JP7624703B2 - Filling and packaging machine - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for making (producing) packaging bags that can be peeled open by applying pressure (pressure) to the storage section of the filled material (item that has been filled; contents).

When using a filling and packaging machine to fill and make a packaging bag that can be peeled open from the inside of the package by applying pressure (compression) to the bag portion (the portion filled with the contents) of the packaging bag (package) with the fingers of the opener, the contents are pushed outward, and the bag is opened by peeling from the inside of the package. The following methods have been used in the past.

In the first method, the product is filled and packaged using a packaging film that has a peelable layer at the opening portion.
The second method is to form a peel-open portion (a portion with weak sealing strength) by lowering the sealing conditions (sealing temperature and sealing pressure) for the peel-open portion when the filling and packaging machine is packaging (see, for example, Reference 1).
A third method is to form a peel-open portion (a portion with weak sealing strength) by subjecting the inner surface of the packaging film to a surface treatment to reduce the seal strength (see Patent Document 2).

Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-023343 JP 2014-58338 A

When using the first and second conventional methods described above, packaging had to be done within a range of sealing conditions that allowed the opening part to be peeled off, so sealing conditions other than the opening part had to be compromised, resulting in an overall reduction in sealing quality, including seal strength and appearance.

Even when the third method is used, the surface of the packaging film that comes into contact with the filling (contents) is processed, so the reaction to the filling must be carefully considered, and this has been avoided due to hygiene concerns, particularly when filling food. Furthermore, when the surface of the packaging film is scraped, there is a high possibility of processing debris being generated, and if this remains on the sealing surface, it can cause poor sealing or fall off and become mixed into the contents.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a filling and packaging machine that produces high-quality filling and packaging by making (producing) packaging bags that can be peeled open by applying pressure (pressure) to the containing section of the filled material, without processing the surface of the packaging film, and by being able to package areas other than the opening section under optimal sealing conditions.

For this reason, the present invention provides
A filling and packaging machine that pulls out and conveys a strip-shaped laminated packaging film wound in a roll, performs heat sealing in the vertical and horizontal directions to form a bag, and fills a fluid content to manufacture a packaging bag,
The laminated packaging film includes at least a laser-transmittable base layer, an intermediate layer disposed in contact with the base layer and expanding in response to laser irradiation, and a sealant layer disposed in contact with the intermediate layer on the opposite side of the base layer ,
The heat sealing is performed in a state where the sealant layers of the laminated packaging film face each other,
The filling and packaging machine is characterized in that it is equipped with a laser device that, at any stage before the heat sealing, irradiates a laser onto a predetermined peelable area including the planned area where the laminated packaging film is to be heat sealed, thereby forming an expanded portion in the intermediate layer, thereby reducing the seal strength between the sealant layers formed by the heat sealing and imparting peelability.

In the present invention, the laser device can be characterized in that it adjusts the ease of peeling by lowering the seal strength by slowing down the laser scanning speed for the peelable range, and adjusts the difficulty of peeling by increasing the seal strength by increasing the laser scanning speed.

In the present invention, the laser device can be characterized in that it adjusts the ease of peeling by lowering the seal strength by increasing the laser irradiation density for the peelable range, and adjusts the difficulty of peeling by increasing the seal strength by decreasing the laser irradiation density.

In the present invention, the laser device can be characterized in that the peelable area is set in two or more locations within an area corresponding to one packaging bag.

In the present invention, the laser device can be characterized in that the two or more peelable areas are set to different laser scanning speeds or laser irradiation densities.

In the present invention, the laser device can be characterized by printing a pattern, letter or symbol in a predetermined area of a single packaging bag.

In the present invention, the laser device can set a peelable range at a position that connects the portion for accommodating the filled material formed by heat sealing the packaging bag to the edge of the packaging bag.

In the present invention, the portion for accommodating the filler formed by heat sealing the packaging bag has a convex portion on at least one side, and the laser device sets the peelable range at the position connecting the convex portion and the edge of the packaging bag.

In the present invention, the packaging bag has at least two compartments for storing the filled material formed by heat sealing, and the laser device sets the peelable range so as to connect the two compartments.

