JP2024172122A - Bag-making packaging machine - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a form-fill-seal machine that allows easy maintenance of the printing device. [Solution] The form-fill-seal machine includes a conveying device that conveys a strip of film, a printing device 400 having a printing unit 410 that prints on the printing surface of the strip of film, a sliding mechanism 500, and a main body 300 that supports the printing device and the sliding mechanism. The sliding mechanism slides the printing unit in the width direction W of the strip of film. The sliding mechanism moves the printing unit between a first position and a second position P2 in the width direction W of the strip of film. When the printing unit is at the first position in the width direction W, the printing unit prints on the printing surface of the strip of film. When the printing unit is at the second position in the width direction W, at least a portion of the printing unit is disposed outside the main body. [Selected Figure] Figure 7

Description

The present invention relates to a bag making and packaging machine.

Conventionally, as disclosed in Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2019-218141), a form-fill-seal machine is known that prints predetermined information on a transported strip of film and then forms the printed strip of film into a bag with the item inside, thereby packaging the item.

In this type of bag-making and packaging machine, the printing device that prints on the strip film is located in a limited space inside the bag-making and packaging machine, adjacent to the transport path of the strip film that is transported with the back side facing outward, and in particular, facing the front side of the strip film, making maintenance difficult.

As a result, there is a demand for improved maintainability of the printing device in make-fill-seal machines.

The bag making and packaging machine according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a conveying device that conveys a strip of film, a printing device, a sliding mechanism, and a main body that supports the printing device and the sliding mechanism. The printing device has a printing unit that prints on the printing surface of the strip of film. The sliding mechanism slides the printing unit in the width direction of the strip of film. The sliding mechanism moves the printing unit between a first position and a second position in the width direction of the strip of film. When the printing unit is at the first position in the width direction of the strip of film, the printing unit prints on the printing surface of the strip of film. When the printing unit is at the second position in the width direction of the strip of film, at least a portion of the printing unit is disposed outside the main body.

In the bag-making packaging machine according to the first aspect, at least a portion of the printing unit can be moved outside the main body, making it easy to maintain the printing unit.

The bag making and packaging machine according to the second aspect of the present invention is the bag making and packaging machine according to the first aspect, in which the printing unit contacts the printing surface of the strip film when printing on the printing surface of the strip film.

In the make-fill-seal machine according to the second aspect, the printing unit comes into contact with the printing surface of the strip of film, so dirt on the printing unit may adversely affect the strip of film. However, in this make-fill-seal machine, at least a portion of the printing unit can be moved outside the main body, making it easy to clean the printing unit, and this is a relatively simple task that can prevent dirt on the printing unit from adversely affecting the strip of film.

The bag making and packaging machine according to the third aspect of the present invention is the bag making and packaging machine according to the second aspect, in which the printing unit has a thermal head, and printing is performed on the heat-sensitive area of the printing surface of the strip film by bringing the thermal head into contact with the heat-sensitive area of the printing surface of the strip film.

In the bag-making packaging machine according to the third aspect, dirt on the thermal head may adversely affect printing on the strip film. However, in this bag-making packaging machine, at least a portion of the printing section can be moved outside the main body, making it easy to clean the thermal head, and this is a relatively simple task that can prevent dirt on the thermal head from adversely affecting printing.

The fourth aspect of the present invention is a form-fill-seal machine according to the first to third aspects, in which the main body is provided with an opening through which at least a portion of the printing unit can enter and exit.

In the bag-making packaging machine according to the fourth aspect, it is easy to access the printing unit through the opening.

The bag-making packaging machine according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the bag-making packaging machine according to the first to fourth aspects, in which the printing device further has a control box that houses a control board that controls the operation of the printing unit. The slide mechanism slides the control box together with the printing unit in the width direction of the strip film. When the printing unit is in the second position, at least a portion of the control box is disposed outside the main body.

In the bag-making packaging machine according to the fifth aspect, at least a portion of the control box of the printing device can be moved outside the main body, making it easy to maintain the control board.

The bag-making packaging machine according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the bag-making packaging machine according to the first to fifth aspects, in which the printing device further includes a platen roller that sandwiches the strip film between the printing unit. The platen roller is not connected to the slide mechanism.

In the bag-making packaging machine according to the sixth aspect, the platen roller around which the strip film is wound is not connected to the slide mechanism and does not move with the printing unit, so there is no need to adjust the transport path of the strip film when performing maintenance on the printing unit.

The bag making and packaging machine according to the seventh aspect of the present invention is the bag making and packaging machine according to the first to sixth aspects, in which the slide mechanism has a guide extending along the width direction of the strip film, a first member, and a second member connected to the first member. The first member is attached to the guide and moves along the guide. A printing unit is attached to the second member. In the width direction of the strip film, the position of the printing unit is offset from the position of the first member.

