JP5065874B2 - Flat tube introduction device in flat tube filling machine - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus for introducing a flat tube in a flat tube filling machine, and more specifically, a flat tube filling for filling a flat tube with a liquid such as shampoo, rinse, toothpaste, seasoning and the like and sealing the flat tube. In the machine, the present invention relates to an introducing device for introducing the flat tube into the tube clamp.

In the present invention, a “flat tube” is a flexible synthetic resin packaging bag having a spout at one end and an unsealed end at the other end, which is in a flat state before filling. Say.

In the present invention, the “unsealed end” refers to an unsealed end.

After filling the flat tube with liquid such as shampoo, rinse, toothpaste, seasoning, etc., the unsealed end is sealed. The user of the flat tube takes out the contents from the spout and uses it.

Various apparatuses for filling a liquid such as drinking water in containers such as PET bottles, glass bottles, cans and the like have been conventionally known as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2007-238153.

Thus, as far as the present applicant knows, there is no conventional flat tube filling machine that fills a flat tube with a liquid such as shampoo, rinse, toothpaste, seasoning and the like and seals the flat tube.
JP 2007-238153 A

Since the flat tube is in the form of a soft film and is curved in various directions before filling the contents, it is extremely difficult to handle in the flat tube filling machine.

When filling a flat tube with liquid, it may be necessary to fix the flat tube with a tube clamp. However, a flat tube that is a soft film and curved in various directions is securely attached to the tube clamp. It is particularly difficult to introduce into.

Under the circumstances as described above, the present invention introduces a flat tube in a flat tube filling machine in which a flat tube which is a soft film and is curved in various directions is surely introduced into a tube clamp. It was made to provide a device.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a flat tube introducing device in a flat tube filling machine as described below.

(1) A flat tube guide frame is disposed near the end of the conveyor for feeding the flat tube, and a tube receiver for receiving the flat tube is disposed in the vicinity of the lower end of the guide frame so as to be able to advance and retract. A support body that abuts against the flat tube in the guide frame is disposed on one side so as to be able to contact with and separate from the flat tube, and the flat tube in the guide frame is adsorbed on the other side of the guide frame. The vacuum pad of the suction device is disposed so as to be able to contact with and separate from the flat tube in a state of facing the support, and a tube clamp for sandwiching the flat tube is disposed in the vicinity of the guide frame. Is freely movable in the direction of moving toward and away from the tube clamp,
The flat tube is dropped from the end of the conveyor into the guide frame with the spout facing downward, and the flat tube is introduced into the tube clamp while being adsorbed to a vacuum pad. An apparatus for introducing a flat tube in a flat tube filling machine (Claim 1).

(2) The tube clamp is disposed below the guide frame, and the vacuum pad is movable up and down (Claim 2).

(3) The conveyor has a plurality of bars arranged at a predetermined interval in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the feeding direction.

[Invention of Claim 1]
Before filling the contents, the flat tube is a soft film and is curved in various directions. Even such a flat tube is adsorbed by the vacuum pad of the adsorption device. In this state, the flat tube is accurately introduced into the tube clamp.

  The flat tube is dropped from the conveyor into the guide frame in a posture in which the spout is directed downward. Since the flat tube has one end with a spout that is heavier than the other end, the flat tube falls into the guide frame accurately even when it is in a soft film and curved in various directions. .

[Invention of claim 2]
The invention of claim 2 is the same as the invention of claim 1 except that the tube clamp is disposed below the guide frame and the vacuum pad can be raised and lowered. Demonstrate the effect.

[Invention of claim 3]
Since the conveyor arranges a plurality of bars in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the feeding direction at a predetermined interval, when a flat tube is supplied one by one to the space between the bars on the conveyor, Each flat tube falls into the guide frame at regular time intervals.

  First, an example of a flat tube filling machine in which a flat tube introducing device is incorporated will be schematically described with reference to FIG.

  A turntable 3 that rotates intermittently is disposed on the base 1, and a number of tube clamps 5 are attached to the turntable 3.

