JP7188933B2 - TWIN VACUUM PACKAGING DEVICE AND CONTROL METHOD - Google Patents

Description

An embodiment of the present invention relates to a twin vacuum packaging apparatus using one vacuum pump in two vacuum packaging apparatuses and a control method thereof.

Vacuum packaging is packaging in which air is removed from a packaging bag containing a content (packaging item) and the packaging is sealed. Vacuum packaging can prevent deterioration of contents, and is widely used in the food industry and industrial fields, for example.

A conventional vacuum packaging apparatus forms a decompression chamber with an upper chamber and a lower chamber that are divided vertically. The packaging bag containing the contents is placed in the lower chamber. The upper chamber is formed in a dome shape or a flat plate shape, and opens upward by a hinge mechanism provided on the back side of the device. Therefore, a space in which the upper chamber can rotate is required above the device. The upper surface of the upper chamber, which is opened and closed each time vacuum packaging is performed, is not suitable for use as a workbench and cannot be used to place objects. This type of vacuum packaging apparatus is particularly common in desktop types.

There is also a stationary type of conventional vacuum packaging device that can be used as a cooking table. This type of vacuum packaging machine has a drawer-type chamber, and for example, the work of putting contents into a packaging bag can be done on the top surface of the machine.

Japanese Patent No. 4444460 JP 2015-9823 A Japanese Patent No. 4455437

A conventional vacuum packaging apparatus mainly has a configuration in which one vacuum pump is incorporated in one vacuum packaging apparatus. Therefore, when two vacuum packaging apparatuses are required, each of the two vacuum packaging apparatuses has a built-in vacuum pump, which increases the cost. Therefore, there is a demand for an inexpensive twin vacuum packaging machine that can operate two vacuum packaging machines with one vacuum pump.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a twin vacuum packaging apparatus in which one vacuum pump is used in two vacuum packaging apparatuses and a control method thereof.

A twin vacuum packaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a vacuum pump, a parent vacuum packaging apparatus connected to the vacuum pump and controlling the vacuum pump to perform a vacuum operation, and a parent vacuum packaging apparatus. and a vacuum packaging device of a child device that performs the vacuum operation by operating the vacuum pump by the vacuum packaging device of the parent device. When the start switch of the vacuum packaging apparatus of the parent machine is turned on while the vacuum packaging machine of the child machine is on standby, the twin vacuum packaging machine operates the vacuum pump to perform the vacuum operation, and The vacuum packaging device of the machine outputs an operating signal to the vacuum packaging device of the child machine during the period of the vacuum operation, and after the vacuum operation is completed , until the next operation of the self machine is validated. After waiting, the vacuum packaging device of the child machine becomes operable.

A control method for a twin vacuum packaging apparatus according to an embodiment includes a vacuum pump, a parent vacuum packaging apparatus connected to the vacuum pump and performing vacuum operation by controlling the vacuum pump, and the parent vacuum packaging apparatus. and a vacuum packaging device of a child machine that is connected to and performs the vacuum operation by operating the vacuum pump of the vacuum packaging machine of the parent machine, wherein the vacuum of the child machine When the start switch of the vacuum packaging device of the parent machine is turned on while the packaging device is on standby, the vacuum pump is operated to perform the vacuum operation, and the vacuum packaging device of the parent machine continues the period of the vacuum operation. During, an operating signal is output to the vacuum packaging device of the child machine, and after the completion of the vacuum operation, the vacuum packaging device of the child machine is activated until the next operation operation for the self machine is validated. be possible.

It is a perspective view which shows the vacuum packaging apparatus used for embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which pulled out the drawer part of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a front view of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows the chamber of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is sectional drawing (AA cross section) of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a figure which shows the liquid-proof wall provided under the chamber behind the door part of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is sectional drawing (AA cross section) which shows the state which pulled out the drawer part of the vacuum packaging apparatus. It is sectional drawing (BB cross section) of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a figure which shows operation|movement of the sealing part of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a figure which shows the piping system of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a figure which shows arrangement|positioning of the electromagnetic valve of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a figure which shows the operation and display part of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the vacuum control apparatus of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the process of the vacuum operation of the same vacuum packaging apparatus. It is a figure which shows the connection shape of the twin vacuum packaging apparatus which concerns on embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the timing operation in the twin vacuum packaging apparatus of the embodiment when the parent device or the child device starts vacuum operation while the counterpart device is on standby. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the timing operation of reserved vacuum operation in the same twin vacuum packaging machine. In the same twin vacuum packaging apparatus, it is a diagram showing a timing operation when the slave machine operates the vacuum operation when the master machine is in an abnormal state. In the same twin vacuum packaging apparatus, it is a diagram showing a timing operation when an abnormality occurs in the parent machine while the child machine is in operation.

First, the vacuum packaging device used in the twin vacuum packaging device of the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 14. FIG. In addition, in each figure, the same code|symbol is attached|subjected to the same structure.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 includes a main housing 10 of a first housing and a second housing 110 attached externally. The main housing 10 accommodates the chamber 2 and the like. The second housing 110 accommodates a vacuum pump (decompression device) 6 for reducing the pressure in the chamber 2 . The main housing 10 and the external second housing 110 are connected using a pressure-resistant air tube 112 and a power cord 113 . The pressure-resistant air tube 112 and the power cord 113 are, for example, about 5 m.

Since the body housing 10 does not house a vacuum pump, the depth and height of the body housing 10 can be reduced. For this reason, the size can be made so that it can be easily placed on a counter or the like already installed in the kitchen. The main body housing 10 has a flat rectangular shape whose height is set lower than its width and length. The size of the main body housing 10 is such that it can be placed on the upper surface or the middle shelf of a countertop, rack, wagon, or the like so that it can be used as a desktop type. Specifically, the height of the main housing 10 is 295 mm, preferably 200 to 400 mm. The depth of the main housing 10 is 554 mm, preferably 500 to 600 mm. The width of the main housing 10 is 428 mm, preferably 400 to 500 mm.

The main housing 10 has a box shape surrounded on six sides by metal members such as metal plates. Metal members forming a top plate 11 of the main body housing 10 and a front plate 12 including an operation panel are fixed by fixing members 13 such as screws. For example, at the time of maintenance/inspection of the device in the main body housing, it can be removed by removing the fixing member 13 . For example, cylindrical leg portions 14 (see FIG. 3) are provided at the four corners of the metal member that forms the bottom surface that serves as the base. The metal member forming the body housing 10 is, for example, stainless steel, aluminum, surface-plated iron, titanium, or the like. Of course, other metals or resins may be used.

The vacuum packaging device 1 has a double structure in which a pressure-resistant chamber 2 is separately arranged inside a box-shaped main housing 10 (see FIG. 3). Therefore, the main body housing 10 does not necessarily have pressure resistance to withstand a vacuum, and the top plate 11 and the front plate 12 can be formed using a thin metal plate with a small thickness. Accordingly, the weight of the device as a whole can be reduced. In addition, the front upper side of the main housing 10 is open over substantially the entire width direction. This opening is arranged so that the opening of the chamber 2 overlaps.

As a preferred example, the top surface of the top plate 11 is formed flat over the entire surface. By flattening the entire upper surface of the top plate 11, the top plate 11 can be widely used as a workbench even when placed on a tabletop such as a cooking table, a rack, or a wagon. Alternatively, a cooking device such as an oven or microwave can be placed on top.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the door portion 15 and the operation/display portion 16 are positioned on the front surface of the main housing 10 during use. The operation/display unit 16 is an operation panel configured by, for example, a touch display, and is arranged on the front panel 12 below the door unit 15 . Note that the display unit and the operation unit may be separate. A power switch 17 for supplying or stopping commercial power to the apparatus is provided on the front plate 12 on the right side of the operation/display section 16 . Since the upper part of the front panel 12 is slightly inclined toward the back side, the operation/display section 16 is easy to see.

