Gas pressure testing device for a gas compartment portion of a bag

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9625340-B2
Application number	US-201414267566-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 1, 2014
Priority date	May 2, 2013
Publication date	Apr 18, 2017
Grant date	Apr 18, 2017

Abstract

A gas pressure testing device, which is for checking pressure of gas inside the gas compartment portion of a bag, including: a pressing member ( 31 ) disposed on one side of the bag, a receiving member ( 38 ) positioned on another side of the bag, and a movable support member ( 39 ) having thereon the pressing member and a distance sensor ( 32 ). The pressing member being kept urged toward the gas compartment portion by air cylinder ( 44 ) is moved toward the bag so that the gas compartment portion is sandwiched by the pressing member and the receiving member. The distance sensor measures the distance (D) at such time to the pressing member and sends a distance signal to a control unit ( 37 ). Based on the distance signal, the control unit determines whether or not the gas pressure in the gas compartment portion is within a preset range.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A gas pressure testing device for checking the pressure of gas charged in a gas compartment portion of a bag in which the gas compartment portion is formed integrally therein and extends in a longitudinal direction in a sealed side edge portion of the bag, said gas pressure testing device being comprised of a measuring unit and a control unit,
wherein said measuring unit is comprised of:
a pressing member which is disposed on one side of a bag equipped with a gas compartment portion and suspended by being clamped at top portions of two lateral edges of the bag by a pair of grippers and which is moved forward and backward in a thickness direction of the bag to press the gas compartment portion when moved forward,
a receiving member which is disposed on another side of the bag and is positioned in a receiving position on a back side of the gas compartment portion,
a support member which supports the pressing member on a rear side of the pressing member so as to move the pressing member in a forward or rearward direction while urging the pressing member forward,
a drive source which moves the support member forward and rearward through a predetermined stroke, and
a distance sensor which is provided on the rear side of the pressing member, is moved forward and backward together with the support member by the drive source, and measures a distance to the pressing member; and
said distance sensor measures a distance between the distance sensor and the pressing member when the pressing member is moved forward by the support member moved forward by the drive source and sandwiches the gas compartment portion between the pressing member and the receiving member which is positioned in the receiving position; and

wherein said control unit determines whether or not a pressure of gas that is filled in the gas compartment portion is within a preset range based on signals from the distance sensor.

2. The gas pressure testing device according to claim 1 , wherein
said support member is comprised of a moving member coupled to said drive source and an air cylinder installed on the moving member,
said distance sensor is provided on the moving member,
said pressing member is provided on a piston rod of the air cylinder, and
the air cylinder is provided with a cylinder room which is installed on an opposite side from the piston rod and has therein compressed air under a predetermined pressure.

3. The gas pressure testing device according to claim 2 , wherein said receiving member is provided so as to be movable, at a predetermined timing, between the receiving position and a retracted position which is away from the bag.

4. The gas pressure testing device according claim 3 , wherein said control unit determines whether or not the pressure of gas in the gas compartment portion is within the preset range based on whether or not the distance to the pressing member is within a predetermined range.

5. The gas pressure testing device according claim 2 , wherein said control unit determines whether or not the pressure of gas in the gas compartment portion is within the preset range based on whether or not the distance to the pressing member is within a predetermined range.

6. The gas pressure testing device according to claim 1 , wherein said receiving member is provided so as to be movable, at a predetermined timing, between the receiving position and a retracted position which is away from the bag.

7. The gas pressure testing device according claim 6 , wherein said control unit determines whether or not the pressure of gas in the gas compartment portion is within the preset range based on whether or not the distance to the pressing member is within a predetermined range.

8. The gas pressure testing device according claim 1 , wherein said control unit determines whether or not the pressure of gas in the gas compartment portion is within the preset range based on whether or not the distance to the pressing member is within a predetermined range.

9. A gas charging apparatus provided with a plurality of pairs of bag-conveying grippers that clamp top portions of two lateral edges of a bag and convey the bag intermittently along a predetermined bag conveying path, the bag being integrally formed therein with a gas compartment portion extending in a longitudinal direction in a side edge seal portion of the bag and having a gas inlet which is formed in a film sheet constituting a gas introduction section of the gas compartment portion and places an exterior of the bag in communication with an interior of the gas compartment portion, and said gas charging apparatus, while conveying the bag intermittently along the bag conveying path, injects gas into the gas compartment portion through the gas inlet and subsequently encapsulates the gas in the gas compartment portion,
wherein
said gas charging apparatus is provided with the gas pressure testing device for the gas compartment portion of the bag according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , and
said measuring unit is disposed in the vicinity of a predetermined gripper stop position along the bag conveying path.

10. A rotary packaging apparatus provided with a plurality of pairs of left and right bag-conveying grippers that clamp top portions of two lateral edges of a bag and convey the bag intermittently along a circular bag conveying path, the bag being integrally formed therein with a gas compartment portion extending in the longitudinal direction in a side edge seal portion of the bag and having a gas inlet that is formed in a film sheet constituting a gas introduction section of the gas compartment portion and places an exterior of the bag in communication with an interior of the gas compartment portion, and said rotary packaging apparatus, while conveying the bag intermittently along the bag conveying path, fills material to be packaged in the bag and injects gas into the gas compartment portion through the gas inlet and subsequently encapsulates the gas in the gas compartment portion,
wherein
said rotary packaging apparatus is provided with the gas pressure testing device for a gas compartment portion according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , and
said measuring unit is disposed in the vicinity of a predetermined gripper stop position along the bag conveying path.

Assignees

• Toyo Jidoki Kk

Inventors

• Yoshikane Tohru
• Morishige Shota

Classifications

• G01L19/00 Primary

  Details of, or accessories for, apparatus for measuring steady or quasi-steady pressure of a fluent medium insofar as such details or accessories are not special to particular types of pressure gauges · CPC title

• B65B31/048 Primary

  specially adapted for wrappers or bags · CPC title

• B65B43/465

  for bags · CPC title

• G01M3/363

  the structure being removably mounted in a test cell · CPC title

• B65B31/00

  Packaging articles or materials under special atmospheric or gaseous conditions; Adding propellants to aerosol containers · CPC title