In the present invention, the laser device can be characterized in that the laser wavelength is set in the range of 355 μm to 1064 μm.

In the present invention, the packaging bag can be characterized as a packaging bag in which the contents are poured out from a position that has been given peelability by the laser device by compressing a storage section filled with the contents.

According to the present invention, when manufacturing (producing) packaging bags that can be peeled open by applying pressure (pressure) to the portion containing the filled material, it is possible to provide a filling and packaging machine that can perform high-quality filling and packaging by making it possible to package areas other than the opening portion under optimal sealing conditions without processing the surface of the packaging film.

1 is a front view of a vertical automatic filling and packaging machine (filling and packaging machine) according to one embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a laser device according to an embodiment of the present invention. (3-a) is a diagram showing a laminated packaging film of bag making example 1 to which a peel-off coloring portion has been added, which has been transported by a packaging material feeding device; (3-b) is a diagram showing a laminated packaging film that has been folded back by a former guide and then vertically sealed to form a tube; (3-c) is a front view showing a laminated packaging film (packaging body) that has been horizontally sealed in the portion including the peel-off coloring portion to form a continuous bag; and (3-d) is a front view showing individual packaging bags (packaging body) that have been cut at the set positions of the horizontal seals. 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a method for peeling and opening a packaging bag according to the present embodiment. FIG. (5-a) is a cross-sectional view of the laminated packaging film (front side) of bag making example 1 of the present invention, (5-b) is a cross-sectional view explaining the state in which a laser is irradiated to the intended peeling portion (intended weak portion) to cause a coloring reaction (expansion) of the printed layer and peeling (delamination) from the adjacent layer, (5-c) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which a laminated packaging film (front side) and a laminated packaging film (rear side) equipped with a peeling coloring portion are folded back and overlapped to form a cylindrical shape, and (5-d) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which a peel-opening portion (weak portion) is formed in the packaging bag by sealing the portion including the peeling coloring portion. FIG. 6-a is a diagram showing a laminated packaging film of bag making example 2 in which a peel-off coloring area has been added to the portion to be folded back that has been transported by a packaging material feeding device; FIG. 6-b is a diagram showing a laminated packaging film that has been folded back by a former guide and then vertically sealed to form a tube; FIG. 6-c is a diagram showing a laminated packaging film (packaging body) in which a horizontal seal has been applied to the portion including the peel-off coloring area to form a continuous bag; and FIG. 6-d is a diagram showing individual packaging bags (packaging body) that have been cut at the set positions of the horizontal seals. (7-a) is a cross-sectional view of the laminated packaging film of bag making example 2, (7-b) is a cross-sectional view explaining the state in which a laser is irradiated to the intended peeling portion (portion where a weak portion is to be formed) to cause a coloring reaction (expansion) of the printed layer and peeling (delamination) from the adjacent layer, (7-c) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which the packaging film is folded back at the portion including the peeling color portion by a former guide to be formed into a cylindrical shape, and (7-d) is a cross-sectional view showing the state in which a peel-open portion (weak portion) is formed in the packaging bag by applying a horizontal seal to the portion including the peeling color portion. (8-a) is a front view showing bag making example 3, (8-b) is a front view showing bag making example 4, (8-c) is a front view showing bag making example 5, and (8-d) is a front view showing bag making example 6. 9A is a front view showing bag making example 7, and FIG. 9B is a front view showing bag making example 8. 10-a is an enlarged front view of the peel-open portion of the bag making example 9, and FIG. 10-b is an enlarged front view of the peel-open portion of the bag making example 10. FIG.

One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment (example) described below.

