Sandwich packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a sandwich packaging device capable of providing a neatly packaged product in which a packaging material is folded well without being loose around a sandwich.SOLUTION: A sandwich packaging device includes a conveyor G that pinches the front and back of a triangular sandwich wrapped in film in the thickness direction, with a palm-shaped back seal part of the film facing up, and transports the sandwich with the cut surface facing down. The sandwich packaging device also includes a first processing station S1, a second processing station S2, a third processing station S3, and a fourth processing station S4 which are arranged in such an order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the transport direction of the conveyor G, and perform various processes when the conveyor G stops intermittently. At each of the processing stations S1 to S4, tubular extensions extending to the right and left from the sandwich are folded and sealed to produce a package in which the film is in close contact with the surface of the sandwich.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sandwich packaging device that folds and seals the left and right extending portions of a packaging material wrapped around a triangular sandwich.

Background Art

[0002] As a device for packaging sandwiches, a packaging device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has been proposed. The packaging device of Patent Document 1 presses a sandwich toward the upper and lower extending portions of a film (packaging material) drawn out from a film roll, wraps the sandwich with the film, seals and cuts it, and in the process of receiving the cylindrically wrapped sandwich on a transfer conveyor and conveying it downstream, at the extending portions extending left and right from the sandwich of the cylindrically wrapped film, the portions facing each inclined surface of the sandwich are bent with a first bending body along each inclined surface from the top, and each side extending portion of the film extending outward from each side of the upstream side and the downstream side in the thickness direction of each inclined surface is bent with a second bending body along the inclined surface and overlapped, and on the bottom surface side of the sandwich, a seal is applied in the thickness direction of the sandwich at the extending base of the folded and extending portion of the film extending outward for packaging.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The packaging device disclosed in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which, when the first bending body folds the portion of the tubular film facing each inclined surface of the sandwich along the inclined surface, the second bending body folds the lateral extension portion along the inclined surface, and the support of the previously folded film is released while the fold of the lateral extension portion onto the inclined surface is performed. Also, the folding of the film by the first and second bending bodies is performed on both sides simultaneously. As a result, the film folded over the surface of the sandwich may develop creases, or the packaging may become loose overall. Furthermore, the folded edges of the film are not sharp but curved and rounded, which can result in a loose overall appearance of the packaging.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a sandwich packaging device that can produce a well-folded package without the packaging material becoming loose or overlapping on the surface of the sandwich. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the aforementioned problems and achieve the intended objective, the first means is: The packaging material (10a) is wrapped around the body, with a gusset-shaped back seal (16) facing upwards, forming a triangular sandwich (11). A square loaf of bread was cut diagonally. The cut surface (11A) faces downwards. The triangular vertex faces upwards. Posture The overlapping direction of the bread slices, facing forward and backward in the direction of transport. A processing conveyor (G) that transports a sandwich (11) which is held between clamping members (51, 52) at the front and back, and a conveying path of the processing conveyor (G) for the sandwich (11) Intersecting the conveying direction A tubular extension (43) of the packaging material (10a) extending to the left and right. one of the two A predetermined process is performed to bend and form it. 1 Processing station (S1) The second processing station (S2), the third processing station (S3), and the fourth processing station (S4) proceed in order. It was installed, The aforementioned one The upper extension portion (43a) of the tubular extension portion (43) From the aforementioned triangular apex, Slope (11B) On the other hand A folding means (60) that folds downwards along the line, By the bending means (60)Before folding downwards The It enters the inside of the cylindrical extension (43), Applicable A guide means (61) that supports the folded edge portion (62a) of the side extension portion (43b) of the tubular extension portion (43) from the inside, By the bending means (60) The device comprises a pair of folded extensions (62, 62) formed by folding the upper extension (43a) downwards, and a side sealing means (64) that forms a side sealing portion (63) in the vertical direction. The first processing station (S1) and the third processing station (S2) , In the first processing station (S1) or the third processing station (S3), The upper extension portion (43a) that has been folded downward by the bending means (60) is The aforementioned A support member (86) that supports along the inclined surface (11B), and in the state in which the upward extension (43a) is supported by the support member (86), Formed in the first processing station (S1) or the third processing station (S3) A folding means (87) for alternately folding the folded extension portions (62, 62) onto the upper part of the support member (86), and the folded extension portions (62, 62) folded by the folding means (87) at the base portion protruding from the cut surface (11A) of the sandwich (11), Formed in the first processing station (S1) or the third processing station (S3) The system includes lateral sealing means (89, 109) that intersect with the side sealing portion (63) to form lateral sealing portions (98, 110). The second processing station (S2) and the fourth processing station (S4) , Second Processing station (S2) or The aforementioned At the 4th processing station (S4) , formed by the aforementioned lateral sealing means (89, 109) Horizontal sticker Section (98,110) The gist of the invention is the provision of a means (115) for cutting off the portion that protrudes outward. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, at different processing stations, the tubular extensions of the packaging material that wrap around the sandwich and extend to the left and right are folded one by one in sequence, and corners are added to the folded edges. As a result, the sandwich is not packaged loosely, which spoils its appearance, and the packaging material does not sag over the surface of the sandwich, allowing for good packaging. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1]It is a schematic front view showing a sandwich packaging device. [Figure 2] It is a schematic plan view showing a sandwich packaging device. [Figure 3] It is a schematic front view of the main part showing a sandwich packaging device. [Figure 4] It is a schematic perspective view of the main part showing a sandwich packaging device. [Figure 5] It is a schematic perspective view showing folding means, guide means, and side seal means. [Figure 6] It is a schematic perspective view showing folding means. [Figure 7] It is a schematic side view of the main part showing guide means and side seal means. [Figure 8] It is a schematic perspective view showing folding means. [Figure 9] It is a schematic view of the main part showing the relationship between a support member in a folded state of a side extension portion and folding means. [Figure 10] It is a schematic perspective view showing bottom seal means. [Figure 11] It is an explanatory view showing a state in which a sandwich is surrounded by a film formed in a tubular shape. [Figure 12] It is a schematic perspective view showing a sandwich package, and is a view seen from one and the other of inclined surfaces that incline from the top side when the cut surface of a triangular sandwich (a surface obtained by cutting a square bread diagonally) is placed on the bottom side. [Figure 13] It is an explanatory view of the process divided into the process for each station up to the first to fourth processing stations as a process for folding a sandwich package.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Next, a preferred embodiment of a sandwich packaging device according to the present invention will be given, and it will be described below while referring to the accompanying drawings.

Examples

[0010] As shown in Figures 1, 2, and 4, the sandwich packaging device includes a processing conveyor G that holds (supports) a triangular sandwich 11 wrapped in film (packaging material) 10 from the front and back in the overlapping direction (thickness direction) of the bread slices and transports it downstream. In the transport path of the sandwich 11 by the processing conveyor G, a first processing station S1, a second processing station S2, a third processing station S3, and a fourth processing station S4 are arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side in the direction of the transport of the sandwich 11 by the processing conveyor G. These stations perform various processes such as folding the tubular extensions 43, 43 that extend to the left and right, intersecting the transport direction of the sandwich 11 in the film 10 (hereinafter referred to as the product transport direction), in stages along the surface of the sandwich 11, or sealing the folded film 10. Furthermore, the packaging device includes a wrap-around packaging mechanism 12 upstream of the processing conveyor G for wrapping the sandwich 11 with film 10.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the body wrapping packaging mechanism 12 includes a film supply means 14 that pulls out a strip of film 10 from a film roll (supply source) 13 on which a strip of film 10 is wound, and stretches it vertically across the transport path of the sandwich 11; an article supply means 15 that intermittently transports the sandwich 11 toward the film stretching section M; and an article supply means disposed downstream of the stretching section M, which passes through the stretching section M and wraps around the sandwich 11 in a cylindrical shape, on the rear side (upstream side) of the article transport direction of the sandwich 11. The device includes a sealing means 17 that sandwiches the film 10, which is overlapped at one point on the side facing the triangular apex opposite the cut surface (bottom surface) 11A during the manufacturing of the triangular sandwich, and seals and cuts the overlapping portion which is overlapped in a gable shape in the width direction intersecting the product transport direction to form a back seal portion 16 (see Figure 11) that extends in the width direction with a required width, and a transfer conveyor 18 which is composed of a lower conveyor 18a and an upper conveyor 18b that feeds the body-wrapped sandwich 11 to the processing conveyor G.

