Bag making and filling packaging machine

Abstract

To provide a bag-making filling packer that suppresses sealing failure due to product biting and also is effective in preventing pin holes from occurring when loading products.SOLUTION: When a product C is dropped to the inside of a bag body 16 with its top released via a filling cylinder 12, the product C reaches a pair of inclined planes 32 of the bag body 16. After the product C reaches the lower part of the bag 16, with the edge of a cylindrical film F in the longer direction being held by a lateral juncture 26 for forming the bag body 16 with its top released, the packing film 2 is transported in a predetermined amount downward by a film feeding mechanism 22, thereby causing the pair of inclined planes 32 to be in a relaxed condition where they are flexed in a separating manner from each other.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a bag-making filling and packaging machine.

Background Art

[0002] A bag-making filling and packaging machine includes a filling cylinder unit having a filling cylinder and a former, and a device body having a film supply mechanism, a film feeding mechanism, a longitudinal joint, and a transverse joint (see Patent Document 1). Products measured by a weighing machine are intermittently fed into the hopper at the upper part of the filling cylinder. The packaging film supplied from the film supply mechanism to the former is bent into a cylindrical shape on the outer peripheral surface of the filling cylinder by the former, and is intermittently transferred downward on the outer peripheral surface of the filling cylinder by the film feeding mechanism. Then, both ends in the width direction of the packaging film bent into a cylindrical shape are joined by the longitudinal joint to form a cylindrical film, and the end in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical film is joined and cut by the transverse joint, and a bag body in which the product introduced from the filling cylinder is enclosed is manufactured. In the longitudinal joint, a pair of elongated seal portions move back and forth linearly in a direction of approaching and separating in the width direction of the cylindrical film in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical film. Also, in the transverse joint, at the end in the longitudinal direction of the cylindrical film, a pair of elongated seal portions move back and forth linearly in a direction of approaching and separating in a direction orthogonal to the width direction of the cylindrical film. That is, the lower part in the length direction of the cylindrical film is sealed at a predetermined position of the cylindrical film, and the product measured from the product input hopper is introduced from the filling cylinder body through the hopper into the inside of the cylindrical film whose lower part is sealed. Thereafter, the cylindrical film is transferred from a predetermined position to a position below it by the film feeding mechanism. At the lower position, the upper part of the cylindrical film into which the product has been introduced is sealed by a transverse sealing device to form a bag body in which the product is enclosed, and the lower part of the cylindrical film located above it is sealed, and at the same time, the bag body in which the product is enclosed is separated from the cylindrical film. In this way, the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine forms bags containing the product.

