Material guide device and packaging device

Abstract

To guide band-shaped materials along a curved area of a preset predetermined supply route.SOLUTION: A material guide device 9C is provided on material supply equipment 9B which guides band-shaped materials 1 to a curved area 2B of a predetermined supply route 2 preset as a route for supplying the materials 1, has a part 31 of an outer peripheral surface 3F of a roll 3 extending along the curved area 2B, and wraps the materials 1 in the curved area 2B around the part 31 of the outer peripheral surface 3F. The material guide device 9C includes: an outer peripheral part 5 which has an inner peripheral surface 51 that is spaced from the curved area 2B and extends along the curved area 2B on the outer peripheral side based on an axis 3C and structurally restricts deviation of the materials 1 from the curved area 2B to the outer peripheral side; and a blowing part 6 that ejects gas from the upstream side in the supply direction into a curved space 8 present between the inner peripheral surface 51 of the outer peripheral part 5 and the curved area 2B.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a material guiding device for guiding a material and a packaging device provided with the material guiding device.

Background Art

[0002] As one of the technologies for guiding a belt-like material, a technology for guiding a material using a gas is known. For example, a technology has been proposed for suppressing the fluttering of a supplied material by urging the material in one direction by flowing air along a flat plate arranged at an acute angle with respect to the belt-like material supplied along a linear path (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, in the technology for guiding a material supplied along a linear path by air flowing along a flat plate as described above, since the material is urged in one direction by the air for guiding the material, it is difficult to guide the material in a curve region where the supply direction of the material changes. Therefore, there is room for improvement in guiding a belt-like material along a curve region in a preset predetermined supply path.

[0005] The present case was devised in view of the above problems, and one of its purposes is to guide a belt-like material along a curve region in a preset predetermined supply path. In addition to this purpose, the actions and effects derived from each configuration shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described later, which are actions and effects not obtained by the conventional technology, can also be regarded as other purposes of the present case. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The material guiding device disclosed herein has the following configurations (1) to (4). The packaging device disclosed herein also has the following configurations (5) and (6). (1) A material guiding device provided in a material supply facility, which guides a strip-shaped material to a curved region, which is a region in a predetermined supply path set in advance as a route for supplying the material, where the supply direction changes from a first direction upstream in the supply direction of the material to a second direction downstream in the supply direction of the material, and a part of the outer surface of a roll having an outer surface around its axis extends along the curved region, and the material in the curved region is wrapped around the part of the outer surface, The outer circumferential portion has an inner circumferential surface that is spaced apart from the curved region and extends along the curved region on the outer circumferential side with respect to the axis, and structurally restricts the deviation of the material from the curved region to the outer circumferential side, The system includes a jetting section that ejects gas from the upstream side in the supply direction into the curved space existing between the inner surface of the outer periphery and the curved region. A material guiding device characterized by the following features. (2) The gas jetting section ejects the gas in the curved region from the upstream side of the supply direction to the downstream side of the supply direction, in the opposite direction to the direction in which the supply direction changes from the first direction to the second direction, at a second intersection angle smaller than the first intersection angle which is the angle at which the first direction intersects the second direction. The material guiding device according to (1), characterized in that it is a material guiding device. (3) The gas jet nozzle ejects the gas along the first direction. The material guiding device according to (1), characterized in that it is a material guiding device. (4) The flow of the gas ejected by the aforementioned nozzle in the curved space includes a vortex. A material guiding device according to any one of (1) to (3), characterized in that... (5) A material guide device according to any one of (1) to (4) is provided in the material supply equipment, wherein the curve region in which the supply direction changes to the second direction downward along the vertical direction is set in advance, and the extended portion, which is a part of the paper material that extends downstream in the supply direction from a part of the outer surface, is suspended from the roll, The system includes a processing unit for applying packaging treatment to the extension portion that hangs down from the roll in the second direction. A packaging device characterized by the following features. (6) The material consists of gusseted bags arranged in a continuous line along the supply direction, with the first and second facing surfaces connected via a folded gusset. The processing unit includes a suction arm that switches its operating state from a closed state in which it clamps and holds the first and second surfaces of the extension portion to an open state in which it separates the first and second surfaces that are held by suction from each other. The packaging apparatus according to (5), characterized in that [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this invention, a strip-shaped material can be guided along a curved region of a predetermined supply route. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing a portion of a material that is guided in the supply direction by a material guide device, with the material being broken to illustrate the effect. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram showing a material guiding device and a packaging device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram showing modified examples of a material guiding device and a packaging device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, a material guiding device and a packaging device as embodiments will be described. The material guiding device of this embodiment is a device that guides a strip-shaped material to a curve region, which is a region where the supply direction of the material changes in a predetermined supply path preset as a path for supplying the strip-shaped material. This material guiding device is provided in a material supply facility. The material supply facility is a facility that supplies a strip-shaped material along a supply path and is an installation target of the material guiding device. In this material supply facility, the material in the curve region is wound around the outer peripheral surface of a roll that guides the material.

