JP7577344B2 - Horizontal sealing device for horizontal bag making and filling machines - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a horizontal sealing device in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine that applies horizontal seals to tubular packaging material using sealing bodies that face each other above and below the transport path of the tubular packaging material.

In packaging machines such as horizontal form-fill-seal machines, the film (packaging material) is pulled out from a roll of raw material and guided by a bag-making means, and both widthwise edges of the film are folded together to form a cylindrical shape. A vertical sealer applies a vertical seal in the film's conveying direction to the folded section, and a horizontal sealer applies a horizontal seal that intersects with the conveying direction at the front and rear positions of each item fed into the cylindrical film to obtain a pillow package. In packaging machines, in order to facilitate maintenance such as cleaning and inspection of the sealing device, there have been proposals to tilt the sealing device toward the front (see, for example, Patent Document 1) and to pull the sealing device out toward the front (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

Patent No. 5399309 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 9-169303

Patent Document 1 describes tilting a sealing unit with a sealing roller in a vertical sealing device toward the front, while Patent Document 2 describes pulling out a sealing head that seals a lid material to a container toward the front. However, there is currently no proposal to move a pair of sealing bodies of a horizontal sealing device, which needs to adjust the height of the sealing position according to the height dimension of the item, to a position that is easy to maintain in a packaging machine.

The object of the present invention is to provide a horizontal sealing device for a horizontal bag making and filling machine that allows easy maintenance of the upper and lower seal bodies.

The horizontal sealing device in the horizontal bag making and filling machine according to the invention of claim 1 of the present application is:
A horizontal sealing device in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine in which a tubular packaging material (10) is sandwiched between upper and lower sealing bodies (19, 20) which rotate in opposite directions across a conveying path of the tubular packaging material (10) and transversely seals the tubular packaging material (10) in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the tubular packaging material,
a slide base (15) on which the upper and lower seal bodies (19, 20) are disposed and which is slidable relative to the main body frame (14) in a lateral direction intersecting with the conveying direction of the tubular packaging material (10);
a height adjustment mechanism (22) disposed on the slide base (15) for adjusting a clamping height at which the tubular packaging material (10) is clamped between the upper and lower sealing bodies (19, 20) to perform a lateral seal;
The sealing apparatus further comprises a positioning means (24) including engaging members (56, 58, 59) disposed on the slide base (15) and the main body frame (14) so as to be capable of positioning the slide base (15) at a sealing operation position where the upper and lower sealing bodies (19, 20) facing the conveying path clamp the tubular packaging material (10) to perform a lateral seal, and at a maintenance position pulled out laterally from the sealing operation position.
According to the invention of claim 1, the slide base on which the upper and lower seal bodies are arranged is pulled out from the sealing operation position to the maintenance position and positioned, so that the workability of maintenance such as cleaning and inspection of the upper and lower seal bodies can be significantly improved. In particular, since it moves integrally with the height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the clamping height of the cylindrical packaging material by the seal body, it is possible to shorten the total work time during maintenance with a simple structure without adopting a structure that releases and connects the seal body and the height adjustment mechanism.

In the invention of claim 2, the slide base (15) is configured so that the rear edge portions of the upper and lower sealing bodies (19, 20) in the pull-out direction are positioned at the maintenance position pulled out to the front in the pull-out direction beyond the side panel (60) covering the main body frame (14).
According to the invention of claim 2, it is possible to perform maintenance work by pulling out the entire extension length of the sealing body to just before the side panel covering the front of the main frame of the sealing unit, eliminating the need to lean toward the main body of the packaging machine to perform maintenance, thereby significantly improving the ease of maintenance work.

In the invention according to claim 3, a biasing means (30) is provided which is capable of biasing one of the upper and lower seal bodies (19, 20) toward the other,
When the slide base (15) is pulled out from the sealing operation position to the maintenance position, the biasing means (30) is configured to release the biasing force of one sealing body (20) toward the other sealing body (19), thereby controlling the operation so as to widen the gap between the upper and lower sealing bodies (19, 20).
According to the invention of claim 3, when the upper and lower sealing bodies are pulled out from the sealing operation position to the maintenance position, the gap between the upper and lower sealing bodies is widened, and when performing work related to removing molten film residue or object residue adhering to the sealing surfaces or other cleaning or maintenance of the sealing bodies, it is not necessary to take the time and effort of rotating the sealing bodies to a position where the sealing surfaces do not mesh with each other before starting work, thereby shortening the response time during maintenance.

In the invention according to claim 4, the lateral sealing device is configured so that driving is inhibited when the slide base (15) moves from the sealing operation position.
According to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the transverse sealing device is moved from the sealing operation position by the sealing body, it is not rotated, so that the packaging operation is not hindered.

In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the drive mechanisms (31, 32) for rotationally driving the upper and lower seal bodies (19, 20) are configured to be movable laterally together with the upper and lower seal bodies (19, 20).
According to the invention of claim 5, even if the sealing body is pulled out for maintenance, the connection with the drive mechanism is not released, and synchronization with other operating mechanisms is not lost. Therefore, after maintenance, there is no need to perform synchronous position adjustment between the sealing body and other operating mechanisms, and the effort and processing time required for the packaging operation to be resumed can be reduced.