[0003] By the way, when the products to be sealed in the bag are lightweight and have high air resistance, such as potato chips or snack foods, the products that are fed from the hopper into the tubular film will stack up inside the bag with gaps between them, increasing their bulk. As a result, the products or their fragments may end up near the area at the top of the tubular film that is to be sealed. In this state, if the area to be sealed is sealed, the product or fragments thereof may get caught in the sealing area of ​​the tubular film, potentially causing a sealing defect. Therefore, a technique has been proposed to reduce the bulk of the product by performing a volume reduction as follows (see Patent Document 2). In other words, before the product is placed into the tubular film, the ends of the tubular film are sealed and held in place by the lateral joint, and a predetermined amount of the tubular film is transported by the film feeding mechanism. This creates slack in the portion of the tubular film located above the lateral joint, in other words, near the bottom of the bag, thereby securing a large space near the bottom of the bag. When the product is placed into the tubular film with such a large space secured, the volume of the product decreases, and the product or its fragments end up located below the area near the planned sealing point at the top of the tubular film. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-43626 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2019-189249 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0005] However, in the technology described in Patent Document 2, the product is placed in the bag with some slack near the bottom, so the falling product collides with the bottom of the bag at an angle close to right. Therefore, there is a risk that pinholes may easily form at the bottom of the bag due to product impact. In recent years, in particular, from the perspective of mitigating the environmental impact of synthetic resins, it has become important to consider how to reduce the amount of synthetic resin material used in packaging films (tubular films). Therefore, as packaging film materials are being replaced from synthetic resin materials to paper materials, or even if the same synthetic resin material is used, the thickness of the film is being reduced, there is a tendency to use packaging films with lower strength, which makes the aforementioned pinholes more likely to occur, and there is a need to suppress the occurrence of such pinholes. The present invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and the object of the present invention is to provide a bag-making, filling, and packaging machine that is advantageous in suppressing sealing defects caused by product jamming and in suppressing the occurrence of pinholes when products are loaded. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives, one embodiment of the present invention includes a former that folds a packaging film supplied to the former into a cylindrical shape on the outer surface of a filling cylinder, a film feeding mechanism positioned on the outer surface of the filling cylinder and intermittently transporting the cylindrically folded packaging film downward on the outer surface of the filling cylinder, a longitudinal joining portion that joins both ends of the packaging film in the width direction on the filling cylinder to form a cylindrical film, and a portion positioned below the filling cylinder that clamps and joins the longitudinal ends of the cylindrical film while the transport of the cylindrical film by the film feeding mechanism is stopped to form a bag with an open top, after the product is dropped from the filling cylinder into the bag, and after the cylindrical film is transported downward by the film feeding mechanism, the top of the bag is clamped and joined and cut, and the product is sealed. A bag-making, filling, and packaging machine comprising a lateral joint that forms a bag body into which a product is placed, and a control unit that controls the film feeding mechanism, the vertical joint, and the lateral joint, wherein the lower part of the open-topped bag body before the product is dropped into the bag body has a pair of inclined surfaces that slope toward each other as they descend, and a lower end joint surface to which the lower ends of the pair of inclined surfaces are joined, wherein the control unit, after the product dropped into the open-topped bag body reaches the lower part of the bag body, maintains the gripping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film by the lateral joint when forming the open-topped bag body, and then moves the packaging film downward by a predetermined amount using the film feeding mechanism to create a relaxed state in which the pair of inclined surfaces are curved toward each other. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the control unit, after relaxing the pair of inclined surfaces, releases the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film by the lateral joint when forming the open-topped bag, and in this released state, performs a squeezing operation of the open-topped bag using the lateral joint or a squeezing member provided on the lateral joint. Furthermore, one embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, while maintaining the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film by the lateral joint when forming the bag body with an open top, a product receiving portion formed of an elastic member that supports the pair of inclined surfaces from below is provided. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment of the present invention, when a product is dropped into a bag with an open top, the dropped product reaches a pair of inclined surfaces of the bag. Since the pair of inclined surfaces are inclined with respect to the direction in which the product falls (vertical direction), the impact from the product to the pair of inclined surfaces is mitigated, and damage to the pair of inclined surfaces and the occurrence of pinholes are suppressed. Therefore, even when the use of a low-strength packaging film is required to respond to the reduction of synthetic resin materials, it is advantageous that the occurrence of pinholes in the bag can be reliably prevented. Furthermore, after the dropped product reaches the bottom of the bag, the packaging film is transported downward by a predetermined amount using a film feeding mechanism while maintaining the grip of the longitudinal end of the tubular film by the lateral joint that forms the open top of the bag. This causes the pair of inclined surfaces to curve away from each other, creating a relaxed state. As a result, the volume of the bottom of the bag increases, and the product moves downward inside the bag due to its own weight, efficiently causing the product to sink. This is advantageous in preventing sealing defects caused by the product getting caught in the joint of the packaging film at the lateral joint. Furthermore, by releasing the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film by the lateral joint when forming a bag with an open top, and then performing a squeezing motion in this released state, the pair of inclined surfaces are relaxed, allowing the product to settle. Performing the squeezing motion after this is more advantageous in promoting the settling of the product inside the bag, and thus is even more advantageous in preventing sealing defects caused by the product getting caught in the joint of the packaging film at the lateral joint. Furthermore, by providing a product receiving section, the impact on the inclined surfaces when a product falls inside the bag and collides with the pair of inclined surfaces can be further mitigated by the product receiving section, which is even more advantageous in preventing damage to the pair of inclined surfaces and the occurrence of pinholes. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a bag-making, filling, and packaging machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system of a bag-making, filling, and packaging machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a timing chart illustrating the operation of a bag-making, filling, and packaging machine according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine corresponding to the timing chart in Figure 3. [Figure 5] This is a timing chart illustrating the operation of a bag-making, filling, and packaging machine according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine corresponding to the timing chart in Figure 5. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] (First Embodiment) Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, product C is fed from a weighing machine (not shown) into the hopper 14 of the filling cylinder 12 of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10, and a bag 16 containing product C is formed by the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10. The bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10 comprises a main unit 10A and a frame (not shown). The main body of the device 10A includes a film supply mechanism 18, a former 20, a filling cylinder 12, a film feeding mechanism 22, a vertical joining section 24, a horizontal joining section 26, and a control unit 28 (see Figure 2). For the sake of convenience in explanation, the moving direction of the packaging film 2 sent from the film supply mechanism 18 to the former 20 is defined as the forward direction (direction of arrow F) of the bag-making and filling packaging machine 10, the reverse direction as the backward direction (direction of arrow B), and the width direction of the packaging film 2 as the width direction (direction of arrow W) of the bag-making and filling packaging machine 10 for the explanation. The frame includes a bottom frame (not shown), a plurality of columns erected from both sides of the bottom frame, and an upper frame supported by the plurality of columns. The filling cylinder 12 includes a filling cylinder main body 1202 vertically penetrating and disposed at the center of the former 20, and a hopper 14 provided on the upper part of the filling cylinder main body 1202. Above the hopper 14, a weighing machine 30 (Fig. 2) as a product supply device is disposed.

