JP6914520B2 - Packaging machine equipped with ultrasonic sealing device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention has an ultrasonic horn and an anvil arranged so as to face the ultrasonic horn, and applies ultrasonic waves in a pressurized state to a packaging material that is fed between the ultrasonic horn and the anvil in a superposed state. The present invention relates to a packaging machine provided with an ultrasonic sealing device that applies ultrasonic sealing to the packaging material.

Conventionally, as a seal of a packaging material for accommodating a package, there is a spot sealing means for performing a spot-shaped seal on an overlapping portion of the packaging material. By moving the spot sealing means and the packaging material relatively, it is possible to apply a linear seal to the packaging material.

As the spot sealing means, there is also an electric means such as high frequency electricity, but when the packaging material is a thermoplastic resin, the thermoplastic resin material is subjected to fine ultrasonic vibration and pressure by applying fine ultrasonic vibration and pressure to the thermoplastic resin material. There is a sealing means by ultrasonic welding that instantly melts and joins the resin. The ultrasonic welding (sealing) device converts electrical energy into mechanical vibration energy and applies pressure at the same time as the vibration to generate strong frictional heat on the joint surface of the two thermoplastic resin materials, melting the resin. It is to combine. The ultrasonic sealing device includes an ultrasonic horn that oscillates ultrasonic waves at the time of sealing, and an anvil that sandwiches a thermoplastic resin material and strongly presses the ultrasonic horn with pressure.

A bag-making filling and packaging machine that manufactures a bag package such as a tea bag by filling the bag with a filling material such as tea leaves while producing a bag from a band-shaped packaging material through a tubular packaging material. A bag-making filling and packaging machine using an ultrasonic sealing device has been proposed as a horizontal sealing means for sealing a shaped packaging material in the transverse direction (see Patent Document 1). The ultrasonic sealing device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a spot-shaped ultrasonic horn and spot-shaped anvils arranged opposite to each other with a packaging material sandwiched between the spot-shaped ultrasonic horn and the anvil. The flattened tubular packaging material is moved in the transverse direction to form a linear horizontal seal. In this bag-making filling and packaging machine, an ultrasonic sealing device is also used as a vertical sealing means for sealing the edge of the strip-shaped packaging material to form a tubular packaging material.

It is a bag-making filling and packaging machine that manufactures a bag packaging body that contains products to be packaged inside by applying a horizontal seal while molding a strip-shaped packaging material into a tubular shape. A packaging machine for laterally sealing a tubular foil band using an ultrasonic sealer has already been proposed (see Patent Document 2). In this packaging machine, an ultrasonic welding device having a horizontally elongated bar-shaped horn and an anvil is used to perform horizontal sealing on a tubular foil band. Fold the bottom of the bag with a vertically long plate-shaped molded piece at an intermediate position in the width direction, and further sandwich the folded bottom of the bag between the tool (horn) of the ultrasonic welding device and the facing holder (anvil) for welding. This forms the bottom of the bag with a fold (gusset). A foil band, which is a band-shaped packaging material, is formed by a shoulder (former). Also for the vertical seal that welds the foil strips in an envelope shape during the process, the overlapping edges of the foil strips are welded with a tool (horn) of an ultrasonic welding device.

Further, a product having a length exceeding the entire width of the tubular packaging material and laterally sealing the tubular packaging material with an ultrasonic sealing device including a pair of metal blocks in which the tubular packaging materials are arranged facing each other. A bag filling and packaging machine has been proposed (see Patent Document 3). In this bag-making filling and packaging machine, one block is a horn containing a vibrator, the other block is an anvil that receives vibration from the horn, and both blocks are in contact with each other in a direction separated from each other by a drive device. It is opened and closed in the direction of contact. A cutting device provided with a pair of blocks is provided on the wake side of the ultrasonic seal at a predetermined distance (distance corresponding to the bag length).

In these packaging machines, especially bag-making filling and packaging machines, an ultrasonic sealing device that laterally seals a tubular packaging material has a fixed sealing width (crosses in the lateral direction) determined according to a specific bag packaging design. It suffices to show constant and uniform sealing performance, such as (sealing width seen in the feeding direction of the packaging material) and constant sealing strength, and it is recognized that there is originally no need for the variety of sealing. Has been done. Since the specifications of the ultrasonic sealing device differ depending on the bag package to be manufactured, the entire ultrasonic sealing device or its main parts are generally replaced. Therefore, it is necessary to replace the ultrasonic sealing device according to the bag packaging to be manufactured, and the packaging machine requires not only the replacement work itself but also delicate adjustment and trial operation after the replacement. There is a problem that it is inevitable that the operating efficiency of the product will decrease.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2011-79536 Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 56-4259 JP-A-2017-71442

Therefore, in a packaging machine equipped with an ultrasonic sealing device as a band sealing means for applying a band-shaped seal such as a horizontal seal to a tubular packaging material, sealing characteristics such as a sealing width and a sealing strength of the band-shaped seal are set. Even if it is changed, there is a problem to be solved in that such a change can be dealt with by using the same ultrasonic sealing device without replacing the ultrasonic sealing device as a packaging machine.

An object of the present invention is a packaging machine provided with an ultrasonic sealing device as a band sealing means for applying a band-shaped seal to a packaging material, which has sealing characteristics such as a band-shaped seal sealing width and a sealing strength without replacing the ultrasonic sealing device. It is to provide a packaging machine equipped with an ultrasonic sealing device capable of realizing a variety of strip-shaped sealing.

The packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device according to the present invention includes an ultrasonic horn having a band-shaped sealing surface at the tip and an anvil having a band-shaped receiving surface facing the ultrasonic horn and facing the band-shaped sealing surface. An ultrasonic sealing device that applies a band-shaped ultrasonic seal to the packaging material by an ultrasonic sealing operation that applies ultrasonic waves under the pressure of sandwiching the packaging material between the ultrasonic horn and the anvil. Seal width at which one or both of the ultrasonic horn and the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device intersect the packaging material at right angles to the strip-shaped sealing surface and the strip-shaped receiving surface. It is provided with a moving device that moves relative to the direction of the above, and a control device that controls the ultrasonic sealing operation by the ultrasonic sealing device and the movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil by the moving device. The device controls the moving device to package the ultrasonic horn or the anvil while maintaining the facing relationship between the ultrasonic horn and the anvil and causing the ultrasonic sealing device to perform the ultrasonic sealing operation. It consists of moving relative to the material in the direction of the seal width.

