MULTI-COLUMN AUTOMATIC PACKAGING MACHINE

Abstract

A multiple-line automatic packing machine configured to produce packed products each having three sealed sides simultaneously and continuously in multiple lines. A vertical sealing device includes a vertical sealing belt. Vertical sealing is performed by rotating the vertical sealing belt along a conveying direction of the packing film at the same speed as conveying speed of the packing film while pressing the vertical sealing belt against a former through intermediation of an overlapping portion of the packing film. Further, a lateral sealing device performs lateral sealing on a portion of the packing film corresponding to a lower portion of a packing bag, and then performs lateral sealing on a portion of the packing film corresponding to an upper portion of the packing bag while moving upward and downward in synchronization with the packing film continuously conveyed at a predetermined speed.

Claims

1. A multiple-line automatic packing machine, comprising: a former having a cylindrical shape; a vertical sealing device; a lateral sealing device; and a raw material filling device, the multiple-line automatic packing machine being configured to produce packed products each having three sealed sides simultaneously and continuously in multiple lines through the procedures of: slitting a strip of a wide packing film into a plurality of strips along a conveying direction of the wide packing film to form the wide packing film into multiple packing films; forming each of the multiple packing films, which is continuously conveyed at a predetermined speed, into substantially a cylindrical shape by winding the each of the multiple packing films around an outer periphery of the former arranged along the conveying direction; overlapping open sides of the each of the multiple packing films; performing vertical sealing on the overlapping portion of the each of the multiple packing films to form the each of the multiple packing films into a cylindrical packing bag; performing lateral sealing on the each of the multiple packing films by the lateral sealing device which moves downward in synchronization with the each of the multiple packing films continuously conveyed; filling a content into the cylindrical packing bag by the raw material filling device; and sealing the cylindrical packing bag by performing lateral sealing on an upper portion of the cylindrical packing bag by the lateral sealing device returned to original lateral sealing positions, wherein the vertical sealing device comprises; a vertical sealing belt rotating along the conveying direction of the each of the multiple packing films while pressing the overlapping portion against the former, and the vertical sealing belt being heated to a predetermined temperature; vertical sealing feed belts that are arranged around the former and are arranged on both right and left sides of the vertical sealing belt, and the vertical sealing feed belts being rotated along the conveying direction of the each of the multiple packing films under a state in which the vertical sealing feed belt and the former sandwich the each of the multiple packing films therebetween; a vertical sealing belt driving motor configured to rotationally drive the vertical sealing belt; and vertical sealing feed belt driving motors respectively configured to rotationally drive the corresponding vertical sealing feed belt, and wherein a rotational speed of the vertical sealing belt driving motor and rotational speeds of the vertical sealing feed belt driving motors are controlled independently of one another.

2. (canceled)

3. (canceled)

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0027] FIG. 1 is a front view for illustrating a multiple-line automatic packing machine according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] FIG. 2 is a side view for illustrating the internal structure of the multiple-line automatic packing machine according to the embodiment (right-hand side view for illustrating the internal structure of the multiple-line automatic packing machine of FIG. 1).

[0029] FIG. 3(A) is a plan view for illustrating the internal structure (a part of a vertical sealing device) of the multiple-line automatic packing machine according to the embodiment. FIG. 3(B) is a sectional view taken along the arrow A-A of FIG. 3(A). FIG. 3(C) is a sectional view taken along the arrow B-B of FIG. 3(A).

[0030] FIG. 4(A) is a front view for illustrating an example of a stick-like packing bag (packed product) produced by the multiple-line automatic packing machine according to the embodiment. FIG. 4(B) is a right-hand side view for illustrating the packing bag of FIG. 4(A). FIG. 4(C) is a plan view for illustrating the packing bag of FIG. 4(A).

[0031] FIG. 5 is a perspective view for illustrating an example of a configuration of a relater-art multiple-line automatic packing machine.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Now, an embodiment of the present invention is described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that, the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described below.

[0033] FIG. 1 is a front view for illustrating an external appearance of a multiple-line (multiple-string) automatic packing machine according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view for illustrating the internal structure of the multiple-line automatic packing machine. In those drawings, reference symbol 1 denotes an entire machine body of the multiple-line automatic packing machine; 2, a hopper containing therein various kinds of materials to be packed, such as liquid, powder, and a viscous body; and 2T, a supply passage connected to the hopper 2.