[0010] The former 20 folds the strip-shaped packaging film 2 having the width and length supplied by the film supply mechanism 18 into a cylindrical shape on the outer peripheral surface of the filling cylinder main body 1202. The film feeding mechanism 22 includes a pair of belt and pulley mechanisms 2202 disposed on the outer peripheral surface of the filling cylinder main body 1202, and intermittently transfers the packaging film 2 folded into a cylindrical shape by the former 20 downward. The longitudinal joint 24 is composed of a pair of longitudinal sealers 2402. The longitudinal joint 24 seals (longitudinal seal) both ends in the width direction of the packaging film 2 folded into a cylindrical shape on the filling cylinder 12 to form a cylindrical film F.

[0011] The transverse joint 26 is disposed below the filling cylinder 12. With the transfer of the cylindrical film F by the film feeding mechanism 22 stopped, it sandwiches and joins the longitudinal ends of the cylindrical film F to create a bag body 16 with an open upper part. The product C drops from the filling cylinder 12 into the interior of the bag body 16. After the cylindrical film F is transferred downward by the film feeding mechanism 22, it sandwiches and joins the upper part of the bag body 16 and cuts it to form a bag body 16 enclosing the product C. Here, as shown in Figures 1 and 4(E), the lower part of the bag 16, which is open at the top before the product C is dropped into the bag 16, has a pair of inclined surfaces 32 that slope toward each other as they go downwards, and a lower end joining surface 34 to which the lower ends of the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are joined. To explain in more detail, the lower part of the tubular film F in the longitudinal direction is sealed at the lateral joint 26, and the product C weighed from the weighing machine 30 is fed from the filling cylinder body 1202 via the hopper 14 into the sealed tubular film F, and the product C falls out. Subsequently, the tubular film F is transported downward by the film feeding mechanism 22. After being transported downwards, the upper part of the tubular film F into which product C is placed is sealed (lateral seal) by the lateral joint 26, forming a bag 16 containing product C. At the same time, the lower part of the tubular film F located above it is sealed, and simultaneously, the bag 16 containing product C is separated from the tubular film F above it.

[0012] The lateral joint 26 is composed of a pair of lateral sealers 36, a cutting member 38, a cutting section 40, an opening / closing drive unit 42 (Figure 2), and a lifting / lowering drive unit 44 (Figure 2). The pair of transverse sealers 36 are equipped with a pair of sealing blocks 46A and 46B for clamping and sealing a tubular film F from both sides in the front-to-back direction of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10. The pair of sealing blocks 46A and 46B have an elongated shape that extends in the width direction of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10. A pair of seal blocks 46A and 46B are supported by guide members (not shown) so as to be movable toward and toward each other, and are facing each other.

[0013] The welding members 38 are positioned at the bottom of each of the pair of transverse sealers 36, and therefore the welding members 38 positioned on the pair of transverse sealers 36 also face each other. The welding members 38 arranged in a pair of horizontal sealers 36 are composed of a shutter 3802 and a biasing member (not shown). The shutter 3802 is supported by a guide mechanism (not shown), which is supported by a pair of transverse sealers 36. Thus, the shutter 3802 is supported integrally with a pair of seal blocks 46A and 46B so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10. The shutters 3802 are strip-shaped, and their longitudinal direction is aligned with the extending direction of the seal blocks 46A and 46B, and they are provided parallel to the lower surfaces of the pair of seal blocks 46A and 46B. An edge of the shutter 3802 located in one direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and the width direction is the edge that contacts the tubular film F (packaging film 2) and performs a wringing action. Therefore, the shutters 3802 provided on the pair of horizontal sealers 36 have their edges facing each other. The shutter 3802 is supported by a guide mechanism (not shown) so as to be slidable in the front-rear direction of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10, in other words, its edge is supported so as to be slidable in a direction toward and toward the tubular film F (packaging film 2). The biasing member constantly biases the edge of the shutter 3802 so that it is in a protruding position where the seal blocks 46A and 46B protrude beyond the leading edge surface facing the packaging film 2, and the protruding position of the shutter 3802 is determined by a guide mechanism (not shown). In this embodiment, the case in which the scraping members 38 are each positioned at the bottom of a pair of horizontal sealers 36 has been described, but the scraping members 38 may also be positioned at the top of a pair of horizontal sealers 36.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the cutting section 40 is composed of a cutter 4002 provided in one seal block 46A, a cutter insertion groove (not shown) provided in the other seal block 46B, and an actuator such as an air cylinder for inserting and removing the cutter 4002 from the cutter insertion groove. When the cutter 4002 is inserted into the cutter insertion groove, the packaging film 2 (tubular film F) is cut in its width direction.

[0015] The opening / closing drive unit 42 moves a pair of horizontal sealers 36 back and forth in the direction of moving away from each other in the front-rear direction of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10. The lifting drive unit 44 moves a pair of horizontal sealers 36 back and forth in the vertical direction. Various conventionally known configurations can be used as the opening / closing drive unit 42 and the lifting / lowering drive unit 44, which combine an actuator such as a motor with a power transmission mechanism that includes a link mechanism or a crank mechanism.

