction so as not to interfere with the kraft paper 20A and 20B.

[0036] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the side sealing means 23 comprises a pair of sealing units 82, 82 arranged on the machine frame 74 so as to face both sides in the width direction of the discharge conveyor 52. The sealing units 82 are connected to a sealer spacing adjustment mechanism 83 which is controlled based on the width value (width information) of the article 11 detected by the size detection sensor 25, and are configured so that the position of the pair of sealing units 82, 82 in the width direction can be adjusted by the sealer spacing adjustment mechanism 83. The sealer spacing adjustment mechanism 83 comprises a screw shaft 84, a spacing adjustment servo motor 85 which rotates the screw shaft 84, and a female screw member 86 which is screwed onto the screw shaft 84. The spacing adjustment servo motor 85 rotates the screw shaft 84 in the forward or reverse direction, moving the pair of main bodies 87, 87 closer to and further apart from each other, thereby adjusting the position of the pair of sealing units 82, 82 in the width direction.

[0037] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, an upper sealer holder 88 is supported on the main body 87 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a side upper sealer 89 is provided on the upper sealer holder 88, the side upper sealer having a downward-facing sealing surface that extends for a predetermined length in the article transport direction. In addition, a lower sealer holder 90 is supported on the main body 87 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, and a side lower sealer 91 is provided on the lower sealer holder 90, the side lower sealer having an upward-facing sealing surface that extends for a predetermined length in the article transport direction so as to face the sealing surface of the side upper sealer 89. The main body 87 is configured such that an upper air cylinder 92 and a lower air cylinder 93 are arranged on the main body 87, spaced apart in the direction of article transport, corresponding to the upper and lower sealer holders 88 and 90. By operating the upper and lower air cylinders 92 and 93, the upper and lower side seal bodies 89 and 91 are brought closer together, sandwiching the kraft paper 20A and 20B on the side of the primary packaged product 19 and heating it, so that the adhesive applied to the inner surface of the kraft paper 20A and 20B melts and the side seal is formed. The lengths of the upper and lower side seal bodies 89 and 91 are set to a predetermined length that is longer than the front-to-back length of the maximum packaged product.

[0038] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the upper and lower sealer holders 88 and 90 are provided with clamping bodies 94 and 94 that are spaced outward in the width direction relative to the opposing side seals 89 and 91, and that clamp the kraft paper 20A and 20B when the upper and lower side seals 89 and 91 seal the kraft paper 20A and 20B. The upper sealer holder 88 is provided with a side cutting means 95 that cuts the kraft paper 20A and 20B between the side seal position by the upper and lower side seals 89 and 91 and the position where it is clamped by the upper and lower clamping bodies 94 and 94. The side cutting means 95 includes a side knife 96 supported so as to be able to move up and down between the sealing surface of the side upper seal body 89 and the clamping body 94, and having a cutting edge that is inclined in the longitudinal direction, and a knife air cylinder 97 disposed on the upper sealer holder 88 as a means for moving the side knife 96 back and forth. When kraft paper 20A and 20B are clamped between the side upper seal body 89 and the side lower seal body 91, the knife air cylinder 97 moves the side knife 96 back and forth, thereby cutting the kraft paper 20A and 20B outside the sealing portion of both side seal bodies 89 and 91 along the article transport direction. The knife air cylinder 97 is disposed at multiple locations (three locations in this embodiment) along the longitudinal direction of the side knife 96, and is configured to stably move the side knife 96 back and forth in the longitudinal direction.

[0039] The sealing unit 82 is configured to be vertically adjustable by a height adjustment means (not shown) which is operated by a servo motor or other means to adjust an adjustment mechanism such as a screw mechanism. Based on the height value (height information) of the article 11 detected by the size detection sensor 25, the height adjustment means is controlled to adjust the side seal height position (seal height position) of the sealing unit 82, thereby side-sealing the kraft paper 20A and 20B at an intermediate height of the primary packaged product 19. The side seal position and cutting position of the sealing unit 82 and the side cutting means 95 are adjusted by controlling the sealer spacing adjustment mechanism 83 from the control unit according to the size of the article. In adjusting the spacing, the size is adjusted to correspond to the external dimensions of the packaging size determined for the packaged product 53. Preferably, the sealing unit 82 is adjusted to set the side seal position and cutting position in stages so that they correspond to the sizes for each delivery category, which are set to have different shipping charges.