According to the packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, when the ultrasonic sealing device is subjected to the ultrasonic sealing operation by the control device, it is sandwiched between the ultrasonic horn having the band-shaped sealing surface and the anvil having the band-shaped receiving surface. The wrapped material is welded by frictional heat when ultrasonic waves from an ultrasonic horn are applied under the pressure of sandwiching the material, and a band-shaped seal is applied. By controlling the moving device, the control device causes the ultrasonic sealing device to perform the ultrasonic sealing operation, and the ultrasonic sealing device is orthogonal to the strip-shaped sealing surface and the strip-shaped receiving surface with respect to the packaging material. By moving relative to each other in the intersecting direction, the seal width of the band-shaped seal applied to the packaging material can be changed. When moving only one of the ultrasonic horn and the anvil, the band-shaped sealing surface or band-shaped receiving surface of the non-moving part is configured to be wide, and the range in which the facing relationship between the ultrasonic horn and the anvil is maintained. Will be moved with. Further, when moving both the ultrasonic horn and the anvil, it is not necessary to make the band-shaped sealing surface and the band-shaped receiving surface wide, and it is preferable to move both while maintaining the facing relationship by making the amount of movement the same. .. With the same ultrasonic sealer, from narrow seal width band seals to wide seal widths without changing the shape of the ultrasonic horn and anvil of the ultrasonic sealer (specifically, replacing parts of the ultrasonic horn and anvil) It is possible to realize a band-shaped seal by ultrasonic waves, which has an arbitrary seal width and can change the seal strength by changing the ultrasonic strength.

In the packaging machine provided with this ultrasonic sealing device, the packaging material is a strip-shaped packaging material continuous in the longitudinal direction, and in the packaging machine, the strip-shaped packaging material coincides with the ultrasonic sealing device in the direction of the sealing width. The control device further includes a packaging material feeding device that feeds the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material formed from the strip-shaped packaging material in the direction along the longitudinal direction thereof so as to pass through the strip-shaped packaging material. The packaging material feeding device is such that tension acts on the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material that is fed between the packaging material feeding device and the ultrasonic sealing device in the longitudinal direction thereof. It is possible to control the direction and speed between the feeding of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material and the movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device by the moving device.
According to a packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, a strip-shaped packaging material that is continuous in the longitudinal direction or a tubular packaging material formed from the strip-shaped packaging material (hereinafter, referred to as "packaging material", up to "effect of the invention"). (Same as in the description of) is fed by the packaging material feeding device in the direction along the longitudinal direction thereof, and when the packaging material passes through the ultrasonic sealing device, the ultrasonic sealing device is moved in the direction corresponding to the direction of the sealing width. pass. The control device controls the direction and speed between the feeding of the packaging material by the packaging material feeding device and the movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device by the moving device, thereby forming the packaging material feeding device and the ultrasonic sealing device. Since the ultrasonic sealing device is made to perform the ultrasonic sealing operation while applying tension in the longitudinal direction to the packaging material sent between the spaces, wrinkles are generated in the packaging material during the ultrasonic sealing operation. Can be prevented.

In the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device, the control device is the state in which the feeding of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material by the packaging material feeding device is stopped, and the above-mentioned ultrasonic sealing device. The ultrasonic sealing operation and the movement of the ultrasonic sealing device by the moving device in a direction away from the ultrasonic horn or the packaging material feeding device of the anvil are controlled, and the packaging machine is used as the strip-shaped packaging material. Alternatively, the ultrasonic sealing device can be operated as an intermittent operation type packaging machine that performs the ultrasonic sealing operation while the tubular packaging material is stopped when it is intermittently fed.
According to the packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, the control device controls the ultrasonic sealing device to perform the ultrasonic sealing operation while controlling the packaging material feeding device to stop the feeding of the packaging material. At the same time, the moving device is controlled to move the ultrasonic horn or anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device in the direction away from the packaging material feeding device, so that the packaging machine is super-during the intermittent feeding of the packaging material is stopped. The ultrasonic sealing device will operate as an intermittent operation type packaging machine that performs ultrasonic sealing operation, and moreover, while making the sealing width and sealing strength of the ultrasonic sealing variable, the packaging material is in a tense state and the packaging material is in that state. It is possible to prevent wrinkles from being generated on the packaging material by applying an ultrasonic seal to the packaging material.

In a packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, when the control device is used as the main feed of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material accompanying the sequential progress of packaging of the product to be packaged, the packaging material feed is performed. While the band-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material is fed in the forward or reverse direction with respect to the main feed direction by the device, the ultrasonic sealing operation of the ultrasonic sealing device and the super by the moving device. It is possible to control the movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device.
According to the packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, the control device controls the packaging material feeding device and does not stop the packaging material, but in the direction of the main feeding of the packaging material as the packaging progresses in sequence. On the other hand, the packaging material is sent in the same direction or in the opposite direction, and the ultrasonic sealing device is controlled to perform an ultrasonic sealing operation on the moving packaging material, and the moving device is controlled to ultrasonically control the ultrasonic sealing device. Move the horn or anvil. The direction in which the packaging material is fed and the direction in which the moving device is moved are a combination of directions in which the packaging material between the packaging material feeding device and the ultrasonic sealing device is in a tense state to prevent wrinkles from occurring during ultrasonic sealing. Is selected for.

In the packaging machine provided with this ultrasonic sealing device, the packaging material feeding device is arranged on the upstream side of the main feed of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material with respect to the ultrasonic sealing device, and the control The apparatus sets the feeding of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material by the packaging material feeding device in the direction opposite to the main feeding direction during the ultrasonic sealing operation by the ultrasonic sealing device. It is possible to control the movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device by the moving device to be stopped or forward feed with respect to the main feed direction.
According to the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device, the packaging material feeding device is arranged on the upstream side of the main feeding of the packaging material, and the ultrasonic sealing device is arranged on the downstream side of the main feeding. The control device controls the ultrasonic sealing device to operate the ultrasonic sealing, and controls the packaging material feeding device to make the feeding of the packaging material opposite to the main feeding direction, that is, Since the feed of the packaging material is sent in the return direction and the moving device is controlled to stop the ultrasonic horn or anvil of the ultrasonic seal device or to feed in the forward direction with respect to the main feed direction, the ultrasonic seal is used. While making the seal width and seal strength variable, the packaging material between the upstream side packaging material feeding device and the downstream side ultrasonic sealing device is in a tense state, and the packaging material is ultrasonically sealed in that state. It is possible to prevent wrinkles from occurring on the material.

In the packaging machine provided with this ultrasonic sealing device, the packaging material feeding device is arranged on the upstream side of the main feed of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material with respect to the ultrasonic sealing device, and the control During the ultrasonic sealing operation of the ultrasonic sealing device, the apparatus uses the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material to be fed by the packaging material feeding device as the main feed, and the ultrasonic waves by the moving device. The movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil of the sealing device is controlled to be faster than the main feed of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material, and the packaging machine controls the movement of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material. When the tubular packaging material is fed as the continuous main feed, the ultrasonic sealing device can operate as a continuously operating type packaging machine that performs the ultrasonic sealing operation.
According to the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device, the packaging material feeding device is arranged on the upstream side of the main feeding of the packaging material, and the ultrasonic sealing device is arranged on the downstream side of the main feeding. The control device controls the ultrasonic sealing device to operate the ultrasonic sealing, and controls the packaging material feeding device to feed the packaging material as the main feed, and controls the moving device to perform ultrasonic waves. Since the ultrasonic horn or anvil of the sealing device is fed faster than the main feed, the packaging machine is a continuous operation type packaging in which the ultrasonic sealing device performs an ultrasonic sealing operation when the packaging material is fed as a continuous main feed. It will operate at high speed as a machine, and while making the sealing width and sealing strength of the ultrasonic seal variable, the packaging material between the upstream side packaging material feeding device and the downstream side ultrasonic sealing device will be in a tense state. By applying an ultrasonic seal to the packaging material in this state, it is possible to prevent the packaging material from wrinkling.