As shown in FIG. 1, a vertical automatic filling and packaging machine (filling and packaging machine) 1 includes a packaging shaft 2 that supports a laminated packaging film F1 wound in a roll, a packaging material feed device 4 that pulls out and feeds the packaging film from the packaging film F1, a former guide 5 that folds the packaging film along the longitudinal direction (the conveying direction of the packaging film) to form it into a substantially cylindrical shape, a vertical sealing device 7 that seals both ends of the substantially cylindrically folded film vertically and a first horizontal sealing device 8 that seals the bottom side horizontally to fill the bag portion (containing the filling material) of the upper opening of the packaging film. It is made up of a filling nozzle 6 that fills the packaging film with the filling agent, a vertical sealing device 7 that vertically seals both ends of the packaging film that has been folded and formed into a roughly cylindrical shape along the length, a first horizontal sealing device 8 that horizontally seals the bottom of the packaging bag, a second horizontal sealing device 9 that horizontally seals the top end of the packaging film (packaging bag) filled with the contents (filling), a cutter device 10 that cuts off the continuous packaging bags at the center of the horizontal seal into a predetermined number of bags, an output slide 11 that conveys the cut-off packaging bags (packages) P1, and an operation panel 12 for inputting various data and performing various operations and controls.

Furthermore, vertical automatic filling and packaging machine 1 according to the present embodiment is provided with laser device 3 upstream in the transport direction of the packaging film from first horizontal sealing device 8. In Fig. 1, laser device 3 is provided between roll-shaped laminated packaging film F1 and packaging material feed device 4.
The laser device 3 includes a laser protection cover 3a and an irradiation position adjustment mechanism 3b. The irradiation position adjustment mechanism 3b can adjust the laser irradiation position (the irradiation position of the laser 101) in the width direction and the vertical direction of the packaging film. The adjustment method may be either manual or electric.

An example of the configuration of the laser device 3 is shown in FIG.
As shown in Fig. 2, the laser device 3 includes a laser marker 100, and is configured so that a laser 101 is irradiated from the laser marker 100 toward a packaging film F2. In Fig. 2, the reference symbol F2 denotes a strip-shaped laminated packaging film before laser irradiation (before forming by the former guide 5), and the reference symbol F3 denotes a laminated packaging film (before forming by the former guide 5) to which a peeling coloring portion (weak peeling portion, peelable range) 102 has been imparted after laser irradiation (before forming by the former guide 5).

The laser device 3 is normally used to print information such as the date of manufacture (as well as other information such as the product name and manufacturer information) as shown in FIG. 8 (8-c).
Specifically, a packaging film as shown in FIG. 5 can be used.
The laminated packaging film (surface side) 110 is composed of a laser-transmissive base layer 111 made of PET (polyethylene terephthalate) or the like, a printing layer 112 made of biaxially oriented PET, biaxially oriented PP (OPP), biaxially oriented nylon (ONY) or the like, and a sealant layer 113 (a layer that welds and bonds films together) made of CPP (cast polypropylene film) or the like, and the film can be printed by irradiating the printing layer 112 with a laser.

The laser device 3 in this embodiment irradiates the packaging film with a laser 101 from the laser marker 100, causing the laser 101 that has passed through the base material layer 111 to act on the printing layer 111, causing the ink to undergo a chemical change (reaction and color development), thereby printing.As the laser in this embodiment, an IR laser (fiber/ _YVO4 ) light or a UV laser can be used.
Incidentally, a _CO2 laser (wavelength of approximately 10,600 μm) burns the surface of the packaging material with heat to perform printing, which generates a large amount of smoke and gas due to the burnt resin, and is therefore not preferred in this embodiment.

The laser device 3 according to this embodiment can also be used for purposes other than printing, and is configured to peel off at least a portion of the lateral seal of the packaging film when the opener applies pressure (applying pressure) to the bag portion of the package (the storage portion filled with the contents) with a finger or the like, forming a peeling weak portion 107 through which the contents (fillings) can be pushed out.