[0040] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, collection conveyors (discharge means) 98 are arranged in parallel on both sides in the width direction of the discharge conveyor 52, for discharging the scraps of kraft paper 20A and 20B that have been cut by the side cutting means 95, which are spaced away from the discharge conveyor 52. The left and right sealing units 82, 82 are configured such that the lower sealer holders 90, 90 can move vertically and horizontally between the corresponding collection conveyor 98 and the discharge conveyor 52. The lower sealer holder 90 is also provided with a discharge guide 99 that inclins downward toward the collection conveyor 98 located on the outside in the width direction, and is configured to guide the scraps of kraft paper 20A and 20B that have been cut and separated by the side knife 96 to the collection conveyor 98 when they fall. In addition, each collection conveyor 98 is positioned in the width direction and vertically in conjunction with the corresponding sealing unit 82.

[0041] Next, the operation of the automated packaging apparatus according to the embodiment will be explained in relation to the automated manufacturing method (manufacturing method).

[0042] When it is detected that an article 11 supplied from the previous process and transported by the separation conveyor 10 has passed the second article sensor SE2, the upstream conveyor 10a stops, and the article 11 continues to be transported downstream by the downstream conveyor 10b. In addition, when the article 11 passes the size detection sensor 25, the length, height, and width of the article 11 are detected, and the size of the article is determined based on these detected values.

[0043] The cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B, which are pulled out from the cushioning material rolls 27 and 28 by the expansion means 32 and 33 and expanded into a three-dimensional mesh shape, are guided by a plurality of guide rollers 29 and 30 and extend vertically at the transverse position M1. The pulled-out ends are crimped by the crimping cutting means 14 and extend downstream overlapping for a predetermined length. The overlapping portion 13 of the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B is positioned at approximately the same height as the placement height of the lower cushioning material sheet 12B, which is placed on the article transport surface of the separation conveyor 10 and transported. The upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are stored in the upper and lower cushioning material supply means 17 and 18 for a predetermined length that can be pulled out tension-free. The overlapping portion 13 of the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B is held at both left and right edges by the chucks 15a, 15a of the cushioning material pulling means 15.

[0044] When the third item sensor SE3 detects an item 11 being transported by the downstream conveyor 10b, the upstream conveyor 10a resumes operation and the downstream conveyor 10b stops. When the first item sensor SE1 detects the passage of the item 11 that has been transported by the upstream conveyor 10a after the operation has resumed, the cushioning material withdrawal means 15 moves the chucks 15a, 15a that are gripping the overlapping portion 13 of the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B downstream by the withdrawal length based on the length information of the item 11, and the downstream conveyor 10b resumes operation at a predetermined timing. At this time, the upper cushioning sheet 12A, which is stored in a slack state in the upper cushioning material supply means 17, is pulled out tension-free to the cushioning material crossing position M1 without being subjected to excessive tensile force, and the lower cushioning material supply means 18 supplies the lower cushioning sheet 12B, which is stored in a slack state, toward the cushioning material crossing position M1 by synchronizing the feed rollers 18a, 18a with the movement speed of the chucks 15a, 15a. As a result, the upper and lower cushioning sheets 12A, 12B are pulled out tension-free by the chucks 15a, 15a while maintaining the state in which they have been expanded into a three-dimensional mesh shape by the expansion means 32, 33. Furthermore, the article 11 is fed by the downstream conveyor 10b between the upper and lower cushioning sheets 12A and 12B that are pulled out downstream by the cushioning material pulling means 15. The article 11 is placed on the lower cushioning sheet 12B, which is pulled out flat onto the feed conveyor 16, and together with the lower cushioning sheet 12B, is supported from below by the feed conveyor 16 and transported downstream. The downstream conveyor 10b resumes its movement a predetermined time after the cushioning material pulling means 15 starts pulling out the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B, so that the article 11 is fed to a position midway between the front and rear of the primary packaged product 19. Furthermore, as the cushioning material is pulled out by the cushioning material pulling means 15, the upper cushioning material sheet 12A, which is in a relaxed state and guided to be pulled out at the transverse position M1 by the amount of the lower cushioning material sheet 12B pulled out plus the height of the article 11, is covered in a relaxed, unextended state over the upper side of the article 11 placed on the lower cushioning material sheet 12B, conforming to the shape of the article 11.

