JP7517873B2 - Apparatus and method for manufacturing packaging - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a packaging manufacturing device and manufacturing method.

In order to prevent deterioration of the packaged item in the bag, various manufacturing devices have been proposed for packaging the packaged item with a specific gas and replacing the internal gas with the gas. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a device that supplies a thin material into a long film folded in half and seals at least the open side edge of the long film and the front and back of the thin material to package the thin material. The document also discloses that the device has a pressing belt that presses down the top surface of the long film folded in half with the thin material sandwiched between it, a gas injection nozzle that is inserted into the long film from the open side edge and supplies the injected gas into the folded long film, and a suction nozzle that is inserted into the long film from the open side edge.

Patent Document 2 discloses a packaging machine having a cylinder former installed to deform a strip-shaped film flowing in the longitudinal direction into a cylindrical shape, a center sealer installed below the cylinder former to weld both overlapping side edges of the film, and a pair of upper and lower cross sealers that seal the film in a direction intersecting the film's transport direction. The document also discloses that a double pipe is installed inside the cylinder former, with the outer exhaust pipe shorter than the inner gas ejection pipe by at least one package item, with one end of the inner gas ejection pipe located near the cross sealer, and that the gas ejection pipe is connected to a gas supply source via a gas line at the inlet side of the cylinder former.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 62-28318 Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 3-124506

However, while the manufacturing devices described in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are capable of replacing the gas inside the package with a specific gas, they are unable to stably and efficiently replace the gas with the specific gas and to adequately seal the gas inside the package.

The present invention therefore relates to a packaging manufacturing apparatus and manufacturing method that can stably and efficiently replace the gas in the packaging with a specific gas and can fully seal the gas in the packaging.

The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus for a package in which an item to be packaged is packaged in a film,
a first film joining section for joining both side portions of the first and second original rolls of the film together along the transport direction of the original rolls while transporting the first and second original rolls of the film in the same direction and overlapping each other, or for joining both side portions of the original rolls along the transport direction of the original rolls while transporting a folded or tubular original roll of the film in one direction and overlapping each other;
A nozzle portion capable of supplying a gas flow between the raw sheets;
a second film joining section that joins the web having the joined both side portions at a predetermined interval in a conveyance direction of the web, in a direction intersecting the conveyance direction;
An intermittent pressing unit that intermittently presses the raw web;
a cutter unit that cuts the raw web in a direction intersecting the conveying direction at a portion joined by the second film joining unit,
The intermittent pressing section provides a packaging manufacturing apparatus which presses at least the original roll from the outer surface of the original roll between the position of the opening end of the nozzle section and the position of the second film joining section when the original roll is joined by the second film joining section.

The present invention also provides a method for producing a package in which an item to be packaged is packaged in a film, comprising the steps of:
The present invention also provides a method for producing a package using the above-mentioned production apparatus.

According to the present invention, it is possible to stably and efficiently replace the air in the package with a specific gas, and to fully seal the gas in the package.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view that illustrates a schematic diagram of another embodiment of the production apparatus of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II in FIGS. FIG. 4 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIGS. FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIGS. 6A to 6D are cross-sectional views along the conveying direction, which diagrammatically show the movements of the intermittent pressing portion and the second film joining portion in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. FIG.

The present invention will be described below based on a preferred embodiment with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 shows the structure of one embodiment of a packaging body manufacturing apparatus. The manufacturing apparatus 10 manufactures a packaging body 1 in which an item 5 is packaged in a film. The manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in the figure includes a first film joining section 20, a nozzle section 30, a second film joining section 40, an intermittent pressing section 45, and a cutter section 50.

The first film joining section 20 is a member that joins the sides of the film reel being transported in the transport direction MD along the transport direction MD. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a first film reel 11 (hereinafter also referred to as the "first film reel 11") transported in the transport direction MD and a second film reel 12 (hereinafter also referred to as the "second film reel 12") transported in the same direction as the reel 11 each have the same width, and are supplied to the first film joining section 20 in a superimposed state such that the positions of both side edges of both reels 11 and 12 coincide.

As shown in the figure, the two original rolls 11, 12 are transported by a transport means such as a transport roll or a conveyor (not shown) with the packaged item 5 arranged between them at a predetermined interval, and are supplied to the first film joining section 20. The two original rolls 11, 12 are transported with their both side edges overlapped while passing through the first film joining section 20, so that both side portions, which are the joining portions of the two original rolls 11, 12, are continuously joined along the transport direction MD, and the first joining portions 15, 15 are formed on both sides. After the two original rolls 11, 12 pass through the first film joining section 20, the packaged item 5 is transported together with the original rolls in a state where it is located between the first joining portions 15, 15 formed on both sides of the two original rolls 11, 12 in a direction CD (hereinafter also referred to as the "width direction CD") perpendicular to the transport direction MD. The joining means in the first film joining section 20 can be, for example, heat sealing. From the perspective of efficiently joining the films together, it is preferable that a pair of first film joining sections 20 be arranged outward from both side edges of the packaged item 5 in the width direction CD, as shown in the figure.

The nozzle portion 30 is for supplying a specific gas to be sealed inside the package. The nozzle portion 30 is a hollow member through which gas can flow, and has an open end 31. The nozzle portion 30 is capable of continuously or intermittently supplying a gas flow supplied from a gas supply source (not shown) connected to one end of the nozzle portion 30 to the outside from the open end 31, which is the other end of the nozzle portion 30. The open end 31 of the nozzle portion 30 is located downstream in the conveying direction MD from the first film joint portion 20 and inside in the CD direction from the first joint portion 15.

