JPH0656119A - Vacuum packaging apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make the thickness of a vacuum vessel small to contrive to make the weight of the vessel lighter and to provide a vacuum packaging apparatus, in which vacuum packaging of a packaged material having a large thickness can also be performed easily. CONSTITUTION:In the title vacuum packaging apparatus, both ends in the vicinity of the upper opening of a bag P containing a packaged material is held by a bag-holding means 44 provided in the upper part in a vacuum vessel 3 so that the bag is suspended. Then, the lower part of the vacuum vessel 3 is formed into a cylindrical shape having an axis extending in the direction of width of the bag and the dimension of the cylindrical part 32 in the direction of thickness of the bag is made larger than that of the upper part.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a vacuum packaging device,
More specifically, the present invention relates to a vacuum packaging device of a type in which a bag containing food is hung vertically and held in a vacuum container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, vacuum packaging has been known as a means for improving the storability when storing foods. When carrying out this vacuum packaging in a general household, as a package, a package made of a synthetic resin having gas barrier properties, for example, polyethylene, is used to store items to be packaged, such as food, and after the air in the bag is discharged, the bag is opened. This is done by hermetically sealing the part.

As a device that can perform such vacuum packaging easily and reliably, for example, as shown in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-31217, the above-mentioned food products are stored in a container (vacuum container) which can be sealed. It is known that the bag is put into the container, the container itself is evacuated, and then the opening of the bag is heat-sealed.

[0004]

In such a vacuum packaging apparatus, since the structure of the vacuum container receives an atmospheric pressure load when the inside is depressurized by vacuum evacuation, it is usually a thick aluminum casting or metal. It was formed of a thick plate. Furthermore, like block-shaped meat and root vegetables such as potatoes and radishes,
In order to vacuum-package an object to be packaged having a large thickness, it is necessary to deepen the depth of the vacuum container, which further increases the size of the container and requires the use of a thicker material for strength. For this reason, the entire apparatus becomes heavy, and it is not possible to easily handle it in a general household, and the product price also increases.

In recent years, a self-standing packaging bag called a standing pouch has been used as the vacuum packaging bag. The characteristic of this standing pouch is that, unlike the flat pouch, the bottom part is widened to be self-supporting when the object to be packaged is put therein. Therefore, when liquid foodstuffs or foods containing solids are filled in the bag, they are collected at the bottom of the bag and become considerably thick.

When the bag in such a state is put in a box-shaped vacuum container designed for a normal flat pouch and vacuum-packed, the thickness of the object to be packed in the bag is made uniform vertically. It was necessary to put it in a vacuum container and handle it with caution.

In view of the above, the present invention aims to reduce the thickness of the vacuum container to reduce the weight thereof, and to easily vacuum-package an object to be packaged such as a meat block having a large thickness.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a vacuum packaging device that is also suitable for vacuum packaging using a standing pouch.

[0008]

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention has both ends near the upper opening of the bag containing the article to be packaged by the holding means provided in the upper part of the vacuum container. In a vacuum packaging device that holds a portion and suspends the bag, the lower portion of the vacuum container is formed into a cylindrical shape having an axis line in the width direction of the bag, and the thickness direction of the bag of the cylindrical portion is The size of the bag is larger than that of the upper part, and the holding means for the bag is provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction and is biased upward by an elastic member.

[0009]

[Operation] According to the above configuration, since the portion that receives the atmospheric pressure load is formed in a cylindrical shape, sufficient strength can be obtained even if it is formed thin. Further, since the lower portion of the vacuum container is formed large, it is possible to easily perform vacuum packaging of a packaged object having a large thickness and vacuum packaging using a standing pouch.

[0010]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below in more detail based on an embodiment shown in the drawings.

The vacuum packaging device 1 is composed of a base 2 for accommodating a control unit and the like, a vacuum container 3 provided on the base, and a seal unit 4 provided in the vacuum container 3. As shown in FIG. 3, the base 2 is provided with a vacuum pump 21 for operating the vacuum packaging device 1, an electric circuit 22 for control, a solenoid valve 23, etc., and a front surface thereof. A switch for operation and the like (not shown) are provided.