In a wrapping machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, the wrapping machine seals a former that bends the strip-shaped wrapping material into a substantially tubular wrapping material and seals both side edges of the substantially tubular wrapping material. A bag-making filling and packaging machine provided with a vertical sealing device formed on a tubular packaging material, the packaging material feeding device is a feeding device for feeding the tubular packaging material in the longitudinal direction thereof, and the ultrasonic sealing device is a feeding device. In the bag-making filling and packaging machine, it can be said that it is applied as a horizontal sealing device for laterally sealing the tubular packaging material.
According to the packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, since the packaging machine is a bag-making filling packaging machine, the product to be packaged is placed in the tubular packaging material while forming the strip-shaped packaging material into the tubular packaging material. The product is high-speed by filling, housing in a bag made from a tubular packaging material, and laterally ultrasonically sealing the tubular packaging material with an ultrasonic sealing device applied as a horizontal sealing device. It can be packaged in bags at the packaging speed.

In a packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, when both the ultrasonic horn and the anvil are moved by the moving device, the ultrasonic horn or the tip surface of the anvil is used. When only one of the ultrasonic horn and the anvil is moved by the moving device, one or more rows of the moved ultrasonic horn or the tip surface of the anvil along a strip-like extending direction. The tip of the ridge and the strip-shaped sealing surface of the ultrasonic horn or the strip-shaped receiving surface of the anvil on which the ridge is not formed are opposed to each other during the ultrasonic sealing operation. Can be taken.
According to the packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, when both the ultrasonic horn and the anvil are moved by the moving device, one strip is formed on one of the strip-shaped tip surfaces along the direction extending in the strip shape. Alternatively, a plurality of ridges can be formed. When only one of the ultrasonic horn and the anvil is moved by the moving device, one or more ridges are formed on the tip surface of the moving ultrasonic horn or anvil along the direction extending in the strip shape. can do. The tip of the ridge and the strip-shaped sealing surface of the ultrasonic horn or the strip-shaped receiving surface of the anvil (wider in the seal width direction than the tip of the ridge) where the ridge is not formed are ultrasonic waves by the moving device during the ultrasonic sealing operation. Even if the horn or anvil moves widely in the seal width direction, the facing relationship with each other can be maintained.

In a packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, the strip-shaped sealing surface of the ultrasonic horn or the strip-shaped receiving surface of the anvil is formed in the central portion of the sealing width along the strip-shaped extending direction. It is possible to form a groove that accommodates the cutter blade of the wrapping material or the cutter mechanism that cuts the tubular wrapping material and allows the cutter blade to operate.
According to the packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, a cutter mechanism for cutting the packaging material is incorporated in the ultrasonic sealing device, and the cutter blade of the cutter mechanism is accommodated in the band-shaped sealing surface of the ultrasonic horn or the band-shaped receiving surface of the anvil. Moreover, since a groove is formed to allow the cutter blade to operate, when the ultrasonic sealing device performs the ultrasonic sealing operation, the cutter mechanism can be operated to cut the packaging material in the lateral direction. can.

In the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device, the control device can control the magnitude of the pressure of the ultrasonic sealing device and the intensity of the ultrasonic waves, and the control device is the moving device and the said moving device. By controlling the ultrasonic sealing device, the pressure of the ultrasonic sealing device and the intensity of the ultrasonic waves can be changed while the ultrasonic horn or the anvil moves in the direction of the sealing width. ..
According to the packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, the control device controls the moving device to move the ultrasonic horn or the anvil in the direction of the sealing width, while controlling the ultrasonic sealing device to control the pressure and the ultrasonic. By controlling to change the strength of the ultrasonic wave, it is possible to give the ultrasonic seal applied to the packaging material a variety of seals in which the seal strength is changed according to the position in the seal width direction.

In the packaging machine provided with this ultrasonic sealing device, the control device controls to weaken the sealing strength in the vicinity of both width ends of the sealing width and increase the sealing strength in the central portion of the sealing width. It can be carried out.
According to the packaging machine equipped with this ultrasonic sealing device, the sealing strength near both width ends of the sealing width is weak, so that the packaging material does not break when the ultrasonic sealing is performed. Further, since the sealing strength at the central portion of the sealing width is strengthened, the sealing effect of the package can be kept high.

According to the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device according to the present invention, when the ultrasonic sealing device is subjected to the ultrasonic sealing operation by the control device, between the ultrasonic horn having the band-shaped sealing surface and the anvil having the band-shaped receiving surface. The packaging material sandwiched between the two is welded by frictional heat when ultrasonic waves from the ultrasonic horn are applied under the pressure of the sandwiching, and a band-shaped seal is applied. By controlling the moving device, the control device causes the ultrasonic sealing device to perform the ultrasonic sealing operation, and the ultrasonic sealing device is orthogonal to the strip-shaped sealing surface and the strip-shaped receiving surface with respect to the packaging material. By moving relative to each other in the intersecting direction, the seal width of the band-shaped seal applied to the packaging material can be changed. Generally, in order to obtain a wide seal by ultrasonic sealing, it is necessary to significantly increase the value of the maximum ultrasonic energy because the sealing area becomes large, but this ultrasonic sealing device moves relative to the packaging material. Therefore, a narrow width in contact with the packaging material during sealing is sufficient, and the conditions are the same as when ultrasonically sealing a narrow sealing area. As a result, the maximum energy value required for sealing can be suppressed, and it is not necessary to require an excessive capacity for the ultrasonic sealing device, so that the manufacturing cost and operating cost of the packaging machine can be reduced as a whole. Furthermore, with the same ultrasonic sealing device, from narrow sealing width to wide sealing width without changing the shape of the ultrasonic horn and anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device (specifically, replacing the parts of the ultrasonic horn and anvil). A packaging machine equipped with an ultrasonic sealing device that has an arbitrary sealing width, the sealing strength can be changed by changing the ultrasonic strength, and a strip-shaped seal having various sealing characteristics can be realized. Can be provided.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing an example of an ultrasonic sealing device provided in a packaging machine according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is an enlarged partial view showing a main part of the ultrasonic sealing device shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of a control device provided in the packaging machine according to the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating feeding of the packaging material and movement of the ultrasonic sealing device. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an outline of seal characteristics when the seal strength is changed in the seal width direction. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a mobile device. FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a vertical bag-making filling and packaging machine shown as an example of a packaging machine equipped with the ultrasonic sealing device of the present invention.

