Pillow packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a pillow packer that allows the front and rear clamp members to be pressed without disturbing the cylindrical packaging film, forming gussets neatly.CONSTITUTION: A side clamper device 30 is provided on both the left and right sides of a conveying line of cylindrical packaging film with products inside, consisting of a group of products consisting of a plurality of disk-shaped products of varying dimensional shapes in an upright position, arranged front to back. The side clamper device is provided with a front side clamping member 36 and a rear side clamping member 37 that contact the center of the product-free portion of the side surface of the packaging film, and tips 38 of these clamping members push the center portion of the side surface of the packaging film inward. The clamp members move with the film being pushed inward and seal and cut with a top sealing device 25. The height of the tips is lengthened so that even if the height of the packaging film fluctuates, the most protruding portion of the packaging film can be pushed inward.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pillow packaging machine, and more specifically, to an apparatus for packaging a group of articles in which a plurality of standing articles are arranged side by side.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there are various forms of packages. For example, there is a package in which a plurality of thin plate-like articles such as cookies are stored in an aggregated state. A pillow packaging machine for manufacturing such a package has, for example, the following configuration.

[0003] The pillow packaging machine includes a transport supply device that transports a group of articles configured by arranging standing articles side by side, and a packaging machine main body disposed downstream of the transport supply device. The packaging machine main body includes a bag making device that forms a strip-shaped packaging film into a tubular shape on the carry-in side. A center seal device for sealing the film ends that are formed into a tubular shape and overlapped after passing through the bag making device is disposed downstream of the bag making device. Further, the group of articles sequentially unloaded from the transport supply device is supplied into the bag making device. As a result, when the group of articles passes through the bag making device, it is stored at predetermined intervals in the tubular packaging film, and the group of articles is transported together with the tubular packaging film. Then, at the top seal device disposed on the carry-out side of the pillow packaging machine, the packaging film is sealed and cut so as to cross in the lateral direction at predetermined intervals, thereby manufacturing a pillow package containing the group of articles.

[0004] Since the group of articles is composed of a plurality of standing plate-like articles, there is a risk that individual articles may fall during transportation. Therefore, like the packaging machine disclosed in Patent Document 1, a side clamper device is provided in a transport device that transports a tubular packaging film containing a group of articles, which inwardly pushes a portion of the packaging film where the group of articles does not exist with a clamp member to prevent the articles from falling.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes a top sealing device that is equipped with a gusset forming device to form gussets at the front and rear ends of the packaging, i.e., near the top seal, in order to prevent the articles inside the packaging from losing their upright position and to make the packaging aesthetically pleasing. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Publication number 1-33441 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] The apparatus disclosed in Patent Document 1 requires separate devices, such as a gusset forming device for forming the gusset and a side clamper device for preventing the article from tipping over inside the packaging film. Furthermore, if the transfer from the side clamper device to the gusset forming device is not performed properly, the article may tip over during the transfer.

[0008] Therefore, the inventors devised a configuration in which a gusset claw-like component from a gusset forming device is used as the clamping member of the side clamper device, and the central part of the side of the packaging film, which has passed through the bag maker and formed into a cylindrical shape, is pushed inward by the clamping member, and then passes through the top sealing device in that state.

[0009] This approach allows the side clamper device to have both clamping and gusseting functions. However, in reality, the clamping member cannot always be pushed into the vertical center of the tubular packaging film, resulting in variations in insertion position and causing the tubular packaging film to wobble up and down. This is because, for example, when the product is biscuits, their dimensions and shapes are not uniform and vary. As the shape of the packaging film formed into a tube after passing through the bag-making machine conforms to the shape of the product, if the clamping member contacts and pushes the film below the vertical center, a force acts on the tubular packaging film in an upward direction. On the other hand, if the clamping member pushes above the vertical center, a downward force acts on the packaging film. Thus, because the side of the packaging film cannot always be pushed towards the horizontal center, it is thought that the phenomenon of the packaging film wobbling up and down occurs.

[0010] Furthermore, factors other than the aforementioned variations in product dimensions and shape may prevent the clamp members from always being pressed into the vertical center of the tubular packaging film. For example, differences in the physical properties of the packaging film (e.g., material, thickness, stiffness, etc.) can cause variations in the shape of the tubular packaging film formed during bag making. In addition to variations in the shape of the packaging film, other factors may also exist, such as variations in the mounting accuracy of individual clamp members due to the cantilever structure of the clamp members.