[0012] As shown in Figure 1, the article supply means 15 includes an upstream first supply conveyor 19 and a downstream second supply conveyor 20 arranged in series in the article transport direction to place and transport the sandwich 11, and an upper conveyor 21 located above both supply conveyors 19 and 20 to transport the sandwich 11 sandwiched between them. The article supply means 15 supplies the sandwich 11 from the cut surface 11A side toward the film stretching section M with the overlapping direction (thickness direction) in an up-and-down position, and the triangular apex facing the bottom surface which becomes the cut surface 11A facing the rear side in the article transport direction. In addition, an article pushing device 22 is provided above the second supply conveyor 20 to push the sandwich 11 transported by the second supply conveyor 20 toward the strip-shaped film 10 stretched across the film stretching section M. The article pushing device 22 includes a first moving mechanism 24 that moves both pushing members 23, 23 (only one shown in Figures 1 and 3) that can contact the two inclined surfaces 11B, 11B facing the rear of the sandwich 11, which is being transported on the second supply conveyor 20 in a horizontal position with its thickness direction vertical, and a second moving mechanism 25 that moves both pushing members 23, 23 closer together and further apart in the width direction. The article pushing device 22 is timed to bring the pushing members 23, 23 closer together by the first moving mechanism 24 when the sandwich 11 being transported on the second supply conveyor 20 arrives at an appropriate position and stops being transported. Next, in conjunction with the intermittent transport of the second supply conveyor 20, the second moving mechanism 25 moves the pressing members 23, 23 downstream, and the second supply conveyor 20 and the pressing members 23, 23 supply the sandwich 11 towards the stretched section M of the film from the cut surface 11A side.

[0013] As shown in Figure 3, the article pushing device 22 moves the pushing members 23, 23 forward until the sandwich 11, supported from both sides by the pushing members 23, 23, is transferred to the transfer conveyor 18 beyond the stretching section M. Then, the pushing members 23, 23 are moved apart from each other by the first moving mechanism 24 and backward by the second moving mechanism 25. The pushing member 23 has a film support surface that, while in contact with the inclined surface 11B of the sandwich 11, slightly protrudes downstream of the cut surface 11A of the sandwich 11 or faces the same position. When wrapping the strip-shaped film 10 around the sandwich 11, the pushing members 23, 23 pull out the strip-shaped film 10, thereby preventing deformation of the cut surface 11A of the sandwich 11 due to the resistance of pulling out the film 10.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, a roll holder 26, which is rotationally driven by a servo motor, is rotatably mounted above the article supply means 15. A film roll 13 is mounted on the roll holder 26, on which a strip of film 10 wider than the length of the long side 11a (see Figure 11) of the cut surface 11A of the sandwich 11 to be packaged is wound. The strip of film 10 pulled out from the film roll 13 is supplied from above to below via a plurality of guide rollers 27 so as to cross the transport path of the sandwich 11 downstream of the second supply conveyor 20. An upper transport roller 28, which is rotationally driven by a servo motor and holds the strip of film 10, is positioned in the film transport path above the article supply means 15. The roll holder 26 and the upper transport roller 28 are configured to pull out and rewind the strip of film 10 from the film roll 13 by rotating them in the forward and reverse directions. Furthermore, a winding roller 29, which is rotationally driven by a servo motor, is rotatably disposed below the article supply means 15, and a lower transport roller 31, which is rotationally driven by a servo motor and holds the strip-shaped film 10, is positioned in the film transport path, which is guided by a plurality of guide rollers 30 up to the winding roller 29. The winding roller 29 and the lower transport roller 31 are rotated in the forward and reverse directions to pull out and wind up the strip-shaped film 10 from the winding roller 29. In this embodiment, the film supply means 14 includes a roll holder 26, an upper transport roller 28, a guide roller 27, a winding roller 29, a lower transport roller 31, and guide rollers 30.

[0015] The film supply means 14 is configured to pull out the strip of film 10 from the film roll 13 and the winding roller 29 when the strip of film 10 is pressed together with the sandwich 11 by the pressing members 23, 23, and to rewind the strip of film 10 onto the film roll 13 and the winding roller 29 after the strip of film 10 wrapped around the sandwich 11 has been sealed and cut, so that the strip of film 10 is stretched in the stretching section M. Furthermore, when the film supply means 14 is winding the film with the winding roller 29 after the strip of film 10 has been sealed and cut, it stops winding the film with the winding roller 29 when it is detected by a detection means such as an encoder provided on the lower transport roller 31 that a preset amount of film has been wound. This configuration allows the strip-shaped film 10 to be stretched downstream of the second supply conveyor 20 with the sealed portion 10b of the strip-shaped film 10 moved to a position where it will not be used for packaging the next sandwich 11, thereby creating a packaging form in which one back seal portion 16 is formed on the top side of the sandwich 11.

[0016] As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the sealing means 17 comprises a pair of sealing bodies 32a and 32b facing each other vertically across the article transport path, and a knife 32c housed in one of the sealing bodies 32a. By bringing the pair of sealing bodies 32a and 32b closer together, the overlapping portion of the film 10, which is wrapped around the body and overlaps at the rear of the transport of the sandwich 11, is clamped and sealed in the width direction. The film 10 is then cut in the width direction with the knife 32c to form a back seal portion 16. Here, as shown in Figure 11, the back seal portion 16 comprises a welded portion 16a of the required width that overlaps in a gable shape, and an unsealed portion 16b of the required width on the open end side of its outer portion. The lower conveyor 18a is configured such that an endless belt 18d is wrapped around a plurality of pulleys 18c, and the starting end of the endless belt 18d is configured as a shuttle conveyor that moves back and forth along the article transport direction relative to the transport end of the second supply conveyor 20, following the movement of the pair of seal bodies 32a and 32b toward and toward each other. That is, when the pair of seal bodies 32a and 32b approach each other, the opposing ends of the second supply conveyor 20 and the lower conveyor 18a move apart, allowing them to pass toward the clamping position where the film 10 is clamped between the pair of seal bodies 32a and 32b, and when the pair of seal bodies 32a and 32b move apart, the opposing ends of the lower conveyor 18a and the second supply conveyor 20 move closer together, allowing the sandwich 11 to be transported downstream without hindrance. Furthermore, the transfer conveyor 18 operates intermittently, controlled to stop when the sealing bodies 32a and 32b grip the film 10 in relation to the sealing operation by the sealing bodies 32a and 32b. This process sandwiches the body-wrapped sandwiches 11 between the lower conveyor 18a and the upper conveyor 18b, and then sends them to the processing conveyor G.

[0017] As shown in Figure 3, an upper guide member 33 is positioned near the sealing surface at a location closer to the upstream side in the article transport direction than the upper sealing body 32a, extending in the width direction and moving integrally with the sealing body 32a. A lower guide member 34 is positioned between the transport end of the second supply conveyor 20 and the transport start end of the transfer conveyor 18, extending in the width direction. The strip-shaped film 10 is configured to be supported by both guide members 33 and 34 on the upstream side of the sealing bodies 32a and 32b when the pair of sealing bodies 32a and 32b approach each other from a position where they are separated.

[0018] As shown in Figure 3, in the sealing means 17, a creasing means 35 is provided on the side surface of the downstream sealing member of the upper and lower sealing bodies 32a and 32b. The creasing means 35 comprises a first creasing body 35a provided on the upper sealing body 32a and a second creasing body 35b provided on the lower sealing body 32b and facing the first creasing body 35a. When the film 10 is sandwiched between the pair of sealing bodies 32a and 32b and sealed and cut, the overlapping portion of the film 10 on the sandwich side from the sealing position is sandwiched by the protrusions and indentations formed on the tips of the creasing bodies 35a and 35b, and a crease 36 (see Figure 11) is formed in the overlapping portion that extends in the width direction parallel to the back sealing portion 16. The creasing means 35 in this embodiment forms a crease 36 that causes the back sealing portion 16 to bend downwards in Figure 3.

[0019] As shown in Figure 1, in the film transport path of the strip-shaped film 10, which is pulled out from the film roll 13 and reaches the sealing position by the sealing means 17, a notch forming means 38 is arranged on one side edge in the width direction of the strip-shaped film 10 to form a pair of spaced-apart opening notches 37, 37 (see Figure 11). The notch forming means 38 includes a first packaging guide 39 and a second packaging guide 40, which have a pair of guide plates arranged on both sides of the strip-shaped film 10, separated by a predetermined distance so that the strip-shaped film 10 can pass through, and two cutting blades 41, 42 that move back and forth in the thickness direction of the strip-shaped film 10 by a linear actuator such as an air cylinder. The guide plate has a slit that allows the cutting edges 41 and 42 to penetrate, and by advancing the cutting edges 41 and 42 from a retracted position away from the guide plates of the packaging guides 39 and 40 to an advanced position with the cutting edges penetrated into the slit, an opening notch 37 is formed in the strip-shaped film 10 supported by the guide plate, with a line extending linearly for a predetermined length from one end edge in the width direction of the film 10 to the other end. The notch forming means 38 forms opening notches 37, 37 on one end edge in the width direction of the strip-shaped film 10, in a package of a packaged sandwich 11 described later, at a protruding portion 88 that protrudes outward from the bottom seal portion 98 formed by the bottom seal means 89 described later, on both sides of the back seal portion 16.