In the invention of claim 6, the upper and lower seal bodies (19, 20) are arranged on a lifting base (17) whose height is adjusted by the height adjustment mechanism (22), and a guide means (29) for supporting the lower seal body (20) so that the lower seal body (20) can move toward and away from the upper seal body (19), and a biasing means (30) for biasing the lower seal body (20) toward the upper seal body (19) are arranged on the lifting base (17), and the biasing means (30) for biasing the lower seal body (20) toward the upper seal body (19) is released upon receiving a predetermined signal during maintenance, thereby widening the gap between the upper and lower seal bodies (19, 20).
According to the invention of claim 6, maintenance such as replacing the seal body and cleaning the seal surface can be performed with the biasing means released at the maintenance position to widen the gap between the upper and lower seal bodies, improving workability.

The invention of claim 7 is characterized in that the opposing ends of conveyors ( 12, 13) arranged at the front and rear of the conveying direction of the tubular packaging material (10) sandwiching the lateral sealing position of the tubular packaging material (10) by the upper and lower sealing bodies (19, 20) and conveying articles (11) through the packaging material are configured to be movable apart before the slide base (15) is pulled out.
According to the invention of claim 7, the opposing ends of the conveyors before and after the lateral sealing position of the sealing body can be brought close together at the sealing operation position, allowing for smooth transfer of articles between the front and rear of the lateral sealing position, and by moving the opposing ends of the conveyors apart, the slide base can be pulled out to the maintenance position without interfering with the conveyor.

According to the present invention, by pulling the upper and lower sealing bodies forward from the sealing operation position, the workability of cleaning, inspection, adjustment, part replacement, and other maintenance of the sealing bodies can be improved and the work time can be shortened. In addition, since the sealing body moves integrally with the height adjustment mechanism that adjusts the clamping height of the tubular packaging material, it is possible to eliminate the need for troublesome work such as disconnecting and reconnecting the sealing body and the height adjustment mechanism each time the sealing body slides, and maintenance can be performed in a short time.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of the horizontal sealing device. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of a horizontal sealing device. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional side view of a main part of the horizontal sealing device. FIG. 2 is a schematic vertical sectional front view of a main part of the horizontal sealing device. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams of a lateral sealing device, in which FIG. 1A shows a sealing operation position of a sealing unit, and FIG.

Next, a preferred embodiment of the horizontal sealing device in the horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

A horizontal bag form-fill-seal machine (packaging machine) comprises a bag making means for forming a strip of film (packaging material) pulled out from a roll into a tubular film (tubular packaging material) 10 by folding both longitudinal end edges of the film in a folded shape; a supply conveyor for supplying items 11 to the tubular film 10 at predetermined intervals; a vertical sealing device for applying a vertical seal in the film transport direction to the folded portion of the tubular film 10 folded in a folded shape; a film transport means for clamping the folded portion of the tubular film 10 and transporting the tubular film 10 toward the vertical sealing device; and a horizontal sealing device for clamping the tubular film 10 at the front and rear of the items 11 supplied into the tubular film 10 at predetermined intervals, and horizontally sealing and cutting the tubular film 10 in a direction intersecting the film transport direction (width direction). The packaging machine is also provided with a transport conveyor 12 and an unloading conveyor 13 that support the item 11 from below via the tubular film (packaging material) 10 and transport it downstream, at the front and rear of the film transport direction sandwiching the transverse sealing position by sealing bodies 19, 20 of the transverse sealing device described later, and is configured so that the bagged product (pillow packaged product) that has been transversely sealed and cut and separated from the upstream tubular film 10 is transported to the next process by the unloading conveyor 13. Note that one side of the transport path of the tubular film 10 sent by the film transport means is set as the operating side of the packaging machine, and this operating side is referred to as the front and the opposite side as the back.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the horizontal sealing device has a slide base 15 supported by a slide mechanism 16 on a bottom frame (main body frame) 14 so that it can slide in front of and behind the driver's side in a horizontal direction that intersects with the film transport direction, and a lift base 17 is supported on the slide base 15 so that it can be raised and lowered via a plurality of slide shafts 18 extending in the vertical direction. A sealing unit 23 is disposed on the lift base 17, the sealing unit 23 including a horn 19 and anvil 20 as a pair of upper and lower sealing bodies that rotate in opposite directions with the transport path of the tubular film 10 between them, a vibration generating means 21 that ultrasonically vibrates the horn 19, and a height adjustment mechanism 22 that adjusts the engagement height of the sealing body formed by the horn 19 and the anvil 20 (the clamping height position at which the sealing body clamps the tubular film 10). In the embodiment, the horn 19 is disposed above the transport path, and the anvil 20 is disposed below the transport path. The horizontal sealing device also includes a positioning means 24 including engagement members 56, 58, and 59 arranged on the slide base 15 and bottom frame 14 so that the sealing unit 23 can be positioned at a sealing operation position (FIG. 5(a)) where the tubular film 10 is clamped between the horn 19 and anvil 20 facing the transport path of the tubular film 10 to perform a horizontal seal, and at a maintenance position (FIG. 5(b)) pulled forward from the sealing operation position.

