Bag making and packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a bag-making packaging machine that can increase a filling rate of articles also on the downstream side of a lateral sealing mechanism.SOLUTION: The bag-making packaging machine wraps an article A, which is discharged from an article discharge device, into a bag W obtained by molding a film in a cylindrical shape. The bag-making packaging machine includes a horizontal sealing mechanism and a receiving member. The horizontal sealing mechanism performs a first operation by pinching the film from a direction (horizontal direction H) that crosses a direction of conveyance and sealing it. The receiving member is integrally arranged above the horizontal sealing mechanism and receives articles falling inside a packaging material while in contact with an outer surface of the packaging material. A contact surface of the receiving member, which is in contact with the outer surface of the packaging material, is covered with a member that has elasticity.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] It relates to a bag-making packaging machine.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-166833) discloses a packaging machine (bag-making packaging machine) that seals a predetermined portion of a packaging material formed into a tubular shape and into which an article is dropped to form a bag. The packaging machine of Patent Document 1 includes a pair of seal jaws that sandwich the packaging material along a direction intersecting its conveyance direction and seal it, and a pair of shutters that sandwich the packaging material above the seal jaws and temporarily block the progress of the article. The shutter of Patent Document 1 shakes the sandwiched packaging material to give vibration to the article, thereby filling the gaps between the articles upstream of the shutter and improving the filling rate.

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0003] In the packaging machine of Patent Document 1, the vibrated article is dropped into a bag disposed downstream of the shutter and then packaged. In this way, gaps are generated again between the dropped articles, so the packaging machine of Patent Document 1 has a problem that the filling rate cannot be sufficiently improved.

[0004] An object of the present invention is to provide a bag-making packaging machine capable of increasing the filling rate of articles even on the downstream side of the horizontal seal mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] A bag-making and packaging machine according to the first aspect of the present invention packages articles discharged from an article discharge device into bags formed from packaging material into a cylindrical shape. This bag-making and packaging machine comprises a lateral sealing mechanism and a receiving member. The lateral sealing mechanism performs a first operation of clamping and sealing the packaging material from a direction intersecting the direction of transport. The receiving member is positioned above the lateral sealing mechanism and integrally with the lateral sealing mechanism, and contacts the outer surface of the packaging material to receive articles falling inside the packaging material. The contact surface of the receiving member that contacts the outer surface of the packaging material is covered with an elastic material.

[0006] A bag-making and packaging machine according to a second aspect of the present invention is a bag-making and packaging machine according to a first aspect, wherein the contact surface has a first contact surface and a second contact surface that face each other with the packaging material in between. The first contact surface and the second contact surface are inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The distance between the first contact surface and the second contact surface gradually increases from bottom to top.

[0007] A bag-making and packaging machine according to a third aspect of the present invention is a bag-making and packaging machine according to the first or second aspect, wherein the contact surface is supported by a sliding part and is attached to a fixed part so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction.

[0008] A bag-making and packaging machine according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is any of the bag-making and packaging machines according to the first aspect or the third aspect, further comprising a vertical movement mechanism for moving a horizontal sealing mechanism in the vertical direction.

[0009] A bag-making and packaging machine according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is any of the bag-making and packaging machines according to the first aspect to the fourth aspect, further comprising a conveying mechanism for conveying packaging material to a lateral sealing mechanism. The conveying mechanism conveys the packaging material intermittently at a constant cycle.

[0010] A bag-making and packaging machine according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is any of the bag-making and packaging machines according to the first aspect to the fourth aspect, further comprising a conveying mechanism for conveying packaging material to a lateral sealing mechanism. The conveying mechanism continuously conveys the packaging material. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The bag-making and packaging machine according to the present invention can increase the filling rate of articles even downstream of the lateral sealing mechanism. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of the bag-making and packaging machine 10. [Figure 2] This is a plan view of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 and the moving mechanism 16. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 and the moving mechanism 16. [Figure 4] This is a side view of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 and the moving mechanism 16. [Figure 5] This is a side view of the bag-making and packaging machine 10 to illustrate the receiving member 40. [Figure 6] This is a side view illustrating the cyclic operation performed by the control unit 17. [Figure 7] This is a time chart showing the change in the vertical direction V of the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 during cyclic operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are just one example of the present invention and do not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