[0020] A mark sensor (not shown) is provided in the film transport path from the film roll 13 to the sealing means 17 to detect a registration mark attached to the strip-shaped film 10 in units of one packaging length. Based on the detection of the registration mark by the mark sensor, during the transport pause period of the strip-shaped film 10 when the portion corresponding to the position where the back seal portion 16 formed by the sealing means 17 is located reaches the position where the notch forming means 38 is installed, the linear actuator of the notch forming means 38 is activated to push the cutting edges 41 and 42 into the slits of the packaging guides 39 and 40, thereby forming opening notches 37 and 37 in the strip-shaped film 10.

[0021] In this embodiment of the packaging apparatus, the strip-shaped film 10, which is pulled out to the stretching section M for the next packaging after packaging, is positioned such that the second opening notch 37 formed by the upper second cutting blade 42 of the notch forming means 38 and the first opening notch 37 formed by the lower first cutting blade 41 in the next cycle are separated by the length of one packaging, and the midpoint between the lower second opening notch 37 and the upper first opening notch 37 coincides with the midpoint K (see Figure 1) in the thickness direction (vertical direction) of the sandwich 11 placed on the conveying surface of the second supply conveyor 20. Furthermore, the seal portion 10b formed by the previous packaging is wound up by the winding roller 29 to a lower position where it will not be used in the next packaging.

[0022] As shown in Figure 11, when the cut surface 12A is the bottom surface of the sandwich 11, the film 10 is superimposed and sealed in a gusset shape with a predetermined width at approximately the center of the thickness in the overlapping direction of the sandwich 11, at a position facing the inclined surfaces 11B, 11B that slope outwards from the top surface 11c of the sandwich 11, the sandwich 11 is housed in a cylindrical film 10a with a back seal portion 16 formed thereon. Furthermore, the tubular extensions 43, 43 extending to the left and right from the sandwich 11 in the tubular film 10a are composed of upper extensions 43a, 43a extending from the top edge 11c where the two inclined surfaces 11B, 11B meet, side extensions 43b, 43b extending outward from the slanted edges 11b, 11b facing each other in the thickness direction of the inclined surfaces 11B, 11B, and lower extensions 43c, 43c extending from the bottom edges 11d, 11d where the inclined surfaces 11B, 11B and the cut surface 11A meet. In this embodiment, two opening notches 37, 37 are formed on the edge 43d of the upper extension 43a facing one of the inclined surfaces 11B, with the back seal portion 16 in between. In this embodiment, the triangular sandwich 11 wrapped in packaging material 10 is supplied to the receiving section 45 of the processing conveyor G, which will be described later, from the cut surface 11A with the cylindrical extensions 43, 43 facing left and right, and the back seal portion 16 facing upstream (rear).

[0023] As shown in Figure 2, the endless belt 18d of the lower conveyor 18a is composed of multiple (three in this embodiment) endless belts 18d arranged in parallel in the width direction, and the sandwich 11 is placed on and transported by the three endless belts 18d. The transfer conveyor 18 operates intermittently, controlled to stop when the sealing bodies 32a and 32b clamp the film in relation to the sealing operation by the sealing bodies 32a and 32b, thereby sending the body-wrapped sandwich 11 from the cut surface 11A side to the item receiving section 45 provided at the upstream end of the processing conveyor G. The lower conveyor 18a has a central endless belt 18d whose downstream end is located upstream of the downstream ends of the endless belts 18d on both sides, and a receiving table 46 is provided downstream of the central endless belt 18d on which the central part of the sandwich 11 transported by the transfer conveyor 18 is placed. Furthermore, the receiving table 46 has a notch 46a that allows a pair of clamping members 51 and 52, which will be described later, to pass through for holding the sandwich 11.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the processing conveyor G has support members 49 arranged at predetermined intervals on a toothed endless belt 47 that runs intermittently by a driving means. These support members 49 individually grip the sandwiches 11 and transport them from the receiving section 45 to the discharge section 48 located at the downstream end of the processing conveyor G. Each support member 49 includes a receiving surface 50 on which the cut surface 11A of the sandwich 11 rests and is supported, and a pair of gripping members 51 and 52 positioned at the front and rear of the processing conveyor G in the direction of transporting goods, capable of gripping the sandwich 11, with its cut surface 11A supported by the receiving surface 50, from the thickness direction. When the endless belt 47 intermittently stops running, the support member 49 is positioned in the receiving section 45 with the receiving surface 50 facing upstream and the pair of gripping members 51 and 52 separated vertically. Furthermore, corresponding to the receiving section 45, a spacing adjustment means 53 is provided to move the pair of clamping members 51 and 52 toward each other to narrow the distance between them, from a distance wider than the overlapping thickness of the sandwich 11 to a distance that allows the sandwich 11 to be clamped. The spacing adjustment means 53 includes a pair of pressing bodies 53b, 53b that move toward and toward each other and toward and apart from each other in the vertical direction by a linear slide mechanism 53a driven by a servo motor. The pair of pressing bodies 53b, 53b are moved from a standby position that is spaced apart from each other so as not to interfere with the clamping members 51 and 52 when the support 49 is sent to the receiving section 45, to a clamping position for the sandwich 11 where the clamping members 51 and 52 are closer together and their distance from each other is narrowed. The clamping members 51 and 52 are supported by an elastic member such as a compression spring so as to be able to move toward and apart from each other, and are configured to be able to lock in a state where they elastically clamp the sandwich 11 at an interval adjusted by the spacing adjustment means 53. In addition, corresponding to the discharge section 48, there is a release means 54 for releasing the lock on the pair of clamping members 51 and 52, which are locked so as to restrict movement in the direction of clamping and expanding the sandwich 11. The clamping members 51 and 52, once the lock has been released by the release means 54, are configured to separate from each other by an elastic member and release the sandwich 11.

[0025] As shown in Figure 4, in the processing conveyor G, the sandwich 11, held between a pair of clamping members 51 and 52, is transported with the cut surface 11A facing downwards and the cut surface 11A placed on the receiving surface 50 of the support 49. The first to fourth processing stations S1 to S4 are arranged along the transport path of the processing conveyor G. After passing through the first to fourth processing stations S1 to S4, the sandwich 11, which has been folded (bent), is then placed in the discharge section 48, where the clamping members 51 and 52 on the support 49 are inverted vertically relative to the receiving section 45, the overlapping direction of the sandwich 11 becomes vertical, and the cut surface 11A faces the upstream side of the processing conveyor G.

[0026] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the discharge section 48 is provided with a discharge table 55 on which the sandwich 11, which has been released from being held by the pair of clamping members 51 and 52 by the release means 54, is placed. The discharge table 55 is provided with a notch 55a that allows the pair of clamping members 51 and 52 to pass through, similar to the receiving table 46. The discharge section 48 is also provided with a removal means 56 for removing the sandwich 11 from between the pair of clamping members 51 and 52. The removal means 56 comprises plate-shaped pushers 57 arranged on both sides in the width direction of the transport path of the processing conveyor G, and a drive means 58 such as an air cylinder that operates each pusher 57. The cut surface 11A of the sandwich 11, which is placed on the discharge table 55 and extends to the left and right from the clamping members 51, 52, facing the upstream of transport, is pushed outward from the support 49 by the pushers 57, 57 operated by the drive means 58, 58, and is horizontally pushed out from between the pair of clamping members 51, 52. Furthermore, a discharge conveyor 59 is arranged downstream of the discharge table 55, and the removal means 56 pushes the sandwich 11 placed on the discharge table 55 to the discharge conveyor 59.

[0027] The first processing station S1 and the third processing station S3 differ only in the cylindrical extensions 43, 43 they process, and the arrangement of the various processing means installed in stations S1 and S3 is reversed left to right. Therefore, the configuration of the first processing station S1 will be described, and the same processing means installed in the third processing station S3 will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. As shown in Figures 4 to 10, the first processing station S1 includes a bending means 60 that folds the upper extension portion 43a of the cylindrical extension portion 43 downward so as to follow the inclined surface 11B of the sandwich 11 when the processing conveyor G is intermittently stopped, a guide means 61 that enters the inside of the cylindrical extension portion 43 before the downward folding of the cylindrical extension portion 43 and supports the folded edge portions 62a, 62a that extend laterally from the hypotenuses 11b, 11b on both edges of the thickness of the sandwich 11 on the inclined surface 11B so as to overlap due to the downward folding of the upper extension portion 43a, and a side sealing means 64 that forms a vertical side sealing portion 63 on a pair of folded extension portions 62, 62 formed by the downward folding of the upper extension portion 43a.

