U.S. patent application number 14/476980 was filed with the patent office on 2015-03-12 for packaging system.
This patent application is currently assigned to Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Masakazu Setozaki.
Application Number | 20150068166 14/476980 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 51492153 |
Filed Date | 2015-03-12 |
United States Patent
Application |
20150068166 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Setozaki; Masakazu |
March 12, 2015 |
PACKAGING SYSTEM
Abstract
A packaging system including two rotary tables (5, 6) provided
adjacent each other on a common base (1) and connected to a common
drive source to intermittently rotate in mutually opposite
directions in the same intermittent indexing mode. For the rotary
tables (5, 6), empty bag supplying devices (10, 11), mouth-opening
devices (14, 15), packaged material filling devices (16, 17),
mouth-sealing devices (22, 23), and product bag unloading devices
(8, 9) are respectively provided on the base (1). The product bag
unloading devices (8, 9) are disposed adjacent each other in the
vicinity of the most proximate stop positions (H, h) of the tables,
and the empty bag supplying devices (10,11) are disposed adjacent
each other in the vicinity of the following stop positions (A,
a).
Inventors: |
Setozaki; Masakazu;
(Iwakuni-shi, JP) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd. |
Tokyo |
|
JP |
|
|
Assignee: |
Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.
Tokyo
JP
|
Family ID: |
51492153 |
Appl. No.: |
14/476980 |
Filed: |
September 4, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
53/570 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B65B 3/04 20130101; B65B
43/465 20130101; B65B 43/56 20130101; B65B 65/006 20130101; B65B
43/26 20130101; B65B 43/60 20130101; B65B 43/28 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
53/570 |
International
Class: |
B65B 65/00 20060101
B65B065/00; B65B 43/26 20060101 B65B043/26; B65B 43/46 20060101
B65B043/46; B65B 43/28 20060101 B65B043/28; B65B 3/04 20060101
B65B003/04 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Sep 6, 2013 |
JP |
2013-184553 |
Claims
1. A packaging system wherein: two intermittent rotation-type bag
filling and packaging apparatuses, which are provided in close
proximity to each other, hold two lateral edges of each one of bags
using a pair of grippers to intermittently convey bags along a
circular conveying path in equiangular steps and successively
perform, during conveyance of bags, same packaging operations
including opening mouths of bags, filling bags with material to be
packaged, sealing the mouths of the bags, and unloading product
bags; and each intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatus comprises: a rotary table that has multiple pairs of
grippers disposed around a periphery thereof and intermittently
rotates, thereby causing the grippers to intermittently travel
along a circular travel path in equiangular steps; an empty bag
supplying device for supplying a bag to the grippers; a
mouth-opening device for opening a mouth of the bag held by the
grippers; a packaged material filling device for filling the bag
held by the grippers with material to be packaged; a mouth-sealing
device for sealing the mouth of the bag held by the grippers; and a
product bag unloading device that receives a sealed product bag
from the grippers and removes the product bag from the conveying
path; and the empty bag supplying device, mouth-opening device,
packaged material filling device, mouth-sealing device, and product
bag unloading device are disposed in vicinity of stop positions in
the travel path of the grippers, and wherein: said two rotary
tables are disposed adjacent each other on a common base and
connected to a common drive source so as to intermittently rotate
in mutually opposite directions in a same intermittent indexing
mode, said empty bag supplying device, mouth-opening device,
packaged material filling device, mouth-sealing device, and product
bag unloading device are provided on the base for each one of said
rotary tables, and said empty bag supplying devices and product bag
unloading devices are disposed adjacent each other between said two
rotary tables.
2. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein said product
bag unloading devices are disposed adjacent each other in a most
mutually proximate stop positions among stop positions of the
grippers disposed on both rotary tables, and said empty bag
supplying devices are disposed adjacent each other in mutually
proximate stop positions that follow, in terms of a direction of
rotation of said two rotary tables, said most mutually proximate
stop positions.
3. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein said empty
bag supplying devices are disposed adjacent each other in a most
mutually proximate stop positions among stop positions of the
grippers disposed on both rotary tables, and said product bag
unloading devices are disposed adjacent each other in mutually
proximate stop positions that precede, in terms of a direction of
rotation of said two rotary tables, said most mutually proximate
stop positions.
4. The packaging system according to claim 1, wherein timing of
moving and stopping the intermittent rotation of said rotary tables
is set to be substantially inverse to each other.
5. The packaging system according to claim 4, wherein said two
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses
are provided with a common carry-out conveyor, and said product bag
unloading devices discharge the product bag in an alternating
manner.
