Packaging bag dispenser

Abstract

To provide a packaging bag stocker in which the number of stored packaging bags is increased to achieve space-saving of an installation space of a packaging machine in a two dimensional manner, and which can be smoothly conveyed.SOLUTION: A packaging bag stocker comprises: one end side wall surface 12 facing one end side edge part which is not provided with a chuck C of a stand bag B1 with chuck; and a stocker body 11 provided with the other end side wall surface 13 facing the other end side edge part on the chuck C side. On the one end side wall surface 12, one end side stopper 15 is formed at a predetermined height along a width direction. Since the other end side of a packaging bag bundle 20 formed by piling up the stand bags from a bottom part of the stocker body and an upper surface side of the stand bag B1 bridged between with the one end side stopper are made nearly planar, the stand bags can be further piled up, and the number of the packaging bags stored in the stocker body can be increased.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a packaging bag stocker for stocking a plurality of packaging bags which, when stacked with their orientations aligned, have a bulge on one end side higher than that on the other end side.

Background Art

[0002] A packaging machine that conveys a packaging bag along a predetermined packaging path and packs a packaged item into the packaging bag to manufacture a packaged product has a bag feeding device for supplying the packaging bag to the packaging path. The bag feeding device has a bag feeding conveyor, and the packaging bags are arranged in order from the start end to the end of the bag feeding conveyor. Near the end of the bag feeding conveyor, the packaging bag is adsorbed by a bag feeding arm equipped with a suction cup at the tip and is configured to be transferred to a gripper that moves along the packaging path. Thereby, the bag feeding device can feed the packaging bag to the packaging path. Here, in order to easily increase the stock amount of the packaging bags in the bag feeding device, simply extending the bag feeding conveyor and increasing the number of packaging bags arranged on the bag feeding conveyor would suffice. However, when the bag feeding conveyor is extended, a large space is required for the length of the bag feeding conveyor separately from the packaging path. On the other hand, by providing a packaging bag stocker capable of stacking and stocking a plurality of packaging bags near the start end of the bag feeding conveyor, the packaging machine can be made compact.

[0003] As shown in FIG. 9, the packaging bag stocker has a box-shaped stocker body installed on the start end side 100a of the bag feeding conveyor 100. Inside the stocker body, a plurality of packaging bags are stacked and stored with their orientations aligned. And it is configured to be carried out by the bag feeding conveyor 100 in order from the lowermost packaging bag.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004] [Patent Document 1] No citation [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] In the case of flat bags where the thickness of the sealed end and the open end of the packaging bag are the same, there is no particular problem even when stacked and stored in a packaging bag stocker, as the stacked packaging bags are unlikely to collapse. However, when a zippered stand-up pouch B1, as shown in Figure 2, or a zippered flat pouch B2, as shown in Figure 3, is stacked with the orientation of the packaging bags aligned, the side with the zipper becomes bulkier than the side without the zipper due to the thickness of the zipper C. Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram showing the state when multiple zippered stand-up pouches B1 are stacked. In this way, when multiple zippered packaging bags are stacked, the stacked packaging bags tilt toward the side without the zipper C. Therefore, there is a problem in that the number of packaging bags that can be stored is less than the size of the packaging bag stocker. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 9, when a packaging bag is pulled out from the bottom of a tilted bundle of packaging bags by a bag-feeding conveyor, the bundle of packaging bags may tip over inside the stocker body, causing the packaging bags to get caught or turned inside out at the discharge outlet, preventing smooth discharge, resulting in jams or a large number of packaging bags collapsing out of the discharge outlet at once.

[0006] Therefore, the problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a packaging bag stocker that increases the number of packaging bags that can be stored, reduces the installation space of the packaging machine in a planar manner, and allows for smooth unloading. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The packaging bag stocker according to claim 1 has, when multiple bags are stacked with the same orientation, a packaging bag in which the bulk of the other end of the bag is higher than the bulk of the one end of the bag, and has a one-end side wall surface erected facing the one end of the bag and a other-end side wall surface erected facing the other end of the bag, The device is equipped with a supply opening at the top into which the packaging bags are supplied, and a discharge opening at the bottom into which the packaging bags can be removed. A packaging bag stocker is provided which the packaging bags supplied from the supply port are stacked between the one-end side wall and the other-end side wall to store a predetermined number of bags, and the stacked packaging bags are sequentially discharged from the discharge port toward the bag supply device, starting from the bottommost packaging bag. A feature is that the one-end side wall surface is provided with a one-end stopper that engages with the one-end edge of the packaging bag.

[0008] The packaging bag stocker according to claim 2 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, another one-end stopper is provided either above or below the one-end stopper.

[0009] The packaging bag stocker according to claim 3 is the invention according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein two or more of the one-end stoppers are provided on the one-end side wall surface at predetermined intervals, The other end wall surface is provided with at least one other end stopper that engages with the other end edge of the packaging bag, The one-end stopper and the other-end stopper are Starting from the bottom, the first one-end stopper, the first other-end stopper, the second one-end stopper, It is characterized by being arranged opposite each other in an alternating pattern.