[0045] When the cushioning material withdrawal means 15 has finished withdrawing the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B, the feed conveyor 16 stops, and the upper cushioning material supply means 17 lowers the guide bar 17a from the storage position to the release position, loosening the upper cushioning material sheet 12A due to the difference in winding at both positions of the guide bar 17a. Subsequently, the pressing member 42b of the cushioning material holding means 42 is operated by the air cylinder 42c, and the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are held between the receiving member 42a and the pressing member 42b at the rear of the article 11. Also, the clamping bodies 36 and 37 of the crimping cutting means 14 move closer to each other, and the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B between the holding position of the cushioning material holding means 42 and the article 11 are clamped by the clamping bodies 36 and 37. As the guide bar 17a of the upper cushioning material supply means 17 descends, the slack upper cushioning material sheet 12A is pulled out tension-free to the transverse position M1, so that it overlaps flat for a predetermined length with the extension portion of the lower cushioning material sheet 12B that extends rearward from the article 11, which is lying flat on the lower surface of the article 11, and when the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are clamped by the pressing member 42b, no excessive tension is applied to the upper cushioning material sheet 12A. In other words, when the overlapping portion 13 of the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B that overlap at the rear of the article 11 is clamped by the clamping bodies 36 and 37 of the crimping cutting means 14, no tensile tension is applied to the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B on the upstream side of the pull-out. With the overlapping portion 13 held between the clamping bodies 36 and 37, the upper biting device 39b is lowered by the air cylinder 40b, and the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are sandwiched and interlocked with the lower biting device 39a, and the cushioning material is pressed against the overlapping portion 13 at two points in the width direction and fastened by the crimping portion K. Furthermore, the knife 41 in the crimping cutting means 14 is operated by the air cylinder 40a, and the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are cut in the width direction, resulting in a primary packaged product 19 in which the article 11 is covered with a lower cushioning sheet 12B laid flat on the bottom surface of the article 11 and an upper cushioning sheet 12A that is placed over the top of the article 11 in a non-extended state, with the front and rear overlapping portions 13 that sandwich the article 11 being pressed together, as shown in Figure 6.

[0046] When the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B are cut in the width direction by the crimping cutting means 14, the chucks 15a, 15a release the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B, and the primary packaged product 19 is conveyed toward the kraft paper packaging section G2 by the feed conveyor 16. At the same time, the guide bar 17a of the upper cushioning material supply means 17 is moved from the release position to the storage position, and the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B, which have been pulled out from the upper and lower cushioning material rolls 27 and 28 by the upper and lower expansion means 32 and 33 and expanded into a three-dimensional mesh shape, are stored in the upper and lower cushioning material supply means 17 and 18 in a state of slack for a predetermined length. Furthermore, the cushioning material pulling means 15 moves the chucks 15a, 15a upstream to grip the crimped overlapping portion 13 of the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B that have been cut by the crimping cutting means 14 and extend downstream to a predetermined length. After that, the cushioning material holding means 42 raises the pressing member 42b to release the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B. The chucks 15a, 15a are located to the sides of the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B and release the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B by spreading a pair of gripping claws vertically, so that the chucks 15a, 15a do not interfere with the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B when they move upstream.