[0010] The packaging device of this embodiment includes the above-mentioned material guiding device. The packaging device exemplified in this embodiment is provided with not only a material guiding device but also a material supply facility. This packaging device is a device that targets the material supplied by the material supply facility and guided by the material guiding device for packaging processing. In the above-mentioned packaging device, packaging processes are sequentially performed on the material, and a package (packaging body) in which the contents are packaged with the material is manufactured. As an example of a package manufactured by the packaging device, a product in which a plurality of toilet rolls (contents) are packaged in a paper bag made of a paper material can be cited.

[0011] Regarding the directions used in the description of this embodiment, the upstream and downstream are defined based on the supply direction of the material. In the planar region where the material extends in a strip shape, the direction perpendicular to the supply direction is defined as the width direction, and the direction perpendicular to both the supply direction and the width direction is defined as the thickness direction. In addition, the direction along the direction in which gravity acts is defined as the downward direction, and the opposite direction of the downward direction is defined as the upward direction. When these downward and upward directions are not distinguished, they are referred to as the vertical direction. Note that the supply direction is the direction in which the processing process for the material progresses in the packaging facility and is also referred to as the MD direction (Machine Direction) or the flow direction. The width direction is also referred to as the CD direction (Cross Direction), and the thickness direction is also referred to as the TD direction (Transverse Direction). In addition, looking from the width direction is referred to as a side view.

[0012] [I. One Embodiment] In the following one embodiment, after explaining the configuration of the material (object to be guided) guided in the supply direction by the material guiding device in item [1], the configuration of the packaging device will be outlined in item [2], and the configuration of the material guiding device will be described in detail in item [3]. Then, the actions and effects due to the configurations in items [2] and [3] will be described in item [4].

[0013] [1. Material] As shown in FIG. 1, in the material 1, the gusset bags 10 are arranged continuously along the supply direction (denoted as "MD" in FIG. 1). Each gusset bag 10 is provided with a first surface portion 11 and a second surface portion 12 as non-folded portions, and a pair of gussets 13 as folded portions. The surface portions 11 and 12 face each other in the thickness direction and extend in the same region as the material 1. The gussets 13 extend in the region of the material 1 excluding the center in the width direction and are folded along a valley fold line F provided at the center in the thickness direction. The first surface portion 11 and the second surface portion 12 face each other in the thickness direction, and the widthwise edges of the facing surface portions 11 and 12 are connected via a pair of gussets 13.

[0014] In each gusset bag 10, the upstream portions 1U (shown by dot patterns in FIG. 1) of the surface portions 11 and 12 are pre-bonded to each other. After each gusset bag 10 is separated from the material 1, if the surface portions 11 and 12 in the region excluding the upstream portion 1U are separated from each other, the folding of the gusset 13 is unfolded, and an opening surrounded by the downstream edge 1D in the gusset bag 10 is widened. The gusset bag 10 until the surface portions 11 and 12 are separated forms a part of the strip-shaped material 1 and extends in a planar shape.

[0015] As described above, the material 1, in which gusseted bags 10 with detachable surfaces 11 and 12 via a gusset 13 are connected in the supply direction, is a packaging material that is sequentially processed into paper bags for packaging contents, and is a paper material. Here, "paper material" means a material in which the proportion of paper in material 1 is 50% or more (for example, the weight of pulp that makes up the paper is 50% or more of the total weight), and can also be said to be a material whose main component is paper. Therefore, paper materials include not only materials made of paper that has not been processed such as lamination or bonding, but also materials made of processed paper (composite material) to which a polyethylene layer (resin film layer) has been laminated or bonded. Examples of paper materials include laminated paper, glassine paper, mixed paper, and pure white paper.

