JP7576841B2 - Filling and packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a filling and packaging machine, and more specifically, to a filling and packaging machine that forms a content-filled container by filling and sealing a plurality of containers with beverages, food, or other contents while transporting the containers along a predetermined transport path.

As an example of this type of filling and packaging machine, as shown in Patent Document 1 below, a filling container conveyed in multiple rows on the left and right by a transport conveyor extending in the forward and backward directions is pushed up by a push-up member at a container discharge station, and the filled containers in each row that have been pushed up are transferred via a cross plate by a pushing member that can reciprocate forward and backward to a discharge conveyor that extends in the left and right directions and is arranged at an intersection with the transport conveyor, and are discharged by the discharge conveyor in a single row.

Publication number 1-13044

In the case of the above-mentioned filling packaging machine, the speed of the discharge conveyor needs to be increased to discharge each row of filled containers without delay, but this makes it difficult to discharge them stably because there is a risk that the filled containers transferred to the discharge conveyor will tip over due to inertia.

The purpose of this invention is to solve the above problems by providing a filling and packaging machine that can quickly and stably discharge formed content-filled containers.

To achieve the above objective, this invention comprises the following aspects:

1) A filling and packaging machine that forms a content-filled container by conveying a plurality of containers having an upper opening in a state of being arranged in multiple rows on the left and right along a conveying path extending in a front-rear direction, and sequentially filling the containers with contents and sealing the upper openings,
a lifter for lifting the content-filled containers in each row to a discharge position above the conveying path;
a front communication passage and a rear communication passage provided on both sides of the discharge position so as to extend in the left-right direction;
a distribution means for alternately distributing the content-filled container that has been pushed up to the discharge position to the front communication passage and the rear communication passage;
a discharge conveyor provided to connect to either one of the left and right ends of the front communication passage and the rear communication passage;
a front transfer means for transferring the content-filled containers distributed to the front communication passage and the rear communication passage, respectively, to the discharge conveyor, and a rear transfer means for transferring the content-filled containers distributed to the front communication passage and the rear communication passage, respectively, to the discharge conveyor.

2) The filling and packaging machine of 1), in which the front transfer means and the rear transfer means are wound around two pulleys on the left and right adjacent to the front and rear outer sides of the front and rear connecting passages, respectively, so that they can be rotated and driven, and the outer surface of which has multiple protrusions spaced apart in the length direction for holding the content-filled container.

3) The filling and packaging machine of 2), in which the sorting means comprises a movable body capable of reciprocating back and forth, and a vertical plate-shaped pusher connected to the movable body so as to alternately press the content-filled containers pushed up to the discharge position toward the front connecting passage and the rear connecting passage, and the front and rear opposing surfaces of the pusher and the front transfer belt or the rear transfer belt form guide surfaces when the content-filled containers are transferred through the front connecting passage or the rear connecting passage.

4) a defective product discharge section is provided so as to be connected to the other end of either the left or right end of the front communication passage and the rear communication passage,
The filling and packaging machine of any one of 1) to 3), wherein the front-side conveying means and the rear-side conveying means are configured to convey the content-filled container to the defective product discharge section when the content-filled container distributed to the front-side connecting passage or the rear-side connecting passage contains a defective product.

5) A filling and packaging machine according to any one of 1) to 4), wherein the discharge conveyor is composed of a front discharge conveyor and a rear discharge conveyor that are arranged to connect to either the left or right end of the front connecting passage and the rear connecting passage, respectively.

According to the filling and packaging machine of 1) above, the formed rows of content-filled containers are pushed up to the discharge position by the lifter and alternately sorted into the front and rear connecting passages, and then alternately transferred to the discharge conveyor by the front and rear transfer means. Therefore, compared to the conventional filling and packaging machine described in Patent Document 1 above, for example, the conveying speed of the discharged content-filled containers can be slowed down, and the content-filled containers are prevented from falling over due to inertial force during transport. Therefore, according to the filling and packaging machine of 1) above, the formed content-filled containers can be discharged quickly and stably, improving production capacity.

According to the filling and packaging machine of 2) above, the front and rear transfer means are made up of a front transfer belt and a rear transfer belt that have protrusions on their outer surfaces for holding the content-filled containers, so the content-filled containers can be stably transferred to the discharge conveyor with a simple device configuration.

According to the filling and packaging machine of 3) above, the sorting means consists of a movable body and a vertical plate-shaped pusher, so that, despite the simple device configuration, the content-filled containers in each row that have been pushed up to the discharge position can be reliably sorted into the front and rear connecting passages in a short period of time.
In addition, according to the filling and packaging machine of 3) above, the facing surfaces of the pusher and the front or rear transfer belt function as guide surfaces when the content-filled container is transported through the front or rear connecting passage, so that the transport of the content-filled container is stable.

According to the filling and packaging machine described above in 4), defective products that may be contained in the discharged content-filled containers can be transferred to the defective product discharge section by the front transfer means and rear transfer means, so there is no need to provide a separate defective product discharge device.

According to the filling and packaging machine of 5) above, the discharge conveyor is composed of a front discharge conveyor connected to the front connecting passage and a rear discharge conveyor connected to the rear connecting passage, so that the downstream process section where, for example, the attachment of stoppers to content-filled containers is performed, can be divided into two lines without providing a special sorting device.