1, the sealing unit 23 includes a pair of first support members 26, 26 that rotatably support a first rotating shaft 25 extending on both sides of the horn 19, and a pair of second support members 28, 28 that rotatably support a second rotating shaft 27 extending on both sides of the anvil 20, and the first support members 26 and the second support members 28 are arranged to face each other in the vertical direction so that the horn 19 and the anvil 20 can be moved toward and away from each other. The sealing unit 23 also includes guide means 29 that supports one of the opposing support members 28 on each of the left and right sides of the horn 19 and the anvil 20 so that the one of the support members 28 can move toward and away from the other support member 26, and a biasing means 30 consisting of an air cylinder that biases the one of the support members 28 movably supported by the guide means 29 toward the other support member 26. In this embodiment, the second support member 28 supporting the anvil 20 is supported by a guide means 29 so that it can move relative to the first support member 26 supporting the horn 19, and the upper surface of the second support member 28 can move toward and away from the lower surface of the first support member 26, and the second support member 28 is biased toward the first support member 26 by a biasing means 30.

As shown in Figures 1 and 3, the sealing unit 23 comprises a first drive mechanism (drive mechanism) 31 that rotationally drives the horn 19 and a second drive mechanism (drive mechanism) 32 that rotationally drives the anvil 20, and the horn 19 and the anvil 20 are synchronously driven to rotate in opposite directions by both drive mechanisms 31, 32. The first drive mechanism 31 comprises a first drive motor 34 consisting of a servo motor arranged on a connecting member 33 that connects the pair of first support members 26, 26, and a first linking means 35 consisting of a timing pulley and a timing belt that links the first drive motor 34 to the first rotating shaft 25, and the second drive mechanism 32 comprises a second drive motor 37 consisting of a servo motor arranged on a support base 36 on which the pair of second support members 28, 28 are erected, and a second linking means 38 consisting of a timing pulley and a timing belt that links the second drive motor 37 to the second rotating shaft 27, and both drive mechanisms 31, 32 arranged integrally with the seal unit 23 can be adjusted to a height position corresponding to the meshing height together with the lifting base 17, and can move between a sealing operation position at the rear and a maintenance position pulled out to the front. The vibration generating means 21 is supported on the connecting member 33, and the vibration generating means 21 includes a converter that generates ultrasonic waves and a booster that amplifies ultrasonic waves, and is configured to ultrasonically vibrate the horn 19 at a predetermined amplitude. The tubular film 10 transported by the film transport means is clamped at a predetermined pressure between the horn 19 and the anvil 20, and a horizontal seal is applied to the tubular film 10 in the width direction that intersects with the transport direction by ultrasonic vibration.

As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the horn 19 has a plurality of seal heads (sealing parts) 39 (two at 180° intervals in this embodiment) radially arranged on the first rotating shaft 25 at a predetermined angle, and a groove recessed inward from the outer circumferential surface is formed on the outer circumferential surface, which is the extending end of each seal head 39, and a pair of seal surfaces are provided on both sides of the groove. The anvil 20 has a pair of seal bars (sealing parts) 40 extending a length corresponding to the extending length of each seal head 39 of the horn 19, which are arranged to extend outward from the second rotating shaft 27 at a predetermined angle. The seal bar 40 is provided with an anvil metal fitting that is detachably arranged on the main body 20a by a fixing means such as a screw. A cutting means 41 is installed inside the anvil 20. A slit of a predetermined width is formed inward from the seal receiving surface formed on the extending end surface of the anvil metal fitting arranged on the seal bar 40, allowing the cutting means 41 to appear and disappear. On both sides of the slit in the seal bar 40, the tubular film 10 is clamped by the sealing surface of the anvil 20, which is the protruding edge of the anvil metal fitting, and the sealing surface of the horn 19, and horizontal sealing is performed in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the tubular film 10 at the front and rear positions where the articles 11 fed at predetermined intervals into the tubular film 10 are clamped. The seal head 39 of the horn 19 and the seal bar 40 of the anvil 20 rotate relative to each other to clamp the tubular film 10 during conveyance, and the sealant of the packaging material melts due to the ultrasonic vibrations emitted from the horn 19, forming a sealed horizontal seal.

The cutting means 41 is provided with a blade portion on each seal bar side, and is connected to a reciprocating means (not shown) that is disposed on the support base 36 and moves the cutting means 41 back and forth in the radial direction. The reciprocating means is configured to operate the cutting means 41 at the timing when the tubular film 10 is clamped by the sealing surface, so that the blade portion momentarily protrudes in the radial direction from the sealing surface of the anvil 20, and cuts the tubular film 10 clamped by the sealing surface in the width direction of the tubular film 10. When the blade portion protrudes from the sealing surface of the anvil 20 to cut the tubular film 10, the blade portion is received in the groove of the horn 19 without contacting it.