Hereinafter, examples of the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of an ultrasonic sealing device provided in a packaging machine, and FIG. 2 is a partial view showing an enlarged main part of the ultrasonic sealing device. The packaging machine itself to which the ultrasonic sealing device is applied as the horizontal sealing device may be a packaging machine such as the vertical bag-making filling and packaging machine shown as an example in FIG. 7.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of a vertical bag-making filling / packaging machine. In the bag-making filling and packaging machine 50 shown in FIG. 7, since the product (in this example, consisting of a large number of small articles, but not limited to) P, which is a package, is dropped, the filling cylinder 51 is vertically inserted. Have been placed. The product P is dropped into the tubular packaging material Ft from above through the inside of the filling cylinder 51. In the upper part of the filling cylinder 51, which is a former of the bag-making filling and packaging machine, the cylinder-making former 52 provided so that the filling cylinder 51 penetrates the inside is a strip-shaped packaging material Fw passing through both side edge portions fe, By attracting the fe, the strip-shaped packaging material Fw is bent into a substantially tubular shape so as to surround the outer peripheral surface of the filling cylinder 51. The strip-shaped packaging material Fw curved in a substantially tubular shape is sent downward along the filling cylinder 51 from the gap between the cylinder making former 52 and the filling cylinder 51.

The strip-shaped packaging material Fw bent into a tubular shape is formed into a tubular packaging material Ft by a vertical heat sealer 53, which is a vertical sealing device, when sent along the filling cylinder 51. The vertical heat sealer 53 is arranged below the cylinder making former 52 and on the side of the filling cylinder 51 so as to extend in parallel in a bar shape along the filling cylinder 51, and can be brought into contact with each other. It is equipped with 54b. The vertical heat seal bars 54a and 54b are configured in a bar heater structure having a heater inside. The vertical heat seal bars 54a and 54b are heat-welded to both edges when sandwiching the side edge portions fe and fe in the longitudinal direction that overlap each other in the strip-shaped packaging material Fw that is bent into a substantially tubular shape to form the vertical seal portion. Sc is formed. The strip-shaped packaging material Fw is formed into a tubular packaging material Ft by a vertical sealing device, and is sent out from the tip of the filling cylinder 51.

On the side of the filling cylinder 51, paper the tubular packaging material Ft is placed at a position perpendicular to the vertical heat sealer 53 in the circumferential direction of the filling cylinder 51, that is, at a position opposite to the diameter direction of the filling cylinder 51. For feeding, packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 having the same structure arranged symmetrically are provided. Each of the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 sandwiches the tubular packaging material Ft with the outer surface of the filling cylinder 51 and presses the tubular packaging material Ft toward the outer surface of the filling cylinder 51 by an appropriate means and with an appropriate pressure. When driven in synchronization with each other as the normal packaging progresses, the tubular packaging material Ft is fed downward along the filling cylinder 51.

Each packaging material feeding device 55 is wound around a drive-side pulley 57 driven by a servomotor (not shown), a driven-side pulley 58 provided in pairs with the drive-side pulley 57, and a drive-side pulley 57 and a driven-side pulley 58. It may have a known structure having a hung timing belt 59. The servo motor is a pulse motor that can be operated at an arbitrary timing, has good responsiveness, and can control the feed amount with high accuracy. The timing belt 59 has meshing teeth that mesh with the drive side pulley 57 and the driven side pulley 58 on the inside, and has a layer formed of a material that generates a large frictional force with respect to the tubular packaging material Ft on the outside. Therefore, it can be a suction belt in which a large number of suction holes are formed along the belt.

The band-shaped packaging material unwound from the packaging material roll Fr around which the band-shaped packaging material Fw is wound is guided around some guide rollers 60 and sent to the cylinder making former 52. A dancer roller 61 that can move in the vertical direction is arranged in the middle of supply, and the dancer roller 61 absorbs the slack generated in the band-shaped packaging material Fw and gives an appropriate tension to the band-shaped packaging material Fw by its own weight in a band shape. It is a storage unit that stores the packaging material Fw. The packaging material feeding devices 55, 55 pull the strip-shaped packaging material Fw by its operation, feed it out from the packaging material roll Fr, and pass it through the cylinder making former 52. In order to control the feed of the strip-shaped packaging material Fw, various sensors such as the mark sensor 62a that detects the reference mark such as the cash register mark printed on the strip-shaped packaging material Fw at regular intervals are used in the cylinder making former 52. It is arranged in the middle of supplying the strip-shaped packaging material Fw on the upstream side. Further, the printer 62b that prints on the strip-shaped packaging material Fw can be arranged in the middle of supplying the strip-shaped packaging material Fw.

Since the tubular packaging material Ft drawn out to the tip of the filling cylinder 51 is usually subjected to a horizontal seal in the preceding packaging cycle, the tubular packaging material Ft is the head of the bag B produced in advance. Lateral seal portions Se, Se, which should be the bottom portion of the portion and the subsequent bag B, have already been formed. In this state, the tubular packaging material Ft is fed in the forward direction (downward in this example) by the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 by the length of one package, that is, the feed amount predetermined according to the filling amount. Be done. The product P is filled through the filling cylinder 51 in accordance with this feed of the tubular packaging material Ft, and the product P is housed in the tubular packaging material Ft in which the horizontal seal portion Se is formed at the bottom.

A horizontal sealing device 63 is provided at a position below the lower end of the filling cylinder 51. The horizontal seal device 63 includes a pair of horizontal seal blocks 64a and 64b arranged so as to face each other. The horizontal seal blocks 64a and 64b shown are seal blocks that have a heater inside and can reciprocate so as to approach or separate from each other in synchronization with each other. Therefore, the horizontal seal device 63 is a heat seal device. When the seal blocks 64a and 64b sandwich the tubular packaging material Ft, the tubular packaging material Ft is welded to each other to form a horizontal seal portion Se, and a bag packaging body Bp in which the product P is housed is manufactured. .. The horizontal seal and the tamming are combined, and the strip-shaped packaging material Fw bent into a tubular shape is subjected to a vertical heat seal to prepare for the next packaging cycle. A cutter mechanism can be incorporated into the lateral heat sealer 63, and the bag package Bp is cut from the tubular packaging material Ft by the cutter of the cutter mechanism at the same timing as the lateral seal. The ultrasonic sealing device provided in the packaging machine according to the present invention can be applied in place of the horizontal sealing device 63. The wrapping machine is not limited to the vertical bag-making filling and wrapping machine as shown in the drawing, but may be a horizontal bag-making filling and wrapping machine, or a bag wrapping machine that seals the openings of the bags that are individually delivered. May be good.

