JP2003011919A - Gas flush packaging method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] (Problems corrected) [PROBLEMS] To diversify various problems in a conventional joining method, in which a sealing mold for each of a variety of containers is required and cannot be completely accommodated. Provided is a bent-shaped joining tool that can handle containers of different shapes and sizes and is excellent in cost, labor, storage, maintenance, and the like, and a gas replacement packaging device using the same. SOLUTION: A gas introduction is performed by fixing a flange portion of a container 4 and a lid 5 so as to sandwich a gas introduction nozzle 3 and pressing and partially joining by a pair of upper and lower L-shaped joining tools 1. Next, the gas introduction nozzle is removed, and the unjoined portion is joined.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for performing gas displacement packaging and an apparatus using the method. In particular, the present invention relates to a gas displacement packaging method and apparatus capable of handling containers of various sizes by using a movable L-shaped joining tool.

[0002]

[Prior Art] In addition to the conventional form of purchasing foodstuffs at supermarkets and cooking and eating the purchased foodstuffs at each home, there is no time for cooking because of working together recently For the reason of wanting to easily carry out housework due to reasons such as wanting to take it, as for cooking, the form of eating cooked foods prepared in the backyard of a supermarket or a central kitchen and eating at home is increasing.

On the other hand, in cooked foods at supermarkets and convenience stores, product development is actively made to suit the taste, quantity, etc. of individual foods for the convenience of cooked foods, and various types of foods are marketed. Has been thrown into. Also,
Even for products of the same type, supermarkets and convenience store companies can maximize the display effect by maximizing the display effect by changing the shape and design of the packaging container, resulting in various sizes of food. There are pod-shaped containers on the market.

In the field of prepared foods in particular, the amount of the prepared foods that one wants to eat (the amount suitable for a small number of people or one time, etc.) and the seasoning (Kyo-flavored) to be eaten are not the same as the conventional mass sales of the same products. Etc.) is becoming available. In addition, in order to maximize the display effect in terms of design, the color of the container is changed for each food, and the market is flooded with containers of various sizes, shapes, and colors. Therefore, for prepared food sellers such as supermarkets and convenience stores, it is complicated to switch the device when packaging foods in small quantities and many varieties, and the production efficiency is reduced due to the complications. The complexity of parts management of the specified packaging machine is a problem.

In order to solve this problem, prepared food sellers such as supermarkets and convenience stores extend the life of prepared foods such as prepared foods to reduce the expiration date (so-called loss) of products.
We are seeking to improve productivity by reducing production brand switching. As a method for storing products for a long period of time, so-called gas displacement packaging in which foods are stored under a gas atmosphere suitable for the same has been known and studied. The gas replacement packaging of the food will prolong the shelf life of the product, so it is expected that the production efficiency will be improved by extending the distribution of the product over a long distance and reducing the products whose shelf life has expired.

[0006] Various studies have been made on such a gas displacement packaging device. For example, JP-A-63-281
In Japanese Patent No. 930, an object to be packaged is put in a container made of a synthetic resin having a gas barrier property and having a flange, and an injection nozzle having a gas injection hole in a short diameter side surface of a cylindrical flat cross section is covered with a synthetic resin. Between the film for use and the film for the lid and the flange of the container other than the injection nozzle are first heat-sealed, and then gas is injected from the injection nozzle into the container to remove the gas in the container. A gas filling method is disclosed in which the injection nozzle is removed after replacement, and the flange of the container at the injection nozzle portion and the film for the lid are secondarily heat-sealed. It is described that a high gas replacement rate comparable to the replacement method can be obtained.

Further, in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-192821, there are roughly described two methods. One is a step of inserting a gas replacement nozzle into the container body, and another step is a step of closing the nozzle with the insertion position left. The method of substituting and sealing the unsealed portion with the nozzle inserted, by substituting the three steps in sequence (or reverse order is possible) and replacing the gas such as nitrogen gas, and the other is after sealing the container. In this method, a gas replacement nozzle is inserted into the container body to perform gas replacement, and then the hole is closed using a closing member. Since the gas replacement chamber is not used, it is possible to solve the problems that the gas suction time is long in the conventional method using the gas replacement chamber and the problem of the complexity of the machine, and moreover, it occurred in the method of directly filling the gas into the container. It is described that the problem of container deformation during gas suction can also be solved.