[0016] As described above, the material 1 of this embodiment is made of paper and therefore tends to have higher rigidity compared to materials made of thin resin films, and has a predetermined stiffness (rigidity). The "predetermined stiffness" referred to here is a physical property that causes the material 1 to deviate from a predetermined supply path by a repulsive force that acts to unfold the material 1 at points where the supply direction of the material 1 changes. The aforementioned material 1 is used as packaging material for the packaging device described below.

[0017] [2. Packaging equipment] As shown in Figure 2, the packaging device 9A is equipped with a material guide device 9C for the material supply equipment 9B. The material supply equipment 9B is a basic piece of equipment that supplies material 1 along a predetermined supply route 2. The material guide device 9C is an additional device that guides the material 1 supplied by the material supply equipment 9B to the predetermined supply route 2.

[0018] The material supply equipment 9B has a predetermined supply route 2 set in advance. The supply route 2 exemplified here can be broadly divided into three areas 2A, 2B, and 2C as shown below. • Horizontal region 2A (upstream region): The most upstream region specifically mentioned in this embodiment. • Curve region 2B: The region set immediately after horizontal region 2A. • Vertical region 2C (downstream region): The region set immediately after curved region 2B.

[0019] The horizontal region 2A and the vertical region 2C are set in a planar shape (straight lines in a side view). The horizontal region 2A extends along the horizontal direction, and the vertical region 2C extends along the vertical direction. On the other hand, the curved region 2B is set to be curved (curved in a side view). The horizontal region 2A and the vertical region 2C are continuous through the curved region 2B.

[0020] In the horizontal region 2A, material 1 is supplied in the first direction D1 (the first direction upstream in the supply direction) along the horizontal direction from upstream to downstream (from right to left in Figure 2) while its vertical position remains unchanged. In the vertical region 2C, material 1 is supplied in the second direction D2 (the second direction downstream in the supply direction, a second direction different from the first direction) along the vertical direction in a downward direction. In the curved region 2B, material 1 is supplied while the supply direction gradually changes from the first direction D1 to the second direction D2. In other words, the region in the predetermined supply path 2 in which the supply direction of material 1 changes is the curved region 2B.

[0021] Material 1, which extends across the aforementioned regions 2A, 2B, and 2C, can be broadly divided into the following three parts, corresponding to each of the regions 2A, 2B, and 2C. • Base 1A: Part extending into the horizontal region 2A • Curved section 1B: The part that extends into the curved region 2B. • Extension 1C: The portion that extends into the vertical region 2C. The extension 1C is the part of material 1 that hangs down on the downstream side, while the base 1A and curved part 1B are the parts that support the hanging of the extension 1C on the upstream side.

[0022] A roll 3 is provided in the material supply equipment 9B as a member to support the sagging of the extension 1C. The roll 3 is a cylindrical member that guides the supply of material 1, and has an outer peripheral surface 3F around an axis 3C that extends along the width direction. The roll 3 is positioned so that a part 31 of the outer peripheral surface 3F extends along the curved region 2B. In the following, the inner and outer circumferences are defined based on the axis 3C. A roll 3 is provided on the inner circumference side of the curved region 2B, and material 1 is hung over the outer circumference side of the roll 3. Material 1 located in a predetermined supply path 2 has a curved portion 1B located in the outer curved region 2B wrapped around a part 31 of the outer circumference surface 3F of the roll 3, and an extended portion 1C located in the vertical region 2C hangs down from a part 31 of the outer circumference surface 3F.

[0023] The packaging device 9A is equipped with a cutter 7 for cutting the material 1 from which the curved portion 1B and the hanging extension portion 1C are attached, which are wrapped around the roll 3 as described above. The cutter 7 is positioned in the material 1 to cut the boundary between adjacent gusset bags 10 (see Figure 1). This cutter 7 can also be described as the cutting part that separates each gusset bag 10 (see Figure 1) from the material 1.

[0024] Furthermore, the packaging device 9A is equipped with a processing unit 4 that performs packaging processing on the extension portion 1C hanging from the roll 3. This processing unit 4 can also be described as a packaging processing part that processes the extension portion 1C hanging from the roll 3. The processing unit 4 is configured to process the extension portion 1C (more precisely, the material 1 along the pre-set supply path 2) that hangs down from the roll 3 along the vertical region 2C. Processing the extension portion 1C that deviates from the vertical region 2C is either impossible or may result in defects.