[0014] (1) Overall structure Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a bag-making and packaging machine 10, which is one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 is a side view of the bag-making and packaging machine 10. An article discharge device 20 is installed above the bag-making and packaging machine 10. The article discharge device 20 drops the article A and discharges it downwards. The bag-making and packaging machine 10 packages the article A that has been discharged and dropped from the article discharge device 20. The bag-making and packaging machine 10 forms a bag W by shaping a film F into a cylindrical form, puts the article A into the bag W and seals it to package the article A.

[0015] The bag-making packaging machine 10 mainly includes a film roll support part 11, a former 12, a pull-down belt 13, a longitudinal seal mechanism 14, a transverse seal mechanism 15, a moving mechanism 16, and a control part 17.

[0016] (2) Detailed structure (2-1) Film roll support part The film roll support part 11 supports the film roll FR. The film F is drawn out from the film roll FR supported by the film roll support part 11. The film F drawn out from the film roll FR is sent to the former 12 via a plurality of rollers 11a. The film F is an example of a packaging material.

[0017] (2-2) Former The former 12 forms the film F into a tubular shape by curving the film F and overlapping both end portions in the width direction of the film F. The former 12 has a tube 21 and a sealer 22. The film F sent from the film roll support part 11 is curved by the sealer 22 and formed into a tubular shape by passing between the tube 21 and the sealer 22. The film F formed into a tubular shape is guided downward along the tube 21. The article A discharged from the article discharge device 20 falls inside the tube 21 and is sent downward.

[0018] (2-3) Pull-down belt The pull-down belt 13 conveys the tubular film F from above to below along the tube 21 to the transverse seal mechanism 15. The pull-down belt 13 is driven by a motor (not shown). The pull-down belt 13 continuously conveys the film F. The pull-down belt 13 is an example of a conveying mechanism.

[0019] (2-4) Longitudinal seal mechanism The longitudinal sealing mechanism 14 longitudinally seals the tubular film F to form a film tube FT. The portion to be longitudinally sealed is the portion overlapped with each other by the former 12. The longitudinal sealing mechanism 14 vertically seals the tubular film F in the vertical direction V by pressing and heating the tubular film F against the tube 21. The longitudinal sealing mechanism 14 has, for example, a heater for sealing the tubular film F. As shown in FIG. 1, the article A discharged from the article discharging device 20 and falling inside the tube 21 falls inside the film tube FT below the tube 21.

[0020] (2-5) Transverse Sealing Mechanism The transverse sealing mechanism 15 performs a cyclic operation of forming a bag W by sandwiching the film tube FT from the direction (horizontal direction H) intersecting the conveying direction and transversely sealing it. The transverse sealing mechanism 15 has a first seal jaw 56 and a second seal jaw 57. The first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 are each movable in the horizontal direction H so as to approach or separate from each other. The first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 are also movable in the vertical direction V. The transverse sealing mechanism 15 horizontally seals the film tube FT by sandwiching and heating the film tube FT with the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57. The first seal jaw and the second seal jaw are an example of a seal portion. Details of the cyclic operation will be described later.

[0021] (2-6) Moving Mechanism The moving mechanism 16 moves the transverse sealing mechanism 15. Specifically, the moving mechanism 16 moves the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 closer to or away from each other in the horizontal direction H, and moves the transverse sealing mechanism 15 in the vertical direction V. Further, the moving mechanism 16 vibrates the transverse sealing mechanism 15 in the vibration operation to apply vibration to the article A inside the film tube FT. Details of the vibration operation will be described later.

[0022] (2-7) Control Unit The control unit 17 controls the pull-down belt 13, the vertical sealing mechanism 14, the horizontal sealing mechanism 15, the moving mechanism 16, the item discharge device 20, and other actuators. The control unit 17 receives and processes signals from various sensors. The control unit 17 is, for example, a microcomputer.