[0047] The upper and lower chuck units 21A (21B) move the chucks 21a, 21a by the chuck moving means 73 to a position where they can grip the lateral sealing portion 20a that extends downstream at an intermediate position in the height of the article, where the ends of the upper kraft paper 20A and the lower kraft paper 20B are sealed together at the kraft paper stretching position M2, and grip the left and right ends of the lateral sealing portion 20a with the chucks 21a, 21a. In synchronization with the pulling-out operation of the kraft paper 20A, 20B by the chucks 21a, 21a, the upper and lower feed rollers 48, 49 rotate, and the kraft paper 20A, 20B are pulled out from both raw rolls 46, 47 of the upper kraft paper 20A and the lower kraft paper 20B, and the primary packaged product 19 that is sent out beyond the kraft paper stretching position M2 by the running feed conveyor 16 is covered by the upper and lower kraft paper 20A, 20B. Furthermore, based on the information transmitted from the packaging machine's control unit and production information server, the product name, product code, barcode, QR code (registered trademark), and other information corresponding to the item 11 to be packaged are printed by various printing means such as the inkjet printer 50 and laser marker at the kraft paper unfolding position M2 in the path of the top kraft paper 20A being drawn from the raw material roll 46, while the top kraft paper 20A is being transported.

[0048] The control unit rotates the upper and lower feed rollers 48 and 49 so that the kraft paper 20A and 20B drawn from the upper and lower raw material rolls 46 and 47 is drawn out to a length corresponding to the size of the item (a length sufficient to cover the primary package 19). When the primary package 19, covered on both sides by the kraft paper 20A and 20B, is transferred from the feed conveyor 16 to the transport conveyor 51, the transport start end of the transport conveyor 51 moves downstream from the kraft paper stretching position M2. When enough kraft paper 20A and 20B to cover the primary package 19 according to the size of the item has been drawn out, the feed rollers 48 and 49 stop, the downstream movement of the chucks 21a, 21a in one of the chuck units 21A (21B) stops, and the transport conveyor 51 also stops. Furthermore, with the chucks 21a, 21a gripping the kraft paper 20A, 20B, the kraft paper 20A, 20B are gripped by the opening and closing air cylinders 63, 63, causing the upper and lower sealing bodies 54, 55 to move closer to each other, and the kraft paper 20A, 20B, whose inner surfaces face each other at the rear of the primary packaged product 19, are horizontally sealed and cut in the width direction (see Figure 8). Note that when the upper and lower sealing bodies 54, 55 grip and horizontally seal the kraft paper 20A, 20B, the kraft paper 20A, 20B may be pulled back to their fixed position where they are gripped by the chucks 21a, 21a, so that they do not become loose when the upper and lower sealing bodies 54, 55 grip and horizontally seal the kraft paper 20A, 20B. The primary packaged product 19, covered with kraft paper 20A, 20B, is moved from the transport conveyor 51 to the discharge conveyor 52 by chucks 21a, 21a that grip the kraft paper 20A, 20B. After being transported by the chucks 21a, 21a and the discharge conveyor 52 to the installation position of the side sealing means 23, the gripping of the lateral sealing portion 20a by the chucks 21a, 21a is released and the discharge conveyor 52 is stopped. After the gripping of the lateral sealing portion 20a is released, the chucks 21a, 21a are moved to the retracted position by the lateral moving means 81, 81, then moved in the width direction by the lateral moving means 81, and then raised or lowered by the chuck moving means 73, so that the chucks 21a, 21a do not interfere with the kraft paper 20A, 20B when they move upstream.

[0049] While one chuck unit 21A(21B) moves the primary packaged product 19 covered with kraft paper 20A, 20B to the discharge conveyor 52, the other chuck unit 21B(21A) moves its chucks 21a, 21a forward to an initial position where they can grip the lateral seal portion 20a, where the ends of the upper and lower kraft paper 20A, 20B are sealed, at the kraft paper spreading position M2, and grips the lateral seal portion 20a. When the next primary packaged product 19 is conveyed toward the kraft paper spreading position M2, the chucks 21a, 21a move downstream as described above to pull out the kraft paper 20A, 20B and cover the primary packaged product 19.

