Form-fill-seal machine and bag-making packaging machine

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10507942-B2
Application number	US-201415037126-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 15, 2014
Priority date	Dec 3, 2013
Publication date	Dec 17, 2019
Grant date	Dec 17, 2019

Abstract

A form-fill-seal machine is configured to adjust for changes in the thickness of bags within a short time, and is provided with seal jaws, gas removal members, an air cylinder, and a control unit. The seal jaws transverse-seal a cylindrical film in a widthwise direction forming a bag. The gas removal members come into contact against the bag prior to transverse sealing of an upper edge part, discharging a gas upward from the bag. The air cylinder moves the gas removal members, switching the position of the gas removal members between a first position and a second position with respect to the seal jaws. The control unit, in a time slot just prior to the start of a transverse sealing action performed by the seal jaws, changes the timing of switching between the first position and the second position, and adjusts the amount of gas discharged from the bag.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A form-fill-seal machine for filling and hermetically sealing dry contents in a tube-shaped packaging material, the form-fill-seal machine comprising:
transverse sealing members for transverse-sealing the packaging material in the widthwise direction and forming a bag, the transverse sealing members being configured to move into contact with the packaging material during formation of the bag;
gas removal members arranged below the transverse sealing members, the gas removal members being moved into contact with the bag just prior to sealing of an upper edge by the transverse sealing members, and discharging a gas upwardly from the bag;
a movement mechanism for moving the gas removal members, switching the position of the gas removal members between at least a first position and a second position with respect to the transverse sealing members; and
a control mechanism that, in a time slot just prior to the start of a transverse sealing action performed by the transverse sealing members, changes the timing of switching between the first position and the second position, and adjusts the amount of gas discharged from the bag,
wherein the control mechanism, at a first switching time, switches the position of the gas removal members from the first position to the second position, increasing the amount of gas discharged from the bag; and, at a second switching time, switches the position of the gas removal members from the second position to the first position, decreasing the amount of gas discharged from the bag; and
the control mechanism sets the first switching time to precede the second switching time, and sets the second switching time to precede the time at which the transverse sealing action performed by the transverse sealing member commences, the control mechanism being configured to control the amount of gas discharged from the bag by making adjustments to the duration of the period for which the gas removal members are at the second position.

2. The form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1 , further comprising squeezing members arranged below the transverse sealing members, the squeezing members coming into contact with the bag just prior to transverse sealing by the transverse sealing members, and squeezing the bag downward.

3. The form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1 , further comprising a gas infusion mechanism for infusing the interior of the bag with a gas just prior to transverse sealing by the transverse sealing members.

4. The form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1 , wherein the movement mechanism has actuators for adjusting the position of the gas removal members, and air cylinders as power supplies for the actuators, and
the control mechanism further changes the pressure of the air cylinders, and adjusts the amount of gas discharged from the bag.

5. A form-fill-seal system comprising
the form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1 ; and
a thickness measurement mechanism for measuring the thickness of the bag hermetically sealed through transverse sealing by the transverse sealing members,
the control mechanism adjusting the amount of gas discharged from the bag, according to the bag thickness measured by the thickness measurement mechanism.

6. The form-fill-seal machine according to claim 1 , wherein
the dry contents filling the bag are food products.

7. A form-fill-seal machine for filling and hermetically sealing dry contents in a tube-shaped packaging material, the form-fill-seal machine comprising:
transverse sealing members for transverse-sealing the packaging material in the widthwise direction and forming a bag;
gas removal members arranged below the transverse sealing members, the gas removal members coming into contact with the bag just prior to sealing of an upper edge by the transverse sealing members, and discharging a gas upwardly from the bag;
a movement mechanism for moving the gas removal members, switching the position of the gas removal members between at least a first position and a second position with respect to the transverse sealing members; and
a control mechanism that, in a time slot just prior to the start of a transverse sealing action performed by the transverse sealing members, changes the timing of switching between the first position and the second position, and adjusts the amount of gas discharged from the bag,
wherein the control mechanism, at a first switching time, switches the position of the gas removal members from the first position to the second position, increasing the amount of gas discharged from the bag; and, at a second switching time, switches the position of the gas removal members from the second position to the first position, decreasing the amount of gas discharged from the bag; and
the control mechanism sets the first switching time to precede the second switching time, and sets the second switching time to precede the time at which the transverse sealing action performed by the transverse sealing member commences, the control mechanism being configured to control the amount of gas discharged from the bag by making adjustments to the duration of the period for which the gas removal members are at the second position.

8. The form-fill-seal machine according to claim 7 , wherein
the transverse sealing members for transverse-sealing are moved into contact with the packaging material during forming of the bag, and
the movement mechanism is configured to move the gas removal members into contact with the bag in order to discharge gas upwardly from the bag.

Assignees

• Ishida Seisakusho

Inventors

• Hashimoto Satoshi
• Ichikawa Makoto
• Yasuda Takahiro
• Koike Shinji

Classifications

• B65B9/2049

  Package shaping devices acting on filled tubes prior to sealing the filling opening (shaping or reshaping completed packages B65B61/24) · CPC title

• B65B9/2028

  Rollers or belts · CPC title

• B65B9/2007

  Means for stripping or squeezing filled tubes prior to sealing to remove air or products from sealing area · CPC title

• B29C66/8491

  welding through a filled container, e.g. tube or bag · CPC title

• B29C66/83241

  cooperating pivoting tools · CPC title