[0028] As shown in Figure 4, the first processing station S1 has a bending mechanism 60 on one side of the transport path of the processing conveyor G (in this embodiment, the first processing station S1 is on the left side when viewed from the upstream side, and the third processing station S3 is on the right side). As shown in Figure 6, the bending mechanism 60 has a base member 65 on which a slide member 66 is supported so as to be movable diagonally downward toward the transport path, and a link mechanism 67 is provided on the base member 65 that connects the slide member 66 to a driving means such as a motor, and the slide member 66 slides between a retracted position that is separated from the transport path and an advanced position that is close to the transport path. The slide member 66 has a bending mechanism 60 provided on it that is arranged to extend diagonally downward toward the transport path and slides together with the slide member 66. The bending mechanism 60 is configured to tilt in the vertical direction by a tilting mechanism 69 as the slide member 66 moves in a straight line. The tilting mechanism 69 consists of a support shaft 68 supported by a slide member 66, a rotating lever 71b disposed at the shaft end of the support shaft 68 so as to be rotatable integrally with the support shaft 68, a follower 72a disposed on the other end of the rotating lever 71b, and a guide groove 71 disposed on the side of the base member 65 so as to allow the follower 72a to roll. The guide groove 71 is formed of a first straight section 71a that slopes downward as it approaches from the side away from the transport path, an inclined section 71b connected to the lower end of the inclined first straight section 71a that slopes downward at a gentler angle than the first straight section 71a as it approaches the transport path, and a second straight section 71c connected to the lower end of the inclined section 71b that slopes downward at the same angle as the first straight section 71a. Then, while the follower 72a moves along the inclined portion 71b, the tip of the bending means 60 is initially inclined upward and spaced apart from the inclined surface 11B (see solid line in Figure 6). As the slide member 66 moves forward, the tip of the bending means 60 tilts downward (towards the inclined surface 11B), and at the advanced position, the bending means 60 is in a supporting position along the inclined surface 11B (see dashed line in Figure 6).In other words, the bending means 60 moves forward and downward toward the inclined surface 11B extending to one side of the sandwich 11 by the operation of the link mechanism 67 and the action of the tilting means 69, pushing down the upper extension 43a from the top edge 11c side of the sandwich 11 and folding it downward to support it along the inclined surface 11B. Furthermore, when the bending means 60 folds the upper extension 43a downward, the contact area of ​​the bending means 60 with respect to the upper extension 43a from the tip to the base end increases, i.e., the area pressing the upper extension 43a against the inclined surface 11B, thereby supporting the upper extension 43a along the inclined surface 11B over a wide area in the longitudinal direction of the bending means 60 (the direction along the inclined surface 11B).

[0029] As shown in Figure 6, the bending means 60 includes a width adjustment means (spacing adjustment means) 74 so as to be able to adjust the distance between a pair of plate-shaped folded bodies 73, 73 supported by the support shaft 68. The width adjustment means 74 is disposed on the slide member 66 and extends parallel to the support shaft 68, and includes a pair of female threaded members 74c, 74c that are screwed into the forward and reverse threaded portions of a screw shaft 74a, which has forward and reverse threaded portions spaced apart in the axial direction, and each folded body 73, 73 is supported by these female threaded members 74c, 74c, and a handle 74b that rotates the screw shaft 74a in forward and reverse directions. By rotating the handle 74b according to the thickness (overlap thickness) of the sandwich 11, the distance between the pair of folded bodies 73, 73 is adjusted as the pair of female threaded members 74c, 74c move closer to and further apart from each other. The opposing edges of the pair of folded bodies 73, 73 are formed with an uneven surface so that when they approach each other, the uneven surfaces can interlock in an alternating pattern.

[0030] At the first processing station S1, the guide means 61 and a pair of side sealing means 64, 64 are arranged on the frame 75 on the opposite side of the transport path from the location where the bending means 60 is installed, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. The guide means 61 comprises a pair of guide bars 111, 111 that can move toward and toward each other in the thickness direction of the sandwich 11. Each guide bar 111 is formed in the shape of a thin rod and is inserted diagonally into the extension portion from diagonally below the opening of the cylindrical extension portion 43 that extends to one side of the sandwich 11 positioned at the first processing station S1, with the tip of the guide bar 111 extending to the vicinity of the front and rear ends (slightly before) of the top edge 11c of the inclined surface 11B. The guide bar 111 moves back and forth between a retracted position (see solid line in Figure 7), where it is retracted outward from the opening of the cylindrical extension 43 by the retracting air cylinder 76, and an inserted position (see dashed line in Figure 7), where it is inserted diagonally upward into the extension from the opening. The pair of retracting air cylinders 76, 76 are arranged on mounting members 77, 77. The mounting member 77 is supported by holders 78, 78 and is provided with opening and closing means 79, 79 that can move toward or away from each other. The pair of guide bars 111, 111 then move back and forth between a narrow position where the spacing is narrower than the thickness of the sandwich 11, and an expanded position where the spacing is approximately the same as the thickness of the sandwich 11. As the opening and closing means 79, an air cylinder 79, 79 is provided on each of the pair of holders 78, 78, and the mounting members 77, 77 are moved closer to and further apart by the air cylinders 79, 79, so that the pair of guide bars 111, 111 are positioned in the narrowed position and the expanded position. The pair of guide bars 111, 111 are operated to be in the narrowed position before entering the cylindrical extension, and to expand to the expanded position near the inclined surface after entering the cylindrical extension. Before the downward fold pushes down the upper extension 43a by the bending means 60, the guide bars 111, 111 diagonally support the side extension 43b from the inside at a support position corresponding to the folded edge 62a when overlapping.

[0031] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the holders 78, 78 are configured so that the expansion position of the pair of guide bars 111, 111 of the guide means 61 can be adjusted according to the thickness dimension of the sandwich 11 by the width adjustment means (spacing adjustment means) 80. The width adjustment means 80 comprises a screw shaft 80a disposed on the frame 75 and extending parallel to the thickness direction of the sandwich 11, with a positive thread portion and a reverse thread portion threaded with axial spacing apart, a pair of female thread members 80c, 80c disposed on each of the holders 78, 78 that screw onto the positive and reverse thread portions of the screw shaft 80a and move closer to and further apart, and a handle 80b for rotating the screw shaft 80a in the forward and reverse directions.

[0032] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, two sets of side sealing means 64 are provided to form side sealing portions 63 on each of the folded extension portions 62, 62 on both the left and right sides of the sandwich 11, with the top edge 11c as the boundary. The two sets of side sealing means 64, 64 are positioned on the upper part of the frame 75, facing above the guide means 61, and are provided with a moving means 81 so that they can move between a retracted position (see solid line in Figure 7) that has moved outward from the extension end of the cylindrical extension portion 43 and an advanced position (see dashed line in Figure 7) that can clamp and seal the folded extension portions 62, 62. The moving means 81 includes a slider 81a that supports the two sets of side sealing means 64, 64 and moves diagonally toward and away from the transport path, a connecting mechanism 81b that engages with the slider 81a, and a driving means such as a motor that drives the connecting mechanism 81b. The connecting mechanism 81b is configured to allow two sets of side sealing means 64, 64 to move diagonally between a retracted position and an advanced position together with the slider 81a. The side sealing means 64 comprises an inner sealer 82a disposed on the tip side of the fixed arm 82 facing the inclined surface 11B, and an outer sealer 83a disposed on the tip side of the clamping arm 83 which is pivotally supported so as to be rotatable around an axis in the vertical direction. The clamping arm 83 is rotated relative to the fixed arm 82 by a clamping means 116 including a connecting mechanism from a drive means (not shown), such as an air cylinder, causing the inner sealer 82a and the outer sealer 83a to move closer to and further apart.

[0033] When the side sealing means 64, 64 move to the forward position, the inner sealers 82a, 82a face the space between the two folded extensions 62, 62, and the outer sealers 83a, 83a face the outside of the folded extensions 62, 62. Also, in the forward position, the inner sealer 82a and the outer sealer 83a are configured such that, near the base of the extension from the sandwich surface of the folded extensions 62, 62, the sealing surfaces that slope linearly downward from the top edge 11c outward face both sides of the folded extensions 62, 62. Then, by sandwiching the folded extension 62 with the inner sealer 82a and the outer sealer 83a, a side sealing portion 63 is formed on the folded extension 62 that slopes linearly downward from the top edge 11c outward (sloping so that it moves away from the sandwich surface as it goes downward). As a result, the side seal portion 63 is formed to be continuous vertically throughout the entire overlapping region from the upper edge to the lower edge 62b, which becomes the folded edge portion 62a of the folded extension portion 62, 62, as shown in Figure 13(a). The side seal portion 63 that is folded along the inclined surface 11B extends, as shown in Figure 12(a), from at least near the end corner in the thickness direction of the top edge 11c of the sandwich 11, intersecting with the bottom side edge 11d of the bottom surface of the sandwich 11, beyond the bottom side edge 11d, and extending to the base of the projection portion 88 that protrudes from the bottom side edge 11d.

[0034] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the two side sealing means 64, 64 are configured to be able to adjust their spacing from one another according to the thickness dimension of the sandwich 11 by width adjustment means (spacing adjustment means) 84 disposed on the frame 75. The width adjustment means 84 comprises a screw shaft 84a extending parallel to the thickness direction of the sandwich 11 and having a positive thread portion and a negative thread portion threaded with axial spacing between them, a pair of female thread members 84c, 84c disposed on the holders 85, 85 on which each side sealing means 64, 64 is disposed and screwing into the corresponding positive and negative thread portions of the screw shaft 84a, and a handle 84b for rotating the screw shaft 84a in the forward or reverse direction. By rotating the screw shaft 84a with the handle 84b, the two side sealing means 64, 64 move closer to and further apart from each other together with the pair of holders 85, 85, thereby adjusting their spacing from one another. In this embodiment, the sealing member is composed of a pair of inner sealers 82a and outer sealers 83a that form a side seal portion 63 on the folded extension portion 62. Two sets of these sealing members are provided, and the distance between the two sets of sealing members is adjusted by a width adjustment means 84.