6. The packaging system according to claim 4, wherein in said two
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses,
the empty bag supplying devices, mouth-opening devices, packaged
material filling devices, mouth-sealing devices, and product bag
unloading devices are disposed in linearly symmetrical positions
with a line perpendicular to a line that connects the rotary shafts
of the two rotary tables serving as an axis of symmetry.
7. The packaging system according to claim 5, wherein in said two
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses,
the empty bag supplying devices, mouth-opening devices, packaged
material filling devices, mouth-sealing devices, and product bag
unloading devices are disposed in linearly symmetrical positions
with a line perpendicular to a line that connects the rotary shafts
of the two rotary tables serving as an axis of symmetry.
8. The packaging system according to any one of claims 1 through 7,
wherein said grippers disposed on the rotary tables are of a duplex
type, in which two pairs of grippers constitute a single set, and
holding surfaces of said two pairs of grippers of a same set used
when holding a bag are disposed substantially in a same plane, and,
while two bags held by two pairs of grippers of the same set
intermittently travel along the travel path, the packaging
operations are simultaneously performed on said two bags.
9. The packaging system according to any one of claims 1 through 7,
wherein the bag held by said grippers is in an upright orientation
with bag mouth thereof facing upward.
10. The packaging system according to claim 8, wherein the bag held
by said grippers is in an upright orientation with bag mouth
thereof facing upward.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a packaging system that
comprises two intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses disposed in close proximity to each other.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] An intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatus is an apparatus that holds two lateral edges of each one
of bags using a pair of left and right grippers and intermittently
conveys the bags along a circular conveying path in equiangular
steps while successively performing packaging operations to each
bag during the conveyance such as opening the mouth of the bag,
filling the bag with the material to be packaged, sealing the mouth
of the bag, and unloading a product bag (bag on which the packaging
operations have been completed).
[0005] The intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatus includes a rotary table which, for each of these
packaging operations, has multiple pairs of right and left grippers
disposed around the periphery of the table. The rotary table
intermittently rotates, thereby causing the grippers to
intermittently travel along circular travel paths in equiangular
steps.
[0006] Other various packaging devices of the intermittent
rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatus include an empty
bag supplying device that supplies empty bags to the grippers, a
mouth-opening device that opens the mouths of the bags held by the
grippers, a packaged material filling device that fills the bags
held by the grippers with material to be packaged, a mouth-sealing
device that seals the mouths of the bags held by the grippers, a
product bag-unloading device that receives sealed product bags from
the grippers and removes them from the conveying path. These
packaging devices are disposed in the vicinity of the respective
stop positions in the travel path of the grippers and successively
perform the above-mentioned packaging operations.
[0007] The intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses generally comprises two types. One type of intermittent
rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatus uses a pair of
right and left grippers to hold bags in an upright (vertical)
orientation so that the bag mouth faces upward (see Japanese Patent
Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2007-126208), and the other type
uses a pair of right and left grippers that hold bags in a
horizontal attitude (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
(Kokai) No. H6-144403).
[0008] Intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses have the following advantages.
[0009] (1) The packaging operations are carried out to grippers
that have come to a stop in the travel path or to bags that have
come to a stop in the conveying path. Accordingly, packaging can be
performed in a reliable and stable manner.
[0010] (2) Unlike continuous transport-type bag filling and
packaging apparatuses (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open
(Kokai) No. 2001-72004), there is no need to provide follow-up
mechanisms or synchronization mechanisms for each packaging device.
Accordingly, the construction of each packaging device and the
entire packaging apparatus can be made simpler and more compact,
and costs can be reduced.
[0011] (3) Bags are conveyed along a circular conveying path in
generally the bag width direction. Accordingly, bag swing motions
are less likely to occurs during bag conveying process in
comparison with intermittently conveying-type bag filling and
packaging apparatuses, in which bags are conveyed along a
rectilinear conveying path in the thickness direction of the bags
(see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 3-29650). In
addition, various problems due to the swinging of the bags, such
as, for example, downward slippage of heavy bags filled with the
material to be packaged from the initial holding position of the
grippers, the spilling of liquid substances that the bags are
filled with, and adhesion of liquid substances to the portion to be
sealed on the inner surface of the mouth, are less likely to
occur.
[0012] (4) Each packaging device can be disposed around the
periphery of the rotary tables, namely, in the vicinity of the
peripheral edges of the packaging apparatus. Accordingly, it is
easy to perform part replacements, to make adjustments, etc.
associated with changes in the type of the product to be handled.