[0016] As shown in Figure 2, the control unit 28 exchanges signals with the weighing machine 30 and controls the film feeding mechanism 22, the vertical splicing section 24, and the horizontal splicing section 26. To explain in more detail, the control unit 28 sends a product request signal Sr to the weighing machine 30. When the weighing machine 30 receives a product request signal Sr, if it is ready to discharge product C (drop product C into the filling cylinder 12), it sends a product discharge signal Sa to the control unit 28 and executes the discharge operation of product C. When the control unit 28 receives a product discharge signal Sa, it starts a series of packaging operations to create a bag 16 containing product C. Therefore, the control unit 28 will not start the packaging operation unless it receives a product discharge signal Sa in response to a product request signal Sr. Therefore, for example, if product C is not discharged due to a malfunction of the weighing machine 30, that is, if the product discharge signal Sa is not received, the packaging operation will not start, thus preventing the accidental creation of empty bags 16 that do not contain product C.

[0017] Furthermore, the control unit 28 controls the downward transfer of the packaging film 2 by the film feeding mechanism 22. Furthermore, the control unit 28 controls the sealing (vertical sealing) of both ends in the width direction of the packaging film 2 by the vertical joint 24. Furthermore, the control unit 28 controls the reciprocating movement of a pair of transverse sealers 36 via the opening / closing drive unit 42, thereby controlling the sealing (transverse sealing) of the longitudinal edges of the packaging film 2. Furthermore, the control unit 28 controls the reciprocating movement of the pair of lateral sealers 36 via the opening / closing drive unit 42, and controls the vertical reciprocating movement of the pair of lateral seals and the scraping member 38 via the lifting / lowering drive unit 44, thereby controlling the scraping operation described later.

[0018] To explain in more detail, the pair of horizontal sealers 36 and the squeezing member 38 are opened and closed between an open position, a squeezing position, and a closed position along the front-to-back direction of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10, by the control unit 28 controlling the opening and closing drive unit 42. The open position is the position where the pair of transverse sealers 36 and the pair of welders 38 are separated from the tubular film F (packaging film 2), as shown in Figure 4(A), and is the position where the pair of transverse sealers 36 are furthest apart. The squeezing position is the position that allows the squeezing member 38 to perform a squeezing action on the tubular film F, as shown in Figure 4(C). At the squeezing position, the tubular film F is sandwiched between the edges of the shutter 3802, which are biased by the biasing members of the pair of squeezing members 38. At this time, the pair of transverse sealers 36 and the tubular film F do not come into contact, and a gap is maintained between the pair of transverse sealers 36 and the tubular film F. The closed position, as shown in Figure 4(E), is the position where the tubular film F is sandwiched between the pair of lateral sealers 36 and lateral sealing is performed, and is the position where the pair of lateral sealers 36 are closest to each other. In the closed position, the pair of shutters 3802 are displaced from the protruding position to a retracted position against the biasing force of the biasing member by their edges contacting the tubular film F.

[0019] The pair of horizontal sealers 36 are raised and lowered between the squeezing start position P0 shown in Figure 4(A) and the sealing position P1 shown in Figure 4(D), by the control unit 28 controlling the lifting drive unit 44. The starting position P0 of the stroking motion is the position where the stroking motion described later begins. The sealing position P1 is the position where the end of the tubular film F in the longitudinal direction is sealed, located below the starting position P0 of the ironing process.

[0020] Furthermore, the control unit 28 controls the cutting of the tubular film F in the width direction by controlling the cutting unit 40.

[0021] Next, the operation of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10 will be explained with reference to the timing chart in Figure 3 and the schematic diagram in Figure 4. In Figure 3, the time unit on the horizontal axis is shown as a numerical value where T is the time required for one bag 16 to be packaged by the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10, and T / 100 is set to "1". For convenience, in this specification, numerical values ​​from 0 to 100 will be explained as time points 0 to 100. Therefore, each timing chart shows the operation of each part from time point 0 to time point 100 (corresponding to the next time point 0). Furthermore, the timing chart in Figure 3 shows the packaging operation for one bag 16, that is, the operation for one cycle from the start to the end of packaging one bag 16. By repeatedly executing such one cycle, bags 16 containing product C are sequentially manufactured. In Figure 3, (A) shows the operation of the film feeding mechanism 22, (B) shows the sealing operation by the vertical joint 24 (vertical sealing operation), (C) shows the opening and closing operation of the opening / closing drive unit 42 of the horizontal joint 26, (D) shows the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting / lowering drive unit 44 of the horizontal joint 26, (E) shows the product request signal Sr sent from the control unit 28 to the weighing machine 30, and (F) shows the product discharge signal Sa sent from the weighing machine 30 to the control unit 28.