[0011] The problems described above are presented as independent issues, and the present invention is not necessarily required to solve all of them; it is sufficient if at least one problem is solved. Furthermore, the invention intends to obtain rights for the configuration that solves this problem independently through divisional applications, amendments, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To solve the above-mentioned problems, the pillow packaging machine of the present invention comprises: (1) a bag maker that forms a continuously supplied strip of packaging film into a cylindrical shape conforming to the outer shape of the product to be packaged; a conveying and supplying device that supplies the product to the bag maker; a center sealing device that seals the overlapping end of the packaging film that has passed through the bag maker and formed into a cylindrical shape; a top sealing device arranged downstream of the center sealing device that seals and cuts the packaging film in the width direction; and a conveying conveyor device that conveys the package formed by cutting with the top sealing device. In addition, side clamper devices are provided on both the left and right sides of the transport path for the packaging film upstream of the top sealing device, and the side clamper device comprises a front clamp member capable of pushing inward the central portion of the side of the packaging film on the front side of the product where the product is not present, a rear clamp member capable of pushing inward the central portion of the side of the packaging film on the rear side of the product where the product is not present, and a moving means for moving the front clamp member and the rear clamp member along a predetermined trajectory, and the front clamp member and the rear clamp member are, The vertical cross-section is L-shaped It has a portion that extends horizontally, and the tip of the horizontally extending portion is configured to contact the side surface of the packaging film, and the trajectory rotates in a horizontal plane, with the front clamp member and the rear clamp member each contacting the side surface of the packaging film. And, more than the upper and lower parts of the side that do not come into contact When pushed inward, it has a section that moves forward in accordance with the movement of the packaging film, and this forward section extends to the downstream side of the sealing and cutting position in the top sealing device, and each of the front clamp member and the rear clamp member that contact the packaging film The portion extending in the horizontal direction The tip has a shape with a predetermined width in the height direction, and this predetermined width is configured such that even if the relative height position of the packaging film and the tip changes, the film portion that protrudes the furthest outward in the left-right direction of the packaging film will still be in contact with it.

[0013] In this configuration, the front and rear clamp members push inward the central portion of the packaging film where the product is not present, and move forward together with the packaging film containing the product to the top sealing device. The top sealing device then seals and cuts the film portion between the front and rear clamp members, maintaining the compressed state of the packaging film. Thus, the side clamper device has both a clamping function to prevent the product from collapsing and a gusset function to form a gusset. Because the clamping and gusset functions are combined in a single device, the configuration and control are simplified. Furthermore, by increasing the height of the tips of the front and rear clamp members that contact the packaging film, even if the position of the portion protruding outward from the tubular packaging film is displaced vertically or the position of the tip is displaced vertically due to variations in the dimensions and shape of the product or other factors, the tip can contact the protruding portion and push it inward, allowing for stable transport of the packaging film and the formation of a neat gusset at the desired position.

[0014] (2) The front clamp member and the rear clamp member are positioned such that the distance between the top sealer, which clamps and seals the packaging film in the top sealing device, and the front and rear clamp members located in front of and behind the top sealer is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance set based on the predetermined width of the tip. This prevents the front and rear clamp members from interfering with the film portion of the packaging film that is clamped and deformed in an inclined shape by the top sealer, and enables the production of a package with a neat shape.

[0015] Furthermore, based on the configurations shown in (1) and (2) above, it is advisable to combine the components described in the embodiments and drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] According to the present invention, the front clamp member and the rear clamp member can be pressed against each other without disturbing the cylindrical packaging film, and a beautiful gusset can be formed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] It is a front view showing a preferred embodiment of the pillow packaging machine. [Figure 2] It is a plan view thereof. [Figure 3] It is a perspective view showing a main part thereof. [Figure 4] (a) is a schematic side view thereof, and (b) is a view for explaining the operation and effect. [Figure 5] It is a view showing the relationship between the front clamp member, the rear clamp member, and the top seal device. [Figure 6] It is a perspective view showing an example of the package.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail based on the drawings. The present invention is not to be construed as being limited thereto, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0019] Figs. 1 and 2 show the overall configuration of a preferred embodiment of a pillow packaging machine according to the present invention. This pillow packaging machine 10 includes a packaging machine main body 11, a film supply device 12 that continuously supplies a strip-shaped packaging film 15 to the packaging machine main body 11, and a conveyance supply device 14 that is disposed upstream of the packaging machine main body 11 and supplies products 13 to the packaging machine main body 11 at predetermined intervals.