1 and 3, the guide means 29 each having a pair of guide shafts (guide members) 42, 42 spaced apart from each other on both the left and right sides of the transport path of the tubular film 10 are disposed on the lift base 17, and the first support member 26 and the second support member 28 facing each other in the vertical direction are supported on each guide means 29. The guide shaft 42 has a small diameter portion extending upward from a large diameter portion 43 of a predetermined height dimension erected on the lift base 17, and the extended end portion of the guide shaft 42 is fixed to the lower portion of the first support member 26, and the first support member 26 is supported at a fixed position by the pair of guide shafts 42, 42 on the lift base 17. The second support member 28 is supported between the holders 43, 43 of the pair of guide shafts 42, 42 and the first support member 26 so as to be movable in the vertical direction along the guide shafts 42, 42 toward and away from the first support member 26. Air cylinders 44 serving as the biasing means 30 are disposed on the lifting base 17 at intermediate positions between a pair of guide shafts 42, 42 spaced apart in the forward and backward directions in the conveying direction, and piston rods extending upward from both air cylinders 44, 44 are connected to the respective air cylinders 44, 44 so as to be able to press upwardly the areas directly below the second support members 28 disposed on the support base 36. In other words, each of the second support members 28 is configured to be biased by the air cylinders 44 from below toward the first support members 26 with a predetermined pressure. By switching the solenoid valve, the air cylinder 44 can be switched between a state in which the rod extends from the cylinder body and urges the second support member 28 toward the first support member 26 (an urging state in which both support members 26, 28 approach each other) and a state in which the rod is retracted into the cylinder body and the urging of the second support member 28 toward the first support member 26 is released and the second support member 28 is separated from the first support member 26 (an urging state in which both support members 26, 28 are separated). In other words, the air cylinder 44 is configured to urge the second support member 28 away from the first support member 26 by retracting the rod into the cylinder body, thereby widening the gap between the horn 19 and the anvil 20.

1 and 3, an operating shaft 45 is rotatably supported on the underside of the slide base 15, an operating handle 46 is disposed on one end (near side) of the operating shaft 45 so as to be integrally rotatable, and a first helical gear 47 is disposed on the other end so as to be integrally rotatable. A second helical gear 48 that meshes with the first helical gear 47 is rotatably supported in the center of the slide base 15, and an adjustment screw 49 extending in the vertical direction is disposed on the second helical gear 48 so as to rotate integrally therewith, and the adjustment screw 49 is screwed into a female screw member 50 provided at a corresponding position on the lift base 17. By rotating the operating handle 46 in the forward or reverse direction, the lift base 17 moves in the vertical direction relative to the slide base 15 under the screwing action of the adjustment screw means consisting of the adjustment screw 49 and the female screw member 50. That is, by moving the sealing unit 23 vertically together with the lift base 17, the clamping height position (engagement height) at which the horn 19 and anvil 20 clamp the tubular film 10 can be adjusted according to the height of the article 11 supplied inside the tubular film 10. The height adjustment mechanism 22 is composed of the operating shaft 45, helical gears 47, 48, adjustment screw 49, and female screw member 50.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the slide mechanism 16 includes a pair of rails 51, 51 arranged on the underside of the slide base 15 on both the front and rear sides in the film transport direction sandwiching the sealing unit 23 and extending in the width direction, and guide members 52 arranged on the upper surface of the bottom frame 14 at positions corresponding to the rails 51 and supporting the rails 51 so that they can slide freely. In the embodiment, each rail 51 is supported by two guide members 52, 52 spaced apart in the extension direction. The slide mechanism 16 slidably supports the slide base 15 so that the sealing unit 23 moves between the sealing operation position and the maintenance position. In the embodiment, the slide base 15 is formed by connecting a pair of plate-like members spaced apart in the width direction by the rails 51, 51.

As shown in FIG. 1, a regulating member 53 extending in the width direction is arranged on the bottom frame 14 in correspondence with each rail 51, and a front stopper 54 on the front side and a rear stopper 55 on the rear side made of an elastic material such as rubber are provided on the underside of the slide base 15 spaced apart in the width direction in correspondence with the arrangement positions of each rail 51. When the front stopper 54 abuts against the front end (front end) of the regulating member 53, the slide base 15 is regulated in the sealing operation position, and when the rear stopper 55 abuts against the rear end (rear end) of the regulating member 53, the slide base 15 is regulated in the maintenance position. As shown in Figure 4, the positioning means 24 is provided with a connecting means consisting of a fixed cylinder 57, which is arranged in the center of the bottom frame 14 in the film transport direction and consists of an air cylinder that moves an engagement pin (engagement member) 56 in the vertical direction, and a pair of engagement members 58, 59, which are arranged spaced apart in the width direction (horizontal direction) in the center of the film transport direction on the slide base 15 and have engagement holes 58a, 59a that open downward and into which the engagement pin 56 can engage. When the front stopper 54 is in contact with the front end of the regulating member 53, the engagement hole 58a of the front engagement member 58 arranged on the front side in the width direction faces above the engagement pin 56 of the fixed cylinder 57, and when the rear stopper 55 is in contact with the rear end of the regulating member 53, the engagement hole 59a of the rear engagement member 59 arranged on the rear side in the width direction faces above the engagement pin 56 of the fixed cylinder 57. The engagement pin 56 is inserted and engaged into the corresponding engagement hole 58a, 59a by projecting the engagement pin 56 upward by the fixed cylinder 57, so that the slide base 15 can be positioned and fixed at the sealing operation position or the maintenance position. The fixed cylinder 57 is configured to move the engagement pin 56 between a fixed position projecting above the lower surface of the engagement members 58, 59 and a release position lowered below the lower surface of the engagement members 58, 59 by switching the air switching valve.