[0050] Here, if the height of the preceding article 11, which is covered with kraft paper 20A, 20B that is horizontally sealed and cut by the horizontal sealing means 22 and moves downstream, is the same as the height of the following article 11 that is then fed to the kraft paper spreading position M2, then each chuck unit 21A, 21B moves the chucks 21a, 21a that are gripping the horizontal sealing portion 20a downstream without changing their height. On the other hand, if the height of the preceding article 11, which is covered with kraft paper 20A, 20B that is horizontally sealed and cut by the horizontal sealing means 22 and moves downstream, is different from the height of the following article 11 that is then fed to the kraft paper spreading position M2, then the height of the gripping position (engagement height) by the horizontal sealing means 22 changes between the preceding article 11 and the following article 11, and in relation to this, the height position of the horizontal sealing portion 20a also changes in relation to the article height. Therefore, the clamping position of the chuck 21a also needs to be changed, so it is necessary to change the height at which the lateral sealing portion 20a of the chuck 21a is clamped when receiving the item and the height at the end of the unwinding process. To this end, the chuck units 21A and 21B are moved vertically by the chuck moving means 73 so that the height of the chucks 21a, 21a, which clamp the lateral sealing portion 20a extending downstream at an intermediate position in the height of the preceding item 11, is at an intermediate position in the height of the subsequent item 11 that will be fed to the next kraft paper unfolding position M2 by the time the kraft paper 20A and 20B is unwinded by the chucks 21a and 21a (see Figure 11). As a result, the lateral sealing portion 20a of the kraft paper 20A and 20B, which is located in front of the primary packaged item 19 and clamped by the chucks 21a, 21a, will be at an intermediate position in the height of the item 11 when the height of the item 11 changes. In other words, the lateral sealing portion 20a of the kraft paper 20A, 20B, which is laterally sealed by a lateral sealing means 22 whose clamping position is changed according to the height of the article 11 at the rear of the primary packaging 19, and the lateral sealing portion 20a at the front of the primary packaging 19 are both located at an intermediate position in the height of the article 11.

[0051] The primary packaged product 19, which is sealed on the front and back and covered with kraft paper 20A, 20B, is transported to the position where the side sealing means 23 is installed. There, the openings on both the left and right sides of the kraft paper 20A, 20B are side-sealed and cut along the entire length in the direction of article transport by the side sealing bodies 89, 91 and side knives 96 of the side sealing means 23, thereby producing a sealed, bagged packaged product with all four sides sealed. The scraps of kraft paper 20A, 20B cut off by the side knives 96, 96 are guided by the discharge guides 99, 99 and fall to the recovery conveyors 98, 98, where they are discharged downstream. The packaged product 53, which is sealed on all sides and has become a bag, is then discharged from the discharge conveyor 52. The side sealing means 23 is automatically adjusted so that the sealing units 82, 82 are positioned by the sealer spacing adjustment mechanism 83 and the height adjustment means at the side sealing position, cutting position, and sealing height position corresponding to the size of the article based on the detection result of the size detection sensor 25.

[0052] In the automated packaging apparatus of this embodiment, a primary packaged product (packaged item) 19 with cushioning function can be automatically packaged by covering the article 11 in a rolled-up manner with three-dimensional mesh-like paper cushioning sheets 12A and 12B. In other words, it can be a new packaging apparatus that produces packaged products with a packaging form that has a low environmental impact. Furthermore, when the article 11 is covered with the three-dimensional mesh-like cushioning sheets 12A and 12B and when it is held by the cushioning material holding means 42, excessive tension is not applied to the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B. Therefore, the expanded state of the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B, which have been deformed by the expansion means 32 and 33, does not change to a state where it loses its cushioning function due to the tension when it is pulled out, and the article 11 can be properly protected. In addition, by using packaging materials that do not contain plastic materials, an environmentally friendly primary packaged product (packaged item) 19 can be manufactured.