[0023] As will be explained in more detail later, the control unit 17 causes the bag-making and packaging machine 10 to form the bag W and package the item A. At the same time, the control unit 17 controls the moving mechanism 16 to perform a vibration operation before the first operation (described later) included in the cycle operation is completed.

[0024] (3) Details of the lateral sealing mechanism and moving mechanism Figures 2 and 3 are plan views of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 and the moving mechanism 16. Figure 4 is a side view of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 and the moving mechanism 16. The lateral sealing mechanism 15 mainly comprises a receiving member 40, a frame 51, a horizontal moving frame 52, a sliding member 53, a first sealing jaw 56, and a second sealing jaw 57. The moving mechanism 16 mainly comprises a horizontal moving mechanism 54 and a vertical moving mechanism 55. Note that the receiving member 40 is not shown in Figures 2, 3, and 4.

[0025] (3-1) Stand The frame 51 includes a first side frame 61, a second side frame 62, a first connecting member 63, a second connecting member 64, and a plurality of guides 65. The first connecting member 63 and the second connecting member 64 connect the first side frame 61 and the second side frame 62. The guides 65 are fixed to either the first side frame 61 or the second side frame 62.

[0026] (3-2) Horizontal movement frame The horizontal movement frame 52 is movable horizontally in the direction H relative to the frame 51. The horizontal movement frame 52 includes a first sliding rod 71, a second sliding rod 72, a first base member 73, and a second base member 74. The first sliding rod 71 is positioned along the first side frame 61. The second sliding rod 72 is positioned along the second side frame 62. The first base member 73 and the second base member 74 are fixed to both ends of the first sliding rod 71 and the second sliding rod 72, respectively. The first sliding rod 71 and the second sliding rod 72 are supported by guides 65 of the frame 51 so as to be slidable horizontally in the direction H.

[0027] (3-3) Sliding member The sliding member 53 is spanned between the first sliding rod 71 and the second sliding rod 72. Sliders 75 are provided at both ends of the sliding member 53. The sliders 75 are slidable in the horizontal direction H relative to the first sliding rod 71 and the second sliding rod 72.

[0028] (3-4) Horizontal movement mechanism The horizontal movement mechanism 54 includes a horizontal movement motor 58 and a horizontal link mechanism 80.

[0029] The horizontal movement motor 58 generates power to move the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 in the horizontal direction H. The horizontal movement motor 58 is capable of rotating in both forward and reverse directions.

[0030] The horizontal link mechanism 80 transmits power from the horizontal movement motor 58 to the horizontal movement frame 52 and the sliding member 53. As shown in Figure 2, the horizontal link mechanism 80 has a first link 81, a second link 82, and a third link 83.

[0031] A rotating shaft 58a is fixed to the center of the first link 81. The rotating shaft 58a is rotated by the horizontal movement motor 58. The rotating shaft 58a can rotate in either forward or reverse direction. The rotating shaft 58a may be a shaft directly connected to the rotor of the horizontal movement motor 58. The rotating shaft 58a may be a shaft rotated by a gearbox or belt attached to the horizontal movement motor 58. As the rotating shaft 58a rotates, the first link 81 also rotates.

[0032] The second link 82 and the third link 83 are rotatably connected to both ends of the first link 81, respectively. The second link 82 is connected to the second base member 74. The third link 83 is connected to the sliding member 53.

[0033] (3-5) First seal jaw and second seal jaw The first and second seal jaws apply heat while pressing against the film tube FT to provide a lateral seal. The first seal jaw 56 is attached to the first base member 73 of the horizontal moving frame 52. The second seal jaw 57 is attached to the sliding member 53. The first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 are provided with heaters (not shown). At least one of the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 is provided with a movable knife (not shown).

