JP7750573B2 - packaging equipment - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging device.

Newspaper vendors use packaging devices that wrap newspapers in polyethylene or other film to protect them from rain before delivery. For example, the packaging device described in Patent Document 1 overlaps film drawn from two film rolls, sandwiches a newspaper folded in four between them, and welds the film together around the newspaper to wrap it.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-074975

The newspaper sandwiched between the two films is relatively slippery, and when the conveyance is stopped, the newspaper slides due to inertial force before stopping. Therefore, in order to stop the newspaper at the desired position, it is necessary to take into account the distance that the newspaper slides due to inertial force.

This issue can arise not only when the packaging device is packaging newspapers, but also when packaging other types of items.

The present invention has been made in light of this situation, and one exemplary object of one aspect thereof is to provide a packaging device that can stop newspapers at a desired position .

In order to solve the above problems, one embodiment of the packaging device of the present invention is a packaging device that sandwiches an item to be packaged between two pieces of film and transports it, and packages it by welding and cutting the film upstream of the item that has stopped at a predetermined packaging processing position, and has a sensor that detects the item to be packaged as it is transported, a transport means that transports the item to be packaged sandwiched between the two pieces of film, a heater that contacts the film upstream of the item to be transported and heat-welds the films together, and a control unit that stops driving the transport means so that the item to be packaged stops at the packaging processing position after the item is detected by the sensor, and then brings the heater into contact with the film. The control unit is triggered by the timing of detection of the packaged item by the sensor, and determines whether the stopping position of the packaged item when the conveying means is driven a predetermined conveying drive amount and then stopped is the position where the packaged item has finished passing through the heater.If it determines as a result of this determination that the stopping position is the position where the packaged item has finished passing through the heater, it assumes that the packaged item has already reached the packaging processing position and brings the heater into contact with the film.If it determines that the stopping position is not the position where the packaged item has finished passing through the heater, it drives the conveying means again to re-convey the packaged item until it has finished passing through the heater, and after the re-conveyance, it assumes that the packaged item has reached the packaging processing device and brings the heater into contact with the film.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a packaging device that can stop newspapers at a desired position.

1 is a perspective view of a packaging device according to an embodiment. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the packaging device of FIG. 1 at the center in the width direction. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the welding and cutting unit of FIG. 2 as seen from the downstream side. 3 is a view of the welding and cutting unit of FIG. 2 as seen from the width direction. FIG. 5(a) to 5(f) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the welding and cutting unit in chronological order. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control unit in FIG. 2 . 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation relating to a characteristic control by the control unit of FIG. 2 . 8(a) to 8(f) are diagrams for explaining the operation of the welding and cutting unit in chronological order. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a welding and cutting unit and a receiving portion according to a modified example. 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a welding and cutting unit and a receiving portion according to another modified example. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a problem of yet another modified example. FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a welding and cutting unit according to yet another modified example, as viewed from the downstream side. 13 is a view of the welding and cutting unit of FIG. 12 as seen from the width direction. FIG. 14A to 14F are diagrams for explaining the operation of the welding and cutting unit according to this modified example in chronological order. 15(a) and 15(b) are diagrams showing a welding and cutting unit according to a further modified example.

The present invention will now be described based on preferred embodiments with reference to the drawings. The embodiments are illustrative and do not limit the invention, and all features and combinations described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the invention. Identical or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing will be designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a packaging device 1 according to an embodiment. The packaging device 1 is a device that packages flat-shaped items in a packaging film. In this embodiment, we will explain the case where the packaging device 1 packages newspapers S as the items to be packaged.

The newspaper S folded in four is inserted into the packaging device 1 through the insertion slot 2 with the short side facing the width direction. The insertion slot 2 is provided with guide plates 2a that guide the bottom surface and both sides of the newspaper S in the width direction (left and right), making it easy for the user to insert the newspaper S by hand. In this embodiment, the user inserts the newspaper S by hand, but instead of the guide plates 2a, a device that automatically feeds the newspapers S one copy at a time may be provided for automatic feeding.

The inserted newspaper S is transported through the packaging device 1 in the direction of the arrow while sandwiched between films drawn from the upper and lower film rolls R1 and R2. The films are heat-sealed around the newspaper S to form a package, which is then discharged through the discharge opening 43 and stacked sequentially on the receiving plate 44.

In this specification, the side of the insertion port 2 in the transport path of the newspaper S from the insertion port 2 to the discharge port 43 is referred to as the upstream side, and the side of the discharge port 43 is referred to as the downstream side.

An operation panel 45 is provided on one side in the width direction of the top surface of the packaging device 1. The operation panel 45 functions as an input unit that accepts various inputs related to the packaging process, and also functions as a display unit that displays various information. A power switch 46 for turning on power to the packaging device 1 is provided on one side in the width direction on the side surface of the packaging device 1 near the insertion opening 2.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the packaging device 1 at the center in the width direction. In Figure 2, the insertion opening 2 is formed on the right side of the packaging device 1, and the discharge opening 43 is formed on the left side. The insertion opening 2 is closed by a shutter 3. The shutter 3 is a plate-shaped member that extends in the width direction. The shutter 3 can rotate around a fulcrum 3a.

The shutter 3 is biased toward the upstream side (counterclockwise in FIG. 2) by a biasing means not shown in FIG. 2. This causes the lower end of the shutter 3 to press against the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4 below the shutter 3. Note that a biasing means may not be provided and the shutter 3 may be pressed against the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4 by its own weight. When a newspaper S is inserted through the insertion slot 2, the leading edge of the newspaper S pushes the shutter 3, causing it to rotate clockwise in FIG. 2, creating a gap between the shutter 3 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4. The newspaper S passes through this gap and is inserted further downstream.