[0025] The processing unit 4 described above is positioned to process the extension portion 1C that hangs down from the roll 3 along the vertical region 2C. More specifically, the processing unit 4 is located at a point where it is separated from the roll 3 by a distance equal to the range within which the extension portion 1C, hanging down by its own weight, deviates from the vertical region 2C due to a predetermined stiffness of the material 1. To give a specific example, the processing unit 4 is positioned below the roll 3 by the length in the supply direction for which two or fewer gusset bags 10 extend in the material 1. Furthermore, the processing unit 4 and cutter 7 provided in the packaging device 9A may be provided in the material supply equipment 9B included in the packaging device 9A, or they may be provided in the packaging device 9A even if they are not provided in the material supply equipment 9B.

[0026] In this embodiment, the suction arm 4 (a suction arm included in the processing unit) is exemplified as the processing unit 4. The suction arm 4 is a functional unit that widens the opening of the gusset bag 10 by separating the surfaces 11 and 12 of the extension 1C. The suction arm 4 is provided with a pair of arms 41 and 42 that clamp and hold the surfaces 11 and 12 of the extension 1C. The pair of arms 41 and 42 are positioned opposite each other, with an extension 1C hanging down from the roll 3 along the vertical region 2C, as shown below. • First arm 41: Extension 1 hanging down from the roll 3 along the vertical region 2C An arm provided on one side (right side in Figure 2) relative to C • Second arm 42: Extension 1 hanging down from the roll 3 along the vertical region 2C Arm located on the other side (left side in Figure 2) relative to C

[0027] The suction arm 4 described above can be switched between the closed and open operating states as shown below. • Closed state: A state in which the surfaces 11 and 12 of the extension 1C are clamped and held by suction. • Open state: A state in which the adsorbed surfaces 11 and 12 are separated from each other. In the suction arm 4 illustrated here, the second arm 42 moves toward and away from the fixed first arm 41, causing the arms 41 and 42 to grip and separate the surfaces 11 and 12. The timing of gripping and holding the surfaces 11 and 12 with the suction arm 4 is simultaneous with or immediately after cutting the material 1 by the cutter 7. If the suction arm were to hold the material 1 after a delay following the completion of cutting by the cutter, it could lead to displacement or falling of the material. Therefore, the reason for performing suction holding almost simultaneously with cutting, as described above, is to prevent displacement or falling of the material 1.

[0028] In addition, the packaging device 9A of this embodiment is provided with a restricting member 9 on one side (the right side in Figure 2) of the vertical region 2C to structurally restrict the deviation of the extension portion 1C. Here, "one side" refers to the side opposite to the side of the vertical region 2C where the extension portion 1C is located in an orientation along the NG direction D9. The regulating member 9 is provided with a planar auxiliary guide surface 9F that is provided along the vertical region 2C. The auxiliary guide surface 9F is positioned below the roll 3 (downward in the vertical direction) and extends at least a portion above the processing unit 4 (upward in the vertical direction). The regulating member 9 illustrated in this embodiment extends to a region where its vertical position overlaps with the suction arm 4 and has a flat plate shape with a notch or opening to avoid interference with the first arm 41 in the closed state of the suction arm 4.

[0029] Incidentally, the extension portion 1C processed by the processing unit 4, with the suction arm 4 being an example, is pre-set to be supplied in the material supply equipment 9B (packaging device 9A) in a position aligned with the vertical direction in the vertical region 2C. However, if the extension portion 1C is simply suspended from the roll 3 by its own weight, the predetermined stiffness of the material 1 causes the extension portion 1C to be supplied in a position aligned with the NG direction D9 (shown by the dashed line in Figure 2), which is a direction deviating from the vertical direction in the vertical region 2C, on the horizontal side (upper left side in Figure 2) where the material 1 is supplied in the horizontal region 2A. Therefore, there is a risk that the processing unit 4 will be unable to process the extension portion 1C or that processing will be inadequate. Therefore, the packaging device 9A of this embodiment is provided with a material guide device 9C, which will be described next.

[0030] [3. Material guide device] The material guiding device 9C is a device that presses (biases) the curved portion 1B toward the curve region 2B in order to hold down the extension portion 1C in the direction along the vertical region 2C from the NG direction D9 (i.e., the vertical direction).