[0053] In the automatic packaging apparatus of this embodiment, the lower cushioning sheet 12B on which the article 11 passing through the cushioning material crossing position M1 is placed is conveyed by the feed conveyor 16 so as to be laid flat on the underside of the article 11. The overlapping portion 13 of the upper cushioning sheet 12A and the lower cushioning sheet 12B, which are covered over the upper side of the article 11 in a non-extended state, is clamped and compressed by the crimping and cutting means 14 at a height equivalent to the article conveying surface on the separation conveyor 10, and then cut. As a result, the article 11 can be automatically packaged well as a primary packaged product (packaged product) 19 with both the top and bottom covered by cushioning sheets 12A and 12B. Furthermore, by controlling the length of the upper and lower cushioning sheets 12A and 12B pulled out by the cushioning material pull-out means 15 based on the length information of the item 11 determined based on the detection information from the size detection sensor 25, even if items 11 of different sizes are supplied randomly, it is possible to manufacture primary packaging products (packaged products) 19 in which the item 11 is covered with cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B of the appropriate length to match the size of the item. Furthermore, from before the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are crimped and cut by the crimping cutting means 14 until the overlapping portion 13 is clamped by the chucks 15a, 15a of the cushioning material pulling means 15 after the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are crimped and the upper and lower cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B are overlapped and pressed behind the crimping position by the cushioning material holding means 42. This prevents the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B from shifting during crimping, which would hinder proper crimping and cutting. It also prevents misalignment when clamping the overlapping portion 13 with the chucks 15a, 15a after crimping and cutting, allowing the cushioning material sheets 12A and 12B to be clamped securely by the chucks 15a, 15a, thus preventing errors such as incorrect pulling.

[0054] In the automated packaging apparatus of this embodiment, the primary packaged product 19 with cushioning material can be automatically packaged with kraft paper 20A, 20B, and environmentally friendly packaging 53 for delivery can be produced. Furthermore, since the cushioning material sheets 12A, 12B and the kraft paper 20A, 20B are all made of paper, the packaging does not use any plastic materials, and the packaging 53 can be automatically packaged as an environmentally friendly product with cushioning function, and there is no need to separate the packaging after opening the package 53.

[0055] In the automatic packaging apparatus of this embodiment, when the height of the preceding article 11 fed to the kraft paper spreading position M2 and the subsequent article 11 fed next are different, the chucks 21a, 21a that grip the horizontal sealing portion 20a at an intermediate position in the height of the preceding article 11 are made to change to an intermediate position in the height of the subsequent article 11 as they move downstream by the length of the pull-out. Therefore, even when randomly packaging articles 11 of various heights, the kraft paper 20A, 20B covering the articles 11 are horizontally sealed and cut at an intermediate position in the article height, and the packaged items 53 are automatically packaged as side-sealed and cut items. Furthermore, by providing two sets of chuck units 21A and 21B for pulling out the kraft paper 20A and 20B, while one chuck unit 21A (21B) is pulling out the kraft paper 20A and 20B, the other chuck unit 21B (21A) can prepare for pulling out the next batch of kraft paper 20A and 20B, thereby shortening the cycle time for pulling out the kraft paper 20A and 20B and increasing packaging capacity. In addition, since the chucks 21a, 21a of the chuck units 21A and 21B are moved by a front-to-back linear slide mechanism 75, the amount of kraft paper 20A and 20B pulled out can be set accurately according to the length of the item, and this setting is also easy.

[0056] In the automatic packaging apparatus of this embodiment, the clamping position and pulling length of the kraft paper 20A and 20B by the chucks 21a, 21a, and the sealing and cutting positions by the lateral sealing means 22 and side sealing means 23 are automatically adjusted according to the size of the primary packaged product 19 corresponding to the size of the article based on the detection results of the size detection sensor 25. As a result, it is possible to manufacture packaged products 53 that are well-packaged with packaging dimensions that are appropriate for the size of the article. Furthermore, it is possible to obtain packaged products 53 with the appropriate amount of kraft paper 20A and 20B.