[0035] The second processing station S2 and the fourth processing station S4 differ only in the tubular extensions 43, 43 they process, and the arrangement of the various processing means installed in stations S2 and S4 is reversed left to right. Therefore, the configuration of the second processing station S2 will be described, and the same processing means installed in the fourth processing station S4 will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. As shown in Figure 4, the second processing station S2 is provided with a support member 86 that supports the upper extension 43a folded downward by the bending means 60 along the inclined surface 11B of the sandwich 11 when the processing conveyor G is intermittently stopped, and a folding means 87 that, while the upper extension 43a is supported by the support member 86, alternately folds the folded extension 62 onto the upper part of the support member 86. Furthermore, the second processing station S2 is provided with a bottom sealing means 89 on the opposite side of the transport path from the arrangement positions of the support member 86 and the folding means 87. This bottom sealing means 89 is provided to horizontally seal the folded extension portion 62, which is folded by the folding means 87, at the base portion protruding from the cut surface 11A of the sandwich 11, so as to intersect with the side sealing portion 63 and form a bottom sealing portion 98. In this embodiment, the fourth processing station S4 is provided with a cutting means 115 for cutting off the portion that protrudes outward from the bottom sealing portion 98, but the cutting means 115 may be provided in the second processing station S2 instead.

[0036] As shown in Figures 8, 9, and 10, in the second processing station S2, the support member 86 and the folding means 87 are arranged on a slide base 91 and are configured to move together between a retracted position, which is diagonally upward of the transport path of the processing conveyor G, and an extended position, which is close to the transport path of the processing conveyor G. The slide base 91 is supported by a sliding means 113, which consists of a slider 113a and a slide rail 113b, so as to be slid diagonally downward on one side of the transport path of the processing conveyor G (the side on which the folding means 60 is arranged), and the slide base 91 is connected to a driving means such as a motor via a link mechanism 92. The flat support member 86 is pivotally supported on the slide base 91 so as to be rotatable in the vertical direction, and is configured so that the extended end tilts in the vertical direction by rotating the support shaft 93 by a tilting means 94. The tilting mechanism 94 consists of a lever 94a disposed at the shaft end of the support shaft 93 and a driving mechanism 94b, such as an air cylinder, connected to the lever 94a. The driving mechanism 94b activates the lever 94a, causing the support shaft 93 to rotate and the support member 86 to tilt vertically. The support member 86 moves forward and downward toward the inclined surface 11B extending to one side of the sandwich 11 due to the movement of the slide base 91 and the action of the tilting mechanism 94, moving in such a way that the contact area with the upper extension 43a, which is folded downward by the bending mechanism 60, increases, i.e., the area pressing the upper extension 43a against the inclined surface 11B, thereby supporting the upper extension 43a along the inclined surface 11B over a wide area in the longitudinal direction of the support member 86 (the direction along the inclined surface 11B).

[0037] As shown in Figures 8 and 9, the folding mechanism 87 is disposed on the slide base 91 and consists of a pair of thin, plate-shaped folding pieces 112a and 112b arranged on both the left and right sides of the support member 86, with the folding pieces 112a and 112b rotatably supported on the slide base 91. An operating mechanism 96 disposed on the slide base 91 allows each folding piece 112a and 112b to rotate between a separated position where they are laterally separated from the support member 86 (see Figure 8) and a supported position where they overlap the upper side (top) of the support member 86 (see Figure 9). In addition, one folding piece 112b is arranged to overlap the other folding piece 112a in the supported position. The folding pieces 112a and 112b are arranged on an arm 114 pivotally supported on a slide base 91. The folding pieces 112a and 112b are moved between a separated position and a supported position by a drive means 96b, such as an air cylinder, which is connected via a connecting member 96a that is rotatably supported at a position spaced apart from the pivot point of the arm 114. The operating means 96, 96 are configured to operate so that one folding piece 112b reaches the supported position later than the other folding piece 112a, so that one folding piece 112b overlaps the topmost part, thereby alternately folding the left and right overlapping extensions 62, 62 along the inclined surface 11B.

[0038] As shown in Figures 4 and 10, the bottom sealing means 89 is located on the opposite side of the transport path of the processing conveyor G in the second processing station S2, from the side where the folding means 87 is located. The bottom sealing means 89 is provided with a pair of sealing bodies 89a and 89b that extend for a predetermined length in the article transport direction and face each other vertically. The sealing bodies 89a and 89b are supported by a frame 97, and by bringing the pair of sealing bodies 89a and 89b closer to each other using air cylinders 89c and 89c as a means of movement, the overlapping extensions 62 and 62 are folded, and the overlapping portion of the upper extension 43a, the side extension 43b (overlapping extension 62), and the lower extension 43c that overlap at the projection 88 extending to one side (right side) of the sandwich 11 is configured to form a bottom sealing portion 98 by applying a lateral seal at the projection base of the projection 88. The bottom sealing means 89 clamps the protruding base from above and below with sealing bodies 89a and 89b and heat-seals it so that two narrow sealing lines are formed on the inner and outer sealing surfaces. The bottom sealing means 89 installed at the second processing station S2 has a cutter 115 as the cutting means attached to the upper sealing body 89a, and is configured to cut the protruding portion 88 between the inner and outer sealing surfaces, cutting off the portion of the protruding portion 88 that protrudes outward from the bottom sealing portion 98. Furthermore, a collection tray (collection means) 99 is provided outside the position where the protruding portion 88 is cut, so that the cut scraps of the packaging material, which have been separated in a bundle with the protruding portion 88 sealed by a single sealing line, can be collected. The bottom sealing means 89 is configured to be able to move toward and away from the transport path of the processing conveyor G by an adjustment mechanism 100, so that the formation position and cutting position of the bottom sealing portion 98 by the bottom sealing means 89 can be adjusted.

[0039] As shown in Figure 4, in the fourth processing station S4, the top sealing means 109, which is a lateral sealing means, is arranged on the side opposite to the side where the folding means 87 is installed, with the transport path of the processing conveyor G in between. The top sealing means 109 is provided with a pair of sealing bodies 109a and 109b that extend for a predetermined length in the article transport direction and face each other vertically. The seal bodies 109a and 109b are supported by the frame 97, and the pair of seals 109a and 109b are brought closer to each other by air cylinders 109c and 109c which serve as moving means, so that a lateral seal is applied at the overlapping portion of the protruding upper portion 43a, the side portion 43b (folded extension portion 62), and the lower portion 43c that overlap at the protruding base of the protruding portion 88 extending to the left of the sandwich 11, crossing the back seal portion 16 and the side seal portions 63, 63, and forming a single continuous linear top seal portion 110 in the thickness direction of the sandwich 11. The top sealing means 109 heat seals the protruding portion 88 by sandwiching it from above and below with the seal bodies 109a and 109b. The sealing surfaces of the seal bodies 109a and 109b sandwich the protruding base, and the top seal portion 110 is formed as a single narrow seal line 110. Here, the protruding portion 88 on which the top seal portion 110 is formed is not cut off beyond the top seal portion 110. In the protruding portion 88 on which the top seal portion 110 is formed, the top seal portion 110 is formed on the inside, closer to the sandwich than the formation area of ​​the opening notches 37, 37 (see Figure 12(b)). The frame 97 is configured to be movable toward and away from the transport path of the processing conveyor G by the adjustment mechanism 100, and is configured to adjust the formation position of the top seal portion 110 by the top sealing means 109.

[0040] Next, the operation of the sandwich packaging device according to the embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 1, a strip of film 10 is positioned downstream of the second supply conveyor 20 such that the lower second opening notch 37 and the upper first opening notch 37 are separated by one package length, and the midpoint between the second opening notch 37 and the first opening notch 37 coincides with the intermediate position K. When the sandwich 11 is placed on the first supply conveyor 19 at the transport center with its top facing upstream, the sandwich 11 is supplied to the second supply conveyor 20 by the intermittent transport of the article supply means 15. When the sandwich 11 reaches a predetermined position on the second supply conveyor 20, the pressing members 23, 23 move closer to each other by the first moving mechanism 24, and when the transport of the second supply conveyor 20 stops, the pressing members 23, 23 come into contact with both inclined surfaces 11B, 11B of the sandwich 11 which is stopped at the predetermined position. Then, as the pushing members 23, 23 move forward by the second moving mechanism 25 in synchronization with the intermittent transport of the second supply conveyor 20, the sandwich 11 is supplied from the cut surface (bottom surface) 11A side toward the stretched portion M of the strip-shaped film 10.