[0010] The packaging bag stocker according to claim 4 is characterized in that, in the invention according to claim 1, an outlet guide is provided near the outlet, the side edge of the packaging bag being discharged is brought into contact with the outlet guide, and the upper surface of the packaging bag slides from the side edge. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the packaging bag stocker of the present invention, when multiple bags are stacked, at least one end stopper is provided on the side wall surface of one end of the packaging bag that faces the lower end of the other end of the packaging bag, and the end of the packaging bag is engaged with the end stopper. This allows the lower edge of the stacked packaging bags to be lifted, leveling the height of both edges and making the top surface of the bundle flat, thereby increasing the number of packaging bags that can be stored. In this way, the storage capacity of the packaging bag stocker can be increased, allowing the packaging machine incorporating the packaging bag stocker to have a more compact installation space, resulting in a significant reduction in installation space compared to conventional packaging machines. Preferably, one end stopper is provided either above or below the other end stopper. As a result, when stacking packaging bags, the lower edge at one end is lifted by the two end stoppers, leveling the height of both ends and making the top surface of the stack of packaging bags flat, thus increasing the number of packaging bags that can be stored. Furthermore, preferably, at least one other-end stopper is provided on the other end wall surface facing one end wall surface of the packaging bag stocker, which engages with the other end edge of the packaging bag, and at least one other-end stopper is placed between two or more one-end stoppers, including one one-end stopper and another one-end stopper, so that the one-end stoppers and other-end stoppers are arranged facing each other in an alternating pattern. As a result, when stacking packaging bags, the stopper on one end lifts the edge of one end, and the stopper on the other end supports the edge of the packaging bag to prevent it from sliding down, thus leveling the height of both ends and increasing the number of packaging bags that can be stored. In addition, the edge of the other end engages with the stopper on the other end, allowing further stacks of packaging bags to be placed on top of the stacked packaging bags. Furthermore, preferably, an outlet guide is provided near the outlet of the packaging bag stocker, which is designed to contact the side edge of the packaging bag being discharged and to allow the top surface of the packaging bag to slide along the side edge. In this way, the carry-out guide slides the packaging bags stacked one above the other against each other to peel them off, preventing the packaging bags stacked one above the other from being carried out still overlapping due to friction, or preventing the chuck portion of a packaging bag with a chuck from being caught by the bulge of the chuck portion of another packaging bag, so that the packaging bags do not form a lump and clog near the carry-out opening.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0012] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a packaging bag stocker according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a stand bag with a chuck stocked in a packaging bag stocker according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] It is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a flat bag with a chuck stocked in a packaging bag stocker according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] It is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing an outline of the state of stand bags with chucks stacked inside the stocker body of a packaging bag stocker according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] It is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing an outline of the state of flat bags with chucks stacked inside the stocker body of a packaging bag stocker according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] It is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing an outline of the state of stand bags with chucks stacked inside the stocker body of a packaging bag stocker according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] It is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing an outline of the state of stand bags with chucks stacked inside the stocker body of a packaging bag stocker according to the third embodiment. [Figure 8] It is an explanatory diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a packaging bag stocker according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] It is an explanatory cross-sectional view showing an outline of the state of stand bags with chucks stacked inside the stocker body of a conventional packaging bag stocker.

Example 1

[0013] An embodiment of the packaging bag stocker according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 1, the packaging bag stocker 10 according to this embodiment has a stocker main body 11. The stocker main body 11 is provided with a supply port 11a at the upper part and a carry-out port 11b at the lower part. Here, the packaging bags used in this embodiment are a stand-up bag B1 with a chuck as shown in FIG. 2, or a flat bag B2 with a chuck as shown in FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 2, the stand-up bag B1 with a chuck has an opening OP1 for loading the packaged item formed at the upper end on the chuck C side. Also, as shown in FIG. 3, the flat bag B2 with a chuck has an opening OP2 for loading the packaged item formed at the lower end on the anti-chuck C side. When a plurality of bags are stacked, as shown in FIG. 4 for the stand-up bag B1 with a chuck and as shown in FIG. 5 for the flat bag B2 with a chuck, the height of the side edge with the chuck C becomes higher, and the height of the side edge without the chuck C becomes lower. Here, the opening OP1 provided in the stand-up bag B1 with a chuck is provided at the upper end of the packaging bag, and the opening OP2 provided in the flat bag B2 with a chuck is provided at the lower end of the packaging bag, so the top and bottom are reversed. When the bag feeding device feeds the packaging bag into the packaging path of the packaging machine, the filling device for the packaged item that constitutes the packaging machine throws the packaged item into the opening of the packaging bag from above. Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the orientation of the packaging bag carried out from the carry-out port is such that in the case of the stand-up bag B1 with a chuck, the vertical direction of the packaging bag is along the traveling direction of the bag feeding conveyor 100, and in the case of the flat bag B2 with a chuck, the vertical direction of the packaging bag is opposite to the traveling direction of the bag feeding conveyor 100. In this embodiment, when stacking the packaging bags, the side edge of the packaging bag with a lower height will be referred to as one end side edge, and the side edge of the packaging bag with a higher height than the one end side edge will be referred to as the other end side edge as described below. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to zippered stand-up pouches B1 or zippered flat pouches B2. For example, in the case of a stand-up pouch without a zipper C that has a boat-shaped bottom Bt in plan view due to the folded packaging material, or in the case of a flat pouch without a zipper C that has a bottom gusset due to the folded packaging material, the bulk of the lower part of the packaging bag increases when multiple bags are stacked, and there is a risk that the stack of packaging bags will tilt upwards, similar to zippered packaging bags, so the present invention can be applied.