As shown in FIG. 2, the door portion 15 is attached to the front surface of the drawer portion 3 and slides together with the drawer portion 3 so as to open and close the opening of the chamber 2 . The door portion 15 and the chamber 2 are airtightly sealed by a sealing material 21 (see FIG. 3 or 4) provided along the opening edge of the chamber 2 . The sealing material 21 has a plurality of filaments 21s. A plurality of filaments 21 s stand upright toward the door portion 15 and extend annularly along the edge of the opening of the chamber 2 . 21 s of filaments are three, for example (refer FIG. 4). By having a plurality of filaments 21s extending along the opening edge of the chamber 2, high airtightness can be ensured. A space (clearance) 19 is provided between the lower edge portion on the back side of the door portion 15 and the inclined front plate 12 of the main housing 10 (see FIG. 5). By providing this space 19, the user can easily pull out the door portion 15 by putting his/her finger on the lower edge portion on the back side of the door portion 15. - 特許庁

As shown in FIG. 5, inside the chamber 2, a drawer section 3 provided with a lower heat block 4, which is one of heat-sealing type sealing sections, is slidably accommodated. An upper heat block 41 that is the other sealing portion is provided inside the upper surface of the chamber 2 . When the drawer section 3 is accommodated in the main housing 10 (closed state), the upper heat block 41 and the lower heat block 4 of the drawer section 3 face each other.

A drawer portion 3 with a door portion 15 attached to the front thereof accommodates a bag for vacuum packaging in the chamber 2 . The drawer part 3 has a lower heat block 4 on the door side and a tray 31 for storing the packaging bag on the rear side. Therefore, the lower heat block 4 is provided between the door portion 15 and the tray 31 . A liquid receiving tray 35 is detachably arranged on the front side of the lower heat block 4 . The liquid receiving tray 35 is a container for collecting and discarding contents leaked from the opening of the packaging bag during vacuum packaging, and is arranged between the lower heat block 4 and the door portion 15 .

As shown in FIG. 5, the tray 31 has an inclined surface 31a on the door side, and supports the packaging bag into which the work (vacuum object) is placed along the inclined surface 31a. The upper end of the inclined surface 31 a approaches the lower heat block 4 . The packaging bag into which the work is put is accommodated in the tray 31 , and the mouth portion of the bag (the portion to be thermally welded) is placed on the lower heat block 4 . At this time, since the tray 31 is provided with the inclined surface 31a, the packaging bag P containing particularly fluid works is peeled off from the lower heat block 4 (removable adhesive member 45 described later) due to its weight. can be suppressed.
The tray 31 of the drawer 3 is made of metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, surface-plated iron, or titanium. Of course, other metal materials may be used. The liquid receiving tray 35 arranged on the front side of the drawer portion 3 is made of a resin material such as plastic, for example.

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 7, the drawer portion 3 is supported by a pair of left and right slide rails 32 provided on both side surfaces of the chamber 2 so that it can be drawn out smoothly from the chamber 2 . The slide rails 32 are fixedly arranged on both sides of the chamber 2 . The slide rail 32 has an auto-closing mechanism. That is, the slide rail 32 incorporates a tension spring (biasing portion) 33 that biases the drawer portion 3 in the direction of inserting it into the chamber 2 . When the drawer portion 3 reaches the tension spring (biasing portion) 33 , the drawer portion 3 is further pulled inward by the tension spring (biasing portion) 33 , and the door portion 15 is pressed against the opening edge of the chamber 2 . Therefore, the sealing material 21 arranged at the opening edge of the chamber 2 and the door portion 15 are in close contact with each other, and the chamber 2 is well sealed. Note that the slide rail 32 may be provided on the bottom surface of the chamber 2 . The mounting position of the slide rail 32, the accuracy of the position of the drawer 3, and the load capacity are excellent in the bottom type.

The door portion 15 is made of, for example, a transparent material or a translucent material. The transparent material is acrylic resin, for example. By making the door part 15 transparent or translucent, as shown in FIG. 3, even when the door part 15 is closed, the operation inside the chamber 2 can be visually confirmed. That is, since the sealing portion (lower heat block 4, upper heat block 41) can be visually observed, it is possible to confirm how the packaging bag is sealed. Moreover, even if an unexpected situation such as leakage of the contents from the packaging bag occurs during degassing, the user can take countermeasures. However, the door portion 15 may not be transparent or translucent, and may be made of metal such as stainless steel, aluminum, surface-plated iron, titanium, or other metals.

As shown in FIG. 4, the chamber 2 has the shape of a pentahedral closed box that is open only on the front side. The external appearance of the chamber 2 is generally rectangular. Its capacity is, for example, 7 to 40 liters. The four corners of the front opening edge of the chamber 2 are formed in an arc shape so that the sealing material 21 is attached along the front opening edge of the chamber 2 . The chamber 2 has a structure in which members 2A and 2B having a U-shaped cross section are vertically symmetrically combined and joined together (joining line 2C), and a back member 2D is joined to form a closed structure except for the opening. The chamber 2 may be made of, for example, stainless steel, aluminum, surface-plated iron, metal such as titanium, or other metal materials.

As shown in FIG. 5, the rear surface of the chamber 2 is provided with an intake/exhaust port 22 for sucking and exhausting air when reducing the pressure in the chamber 2 and for sucking air when releasing the pressure reduction. The intake/exhaust port 22 is arranged near the upper side of the rear surface of the chamber 2 . Further, as shown in FIG. 4, two circular openings 23 are provided on the bottom surface of the chamber 2 toward the front. Two piston rods 73 of the cylinder mechanism 7, which will be described later, are arranged in the opening holes 23, respectively (see FIG. 8).

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the chamber 2 includes a reinforcing member 24 (first reinforcing member) extending along the width direction of the chamber 2 (the direction intersecting the drawing direction (front-rear direction) of the drawing portion 3). , is fixedly arranged on the upper surface of the outer peripheral surface. The reinforcement member 24 uses a channel member (for example, a lightweight channel member) having a U-shaped cross section, and joins the end of the flange to the chamber 2 so that the web of the channel member is positioned on the upper side. A plurality of reinforcing members 24 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction of the chamber 2 (the direction in which the drawer portion 3 is pulled out). The reinforcing member 24 is also a supporting member that supports the top plate 11 from below. Therefore, it is preferable to use a channel member having a long web width. However, the shape of the reinforcing member 24 is not limited to the U-shaped cross section.

Further, the chamber 2 has a reinforcement member (second reinforcement member) 25 extending along the width direction of the chamber 2 fixedly arranged on the bottom surface of the outer peripheral surface. The reinforcing member 25 uses a channel member having a U-shaped cross section, and the end of the flange is joined to the chamber 2 so that the web of the channel member is located on the lower side. Bolt holes (not shown) are provided at both ends of the reinforcing member 25 . A plurality of reinforcing members 25 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction of the chamber 2 . The reinforcing member 25 is also a supporting member that fixes and arranges the chamber 2 inside the main housing 10 . However, the shape of the reinforcing member 25 is not limited to the shape of cross section C.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the chamber 2 is fixedly arranged on top of a support member 50 provided inside the main housing 10 . That is, the reinforcement member 25 is fixed to the support member 50 . Further, the reinforcement member 24 on the upper surface of the chamber 2 is in contact with the lower surface of the top plate 11 . The support member 50 may have a shape that is directly fixed to the side surface of the main housing 10 at the height position where it contacts the reinforcing member 25 on the bottom surface of the chamber 2 . The reinforcement members 24 and 25 reinforce the strength of the thin chamber 2 and withstand the internal pressure reduction.

A circuit board 55 constituting a control device is arranged along the width direction of the front panel 12 (operation/display unit 16 ) of the main body housing 10 on the rear surface of the front panel 12 . The circuit board 55 is covered with the front plate 12 and the liquid-proof wall 52 below the opening of the chamber 2, as shown in FIG. The upper end of the liquid-proof wall 52 is positioned higher than the upper end of the front plate 12 (position closer to the bottom surface of the chamber 2). Therefore, the circuit board 55 can be protected from the contents spilled from the opening of the chamber 2, and can be protected even if the operation panel is inadvertently splashed with fluid. Also, a caulking material may be applied between the liquid-proof wall 52 and the front plate 12 . The caulking material can prevent liquid from entering the main housing 10 from the seam between the liquid-proof wall 52 and the front plate 12 .