[0057] In the automated packaging apparatus of this embodiment, the cutting position of the kraft paper 20A and 20B by the side cutting means 95 is changed in stages, making it possible to properly manufacture packaged goods 53 with external dimensions that conform to shipping categories where shipping charges differ depending on the size of the packaged goods 53. In addition, the scraps of kraft paper 20A and 20B cut by the side cutting means 95 can be automatically collected and disposed of by the collection conveyor 98.

[0058] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiments, and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, not limited to the following modified examples, for the configuration described in the embodiments. (1) The secondary packaging (bagging) is a package 53 in which the primary package 19, which is wrapped in cushioning sheets 12A and 12B in a rolled-up manner, is covered with kraft paper 20A and 20B and sealed on all four sides. However, it may also be a form in which it is sealed on three sides or a form of pillow packaging. The secondary packaging may also be a form in which the primary package 19 is placed in a small box by an appropriate supply means. (2) Secondary packaging is not limited to automated packaging; it may also be done by hand, such as bagging or boxing. (3) The crimping cutting means 14 has two sets of biting devices 39a and 39b arranged at intervals in the width direction at front and rear positions with the knife 41 in between, but two or more sets of biting devices 39a and 39b may be arranged at intervals. (4) The tooth shape of the occlusal surface of the occlusal devices 39a and 39b is not limited to a wave shape, but may also be trapezoidal or other appropriate occlusal shapes. (5) The chuck 15a for pulling out the cushioning sheets 12A and 12B is positioned at a height equal to the transport height on the transport surface of the separation conveyor 10, but it is not necessarily required to set it at a height equal to the transport height. (6) A size detection sensor 25 for detecting the size of the items 11 being transported by the conveyor is not necessarily required. A configuration can be adopted in which various size adjustments and drive means are controlled based on the results of the product setting operation performed by the worker each time, such as by receiving product size information from a production information management server, reading barcodes or other identification code information for each item, or receiving product size information from items 11 that have RFID tags. (7) Although two sets of secondary packaging zipper units 21A and 21B are provided, one set or three or more sets of zipper units may be provided depending on conditions such as the size of the article 11 and the packaging speed. (8) In this embodiment, only one cushioning material dispensing means 15 was used for the primary packaging. However, similar to the kraft paper dispensing means KM (chuck units 21A, 21B) for the secondary packaging, two or more sets of cushioning material dispensing means 15 may be provided. (9) In this embodiment, the sealing unit 82 is equipped with a side cutting means 95 so that the sealing and cutting of the kraft paper 20A and 20B on the side of the primary packaged product 19 (article 11) can be performed at the same position. However, it is also possible to arrange the side cutting means 95 downstream of the sealing unit 82 so that the sealing and cutting of the kraft paper 20A and 20B can be performed at different positions. (10) The adjustment of the side seal position and cutting position of the kraft paper 20A, 20B by the sealing unit 82 and the side cutting means 95 is not stepwise, but can be configured to be continuously adjustable according to the width of the primary packaged product 19 (article 11). (11) The recovery conveyor 98 may be provided as needed and can be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 10 Separation conveyor (supply conveyor), 11 items 12A Upper cushioning sheet (cushioning sheet), 12B Lower cushioning sheet (cushioning sheet) 13 Overlapping portion, 14 Crimping and cutting means, 15 Cushioning material extraction means (extraction means) 15a Chuck, 16 Feed conveyor, 17 Upper cushioning material supply means (cushioning material supply means) 18 Lower cushioning material supply means (cushioning material supply means), 25 Size detection sensor (detection means) 42 Cushioning material holding means (holding means), M1 Cushioning material cross position (crossing position)