1 is a side view showing the overall configuration of a filling and packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view showing a part of a transport conveyor of the filling and packaging machine. 4A is a plan view showing a part of the transfer conveyor, and FIG. 4B is a front view showing a part of the transfer conveyor. 4(a) shows a first holding plate and a second holding plate used in the transport conveyor, in which (a) is a front view of the first holding plate, (b) is a side view of the first holding plate, (c) is a side view of the second holding plate, and (d) is a front view of the second holding plate. In Fig. 4(c), the part surrounded by a two-dot chain circle E is an enlarged cross-section of the part surrounded by a two-dot chain circle e. 1A, 1B, and 1C show a container having an upper opening for use in the filling and packaging machine, in which FIG. 1 shows a content-filled container with its upper opening sealed by the top seal section of the filling and packaging machine, with (a) being a front view, (b) being a side view, and (c) being a plan view. 1 shows a content-filled container with the flap sealed to the container surface in the flap sealing section of the filling and packaging machine, where (a) is a front view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a plan view. FIG. 2 is a side view showing the discharge section of the filling and packaging machine. 4A is a plan view of the discharge section, and FIG. 4B is a front view of the discharge section. 10A to 10C are side views sequentially showing the process of discharging a content-filled container in the discharging section.

A filling and packaging machine according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
In the following description, the right side of FIG. 1 will be referred to as the "front" and the left side as the "rear," and left and right refer to the left and right when viewed from the front.
1, 2, 8 and 10 show a side view of the entire or part of the filling and packaging machine with the front side wall of the chamber omitted.

The filling and packaging machine (1) of this embodiment is for filling and sealing a container (C1) made of a carton with contents such as beverages, food, etc. to form a content-filled container (C2).
As shown in Figure 1, the filling and packaging machine (1) has a long sealed (box-shaped) chamber (2) from front to back. A carton blank inlet (201) is provided in the front end wall (23) of the chamber (2), and a content-filled container outlet (202) is provided at the rear end of the top wall (21) of the chamber (2).

A bottom forming section (3) is provided at the front end section (2a) of the chamber (2) for forming a bottomed rectangular cylindrical container (C1) by sealing one opening of a cylindrical carton blank (CB) and forming the bottom.
In the bottom forming section (3), a turret (30) having a plurality of radial carton holders (30a) is provided so as to be rotatable about a horizontal axis, and the following are provided in the rotational direction of the turret (30) (counterclockwise in FIG. 1): a receiving section (31) for setting a carton blank (CB) introduced from a carton blank inlet (201) in the carton holder (30a); a bottom heating section (32) for heating one end of the carton blank (CB); a bottom breaker section (33) for folding one end of the carton blank (CB) to create a crease; a bottom seal section (34) for sealing one end of the carton blank (CB); and a transfer section (35) for transferring the container (carton) (C1) with the formed bottom to the next process by a carton unloader (35a).
The carton blanks (CB) picked up by a picker from the carton magazine are fed to the receiving section (31) through a carton blank entrance (201) by a carton loader (36).
In the case of the filling and packaging machine (1) shown in the figure, the front end (2a) of the chamber (2) where the bottom forming section (3) is provided has a double-roofed shape that slopes diagonally upward and forward when viewed from the side. This shape keeps the height of the front end (2a) of the chamber (2) low.

Within the chamber (2), a transport conveyor (4) is provided in a tunnel-shaped section (2b) extending from the rear (downstream) side of the bottom forming section (3) to the rear end thereof, for transporting a plurality of containers (C1) with their openings facing upward along a horizontal transport path (R) extending rearward.
On the conveying path (R), from the upstream side (front side) to the downstream side (rear side), there are sequentially provided a preliminary breaker section (5) that preliminarily folds the upper part of the container (C1), a top breaker section (6) that folds the upper part of the container (C1) to create a crease, a sterilization section (7) that sterilizes the container (C1), a filling section (8) that fills the container (C1) with contents, a top seal section (9) that seals the upper part of the container (C1), a flap seal section (10) that folds a flap (C21) formed on the upper part of the content-filled container (C2) upon sealing and seals it to the surface of the container (C2), and a discharge section (11) that discharges the content-filled container (C2) out of the chamber (2).