In this embodiment, the peeling weak portion (also simply referred to as the weak portion) 107 is formed as follows.
That is, by irradiating the packaging film with a laser 101 from a laser marker 100, the laser 101 that has passed through a base layer 111 acts on a printing layer 112 to form (impart) an expansion portion 102 (a color-developing portion for peeling, a region imparting peelability).
For example, the laser 101 is moved back and forth to form an expanded portion 102 that is more expanded than other portions in the printed layer 112 in the portion that will become the horizontal seal.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 5 (5-b), the laser 101 is irradiated in a concentrated manner (at a high density) on a certain portion, thereby chemically changing the printing layer 112 in that portion, thereby forming an expanded portion 102 (a color-developing portion for peeling) that is more expanded than the other non-irradiated portions.
Then, as shown in Figure 5 (5-c), "the packaging film 110a and the packaging film 120 stacked via the former guide 5" are sandwiched and transversely sealed by a heated seal bar or the like in the first transverse sealing device 8 or the second transverse sealing device 9, as shown in Figure 5 (5-d). However, a force acts on the expanded expansion portion 102 to separate it from the sealant layer 123 of the back side (lower side) of the packaging film 120, weakening the adhesion between the sealant layer 113 on the front side and the sealant layer 123 in contact with it on the back side (lower side) . As a result, peeling between the sealant layer 113 on the front side and the sealant layer 123 in contact with it on the back side (lower side) becomes more likely to occur, and by stretching and thinning the sealant layer 123 by expansion, a weakly bonded portion 132, and ultimately a weak portion 107, is formed. In FIG. 5(5-d), reference numeral 130 denotes a sealed packaging film, 131 denotes a heat-pressure-bonded sealant layer, and 132 denotes a weakly bonded portion of the sealant layer (weak portion: peel-open portion).

This weakly bonded portion 132 (weak portion 107) is connected to a bag portion (container portion) 105 filled with a fluid content (filling) 105a, such as liquid or paste-like content, such as soy sauce, sauce, or miso, so that, as shown in FIG. 4, the weakly bonded portion 132 can be peeled off by pressure (pressure) 108 applied to the bag portion 105 of the package by the opener's fingers, etc., and the content (filling) 105a can be pushed out (discharged or poured out) from the weakly bonded portion 132 (weak portion 107). Reference numeral 109 indicates the filling (content) to be discharged (poured out).

The expansion portion 102 (coloring portion for peeling) is formed in a position that overlaps with the horizontal seal 104 (bottom: lower side) sealed by the first horizontal sealing device 8 and the horizontal seal 106 (top: upper side) sealed by the second horizontal sealing device 9 in an area that does not overlap with the vertical seal 103, as shown in (3-a) to (3-d) of Figure 3, and when cut into individual packages P1 by the cutter device 10, at least one expansion portion 102 (coloring portion for peeling) and thus a weakly adhesive portion 132 (weak portion 107) can be formed for each package P1.

In other words, in the present invention, including the examples described later, an expansion portion 102 (coloring portion for peeling), which is a peelable range, and even a weakly adhesive portion 132 (weak portion 107) can be provided (formed, set) at a position (position of connection) connecting the storage portion filled with the filling material and the edge of the packaging bag P1 or the like (the outside of the horizontal seal or vertical seal).
In FIG. 3, symbol F4 denotes a cylindrical packaging film formed by a former guide 5, and F5 denotes a continuous bag-shaped packaging film having a bag portion 105 sealed vertically and horizontally and filled with contents (filling) 105a.

In this manner, in the present embodiment, when filling and manufacturing (producing) a packaging bag that can be peeled and opened by applying pressure (pressure) to the bag portion using an automatic filling and packaging machine,
A portion of a laminated packaging film including a printed layer in the middle that is to be peeled open is irradiated with a laser by a laser device to cause the printed layer to develop color and expand, making it easier for delamination (interlayer peeling) to occur, and the sealant layer is stretched and thinned by the expansion, forming a peel-open portion (weakly adhesive portion 132, and therefore weak portion 107) with reduced seal strength.

The seal strength at this time can be adjusted by the scanning speed (irradiation time) of the laser irradiation, the irradiation density, and the output.
As an example of an adjustment procedure during bag production, first, the horizontal sealing devices 8 and 9 are adjusted and set up to obtain optimal sealing conditions for the packaging film and the filled material, and then the laser irradiation settings of the laser device 3 (settings of the laser scanning speed, scanning density, scanning range, laser irradiation output, etc.) are made and appropriately adjusted so that the peel-open portion (weakly adhesive portion 132 and therefore weak portion 107) can be peeled off as desired.