[0031] If the material supplied to the material supply equipment 9B is such that the curved portion is wrapped around the curved region 2B and the extended portion hangs down along the vertical region 2C due to its own weight, then the extended portion of the material will hang down along the vertical region 2C due to its own weight. An example of such a low-rigidity material is a thin-film resin material. As described above, since guidance in the supply direction is unnecessary for materials with low rigidity, the material guidance device 9C can be said to be a device that needs to be added to the material supply equipment 9B when the materials supplied to the material supply equipment 9B are changed from materials with low rigidity to materials with high rigidity.

[0032] The material guiding device 9C is equipped with a fixed outer periphery 5 and a gas ejection unit 6 that ejects gas along the outer periphery 5, which are components that press the curved section 1B toward the curved region 2B. The outer periphery portion 5 is a member that structurally restricts the deviation of the curved portion 1B (material 1) from the curved region 2B toward the outer periphery. This outer periphery portion 5 is positioned spaced apart from the roll 3 on the opposite side of the predetermined supply path 2. The outer periphery portion 5 is provided with an inner circumferential surface 51 that is spaced apart from the curved region 2B toward the outer periphery and extends along the curved region 2B. The inner circumferential surface 51 is a planar portion in the outer circumferential portion 5 that structurally restricts the deviation of the curved portion 1B (material 1) from the curved region 2B toward the outer circumferential side.

[0033] Figure 2 illustrates an outer peripheral portion 5 that extends in a plate-like manner. The inner circumferential surface 51 of the outer peripheral portion 5 illustrated here is integrally provided with the following three parts 5A, 5B, and 5C. • Base 5A: A portion provided so that it approaches the horizontal region 2A as it moves downstream. • Intermediate section 5B: A portion provided along the curved region 2B on the outer periphery side of the curved region 2B. • Tip section 5C: A section that is positioned to move further away from the vertical region 2C as it extends downwards. The base portion 5A and the tip portion 5C are provided in a planar shape (straight in a side view), while the intermediate portion 5B is provided in a curved shape (curved in a side view).

[0034] The gas jet section 6 is a device that ejects gas from the upstream side into the curved space 8 that exists between the inner surface 51 of the outer periphery 5 and the curved region 2B. Air is an example of the gas ejected by the gas jet 6. However, various gases usable by the packaging device 9A may be used as the gas ejected by the gas jet 6. Examples of various gases usable by the packaging device 9A include inert gases such as nitrogen gas and argon gas.

[0035] The gas jet 6 illustrated here is provided to eject gas along the base 5A, as shown in Figure 2. Since the base 5A is positioned to approach the horizontal region 2A as it moves downstream, the third direction D3 in which the gas jet 6 ejects gas is set to one of the supply directions of the curved portion 1B in the curved region 2B (the tangential direction of the curved region 2B in a side view). In other words, the gas jet 6 ejects gas along the third direction D3, which intersects the second direction D2 at a second intersection angle θ2 (acute angle) that is smaller than the first intersection angle θ1 (90° in the example in Figure 2), which is the angle at which the first direction D1 intersects the second direction D2.

[0036] The first intersection angle θ1 referred to here is the angle at which the first direction D1 intersects the second direction D2 in the opposite direction (clockwise in Figure 2) to the direction in which the supply direction of the curved section 1B changes from the first direction D1 to the second direction D2 in the curve region 2B from upstream to downstream (counterclockwise in Figure 2). Similarly, the second intersection angle θ2 is the angle at which the third direction D3 intersects the second direction D2 in the opposite direction (clockwise in Figure 2) to the direction in which the supply direction of the curved section 1B moves from the upstream side to the downstream side in the curve region 2B, from the first direction D1 to the second direction D2 (counterclockwise in Figure 2).

[0037] Furthermore, the material guide device 9C illustrated in this embodiment is designed to generate a vortex in the curved space 8 (the flow of gas sprayed by the spray unit 6 in the curved space 8 includes a vortex), and various parameters for generating such a vortex are set. Here, we give an example of how the Reynolds number is calculated from the parameters set to generate vortices, as described above.