However, the above-mentioned JP-A-63-2819
The technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 30 requires three steps, namely, a step of leaving a part of the seal, a step of replacing gas, and a step of sealing an unsealed part. Therefore, one packaging container is manufactured. It takes a long time for the production efficiency to be low, and in the process of gas replacement, the openings of the container and film are all used as openings for gas atomization, and there is no opening for air to escape inside. There remains a problem that it is necessary to lengthen the gas atomization time to replace the gas. In addition, since the upper cover is a film, the contents are crushed when the shape is raised, etc., resulting in poor commercialability. Furthermore, when dealing with containers of various sizes and shapes, a large number of dedicated seal molds made to suit the shape of the container are required, and the financial burden and the storage and management of such special seal molds are required. However, there is still a problem that it is not possible to deal with diversified containers due to the complexity of operations.

Further, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-192821, a step of sealing with a part left and gas replacement are performed, as in the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-281930. In addition to three steps, a process for sealing and a process for sealing the unsealed portion, there are problems that production efficiency is poor and many dedicated sealing molds corresponding to containers of various sizes and shapes are required. Since the insertion hole of the gas replacement nozzle must be closed using a closing member, there remains a problem such as a decrease in commercial value.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, the present invention enables gas replacement and hermetic packaging with a small number of steps.
Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a gas displacement packaging method capable of coping with diversifying containers of various shapes and sizes without manufacturing, storing, and managing a large number of exclusive joining molds, and an apparatus using the method. To do.

[0011]

The present inventors have completed the present invention as a result of intensive studies to achieve the above object. That is, the present invention is as follows. 1) The container and the flange of the lid are fixed so as to sandwich the gas introduction nozzle, and a pair of Ls facing each other from the upper side and the lower side.
With the mold joining tool, the flanges of the container and the lid are partially joined, and at the same time, gas is introduced from the gas introduction nozzle into the container, and then the gas introduction nozzle is removed. A gas displacement packaging method, characterized by joining unjoined portions and sealing the container. 2) In a gas displacement packaging apparatus having a joining means for joining the container and the lid and a gas introducing means for replacing the gas, the joining means uses a pair of L-shaped joining dies. Gas replacement packaging device. 3) The gas displacement packaging device according to 2), wherein the L-shaped joining tool is movable in the horizontal direction. 4) A packaging method, which comprises using the gas displacement packaging method described in 1) above to hermetically seal an object to be packaged in a container.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION The present invention will be described in detail below. The most different point of the present invention from the prior art is that, in the prior art, the gas replacement step and the hermetic packaging step are separately performed in sequence, whereas the present invention is characterized by the gas replacement step and the hermetic packaging step. It is performed at the same time and is using a movable L-shaped joining tool as the joining tool. The effect based on the constituent features of the present invention, which is different from the conventional technique, is that the gas replacement process and the hermetic packaging process are performed at the same time, so that the number of processes up to packaging can be reduced, so that the production efficiency at the time of packaging is improved. Is to be made. Further, by using the movable L-shaped joining tool, even if the shape and size of the container is changed, it is possible to adjust the position of the L-jointing tool without replacing the joining tool. Well, the labor and time required for replacement are not required, and the burden of manufacturing costs and storage of various molds can be significantly reduced.

An example of the gas displacement packaging method and apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 8 (A1) and (B1) are a set of upper joining tools, FIG. 8 (A2) is a container that has been partially joined in the first joining step, and FIG. 8 (B2) is the first.
A container in which a gas introduction nozzle is set in the joining step, FIG.
(A3) and (B3) show a set of lower joining tools. 8A1 to 8A3 show a joining tool set or container in the second joining step, and FIGS. 8B1 to 8B3 show a joining tool set or container in the first joining step. Figure 8
The contact plate 8 is shown in (A1) and (B1), and the position where the L-shaped joining tool 1 faces each other is shown in FIGS. 8 (A3) and (B3). A set of these joining tools can be moved up and down, and the flange portion 6 of the container can be held and joined. 2 is used as the L-shaped joining mold 1, and a mold having a shape compatible with the L-joining mold 1 is used as the contact plate 8. A mold base 2 ′ is set in contact with the backing plate 8, and a mold base 2 having a heating element embedded therein is set in contact with the L-shaped joining tool 1. Further, the mold bases 2 and 2'are set on the base plate 9, respectively.
Can be moved horizontally.

