U.S. patent application number 12/964593 was filed with the patent office on 2011-06-16 for bag filling and packaging method and bag filling and packaging apparatus.
This patent application is currently assigned to Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Atsuo Nakagawa, Kakue Nakamoto.
Application Number | 20110138751 12/964593 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 43838121 |
Filed Date | 2011-06-16 |
United States Patent
Application |
20110138751 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nakagawa; Atsuo ; et
al. |
June 16, 2011 |
Bag Filling and Packaging Method and Bag Filling and Packaging
Apparatus
Abstract
In a bag filling and packaging method and apparatus, first and
second bag pressing members being provided a specific distance
apart in the lengthwise direction of a bag and respectively having
pressing components that extend in the width direction of the bag.
The bag pressing members are moved toward a rear plate which is
provided on the rear side of the bag, so that the pressing
component of the first bag pressing member and an end face of the
rear plates hold the bag, and the pressing component of the second
pressing member pushes a position of the bag above a receiving face
of the rear plate, allowing the bag face including the print part
to be taut along the receiving face of the rear plate, and printing
or print inspection is performed in this configuration.
Inventors: |
Nakagawa; Atsuo;
(Iwakuni-shi, JP) ; Nakamoto; Kakue; (Iwakuni-shi,
JP) |
Assignee: |
Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
43838121 |
Appl. No.: |
12/964593 |
Filed: |
December 9, 2010 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/469 ;
53/131.4 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 43/50 20130101;
B65B 61/025 20130101; B65B 43/44 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/469 ;
53/131.4 |
International
Class: |
B65B 1/04 20060101
B65B001/04; B65B 61/26 20060101 B65B061/26 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Dec 11, 2009 |
JP |
JP2009-281169 |
Claims
1. A bag filling and packaging method in which an open end of a bag
is held while the bag is carried along a conveyance path, and
packaging steps including filling the bag with its contents and
closing up an opening thereof are sequentially carried out while
the bag is being conveyed, wherein a printing step is performed
before the content-filling step as one of the packaging steps, and
in the printing step a bag face that includes a print part is
pulled taut in at least one of a length direction and a width
direction of the bag, and then printing is performed with the print
part of the bag being flat.
2. A bag filling and packaging method in which an open end of a bag
is held'while the bag is carried along a conveyance path, and
packaging steps including filling the bag with its contents and
closing up an opening thereof are sequentially carried out while
the bag is being conveyed, wherein a print-inspection step of a bag
face of the bag is performed before the content-filling step as one
of the packaging steps, and in the print-inspection step a bag face
that includes a print part is pulled taut in at least one of a
length direction and a width direction of the bag, so that print
inspection is performed with the print part of the bag being
flat.
3. The bag filling and packaging method according to claim 1 or 2,
wherein an upper edge of the bag is open, and both sides of the
upper edge of the bag are gripped by a pair of left and right
grippers so that the bag is held in a state in which the bag hangs
down when carried along the conveyance path.
4. A bag filling and packaging apparatus wherein an open end of a
bag is held while the bag is carried along a conveyance path, and
packaging steps including filling the bag with its contents and
closing up an opening thereof are sequentially carried out while
the bag is being conveyed, and wherein a printing step is performed
before the content-filling step as part of the packaging steps, and
at a position where the printing step is performed, a printing
device and a print assisting device are provided, said print
assisting device pulling taut a bag face that includes a print part
in one of a length direction and a width direction of the bag, and
then printing is performed with the print part of the bag being
flat.
5. A bag filling and packaging apparatus wherein an open end of a
bag is held while the bag is carried along a conveyance path, and
packaging steps including filling the bag with its contents and
closing up an opening thereof are sequentially carried out while
the bag is being conveyed, and wherein a print-inspection step is
performed before the content-filling step as one of the packaging
steps, and at a position where the print-inspection step is
performed, a print injection device and a print-inspection
assisting device are provided, said print-inspection assisting
device pulling taut a bag face that includes a print part of the
bag in at least one of a length direction and a width direction of
the bag, and then printing is performed with the print part of the
bag being flat.
6. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein the print assisting device comprises a pair of pressing
members and a rear plate which are provided to face each other and
moved toward and away from each other; the rear plate is provided
on a rear face side of the bag and has a flat receiving face that
corresponds to the print part of the bag; the pair of pressing
members comprise a bag bottom-side pressing member and a bag
opening-side pressing member provided a specific distance apart in
the lengthwise direction of the bag on a front side of the bag
where the print part is located; each one of the pressing members
has a pressing component that extends in the width direction of the
bag; the rear plate and the pressing component of the bag
bottom-side pressing member sandwich a position on a bag bottom
side, in the width direction of the bag, from the print part of the
bag so as to hold the bag; the pressing component of the bag
opening-side pressing member presses a position that is on the
opening side of the bag from the receiving face of the rear plate
in the rear face-side direction; and the pressing component of the
bag opening-side pressing member is pushed in beyond the receiving
face of the rear plate in the rear face-side direction of the bag
with the bag being held by the rear plate and the pressing
component of the bag bottom-side pressing member.
7. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein the print-inspection assisting device comprises a pair of
pressing members and a rear plate which are provided to face each
other and moved toward and away from each other; the rear plate is
provided on a rear face side of the bag and has a flat receiving
face that corresponds to the print part of the bag; the pair of
pressing members comprise a bag bottom-side pressing member and a
bag opening-side pressing member provided a specific distance apart
in the lengthwise direction of the bag on the front side of the bag
where the print part of the bag is located; each one the pressing
members has a pressing component that extends in the width
direction of the bag; the rear plate and the pressing component of
the bag bottom-side pressing member sandwich a position on the bag
bottom side, in the width direction of the bag, from the print part
of the bag so as to hold the bag; the pressing component of the bag
opening-side pressing member presses a position that is on the
opening side from the receiving face of the bag in the rear
face-side direction; and the pressing component of the bag
opening-side pressing member is pushed in beyond the receiving face
of the rear plate in the rear face-side direction of the bag with
the bag being held by the rear plate and the pressing component of
the bag bottom-side pressing member.
8. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 6,
wherein the rear plate and bag bottom-side pressing member of the
print assisting device are set up in one of the manners consisting
of: the rear plate is provided at a receiving position that is a
fixed position and the bag bottom-side pressing member is movable
between a standby position away from the bag and a holding position
at which the bag is held between the rear plate and the bag
bottom-side pressing member, the bag bottom-side pressing member is
provided at a holding position that is a fixed position and the
rear plate is movable between a standby position away from the bag
and a receiving position at which the bag is held between the bag
bottom-side pressing member and this rear plate, and the bag
bottom-side pressing member is movable between a standby position
away from the bag and a holding position at which the bag is held
between the rear plate and the bag bottom-side pressing member and
the rear plate is movable between a standby position away from the
bag and a receiving position at which the bag is held between the
bag bottom-side pressing member and this rear plate; and wherein
furthermore, the bag opening-side pressing member is movable
between a standby position away from the bag and a pressing
position at which the bag is pressed in the rear face-side
direction.
9. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 7,
wherein the rear plate and bag bottom-side pressing member of the
print-inspection assisting device are set up in one of the manners
consisting of the rear plate is provided at a receiving position
that is a fixed position and the bag bottom-side pressing member is
movable between a standby position away from the bag and a holding
position at which the bag is held between the rear plate and the
bag bottom-side pressing member, the bag bottom-side pressing
member is provided at a holding position that is a fixed position
and the rear plate is movable between a standby position away from
the bag and a receiving position at which the bag is held between
the bag bottom-side pressing member and the rear plate, and the bag
bottom-side pressing member is movable between a standby position
away from the bag and a holding position at which the bag is held
between the rear plate and the bag bottom-side pressing member and
the rear plate is movable between a standby position away from the
bag and a receiving position at which the bag is held between the
bag bottom-side pressing member and the rear plate; and the bag
opening-side pressing member is movable between a standby position
away from the bag and a pressing position at which the bag is
pressed in the rear face-side direction.
10. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 6 or
8, wherein the bag is held between the receiving, face of the rear
plate and the pressing component of the bag bottom-side pressing
member.
11. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 7 or
9, wherein the bag is held between the receiving face of the rear
plate and the pressing component of the bag bottom-side pressing
member.
12. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 6 or
8, wherein the rear plate has a bag bottom-side end face on the bag
bottom side of the receiving face, and the bag is held between the
bag bottom-side end face and the pressing component of the bag
bottom-side pressing member.
13. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 7 or
9, wherein the rear plate has a bag bottom-side end face on the bag
bottom side of the receiving face, and the bag is held between the
bag bottom-side end face and the pressing component of the bag
bottom-side pressing member.
14. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein the print assisting device comprises a pair of pressing
members and a rear plate which are provided to face each other and
moved toward and away from each other, the rear plate is provided
on a rear face side of the bag, has a flat receiving face that
corresponds to the print part of the bag, and has an opening-side
end face and bag bottom-side end face along the width direction of
the bag on the opening side and bag bottom side of the receiving
face, respectively, and the pair of pressing members are provided a
specific distance apart in the lengthwise direction of the bag on
the front side of the bag where the print part is located, each one
of the pressing members having a pressing component that extends in
the width direction of the bag; and wherein when the rear plate and
the pair of pressing members approach each other, the pressing
components of the pair of pressing members are pushed in beyond the
receiving face of the rear plate at positions near the opening-side
end face and the bag bottom-side end face of the rear plate, the
bag is sandwiched between one of the pressing components and the
opening-side end face and between the other one of the pressing
components and the bag bottom-side end face in the width direction
of the bag, and the bag is pushed in along with the pressing
components in the rear face-side direction of the bag.
15. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein the print-inspection assisting device comprises a pair of
pressing members and a rear plate which are provided to face each
other and moved toward and away from leach other, the rear plate is
provided on a rear face side of the bag, has a flat receiving face
that corresponds to the print part of the bag, and has an
opening-side end face and a bag bottom-side end face along the
width direction of the bag on the opening side and bag bottom side
of the receiving face, respectively, and the pair of pressing
members are provided a specific distance apart in the lengthwise
direction of the bag on the front side of the bag where the print
part is located, each one of the pressing members having a pressing
component that extends in the width direction of the bag; and
wherein when the rear plate and the pair of pressing members
approach each other, the pressing components of the pair of
pressing members are pushed in beyond the receiving face of the
rear plate at positions near the opening-side end face and the bag
bottom-side end face of the rear plate, the bag is sandwiched
between one of the pressing components and the opening-side end
face and between the other one of the pressing components and the
bag bottom-side end face in the width direction of the bag, and the
bag is pushed in along with the pressing components in the rear
face-side direction of the bag.
16. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein the print assisting device comprises a pair of pressing
members and a rear plate which are provided to face each other and
moved toward and away from each other, the rear plate is provided
on a rear face side of the bag, has a flat receiving face that
corresponds to the print part of the bag, and has left and right
end faces along the lengthwise direction of the bag on both sides
of the receiving face of the rear plate, and the pair of pressing
members are provided a specific distance apart in the width
direction of the bag on the front side of the bag where the print
part is located, each one of the pressing members having a pressing
component that extends in the lengthwise direction of the bag; and
wherein when the rear plate and the pair of pressing members
approach each other, the pressing components of the pair of
pressing members are pushed in beyond the receiving face of the
rear plate at positions near the left and right end fates, the bag
is sandwiched between the pressing components and the left and
right end faces in the lengthwise direction of the bag, and the bag
is pushed in along with the pressing components in the rear
face-side direction of the bag.
17. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to claim 5,
wherein the print-inspection assisting device comprises a pair of
pressing members and a rear plate which are provided to face each
other and moved toward and away from each other, the rear plate is
provided on a rear face side of the bag, has a flat receiving face
that corresponds to the print part of the bag, and has left and
right end faces along the lengthwise direction of the hag on both
sides of the receiving face, the pair of pressing members are
provided a specific distance apart in the width direction of the
bag on the front side of the bag where the print part is located,
eachione of the pressing members having a pressing component that
extends in the lengthwise direction of the bag; and wherein when
the rear plate and the pair of pressing members approach each
other, the pressing components of the pair of pressing members are
pushed in beyond the receiving face of the rear plate at positions
near the left and right end faces, the bag is sandwiched between
the pressing components and the left and right end faces in the
lengthwise direction of the bag, and the bag is pushed in along
with the pressing components in the rear face-side direction of the
bag.
18. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to any one of
claims 6, 8, 14, and 16, wherein the pressing components of the
pressing members are formed from a rubber material.
19. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to any one of
claims 7, 9, 15, and 17, wherein the pressing components of the
pressing members are formed from a rubber material.
20. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to any one of
claims 4, 6, 8, 14, and 16, wherein an upper edge of the bag is
open, the bag filling and packaging apparatus grips both sides of
the upper edge of the bag with a pair of left and right grippers so
that the bag is held to hang down when carried along the conveyance
path, and the bag filling and packaging apparatus is an
intermittently rotating type bag filling and packaging apparatus in
which a plurality of pairs of grippers are equidistantly provided
around an intermittently rotating table, the grippers are moved
along a circular conveyance path as the table intermittently
rotates, and the printing device and the print assisting device are
provided at a stopping position where the printing step is carried
out.
21. The bag filling and packaging apparatus according to any one of
claims 5, 7, 9, 15, and 17, wherein an upper edge of the bag is
open, the bag filling and packaging apparatus grips both sides of
the upper edge of the bag with a pair: of left and right grippers
so that the bag is held to hang down when Carried along the
conveyance path, and the bag filling and packaging apparatus is an
intermittently rotating type bag filling and packaging apparatus in
which a plurality of pairs of grippers are equidistantly provided
around an intermittently rotating table, the grippers are moved
along a circular conveyance path as the table intermittently
rotates, and the print inspection device and the print-inspection
assisting device are provided at a stopping position where the
print-inspection step is carried out.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a bag filling and packaging
method and a bag filling and packaging apparatus in which printing
and/or print-inspection are/or executed as one of packaging
steps.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] FIG. 12 shows an example of a common intermittently rotating
bag filling and packaging apparatus. In this packaging apparatus, a
plurality of gripper pairs (pairs of grippers) 2 are equidistantly
provided around a table 1 that intermittently rotates in one
direction (in the direction of the white arrow). As the table 1
makes the intermittent rotation, the gripper pairs 2 are
intermittently moved along a circular conveyance path; and while
the gripper pairs 2 are making one rotation, various packaging
processing steps are carried out, such as supplying bags 3 to the
gripper pairs 2 (bag feeding), filling the bags 3 with their
contents while the bags are gripped at the edges on both sides by
the gripper pairs 2, and sealing the openings (bag mouths) of the
bags 3. The conveyance path of the gripper pairs 2 is also the
conveyance path of the bags 3.
[0005] The above operation will be described below more
specifically with reference to FIG. 12. The stopping position I is
a bag feeding step position, and at this stopping position I, a
conveyor magazine type bag feeder 4 that supplies bags 3 to the
gripper pairs 2 is provided. The supplied bags 3 are open at their
upper edges, and the edges on both sides near the opening (bag
mouth) are gripped by the gripper pairs 2. The bags hang down with
the opening facing up.
[0006] The stopping position II is a printing step position, and at
this stopping position II a printing device (only the printer 5 is
shown) that prints the date, etc. on a bag face of the bags 3
gripped by the gripper pairs 2 is provided. If the bags 3 are those
on which date, etc. has been printed previously, then a print
inspection device is provided as needed instead of the printing
device, and a print-inspection step is carried out. In some cases,
printing and print inspection are carried out at the same stopping
position.
[0007] The stopping position III is a position at which the upper
end opening (bag mouth) of each bag is opened up. A this stopping
position III, an opening device including a pair of suction members
(suction cups) 6 that can move toward and away from each other and
a pair of follower-type opening guides 7 (only the suction cups 6
and the opening guides 7 are shown in the drawing) is provided. The
stopping position IV is a content-filling step position, and a
filling device including a hopper 8 that goes up and down (only the
hopper 8 is shown in the drawing) is provided at this
content-filling step position. The follower-type opening guides 7
are inserted into the opened bag at the stopping position III and
immediately opened up the bag to keep the bag mouth open; and by
the rotation of the table 1 (that makes the movement of the gripper
pairs 2 and the bags 3) the guides 7 are moved to the stopping
position IV. After the hopper 8 are inserted into the bag mouth at
the stopping position IV, the guides 7 are raised up out of the bag
mouth and immediately returned to the stopping position III.
[0008] The stopping position V is a first gas replacement step
position, and at this stopping position V, a first gas displacement
device including a gas blow-in nozzle 9 that goes up and down (only
the gas blow-in nozzle 9 is shown in the drawing) is provided. The
stopping position VI is a second gas replacement step position, and
a second gas displacement device including a gas blow-in nozzle 11
that goes up and down (only the gas blow-in nozzle 11 is shown in
the drawing) is provided at this stopping position VI. At the
stopping position VI (the second gas replacement step position),
the spacing between the gripper pairs 2 is widened until the bag
mouth is taut.
[0009] The stopping position VII is a first sealing step position,
and at this stopping position VII a first sealing device including
a pair of first heat plates 12 that open and close (only the first
heat plates 12 are shown) is provided. The stopping position VIII
is a second sealing step position, and a second sealing device
including a pair of second heat plates 13 (only the second heat
plates 13 are shown) are provided at this second sealing step
position. The stopping position IX is a seal cooling and finished
bag release step position. A cooling device having a pair cif
cooling plates 14 (only the cooling plates 14 are shown) and a
chute 15 are provided at the stopping position IX.
[0010] The stopping position X is a defective bag release step
position, and at this stopping position X defective bags (such as
empty bags that were not filled because they were not properly
opened) are released.
[0011] At the stopping position II, letters and/or symbols are
printed (mainly by inkjet) on the surface of the bag, or the
printed letters or symbols are imaged with an imaging means
(camera), and this image is used to inspect the printing and see if
it is as it should be (whether the printing is there, or the
printing is partially missing, too faint, distorted, incorrect,
etc.).