2, 4, and 5, a side panel 60 is disposed on the front side of the bottom frame 14 to cover the space below the seal unit 23 (bottom frame 14) when the slide base 15 is in the sealing operation position. A recess 60a is formed in the side panel 60 to allow the passage of the portion of the seal unit 23 extending downward from the slide base 15, and the operating handle 46 extends from the recess 60a to the front side. In the maintenance position, the seal unit 23 is configured such that the rear edge of the horn 19 and anvil 20 in the pull-out direction is located on the front side of the pull-out direction beyond the side panel 60, as shown in FIG. 5(b). More specifically, in the maintenance position, the rear edge of the seal head 39 and seal bar 40 that clamp the tubular film 10 of the horn 19 and anvil 20 in the pull-out direction is located on the front side of the side panel 60. In other words, by pulling the slide base 15 from the sealing operation position to just before the maintenance position, the rear edge of the seal head 39 and seal bar 40 in the pulling direction is positioned just before the side panel 60 in the pulling direction.

1, the packaging machine is provided with a safety cover 61 that can be opened and closed to cover the periphery of the sealing unit 23 positioned at the sealing operation position, to prevent intrusion of foreign objects while the sealing unit 23 is in operation, and to ensure the safety of the operation. The safety cover 61 is supported on the front side of the rear wall disposed on the rear side of the film transport path so as to be rotatable up and down by a pivot point at the rear end, and is configured to open and close between a lower closed position in which the periphery of the sealing unit 23 is covered and closed by closing the safety cover 61, and an open position in which the periphery of the sealing unit 23 is opened by lifting the safety cover upward. Note that the safety cover 61 shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 1 shows a state halfway between the closed position and the open position, and in the open position, it opens to a position far above the sealing unit 23. The packaging machine is provided with a cover sensor 62 that detects the open/closed state (open/closed) of a safety cover 61 that covers the sealing unit 23, and when the cover sensor 62 detects the opening of the safety cover 61 (outputs a predetermined detection signal during maintenance), the control means of the packaging machine is configured to switch the solenoid valve to release the urging of the second support member 28 by the air cylinders 44, 44 toward the first support member 26 and to lower the support base 36, thereby widening the gap between the horn 19 and the anvil 20. That is, the control means of the packaging machine is configured to control the operation of the transverse sealing device so as to release the urging of the both support members 26, 28 by the air cylinders 44, 44 toward each other and widen the gap between the horn 19 and the anvil 20, on the condition that a detection signal (a predetermined signal during maintenance) is received from the cover sensor 62 that detects the opening of the safety cover 61 performed to pull out the sealing unit 23 from the sealing operation position to the maintenance position. In this embodiment, the safety cover 61 and cover sensor 62 constitute a means for activating the biasing means 30 so that when the sealing unit 23 is in the sealing operation position, the biasing means 30 releases the biasing force that brings the horn 19 and the anvil 20 closer together, automatically widening the gap between the horn 19 and the anvil 20.

A detection means 63 is disposed on the bottom frame 14 for detecting that the sealing unit 23 is positioned at the sealing operation position, and the control means is configured to operate the packaging machine (horizontal sealing device) when the start switch of the packaging machine is operated and the operation signal is turned ON while the detection means 63 detects that the sealing unit 23 is at the sealing operation position. In other words, when the sealing unit 23 moves from the sealing operation position and the detection means 63 is in a non-detecting state (other than the sealing operation position of the sealing unit 23), the control means is configured not to accept an operation signal to operate the horizontal sealing device and to control the horizontal sealing device to prohibit driving, so that the packaging operation of the packaging machine is not started.

2, the transport conveyor 12 has a movable frame 65 arranged to be movable back and forth in the film transport direction relative to a fixed frame 64, and an endless belt 67 is wound around a plurality of pulleys 66 arranged on both frames 64, 65 so that it can run. In addition, a small diameter roller 68 is rotatably arranged on the movable frame 65 at the turning portion of the endless belt 67 wound around the end of the transport conveyor 12. The unloading conveyor 13, like the transport conveyor 12, has a movable frame 70 arranged to be movable back and forth in the film transport direction relative to a fixed frame 69, and an endless belt 72 is wound around a plurality of pulleys 71 arranged on both frames 69, 70 so that it can run. In addition, a small diameter roller 73 is rotatably arranged on the movable frame 70 at the turning portion of the endless belt 72 wound around the starting end of the unloading conveyor 13. Both conveyors 12, 13 are configured such that movable frames 65, 70 can be positioned and fixed relative to fixed frames 64, 69 by fixing knobs 74, and by loosening the fixing knobs 74, the movable frames 65, 70 can be moved forwards and backwards in the film transport direction relative to the fixed frames 64, 69. The movable frames 65, 70 of both conveyors 12, 13 are configured to be movable between an operating position (solid line position in FIG. 2) where the opposing ends of the conveyors 12, 13 approach each other across the horn 19 and anvil 20, and a retracted position (double-dashed line position in FIG. 2) where the opposing ends are separated from each other and do not interfere with the sealing unit 23 which moves in the width direction. The safety cover 61 extends from the upstream side of the film transport direction (reference symbol L in FIG. 2) of the position where the fixed knob 74 for the transport conveyor is located to near the downstream end of the discharge conveyor 13, and is configured so that the fixed knobs 74 of the transport conveyor 12 and the discharge conveyor 13 can be operated by opening the safety cover 61.

