Small bag feeding device

Abstract

To provide a small bag input device which can inspect an input state of small bags just by inspecting at the end of a small bag input step, in the case where a plurality of types of small bags are inputted in one container.SOLUTION: In a small bag input device, first and second small bags K1, K2 having different appearances are inputted into a common container C conveyed by a container conveyance conveyor 10. A first small bag input part 21 inputs the first small bag K1 into the container C. The second small bag input part 22 inputs the second small bag K2 into the container C so that at least part of the first small bag K1 is exposed on the downstream side of the first small bag input part 21. A small bag inspection part 24 inspects presence / absence of the first and second small bags K1, K2 inputted into the container C on the downstream side of the second small bag input part 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a pouch inserting device for inserting a plurality of pouches into a container conveyed by a container conveying conveyor.

Background Art

[0002] As a conventional pouch inserting device, the one described in Patent Document 1 is known. This pouch inserting device is configured to insert individual packaging bags (pouches) conveyed in a line in a direction orthogonal to the container conveying conveyor into a plurality of containers that are already filled with articles such as dried noodles and are conveyed by the container conveying conveyor in a state of being aligned in a plurality of rows. Patent Document 2 discloses a device for inspecting the contents of a container being conveyed with a camera installed above the container.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the pouch inserting device of Patent Document 1, when inserting a plurality of types of pouches into one container, it is possible to adopt the inspection device disclosed in Patent Document 2. However, if a plurality of pouches overlap in one container, the lower pouches may not be detected. Therefore, it is necessary to operate the camera every time a pouch is inserted, and there is a problem that the number of cameras installed must be increased according to the number of types of pouches.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a pouch inserting device that can inspect the insertion state of pouches by only inspecting at the end of the pouch insertion process when inserting a plurality of types of pouches into one container. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention relates to a small bag dispensing device for dispensing first and second small bags having different appearances into a common container, comprising: a container transport conveyor for transporting the container; a first small bag dispensing means for dispensing the first small bag into the container; a second small bag dispensing means provided downstream of the first small bag dispensing means in the transport direction of the container transport conveyor, for dispensing the second small bag into the container such that at least a portion of the first small bag is exposed; and a small bag inspection means provided downstream of the second small bag dispensing means in the transport direction of the container transport conveyor, for inspecting whether the first and second small bags have been placed in the container, wherein the first and second small bags have different identification parts, the second small bag dispensing means dispensing the second small bag into the container so that at least a portion of the identification part of the first small bag is identifiable, and the small bag inspection means detects the identification parts of the first and second small bags to determine whether the first and second small bags have been placed in the container. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when multiple varieties of small bags are placed into a single container, a small bag dispensing device can be obtained that can inspect the state of the small bags by simply inspecting them at the end of the small bag dispensing process. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This is a front view of a small bag dispensing device, which is the first embodiment of the present invention, as seen from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the container conveying conveyor. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a side view of the small bag loading device, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the small bag conveyor. [Figure 3] This is a front view showing the small bag supply unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a side view showing the small bag supply unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a plan view showing the small bag supply section and the small bag inspection section. [Figure 6]This is a front view showing the small bag supply unit of the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. Figure 1 shows a small bag dispensing device, which is the first embodiment, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the container conveying conveyor 10. The container conveying conveyor 10 has a retainer 11 that travels in the direction of arrow A. Containers C are fitted into holes 19 (Figure 2) formed in the retainer 11 and are conveyed while being held so that the opening of the container C is substantially flush with the surface of the retainer 11. Containers C are held at equal intervals along the conveying direction and are also held in four rows in the width direction of the container conveying conveyor 10 (Figure 2). That is, in this embodiment, containers C are conveyed while being aligned in four rows.

[0011] At the upstream end of the container transport conveyor 10, there is a supply unit 12 for supplying dried noodles into container C. Downstream of the supply unit 12, there is a container presence detection unit 13 for checking the presence or absence of container C, and downstream of the container presence detection unit 13, there is a weight measuring unit 14 for detecting whether or not dried noodles are filled into container C by measuring the weight of container C. Downstream of the weight measuring unit 14, there are three small bag input units 21, 22, and 23 in that order for putting small bags filled with ingredients, seasonings, etc. into container C.