[0012] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No.
2000-109033 and Japanese Patent No. 3,282,803 disclose a print or
print-inspection assisting device that is used in such a printing
step or print-inspection step. This print or print-inspection
assisting device includes a rear plate and a pressing plate which
is formed with a window that surrounds the print part of the bag
(an area in which printing will be performed or an area in which
printing has been performed) of a bag, and this print or
print-inspection assisting device performs printing or print
inspection through the window in a state that the bag face is
sandwiched from both sides between the rear plate and the pressing
plate. In this method, since a bag can be kept completely still by
clamping it by the rear plate and the pressing plate, any printing
defects or missed problems in print inspection caused by looseness
of the bag can be prevented.
[0013] Meanwhile, the bag faces of bags are generally warped, wavy,
or otherwise curved, and the direction of this curvature is usually
the lengthwise direction of the bag (that is, the axis of curvature
is in the bag width direction) (see FIG. 13(a)). In such a case, if
the bag face is clamped by a rear plate and a pressing plate, the
bag face portion that comes into the window (the bag face that
includes the print part) will bulge out in a convex shape (see FIG.
13(b)); and if the print part is printed or inspected for printing
in this state, there is the possibility that printing defects will
occur or that problems in print inspection will be missed. Also,
since the bag face around the print part is clamped in a plane all
the way around, some wrinkling can occur in the clamped bag face,
and this may mar the appearance (and the commercial value) of the
bag.
[0014] FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b) show a curved bag shape and the
structure of a conventional print assisting device or
print-inspection assisting device. In FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b), the
reference numeral 16 is a rear plate, 17 is a pressing plate, and
18 is a window formed in the Pressing plate 17. In addition, the
reference numeral 2 is a gripper, 3 is a bag, and 5 is a printer or
a print inspection camera.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0015] The present invention was made in light of the above
problems encounteredin the printing step or print-inspection step
out of a series of bag filling and packaging steps, and it is an
object of the present invention to prevent printing defects or
missed problems in print inspection even if the bag face is warped
or wavy. It is another object to keep the bag face from wrinkling
during the printing or print-inspection step.
[0016] The above-described objects are accomplished by a unique
structure of the present invention for a bag filling and packaging
method in which the open end of a bag is held while the bag is
carried along a specific conveyance path, and packaging steps, such
as filling the bag with its contents and closing up the opening,
are sequentially carried out while the bag is being conveyed; and
in the present invention, [0017] a printing step (or a
print-inspection step) is performed before the content-filling step
(as one of the packaging steps), and in this printing step (or
print-inspection step) the bag face that includes a print part is
pulled taut in the length direction or width direction of the bag,
so that printing (or print inspection) is performed in a state in
which the print part of the bag is flat.
[0018] The printing step and the print-inspection step can be both
included in the packaging steps. Furthermore, with a standard bag
such as that shown in FIGS. 12 and 13(a) and 13(b), the packaging
steps generally include an bag mouth opening step, and a printing
step and/or a print-inspection step is provided before this bag
mouth opening step.
[0019] The above-described objects are also accomplished by another
unique structure of the present invention for a bag filling and
packaging apparatus in which the open end of a bag is held while
the bag is carried along a specific conveyance path, and packaging
steps, such as filling the bag with its contents and closing up the
opening, are sequentially carried out while the bag is being
conveyed; and in the present invention, [0020] a printing step (or
a print-inspection step) is performed before the content-filling
step (as one of the packaging steps), and at the position where the
printing step (or print-inspection step) is performed, a printing
device (or a print inspection device) and a print assisting device
(or a print-inspection assisting device) in which the bag face that
includes a print part is pulled taut in the length direction or
width direction of the bag are provided, so that printing is
performed in a state in which the print part of the bag is
flat.
[0021] Both printing step and print-inspection step may be
performed in the packaging steps. The assisting device is operated
prior to the printing or print inspection performed by the printing
device or print inspection device, and the print part of the bag is
maintained in a flat state. The assisting device, therefore, can be
called a bag tautness maintenance means.
[0022] The assisting device (print assisting device or
print-inspection assisting device) may have the following specific
constitutions. [0023] (1) The assisting device comprises a pair of
pressing members and altar plate which are provided to face each
other and moved toward and away from each other. The rear plate is
provided on the rear face side of the bag, and the pair of pressing
members is provided on the front side of the bag, that is, on the
bag face side where the print part of the bag is located. [0024]
The rear plate has a flat receiving face that corresponds to the
print part of the bag. [0025] The pair of pressing members comprise
a bag bottom-side pressing member and a bag opening-side pressing
member which are provided a specific distance apart in the
lengthwise direction of the bag, and each one of these pressing
members has a pressing component that extends in the width
direction of the bag. [0026] The pressing component of the bag
bottom-side pressing member sandwiches, in the width direction of
the bag, a position on the bag bottom side from the print part of
the bag, between this pressing component and the rear plate, so as
to hold the bag. The pressing component of the bag opening-side
pressing member presses a position that is on the opening side from
the receiving face of the rear plate in the rear face-side
direction. [0027] In a state in which the bag is held by the rear
plate and the pressing component of the bag bottom-side pressing
member, the pressing component of the bag opening-side pressing
member is pushed in beyond the receiving face of the rear plate in
the rear face-side direction of the bag, so that the bag face that
includes the print part of the bag is kept taut along the receiving
face of the rear plate. [0028] (2) Examples of a more specific
constitution in the structure of (1) above are that the bag is held
between the receiving face of the rear plate and the pressing
component of the bag bottom-side pressing member, and that the rear
plate has a bag bottom-side end face on the bag bottom side of the
receiving face, and the bag is held between the bag bottom-side end
face and the pressing component of the bag bottom-side pressing
member. [0029] (3) In the structures of (1) and (2) above, the rear
plate and the bag bottom-side pressing member are moved toward and
away from each other. In this case, the relative movement modes
include: [0030] (a) the rear plate is provided at a receiving
position that is a fixed position, and the bag bottom-side pressing
member is movable between a holding position at which the bag is
held between this pressing member and the rear plate and a standby
position that is away from the bag, [0031] (b) the bag bottom-side
pressing member is provided at a holding position that is a fixed
position, and the rear plate is movable between a receiving
position at which the bag is held between the rear plate and the
bag bottom-side pressing member and a standby position that is away