As shown in FIG. 1, the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is applied in place of the horizontal sealing device 63 of the vertical bag-making filling and packaging machine 50 shown in FIG. 7, and is vertically fed a tubular packaging material Ft. It is provided with an ultrasonic horn 2 capable of sandwiching the sound wave in the front-rear direction and an anvil 3 as a receiver thereof. The ultrasonic horn 2 generally includes a converter 2a provided with a ceramic piezoelectric element that converts electrical energy into mechanical vibration energy, a booster 2b that amplifies ultrasonic vibration, and a resonator of mechanical vibration. It is equipped with a horn 2c. The anvil 3 sandwiches the tubular packaging material Ft between the ultrasonic horn 2 and the horn 2c while the sandwiching pressure is applied, and receives the ultrasonic waves emitted from the horn 2c to receive the tubular packaging material. Vibration energy is applied to Ft, and the seal is applied by frictional heat.

When the ultrasonic sealing device 1 operates as a horizontal sealing device, the portion of the tubular packaging material Ft to which the ultrasonic sealing is applied is ultrasonically sealed in a pulled state without slack so that the sealing portion does not wrinkle. Is preferable. At the lower end of the filling cylinder, a pair of spring rods that normally stretch the tubular packaging material from the inside toward the outside in the lateral direction are provided, so that when the ultrasonic sealing device 1 sandwiches the tubular packaging material Ft, the tubular packaging material is tubular. The packaging material Ft is flat and does not slacken in the transverse direction. When the ultrasonic sealing device 1 sandwiches the tubular packaging material Ft, it is preferable that the tubular packaging material Ft is pulled in the feeding direction so that the tubular packaging material Ft does not loosen in the feeding direction. When a sufficient load can be obtained from the packaged product P, the tubular packaging material Ft at the position of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 can be pulled in the packaging material feeding direction by such a load. If a sufficient load cannot be obtained with the product, the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is made to cooperate with the packaging material feeding device arranged on the upstream side of the product, or is arranged on the downstream side of the ultrasonic sealing device 1. The packaging material can be brought into a pulled state by sandwiching the tubular packaging material Ft over the entire width, for example, by cooperating with a cutting device incorporating a cutter mechanism inside.

A packaging machine equipped with an ultrasonic sealing device is equipped with a control device. FIG. 3 shows an example of a control device provided in the packaging machine according to the present invention (assuming that the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is applied as the horizontal sealing device in the bag-making filling and packaging machine 50 shown in FIG. 7) as a block diagram. There is. The control device 30 constitutes the bag-making filling / packaging machine 50 in order to sequentially fill and package the product P, which is a filling material, in the bags B produced one after another from the band-shaped packaging material Fw in the bag-making filling / packaging machine 50. Each device, that is, the vertical sealing device 53, the packaging material feeding devices 55, 55, and the horizontal sealing device 63 are sequentially operated in a timely manner. Therefore, the control device 30 receives the vertical seal device 53, the packaging material feeding devices 55, 55, and the horizontal seal in response to the input of the detection signal from the mark sensor 62a that detects the reference mark such as the register mark on the strip-shaped packaging material Fw. The device 63 (ultrasonic sealing device 1) is operated while taking a predetermined timing.

In the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device 1, in order to control such as changing the sealing width Sw and the sealing strength Ss of the ultrasonic seal, the precision of accurately determining the ultrasonic sealing position on the tubular packaging material Ft. Controls the feeding of the packaging material and the sealing strength of the ultrasonic seal (control of the contact pressure between the ultrasonic horn and the anvil, the ultrasonic strength and the contact time). The seal width Sw and the seal strength Ss include input setting from the input setting device 31 (selection (further change) from some packaging specifications already registered in the memory 32) according to the packaging specifications of the user. ) Is set as an ultrasonic seal specification in the bag package Bp to be finally manufactured, and is input to the control device 30.

The control device 30 receives the detection output of the sensor 62a and the input setting from the input setting device 31, and receives the calculation results of the calculation unit 33 and the calculation unit 33 to calculate the timing and the operation amount, and receives the calculation result of the vertical seal device 53. The vertical seal control unit 34 that controls the operation, the packaging material feed control unit 35 that controls the operation of the packaging material feed devices 55 and 55, and the ultrasonic seal control that controls the ultrasonic seal operation by the ultrasonic seal device 1. The part 36 is provided. The ultrasonic seal control unit 36 further includes an ultrasonic seal width control unit 37 that controls the ultrasonic seal width, and an ultrasonic seal strength control unit 38 that controls the ultrasonic seal strength by the ultrasonic seal device 1. It has.

Among the ultrasonic seal specifications, the seal width Sw is set with the ultrasonic seal start position Pss with respect to the tubular packaging material Ft in the ultrasonic seal width control unit 37 of the control device 30 in response to the input setting in the input setting device 31. It is determined by determining the ultrasonic seal end position Pse. That is, in the tubular packaging material Ft, the position distance between the ultrasonic seal start position Pss and the ultrasonic seal end position Pse is the seal width. The ultrasonic seal start position Pss and the ultrasonic seal end position Pse are specifically set by the detection time of the mark sensor 62a for detecting the reference mark such as the registration mark on the strip-shaped packaging material Fw, or by the input setting device 31. The length of the packaging material path from the stored mark sensor 62a to the installation position of the ultrasonic sealing device 1, the length of the bag package Bp, the number of packaged bags manufactured per unit time (packaging speed), and the setting. The ultrasonic sealing device is based on the packaging material feed amount (the feed amount of the tubular packaging material) by the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 from the time when the reference mark is detected by the mark sensor 62a with reference to the sealed seal width Sw and the like. The operation timings of the start and end of the ultrasonic seal on the tubular packaging material Ft of 1 are calculated. When the ultrasonic seal device 1 operates at the calculated operation timing, the ultrasonic seal is set in a predetermined region (from the ultrasonic seal start position Pss to the ultrasonic seal end position Pse) of the tubular packaging material Ft. Is given.

Among the set ultrasonic seal specifications, the seal strength Ss is the ultrasonic seal position (position or width between the ultrasonic seal start position Pss and the ultrasonic seal end position Pse) with respect to the tubular packaging material Ft. It is controlled by determining the contact pressure between the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3 at that time and the ultrasonic intensity output from the ultrasonic horn 2 (and the contact time if necessary). The ultrasonic seal position according to the seal strength Ss with respect to the tubular packaging material Ft is controlled according to the case of controlling the seal width Sw. By changing the sealing strength according to the arrival of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 at a predetermined position of the tubular packaging material Ft, the sealing strength Ss within the sealing width Sw is adjusted to the set sealing specifications. be able to.

Hereinafter, when the packaging material is not fed while the ultrasonic sealing device is in operation, the components of the ultrasonic sealing device that are movable are specified, and the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device according to the present invention is provided. An embodiment of the above will be described. FIG. 2 is an enlarged view of a main part of the ultrasonic sealing device shown in FIG. 1, but shows a case where both the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3 move. The tip portion 4 of the horn 2c of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 has a lateral length exceeding the entire width of the tubular packaging material Ft that has been sandwiched and flattened, and the feeding direction of the tubular packaging material Ft (vertical and downward direction on the paper surface). ), That is, a groove 6 into which the cutter blade enters is formed at an intermediate position in the vertical direction. The receiving portion 5 at the tip of the anvil 3 of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 also has the same lateral length as the tip 4 of the horn 2c, and a groove 7 corresponding to the groove 6 of the horn 2c is provided at an intermediate position in the vertical direction. It is formed. The cutter blade 8 is housed in the groove 7. When the ultrasonic sealing device 1 performs a sealing operation and the ultrasonic horn 2 moves toward the anvil 3 to sandwich the tubular packaging material Ft, the cutter blade 8 housed in the groove 7 of the anvil 3 seals. It crosses the formed tubular packaging material Ft, enters the groove 6 of the horn 2c of the ultrasonic horn 2, and cuts the tubular packaging material Ft.