[0041] The pressing members 23, 23 first come into contact with the stretched strip of film 10, and as the pressing members 23, 23 move forward, the strip of film 10 is pushed downstream. At this time, the roll holder 26, the upper transport rollers 28, 28, the winding roller 29, and the lower transport rollers 31, 31 of the film supply means 14 are rotated in a direction that pulls the strip of film 10 out from the film roll 13 and the winding roller 29, and the strip of film 10 wraps around the cut surface 11A and the side surface (upper and lower surfaces on the second supply conveyor 20) of the sandwich 11 that is transported downstream beyond the stretching section M. As shown in Figure 3, when the pressing members 23, 23 move forward to the forward end and the sandwich 11 stops being transported, the upper and lower sealing bodies 32a, 32b move closer to each other, and on the upstream side of the sandwich 11, the film 10 wrapped around the sandwich 11 is sandwiched between the sealing bodies 32a, 32b at an intermediate position in the thickness direction of the sandwich 11, creating a seal of a predetermined width that overlaps in a gable shape, and the film 10 is cut by the knife 32c at a position behind the sandwich 11 that is outside the sealed portion. As a result, as shown in Figure 11, the sandwich 11 is wrapped around the cylindrical film 10a in a state where the sandwich 11 overlaps at a position facing the two inclined surfaces 11B, 11B of the sandwich 11, and a back sealing portion 16 of a predetermined width is formed along the entire length in the width direction of the film 10a at approximately the center of the thickness of the film 10a. Furthermore, when the film 10 is sandwiched between the upper and lower sealing bodies 32a and 32b, the portion of the strip-shaped film 10 pulled out from below the second supply conveyor 20 where the second opening notch 37 is formed and the portion of the strip-shaped film 10 pulled out from above the second supply conveyor 20 where the first opening notch 37 is formed are superimposed, so that the first opening notch 37 and the second opening notch 37 are located on both the upper and lower sides of the back seal portion 16. In addition, the side of the wound film 10a facing the sandwich 11, which is inside the back seal portion 16, is sandwiched by the shaping bodies 35a and 35b of the shaping means 35, which are heated by heat conduction from the upper and lower sealing bodies 32a and 32b, thereby forming a crease 36 along the back seal portion 16.Then, as the sealing bodies 32a and 32b separate, the back sealing portion 16 collapses along the body of the cylindrical film 10a due to the crease 36 created by the creasing bodies 35a and 35b.

[0042] After the sealing means 17 cuts the film 10a, the film supply means 14 reverses the roll holder 26 and the upper transport rollers 28, 28 and the winding rollers 29 and lower transport rollers 31, 31 to rewind the strip-shaped film 10 onto the film roll 13 and the winding rollers 29. When it is detected that the strip-shaped film 10 has been wound onto the winding rollers 29 by a preset amount, the film winding by the winding rollers 29 is stopped. As a result, on the downstream side of the second supply conveyor 20, the lower second opening notch 37 and the upper first opening notch 37 are separated by one package length, and the midpoint between the second opening notch 37 and the upper first opening notch 37 coincides with the intermediate position K. The sealed portion 10b formed on the strip-shaped film 10 by the sealing means 17 is wound down to a lower position where it will not be used in the next package.

[0043] During the period when the transport of the strip-shaped film 10 is stopped after the sealing means 17 has cut the seal, the air cylinder of the notch forming means 38 is activated, and the tips of the cutting blades 41 and 42 are thrust into the strip-shaped film 10 supported by the packaging guides 39 and 40, and an opening notch 37 is formed on one side edge of the strip-shaped film 10 at positions corresponding to both sides that sandwich the back seal portion 16 when the back seal portion 16 is formed by the sealing means 17, extending linearly from one side edge to the other side edge of the strip-shaped film 10. Furthermore, the pressing members 23 and 23 are held in a state that supports the sandwich 11 from both sides until the sealing cut of the film 10 by the sealing bodies 32a and 32b is completed, and the pressing members 23 and 23 are separated from each other by the first moving mechanism 24 at an appropriate timing when the sealing bodies 32a and 32b separate from each other. Then, the second moving mechanism 25 causes the pushing members 23, 23 to retract (move upstream) and wait for the arrival of the next sandwich 11.

[0044] The sandwich 11 passes through the stretched portion M of the film, and the film 10 wrapped around the sandwich 11 is sealed and cut by the sealing means 17. As shown in Figure 11, the wrapped sandwich 11 has a back seal portion 16 formed by the sealing and cutting by the sealing means 17, and with the sandwich 11 housed inside the tubular film 10a, it is placed on the transfer conveyor 18 in an orientation with the overlapping direction facing up and down, and is transported downstream to the processing conveyor G.

[0045] As shown in Figure 1, the support body 49, positioned in the receiving section 45 by the intermittent stopping of the processing conveyor G, has a pair of clamping members 51 and 52 spaced vertically apart from the overlap dimensions of the sandwich 11, with the lower second clamping member 52 positioned below the receiving table 46, waiting to receive the sandwich 11. When the sandwich 11, being transported by the transfer conveyor 18, is moved to a position where its central portion is placed on the receiving table 46 of the receiving section 45 and the cut surface 11A contacts the receiving surface 50 of the support body 49, the intermittent transport on the transfer conveyor 18 stops.

[0046] When the sandwich 11 is fed to the receiving section 45, the linear slide mechanism 53a of the spacing adjustment means 53 moves the pair of pressing bodies 53b, 53b from their standby positions toward each other, and the pressing bodies 53b, 53b move the pair of clamping members 51, 52 toward each other. When the pressing bodies 53b, 53b of the spacing adjustment means 53 move to a set position that corresponds to the overlapping dimension set in advance for each type of sandwich 11, the sandwich 11 is clamped from above and below by the pair of clamping members 51, 52.

[0047] As shown in Figure 1, the intermittent conveyance by the processing conveyor G transforms the sandwich 11, which is held between the pair of clamping members 51 and 52 on the support 49, into a position supported by the receiving section 45 with the triangular apex of the sandwich 11 facing upward and the cut surface 11A as the bottom surface, and then it is conveyed downstream. When the support 49 supporting the sandwich 11 arrives at the first processing station S1 and intermittently stops, a pair of guide bars 111, 111 of the guide means 61, which are waiting at a narrow position narrower than the spacing between the side extensions 43b, 43b that extend in the cylindrical extension 43 that extends to the right from the sandwich 11 corresponding to the thickness of the sandwich 11, advance diagonally into the extension from the opening of the cylindrical extension 43, are inserted into the extension, then spread apart from each other to an expanded position, and the tips of each guide bar 111 are positioned near both ends of the top edge 11c of the inclined surface 11B on the inner surface of the side extension 43b (see Figure 7).

[0048] Then, as shown in Figure 6, the bending means 60 is moved diagonally downward to the advanced position while tilting downward. At this time, the bending means 60 moves forward while bending the upper extension portion 43a from the top side of the sandwich 11 along the slope of the sandwich 11, and then operates to press the bent upper extension portion 43a against the inclined surface of the sandwich 11. The bending means 60 is maintained in a support position with the upper extension portion 43a bent along the inclined surface 11B. As the upper extension portion 43a is bent, the left and right side extension portions 43b, 43b are guided by the guide bars 111, 111 of the guide means 61 and folded back at the folded edges 62a, 62a, and the folded edges 62a, 62a are inclined to move away from the inclined surface 11B from the top side to the bottom side, forming folded extension portions 62, 62 (see Figure 13(a)).

[0049] While the bending means 60 supports the upper extension portion 43a along the inclined surface 11B, the guide means 61 is retracted to remove the guide bars 111, 111 from the folded extension portions 62, 62. Then, the side sealing means 64, 64 in the retracted position are advanced by the moving means 81 so that the inner sealers 82a provided on each fixed arm 82 face the space between the left and right folded extension portions 62, 62, and the outer sealers 83a provided on each clamping arm 83 face the outside of the folded extension portions 62, 62. The folded extension portions 62, 62 are then clamped and sealed from the left and right by the inner sealers 82a and outer sealers 83a, forming linear side sealing portions 63, 63 that are continuous diagonally in the vertical direction on the folded extension portions 62, 62 (see Figures 12(a) and 13(a)). The side seal portion 63 is formed continuously from the folded edges 62a, 62a on the top edge 11c side of the folded extension portions 62, 62, which are near the corner of the top edge 11c of the sandwich 11, to a position beyond the bottom edge 11d, and continues to the end of the overlapping region. The guide bars 111, 111 of the guide means 61, which are pulled out from the folded extension portions 62, 62, are moved to the narrow position by the air cylinders 79, 79 to await the arrival of the next sandwich 11.