from the bag, and [0032] (c) the bag bottom-side pressing member is
movable between a holding position at which the bag is held between
this pressing member and the rear plate and a standby position that
is away from the bag, and the rear plate is movable between a
receiving position at which the bag is held between the rear plate
and the bag bottom-side pressing member and a standby position that
is away from the bag. [0033] Any of the above modes is applicable
in the present invention. [0034] Meanwhile, the bag opening-side
pressing member must be able to move between a pressing position at
which the bag is pressed in the rear face-side direction of the bag
and a standby position that is away from the bag, regardless of
whether the rear plate is actually movable or not. [0035] (4) The
assisting device comprises a pair of pressing members and arrear
plate which are provided to face each other and moved toward and
away from each other, the rear plate is provided on the rear face
side of the bag, and the pair of pressing members are provided on
the bag face side where the print part of the bag is located, and
in this structure, the pair of pressing members can be provided
with a specific distance apart in the lengthwise direction of the
bag on the front side of the bag. [0036] The rear plate has a flat
receiving face that corresponds to the print part of the bag, and
it is provided with an opening-side end face and a bag bottom-side
end face along the width direction of the bag on the opening side
and bag bottom side of the receiving face, respectively. Each one
of the pressing members has a pressing component that extends in
the width direction of the bag, and when the rear plate and the
pair of pressing members come into contact with each other, the
pressing components of the pair of pressing members are pushed in
beyond the receiving face of the rear plate at positions near the
opening-side end face and the bag bottom-side end face of the rear
plate. [0037] The bag at this point is sandwiched, in the width
direction of the bag, between one of the pressing components and
the opening-side end face and between the other one of the pressing
components and the bag bottom-side end face, and is pushed in along
with the pressing components in the rear face-side direction of the
bag, so that the bag face that includes the print part of the bag
is stretched taut along the receiving face of the rear plate.
[0038] (5) The assisting device comprises a pair of pressing
members and a rear plate which are provided to face each other and
moved toward and away from each other, the rear plate is provided
on the rear face side of the bag, and the pair of pressing members
are provided on the bag face side where the print part of the bag
is located; and in this structure, the pair of pressing members can
be provided with a specific distance apart in the width direction
of the bag on the front side of the bag. [0039] The rear plate has
a flat receiving face that corresponds to the print part of the
bag, and it is provided with left and right end faces along the
lengthwise direction of the bag on both sides of the receiving
face. Each one of the pressing members has a pressing component
that extends in the lengthwise direction of the bag, and when the
rear plate and the Pair of pressing members come into contact with
each other, the pressing components are pushed in beyond the
receiving face of the rear plate at positions near the left and
right end faces. [0040] The bag at this point is sandwiched, in the
lengthwise direction of the bag, between the pressing components
and the left and right end faces and is pushed in along with the
pressing components in the rear face-side direction of the bag, so
that the bag face that includes the print part of the bag is
stretched taut along the receiving face of the rear plate. [0041]
(6) In the structures (4) and (5) above, the rear plate and the
pair of pressing members are moved toward and away from each other.
In this case, the relative movement modes thereof can be the same
as the modes (a) to (c) described in (3) above. [0042] (7) In the
structures (1) to (6) above, the pressing components of the
pressing members are formed from a rubber material. [0043] (8) The
bag applied to the above-described bag filling and packaging
apparatus is, for example, one in which the upper edge of the bag
is open; and the bag filling and Packaging apparatus is a type in
which it grips both sides of the upper edge of the bag with a pair
of left and right grippers so that the bag is held in a that it
hangs down when carried along the conveyance path. Also, this bag
filling and packaging apparatus is an intermittently rotating type
bag filling and packaging apparatus in which a plurality of pairs
of grippers are equidistantly provided around an intermittently
rotating table and moved along a circular conveyance path with the
intermittent rotation of the table, and a printing device (or a
print inspection device) and an assisting device are provided at a
stopping position at which the printing step (or the
print-inspection step) is carried out. [0044] The packaging steps
can include both printing step and print-inspection step. In such a
structure, the printing is performed at the printing step position,
and the print inspection is performed at a suitable stopping
position ahead of the bag mouth opening step position (usually the
next stopping position after the printing step position); and
instead, the printing step and the print-inspection step can be
performed at the same stopping position. In the latter case, the
printing device and the print inspection device are provided at the
same stopping position, and the assisting device is used for both
printing assistance and print inspection assistance.
[0045] As seen from the above, in the bag filling and packaging
method and bag filling and packaging apparatus according to the
present invention, the bag face that includes a print part (which
is an area in which printing will be performed or an area in which
printing has been performed) is straightened out to be flat prior
to the printing or print inspection, accordingly, printing defects
or missed problems in print inspection is prevented even if the bag
face is previously warped or wavy. Also, since the assisting device
merely pulls the bag face taut in the lengthwise direction of the
bag or the width direction of the bag, rather than squeezifig the
bag face all the way around the print part, wrinkling of the bag
face is prevented.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0046] FIG. 1 is a side view of the structure of the essential part
of an assisting device according to the present invention;
[0047] FIG. 2 is a front view of the same;
[0048] FIGS. 3 through 5 are cross-sectional side views showing the
progress of the operation of the assisting device over time;
[0049] FIGS. 6 through 8 are cross-sectional side views showing the
progress of the operation of another assisting device over
time;
[0050] FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional side view of the structure of
yet another assisting device according to the present
invention;
[0051] FIG. 10 is a side view of the structure of yet another
assisting device according to the present invention;
[0052] FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional top view thereof;
[0053] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of an intermittently rotating
bag filling and packaging apparatus to which the assisting device
according to the present invention is applied; and
[0054] FIGS. 13(a) and 13(b) are cross sectional side views of the
structure of a conventional assisting device and a curved bag
shape.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0055] The structure and operation of an assisting device (print
assisting device or print-inspection assisting device) used
particularly in the printing or print-inspection step Of the bag
filling and packaging method and bag filling and packaging
apparatus according to the present invention will now be described
with reference to FIGS. 1 to 11. In the following embodiments, this
assisting device is provided at a printing step position II of the
intermittently rotating bag filling and packaging apparatus shown
in FIG. 12.