[0020] The film supply device 12 links the output of a drive motor (for example, a motor capable of speed control such as a servo motor) not shown in the figure to the raw film 16 obtained by winding the strip-shaped packaging film 15 in a roll shape, and supplies it to the packaging machine main body 11 at a constant speed while appropriately controlling the rotation speed of the raw film 16. Although not shown in the figure, various rollers 22 (one is shown as a representative in the figure) are arranged at a predetermined position from the raw film 16 to the packaging machine main body 11, and the strip-shaped packaging film 15 sent out from the raw film 16 is configured to be guided to the packaging machine main body 11 through a predetermined path by being passed over the roller 22. Note that it is not always necessary to link a drive motor to the raw film 16, and a feed roller may be provided on the conveyance path of the packaging film 15, and the feed roller may apply a conveyance force to the packaging film 15 to continuously pull out the packaging film 15 from the raw film. Or both of them may be used in combination.

[0021] The product 13 is a group of articles in which a plurality of upright articles 13a are arranged in the front and rear. The shape of the article 13a is in the form of a thin plate or a thin sheet. In the present embodiment, the article 13a is in the shape of a disk, but the circle is not limited to a perfect circle, and it is preferable that the article has a curved surface on the left and right sides in the upright posture in the conveyance state such as an elliptical shape and a portion protruding outward at an intermediate portion in the vertical direction. The article 13a used in the present embodiment is thin in addition to being in the shape of a disk, and thus has low stability in the upright state and is likely to fall. However, as described below, the pillow packaging machine 10 can be stably conveyed and packaged by having an anti-falling function. Further, the article 13a is, for example, a biscuit, a cookie, a rice cracker, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0022] Furthermore, this disk shape is preferably substantially circular when viewed from the front in the upright posture, and is not necessarily limited to a perfect circle, and includes an elliptical shape and a shape including a portion curved at the periphery. Further, it includes, for example, a substantially flat plate such as a biscuit, a curved surface such as a potato chip, and a concavo-convex surface.

[0023] The conveying and supplying device 14 comprises sprockets 17 arranged front and rear (only the front in the direction of travel is shown in the figure), an endless chain 18 stretched across the multiple sprockets 17, and front fingers 19a and rear fingers 19b attached to the endless chain 18. These front fingers 19a and rear fingers 19b work together as a front and rear pair to convey the product 13. In other words, the distance between the front fingers 19a and rear fingers 19b is approximately equal to the front-to-back length of the product 13, so that the product 13 is conveyed while being held from both the front and rear, preventing the article 13a from tipping over in the front-to-back direction. Although not shown in the figure, side walls are provided on both sides of the conveying path for the product 13 to prevent the article 13a from moving laterally. Furthermore, multiple pairs of front fingers 19a and rear fingers 19b are attached to the endless chain 18 at predetermined pitches. As a result, the conveying and supplying device 14 conveys the product 13 in a stable position and supplies it to the next stage packaging machine body 11 at regular intervals.

[0024] The packaging machine body 11 includes a bag maker 20 that forms a tubular bag from a supplied strip of packaging film 15, a center sealing device 24 located downstream of the bag maker 20, a belt conveyor 23 located downstream of the center sealing device 24 that transports the tubular packaging film 15, a top sealing device 25 located downstream of the belt conveyor 23, and a discharge conveyor 26 located downstream of the top sealing device 25.

[0025] The bag maker 20 forms the strip-shaped packaging film 15, which is continuously supplied from the film supply device 12, into a cylindrical shape that conforms to the outer shape of the product 13 by passing it through the strip-shaped packaging film 15. As it passes through, the edges 15a on both sides of the film come into contact with each other. The products 13, which are sequentially supplied from the conveying and supply device 14 to the packaging machine body 11, are inserted into the bag maker 20. As a result, the products 13 supplied to the bag maker 20 are arranged at predetermined intervals within the cylindrical packaging film 15.