In the bag-making packaging machine according to the seventh aspect, the printing unit can be extended relatively far outside the main body when performing maintenance on the printing unit, without having to extend the guide to the outside of the main body and widen the width of the bag-making packaging machine.

The bag making and packaging machine according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the bag making and packaging machine according to the fourth aspect, further comprising a film roll around which a strip of film is wound, a plurality of guide rollers, and a former. The plurality of guide rollers guide the strip of film that is unwound from the film roll and transported by the transport device with the printed surface of the strip of film facing inward. The former shapes the strip of film transported from the film roll into a cylindrical shape with the printed surface facing outward. The main body has a pair of side surfaces that support both ends of the guide roller. The opening is formed in one of the pair of side surfaces.

The bag making and packaging machine of the present invention provides high maintainability for the printing section.

1 is a schematic perspective view of a bag making and packaging machine according to one embodiment; FIG. 2 is a side view showing a schematic configuration of the bag making and packaging machine of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of the bag making and packaging machine of FIG. 1 . 2 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a bag-making and packaging unit of the bag-making and packaging machine of FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the periphery of a printing device of the bag-making packaging machine of FIG. 1 . 2 is a plan view showing the printing device and the slide mechanism of the bag-making packaging machine of FIG. 1 in a state where a printing unit of the printing device is disposed at a first position in the left-right direction; 2 is a plan view showing the printing device and the slide mechanism of the bag-making packaging machine of FIG. 1 in a state where the printing unit of the printing device is disposed at a second position in the left-right direction; FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the control box and its periphery of the printing device of the bag-making packaging machine of FIG. 1, illustrating a process of removing a cover of the control box. FIG.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. The embodiment described below is a specific example of the present invention and does not limit the technical scope of the present invention.

(1) Overall Configuration A form-fill-seal machine 1000 according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Note that, for ease of explanation, in the following, expressions such as "front", "rear", "left", "right", "upper", and "lower" may be used according to the directions depicted in the drawings, but unless otherwise specified, these expressions do not limit the contents of the present invention.

The bag making and packaging machine 1000 is a device that forms a strip-shaped film F into a bag shape and packs food or other packaged items C into the bags. As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the bag making and packaging machine 1000 mainly includes a film supply unit 100, a bag making and packaging unit 200, a main body 300, a printing device 400, a slide mechanism 500, a liquid crystal display 900, and a control device 800.

The bag making and packaging unit 200 forms bags B in time with the supply of packaged items C from a combination weighing machine or the like located above, and seals and packages the packaged items C inside the bags B.

As shown in FIG. 2, the film supply unit 100 unwinds a sheet of film (hereinafter referred to as strip film F) from the film roll FR and supplies the strip film F to the bag making and packaging unit 200.

As shown in FIG. 2, the printing device 400 is disposed adjacent to the transport path of the strip film F in the film supply unit 100. Specifically, the printing device 400 is disposed in a relatively small space surrounded above, in front, and behind by the strip film F and the guide roller 120. The printing device 400 prints various information on the strip film F that the film supply unit 100 transports to the bag making and packaging unit 200. The sliding mechanism 500 is a mechanism that moves the printing section 410 of the printing device 400 in the left-right direction during maintenance of the printing device 400, etc.

The main body 300 includes a frame that supports the film supply unit 100, the bag making and packaging unit 200, the printing device 400, and the slide mechanism 500, as well as a cover that is attached to the frame.

The liquid crystal display 900 is a touch panel type display and functions as an input device that accepts instructions and various settings for the bag-making packaging machine 1000, and as an output device that displays information related to the bag-making packaging machine 1000.

The control device 800 is a computer having a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc. As shown in FIG. 3, the control device 800 is electrically connected to the various components of the bag making and packaging unit 200 and the film supply unit 100, the printing device 400, and the liquid crystal display 900. The control device 800 controls the various components of the bag making and packaging unit 200 and the film supply unit 100 based on input from the liquid crystal display 900, for example, and outputs various information to the liquid crystal display 900. Furthermore, the control device 800 controls the operation of the printing device 400, and causes various information to be printed on the strip-shaped film F supplied by the film supply unit 100.

(2) Detailed Configuration The details of the bag-making packaging machine 1000 will be described with reference to FIGS.

(2-1) Film Supply Unit The film supply unit 100 is disposed behind the bag-making and packaging unit 200 (see FIG. 2), and supplies the strip film F to a forming mechanism 210 of the bag-making and packaging unit 200, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 2, the film supply unit 100 mainly includes a film roll support mechanism 110 and a number of guide rollers 120.