[0056] In FIGS. 1 and 2, the print assisting device includes, among
other components, a rear plate 21, a bag bottom-side pressing
member 22, a bag opening-side pressing member 23, a drive means
(though not shown, it is, for example, an air cylinder) for the
rear plate 21, a drive means (air cylinder) 24 for the bag
bottom-side pressing member 22 and the bag opening-side pressing
member 23. The reference numeral 5 is a printer.
[0057] The rear plate 21 is fixed to the upper end of an attachment
plate 25 linked to the drive means. The rear plate 21 is provided
on the rear face side of the bag 3 (the bag face side with no print
part), and moves back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the
bag face of the stopped bag 3 within the horizontal plane, between
a standby position that is away from the bag 3 (see FIG. 1) and a
receiving position at which the bag 3 is held between the rear
plate 21 and the bag bottom-side pressing member 22 (see FIG. 4).
The rear plate 21 has a flat, substantially vertical receiving face
26 that corresponds to the print part of the bags 3 and to the
surrounding bag face. A bag bottom-side end face 27 that is
substantially horizontal is formed on the lower side (bottom-side
of the bag) of the receiving face 26, and an opening-side end face
28 that is substantially horizontal is formed on the upper side of
the receiving face 26 (the bag opening side). The receiving face 26
is formed such that its horizontal width (its length in the bag
width direction) is slightly greater than the bag width. FIG. 1
shows the up and down direction range of the print part P.
[0058] The bag bottom-side pressing member 22 and the bag
opening-side pressing member 23 are provided on the front side of
the bag 3 (on the bag face side where the print part of the bag is
located), and has plate-like protrusions, namely, pressing
components 31 and 32, that extend in the horizontal direction (the
width direction of the bag 3) and are spaced apart by a specific
distance in the up and down direction (the lengthwise direction of
the bag 3). The pressing component 31 is located below (on the bag
bottom side) the print part P, and the pressing component 32 is
located above (on the bag opening side) the print part P. More
specifically, the pressing component 31 is located under and close
to the bag bottom-side end face 27 of the rear plate 21, and the
pressing component 32 is located above and away from the
opening-side end face 28. The vertical spacing between the pressing
component 31 and the bag bottom-side end face 27 must be greater
than the thickness of the bag 3 and needs to be made as narrow as
possible so that the bag can be held sandwiched between the
pressing component 311 and the bag bottom-side end face 27 (so that
the bag 3 can be held tightly enough so as not readily slip in the
direction of force when a force is exerted on the bag 3 in the
lengthwise direction). The pressing component 31 and the pressing
component 32 are preferably made of rubber, for example, to
increase the frictional force with the bags 3, which are composed
of a plastic film.
[0059] The proximal components 33 and 34 of the bag bottom-side
pressing member 22 and the bag opening-side pressing member 23 are
respectively fixed at upper and lower positions of a connecting
plate 35, and the connecting plate 35 is fixed to the distal end of
a piston rod 36 of the air cylinder 24 (fixed to a stand that is
not shown). When the air cylinder 24 is operated, the bag
bottom-side pressing member 22 is moved between a standby position
(see FIG. 1) away from the bag 3 and a holding position (see FIG.
5) at which the bag 3 is held between the rear plate 21 and the bag
bottom-side pressing member 22, and the bag opening-side pressing
member 23 is moved between a standby position (see FIG. 1) away
from the bag 3 and a pressing position (see FIG. 5) at which the
bag 3 is pressed in its rear face-side direction (perpendicular to
the bag face), wherein each of these members is moved back and
forth simultaneously within the horizontal plane and in a direction
perpendicular to the bal face of the stopped bag 3.
[0060] Next, the operation of this print assisting device will be
described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5. FIG. 3 shows the state
when an empty bag 3 is clamped between the grippers 2, conveyed to
the printing step position II, and is stopped at the printing step
position II. At this point, the rear plate 21, the bag bottom-side
pressing member 22 and the bag opening-side pressing member 23 are
in the standby position. The bag 3 curves in the lengthwise
direction (the up and down direction).
[0061] Then, a drive means (not shown) of the rear plate 21 and the
air cylinder 24 are operated, so that the rear plate 21 is moved
toward the receiving position, the bag bottom-side pressing member
22 is moved toward the holding position, and the bag opening-side
pressing member 23 is moved toward the pressing position.
[0062] FIG. 4 shows the state when the rear plate 21 is reached and
stopped at the receiving position, wherein the print part P and
nearby bag face of the bag 3 are located at the position of the
receiving face 26 of the rear plate 21. At this point, the bag
bottom-side pressing member 22 and the bag opening-side pressing
member 23 are just about to arrive at the holding position or
pressing position, respectively. The distal end of the pressing
component 31 of the bag bottom-side pressing member 22 goes beyond
the position of the receiving face 26 of the rear plate 21, and the
position of the bag 3 below the receiving face 26 (more toward the
bag bottom side from the print part P) is sandwiched in the width
direction of the bag 3 between the distal end of the pressing
component 31 and the bag bottom-side end face 27 of the rear plate
21. At the same time, the distal end of the pressing component 32
of the bag opening-side pressing member 23 also goes beyond the
receiving face 26 of the rear plate 21, and the position of the
bag, 3 above the receiving face 26 (more toward the opening side
from the print part P) is about to be pushed in the rear face-side
direction of the bag 3.