[0034] In Figure 2, the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 are in close proximity to each other. In Figure 3, the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 are spaced apart from each other. In the state shown in Figure 2, when the rotating shaft 58a rotates by a predetermined angle, the arrangement of the horizontal link mechanism 80 becomes as shown in Figure 3. In the state shown in Figure 3, when the rotating shaft 58a rotates by a predetermined angle, the arrangement of the horizontal link mechanism 80 becomes as shown in Figure 2.

[0035] (3-6) Receiving member Figure 5 is a side view of the bag-making and packaging machine 10 illustrating the receiving member 40. The receiving member 40 contacts the outer surface of the film tube FT and catches the article A as it falls inside the film tube FT. By receiving the article A, the receiving member 40 reduces the impact when the article A falls inside the film tube FT and hits the film tube FT, thereby suppressing damage to the article A inside the film tube FT and to the film tube FT itself. The receiving member 40 is integrally positioned above the lateral sealing mechanism 15 and attached to the lateral sealing mechanism 15. Specifically, the receiving member 40 is integrally positioned above the first sealing jaw 56 and the second sealing jaw 57 and attached to the first sealing jaw 56 and the second sealing jaw 57.

[0036] The receiving member 40 has a first receiving portion 18 and a second receiving portion 19. The receiving member 40 holds the film tube FT between the first receiving portion 18 and the second receiving portion 19 to receive the article A falling inside the film tube FT and prevents the article A from falling below the receiving member 40.

[0037] The first receiving portion 18 mainly comprises a first fixing portion 18a, a first sliding portion 18b, and a first contact portion 18c. The first fixing portion 18a is attached to the upper surface of the sliding member 53 of the lateral sealing mechanism 15. The first sliding portion 18b penetrates the first fixing portion 18a and is slidable horizontally H relative to the first fixing portion 18a. The first contact portion 18c is supported by the first sliding portion 18b. The first contact portion 18c contacts the outer surface of the film tube FT when the receiving member 40 receives the article A. As shown in Figure 5, the first contact portion 18c is supported by the first sliding portion 18b so as to be located closer to the film tube FT than the first seal jaw 56 when the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 are spaced apart from each other and not forming the film tube FT. As the first sliding portion 18b slides horizontally H relative to the first fixed portion 18a, the first contact portion 18c can slide horizontally H relative to the first seal jaw 56.

[0038] The second receiving portion 19 mainly comprises a second fixing portion 19a, a second sliding portion 19b, and a second contact portion 19c. The second fixing portion 19a is attached to the upper surface of the first base member 73 of the horizontal movement frame 52 of the lateral sealing mechanism 15. The second sliding portion 19b penetrates the second fixing portion 19a and is slidable horizontally H relative to the second fixing portion 19a. The second contact portion 19c is supported by the second sliding portion 19b. The second contact portion 19c contacts the outer surface of the film tube FT when the receiving member 40 receives the article A. As shown in Figure 5, the second contact portion 19c is supported by the second sliding portion 19b so as to be located closer to the film tube FT than the second sealing jaw 57 when the first sealing jaw 56 and the second sealing jaw 57 are spaced apart from each other and not forming the film tube FT. As the second sliding portion 19b slides horizontally H relative to the second fixed portion 19a, the second contact portion 19c can slide horizontally H relative to the second seal jaw 57.

[0039] As shown in Figure 1, the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c face each other across the film cylinder FT. The surfaces of the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c that face the outer surface of the film cylinder FT are the contact surfaces that come into contact with the outer surface of the film cylinder FT. The contact surfaces are inclined with respect to the vertical direction V. Specifically, as shown in Figure 5, in the horizontal direction H, the distance between the contact surface of the first contact portion 18c and the contact surface of the second contact portion 19c gradually increases from bottom to top.

[0040] When the receiving member 40 receives the article A, the film tube FT is sandwiched between the contact surface of the first contact portion 18c and the contact surface of the second contact portion 19c. As the article A falls inside the film tube FT, it hits the film tube FT at the height where it is sandwiched between the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c and is caught by the receiving member 40.

[0041] The first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c contact the outer surface of the film tube FT before the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 contact the film tube FT in the first operation (described later).