The set of joining tools used for the second joining is set in a state of being rotated by 90 degrees compared to the set of joining tools used for the first joining. In the first joining and gas replacement step, the lid 5 is placed over the container 4 containing the contents so as to sandwich the gas introduction nozzle 3, and the flange portion 6 is set on the L-shaped joining tool 1 so as to cover the container 4 as shown in FIG. The set of upper joining tools shown in (B1) descends (or the set of lower joining tools shown in FIG. 8B3 rises from below), and the flange portion 6 is heated and pressed to join. At the same time, gas is introduced from the gas introduction nozzle 3 to replace the gas in the container. After that, the container is conveyed to the second joining portion, and the opening portions other than the flange portion 7 joined by the first joining are joined by the same method as the first joining, and all the flange portions 6 are joined.

The L-shaped joining tool is a tool having an L-shape in which a linear joining tool is basically bent once, and all the flange portions 6 of the container are joined at least twice. The bent portion may be bent at a right angle, may be bent at an obtuse angle, or may be bent at an acute angle. By having this shape, it becomes possible to perform gas replacement more efficiently than the opening while providing the opening, and to perform further bonding. In addition, the container can be deformed only by the horizontal movement of the joining tool. Further, even if the left and right lengths around the bent portion are the same as in FIG. 2A (FIG. 2B is a perspective view), FIG. 3A (FIG. 3B is a perspective view). 2), but different lengths as shown in FIG. 3 are more preferable because they can accommodate larger containers and the like. Further, the L-type joining tool used for the first joining and the L-type joining tool used for the second joining are basically the same shape as long as they are L-shaped joining tools. Even if they have different shapes, there is no problem if all the flange portions 6 of the container can be joined.

The planar shape of the joining surface of the L-type joining tool may be linear, curved, wavy, multi-line, thick line, thin line, etc., but any one suitable for joining may be used. Is also good. The pair of L-shaped joining tools facing each other are in a position where the insides of the bent portions are seated against each other, and the corners of the flange portions of the container and the lid can be joined so as to overlap the inside of the bent portions. Means that.

The material used for the L-shaped joining tool is a generally known material, and any material may be used as long as it does not impair the joining function. For example, iron, stainless steel,
Examples thereof include metals such as brass, ceramics, heat-resistant plastics and the like, and these can be used alone or in combination. The L-shaped joining tool 1 is used by bridging between the mold bases 2, and at the time of joining, a material having a strong strength capable of withstanding pressing so that the L-jointing tool 1 does not bend due to pressing or It is preferably a structure.

Further, a high-strength material having heat conductivity is interposed between the L-type joining tool 1 and the mold base 2 for hardening, or quenching treatment or surface plating treatment for imparting wear resistance and seizure prevention. (For example, a plating treatment using nickel-phosphorus-tungsten or a titanium nitride treatment) or the like, or a surface treatment such as a Teflon (registered trademark) coating treatment for imparting releasability. As the material used for the L-shaped joining tool, a material that is lightweight, has good workability and heat conductivity, and is hard to wear is good, but in general, iron is quenched and the surface of the material is Teflon coated or brass. More preferably, the material is iron plated.

The L-shaped joining tool includes a non-heating type and a heating type. In the heating type, it is common to incorporate a heating element in the tool itself, or to heat the joining tool by heat transfer at a portion adjacent to the joining tool, such as the mold stand 2, and heat the joining tool. As the method, any generally known method may be used. For example, impulse heating type, heater heating type, high frequency heating type and the like can be mentioned. Since the L-shaped joining tool uses the heat transfer mechanism as it is, there is no need to remove it, and it is only necessary to adjust the lower joining tool set and the upper joining tool set to match the shape and size of the container to be joined, so adjustment is extremely difficult. It is easy and can be done in a short time. On the other hand, in the conventional mold tool, every time the shape and size of the container to be joined changes, the mold tool that has been used up to now must be removed, then another mold tool must be attached, and the heat transfer wiring must be redone. For this reason, it takes time and labor to remove, attach, and wire, and there is a problem that productivity is extremely poor. Therefore, in the conventional method, replacing the seal mold lowers the productivity, so it was often used like a dedicated machine without replacing it, but the number of types of containers cannot be increased and the cost of adding a seal device increases. Was a cause of new worries.