In filling and packaging machine (1) having the above basic configuration, clean air is blown into chamber (2) from a plurality of predetermined locations, and the clean air that has circulated within chamber (2) is sucked and discharged from a plurality of predetermined locations. As a result, almost the entire interior of chamber (2) is kept at positive pressure by the clean air, except for the clean air suction and discharge area, and a sterile state is maintained.
More specifically, since a particularly high level of sterility is required for the sterilization section (7), filling section (8) and top seal section (9) in the chamber (2), clean air purified by a ULPA filter (F) (an air filter having a particle collection rate of 99.9995% or more for particles with a diameter of 0.15 μm at the rated flow rate specified in JIS Z8122:2000 and an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less) is blown out from the clean air outlets (AB1) (AB2) through the air supply piping (P1).
Furthermore, locations within the chamber (2) other than the sterilization section (7), the filling section (8), and the top seal section (9), such as the hot air outlet (101) (see FIG. 1) in the flap seal section (10) and the hot air outlet (not shown) in the bottom molding section (3), do not require such a high level of cleanliness, so clean air purified by a HEPA filter (an air filter having a particle collection rate of 99.97% or more for particles with a particle size of 0.3 μm at the rated flow rate specified in JIS Z8122:2000 and an initial pressure loss of 245 Pa or less) is supplied thereto.
The clean air that has circulated in the chamber (2) is sucked and discharged from clean air suction ports provided at a number of predetermined locations in the chamber (2) and connected to an exhaust fan through exhaust piping. As shown in Fig. 1, the clean air suction ports (AS1) and (AS2) provided in the top wall (21) above the bottom forming portion (3) and the flap seal portion (10) in the chamber (2) are connected to the exhaust fan (E) through exhaust piping (P2). A flow control valve such as a butterfly valve (V) is provided in the middle of the exhaust piping (P2) so that the flow rate of the clean air discharged from the chamber (2) can be adjusted.

The inside of the chamber (2) is configured so that it can be cleaned (CIP) and sterilized (SIP) entirely. During cleaning, the carton blank inlet (201) and the content-filled container outlet (202) of the chamber (2) are closed, and cleaning agents such as alkaline and acidic solutions are sprayed from cleaning nozzles (12) provided at multiple designated locations, followed by rinsing. Similarly, during sterilization, the carton blank inlet (201) and the content-filled container outlet (202) of the chamber (2) are closed, and sterilizing agents are supplied from multiple designated locations to perform sterilization.

As shown in detail in Figures 2 to 4, the transport conveyor (4) has a four-row, one-pitch feed configuration and is equipped with two endless conveyor chains (42), one on the left and one on the right sides of the transport path (R) and wound around front and rear sprockets (41), four bottom rails (43) arranged parallel to each other along the transport path (R) between the left and right conveyor chains (42) and supporting the bottoms of the containers (C1), and a large number of container holders (44) installed between the opposing links on the left and right of both conveyor chains (42) and holding the containers (C1) on the four bottom rails (43) with their openings facing upward.
The containers C1 are successively transferred from the transfer section 35 of the bottom forming section 3 to the container holders 44 by the carton unloader 35a at the front end of the transfer conveyor 4 (see FIG. 1).

Each container holder (44) has a pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) made of long vertical plate material extending in the left-right direction and connected to the links (421) of both conveyor chains (42), and a total of four pairs of second holding plates (442) made of short vertical plate material extending in the front-back direction and fixed at multiple points in a predetermined length direction of the front and rear first holding plates (441), each pair consisting of two left and right plates.
The front and rear side walls of the four containers (C1) whose bottoms are supported by the four bottom rails (43) are held by the two front and rear first holding plates (441), and the left and right side walls of the four containers (C1) are held by the two left and right second holding plates (442) in each of the four pairs. In other words, the pair of the two front and rear first holding plates (441) and the two left and right second holding plates (442) in each of the four pairs form a holding section (440) that surrounds and holds the container (C1) from the front, rear, left and right. If the container holder (44) is configured with the first holding plates (441) and the second holding plates (442) as described above, the flow of clean air in the vertical direction in the chamber (2) is not impeded, and it is easy to obtain a rectifying effect that makes the flow of clean air a stable downward flow.
The left and right ends of the pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) are attached to the inner surfaces of the mutually facing links (421) of the left and right conveyor chains (42) via vertical plate-shaped blocks (45). The pitch of the links (421) of the conveyor chains (42) corresponds to the transport pitch (P) of the containers (C1) by the transport conveyor (4) (see FIG. 2).
Each of the first holding plate 441 and each of the second holding plates 442 has a hemispherical protrusion 441a, 442a formed thereon for point contact with the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1. The presence of these hemispherical protrusions 441a, 442a prevents the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1 from coming into close contact with the inner surfaces of each of the first holding plate 441 and each of the second holding plates 442, so that the outer surface of the side wall of the container C1 can be reliably sterilized by spraying a sterilizing agent in the sterilization section 7.
The upper edge of each first holding plate (441) is provided with an upper protrusion (441b) that protrudes upward from the other parts in the portion that holds the container (C1). These upper protrusions (441b) enable the container (C1) to be held more stably, and the height of the upper edge of the first holding plate (441) other than the upper protrusions (441b) is reduced, so that the processing of the upper part of the container (C1) in the top breaker section (6) and the like can be performed smoothly. The tip of each upper protrusion (441b) is inclined obliquely upward and outward in the front-rear direction so as to serve as a guide when the container (C1) is transferred to the holding section (440) by the carton unloader (35a).
The upper edge of the rear first holding plate (441) of the pair of front and rear first holding plates (441) is provided with rear convex portions (441c) bent horizontally rearward between the upper convex portions (441b). These rear convex portions (441c) close the gaps between adjacent container holders (44) in the front and rear direction where no container (C1) is present, so that the flow of clean air can be concentrated around the container (C1).