The nozzle section 30 shown in FIG. 1 is arranged to extend along the conveying direction MD, so that the gas flow is preferably supplied to the inside of both rolls 11, 12 along the conveying direction MD. This configuration can increase the replacement efficiency with the supplied gas, and also makes it difficult for the gas to flow out of the rolls, so that the efficiency of sealing the gas in the package being manufactured can be further increased.

In detail, the nozzle section 30 shown in FIG. 1 has a pair of nozzle extensions 32 between the two original rolls 11, 12, which allows a gas flow to be supplied between the two original rolls 11, 12. The nozzle extensions 32 are arranged approximately parallel to each other. The nozzle extensions 32 in the nozzle section 30 are located inward from the first film joining section 20 in the width direction CD and outward from both end edges of the packaged item 5 being conveyed. The nozzle section 30 shown in the figure has portions that bend from the outside to the inside of both side portions of the original rolls 11, 12 upstream of the first film joining section 20 in the conveying direction, which allows the nozzle extensions 32 to be arranged between the two original rolls 11, 12.

The second film joining section 40 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction MD of the nozzle section 30. The second film joining section 40 is a member that joins the two original rolls 11, 12, which have been joined at both sides in the width direction CD by passing through the first film joining section 20, in a direction intersecting the conveying direction MD. The second film joining section 40 shown in the figure is in the form of a heat roll, and with the original rolls 11, 12 positioned between the two heat rolls constituting the second film joining section 40, the two original rolls 11, 12 are joined at a predetermined interval in a direction intersecting the conveying direction MD between the packaged items 5 along the conveying direction MD, thereby forming a packaged body continuous body 1A in which the two original rolls 11, 12 are joined outside the periphery of the packaged items 5. The joining means in the second film joining section 40 can be, for example, heat sealing. In this embodiment, the second film joining section 40 is shown as having two heat rolls, but is not limited to this and may use, for example, only one heat roll or three or more heat rolls.

The second film joining section 40 joins the two original rolls 11, 12, the both sides of which have been joined by passing through the first film joining section 20, in a direction intersecting the conveying direction MD to form the second joining regions 16, 16 extending over the entire width direction CD. Before the second joining regions 16 are formed on the two original rolls 11, 12, the second film joining section 40 is arranged so that the regions of the two original rolls 11, 12 other than the first joining region 15 are spaced apart. The second film joining section 40 is preferably spaced apart from the two original rolls 11, 12, i.e., there is a gap between the seal roll and the two original rolls. The seal roll in the second film joining section 40 comes into contact with the two original rolls only when the two original rolls 11, 12 are joined together. This allows the second film joining section 40 to be pressed against predetermined positions of both webs 11, 12, thereby joining both webs 11, 12 in a direction intersecting with the machine direction MD.
After passing through the second film joining section 40, the two original rolls 11, 12 located outside the periphery of the packaged article 5 are joined together by a pair of first joining regions 15, 15 and a pair of second joining regions 16, 16. After the second joining regions 16, 16 are formed, the second film joining section 40 moves along the width direction CD so as to move away from the two original rolls 11, 12. This makes it possible to form a packaged body continuous body 1A in which the packaged article 5 and gas are sealed inside the two joining regions 15, 16.

One of the features of the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is that it is provided with an intermittent pressing section 45 that intermittently presses the original rolls to be joined from their outer surfaces. By providing the intermittent pressing section 45, when the original rolls are joined together in the second film joining section 40, the replacement state or filling state of the specific gas supplied from the nozzle section 30 can be maintained within the original rolls, and the specific gas can be sufficiently sealed within the continuous package body 1A and the package body 1. In addition, by providing the intermittent pressing section in the manufacturing apparatus, when the original rolls are joined together in the second film joining section 40, the original rolls are pressed by the second film joining section 40 during joining, and the gas supplied within the original rolls flows back to the upstream side in the conveying direction MD or unintentionally flows out of the original rolls, which is effectively reduced, and the specific gas can be sealed more efficiently in the package.

The intermittent pressing section 45 is disposed between the position of the opening end 31 of the nozzle section 30 and the position of the second film joining section 40, and is preferably disposed closer to the second film joining section 40 than the central position along the conveying direction MD between the position of the opening end 31 and the position of the second film joining section 40.

The intermittent pressing section 45 is a member that presses at least the outer surface of the original roll when the original roll is joined by the second film joining section 40, and prevents the gas supplied between the original rolls from flowing back or out to the upstream side in the conveying direction when the original rolls are joined, specifically when the second joining portion 16 is formed. The intermittent pressing section 45 is configured to press the original roll at a position where the packaged item 5 is present, or to press only the original roll at a position where the packaged item 5 is not present. When the intermittent pressing section 45 is configured to press the original roll at a position where the packaged item 5 is present, the intermittent pressing section 45 may press only the original roll that is conveyed so as to face the upper surface of the packaged item 5, or may instead press both the packaged item 5 and the original roll in the thickness direction. In either case, it is preferable that the intermittent pressing section 45 is arranged in a state where its extension direction coincides with the width direction CD, and is arranged over the entire width direction CD.

As shown in FIG. 1, the intermittent pressing section 45 is preferably provided with a roll 46 as a pressing member that directly presses the original roll, and the roll is preferably arranged with its axial direction and width direction CD aligned. In addition, the roll is preferably rotatable in the conveying direction MD of the original roll. This allows the original roll and packaged items to be conveyed while maintaining their pressed state, allowing smooth conveyance downstream of the original roll and packaged items and preventing damage to the original roll and packaged items. As a result, in addition to improving the efficiency of gas sealing, it is advantageous in that it reduces the occurrence of defective products during manufacturing and increases productivity.

It is further preferable that at least the surface of the roll 46 is formed from an elastically deformable material. By using such a material, the elastic deformation of the roll when pressing the original roll allows the roll to make contact with the original roll and the packaged items so as to conform to their shapes, effectively reducing backflow and outflow of gas upstream in the conveying direction, and further increasing the efficiency of sealing the specific gas into the desired package. In addition, damage to the original roll and the packaged items is less likely to occur when pressing the original roll or the original roll and the packaged items, making it possible to maintain the high quality of the desired package.