Since the L-shaped joining tool can use one heat transfer mechanism in duplicate, the manufacturing cost is extremely low, the structure is simple, and the maintenance work is the same as that of a normal seal bar, so it is easy to use. Further, the work such as cleaning can be easily performed. As described above, compared with the conventional seal mold, the mold alignment can be significantly suppressed, the facility cost can be reduced, and the replacement frequency can be suppressed, so that the man-hours and labor can be significantly reduced. Generally, the L-type joining tool is heated and joined with a non-heated backing plate, but even if the L-jointing tool is both heated without being particular about this, the L-type joining tool is not heated. Even a joining tool can be used without any trouble as long as it can be joined.

The length of the L-shaped joining tool means the length inside the bent portion, but from the viewpoint of workability and the internal volume of the container, the length is 5 cm or more, and the mass of the L-shaped joining tool. From the viewpoint of obtaining uniform seal strength, it is preferably 100 cm or less. It is more preferably 7 cm or more and 90 cm or less, and further preferably 10 cm or more and 80 cm or less. The joining width of the L-type joining tool is preferably 3 mm or more from the viewpoint of workability and joining strength, and is preferably 50 mm or less from the viewpoint of the mass and parallelism of the L-type joining tool. More preferably 4 mm or more and 45 mm or less,
More preferably, it is 5 mm or more and 40 mm or less.

In the present invention, gas replacement will be described while joining the container and the flange of the lid. Performing gas replacement while joining the container and the flange of the lid means that the gas flow at the time of gas replacement is restricted by joining the flange of the container and the lid, so that the inside of the container can be filled with a minimum amount of gas. The gas can be efficiently replaced.

When the bonding step and the gas replacement step are performed separately, for example, in the method of performing gas replacement after bonding,
Need to use a thin needle-shaped gas introduction nozzle, make a hole in the container, insert the gas introduction nozzle from the hole to replace the gas in the container, and seal the hole of the container with tape or a special valve. There is. Also, since the gas introduction nozzle used is a thin nozzle, it takes a considerable amount of time for gas replacement, or in some cases gas replacement cannot be performed efficiently unless a gas suction nozzle is used in addition to the gas introduction nozzle. There is. Thus, the annoyance of closing holes,
There are problems such as an increase in cost, a decrease in beauty, and a decrease in productivity.

On the other hand, in the method of joining after performing gas replacement, even if gas is introduced into the container, since the container and the flange of the lid are not joined, the replaced gas flows out from the entire circumference of the flange of the lid. And cannot achieve a high substitution rate in a short time,
Or it is difficult to achieve. In either case, joining and gas replacement are separate steps, and the packaging speed per unit time becomes slow, and there are problems such as a decrease in productivity. In the present invention, it is possible to perform gas replacement while joining, the packaging speed per hour is significantly increased from the viewpoint of productivity, and a high rate can be achieved in a short time in terms of the gas replacement rate. It is possible to exert the effect which is not in.

The joining in the present invention will be described. The joining in the present invention is not limited as long as the container and the lid are sealed and the desired gas composition gas can be enclosed in the container, and any joining method may be used. For example, as a joining method, contents such as foods are put in a container, a film (or a lid) is fixed on the opening of the container, and the portion to be joined next, that is, the flange of the container is joined to a joining tool of a joining device. Place it so that it fits inside, and heat (or heat and press) the flange while sandwiching the flange with a backing plate corresponding to the joining tool, to heat and seal the container (heat seal) or the opening of the container in advance. It may be a generally known method such as a method of applying an adhesive or the like to the periphery, pressing the container and the lid with a bonding tool to bring the container and the lid into close contact, and hermetically sealing the container containing the food or the like. Either one will do.

The unjoined portion in the present invention means a hole for efficiently replacing the air in the container with a desired gas composition gas mixture (gas replacement), and joining between the container and the lid. It means the flange part that has not been made. If gas replacement can be performed using this unbonded portion, size, number,
The direction, shape, etc. are not particularly limited. The arrangement of the unbonded part and the bonded part is not particularly limited, but preferably the peripheral part of the gas introduction nozzle is bonded to prevent outflow of gas to the outside of the container and make gas replacement more efficient. Good to be able to do. Further, it is more preferable that the portions other than at least two unjoined portions for introducing gas and for expelling gas are joined so that gas does not leak. From the viewpoint of gas replacement efficiency, the proportion of the unjoined portion is preferably 5% to 50%, and more preferably 10% to the entire circumference of the flange portion of the container and the lid.
45%, more preferably 12% to 40%.