The film roll support mechanism 110 holds the film roll FR, which is a film strip F wound around a core. The film roll support mechanism 110 unwinds the film strip F from the film roll FR by rotating a shaft 112 (see FIG. 2) to which the core of the film roll FR is attached, for example, using a drive unit such as a motor (not shown).

The guide rollers 120 are arranged so that their longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the conveying direction A of the strip film F and extends in the width direction W of the strip film F. In this embodiment, the longitudinal direction of each guide roller 120 is the left-right direction. Each of the guide rollers 120 is supported at both ends by the right side 302 and the left side 304 of the main body 300 (particularly, in this embodiment, the frames 310 arranged on the left and right). The guide rollers 120 are arranged along the conveying path of the strip film F and guide the strip film F that is unwound from the film roll FR and conveyed by the conveying device 220 of the bag-making and packaging unit 200 described later. The guide rollers 120 guide the strip film F with the printing surface Fa, which is printed by the printing device 400, facing inward, in other words, with the non-printing surface Fb, which is arranged on the back side of the printing surface Fa, facing outward.

The surface of the strip film F facing outward means a surface that is visible when viewed from above, from the front, or from the back of the film supply unit 100 when the strip film F is not transparent and when a member that blocks the view of the strip film F, such as a cover for the main body 300 of the bag making and packaging machine 1000, is removed. On the other hand, the surface of the strip film F facing inward means a surface that is not visible when viewed from above, from the front, or from the back of the film supply unit 100 when the same assumption is made.

An encoder (not shown) is connected to one of the guide rollers 120 (the guide roller 120 designated by the reference symbol "130" in FIG. 2, although the position is not limited thereto) and measures the transport distance and transport speed of the strip film F. The control device 800 controls the printing timing of the printing device 400 according to the measurement results of the encoder.

(2-2) Bag-Making and Packaging Unit The bag-making and packaging unit 200, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, mainly includes a forming mechanism 210, a conveying device 220, a vertical sealing mechanism 230, and a horizontal sealing mechanism 240.

The forming mechanism 210 is a mechanism that forms the strip film F supplied from the film supply unit 100 into a cylindrical shape. The forming mechanism 210 has a former 212 and a tube 214. The tube 214 is a cylindrical member with an open upper end and a closed lower end. The packaged item C supplied from above is inserted into the opening at the upper end of the tube 214. The former 212 is arranged to surround the tube 214. When the strip film F passes through the gap between the tube 214 and the former 212, the former 212 forms the strip film F into a cylindrical shape so that the print surface Fa is positioned on the outside. The strip film F formed into a cylindrical shape is transported downward by the transport device 220 while wrapped around the tube 214.

The conveying device 220 is disposed below the former 212, and conveys downward the cylindrically molded strip film F (hereafter referred to as the tubular film Ft) wrapped around the tube 214 while adsorbing it. The bag-making packaging machine 1000 has a pair of conveying devices 220 disposed on the left and right of the tube 214. Each conveying device 220 has a conveying belt 226 having a mechanism for adsorbing the tubular film Ft, and a driving roller 222 and a driven roller 224 around which the conveying belt 226 is wound. Each conveying device 220 drives the conveying belt 226 by rotating the driving roller 222 with a motor (not shown), and conveys the tubular film Ft downward.

The vertical sealing mechanism 230 is disposed below the former 212, adjacent to the tube 214 on the front side of the tube 214. The vertical sealing mechanism 230 seals the overlapping portions of both ends of the strip film F formed into a cylindrical shape by the former 212 in a vertical direction (vertical direction in FIG. 2) parallel to the conveying direction A of the strip film F. Specifically, the vertical sealing mechanism 230 is moved in the front-rear direction by a drive mechanism (not shown) so as to approach the tube 214 or to move away from the tube 214. When the vertical sealing mechanism 230 is driven by the drive mechanism so as to approach the tube 214, the vertical overlapping portion of the strip film F wound around the tube 214 is sandwiched between the vertical sealing mechanism 230 and the tube 214. The vertical sealing mechanism 230 heats the overlapping portion of the strip film F while pressing it against the tube 214 with a predetermined pressure, thereby heat-sealing the overlapping portion of the strip film F in the vertical direction. The sealing method of the vertical sealing mechanism 230 may also be ultrasonic sealing.