In this embodiment, the inner surface of the packaging film is hygienic because the middle layer (printed layer) of the packaging film that does not come into contact with the contents is processed (reacted), and high-quality packaging can be achieved because the packaging film is processed to form a peel-open portion (weakly bonded portion 132 and therefore weak portion 107) under optimal sealing conditions for the packaging bag.

FIG. 6 shows bag making example 2, which is another bag making embodiment (packaging bag embodiment) of the present invention.
In bag making example 2, the expanding portion 202 (coloring portion for peeling) is provided near the folded-back end of the packaging film f3 (area not overlapping with the vertical seal 203), for example, as shown in Fig. 6(6-a) and (6-b), and then, as shown in Fig. 6(6-c), a horizontal seal 204 (bottom: lower side) is applied by the first horizontal sealing device 8, and a horizontal seal 206 (top: upper side) is applied by the second horizontal sealing device 9. Then, as shown in Fig. 6(6-d), when the individual packages P2 are separated by the cutter device 10, at least one expanding portion 202 (coloring portion for peeling) and thus a weak portion 207 are formed for each package P2.

In FIG. 6, f3 is a laminated packaging film with a peel-off coloring portion added to the portion to be folded, f4 is a cylindrical packaging film formed by a former guide 5, and f5 is a continuous bag-shaped packaging film that has a bag portion 205 that is vertically and horizontally sealed and filled with contents (filling) 205a.

Also, FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view of the packaging film of FIG. 6 as seen from the side (thickness direction), where 201 is a laser, 210 is a laminated packaging film, 211 is a base layer, 212 is a printed layer, 213 is a sealant layer, 214 is a peelable area, 210a is a peelable laminated packaging film, 230 is a sealed packaging film, 231 is a heat-pressed sealant layer, and 232 is a fragile portion (weak portion) of the sealant layer and a peel-open portion.

FIG. 8(8-a) shows a third embodiment of the bag making method according to the present invention.
The peel-open portion (weak portion) 301 of the packaging bag P3 of Example 3 is provided on the folded-back side, and is formed in a tapered shape with a wider width on the bag portion 305 side (lower end side) of the horizontal seal 306 and a narrower width on the upper end side of the horizontal seal 306.

FIG. 8(8-b) shows a fourth embodiment of the bag making method according to the present invention.
The peel-open portion (weak portion) 401 of the packaging bag P4 of the fourth embodiment is provided on the vertical seal 403 side.

FIG. 8(8-c) shows bag making example 5, which is another bag making embodiment of the present invention.
The peel-to-open portion (weak portion) 501 of the packaging bag P5 of Example 5 is provided on the horizontal seal 506 (top, upper side), and information such as the production date and expiration date is printed nearby with markings 502. The markings 502 are applied by the same laser device 3 as the peel-to-open portion (weak portion) 501, although the laser irradiation conditions are appropriately adjusted to be suitable for printing.
In the figure, the printing is done on the horizontal seal portion, but this is not limited to this, and patterns, letters, symbols, etc. can be printed in any appropriate specified area (area where the printing layer is present) other than the peel-to-open portion (weak portion).

FIG. 8(8-d) shows bag making example 6, which is another bag making embodiment of the present invention.
The peel-to-open portion (weak portion) 601 of the packaging bag P6 of Example 6 is provided at the corner portion on the vertical seal 603 side (the portion intersecting with the horizontal seal 606).

FIG. 9(9-a) shows bag making example 7, which is another bag making embodiment of the present invention.
The peel-open portion (weak portion) 701 of the packaging bag P7 of Example 7 is provided on a horizontal seal (top, upper side) 706 of the stick-type (vertical pillow type) packaging body. Reference numeral 703 denotes a vertical seal, 704 denotes a horizontal seal (bottom, lower side), and 705 denotes a bag portion in which contents 705a are contained.

FIG. 9(9-b) shows bag making example 8, which is another bag making embodiment of the present invention.
The peel-open portion (weak portion) 801 of the packaging bag P8 of Example 8 is provided at the so-called bottle mouth portion 802. The peel-open portion (weak portion) 801 is provided on the bottle mouth portion 802, and the bottle mouth is provided so that liquid pressure is easily concentrated on the peel-open portion (weak portion) 801. The bottle mouth portion 802 is provided in a convex shape (concave toward the horizontal seal 806 side) at the upper end of the bag portion 805, and when the bag portion 805 is pressed (pressurized), the contents 805a gather at the bottle mouth portion 802 and therefore at the peel-open portion (weak portion) 801, which can contribute to enabling opening (discharge of the contents 805a) to be performed accurately (without failure).