A welding and cutting unit 5 is disposed above the receiving part 4 downstream of the shutter 3 (left side in Figure 2). Of the components of the welding and cutting unit 5, only the welding and cutting heater 10 is shown in Figure 2. The welding and cutting unit 5 is configured to be movable between a standby position (position in Figure 2) where the lower end of the welding and cutting heater 10 is spaced apart from the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4, and a welding position where the lower end has reached the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4. The welding and cutting heater 10 is formed, for example, from lightweight aluminum or an aluminum alloy with good thermal conductivity. The lower end of the welding and cutting heater 10 is formed at an acute angle. A rubber heater (not shown) is baked and fixed to the welding and cutting heater 10, and heating is achieved by passing electricity through this rubber heater.

Film roll R1 is supported above the welding and cutting unit 5, and film roll R2 is supported below. Film rolls R1 and R2 are made by winding a long thermoplastic resin film such as polyethylene around a core (e.g., a paper tube). Film F1 is pulled out from film roll R1 and hooked on guides 31 and 32, with its leading edge positioned below the welding and cutting unit 5. Film F2 is pulled out from film roll R2 and hooked on guide 33, with its leading edge positioned below the welding and cutting unit 5. Films F1 and F2 are formed slightly wider than the length of the long side of the newspaper S folded in quarters. The leading edges of films F1 and F2 were welded together during the previous packaging operation, forming a weld line Fx.

Conveyor belts 34 and 35 are provided downstream of the welding and cutting unit 5 and the receiving section 4. Each of the conveyor belts 34 and 35 is arranged in pairs in the width direction, spaced apart at an interval shorter than the long side of the newspaper S. Conveyor belt 34 is arranged above conveyor belt 35. When motor M1 rotates, a driving force is applied to conveyor belt 35 via a drive transmission mechanism 37. Furthermore, when motor M1 rotates, a driving force is applied to conveyor belt 34 via a drive transmission mechanism (not shown). When conveyor belts 34 and 35 rotate in a circular motion with newspaper S sandwiched between them across films F1 and F2, newspaper S is conveyed downstream together with films F1 and F2.

Side welding heaters 41 and receiving portions 42 are provided on both sides of the width of the conveyor belts 34 and 35. The side welding heaters 41 and receiving portions 42 are each formed long and parallel to the conveyor belts 34 and 35.

The side welding heater 41 is configured to be movable between a standby position (position shown in Figure 2) where its lower end is separated from the receiving portion 42 and a welding position where its lower end has reached the receiving portion 42. Like the welding and cutting heater 10, the side welding heater 41 is formed, for example, from lightweight aluminum or aluminum alloy to which a rubber heater is baked and fixed, and its lower end is formed at an acute angle.

A first sensor 50 is located upstream of the welding and cutting unit 5, a second sensor 52 is located downstream of the welding and cutting unit 5 and upstream of the receiving section 4, and a third sensor 54 is located near the discharge outlet 43. The sensors 50, 52, and 54 can detect the leading or trailing end of the newspaper S at their respective positions.

The control unit 60 provides overall control of the packaging device 1. Specifically, the control unit 60 controls actuators such as the motor M1 that drive each mechanism, heaters for welding the film, and the display of information on the operation panel 45. For example, the control unit 60 starts and stops the circular movement of the conveyor belts 34 and 35 based on the detection results of the newspaper S by the sensors 50, 52, and 54.

The operation of the packaging device 1 configured as described above will now be described. When a newspaper S is inserted through the insertion slot 2, the conveyor belts 34, 35 begin to rotate. When the newspaper S pushes aside the shutter 3 and reaches the conveyor belts 34, 35, the newspaper S is transported by the conveyor belts 34, 35 until the rear end of the newspaper S passes the welding/cutting unit 5 and stops at a predetermined position (hereinafter referred to as the packaging processing position). The welding/cutting unit 5 (welding/cutting heater 10) and side welding heater 41 descend from their standby positions to their welding positions, sandwiching the films F1, F2 between the heaters 10, 41 and the receiving portions 4, 42 and thermally welding the films F1, F2. The side welding heater 41 is then raised to its standby position. The conveyor belts 34, 35 resume their rotation, and transportation resumes. Because the welding/cutting unit 5 (welding/cutting heater 10) is in the welding position, the films F1, F2 are cut at the welding position.

The films F1 and F2 are welded on both sides of the width by the side welding heaters 41, and are welded and cut on the upstream side (i.e., the rear end side of the newspaper S) by the welding and cutting unit 5, while the downstream side (the front end side of the newspaper S) was welded in the previous packaging process. Therefore, through these operations, the films F1 and F2 are welded around the periphery of the newspaper S, resulting in a package of newspaper S.

The wrapped newspaper S is transported by the conveyor belts 34, 35 and discharged from the discharge port 43. After the newspaper S is discharged, the rotation of the conveyor belts 34, 35 is stopped. The welding and cutting unit 5 rises to the standby position.

The above explains the basic configuration and operation of the packaging device 1. Next, we will explain the configuration of the welding and cutting unit 5 in more detail.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the welding and cutting unit 5 of Figure 2, viewed from the downstream side. Figure 4 is a view of the welding and cutting unit 5, viewed from the width direction. The welding and cutting unit 5 includes a welding and cutting heater 10, multiple presser members 16, and a support member 20. The support member 20 includes a first support member 22 and two second support members 24.