[0015] As shown in Figure 1, the storage unit body 11 has a side wall surface 12 facing one end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1, and a side wall surface 13 facing the other end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1. The supply port 11a is open to allow the supply of zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked in the same orientation. The discharge port 11b is configured to allow the zippered stand-up pouches B1 to be discharged one by one onto the bag conveyor 100. In this embodiment, the storage unit body 11 has a pair of side walls 14 (one of the side walls 14 is omitted in Figure 1) that connect one end side wall surface 12 and the other end side wall surface 13, and is exemplified as a hollow box body that matches the shape of a zippered stand-up pouch B1 of a predetermined size. However, the shape of the storage unit body 11 is not limited to this box body, and the side walls 14 may be formed in a bellows-like expandable shape, for example, or the one end side wall surface 12 and the other end side wall surface 13 may be connected by an expandable slider, or the other end side wall surface 13 may be configured to move relative to the one end side wall surface 12, so that it can be adjusted to the height or size of the zippered stand-up pouch B1, or the size of the packaging bag.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the one-end side wall surface 12 has a one-end stopper 15. The one-end stopper 15 is made up of a projection that extends across the width direction of the one-end side wall surface 12 and protrudes toward the one-end side edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 to a predetermined height. This projection is made by fixing a semi-cylindrical body, which is a cylindrical body divided in half along the radial direction, to the one-end side wall surface. Furthermore, the one-end stopper 15 is not limited to the protrusion described above, and any shape that protrudes from the one-end side wall surface to the extent that it engages with the one-end edge of the stacked packaging bags is acceptable. In other words, although the one-end stopper 15 is exemplified as a protrusion that engages with the entire one-end edge, the shape of the one-end stopper is not limited to this protrusion, and it may be formed with at least one or more protrusions that engage with predetermined positions on the one-end edge. Furthermore, the one-end stopper 15 is not limited to being configured to protrude from the one-end side wall surface 12 toward the one-end side edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1, as described above, but may also be configured by cutting out or recessing a part of the one-end side wall surface 12 in a groove shape so that the one-end side edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 engages with it. As a result, when stacked zippered stand-up pouches B1 are fed into the stocker body 11 from the upper supply opening 11a, one end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 engages with the one-end stopper 15 and stops midway along the one-end wall surface 12, while the other end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 that does not engage with the one-end stopper 15 and falls down is stacked. As shown in Figure 1 or Figure 4, the zippered stand-up pouch B1 is lifted up by the one end edge that engages with the one-end stopper 15 and the stacked other end edge, making the top surface flat. Therefore, even when stacking packaging bags with different thicknesses due to the zipper near one end edge and the other end edge, such as zippered stand-up pouches B1, the top surface of the stacked packaging bags does not tilt towards the one-end edge side where the volume is lower, so more packaging bags can be stacked, increasing the number of packaging bags that can be stocked in the stocker body 11.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1 or Figure 4, a flap portion 16 is formed on the other end wall surface 13, extending from the outlet 11b in the direction of feeding the zippered stand-up pouch B1. A bag-feeding conveyor 100 is installed below the discharge port 11b. The bag-feeding conveyor 100 is positioned so that its starting end 100a is near the stocker body 11 and its end (not shown) is a bag-feeding device. This allows the zippered stand-up pouches B1, transported from the starting end 100a, to be fed from the bag transfer section of the bag-feeding device at the end onto the packaging path formed in the packaging machine. The flap portion 16 is configured to contact the other end edge of the overlapping zippered stand-up pouches B1 when the bag conveyor 100 pulls out the packaging bags one by one from the bottom of the stack of packaging bags, and several overlapping zippered stand-up pouches B1 move toward the bag dispensing device while overlapping due to friction between the overlapping pouches. This allows for the shifting of at least one zippered stand-up pouch B1 at a time, and the separation of overlapping zippered stand-up pouches B1, enabling the bundle of zippered stand-up pouches B1 to be discharged sequentially towards the bag-feeding device, starting from the bottommost pouch. The above explanation is based on Figure 4, which uses a zippered stand-up pouch B1. On the other hand, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the opening OP1 of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 and the opening OP2 of the zippered flat pouch B2 are in different positions, and when stacked in a bundle, the side that becomes bulkier is different. Therefore, as shown in Figure 5, in the case of the zippered flat pouch B2, the one-end side wall 12 with the one-end stopper 15 and the other-end side wall 13 are erected in positions opposite to each other compared to the packaging bag stocker shown in Figure 4, and the flap portion 16 is provided connected to the one-end side wall 12 in accordance with the orientation of the packaging bag.

[0018] The method of using the packaging bag stocker 10 having the above configuration will be described below in accordance with the attached drawings.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, the packaging bag stocker is installed near the starting end 100a of the bag conveying belt 100. On the bag-feeding conveyor 100, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 discharged from the packaging bag stocker 10 are arranged with their openings OP1 facing the end, and the edges on the opening OP1 side are slightly offset while partially overlapping each other, so that the vicinity of the opening OP1 can be easily transferred at the bag transfer section of the bag-feeding device. As a result, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 that have been transported to the vicinity of the end of the bag-feeding conveyor 100 are gripped or sucked at the vicinity of the opening at the bag transfer section and transferred to a gripper circulating along the packaging route.

[0020] As shown in Figure 4, when multiple resealable stand-up pouches B1 are stacked to form a bundle of packaging bags, the bulk of the other end edge, which has the zipper C, is greater than the bulk of the one end edge, due to the thickness of the zipper C. Similarly, as shown in Figure 5, when the resealable flat bags B2 are stored in a bundle, the bulk of the other end edge, which has the zipper C, is greater than the bulk of the one end edge, due to the thickness of the zipper C. In either case, the packaging bag stocker 10 installed on the bag conveying conveyor 100 has a flap portion 16 protruding from the wall facing the end of the bag conveying conveyor 100. In this way, as shown in Figure 1, the packaging bag stocker 10 is installed on the bag conveyor 100, and a predetermined number of zippered stand-up pouches B1 are stacked together with their opening ends OP1 aligned and stored in a bundle. This allows the packaging bag stocker 10 to store a large number of bundles of zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked together.

[0021] As shown in Figure 4, the resealable stand-up pouches B1 stored inside the packaging bag stocker 10 are stacked in order from the bottom up, with the outlet 11b located inside. Here, a stack of zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked until the height of the other end edge of each zippered stand-up pouch B1 reaches approximately the same height as the one-end stopper 15 will be referred to as the "packaging bag bundle 20". At this time, as shown in Figure 4, the packaging bag bundle 20 is stacked so that the other end reaches approximately the same height as the one-end stopper 15, so that any zippered stand-up pouches B1 newly stacked on top of the packaging bag bundle 20 are placed so that their top surfaces are approximately flat. When multiple stand-up pouches B1 are stacked on top of the stand-up pouch B1, the top surfaces are formed to be approximately flat, so it is possible to stack even more zippered stand-up pouches B1 on top of the packaging bag bundle 20. This makes it easy to increase the number of zippered stand-up pouches B1 that can be stocked in the packaging bag stocker 10.