[0022] Note that at time point 0 in Figure 3, as shown in Figure 4(A), the dropping of product C into the bag 16, which is open upward from the filling cylinder 12, has finished in the previous cycle, and therefore, the entire amount of product C is contained in the bag 16. Furthermore, at time 0, the pair of horizontal sealers 36 and the wiping member 38 are assumed to be in the open position and the sealed position P1. As shown in Figure 3(D), the control unit 28 controls the lifting drive unit 44 from time 0 to start the movement of the pair of horizontal sealers 36 and the scraping member 38 from the sealing position P1 to the scraping start position P0. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3(E), the control unit 28 sends a product request signal Sr to the weighing machine 30 at time 5, and as shown in Figures 3(A), 4(A), and (B), controls the film feeding mechanism 22 to move the packaging film 2 downward to a size sufficient to make one bag 16, and then stops moving the packaging film 2. Then, as shown in Figure 3(F), the control unit 28 receives the product discharge signal Sa sent from the weighing machine 30 in response to the product request signal Sr at time 10, and continues the control operation thereafter. Furthermore, the weighing machine 30 sends a product discharge signal Sa to the control unit 28 and simultaneously begins the operation of dropping the product C, which has been weighed by the weighing machine 30, into the filling cylinder 12. However, in the state shown in Figures 4(A)-(C), the product C that has fallen from the weighing machine 30 has not yet reached the inside of the bag 16 located below the filling cylinder 12, and is therefore not shown.

[0023] Next, as shown in Figures 3(C) and 3(D), the control unit 28 starts moving the pair of horizontal sealers 36 and the stripping member 38 from the open position to the stripping position, starting from point 40 just before the transfer of the packaging film 2 by the film feeding mechanism 22 stops, and also starts moving the pair of horizontal sealers 36 and the stripping member 38 downward from the stripping start position P0 toward the sealing position P1. As a result, between time point 40 and time point 60 (squeezing section), as shown in Figures 4(C) and (D), a pair of squeezing members 38 located at the squeezing position initiate a squeezing action on the bag body 16, which is open at the top. With the packaging film 2 sandwiched between them, the edge of the shutter 3802 moves downward, squeezing the tubular film F (packaging film 2), and forcibly moving the product C and its fragments located inside the tubular film F (inside the bag body 16) downward. In other words, the squeezing action reduces the volume of the product C inside the bag body 16. In other words, as will be described later, the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint 26 when forming the open-topped bag 16 is released, and by performing a squeezing motion in this released state, the bulk of the product C is reduced. As shown in Figure 3(A), between time 45 and time 65 (vertical sealing section), when the downward transfer of the packaging film 2 by the film feeding mechanism 22 stops, the ends of the packaging film 2 in the width direction are joined on the filling cylinder 12 by the vertical joining section 24, as shown in Figure 3(B), to form a tubular film F.

[0024] As shown in Figures 3(D) and 4(D), once the pair of transverse sealers 36 reach the transverse sealing position P1 (when the wiping operation is completed), the control unit 28 moves the pair of transverse sealers 36 from the wiping position to the closing position for joining the tubular film F (packaging film 2) from time 60, as shown in Figures 3(C) and 4(E), and performs a sealing closing operation to hold the pair of transverse sealers 36 in the closing position between time 65 and time 90 (transverse sealing section). As a result, as shown in Figure 4(E), the longitudinal end of the tubular film F is clamped and sealed by a pair of transverse sealers 36, forming a lower end joint surface 34 where the lower ends of a pair of inclined surfaces 32 are joined.

[0025] On the other hand, as shown in Figures 4(D) and 4(E), at the point when the squeezing motion is completed (time 60 in Figure 3(D)), the dropped product C begins to reach the inside of the bag 16, which has an open top. Then, as shown in Figure 3(C), at time 65, after the sealing operation is performed, as shown in Figure 4(F), the product C that has fallen into the open top of the bag 16 reaches (sets on) the pair of inclined surfaces 32 of the bag 16. At this point, the entire amount of the fallen product C is contained inside the bag 16. As shown in Figures 4(E) and (F), the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are inclined with respect to the direction of fall of the product C (vertical direction), so the impact applied to the pair of inclined surfaces 32 from the dropped product C is mitigated.

[0026] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(A), 4(G), and 4(H), after the product C that has fallen into the open-topped bag 16 reaches the bottom of the bag 16, that is, after the entire amount of the fallen product C has been contained inside the bag 16, the film feeding mechanism 22 is controlled by the control unit 28 from time 80, prior to the end of the lateral sealing section (time 90), while maintaining the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint 26 when forming the open-topped bag 16, in other words, while maintaining the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint 26 when forming the lower end joint surface 34, thereby transferring a predetermined amount of the packaging film 2 downwards. Furthermore, at time 65, prior to time 90, the joining by the vertical joint 24 has already been completed, and the vertical sealer 2402 has been separated from the tubular film F, making it possible to transport the tubular film F. Furthermore, at time 65, prior to time 90, the pair of transverse sealers 36 are already in the closed position, and the lower end joint surface portion 34 of the bag body 16 is held in place by the pair of transverse sealers 36. As a result, the bag body 16 does not move downward, and as shown in Figure 4(H), the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are in a relaxed state, curved in a direction away from each other. In this state, the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are formed into a pair of curved surfaces that are curved in directions away from each other. Therefore, as the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are curved to form a pair of curved surfaces, the volume of the lower part of the open-topped bag 16 is increased, and as a result, the product C moves downward inside the bag 16 due to its own weight, causing the product C to sink further inside the bag 16.

