Patent ID: 9321547
Filing Date: 2016-04-26
CPC Classification: B65B

Claim Text:
1. A packaging machine that drops articles into a packaging material formed in a tubular shape and seals the packaging material making a bag with the articles packaged therein, the packaging machine comprising: a pair of sealing jaws configured to move between a jaw open position and a jaw closed position such that in the jaw open position the pair of sealing jaws are spaced apart from the packaging material, and in the jaw closed position the pair of sealing jaws hold the packaging material therebetween in a direction intersecting a conveyance direction of the packaging material and configured to seal the packaging material in the jaw closed position, the conveying direction being vertical; a pair of rotating brushes configured to undergo reciprocating movement in a horizontal direction at a vertical location relative to the conveyance direction between a brush open position and a brush closed position so as to alternate between moving toward each other from the brush open position to the brush closed position and away from each other from the brush closed position to the brush open position with the packaging material extending therebetween such that in response to being moved to the brush closed position the pair of rotating brushes contact the packaging material while rotating with the packaging material therebetween to impede advancement of the articles in the conveyance direction, the rotating brushes being disposed upstream from the sealing jaws relative to the conveyance direction; a shutter mechanism configured to move between a shutter open position and a shutter closed position, such that in the shutter closed position the shutter mechanism holds a portion of the packaging material during the sealing of the packaging material by the pair of sealing jaws, the shutter mechanism being disposed upstream from the pair of sealing jaws and downstream from the pair of rotating brushes relative to the conveyance direction; and a controller configured to control timing operation of the sealing jaws, control timing operation of the shutter mechanism and control timing operation of the pair of rotating brushes in the following sequential order: operating the pair of rotating brushes to begin moving horizontally from the brush open position toward the brush closed position; operating the shutter mechanism to begin movement from the shutter open position toward the shutter closed position; thereafter operating the pair of sealing jaws to begin movement from the jaw open position toward the jaw closed position; thereafter controlling the shutter mechanism to cease movement once in the shutter closed position while controlling the pair of rotating brushes to begin moving to the brush open position away from the brush closed position and the packaging material in order to begin releasing the packaging material, further operating the sealing jaws to complete movement to the jaw closed position such that the pair of rotating brushes begin moving away from the brush closed position after the pair of sealing jaws begin moving from the jaw open position toward the jaw closed position but before the sealing jaws complete movement to the jaw closed position.