In other words, in the present invention, the portion for accommodating the filling material formed by heat sealing the packaging bag has a protruding portion on at least one side (bottle mouth portion 802 is an example of this), and a peel-and-open portion (weak portion) 801, which is a peelable range, can be provided (formed, set) at the position (position of connection) that connects the protruding portion (bottle mouth portion 802 is an example of this) to the edge of the packaging bag.

FIG. 10 (10-a) shows bag making example 9, which is another bag making embodiment of the present invention.
The peel-open portion (weak portion) of the packaging bag P9 of Example 9 is provided in multiple stages on a horizontal seal (or vertical seal) 901. Specifically, a first peel-open portion (weak portion) 903 is provided on the innermost side (lowest part in the figure) close to the contents 902, a second peel-open portion (weak portion) 904 is provided at an intermediate position (middle in the figure), and a third peel-open portion (weak portion) 905 is provided on the outermost side (top part in the figure).
The ease of peeling for each set range can be changed by adjusting the scanning density of the laser 101 of the laser marker 100. Specifically, peeling becomes easier when the scanning density of the laser 101 of the laser marker 100 is increased.
In the figure, first, second, and third peel-to-open portions 903, 904, and 905 are provided on a horizontal seal 901 in that order from the inside of the bag to the outside of the bag, and the laser scanning density is adjusted to be first > second > third so that the portions are easily peeled off in the order of first > second > third.
In this configuration, peeling and unsealing can be started even with weak pressure (pressure). Once peeling has started, less pressure (pressure) is required for peeling, so the ease of peeling is set in the order described above.

FIG. 10 (10-b) shows bag making embodiment 10, which is another bag making embodiment of the present invention.
The peel-open portion (weak portion) of the packaging bag P10 of Example 10 is provided in multiple stages on a horizontal seal (or vertical seal) 1001. Specifically, a first peel-open portion (weak portion) 1003 is provided on the innermost side (lowest part in the figure) close to the contents 1002, a second peel-open portion (weak portion) 1004 is provided at an intermediate position (middle in the figure), and a third peel-open portion (weak portion) 1005 is provided on the outermost side (top part in the figure).
In the same figure, first, second, and third peel-to-open portions 1003, 1004, and 1005 are provided in order from the inside of the bag to the outside of the bag on a horizontal seal (or vertical seal) 1001, and the laser scanning density is adjusted so that first < second < third so that the portions are easily peeled off in the order first < second < third.
In this configuration, in order to prevent accidental opening (so that the seal is not easily opened due to vibration or impact during transportation, etc.), the strongest pressure (pressure) is required at the beginning of peeling.

In this way, the present invention provides a method for producing (making) a packaging bag that can be peeled and opened by applying pressure (pressure) to a bag portion using an automatic filling and packaging machine (filling and packaging machine),
A portion of a laminated packaging film including a printed layer in the middle that is to be peeled open is irradiated with a laser by a laser device to cause the printed layer to develop color and expand, thereby causing delamination (interlayer peeling) and stretching the sealant layer through expansion to make it thinner, thereby forming a peel-open portion (weak portion for peeling, weak portion) with reduced seal strength.

The seal strength (ease of peeling) at this time can be adjusted by the scanning speed (irradiation time) of the laser irradiation, as well as the irradiation density and output.

An example of the adjustment procedure when making bags is to first adjust and set up the optimal sealing conditions for the packaging film and the filling, and then adjust the laser irradiation settings of the laser device (laser scanning speed, density, output, etc.) so that the opening part can be peeled off.

The inner surface of the packaging film is hygienic because the middle layer of the packaging film that does not come into contact with the contents is processed (reacted), and high-quality packaging can be achieved because the packaging film is processed to form a peel-open area under optimal sealing conditions for the packaging bag.