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 8, below the chamber 2 of the main housing 10, a power supply device 56 for supplying power to the sealing portion, the circuit board 55 of the control device, the vacuum pump 6, and the like is arranged. The power supply device 56 has an AC/DC converter and a noise filter. The power supply device 56 is housed in a case 57 extending in the pull-out direction (front-rear direction) between a pair of cylinder mechanisms 7 arranged in the space on the lower surface of the chamber 2 . A case 57 that houses the power supply device 56 is connected to the front panel 12 of the main housing 10 . Therefore, when the front panel 12 is removed from the main body housing 10 , the operation/display section 16 , the circuit board 55 and the power supply device 56 can be pulled out to the front side of the main body housing 10 . Therefore, it is possible to easily perform maintenance work on the electric system including the control device and the power supply device. Note that an outlet 61 for connecting to a commercial power supply is provided on the rear surface of the main housing 10 (see FIG. 5).

The seal portion includes the lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block 41 described above. The lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block 41 are long block members extending in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the drawing direction). When the lower heat block 4 and the upper heat block 41 are positioned such that the drawer portion 3 is accommodated in the chamber 2 (that is, the door portion 15 is closed) and the lower heat block 4 is pushed up, the surfaces for sandwiching the packaging bag are placed against each other. They are arranged to face each other while being separated from each other.

As shown in FIG. 7, the lower heat block 4 has a long strip-shaped heating element laminated on the upper surface of a main body 42 made of an insulating material. The heating element is, for example, the sealing heater 43 . Further, a detachable insulating cloth (not shown) is attached so as to cover the upper surface of the sealing heater 43 . The insulating cloth is, for example, a silicon tape or the like that is easy to peel off from the packaging bag. As shown in FIG. 8, two support rods 44 are arranged on the bottom surface of the lower heat block 4 to support the lower heat block 4 from below. Support rod 44 is formed of a generally cylindrical electrically conductive member. The conductive member is brass or copper, for example. The support rod 44 is electrically connected to the sealing heater 43 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, on the side surface of the lower heat block 4 on the front (door part 15) side, there is a long removable adhesive that holds the packaging bag by its adhesive force and allows the packaging bag to be removed by hand. An adhesive member 45 is arranged. That is, a support member 46 is detachably provided on the side surface of the lower heat block 4 on the front (door portion 15 ) side, and a removable adhesive member 45 is attached to the upper surface of the support member 46 . The removable adhesive member 45 is, for example, a silicon tape having adhesiveness on both sides. As shown in FIG. 9A, the user places the packaging bag P in the tray 31 so that the opening of the packaging bag P to be heat-sealed is located above the lower heat block 4, and the packaging bag P is opened. The bag opening on the tip side is attached to the removable adhesive member 45 . This prevents the position of the opening of the packaging bag P from shifting due to the inertial force when the door part 15 is closed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, the support rod 44 is vertically supported by a bearing mechanism 47 provided on the bottom surface of the drawer portion 3 . The lower end of the support rod 44 extending downward from the bearing mechanism 47 spreads outward like a flange. A coil spring as a return spring 48 is provided so as to be sandwiched between the flange-shaped portion of the support rod 44 and the bearing mechanism 47 . Except for the sealing process, the lower heat block 4 is biased toward the bottom surface of the drawer section 3 by the restoring force of the return spring 48 . In the sealing process performed after the decompression process, as shown in FIG. 9(b), the support rod 44 is pushed up by the cylinder mechanism 7, and the lower heat block 4 is lifted.

As shown in FIG. 9 , the upper heat block 41 is arranged on the upper surface (ceiling surface) of the inner peripheral surface of the chamber 2 so as to face the lower heat block 4 . The upper heat block 41 has a body 49 formed of an insulating material. A detachable insulating cloth (not shown) is attached to the lower surface of the main body 49 . The insulating cloth is, for example, a silicon tape with good releasability from the packaging bag P. As shown in FIG. The sealing heater 43 may be provided in the upper heat block 41 instead of the lower heat block 4 or may be provided in both the upper heat block 41 and the lower heat block 4 .

A cylinder mechanism (seal drive unit) 7 is attached to the bottom surface of the chamber 2, as shown in FIG. The cylinder mechanism 7 has a piston 72 that can move up and down within the rod cover 71 . The piston rod 73 is arranged on the upper surface of the piston 72 and can move up and down together with the piston 72 . The piston 72 is biased downward by a return spring 74 provided inside the rod cover 71 .

As shown in FIG. 10, the rod cover 71 is provided with an intake port 75 on the upper side (primary side chamber) and the lower side (secondary side chamber) is open to the atmosphere. Alternatively, a three-way valve is used as a seal solenoid valve V2, which will be described later, and the upper side (primary side chamber) is opened to the atmosphere through the intake port 75 by opening the three-way valve to the atmosphere release side. The intake port 75 is connected to the vacuum pump 6 via piping, for example. Therefore, when the upper side (primary side chamber) of the rod cover 71 is decompressed by the vacuum pump 6, the piston 72 rises and pushes up the piston rod 73 in the sealing process shown in FIG. 9(b). The pushed up piston rod 73 pushes up the support rod 44 at its tip. The lower heat block 4 is raised by pushing up the support rod 44 . After the sealing process is finished, the pressure reduction is stopped, and the three-way valve is controlled to return the upper side (primary side chamber) of the rod cover 71 to the atmospheric pressure. Together, the piston rod 73 returns to its original position.

Piston rod 73 is formed of a generally cylindrical electrically conductive member. That is, by supplying electricity to the piston rod 73 during the sealing process, electricity can be supplied to the sealing heater 43 through the supporting rod 44, which is also made of a conductive material. A conductive member forming the piston rod 73 is, for example, brass or copper. As shown in FIG. 7, electrical wiring 76 for supplying electricity to the piston rod 73 connects to the portion of the piston rod 73 that extends downwardly through the rod cover 71 .

As described above, the piston rod 73 and the support rod 44 are electrically connected. The area of the lower surface (contact surface) of the support rod 44 is formed larger than the area of the upper surface (contact surface) of the piston rod 73 . Therefore, even if the lower heat block 4 is slightly displaced when the drawer 3 is accommodated (closed) in the chamber 2, the piston rod 73 and the support rod 44 can be reliably electrically connected. can be done. The area of the lower surface (contact surface) of the support rod 44 may be formed smaller than the area of the upper surface (contact surface) of the piston rod 73 . That is, by increasing either the area of the contact portion of the support rod 44 or the area of the contact portion of the piston rod 73, it is possible to widen the range in which the piston rod 73 and the support rod 44 are positioned on a straight line. , the positional deviation when the door portion 15 is closed can be absorbed.

As shown in FIG. 6, the door portion 15 is provided with a door portion limit switch 8 for detecting a closed state in which the door portion 15 closes the opening of the chamber 2 . The door limit switch 8 has a resin block 81 and a microswitch (open/close switch) 82 . The resin block 81 is provided on the lower side of the rear surface of the door portion 15 . The microswitch 82 is provided on the front plate 12 on the front side of the liquid-proof wall 52 and faces the resin block 81 . The door portion limit switch 8 is a drawer (close) SW, which will be described later, and is a start switch for continuous operation.

10 and 11 show the piping system within the vacuum packaging apparatus. The pressure-resistant air tube 112 extends from the external vacuum pump 6 and is connected to the pipe 63 . The pipe 63 is branched inside the main body housing 10 and connected to the intake/exhaust port 22 of the chamber 2 and the intake port 75 of the cylinder mechanism 7, respectively. Three main solenoid valves V1 to V3 are connected to the pipe 63 . Specifically, a vacuum solenoid valve V1 for pressure reduction, a seal solenoid valve V2 for sealing, a vacuum release solenoid valve V3 for releasing pressure reduction, and a pressure sensor 64 are provided. A three-way solenoid valve is used for the seal solenoid valve V2. The vacuum solenoid valve V1 may be a check valve instead of the automatic opening/closing solenoid valve. The pipe 63 is made of metal or resin, for example.