  Around the turntable 3, an introduction device 7 for introducing a flat tube into the tube clamp 5, a filling device 9 for filling the flat tube with a liquid, a preheating device 11, a heat sealing device 13, a cooling device 15, A marking device 17 and a discharge device 19 are provided.

  Reference numeral 21 denotes a conveyor of the introducing device 7, reference numeral 23 denotes a tank of the filling device 9, and reference numerals 25 and 27 denote conveyors of the discharging device 19.

  In the above case, the flat tube is supplied by the operator 29 to the conveyor 21 of the introduction device 7.

  In the above case, the flat tube is introduced into the tube clamp 5 by the introduction device 7. The flat tube introduced into the tube clamp 5 is filled with a liquid by the filling device 9, and thereafter the product is discharged from the discharge device 19 through the preheating device 11, the heat sealing device 13, the cooling device 15, and the marking device 17. As discharged.

Hereinafter, the flat tube introduction device 7 in the flat tube filling machine will be described.

  A guide frame 33 for the flat tube 31 is disposed in the vicinity of the end 21 a of the conveyor 7 that feeds the flat tube 31.

  The guide frame 33 is provided with openings 35 and 37 on one side and the other side opposite thereto, respectively. At least the opening 37 on the other side opens to the lower end 39 of the guide frame 33. See FIG. 2 and FIG.

  A tube receiver 41 that receives the flat tube 31 is disposed in the vicinity of the lower end 39 of the guide frame 33 so as to be able to advance and retract.

  The tube receiver 41 is a plate-like body as an example, and is advanced and retracted by an air cylinder 43.

  When the tube receiver 41 moves forward, the tube receiver 41 reaches a position where the lower end 39 of the guide frame 33 is closed, and receives the flat tube 31 falling in the guide frame 33 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). When the tube receiver 41 moves backward, the tube receiver 41 moves away from the lower end 39 of the guide frame 33 and allows the flat tube 31 to descend from the guide frame 33.

  On one side of the guide frame 33, a support body 45 that abuts against the flat tube 31 in the guide frame 33 is disposed so as to be able to contact with and separate from the flat tube 31.

  The support body 45 is a plate-like body as an example, and can be brought into and out of contact with the flat tube 31 in the guide frame 33 by an air cylinder 47. The support body 45 passes through the opening 35 of the guide frame 33 and contacts and separates from the flat tube 31 in the guide frame 33.

  On the other side of the guide frame 33, a vacuum pad 49 of a suction device that sucks the flat tube 31 in the guide frame 33 is disposed so as to be able to contact with and separate from the flat tube 31 while facing the support 45. .

  The vacuum pad 49 is brought into contact with and separated from the flat tube 31 in the guide frame 33 by the air cylinder 51.

  A tube clamp 5 that holds the flat tube 31 is disposed in the vicinity of the guide frame 33 so that the vacuum pad 49 of the suction device can be moved in a direction in which the tube clamp 5 is in contact with or separated from the tube clamp 5.

  The tube clamp 5 is preferably disposed below the guide frame 33, and the vacuum pad 49 can be raised and lowered by an air cylinder 52.

  In the illustrated example, the tube clamp 5 is mounted on the turntable 3 below the guide frame 33.

  As described above, the flat tube 31 is a packaging bag having a spout 53 at one end and an unsealed end 55 at the other end, and the posture in which the spout 53 is directed downward from the end of the conveyor 7 (FIGS. 7 to 7). The posture is dropped into the guide frame 33 in the posture shown in FIG. In other words, the flat tube 31 is supplied onto the conveyor 7 in a posture with the spout 53 in front.

  The conveyor 7 is preferably formed by arranging a plurality of bars 57 in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the feeding direction at a predetermined interval. See FIG. 1 and FIG.

  The illustrated conveyor 7 is of a two-lane type.

  When the flat tube 31 falls into the guide frame 33, the tube receiver 41 moves forward to a position that closes the lower end 39 of the guide frame 33. Therefore, the spout 53 of the flat tube 31 that has fallen into the guide frame 33 contacts the tube receiver 41. That is, the flat tube 31 is held by the tube receiver 41 in a posture in which the spout 53 is directed downward.