The ability to move in the horizontal direction in the present invention will be described. Being movable in the horizontal direction means that the joining mold can be moved in the horizontal direction according to the shape and size of the container to be joined. The meaning of being able to move in the horizontal direction is that a few joining dies can also serve as joining dies of various sizes. For example, in today's diversified various types of containers, if there are several types of joining tools,
If it is possible to use dozens of types of joining molds, it is possible to join even various diversified containers without changing the joining molds, and thus it is necessary to replace the molds. It is possible to significantly reduce the labor and time, the cost of manufacturing various molds, and the burden of storing the molds. Therefore, it is preferable that the joining tool used in the present invention can be moved in the horizontal direction, and thereby, an excellent effect which the conventional art does not have can be exhibited.

Although it is possible to change the size of the container by using the L-shaped joining tool, for example, the shape of the corner portion of the flange portion of the container is angular or rounded, and recently the container design has been made. Is becoming more diverse, it is necessary to deal with such diversification. L
The mold joining mold may have various shapes in which the shape of the bent portion is matched with the shape of the corner portion of the flange portion of the container. Figure 1
~ Fig. 3 shows these. Even if the bending portion 10 of the L-shaped joining tool shown in these figures is separately manufactured as a jig and fixed to the joining tool having a linear wire (rod) shape, the bending portion 10 is not straight. The L-shaped joining tool may be formed integrally with the joining tool having a line (bar) shape. Further, as will be described with reference to FIG. 8, it is more preferable that the L-shaped joining tool 1 is easily fixed to the mold base 2 with screws or the like, and the mold base 2 is fixed on the base plate 9 and the container together with the base plate 9 is used. It is more preferable to move according to the shape, store the position of the L-shaped joining tool 1 for each container in the storage device of the packaging device, and call and use data from the storage device of the packaging device for each packaging container to be used. . The L-type joining tool 1 can be easily removed wholly or partially from the die stand by simply fixing it with a screw or the like, and maintenance work and joining tool exchange work can be performed easily. Like

In the present invention, the unbonded portion can be joined by joining the first joining portion and the portion not joined in the gas replacement step, but it is rotated by 90 degrees which is the same size as the joining die used in the first joining. If you use the L-shaped joining tool
Even if the size of the container changes, it can be dealt with only by moving the joining tool horizontally according to the shape and size of the container to be joined.

The gas displacement packaging referred to in the present invention will be described. The gas replacement in the present invention means a package in which a food is replaced in a gas atmosphere suitable for the food in order to improve the storage stability of the product and the appearance of the product such as color. Generally, it means to hold foods, etc. in an inert gas, but by doing so, antioxidant of fats and oils components, preservation of active ingredients such as vitamins,
It is known to be effective in preventing spoilage caused by the reproduction of molds, fungi, yeasts, preventing discoloration and discoloration of pigments, and preventing scattering of aroma. Furthermore, it may be possible to improve the storage stability by utilizing the bacteriostatic action of carbon dioxide gas or the like.

The gas used in the present invention may be, for example, nitrogen, carbon dioxide (carbon dioxide gas), oxygen, argon, etc., alone or in combination, depending on the contents of the container. In addition, ozone or natural antibacterial substances (for example, hinokitiol) generally known for the purpose of sterilizing fungi, fungi, yeast, etc. may be used.