As shown in FIG. 11, the vacuum solenoid valve V1, the sealing solenoid valve V2, and the vacuum release solenoid valve V3 are arranged in a row along the width direction between the chamber 2 behind the main body housing 10 and the rear surface of the housing. It is Therefore, when the top plate 11 is removed, the vacuum solenoid valve V1, the seal solenoid valve V2 and the vacuum release solenoid valve V3 are exposed. Therefore, maintenance work of the piping system such as replacement of the solenoid valve can be easily performed. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, a gas solenoid valve V4 and a soft open solenoid valve V5, which will be described later, may be provided as options. The connection destination of the gas solenoid valve V4 may be the bottom surface near the cylinder mechanism 7 of the chamber 2 instead of the top surface of the chamber 2 .

Returning to FIG. 1, the vacuum pump 6 for reducing the pressure in the chamber 2 is arranged separately from the main housing 10 . The vacuum pump 6 has a generally cylindrical appearance and is accommodated in a cuboid second housing 110 . The second housing 110 is provided with a large number of holes 111 serving as intake/exhaust ports. Further, the second housing 110 is provided with an oil supply port, an oil removal drain, an oil level confirmation window, and the like.

The second housing 110, like the main body housing 10, has a box shape surrounded on six sides by metal members such as metal plates. The second housing 110 is used, for example, by placing it on the floor of a kitchen or on the lower shelf of a countertop, rack, wagon, or the like. In other words, the main body housing 10 is placed on the table at the same height in the kitchen, and the second housing 110 is placed on the floor or the like so as not to be an obstacle. Therefore, maintenance work of the vacuum pump 6 can be easily performed.

FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of the operation/display unit 16. As shown in FIG.
The operation/display unit 16 includes a start switch 100, a course selection switch 101, a process switch 102, and a value setting switch 103 as operation units. In addition, a course display section 104, a count time display section (segment display) 105, a process display section 106, and a continuous operation display section 107 are provided as display sections. A stop switch 108 may be provided. As the stop switch 108, for example, a hidden button provided for temporarily stopping the operation in a test before product shipment may be used.

A start switch 100 is a switch for starting vacuum packaging in the normal operation mode. The start switch 100 is controlled so as not to start when the door 15 is open and the door limit switch 8 does not detect the closed state. When the door portion limit switch 8 detects the closed state of the door portion 15, control is performed to start vacuum packaging. As another way of using the start switch 100, for example, when the start switch 100 is pressed and held for one second or more, the normal operation mode may be switched to the continuous operation mode. When the continuous operation mode is entered, the continuous operation display section 107 lights up.

A course selection switch 101 selects a course to be executed from courses 1 to 4. FIG. The course display unit 104 displays the selected course number so that the user can identify it. The process switch 102 is pressed when setting the evacuation (decompression) time, sealing time, and cooling time for each course. The time is increased or decreased with the value setting switch 103 . The process display section 106 displays the process currently being executed. In other words, it is displayed so that the user can identify which of the evacuation (decompression) process, the sealing process, the cooling process, and the like. The process display section 106 may display the gas filling process.

The vacuum drawing (decompression) time adjusts the vacuum time in the chamber 2 . For example, it is designed so that the inside of the chamber 2 becomes substantially vacuum in 40 seconds and vacuum packing is performed. If the vacuuming (depressurization) time is set short, the degree of vacuum is correspondingly weakened. Note that the degree of vacuum (%) may be set instead of the vacuum time.

The sealing time is the time during which the packaging bag P is heated by the sealing heater 43, and the welding state is adjusted. If it is too short, the welding will be weak, and if it is too long, the temperature of the sealing heater 43 will be high. Since the temperature rise speed of the sealing heater 43 is rapid, it is preferable to set the time in units of 0.1 seconds. The sealing time is adjusted according to, for example, the thickness and type of the packaging bag P and the surrounding environment of the device.

The cooling time is the time to hold so that the heat-welded portion cools and hardens after the sealing process, and adjusts the stability of sealing. Cooling is natural heat dissipation. The time is set in units of 0.1 second. The cooling time is adjusted according to, for example, the thickness and type of the packaging bag P and the ambient environment of the device.

The operation/display unit 16 may switch the display of the count time display unit 105 to a pressure value so that the degree of vacuum can be checked during initial setting or maintenance/inspection of the apparatus, for example. The pressure value to be displayed uses the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 64 .

Next, the operation of the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 described above will be described.
FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vacuum control device of the vacuum packaging apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. The control device 500 comprises a microcomputer (hereinafter referred to as CPU) 510 for controlling the vacuum packaging apparatus 1, an interface circuit 520 for input/output processing of each signal, a ROM 530, a RAM 535, a timer 540, and the like. In the interface circuit 520, values (time/ degree of vacuum, etc.) are entered.

The interface circuit 520 also receives signals from a pressure sensor 64 that detects the atmospheric pressure in the chamber and a drawer open/close switch 570 (door limit switch 8 in FIG. 6) that detects the open/close state of the drawer 3. . In addition, the control device 500 notifies the user of the completion of vacuum packaging of the vacuum packaging device and various errors (by display or buzzer) via the notification unit 550d.

The CPU 510 reads programs and various control conditions from the ROM 530 and controls various operations of the vacuum packaging apparatus 1 . The RAM 535 stores signals from the operation/display unit 16 and various sensors, time information from the timer, vacuum pressure levels, and the like. The timer 540 stores the evacuation (decompression) time, evacuation stop time, gas filling time, gas stabilization waiting time, sealing time, cooling time, etc. set by the switch operation of the course/step 550c. The control values stored in the RAM 535 and the timer 540 serve as setting information for the evacuation process to the seal cooling process, which will be described later. The RAM 535 also stores information on errors that occurred during operation as an error history (for 10 or more errors).

The CPU 510 receives a signal from the interface circuit 520, and through the interface circuit 520, the vacuum pump 6, the vacuum solenoid valve V1, the seal solenoid valve V2, the vacuum release solenoid valve V3, the gas solenoid valve V4, the soft release solenoid valve V5, A control signal is output to the heater 43 for sealing. In the following description, the description of transmission and reception of signals via the interface circuit 520 will be omitted, and only the operation of the CPU 510 will be described.

FIG. 14 is a flow chart showing the vacuum operation process of the vacuum packaging apparatus 1. As shown in FIG. For vacuum packaging, a work (object to be vacuumed) is placed in a packaging bag (vacuum pack bag) P and set in the chamber 2 . The packaging bag P set in the chamber 2 is vacuum-packed by evacuating the entire chamber 2 and sealing the opening of the bag. Various workpieces such as food and industrial parts are targeted for vacuum packing.

The vacuum packaging machine 1 has a gas filling option and a soft release option. The gas filling option is a step of opening the gas electromagnetic valve V4 to fill the chamber 2 with gas after vacuuming, and closing the bag opening of the vacuum pack bag. The workpiece is stored in a gas-filled vacuum bag. The soft release option is the process of opening the soft release solenoid valve V5 during the seal cooling process after the sealing process to slow down the speed of vacuum release. By opening slowly, damage to the workpiece can be prevented.

First, in step S10 of FIG. 14, an operation start operation process is executed. When the drawer portion 3 is inserted into the main housing 10 and closed, the drawer open/close switch 570 is turned on. When the start switch 550a (100) on the operation panel is pressed while the drawer opening/closing switch 570 is in the ON state, the CPU 510 receives the signal and starts vacuum operation. Then, the CPU 510 operates the vacuum pump 6 and turns on the vacuum opening solenoid valve V3. The vacuum opening solenoid valve V3 is normally open, but is closed when it receives an ON signal. The inside of the chamber 2 is sealed by closing the vacuum release solenoid valve V3.