[0022] Then, as shown in Figure 4, the bags are removed from the bundle of packaging bags 20 in order, starting with the zippered stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom, and discharged from the outlet 11b via the bag conveyor 100. As the zippered stand-up pouch B1 is removed from the bottom of the stocker body 11, the overall volume of the bundle of packaging bags 20 decreases, and the volume at the other end decreases even further. When the height of the other end falls below a predetermined level, the zippered stand-up pouch B1, which was stacked on top of the packaging bag bundle 20 and supported by the one-end stopper 15 and the other end of the packaging bag bundle 20, will have its other end edge lower to match the height of the other end of the packaging bag bundle 20. As a result, the other end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1, which was stretched between the one-end stopper 15 and the other end of the packaging bag bundle 20, lowers, causing the stand-up pouch B1 to become slanted. In this way, other stand-up pouches B1 stacked on top of the stand-up pouch B1 will also become slanted, and the one end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 stacked on top of the packaging bag bundle 20 will more easily disengage from the one-end stopper 15. At this point, if another zippered stand-up pouch B1 is pulled out from the bottom, the multiple zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked on top of the packaging bag bundle 20 will put weight on the stand-up pouch B1 that is engaged with the one-end stopper 15, causing the one-end edge of the stand-up pouch B1 to slide away from the one-end stopper 15, disengaging the one-end stopper 15 from the one-end edge, and the zippered stand-up pouch B1 will fall onto the packaging bag bundle 20. In this way, when the height of the other end of the packaging bag bundle 20 is reduced, and more zippered stand-up pouches B1 are supplied from above, and the stacks become such that the height of the other end of the packaging bag bundle 20 is approximately the same as the height of the stopper 15 on one end, that is, when the zippered stand-up pouches B1 supplied onto the packaging bag bundle 20 are placed on top of the packaging bag bundle 20 in a nearly flat manner, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 stop falling, and more zippered stand-up pouches B1 can be stacked. Furthermore, by providing the one-end stopper 15, it is possible to restrict the number of packaging bags in the bundle 20 stocked below the one-end stopper 15 to be approximately constant. Therefore, when removing the zippered stand-up pouches B1 one by one from the bottom of the bundle 20, compared to the packaging bag stocker 10 without the one-end stopper 15, the frictional force between the packaging bags applied to the bottom zippered stand-up pouch B1 due to the weight of the multiple zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked up can be reduced. This prevents a large number of packaging bags from being discharged while overlapping near the discharge outlet 11b, and prevents packaging bags from getting stuck at the discharge outlet 11b. The above describes the case where zippered stand-up pouches B1 are stacked. However, the case of zippered flat pouches B2 is the same as shown in Figure 5, except that the orientation of the packaging bags is different, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0023] According to the packaging bag stocker 10 of this embodiment, multiple zippered stand-up pouches B1 or zippered flat pouches B2 are stacked inside the stocker body 11 to form a bundle of packaging bags 20. When the bulk of the other end edge of the packaging bag bundle 20, which has thickness due to the zipper portion, becomes high, the lower end edge is lifted, forming a substantially flat surface above the packaging bag bundle 20, allowing for further stacking of packaging bags. This improves the condition in which the packaging bag bundle 20 tilts towards the lower end, and allows for easy storage of a large quantity of packaging bags by stacking more packaging bags on top of the packaging bag bundle 20. Furthermore, by using the packaging bag stocker 10 according to this embodiment, packaging bags can be stored by stacking them vertically, without depending on the length of the bag conveyor 100, which conventionally stored multiple packaging bags side by side. As a result, the installation space for the packaging machine can be reduced, providing a compact and space-saving packaging machine. In addition, it is easy to incorporate into existing packaging machines equipped with a bag conveyor 100, and the number of packaging bags that can be stored can be easily increased. [Example 2]

[0024] Next, another embodiment of the packaging bag stocker will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0025] The packaging bag stocker 10A according to the second embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, has a supply port 11a and an outlet port 11b, similar to the packaging bag stocker 10 described in the first embodiment, and has a flap portion 16 below the other end wall surface 13. The same applies to the fact that a bag supply conveyor 100 is arranged below the outlet port 11b. And, similar to the packaging bag stocker 10 described in the first embodiment, a one-end stopper is provided at a predetermined position on the one-end wall surface 12. In this embodiment, this one-end stopper is referred to as the first one-end stopper 15a. The difference between the packaging bag stocker 10A according to the second embodiment and the packaging bag stocker 10 according to the first embodiment is the presence or absence of a second stopper 15b on one end. As shown in Figure 6, the second stopper 15b on one end is located at a predetermined position above the first stopper 15a on one end of the stocker body 11, and consists of a projection that extends in the width direction of the one end wall surface 12 toward the one end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1. Furthermore, the first-end second stopper 15b in this embodiment is not limited to the aforementioned protrusion, similar to the first-end stopper 15 in the first embodiment. It is sufficient if it protrudes from the side wall surface of one end to the extent that it engages with the side edge of the stacked zippered stand-up pouches B1. In other words, in this embodiment, the first-end first stopper 15a and the second-end second stopper 15b are exemplified as having a protrusion that engages with the entire side edge of one end. However, the shape of these first-end stoppers 15a and 15b is not limited to this protrusion, and they may be formed with at least one or more protrusions that engage with predetermined positions on the side edge of one end. Furthermore, the one-end stoppers 15a and 15b are not limited to being configured to protrude from the one-end side wall surface 12 toward the one-end side edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1, as described above, but may also be configured to engage with the one-end side edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 by cutting out or recessing a part of the one-end side wall surface 12 in a groove-like manner. As a result, when stacked zippered stand-up pouches B1 are fed into the stocker body 11 from the upper supply opening 11a, one end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 engages with the one-end stoppers 15a and 15b and stops midway along the one-end wall surface 12, while the other end edges of the zippered stand-up pouches B1 that do not engage with the one-end stoppers 15a and 15b and fall down are stacked on top of each other. As shown in Figure 6, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 can be lifted up by the one end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 that engages with the one-end stoppers 15a and 15b and the stacked other end edges, making the top surface flat. Therefore, even when stacking packaging bags with different thicknesses near one end edge and the other end edge, such as the zippered stand-up pouch B1, the top surface of the stacked packaging bags does not tilt towards the lower end edge as shown in Figure 9. As a result, more packaging bags can be stacked, increasing the number of packaging bags that can be stored in the stocker body 11.

[0026] The method of using the packaging bag stocker 10A having the above configuration will be described below in accordance with the attached drawings.

[0027] As shown in Figure 6, the packaging bag stocker 10A is installed on the bag supply conveyor 100, similar to the first embodiment. Therefore, a detailed explanation is omitted. As shown in Figure 6, when multiple zippered stand-up pouches B1 are stacked together to form a bundle of zippered stand-up pouches B1 to be stored in the packaging bag stocker 10A, the bulk of the other end edge, which has a zipper C, is greater than the bulk of the other end edge, due to the thickness of the zipper C. The packaging bag stocker 10A, installed on the bag supply conveyor 100, has a flap portion 16 protruding from the wall facing the end of the bag supply conveyor 100. In this way, as shown in Figure 6, the packaging bag stocker 10 is installed on the bag conveyor 100, and a predetermined number of zippered stand-up pouches B1 are stacked together with their opening ends OP1 aligned and stored in a bundle. This allows the packaging bag stocker 10A to store a large number of bundles of zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked together.