[0027] Next, the control unit 28 cuts the lower end joint surface portion 34 with the cutting unit 40, and at time 90, moves the pair of lateral sealers 36 from the closed position to the open position, as shown in Figures 3(C) and 4(I). Then, as shown in Figure 4(A), the next cycle starts from time 0, and the bag 16 containing product C is detached and falls downward. As shown in Figure 4(A), moving the pair of horizontal sealers 36 from the closed position to the open position releases the clamping of the lower end joint surface 34 of the bag body 16, which is open at the top, by the pair of horizontal sealers 36. As a result, the bag body 16 moves downward due to the weight of the product C contained inside, and the slack state in which the pair of inclined surfaces 32 of the bag body 16 are curved away from each other is eliminated. Here, if we define the length of the lower end joint surface portion 34 in the direction in which the packaging film 2 is transported by the film feeding mechanism 22 as the length of the lower end joint surface portion 34, then the lower longitudinal half of the lower end joint surface portion 34 constitutes the upper end joint surface portion 35 of the bag body 16 that is cut off (see Figure 4(A)), and the upper longitudinal half of the lower end joint surface portion 34 constitutes the lower end joint surface portion 34 that closes the lower part of the bag body 16, which is open at the top. Then, in the next cycle, the series of actions described above will be repeated.

[0028] According to this embodiment, when product C is dropped into the open-topped bag 16 via the filling cylinder 12, the dropped product C reaches a pair of inclined surfaces 32 of the bag 16. Here, since the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are inclined with respect to the direction of fall of the product C (vertical direction), the impact applied to the pair of inclined surfaces 32 from the product C is mitigated, and damage to the pair of inclined surfaces 32 and the occurrence of pinholes are suppressed. In other words, even when the use of a low-strength packaging film 2 is required to meet the demand for reducing synthetic resin materials, it is advantageous that the occurrence of pinholes in the bag 16 can be reliably prevented. Furthermore, after the product C that has fallen into the open-topped bag 16 reaches the bottom of the bag 16, the packaging film 2 is moved downward by a predetermined amount using the film feeding mechanism 22 while maintaining the grip of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint 26 used to form the open-topped bag 16, thereby creating a relaxed state in which the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are curved away from each other. This increases the volume of the lower part of the bag 16, allowing the product C to move downward inside the bag 16 due to its own weight, thereby efficiently causing the product C to sink. This is advantageous in preventing sealing defects caused by the product C getting caught in the joint portion of the packaging film 2 at the lateral joint 26.

[0029] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint 26 when forming the open-topped bag 16 is released, and the squeezing operation is performed in this released state. Therefore, as described above, after the product C is lowered by the relaxation of the pair of inclined surfaces 32, the product C inside the bag 16 is moved downward by the subsequent squeezing action, which is advantageous in promoting the lowering of the product C and thus even more advantageous in preventing sealing defects caused by the product C getting caught in the joint portion of the packaging film 2 by the lateral joint portion 26. In this embodiment, the case in which the scraping operation is performed by a scraping member 38 provided on the lateral joint 26 has been described, but of course, the scraping operation may also be performed by using the portion of the lateral joint 26, that is, the portion of the pair of lateral sealers 36, as the scraping member.

[0030] (Second Embodiment) Next, a second embodiment will be described with reference to the timing chart in Figure 5 and the schematic diagram in Figure 6. In the following embodiments, the same reference numerals are used for parts and components as in the first embodiment to simplify their descriptions, while the differences will be described in detail. The first embodiment performed a squeezing motion, while the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that it omits the squeezing motion. In the second embodiment, since no squeezing operation is performed, the squeezing member 38 and the lifting drive unit 44 are omitted, and the pair of horizontal sealers 36 are fixed in the vertical direction at a position corresponding to the sealing position P1 in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the pair of horizontal sealers 36 are opened and closed between the open position and the closed position by the control unit 42 controlled by the control unit 28, and are never positioned in the squeeze position.

[0031] In Figure 5, (A) shows the operation of the film feeding mechanism 22, (B) shows the sealing operation by the vertical joint 24 (vertical sealing operation), (C) shows the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing drive unit 42 of the horizontal joint 26, (D) shows the product request signal Sr sent from the control unit 28 to the weighing machine 30, and (E) shows the product discharge signal Sa sent from the weighing machine 30 to the control unit 28.