[0050] After the formation of the side seal portions 63, 63, the clamping of the folded extension portions 62, 62 by the inner sealer 82a and the outer sealer 83a is released, and the side seal means 64, 64 are retracted to the retracted position. After the bending means 60 is retracted to the retracted position, the support body 49 that supports the sandwich 11 is transported downstream by the intermittent transport of the processing conveyor G. When this support body 49 arrives at the second processing station S2 and intermittently stops, the support member 86 and the pair of folding pieces 112a, 112b of the folding means 87, which were in the retracted position, move forward to the advanced position. As the support member 86 moves forward, it tilts downward by the tilting means 94 to support the upper extension portion 43a, which is folded to follow the inclined surface 11B, so that it follows the inclined surface 11B. Furthermore, the actuating means 96, 96 move the pair of folding pieces 112a, 112b to the support position with a time difference (see Figure 9), and the left and right overlapping extensions 62, 62 are alternately folded along the inclined surface 11B and overlapped so that they overlap the outside of the upper extension 43a supported by the support member 86 (see Figure 13(b)).

[0051] In the second processing station S2, with the upper extension 43a and the left and right folded extensions 62, 62 supported by the support member 86 and the folding pieces 112a, 112b of the folding means 87, the pair of sealing bodies 89a, 89b of the bottom sealing means 89 grip the vicinity of the base of the protrusion of the protrusion 88 extending from the bottom side edge 11d of the inclined surface 11B, intersecting with the side sealing portions 63, 63 and traversing the protrusion 88 along the bottom side edge 11d, forming a bottom sealing portion 98 in which the upper extension 43a, the left and right folded extensions 62, 62 and the lower extension 43c are laterally sealed (see Figure 13(c)). Furthermore, the protruding portion 88 is sandwiched between a pair of sealing bodies 89a and 89b, forming two sealing lines. The portion outside the inner sealing line, which forms the bottom sealing portion 98, is cut by a cutter 115 housed in the upper sealing body 89a, and the portion of the protruding portion 88 that has been cut off is collected as cutting waste in the collection tray 99.

[0052] After the pair of sealing bodies 89a and 89b of the bottom sealing means 89 are separated from each other, and the pair of folding pieces 112a and 112b of the folding means 87 are moved to the separated position and the slide base 91 is retracted to the retracted position, when the support 49, which is being transported at intervals by the processing conveyor G, arrives at the third processing station S3, the same processing steps as those performed by the first processing station S1 and the second processing station S2 are carried out at the third processing station S3 and the fourth processing station S4 as a folding process for the cylindrical extension 43 that extends to the left from the sandwich 11 thereafter.

[0053] In the fourth processing station S4, instead of the lateral sealing and cutting of the protrusion 88 by the bottom sealing means 89 located in the second processing station S2, a top sealing means 109 forms a top sealing portion 110 by applying a lateral seal to the base of the protrusion 88 that extends to the left side of the sandwich 11. The top sealing means 109 forms the top sealing portion 110 by sandwiching the protrusion 88 between a pair of heated sealing bodies 109a and 109b and applying a lateral seal. The top sealing portion 110 is formed on the inside, closer to the sandwich than the area where the opening notches 37, 37 are formed (see Figures 12(b) and 13(e)).

[0054] The sandwich 11, which has been packaged with a top seal portion 110 formed at the fourth processing station S4, passes through the fourth processing station S4 and reaches the discharge section 48 via the intermittent stopping of the processing conveyor G. As shown in Figure 1, at the discharge section 48, the pair of clamping members 51 and 52 are inverted vertically compared to the receiving section 45, so that the overlapping direction of the sandwich 11 is vertical and the cut surface 11A faces upstream. In addition, the first clamping member 51, which is located lower at the discharge section 48, is positioned above the discharge table 55.

[0055] In the discharge section 48, the lock on the clamping members 51 and 52 is released by the release means 54, and the pair of clamping members 51 and 52 move apart so as to spread apart from each other, releasing the sandwich 11. In the discharge section 48, after being released from the clamping of the clamping members 51 and 52, the sandwich 11 is transferred to the discharge table 55 and pushed out to the discharge conveyor 59 by the pushers 57, 57 of the removal means 56 and discharged downstream.

[0056] In the packaging apparatus of this embodiment, the tubular extensions 43 extending from the sandwich 11 to one side of the tubular film 10a wrapped around the sandwich 11 are folded and horizontally sealed at the first and second processing stations S1 and S2, and then the tubular extensions 43 extending from the sandwich 11 to the other side are folded and horizontally sealed at the third and fourth processing stations S3 and S4. This process is performed alternately, allowing for good bending by the bending means 60, folding by the folding means 87, and sealing by the sealing means 64, 89, and 109 at each processing station S1 to S4. In particular, it is possible to obtain a packaged sandwich 11 in which the left and right tubular extensions 43, 43 are folded and overlapped without slack on the corresponding inclined surfaces 11B, 11B of the sandwich 11. Furthermore, during the folding process of the cylindrical extension portion 43, when the upper extension portion 43a is folded by the bending means 60, the portion corresponding to the fold line of the side extension portions 43b, 43b is supported (from the inside) by the guide means 61 to assist in the folding, so that the folded extension portion 62 can be folded smoothly without any creases or sagging. When forming the side seal portion 63 in the folded extension portion 62, the upper extension portion 43a folded by the bending means 60 is pressed and supported against the inclined surface 11B of the sandwich 11 over a wide area corresponding to the thickness of the sandwich 11, so that the upper extension portion 43a does not lift up from the inclined surface 11B and the side seal portion 63 can be formed smoothly. Furthermore, when the folding means 87 folds the folded extension portion 62 onto the inclined surface 11B of the sandwich 11, the support member 86 holds the upper extension portion 43a against the inclined surface 11B of the sandwich 11 to prevent it from lifting up. This allows the extension portion 62 to be folded tightly against the inclined surface 11B, and also allows the folded extension portion 62 to be folded with sharp corners at the base of the folded edge. As a result, the base of the folded edge does not curve and bulge, preventing a baggy packaging condition. Thus, the packaging device of this embodiment can produce a neatly packaged product with the film tightly adhering to the surface of the sandwich 11 without any bagginess.

[0057] The guide means 61 is designed so that the pair of guide bars 111, 111 are inserted into the corresponding cylindrical extension 43 from the opening and then separated. This prevents the guide bars 111 from contacting the cylindrical extension 43 and deforming it upon entry, thus allowing the folded edge 62a to be properly supported. Furthermore, even if the opening of the cylindrical extension 43 is not fully open, the guide bars 111 can be inserted into the extension without catching on the opening edge of the cylindrical extension 43, thereby widening the opening and assisting the bending means 60 in properly bending the upper extension 43a. Furthermore, the pair of guide bars 111, 111 of the guide means 61, the pair of folded bodies 73, 73 of the bending means 60, the pair of folded pieces 112a, 112b of the folding means 87, and the two sets of side sealing means 64, 64 (two sets of sealing members) are designed so that their relative spacing can be adjusted according to the thickness of the sandwich 11. This allows the folded edge portion 62a of the folded extension portion 62 to be properly supported in accordance with sandwiches 11 of different thicknesses, while the upper extension portion 43a and the folded extension portion 62 can be suitably folded along the corresponding inclined surface 11B, and the side sealing portion 63 can be formed at the appropriate position of the folded extension portion 62. Furthermore, the pair of folded bodies 73, 73 of the bending means 60 are formed with an uneven shape on their opposing edges so that the unevenness can interlock when they approach each other. Therefore, even when the distance between the pair of folded bodies 73, 73 is widened to correspond to the thickness of the sandwich 11, the central part of the thickness also uniformly presses the upper extension 43a against the inclined surface 11B, preventing the upper extension 43a from lifting off the inclined surface 11B. Moreover, the bending means 60 and the support member 86 are configured to advance and descend from the top edge 11c side of the sandwich 11 towards the inclined surface 11B. Therefore, the upper extension 43a can be bent and supported along the inclined surface 11B so that the film is cornered without sagging at the top of the sandwich 11, and the film can be properly packaged on the surface of the sandwich 11 without sagging.Furthermore, when the bending means 60 and the support member 86 perform the corresponding processing, they operate in such a way that the contact area with respect to the upper extension portion 43a (the area in which the upper extension portion 43a is pressed against the inclined surface 11B) increases, thereby preventing the upper extension portion 43a from lifting off the inclined surface 11B during operation and causing the film to become loose.

[0058] In the packaging apparatus of this embodiment, the sandwich 11 wrapped in film 10a is fed from the cut surface 11A to the clamping members 51 and 52 of the processing conveyor G with the overlapping direction facing up and down. The clamping members 51 and 52 then clamp the sandwich 11 from the overlapping direction, allowing it to be transported smoothly downstream without displacement. Furthermore, the processing conveyor G is supplied with the sandwich 11 wrapped in film by the wrap-around packaging mechanism 12, which seals the film 10 behind the sandwich 11 after it has passed through the stretched section M of the strip-shaped film 10. Therefore, there is no need for a means to change the direction of the sandwich 11, and a simple configuration can be used in which the wrap-around packaging mechanism 12 and the processing conveyor G are arranged in a straight line.