The gas displacement packaging method of the present invention will be described. Examples of the gas replacement method include a chamber method, a gas flush method, and a nozzle method, but the contents (type and shape) in the container, desired packaging speed, gas replacement rate,
An optimal gas replacement method may be adopted depending on the work space or the like. An example of each gas replacement method will be shown. FIG. 4 uses the L-shaped joining tool having a rounded bent portion illustrated in FIG.
It is a figure showing an example when a chamber type gas replacement method is adopted. FIG. 4B shows the first bonding and gas replacement step,
FIG. 4A shows the second joining step. First, in FIG. 4 (B), the L-shaped joining tool 1 is horizontally moved and set so that the flange portion of the container is held by the L-joining tool 1 in the chamber, and the flange portion is joined to the L-shape. While bonding with the mold tool 1, the entire interior of the chamber is evacuated to a vacuum state, and a replacement gas is sent in that state to perform gas replacement. After that, the unjoined portion which was not joined in the first joining in the second joining step has the same size as the L-shaped joining tool used in the first joining step.
By using the L-shaped joining tool at the position rotated by 0 degree and joining, the package can be produced. Even if the air deaeration in the container and the introduction of the desired gas for gas replacement are all performed in the first step as shown in FIG. 4, they are performed separately from the air deaeration in the first step and the gas introduction in the second step. However, even if (A) and (B) are simultaneously performed in one large chamber, there is no problem as long as gas replacement can be performed. In general, chamber-type gas replacement is characterized by having a high gas replacement rate.

On the other hand, FIG. 5 is a view showing an example when the gas flush packaging method of gas flush type is adopted by using the L-shaped joining tool 1 similar to FIG. Similar to FIG. 4, FIG.
Shows the first joining and gas replacement step, and FIG. 5 (A) shows the second joining step. First, as shown in FIG. 5 (B), the L-shaped joining mold 1 is horizontally moved and set so that the flange portion of the container is held in the L-shaped joining mold 1, and the gas is introduced while performing the first joining. Gas replacement is performed by the nozzle 3. Then, in the second joining step, the first
The sealed package can be produced by joining the openings that are not joined by joining. By performing the first bonding at the same time as gas replacement, the gas flow is restricted and gas can be efficiently replaced inside the container. In addition, the gas flush type generally has a lower replacement rate than the chamber type, but the gas consumption can be reduced by joining the container and the lid at the same time as introducing the gas in this way, and the gas replacement rate is high efficiently. Can be packaged with. Moreover, the equipment is cheaper than the chamber type, and the equipment investment cost can be suppressed.

Each step of the present invention will be described. The first step of the present invention is a step of performing gas replacement with the first bonding,
What is done in the first step is to partially join the container and the flange portion of the lid by the first joining, and at the same time replace the space in the container with a desired gas. Also, what is done in the second step is to join the unjoined parts that are not joined in the first joining,
To seal the container. The positional relationship of each step of the present invention will be described. As for the positional relationship of each process, the packaging machine has a process part for performing the first process and a process part for performing the second process in advance. Even if the container is transported between the processes, the container does not move and Even if the equipment required in the process is moved, there is no problem if the things performed in each process are performed. More preferably, from the viewpoint of packaging speed, it is better that the process part for performing the first process and the process part for performing the second process are provided in advance and the container is transported between the processes.

The gas introduction nozzle of the present invention will be described. The gas introduction nozzle in the present invention refers to a pipe used when introducing a desired gas composition mixed gas into a container at the time of gas replacement, and the thickness, shape, and size of the desired gas composition mixed gas into the container. There is no particular limitation as long as it can be introduced. Also, the air in the container is efficiently
The size, shape, number of holes (the size of the holes,
The shape, direction), the air volume, the air pressure, etc. of the desired gas composition mixed gas ejected from the hole may be changed as appropriate. Further, even if the gas introduction nozzle is inclined at an angle of 45 degrees with respect to the container traveling direction as shown in FIG.
Even if the gas introduction nozzle is parallel to the container traveling direction as in (B2), there is no problem if the gas can be introduced into the container at any angle.

The device of the present invention means a device having an L-shaped joining tool, and when the L-jointing tool has a function of moving in a horizontal plane, it corresponds to various diversified shapes and sizes of containers. Moreover, since the joining step and the gas replacement step can be performed at the same time, the sealed package can be efficiently produced.

[0037]

EXAMPLE An example of an embodiment of the invention will be described. Containers with the same design of curved corners but different sizes (Fig. 10
(A): Square small container, Fig. 10 (B): Rectangular medium container were prepared, and the small containers were joined (Fig. 1).
0 (A): small square container → Fig. 10 (B): rectangular medium container). The bent portion 1 is used as an L-shaped joining tool according to a packaging container having a round corner as shown in FIG.
A L-shaped joining tool 1 (FIG. 2) in which 0 is processed into a round shape is produced, and the L-jointing tool 1 is a mold stand 2 (FIG. 8) in which a heating element is embedded.
It was fixed to the upper part of the to make a lower joining tool set. On the other hand, the backing plate 8 (FIG. 2) for the L-shaped joining tool 1 is attached to the mold base 2 ′ (FIG. 8)
It was fixed to the above, and a set of upper joining tools was prepared. First, the pair of upper and lower joining tools thus set is horizontally moved and adjusted to a dimension between the flanges of the container (FIG. 10 (A)) to be packed, and the first joining and gas replacement are performed. (Plan view: FIG. 6
(C)) was performed.