Next, in step S20 of FIG. 14, an evacuation process is performed. This step is a step of evacuating the inside of the chamber 2 according to the setting conditions of the course/step 550c. When the time is set by the course/process 550c, the CPU 510 opens the vacuum solenoid valve V1 (ON state), operates the vacuum pump 6, and the time (seconds) set in the "course data" of the timer 540 elapses. The inside of the chamber 2 is evacuated until . When the vacuum pressure level is set by the course/step 550c, the CPU 510 opens the vacuum solenoid valve V1 (ON state) and uses the vacuum pump 6 to reach the level set in the "course data" of the timer 540. The inside of the chamber 2 is evacuated to . The CPU 510 receives signals from the pressure sensor 64 and monitors the air pressure inside the chamber 2 . When the evacuation process is completed, the CPU 510 closes the vacuum solenoid valve V1 (OFF state) to stop the evacuation.

When it is desired to stop the vacuuming operation during the vacuuming process, the vacuuming operation can be stopped by operating the stop switch 550b. For example, the stop switch 550b may be implemented by detecting that the hidden switch 108 has been pressed for one second or longer. When the CPU 510 receives the stop signal of the vacuuming operation from the stop switch 550b, the vacuum solenoid valve V1 is opened (ON state) and the vacuum pump 6 is stopped (OFF state) for the vacuuming stop time T1 preset in the timer 540. ). As a method for canceling the stopped state, when the vacuuming stop time T1 has elapsed or when the stop switch 550b (hidden switch 108) is pressed, the vacuum solenoid valve V1 is opened (ON state) and the vacuum pump 6 is turned ON. You can resume vacuuming by doing this. In this case, the evacuation process is performed again from the beginning. The evacuation process may be restarted from a time in the middle of stopping.

If it is desired to move to the next step during the vacuum drawing process, it is possible to move (jump) from the vacuum drawing operation to the next step by operating the transition switch. For example, when the start switch 550a is pushed during the evacuation process, the CPU 510 that receives the signal determines that the transition (jump) to the next process (for example, the gas charging process) is to be performed, and the vacuum solenoid valve V1 is turned on. Close (OFF state). If the vacuum level in the chamber 2 when the start switch 550a is pressed does not reach a predetermined value (for example, 40%), the jump operation to the next process is disabled and the buzzer of the notification unit 550d Notify users.

Next, the gas filling step (optional function) in step S30 of FIG. 14 is a step of filling gas into the chamber 2 according to the setting conditions of the course/step 550c. When the gas charging time is set in the timer 540 by the course/step 550c, the CPU 510 opens the gas electromagnetic valve V4 (ON state), and the chamber 2 is adjusted according to the gas charging time set in the "course data" of the timer 540. Fill the gas inside. As a result, the vacuum pack bag is filled with gas. When the gas charging time is "0 seconds", the CPU 510 does not execute the gas charging process. When the gas charging time ends, the CPU 510 closes the gas electromagnetic valve V4 (OFF state) and proceeds to the next step.

Further, when the vacuum pressure level is set by the course/step 550c as the gas charging process, the CPU 510 opens the gas solenoid valve V4 (ON state), and continues until the pressure level set in the "course data" of the RAM 530 is reached. A gas is sealed in the chamber 2 . As a result, the vacuum pack bag is filled with gas. If the gas level is "0%", the gas charging process is not executed. When the pressure level is reached, the CPU 510 closes the gas electromagnetic valve V4 (OFF state) and proceeds to the next step.

Next, in step S40 of FIG. 14, a gas stabilization waiting process is executed. In the gas stabilization waiting process, it is interlocked with the gas filling process and waits for the gas stabilization waiting time set in the “course data” of the timer 540 .

Next, in step S50 of FIG. 14, a sealing process is performed. This step is a step of operating the sealing portion to seal the opening of the vacuum bag. The CPU 510 opens the sealing electromagnetic valve V2 (ON state), raises the lower heat block 4, and pinches the opening of the vacuum bag between the upper heat block 41 and the lower heat block 4. FIG. The rising latency period is, for example, 0.7 seconds. When the waiting period for the lower heat block 4 to rise has passed, the CPU 510 applies a sealing current to the heater 43 for sealing according to the sealing time set in the "course data" of the timer 540, and the lower heat block 4 in the chamber 2 is heated. Seal the bag opening of the vacuum pack bag placed on. The CPU 510 turns off the sealing heater 43 after the sealing time has elapsed. A lock is applied so that the drawer portion 3 cannot be opened during this sealing process. If the lead-out portion 3 is opened during the sealing process, the electrode of the sealing heater 43 may be damaged, so this can be prevented. When the sealing time is 0 second, the process proceeds to the next step (seal cooling step).

Next, in step S60 of FIG. 14, a seal cooling step (soft release) is performed. The seal is cooled according to the setting of the seal cooling time set in the “coarse data” of timer 540 . If soft release time is set, soft release is performed. If both the seal cooling time and the soft opening time are "0 seconds", the process proceeds to the next step. When the soft opening time is not set, the CPU 510 opens the seal electromagnetic valve V2 (ON state) and waits (seal cooling) for the seal cooling time of the “coarse data” of the timer 540 . After the seal cooling time elapses, the CPU 510 closes the seal electromagnetic valve V2 (OFF state) to end the seal cooling.

When the soft opening time is set, the CPU 510 slows down the speed of the soft opening solenoid valve V5 connected to the chamber to open it (ON state), and sets the soft opening time (from the seal cooling time) of the "course data" of the timer 540. wait (seal cool) for a long time). During this cooling, the vacuum release solenoid valve V3 may be opened to return the air to the chamber 2 . By opening slowly, it is possible to prevent damage to the work inside the vacuum pack bag. After the soft opening time elapses, the CPU 510 closes the soft opening solenoid valve V5 (OFF state) to terminate seal cooling. When both the seal cooling time and the soft opening time have elapsed, the process proceeds to the next step.

If the drawer open/close switch 570 is turned off during the above-described vacuum drawing step S20 to seal cooling step S60, the vacuum operation is immediately terminated and the state returns to the standby state (waiting for the next operation). The user is notified of the switch error by a buzzer from the notification unit 550d. Switch errors are not covered by the error history stored in RAM 535 .

Next, in step S70 of FIG. 14, the process end operation is executed. In the operation at the end of the process, the inside of the chamber is opened to the atmosphere and the vacuum operation is terminated. The CPU 510 stops the operation of the vacuum pump 6 and opens the vacuum opening solenoid valve V3 and the vacuum solenoid valve V1 (ON state) in order to open the inside of the chamber 2 to the atmosphere. The CPU 510 also closes the gas solenoid valve V4, the sealing solenoid valve V2, and the soft release solenoid valve V5, and stops energizing the sealing heater 43. FIG.

In FIG. 9, the opening of the packaging bag P is airtightly sealed by pushing up the lower heat block 4 of the sealing portion, but the upper heat block 41 may be pushed down to airtightly seal the opening of the packaging bag.

Next, warm-up operation will be described. The warm-up operation is an operation aimed at starting only the vacuum pump 6 and performing the warm-up operation of the vacuum pump 6 . During warm-up operation, the vacuum release solenoid valve V3 and the vacuum solenoid valve V1 are closed (OFF state), and the pressure in the chamber 2 is not reduced. Simply check the operation of the vacuum pump 6 .

That is, when the drawer 3 is in the open state (chamber open state) and the start switch 550a is pressed, the CPU 510 starts warming up. Then, if the start switch 550a is not pressed for 1 second or more, the CPU 510 performs normal warm-up operation and terminates. In a normal warm-up operation, the vacuum pump 6 is first activated for the activation time T2 (several seconds), and the vacuum solenoid valve V1 is opened, for example, for 0.5 seconds. When the warm-up operation is started, the vacuum pump 6 is stopped, and then the vacuum solenoid valve V1 is opened for 10 seconds. Note that when the warm-up operation time elapses or when the start switch 550a is pressed again during the warm-up operation, the warm-up operation stops immediately.

On the other hand, if the start switch 550a is pressed for one second or longer, the CPU 510 determines that the warm-up continuous operation mode is set, and turns on the continuous operation display section 107 . After that, the CPU 510 confirms the operation of the vacuum pump 6 by warm-up operation. Then, the CPU 510 controls to repeat the warm-up operation until the warm-up time set in the timer 540 elapses and times out, or until the start switch 550a is pressed for a short time.