The first support member 22 is a member that is long in the width direction and supports the welding and cutting heater 10. The welding and cutting heater 10 is a plate-shaped member that is long in the width direction. The length of the welding and cutting heater 10 in the width direction is longer than the width of the films F1 and F2. Although not particularly limited, in this embodiment the cross-sectional shape of the welding and cutting heater 10 perpendicular to the width direction is an inverted L-shape.

The two second support members 24 are long in the width direction. The two second support members 24 are supported by the first support member 22 with a gap between them in the width direction. By leaving a gap between them in the width direction, it is possible to pass the optical axis of a sensor for detecting the newspaper S, for example. Each of the two second support members 24 supports a plurality of pressing members 16 lined up in a row in the width direction. In this embodiment, the pressing members 16 are rotating bodies supported so that they can rotate freely around a rotation axis parallel to the width direction. In the illustrated example, the pressing members 16 are cylindrical rollers. Preferably, the multiple pressing members 16 are arranged so that the width range R in which they are provided is longer than the length of the long side of the newspaper S folded in quarters.

Elongated vertical holes 24a are formed at both widthwise ends of the second support member 24. Support posts 26 protrude from the first support member 22. The support posts 26 are inserted into the long holes 24a in a state where they are prevented from coming loose. This allows the second support member 24 to move vertically relative to the first support member 22 while being guided by the support posts 26. The second support member 24 is biased downward, i.e., toward the films F1 and F2, by a spring 28, one end of which is fixed to the second support member 24 and the other end of which is fixed to the first support member 22. Therefore, the multiple presser members 16 supported by the second support member 24 can move vertically relative to the first support member 22 and, by extension, the welding and cutting heater 10, and are also biased toward the films F1 and F2.

The multiple presser members 16 are supported by support members 20 so as to press the film against the receiving section 4 upstream of the packaged items in the packaging processing position. The welding and cutting heater 10 is supported by support members 20 so as to contact the film upstream of the presser members 16. The upper surface 4a of the receiving section 4 is a flat, horizontal surface, and the height position of the portion of the upper surface 4a that receives the presser members 16 is the same as the height position of the portion of the upper surface 4a that receives the welding and cutting heater 10.

Bracket 30 is fixed to both widthwise ends of the first support member 22. A support shaft 18 extending vertically is inserted into the bracket 30. A shutter retainer 12 is formed integrally with the lower end of the support shaft 18. A spring 14 is interposed between the bracket 30 and the shutter retainer 12, and the elastic force of the spring 14 urges the shutter retainer 12 downward. The shutter retainer 12 abuts against the shutter 3 (not shown in Figures 3 and 4) from above, urging the shutter 3 upstream (counterclockwise in Figure 2).

The above is a detailed description of the configuration of the welding and cutting unit 5. Next, the operation of the welding and cutting unit 5 will be described.
5(a) to 5(f) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the welding and cutting unit 5 in chronological order. In FIG. 5(a), the welding and cutting unit 5 is in the standby position. In this state, the newspaper S is inserted into the packaging device 1. The standby position is at a height where the presser member 16 and the welding and cutting heater 10 do not come into contact with the inserted newspaper S. In the standby position, the presser member 16 is located closer to the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4 than the welding and cutting heater 10. Specifically, in the standby position, the distance L1 between the presser member 16 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4 is shorter than the distance L2 between the welding and cutting heater 10 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4. In this embodiment, the lower end of the presser member 16 is located closer to the welding and cutting heater 10.
or lower than the lower end of the welding and cutting heater 10. The inserted newspaper S is transported downstream by transport belts 35 and 36 (not shown in FIG. 5A) and stops at the packaging processing position.

In Figure 5(b), the support member 20 descends (i.e., moves toward the receiving portion 4), and the presser member 16 and the welding and cutting heater 10 descend accordingly. At this time, the presser member 16 and the welding and cutting heater 10 descend without moving relative to each other.

In Figure 5(c), the support member 20 has further descended. The presser member 16 has reached the receiving portion 4 and therefore does not descend any further. While the material of the receiving portion 4 is not particularly important, it should be a material that does not substantially deform or dent when pressed downward by the presser member 16. Meanwhile, the welding/cutting heater 10 descends as the bracket descends. In other words, the presser member 16 moves relative to the welding/cutting heater 10. The upstream side of the welding/cutting heater 10, the films F1 and F2, is pressed against the receiving portion 4 by the shutter 3, and the downstream side of the welding/cutting heater 10, is pressed against the receiving portion 4 by the presser member 16. Therefore, the films F1 and F2 are in close contact with each other at the position where they should be welded by the welding/cutting heater 10, i.e., below the welding/cutting heater 10.

In Figure 5(d), the welding/cutting heater 10 has reached the receiving portion 4. In other words, the welding/cutting heater 10 has reached the welding position. The welding/cutting heater 10 comes into contact with the films F1 and F2, which are in close contact with each other, and thermally welds them together.

As shown in Figure 5(e), when the newspaper S is transported downstream, the films F1 and F2 are cut at the welding position of the welding and cutting heater 10. At this time, the films F1 and F2 are pressed against the receiving part 4, but because the pressing member 16 is rotatable, the films F1 and F2 can slip through between the pressing member 16 and the receiving part 4.

As shown in Figure 5(f), the welding and cutting unit 5 rises toward the standby position. Specifically, the welding and cutting heater 10 first moves away from the receiving portion 4, and then the pressing member 16 moves away from the receiving portion 4.

The above is the operation of the welding and cutting unit 5. Next, we will explain in more detail the control unit 60, focusing on its distinctive control features.

Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the control unit 60. Each block shown here can be realized in hardware terms using elements and mechanical devices such as a computer's CPU and memory, and in software terms using computer programs, etc., but the functional blocks shown here are realized by the cooperation of these elements. Those skilled in the art will understand that these functional blocks can be realized in various ways using a combination of hardware and software.

The control unit 60 includes a transport control unit 62 that controls the transport of the newspaper S, a welding control unit 64 that controls the welding and cutting unit 5, and a memory unit 66 that stores various data.

When the first sensor 50 detects the leading edge of the newspaper S, the transport control unit 62 starts the rotation of the transport belts 34, 35. The transport control unit 62 stops the rotation of the transport belts 34, 35 at a predetermined timing after the first sensor 50 detects the trailing edge of the newspaper S. The predetermined timing is when a pulse output unit (not shown), which outputs pulses according to the amount of movement of the transport belts 34, 35, outputs a predetermined number N of pulses. The predetermined number N is stored in the memory unit 66.

It is possible to stop the rotation of the conveyor belts 34, 35 based on the detection results of the second sensor 52, which is located downstream of the welding and cutting unit 5. However, doing so would cause the newspaper S to stop at a position relatively far from the welding and cutting unit 5, increasing the distance from the rear end of the newspaper S to the welding position and wasting the films F1, F2. For this reason, the conveyor control unit 62 stops the rotation of the conveyor belts 34, 35 based on the detection results of the first sensor 50, which is located upstream of the welding and cutting unit 5.

The newspaper S sandwiched between the films F1 and F2 is relatively slippery, and when the rotation of the conveyor belts 34 and 35 is stopped, the newspaper S slides along the conveyor belts 34 and 35 due to inertial force before stopping. Therefore, in order to stop the newspaper S at the desired position, it is necessary to take into account the distance it slides due to inertial force. Note that the thicker, i.e., the heavier, the newspaper S, the greater the inertial force, and therefore the longer it will slide when stopped.

If the rotation of the conveyor belts 34, 35 is stopped at a timing appropriate for a thin or light newspaper S, then when a thick newspaper S is inserted, the belts will stop at a position relatively far away from the welding and cutting unit 5, and the distance from the rear end of the newspaper S to the welding position will be long. In this case, the films F1, F2 are wasted, which is uneconomical, and the film will be too long compared to the length of the newspaper S, which will reduce the appearance and ease of handling. Therefore, the conveyor control unit 62 stops the rotation of the conveyor belts 34, 35 at a timing appropriate for a thick newspaper S. This reduces the waste of films F1, F2. Furthermore, the film will not be too long compared to the length of the newspaper S, ensuring good appearance and ease of handling.

However, if a thin newspaper S is inserted when matching it with a thick newspaper S, there is a possibility that the thin newspaper S will stop before passing through the welding and cutting unit 5. In this case, the conveyance control unit 62 will "re-convey" the newspaper S, i.e., rotate the conveyor belts 34 and 35 again to transport the newspaper S downstream of the welding and cutting unit 5.

Specifically, if the second sensor 52 still detects the newspaper S after the rotation of the conveyor belts 34 and 35 has been stopped, the conveyance control unit 62 determines that the newspaper S has stopped before passing through the welding and cutting unit 5 and begins conveying it again.

When re-conveying a newspaper S, the conveyance control unit 62 delays the timing at which the conveyor belts 34, 35 stop rotating after the first sensor 50 detects the rear end of the newspaper S when packaging the next newspaper S. Specifically, the conveyance control unit 62 increments the predetermined number N, which determines the timing at which the conveyor belts 34, 35 stop rotating, by one pulse. In other words, the predetermined number N = N + 1. This optimizes the timing at which the conveyor belts 34, 35 stop rotating according to the thickness of the newspaper S. The conveyance control unit 62 resets the predetermined number N to its initial value when the packaging device 1 is restarted or the reset button (not shown) is pressed.

Next, we will explain the operation related to the characteristic control mentioned above. Figure 7 is a flowchart explaining this operation. The process in Figure 7 is executed each time the user inserts a newspaper S into the packaging device 1.

The transport control unit 62 sets the re-transport flag Flag to 0 (S10). As described below, the re-transport flag Flag is set to 1 when re-transport is performed.

When the first sensor 50 detects the newspaper S (S12), the conveyance control unit 62 starts the rotation of the conveyor belts 34, 35 (S14). When the first sensor 50 no longer detects the newspaper S (S16), the conveyance control unit 62 waits until a predetermined number N of pulses (e.g., pulses equivalent to 30 msec) are output (N in S18). When the predetermined number N of pulses has been output (Y in S18), the conveyance control unit 62 stops the rotation of the conveyor belts 34, 35 (S20).

Wait until a predetermined time (e.g., 120 msec) has elapsed since the first sensor 50 no longer detects the newspaper S, i.e., since the processing of S16 was executed (N in S22), and proceed to the next step once the predetermined time has elapsed (Y in S22).

If the second sensor 52 does not detect the newspaper S, i.e., if the newspaper S has already passed through the welding and cutting unit 5 (N in S24), steps S26 to S32 are skipped and the process proceeds to S34.

If the second sensor 52 detects the newspaper S, i.e., if the newspaper S stops before passing through the welding and cutting unit 5 (Y in S24), the conveyance control unit 62 sets the re-conveyance flag Flag to 1 (S26) and starts the rotation of the conveyance belts 34, 35 (i.e., re-conveyance) (S28).

If the second sensor 52 no longer detects the newspaper S before a predetermined pulse (e.g., a pulse equivalent to 5 mm) is output (Y in S30), the conveyance control unit 62 stops the rotation of the conveyance belts 34, 35 (i.e., ends re-conveyance) (S32).