Here, "elastically deformable" refers to a property in which the load generated by pressing the roll against the original roll and the packaged item is within an elastic range. The elastically deformable material used for the roll 46 can be one or more selected from, for example, natural rubber, diene-based rubber, styrene-based elastomer, olefin-based elastomer, ester-based elastomer, urethane-based elastomer, amide-based elastomer, polyvinyl chloride-based elastomer, fluorine-based elastomer, etc.

As shown in FIG. 1, the intermittent pressing unit 45 preferably further includes a driving unit 47. The driving unit 47 is a member that raises and lowers the roll 46 as a pressing member in a direction perpendicular to the conveying surface of the original roll 11, and brings it into contact with or away from the original roll. The driving unit 47 is connected to the roll 46 so as not to impede the rotation of the roll 46. The driving unit 47 in this embodiment is configured to be movable in the up-down direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the outer surface of the original roll, by a driving force generating means (not shown), and brings the roll 46 as a pressing member into contact with or away from the original roll at a predetermined timing. As a result, when the pressing member in the intermittent pressing unit 45 is separated from the original roll, a specific gas can be sufficiently supplied and filled between the original rolls, and when the pressing member is in contact with the original roll and pressing the original roll, the backflow or outflow of the gas to the upstream side in the conveying direction can be effectively reduced, and the efficiency of injecting the specific gas into the intended package can be further improved.

The timing for bringing the intermittent pressing unit 45 into contact with or away from the original roll may be before, after, or simultaneously with the joining of the original rolls by the second film joining unit 40, or a combination of these. Among these, it is preferable that the original roll is pressed in the thickness direction by the intermittent pressing unit 45 at least simultaneously with the joining of the original rolls by the second film joining unit 40.
In detail, the intermittent pressing unit 45 may be configured to contact the original web to press the original web simultaneously with the joining of the original webs by the second film joining unit 40 so as to be completely synchronized with the timing of joining of the original webs by the second film joining unit 40, and the intermittent pressing unit 45 may be separated to release the pressure before and after joining. Alternatively, the intermittent pressing unit 45 may be configured to contact the original web to press the original web before joining of the original webs by the second film joining unit 40, and to continue to press the original web during joining of the original webs, and to separate the intermittent pressing unit 45 to release the pressure after joining. Alternatively, the intermittent pressing unit 45 may be configured to contact the original web to press the original web simultaneously with the joining of the original webs by the second film joining unit 40, and to continue to press the original web for a certain period of time after joining by the intermittent pressing unit 45. Alternatively, the intermittent pressing unit 45 may maintain the pressing state of the original web in all steps before, during, and after the second film joining unit 40 joins the original webs.

A cutter section 50 is disposed downstream in the conveying direction MD from the position where the second film joint section 40 is disposed. The cutter section 50 has a cutter blade extending along the width direction CD, and can cut both original rolls 11, 12 at the position of the second joint portion 16 in the continuous package 1A and separate them into individual packages 1. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the cutter section 50 is in the form of a cutter roll whose axial direction coincides with the width direction CD, and has a first cutter blade 50a disposed on the circumference of the roll and extending over the entire axial area of the roll, and a second cutter blade 50b extending along the circumferential direction of the roll. By rotating the cutter roll, the first cutter blade 50a cuts the continuous package 1A over the entire width direction CD at the position of the second joint portion 16. At the same time, a pair of second cutter blades 50b are arranged on both ends of the continuous package 1A in the width direction CD, and cut the continuous package 1A in the conveying direction MD at the position of the first joint portion 15. This allows individual packages 1 to be formed as products. The package 1 is joined on all four sides, and the packaged item 5 and gas are sealed inside the package 1.

The above-mentioned manufacturing device 10 has been described as a device for manufacturing the package 1 using two film original rolls, but instead, the package 1 can be manufactured using one continuous film original roll. In detail, as shown in FIG. 2, one film original roll 11A being conveyed in one direction is folded in half around the center line L in the width direction CD of the original roll so that one side portion 11a and the other side portion 11b along the conveying direction MD of the film original roll 11A overlap each other, or is formed into a cylindrical shape so that the axial direction is along the conveying direction MD. The packaged item 5 is placed inside the folded or cylindrical original roll. At least both side portions 11a and 11b of this original roll are passed through the first film joining section 20, and at least both side portions 11a and 11b of the film original roll 11A are joined to form a first joining portion 15 extending along the conveying direction MD. In this case, the first film joint 20 may have a first film joint 20a on one side only in the width direction CD so that at least both side portions 11a and 11b can be joined. In addition, as shown in this embodiment, a first film joint 20b on the other side in the width direction CD may be further provided.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the nozzle unit 30 is inserted from the upstream side of the folding start position F1 of the film original roll 11A in the conveying direction MD, and is arranged in a position near the first film joining unit 20 and between the folded or tubular original rolls, with the opening end 31 located downstream of the first film joining unit 20 in the conveying direction MD. When forming a single film original roll 11A into a cylindrical shape, the nozzle unit 30 may be inserted from the upstream side of the conveying direction MD from the position where the film original roll 11A is formed into a cylindrical shape. After that, the second film joining unit 40, the intermittent pressing unit 45, and the cutter unit 50 are used to join and cut the original roll 11A to form the package 1. For points not specifically described in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the description of the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 described above applies as appropriate.