Claims

1. The upper and lower cushioning sheets, made of paper and expanded into a three-dimensional mesh, are pulled out to a crossing position that traverses the material transport path of the supply conveyor vertically, and their pulled-out ends are overlapped and clamped together in a gable shape, and the cushioning sheets are cut outside the clamping position. The overlapping portion of the upper and lower cushioning sheets, which are pressed together, is grasped and pulled downstream. When the overlapping portion is pulled downstream, the article is placed on the lower cushioning sheet, which is supported and transported by the feed conveyor, and the upper and lower cushioning sheets that are pulled out cover the top and bottom of the article. The upper and lower cushioning sheets are supplied to the compression position without excessive tension being applied that would cause them to lose their cushioning function. The lower cushioning sheet is pulled out to a length corresponding to the front-to-back length of the article, and the upper cushioning sheet is placed over the article which is resting on the lower cushioning sheet in a non-extended state. At the rear of the article, which is covered from both the top and bottom, the overlapping portions of the upper and lower cushioning sheets are clamped and compressed together. A method for manufacturing packaged products, characterized by the following:

2. Positioned at the same height as the item transport surface of the supply conveyor, the overlapping portion of the cushioning sheet is clamped and pulled downstream. The method for manufacturing a packaged product according to claim 1, characterized in that, in the conveying conveyor, the lower cushioning sheet is laid flat on the underside of the article and transported, and the upper cushioning sheet is placed over the upper side of the article in a non-extended state.

3. A cushioning material supply means for pulling out and guiding the expanded paper upper cushioning material sheet and lower cushioning material sheet to a crossing position that crosses vertically at the end of the transport of the supply conveyor, The cushioning material supply means overlaps and clamps the ends of the upper and lower cushioning material sheets pulled out by the cushioning material supply means in a gable shape and then presses them together, while a crimping and cutting means cuts the cushioning material sheets outside the crimping position, The supply conveyor, which places and transports articles toward the aforementioned crossing position, A chuck that clamps the overlapping portion of the upper and lower cushioning material sheets that have been crimped together by the aforementioned crimping cutting means, A pull-out mechanism for pulling the overlapping portion held by the chuck downstream in accordance with the front-to-back length of the article, The system includes a feed conveyor that, when the overlapping portion is pulled downstream by the pull-out means, transports the articles sent from the supply conveyor beyond the crossing position while they are placed on a lower cushioning sheet, The cushioning material supply means, when gripping the overlapping portion with the chuck and pulling it downstream, guides and pulls out the upper and lower cushioning material sheets so as not to apply excessive tension that would cause the upper and lower cushioning material sheets to lose their cushioning function. The upper cushioning material sheet is pulled out by an amount equal to the length of the lower cushioning material sheet plus the height of the article, and covers the top of the article in a non-extended state. A packaging device characterized by the following features.

4. The clamping height position of the upper cushioning sheet and the lower cushioning sheet in the crimping cutting means is equivalent to the height of the article placement surface of the feed conveyor. In the aforementioned conveying conveyor, a bottom cushioning sheet is laid flat on the underside of the article and transported. The packaging apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that the crimping cutting means crimps and cuts the upper cushioning sheet, which is placed over the article on the lower cushioning sheet in a non-extended state, while the upper cushioning sheet is held together with the lower cushioning sheet at points separated from the front and rear of the article.

5. The system includes a detection means for detecting the size of an article as it is transported toward the aforementioned crossing position, The packaging apparatus according to claim 3, characterized in that, based on the size information detected by the detection means, at least the length of the lower cushioning sheet pulled out by the pull-out means is controlled.

6. The packaging apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, based on the length information of the article detected by the detection means, the amount of the overlapping portion held by the chuck is pulled out downstream is controlled, and the upper cushioning sheet is pulled out tension-free so as to cover the upper side of the article in a non-stretched state above the lower cushioning sheet which is pulled out flat.

7. The packaging apparatus according to any one of claims 3 to 6, characterized in that it is provided with a holding means for overlapping and holding the upper and lower cushioning sheets behind the crimping position from before the cushioning sheet is crimped by the crimping cutting means until the overlapping portion is clamped by the chuck after the cushioning sheet has been crimped.

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