For this reason, intermittent rotation-type bag filling and
packaging apparatuses are highly versatile and easy to maintain and
clean. By contrast, in intermittently conveying-type bag filling
and packaging apparatuses (see Japanese Patent Application
Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 3-29650), the packaging devices are disposed
in the vicinity of the central portion of the packaging apparatus;
accordingly, part replacements, adjustments, maintenance, cleaning,
and the like are relatively difficult.
[0013] (5) The bag conveying path is circular. Accordingly,
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses
can effectively utilize substantially all of the conveying path for
packaging and can provide space-saving and effective packaging
operations. To the contrary, in intermittently conveying-type bag
filling and packaging apparatuses (see Japanese Patent Application
Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 3-29650), no packaging operations can be
performed in the return portion of the chain conveyor.
[0014] Although the intermittent rotation-type bag filling and
packaging apparatuses possess the above-described advantages, they
have structural limitations on their speed of operation, and their
processing power is inferior to that of continuous transport-type
bag filling and packaging apparatuses. In addition, since
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses
convey bags in the bag width direction, they have a longer single
conveying distance (conveying distance between the intermittent
stop positions) than intermittently conveying-type bag filling and
packaging apparatuses, which convey bags in the thickness direction
(see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 3-29650),
and their processing power is inferior to that of intermittently
conveying-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses. Therefore, in
order to achieve improvements in processing capacity while
exploiting the advantages of intermittent rotation-type bag filling
and packaging apparatuses, multiple-bag intermittent rotation-type
bag filling and packaging apparatuses (see U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,466
and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. H10-77120)
have been proposed, in which multiple empty bags are simultaneously
fed to multiple pairs of grippers on rotary tables, and, while the
multiple bags are being conveyed, the same packaging operations are
simultaneously performed on the multiple bags in each stop
position.
[0015] However, in multiple-bag intermittent rotation-type bag
filling and packaging apparatuses, the diameter of the rotary
tables, i.e., the diameter of the bag conveying path, is inevitably
larger, and the conveying distance between the intermittent stop
positions is also longer. This results in that even if the speed of
rotation of the rotary tables is the same, the speed of bag
conveyance and their acceleration/deceleration are high in
comparison with ordinary single-bag intermittent rotation-type bag
filling and packaging apparatuses. Accordingly, the bag swinging
associated with intermittent transport increases, and there is a
risk that various problems may arise due to such swinging (see (3)
above). The problem is that, for this reason, in multiple-bag
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses
the speed of rotation of the rotary tables has to be made slower in
comparison with single-bag intermittent rotation-type bag filling
and packaging apparatuses, and, as a result, their processing power
cannot be significantly improved. Consequently, in multiple-bag
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses,
improvement in the processing capacity is made by designing them
such that the width dimensions of the bags being fed are limited to
relatively small sizes and the diameter of the rotary tables is not
excessively large.
[0016] On the other hand, installation of multiple intermittent
rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses has also been
practiced in the past in order to achieve improvements in the
processing capacity while exploiting the advantages of intermittent
rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses (see Japanese
Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. H10-77120). However, the
problem therein is that installing multiple intermittent
rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses requires a
great amount of space for installation, and each packaging
apparatus requires an operator (mainly for replenishing the supply
of empty bags). In addition, each intermittent rotation-type bag
filling and packaging apparatus needs to be provided with its own
drive source, and moreover if product bags from individual
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses
are merged into a single stream, it is necessary to install
dedicated equipment to deal with it, which makes the product bag
carry-out line more complicated.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0017] The present invention is devised in view of the current
state of the art in the field of intermittent rotation-type bag
filling and packaging apparatuses, and it is an object of the
invention to provide a packaging system that accomplishes
improvements in processing capacity with a pair of intermittent
rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses and further
contributes installation space reduction and power savings in
comparison with the existing art while at the same time simplifies
product bag carry-out lines for such two packaging apparatuses.