A known pressure conveyor 75 capable of auxiliary feeding of the tubular film 10 is disposed above the film transport path extending from the downstream side of the bag making means to the position where the transport conveyor 12 is disposed. In addition, a pressure member 76 that presses down the pillow packaged products from above is disposed above the discharge conveyor 13 on the downstream side of the sealing unit 23. The pressure conveyor 75 and pressure member 76 are configured to be movable between a pressure position where the tubular film 10 or the pillow packaged products are pressed down, and a retracted position where they do not interfere with the sealing unit 23 when the sealing unit 23 is moved in the width direction. The pressure conveyor 75 and pressure member 76 may be appropriately selected according to other packaging conditions such as the properties of the goods 11.

Next, we will explain the operation of the horizontal sealing device in the horizontal form-fill-seal machine of the embodiment.

When performing maintenance such as modification, adjustment, and cleaning of the sealing unit 23 of the horizontal sealing device, the packaging operation of the packaging machine is stopped and the safety cover 61 is opened, and the cover sensor 62 detects that the safety cover 61 has been opened (a predetermined detection signal is output during maintenance). Then, the control means that receives the detection signal from the cover sensor 62 outputs a signal to release the force applied by the air cylinders 44, 44 to the second support members 28, 28 toward the first support members 26, 26, and the second support members 28, 28 are lowered along the guide shafts 42, 42 relative to the first support members 26, 26 supported in fixed positions by the guide shafts 42, 42, thereby widening the gap between the horn 19 and the anvil 20. In addition, before the seal unit 23 is pulled out to the maintenance position, the pressure conveyor 75 and the pressure member 76 are moved to their respective retracted positions, and the fixed knobs 74 of the transport conveyor 12 and the discharge conveyor 13 are loosened to move the movable frames 65, 70 to their retracted positions away from the fixed frames 64, 69. As a result, when the seal unit 23 is pulled out from the sealing operation position to the front maintenance position, all of the members that interfere with the seal unit 23 and the slide base 15 are moved away from the area where the seal unit 23 and the slide base 15 move.

By operating the switching valve to move the engagement pin 56 of the fixed cylinder 57 to the release position, the engagement pin 56 is removed from the engagement hole 58a of the front engagement member 58 and the connection is released. In this state, by pulling the seal unit 23 forward, the seal unit 23 is pulled forward from the sealing operation position together with the slide base 15 supported by the slide mechanism 16. The rear stopper 55 of the slide base 15 abuts against the rear end of the regulating member 53 of the bottom frame 14, restricting the movement of the seal unit 23. By operating the switching valve to move the engagement pin 56 of the fixed cylinder 57 to the fixed position, the engagement pin 56 is inserted and engaged into the engagement hole 59a of the rear engagement member 59, as shown in FIG. 5(b), and the seal unit 23 is positioned and fixed to the maintenance position together with the slide base 15.

After the maintenance work of the seal unit 23 that is pulled out and positioned at the maintenance position is completed, the switching valve is operated to move the engagement pin 56 of the fixed cylinder 57 to the release position, whereby the engagement pin 56 is removed from the engagement hole 59a of the rear engagement member 59 and the connection is released. In this state, by pushing the seal unit 23 to the rear side, the seal unit 23 moves from the maintenance position to the sealing operation position together with the slide base 15 supported by the slide mechanism 16. The front stopper 54 of the slide base 15 abuts against the front end of the regulating member 53 of the bottom frame 14, thereby regulating the movement of the seal unit 23. By operating the switching valve to move the engagement pin 56 of the fixed cylinder 57 to the fixed position, the engagement pin 56 is inserted and engaged in the engagement hole 58a of the front engagement member 58 as shown in Figures 4 and 5(a), and the seal unit 23 is positioned at the sealing operation position together with the slide base 15, and the slide base 15 is coupled to the bottom frame 14. When the detection means 63 detects the sealing operation position of the sealing unit 23, the control means is in a state where it can receive an operation signal that is turned on by operating the operation switch. Then, when the movable frames 65, 70 of the transport conveyor 12 and the discharge conveyor 13 are moved to the operating position and positioned by the fixed knob 74, and the pressure conveyor 75 and the pressure member 76 are moved to their respective operating positions, and the safety cover 61 is closed, the cover sensor 62 detects the closure of the safety cover 61 (outputs a predetermined detection signal during maintenance), and the control means, receiving the detection signal from the cover sensor 62, switches the solenoid valve to energize the air cylinders 44, 44 (energizing the second support members 28, 28 toward the first support members 26, 26), and raises the support base 36, thereby shortening the distance between the horn 19 and the anvil 20, and the packaging operation of the packaging machine can be started.