[0026] The center sealing device 24 seals both side edges 15a of the tubular packaging film 15. The center sealing device 24 heat-seals the side edges 15a by heating and pressurizing them while sandwiching them from both sides, thereby forming a center seal portion 42. The center sealing device 24 in this embodiment also includes a pair of roller-type or bar-type sealers 24a and pinch rollers 24b, 24c, etc., positioned before and after the sealers 24a.

[0027] The top sealing device 25 seals and cuts the packaging film 15 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of travel, that is, in a transverse direction. The film portion to be sealed and cut is at a predetermined position between the preceding and succeeding products 13. As a result, when the tubular packaging film 15 passes through the top sealing device 25, the leading portion of the packaging film 15 is separated from the following portion, and a package 27 is manufactured. Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the manufactured package 27 in an inverted state.

[0028] The top sealing device 25 of this embodiment includes an upper top sealer 28 and a lower top sealer 29 that are positioned opposite each other, with the packaging film 15 in between. The device is configured to revolve each of the two top sealers 28 and 29 along a predetermined trajectory while maintaining the sealing surfaces 28a and 29a of the top sealers 28 and 29 facing each other. The predetermined trajectory is, for example, as follows.

[0029] When the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29 reach a predetermined upstream position (referred to as the initial position for convenience) while separated, they move downstream, approaching each other and sandwiching the packaging film 15 from above and below. Then, while still sandwiched, they move forward together with the packaging film 15 for a certain distance. When they reach the predetermined downstream position, the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29 move away from each other and separate from the packaging film 15. After that, the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29 move upstream while still separated, and when they reach the initial position, they reverse their direction of travel and move downstream, approaching each other. By adopting this configuration, the time during which the packaging film 15 is sandwiched and heated by the sealing surface 28a of the upper top sealer 28 and the sealing surface 29a of the lower top sealer 29 can be extended, ensuring a reliable seal.

[0030] Furthermore, the upper top sealer 28 has a built-in cutter blade. The cutter blade protrudes below the sealing surface 28a at a predetermined timing before the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29 begin to separate at a predetermined position downstream, and cuts the packaging film 15.

[0031] In this embodiment, the pillow packaging machine 10 having the above-described configuration is further equipped with a side clamper device 30 that pushes the sides of the tubular packaging film 15 inward while it is being transported. The side clamper device 30 has a member that can contact and push inward the portion of the side of the tubular packaging film 15 where the product 13 is not present, and this member directly or indirectly prevents the article 13a from falling over in the front-to-back direction.

[0032] This side clamper device 30 is positioned on both the left and right sides of the conveying line for the cylindrical packaging film 15. The side clamper device 30 comprises a plurality of sprockets 33 that rotate in a horizontal plane, an endless chain 35 stretched across the plurality of sprockets 33, front clamp members 36 attached to the endless chain 35 at predetermined pitches, and rear clamp members 37 attached to the endless chain 35 at predetermined pitches. The sprockets 33 have upright axes of rotation and rotate in a horizontal plane. Furthermore, the height of each sprocket 33 is equal. As a result, the endless chain 35 rotates in a horizontal plane.

[0033] The front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 are both connected so as to protrude outward from the outer circumference of the endless chain 35. Both the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 have a roughly L-shaped longitudinal cross-section, with the vertically extending portion connected to the endless chain 35, and the tip 38 of the portion extending horizontally from the lower part of the vertically extending portion contacts the side surface of the packaging film 15, biasing that side surface inward. The front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 connected to the endless chain 35 move along the conveying direction of the packaging film 15. Furthermore, the pair of front clamp members 36 and the pair of rear clamp members 37, positioned on the left and right, are each connected to the endless chain 35 so that their respective tip 38s face each other, contacting the same position on the left and right sides along the conveying direction of the packaging film 15, and are configured to be able to push in by clamping from both sides. Furthermore, guide rails 40 are positioned along the transport path of the endless chain 35, and the front clamp member 36 and rear clamp member 37, which move forward along the transport direction, move in a stable position with their lower surfaces supported by the guide rails 40.

