JP2006168783A - Packaging apparatus for spherical agricultural product - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To downsize a package of a packaging apparatus for a spherical agricultural product which carries out efficient supplying by utilizing a conveyor. <P>SOLUTION: A packaging apparatus body 1 structured to wrap the spherical agricultural product w inserted and supplied into an upwardly facing inlet 7 with a packaging sheet s for sealing is equipped with the conveyor 2 having a plurality of receiving parts 24 for mounting and holding the product w circularly rotated on a plane above the apparatus body 1. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a spherical crop packaging apparatus configured to insert and feed a spherical crop such as lettuce, cabbage, or a spherical fruit into an upward input slot and seal it by wrapping it with a packaging sheet.

As a lettuce wrapping apparatus which is an example of the wrapping apparatus, a lettuce wrapping apparatus is known which is configured to grab a spherical crop that has been placed on a conveyor and transported to a predetermined position, and to insert and supply it to a slot. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).
JP 2000-95218 A

  The above-mentioned packaging device performs transfer in a predetermined path between the take-out position of the conveyor and the input port of the packaging device body by placing the spherical crop on the conveyor and supplying it to a predetermined take-out position. However, since the conveyor is arranged side by side on the side of the packaging device body, the installation area of the entire device including the conveyor becomes large. It was.

  In addition, since the conveyor is installed at a position off the side of the packaging apparatus main body, the transfer distance from the conveyor take-out position to the insertion port becomes large, and the transfer apparatus becomes large.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such a point, and has as its main purpose to reduce the size of the entire packaging apparatus capable of performing an efficient supply operation using a conveyor.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a packaging apparatus body configured to wrap and seal a spherical farm product inserted and supplied to an upward input port with a packaging sheet. It is characterized by being equipped with a conveyor that circulates and rotates in a plane above.

  According to the said structure, since a part of conveyor is arrange | positioned overlapping with a packaging apparatus main body, the ratio which the whole apparatus by equip | installing a conveyor becomes small becomes small. In addition, the transfer distance between the take-out position and the insertion port on the conveyor is short.

  Therefore, according to 1st invention, it became possible to achieve size reduction of the whole packaging apparatus which can perform an efficient supply operation | work using a conveyor. In addition, since the transfer distance from the conveyor to the insertion port is shortened, labor is reduced when transferring manually, and the transfer device itself is reduced in size when using the transfer device. be able to.

According to a second invention, in the first invention,
It is equipped with a transfer device that takes out a spherical crop from the receiving part that has reached a predetermined position in the conveying path of the conveyor and supplies it to the slot.

  According to the said structure, the transfer operation | work from a conveyor to an insertion port can be automated, and a more efficient packaging operation can be performed.

According to a third invention, in the first or second invention,
The conveying path of the conveyor is formed in an oval shape.

  According to the above configuration, the straight path portion on the side far from the inlet of the elliptical conveyance path can be used as a mounting area for the spherical crop, and the mounting supply from an arbitrary position is performed without being restricted. be able to.

According to a fourth invention, in the third invention,
In addition to providing a sheet roll loading portion around which a packaging sheet is wound on one end side of the packaging apparatus main body, the conveyor is disposed on the other end side of the packaging apparatus main body.

  According to the said structure, while being able to carry out mounting supply of the spherical crops to a conveyor from arbitrary positions, a sheet roll can be replenished without being disturbed by a conveyor.

  FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 respectively show the front and the plane of a lettuce wrapping apparatus that is an example of a spherical agricultural product wrapping apparatus according to the present invention. This packaging apparatus is basically composed of a packaging apparatus main body 1, a lettuce carry-in conveyor 2, and a transfer apparatus 3. The structure and function of each part will be described below.

  The packaging apparatus main body 1 is configured in a box shape, and a packaging table 5 and an upper cover 6 covering the packaging table 5 and the upper cover 6 are provided on the upper part, and the center of the packaging table 5 is somewhat larger than the lettuce (spherical crop) w. The eye opening 7 is formed, and a large opening 8 facing the opening 7 is formed in the upper cover 6. A loading unit 9 for the sheet roll SR is disposed above one end of the packaging apparatus main body 1, and the packaging sheet s fed out from the sheet roll SR is dimensionally cut and supplied onto the packaging table 5. It has become. Then, by letting the lettuce w from the top of the packaging sheet s into the inlet 7 and supplying it, the lettuce w is wrapped around the packaging sheet s below the packaging table 5 and the location of the packaging sheet s is narrowed down. It is comprised so that the lettuce w sealed by heat sealing | fusion and packaged may be sent out from the discharge port 10, and the schematic procedure of packaging operation | movement is shown by FIG.