[0034] Reference symbol 10 denotes an input device configured to input various kinds of data to a controller, and reference symbol 11 denotes a packing material shaft configured to support a packing film pulled out from a packing film roll F while applying predetermined tension to the packing film.

[0035] Further, reference symbol 3 denotes a filling device configured to fill the material to be packed (content to be packed into a packing bag) and mounted to a lower end of the supply passage 2T. The content, which is measured for each packing bag by a measuring board 3K moved by a filling air cylinder 3A in a reciprocating manner, is supplied into a chute 4 at a predetermined timing so as to correspond to each packing bag.

[0036] As illustrated in FIG. 2, in this embodiment, a strip of a wide packing film F1 taken up into the packing film roll F is fed by a packing material feed device 12 at a predetermined speed continually (without temporarily stopping or unintermittently), and a packing film F2 fed continually (without temporarily stopping) is slit (divided) by a packing material slitting device 13 into four strips. Each of four divided packing films F3 is wrapped (wound) around an outer periphery of a hollow cylindrical former 5 from both sides of the former. Thus, the packing films F3 are each formed into substantially a cylindrical shape. Each of the four slit packing films is subjected to vertical sealing, lateral sealing, content filling, and the like by devices provided for each of the four slit packing films, thereby being manufactured into a packing bag.

[0037] Under a state in which each packing film F4 formed into a cylindrical shape is wound into substantially a cylindrical shape around the outer periphery of the former 5, back surfaces of both sides (open ends) of the packing film F4 are superposed on each other so as to be opposed to each other at a superposed portion (overlapping portion) P, and then the packing film F4 is fed into a triple belt-type vertical sealing device 6. The triple belt-type vertical sealing device 6 performs vertical sealing on the superposed portion P, thereby forming a packing film F5 having substantially a cylindrical shape. The packing film to be used in the present invention refers to a packing film obtained in such a manner that back surfaces of the packing film are bonded to each other by heat sealing under a state in which the back surfaces of the packing film are opposed to each other similarly to the case of the superposed portion P. Even when front surfaces of the packing film, or the front surface and the back surface of the packing film are subjected to heat sealing in a superposed state, the front surfaces of the packing film, or the front surface and the back surface of the packing film are not bonded to each other.

[0038] As illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3(A) to FIG. 3(C), in the triple belt-type vertical sealing device 6, a belt-type vertical sealing unit 61 is arranged at a position corresponding to the superposed portion P of the packing film F4 wound into substantially a cylindrical shape around the former 5.

[0039] As illustrated in FIG. 3(C), the belt-type vertical sealing unit 61 includes a vertical sealing unit base 64, an electrothermal heater fitting 614 mounted to the vertical sealing unit base 64 and heated to and kept at a predetermined temperature, a vertical sealing belt 611 held in abutment on the electrothermal heater fitting 614 and controlled at the predetermined temperature, and vertical sealing belt pulleys 612 and 613 over which the vertical sealing belt 611 is stretched. A vertical sealing belt driven gear 618 is integrally mounted to the vertical sealing belt pulley 613, and a vertical sealing belt driving gear 617 is meshed with the vertical sealing belt driven gear 618. The vertical sealing belt 611 is arranged so as to be rotated along a conveying direction of the packing film F4.

[0040] Further, as illustrated in FIG. 3(A), a vertical sealing belt driving motor 65 is coupled to the vertical sealing belt driving gear 617 in a rotating manner. Rotation speed of the vertical sealing belt driving motor 65 is controlled to the same speed as feeding speed (conveying speed) of the packing film.

[0041] According to the belt-type vertical sealing unit 61 having the above-mentioned configuration, vertical sealing can be performed on the superposed portion P between the both sides (open ends) of the packing film F4, which is wound into substantially a cylindrical shape around the outer periphery of the former 5, in such a manner that the vertical sealing belt 611 increased in temperature by the electrothermal heater fitting 614 is pressed against the outer periphery of the former 5 through intermediation of the superposed portion P (see FIG. 4(C)). At this time, the vertical sealing belt 611 is rotationally driven in accordance with the conveying speed of the packing film F4. Accordingly, unlike the related art, it is not necessary to temporarily stop feeding (conveyance) of the packing film when performing vertical sealing, thereby being capable of increasing production efficiency.