The horizontal sealing mechanism 240 is disposed below the conveying device 220 and the vertical sealing mechanism 230, and seals the tubular film Ft, in which the overlapping portion of the strip film F is vertically sealed by the vertical sealing mechanism 230, in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction A to form a bag B whose upper and lower ends are horizontally sealed. Specifically, the horizontal sealing mechanism 240 mainly has a sealing jaw 242 disposed in front of the tubular film Ft and a sealing jaw 242 disposed behind the tubular film Ft. The horizontal sealing mechanism 240, for example, rotates the sealing jaws 242 disposed in front and behind the tubular film Ft to sandwich the tubular film Ft conveyed by the conveying device 220 at a predetermined timing (with the packaged item C disposed at the lower end of the tubular film Ft) along a horizontal direction (left and right direction in FIG. 2) intersecting the conveying direction of the tubular film Ft. The pair of sealing jaws 242 that sandwich the tubular film Ft heat seal the tubular film Ft in the lateral direction by heating the tubular film Ft while sandwiching it. The sealing method of the lateral sealing mechanism 240 may be ultrasonic sealing. Also, instead of rotating the pair of sealing jaws 242 by a drive mechanism, the lateral sealing mechanism 240 may have a drive mechanism that moves the pair of sealing jaws 242 back and forth so that the pair of sealing jaws 242 approach/move away from the tubular film Ft in sync.

(2-3) Printing Device The printing device 400 prints on the printing surface of the strip film F. Although there are no limitations on the content of the printing, the information printed by the printing device 400 includes information on the packaged item C, such as the product name, ingredients, allergy information, manufacturer, production date, and expiration date.

As shown in Figures 2, 3 and 6, the printing device 400 includes a printing unit 410, a control box 420, a control board 430, a motor 440 and a platen roller 450. The belt-shaped film F to be transported is wound around the platen roller 450, which also functions as a guide roller 120.

The printing unit 410 prints on the printing surface Fa of the strip film F.

In this embodiment, the printing unit 410 contacts the printing surface Fa of the strip film F and prints on the printing surface Fa of the strip film F.

In particular, in this embodiment, the strip film F is a film on which a heat-responsive material that changes color when heated is applied in advance to at least the printing area (area where printing is performed) of the printing surface Fa, and the printing unit 410 includes a thermal head 412. The thermal head 412 is a device that has multiple heating elements (heaters) (not shown) and prints by transferring heat generated when current flows through each heater to the heat-responsive material. The printing unit 410 brings the thermal head 412 into contact with the heat-sensitive area (area where the heat-responsive material is applied) of the printing surface Fa of the strip film F, and causes the heater at a position corresponding to the printing content and printing position to heat up at a timing corresponding to the printing content and printing position, thereby printing the determined content on the heat-sensitive area of the printing surface Fa.

The control board 430 has electronic components including a CPU, ROM, and RAM, and controls the operation of the printing unit 410. The control board 430 is electrically connected to the control device 800, and controls the operation of the printing unit 410 in response to commands from the control device 800, causing the printing unit 410 to print on the heat-sensitive area of the strip film F.

The control box 420 houses the control board 430. As shown in FIG. 8, the control box 420 includes a box-shaped box body 422 with an open front and top, and a cover 424 that covers the front and top of the box body 422. The cover 424 is fixed by fixing members 426, 428 such as bolts and screws (see FIG. 8).

In a conventional control box, the cover is fixed, for example, at the four corners of the top surface of the box-shaped box body by fixing members such as bolts or screws. However, when configured in this way, the printing device 400 is disposed in a relatively small space surrounded by the strip film F and the guide roller 120 at its upper, front and rear (although at least a portion of the control box 420 can be moved outside the main body 300 by the slide mechanism 500, as described below), and therefore it is not easy to remove the cover.

Here, the fixing members 426 that fix the cover 424 to the box body 422 are arranged and configured to be removable from the right side 302 of the body 300, which has an opening 320 through which a part of the control box 420 enters and exits (easy access for the operator) (see FIG. 8). Also, although the fixing members 428 that fix the cover 424 to the box body 422 are arranged on the front side, the part of the cover 424 fixed by the fixing members 428 has a notch 424a that opens to the left (see FIG. 8). Therefore, the cover 424 can be pulled out to the right and removed from the box body 422 by simply loosening the fixing members 428 without removing the fixing members 428.

The control box 420 is disposed below the printing unit 410, as shown in FIG. 8. The effect of disposing the control box 420 below the printing unit 410 will be explained below.

The printing unit and the control board are connected by a control wiring (harness, not shown), but if the harness is long, there is a possibility that the printing quality will deteriorate due to noise. Therefore, it is preferable that the harness is as short as possible, and that the printing unit and the control board are installed adjacent to each other. Therefore, the printing unit and the control box that houses the control board are conventionally arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. In this case, the size of the printing device increases in the horizontal direction, which results in a problem that the installation area of the bag-making and packaging machine tends to increase. In contrast, in this embodiment, the control box 420 is arranged below the printing unit 410, which prevents the horizontal size of the printing device 400 from increasing, and also prevents an increase in the installation area of the bag-making and packaging machine 1000.

As shown in FIG. 6, the printing unit 410 and the control box 420 are attached to a base member 530, which will be described later. The motor 440 is also attached to the base member 530. The base member 530 may be a single member or may be composed of multiple members.