[0034] The endless chain 35 and the vertically extending portions of the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 are covered by the side cover member 39, and the tips of the horizontally extending portions of the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 protrude outward from below the side cover member 39, so that the tip portion 38 can be pushed in as described above. Furthermore, the opposing side walls of the left and right side cover members 39 become side guide portions 39a. The distance between the opposing side guide portions 39a of the left and right side cover members 39 is made to be approximately equal to or slightly longer than the width of the article 13a in the transport position, thereby suppressing lateral swaying of the cylindrical packaging film 15 containing the product 13 during transport and guiding it to be transported in a straight line.

[0035] A pair of front and rear clamp members, one front and one rear, are connected to an endless chain 35 at a distance approximately equal to or slightly longer than the front-to-back length of the product 13. The positional pitch of the pair of front and rear clamp members 36 is equal to the positional pitch of the product 13 within the packaging film 15. By appropriately timing the supply of the product 13 into the bag-making machine 20, the pair of front and rear clamp members 36 and rear clamp members 37 come into contact with the sides of the cylindrical packaging film 15 where the product 13 is not present, pushing those contacted sides inward (see Figure 2). The front and rear clamp members 36 and rear clamp members 37 then move forward at the same speed as the packaging film 15. As a result, while the packaging film 15 is moving, the front and rear clamp members 36 and rear clamp members 37 are positioned on the front and rear sides of the product 13, respectively, preventing the articles 13a constituting the product 13 from falling forward or backward.

[0036] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the downstream end of the side clamper device 30 in the conveying direction is positioned downstream of the top sealing device 25, and the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 move forward downstream while pushing their sides inward with respect to the packaging film 15 passing through the top sealing device 25.

[0037] Therefore, as the product 13 supplied into the tubular packaging film 15 moves, each article 13a maintains an upright position and moves stably forward, passing between the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29 in the top sealing device 25. As a result, even when the packaging film 15 is top-sealed by being sandwiched from above and below in the top sealing device 25, the article 13a at the rear end of the product 13 located in front of the top sealing device 25 and the article 13a at the front end of the product located behind the top sealing device 25 do not collapse, thereby suppressing the occurrence of articles 13a getting caught in the top sealing device 25 due to such collapse.

[0038] Furthermore, as described above, the approaching and separating movements of the upper top sealer 28 and lower top sealer 29 as they move up and down are performed according to the transport position of the packaging film 15. They move closer to seal areas where the product 13 is not present, clamping the film portion and applying pressure and heat to perform a heat seal. At this time, they are controlled to clamp and seal the film portion between the rear clamp member 37 and the front clamp member 36, which are located front and rear to front and rear. When the upper top sealer 28 and lower top sealer 29 clamp and seal a predetermined portion of the packaging film 15, the upper top sealer 28 and lower top sealer 29 are positioned between the rear clamp member 37 and the front clamp member 36 for sealing, and as the packaging film 15 is transported, the upper top sealer 28 and lower top sealer 29 also move forward. As a result, the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 pass through the top sealing device 25 without interfering with the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29. Furthermore, the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29 sandwich and seal the film portion of the cylindrical packaging film 15, which has its sides pushed inward by the rear clamp member 37 and the front clamp member 36. Thus, the packaging film 15 is top-sealed with its left and right sides pushed inward.

[0039] Furthermore, as the front clamp member 36 and rear clamp member 37 move along the packaging film 15, when they reach the downstream side of the top sealing device 25, they pivot and move outward along the periphery of the sprocket 33 positioned along the conveying surface of the packaging film 15, releasing the biasing force on the sides of the packaging film 15. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the sprocket 33 positioned at the furthest downstream end is positioned further outward in the conveying direction than the sprocket positioned further upstream in the conveying direction, and the path of the endless chain 35 from the sprocket upstream (one sprocket before) the furthest downstream sprocket 33 is an inclined section directed diagonally outward forward. Therefore, as the front clamp member 36 and rear clamp member 37 pass the location of the sprocket immediately before them, they move along the inclined section, causing the pair of front clamp member 36 and rear clamp member 37 to gradually separate from each other, and finally their leading edges 38 separate from the sides of the packaging film 15.

[0040] Furthermore, as described above, the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 are positioned front to back at predetermined intervals along the conveying direction, with one clamp member provided at each position. The tip 38 of the horizontally extending member contacts the vertical center of the side surface of the packaging film 15, and is configured to push it inward. As a result of this pushing, in addition to the film portion that the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 contact, the side surface of the packaging film 15 located between the rear clamp member 37 and the front clamp member 36, which is in the space between the front and rear products 13, is also pushed in linearly along the conveying direction (see Figure 2).