Fig. 5 shows the details of a container (C1) having an upper opening (C10). The container (C1) is a rectangular cylinder with a bottom, and includes a bottom wall and front, rear, left and right side walls, and a fold line (C11) is formed on the upper part of each side wall. The upper parts of the left and right side walls are folded along the fold line (C11) at the top breaker section (6) so that they can easily be folded by spreading outward in the left and right direction.
The container (C1) filled with contents through the upper opening (C10) in the filling section (8) is folded in the top seal section (9) downstream of the filling section (8) so that the upper parts of the front, rear, left and right side walls extend outward in the left-right direction along the fold lines (C11) as shown in Figure 6, and the front and rear edges formed in the upper opening (C10) are overlapped and sealed to form a content-filled container (C2) having a flap (C21) at the top that is long in the left-right direction.
The above-mentioned content-filled container (C2) is then molded into its final rectangular shape as shown in Figure 7 by folding down both left and right side portions of the flap (C21) in the next flap seal section (10) and sealing them to the upper surfaces of the left and right side walls.

8 to 10 show the discharge section (11) in detail.
The bottom rail (43) of the transport conveyor (4) is terminated one pitch before the position directly below the content-filled container outlet (202), and a lifter (111) is provided directly below the position to push the content-filled container (C2) up to a discharge position above the transport path (R) (above the content-filled container outlet (202)). The illustrated lifter (111) is made up of multiple (four in the figure) vertical rods and has a horizontal upper end surface (111a) on which the content-filled container (C2) is placed and pushed up. The lifter (111) is driven to move up and down between a lower limit position that is approximately the same level as the upper surface of the bottom rail (43) and an upper limit position that is approximately the same level as the upper surface of the top wall (21) of the chamber (2) adjacent to the content-filled container outlet (202) by a lifting and lowering drive means consisting of, for example, a swing arm (112) as shown in the figure. The height of the top wall (21) of the chamber (2) at the discharge portion (11) is made lower than the height of the top wall (21) of the chamber (2) in parts other than the discharge portion (11) so as to minimize the distance over which the content-filled container (C2) is pushed up.
The content-filled container outlet (202) is configured as a long hole extending in the left-right direction formed in the top wall (21) of the chamber (2) so that all of the content-filled containers (C2) (four in the figure) arranged in multiple rows (four rows in the figure) transported to the discharge section (11) by the transport conveyor (4) can pass through. However, the content-filled container outlet (202) may be configured as a plurality of holes so that one or a plurality of content-filled containers (C2) can pass through at a time, the number of holes being less than the number of rows.
The discharge section (11) is provided with a plurality of (four in the figure) push-up guides (113) that support and guide from the sides the content-filled container (C2) pushed up by the lifter (111). As shown in Figure 9, the push-up guide (113) is a bent plate attached to the rear edge of the content-filled container outlet (202) on the underside of the top wall (21) of the chamber (2), and includes a vertical central wall portion (113a) that runs along the rear wall of the content-filled container (C2), and left and right side wall portions (113b) that extend forward from the left and right side edges of the central wall portion (113a) so as to widen outward in the left and right directions. Therefore, even if a content-filled container (C2X) with a defective flap seal in which both the left and right sides of the flap (C21) are not sealed and are spread out to the left and right is pushed up by the lifter (111), the container (C2X) will not get caught on the push-up guide (113) and will be pushed up to the discharge position.

A front communication passage (13F) and a rear communication passage (13R) are provided on both the front and rear sides of the discharge position so as to extend in the left-right direction. The content-filled containers (C2) pushed up to the discharge position are alternately distributed to the front communication passage (13F) and the rear communication passage (13R) by the distribution means (14) for each cycle.
The front communication passage (13F) and the rear communication passage (13R) are formed by the front and rear portions of the content-filled container outlet (202) in the top wall (21) of the chamber (2). The front-to-rear widths of the front communication passage (13F) and the rear communication passage (13R) are approximately equal to the front-to-rear width of the content-filled container (C2).
The sorting means (14) includes a movable body (14A) capable of reciprocating back and forth, and a vertical plate-like pusher (14B) connected to the movable body (14A) so as to alternately press the content-filled containers (C2) pushed up to the discharge position toward the front connecting passage (13F) and the rear connecting passage (13R).
The movable body (14A) is composed of two link units (141) on the left and right, which are provided on the top wall (21) of the chamber (2) so as to straddle the front connecting passage (13F) and the rear connecting passage (13R). Each link unit (141) is composed of a front link (141a) whose lower end is rotatably attached to the front position of the front connecting passage (13F) on the top wall (21) of the chamber (2), a rear link (141b) whose lower end is rotatably attached to the rear position of the rear connecting passage (13R) on the top wall (21) of the chamber (2), and a horizontal intermediate link (141c) whose front and rear ends are rotatably connected to the upper ends of the front link (141a) and the rear link (141b), respectively. The front links (141a) of both link units (141) are connected to each other by, for example, a horizontal connecting rod (142) so that they can swing synchronously with each other.
Each link unit (141) is driven by a driving means. The driving means shown in the figure is composed of two air cylinders (143) whose rods are individually connected to the rear links (141b) of the left and right link units (141). Both air cylinders (143) can be extended and retracted in sync with each other by controlling the supply and stop of air by a common solenoid valve (not shown). When both air cylinders (143) are driven to extend and retract back and forth, the rear links (141b) of each link unit (141) are swung back and forth, and the intermediate links (141c) reciprocate back and forth in conjunction with this. The driving means may be a fluid pressure cylinder other than an air cylinder, an electric cylinder, a reciprocating mechanism driven by a motor, or the like.
The pusher (14B) is attached in a suspended manner to the intermediate link (141c) of the left and right link unit (141). When the intermediate link (141c) of the left and right link unit (141) reciprocates back and forth, the pusher (14B) is moved back and forth in response with a stroke approximately equal to the width of the content-filled container outlet (202). The pusher (14B) has a left-right length and a top-bottom height that enable it to simultaneously and stably press the multiple content-filled containers (C2) at the discharge position with its front and rear surfaces.
The sorting means can be configured, for example, by directly connecting the rod of an air cylinder with a linear guide to the pusher (14B) to reciprocate back and forth. However, the above-described configuration using the link unit (141) is advantageous in that it stabilizes the movement of the pusher (14B).