The tip portion 4 of the horn 2c of the ultrasonic horn 2 is formed with flat strip-shaped sealing surfaces 9 and 10 extending in two lateral directions above and below the groove 6 as a boundary and having the same shape as each other. Further, the receiving portion 5 at the tip of the anvil 3 is arranged so as to face the strip-shaped sealing surfaces 9 and 10, respectively, and has two upper and lower stripes with the groove 7 as a boundary and extends parallel to each other in the lateral direction. The ridges 11 and 12 having the same cross-sectional shape including the size are provided. The ridges 11 and 12 are formed to have a semicircular cross section, and the end faces having an arcuate cross section are band-shaped receiving surfaces 13 and 14. By forming the strip-shaped receiving surfaces 13 and 14 to have an arcuate cross section, it is possible to reduce the frictional resistance when the anvil 3 slides relative to the tubular packaging material Ft. When the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3 approach each other, the band-shaped sealing surfaces 9 and 10 approach the band-shaped receiving surfaces 13 and 14 of the ridges 11 and 12, respectively, and the tubular packaging material Ft is sandwiched by pressure to superimpose. The tubular packaging material Ft is ultrasonically sealed by ultrasonic oscillation of the sound wave horn 2. Since the anvil 3 faces the band-shaped sealing surfaces 9 and 10 at the tips of the ridges 11 and 12 having an arcuate cross section, ultrasonic waves can be concentrated on the tubular packaging material Ft sandwiched between them. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the ridges 11 and 12 are formed on the anvil 3, but the receiving portion 5 of the anvil 3 is formed on a flat receiving surface, and the tip portion 4 of the horn 2c of the ultrasonic horn 2 has a circular cross section. Two ridges with an arcuate strip-shaped sealing surface may be formed.

In FIG. 2, when the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is at the position occupied at the start of the ultrasonic sealing (ultrasonic sealing start position Pss. In this example, the position of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is the center position of the grooves 6 and 7). Ultrasonic horn 2 and anvil 3 are drawn with imaginary lines. After starting the ultrasonic seal, the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3 do not change the positional relationship with each other, and while applying the ultrasonic seal to the tubular packaging material Ft, the ultrasonic seal end position drawn by the solid line. Move to Pse. The state of formation of the ultrasonic seal at this time is shown in FIG. 4 (a). As shown in FIG. 4A, during the ultrasonic sealing, the main feed (normal feed rate associated with the manufacture of the packaging bag; Vfm = 0) of the tubular packaging material Ft is also the secondary feed (special accompanying the ultrasonic seal). Feed rate; Vfs = 0) is also stopped. Therefore, the packaging material feed rate Vf = 0, and only the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is moved by the moving device, and the direction in which the ultrasonic sealing device 1 at that time moves while sandwiching the tubular packaging material Ft and sealing is As shown by the moving speed (typical moving speed) Vu, it is the downward direction which is the main feed direction of the tubular packaging material Ft when packaging the product. The distance from the ultrasonic seal start position Pss to the ultrasonic seal end position Pse is the ultrasonic seal width Sw. Such an ultrasonic sealing operation corresponds to the case where the packaging machine is a packaging machine that performs an intermittent packaging operation.

The tubular packaging material Ft is sandwiched around the filling cylinder 51 under pressure by the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55, and is tubular when the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 are stopped. The packaging material Ft is in a state of being held down by the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 so as not to move with respect to the filling cylinder 51. The ultrasonic sealing device 1 during sealing is movable relative to the stopped tubular packaging material Ft while sliding. When the ultrasonic sealing device 1 sandwiches the tubular packaging material Ft and moves downward, the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 are brakes that resist and prevent the tubular packaging material Ft from being dragged down. The moving ultrasonic sealing device 1 keeps the tubular packaging material Ft in a tense state by continuously applying a downward pulling force to the stopped tubular packaging material Ft by a frictional force to perform ultrasonic sealing. Therefore, the tubular packaging material Ft does not wrinkle.

When the tubular packaging material Ft is not fed, that is, when the ultrasonic sealing device is moved and the ultrasonic sealing operation is performed while the tubular packaging material Ft is stopped, only the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing devices is used. Can also be moved. The state of formation of the ultrasonic seal at this time is shown in FIG. 4 (b). As shown in FIG. 4B, the width of the flat tip surface 24b of the ultrasonic horn 22b, which is fixed and does not move, is formed to be wider than the seal width Sw. The moving direction of the anvil 23b is downward as shown by the moving speed Vua. The ridge 25b of the anvil 23b is pressed against the tip surface 24b of the ultrasonic horn 22b with the tubular packaging material Ft sandwiched between them, and is pressed from the upper position (ultrasonic seal start position Pss) to the lower position (ultrasonic seal). By moving to the end position Pse), the tubular packaging material Ft is ultrasonically sealed with a seal width Sw.

When the tubular packaging material Ft is not fed, that is, when the ultrasonic sealing device is moved and the ultrasonic sealing operation is performed while the tubular packaging material Ft is stopped, the ultrasonic waves among the ultrasonic sealing devices are used. It is also possible to move only the horn. The state of formation of the ultrasonic seal at this time is shown in FIG. 4 (c). As shown in FIG. 4C, the width of the flat tip surface 24c of the anvil 23c, which is fixed and does not move in the ultrasonic sealing device 21c, is formed to be wider than the sealing width Sw. The moving direction of the ultrasonic horn 22c is downward as shown by the moving speed Vuh. The ridge 25c of the ultrasonic horn 22c is pressed against the wide tip surface 24c of the anvil 23c with the tubular packaging material Ft sandwiched between them, and is pressed from the upper position (ultrasonic seal start position Pss) to the lower position (the ultrasonic seal start position Pss). By moving to the ultrasonic seal end position Pse), the tubular packaging material Ft is ultrasonically sealed with a seal width Sw. The tubular packaging material Ft between the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 and the ultrasonic sealing device 21c becomes tense, and the tubular packaging material Ft is prevented from wrinkling while the ultrasonic sealing is applied. can do.