If the second sensor 52 continues to detect the newspaper S even after a predetermined pulse (e.g., a pulse equivalent to 5 mm) has been output (N in S30), the conveyance control unit 62 stops the rotation of the conveyance belts 34, 35 (i.e., ends re-conveyance) (S48), displays a jam error on the operation panel 45 (S50), and the process ends.

The welding control unit 64 lowers the welding and cutting unit 5 to thermally weld the films F1 and F2 (S34). The transport control unit 62 starts the rotation of the conveyor belts 34 and 35 (S36). The third sensor 54 detects the newspaper S (S38), and then, when the third sensor 54 no longer detects the newspaper S (i.e., the newspaper S is ejected) (S40), the transport control unit 62 stops the rotation of the conveyor belts 34 and 35 (S42).

If re-conveyance is performed (re-conveyance flag Flag = 1) (Y in S44), the predetermined number N is incremented by one pulse, i.e., N = N + 1 (S46), and processing ends. Note that if the time from S12 to S16 is abnormally longer than normal, it is possible that the films F1 and F2 are slipping significantly relative to the conveyor belts 34 and 35 due to some cause (for example, the newspaper S being inserted at an angle, or the newspaper S being bent, etc.). In this case, the films may continue to slip significantly after passing the first sensor 50, and as a result, may be detected by the second sensor 52 in S24. Incrementing the predetermined number N in such exceptional cases would increase the amount of film used to package the newspapers S thereafter, which would be uneconomical, so in this case it is not necessary to increment it.

If re-transport was not performed (re-transport flag = 0) (N in S44), S46 is skipped and processing ends.

Next, we will explain the effects of this embodiment.

According to this embodiment, upstream of the packaged items conveyed to the packaging processing position, the two films sandwiching the packaged items are pressed against the receiving portion by the pressing member 16, and further upstream, the films F1, F2 are thermally welded together by the welding and cutting heater 10. That is, the films F1, F2 are pressed against the receiving portion 4 downstream of the welding and cutting heater 10. As a result, the films F1, F2 to be welded are in close contact at the position where they are welded by the welding and cutting heater 10, thereby preventing poor welding.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the presser member 16 contacts the films F1, F2 before the welding and cutting heater 10. In other words, the welding and cutting heater 10 contacts the films F1, F2 while the films F1, F2 are being pressed against the receiving portion 4 by the presser member 16. This further reduces the occurrence of welding defects compared to when this is not the case.

In this embodiment, as described above, the welding and cutting heater 10 is brought into contact with the films F1 and F2 while the presser member 16 is pressing down on the films F1 and F2. However, in this configuration, if the welding and cutting heater 10 is then moved away from the films F1 and F2 after the presser member 16 has been moved away from the films F1 and F2, the configuration of the welding and cutting unit becomes complicated. In contrast, in this embodiment, the welding and cutting heater 10 is moved away from the films F1 and F2 after the presser member 16 has been moved away from the films F1 and F2, so the problem of the above-described complicated configuration does not arise.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the presser member 16 is a freely rotatable rotating body, so the newspaper S can be transported while the presser member 16 presses down on the films F1 and F2.

The present invention has been described above based on an embodiment. This embodiment is merely an example, and those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications are possible in the combination of each component and each treatment process, and that such modifications are also within the scope of the present invention. These modifications will be described below.

(Variation 1)
In the embodiment, the case where the films F1, F2 are pressed against the receiving portion 4 on both the upstream and downstream sides of the welding and cutting heater 10 has been described, but as long as the films F1, F2 are pressed down at least on the downstream side of the welding and cutting heater 10, it is not necessary to press down the films F1, F2 on the upstream side. In other words, the films F1, F2 do not have to be pressed down against the receiving portion 4 by the shutter 3.

(Variation 2)
In the embodiment and the above-mentioned modified example, the second support member 24 is biased downward by a spring, thereby causing the pressing member 16 to press down on the films F1 and F2. However, this is not limited to this, and the pressing member 16 may press down on the films F1 and F2 due to the weight of the second support member 24 and the pressing member 16 itself.

(Variation 3)
In the embodiment and the above-described modified example, the presser member 16 is a rotating body that is rotatably supported. However, the presser member 16 may be a non-rotating member as long as the pressing surface of the presser member 16 is formed of a low-friction material. In this case, the presser member 16 may be formed of, for example, a low-friction material such as polyacetal resin or nylon resin, or may be coated with a low-friction material such as Teflon (registered trademark). According to this modified example, as in the embodiment, the newspaper S can be transported with the presser member 16 pressing the films F1, F2 against the receiving portion 4.

(Variation 4)
In the embodiment and the above-described modified example, the case where the presser member 16 is supported by the first support member 22 so as to be movable up and down relative to the welding and cutting heater 10 has been described, but this is not limiting, and the presser member 16 may be supported by the first support member 22 so as not to be movable relative to the welding and cutting heater 10, i.e., with its position relative to the welding and cutting heater 10 fixed. In this case, the receiving portion 4 is configured so that when pressed downward by the presser member 16, that portion deforms, i.e., is recessed downward. The receiving portion 4 is configured, for example, from a soft sponge material.

Figures 8(a) to (f) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the welding and cutting unit 5 according to a modified example in chronological order. Figures 8(a) to (f) correspond to Figures 5(a) to (f), respectively. In Figure 8(c), unlike Figure 5(c), the presser member 16 continues to descend after reaching the receiving portion 4, causing the receiving portion 4 to become depressed downward. In particular, the presser member 16 does not move relative to the welding and cutting heater 10, and descends while maintaining a fixed position relative to the welding and cutting heater 10.