[0038] The Reynolds number is a dimensionless quantity that characterizes the nature of a flow. When the Reynolds number is small, it indicates a laminar flow, and when the value is large, it indicates a turbulent flow (eddy flow). The value at which laminar flow transitions to turbulent flow is called the critical Reynolds number. The Reynolds number is expressed by the formula "ρDV / μ", where "D" is the characteristic length, "V" is the gas velocity in curved space 8, "ρ" is the density of the gas, and "μ" is the viscosity coefficient of the gas. If the kinematic viscosity coefficient obtained by dividing the viscosity coefficient of the gas "μ" by the density of the gas "ρ" is "v" (=μ / ρ), then the Reynolds number can also be expressed by the formula "DV / v".

[0039] The characteristic length "D" can be the dimension at which the material 1 and the base 5A of the inner circumferential surface 51 are separated in the direction normal to the inner circumferential surface 51 at the point where the base 5A of the inner circumferential surface 51 is furthest away from the material 1 (maximum distance between the material and the material guide device). The flow velocity "V" can be the velocity of the gas ejected by the nozzle 6, and the density "ρ" can be the density of the gas ejected by the nozzle 6. The viscosity coefficient "μ" can be calculated based on the temperature of the gas ejected by the nozzle 6. More specifically, the viscosity coefficient "μ" can be calculated by the following formula (1), as shown in "Equation 51 on page 19 of US standard atmosphere, 1976".

[0040]

number

[0041] Note that in formula (1) for calculating the viscosity coefficient "μ", "β" and "S" are constants, and "T" is a constant. M " is the absolute temperature of the air [K], and "T" is the temperature of the air in degrees Celsius [°C]. The constant "β" is the numerical value "1.458 × 10 -6 The constant "S" is used, and the numerical value "110.4" is used for the constant "S". The constant "S" is also known as Sutherland's constant.

[0042] In this material guiding device 9C, it is preferable that various parameters are set so that the Reynolds number is equal to or greater than a predetermined lower limit. The "predetermined lower limit" here is the critical Reynolds number, which is 3000 for example. For instance, the parameters of the velocity of the gas ejected by the gas nozzle 6 are set so that the Reynolds number is 3000 or greater. The upper limit of the Reynolds number is not particularly limited, but it may be specified from the standpoint of preventing material 1 from shifting position due to the gas being ejected from the nozzle 6 being too fast, or from preventing material 1 from colliding with and being damaged by material guide devices 9C such as the auxiliary guide surface 9F. It may also be specified by the rated ejection speed or rated ejection pressure of the device used in the nozzle 6.

[0043] In addition, the spray unit 6 may be switched to either the ON state or the OFF state as described below, depending on the operating state of the suction arm 4. • ON state: When the suction arm 4 is in the closed position, gas is ejected from the gas nozzle 6. state • OFF state: When the suction arm 4 is in the open position, gas is ejected from the nozzle 6. Stopped state

[0044] [4. Action and Effects] Since the material guide device 9C and packaging device 9A of this embodiment have the above-described configuration, the following operations and effects can be obtained. (1) According to the material guide device 9C of this embodiment, the gas ejected from the gas nozzle 6 flows along the inner surface 51 of the outer circumference 5. Therefore, even if the curved portion 1B of the material 1 tries to deviate from the curve region 2B toward the outer circumference, the gas flowing through the middle portion 5B of the inner surface 51 pushes the curved portion 1B back toward the curve region 2B, thereby guiding the supply direction of the curved portion 1B along the curve region 2B. In this way, the supply direction of the material 1 that tries to deviate from the second direction D2 toward the first direction D1 toward the curve region 2B can be biased toward the curve region 2B, and the material 1 can be guided from the upstream side to the downstream side along the curve region 2B. Therefore, the strip-shaped material 1 can be guided along the curved region 2B of the predetermined supply path 2.

[0045] To give a specific example, the gas ejected from the gas nozzle 6 biases the curved portion 1B of the material 1 towards the curve region 2B without contacting the inner surface 51 of the outer circumference 5, thereby guiding the supply direction of the material 1 to follow the curve region 2B. Furthermore, even if the material 1 deviates from the curved region 2B toward the outer periphery, the deviation of the material 1 from the curved region 2B is structurally restricted by the fact that the material 1 comes into contact with at least the inner circumferential surface 51 of the outer periphery 5. In addition, the gas ejected from the gas nozzle 6 into the curved space 8 suppresses the pressing force (biasing force) of the material 1 against the inner circumferential surface 51, thereby guiding the material 1 along the curved region 2B.