The discharge conveyor is provided so as to connect to either the left or right end (the right end in this embodiment) of the front communication passage (13F) or the rear communication passage (13R). More specifically, the discharge conveyor is composed of a front discharge conveyor (15F) provided so as to connect to the right end of the front communication passage (13F) and a rear discharge conveyor (15R) provided so as to connect to the right end of the rear communication passage (13R). In the illustrated example, the front discharge conveyor (15F) and the rear discharge conveyor (15R) are constituted by dividing one conveyor (belt conveyor) into two, a front conveyor and a rear conveyor, by a conveyor guide (151). However, the front discharge conveyor and the rear discharge conveyor may be constituted by two independent conveyors. The discharge conveyor may also be constituted by one conveyor connected to one end of both the front communication passage (13F) and the rear communication passage (13R). Although not shown in the figure, the front discharge conveyor (15F) and the rear discharge conveyor (15R) each extend to a downstream process section such as a plug attachment device.
A defective product discharge section (17) is provided so as to connect to either the left or right end (the left end in this embodiment) of the front communication passage (13F) and the rear communication passage (13R). The defective product discharge section (17) includes a defective product discharge chute (171). An upper end of the defective product discharge chute (171) is attached to an upper portion of the left side wall (22) of the chamber (2) so as to be adjacent to the left ends of the front communication passage (13F) and the rear communication passage (13R). A lower end of the defective product discharge chute (171) is disposed above a defective product collection section (not shown) such as a defective product collection box.

The content-filled containers (C2) alternately distributed to the front connecting passage (13F) and the rear connecting passage (13R) are transferred to the front discharge conveyor (15F) and the rear discharge conveyor (15R) by the front transfer means (16F) and the rear transfer means (16R).
In addition, if the allocated content-filled containers (C2) contain defective products (C2X), the content-filled containers (C2) (C2X) are transported to the defective product discharge section (17) by the front transport means (16F) and the rear transport means (16R).
The front transfer means (16F) is wound around two left and right pulleys (161) and (162) at the front side of the front connecting passage (13F) to be rotatable and is composed of a front transfer belt (163F) having a plurality of convex parts (164) at intervals on its outer surface for holding the content-filled container (C2). The rear transfer means (16R) is wound around two left and right pulleys (161) and (162) at the rear side of the rear connecting passage (13R) to be rotatable and is composed of a rear transfer belt (163R) having a plurality of convex parts (164) at intervals on its outer surface for holding the content-filled container (C2). The portions of the top wall 21 of the chamber 2 corresponding to the front transfer means 16F and the rear transfer means 16R protrude outward in the left and right direction from the left and right side walls 22 of the chamber 2, respectively, and pulleys 161, 162 are provided on the protruding portions. Of the pair of left and right pulleys, the one opposite the discharge conveyors 15F, 15R (the left side in this embodiment) is a drive pulley 161 connected to a servo motor 165, and the one on the discharge conveyor 15F, 15R side (the right side in this embodiment) is a driven pulley 162.
In each of the front transfer belt (163F) and the rear transfer belt (163R), the inner surface of a portion (1631) facing the pusher (14B) in the front-rear direction is slidably supported by a vertical plate-shaped belt guide (166) provided at a required location on the top wall (21) of the chamber (2) so that the portion (1631) facing the pusher (14B) in the front-rear direction is parallel to the pusher (14B). The surfaces facing the pusher (14B) and the portion (1631) of the front transfer belt (163F) or the rear transfer belt (163R) in the front-rear direction form a guide surface when the content-filled container (C2) is transferred through the front communication passage (13F) or the rear communication passage (13R).
The front transfer means and the rear transfer means can be constructed, for example, by a chain equipped with a pusher for pushing the content-filled container (C2), or a conveyor on which the content-filled container (C2) is placed and transported. However, if they are constructed using the front transfer belt (163F) and the rear transfer belt (163R) with the above-mentioned convex portion (164), it is advantageous in that the content-filled container (C2) can be transported reliably and stably to the discharge conveyor while regulating the forward and backward movement of the content-filled container (C2).
The protrusions (164) provided on the outer surfaces of the front transfer belt (163F) and the rear transfer belt (163R) are preferably of a required vertical height so as to contact the center of gravity of the content-filled container (C2) or slightly below the center of gravity of the content-filled container (C2) in consideration of the frictional resistance between the top surfaces of the front communication passage (13F) and the rear communication passage (13R) at the transfer position and the bottom of the content-filled container (C2) so that the content-filled container (C2) can be stably pushed. The protrusions (164) may be divided into multiple parts in the height direction.