[0018] The above object is accomplished by a unique structure of
the present invention for a packaging system that includes: [0019]
two intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses which are disposed in close proximity to each other so
as to, while holding two lateral edges of each of bags using a pair
of left and right grippers and intermittently conveying the bags
along a circular conveying path in equiangular steps, successively
perform the same packaging operations during the conveyance of the
bags such as opening the mouth of the bag, filling the bag with the
material to be packaged, sealing the mouth of the bag, and
unloading product bags, and [0020] each intermittent rotation-type
bag filling and packaging apparatus is provided with: [0021] a
rotary table that has multiple pairs of right and left grippers
disposed around its periphery and intermittently rotates, thereby
causing the grippers to intermittently travel along a circular
travel path in equiangular steps; [0022] an empty bag supplying
device that supplies empty bags to the grippers; [0023] a
mouth-opening device that opens the mouths of the bags held by the
grippers; [0024] a packaged material filling device that fills the
bags held by the grippers with material to be packaged; [0025] a
mouth-sealing device that seals the mouths of the bags held by the
grippers; and [0026] a product bag unloading device that receives
sealed product bags from the grippers and removes the bags from the
conveying path, and [0027] the empty bag supplying device,
mouth-opening device, packaged material filling device,
mouth-sealing device, and product bag unloading device are disposed
in the vicinity of stop positions in the travel path of the
grippers, and
[0028] in this packaging system, [0029] the two rotary tables are
disposed adjacent each other on a common base and connected to a
common drive source so as to intermittently rotate in mutually
opposite directions in the same intermittent indexing mode, [0030]
for each rotary table, an empty bag supplying device, a
mouth-opening device, a packaged material filling device, a
mouth-sealing device, and a product bag unloading device are
provided on the base, and [0031] the empty bag supplying devices
and product bag unloading devices are disposed adjacent each other
between the two rotary tables.
[0032] In this system, the product bag unloading devices can be
disposed adjacent each other in the most mutually proximate stop
positions among stop positions of the grippers disposed on both
rotary tables, and the empty bag supplying devices are disposed
adjacent each other in mutually proximate stop positions that
follow, in terms of the direction of rotation of the two rotary
tables, the most mutually proximate stop positions.
[0033] Furthermore, the empty bag supplying devices can be disposed
adjacent each other in the most mutually proximate stop positions
among stop positions of the grippers disposed on both rotary
tables, and the product bag unloading devices are disposed adjacent
each other in mutually proximate stop positions that precede, in
terms of the direction of rotation of the two rotary tables, the
most mutually proximate stop positions.
[0034] It should be noted that "the same intermittent indexing
mode" means that for both rotary tables, the duration of a single
cycle of motion and stationary state, the distribution of travel
time and stationary time during a single cycle, and the indexing
angles are identical during the intermittent indexing motion of the
rotary tables.
[0035] The packaging system according to the present invention can
take the form of the following embodiments listed as examples:
[0036] (1) The timing of stop and rotation of the intermittent
rotation of the two rotary tables is set to be substantially
inverse to each other.
[0037] (2) In the above structure in which the tables rotate in
opposite directions, the two intermittent rotation-type bag filling
and packaging apparatuses have a common carry-out conveyor
installed to discharge product bags supplied by each product bag
unloading device in an alternating manner.
[0038] (3) In the two intermittent rotation-type bag filling and
packaging apparatuses, the empty bag supplying devices,
mouth-opening devices, packaged material filling devices,
mouth-sealing devices, and product bag unloading devices are
disposed in linearly symmetrical positions so that a line
perpendicular to the line that connects the rotary shafts of the
two rotary tables serves as an axis of symmetry.
[0039] (4) The grippers disposed on the rotary tables are of the
duplex type, in which two pairs constitute a single set, and the
holding surfaces of the two pairs of grippers of the same set used
when holding a bag are disposed substantially in the same plane.
When two bags held by two pairs of grippers of the same set are
intermittently moved along the travel path, the above-described
packaging operations are simultaneously performed on these two
bags.
[0040] (5) The bags held by the grippers are in an upright
orientation, with the bag mouths facing upward.
[0041] As seen from the above, in the packaging system according to
the present invention, the two rotary tables are rotated in
opposite directions, and two empty bag supplying devices and two
product bag unloading devices are disposed adjacent each other on a
common base between the two rotary tables. With this arrangement,
the spacing between the two rotary tables can be narrower, and
installation space reduction can be achieved for the entire
packaging system.
[0042] In addition, such an arrangement as described above allows
the direction of empty bag to be supplied to the two adjacent empty
bag supplying devices to be the same. As a result, the burden of
the operator who replenishes the supply of empty bags to the empty
bag supplying device is greatly mitigated, and even a single
operator can take care of the operation and management of the
entire packaging system (that comprises two intermittent
rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses).
[0043] Furthermore, since the two product unloading devices are
disposed adjacent each other, the product bags unloaded from the
two intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses are collected in a single location. Accordingly, the
product bag transport line used to transport the product bags for
post-processing is shared by the two intermittent rotation-type bag
filling and packaging apparatuses and thus can be simplified, which
also leads to installation space reduction.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS
[0044] FIG. 1 is a top view illustrating an example of a packaging
system according to the present invention.
[0045] FIG. 2 is a top view illustrating another example of a
packaging system according to the present invention.