The vacuum container 3 includes the seal unit 4
And a box-shaped end plate 32 at both ends thereof, which has a box-shaped portion 31 for arranging the same and an axis line in the width direction of the bag P accommodated in the vacuum container 3.
It has a shape in which a cylindrical portion 32 having a diameter larger than the depth of the box-shaped portion 31 is continuously provided in the vertical direction, and the front-rear direction is divided into two parts with the center line as a boundary, and the front side is the bottom part. The hinge 33 is provided so as to open downward in the front direction. Further, a circumferential packing 34 is provided on the contact surface of the divided portion of the vacuum container 3, and an upper portion is provided with
A locking portion 35 for holding the closed state is provided.

The seal unit 4 also includes a fixed portion 41 fixed to the inner wall of the box-shaped portion 31 of the vacuum container 3 and a movable plate 43 attached to the fixed portion 41 via a hinge 42 so as to be openable and closable. The fixed portion 41 has a bag holding means 44 having a pair of pins 44a and 44b for holding the bag P containing the article to be packaged, the fixed seal bar 45, and the closed position of the movable portion 43. And a stopper 46 for the purpose.

On one movable plate 43, a movable seal bar 47 facing the fixed seal bar 45 is provided with a guide pin 4.
The movable seal bar 47 is provided with a wedge-shaped projection 49 so as to project therefrom. An air bag 50 that pushes the movable seal bar 47 toward the fixed seal bar 45 is provided between the back surface of the movable seal bar 47 and the movable plate 43.

The pair of pins 44 of the bag holding means 44
The a and 44b are provided such that one pin 44a located on the wedge-shaped projection 49 side is movable in the horizontal and vertical directions, and the other pin 44b is movable in the vertical direction. One pin 44a is used for the horizontal spring 5
1, the other pin 44b is urged in the direction of the other pin 44b, and both pins 44a and 44b are urged upward by the spring 52 in the vertical direction.

Therefore, the one pin 44a is positioned above the other pin 44b by the springs 51 and 52, and the other pin 44b is positioned above the spring 52. ing.

Then, when the upper portion of the bag P accommodating the object to be packaged such as food is suspended between the pins 44a and 44b, the weight of the bag P causes the pins 44a and 44b to resist the urging force of the spring 52. Then, the bag P moves downward, the bottom of the bag P is supported by the bottom surface of the vacuum container 3, and the upper part of the bag P is lifted by the action of the spring 52 with an appropriate force.

When the vacuum in the vacuum container 3 is completed and the opening of the bag is heat-sealed, the air bag 5 is used.
0 swells to attach the movable seal bar 47 to the fixed seal bar 45.
When pushed in the direction, the wedge-shaped projection 49 is formed so as to move the pin 44a in a direction away from the other pin 44b.

Here, a method of using the vacuum packaging device having the above structure will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 4, the front side of the vacuum container 3 is opened to the front lower side, the movable plate 43 of the seal unit 4 is opened to the front side, and a bag in which items to be packaged such as food items are stored. The small holes formed at both upper ends of P are locked to the pins 44a and 44b, respectively. In this state, the bag P is held in a state in which the width direction of the opening is slightly relaxed, and the opening is slightly opened. In addition, the pins 44a and 44b move downward depending on the weight of the object to be packaged in the bag, and when a bag of a predetermined size is used, the bottom of the bag is supported by the bottom surface of the vacuum container 3. It becomes a state.

Next, after closing the movable plate 43 and the front side of the vacuum container 3, the necessary items such as evacuation time are set and a start switch is turned on to activate the device to activate the inside of the vacuum container 3 and the bag P. Evacuate. When the predetermined evacuation is completed, the atmosphere is introduced into the air bag 50 of the seal unit 4 to inflate the air bag 50 and push the movable seal bar 47 toward the fixed seal bar 45. At this time, as the movable seal bar 47 moves, the wedge-shaped projections 4
9 contacts the pin 44a, and its tapered surface causes the pin 44a
Is moved in a direction away from the other pin 44b to close the opening of the bag, and then both seal bars 45 and 47 are pressed to sandwich the opening of the bag P. In this state, the heating element provided on the seal bar is energized to heat seal the opening of the bag P.

After that, the vacuum pump is stopped and the solenoid valve is opened and closed to introduce the atmosphere into the vacuum container 3 to return the inside of the vacuum container 3 to the atmospheric pressure, so that the front side of the vacuum container 3 and the seal unit are sealed. The movable plate 43 of No. 4 may be opened to the front, and the bag P after vacuum packaging may be taken out.