[0012] The first small bag input section 21 inputs the first small bag into container C. The second small bag input section 22 is located downstream of the first small bag input section 21 and inputs the second small bag into container C. The third small bag input section 23 is located downstream of the second small bag input section 22 and inputs the third small bag into container C. The operation of the first to third small bag input sections 21, 22, and 23 is controlled by the control device 15. Downstream of the third small bag input section 23, there is a small bag inspection section (small bag inspection means) 24 that inspects the presence or absence of the first to third small bags that have been input into container C by taking a camera photograph. The container transport conveyor 10 is driven intermittently so that container C temporarily stops below the first to third small bag input sections 21, 22, and 23 and the small bag inspection section 24.

[0013] Since the first to third small bag input sections 21, 22, and 23 have basically the same configuration, we will take the first small bag input section 21 as an example and explain its configuration with reference to Figure 2(a). The first small bag input section 21 has a small bag conveying conveyor 30 positioned above the container conveying conveyor 10 and in a direction substantially perpendicular to the container conveying conveyor 10. The small bag conveying conveyor 30 is driven continuously and conveys small bags K supplied from the small bag supply section 40 at predetermined intervals in the direction of arrow B. The small bag conveying conveyor 30 comprises a long member 32 (Figure 4) with a slit 31 (Figure 4) extending in the direction of conveyance and a pin 33 that protrudes upward through the slit 31. The pin 33 is guided by the slit 31 and driven in the direction of arrow B, pressing the rear surface of the small bag K to convey it.

[0014] A robot 50 is provided above the small bag conveyor 30 and in a position corresponding to the container conveyor 10. The robot 50 holds the small bags K on the small bag conveyor 30 and transfers them to the containers C on the container conveyor 10. It has four suction cups 51 that suction and hold the small bags K and reciprocate between the small bag conveyor 30 and the container conveyor 10. The suction cups 51 are attached to the tips of the pistons of air cylinders 52, and the air cylinders 52 are attached to a support member 54 that extends horizontally and is provided on the lifting mechanism 53. In other words, the robot 50, through the action of the lifting mechanism 53 and the air cylinders 52, normally transfers four small bags K simultaneously from the small bag conveyor 30 to the containers C on the container conveyor 10.

[0015] The configuration of the small bag supply unit 40 will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4. The small bag supply unit 40 is configured to supply small bags K from above towards the small bag conveying conveyor 30 via a chute 41 (Figure 2) at predetermined intervals. The storage unit (not shown) of the small bag supply unit 40 stores a continuous small bag body R, which consists of many small bags K filled with packaged items such as seasonings, connected to each other. The continuous small bag body R is guided by a guide roller 81 and fed out of the storage unit by a feed roller 82 and led downward. A cutter 83 is provided below the feed roller 82, and the cutter 83 cuts the horizontal strip Q that separates two consecutive small bags K. As a result, the small bags K are separated one by one and slide along the chute 41 and are supplied onto the small bag conveying conveyor 30. The cutting operation of the cutter 83 is controlled by a control device 15.

[0016] Referring to Figure 5, the operation of the first, second, and third small bag input sections 21, 22, and 23 and the small bag inspection section 24 will be explained. This embodiment is configured to sequentially input three small bags into a container C that is already filled with dried noodles. As shown in Figure 5(a), in the first small bag input section 21, the first small bag K1 is input into the part of the container C corresponding to the upstream side (upper side in the figure) in the conveying direction of the small bag conveying conveyor 30. As shown in Figure 5(b), in the second small bag input section 22, the second small bag K2 is input into the part of the container C corresponding to the downstream side (lower side in the figure) in the conveying direction of the small bag conveying conveyor 30. As shown in Figure 5(c), in the third small bag input section 23, the third small bag K3 is input so as to straddle the first small bag K1 and the second small bag K2.