[0046] FIG. 3 is a top view illustrating yet another example of a
packaging system according to the present invention.
[0047] FIG. 4 is a top view illustrating still another example of a
packaging system according to the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0048] Below, a packaging system according to the present invention
will be described in detail below with reference to FIGS. 1 to
4.
[0049] The packaging system illustrated in FIG. 1 is comprised of
two intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses 2, 3 which are installed adjacent each other on a
common base 1. The intermittent rotation-type bag filling and
packaging apparatuses 2, 3 include rotary tables 5, 6,
respectively, that have multiple pairs (8.times.2 sets) of right
and left grippers 4 disposed around their periphery. The rotary
tables 5, 6 intermittently rotate, thereby causing the grippers 4
to intermittently travel along the circular travel paths in
equiangular steps. The diameters of the travel paths of the
grippers 4 of the rotary tables 5, 6 are set to be the same.
[0050] The intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses 2, 3 make a duplex intermittent rotation-type bag
filling and packaging apparatus (see Japanese Patent Application
Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2005-67644), in which two empty bags are
simultaneously supplied to two pairs of grippers of the rotary
tables 5, 6 and various packaging operations are simultaneously
performed on the supplied two bags in each stop position while the
two bags are being conveyed along the predetermined conveying
paths.
[0051] A drive motor, etc. (not shown), which serves as a common
drive source to rotate the rotary tables 5, 6, is provided in the
base 1. The drive force of the drive motor is transmitted to the
index devices (not shown) of the rotary tables 5, 6 through
reduction gears (not shown) and is then transmitted to the rotary
tables 5, 6. The transmission of the drive force to the index
devices of the rotary tables 5, 6 can be individually enabled or
blocked using, e.g., a clutch.
[0052] The intermittent indexing modes of the rotary tables 5, 6
(or the duration of a single cycle of motion and stationary state,
the distribution of travel time and stationary time during a single
cycle, and the indexing angles) are set using the indexing devices
such that they are identical. In addition, the rotary tables 5, 6
are intermittently rotated in mutually opposite directions (the
rotary table 5 of the intermittent rotation-type bag filling and
packaging apparatus 2 is rotated counterclockwise while the rotary
table 6 of the intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatus 3 is rotated clockwise) and, at the same time, the timing
of moving (rotation) and stopping is set to be substantially
inverse to each other. In FIG. 1, the rotary table 5 is at a stop
while the rotary table 6 is moving (rotating). In this manner,
since the timing of moving and stopping of the rotary tables 5, 6
is set to be substantially inverse to each other (the timing of
moving and stopping is shifted by a half-cycle), the load applied
to the drive source is evened out, and it is possible to render the
drive source more compact and improve its durability without
reducing the processing power of the packaging system.
[0053] During each complete revolution, the rotary tables 5, 6 stop
eight times at equiangular intervals, respectively. The position of
closest proximity between the travel path of the grippers 4 of the
rotary table 5 and the travel path of the grippers 4 of the rotary
table 6 is selected as one of the stop positions (stop position H
of the table 5 and stop position h of the table 6) of the grippers
4 in the travel path, and seven other stop positions (A-G of the
table 5 and a-g of the table 6) are set at angular intervals of
45.degree. from the stop positions H, h along the travel paths.
[0054] Product bag unloading devices 8, 9, which removes the
product bags 7A out of the conveying path, are disposed so as to be
adjacent each other on the base 1 in the vicinity of the most
proximate stop positions H, h among the stop positions A-H and stop
positions a-h, respectively. In addition, empty bag supplying
devices 10, 11, which supply bags 7 (which are also called "empty
bags 7") to the grippers 4, are provided adjacent each other on the
base 1 in the vicinity of the next (in terms of the direction of
rotation of the tables) stop positions A, a, respectively.
[0055] Further provided on the base 1 so as to surround the rotary
tables 5, 6, respectively, are: [0056] bag height sensors 12 (for
table 5), 13 (for table 6), which are disposed in the vicinity of
stop positions B, b to detect the height of the bags 7 held by the
grippers 4; [0057] mouth-opening devices 14 (for table 5), 15 (for
table 6), which are disposed in the vicinity of stop positions C, c
to open the mouths of the bags 7 held by the grippers 4; [0058]
packaged material filling devices 16 (for table 5), 17 (for table
6), which are disposed in the vicinity of stop positions D, d to
fill the bags 7 with the materials to be packaged (solid
materials); [0059] packaged material filling devices 18 (for table
5), 19 (for table 6), which are disposed in the vicinity of stop
positions E, e to fill the bags 7 with the materials to be packaged
(liquid materials); [0060] steam degassing devices 20 (for table
5), 21 (for table 6), which are disposed in the vicinity of stop
positions F, f to degas the inside of the bags 7 by blowing steam
into the bags 7; and [0061] ultrasonic sealing devices 22 (for
table 5), 23 (for table 6), which are disposed in the vicinity of
stop positions G, g to seal the mouths of the bags 7.