[0028] As shown in Figure 6, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 stored inside the packaging bag stocker 10A are stacked in order from the bottom up, with the outlet 11b located inside. Here, a stack of zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked until the height of the other end edge of each zippered stand-up pouch B1 reaches approximately the same height as the first stopper 15a at one end will be referred to as the "first packaging bag bundle 20a". At this time, as shown in Figure 6, the first packaging bag bundle 20a is stacked so that the other end reaches approximately the same height as the first stopper 15a at one end. Therefore, any zippered stand-up pouches B1 newly stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a are placed so that their top surfaces are approximately flat. When multiple stand-up pouches B1 are stacked on top of the stand-up pouch B1, the top surfaces are formed to be approximately flat, so it is possible to further stack zippered stand-up pouches B1 on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a. Furthermore, a stack of zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked until the height of the other end edge of each zippered stand-up pouch B1 reaches approximately the same height as the second stopper 15b at one end will be referred to as the "second packaging bag bundle 20b". In this case, as shown in Figure 6, the second packaging bag bundle 20b is stacked so that the other end reaches approximately the same height as the second stopper 15b at one end. Therefore, any zippered stand-up pouches B1 newly stacked on top of the second packaging bag bundle 20b will be placed so that their top surfaces are approximately flat. When multiple stand-up pouches B1 are stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, the top surfaces are formed to be approximately flat, allowing for further stacking of zippered stand-up pouches B1 on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a. This makes it easy to increase the number of resealable stand-up pouches B1 that can be stored in the packaging bag stocker 10.

[0029] Then, as shown in Figure 6, the bags are removed from the first bundle of packaging bags 20a in order, starting with the zippered stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom, and discharged from the outlet 11b via the bag conveyor 100. As the zippered stand-up pouch B1 is removed from the bottom of the stocker body 11, the overall volume of the first bundle of packaging bags 20a decreases, and the volume at the other end decreases even further. When the height of the other end falls below a predetermined level, the zippered stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, which is stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a and supported by the first stopper 15a on one end and the other end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, lowers its other end edge to match the height of the other end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a. In this way, the other end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, which was stretched between the first stopper 15a on one end and the other end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, lowers, and the stand-up pouch B1 becomes slanted. As a result, the second packaging bag bundle 20b stacked on top of the stand-up pouch B1 also becomes slanted, and the one end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a becomes more easily disengaged from the one end stopper 15. At this time, if another zippered stand-up pouch B1 is pulled out from the bottom, the zippered stand-up pouch B1 of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, which is stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, will be loaded onto the stand-up pouch B1 that is engaged with the first stopper 15a on one end, causing the edge of the stand-up pouch B1 on one end to slide away from the first stopper 15a on one end, disengaging the first stopper 15a on one end and the edge of the stand-up pouch B1, and the zippered stand-up pouch B1 will fall onto the first packaging bag bundle 20a. Similarly, when weight is applied to the zippered stand-up pouch B1 stacked on top of the second bundle of packaging bags 20b, the one end edge of the stand-up pouch B1 slides away from the one end second stopper 15b, the engagement between the one end second stopper 15b and the one end edge is released, and the zippered stand-up pouch B1 falls onto the second bundle of packaging bags 20b. In this way, when the standing-up pouches B1 with zippers are supplied from above to the first or second packaging bag bundle 20a or 20b, which has a lower height at the other end, and are stacked so that the height of the other end of the first or second packaging bag bundle 20a or 20b is approximately the same as the height of the first or second stopper 15a or second stopper 15b at one end, that is, when the standing-up pouches B1 with zippers supplied to the packaging bag bundles 20a and 20b are placed on top of the said packaging bag bundles 20a and 20b in a nearly flat manner, the standing-up pouches B1 with zippers will stop falling, and more standing-up pouches B1 with zippers can be stacked. Furthermore, the number of first packaging bag bundles 20a stocked below the first stopper 15a on one end of the one-end stoppers 15a and 15b can be restricted to be approximately a constant number. As a result, when removing zippered stand-up pouches B1 one by one from the bottom of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, the frictional force between the packaging bags applied to the bottom zippered stand-up pouch B1 due to the weight of the multiple zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked up can be reduced compared to the packaging bag stocker 10 without the first stopper 15a on one end. This prevents a large number of packaging bags from being discharged while overlapping near the discharge outlet 11b, and prevents packaging bags from getting jammed at the discharge outlet 11b. The above describes the case where the zippered stand-up pouches B1 are stacked. However, the case of the zippered flat pouches B2 is the same as shown in the first embodiment, except that the orientation of the packaging bags is different, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0030] In this embodiment, the packaging bag stocker 10A is configured such that if the bulk of the first packaging bag stocker 20a increases on the other end where the zipper C is thick, the lower end can be lifted, the zippered packaging bags stacked on top of the first packaging bag stocker 20a can be flattened, and a second packaging bag stocker 20b can be stacked on top of it. This prevents the first packaging bag stocker 20a and the second packaging bag stocker 20b from tilting towards the lower end, allows the second packaging bag stocker 20b to be easily stacked on top of the first packaging bag stocker 20a, and allows a large quantity of packaging bags to be easily stored by stacking zippered packaging bags on top of the second packaging bag stocker 20b. Furthermore, by using the packaging bag stocker 10A according to this embodiment, packaging bags can be stored by stacking them vertically as a first packaging bag bundle 20a and a second packaging bag bundle 20b, without depending on the length of the bag conveyor 100, which conventionally stored multiple packaging bags side by side. As a result, the installation space of the packaging machine can be reduced, and a compact, space-saving packaging machine can be provided. In addition, it is easy to incorporate into existing packaging machines equipped with a bag conveyor 100, and the number of packaging bags that can be stocked can be easily increased. [Example 3]

[0031] Furthermore, other embodiments of the packaging bag stocker will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0032] The packaging bag stocker 10B according to the third embodiment, as shown in Figure 7, has a supply port 11a and an outlet port 11b, similar to the packaging bag stocker 10 described in the first embodiment, and has a flap portion 16 below the other end side wall surface 13. The same applies to the fact that a bag supply conveyor 100 is arranged below the outlet port 11b. Furthermore, similar to the packaging bag stocker 10A described in the second embodiment, a first stopper 15a and a second stopper 15b are provided at predetermined positions on the one end side wall surface 12. Here, the difference between the first and second embodiments is that, as shown in Figure 7, the other end wall surface 13 of the storage body 11 is provided with a first other end stopper 25a and a second other end stopper 25b, which are projections extending to a predetermined height toward the other end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1, extending across the width direction of the other end wall surface 13.