In the manufacturing apparatus having the above configuration, the nozzle section 30 is located inward from the first film joining section 20 in the width direction CD, and the opening end 31 of the nozzle section 30 is located downstream in the conveying direction from the first film joining section 20, so that the nozzle section 30 plays a role of a guide that determines the joining position between the original rolls, and the original rolls can be joined along the conveying direction at a desired position. In addition, in joining the films by the second film joining section 40, the intermittent pressing section 45 is provided that intermittently presses at least the original rolls from the outer surface of the original rolls when the original rolls are joined by the second film joining section 40, thereby preventing backflow or outflow of gas to the upstream side in the conveying direction when the films are joined, and thereby increasing the efficiency of gas inclusion in the continuous package as an intermediate body and the desired package, more specifically, the amount of gas inclusion.
In addition, if a member such as a conveyor belt used in the prior art is used instead of the intermittent pressing unit 45, which continuously presses the outer surface of the original roll along the conveying direction MD, the contact area between the original roll and the conveyor belt becomes large, and the original roll is pressed in its thickness direction for a long time, restricting the volume inside the original roll to a small value. Therefore, compared to the case of intermittent pressing, the gas supplied from the nozzle unit 30 is less likely to reach the downstream side, and the replacement efficiency of the specific gas between the original rolls becomes poor, or the volume of the gas present between the original rolls becomes small. As a result, it becomes difficult to fully achieve the inclusion of the specific gas in the package.

In order to make the above-mentioned effects more pronounced, as shown in FIG. 3, in a cross-sectional view along the width direction CD, the ratio (W2/W1) of the outer diameter W2 of the nozzle portion 30 to the distance W1 along the width direction CD between the side edge of the packaged item 5 and the first film joint portion 20 is preferably 0.1 or more, more preferably 0.15 or more, even more preferably 0.2 or more, and preferably 0.7 or less, more preferably 0.6 or less, and even more preferably 0.5 or less. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, the packaged items 5 are arranged in a stacked form, but this is not limited to this form, and for example, only one packaged item 5 may be arranged.

From the same viewpoint, the distance W1 along the width direction CD between the side edge of the packaged item 5 and the first film joint 20 is preferably 3 mm or more, more preferably 5 mm or more, and even more preferably 7 mm or more, and is preferably 50 mm or less, more preferably 40 mm or less, and even more preferably 30 mm or less. Similarly, the outer diameter W2 of the nozzle portion 30 is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 2 mm or more, and even more preferably 3 mm or more, and is preferably 15 mm or less, more preferably 10 mm or less, and even more preferably 6 mm or less. The outer diameter W2 is the outer diameter observed in a cross section perpendicular to the extension direction of the nozzle portion 30. When the distance W1 and the outer diameter W2 are not constant, the shortest distances among the measured distances are taken as W1 and W2, respectively.

The packaging body 1 manufactured by the manufacturing apparatus of the present invention has gas sealed therein, and until the two second joints 16, 16 are formed, a gas flow continues to be supplied between the two original rolls 11, 12 or the single film original roll 11A via the nozzle section 30. The opening end 31 of the nozzle section 30 is located downstream of the first film joint section 20 in the conveying direction MD, and the packaged item 5 passing through the opening end 31 and its vicinity due to the conveyance of the two original rolls 11, 12 or the single film original roll 11A may be unintentionally displaced in its position relative to the film original roll due to external forces generated by the supply of the gas flow. From the viewpoint of preventing deviation of the packaged goods due to external forces caused by gas flow, etc., while simultaneously and stably transporting the original film and the packaged goods to the downstream process, it is preferable that the first pressing unit 60, which presses at least one of the film original rolls and the packaged goods from the outer surface of the film original roll, is disposed in a position including the vicinity of the opening end 31 of the nozzle unit 30. The vicinity of the opening end 31 refers to the range from 150 mm upstream in the conveying direction MD to 150 mm downstream in the conveying direction MD, with the position of the opening end 31 as the reference (zero point).

Taking the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 as an example, the first pressing section 60 is in the form of a nip roll, and is arranged in the center of the width direction CD with the axial direction of the roll aligned with the width direction CD. The first pressing sections 60 shown in the figure are arranged on the upstream and downstream sides of the conveying direction MD with the position of the opening end 31 as a reference. All of the first pressing sections 60 are arranged at a position upstream of the intermittent pressing section 45 in the conveying direction MD. As described above, when the film rolls 11 and 12 are conveyed by a conveying means (not shown) having a conveying surface such as a conveyor, the two rolls 11 and 12 and the packaged article 5 are configured to pass between the first pressing section 60 and the conveying means. 4, when the position of the first pressing unit 60 is viewed along the width direction CD, the first pressing unit 60 presses both the first film roll 11 and the packaged item 5 toward the second film roll 12 from the outer surface side of the first film roll 11, so that the packaged item 5 can be transported while maintaining the position of the packaged item 5 relative to both rolls 11, 12. The portion of the first film roll 11 that is not pressed by the first pressing unit 60 is expanded by the gas flow supplied from the nozzle unit 30 so as to move away from the packaged item 5.
2, the above-described embodiment can be adopted as the first pressing unit 60. In this case, the first pressing unit 60 presses both the film roll 11A and the packaged article 5 from one side of the flattened film roll 11A to the other side of the film roll 11A, so that the packaged article 5 can be transported while maintaining the position of the packaged article 5 relative to the roll 11A.

As described above, during the manufacturing process of the package 1, a gas flow continues to be supplied between the two original rolls 11, 12 or into one film original roll 11A via the nozzle portion 30 until the second joint portion 16 is formed. This may cause the original roll on which the first joint portions 15, 15 are formed to become excessively inflated by the supplied gas flow.