According to this modification, the same effects as those of the embodiment can be achieved.
(Variation 5)
In the embodiment and the above-described modified example, the upper surface 4a of the receiving portion 4 is a flat horizontal surface, and the height position of the portion of the upper surface 4a that receives the pressing member 16 is the same as the height position of the portion of the upper surface 4a that receives the welding cutting heater 10, but this is not limited to this.

Figure 9 shows a welding and cutting unit 5 and receiving part 4 according to a modified example. Figure 9 corresponds to Figure 5(a). In this modified example, the height position of portion 4aa of the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4, which receives the presser member 16, is higher than the height position of portion 4ab of the upper surface 4a, which receives the welding and cutting heater 10. In this modified example, when the welding and cutting unit 5 is in the standby position, the height position of the lower end of the presser member 16 is the same as the height position of the lower end of the welding and cutting heater 10. Because the height position of portion 4aa of the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4 is higher than the height position of portion 4ab, the distance L1 between the presser member 16 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4 is shorter than the distance L2 between the welding and cutting heater 10 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4. When the welding and cutting unit 5 is in the standby position, if the distance L1 between the presser member 16 and the portion 4aa of the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4 is shorter than the distance L2 between the welding and cutting heater 10 and the portion 4ab of the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4, the lower end of the presser member 16 may be higher than the lower end of the welding and cutting heater 10.

This modification can achieve the same effects as the embodiment.

(Variation 6)
In the embodiment and the above-mentioned modified example, the case where the distance L1 between the pressing member 16 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving portion 4 when the welding and cutting unit 5 is in the standby position is described as being shorter than the distance L2 between the welding and cutting heater 10 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving portion 4, but the distance L1 and the distance L2 may be the same.

Figure 10 shows a welding and cutting unit 5 and receiving part 4 according to another modified example. Figure 10 corresponds to Figure 5(a). In this modified example, the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4 is a flat horizontal surface, and when the welding and cutting unit 5 is in the standby position, the height position of the lower end of the presser member 16 is the same as the height position of the lower end of the welding and cutting heater 10; therefore, distance L1 and distance L2 are the same. In this case, the presser member 16 and the welding and cutting heater 10 reach the upper surface 4a of the receiving part at the same time.

In this modified example, the films F1 and F2 are pressed against the receiving portion 4 downstream of the welding and cutting heater 10, so that the films F1 and F2 to be welded are in close contact at the position where they are welded by the welding and cutting heater 10, thereby preventing poor welding.

(Variation 7)
In the embodiment, as shown in Fig. 5, the case where the receiving portion 4 does not deform even when pressed by the pressing member 16 has been described. In other words, the case where the receiving portion 4 has a degree of rigidity that does not cause deformation due to the pressing member 16 being pressed by the spring 28 has been described. In contrast, in this modified example, the receiving portion 4 is formed of an elastic material so that the welding and cutting heater 10 is reliably pressed against the receiving portion 4.

Figures 11(a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating the issues with this modified example. If the receiving portion 4 is made of an elastic material, when the presser member 16 is pressed against the receiving portion 4, the receiving portion 4 sinks together with the presser member 16 and films F1 and F2, as shown in Figure 11(a), and the films F1 and F2 are pulled accordingly. If the welding and cutting heater 10 descends and contacts the films F1 and F2 while the films F1 and F2 are pulled, as shown in Figure 11(b), at least a portion of the films F1 and F2 in the width direction may be cut before they are heat-sealed. In other words, poor welding may occur, with at least a portion of the films F1 and F2 not being welded in the width direction (i.e., including unwelded portions).

This modified example solves the problems mentioned above when the receiving portion 4 is made of an elastic material. Below, we will explain in detail the differences from the embodiment.

Figure 12 is a perspective view of the welding and cutting unit 5 according to this modified example, viewed from the downstream side. Figure 12 corresponds to Figure 3. Figure 13 is a view of the welding and cutting unit 5 of Figure 12, viewed from the width direction. Figure 13 corresponds to Figure 4.

The welding and cutting unit 5 of this modified example includes only one presser member 16. The presser member 16 of this modified example is longer in the width direction than that of the embodiment, and is preferably formed so that the widthwise range R is longer than the length of the long side of the newspaper S folded in quarters. The presser member 16 may be a rotatably supported roller, or may be a non-rotating member if made of a low-friction material.

The support member 20 of this modified example has only one second support member 24. The second support member 24 of this modified example is longer in the width direction than that of the embodiment, and is particularly longer in the width direction than the presser member 16. The second support member 24 also has a protrusion 24b on the outer width side of the presser member 16 (farther from the center of the presser member 16 in the width direction) that protrudes downward beyond the presser member 16. Here, the protrusions 24b are on both sides of the presser member 16 in the width direction. In other words, there are two protrusions 24b. The second support member 24 may also have a notch or opening in the center of the width direction to allow the optical axis of a sensor to pass through, for example, to detect the newspaper S.

In this modified example, the packaging device 1 further includes regulating members 48 in the same number as the protrusions 24b. The regulating members 48 are members that receive the protrusions 24b of the welding and cutting unit 5 that descend during welding, and are located widthwise outward of the pressing member 16 in a plan view, below the protrusions 24b. The regulating members 48 are preferably made of a cushioning material such as elastomer (e.g., silicone rubber or urethane). The regulating members 48 are fixed not to the receiving portion 4, but to, for example, the housing frame (not shown) of the packaging device 1.