[0062] The product bag unloading devices 8 and 9, empty bag
supplying devices 10 and 11, bag height sensors 12 and 13,
mouth-opening devices 14 and 15, packaged material filling devices
16 and 17, packaged material filling devices 18 and 19, steam
degassing devices 20 and 21, and ultrasonic sealing devices 22 and
23 are disposed in substantially linearly symmetrical positions
with reference to line Z which is perpendicular to an imaginary
line connecting the rotary shafts (X, Y) (or connecting the
centers) of the rotary tables 5, 6 and serves as an axis of
symmetry.
[0063] The drive source that intermittently rotates the rotary
tables 5, 6 is also the drive source that actuates the various
packaging devices that are described above and provided around the
tables 5, 6. The transmission of drive force to the various
packaging devices, which is done in the same manner as to the
rotary tables 5, 6, can be enabled or blocked using the clutch.
[0064] Furthermore, on the base 1, a quadruplex conveyor
magazine-type empty bag supplying device 24 is provided so that it
extends from the outside onto the base 1 with its front end being
near the empty bag supplying devices 10, 11. In addition, below and
between the adjacent product bag unloading devices 8, 9, a product
bag carry-out conveyor 25 is provided so that it extends out to the
outside of the base 1. These conveyor magazine-type empty bag
supplying device 24 and product bag carry-out conveyor 25 are
shared by the intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses 2, 3, and therefore only one conveyor magazine-type
empty bag supplying device 24 and one product bag carry-out
conveyor 25 is sufficient for both filling and packaging
apparatuses.
[0065] The conveyor magazine-type empty bag supplying device 24 has
quadruplex conveyors 24a-24d aligned longitudinally in parallel to
each other. The right-hand duplex conveyors 24a, 24b simultaneously
supply a total of two empty bags 7 to the empty bag supplying
device 10 of the intermittent rotation-type bag filling and
packaging apparatus 2, and the left-hand duplex conveyors 24c, 24d
simultaneously supply a total of two empty bags 7 to the empty bag
supplying device 11 of the intermittent rotation-type bag filling
and packaging apparatus 3. The product bag carry-out conveyor 25
receives product bags 7A, which are alternatingly discharged from
the two filling and packaging apparatuses 2, 3 two at a time, by
the product bag unloading devices 8, 9 and carries them out of the
system for post-processing (for example, disinfection, boxing, and
the like). The direction of transport of the bags 7 in the conveyor
magazine-type empty bag supplying device 24 and the carrying-out
direction of the product bags 7A in the product bag carry-out
conveyor 25 is the same, and these directions are perpendicular to
the imaginary line that connects the rotary shafts of the rotary
tables 5, 6 (and extends from the front side towards the opposite
side in FIG. 1), thus being parallel to line Z
[0066] The packaging operations successively performed in the
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses 2,
3 will be described below.
[0067] (1) Empty bags 7 positioned at the distal end of the
conveyor magazine-type empty bag supplying device 24 are adhered by
suction cups, not shown, and picked up thereby from the conveyors
24a-24d, with the orientation of the bags 7 changed to a vertical
orientation, in which the mouths of the bags are oriented (or
facing) upward (bags in such a vertical orientation are indicated
with reference number "7a" in FIG. 1). [0068] Subsequently, the
chuck members (not shown) of the empty bag supplying devices 10, 11
clamp the empty bags 7 (7a), change the orientation of the empty
bags 7 by a predetermined angle, while conveying them, in a
horizontal plane, and supply them to the grippers 4 that have come
to a stop in stop positions A, a (see the packaged bag supplying
device S described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,844, and the supplying
device described in Utility Model Registration No. 3123709) of the
tables 5, 6, respectively. The chuck members of the empty bag
supplying device 10 and the chuck members of the empty bag
supplying device 11 operate in mutually opposite directions (in a
linearly symmetrical mariner).
[0069] The operation to supply the bags 7 (two at a time) to the
grippers 4 of the intermittent rotation-type bag filling and
packaging apparatus 2 by the empty bag supplying device 10 and the
operation to supply the bags 7 (two at a time) to the grippers 4 of
the intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatus
3 by the empty bag supplying device 11 are performed in an
alternating manner.