  Subsequently, the support body 45 advances, passes through the opening 35 of the guide frame 33, and comes into contact with the flat tube 31 in the guide frame 33.

  When the support body 45 abuts on and supports the flat tube 31 in the guide frame 33, the vacuum pad 49 of the suction device moves forward and passes through the opening 37 of the guide frame 33 to guide it. It abuts on the flat tube 31 in the frame 33 and adsorbs the flat tube 31.

  When the vacuum pad 49 of the suction device sucks and holds the flat tube 31, the support body 45 moves backward and separates from the flat tube 31, and the tube receiver 41 moves backward and separates from the lower end 39 of the guide frame 33.

  Thereafter, the vacuum pad 49 of the suction device approaches the tube clamp 5 with the flat tube 31 being sucked, and introduces the flat tube 31 into the tube clamp 5.

  In the illustrated example, the vacuum pad 49 of the suction device descends to the tube clamp 5 with the flat tube 31 being sucked, and introduces the flat tube 31 into the tube clamp 5.

  The vacuum pad 49 of the suction device, after introducing the flat tube 31 to the tube clamp 5, exhales air and leaves the flat tube 31 to return to the original position.

As described above, the flat tube 31 is held by the tube clamp 5 with the spout 53 directed downward.

  As the turntable 3 rotates, the flat tube 31 held by the tube clamp 5 sequentially passes through the filling device 9, the preheating device 11, the heat sealing device 13, the cooling device 15, and the marking device 17. The product is discharged from the discharge device 19 as a product filled with a predetermined liquid.

It is a top view which shows an example of a flat tube filling machine. It is a side view which shows an example of the introduction apparatus of a flat tube. It is a front view which shows an example of a guide frame. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the spout of the flat tube contact | abutted to the tube receiver. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which the vacuum pad of the adsorption | suction apparatus adsorb | sucked the flat tube. It is a front view which shows the state which introduced the flat tube into the tube clamp. It is a front view of a flat tube. It is a side view of a flat tube. It is sectional drawing which expands and shows a part of flat tube.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Base 3 Turntable 5 Tube clamp 7 Introducing device 9 Filling device 11 Preheating device 13 Heat sealing device 15 Cooling device 17 Marking device 19 Discharging device 21 Conveyor 21a End 23 Tank 25 Conveyor 27 Conveyor 29 Worker 31 Flat tube 33 Guide Frame 35 Opening portion 37 Opening portion 39 Lower end 41 Tube receiver 43 Air cylinder 45 Support body 47 Air cylinder 49 Vacuum pad 51 Air cylinder 52 Air cylinder 53 Spout 55 Unsealed end 57

Claims (3)

A flat tube guide frame is disposed near the end of the conveyor for feeding the flat tube, and a tube receiver for receiving the flat tube is disposed in the vicinity of the lower end of the guide frame so as to be movable forward and backward. A support body that abuts against the flat tube in the guide frame is disposed so as to be able to come into contact with and separate from the flat tube, and an adsorption device that adsorbs the flat tube in the guide frame to the other side of the guide frame. A vacuum pad is disposed so as to be able to contact with and separate from the flat tube in a state of being opposed to the support, a tube clamp for sandwiching the flat tube is disposed in the vicinity of the guide frame, and the vacuum pad is disposed on the tube. It can move freely in the direction of contact with the clamp,
The flat tube is dropped from the end of the conveyor into the guide frame with the spout facing downward, and the flat tube is introduced into the tube clamp while being adsorbed to a vacuum pad. , Flat tube introduction device in flat tube filling machine.   2. The flat tube introducing device according to claim 1, wherein the tube clamp is disposed below the guide frame, and the vacuum pad is movable up and down.   The apparatus for introducing a flat tube in a flat tube filling machine according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the conveyor has a plurality of bars arranged in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the feed direction at predetermined intervals. .

Images