As shown in FIG. 8, the first joining and gas replacement method is performed by packaging the L-shaped joining tool 1 and the contact plate 8 with the gas introduction nozzle 3 sandwiched between the container 4 and the lid 5. The container was inserted, and the packaging container was pressed and adhered from above and below with a set of joining tools to perform heat sealing, and at the same time, a gas adjusted to a desired gas composition was introduced into the container from the gas introduction nozzle 3. Subsequently, the second joining was carried out in the same manner as the first joining to obtain a sealed container in which the container 4 and the flange portion 6 of the lid 5 were all joined. Then, in order to change the container to the rectangular medium-sized container shown in FIG. 10 (B), a rectangular medium-sized container that wraps the position of the pair of upper and lower L-shaped joining mold tools 1 (FIG. 10 (B)).
The plate was moved in the horizontal direction and adjusted according to the dimension between the flanges (plan view: FIG. 7C), and the square small container in FIG.

[0039]

[Comparative Example] An example of a case where such a container change is repeatedly performed by using the conventional technique will be shown. First, containers with the same design of curved corners but different sizes (Fig. 10 (A):
Square small container, Fig. 10 (B): Rectangular medium container)
To prepare each joining tool (Fig. 11, Fig. 12),
Similar to the example, the small containers were joined first (Fig. 10).
(A): Square small container → FIG. 10 (B): Rectangular medium container). As a procedure for joining with changing the container, the joining die shown in FIG. 11 was fixed to the device, wiring was further performed on the heating device, and the container was inserted for joining and gas replacement. When changing the container shape to the rectangular medium-sized container shown in FIG. 10 (B), FIG. 11 ((A): plan view,
(B): Perspective view) After removing the wiring relating to the heating device connected to the joining mold tool and removing the joining mold tool from the device, FIG. 12 ((A): plan view, (B): perspective view) The bonding tool shown in the figure) was fixed to the device, wiring was further made for the heating device, and a container was inserted for bonding and gas replacement.

As described above, in the prior art, each time the shape and dimensions of the container to be joined are changed, the heat transfer wiring connected to the joining die used up to now is removed, and the joining die is removed.
Next, it is necessary to attach another joining mold and further redo the heat transfer wiring. Replacing the conventional sealing mold tool requires about two hours with two persons to attach and detach the joining mold tool, which causes a problem of extremely poor productivity. Compared with this, if the L-shaped joining tool is used, the joining tool and the heat transfer mechanism are used as they are, so there is no need to remove or heat transfer wiring, and the L-shaped fitting tool fits the shape and dimensions of the container to be joined Since it suffices to move and adjust the positions of the joining tool and the backing plate in the horizontal direction, one person and about 15 minutes are sufficient. Further, it is possible to significantly reduce the burden of production costs and storage of various joining molds for each container.

[0041]

According to the present invention, an L-shaped joining tool is used to join a container and a lid and simultaneously perform gas replacement. Compared with the prior art, various specialized molds are manufactured, stored and managed. It is not necessary, and the cost, labor, storage space, etc. required to support various types of containers of various sizes and designs will be significantly reduced in the future, and maintenance will be excellent.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a view showing an L-shaped joining tool in which a bent portion 10 which is an example of a component used in the present invention has a right-angled shape, and the left and right lengths of the bent portion are equal. (A) shows a plan view, (B)
Is a perspective view thereof.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an L-shaped joining tool in which a bent portion 10 which is an example of a component used in the present invention has a round shape and the left and right lengths of the bent portion are equal. (A) shows a plan view and (B) is a perspective view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a view showing an L-shaped joining tool in which a bent portion 10 which is an example of a component used in the present invention has a round shape, and the left and right lengths of the bent portion are different. (A) shows a plan view and (B) is a perspective view thereof.