When the multiple content-filled containers (C2) pushed up to the discharge position are pushed forward by the pusher (14B) of the sorting means (14) and transferred to the front connecting passage (13F), each content-filled container (C2) is sandwiched between the pusher (14B) and the portions between the convex portions (164) of the front transfer belt (163F), and movement in the front-rear direction is restricted. In this state, when the servo motor (165) is driven to rotate the front transfer belt (163F) in a predetermined direction (clockwise direction in FIG. 9(a)), the multiple content-filled containers (C2) are pushed to the right by the convex portions (164) of the front transfer belt (163F) and transferred in a single file to the front discharge conveyor (15F).
In the next cycle, the multiple content-filled containers C2 that have been pushed up to the discharge position are pushed backward by the pusher 14B of the sorting means 14 and transferred to the rear connecting passage 13R, where each content-filled container C2 is sandwiched between the pusher 14B and the portions between the convex portions 164 of the rear transfer belt 163R, restricting movement in the forward and backward directions. In this state, when the servo motor 165 is driven to rotate the rear transfer belt 163R in a predetermined direction (counterclockwise in FIG. 9(a)), the multiple content-filled containers C2 are pushed rightward by the convex portions 164 of the rear transfer belt 163R and transferred in a single file to the rear discharge conveyor 15R.

Here, the transfer speed of the content-filled container (C2) by the front transfer belt (163F) or the rear transfer belt (163R) can be set so that the transfer to the front discharge conveyor (15F) or the rear discharge conveyor (15R) is almost completed by the time the content-filled container (C2) of the next cycle is pushed up to the discharge position and the pusher (14B) starts the sorting operation (movement backward or forward). In this embodiment, the pusher (14B) can function as a guide until the transfer to the front discharge conveyor (15F) or the rear discharge conveyor (15R) is almost completed, so that the transfer of the content-filled container (C2) on the front connecting passage (13F) or the rear connecting passage (13R) can be performed stably and quickly.
As another embodiment of the transfer speed of the content-filled container (C2), it can be set so that the transfer to the front discharge conveyor (15F) or the rear discharge conveyor (15R) is almost completed by the time the content-filled container (C2) after two cycles is pushed up to the discharge position. In this embodiment, the following effects are achieved. That is, for example, in the case of the conventional filling and packaging machine described in the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, it is necessary to transport the content-filled containers discharged in one cycle at a high speed on the discharge conveyor so that the movement is completed by the time the content-filled containers discharged in the next cycle reach the discharge position, which may cause the content-filled containers to tip over and make the discharge unstable. In contrast to this, in the filling packaging machine (1) of the above embodiment, the multiple content-filled containers (C2) discharged are alternately sorted into the front connecting passage (13F) and the rear connecting passage (13R) in each cycle and then transferred to the front discharge conveyor (15F) and the rear discharge conveyor (15R), so that the multiple content-filled containers (C2) discharged in one cycle can be transferred from the front connecting passage (13F) or the rear connecting passage (13R) to the front discharge conveyor (15F) or the rear discharge conveyor (15R) so that the movement is completed by the time the multiple content-filled containers (C2) discharged two cycles later reach the discharge position. Therefore, according to the filling packaging machine (1) of the above embodiment, the transfer speed of the content-filled container (C2) by the front transfer belt (163F) and the rear transfer belt (163R) and the speed of the front discharge conveyor (15F) and the rear discharge conveyor (15R) can be reduced to about half the speed of the discharge conveyors in conventional filling packaging machines, so that the content-filled container (C2) is prevented from falling over during discharge and the conveying state during discharge is stabilized. Note that when the transfer speed of the content-filled container (C2) is set to the above mode, the pusher (14B) leaves the content-filled container (C2) before or during the transfer of the content-filled container (C2) in the front connecting passage (13F) or the rear connecting passage (13R) and therefore no longer functions as a guide, but since the transfer speed is suppressed as described above, the transfer of the content-filled container (C2) can be performed in a relatively stable state.

As shown in Fig. 9(a), the outer diameter of the driven pulley (162) of the front transfer means (16F) and the rear transfer means (16R) is smaller than the outer diameter of the drive pulley (161). In addition, the end of each belt guide (166) on the discharge conveyor (15F) (15R) side is terminated just before the driven pulley (162). Therefore, the front transfer belt (163F) and the rear transfer belt (163R) are angled so as to gradually move away from the pusher (14B) in the portion (1632) from the end of the belt guide (166) to the driven pulley (162). In the portion where each of the transfer belts (163F) (163R) is hung on the driven pulley (162), the convex portion (164) on the outer surface of the transfer belts (163F) (163R) rotates around the driven pulley (162), so the moving speed of the tip portion of the convex portion (164) increases, and the content-filled container (C2) pushed by the tip portion of the convex portion (164) accelerates, which may cause the transfer state to become unstable. Therefore, by using the above configuration to prevent the convex portion (164) of the transfer belts (163F) (163R) in the portion where it is hung on the driven pulley (162) from hitting the content-filled container (C2), the content-filled container (C2) can be stably transferred to the discharge conveyors (15F) (15R) without falling over.
In addition, the outer diameter of the driven pulley (162) may be the same as the outer diameter of the drive pulley (161) and may be positioned a predetermined distance forward or backward from the drive pulley (161), thereby making it possible to give the above-mentioned angle to the portion (1632) of each transfer belt (163F) (163R) from the end of the belt guide (166) to the driven pulley (162).