[0033] As shown in Figure 7, the other end first stopper 25a is positioned opposite to the midpoint between the one end first stopper 15a and the one end second stopper 15b, and the distance between the other end first stopper 25a and the other end second stopper 25b is the same as the distance between the one end first stopper 15a and the one end second stopper 15b which are positioned opposite each other. As a result, the one end first stopper 15a, the other end first stopper 25a, the one end second stopper 15b, and the other end second stopper 25b are arranged in an alternating pattern between the one end wall surface 12 and the other end wall surface 13 of the stocker body 11, with the one end stoppers 15a, 15b and the other end stoppers 25a, 25b positioned opposite each other.

[0034] The other end first stopper 25a and the other end second stopper 25b are constructed by fixing semi-cylindrical bodies, which are obtained by dividing a cylindrical body into two along the radial direction, to the other end wall surface 13, similar to the one end first stopper 15a and the one end second stopper 15b. However, they are not limited to this configuration, and, similar to the one end first stopper 15a and the one end second stopper 15b, they only need to protrude to the extent that the other end edge of the stacked zippered stand-up pouches B1 engages with them. In this embodiment, a ridge is provided that engages with the entire other end edge, but the embodiment is not limited to this. As suggested in the first and second embodiments, at least one or more protrusions that engage with predetermined positions on the other end edge may be formed, or the other end side wall surface 13 may be cut out or recessed in a groove shape so that the other end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 engages with it. Furthermore, as shown in this embodiment, the design is not limited to two one-end stoppers 15a, 15b and two other-end stoppers 25a, 25b, but can also be increased by adding protrusions and projections to the one-end wall surface 12 and the other-end wall surface 13 at predetermined intervals.

[0035] The method of using the packaging bag stocker 10B having the above configuration will be described below in accordance with the attached drawings.

[0036] As shown in Figure 7, the packaging bag stocker 10B is installed on the bag conveyor 100, similar to the first and second embodiments. Therefore, a detailed explanation is omitted. As shown in Figure 7, when multiple stand-up pouches B1 with zippers are stacked in a bundle with their orientations aligned, the volume at the other end with the zipper C is higher than the volume at one end by the thickness of the zipper C of the other stand-up pouches B1 stacked on top of it. Then, a flap section 16 is provided below the other end wall surface 13, extending outwards towards the end of the bag conveyor 100, and the zippered stand-up pouch B1 is pulled out from this flap section 16. In this way, the packaging bag stocker 10B is installed on the bag conveyor 100 as shown in Figure 7, and stores bundles of zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked in predetermined numbers with their opening ends OP1 aligned. This allows the packaging bag stocker 10B to store multiple stacked zippered stand-up pouches in bundles.

[0037] As shown in Figure 7, the resealable stand-up pouches B1 stored inside the packaging bag stocker 10B are stacked in order from the bottom up, with the outlet 11b located inside. Here, when the height of the other end of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 reaches approximately the same height as the first stopper 15a on one end, the stack of stacked packaging bags will be referred to as the first packaging bag bundle 20a, and when more zippered stand-up pouches B1 are stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, and the height of the other end of the stand-up pouch B1 reaches approximately the same height as the second stopper 15b on one end, the stack of stacked packaging bags will be referred to as the second packaging bag bundle 20b, and the stack of packaging bags further stacked on top of the second packaging bag bundle will be referred to as the third packaging bag bundle 20c. At this time, as shown in Figure 7, the first bundle of packaging bags 20a is lifted at one end by the first stopper 15a on one end, and the other end is stacked up to approximately the same height as the first stopper 15a on one end. As a result, the stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom of the second bundle of packaging bags 20b is stretched between the first stopper 15a on one end and the other end of the first bundle of packaging bags 20a, and the top surface is formed to be approximately flat. Furthermore, similarly, the stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom of the third bundle of packaging bags 20c is stretched between the second stopper 15b on one end and the other end of the second bundle of packaging bags 20b, and the top surface is formed to be approximately flat. In this way, the resealable stand-up pouches B1 placed on the top surface of each packaging bag bundle 20a, 20b, and 20c form a nearly flat surface, so the second packaging bag bundle 20b can be stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, the third packaging bag bundle 20c on top of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, and then the resealable stand-up pouches B1 on top of the third packaging bag bundle 20c, one after the other. As a result, the number of packaging bags that can be stocked in the packaging bag stocker 10B can be increased.

[0038] Furthermore, the other end first stopper 25a divides the other end of the second packaging bag bundle 20b into two parts, and the other end second stopper 25b divides the other end of the third packaging bag bundle 20c into two parts. Here, for example, as shown in the second embodiment, if one-end stoppers 15a and 15b are installed only on the one-end side wall surface 12, and the packaging material of the zippered stand-up pouches B1 constituting the first packaging bag bundle 20a and the second packaging bag bundle 20b is relatively hard and does not flex easily, even if the zippered stand-up pouches B1 are pulled out sequentially from the bottom end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 at the bottom end of the second packaging bag bundle 20b do not flex easily, and a space is created below the one-end first stopper 15a, making it impossible to pull out the zippered stand-up pouches B1 from the outlet 11b at predetermined intervals, or the zippered stand-up pouches may fall down in a bundle into the created space. In such cases, by placing the other-end stoppers 25a and 25b on the other-end wall surface 13 to separate the other ends of the second and third packaging bag bundles 20b and 2c respectively, and by arranging the one-end stoppers 15a and 15b and the other-end stoppers 25a and 25b opposite each other on the one-end wall surface 12 and the other-end wall surface 13 in an alternating manner, the zippered stand-up pouch B1 constituting the second or third packaging bag bundle 20b is diagonally stretched between the one-end wall surface 12 and the other-end wall surface 13 of the stopper body 11, making it easier for the one-end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 to disengage from the engagement with the one-end stoppers 15a and 15b. As a result, when the weight of the zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked on top of each bundle of packaging bags 20a, 20b, 20c causes the zippered stand-up pouch B1, which is diagonally stretched between the one-end stoppers 15a, 15b and the other-end stoppers 25a, 25b, to bend even slightly, the zippered stand-up pouch B1 slides toward the one-end wall surface 12 or the other-end wall surface 13, making it easier to disengage from each of the stoppers 15a, 15b, 25a, 25b. Therefore, even when storing not only soft, easily bendable packaging bags but also harder, less bendable packaging bags in the stocker body 11, the stacked packaging bags can be easily dropped down without any problems.