[0070] In the above, the operation to supply the bags 7 to the two
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses 2,
3 (or to the empty bag supplying devices 10, 11) is executed using
one conveyer magazine-type empty bag supplying device 24.
Accordingly, it is possible to render the packaging system more
compact and reduce its installation space, and the operation to
replenish the supply of empty bags on the conveyors 24a-24d can be
easily performed by the operator. In addition, since there is no
need to provide two conveyer magazine-type empty bag supplying
devices, the entire packaging system can be simplified, and
installation space can be reduced.
[0071] (2) In stop positions B, b, the height of the bags 7 held by
the grippers 4 is checked by the bag height sensors 12, 13, and the
results are sent to a controller (not shown). In this checking of
the height of the bags 7, if the height of any bag(s) deviates from
the standard height by a specified value or more, then the
controller (not shown) designates such bag(s) 7 as defective, and
in the subsequent stop position no packaging operations are
performed on such defective bag(s) 7. For example, in stop
positions G, g, the grippers 4 are opened and such defective bag(s)
7 is discharged from the system through a chute and the like.
Alternatively, packaging operations can still be performed on such
defective bag(s) 7 in the subsequent stop position such that the
elevation of the ultrasonic horn and anvil (not shown) of the
ultrasonic sealing devices 22, 23 is adjusted depending on the
deviation of the height from the standard height.
[0072] (3) In stop positions C, c, the mouths of the bags 7 held by
the grippers 4 are opened by the mouth-opening devices 14, 15.
[0073] (4) In stop positions D, d, the bags 7 held by the grippers
4 are filled with the material to be packaged (solid material) by
the packaged material filling devices 16, 17.
[0074] (5) In stop positions E, e, the bags 7 held by the grippers
4 are filled with the material to be packaged (liquid material) by
the packaged material filling devices 18, 19.
[0075] (6) In stop positions F, f, steam is injected into the bags
7 held by the grippers 4 by the steam degassing devices 20, 21 in
order to degas the inside of the bags.
[0076] (7) In stop positions G, g, the mouths of the bags 7 held by
the grippers 4 are sealed by the ultrasonic sealing devices 22,
23.
[0077] (8) In stop positions H, h, the chuck members (not shown) of
the product bag unloading devices 8, 9 clamp the product bags 7A
held by the grippers 4 and, after the grippers 4 are opened, convey
the product bags 7A in a horizontal plane to the product bag
carry-out conveyer 25, and then release the product bags 7A onto
the carry-out conveyer 25. While the product bags 7A are being
conveyed, their orientation is changed 90.degree. in a horizontal
plane. The product bag unloading devices 8, 9 are substantially the
same as the empty bag supplying devices 10, 11. The chuck members
(not shown) of the product bag unloading device 8 and the chuck
members (not shown) of the product bag unloading device 9 operate
in mutually opposite directions (in a linearly symmetrical manner).
[0078] The timing of the grippers 4 of the rotary table 5 coming to
a stop in stop position H and of the grippers 4 of the rotary table
6 coming to a stop in stop position h are relatively shifted by a
half-cycle, as a result of which the unloading of the product bags
7A by the product bag unloading devices 8, 9 is carried out in an
alternating manner. Accordingly, the product bags 7A are
transported out from the system in two rows by the product bag
carry-out conveyer 25 and sent to the next step (disinfection,
boxing, etc.). [0079] Since the product bag unloading devices 8, 9
are disposed adjacent each other and the product bags 7A are
discharged onto a common product bag carry-out conveyer 25, the
product bag transport line is simplified and installation space can
be reduced.
[0080] FIG. 2 shows another packaging system that differs from the
packaging system illustrated in FIG. 1
[0081] The difference of the packaging system of FIG. 2 from that
of FIG. 1 is that the timing of moving and stopping of the rotary
tables 5, 6 is synchronized and, at the same time, ordinary chutes
(not shown; see the product discharge (14) described in Japanese
Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2007-126208), are provided
adjacent each other in the vicinity of stop positions H, h as
product unloading devices instead of the product unloading devices
8, 9. In other respects, the packaging system of FIG. 2 is
essentially identical to the packaging system illustrated in FIG.
1. In FIG. 2, parts that are substantially the same as the parts of
the packaging system illustrated in FIG. 1 are assigned the same
reference numerals.
[0082] The packaging system illustrated in FIG. 2 is designed such
that a total of four (4) product bags 7A (two at a time) are
simultaneously released from the grippers 4 that have come to a
stop in stop positions H, h and fall onto the product bag carry-out
conveyer 25 through the chutes, and then the product bags 7A,
aligned in two rows, are transported out of the system and sent to
the next step (disinfection, boxing, etc.). In this packaging
system of FIG. 2, the orientation of the product bags 7A
transported on the product bag carry-out conveyer 25 differs from
the orientation of transport in the packaging system illustrated in
FIG. 1 by 90.degree., and the product bags 7A are transported in
the width direction.