[0041] As described above, the side clamper device 30 is positioned to extend downstream of the top sealing device 25, and when the top sealing device 25 seals and cuts the packaging film 15, the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 keep the sides of the packaging film 15 pushed inward. As a result, both sides of the packaging film 15 between the rear clamp member 37 and the front clamp member 36, which are located in the space between the front and rear products 13, are folded inward, and the packaging film 15 is then sandwiched between the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29 and heat-sealed while still folded. During this heat sealing, the rear clamp member 37 and the front clamp member 36 are located near the front and rear of the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29, respectively, and push the sides of the packaging film 15 located outside both top sealers inward, so that a top seal portion 41 is formed in the heat-sealed area, and a gusset 43 is formed near the top seal portion 41.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tip portions 38 of the horizontally extending parts of the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 are made thicker in the height direction. The thicker shape allows for variations in the central position of the product 13, i.e., the vertical center position and the part that protrudes furthest outward in the left-right direction, for articles 13a with varying dimensions in the height direction. As a result, the tip portions 38 of the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 always contact the part of the tubular packaging film 15 that protrudes furthest outward in the left-right direction, corresponding to articles 13a with varying dimensions and shapes. The tip portion 38 is also rectangular in shape and has a flat surface, and in this embodiment, its height is, for example, about 10 mm. The tip portion 38, which has a flat surface, is preferably located on a vertical surface perpendicular to the conveying surface of the packaging film 15 and the product 13. A flat surface allows the sides of the packaging film to be pressed more straight and neatly.

[0043] If the item 13a is a food product such as a biscuit, variations in its dimensions and shape may occur. Due to these variations in the dimensions and shape of the item 13a, the height of the product 13 and, consequently, the height of the cylindrical packaging film 15 will vary slightly from product 13 to product 13. Consequently, the center position of the product 13 and, consequently, the cylindrical packaging film 15 will also shift up and down. This center position will be the outermost protruding part on the left and right sides of the cylindrical packaging film 15. Meanwhile, the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 maintain a constant height position as they pass through the bag-making machine 20 and contact the sides of the cylindrical packaging film 15, pushing it inward. At this time, because the height of the tip portion 38 that contacts the packaging film 15 has been increased, even if the center position of the packaging film 15 shifts up and down due to variations in dimensions and shape, the outermost protruding part of the packaging film 15 will first contact the tip portion 38 and be biased and pushed straight inward in the horizontal direction (see Figure 4(b)). Therefore, since there are no or very few components that bias the packaging film 15 diagonally upward or diagonally downward, the cylindrical packaging film 15 is transported without bouncing up and down, and the central part of the sides of the packaging film 15 is pushed inward. As a result, a neat gusset is formed.

[0044] Furthermore, the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37, located in front of and behind the upper top sealer 28 and lower top sealer 29 that sandwich the packaging film 15, should be positioned at a predetermined distance L from the top sealer, based on the height H of the tip portion 38 of the top sealer, for example, a distance of half the height (H / 2) or more (see Figure 5). In this way, when the packaging film 15 is sandwiched between the upper top sealer 28 and the lower top sealer 29, a film portion that slopes downward from the upper side of the main body portion where the product 13 is stored toward the top seal portion is formed on the tubular packaging film 15, and similarly, a film portion that slopes upward from the lower side of the main body portion toward the top seal portion is formed. By separating the distance L as in this embodiment, interference between the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 when these sloped film portions are formed is suppressed, making it possible to manufacture a packaging body 27 with the desired neat shape.

[0045] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 are each formed in a substantially L-shape, and the portion extending horizontally is a substantially rectangular parallelepiped, resulting in a rectangular shape in plan view. However, the shape is arbitrary, and for example, it may be triangular or trapezoidal, such as with the tip portion 38 being narrower in plan view. The shape of the tip portion 38 can also be various as long as its width in the height direction is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and it does not necessarily have to be a flat surface. The tip portion 38 may be a linear shape extending vertically, as in the case of a triangular shape in plan view. However, it is preferable to make it flat or linear and extend vertically.