[0046] In addition, the material guide device 9C can be used not only to guide the material 1 when it is positioned along the supply path 2, but also to guide the material 1 during the process of feeding it along the supply path 2 (so-called "paper feeding operation"). Specifically, during the paper feeding operation in which the leading edge (downstream end) of the material 1 is fed from the horizontal area 2A into the curved area 2B and then into the vertical area 2C, the gas ejected from the gas nozzle 6 flows along the inner surface 51 of the outer circumference 5, thereby biasing the material 1 towards the curved area 2B as it is fed out, allowing the paper feeding operation to be carried out smoothly.

[0047] (2) Since the gas jet 6 ejects gas along a third direction D3 that intersects the second direction D2 at a second intersection angle θ2 which is smaller than the first intersection angle θ1, the gas can be directly blown onto the material 1 that has deviated slightly outward from the curved region 2B. In this way, the material 1 can be reliably biased towards the curved region 2B, and the guiding ability of the material 1 can be improved. (3) Furthermore, by generating vortices in the curved space 8 and having the gas flow in the curved space 8 include vortices, the material 1 can be reliably biased towards the curved region 2B compared to when the gas flow in the curved space 8 is laminar. From this point of view as well, it contributes to improving the guiding ability of the material 1 along the curved region 2B.

[0048] (4) According to the packaging device 9A of this embodiment, the curved portion 1B of the material 1 is biased toward the curve region 2B by the material guide device 9C, thereby guiding the direction in which the extended portion 1C of the material 1 is supplied from the NG direction D9 to the second direction D2. By correcting the supply direction of the material 1 in this way, the extended portion 1C of the material 1 can be supplied along a preset vertical region 2C. Consequently, the processing for packaging by the processing unit 4 can be properly performed. Furthermore, when the resin film material supplied to the packaging device 9A is changed to paper material 1, packaging using paper material 1 can be properly manufactured simply by adding a material guide device 9C to the existing material supply equipment 9B.

[0049] (5) The suction arm 4, exemplified as the processing unit 4, switches its operating state from a closed state in which it grips and holds the surfaces 11 and 12 of the extension 1C, to an open state in which it separates the held surfaces 11 and 12 from each other. As the material guide device 9C corrects the supply direction of the extension 1C, including the surfaces 11 and 12 held by the suction arm 4, the suction arm 4 can reliably perform the packaging process of widening the opening of the gusset bag 10.

[0050] (6) If the ON state continues, in which gas is ejected from the spray nozzle 6 while the suction arm 4 is in the open state, there is a risk that the separation of the surfaces 11 and 12 in the open state will be hindered. In contrast, if the spray nozzle 6 can be switched between an ON state in which gas is ejected when the suction arm 4 is in the closed state and an OFF state in which gas is ejected when the suction arm 4 is in the open state, the surfaces 11 and 12 can be smoothly separated when the suction arm 4 is in the open state.

[0051] (7) In addition, the auxiliary guide surface 9F of the regulating member 9, which is provided on one side with respect to the vertical region 2C, structurally restricts the deviation of the extension portion 1C. For example, even if a disturbance acts to cause the extension portion 1C to deviate toward one side with respect to the vertical region 2C, the extension portion 1C is pressed against the auxiliary guide surface 9F, preventing the extension portion 1C from deviating toward one side. From this point of view as well, the supply direction of the material 1 can be appropriately guided.

[0052] [II. Variant Examples] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications or applications of techniques not explicitly stated in these embodiments. Each configuration of these embodiments can be modified in various ways without departing from their spirit. Furthermore, they can be selected and combined as needed.

[0053] For example, as shown in Figure 3, the direction of gas ejection from the nozzle 6' may be along the first direction D1'. In this case, the inner surface 51' of the outer circumference 5' is provided with the base 5A' parallel to the horizontal region 2A. In other words, the nozzle 6' ejects gas along the third direction D3', which intersects the second direction D2' at a second intersection angle θ2' (acute angle) equal to the first intersection angle θ1' (90° in the example of Figure 3), which is the angle at which the first direction D1' intersects the second direction D2'. Although not mentioned here, components in Figure 3 that are given the same reference numerals as in Figure 1 are configured in the same way as in the embodiment described above. Thus, when a gas jet 6' is provided that ejects gas along the first direction D1', it is also possible to guide the base 1A' supplied along the first direction D1' in the horizontal region (the region upstream of the curved region 2B').