[0059] In the packaging apparatus of the embodiment, side seal portions 63 are formed on the left and right folded extension portions 62, extending along the entire length of the overlapping region of the side extension portion 43b from the folded edge 62a of the folded extension portion 62 to a position beyond the bottom side edge 11d of the inclined surface 11B. A bottom seal portion 98 and a top seal portion 110 are formed intersecting with the side seal portions 63, so that a package with airtight sealing of the sandwich 11 can be manufactured. Furthermore, in the vertically extended strip-shaped film 10, opening notches 37, 37 are formed by the notch forming means 38 on one side edge in the width direction corresponding to positions on both sides of the back seal portion 16 of the end edge portion 43d of the protruding portion 88. As a result, the starting end of the back seal portion 16 of the manufactured sandwich 11 package becomes a pull tab, allowing for easy opening. Furthermore, since the back seal portion 16 can be torn as a tear strip, the tearing proceeds linearly, providing good tear guidance and enabling the production of a package with excellent openability. Moreover, in the transport path of the strip-shaped film 10 leading to the sealing position by the sealing means 17, the opening notches 37, 37 are formed during the pause in the transport of the film 10, so that the opening notches 37, 37 can be accurately formed at positions corresponding to both sides of the back seal portion 16 on the strip-shaped film 10. Furthermore, since the creasing means 35 is used to create a crease 36 in the back seal 16, a package can be obtained in which the formed back seal portion 16 is aligned along the body of the tubular film 10a and tilted in a certain direction. Therefore, the formation positions of the opening notches 37, 37 formed on either side of the back seal portion 16 are fixed, and the opening of the package is not impaired. In addition, in the packaging apparatus of the embodiment, the cuttings of the protruding portion 88 cut by the cutter 115 of the bottom sealing means 89 are collected in the collection tray 99, making the disposal of the cuttings easy. Furthermore, the bending means 60, guide means 61, folding means 87, and side sealing means 64, 64 provided at each processing station S1 to S4, as well as the bottom sealing means 89 and top sealing means 109, are equipped with means that allow adjustment of the position for performing the corresponding processing on the film in accordance with the size of the sandwich 11, so that changes in the size of the sandwich 11 can be easily accommodated.

[0060] (Example of change) The present invention is not limited to the configuration shown in the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, the configuration described in the examples can be adapted to various embodiments within the scope of the spirit of the present invention, not limited to the following modifications. (1) The sandwich 11 is not limited to a form in which it is supplied to a film 11 stretched in the vertical direction and wrapped around the body. (2) In this embodiment, the protruding portion 88 is sealed and cut at the second processing station S2 to form the bottom seal portion 98, and the protruding portion 88 is sealed at the fourth processing station S4 to form the top seal portion 110. However, the stations that form the bottom seal portion 98 and the top seal portion 110 may be reversed. (3) The bending means 60 is provided with a pair of folded bodies 73, 73 that can move closer together and separate from each other, but it may also be configured to be replaceable with folded bodies of a width corresponding to the thickness dimension of the sandwich 11. (4) The protruding portion 88 may be laterally sealed by the bottom sealing means 89, and the protruding portion 88 may be cut off by a cutting means as appropriate at the next station and beyond. (5) Instead of collecting the cutting debris from the protruding portion 88 in a collection tray 99, the cutting debris from the protruding portion 88 may be sucked up by a suction means (collection means), and the cutting debris sucked up by the suction means may be collected in a dust box installed externally. (6) The width adjustment means 74, 80, 84 of the bending means 60, folding means 87, guide means 61, and side sealing means 64 may be configured to adjust the spacing between the corresponding folded bodies 73, 73, folded pieces 112a, 112b, guide bars 111, 111, and sealers (sealing members) 82a, 83a, 82a, 83a by link mechanisms, other various adjustment mechanisms, instead of the screw adjustment mechanism of the embodiment. Furthermore, the width adjustment means 74, 80, 84 of the bending means 60, folding means 87, guide means 61, and side sealing means 64, as well as the adjustment mechanism 100 of the bottom sealing means 89 and top sealing means 109, may be configured to be automatically adjustable by a drive means such as a motor. (7) The bottom sealing means 89 and the top sealing means 109 may employ a sealing method other than heat sealing, such as ultrasonic sealing. (8) Notch forming means 38 for forming the opening notch 37 and creasing means 35 for forming the fold 36 may be provided as needed. (9) The bending means 60 is configured to allow adjustment of the spacing between the folded bodies 73, but this configuration may be adopted as needed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0061] 10a Cylindrical film (packaging material), 11 Sandwich, 11A Cut surface 11B Inclined surface, 16 Back seal portion, 43 Cylindrical extension portion, 43a Upper extension portion 43b Side extension, 51 Clamping member, 52 Clamping member, 60 Bending means 61 Guide means, 62 Folded extension, 62a Folded edge, 63 Side seal 64 Side sealing means, 86 Support member, 87 Folding means 89 Bottom sealing means (lateral sealing means), 98 Bottom sealing portion (lateral sealing portion) 109 Top sealing means (lateral sealing means), 110 Top sealing portion (lateral sealing portion) 115 Cutter (cutting means), G Processing conveyor, S1 First processing station S2 Second processing station, S3 Third processing station S4 Processing Station No. 4

Claims

1. A processing conveyor transports sandwiches in which the bread slices are wrapped in packaging material with a palm-shaped back seal facing upwards, the cut surfaces of the square bread slices cut diagonally face downwards and the triangular apex faces upwards, and the front and back of the overlapping direction of the bread slices facing forward and backward in the transport direction are clamped by clamping members. A first processing station, a second processing station, a third processing station, and a fourth processing station are sequentially arranged on the transport path of the processing conveyor to perform a predetermined process of bending one of the tubular extensions of the packaging material that extend to the left and right, intersecting the transport direction of the sandwich. The first processing station and the third processing station each include: a bending means for folding the upper extension of one of the tubular extensions downward so as to follow one of the inclined surfaces sloping from the triangular apex; a guide means that enters into the tubular extension before the downward folding by the bending means and supports the folded edge of the side extension of the tubular extension from the inside; and a side sealing means that forms vertical side sealing portions on a pair of folded extensions formed by the downward folding of the upper extension by the bending means. The second and fourth processing stations are provided with the following: a support member for supporting the upper extension portion folded downward by the bending means along the inclined surface in the first or third processing station; a folding means for alternately folding the folded extension portion formed in the first or third processing station onto the upper part of the support member while the upper extension portion is supported by the support member; and a lateral sealing means for laterally sealing the folded extension portion folded by the folding means so as to intersect with the side seal portion formed in the first or third processing station at the base portion protruding from the cut surface of the sandwich, thereby forming a lateral seal portion. In the second processing station or the fourth processing station, a cutting means is provided for cutting off the portion of the lateral sealing portion formed by the lateral sealing means that protrudes outward. A sandwich packaging device characterized by the following features.

2. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the processing conveyor is configured to receive sandwiches wrapped in packaging material with the back seal facing the rear, and then change its orientation so that the back seal faces upward, and transport them to a plurality of processing stations.

3. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that a sandwich with the cut surface facing forward is supplied toward a packaging material that is pulled out to be stretched vertically and wrapped around the body, the packaging material is sealed in a gable shape behind the sandwich to wrap it around the body, and the wrapped sandwich is then sandwiched from above and below by a transfer conveyor and sent between the clamping members of the processing conveyor.

4. The sandwich packaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that it is provided with a notch forming means that forms an opening notch at one end edge in the width direction of the packaging material, which is pulled out to a position where it is extended vertically, in a projection that protrudes outward from the horizontal seal portion, with the opening start end facing both sides of the back seal portion.

5. The sandwich packaging device according to claim 1, further characterized by having a creasing means for creasing the extended base of the back seal portion when sealing the packaging material in a palm-like manner, such that the back seal portion folds toward the surface of the packaging material.

6. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 1, further characterized by being provided with a collection means for collecting the cutting scraps cut off by the aforementioned cutting means.

7. The sandwich packaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the guide means allows a pair of guide bars to move closer to and further apart from each other, and after the pair of guide bars enter the inside of the cylindrical extension, they move apart from each other to support the folded edge portion of the side extension from the inside.

8. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, depending on the overlap dimensions of the sandwiches, the folding means is composed of a pair of folded bodies that can move closer to and further apart from each other, the side sealing means is composed of two sets of sealing members that can move closer to and further apart from each other, and spacing adjustment means is provided to adjust the distance between the pair of folded bodies and the two sets of sealing members and the pair of guide bars.

9. The bending means comprises a pair of folded bodies that can move closer to and further apart from each other, and a spacing adjustment means for adjusting the distance between the pair of folded bodies. The sandwich packaging device according to claim 1, characterized in that the opposing edges of the folded body are formed with an uneven shape that allows them to interlock alternately when approached.

10. The sandwich packaging apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the bending means and support member advance from above the sandwich toward the inclined surface and move downward along the inclined surface so as to increase the area in which the upper extension is pressed against the inclined surface.

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