[0042] The contact surfaces of the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c are covered with an elastic material such as a sponge. This reduces the impact when the receiving member 40 receives the item A as it falls inside the film tube FT and the item A hits the film tube FT.

[0043] (3-7) Vertical movement mechanism The vertical movement mechanism 55 includes a vertical movement motor 59 and a vertical link mechanism 90.

[0044] The vertical movement motor 59 generates power to drive the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 to move in the vertical direction V. The vertical movement motor 59 is rotatable in both forward and reverse directions. The vertical movement motor 59 is an example of a drive motor.

[0045] The vertical link mechanism 90 transmits power from the vertical movement motor 59 to the frame 51. The vertical link mechanism 90 has a first link 91 and a second link 92.

[0046] A rotating shaft 59a is fixed to one end of the first link 91. The rotating shaft 59a is rotated by a vertical movement motor 59. The rotating shaft 59a can rotate in either forward or reverse direction. The rotating shaft 59a may be a shaft directly connected to the rotor of the vertical movement motor 59. The rotating shaft 59a may be a shaft rotated by a gearbox or belt attached to the vertical movement motor 59. As the rotating shaft 59a rotates, the first link 91 also rotates.

[0047] A second link 92 is rotatably connected to the other end of the first link 91. The second link 92 is connected to either the first side frame 61 or the second side frame 62 of the frame 51. When the rotation axis 59a rotates, the frame 51 moves in the vertical direction V. As the frame 51 moves in the vertical direction V, the first seal jaw 56, the second seal jaw 57, and the receiving member 40 also move in the vertical direction V. As will be described in detail later, the vertical movement mechanism 55 repeatedly drives the frame 51 back and forth in the vertical direction V, thereby achieving vibration.

[0048] (4) Cycle operation Figure 6 is a side view illustrating the cyclic operation performed by the control unit 17. For convenience, only the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57, and the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c are shown in Figure 6. Figure 7 is a time chart showing the change in the vertical direction V of the movement speed of the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 during the cyclic operation. Note that Figure 6 shows the sequence of operations of the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57, and the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c before and after the cyclic operation. Therefore, the temporal length of the operation of each part during the cyclic operation may not be to the same scale as Figure 6. Also, although Figure 7 shows the movement speed of the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 for convenience, the receiving member 40, which is integrally arranged with the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57, also moves at the same speed.

[0049] The cycle operation includes a first operation and a second operation. The first operation consists of a first phase and a second phase. As shown in Figure 6, before the start of the first phase, an amount of article A to be packaged in one bag W is already loaded into the film tube FT below the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57.

[0050] During the cycle operation, the pull-down belt 13 continuously transports the film F to the lateral sealing mechanism 15. For this reason, in the first and second phases, the control unit 17 instructs the vertical movement mechanism 55 to appropriately change the position of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 in the vertical direction V in accordance with the movement of the film cylinder FT in the vertical direction V.

[0051] (4-1) 1st action The first operation is initiated when the control unit 17 moves the horizontal movement mechanism 54 to move the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 closer to each other in the horizontal direction H. The first operation is also completed when the control unit 17 applies heat to the clamped film cylinder FT and moves the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57, which have been laterally sealed, apart from each other.

[0052] (4-1-1) Phase 1 At the start of the first phase, the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 are spaced apart from each other in a position where they do not contact the film cylinder FT. Also, the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c are spaced apart from each other in a position where they do not contact the film cylinder FT.

[0053] In the first phase, the control unit 17 moves the horizontal movement mechanism 54 to move the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 horizontally in direction H so that they move closer to each other. As a result, the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c of the receiving member 40, which is integrally arranged on the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57, also move horizontally in direction H so that they move closer to each other. When the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c come into contact with the film cylinder FT, the first phase ends and the second phase begins.

[0054] (4-1-2) Phase 2 In the second phase, before the first operation is completed (in other words, before the second phase is completed), the control unit 17 performs a vibration operation on the vertical movement mechanism 55 to vibrate the lateral sealing mechanism 15, and also causes the first sealing jaw 56 and the second sealing jaw 57 to laterally seal the film cylinder FT. When the second phase begins, the control unit 17 causes the item discharge device 20 to discharge an amount of item A that should be packaged in one bag W.