[0054] Furthermore, the first direction in which materials are supplied upstream in a predetermined supply route is not limited to the direction described above in one embodiment, but can be any direction. Similarly, the second direction in which materials are supplied downstream in a predetermined supply route is not limited to the direction described above in one embodiment, but can be any direction as long as it is different from the first direction. For example, the second direction may be a direction opposite to the first direction, even if both the first and second directions are horizontal. Another example is that one of the first and second directions may be a direction along the vertical direction, and the other may be a direction along the horizontal direction.

[0055] Focusing on a material supply system where a second direction is set in an upward direction along the vertical, regardless of the rigidity of the material, a force acts on the material due to its own weight, causing it to deviate towards the outer edge of the curved region. In a material supply system with such a supply path, there is a risk of deviation of the curved portion from the curved region regardless of the rigidity of the material, and therefore this is effective not only for materials made of paper but also for materials made of resin.

[0056] The material is not limited to paper as described above in one embodiment; it may also be made of film, or of any material or composition. Furthermore, the material is not limited to gusseted bags with gussets; bags without gussets (for example, pillow bags) may be arranged continuously in the supply direction. The material is not limited to such tubular multi-layered materials; single-layered materials may also be used. Furthermore, gas flow in a curved space is not limited to forms including vortices, but does not exclude forms including laminar flow. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0057] 1. Materials 10 gusseted bags 11 First side 12 Second surface part 13 Machi 1A base 1B Curved section 1C Extension The downstream edge of the 1D surface portion 11, 12 Upstream portion of surface 11, 12 2. Supply routes 2A Horizontal area (upstream area) 2B Curve Region 2C Vertical region (downstream region) 3 rolls 31 part 3C axis center 3F outer surface 4. Suction Arm (Processing Unit) 41 First Arm 42 Second Arm 5. Outer perimeter 51 Inner surface 5A base 5B Middle part 5C Tip 6. Steam section 7 Cutter 8 Curved Space 9 Regulating members 9A packaging equipment 9B Material supply equipment 9C Material Guide Device 9F Auxiliary guide surface D1 First direction D2 Second Direction D3 third direction D9 NG direction F Valley Break Line

Claims

1. A material guiding device provided in a material supply facility, wherein a curved region is a region in which the supply direction changes from a first direction upstream of the supply direction of the material to a second direction downstream of the supply direction of the material, in a predetermined supply path set in advance as a route for supplying strip-shaped material, and a part of the outer surface of a roll having an outer surface around its axis extends along the curved region, and the material in the curved region is wrapped around the part of the outer surface, the curved region in which the supply direction changes to a second direction downward along the vertical direction is set in advance, and an extended portion of the paper material that extends downstream of the part of the outer surface in the supply direction is suspended from the roll, The outer circumferential portion has an inner circumferential surface that is spaced apart from the curved region and extends along the curved region on the outer circumferential side with respect to the axis, and structurally restricts the deviation of the material from the curved region to the outer circumferential side, The system includes a jetting section that ejects gas from the upstream side in the supply direction into the curved space existing between the inner surface of the outer periphery and the curved region. A material guiding device characterized by the following features.

2. The gas jetting section ejects the gas in the curved region from the upstream side of the supply direction to the downstream side of the supply direction, in the opposite direction to the direction in which the supply direction changes from the first direction to the second direction, at a second intersection angle smaller than the first intersection angle which is the angle at which the first direction intersects the second direction. The material guiding device according to feature 1.

3. The gas jet nozzle ejects the gas along the first direction. The material guiding device according to feature 1.

4. A material guide device according to any one of Claims 1 to 3, The system includes a processing unit for applying packaging treatment to the extension portion that hangs down from the roll in the second direction. A packaging device characterized by the following features.

5. The material consists of gusseted bags arranged in a continuous line along the supply direction, with the first and second facing surfaces connected via a folded gusset. The processing unit includes a suction arm that switches its operating state from a closed state in which it clamps and holds the first and second surfaces of the extension portion to an open state in which it separates the first and second surfaces that are held by suction from each other. The packaging apparatus according to feature 4.

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