[0017] The three small bags K1, K2, and K3 have different appearances. In this embodiment, the first small bag K1 and the second small bag K2 have distinguishing features such as patterns and colors, and the third small bag K3 is smaller in external dimensions than the first and second small bags K1 and K2. In the example shown in Figure 5, the first and second small bags K1 and K2 are placed in container C in a position where there is minimal overlap between them, and the third small bag K3 is placed so that parts of the first and second small bags K1 and K2 are exposed. That is, the three small bags K1, K2, and K3 are placed so that they can be distinguished from each other in images captured by the color camera of the small bag inspection unit 24. Container C that is determined to be abnormal by the small bag inspection unit 24 is removed from this production line downstream.

[0018] The three small bags K1, K2, and K3 do not need to be placed in container C in the configuration shown in Figure 5; it is sufficient that their respective identification parts are exposed. For example, if the first small bag K1 is the largest and the third small bag K3 is the smallest, stacking them in the order of the first small bag K1, the second small bag K2, and the third small bag K3 from bottom to top makes the three small bags mutually distinguishable. In this case, the shape, material, or the color, pattern, or mark displayed on the exposed part of each small bag serves as the identification part of each bag. In other words, the small bag inspection unit 24 determines whether the three small bags K1, K2, and K3 have been placed in container C by detecting the identification parts of the three small bags K1, K2, and K3. Note that the order in which the three small bags K1, K2, and K3 are placed is not limited to this order; they may also be placed starting with the smallest third small bag K3.

[0019] Next, the operation of this pouch inserting device will be described. The container C is conveyed in a state aligned in four rows by the container conveying conveyor 10 and filled with dry noodles by the supply unit 12. The presence / absence detection unit 13 determines whether the container C is attached to the retainer 11, and the weight measurement unit 14 determines whether the container C is filled with dry noodles. When the container C is attached to the hole 19 of the retainer 11 and the container C is filled with dry noodles, three pouches K1, K2, and K3 are inserted into the container C by the first to third pouch inserting units 21, 22, and 23. Next, the pouch inspection unit 24 determines whether three pouches K1, K2, and K3 are inserted into each container C, and then conveys it to the next process.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2(a), when all four containers C on the container conveying conveyor 10 are filled with dry noodles N and these containers C are normal, pouches K are inserted into these containers C respectively. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 2(b), when there is a container C that is not filled with dry noodles N, that container C is determined to be defective, and the pouch K is not supplied to the suction cup 51 for inserting the pouch K into that container C. Specifically, the cutting operation of the cutter 48 is stopped, whereby the pouch K is not supplied to the position of the pouch conveying conveyor 30 corresponding to the container C, and the pouch K is not supplied below the corresponding suction cup 51.

[0021] Also, at a position where the pouch K is not supplied, the robot 50 does not perform an operation of holding the pouch K. That is, at a position where the pouch K is not supplied, the suction cup 51 is cut off from suction by the control device 15, and by the action of the air cylinder 52, it rises to a height position where it does not adsorb the pouch K. This is because if suction is performed by the suction cup 51 at a position where the pouch K is not supplied, the surface of the pouch conveyor 30 may be sucked by the suction cup 51, causing an obstacle to the conveying operation. Also, if the suction cup 51 at a position where the pouch K is not supplied is set at a height position for sucking the pouch K, there is a possibility that the suction cup 51 will contact the conveyor 30 and cause wear of the suction cup 51. Thus, the suction cup 51 not only reciprocates between the pouch conveyor 30 and the container conveyor 10 to insert the pouch K into the container C, but also can move between a position where it adsorbs the pouch K and a position where it does not adsorb the pouch K when the container C is defective.

[0022] The example of Fig. 2(b) is a case where a container not filled with dry noodles N is attached to the retainer 11, that is, a case where it is determined in the weight measurement unit 14 that the container C is not filled with dry noodles. Similarly, when it is determined in the container presence / absence detection unit 13 that the container C is not attached to the retainer 11, it is determined that the container C is defective, and the pouch supply unit 40 does not supply the pouch K to the corresponding position of the pouch conveyor 30. Also, the suction cup 51 also rises and retreats to a height position that does not affect the conveying operation of the pouch conveyor 30.