Further, when the packaging material is fed while the ultrasonic sealing device is operating, the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3 are fed on paper without changing the positional relationship with each other after the ultrasonic sealing is started. The tubular packaging material Ft is ultrasonically sealed and moved to the ultrasonic seal end position Pse. The state of formation of the ultrasonic seal at this time is shown in FIG. 4 (d). As shown in FIG. 4D, the main feed of the tubular packaging material Ft (predetermined downward feed rate Vfm accompanying the manufacture of the packaging bag) is performed, and the ultrasonic seal device 1 is moved by the moving device. It is sent at a predetermined downward moving speed Vu while performing an ultrasonic sealing operation. The moving speed Vu is set to be faster than the feeding speed Vfm of the tubular packaging material Ft. Since the ultrasonic sealing device 1 moves downward at a speed faster than the feeding speed Vfm of the tubular packaging material Ft by the moving device while sandwiching and sealing the tubular packaging material Ft, the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is super with the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55. The tubular packaging material Ft between the ultrasonic sealing device 1 and the tubular packaging material Ft is in a tense state, and it is possible to prevent the tubular packaging material Ft from wrinkling while the ultrasonic sealing is applied. The distance from the ultrasonic seal start position Pss to the ultrasonic seal end position Pse is the ultrasonic seal width Sw. Such an ultrasonic sealing operation corresponds to the case where the wrapping machine is a wrapping machine that continuously performs a wrapping operation.

When the ultrasonic sealing device is in the ultrasonic sealing operation without being moved by the moving device, the ultrasonic sealing having a predetermined sealing width can be applied by reverse feeding the tubular packaging material. can. The state of formation of the ultrasonic seal at this time is shown in FIG. 4 (e). As shown in FIG. 4 (e), in the ultrasonic sealing device 1, the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3 do not change their positional relationship with each other, and the feeding by the moving device is stopped (Vu = 0). While moving the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 in the direction opposite to the main feeding, the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is operated with the ultrasonic sealing material Ft sandwiched between the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3. By passing the ultrasonic sealing device 1 from the upper position (ultrasonic sealing start position Pss) to the lower position (ultrasonic sealing end position Pse) of the tubular packaging material Ft, the tubular packaging material Ft is formed. Is ultrasonically sealed with a seal width of Sw. During the ultrasonic sealing operation, the ultrasonic sealing device 1 acts as a brake against the feeding of the tubular packaging material Ft, so that the tubular shape between the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 and the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is provided. The packaging material Ft is in a tense state, and wrinkles can be prevented from occurring in the tubular packaging material Ft while the ultrasonic seal is applied.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, it has been described that the seal strength is uniform in the width direction without any particular change in the seal strength, but as shown in FIG. 5A, the seal within the seal width Sw is used. With respect to the strength Ss, the seal strength Ss can be changed in the width direction, such as increasing the seal strength at the center of the width and suppressing the seal strength near both side limits of the width. A strong seal at the center of the width keeps the inside of the bag sealed, and weak seals on both sides reduce the breakage of the packaging material. Further, as shown in FIG. 5B, with respect to the seal strength Ss in the seal width Sw, a plurality of strong seals can be applied in the width direction (shown assuming that the seal strength Ss has two peaks). ). The position of the sealing strength in the width direction can be determined by the amount of movement of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 with respect to the tubular packaging material Ft, and the sealing strength Ss is the pressing force of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 and the ultrasonic strength (amplitude and frequency). Can be determined by.

As the moving device for moving the ultrasonic sealing device 1, for example, a mechanism for driving the lateral sealing device as shown in FIG. 6 can be used. The moving device includes the elevating crank mechanism 40 when the motor shaft 41a is rotated in the directions c and d by the drive of the elevating servomotor 41 mounted on the stays 49 supported by the elevating guide rods 48 and 48. The left and right opening / closing blocks 40a and 40b are configured to move up and down along the lifting guide rods 48 and 48 by the crank operation of. The ultrasonic horn 2 of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 applied as a horizontal sealing device has a reference to a horn side block 43 attached to one end of connecting rods 45, 45 penetrating the left and right opening / closing blocks 40a, 40b. It is connected via a fluid actuator 42, and the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device 1 is supported by an anvil side block 44 attached to the other end of the connecting rods 45, 45. The output of the elevating servomotor 41 is converted into the crank operation of the elevating crank mechanism 40, and the left and right opening / closing blocks 40a and 40b are moved up and down by the operation of the elevating crank mechanism 40 to move the ultrasonic seal device 1 in a predetermined direction. It can be moved by the amount. Although this example is an example in which both the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3 are raised and lowered, it is clear that the example can be applied to a configuration in which only the ultrasonic horn 2 or only the anvil 3 is raised and lowered. When it is necessary to precisely control the amount of movement of the moving device, an eccentric conversion mechanism that converts rotation into linear motion by using an eccentric shaft may be used instead of the elevating crank mechanism 40. Further, as the pressing device for pressing the ultrasonic horn 2 and the anvil 3 against each other, it is preferable to use a fluid actuator 42 whose pressure can be easily controlled because the strength of the ultrasonic seal depends on the pressing pressure.

Although examples of the packaging machine provided with the ultrasonic sealing device according to the present invention have been described above, various changes can be made in each embodiment without changing the technical idea of the present invention. For example, when a ridge is formed on the tip surface of the ultrasonic horn and the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device, the cross-sectional shape of the ridge may be other than the arc shape. Further, although the cutter device is not particularly incorporated in the device shown in FIGS. 4 (b) and 4 (c), the cutter may be incorporated in the ultrasonic sealing device as shown in FIG. 2, and the ultrasonic wave may be incorporated. A cutter device may be provided independently on the downstream side of the sealing device. Further, the wrapping machine has been described by taking a vertical bag-making filling wrapping machine as an example. It suffices if it is applied as a horizontal sealing device, and it is clear that it can also be applied to a horizontal bag-making filling and packaging machine, or other packaging machines that ultrasonically seal bags and sheets to wrap products. Is.

An example of stopping the feeding of the packaging material, feeding by main feed, or reverse feed during the ultrasonic sealing operation has been described, but the packaging material may or may not be main-fed. A special feed (secondary feed) that cooperates with the feed of the ultrasonic sealing device may be used. Further, the packaging material was fed by the packaging material feeding devices 55 and 55 that cooperate with the filling cylinder 51 located on the upstream side of the ultrasonic sealing device, but instead of this, the packaging material was fed to the downstream side of the ultrasonic sealing device. Therefore, the packaging material feeding device may be used, for example, by sandwiching the bag packaging body at the position of the horizontal seal that has just been formed and pulling it down. While placing the packaging material between the ultrasonic sealing device and the packaging material feeding device in a tense state, the ultrasonic sealing device moves relative to the packaging material to apply ultrasonic sealing to the packaging material, thereby packaging. Ultrasonic sealing can be applied to the material with an arbitrary sealing width and arbitrary sealing strength while preventing the occurrence of wrinkles.