[0055] More specifically, the control unit 17 initiates a vibration operation when the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c of the receiving member 40 contact the outer surface of the film tube FT, and before the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 contact the film tube FT. During the vibration operation, the control unit 17 causes the vertical movement motor 59 of the vertical movement mechanism 55 to repeatedly rotate forward and backward at a predetermined amplitude. As a result, the frame 51 is driven back and forth in the vertical direction V, causing the first seal jaw 56, the second seal jaw 57 of the horizontal seal mechanism 15, and the receiving member 40 to vibrate in the vertical direction V. This applies vibration to the item A inside the film tube FT before the first operation is completed.

[0056] At the same time, the horizontal movement mechanism 54 moves the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 in the horizontal direction H until they grip the film cylinder FT.

[0057] The first sealing jaws 56 and the second sealing jaws 57, which hold the film tube FT, press down on the film tube FT and apply heat to the film tube FT to seal it laterally. At this time, a bag W containing the item A is formed below the laterally sealed portion of the film tube FT. Next, a movable knife provided on the first sealing jaw 56 or the second sealing jaw 57 cuts the laterally sealed portion horizontally H, and the second phase ends. Once the laterally sealed portion is cut, the bag W is separated from the film tube FT above and falls.

[0058] The control unit 17 stops the vibration applied to the lateral sealing mechanism 15 by the time the first operation is completed, thereby ending the vibration operation.

[0059] Here, the "completion" of the first operation means just before the first sealing jaw 56 and the second sealing jaw 57, which have applied heat to the clamped film tube FT to create a lateral seal, begin to separate from each other.

[0060] As described above, the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c of the receiving member 40 contact the outer surface of the film tube FT before the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 contact the film tube FT. Therefore, the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c can grip the film tube FT before the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 grip the film tube FT, and can catch the article A falling inside the film tube FT. During vibration, the receiving member 40 also vibrates in the vertical direction V, so vibration is also applied to the article A that is being held by the receiving member 40.

[0061] In the second phase, the bag-making and packaging machine 10 performs a wringing operation before starting the vibration operation. The wringing operation is performed to dislodge any items A, etc., adhering to the inner surface of the film tube FT, thereby preventing items A, etc. from getting caught in the lateral seal section. During the wringing operation, the control unit 17 moves the lateral seal mechanism 15 downwards by a predetermined distance using the vertical movement mechanism 55, and then returns it to its original height (see Figure 7). The bag-making and packaging machine 10 does not necessarily have to perform the wringing operation.

[0062] (4-2)Second operation Once the first operation is complete, the control unit 17 starts the second operation. In the second operation, the control unit 17 instructs the horizontal movement mechanism 54 to move the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 horizontally in the H direction so that they are separated from each other but do not come into contact with the film cylinder FT, as they were at the start of the first phase. At the same time, the control unit 17 instructs the vertical movement mechanism 55 to return the positions of the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 in the vertical direction V to their positions at the start of the first phase. This completes the second operation and the cycle operation.

[0063] The bag-making and packaging machine 10 can continuously produce bags W containing item A by repeating the above cycle operation.

[0064] The timing for initiating the vibration operation is not limited to any point between the start of the second phase (when the first contact portion 18c and the second contact portion 19c come into contact with the film cylinder FT) and the completion of the first operation.

[0065] The parameters of the vibration operation, such as amplitude, period, and number of vibrations, are set appropriately based on the weight and shape of item A, the material of film F, the shape of bag W, etc. The amplitude of the vibration operation can be, for example, between 10 mm and 50 mm. The vibration period can be, for example, between 50 milliseconds and 100 milliseconds. The number of vibrations can be, for example, between 1 and 10 times.