The motor 440 is used to move the printing unit 410. The operation of the motor 440 is controlled by the control board 430.

As described later, the printing unit 410 can slide in the width direction W of the strip film F (left-right direction in this embodiment, hereinafter simply referred to as the width direction W) by the slide mechanism 500, and the slide mechanism 500 can move the printing unit 410 in the width direction W to a position (referred to as the first position P1) where printing is performed on the printing surface Fa of the strip film F. With the printing unit 410 disposed at the first position P1 in the width direction W, the motor 440 rotates the printing unit 410 around a rotation axis O (see FIG. 8) extending in the left-right direction (width direction W), thereby moving the printing unit 410 between a position where it contacts the printing surface Fa of the strip film F (a position where it is possible to print on the printing surface Fa) and a position where it does not contact the strip film F (a position behind the strip film F and away from the strip film F). When the slide mechanism 500 moves the printing unit 410 in the width direction W, the motor 440 moves the printing unit 410 to a position where it does not contact the strip film F, and when the printing unit 410 prints on the strip film F, the motor 440 moves the printing unit 410 to a position where it contacts the strip film F.

The platen roller 450 is, for example, a part in which resin is molded around a metal rod-shaped member. The platen roller 450 is also one of the guide rollers 120. The platen roller 450 has the function of feeding the strip film F and supporting the strip film F during printing. When printing information on the printing surface Fa of the strip film F, the thermal head 412 presses the strip film F against the platen roller 450. In other words, when the printing unit 410 prints information on the strip film F, the platen roller 450 sandwiches the strip film F between itself and the thermal head 412 of the printing unit 410.

(2-4) Slide Mechanism The slide mechanism 500 is a mechanism for sliding the strip film F in the width direction W.

Specifically, the slide mechanism 500 moves the printing unit 410 of the printing device 400 in the width direction W (left-right direction in this embodiment) between a first position P1 (see FIG. 6) where the printing unit 410 prints on the printing surface Fa of the strip film F, and a second position P2 (see FIG. 7) where maintenance can be easily performed on the printing unit 410.

When the printing unit 410 is disposed at the first position P1 in the width direction W (hereinafter, for ease of explanation, simply referred to as "when the printing unit 410 is disposed at the first position P1"), the entire printing unit 410 is disposed inside the main body 300 in the width direction W (left-right direction in this embodiment). In other words, when the printing unit 410 is disposed at the first position P1, the printing unit 410 is disposed between the left and right ends of the main body 300. Note that the first position P1 does not need to always be the same position, and may be changed depending on the size of the strip film F used and the printing position relative to the strip film F.

When the printing unit 410 is disposed at the second position P2 in the width direction W (hereinafter, for the sake of simplicity, simply referred to as "when the printing unit 410 is disposed at the second position P2"), at least a part of the printing unit 410 is disposed outside the main body 300 in the width direction W (left-right direction in this embodiment). In particular, in this embodiment, when the printing unit 410 is disposed at the second position P2, at least a part of the thermal head 412 of the printing unit 410 is disposed outside the main body 300 in the width direction W. In other words, when the printing unit 410 is disposed at the second position P2, at least a part of the printing unit 410 (particularly, in this embodiment, at least a part of the thermal head 412) is disposed outside one end of the main body 300 in the width direction W (particularly, in this embodiment, to the right of the right end of the main body 300).

In addition, the main body 300 is provided with an opening 320 through which at least a part of the printing unit 410 moved by the slide mechanism 500 enters and exits. Specifically, the main body 300 has a pair of side surfaces (right side surface 302 and left side surface 304) that support both ends of the multiple guide rollers 120, and the opening 320 is formed in one of the side surfaces (the right side surface 302 in this embodiment). More specifically, the main body 300 has frames 310 (a pair of frames 310) that support both ends of the guide rollers 120 on the left and right of the film supply unit 100, and the opening 320 is formed in one of the frames 310 (the right frame 310 in this embodiment). When the slide mechanism 500 moves the printing unit 410 of the printing device 400 between the first position P1 and the second position P2 in the width direction W, the printing unit 410 moves between the inside and outside of the main body 300 through the opening 320. The opening 320 is covered by a cover during operation, and this cover may be removed when the printing unit 410 is moved by the slide mechanism 500.

The configuration and structure of the slide mechanism 500 will be explained.

As shown in FIG. 6, the slide mechanism 500 mainly includes a guide 510, a movable member 520, a base member 530, and a handle 590.

The guide 510 is a member that extends along the width direction W of the strip film F. For example, the guide 510 is a rod-shaped member. However, the shape of the guide 510 is not limited to a rod shape, and may be other shapes such as a rail shape.