In this regard, in order to prevent excessive swelling of the original roll due to the supply of gas flow and facilitate transport downstream, and to prevent the packaged item 5 from shifting in position and efficiently join the original rolls by the second film joining unit 40, it is preferable that the second pressing unit 70, which presses at least one of the film original rolls from its outer surface, is arranged between the position of the first film joining unit 20 and the position of the second film joining unit 40 in the conveying direction MD. In addition, since the film original roll tends to swell due to the supplied gas flow upstream of the intermittent pressing unit 45 in the conveying direction MD, it is preferable that the second pressing unit 70 is arranged upstream of the intermittent pressing unit 45 in the conveying direction MD. Furthermore, it is also preferable that the second pressing unit 70 is arranged so as to press the film original roll at the position where the packaged item is present, but not to press the packaged item.

Taking the embodiment shown in FIG. 1 as an example, the second pressing section 70 is in the form of a nip roll, and is arranged over the entire area of the width direction CD with the axial direction of the roll aligned with the width direction CD. The second pressing sections 70 shown in the figure are arranged downstream of the first film joining section 20 in the conveying direction MD and upstream of the second film joining section 40 in the conveying direction MD. All of the second pressing sections 70 are arranged upstream of the intermittent pressing section 45 in the conveying direction MD. In addition, when the first pressing section 60 is provided, the second pressing section 70 is arranged downstream of the first pressing section 60 in the conveying direction.

As shown in FIG. 5, when the position of the second pressing unit 70 is viewed along the width direction CD, the second pressing unit 70 presses only the first film roll 11 toward the second film roll 12 from the outer surface side of the first film roll 11, so that both rolls 11 and 12 can be transported. That is, the pressing by the second pressing unit 70 in this embodiment is controlled so that the first film roll 11 and the packaged item 5 are spaced apart from each other. As long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, the second pressing unit 70 may press both film rolls 11 and 12 and the packaged item 5 so that they come into contact with each other. The second pressing unit 70 in this embodiment has been described as a nip roll, but as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved, a conveyor or a plate may be applied as the second pressing unit 70 instead of or in addition to the nip roll. Similarly, a conveying means (not shown) that is disposed opposite the second pressing unit 70 and conveys each of the film rolls 11 and 12 can be configured with a roll, a conveyor, a plate, or the like.
2, the above-described embodiment can be adopted as the second pressing unit 70. In this case, the second pressing unit 70 is controlled to press only one outer surface of the flattened film roll 11A against the other surface of the film roll 11A so that the film roll 11A including the one surface and the packaged item 5 are spaced apart from each other.

In particular, from the viewpoint of maintaining the gas replacement state between the original rolls and successfully joining the original rolls by the second film joining section 40, the ratio (H2/H1) of the clearance H2 of the second pressing section 70 to the thickness H1 of the packaged item 5 is preferably 0.7 or more, more preferably 1 or more, even more preferably 1.5 or more, and preferably 5 or less, more preferably 3.5 or less, and even more preferably 2 or less. The clearance H2 refers to the shortest distance between the surface of the original roll in contact with the second pressing section 70 and the outer surface of the original roll farthest from the second pressing section 70 when focusing on one second pressing section 70. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, one second pressing section 70 is arranged, and the peripheral surface of the second pressing section 70 is in contact with the outer surface of the first film original roll 11, so that the shortest distance between the peripheral surface of the second pressing section 70 and the outer surface of the second film original roll 12 can be substantially the clearance H2. Instead, if a single film roll 11A is used, it refers to the shortest distance between the outer surface of the flattened film roll 11A that is in contact with the second pressing section 70 and the outer surface of the film roll 11A that is furthest from the second pressing section 70.

From the same viewpoint, the thickness H1 of the packaged item 5 in an unloaded state is preferably 0.5 mm or more, more preferably 1 mm or more, even more preferably 1.5 mm or more, and is preferably 20 mm or less, more preferably 15 mm or less, even more preferably 10 mm or less. As shown in FIG. 5, when multiple packaged items 5 are stacked, the thickness H1 is the sum of the thicknesses of those in an unloaded state.

Similarly, the clearance H2 of the second pressing unit 70 is preferably 1 mm or more, more preferably 2 mm or more, and even more preferably 3 mm or more, and is preferably 30 mm or less, more preferably 20 mm or less, and even more preferably 10 mm or less. As described above, the clearance H2 shown in FIG. 5 is shown as the distance between the peripheral surface of the second pressing unit 70 and the outer surface of the original roll farthest from the second pressing unit 70. However, for example, when the original roll is placed on a conveying surface (not shown) such as a conveyor and conveyed, the conveying surface and the outer surface of the original roll are in contact with each other, so that the shortest distance between the conveying surface and the peripheral surface of the second pressing unit 70 can be substantially the clearance H2. Furthermore, when the second pressing section 70 is a pair of nip rolls arranged in the sheet thickness direction, the two original rolls 11, 12 or the film original roll 11A are introduced between the pair of nip rolls, and the original rolls 11, 12 and each nip roll are transported in contact with each other, so the shortest distance between the peripheral surfaces of the nip rolls can be the clearance H2.

When cutting the continuous package web 1A with the cutter section 50, in order to prevent unintended displacement of the original roll caused by the cutter blade pressing against the continuous package web 1A and to successfully cut the continuous package web at the desired position, it is preferable that the third pressing section 80, which presses at least one of the original rolls from its outer surface, is disposed between the position of the second film joining section 40 and the position of the cutter section 50 in the conveying direction MD, and more preferably is disposed closer to the position of the cutter section 50 in the conveying direction MD. With this configuration, the continuous package web 1A can be cut by the cutter section 50 while being pressed by the third pressing section 80, and as a result, packages 1 having the desired dimensions can be continuously manufactured.