The present invention is hygienic because it only reacts the middle printed layer of the laminated packaging film and does not process the surface of the packaging film.

In addition, by installing it in an automatic filling and packaging machine, the laser irradiation conditions of the laser device can be changed to form the peel-to-open portion based on the optimal packaging conditions (filling speed of the filling material, sealing temperature, sealing pressure), making it possible to produce packaging bags with a peel-to-open portion (weak portion) without compromising packaging quality.

In addition, the present invention allows the use of a general laminated packaging film with an intermediate printed layer, making it possible to produce packaging bags with high-quality peel-to-open sections (weak sections) while keeping packaging material costs down. In other words, there is no need for special, expensive functional films to produce (produce) packaging bags with peel-to-open sections (weak sections).

In addition, in the present invention, the peel-open portion coincides with the colored portion, so the user (opener) can easily see the open portion. Also, the expanded portion formed in the sealed portion makes it possible to palpate the opening position (see reference numbers 102 and 107 in (5-d) of Figure 5).

In addition, in the present invention, the ease of peeling the peel-to-open portion (weak portion) can be changed (adjusted) by changing (adjusting) the scanning speed, scanning density, and focal position of the laser. More specifically, peeling becomes easier when the scanning density of the laser marker's laser is increased, and peeling becomes easier when the scanning speed of the laser is slowed.

In the present invention, for example, in FIG. 10 (10-a), first, second and third peel-to-open portions 903, 904 and 905 are provided on a seal 901 in that order from the inside to the outside of the bag portion in which contents 902 are contained, and the laser scanning density is adjusted to be first > second > third so that the portions are easily peeled off in the order of first > second > third.
In this configuration, peeling and opening can be started with weak pressure (pressure) and gradually becomes more difficult to peel, so that even weak users such as the elderly and children can easily open it, and the gradual difficulty in peeling can prevent the contents from accidentally protruding. Note that it is also possible to adjust the entire peel-and-open part to be opened with weak pressure (pressure) in order to prioritize ease of opening, but since peeling usually becomes easier as peeling progresses, if the entire seal strength is the same, it is expected that the contents will accidentally protrude, so it is preferable to adjust the ease of opening in stages as shown in (10-a) in Figure 10 so that opening can be done gradually.

Also, in the present invention, for example, in FIG. 10 (10-b), first, second, and third peel-to-open portions 1003, 1004, and 1005 are provided on a seal 1001 in that order from the inside to the outside of the bag portion in which contents 1002 are contained, and the laser scanning density is adjusted so that the first < second < third is obtained so that the portions can be easily peeled off in the order of first < second < third.
In this configuration, in order to prevent accidental opening (so that the seal is not easily opened due to vibration or impact during transportation, etc.), the strongest pressure (pressure) is required at the beginning of peeling.

In addition, in the present invention, by inputting the shape diagram data of the peel-opening portion into the laser device 3, it is possible to set the peel-opening portion in any shape without replacing the parts and equipment, and it is possible to provide a user-friendly device that is easy to use.

In addition, since the present invention is a method using a laser marker that prints on a general intermediate printing layer, if the laser marker is already installed for printing purposes, the laser irradiation can be adjusted, and it is capable of forming a peel-to-open portion (weak portion), the present invention can be realized without increasing equipment costs, etc. In addition, the laser marker can be used for both printing and providing a peel-to-open portion, making it economical.

In addition, in the present invention, a laser device that scrapes the surface of the packaging film, such as a _CO2 laser (wavelength 10600 μm), is not preferred because it conflicts with the problems of the invention. Therefore, in the present invention, it is preferable to use a laser device that irradiates a laser with a relatively short wavelength of 355 μm (ultraviolet laser) to 1064 μm (IR laser).

If the same processing as in the present invention is carried out during the production of the packaging film, rather than on an automatic filling and packaging machine, the packaging (sealing) conditions must be set within a range of conditions that allow the peel-to-open portion to be peeled off, and the packaging quality must be compromised. Therefore, in the present invention, it is extremely beneficial to place a laser device on the automatic filling and packaging machine and form the peel-to-open portion (weak portion) immediately before packaging.