[0023] In the operation of inserting the pouches into container C shown in Figure 5, the first pouch K1 is inserted by the first pouch insertion unit 21 to the upper half of the container in a plan view, and the second pouch K2 is inserted by the second pouch insertion unit 22 to the lower half of the container in a plan view. The third pouch K3 is smaller than the first and second pouches K1 and K2, and is placed on top of the first pouch K1 and the second pouch K2 so that at least a portion of the surface of these pouches K1 and K2 is exposed. In this way, the three pouches K1, K2 and K3 must be inserted so that a portion of each is always exposed so that they can be reliably identified by the pouch inspection unit 24. Therefore, in this embodiment, the suction cup 51 is controlled to place the pouches on the surface of the dried noodles N in container C from a height position as close as possible to the surface of the dried noodles N.

[0024] As described above, in this embodiment, all three small bags K1, K2, and K3 are placed into one container C so that at least a portion of them is exposed. Therefore, by simply installing the small bag inspection unit 24, i.e., the color camera, at the downstream position of the small bag placement process, the placement status of all small bags K1, K2, and K3 can be inspected.

[0025] Figure 6 shows the small bag supply unit 40 of the second embodiment. The configuration other than the small bag supply unit 40 is the same as in the first embodiment. In this small bag supply unit 40, the packaging film F is fed out in a substantially horizontal direction from the film supply unit (not shown), and the feeding direction of the packaging film F is changed downward by the guide roller 42. A folding guide 43 is provided below the guide roller 42. The tip of the folding guide 43 engages with the center of the packaging film F in the width direction, thereby folding the packaging film F in half along a straight line extending in the vertical direction and feeding it downward. That is, in Figure 3, the left side of the packaging film F is open.

[0026] Below the folding guide 43, a side seal section 44 is provided, where the open side edge (left side P in Figure 3) of the folded packaging film F is heated and sealed, forming a cylindrical shape as it is moved downward. Below the side seal section 44, a transverse seal section 45 is provided, and a heat block 46 extending horizontally is provided in the transverse seal section 45. The transverse strip Q extending across the entire width of the packaging film F is heated and sealed by the heat block 46. That is, the left side P and the transverse strip Q are sealed by the side seal section 44 and the transverse seal section 45, forming a small bag K' with an open top. The small bag K' is filled with the contents to be packaged, such as ingredients and seasonings, by a filling nozzle 47 provided near the side seal section 44. The small bag K' moves further downward, and the action of the heat block 46 seals the transverse strip Q at the lower end of the small bag K' located above it, thereby sealing the opening at the top.

[0027] A cutter 48 is provided below the lateral sealing section 45, and the sealed portion of the lateral sealing section 45 is cut. As a result, the small bags K are separated one by one and slide along the chute 41 and are supplied onto the small bag conveying conveyor 30. The temperature control of the heat block 46 and the cutting operation of the cutter 48 are controlled by the control device 15.

[0028] The container transport conveyor 10 is not limited to being driven intermittently, and may be configured for continuous operation. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0029] 10 Container conveying conveyor 21 1st sachet input section (1st sachet input means) 22 Second sachet input section (second sachet input means) 24. Small bag inspection section (small bag inspection method) C container K1 First Packet K2 Second Small Packet K3 Third Small Packet

Claims

[Claim 1] A small bag dispensing device for dispensing first and second small bags with different appearances into a common container, A container conveying conveyor for transporting the aforementioned containers, A first bag insertion means for inserting the first bag into the container, A second bag input means is provided downstream of the first bag input means in the conveying direction of the container conveying conveyor, and inputs the second bag into the container such that at least a portion of the first bag is exposed. The container transport conveyor is provided downstream of the second small bag input means in the transport direction, and includes a small bag inspection means for inspecting whether the first and second small bags have been placed in the container. The first and second pouches have different identification parts. The second small bag insertion means inserts the second small bag into the container such that at least a portion of the identification part of the first small bag can be identified. The bag dispensing device is characterized in that the bag inspection means determines whether or not the first bag and the second bag have been placed in the container by detecting the identification parts of the first bag and the second bag.

Images