As described above, in the filling packaging machine (1) of this embodiment, a plurality of content-filled containers (C2) are pushed up to the discharge position and alternately sorted into the front connecting passage (13F) and the rear connecting passage (13R) in each cycle and transferred to the front discharge conveyor (15F) or the rear discharge conveyor (15R), and are transported to the downstream process section by these discharge conveyors (15F) (15R).
For example, when the downstream process section is a plug attachment section that attaches plugs to content-filled containers (C2), if the processing capacity per unit time of the plug attachment device is about half the production capacity per unit time of the filling packaging machine (1), it is necessary to attach the plugs by two plug attachment devices in two separate lines in order to accommodate the production capacity of the filling packaging machine (1). In such a case, in a conventional filling packaging machine, it was necessary to provide a special sorting device on the discharge conveyor to sort the work into two lines. In contrast, according to the filling packaging machine (1) of the above embodiment, the formed content-filled containers (C2) are sorted at the discharge position and transported by the two discharge conveyors (15F) and (15R), so that the downstream process section, such as the plug attachment section, can be divided into two lines without providing a special sorting device.

When the filling packaging machine (1) starts to operate or when it resumes after a temporary stop, the amount of contents filled into the container (C1) is insufficient. The content-filled container (C2) formed before the content filling amount stabilizes must be rejected as a defective product. In conventional filling packaging machines, defective products are rejected manually or by a dedicated defective product rejection device. In contrast, in the case of the filling packaging machine (1) of this embodiment, when a content-filled container (C2) with a filling defect is conveyed to the discharge section (11), the front transfer belt (163F) or the rear transfer belt (163R) is rotated in the direction opposite to normal in the front communication passage (13F) or the rear communication passage (13R) to move the content-filled container (C2) to the left, and the content-filled container is dropped into the defective product rejection chute (171) and rejected. In other words, according to the filling packaging machine (1) of this embodiment, defective products can be rejected automatically without providing a dedicated defective product rejection device.
Furthermore, according to the filling packaging machine (1) of this embodiment, if a sensor that detects a flap (C21) that has peeled off and floated up from the surface of the content-filled container (C2) due to poor sealing is provided at a specified location in the discharge section (11), content-filled containers (C2X) with poor flap sealing can also be automatically removed in the same manner as described above.

Figure 10 shows an example of the discharge process of content-filled containers (C2) by the filling and packaging machine (1), and more specifically shows an example of the operation timing of the transport conveyor (4), lifter (111), sorting means (14), front transfer means (16F) and rear transfer means (16R) during the discharge process.
10(a) shows the state in which four content-filled containers (C2) in the first cycle have been transported by the transport conveyor (4) to the discharge section (11). In this state, the lifter (111) is at the lower limit of its lifting stroke, and the content-filled containers (C2) are placed on its upper end surface (111a). In addition, the pusher (14B) of the sorting means (14) is at its rear end position, i.e., above the rear edge of the content-filled container outlet (202).
Then, from this state, the lifter (111) is raised, and each content-filled container (C2) is pushed up to a discharge position above the content-filled container outlet (202), as shown in FIG. 10(b).
When the content-filled container C2 reaches the discharge position, the air cylinder 143 of the sorting means 14 is driven in the extension direction to move the pusher 14B forward, and the content-filled container C2 is pushed forward by the pusher 14B and transferred to the front connecting passage 13F, as shown in Figure 10(c). The lifter 111 is lowered to its lowest position before the content-filled container C2 of the next cycle arrives at the discharge section 11.
When the content-filled container (C2) is transferred to the front connecting passage (13F), the servo motor (165) of the front transfer means (16F) is driven to rotate the front transfer belt (163F) in a predetermined direction, and the content-filled container (C2) pushed by the convex portion (164) of the front transfer belt (163F) is transferred to the front discharge conveyor (15F) while being sandwiched between the pusher (14B) at the front end position (above the front edge of the content-filled container outlet (202)) and the parallel surfaces (guide surfaces) facing each other at the front and rear of the front transfer belt (163F).
When the four content-filled containers (C2) of the next cycle arrive at the discharge section (11) and the content-filled containers (C2) are placed on the upper end surface (111a) of the lifter (111), the lifter (111) is raised and each content-filled container (C2) is pushed up to the discharge position, as shown in Figure 10 (d).
When these content-filled containers C2 reach the discharge position, the air cylinder 143 of the sorting means 14 is driven in the contracting direction, the pusher 14B moves rearward from the front end position, and the content-filled containers C2 are pushed rearward by the pusher 14B and transferred to the rear communication passage 13R, as shown in Figure 10(e). The lifter 111 is further lowered to its lowest position by the time the content-filled container C2 of the next cycle arrives at the discharge section 11.
When the content-filled container (C2) is transferred to the rear connecting passage (13R), the servo motor (165) of the rear transfer means (16R) is driven to rotate the rear transfer belt (163R) in a predetermined direction, and the content-filled container (C2) pushed by the convex portion (164) of the rear transfer belt (163R) is transferred to the rear discharge conveyor (15R) while being sandwiched between the pusher (14B) at the rear end position and the parallel surfaces (guide surfaces) facing each other at the front and rear of the rear transfer belt (163R).
By repeating the above steps, the content-filled container (C2) formed in the chamber (2) is discharged without delay.