[0042] Further, the belt-type vertical sealing unit 61 according to this embodiment performs vertical sealing while rotating the belt heated to the predetermined temperature along the conveying direction of the packing film. Accordingly, unlike the related art, when vertical sealing is performed, it is not necessary to provide a complicated advancing/retreating mechanism (reciprocating mechanism) configured to cause a vertical sealer to perform vertical sealing by moving the vertical sealer close to the packing film in a direction orthogonal to a plane of conveyance of the packing film so as to bring the vertical sealer into contact with the packing film, and then retreat the vertical sealer from the packing film. Consequently, simplification of the configuration can be promoted, and the belt-type vertical sealing unit 61 can contribute to reduction in vibration, noise, and the like, and to increase in conveying speed of the packing film.

[0043] As illustrated in FIG. 3(A) to FIG. 3(C), in the triple belt-type vertical sealing device 6 according to this embodiment, as a pair of right and left units opposed to each other, a right vertical sealing feed unit 63 and a left vertical sealing feed unit 62 are arranged on both right and left sides of the belt-type vertical sealing unit 61 in a diameter direction of the former 5, respectively.

[0044] In this embodiment, at least one of the left vertical sealing feed unit 62 or the right vertical sealing feed unit 63 corresponds to a vertical sealing feed unit according to the present invention.

[0045] As illustrated in FIG. 3(B), the left vertical sealing feed unit 62 (right vertical sealing feed unit 63) includes a left vertical sealing feed belt 621 (right vertical sealing feed belt 631) rotated along the conveying direction of the packing film F4, and the left vertical sealing feed belt 621 (right vertical sealing feed belt 631) is stretched over left vertical sealing feed belt pulleys 622, 623, 624, and 625 (right vertical sealing feed belt pulleys 632, 633, 634, and 635), and is configured to press the packing film F4, which is wound into substantially a cylindrical shape around the outer periphery of the former 5, from each side of the former 5.

[0046] Further, as illustrated in FIG. 3(A) and FIG. 3(B), a vertical sealing feed belt driving electric motor 66 is coupled to the left vertical sealing feed belt pulley 623 (right vertical sealing feed belt pulley 633) so as to rotationally drive the left vertical sealing feed belt 621 (right vertical sealing feed belt 631).

[0047] According to the left vertical sealing feed unit 62 (right vertical sealing feed unit 63) having the above-mentioned configuration, the left vertical sealing feed belt 621 (right vertical sealing feed belt 631) is rotationally driven at the same speed as the conveying speed of the packing film F4 while pressing, from each side of the former 5, the packing film F4 wound into substantially a cylindrical shape around the outer periphery of the former 5. Thus, the left vertical sealing feed unit 62 (right vertical sealing feed unit 63) can help (assist or guide) conveyance of the packing film F4 subjected to vertical sealing by the belt-type vertical sealing unit 61, and can contribute to achievement of smooth feeding (conveyance) of the packing film.

[0048] In this case, description is made of the configuration having two vertical sealing feed units, that is, the left vertical sealing feed unit 62 and the right vertical sealing feed unit 63, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The number of the vertical sealing feed units, and positions around the former 5 at which the vertical sealing feed units are to be arranged can be modified as appropriate in order to be capable of satisfactorily helping (assisting or guiding) conveyance of the packing film F4.

[0049] The packing film F5 subjected to vertical sealing and formed into substantially a cylindrical shape as described above is next subjected to lateral sealing at a portion below a content filling portion of the packing film F5. After that, the material to be packed (content) is filled in the packing film F5, and then lateral sealing is performed on a portion of the packing film F5 above the content filling portion. Thus, packing bags are linked to one another in a string form (F6).

[0050] In this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, simultaneously with or immediately after lateral sealing performed by a lateral sealing device 7, the filling device 3 supplies, into the chute 4, a certain amount of the material to be packed contained in the hopper 2, and then fills and supplies the material to be packed from a lower end opening of the chute 4 into the packing film that is subjected to lateral sealing at the portion below the content filling portion and formed into a bag shape having an upper opening formed therein.

