Patent ID: 7681830
Filing Date: 2010-03-23
Classification: B65B,B65H

Abstract:
1. A film supplying apparatus comprising: a receiving member that holds the beginning end of a first or second film in a standby state; a joining mechanism disposed near said receiving member, that joins said films to each other in a joining position; a roller that reels in from a film roll at least one of said first and second films in use; a sensor that detects a tape applied to a seam joint of said first and second films; a cutter that cuts off a portion of said film in use which is disposed upstream of a joined region thereof, in a cutting position which is disposed downstream of said sensor with respect to the direction in which said film is fed; a rotary support supporting two roll holding members on which said film rolls are rotatably mounted, said rotary support being rotatable about a support shaft to positionally reverse said film rolls through 180°; a pair of a plurality of guide rollers disposed on a circumferential surface of said rotary support extending concentrically with a center of said support shaft in symmetrical position; wherein said rotary support is selectively movable between a first in-use posture in which said first film is a film in use and in which said second film is a standby film and a second in-use posture which is reversed 180° from said first in-use posture and in which said first film is a standby film and said second film is a film in use, wherein said cutter cuts off a portion of said film in use which is disposed downstream of said tape, based on a detected result from said sensor; said joining mechanism joins the cut end of said film in use and the end of said first or second film held in the standby state, to each other; and the guide rollers are located between said cutter and said sensor in the in-use posture.