In the vacuum packaging apparatus of the present invention, as shown in the above embodiment, since the lower portion of the vacuum container 3 is formed in a cylindrical shape, the strength against an atmospheric pressure load is improved and the vacuum container 3 is made of a thin material. Can be formed. Further, by forming the cylindrical portion 32 to be larger than the upper box-shaped portion 31, even if the objects to be packaged having a large thickness in the lower portion of the bag P are concentrated in the lower portion of the bag, the bag can be hung up as it is. It can be lowered and vacuum-packed, and a standing pouch in which the lower part of the bag expands can also be used. In particular, when the pair of pins 44a and 44b of the bag holding means 44 are formed to be movable up and down and the spring 52 urges them upward with an appropriate force, a bag P of a predetermined size is held. Since most of the weight can be received by the bottom surface of the vacuum container 3, it is possible to prevent damage to the bag and the pins, and to reliably carry out vacuum packaging of a high-temperature object to be packaged.

The construction of the sealing unit and the sealing procedure are not limited to those in the above embodiment, and the sealing unit and the vacuum container may be detachably formed. Further, the control at the time of performing vacuum packaging is also arbitrary, and it is possible to employ an optimum control means as appropriate.

Next, an experimental example in which food is vacuum-packed using the apparatus of the above-mentioned embodiment will be described. First, as the vacuum container, a container having inner dimensions of 300 mm in length and 260 mm in width, an inner diameter of a cylindrical portion of 80 mm, and a depth of a box portion of 60 mm was injection-molded with ABS / PC resin. The wall thickness at this time was 3.5 mm.

On the other hand, approximately the same inner size (300 × 260 × 6)
In the case of a box-shaped vacuum container having 0), if the same material is used, it is necessary to make the wall thickness about 12 mm, the outer dimension is increased by 17 mm, and the amount of the material used is about 5 times.

Block meat for baked pork having a diameter of about 60 mm and a length of about 200 mm was placed in a standing pouch made of synthetic resin having a length of 250 mm and a width of 210 mm, and 50 ml of broth was added thereto for vacuum packaging.

As a result, in the conventional box-shaped vacuum container, the diameter of the block meat is large depending on the location, and the depth of the vacuum container is larger due to the accumulation of broth.
As it was, it could not be stored in the vacuum container, and it was necessary to crush the block meat to flatten it and set it in the vacuum container. For this reason, the appearance of the finished vacuum package was extremely poor.

On the other hand, in the case of the apparatus of the above-described embodiment, the cylindrical portion sufficiently absorbs the excessive bulge at the bottom of the bag due to the uneven diameter of the block meat and the pool of broth, which facilitates the setting in the vacuum container. The resulting vacuum package was good in appearance.

[0029]

As described above, since the vacuum packaging device of the present invention is provided with the large-diameter cylindrical portion in the lower portion of the vacuum container, even a large lump of block meat, potatoes, radish, etc. can be vacuumed as it is. It can be packaged, and because of its shape, the strength against an atmospheric pressure load can be improved and the thickness of the container wall can be reduced, so that the overall weight and cost of the device can be reduced. In addition, the bag holding means can be moved up and down and urged upward by the elastic member so that the weight of the bag containing the objects to be packaged can be received at the bottom of the container, and the bag is suspended in the air and damaged. Can be prevented.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an embodiment of a vacuum packaging device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view of the same.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the same.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a state in which a vacuum container is opened.

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Vacuum packaging device 2 ... Base 21 ... Vacuum pump 3 ... Vacuum container 31 ... Box-shaped part 32 ... Cylindrical-shaped part
34 ... Packing 4 ... Sealing unit 44 ... Bag holding means 44a,
44b ... Pin 45 ... Fixed seal bar 47 ... Movable seal bar 4
9 ... Wedge-shaped projections 50 ... Air bags 51, 52 ...
spring

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A vacuum packaging apparatus for holding both ends of a bag accommodating an object to be packaged in the vicinity of an upper opening of the bag by a holding means provided in an upper part of the vacuum container to suspend the bag. A vacuum packaging device, wherein a lower portion is formed into a cylindrical shape having an axis line in the width direction of the bag, and a dimension of the cylindrical portion in the thickness direction of the bag is larger than that of the upper portion. 2. The vacuum packaging apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the bag holding means is provided so as to be movable in a vertical direction and is biased upward by an elastic member.