1 Ultrasonic sealing device 2 Ultrasonic horn 2a converter 2b Booster 2c horn 3 Anvil 4 Tip 5 receiving part 6 Groove 7 Groove 8 Cutter blade 9,10 Band-shaped sealing surface 11,12 Convex 13,14 Band-shaped receiving surface 21b, 21c Ultrasonic seal device 22b, 22c Ultrasonic horn 23b, 23c Anvil 24b, 24c Tip surface 25b, 25c Convex 30 Control device 31 Input setting device 32 Memory 33 Calculation unit 34 Vertical seal control unit 35 Packaging material feed control unit 36 Ultrasonic Seal control unit 37 Ultrasonic seal width control unit 38 Ultrasonic seal strength control unit 40 Elevating crank mechanism 40a, 40b Opening / closing block 41 Elevating servo motor 41a Motor shaft 42 Fluid actuator 43 Horn side block 44 Anvil side block 45, 45 Connecting rod 48, 48 Lifting guide rod 49 Stay 50 Bag-making filling and packaging machine 51 Filling cylinder 52 Cylinder-making former 53 Vertical heat sealer (vertical sealing device)
54a, 54b Vertical heat seal bar 55, 55 Packaging material feed device 57 Drive side pulley 58 Driven side pulley 59 Timing belt 60 Guide roller 61 Dancer roller 62a Mark sensor 62b Printer 63 Horizontal seal device 64a, 64b Horizontal seal block P product Fr packaging Material Roll Fw Band-shaped packaging material fe, fe Side edge part Ft Cylindrical packaging material Sc Vertical seal part Se Horizontal seal part B Bag Bp Bag Package Sw Seal width Ss Seal strength Ps Ultrasonic seal start position Pse Ultrasonic seal end position Vu, Vua, Vuh Movement speed Vfm, Vfs Feeding speed of packaging material

Claims (11)

It has an ultrasonic horn having a band-shaped sealing surface at its tip and an anvil having a band-shaped receiving surface facing the ultrasonic horn and facing the band-shaped sealing surface. An ultrasonic sealing device that applies a band-shaped ultrasonic seal to the packaging material by an ultrasonic sealing operation that applies ultrasonic waves under pressure with a packaging material sandwiched between them.
Seal width at which one or both of the ultrasonic horn and the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device intersect the packaging material at right angles to the strip-shaped sealing surface and the strip-shaped receiving surface. It is provided with a moving device that moves relative to the direction of the above, and a control device that controls the ultrasonic sealing operation by the ultrasonic sealing device and the movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil by the moving device.
The control device controls the moving device to control the moving device while maintaining the facing relationship between the ultrasonic horn and the anvil and causing the ultrasonic sealing device to perform the ultrasonic sealing operation to control the ultrasonic horn or the anvil. To move relative to the packaging material in the direction of the seal width,
A packaging machine equipped with an ultrasonic sealing device consisting of. The packaging material is a strip-shaped packaging material that is continuous in the longitudinal direction.
The packaging machine uses the strip-shaped packaging material or a tubular packaging material molded from the strip-shaped packaging material so that the strip-shaped packaging material passes through the ultrasonic sealing device in a direction corresponding to the direction of the sealing width. It is also equipped with a packaging material feeding device that feeds in the longitudinal direction.
The control device is in a mode in which tension acts in the longitudinal direction on the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material that is fed between the packaging material feeding device and the ultrasonic sealing device. Controlling the direction and speed of feeding the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material by the packaging material feeding device and moving the ultrasonic horn or the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device by the moving device.
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to claim 1. The control device is in a state where the feeding of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material by the packaging material feeding device is stopped, and the ultrasonic sealing operation of the ultrasonic sealing device and the ultrasonic sealing operation by the moving device are performed. It controls the movement of the ultrasonic sealing device in the direction away from the ultrasonic horn or the packaging material feeding device of the anvil.
The packaging machine operates as an intermittent operation type packaging machine in which the ultrasonic sealing device performs the ultrasonic sealing operation while the band-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material is stopped when being intermittently fed.
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to claim 2. When the control device is used as the main feed of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material accompanying the sequential progress of packaging of the product to be packaged, the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material by the packaging material feeding device is used. While feeding in the forward or reverse direction with respect to the main feed direction, the ultrasonic sealing operation of the ultrasonic sealing device and the ultrasonic horn or the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device by the moving device. To control the movement,
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to claim 2. The packaging material feeding device is arranged on the upstream side of the main feed of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material with respect to the ultrasonic sealing device.
The control device sets the feeding of the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material by the packaging material feeding device in the direction opposite to the main feeding direction during the ultrasonic sealing operation by the ultrasonic sealing device. At the same time, control is performed to stop the movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil of the ultrasonic sealing device by the moving device or to feed the ultrasonic horn or the anvil in the forward direction with respect to the main feed direction.
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to claim 4. The packaging material feeding device is arranged on the upstream side of the main feed of the strip-shaped packaging material with respect to the ultrasonic sealing device.
In the control device, during the ultrasonic sealing operation of the ultrasonic sealing device, the feeding of the strip-shaped packaging material by the packaging material feeding device is the main feed, and the ultrasonic sealing device of the ultrasonic sealing device by the moving device. The movement of the ultrasonic horn or the anvil is controlled to be faster than the main feed of the strip-shaped packaging material.
The packaging machine operates as a continuous operation type packaging machine in which the ultrasonic sealing device performs the ultrasonic sealing operation when the strip-shaped packaging material is continuously fed as the main feed.
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to claim 4. The packaging machine includes a former that bends the strip-shaped packaging material into a substantially tubular packaging material, and a vertical sealing device that seals both side edges of the substantially tubular packaging material to form the tubular packaging material. It is a bag-making filling and packaging machine.
The packaging material feeding device is a feeding device that feeds the tubular packaging material in the longitudinal direction thereof.
The ultrasonic sealing device is applied as a horizontal sealing device for laterally sealing the tubular packaging material in the bag-making filling and packaging machine.
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to any one of claims 2 to 6. When both the ultrasonic horn and the anvil are moved by the moving device, only one of the ultrasonic horn or the tip surface of the anvil, and only one of the ultrasonic horn and the anvil is said. When it is moved by a moving device, one or more ridges are formed on the tip surface of the moved ultrasonic horn or the anvil along the direction extending in a band shape, and the ridges of the ridges are formed. The tip and the band-shaped sealing surface of the ultrasonic horn or the band-shaped receiving surface of the anvil, on which the ridges are not formed, have the opposite relationship during the ultrasonic sealing operation.
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. A cutter that cuts the strip-shaped packaging material or the tubular packaging material on the strip-shaped sealing surface of the ultrasonic horn or the strip-shaped receiving surface of the anvil along the direction extending in a strip shape at the center of the sealing width. A groove is formed that accommodates the cutter blade of the mechanism and allows the cutter blade to operate.
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to claim 8. The control device can control the magnitude of the pressure and the intensity of the ultrasonic wave of the ultrasonic sealing device.
The control device controls the moving device and the ultrasonic sealing device, and while the ultrasonic horn or the anvil moves in the direction of the sealing width, the pressure of the ultrasonic sealing device and the ultrasonic sealing device are used. Changing the intensity of the sound waves,
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to any one of claims 1 to 9. The control device controls to weaken the seal strength in the vicinity of both width ends of the seal width and increase the seal strength in the central portion of the seal width.
A packaging machine comprising the ultrasonic sealing device according to claim 10.

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