1 as an example, the third pressing unit 80 is in the form of a nip roll, and is arranged so as to press both ends of both webs 11, 12 in the width direction CD with the axial direction of the roll aligned with the width direction CD. The third pressing unit 80 shown in the figure is located downstream farther than the arrangement position of the second film splicing unit 40, and is arranged upstream of and in the vicinity of the cutter unit 50. The pressing mode of the third pressing unit 80 may be such that only the first film web 11 is pressed against the second film web 12, or the first film web 11 and the packaged article 5 are both pressed.
2, the third pressing section 80 may adopt the above-described embodiment. In this case, the third pressing section 80 may press only one outer surface of the flattened film roll 11A against the other surface of the roll 11A, or may press both the film roll 11A and the packaged article 5.

It is preferable that the arrangement spacing between the intermittent pressing section 45 and the second film joining section 40 along the conveying direction MD is determined based on the relationship between the dimension of one packaged item 5 along the conveying direction MD and the spacing between the packaged items 5 along the conveying direction MD.
In detail, the arrangement interval between the intermittent pressing unit 45 and the second film joining unit 40 along the conveying direction MD is preferably equal to or greater than the sum of the dimension of one packaged item 5 along the conveying direction MD and the interval between the packaged items 5 along the conveying direction MD, and is preferably equal to or less than three times the sum. In other words, when the arrangement interval between the intermittent pressing unit 45 and the second film joining unit 40 along the conveying direction MD is Ta, the dimension of one packaged item 5 along the conveying direction MD is Tb, and the interval between the packaged items 5 along the conveying direction MD is Tc, it is preferable to arrange the intermittent pressing unit 45 and the second film joining unit 40 at an interval Ta that satisfies "Tb + Tc ≦ Ta ≦ (Tb + Tc) × 3". By setting such an arrangement interval, the volume of gas enclosed in the intended package can be further increased, the efficiency of gas enclosure can be increased, and the quality of the package produced can be further improved.
More specifically, by setting the interval Ta to be equal to or greater than the interval (Tb+Tc), it is possible to sufficiently ensure the amount of gas that should be introduced by design into the continuous package body 1A and the packages 1, even when pressed by the intermittent pressing unit 45. Furthermore, by setting the interval Ta to be equal to or less than three times the interval (Tb+Tc), it is possible to easily move the gas toward the second film joint unit 40 by the pressing of the intermittent pressing unit 45, and therefore it is possible to sufficiently increase the volume of gas enclosed in the intended package.

The following describes a method for manufacturing a package using the manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 as an example. In other words, the present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a package in which the packaged item is wrapped in a film using a manufacturing apparatus having the above-mentioned configuration.

First, the packaged item 5 is placed between the first film roll 11 and the second film roll 12. For example, the packaged item 5 is placed on the second film roll 12, which is being transported in the transport direction MD, and then the first film roll 11 is stacked while being transported in the transport direction MD. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the packaged item 5 is placed with its longitudinal direction aligned with the width direction CD.

Next, a first joining process is performed in which the two overlapping original rolls 11, 12, which are transported in the same direction, are joined at both sides along the transport direction MD while a specific gas flow is supplied between the two original rolls 11, 12 from the nozzle section 30, to form the first joining region 15. In this process, the pair of first joining regions 15 is continuously formed by passing both sides of the overlapping original rolls 11, 12 through the first film joining section 20, and the air inside the two original rolls 11, 12 is replaced with the specific gas supplied from the nozzle section 30.

From the viewpoint of maintaining the quality of the packaged goods for a long period of time, the gas supplied from the nozzle portion 30 is preferably at least one of inert gases such as nitrogen, helium, argon, and carbon dioxide. These gases can be appropriately selected and used depending on the composition, physical properties, and specifications of the package 1 and its contents, the packaged goods 5.

From the viewpoint of improving the efficiency of replacement with a specific gas by the supplied gas flow and preventing the positional shift of the packaged item 5 and achieving stable production of the package 1 at the same time, the flow rate of the gas flow supplied from each nozzle portion 30 is preferably 2 L/min or more, more preferably 4 L/min or more, and preferably 30 L/min or less, and more preferably 20 L/min or less. From the same viewpoint, the flow rate of the gas flow supplied from each nozzle portion 30 is preferably 5 m/s or more, more preferably 10 m/s or more, and preferably 40 m/s or less, and more preferably 30 m/s or less. The flow rate and flow rate of the gas flow are the values at the opening end 31 of each nozzle portion 30. The flow rate and flow rate of the gas flow can be appropriately adjusted, for example, by changing the flow rate and pressure of the gas flow supplied from the gas supply source, or by changing the inner diameter of the nozzle portion 30, provided that the outer diameter of the nozzle portion 30 satisfies the above-mentioned conditions.

In carrying out the first joining process, it is preferable to carry out a process (first pressing process) in which at least one of the original rolls and the packaged item 5 is pressed from the outside of the original rolls before, after, or simultaneously with the first joining process, and transported while maintaining the position of the packaged item 5 relative to the original rolls 11 and 12. In this process, "before" refers to the upstream side in the transport direction from the position where the first joining process is carried out, and "after" refers to the downstream side in the transport direction from the position where the first joining process is carried out. In the first pressing process, for example, the first pressing unit 60 is used to transport the first film original roll 11 and the packaged item 5 to the downstream process while pressing both of them from the outer surface of the first film original roll 11. This makes it possible to prevent unintended positional shifting of the packaged item 5 while transporting, and the downstream process can be carried out stably.

Next, with at least the original rolls pressed by the intermittent pressing unit 45, the two original rolls 11, 12 are joined in a direction intersecting the conveying direction MD, preferably in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction MD, in a second joining process to form a continuous package body 1A containing the packaged product 5 and gas sealed therein. In this joining process, the gas flow is also supplied from the nozzle unit 30.