The movable member 520 is an example of a first member, and is attached to the guide 510 so as to be movable along the guide 510, and moves along the guide 510. Note that it is preferable that the slide mechanism 500 has a fixing device (not shown, a fixing device capable of switching between fixing and releasing the movable member 520) that fixes the movable member 520 in a predetermined position after moving the movable member 520 to a predetermined position relative to the guide 510.

The base member 530 is an example of a second member, and is connected to the moving member 520. The base member 530 may be integrated with the moving member 520. As described above, the printing unit 410 is attached to the base member 530. The control box 420 and the motor 440 are also attached to the base member 530.

In the slide mechanism 500, when the moving member 520 moves along the guide 510, the base member 530 moves together with the moving member 520, and slides the printing unit 410 attached to the base member 530 in the left-right direction (in other words, the width direction W). Since the control box 420 is also attached to the base member 530 as described above, when the slide mechanism 500 slides the printing unit 410 in the width direction W, the control box 420 is also slid in the width direction W. When the printing unit 410 is located at the second position P2, at least a part of the control box 420 is disposed outside the main body 300. In other words, when the printing unit 410 is disposed at the second position P2, at least a part of the control box 420 is disposed outside one end of the main body 300 in the width direction W (particularly in this embodiment, to the right of the right end of the main body 300). When the slide mechanism 500 moves the printing unit 410 of the printing device 400 between the first position P1 and the second position P2 in the width direction W, a part of the control box 420 also moves between the inside and outside of the main body 300 through the opening 320.

In this embodiment, the slide mechanism 500 slides the control box 420 together with the printing unit 410, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the control box 420 may be fixed to a stationary frame of the main body 300. In other words, the slide mechanism 500 does not have to slide the control box 420.

In addition, in the width direction W, the position of the printing unit 410 attached to the base member 530 is preferably offset from the position of the moving member 520. In other words, as shown in FIG. 7, the center position C1 of the printing unit 410 in the width direction W (in other words, the left-right direction) is preferably offset from the center position C2 of the moving member 520 in the width direction W. Specifically, the center position C1 of the printing unit 410 in the left-right direction is preferably shifted to the right (to the side 302 side where the opening 320 of the main body 300 is formed) from the center position C2 of the moving member 520 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 7). Similarly, the position of the control box 420 attached to the base member 530 is offset from the position of the moving member 520, and the center position C3 of the control box 420 in the left-right direction is preferably shifted to the right (to the side 302 side where the opening 320 of the main body 300 is formed) from the center position C2 of the moving member 520 in the left-right direction (see FIG. 7).

Note that, although it is preferable, it is not essential that the positions of the printing unit 410 and/or the control box 420 are offset from the position of the moving member 520 in the width direction W. For example, if it is possible to move at least a portion of the printing unit 410 to a position where it is disposed outside the main body 300 by the slide mechanism 500, the center position C1 of the printing unit 410 may coincide with the center position C2 of the moving member 520 in the width direction W.

The printing device 400 may be configured so that the entire printing device 400 can be moved in the width direction W by the slide mechanism 500. However, it is preferable that the platen roller 450, which constitutes part of the printing device 400, is not connected to the slide mechanism 500 (is not connected to the moving member 520 of the slide mechanism 500) and is configured so that it cannot be moved (slid) by the slide mechanism 500.

The handle 590 is a member that the operator grasps when moving the moving member 520 of the slide mechanism 500 left and right. Even if the handle 590 does not exist, the operator may be able to grasp the appropriate position and move the moving member 520 left and right, but in this case, depending on the gripping position, there is a possibility that the parts may be damaged. In contrast, by providing the handle 590, it is possible to prevent damage to the parts. In addition, since the handle 590 is placed immediately adjacent to the moving member 520 of the slide mechanism 500, the moment between the handle 590 and the moving member 520 when the handle 590 is grasped and operated is suppressed, and smooth movement of the moving member 520 is achieved.

Note that, although the sliding mechanism 500 is described here as being manually operated (it is assumed that the operator grasps and operates the handle 590 to move the moving member 520 left and right), the moving member 520 of the sliding mechanism 500 may be moved by a driving unit such as a motor in response to an input given by the operator to the liquid crystal display 900.

(3) Operation of the Bag Making and Packaging Machine The operation of the bag making and packaging machine 1000 for sealing the packaged item C in the bag B will be outlined.