Figures 14(a) to 14(f) are diagrams illustrating the operation of the welding and cutting unit 5 according to this modified example in chronological order. Figures 14(a) to 14(f) correspond to Figures 5(a) to 5(f), respectively.

In FIG. 14( c), the protrusion 24 b abuts (seats) against the upper surface 48 a of the regulating member 48, and therefore the lowering of the second support member 24 and the presser member 16 is depicted. In other words, the second support member 24 and the presser member 16 stop there. In this example, the protrusion 24 b protrudes downward from the presser member 16, and the regulating member 48 protrudes upward from the upper surface 4 a of the receiving portion 4. Therefore, the presser member 16 does not abut against the upper surface 4 a of the receiving portion 4, but stops with a slight gap G between it and the upper surface 4 a. While the gap G is exaggerated here, in reality it is, for example, approximately 1 mm to 2 mm. The presser member 16 is in contact with at least the film F1 and presses the film F1 downward toward the film F2, i.e., so that the film F1 approaches the film F2.

In Figure 14(d), the welding/cutting heater 10 has reached the receiving portion 4. In other words, the welding/cutting heater 10 has reached the welding position. The welding/cutting heater 10 contacts the films F1 and F2 and thermally welds them. The receiving portion 4 has elastically deformed and is sinking in along with the lower end of the welding/cutting heater 10.

In this modified example, the presser member 16 is not pressed against the receiving portion 4, so the presser member 16 does not sink into the receiving portion 4, and the films F1 and F2 are not pulled by the presser member 16.

In addition, in this modified example, the welding and cutting heater 10 sinks into the receiving part 4. If the films F1 and F2 are pressed against the receiving part 4 by the presser member 16, when the welding and cutting heater 10 sinks into the receiving part 4, the films F1 and F2 are pulled between the presser member 16 and the welding and cutting heater 10, which can also result in poor welding. In contrast, in this modified example, there is a gap G between the presser member 16 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4, allowing the films F1 and F2 to move. Furthermore, since there is usually a certain amount of slack on the downstream side of the presser member 16, the impact of the welding and cutting heater 10 sinking is absorbed by the slack being pulled back upstream through the gap G between the presser member 16 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4. This prevents poor welding caused by the welding and cutting heater 10 sinking into the receiving part 4.

Next, further modified examples will be described. Figures 15(a) and (b) are diagrams illustrating further modified examples. Figures 15(a) and (b) each correspond to Figure 14(c). In Figure 15(a), the upper surface 48a of the regulating member 48 is positioned lower than the upper surface 4a of the receiving portion 4, and therefore the protruding portion 24b that protrudes downward from the pressing member 16 is greater. In Figure 15(b), the second support member 24 does not have a protruding portion 24b, but therefore the regulating member 48 protrudes a greater amount from the upper surface 4a of the receiving portion 4. In either case, in these modified examples, the pressing member 16 stops with a small gap G between it and the upper surface 4a of the receiving portion 4.

As another modification, the presser member 16 may be supported by the first support member 22 so that it cannot move relative to the welding and cutting heater 10, i.e., its position relative to the welding and cutting heater 10 is fixed. In this case, the presser member 16 only needs to be supported by the first support member 22 so that the vertical distance between the lower end of the presser member 16 and the lower end of the welding and cutting heater 10 is distance G. Even in this modification, the presser member 16 stops with a small gap G between it and the upper surface 4a of the receiving part 4.

Next, let's consider the size of gap G. Even if films F1 and F2 do not necessarily come into close contact at the welding position during welding, preventing films F1 and F2 from being too far apart can prevent poor welding of the films, achieving the same or similar effect as the effect achieved by pressing the presser member 16 against the receiving portion 4 in the embodiment. Therefore, even if gap G is wide, it must be wide enough to allow the presser member 16 to come into contact with film F1. This allows the presser member 16 to bring film F1 even slightly closer to film F2, preventing poor welding. Furthermore, gap G is naturally narrower than the gap between the presser member 16 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving portion 4 when the welding and cutting unit 5 is in the standby position. Furthermore, gap G may be a gap that prevents newspaper S from passing through, i.e., a gap narrower than the thickness of newspaper S (for example, a maximum of 35 mm).

Furthermore, as mentioned above, to prevent welding defects, the films F1 and F2 must be able to move between the pressing member 16 and the upper surface 4a of the receiving portion 4. Therefore, even if the gap G is narrow, it must be greater than or equal to the combined thickness of the films F1 and F2.

The size of the gap G that satisfies these conditions may be, for example, greater than the sum of the thicknesses of films F1 and F2 and less than 2 mm, specifically 1 mm.