FIG. 15 is a diagram showing the configuration of a twin vacuum packaging device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The twin vacuum packaging apparatus is one in which two vacuum packaging apparatuses shown in FIG. 1 are arranged and one vacuum pump 6 is used for vacuum packaging. Vacuum packaging apparatuses 10A and 10B shown in FIG. 15 are obtained by connecting a vacuum packaging apparatus 10B having the same configuration to the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A shown in FIG. Therefore, the vacuum packaging apparatuses 10A and 10B include at least a chamber, a drawer section, a seal section, a cylinder mechanism, a power supply device, and a circuit board in the main housing.

In FIG. 15, for example, when the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A is used as the parent machine, the suction hose 710 from the vacuum pump 6 and the pump power line 720 are connected to the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A of the parent machine. A branch suction hose 730 branched from the vacuum packaging device 10A is connected to the slave vacuum packaging device 10B. A signal line 740 connects between the parent vacuum packaging apparatus 10A and the slave vacuum packaging apparatus 10B. The signal line 740 includes a first signal line for transmitting various signals from the parent device from the output signal terminal to the input signal terminal of the child device, and a first signal line for transmitting various signals from the child device from the output signal terminal to the input signal terminal of the parent device. and a second signal line for transmission.

In FIG. 15, when the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A, which is the master machine, first starts vacuum operation, a signal A (first signal) is sent from the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A to the vacuum packaging apparatus 10B using the signal line 740 to indicate that the vacuum packaging apparatus 10B is in operation. to notify you. Since the vacuum packaging apparatus 10B that receives this signal A enters a standby state, even if the start switch is pressed, the vacuum operation is not performed, and the "reservation state" is entered. Then, when the vacuum operation of the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A ends, the vacuum packaging apparatus 10B in the reserved state starts vacuum operation. After the parent machine starts the sealing process, the child machine may start the vacuum drawing process.

When starting the vacuum operation of the vacuum packaging apparatus 10B, the signal line 740 is used to transmit a signal B (second signal) for driving the vacuum pump 6 from the vacuum packaging apparatus 10B to the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A. When the signal B is received, the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A drives the vacuum pump 6 and decompresses the vacuum packaging apparatus 10B using the suction hose 710 and the branch suction hose 730. FIG. Although the vacuum packaging apparatus 10A is used as the parent machine here, the vacuum packaging apparatus 10B may be used as the parent machine. Switching between the parent device and the child device may be performed by attaching a DIP switch to the circuit board.

The operation of the twin vacuum packaging apparatus according to the embodiment at the start of operation will be described.
Table 1 shows the operation of the parent device (vacuum packaging device 10A) with respect to the state of the partner device. The parent device can start vacuum operation or warm-up operation when the partner device status (child device) is "waiting". On the other hand, when the partner device status is "in operation", vacuum operation can be reserved, but warm-up operation cannot be reserved. Furthermore, the parent device can start vacuum operation or warm-up operation even if the status of the counterpart device is "abnormal".

The meanings of the terms shown in Table 1 are as follows.
Standby: Refers to a stand-by state in which the machine is stopped and the course, process, and set values can be switched. → Turn off the "driving signal".
During operation: Refers to "during vacuum operation" and "during warm-up operation", and is treated as synonymous with the signal during operation. →Turn on the "driving signal".
Reservation in progress: If a driving operation is performed while the "driving signal" (input signal terminal) is ON (active), it enters a reserved state and waits for the "driving signal" of the input signal terminal to turn OFF. . → Turn off the "driving signal".
Abnormal Occurrence: Refers to "error occurring", "power off", and "in test mode", which are treated as synonymous in the operating signal. This condition includes "disconnection of the signal line between devices". As a result, it refers to a state in which a response signal is not returned when viewed from the child device. → Turn off the "driving signal".

Table 2 shows the operation of the slave machine (vacuum packaging apparatus 10B) with respect to the status of the counterpart equipment. The child device can start vacuum operation or warm-up operation when the partner device state (master device) is "waiting". On the other hand, when the partner device status is "in operation", vacuum operation can be reserved, but warm-up operation cannot be reserved. Further, when the status of the device on the other end is "abnormality occurring", the slave device notifies the (master device) of the occurrence of an error. The terms in Table 2 are the same as in Table 1.

Next, communication signals between the parent device and the child device will be described.
Both the parent device and the child device output a "driving signal" from their respective output signal terminals when they themselves are in operation, and inform the other device that they are in operation. The partner device receives the "driving signal" at each input signal terminal.
Operation operations are the following three start switch operations for both the parent and child devices.
(1) When the start switch is pushed with the drawer [closed].
(2) When the drawer is closed in continuous mode.
(3) When the start SW is pushed with the drawer [open] (warm-up operation).

Processing of the response signal is used for two operations.
(1) A signal processing procedure for confirming the state of the parent device immediately before the child device starts operation ("vacuum operation" and "warm-up operation").
(2) Response signal processing is also used as an error notification when the parent device is powered off (including power outage) or when a parent device error occurs during operation of the child device.

"Response signal processing" will be described.
Sounding signal: Just before the slave unit starts operating, it outputs a sounding signal from the output signal terminal to the master unit.
Response signal: When the master device receives a percussion signal from the slave device at the input signal terminal, it outputs a response signal to the slave device.
When an abnormality occurs or the inter-device signal line is disconnected, the response signal cannot be transmitted to the slave device, resulting in a master device error.
Error notification: When an error or power failure occurs in the parent device, the parent device outputs an error signal from the output signal terminal.
Response signal: [Percussion signal], [Response signal], and [Error signal], and one set is usually a state change of "OFF-ON-OFF".

Next, before explaining the timing operation of the twin vacuum packaging apparatus, the operation/movement of the parent machine and the child machine will be explained.

<Output of running signal>
During "running", the parent device turns on (active) the signal during operation and outputs it from the output signal terminal of the parent device to the child device. When receiving the percussion signal from the child device, the parent device outputs a response signal if the device is normal and on standby. The parent device outputs an error signal when an error occurs during operation of the child device. In addition, the parent device outputs an error signal when a power failure is detected during operation of the child device. The slave unit outputs a sounding signal to the master unit when "running operation" is performed while the master unit is on standby. Further, when the "operating operation" is performed while the parent device is operating, the child device enters a reservation state and outputs a sounding signal when the parent device finishes operating. When the slave unit receives the response signal from the master unit, the slave unit becomes "driving" and turns on (active) the driving signal.

<Input of driving signal>
The parent device monitors the "running signal" of the child device through the input signal terminal of the parent device. The parent machine drives the vacuum pump 6 while receiving the "running signal" from the child machine. However, the response signal does not operate the vacuum pump 6 . The slave unit monitors the "driving signal" of the master unit through the input signal terminal of the slave unit.

<Operating operations while other machines are on standby>
When "operating" is performed on the parent device, "driving" can be started if the child device is on standby. If you start "warming up" by operating the master unit, it will just be "running" from the slave unit (it doesn't matter if it's vacuum operation or warm-up). Therefore, the end of the warm-up operation can be done only by time-out or by pressing the start switch on the parent device, and the warm-up cannot be ended from the child device.
When "running operation" is performed on the slave unit, "running" can be started only when the master unit is on standby, outputs a percussion signal, and returns a "response signal". When the slave unit is "operated" when the master unit is "abnormal", the "response signal" is not returned, so the "master unit error" is generated. When the warm-up operation is started from the slave unit, the warm-up operation can be terminated only from the slave unit by pressing the start SW, and the warm-up operation cannot be stopped from the master unit.

<Driving operations while other aircraft is operating (reservation/reservation cancellation)>
When the master unit performs the "run operation", if the slave unit is in operation, it enters the "reservation" state (sounds an effective buzzer) and waits for the "driving signal" to be turned off. However, reservations for warm-up are invalid. The parent unit starts "vacuum operation" when the "operation signal" is turned off. The parent unit flashes "segment display" during "reservation". The main unit invalidates the operation of the start SW and the drawer [close] SW during "reservation", and sounds an invalid buzzer. When the start switch is pushed or pulled out (opened) during "during reservation", the master unit cancels the reservation (at that time, the invalid visa is sounded).