4 is an example of the gas displacement packaging method of the present invention, and FIG.
It is explanatory drawing when a chamber type | mold is employ | adopted using the L-shaped joining type | mold tool illustrated in FIG. (B) shows the first joining and gas replacement step, and (A) shows the second joining step.

5 is an example of the gas displacement packaging method of the present invention, and FIG.
It is explanatory drawing when a gas flash type | mold is employ | adopted using the L-type joining type | mold tool illustrated in FIG. (B) shows the first joining and gas replacement step, and (A) shows the second joining step.

FIG. 6 shows an actual process of FIG. 1 following the process shown in FIG. 5 of the present invention.
It is a top view at the time of carrying out gas displacement packaging using the container shown in 0 (A). (D) is a state in which a lid and an unjoined container are overlaid, and (C) is an L-shaped joining tool 1 with a flange portion 6 of the container.
A step of replacing the gas with the gas introduction nozzle 3 while joining the
(B) shows the step of joining the unjoined parts that were not joined in (C) with the L-type joining tool 1, and (A) shows the state where all the flange portions 6 are joined.

FIG. 7 shows an actual process of FIG. 1 following the process shown in FIG. 5 of the present invention.
It is a top view at the time of gas displacement packaging using the container shown in 0 (B). (D) is a state in which a lid and an unjoined container are overlaid, and (C) is an L-shaped joining tool 1 with a flange portion 6 of the container.
A step of replacing the gas with the gas introduction nozzle 3 while joining the
(B) shows the step of joining the unjoined parts that were not joined in (C) with the L-type joining tool 1, and (A) shows the state where all the flange portions 6 are joined.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view showing the upper and lower positional relationships of the container to be joined, the joining tool, the backing plate, and the introducing nozzle according to the present invention, in which the joining tool having the same left and right lengths sandwiching the bent portion is used. This is the case. (A1) is a set of upper joining tools used in the second joining step, (A2) is a container that has been partially joined in the first joining step, (A3) is a set of lower joining tools used in the second joining step, ( B1) shows a set of upper joining tools used in the first joining step, (B2) shows a container in which a gas introduction nozzle is set in the first joining step, and (B3) shows a set of lower joining tools used in the first joining step. .

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view showing an upper and lower positional relationship of a container to be joined, a joining tool, a backing plate, and an introducing nozzle according to the present invention, in which joining tools having different left and right lengths sandwiching a bent portion are used. This is the case. (A1) is a set of upper joining tools used in the second joining step, (A2) is a container that has been partially joined in the first joining step, (A3) is a set of lower joining tools used in the second joining step, ( B1) shows a set of upper joining tools used in the first joining step, (B2) shows a container in which a gas introduction nozzle is set in the first joining step, and (B3) shows a set of lower joining tools used in the first joining step. .

FIG. 10 is a schematic view showing containers having the same design of the curved surface of the corner portion 10 used in Examples and Comparative Examples of the present invention but having different sizes. (A) is a small square container, (B)
Is a rectangular medium-sized container.

FIG. 11 shows a joining tool according to the prior art when joining the containers of FIG. 10 (A), (A) is a plan view, and (B) is a perspective view thereof.

12A and 12B show a conventional joining tool for joining the containers shown in FIG. 10B, wherein FIG. 12A is a plan view and FIG. 12B is a perspective view thereof.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 L-shaped joining tool 2 type stand 2'type stand 3 Gas introduction nozzle 4 containers 5 lid 6 Unbonded flange 7 Joined flange 8 Reliable plate 9 pedestals 10 Bend

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A container and a lid flange portion are fixed so as to sandwich a gas introduction nozzle, and the flange portion of the container and the lid is crimped by a pair of L-shaped joining tools facing each other from above and below. At the same time as partial joining, gas is introduced into the container from the gas introduction nozzle, and after removing the gas introduction nozzle, the unjoined portion of the flange portion of the container and the lid is joined to seal the container. Replacement packaging method. 2. A gas displacement packaging apparatus having a joining means for joining a container and a lid and a gas introducing means for replacing gas, wherein the joining means uses a pair of L-shaped joining tools. A gas displacement packaging device characterized by: 3. The gas displacement packaging device according to claim 2, wherein the L-shaped joining mold is movable in the horizontal direction. 4. A packaging method, which comprises using the gas displacement packaging method according to claim 1 to seal an article to be packaged in a container.