[0063] Until the bag bottom-side pressing member 22 and the bag
opening-side pressing member 23 go from the state in FIG. 4 and
reach the holding position or the pressing position, respectively,
the bag 3 is in a state of being sandwiched between the pressing
component 31 and the bag bottom-side end face 27 at a position
below the rear plate 21, and at a position above the rear plate 21,
as the bag 3 is moved toward the pressing position of the pressing
component 32, the bag 3 is pulled in the movement direction of the
pressing component 32. If the space between the pressing component
31 and the bag bottom-side end face 27 is small enough, and the
coefficient of friction of the bag bottom-side end face 27 and the
pressing component 31 is not low, then the sandwiched bag 3 will be
held at this position (the bag face will not slide up or down). On
the other band, when the pressing component 31 is, in particular,
composed of rubber or the like and has a higher coefficient of
friction than the rear plate 21 made of, for example, plastic, then
as the pressing component 31 is moved to the holding position, the
place where the bag 3 is sandwiched will be pushed in the movement
direction of the pressing component 31.
[0064] FIG. 5 shows the state when the bag bottom-side pressing
member 22 and the bag opening-side pressing member 23 have
respectively reached the holding position or the pressing position.
The bag 3 is held such that the position in the lower portion of
the receiving face 26 (the bag bottom side from the print part P)
is sandwiched between the pressing component 31 of the bag
bottom-side pressing member 22 and the bag bottom-side end face 27
of the rear plate 21, while the position in the upper portion of
the receiving face 26 (the opening side from the print part P) is
pushed in to the rear of the receiving face 26 (in the rear
face-side direction of the bag 3), so that the bag face of the bag
3 including the print part P is held flat in a taut state over the
receiving face 26.
[0065] In this state, the printer 5 is operated and printing is
performed on the print part P of the bag.
[0066] After the above-described operations, a drive means (not
shown) of the rear plate 21 and the air cylinder 24 are operated,
so that the rear plate 21 and the pair of pressing members 22 and
23 are moved back to their original standby position. Then, the bag
3 that has been undergone the printing step is conveyed toward the
next stopping position III (bag mouth opening step position), and a
new bag 3 is conveyed from the stopping position I (bag feeding
step position) to the stopping position II (printing step
position).
[0067] FIGS. 6 to 8 illustrate another print assisting device and
its operation. This assisting device differs from the assisting
device shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 in that the rear plate 21 is fixed at
the receiving position, the bag bottom-side pressing member 22 and
the bag opening-side pressing member 23 each have their own
independent drive means (air cylinders 24 and 37), and when the bag
bottom-side pressing member 22 is moved to the holding position,
the pressing component 31 comes into contact with the receiving
face 26 of the rear plate 21.
[0068] FIG. 6 shows the state when the bag 3 is clamped by the
grippers 2 and conveyed to the printing step position II, and
stopped at said position. At this point, the rear plate 21 his in
the receiving position, and the bag bottom-side pressing member 22
and the bag opening-side pressing member 23 are both in the standby
position. The bag 3 is curved in the lengthwise direction (up and
down direction). The receiving position must be set so that the
rear plate 21 does not interfere with a bag 3 that is being
conveyed in.
[0069] FIG. 7 shows the state when the air cylinder 24 is operated
and the bag bottom-side pressing member 22 is reached the holding
position. In this holding position, the digital end of the pressing
component 31 is in contact with the receiving face 26 of the rear
plate 21, the lower position of the bag 3 from the print part P
(the position on the bag bottom side) is sandwiched between the
receiving face 26 and the pressing component 31, and the bag 3 is
held in this position.
[0070] The air cylinder 37 is then operated, and the bag
opening-side pressing member 23 is moved to the pressing position.
FIG. 8 shows the state when the bag opening-side pressing member 23
is reached the pressing position, in which the position of the bag
3 above the receiving face 26 (the opening side from the print part
P) is pushed in by the pressing component 32 to the rear of the
receiving face 26 (the rear face-side direction of the bag 3).
Consequently, the bag face of the bag 3 including the print part P
is held flat in a taut state over the receiving face 26, and in
this state the printer 5 is operate and printing is performed on
the print part P.
[0071] After this, the air cylinders 24 and 37 are operated and the
bag bottom-side pressing member 22 and the bag opening-side
pressing member 23 are moved back to their original standby
positions. Then, the bag 3 that has been undergone the printing
step is conveyed to the next stopping position III (bag mouth
opening step position), and a new bag 3 is conveyed from the
stopping position I (bag feeding step position) to the stopping
position II (printing step position).
[0072] FIG. 9 illustrates yet another print assisting device and
its operation. This print assisting device differs from the print
assisting device shown in FIGS. 1 to 5 in that both the Pressing
component 31 of the bag bottom-side pressing member 22 and the
pressing component 32 of the bag opening-side pressing member 23
are provided under and close to the bag bottom-side end face 27 of
the rear plate 21, or above and in close proximity to the
opening-side end face 28 of the rear plate 21, respectively.
[0073] In this print assisting device, the distal ends of the
pressing components 31 and 32 of the bag bottom-side pressing
member 22 and the bag opening-side pressing member 23 go beyond the
position of the receiving face 26 of the rear plate 21 just before
the pressing members 22 and 23 reach the pressing position shown in
FIG. 9, and the positions of the bag 3 above and below the
receiving face 26 are sandwiched in the width direction of the bag
3 between the distal ends of the pressing components 31 and 32 and
the bag bottom-side end face 27 or the opening-side end face 28 of
the rear plate 21.
[0074] Then, up until the bag bottom-side pressing member 22 and
the bag opening-side pressing member 23 reach the pressing
position, the bag 3 is kept in a state that it is sandwiched
between the pressing component 31 and the bag bottom-side end face
27 at the lower position of the rear plate 21 and between the
pressing component 32 and the opening-side end face 28 at the upper
position of the rear plate 21. If the gap between the bag
bottom-side end face 27 of the rear plate 21 and the pressing
component 31 and the gap between the opening-side end face 28 of
the rear plate 21 and the pressing component 32 are small enough,
and the pressing components 31 and 32 are made of rubber or another
such material with a high coefficient affliction, then as the
pressing components 31 and 32 are moved to the pressing position,
the places of the bag 3 that are sandwiched are pushed in the
movement direction of the pressing components 31 and 32.
Consequently, the bag face of the bag 3 including the print part P
is held flat and taut over the receiving face 26.
[0075] In this state, the printer 5 is operated and printing is
performed on the print part P of the bag.