When the slave unit is "operated", if the master unit is in operation, it enters the "reservation" state (sounds an effective buzzer) and waits for the "driving signal" to be turned off. The slave unit outputs a percussion signal when the "driving signal" is turned off, and starts "driving" only when the "response signal" is returned. The slave unit "blinks the segment display" during reservation. The handset sets a reservation waiting timeout. The handset invalidates the operation of the start switch and drawer [close] switch during reservation, and sounds an invalid buzzer. When the start switch is pushed or pulled out (opened) during reservation, the slave unit cancels the reservation (at that time, sounds an invalid buzzer).

<Operating operation while another unit is warming up>
Since the master unit is identified as "running slave unit" in terms of processing during warm-up operation by the operation of the slave unit, the warm-up operation cannot be stopped from the master unit. Therefore, the driving operation is treated as "reservation". Note that reservations for warm-up by the master unit are not accepted (invalid buzzer sounds). During the warm-up operation by the operation of the master unit, the slave unit is identified as "running the master unit" in terms of processing, so the warm-up operation cannot be stopped from the slave unit. Therefore, the driving operation is treated as "reservation". Reservations for warm-up by slave units are not accepted (invalid buzzer sounds).

<Operating operations while other equipment is malfunctioning>
When the slave unit "abnormality" occurs, the master unit does not particularly identify it because it is synonymous with a state in which the slave unit does not receive a running signal when viewed from the master unit, that is, the slave unit is always on standby, and the master unit is in operation. It is possible. When the master unit "occurs an abnormality", the slave unit generates a master unit error because the "response signal" is not always returned when the slave unit starts operating from the perspective of the slave unit.

<When an error occurs in another machine while the machine is in operation>
When an abnormality occurs in the slave unit during operation of the master unit, no signal is sent to the input signal terminal from the perspective of the master unit, and there is no problem with the operation of the master unit. The parent machine can continue to operate. When an abnormality occurs in the parent device while the child device is operating, the parent device outputs an error signal. Further, when an abnormality occurs in the parent device, the child device cuts off all outputs and waits for power to be turned on again, so the child device cannot operate normally. Therefore, when the child device receives an error signal from the parent device, it generates a parent device error and stops the operation.

Next, timing operations of various operations of the twin vacuum packaging apparatus according to the embodiment will be described.
FIG. 16 is a diagram showing the timing operation when the parent device or the child device starts vacuum operation or warm-up operation while the counterpart device is on standby. First, the case where the parent device starts the vacuum operation while the child device is on standby, as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 16(a), will be described.
When the normal mode start SW or the continuous mode drawer [close] SW is turned on, the vacuum operation of the main machine which has been in the standby state is started. That is, the vacuum pump 6 is operated in accordance with the turning on of the switch to perform the vacuum operation, and when the vacuum operation is completed, the buzzer sounds. During the vacuum operation period, the master unit outputs an "operating signal" from the output signal terminal to the slave unit. The child device receives (monitors) the "driving signal" transmitted from the parent device at the input signal terminal.
After completing the vacuum operation, the parent machine waits for a period of time TA (for example, 5 seconds) before validating the next operation to the self machine, and enables the vacuum packaging apparatus of the child machine to operate. As a result, the reserved operation start of the other aircraft is ensured. Note that the operation of the start SW is disabled during the period from the vacuum period to the wait period TA. Further, during the wait period TA, the operation of the drawer [close] SW is also disabled.

Next, a description will be given of a case where the child device starts the vacuum operation while the parent device is on standby as shown in the timing chart of FIG. 16(b).
First, when the normal mode start SW or continuous mode drawer [close] SW of the child machine is turned on, the child machine outputs a percussion signal (ENQ in the figure) from the output signal terminal to the parent machine. When the standby parent machine receives the inquiry signal (ENQ reception in the figure) from the child machine at the input signal terminal, it disables the operation of the parent machine until the child machine starts operation, and then outputs the response signal ( ACK in the figure) is output from the output signal terminal to the slave unit. When the child device receives the response signal (ACK reception in the figure) from the parent device at the input signal terminal, the child device outputs the "driving signal" from the output signal terminal to the parent device. When the parent device receives (monitors) the "running signal" from the child device at the input signal terminal, it operates the vacuum pump 6 based on the signal, thereby causing the child device to perform vacuum operation.
After completing the vacuum operation, the child machine waits for a period of time TA before validating the next operation of the child machine so that the vacuum packaging apparatus of the child machine can operate. As a result, the reserved operation start of the other aircraft is ensured. During the wait period TA, the operation of the start switch and drawer [close] switch of the handset is disabled.

Next, FIG. 17 is a diagram showing the timing operation of reserved operation.
First, a description will be given of the case where the parent device reserves the vacuum operation while the slave device shown in the timing chart of FIG. 17(a) is in the vacuum operation.
Similar to the timing operation described above, when the normal mode start SW or the continuous mode drawer [close] switch of the child device is turned on, the child device outputs the "running signal" from the output signal terminal to the parent device. do. When the parent machine on standby receives the "running signal" from the slave machine at the input signal terminal, it outputs the "running signal" indicating that the vacuum pump 6 is to be operated from the output signal terminal to the slave machine. When the child device receives the "driving signal" from the parent device at the input signal terminal, the slave device outputs the "driving signal" from the output signal terminal to the parent device. When the parent machine receives the "driving signal" from the child machine at the input signal terminal, it operates the vacuum pump 6 based on the signal, whereby the child machine performs vacuum operation.
After the completion of the vacuum operation, the slave unit waits for the period TA before validating the next operation for itself. As a result, the reserved operation start of the other aircraft is ensured. During the wait period TA, the operation of the start switch and drawer [close] switch of the handset is disabled.

On the other hand, when the normal mode start SW or the continuous mode draw [close] switch of the parent device is turned on while the child device is in vacuum operation, "reservation" of the vacuum operation by the parent device is set. After the vacuum operation in the child machine is completed, the parent machine starts the vacuum operation by operating the vacuum pump 6 after waiting for a wait period TB (for example, 4 seconds) to elapse. The wait period TB is a wait period from when the operation signal of the other apparatus is turned OFF until the operation of the own apparatus is started when the vacuum operation is started from the reserved state. During the reservation including the wait period TB, the reservation cancellation operation from the parent machine is accepted. If there is no cancellation of the reservation, after the period TB, the parent device operates the vacuum pump 6 to perform vacuum operation. While the vacuum operation is being performed, the parent device outputs an "operating signal" to the child device from the output signal terminal to the child device, and the child device receives (monitors) it at the input signal terminal. Operation of the start SW by the parent device is disabled during the period during which the parent device is in vacuum operation and the wait period TA. Also, the pull-out [close] SW by the parent machine is disabled during the wait period TA.

Next, a description will be given of a case where the child device reserves the vacuum operation while the parent device is in the vacuum operation shown in the timing chart of FIG. 17(b).
First, when the start SW of the normal mode of the parent device or the draw [close] SW of the continuous mode is turned on, the parent device operates the vacuum pump 6 and outputs the "running signal" from the output signal terminal of the child device. output to The child device on standby receives the "running signal" from the parent device at the input signal terminal. After the completion of the vacuum operation, the parent device waits for a period TA before validating the next operating operation for itself. As a result, the reserved operation start of the other aircraft is ensured. Operation of the start SW by the parent device is disabled during the period during which the parent device is in vacuum operation and the wait period TA. Also, the pull-out [close] SW by the parent machine is disabled during the wait period TA.