[0039] Then, as shown in Figure 7, the bags are removed from the first bundle of packaging bags 20a in order, starting with the zippered stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom, and discharged from the outlet 11b via the bag conveyor 100. As the zippered stand-up pouch B1 is removed from the bottom of the stocker body 11, the overall volume of the first bundle of packaging bags 20a decreases, and the volume at the other end decreases even further. When the height of the other end falls below a predetermined level, the zippered stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, which is stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a and supported by the first stopper 15a on one end and the other end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, lowers its other end edge to match the height of the other end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a. In this way, the other end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, which was stretched between the first stopper 15a on one end and the other end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, lowers, and the stand-up pouch B1 becomes slanted. As a result, the second packaging bag bundle 20b stacked on top of the stand-up pouch B1 also becomes slanted, and the one end edge of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a becomes more easily disengaged from the one end stopper 15. At this time, if another zippered stand-up pouch B1 is pulled out from the bottom, the zippered stand-up pouch B1 of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, which is stacked on top of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, will be loaded onto the stand-up pouch B1 that is engaged with the first stopper 15a on one end, causing the edge of the stand-up pouch B1 on one end to slide away from the first stopper 15a on one end, disengaging the first stopper 15a on one end and the edge of the stand-up pouch B1, and the zippered stand-up pouch B1 will fall onto the first packaging bag bundle 20a. Furthermore, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, which were diagonally stretched between the first stopper 25a on the other end and the first stopper 15a on the one end, slid toward the wall surface 12 on the one end side because a space was created on the other end side of the second packaging bag bundle 20b. As a result, they bent and fell due to the weight from above, and fell one after another, filling the space created on the other end side of the second packaging bag bundle 20b. As a result, a space is created above the first stopper 25a on the other end, and the upper half of the zippered stand-up pouches B1 of the second packaging bag bundle 20b, which are diagonally stretched between the first stopper 25a on the other end and the second stopper 15b on the one end, slide toward the first stopper 25a on the other end and bend and fall due to the weight from above, and zippered stand-up pouches B1 are supplied from the third packaging bag bundle 20c until the other end of the second packaging bag bundle 20b is at approximately the same height as the second stopper 15b on the one end, and the other end of the second packaging bag bundle 20b and the second stopper 15b on the one end support the top surface of the zippered stand-up pouches B1 at the lower end of the third packaging bag bundle 20c so that it is flat. Similarly, with respect to the third bundle of packaging bags 20c stacked on top of the second bundle of packaging bags 20b, the zippered stand-up pouch B1, which is diagonally stretched between the second stopper 15b at one end and the second stopper 25b at the other end, slides toward the wall surface 12 at one end and bends and falls due to the weight from the information, falling to fill the space created below the second stopper 25b at the other end.

[0040] In this way, the zippered stand-up pouch B1 is slid toward the side wall surface 12 at one end or the side wall surface 13 at the other end, and the zippered stand-up pouch B1 is bent by the weight from above, making it easier to drop downwards. As a result, when the zippered stand-up pouch B1 is stored inside the storage unit body 11, it can be dropped downwards without getting stuck and can be easily pulled out from the outlet 11b at predetermined intervals. Furthermore, the number of first packaging bag bundles 20a stocked below the first stopper 15a on one end of the one-end stoppers 15a and 15b can be restricted to be approximately a constant number. As a result, when removing zippered stand-up pouches B1 one by one from the bottom of the first packaging bag bundle 20a, the frictional force between the packaging bags applied to the bottom zippered stand-up pouch B1 due to the weight of the multiple zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked up can be reduced compared to the packaging bag stocker 10 without the first stopper 15a on one end. This prevents a large number of packaging bags from being discharged while overlapping near the discharge outlet 11b, and prevents packaging bags from getting jammed at the discharge outlet 11b. The above describes the case where the zippered stand-up pouches B1 are stacked. However, the case of the zippered flat pouches B2 is the same as shown in the first embodiment, except that the orientation of the packaging bags is different, so the explanation will be omitted.

[0041] In this embodiment, the packaging bag stocker 10B is configured to store a large quantity of zippered stand-up pouches B1 by stacking multiple zippered stand-up pouches B1 inside the stocker body 11 to form a first packaging bag bundle 20a, and the upper surface of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom of the second packaging bag bundle 20b is supported between the other end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a and the first stopper 15a at one end so as to be substantially flat, thereby stacking the second packaging bag bundle 20b, and furthermore, the upper surface of the zippered stand-up pouch B1 at the bottom of the third packaging bag bundle 20c is supported between the other end of the second packaging bag bundle 20b and the second stopper 15b at one end so as to be substantially flat, thereby stacking the third packaging bag bundle 20c. This prevents the packaging bag bundles 20a, 20b, and 20c from tilting toward one end where the bulk is reduced, making it easy to stack the zippered stand-up pouches B1 in bundles and allowing for easy storage of large quantities of packaging bags. Furthermore, by using the packaging bag stocker 10B according to this embodiment, packaging bags can be stored in bundles stacked vertically, without depending on the length of the bag conveyor 100, which conventionally stored multiple packaging bags side by side. As a result, the installation space for the packaging machine can be reduced, providing a compact and space-saving packaging machine. In addition, it can be easily incorporated into existing packaging machines equipped with a bag conveyor 100, and the number of packaging bags that can be stocked can be easily increased. [Example 4]

[0042] Furthermore, other embodiments of the packaging bag stocker will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0043] The packaging bag stocker 10C according to the fourth embodiment, as shown in Figure 8, has a supply port 11a and an outlet port 11b, similar to the packaging bag stocker 10 described in the first embodiment, and has a flap portion 16 below the other end wall surface 13. The same applies to the fact that a bag supply conveyor 100 is arranged below the outlet port 11b. Furthermore, similar to the packaging bag stocker 10B described in the third embodiment, a first stopper 15a and a second stopper 15b are provided at predetermined positions on the one end wall surface 12, and a first stopper 25a and a second stopper 25b are provided at predetermined positions on the other end wall surface 13. In other words, the main configuration of the packaging bag stocker 10C according to this embodiment is the same as that of the packaging bag stocker 10B described in the third embodiment. Therefore, the configuration and usage method of the stoppers 15a, 15b, 25a, and 25b provided on one end side wall 12 and the other end side wall 13 of the storage unit body 11 are the same as in the third embodiment, so a description will be omitted. Here, the difference between the packaging bag stocker 10C according to this embodiment and the packaging bag stocker 10B according to the third embodiment is that, as shown in Figure 8, an unloading guide 30 is provided inside the flap portion 16 of the unloading outlet 11b.