[0046] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the moving means is composed of an endless chain stretched over the sprocket 33, and the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 are configured to be attached to the same endless chain 35. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, two endless chains may be arranged side by side, with the front clamp member 36 and the rear clamp member 37 attached to separate endless chains, or the movement may be carried out by a component other than an endless chain.

[0047] Furthermore, in the embodiment described above, product 13 is an aggregate product in which multiple disc-shaped articles 13a are arranged in a front-to-back row along the transport direction. However, the shape of the articles 13a is not limited to discs. For example, they may be spherical or cylindrical, or any other shape that may change its orientation or relative position during transport within the tubular packaging film 15. Such changes can be suppressed by clamping the front and rear of product 13, which consists of articles 13a of such shapes, with a front clamp member 36 and a rear clamp member 37. Changes in orientation include, for example, tipping over in the front-to-back direction or rotating in place with the vertical direction as the axis of rotation. Also, in the embodiment, product 13 was given as an example of an aggregate product consisting of multiple articles 13a, but it may also consist of, for example, a single article 13a.

[0048] Furthermore, the article 13a is not limited to those with variations in dimensions and shape, and the invention can also be applied to standard-shaped items with the same dimensions and shape. Even if the shape of the packaging film 15, which is made to enclose the product 13 in a cylindrical shape, varies, for example, due to differences in the physical properties of the packaging film 15 (e.g., material, thickness, stiffness, etc.), and even if the mounting accuracy of the cantilevered front clamp member 36 and rear clamp member 37 varies, the present invention can be applied to push the central portion of the side surface of the packaging film in the vertical direction toward the center in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

[0049] While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention, but rather to aid in understanding it. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also includes combinations of the various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. Although the configurations for which patent protection is sought are specified in the appended claims, it should be noted that even configurations not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future. [Explanation of symbols]

[0050] 10: Pillow packaging machine 11: Packaging machine body 12: Film feeding device 13: Products 13a : Goods 14: Conveying and supplying device 15: Packaging film 15a: Both side edges 16: Raw film 20: Bag making machine 24: Center seal device 25: Top sealing device 26: Discharge conveyor 27: Packaging 28: Upper top sealant 29: Lower top sealant 30: Side clamper device 33: Sprocket 35: Endless Chain 36: Front clamp member 37: Rear clamp member 38:Tip 39: Side cover component 39a: Side guide area 40: Guide rail

Claims

1. A pillow packaging machine comprising: a bag maker that forms a continuously supplied strip of packaging film into a cylindrical shape conforming to the outer shape of the product to be packaged; a conveying and supplying device that supplies the product to the bag maker; a center sealing device that seals the overlapping ends of the packaging film that has passed through the bag maker and formed into a cylindrical shape; a top sealing device positioned downstream of the center sealing device that seals and cuts the packaging film in the width direction; and a conveying conveyor device that transports the package formed by cutting with the top sealing device, Side clamper devices are provided on both the left and right sides of the transport path for the packaging film upstream of the top sealing device. The side clamper device comprises a front clamp member capable of pushing inward the central portion of the side of the packaging film on the front side of the product where the product is not present, a rear clamp member capable of pushing inward the central portion of the side of the packaging film on the rear side of the product where the product is not present, and a moving means for moving the front clamp member and the rear clamp member along a predetermined trajectory. The front clamp member and the rear clamp member have an L-shaped longitudinal cross-section and a portion extending horizontally, and the tip of the horizontally extending portion is configured to be able to contact the side surface of the packaging film. The aforementioned trajectory rotates in a horizontal plane, and the front clamp member and the rear clamp member each contact the side surface of the packaging film, pushing inward beyond the upper and lower portions of the side surface that do not make contact, and has a section in which it moves forward in accordance with the movement of the packaging film, and this forward section extends to the downstream side of the sealing and cutting position in the top sealing device. A pillow packaging machine wherein the tips of the horizontally extending portions of the front clamp member and the rear clamp member that contact the packaging film have a shape having a predetermined width in the height direction, and this predetermined width is configured such that even if the relative height position of the packaging film and the tip portion changes, the film portion that protrudes the furthest outward in the left-right direction of the packaging film will still make contact.

2. The pillow packaging machine according to claim 1, wherein the top sealer in the top sealing device, which sandwiches and seals the packaging film, and the front clamp member and the rear clamp member located in front of and behind the top sealer are arranged such that the distance between them is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance set based on the predetermined width of the tip.

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