  That is, first, as shown in FIG. 13 (a), in a state where the packaging sheet s is supplied and loaded on the upper surface of the packaging table 5, lettuce w with the cut end facing upward is pushed into the insertion port 7, and It supplies on the holding stand 11 which is waiting below.

  When it is detected by the optical sensor or the like that the lettuce w has been pushed in and supplied, as shown in FIG. 13 (b), the holding table 11 is lowered and the pair of holding arms 12 are moved closer together. Then, the packaging sheet s that is squeezed by the lip of the insertion port 7 is further narrowed down in close contact with the lettuce w.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13C, the pair of sandwiching plates 13 are moved closer to each other to further narrow down the narrowing portion of the packaging sheet s from the front and rear and from the left and right.

  Next, as shown in FIG. 13 (d), the pair of heaters 14 are moved closer to each other, and the portion squeezed by the sandwiching plate 32 is heat-sealed and sealed, and the surplus above the sealing portion. The sheet portion s ′ is melt-cut.

  When the sealing is completed, as shown in FIG. 13 (e), the holding arm 12 is opened and the holding table 11 is turned sideways to feed the packaged lettuce w 'to the discharge chute 15.

  The lettuce automatic supply to the packaging apparatus main body 1 performing the packaging operation as described above is performed by the conveyor 2 and the transfer apparatus 3.

  The conveyor 2 is disposed above the packaging device main body 1 at the end opposite to the sheet roll loading unit 9 in the packaging device main body 1 and is driven and rotated around the vertical axis by a motor 20. The transport chain 23 is wound around the drive sprocket 21 having the same diameter and the idle sprocket 22 having the same diameter, and a plurality of receiving portions 24 are attached to the transport chain 23 with a predetermined pitch in the chain rotation direction. In addition, the conveyor chain 23 is configured to be guided by a guide rail (not shown) in the linear movement path, and the receiving portion 24 is planarly formed in an elliptical conveyance path above the packaging apparatus body 1. Circulating and rotating. The receiving portion 24 is configured by radially arranging four receiving pieces 24a that can be elastically deformed, and can be stably placed without damaging the lettuce w.

  The transfer device 3 includes a gripping mechanism 30 that grips the lettuce w, a lifting mechanism 31 that lifts and lowers the gripping mechanism 30 while maintaining a fixed posture, and a lateral movement mechanism 32 that moves the lifting mechanism 31 laterally. The detailed configuration of each part will be described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, a support frame 34 having a wide vertical width is installed on the upper part of the packaging apparatus main body 1 via left and right support columns 33, and is placed horizontally on the front surface of the support frame 34. A movable base 36 having the lifting mechanism 31 mounted on a fixed guide rail 35 is supported so as to be horizontally and laterally movable. As shown in FIG. 10, guide rollers 37 that roll on the front surface of the support frame 34 are provided above and below the movable table 36 to prevent the movable table 36 from falling forward and backward.

  The elevating mechanism 31 is configured as a parallel quadruple link mechanism comprising an upper and lower elevating link 38 having a base end pivotally connected to a movable base 36 and a front end bracket 39 pivotally connected to the free end thereof. The tip bracket 39 is equipped with a gripping mechanism 30.

  A driving arm 40 constituting the lateral movement mechanism 32 is provided on the front surface of the support frame 34, and a free end of the driving arm 40 is pivotally connected to a lower portion of the elevating link 38. According to this configuration, when the drive arm 40 is largely reversed to the left and right, the elevating link 38 is vertically swung and the entire elevating mechanism 31 is pushed and moved together with the movable base 36 to the left and right of the drive arm 40. At the rotation end, the gripping mechanism 30 is positioned immediately above the take-out position A on the conveyor 2 and the insertion port 7 on the packaging apparatus body 1. The drive arm 40 is fixed to a large-diameter sprocket 41 and rotated integrally therewith, and the large-diameter sprocket 41 is wound around a small-diameter sprocket 42 that is driven forward and backward by a motor M1 from the back of the frame via a chain 43. It is linked to hanging.

  As shown in FIGS. 4 to 9, the gripping mechanism 30 provided on the tip bracket 39 in the lifting mechanism 31 is provided with four fingers 45 that can be opened and closed. The fingers 45 are respectively provided on the upper portion of the substrate 46 fixed in a horizontal posture on the front surface of the tip bracket 39, and are respectively supported by a finger arm 47 pivoted in and out around a fulcrum a and a lower portion of the finger arm 47. It is comprised from the strip-shaped finger main body 48 which consists of elastic resin materials, such as the attached rubber material.