[0032] Similar to the first embodiment, at time 0, as shown in Figure 6(A), the dropping of product C into the bag 16, which is open upward from the filling cylinder 12, has finished in the previous cycle, and therefore the entire amount of product C is contained in the bag 16. Furthermore, at time 0, the pair of horizontal sealers 36 and the cutting member 38 are assumed to be in the open position. As shown in Figure 5(D), the control unit 28 sends a product request signal Sr to the weighing machine 30, and as shown in Figures 5(A), 6(A), and (B), controls the film feeding mechanism 22 to move the packaging film 2 downward to a size sufficient to make one bag 16, and then stops moving the packaging film 2. Then, as shown in Figure 5(E), the control unit 28 receives the product discharge signal Sa sent from the weighing machine 30 in response to the product request signal Sr, and continues the subsequent control operations. The weighing machine 30 sends a product discharge signal Sa to the control unit 28 and simultaneously begins the process of dropping the product C, which has been weighed by the weighing machine 30, into the filling cylinder 12. Furthermore, in the states shown in Figures 6(A) and (B), the dropped product C has not yet reached the inside of the bag 16 located below the filling cylinder 12, and is therefore not shown.

[0033] As shown in Figures 5(C) and 6(C), the control unit 28 moves the pair of transverse sealers 36 from the open position to the closed position for joining the tubular film F (packaging film 2) from time 40, and performs a sealing closing operation to hold the pair of transverse sealers 36 in the closed position between time 55 and time 75 (transverse sealing section). As a result, the tubular film F is sealed by the pair of transverse sealers 36, forming a lower end joining surface 34 where the lower ends of the pair of inclined surface portions 32 are joined.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5(A), between time 45 and time 65 (vertical sealing section), when the downward transfer of the packaging film 2 by the film feeding mechanism 22 stops, as shown in Figure 5(B), the vertical joining portion 24 joins both ends of the packaging film 2 in the width direction on the filling cylinder 12, forming a tubular film F.

[0035] On the other hand, as shown in Figure 6(C), during the lateral sealing section (during the sealing closing operation), the dropped product C begins to reach the inside of the bag 16, which has an open top. Then, as shown in Figure 5(C), at time 62 in the lateral sealing section (during the sealing closing operation), as shown in Figure 6(D), the product C that fell into the open top of the bag 16 reaches (sets on) the pair of inclined surfaces 32 of the bag 16. At this point, the entire amount of the fallen product C is contained inside the bag 16. In this case, as in the first embodiment, the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are inclined with respect to the direction of fall of the product C (vertical direction), so the impact applied from the product C to the pair of inclined surfaces 32 is mitigated.

[0036] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 5(A) and 6(E), after the product C that has fallen into the open-topped bag 16 reaches the bottom of the bag 16, that is, after the entire amount of the fallen product C has been contained inside the bag 16, the film feeding mechanism 22 is controlled by the control unit 28 from time 65, prior to the end of the lateral sealing section (time 75), while maintaining the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint 26 when forming the open-topped bag 16, in other words, while maintaining the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint 26 when forming the lower end joint surface 34, thereby transferring a predetermined amount of the packaging film 2 downwards by the film feeding mechanism 22. At this point, the pair of transverse sealers 36 are in the closed position, and the lower end joint surface portion 34 of the bag body 16 is held between the pair of transverse sealers 36. As a result, the bag body 16 does not move downward, and as shown in Figure 6(F), the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are in a relaxed state, curved in a direction away from each other. In this state, the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are formed into a pair of curved surfaces that are curved in directions away from each other. Therefore, as the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are curved to form a pair of curved surfaces, the volume of the lower part of the open-topped bag 16 is increased, causing the product C to move downward inside the bag 16 due to its own weight, resulting in the product C sinking inside the bag 16.

[0037] Next, the control unit 28 cuts the lower end joint surface portion 34 with the cutting unit 40, and at time 75, as shown in Figures 5(C) and 6(G), moves the pair of lateral sealers 36 from the closed position to the open position. Then, the next cycle starts from time 0, and as shown in Figure 6(A), the bag 16 containing product C is detached and falls onto a conveyor belt (not shown) located below, and is transported by the conveyor belt toward the next processing equipment. Then, in the next cycle, the series of actions described above will be repeated.

[0038] In the second embodiment, as in the first embodiment, when the product C is dropped into the open-topped bag 16 via the filling cylinder 12, the dropped product C reaches a pair of inclined surfaces 32 of the bag 16 that are inclined with respect to the direction in which the product C falls (vertical direction). As a result, the impact from the product C to the pair of inclined surfaces 32 is mitigated, and damage to the pair of inclined surfaces 32 and the occurrence of pinholes are suppressed. Furthermore, after the dropped product C reaches the bottom of the bag 16, while maintaining the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint 26 when forming the lower end joint surface 34, the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are curved away from each other to create a relaxed state, which allows for efficient sinking of the product C and is advantageous in preventing sealing defects caused by the product C getting caught in the joint portion of the packaging film 2 formed by the lateral joint 26. The second embodiment describes a case in which, by creating a relaxed state in which the pair of inclined surfaces 32 are curved in directions away from each other, the product C can be sufficiently lowered even without the squeezing operation, thereby preventing sealing defects due to the product C getting caught. By eliminating the squeezing motion in this way, the cycle time required per bag 16 can be shortened, which is advantageous in improving the efficiency of packaging the bag 16 by the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10. Furthermore, since the lifting drive unit 44 for moving the pair of horizontal sealers 36 up and down can be eliminated, it is advantageous in reducing the cost of the bag-making, filling, and packaging machine 10.