With respect to the second joining step, the movements of the intermittent pressing unit 45 and the second film joining unit 40 will be described with reference to Figures 6(a) to 6(d). Figures 6(a) to 6(d) show a belt conveyor as the transport means 90.
First, in a state where no joining is being performed by the second film joining section 40 (see Figure 6 (a)), both original rolls 11, 12 and the packaged item 5 are transported along the transport direction MD between the intermittent pressing section 45 and the conveying means 90, and between the second film joining section 40, but both the intermittent pressing section 45 and the second film joining section 40 are spaced apart from the original rolls.

Next, while both original rolls 11, 12 and the packaged item 5 are being transported in the transport direction MD, the intermittent pressing unit 45 moves downward to abut against the original roll 11 at the same time as or immediately before the second film joining unit 40 joins the original rolls together, and presses downward (in the thickness direction of the original roll) from the outer surface of the original roll 11 at the location where only the original rolls 11, 12 are located or where the original rolls 11, 12 and the packaged item 5 are located. Figure 6(b) shows a form in which the intermittent pressing unit 45 moves to abut against the original roll 11 immediately before the second film joining unit 40 joins the original rolls together.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the gas between the original rolls 11 and 12 moves to the upstream and downstream sides in the conveying direction MD due to the pressure applied by the intermittent pressure unit 45 to the original rolls. The gas that moves downstream in the conveying direction MD is located at the second film bonding unit 40 located downstream in the conveying direction from the intermittent pressure unit 45, or downstream in the conveying direction MD from the position of the second film bonding unit 40, and the movement of the gas along the conveying direction MD is restricted by the second bonding portion 16 already formed by the bonding unit 40. As a result, the amount of gas present between the original rolls 11 and 12 downstream in the conveying direction MD temporarily increases more than the amount of gas present between the original rolls 11 and 12 located upstream in the conveying direction MD, and the original rolls 11 and 12 are in a state of expanding in the thickness direction so as to separate from each other.

Regardless of whether the downward movement of the intermittent pressing section 45 occurs simultaneously with the joining of the original rolls by the second film joining section 40 or immediately before that, it is preferable for the intermittent pressing section 45 to press both the original roll 11 and the packaged item 5 in the thickness direction, since this not only improves the efficiency of sealing in the supplied gas, but also prevents the packaged item 5 from shifting in position due to gas convection unintentionally generated by the pressing, thereby achieving stable production of the package 1.

Next, the original roll 11 (and packaged goods 5) is pressed by the intermittent pressing section 45, and the original rolls 11, 12 located downstream of the intermittent pressing section 45 are expanded so as to separate from each other. In this state, the second film joining section 40 is brought into contact with both original rolls 11, 12 at a position where the packaged goods 5 are not present, forming the second joining area 16 across the width direction CD. Figure 6(c) shows an embodiment in which the original roll 11 is pressed by the intermittent pressing section 45 before the formation of the second joining area 16, and the second joining area 16 is formed.

Then, as shown in FIG. 6(d), after the second joint portion 16 is formed, or simultaneously with the formation of the second joint portion 16, the intermittent pressing portion 45 moves away from the original roll 11, and the pressing state of the original roll 11 is released. The second film joint portion 40 also moves away from both original rolls 11 and 12.

When the two second joining regions 16, 16 are formed at a predetermined interval along the conveying direction MD by the joining by the second film joining section 40, the two original rolls 11, 12 located on the outer periphery of the packaged item 5 are joined together by a pair of first joining regions 15, 15 and a pair of second joining regions 16, 16, so that the packaged item 5 is sealed together with the replaced gas. Since the two original rolls 11, 12 are not cut even after joining by the second film joining section 40, the packaged item 5 and the replaced gas are sealed inside the two original rolls 11, 12 at a predetermined interval, forming a continuous package 1A, which is transported to a downstream process.

From the viewpoint of performing the joining by the second joining step more stably, a step (second pressing step) of pressing at least one of the original rolls from its outer surface without pressing the packaged item 5 is preferably performed after the first joining step and before the second joining step, and more preferably after the first pressing step by the first pressing unit 60 and before the second joining step. In the second joining step, "not pressing the packaged item 5" means that at least one of the pressed original rolls of film and the packaged item 5 are separated from each other, or at least one of the pressed original rolls of film is in contact with the packaged item 5, but the packaged item 5 is not subjected to an external force that would damage the packaged item 5 due to the pressing of the original roll. In either case, the packaged item 5 in the second pressing step is transported without being damaged by external force such as plastic deformation or breakage, so that the packaged item 5 maintains the dimensions and shape at the time of joining.

In the second pressing step, for example, a plurality of roll-shaped second pressing units 70 are arranged, and the first film roll 11 is pressed from the outer surface side of the first film roll 11 at the position where the packaged item 5 is present so that the first film roll 11 and the packaged item 5 are separated from each other, while conveying both rolls 11 and 12 to the second film joining unit 40. By conveying in this manner, excessive swelling of both rolls 11 and 12 due to the supply of gas flow is prevented, making it easier to convey them downstream, and damage to the packaged item 5 and shifting of the placement position of the packaged item 5 can be effectively prevented. In particular, by performing the first pressing step and the second pressing step in this order, it is advantageous in that the package can be manufactured more stably with high production efficiency. As long as the effect of the present invention is achieved, the pressing by the second pressing unit 70 may be performed so that each roll 11 and 12 come into contact with the packaged item 5 by applying an external force that does not damage the packaged item 5.

Finally, a cutting process is performed in which the continuous package 1A is cut in a direction intersecting the conveying direction MD at the second joint 16 to form the package 1. In this process, for example, a cutter unit 50 is used to rotate the roll so that the first cutter blade 50a and the second joint 16 are aligned, and the continuous package 1A is cut in the width direction CD at the second joint 16. At the same time, the second cutter blade 50b cuts both side edges of the two original rolls 11, 12 in the continuous package 1A in the width direction CD at the first joint 15 along the conveying direction MD, thereby performing a trimming process. This allows the continuous package 1A to be continuously produced as individual divided packages 1.