In the horizontal sealing device of the embodiment, by drawing out the seal unit 23 to the maintenance position, when performing maintenance on the horn 19 or the anvil 20, there is no need to lean out from the operation front side to the arrangement position of the seal unit 23, and the maintenance work can be easily performed in an open space with a natural posture. Also, in the maintenance position of the seal unit 23, as shown in Figure 5 (b), the rear edge of the seal head 39 of the horn 19 and the seal bar 40 of the anvil 20 in the drawing direction is located in front of the side panel 60 of the bottom frame 14, and the entire extension length of the seal head 39 and the seal bar 40 is located in front of the side panel 60, so there are no parts in front of or behind the seal head 39 and the seal bar 40 in the film conveyance direction that get in the way of maintenance, making replacement and cleaning of the seal head 39 and the seal bar 40 and other maintenance work even easier, and shortening the time required for maintenance. In addition, the sealing unit 23 is configured to move the height adjustment mechanism 22 that adjusts the meshing height between the horn 19 and the anvil 20 as a single unit, so that the sealing unit 23 and the height adjustment mechanism 22 do not need to be disconnected or connected before and after maintenance, and the total work time during maintenance can be shortened with a simple configuration. Furthermore, the horn 19 and the anvil 20 are configured to move as a single unit with the drive mechanisms 31 and 32, so that troublesome work such as disconnecting and connecting the drive mechanisms 31 and 32 to the rotation shafts 25 and 27 of the horn 19 and the anvil 20 before and after maintenance of the sealing unit 23 can be omitted, and the time required for maintenance can be further shortened. In addition, even if the sealing unit 23 is pulled out toward the front for maintenance, the connection with the drive mechanisms 31 and 32 is not released and synchronization with other operating mechanisms is not lost, so there is no need to perform a synchronous position adjustment operation between the sealing unit 23 and other operating mechanisms after maintenance, and the effort and processing time required for the processing work required to return to packaging operation can be reduced.

In the horizontal sealing device of the embodiment, the safety cover 61 covering the sealing unit 23 is detected to be open, and the operation is controlled to automatically widen the gap between the horn 19 and the anvil 20 in the sealing unit 23. This eliminates the need to manually separate the horn 19 and the anvil 20 when the sealing unit 23 is pulled out to the maintenance position, reducing the workload. In addition, when the sealing unit 23 is pulled out to the maintenance position, the gap between the horn 19 and the anvil 20 is widened, so maintenance such as replacing the horn 19 and the anvil 20 and cleaning the sealing surface can be performed immediately, improving workability and reducing the time required for maintenance. In addition, when the detection means 63 does not detect the sealing operation position of the sealing unit 23, the control means is configured to prohibit the operation of the horizontal sealing device (does not accept the operation signal of the horizontal sealing device), so that the packaging operation of the packaging machine is not started when the sealing unit 23 is not positioned at the sealing operation position, preventing any disruption to the packaging operation.

At the maintenance position, the seal unit 23 can be positioned and fixed by the positioning means 24, so that the seal unit 23 can be prevented from moving unintentionally during maintenance. In addition, the positioning means 24 uses a common fixed cylinder 57 that positions and fixes the seal unit 23 at the sealing operation position and the maintenance position, so that the structure can be simplified. In addition, the opposing ends of the transport conveyor 12 and the discharge conveyor 13 are configured to be movable toward and away from each other, so that at the sealing operation position of the seal unit 23, the opposing ends of the two conveyors 12, 13 can be brought closer together to facilitate the transfer of the article 11 between the front and rear of the horizontal seal position between the horn 19 and the anvil 20, and by moving the opposing ends of the two conveyors 12, 13 away from each other before pulling the seal unit 23 to the maintenance position, the seal unit 22 can be pulled to the maintenance position without interfering with the conveyors 12, 13.

(Example of change)
The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the examples, and can be modified as follows, for example. Furthermore, the configurations described in the examples are not limited to the following modifications, and various embodiments can be adopted within the scope of the gist of the present invention.
(1) The sealing unit 23 is not limited to an ultrasonic sealing type consisting of the horn 19 and the anvil 20, but may be a heat sealing type in which a heat source such as a heater is provided in the sealing body.
(2) In the slide mechanism 16, the rails 51 and the guide members 52 may be disposed in the opposite positions to those in the embodiment.
(3) The positioning means 24 may employ various electrically operable configurations instead of operating an air switching valve to operate the fixed cylinder 57. In addition, the positioning means 24 may employ various other positioning means, such as a screw type or a latch type in which an engaging portion is changed between an engaged position and a released position by a predetermined operation.
(4) The upper and lower seal bodies (horn 19 and anvil 20) are rotated synchronously by separate drive motors 34, 37, but a configuration in which the upper and lower seal bodies (horn 19 and anvil 20) are rotated synchronously by a single drive motor (drive mechanism) can be adopted.
(5) In the embodiment, the upper and lower seal bodies (the horn 19 and the anvil 20) are separated when it is detected that the safety cover 61 is open, but a configuration can be adopted in which the biasing means 30's biasing force in the direction in which the support members 26, 28 approach each other is manually released at an appropriate time before the seal unit 23 is moved to the maintenance position or after the movement, thereby separating the upper and lower seal bodies (the horn 19 and the anvil 20). With this configuration, the upper and lower seal bodies (the horn 19 and the anvil 20) can be arbitrarily separated depending on the contents of the maintenance.