[0076] FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate yet another print assisting
device and its operation. This print assisting device is the same
as the print assisting device described above in terms of the
structure that includes a pair of pressing members 22 and 23 and a
rear plate 21 that are provided so as to face each other and moved
toward and away from each other; however, it differs in that the
width of the rear plate 21 (the width of the receiving face 26) is
considerably less thin the bag's width, that left and right end
faces 38 and 39 are provided along the lengthwise direction of the
bag 3 on both sides of the receiving face 26, and that the pressing
members 22 and 23 are provided a specific distance apart in the
width direction of the bag 3 (a gap that is somewhat larger than
the width of the receiving face 26) and each one of these have
pressing components 31 and 32 extends in the lengthwise direction
of the bag 3.
[0077] More specifically, the rear plate 21 is moved back and forth
in a direction perpendicular to the bag face of the bag 3 within a
horizontal plane, between a standby position that is away from the
bag 3 (see FIG. 10) and a front receiving position (see FIG. 11) by
a drive means such as air cylinder (not shown). The pressing
components 31 and 32 are moved back and forth in a direction
perpendicular to the bag face of the bag 3 within a horizontal
plane, between a standby position that is away from the bag 3 (see
FIG. 10) and a front pressing position (see FIG. 11).
[0078] When the rear plate 21 and the pressing members 22 and 23
are moved from the standby position to the receiving position or
the pressing position, as shown in FIG. 11, the pressing components
31 and 32 are pushed in on the outside of the end faces 38 and 39
of the rear plate 21, and the gap between the pressing components
31 and 32 and the end faces 38 and 39 of the rear plate 21 at this
point is greater than the thickness of the bag 3, but is still set
to be extremely narrow. This gap is the same as that of the print
assisting device shown in FIG. 9.
[0079] Therefore, like in the print assisting device shown in FIG.
9, as the pressing components 31 and 32 are moved to the pressing
position, positions of the bag 3 that are on the left and right of
the rear plate 21 are sandwiched between the end face 39 and the
pressing component 32 and between the end face 38 and the pressing
component 31 in the lengthwise direction of the bag 3, and are
pushed in the movement direction of the pressing components 31 and
32 (the rear face-side of the bag 3) while still in this sandwiched
state. Consequently, the bag face of the bag 3 that includes the
print part P is held flat and taut in the bag width direction over
the receiving face 26.
[0080] According to the above-described print assisting devices of
the present invention, the following further advantages are
obtained: [0081] (1) In the assisting device in FIGS. 1 to 5, since
the drive means (air cylinder) of the pair of the pressing members
are shared, the device is more compact, its cost is reduced, and
the print part of the bag is made taut more efficiently. [0082] (2)
With the pressing components of the pressing members made from a
rubber material, the friction of the pressing members with the bag
(plastic) increases, so that the bag face is less likely to slip
when the bag is sandwiched between the pressing components and the
rear plate, and a better taut action is obtained. [0083] (3) The
drive means is constituted by an air cylinder; accordingly, the
pressure of the air supplied to the air cylinder can be adjusted so
as to absorb the bag's rebound (so that excessive tension is not
exerted on the bag when the bag is pulled taut), which means that
there will be less damage to the bags during pressing.
[0084] In addition, the assisting device (print assisting device or
and/or print-inspection assisting device) according to the present
invention is not limited to the examples described above, and
various modifications are possible as follows: [0085] (1) The
assisting devices above are described as to assisting devices for a
printing step; however, they are applicable in exactly the same way
to a print-inspection step. For instance, when print inspection is
carried out at the stopping position prior to the bag mouth opening
step, a print inspection device and a print-inspection assisting
device are provided at that stopping position. This includes a case
in which printing is performed at a printing step position and
print inspection is performed at a suitable stopping position prior
to the bag mouth opening step position (usually, the next stopping
position after the printing step position is selected), in which
case the printing device and the print assisting device are
provided at the printing step position, and the print inspection
device and the print-inspection assisting device are provided at
the print-inspection step position. Also, the printing step and the
print-inspection step can be performed at the same position, in
which case the printing device, the print inspection device, and
the assisting device (one that is used for both printing assistance
and print inspection assistance) are provided at this position.
[0086] (2) So as to meet the case in which the position of the
print part of the bag is changed, it is preferable for the rear
plate, the pressing members, the pressing components, and so forth
to be adjustable for position.
[0087] (3) The present invention further includes structures in
which the bottom side of the bag is sandwiched by a chuck provided
at the printing step position or the print-inspection step position
and is pulled toward the bag bottom side (downward), and the bag
face is pulled taut in the lengthwise direction of the bag between
grippers on the opening side, and in which both sides of the print
part of the bag (both edges) are sandwiched by a pair of chucks
provided so as to face each other at the printing step position or
the print-inspection step position and pulled to the left and
right, the bag face is pulled taut in the width direction of the
bag between these two chucks, and then printing, print inspection,
or the like is performed. [0088] (4) In the above examples, the
present invention is described with reference to an intermittently
rotating type bag filling and packaging apparatus in which an
ordinary bag is carried along a circular conveyance path with the
opening (mouth) of the bag, facing up, and various packaging steps
are carried out sequentially in the course of the steps therein.
Nonetheless, the present invention is further applicable to a
packaging apparatus that includes a racetrack-shaped conveyance
path or a linear conveyance path, and it can be generally applied
to, for instance, an intermittent conveyance type vertical bag
filling and packaging apparatus (a type in which various packaging
actions are performed in a state that bags clamped by grippers are
held with its mouth facing up), a continuous conveyance type bag
filling and packaging apparatus (a type in which bags are conveyed
continuously), and a lateral bag filling, and packaging apparatus
(a type in which various packaging actions are performed in a state
that the bag mouths are facing sideways while bags are being
conveyed), and the invention can be further applicable to a bag
filling and packaging apparatus in which the contents are put into
a bag that has a spout as its opening (wherein instead of conveying
bags with both side edges held by grippers, the spout of each bags
is held in the groove of a spout holding member): In the case of
continuous conveyance type apparatus, the assisting device itself
is moved to follow the movement of the bag, and after the
completion of printing or print inspection, the assisting device is
returned to its original position.
* * * * *