On the other hand, when the normal mode start SW or the continuous mode draw [close] SW of the child device is turned on while the parent device is in vacuum operation, "reservation" of the vacuum operation by the child device is set. That is, when the start switch of the normal mode of the slave unit or the draw [close] switch of the continuous mode of the slave unit is turned on while the master unit is in vacuum operation, it becomes "reserved", and the slave unit under reservation receives the " When the "driving signal" is no longer received at the input signal terminal, a percussion signal (ENQ in the figure) is output from the output signal terminal to the main unit. When the master unit during the wait period receives the percussion signal (ENQ reception in the figure) from the slave unit at the input signal terminal, it disables the operation of the master unit until the slave unit starts operating, and then sends a response signal. (ACK in the figure) is output from the output signal terminal to the slave unit. When the child device receives the response signal (ACK reception in the figure) from the parent device at the input signal terminal, the child device outputs the "running signal" from the output signal terminal to the parent device. When the parent machine receives the "running signal" from the child machine at the input signal terminal, it operates the vacuum pump 6 based on the signal, thereby causing the child machine to perform vacuum operation.

After the completion of the vacuum operation, the slave unit waits for the period TA before validating the next operation for itself. As a result, the reserved operation start of the other aircraft is ensured. During the wait period TA, the operation of the start switch and drawer [close] switch of the handset is disabled. Further, during the period during which the child machine is reserved for vacuum operation and the wait period TB, the operation of the start SW and the operation of the drawer [close] switch by the child machine are disabled.

FIG. 18 is a diagram showing the timing operation when the slave unit performs vacuum operation (or warm-up operation) when the master unit is in an abnormal state (power off, error occurring, or test mode); is.
When the main unit is in an abnormal state and the normal mode start switch or continuous mode drawer [close] switch of the sub unit is turned on, the sub unit outputs a percussion signal (ENQ in the figure) to the output signal terminal. to the master unit. When the base unit receives the percussion signal (ENQ reception in the figure) at the input signal terminal, it normally outputs a response signal, but the base unit in an abnormal state does not output any signal. When the slave unit detects that the response signal is not transmitted from the master unit, it outputs an error signal and disables vacuum operation (or warm-up operation) by the slave unit. Also, the child device notifies the occurrence of an abnormality in the parent device. If the slave device cannot receive the response signal, it is desirable that the retry operation of retransmitting the percussion signal (ENQ in the figure) to the master device is performed at least twice.

FIG. 19 is a diagram showing a timing operation when an abnormality occurs in the parent device while the child device is operating. When the base unit is on standby and the normal mode start switch or continuous mode drawer [close] switch is input, the base unit outputs a percussion signal (ENQ in the figure) to the output signal terminal. output to the main unit. When the parent device on standby receives the inquiry signal (ENQ reception) from the child device at the input signal terminal, it disables the operation of the parent device until the child device starts operating, and then outputs a response signal ( ACK) is output from the output signal terminal to the slave unit. When the child device receives the response signal (ACK reception in the figure) from the parent device at the input signal terminal, the child device outputs the "driving signal" from the output signal terminal to the parent device. When the parent machine receives the "running signal" from the child machine at the input signal terminal, it operates the vacuum pump 6 based on the signal, thereby causing the child machine to perform vacuum operation.
When an abnormality occurs on the side of the parent device while the child device is in vacuum operation, an error signal is sent from the parent device to the child device. When the child device detects an error signal from the parent device, it stops the vacuum operation (and also stops the signal during operation) and invalidates the subsequent vacuum operation. Also, the child device notifies the occurrence of an abnormality in the parent device.

Therefore, according to the twin vacuum packaging apparatus of the embodiment, since two vacuum packaging apparatuses can be operated with one vacuum pump (decompression device), it is possible to provide a twin vacuum packaging apparatus which is low in cost and excellent in workability. can be done. Since the upper surfaces of the parent and child vacuum packaging apparatuses are entirely flat, the parent vacuum packaging apparatus can be placed on top of the child vacuum packaging apparatus, or the parent vacuum packaging apparatus can be placed on top of the parent vacuum packaging apparatus. Since the vacuum packaging device of the child machine can be placed on the top, the installation space for the twin vacuum packaging device can be a single installation space. Other cooking utensils can be placed on the top surface of the vacuum packaging device of the upper parent machine or child machine so as to be usable.

In addition, after the vacuum operation by the vacuum packaging device of the parent or child device is completed, it is configured to wait for the period TA until the next operation of the own device becomes effective, so the reserved operation of the vacuum packaging device of the other device is started. to ensure Further, the vacuum packaging device of the child machine outputs a request signal to the vacuum packaging device of the parent machine, and the vacuum packaging machine of the parent machine continues to operate until the vacuum packaging machine of the child machine starts operating. Since the response signal is output to the vacuum packaging device of the child machine after invalidating the operation operation, the operation of the vacuum packaging machine of the child machine is guaranteed by receiving the response signal from the vacuum packaging machine of the parent machine.

Furthermore, when the slave vacuum packaging apparatus receives the response signal from the master vacuum packaging apparatus, it outputs an "in-operation signal" to the master vacuum packaging apparatus. When receiving the "running signal" from the vacuum packaging device of the child machine, it operates the vacuum pump based on the same signal, and the vacuum packaging device of the child machine performs vacuum operation. Control of the vacuum pump by the vacuum packaging device can be performed accurately.

Embodiments of the invention are provided by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be embodied in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and their modifications are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and its equivalents.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 ... Vacuum packaging device 2 ... Chamber 3 ... Drawer section 4 ... Lower heat block (sealing section)
6 ... vacuum pump (decompression part)
7 ... Cylinder mechanism (seal driving part)
8 Door limit switch 10 Main housing 10A Parent vacuum packaging device 10B Child vacuum packaging device 11 Top plate 12 Front plate 15 Door 16 Operation/display unit 19 Space 21 Sealing material 21s ... wire 32 ... slide rail 33 ... tension spring (biasing portion)
35 ... liquid receiving tray 41 ... upper heat block (seal portion)
41a ... air bag 41b ... spring 44 ... support rod 52 ... liquid-proof wall 55 ... circuit board 56 ... power supply device 63 ... piping 64 ... pressure sensor 73 ... piston rod 110 ... second housing 112 ... pressure-resistant air tube 113 ... power cord 500 ... control device 510 ... CPU
520 ... interface circuit 530 ... ROM
535... RAM
540...Timer 550...Operation panel 570...Drawer open/close switch 710...Suction hose 720...Pump power line 730...Branch suction hose 740...Signal lines V1 to V5, V3'...Solenoid valve P...Packaging

Claims (5)

a vacuum pump;
a parent vacuum packaging device connected to the vacuum pump and performing vacuum operation by controlling the vacuum pump;
a slave vacuum packaging device connected to the vacuum packaging device of the parent device and performing the vacuum operation by operating the vacuum pump of the vacuum packaging device of the parent device;
A twin vacuum packaging machine comprising:
When the start switch of the vacuum packaging device of the parent device is turned on while the vacuum packaging device of the child device is on standby, the vacuum pump is operated to perform the vacuum operation,
The vacuum packaging device of the parent machine outputs an operating signal to the vacuum packaging device of the child machine during the period of the vacuum operation,
After the vacuum operation is completed, the twin vacuum packaging apparatus waits until the next operation operation for the own apparatus is validated, and the vacuum packaging apparatus of the child apparatus becomes operable. 2. The twin vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein operation of said start switch of said parent vacuum packaging apparatus is disabled during said wait period.
2. The twin vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the chamber of the parent vacuum packaging apparatus is in an open state and warm-up operation is performed when the start switch is turned on.
a vacuum pump;
a parent vacuum packaging device connected to the vacuum pump and performing vacuum operation by controlling the vacuum pump;
a slave vacuum packaging device connected to the vacuum packaging device of the parent device and performing the vacuum operation by operating the vacuum pump of the vacuum packaging device of the parent device;
A control method for a twin vacuum packaging device comprising
When the start switch of the vacuum packaging device of the parent device is turned on while the vacuum packaging device of the child device is on standby, the vacuum pump is operated to perform the vacuum operation,
The vacuum packaging device of the parent machine outputs an operating signal to the vacuum packaging device of the child machine during the period of the vacuum operation,
A control method for a twin vacuum packaging apparatus, wherein the vacuum packaging apparatus of the parent machine waits until the next operating operation for the self machine is validated after the vacuum operation is finished, and the vacuum packaging apparatus of the child machine becomes operable. 5. The method of controlling a twin vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the operation of the start switch of the parent vacuum packaging apparatus is disabled during the wait period.

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