In the present invention, the storage section for the filler (contents) formed by heat sealing the packaging bag has at least two chambers, and it is also possible to configure the laser device to set the peelable range so as to connect the storage sections of the two chambers. This is useful, for example, when it is desired to mix two or more fillers (contents), such as liquid A and liquid B, immediately before use.

The above-described embodiments are merely examples for explaining the present invention, and it goes without saying that various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

1 Filling and packaging machine (automatic filling and packaging machine)
2 packaging material axis 3 laser device 3a laser protection cover 3b irradiation position adjustment mechanism
4 Packaging material feeding device 5 Former guide 6 Filling nozzle 7 Vertical sealing device 8 First horizontal sealing device 9 Second horizontal sealing device 10 Cutter device 11 Discharge slide 12 Operation panel 100 Laser marker 101 Laser 103 Vertical seal 104 Horizontal seal (bottom )
105 Bag portion (containing the filling material (contents))
105a Filling (contents)
106 Horizontal seal (top)
107 Peeling and opening part 108 Compression (pressure) for peeling and opening
109 Filling (contents) to be discharged (poured)
110 Laminated packaging film (surface side)
111: Base material layer 112: Printed layer 113: Sealant layer 110a: Laminated packaging film (surface side) provided with peelability
120 Laminated packaging film (reverse side)
121: Base material layer 122: Printed layer 123: Sealant layer 130: Sealed packaging film 131: Heat-pressed sealant layer 132: Weakly bonded portion of sealant layer (weak portion: portion to be peeled and opened)
F1 Roll-shaped laminated packaging film P1 Packaging bag (packaging body)

Claims (11)

A filling and packaging machine that pulls out and conveys a strip-shaped laminated packaging film wound in a roll, performs heat sealing in the vertical and horizontal directions to form a bag, and fills a fluid content to manufacture a packaging bag,
The laminated packaging film includes at least a laser-transmittable base layer, an intermediate layer disposed in contact with the base layer and expanding in response to laser irradiation, and a sealant layer disposed in contact with the intermediate layer on the opposite side of the base layer ,
The heat sealing is performed in a state where the sealant layers of the laminated packaging film are faced to each other,
The filling and packaging machine is characterized in that it is equipped with a laser device that, at any stage before the heat sealing, irradiates a laser to a predetermined peelable area including the planned area where the laminated packaging film is to be heat sealed, thereby forming an expanded portion in the intermediate layer, thereby reducing the seal strength between the sealant layers formed by the heat sealing and imparting peelability.
The filling and packaging machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the laser device adjusts the ease of peeling by lowering the seal strength by slowing down the laser scanning speed for the peelable range, and adjusts the difficulty of peeling by increasing the seal strength by speeding up the laser scanning speed. The filling and packaging machine according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the laser device adjusts the ease of peeling by lowering the seal strength by increasing the laser irradiation density for the peelable range, and adjusts the difficulty of peeling by increasing the seal strength by decreasing the laser irradiation density. The filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the laser device sets the peelable range in two or more locations within a range corresponding to one packaging bag. The filling and packaging machine according to claim 4, characterized in that the laser device sets the two or more peelable ranges to different laser scanning speeds or laser irradiation densities. The filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that the laser device prints a pattern, letter or symbol in a predetermined area of one packaging bag. The filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the laser device sets a peelable range at a position connecting the portion for containing the filled material formed by heat sealing the packaging bag and the edge of the packaging bag. The filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the portion for accommodating the filling material formed by heat sealing the packaging bag has a protruding portion on at least one side, and the laser device sets a peelable range at a position connecting the protruding portion and the edge of the packaging bag. The filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the storage section for the filled material formed by heat sealing the packaging bag has at least two chambers, and the laser device sets the peelable range so as to connect the two storage sections. The filling and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that the laser wavelength of the laser device is set in the range of 355 μm to 1064 μm. A filling and packaging machine as described in any one of claims 1 to 10, characterized in that the packaging bag is a packaging bag in which the filling material is poured out from a position to which peelability has been imparted by the laser device by compressing a storage section filled with the filling material.

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