At a predetermined position on the strip film F transported by the film supply unit 100, a printing device 400 prints predetermined information. The strip film F supplied from the film supply unit 100 to the bag-making and packaging unit 200 is wound around a tube 214 to be formed into a cylindrical shape, and is transported downward by the transport device 220. The overlapping portion of the strip film F (tubular film Ft) that extends in the vertical direction of the tubular strip film F wound around the tube 214 is sealed vertically by the vertical sealing mechanism 230. The vertically sealed tubular film Ft leaves the tube 214 and is transported downward to the horizontal sealing mechanism 240. The horizontal sealing mechanism 240 sandwiches the tubular film Ft with a pair of sealing jaws 242 to horizontally seal it. At this time, a bag B containing the packaged item C is formed below the horizontally sealed portion of the tubular film Ft. Meanwhile, above the laterally sealed portion of the tubular film Ft, the packaged item C supplied from above falls through the tube 214 and is inserted into the tubular film Ft. In addition, in time with the tubular film Ft being laterally sealed, the laterally sealed portion of the tubular film Ft is cut horizontally by a cutter (not shown) built into one of the pair of sealing jaws 242. As a result, the bag B containing the packaged item C is separated from the following tubular film Ft.

(4) Features (4-1)
The bag making and packaging machine 1000 of this embodiment includes a conveying device 220 that conveys a strip film F, a printing device 400, a sliding mechanism 500, and a main body 300 that supports the printing device 400 and the sliding mechanism 500. The printing device 400 has a printing unit 410 that prints on a printing surface Fa of the strip film F. The sliding mechanism 500 slides the printing unit 410 in a width direction W (hereinafter simply referred to as the width direction W) of the strip film F. The sliding mechanism 500 moves the printing unit 410 in the width direction W between a first position P1 and a second position P2. When the printing unit 410 is at the first position P1 in the width direction W, the printing unit 410 prints on the printing surface Fa of the strip film F. When the printing unit 410 is in the second position P2 in the width direction W, at least a portion of the printing unit 410 is disposed outside the main body 300.

In the bag making and packaging machine 1000, at least a portion of the printing unit 410 can be moved outside the main body 300, making it easy for the operator to access the printing unit 410 during maintenance, and providing high maintainability for the printing unit 410.

(4-2)
In the bag making and packaging machine 1000 of this embodiment, the printing unit 410 comes into contact with the printing surface Fa of the strip film F when printing on the printing surface Fa of the strip film F.

In the make-fill-seal machine 1000, the printing unit 410 comes into contact with the printing surface Fa of the strip film F, so there is a risk that dirt on the printing unit 410 may adversely affect the strip film F. However, in the make-fill-seal machine 1000, at least a portion of the printing unit 410 can be moved outside the main body 300, so cleaning the printing unit 410 is easy, and it is possible to prevent dirt on the printing unit 410 from adversely affecting the strip film F with a relatively simple task.

In particular, in the bag making and packaging machine 1000 of this embodiment, the printing unit 410 has a thermal head 412, and printing is performed on the heat-sensitive area of the printing surface Fa of the strip film F by bringing the thermal head 412 into contact with the heat-sensitive area of the printing surface Fa of the strip film F.

In the bag-making packaging machine 1000, dirt on the thermal head 412 may adversely affect printing on the strip film F. However, in the bag-making packaging machine 1000, at least a portion of the printing section 410 can be moved outside the main body 300, making it easy to clean the thermal head 412, and this is a relatively simple task that can prevent dirt on the thermal head 412 from adversely affecting printing.

(4-3)
In the bag-making packaging machine 1000 of this embodiment, the printing device 400 has a control box 420 that houses a control board 430 that controls the operation of the printing unit 410. The slide mechanism 500 slides the control box 420 in the width direction W together with the printing unit 410. When the printing unit 410 is in the second position P2, at least a portion of the control box 420 is disposed outside the main body 300.

In the bag-making packaging machine 1000, at least a portion of the control box 420 of the printing device 400 can be moved outside the main body 300, making it easy to maintain the control board 430.

(4-4)
In the bag making and packaging machine 1000 of this embodiment, the printing device 400 includes a platen roller 450 that sandwiches the strip film F between itself and the printing unit 410. The platen roller 450 is not connected to the slide mechanism 500.

In the bag making and packaging machine 1000, the platen roller 450 around which the strip film F is wound is not connected to the slide mechanism 500 and does not move with the printing unit 410, so there is no need to adjust the transport path of the strip film F when performing maintenance on the printing unit 410.

(4-5)
In the bag making and packaging machine 1000 of this embodiment, the slide mechanism 500 includes a guide 510 extending along the width direction W, a moving member 520 as an example of a first member, and a base member 530 as an example of a second member connected to the moving member 520. The moving member 520 is attached to the guide 510 and moves along the guide 510. A printing unit 410 is attached to the base member 530. In the width direction W, the position of the printing unit 410 is offset from the position of the moving member 520.