  A spring 49 is stretched between each finger arm 47 and the substrate 46, and each finger arm 47 is urged to swing inward, that is, in a lettuce gripping direction. Further, as shown in FIG. 7, a boss member 50 is vertically provided on the substrate 46 so as to be positioned at the center of the finger group, and a cam plate 51 is fitted on the outer periphery of the lower portion of the boss member 50 so as to be horizontally rotatable. Has been. The cam plate 51 is opposed to a roller 52 provided inside each finger arm 47, and each finger arm 47 that is urged to swing inward is received and supported on the outer periphery of the cam plate 51 via the roller 52. It has come to be.

  As shown in FIG. 11, the cam plate 51 is connected to two operation wires 53 and 54 operated by a motor M2, and the two operation wires 53 and 54 are turned upside down by the forward and reverse rotation of the motor M2. As a result of the pulling operation and the loosening operation, the cam plate 51 is driven to rotate in the forward and reverse directions, and all the finger arms 47 are simultaneously forcibly opened outwardly and oscillated and biased inward according to the cam shape on the outer periphery of the cam plate It comes to move.

  Only the upper end of the finger main body 48 is screwed to the finger arm 47, and the finger main body 48 is switched between an open posture along the finger arm 47 and a grip posture bent and deformed inward. Is possible. Further, a sponge material 55 having an appropriate elasticity is attached to the inward surface of the finger body 48 so that the lettuce w can be gripped without being damaged.

  In addition, a finger drive link 56 for bending the finger main body 48 inward and outward is provided on the outer side of the finger arm 47. The upper end of the finger drive link 56 is pivotally connected to the free end of the operation arm 57 pivotally supported by the upper fulcrum a of the finger arm 47, and the lower end of the finger drive link 56 is the outer surface of the lower end of the finger body 48. Further, a pin 59 provided in the middle in the longitudinal direction of the finger drive link 56 is engaged with an inclined long hole 60 formed in the finger arm 47, and the operation arm 57 is When the finger drive link 56 is moved up and down by swinging operation, the lower end of the finger drive link 56 is displaced inward and outward by the guide action of the pin 59 and the inclined elongated hole 60, and the finger body 48 is bent inward and outward. It has come to be.

  A slide boss 61 is externally fitted to the boss member 50 provided on the substrate 46 so as to be movable up and down. An operation protrusion 62 projecting radially from the slide boss 61 and an extended end of the operation arm 57 are provided. Are engaged with each other through the long hole 63 and the pin 64. Further, a bracket 66 is horizontally fixed above the substrate 46 via a pair of standing stays 65, and a pair of drive arms 67 pivotally supported around the fulcrum b by the bracket 66 are provided. The slide bosses 61 are respectively engaged with rollers 68 that are pivotally mounted on the outer peripheral diagonal position of the slide boss 61. The stay 65 passes through a pair of guide pieces 61a protruding from the slide boss 61, and the rotation of the slide boss 61 around the longitudinal axis is prevented.

  The drive arm 67 is connected to two operation wires 69 and 70 operated by a motor M3, and the motor M3 is rotated forward and backward so that the operation wires 69 and 70 are reversely pulled and relaxed. As a result, the drive arm 67 is rotated in the forward and reverse directions and the entire operation arm 57 is swung, so that the finger bodies 48 of all the fingers 45 are simultaneously bent inward and outward as described above.

  An operating rod 71 is inserted into and supported by the boss member 50 erected on the substrate 46, and a pusher 72 is provided at the lower end of the operating rod 71. Further, the upper portion of the operating rod 71 is guided and supported by a support frame 73 erected from the bracket 66 so as to move up and down, and the operating rod 71 is slid upwardly by a compression coil spring 74 that is externally fitted, and in a normal state. The pusher 72 is held at the upper standby position between the fingers. A passive arm 75 projects from the upper end of the operating rod 71 in a cantilevered manner.

  The support frame 34 is equipped with a drive arm 76 that is rotated by a motor M4. The passive arm 75 is located in the movement locus of a pin 77 provided at the tip of the drive arm 76, and the drive arm The operating rod 71 is pushed down against the compression coil spring 74 by rotating and pressing the passive arm 75 downward.

  The present invention is configured as described above. Next, the lettuce w automatic supply operation will be described.

  An operator stands and puts the lettuce w on the receiving portion 24 that rotates in a circulating pitch while standing at a suitable position around the conveyor 2 with the cut end facing upward, so that the lettuce w is directed toward the take-out position A by the transfer device 3. Will be transported. Here, as shown in FIG. 12, a towel roller 78 is disposed above the vicinity in front of the take-out position A at a height that interferes with the moving path of the lettuce w so as to be retractable upward. While w pushes up the towel roller 78 and passes through, the juice exuding at the cut end is absorbed and removed by the towel roller 78.