According to the filling packaging machine (1) of this embodiment, while the content-filled container (C2) of one cycle is being sorted, the content-filled container (C2) of the next cycle is transported to the discharge section (11) (see Figures 10(c) and (e)), and while the content-filled container (C2) of one cycle is being transported by the front transfer belt (163F) or the rear transfer belt (163R), the content-filled container (C2) of the next cycle is pushed up to the discharge position (see Figures 10(d) and (f)), so there is no wasted waiting time for each device and it can be operated efficiently.
In this embodiment, the front transfer belt (163F) or the rear transfer belt (163R) is rotated after the content-filled container (C2) at the discharge position is transferred to the front communication passage (13F) or the rear communication passage (13R), and there is a time when the content-filled container (C2) stops in the front communication passage (13F) or the rear communication passage (13R). Alternatively, the front transfer belt (163F) or the rear transfer belt (163R) may be started while the content-filled container (C2) is being transferred to the front communication passage (13F) or the rear communication passage (13R), and the content-filled container (C2) may start to be pushed toward the front discharge conveyor (15F) or the rear discharge conveyor (15R). According to the latter operation timing, there is no time for the content-filled container (C2) to stop in the front connecting passage (13F) or the rear connecting passage (13R), but the operation timing according to this embodiment is more advantageous for stably transferring the content-filled container (C2).

This invention is suitable for use as a filling and packaging machine that forms content-filled containers by filling and sealing multiple containers, such as beverages and food, while transporting multiple containers in multiple rows along a predetermined transport path.

(1): Filling and packaging machine
(2): Chamber
(202): Contents filling container outlet
(4): Transport conveyor
(8): Filling section
(9): Top seal part
(10): Flap seal part
(11): Discharge section
(111): Lifter
(13F): Front access passage
(13R): Rear access passage
(14): Allocation method
(14A): Movable body
(14B): Pusher
(15F): Front discharge conveyor
(15R): Rear discharge conveyor
(16F): Front transport means
(16R): Rear transport means
(161): Drive pulley
(162): Driven pulley
(163F): Front transfer belt
(163R): Rear transfer belt
(164): Convex
(17): Defective Product Disposal Department
(171): Defective product discharge chute
(C1): Container
(C10): Top opening
(C2): Contents filled container
(C2X): Container with defective flap seal (defective product)
(R): Transport route

Claims (5)

A filling and packaging machine for forming a content-filled container by conveying a plurality of containers having an upper opening in a state of being arranged in multiple rows on the left and right along a conveying path extending in a front-rear direction, filling the containers with contents and sealing the upper openings in sequence,
a lifter for lifting the content-filled containers in each row to a discharge position above the conveying path;
a front communication passage and a rear communication passage provided on both sides of the discharge position so as to extend in the left-right direction;
a distribution means for alternately distributing the content-filled container that has been pushed up to the discharge position to the front communication passage and the rear communication passage;
a discharge conveyor provided to connect to either one of the left and right ends of the front communication passage and the rear communication passage;
a front transfer means for transferring the content-filled containers distributed to the front communication passage and the rear communication passage, respectively, to the discharge conveyor, and a rear transfer means for transferring the content-filled containers distributed to the front communication passage and the rear communication passage, respectively, to the discharge conveyor. The filling and packaging machine of claim 1, wherein the front transfer means and the rear transfer means are wound around two pulleys on the left and right adjacent to the front and rear outer sides of the front and rear connecting passages, respectively, so that they can be rotated and driven, and the outer surface of the belt has a number of protrusions spaced apart in the length direction for holding the content-filled container. The filling and packaging machine of claim 2, wherein the sorting means comprises a movable body capable of reciprocating back and forth, and a vertical plate-shaped pusher connected to the movable body so as to alternately press the content-filled containers pushed up to the discharge position toward the front connecting passage and the rear connecting passage, and the front and rear opposing surfaces of the pusher and the front transfer belt or the rear transfer belt form guide surfaces when the content-filled containers are transferred through the front connecting passage or the rear connecting passage. a defective product discharge section is provided so as to be connected to the other end of either the left or right end of the front communication passage and the rear communication passage,
A filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the front transfer means and the rear transfer means are configured to transfer the content-filled container to the defective product discharge section when the content-filled container allocated to the front communication passage or the rear communication passage contains a defective product. A filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the discharge conveyor is composed of a front discharge conveyor and a rear discharge conveyor that are provided to connect to either the left or right end of the front communication passage and the rear communication passage, respectively.

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