[0066] (5) Characteristics (5-1) The bag-making and packaging machine 10 packages the article A discharged from the article discharge device 20 into a bag W formed from a film F into a cylindrical shape. The bag-making and packaging machine 10 includes a lateral sealing mechanism 15, a moving mechanism 16, and a control unit 17. The lateral sealing mechanism 15 performs a first operation in which it clamps the film F from a direction intersecting the direction of transport (horizontal direction H) and seals it. The moving mechanism 16 moves the lateral sealing mechanism 15. The control unit 17 controls the moving mechanism 16 and causes the lateral sealing mechanism 15 to vibrate before the first operation is completed, thereby performing a vibration operation that applies vibration to the article A inside the film cylinder FT.

[0067] In the bag-making and packaging machine 10, the control unit 17 performs a vibration operation, thereby applying vibration to the articles A inside the film tube FT before the first operation is completed. As a result, before the completion of the first operation, the articles A located downstream of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 (downward in the vertical direction V) are moved downward while closing the gaps between them, thus increasing the filling rate of articles A even downstream of the lateral sealing mechanism 15.

[0068] Furthermore, the bag-making and packaging machine 10 performs a vibration operation during the first operation. Therefore, compared to the case where a vibration operation is performed on item A separately from the first operation, the filling rate of item A can be increased without reducing production capacity.

[0069] Furthermore, in the bag-making and packaging machine 10, vibration is achieved using a moving mechanism 16 to move the lateral sealing mechanism 15 during the first operation. Therefore, since there is no need to specially install a device such as a shaker to apply vibration to the item A, the manufacturing cost of the packaging machine can be kept low while increasing the filling rate of item A.

[0070] (5-2) During vibration operation, the control unit 17 drives the lateral sealing mechanism 15 to reciprocate in the vertical direction V by the moving mechanism 16.

[0071] (5-3) The receiving member 40 is integrally positioned above the lateral sealing mechanism 15 and contacts the outer surface of the film tube FT to receive the item A as it falls inside the film tube FT. In the vibration operation, the control unit 17 causes the moving mechanism 16 to vibrate the receiving member 40 together with the lateral sealing mechanism 15.

[0072] In the bag-making and packaging machine 10, the receiving member 40 vibrates along with the lateral sealing mechanism 15 during vibration operation, so that the article A held by the receiving member 40 is also subjected to vibration. As a result, the filling rate of article A can be effectively increased on both the upstream side (upwards in the vertical direction V) and the downstream side of the lateral sealing mechanism 15.

[0073] (5-4) The lateral sealing mechanism 15 has a first sealing jaw 56 and a second sealing jaw 57 that clamp the film cylinder FT in the first operation.

[0074] (5-5) The receiving member 40 contacts the outer surface of the film tube FT before the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 contact the film tube FT during the first operation. The control unit 17 starts the vibration operation when the receiving member 40 contacts the outer surface of the film tube FT and before the first seal jaw 56 and the second seal jaw 57 contact the film tube FT.

[0075] (5-6) The moving mechanism 16 has a vertical moving motor 59 that rotationally drives the lateral sealing mechanism 15. In the vibration operation, the control unit 17 causes the moving mechanism 16 to vibrate the lateral sealing mechanism 15 by rotating the vertical moving motor 59 in the forward and reverse directions.

[0076] (5-7) The bag-making and packaging machine 10 is equipped with a pull-down belt 13. The pull-down belt 13 continuously conveys the film F.

[0077] (6) Variant (6-1) Variation A The direction in which the lateral sealing mechanism 15 is driven back and forth only needs to be at least one of the vertical direction V and the horizontal direction H.

[0078] When the lateral sealing mechanism 15 is to be driven back and forth in the horizontal direction H, a drive motor (not shown) is provided to drive the lateral sealing mechanism 15 back and forth in the horizontal direction H, and the lateral sealing mechanism 15 is vibrated by rotating the drive motor in the forward and reverse directions.