In the bag making and packaging machine 1000, the printing unit 410 can be extended relatively far outside the main body 300 when performing maintenance on the printing unit 410, without having to extend the guide 510 to the outside of the main body 300 to widen the width of the bag making and packaging machine 1000 (the width of the bag making and packaging machine 1000 in the width direction W).

(4-6)
The bag making and packaging machine 1000 of this embodiment includes a film roll FR around which a strip film F is wound, a plurality of guide rollers 120, and a former 212. The plurality of guide rollers 120 guide the strip film F that is unwound from the film roll FR and transported by the transport device 220 with the print surface Fa of the strip film F facing inward. The former 212 shapes the strip film F transported from the film roll FR into a cylindrical shape with the print surface Fa disposed on the outside. The main body 300 has a pair of side surfaces 302, 304 that support both ends of the guide roller 120. The opening 320 is formed in one of the pair of side surfaces (the right side surface 302).

(5) Modifications (5-1) Modification A
In the above embodiment, the strip film F has a heat-sensitive area (a heat-reactive material is applied to the printing surface Fa of the strip film F), and the thermal head 412 of the printing device 400 directly contacts the strip film F to print on the heat-sensitive area of the strip film F, but the bag-making packaging machine of the present invention is not limited to this type.

For example, the thermally reactive material may not be applied to the strip film F, and the printing device 400 may be a thermal transfer printer that uses an ink ribbon, or an inkjet printer that sprays ink onto the strip film. If the printing device 400 is a printer that requires maintenance of the printing unit 410 (cleaning, part replacement, etc.), a configuration in which the sliding mechanism 500 slides the printing unit 410 to the second position P2 is useful.

However, when the thermal head 412 described in the above embodiment is brought into direct contact with the heat-sensitive area of the strip film F, the configuration in which the slide mechanism 500 slides the printing unit 410 to the second position P2 is particularly useful.

(5-2) Modification B
In the above embodiment, the opening 320 is provided on the right side surface 302 of the main body 300, and when the printing unit 410 is located at the second position P2, at least a portion of the printing unit 410 is located to the right of the right end of the main body 300, but this is not limited to the above. For example, the make-fill-seal machine 1000 may be designed such that an opening is provided on the left side surface 304 of the main body 300, and when the printing unit 410 is located at the second position P2, at least a portion of the printing unit 410 is located to the left of the left end of the main body 300.

220 Conveying device 300 Main body 320 Opening 400 Printing device 410 Printing section 420 Control box 430 Control board 450 Platen roller 412 Thermal head 500 Slide mechanism 510 Guide 520 Moving member (first member)
530 Base member (second member)
1000 Bag making and packaging machine F Strip film Fa Print surface P1 First position P2 Second position W Width direction of strip film

JP 2019-218141 A

Claims (8)

A conveying device that conveys a strip of film;
a printing device having a printing unit that prints on a printing surface of the strip film;
a slide mechanism that slides the printing unit in a width direction of the strip film;
a main body supporting the printing device and the slide mechanism;
Equipped with
the slide mechanism moves the printing unit in the width direction of the strip film between a first position where printing is performed on the printing surface of the strip film and a second position where at least a portion of the printing unit is disposed outside the main body.
Bag making and packaging machine. the printing unit contacts the printing surface of the strip of film when printing on the printing surface of the strip of film;
The bag making and packaging machine according to claim 1. the printing unit has a thermal head, and performs printing on the heat-sensitive area of the printing surface of the strip film by bringing the thermal head into contact with the heat-sensitive area of the printing surface of the strip film.
The bag making and packaging machine according to claim 2. The bag-making packaging machine according to claim 1 , wherein the main body is provided with an opening through which at least a part of the printing unit enters and exits. The printing device further includes a control box that houses a control board that controls an operation of the printing unit,
the slide mechanism slides the control box together with the printing unit in the width direction of the strip of film,
When the printing unit is located at the second position, at least a portion of the control box is disposed outside the main body.
The bag making and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the printing device further includes a platen roller that sandwiches the strip of film between the printing unit and the platen roller;
The platen roller is not connected to the slide mechanism.
The bag making and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3. the slide mechanism includes a guide extending along the width direction of the strip film, a first member attached to the guide and moving along the guide, and a second member to which the printing unit is attached and which is connected to the first member;
In the width direction of the strip film, the position of the printing portion is offset with respect to the position of the first member.
The bag making and packaging machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3. a film roll around which the strip film is wound;
a plurality of guide rollers that guide the strip of film unwound from the film roll and transported by the transport device with the print surface of the strip of film facing inward;
a former that forms the strip-shaped film conveyed from the film roll into a cylindrical shape with the print surface disposed on the outside;
Further comprising:
The main body has a pair of side surfaces that support both ends of the guide roller,
The opening is formed in one of the pair of side surfaces.
The bag making and packaging machine according to claim 4.

Images