(6) The biasing means 30 for moving the upper and lower seal bodies closer to and apart from each other may be employed as required.
(7) In the embodiment, the rear edge in the pull-out direction of seal head 39 and seal bar 40 on which the sealing surfaces of horn 19 and anvil 20 are formed are configured to be located in front of side panel 60 of bottom frame 14 in the maintenance position, but the rear edge in the pull-out direction of horn 19 and anvil 20 may be configured to be located in front of side panel 60 in the maintenance position. In other words, it is only necessary that the rear edge in the pull-out direction of the seal portion of the seal body on which at least the sealing surface that clamps tubular film 10 is formed is configured to be located in front of side panel 60 in the maintenance position.
(8) In the embodiment, the operation of moving the movable frames 65, 70 of the transport conveyor 12 and the discharge conveyor 13 to their respective retracted positions away from each other, and the operation of moving the pressure conveyor 75 and the pressure member 76 to their respective retracted positions are performed manually by an operator, but a configuration in which each of these is moved automatically by a moving means can also be adopted.
(9) The structure for moving the opposing ends of the transport conveyor 12 and the discharge conveyor 13 toward and away from each other may be adopted as necessary. In addition, the transport conveyor 12 and the discharge conveyor 13 may be provided as necessary, and a transport bed may be adopted depending on the packaging conditions.

10 Cylindrical film (cylindrical packaging material), 11 Item, 12 Conveyor (conveyor)
13: conveyor (conveyor), 14: bottom frame (main frame), 15: slide base, 17: lift base, 19: horn (sealing body), 20: anvil (sealing body)
22 Height adjustment mechanism, 24 Positioning means, 29 Guide means, 30 Biasing means, 31 First driving mechanism (driving mechanism), 32 Second driving mechanism (driving mechanism)
56 Engagement pin (engagement member), 58 Front engagement member (engagement member)
59 Rear engagement member (engagement member), 60 Side panel

Claims (7)

A horizontal sealing device in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine that sandwiches a tubular packaging material between upper and lower sealing bodies that rotate in opposite directions across a conveying path for the tubular packaging material and applies a horizontal seal to the tubular packaging material in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the tubular packaging material,
a slide base on which the upper and lower seal bodies are disposed and which is slidable relative to the main body frame in a lateral direction intersecting with a conveying direction of the tubular packaging material;
a height adjustment mechanism disposed on the slide base for adjusting a clamping height at which the cylindrical packaging material is clamped between the upper and lower sealing bodies to perform a lateral seal;
a sealing operation position where the upper and lower sealing bodies facing the conveying path clamp the tubular packaging material to perform a lateral seal, and a maintenance position pulled out laterally from the sealing operation position, and a positioning means including an engaging member arranged on the slide base and the main body frame so as to be able to position the slide base at a sealing operation position where the upper and lower sealing bodies facing the conveying path clamp the tubular packaging material to perform a lateral seal, and 2. The horizontal sealing device in a horizontal bag making and filling machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that the slide base is configured to be positioned at the maintenance position in which the rear edge portions of the upper and lower sealing bodies in the withdrawal direction are pulled out to a position just before the side panel covering the main body frame in the withdrawal direction. a biasing means for biasing one of the upper and lower seal bodies toward the other,
2. The horizontal sealing device in a horizontal bag making and filling machine as described in claim 1, characterized in that, when the slide base is pulled out from the sealing operation position to the maintenance position, the force applied by the biasing means to one sealing body toward the other sealing body is released to widen the gap between the upper and lower sealing bodies. 2. The lateral sealing device in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1, wherein the lateral sealing device is controlled to be inhibited from being driven when the slide base moves from the sealing operation position. 2. The horizontal sealing device in a horizontal form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1, wherein a drive mechanism for rotationally driving the upper and lower seal bodies is configured to be movable in the horizontal direction together with the upper and lower seal bodies. 2. The horizontal sealing device in a horizontal bag form fill machine according to claim 1, characterized in that a guide means for supporting the lower seal body so that it can move toward and away from the upper seal body and a biasing means for biasing the lower seal body toward the upper seal body are disposed on a lifting base on which the upper and lower seal bodies are disposed and whose height is adjusted by the height adjustment mechanism, and the biasing means for releasing the biasing of the lower seal body toward the upper seal body by the biasing means upon receiving a predetermined signal during maintenance, thereby widening the gap between the upper and lower seal bodies. A horizontal sealing device in a horizontal form- fill-seal machine described in any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the opposing ends of conveyors that are arranged at the front and rear of the conveying direction of the tubular packaging material, sandwiching the horizontal sealing position of the tubular packaging material by the upper and lower sealing bodies, and transporting articles through the packaging material, are configured to be movable apart before the slide base is pulled out.

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