[0079] (6-2) Variation B Before the first operation is completed, the control unit 17 may move the lateral sealing mechanism 15 slightly upward on the vertical movement mechanism 55 to inflate the bag W (browsing operation). At this time, the control unit 17 can further increase the filling rate of the article A by vibrating the first sealing jaw 56, the second sealing jaw 57, and the receiving member 40 of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 that is moving upward on the vertical movement mechanism 55.

[0080] (6-3) Modification C The pull-down belt 13 may intermittently transport the film F at a constant cycle.

[0081] In this case, the control unit 17 basically does not need to change the vertical position V of the lateral sealing mechanism 15 in the vertical direction by means of vibration during cycle operation.

[0082] (6-4) Modification D The moving mechanism 16 that vibrates the lateral sealing mechanism 15 may be an electromagnetic feeder.

[0083] In this case, the moving mechanism 16 has an electromagnetic feeder (not shown) that can vibrate the lateral sealing mechanism 15, in addition to the horizontal moving mechanism 54 and the vertical moving mechanism 55. The control unit 17 can use the horizontal moving mechanism 54 and the vertical moving mechanism 55 to cause the lateral sealing mechanism 15 to perform a first operation, and at a predetermined timing, vibrate the lateral sealing mechanism 15 with the electromagnetic feeder.

[0084] This electromagnetic feeder may vibrate the lateral sealing mechanism 15, or it may vibrate the frame (not shown) of the bag-making and packaging machine 10 that supports the lateral sealing mechanism 15.

[0085] (6-5) Modification E A modified example D of the present invention (not shown) may be a rotary-type bag-making and packaging machine equipped with two lateral sealing mechanisms that rotate around a rotating shaft.

[0086] The lateral sealing mechanism of the bag-making and packaging machine according to modified example D has a receiving member and a sealing part. The receiving member is positioned above the lateral sealing mechanism and integrally with it, and contacts the outer surface of the packaging material to catch articles falling inside the packaging material. The sealing part clamps and seals the packaging material in the first operation. The moving mechanism is a rotation mechanism that rotates the lateral sealing mechanism. In the vibration operation, the control unit causes the moving mechanism to vibrate the receiving member together with the lateral sealing mechanism by rotating the rotation mechanism in the forward and reverse directions. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0087] 10 Bag making and packaging machine 13. Pull-down belt (conveyor mechanism) 15. Lateral sealing mechanism 16 Moving mechanism 17 Control Unit 40 Receiving member 20 Article discharge device 55 Vertical movement mechanism (movement mechanism) 56. First seal jaw (seal part) 57. Second seal jaw (seal part) 59 Vertical movement motor (drive motor) A Goods F Film (packaging material) FT film tube W bag [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0088] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2012-166833

Claims

1. A bag-making and packaging machine that packages articles discharged from an article discharge device into bags formed from packaging material into a cylindrical shape, A lateral sealing mechanism performs a first operation of clamping and sealing the packaging material from a direction intersecting the direction of transport, A receiving member is provided above the lateral sealing mechanism, integrally disposed with the lateral sealing mechanism, and in contact with the outer surface of the packaging material to receive the article falling inside the packaging material. A vertical movement mechanism for moving the aforementioned lateral sealing mechanism in the vertical direction, Equipped with, The receiving member is covered with a material having elasticity on the contact surface that contacts the outer surface of the packaging material. The vertical movement mechanism moves the lateral sealing mechanism upward before the first operation is completed. Bag making and packaging machine.

2. The contact surface has a first contact surface and a second contact surface that face each other across the packaging material. The first contact surface and the second contact surface are inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The bag-making and packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the first contact surface and the second contact surface gradually increases from bottom to top.

3. The aforementioned contact surface is supported by the sliding part and is attached to the fixed part so as to be slidable in the horizontal direction. The bag-making and packaging machine according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The system further comprises a conveying mechanism for conveying the aforementioned packaging material to the lateral sealing mechanism, The transport mechanism transports the packaging material intermittently at a fixed interval. A bag-making and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The system further comprises a conveying mechanism for conveying the aforementioned packaging material to the lateral sealing mechanism, The conveying mechanism continuously conveys the packaging material. A bag-making and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

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