[0051] Further, after the above-mentioned filling of the material to be packed by the filling device 3 is completed, under a state in which lateral sealers 7X and 7Y sandwich the portion below the content filling portion, which is subjected to lateral sealing, the lateral sealing device 7 is moved downward by a lateral sealing device moving mechanism 14 by a length corresponding to one bag (one content filling portion), thereby moving downward the packing film F5 by the length corresponding to one bag. Then, the lateral sealers 7X and 7Y are laterally separated from each other to cancel sandwiching. In the separated state, the lateral sealers 7X and 7Y are returned and lifted up to original lateral sealing positions (lateral sealing positions above the content filling portion).

[0052] That is, the lateral sealing device 7 is configured to perform lateral sealing on a portion of the packing film corresponding to a lower portion of the packing bag, and then perform lateral sealing on a portion of the packing film corresponding to an upper portion of the packing bag while moving upward and downward in synchronization with the packing film continuously conveyed at a predetermined speed.

[0053] As illustrated in FIG. 2, the lateral sealing device moving mechanism 14 includes movable pulleys (gears) 7A and 7B mounted to the lateral sealing device 7 in a rotatable manner, fixed pulleys (gears) 7C and 7D mounted to the machine body 1 in a rotatable manner, a lateral sealer driving motor 7M configured to drive and rotate the fixed pulley 7C in an up-and-down direction, and an interlocking member 14A formed of a timing belt, a chain, or the like. The interlocking member 14A includes both upper and lower end portions 14a and 14b fixed to upper and lower portions of the machine body 1, respectively, and an intermediate portion stretched over the upper and lower movable pulleys 7A and 7B and then stretched in an inverted manner so as to be stretched over the upper end lower fixed pulleys 7C and 7D.

[0054] According to the lateral sealing device moving mechanism 14 having the above-mentioned configuration, when the driving motor 7M rotates the fixed pulley 70 counterclockwise in FIG. 2, the lateral sealing device 7 is moved downward due to intermeshing operation between the respective pulleys 7A to 7D and the interlocking member 14A formed of a timing belt, a chain, or the like. Conversely, when the fixed gear 7C is rotated clockwise, the lateral sealing device 7 can be moved upward. Upward and downward movement amounts and movement positions of the lateral sealers 7X and 7Y can be adjusted so as to conform to a length dimension of one bag (see reference symbol L of FIG. 4) by controlling rotation of the driving motor 7M. Further, upward and downward moving speed of the lateral sealers 7X and 7Y can be controlled so as to balance with feeding speed of the packing material delivering device 12 and speed of feeding (conveying) the packing film F4 by the vertical sealing device 6.

[0055] In this case, reference symbol 8 denotes an entire configuration of a cutter device arranged below the above-mentioned lateral sealing device 7. The cutter device 8 includes cutters 8A and 8B configured to cut, into upper and lower parts, a center line of the lateral sealed portion sealed by the above-mentioned lateral sealing device 7.

[0056] FIG. 4 are views for illustrating an external appearance of a stick-like packed product F7 packed by the multiple-line automatic packing machine having the above-mentioned configuration. In FIG. 4, reference symbol P denotes a vertical sealed portion, and reference symbol L denotes a length dimension (size) of the packed product F7. In this embodiment, it is possible to form, by sealing, stick-like packed products F7 that have various sizes and are various in the length dimension L and a filling amount.

[0057] As described above, according to the multiple-line automatic packing machine 1 of this embodiment, a length and a size of the stick-like packed product formed in each of multiple lines, and a filling timing of the material to be packed can be changed easily and precisely. Accordingly, the present invention is suitable when the predetermined number of stick-like packed products various in size and kind are formed by heat sealing for every size, and the number of times of wasteful trial sealing performed when the size and the filling timing are changed is reduced. Thus, such economical efficiency can be obtained that a waste of the material to be packed and the packing film can be prevented.

[0058] In addition, the multiple-line automatic packing machine 1 including the belt-type vertical sealing device 6 of this embodiment can perform vertical sealing on the packing film while continuously feeding the packing film at a predetermined speed without temporarily stopping the feeding, thereby being capable of increasing production efficiency.

