Method and apparatus of supplying a bag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10532841-B2
Application number	US-201815987073-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	May 24, 2017
Publication date	Jan 14, 2020
Grant date	Jan 14, 2020

Abstract

A method and an apparatus of supplying a bag are provided in which position information on a bag width in a direction parallel to a conveyance path at a part in a neighborhood of a bag opening of a conveyed bag and position information on a center of the bag width are obtained, an intermittent conveyance distance of a conveyance unit is adjusted based on the position information on the center of the bag width so that the center of the bag width of the bag stopping at a takeoff position is placed on a reference plane, and an interval of the pair of holding members positioned at the takeoff position is adjusted based on the position information on the bag width.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of supplying a bag, comprising the steps of:
placing a bag on a conveyance unit, the bag being filled with a solid material and having an unsealed bag opening;
conveying the bag in a substantial width direction of the bag along a predetermined conveyance path while keeping the bag in a substantially horizontal posture; and
causing a pair of holding members to hold both side edges of a part in a neighborhood of the bag opening of the bag at a takeoff position set on the conveyance path, and subsequently causing the pair of holding members to transfer the bag to a delivery position along a predetermined transfer pathway, wherein:
one vertical plane perpendicular to the conveyance path is set as a reference plane,
an interval of the pair of holding members holding the both side edges of the bag which has been conveyed to the takeoff position is adjusted to correspond to a bag width which is in a direction parallel to the conveyance path and which is detected at a part in a neighborhood of the bag opening of the bag, and
both a center of the bag width of the bag which has been conveyed to the takeoff position and a center of the pair of holding members holding the both side edges of the bag are situated on the reference plane.

2. The method of supplying a bag as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the conveyance unit intermittently conveys the bag and halts the bag at the takeoff position,
position information on the bag width and position information on a center of the bag width are detected in course of conveyance carried out by the conveyance unit, the interval of the pair of holding members holding the both side edges of the bag halting at the takeoff position is adjusted according to the detected position information, an intermittent conveyance distance of the conveyance unit is adjusted, and thereby the center of the bag width of the bag halting at the takeoff position is situated on the reference plane.

3. The method of supplying a bag as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
an inclination angle of the bag with respect to the conveyance path is detected in course of conveyance carried out by the conveyance unit,
the interval of the holding members holding the both side edges of the bag conveyed to the takeoff position is adjusted to correspond to a bag width in a direction parallel to the width direction of the bag calculated based on the inclination angle and the bag width,
an alignment direction of the pair of holding members with respect to the conveyance path is adjusted based on the inclination angle, and thereby the alignment direction of the pair of holding members holding the both side edges of the bag conveyed to the takeoff position is parallel to the width direction of the bag, and
the alignment direction of the pair of holding members is returned to an original condition on the transfer pathway.

4. The method of supplying a hag as defined in claim 1 , wherein the pair of holding members swings around an axis perpendicular to the reference plane within a range of approximately 90 degrees, and while the bag is transferred from the takeoff position to the delivery position, posture of the bag is changed from a substantially horizontal posture to a substantially vertical posture.

5. The method of supplying a bag as defined in claim 1 , wherein:
the conveyance unit continuously conveys the bag at a constant speed,
the pair of holding members is able to be transferred in the direction parallel to the conveyance path, and before the bag reaches the takeoff position, the pair of holding members follows the bag and the interval of the pair of holding members is gradually narrowed while the holding members are positioned on an upstream side and on a downstream side of the bag respectively,
in course of conveyance carried out by the conveyance unit, position information on the bag width and position information on a center of the bag width are detected, a movement speed of the pair of holding members following the bag is adjusted according to the detected position information, the interval of the pair of holding members holding the both side edges of the bag which has been conveyed to the takeoff position is adjusted, and when the bag is conveyed to the takeoff position and the center of the bag width reaches the reference plane, the center of the pair of holding members simultaneously reaches the reference plane.

6. The method of supplying a bag as defined in claim 5 , wherein, when the bag is conveyed to the takeoff position and the center of the bag width reaches the reference plane, the movement of the pair of holding members in the direction parallel to the conveyance path is halted.

7. The method of supplying a bag as defined in claim 5 , wherein the pair of holding members is transferred at a same speed as the bag until the bag is conveyed to the takeoff position and the center of the bag width reaches a position which is set to be distanced from the reference plane on a downstream side by a predetermined distance.

8. The method of supplying a bag as defined in claim 1 , wherein, while the bag is transferred on the transfer pathway or after the bag reaches the delivery position, the interval of the pair of holding members is enlarged to strain the bag opening of the bag.

9. The method of supplying a bag as defined in claim 8 , wherein the interval of the pair of holding members is enlarged according to a nominal width of the bag.

10. The method of supplying a bag as defined in claim 8 , wherein, when the interval of the pair of holding members is enlarged, a degree of tension of the bag is detected, and the interval of the pair of holding members is adjusted according to the detected degree of tension.

11. An apparatus of supplying a bag, comprising:
a conveyance unit on which a bag being filled with a solid material and having an unsealed bag opening is placed and which intermittently conveys the bag in a substantial width direction of the bag along a predetermined conveyance path while keeping the bag in a substantially horizontal posture; and
a pair of holding members which holds both side edges of a part in a neighborhood of the bag opening of the bag at a takeoff position set on the conveyance path and is transferred to a delivery position along a predetermined transfer pathway, wherein:
one vertical plane perpendicular to the conveyance path is set as a reference plane,
the conveyance unit includes a first servo motor serving as a driving source,
the apparatus of supplying a bag further comprises a bag transfer unit, a detection unit and a control device and the bag transfer unit includes the pair of holding members,
the bag transfer unit further includes: a second servo motor adjusting an interval of the pair of holding members; and a reciprocating transfer mechanism which transfers the pair of holding members back and forth between the takeoff position and the delivery position,
a center of the pair of holding members is situated on the reference plane at the takeoff position,
the detection unit is provided on an upstream side of the conveyance path with respect to the takeoff position and detects position information on a bag width in a direction parallel to the conveyance path at a part in a neighborhood of the bag opening of the bag conveyed by the conveyance unit and position information on a center of the bag width, and
the control device controls the first servo motor according to the position information on the center of the bag width detected by the detection unit so as to adjust an intermittent conveyance distance of the conveyance unit in such a manner that the center of the bag width of the bag which halts at the takeoff posi

Assignees

• Toyo Jidoki Kk

Inventors

• Yamagata Akihiro
• Nishiguchi Shinobu
• Honda Yasuyuki
• Fukunaga Kazuo
• Morino Manabu

Classifications

• B65G47/61

  for articles · CPC title

• B65B51/146

  Closing bags · CPC title

• B65G2203/0225

  Orientation of the article · CPC title

• B65B43/465

  for bags · CPC title

• B65G2201/0238

  Bags · CPC title