Any combination of the above-described embodiments and modifications is also useful as an embodiment of the present invention. A new embodiment resulting from a combination will have the combined effects of the combined embodiments and modifications. It will also be understood by those skilled in the art that the functions to be performed by each component recited in the claims can be realized by each component shown in the embodiments and modifications, either alone or in combination.
The aspects of the present application as originally claimed are described below.
[Aspect 1]
A packaging device that packages an item to be packaged in a film,
A pressing member that presses the two films sandwiching the packaged item against a receiving portion upstream of the packaged item that has been transported to a predetermined position;
a heater that contacts the film and heat-welds the film together, the heater being located upstream of the pressing member;
a support member that supports the presser member and the heater and is movable between a standby position where the presser member and the heater are separated from the film and a welding position where the presser member and the heater are in contact with the film;
Equipped with
The packaging device is characterized in that the pressing member is supported by the support member so as to be movable relative to the heater.
[Aspect 2]
A packaging device that packages an item to be packaged in a film,
A pressing member that presses the two films sandwiching the packaged item against a receiving portion upstream of the packaged item that has been transported to a predetermined position;
a heater that contacts the film and heat-welds the film together, the heater being located upstream of the pressing member;
a support member that supports the presser member and the heater and is movable between a standby position where the presser member and the heater are separated from the film and a welding position where the presser member and the heater are in contact with the film;
Equipped with
A packaging device, characterized in that the distance between the pressing member and the receiving portion when the support member is in the standby position is equal to or less than the distance between the heater and the receiving portion.
[Aspect 3]
3. The packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the heater is in contact with the film while the pressing member is pressing the film.
[Aspect 4]
a distance between the pressing member and the receiving portion when the support member is in the standby position is shorter than a distance between the heater and the receiving portion;
A packaging device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein the pressing member moves away after the heater moves away from the film.
[Aspect 5]
A packaging device that packages an item to be packaged in a film,
A pressing member for bringing the two films sandwiching the packaged item closer to each other, located upstream of the packaged item conveyed to a predetermined position;
a heater that contacts the film and heat-welds the film together, the heater being located upstream of the pressing member;
a support member that supports the pressing member and the heater and is movable between a standby position where the heater is separated from the film and a welding position where the heater is in contact with the film;
Equipped with
A packaging device, characterized in that when the support member is in the welding position, there is a gap between the pressing member and the receiving portion.
[Aspect 6]
A packaging device according to claim 5, wherein when the support member is in the welding position, the pressing member contacts the upper film of the two films sandwiching the packaged item.
[Aspect 7]
A packaging device according to aspect 5 or 6, wherein the pressing member is supported by the support member so as to be movable relative to the heater.
[Aspect 8]
The support member includes a first support member that supports the heater, and a second support member that supports the heater.
a second support member that is movable relative to the pressing member and supports the pressing member,
The packaging device described in Aspect 7 is characterized in that it further comprises a regulating member that abuts against the second support member when the support member moves to the welding position, thereby stopping the pressing member in a state where there is a gap between the pressing member and the receiving portion.
[Aspect 9]
A packaging device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the pressing member is a rotatable roller.
[Aspect 10]
A packaging device according to any one of Aspects 1 to 8, wherein the pressing surface of the pressing member is formed of a low-friction material.
The problems solved by these aspects are as follows.
In a conventional packaging device such as that described in Patent Document 1, the film pulled from the two film rolls is pressed against a receiving section by a shutter that covers the newspaper insertion opening, causing the film to adhere to each other upstream of the welding and cutting heater. However, the film from the two film rolls does not adhere to each other at the welding and cutting heater. Therefore, even though the film is cut by the welding and cutting heater, the film may not be welded to each other or may only be partially welded. In other words, poor welding of the film may occur.
Such a problem may arise not only when the packaging device is packaging newspapers, but also when packaging other types of items.
The present invention has been made in light of these circumstances, and one exemplary purpose of an embodiment of the present invention is to provide a packaging device that can reduce welding defects in films.

1 Packaging device, 10 Welding and cutting heater, 16 Pressing member, 20 Support member, 22 First support member, 24 Second support member, F1, F2 Film, S Newspaper.

Claims (7)

A packaging device that sandwiches an item to be packaged between two films and conveys it, and then seals and cuts the films on the upstream side of the item that has stopped at a predetermined packaging processing position to package it,
A sensor that detects the packaged item being conveyed;
A conveying means for conveying the packaged item sandwiched between the two films;
a heater that contacts the film on the upstream side of the transported object and thermally welds the films together;
a control unit that stops the driving of the conveying means so that the package stops at the packaging processing position after the package item is detected by the sensor, and then brings the heater into contact with the film;
The control unit determines whether the stopping position of the packaged item when the conveying means is stopped after driving the conveying means by a predetermined conveying drive amount using the timing of detection of the packaged item by the sensor as a trigger is the position where the packaged item has completed passing through the heater, and as a result of the determination,
If it is determined that the stop position is a position where the packaged item has completely passed through the heater, it is determined that the packaged item has already reached the packaging processing position, and the heater is brought into contact with the film,
If it is determined that the stopping position is not the position where the packaged item has completely passed through the heater, the packaging device drives the conveying means again to re-convey the packaged item until it has completely passed through the heater, and after this re-conveyance, the packaged item is considered to have reached the packaging processing device, and the packaging device brings the heater into contact with the film . The packaging device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit stops driving the conveying means and notifies a user of an error if the conveying drive amount due to the re-conveyance exceeds a predetermined amount before the packaged item has completely passed through the heater. 3. The packaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit, when carrying out the re-conveyance, increases the predetermined conveyance drive amount by a predetermined amount when packaging the next packaged item. The packaging device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit increases the predetermined transport drive amount each time the re-transport is performed. The packaging device according to claim 3 or 4 , wherein the control unit resets the predetermined transport drive amount to an initial value in response to a predetermined operation by a user. A packaging device as described in any one of claims 3 to 5 , wherein the control unit does not increase the predetermined conveying drive amount if the conveying drive amount due to the re-conveyance exceeds the predetermined amount before the packaged item has completely passed through the heater . A second sensor is provided downstream of the heater and capable of detecting the packaged item,
When the packaged item is stopped at the stop position, the control unit
When the second sensor does not detect the packaged item, the stop position is determined to be the position where the packaged item has completely passed through the heater,
7. The packaging device according to claim 1 , wherein when the second sensor detects the packaged item, the stop position is determined to be a position where the packaged item has completely passed through the heater.