  When the transported lettuce w arrives at the take-out position A, this is detected by presence / absence detecting means such as an optical sensor or a contact sensor, and the conveyor 2 is stopped based on this detection, and the gripping mechanism of the transfer device 3 is also detected. 30 is lowered in a state where the finger 45 is opened and the pusher 72 is retracted upward, and is put on the lettuce w stopped at the take-out position A.

  When the gripping mechanism 30 is lowered to the lower limit, the cam plate 51 is rotated and the finger arm 47 is urged and swung inward, and the slide boss 61 is operated downward to bend the finger body 48 inward. The lettuce w is elastically gripped from all directions by the finger body.

  When the gripping of the lettuce w is completed, the drive arm 40 is rotated in the reverse direction, so that the gripping mechanism 30 that grips the lettuce w rises substantially linearly and then laterally moves toward the packaging apparatus body 1 with a mountain-shaped curved locus. Then, it descends substantially linearly from the vicinity of the top of the charging port 7 and brings the gripped lettuce w into the charging port 7.

  When the gripping mechanism 30 is lowered to the lower limit, as shown in FIG. 6, the finger body 48 is slightly extended outward to release the support for holding the lettuce w from below, and the lettuce w is caused by the elasticity of the finger body 48. In this weakly clamped state, the operating rod 71 is forcibly moved downward by the drive arm 76, and the pusher 72 provided at the lower end of the rod pushes the lettuce w from above and pushes it into the insertion port. In this case, since the lettuce w is pushed down in a state of being pinched slightly by the finger body 48, the leaves are not greatly expanded, but are gently pushed into the insertion port 7 and supplied onto the holding table 11 (see FIG. 13). Thus, the lettuce w is wrapped in a packaging sheet in a state in which the posture is not greatly changed and the leaves are well-organized.

  The gripping mechanism 30 that has finished pushing the lettuce into the insertion port 7 is moved back toward the take-out position A for the next lettuce transfer, and the pusher 72 is moved back to the upper standby position.

  [Other Examples]

  (1) In the above-described embodiment, the lifting mechanism 31 and the lateral movement mechanism 32 in the transfer device 3 are synchronously driven by a single motor M1, but the lifting mechanism 31 and the lateral movement mechanism 32 are separately provided. In this case, the gripping mechanism 30 can be reciprocated by a tact operation in which the vertical movement and horizontal horizontal movement on the take-out position A and the insertion port are sequentially performed.

  (2) As means for squeezing and sealing the packaging sheet s, a form in which an adhesive tape piece is attached to a squeezed cut portion can be used in addition to the form in which heat sealing is performed as described above.

  (3) The gripping mechanism 30 can also be implemented in a form in which each finger is constituted by an elongated rubber balloon-like finger body that bends and deforms inward and outward due to fluctuations in air pressure.

Overall front view of packaging equipment Overall plan view of packaging equipment Front view showing lifting mechanism and lateral movement mechanism of gripping mechanism Front view showing the gripping mechanism in the open operation state Front view showing the gripping mechanism in the gripping operation state Front view showing the gripping mechanism in the discharge operation state Longitudinal front view showing part of the gripping mechanism Cross-sectional plan view showing part of the gripping mechanism Longitudinal side view showing the main part of the gripping mechanism Longitudinal side view showing part of the lateral movement mechanism of the gripping mechanism The top view which shows the principal part of a finger opening and closing structure Side view showing part of conveyor Explanatory drawing showing the outline procedure of packaging operation

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Packaging apparatus main body 2 Conveyor 3 Transfer apparatus 7 Loading port 9 Sheet roll loading part 24 Receiving part s Packaging sheet w Spherical crop (lettuce)
SR sheet roll

Claims (4)

  A plurality of receiving portions for mounting and holding the spherical crops circulate in a plane above the packaging device main body in a packaging device main body configured to wrap and seal the spherical crops inserted and supplied to the upward input port with a packaging sheet. A spherical agricultural product packaging apparatus equipped with a rotating conveyor.   The spherical crop packaging apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a transfer device that takes out the spherical crop from the receiving portion that has reached a predetermined position in the conveyance path of the conveyor and supplies the spherical crop to the input port.   The spherical agricultural product packaging apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a conveying path of the conveyor is formed in an oval shape.   4. A spherical agricultural product packaging apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a sheet roll loading unit in which a packaging sheet is wound is provided on one end side of the packaging apparatus body, and the conveyor is disposed on an upper part of the other end side of the packaging apparatus body. .

Images