From the viewpoint of preventing unintended misalignment of the two original rolls 11, 12 due to the pressing of the cutter blade against the continuous package body 1A or vibration of the manufacturing device and successfully cutting at the desired position, it is preferable to perform a step (third pressing step) in the cutting step in which the continuous package body 1A is pressed and cut, separate from the pressing by the intermittent pressing unit 45. In the cutting step, the continuous package body 1A is pressed, for example, by the roll-shaped third pressing unit 80, and conveyed to the cutter unit 50 and cut.

The above-mentioned manufacturing method has been described as an embodiment in which the packaging body 1 is manufactured using two film original rolls, using the manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 1 as an example. Alternatively, the packaging body 1 can be manufactured using a continuous single film original roll 11A using the manufacturing apparatus 10 shown in FIG. 2. In detail, the original roll 11A is folded in half or formed into a cylindrical shape so as to cover the packaged item 5 with the packaged item 5 arranged on it. Then, a first joining process is performed to join both side portions 11a and 11b with gas being supplied from the nozzle portion 30 to the inside of the original roll 11A and with both side portions 11a and 11b in the width direction CD of the original roll 11A overlapped. The first joining process in this embodiment can be performed, for example, using at least the first film joining portion 20a on one end side. Thereafter, the second joining process and the cutting process, and the first to third pressing processes are performed as necessary, in the same manner as in the above-mentioned embodiment. For points not specifically described in this method, the explanation of the above-mentioned manufacturing method is appropriately applied.

Through the above steps, a package 1 can be manufactured in which the packaged item 5 is wrapped in film. This package 1 contains the packaged item 5 and the specific replaced gas sealed inside. A sealed state refers to a state in which no solids, liquids, or gases flow into the package 1 and no gases flow out of the package 1.

The film and its original roll used in the present invention can be made of any material that is impermeable to specific gases and outside air. Examples of such materials that can be used include metal foils such as aluminum foil, thermoplastic resin films, and thermoplastic resin films laminated with a thin metal film such as aluminum.

The present invention has been described above based on its preferred embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, the first pressing portion 60 and the second pressing portion 70 are each arranged in a multiple number, but each may be arranged independently as long as the effect of the present invention is achieved. Also, the intermittent pressing portion 45 and the third pressing portion 80 are each arranged in a single number, but each may be arranged in a multiple number as long as the effect of the present invention is achieved.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Package 1A Continuous package 5 Packaged item 10 Manufacturing device 11 First roll of film (first film roll)
11A: A continuous piece of film roll 12: Second film roll (second film roll)
15 First joining portion 16 Second joining portion 20 First film joining portion 30 Nozzle portion 40 Second film joining portion 45 Intermittent pressing portion 50 Cutter portion 60 First pressing portion 70 Second pressing portion 80 Third pressing portion MD Transport direction CD Width direction

Claims (8)

A manufacturing apparatus for a package in which an item to be packaged is packaged in a film, comprising:
a first film joining section for joining both side portions of the first and second rolls of the film along the transport direction together while the first and second rolls of the film are transported in the same direction and overlapped, or for transporting a single roll of the film folded in half or shaped like a cylinder in one direction and joining both side portions of the single roll of the film along the transport direction while overlapping the both side portions;
A nozzle unit capable of supplying a gas flow between the first and second original rolls or between the single original roll ;
a second film joining section that joins the first and second rolls or the single roll, the both side portions of which have been joined, in a direction intersecting the conveying direction of the first and second rolls or the single roll at a predetermined interval;
An intermittent pressing unit that intermittently presses one of the first and second original rolls or the single original roll;
a cutter unit that cuts the first and second rolls or the single roll in a direction intersecting the conveying direction at a portion joined by the second film joining unit,
the intermittent pressing unit presses at least the first or second web, or the single web, from an outer surface of the first or second web , or the single web, between the position of the opening end of the nozzle unit and the position of the second film joining unit, when the first and second webs , or the single webs, are joined by the second film joining unit;
A packaging manufacturing device, comprising: a second pressing section which presses one of the first and second original rolls or the single original roll from the outer surface of the first and second original rolls or the single original roll without pressing the packaged item; the second pressing section is positioned between the position of the first film joining section in the conveying direction and the position of the second film joining section, and upstream of the intermittent pressing section in the conveying direction. The packaging manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the intermittent pressing section is provided with a roll that is rotatable in the conveying direction of the first original roll and the second original roll or the single original roll and that abuts against one of the first original roll and the second original roll or the single original roll when pressing. The packaging manufacturing device according to claim 2, wherein the surface of the roll is made of an elastically deformable material. The packaging body manufacturing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3 , wherein the intermittent pressing unit further comprises a drive unit that moves the rolls toward and away from each other in a direction perpendicular to a conveying direction of the first web and the second web or the single web. The packaging manufacturing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the nozzle portion is arranged to extend along the conveying direction and supplies the gas flow along the conveying direction. The packaging manufacturing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein a first pressing section that presses one of the first and second original rolls or the single original roll and the item to be packaged from an outer surface of the one of the first and second original rolls or the single original roll to maintain the position of the item to be packaged relative to the first and second original rolls or the single original roll is arranged upstream of the intermittent pressing section in the conveying direction and in the vicinity of the opening end of the nozzle section. A packaging manufacturing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a third pressing section that presses one of the first and second original rolls or the single original roll from the outer surface is arranged between the position of the second film jointing section in the conveying direction and the position of the cutter section. A method for producing a package in which an item to be packaged is packaged in a film, comprising the steps of:
A method for manufacturing a package, comprising the steps of: manufacturing a package using the manufacturing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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