[0059] Further, the multiple-line automatic packing machine 1 including the belt-type vertical sealing device 6 of this embodiment is configured to perform vertical sealing while rotating the vertical sealing belt heated to the predetermined temperature along the conveying direction of the packing film. Accordingly, unlike the related art, when vertical sealing is performed, it is not necessary to provide the complicated advancing/retreating mechanism (reciprocating mechanism) configured to cause the vertical sealer to perform vertical sealing by moving the vertical sealer close to the packing film in the direction orthogonal to the plane of conveyance of the packing film so as to bring the vertical sealer into contact with the packing film, and then retreat the vertical sealer from the packing film. Consequently, simplification of the configuration can be promoted, and the multiple-line automatic packing machine 1 can contribute to reduction in vibration, noise, and the like, and to increase in conveying speed of the packing film.

[0060] That is, according to the multiple-line automatic packing machine of this embodiment, it is possible to provide the multiple-line automatic packing machine capable of, with a simple and low-cost configuration thereof, automatically packing the stick-like packed products in multiple lines while continuously feeding the packing film at a predetermined speed without temporarily stopping the feeding.

[0061] In this embodiment, the case where a strip of the wide packing film is slit into four strips is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention is also applicable to a case where a strip of the wide packing film is slit into a plurality of strips and packing bags are automatically produced in a plurality of lines.

[0062] Further, in this embodiment, the case where the vertical sealing belt driving motor 65 and the vertical sealing feed belt driving motor 66 are arranged is described as an example, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The present invention maybe constructed such that the vertical sealing belt driving motor 65 and the vertical sealing feed belt driving motor 66 are omitted, and that the vertical sealing belt 611, the left vertical sealing feed belt 621, and the right vertical sealing feed belt 631 are driven to rotate by conveyance motion of the packing film on which the vertical sealing belt 611, the left vertical sealing feed belt 621, and the right vertical sealing feed belt 631 are held in abutment.

[0063] The vertical sealing belt driving motor 65 and the vertical sealing feed belt driving motor 66 are arranged independently of a driving source and the like configured to convey the packing film. Thus, rotation speed of the vertical sealing belt 611, the left vertical sealing feed belt 621, and the right vertical sealing feed belt 631 can be controlled independently of one another. As a result, an error and a fluctuation caused by a difference in a slip amount and the like are eliminated, thereby being capable of achieving satisfactory operation (satisfactory vertical sealing or assist to smooth conveyance of the packing film) with high accuracy in accordance with conveying speed of the packing film.

[0064] The embodiment described above is merely an example for describing the present invention. It goes without saying that various modifications may be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

[0065] The present invention can slit a packing film into multiple strips, and automatically produce packing bags each having four sealed sides simultaneously in multiple lines (a plurality of parallel lines) using the slit packing films. Therefore, the present invention is useful.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0066] 1 multiple-line automatic packing machine [0067] 2 hopper containing materials to be packed (content to be packed into packing bag) [0068] 2T supply pipe [0069] 3 filling device configured to fill material to be packed (content) [0070] 4 chute [0071] 5 former [0072] 6 triple belt-type vertical sealing device [0073] 7 lateral sealing device [0074] 7X, 7Y lateral sealer [0075] 8 cutter device [0076] 12 packing material feed device [0077] 13 packing material slitting device [0078] 14 lateral sealing device moving mechanism [0079] 61 belt-type vertical sealing unit [0080] 62 left vertical sealing feed unit [0081] 63 right vertical sealing feed unit [0082] 65 vertical sealing belt driving motor [0083] 66 vertical sealing feed belt driving motor [0084] 611 vertical sealing belt [0085] 612, 613 vertical sealing belt pulley [0086] 614 electrothermal heater fitting [0087] 617 vertical sealing belt driving gear [0088] 618 vertical sealing belt driven gear [0089] 621 left vertical sealing feed belt [0090] 622, 623, 624, 625 left vertical sealing feed belt pulley [0091] 631 right vertical sealing feed belt [0092] 632, 633, 634, 635 right vertical sealing feed belt pulley [0093] F packing film roll (original roll) [0094] F1 strip of wide packing film [0095] F2 packing film fed continually (without temporarily stopping) [0096] F3 four slit (divided) packing films [0097] F4 packing film formed into substantially cylindrical shape [0098] F5 packing film formed into bag shape and having upper opening [0099] F7 stick-like packed product (packing bag separated after being cut) [0100] P superposed portion (overlapping portion, vertical sealed portion)