[0044] The transport guide 30 consists of a curved rod. The rod is preferably made of rubber or silicone, and has appropriate elasticity and slip resistance. However, it may also be a rectangular or cylindrical rod as long as it has appropriate elasticity and slip resistance. The unloading guide 30 is fixed inside the flap section 16 so as to slope downwards from the back to the front of the unloading outlet 11b. In this embodiment, one unloading guide 30 is installed on each of the left and right sides inside the flap section 16, but it is not limited to this, and for example, one may be fixed in the center inside the flap section 16.

[0045] The method of using the packaging bag stocker 10C having the above configuration will be described below in accordance with the attached drawings.

[0046] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the packaging bag stocker 10C according to the fourth embodiment is the same as in the third embodiment in terms of the packaging bag bundles 20a, 20b, and 20c stored in the stocker body 11, so a description will be omitted.

[0047] Here, when the bag conveyor 100 sequentially removes the zippered stand-up pouches B1 from the bottom of the first bundle of packaging bags 20a, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 that make up the first bundle of packaging bags 20a may be pulled toward the discharge port 11b as a mass due to the weight of the stand-up pouches B1 stacked on top of each other and the friction between the stand-up pouches B1. At this time, as shown in Figure 7, the other end of the first packaging bag bundle 20a is bulkier due to the thickness of the zipper, so the other end opening of the stand-up pouch B1 comes into contact with the flap portion 16, causing the stand-up pouch B1 to curl up or bend upward in a large arc, which may cause it to get stuck at the outlet 11b.

[0048] In contrast, as shown in Figure 8, the discharge guide 30 abuts against the other end edge of the first packaging bag bundle 20a. The zippered stand-up pouch B1, whose other end edge abuts against the curved discharge guide 30, is pushed back by the elasticity of the discharge guide 30, and slides along the arc with the other end edge and the upper surface near that end edge in contact with the discharge guide 30. Since the discharge guide 30 is configured to be non-slip, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 constituting the first packaging bag bundle 20a are removed sequentially, starting from the bottom zippered stand-up pouch B1 that has come off the discharge guide 30. Furthermore, since the discharge guide 30 holds down the first bundle of packaging bags 20a in the opposite direction to the direction in which the bag-feeding conveyor 100 pulls the zippered stand-up pouches B1, the zippered stand-up pouches B1 constituting the first bundle of packaging bags 20a can be easily separated if they are sticking together due to friction or static electricity.

[0049] According to the packaging bag stocker 10C of this embodiment, the discharge guide 30 restrains the other end of the first bundle of packaging bags 20a stacked near the discharge port 11b, supporting the removal of each zippered stand-up pouch B1 from the bottom of the first bundle of packaging bags 20a. Therefore, even if the stand-up pouches B1 stick together due to the weight of the zippered stand-up pouches B1 stacked on top of each other, friction between the stand-up pouches B1, or static electricity generated at the contact surfaces of the overlapping stand-up pouches B1, each zippered stand-up pouch B1 can be removed one by one from the discharge port 11b by the bag supply conveyor 100.

[0050] According to the packaging bag stockers 10, 10A, 10B, and 10C of the first to fourth embodiments, the tilting of zippered packaging bags, which would conventionally tilt inside the stocker body 11 as shown in Figure 9, is suppressed, and the packaging bags can be stacked in an aligned orientation, enabling large-scale stocking. Furthermore, by incorporating the packaging bag stockers 10, 10A, 10B, and 10C into the bag feeding device of a packaging machine, the planar space required for installing the packaging machine can be significantly reduced, making it possible to provide a compact packaging machine with a large-capacity bag feeding function. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0051] 10, 10A, 10B, 10C... Packaging bag dispenser, 11...Storage unit body, 11a...Supply port, 11b...Discharge port, 12...side wall surface at one end, 13...side wall surface at the other end, 14...side wall, 15... One-end stopper, 15a... One-end first stopper, 15b... One-end second stopper, 16...Flap section, 20...packaging bag bundle, 20a...first packaging bag bundle, 20b...second packaging bag bundle, 20c...third packaging bag bundle, 25a...First stopper on the other end, 25b...Second stopper on the other end, 30…Removal guide, B1...Stand-up pouch with zipper, B1...Flat pouch with zipper, C...Zipper part OP1...Front opening end of zippered stand-up pouch B1, OP2...Front opening end of zippered flat bag B2 Bt...Bottom of the B1 zippered stand-up pouch.

Claims

1. When multiple bags are stacked with their orientations aligned, the packaging bag has a side wall surface at one end that is erected opposite to the side edge of the other end, and the other end wall surface that is erected opposite to the side edge of the other end, with the other end having a side wall surface that is erected opposite to the side edge of the other end. The device is equipped with a supply opening at the top into which the packaging bags are supplied, and a discharge opening at the bottom into which the packaging bags can be removed. A packaging bag stocker is provided which the packaging bags supplied from the supply port are stacked between the one-end side wall and the other-end side wall to store a predetermined number of bags, and the stacked packaging bags are sequentially discharged from the discharge port toward the bag supply device, starting from the bottommost packaging bag. A packaging bag storage unit characterized by having a one-end stopper on the one-end side wall surface that engages with the one-end edge of the packaging bag.

2. The packaging bag stocker according to claim 1, characterized in that another one-end stopper is provided either above or below the aforementioned one-end stopper.

3. Two or more of the one-end stoppers are provided on the one-end side wall surface at predetermined intervals. The other end wall surface is provided with at least one other end stopper that engages with the other end edge of the packaging bag, The packaging bag stocker according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the one-end stopper and the other-end stopper are arranged opposite each other in an alternating manner from bottom to top, with the first one-end stopper, the first other-end stopper, and the second one-end stopper.

4. The packaging bag stocker according to claim 1, characterized in that an outlet guide is provided near the outlet, the side edge of the packaging bag being discharged is brought into contact with the outlet guide, and the top surface of the packaging bag slides from the side edge.

Images