[0039] In addition to the configuration of this embodiment, it is optional to provide a product receiving portion made of an elastic material such as a sponge that supports a pair of inclined surfaces 32 from below, while maintaining the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film F by the lateral joint portion 26 when forming the open-topped bag 16. By providing a product receiving section, the impact received by the pair of inclined surfaces 32 when a product C falls into the inside of the bag 16 collides with the inclined surfaces 32 can be further mitigated by the product receiving section, which is even more advantageous in preventing damage to the pair of inclined surfaces 32 and the occurrence of pinholes.

[0040] In this embodiment, the case in which the vertical joint 24 is not movable in the vertical direction has been described. However, the vertical joint 24 may be provided to be able to move up and down, and a lifting drive unit for the vertical joint 24 may also be provided to move the vertical joint 24 up and down. In this case, while performing a vertical seal with the vertical joint 24, the vertical joint 24 can be moved downward by a lifting drive unit for the vertical joint in synchronization with the downward transfer of the tubular film F. This approach allows the vertical sealing operation and the downward transport operation of the tubular film F to be performed simultaneously and in parallel, which is advantageous in shortening the cycle time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0041] 2 Packaging film 10 Bag making, filling and packaging machine 10A Main Unit 12 Filling cylinder 1202 Filling cylinder body 14 Hoppa 16 Bag body 16. Bag with an open top 18. Film supply mechanism 20 Forma 22 Film feed mechanism 2202 Belt and Pulley Mechanism 24 Vertical joint 2402 Vertical Sealer 26 Lateral joint 28 Control Unit 30 Weighing machine 32 Slope section 34 Lower end joint surface 35 Upper end joint surface 36 Horizontal Shear 38. Stretching member 3802 Shutter 40 Cut section 4002 Cutter 42 Opening / closing drive unit 44 Lifting drive unit 46A, 46B Seal Block F. Cylindrical film C product

Claims

1. A former that folds the packaging film supplied to the former into a cylindrical shape and onto the outer surface of the filling cylinder, A film feeding mechanism is provided which is arranged on the outer surface of the filling cylinder and intermittently transports the packaging film, which is folded into a cylindrical shape, downward on the outer surface of the filling cylinder. A vertical joining portion is provided on the filling cylinder to join both ends of the packaging film in the width direction to form a tubular film, A lateral joint is positioned below the filling cylinder and, with the transfer of the tubular film by the film feeding mechanism stopped, clamps and joins the longitudinal end of the tubular film to form a bag with an open top, after the product is dropped from the filling cylinder into the bag, and after the tubular film is transferred downward by the film feeding mechanism, the upper part of the bag is clamped and joined and cut to form a bag containing the product, The system comprises the film feeding mechanism and a control unit that controls the vertical and horizontal joining portions, The bag-making, filling, and packaging machine has, before the product is dropped into the bag, a pair of inclined surfaces that slope toward each other as they descend, and a lower end joining surface to which the lower ends of the pair of inclined surfaces are joined, the lower part of the bag with the top open, The control unit, after the product dropped into the open-topped bag reaches the pair of inclined surfaces of the bag and the entire amount of product is contained within the bag, maintains the clamping of the longitudinal ends of the tubular film by the lateral joints used to form the open-topped bag, and then uses the film feeding mechanism to transfer the packaging film downward by a predetermined amount, thereby causing the pair of inclined surfaces to bend away from each other and relax. The control unit, after relaxing the pair of inclined surfaces, releases the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film by the lateral joint when forming the open-topped bag, and in this released state, performs a squeezing operation on the open-topped bag using the lateral joint or a squeezing member provided on the lateral joint. The control unit performs the squeezing operation by raising and lowering the lateral joint or the squeezing member between a squeezing start position P0, which enables the squeezing operation by sandwiching the tubular film between the lateral joint or the squeezing member, and a sealing position P1, which is lower than the squeezing start position P0 and ends the squeezing operation. At the sealing position P1, the lateral joint joins the bag body, thereby forming the pair of inclined surfaces and the lower end joint surface. A bag-making, filling, and packaging machine characterized by the following features.

2. While maintaining the clamping of the longitudinal end of the tubular film by the lateral joint when forming the bag body with the top open, a product receiving portion is provided which is made of an elastic member that supports the pair of inclined surfaces from below. The bag-making, filling, and packaging machine according to claim 1.

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