[0083] FIG. 3 shows still another packaging system that differs
from the packaging system illustrated in FIG. 1
[0084] The difference of the packaging system of FIG. 3 from that
of FIG. 1 is that the timing of moving and stopping of the rotary
tables 5, 6 is synchronized, and at the same time the spacing
between the rotary tables 5, 6 is set larger or slightly expanded
and the width of the product bag carry-out conveyer 25 is set also
larger or increased. In other respects, the packaging system of
FIG. 3 is essentially identical to the packaging system illustrated
in FIG. 1. In FIG. 3, parts that are substantially the same as the
parts of the packaging system illustrated in FIG. 1 are assigned
the same numerals.
[0085] The packaging system illustrated in FIG. 3 is designed such
that the two product bags 7A held by the grippers 4 that have come
to a stop in stop position H of the table 5 are clamped by the
chuck members (not shown) of the product bag unloading device 8,
and the two product bags 7A held by the grippers 4 that have come
to a stop in stop position h of the table 6 are clamped by the
chuck members (not shown) of the product bag unloading device 9.
After the grippers 4 of both intermittent rotation-type bag filling
and packaging apparatuses 2, 3 are opened, the product bags 7A are
conveyed in a horizontal plane to the product bag carry-out
conveyer 25, and, after reaching the conveyor, the product bags 7A
are released onto the carry-out conveyer 25. While the four product
bags 7A are being conveyed, their orientation is changed 90.degree.
in a horizontal plane, and they are lined up in one row in the bag
width direction on product bag carry-out conveyer 25, such that the
two product bags 7A clamped by the chuck members of the product bag
unloading device 8 fall on the right-hand side relative to the
center of the product bag carry-out conveyer 25 and,
simultaneously, the two product bag 7A clamped by the chuck members
of the product bag unloading device 9 fall on the left-hand side
relative to the center of the product bag carry-out conveyer 25.
Consequently, the product bags 7A are transported out from the
system in four rows by the product bag carry-out conveyer 25 and
sent to the next step (disinfection, boxing, etc.).
[0086] In the above-described packaging systems, the two
intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging apparatuses 2,
3 are both operated; however, it is also possible to operate only
one of the apparatuses.
[0087] In addition, while in the above-described packaging systems
the intermittent rotation-type bag filling and packaging
apparatuses are of a type in which the bags are held by a pair of
right and left grippers in an upright orientation with the bag
mouth facing upward, the present invention is also applicable to
bag filling and packaging apparatuses of the type in which the bags
are held by a pair of right and left grippers in a horizontal
attitude (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No.
H6-144403).
[0088] Furthermore, while in the above-described packaging systems,
the product bag unloading devices 8, 9 are disposed adjacent each
other in the vicinity of the most proximate stop positions H, h,
and the empty bag supplying devices 10, 11 are disposed adjacent
each other in the following stop positions A, a (located on the
downstream side of the stop positions H, h in terms of the
direction of rotation of the tables), it is also possible to
provide the empty bag supplying devices 10, 11 in the vicinity of
stop positions H, h and provide the product bag unloading devices
8, 9 in the vicinity of the preceding stop positions G, g (located
on the upstream side of the stop positions H, h in terms of the
direction of rotation of the tables). One example of this structure
is shown in FIG. 4.
[0089] The packaging system shown in FIG. 4 differs from the
packaging system of FIG. 3 in that the empty bag supplying devices
10, 11 are disposed adjacent each other in the vicinity of the stop
positions H, h, and the product bag unloading devices 8, 9 are
disposed adjacent each other in the vicinity of the stop positions
G, g that precede the stop positions H, h. In terms of the
direction of rotation of the rotary tables 5, 6. In addition, in
the packaging system shown in FIG. 4, the bag height sensors 12 and
13, mouth-opening devices 14 and 15, packaged material filling
devices 16 and 17, packaged material filling devices 18 and 19,
steam degassing devices 20 and 21, and ultrasonic sealing devices
22 and 23 are disposed at locations shifted 45 degrees, in terms of
the direction opposite (backward) to the direction of rotation of
the rotary tables 5 and 6, compared to the locations of those
devices of the system shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, parts that are
substantially the same as the parts of the packaging system
illustrated in FIG. 1 are assigned the same reference numerals.
* * * * *