Continuous packing apparatus

A continuous packing apparatus providing a cylindrical net supply source for supplying a cylindrical long packing net, an inner sliding member to be inserted in the cylindrical net so as to be vertically moved, a support member for externally supporting the inner sliding member through the cylindrical net with the inner sliding member inserted in the cylindrical net, a moving member for lifting up the support member, an upper support member for supporting the upper end of the cylindrical net moved upward with being opened, a stator for removably fixing the middle portion of the cylindrical net moved upward, a cutter for vertically cutting a portion just under a fixing position, a heater for heating and melting an upper cut portion so as to form a net bag, and a hopper for putting goods to be packed into the net bag through the opening of its upper end.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a continuous packing apparatus. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
In the case where confectionery, fruit and the like are put into a net bag 
for sale, it is difficult to expand the aperture of the net bag so as to 
put them thereinto. Consequently, there have been invented various means. 
However, there has not been proposed a method of performing packing 
continuously, automatically and efficiently. 
Conventionally, there has been adopted a step of expanding the inlet of a 
cylindrical long packing net 1 such that goods 16 to be packed can easily 
be put thereinto. In addition, there has been adopted a step of cutting 
the cylindrical long packing net 1 to have a constant length and closing 
its bottom by means of an adhesive or the like before the goods 16 to be 
packed are put into the cylindrical long packing net 1. Consequently, 
efficiency is decreased significantly. 
It is an object of the present invention to provide a continuous packing 
apparatus in which the above-mentioned steps can be carried out 
automatically, reliably and continuously. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention provides a continuous packing apparatus comprising a 
cylindrical net supply source for supplying a cylindrical long packing 
net, cylindrical net moving means for externally supporting the 
cylindrical net supplied from the cylindrical net supply source, and for 
moving the same upward, an upper support member for supporting the upper 
end of the cylindrical net while being opened, net bag forming means for 
removably fixing the middle portion of the cylindrical net moved upward, 
vertically cutting a portion just under a fixing position and blocking an 
upper cut portion so as to form a net bag, and a hopper for putting goods 
to be packed into the net bag through the opening of its upper end, 
wherein the cylindrical net moving means includes an inner sliding member 
to be inserted in the cylindrical net so as to be vertically moved, a 
support member for externally supporting the inner sliding member through 
the cylindrical net with the inner sliding member inserted in the 
cylindrical net, and a moving member for lifting up the support member. 
According to the present invention, the inner sliding member inserted in 
the cylindrical net is combined and interlocked with the outer support 
member, so that the cylindrical net can easily be supported and moved. 
Consequently, a series of packing operations can be performed. 
No particular restrictions are imposed on the shape of the inner sliding 
member. It is sufficient that the inner sliding member may be formed so as 
to be vertically moved through the cylindrical net while expanding the 
same. Preferred examples of the shape of the inner sliding member include 
a cylinder integrated with a cone, the combinations of a cylinder and a 
hemisphere, a square pole and a square cone (of which corners are rounded 
off, for example, a square or rectangle), an elliptic cylinder and an 
elliptic cone, an elliptic cylinder and a semiellipse, a polygonal 
cylinder and a polygonal cone (of which corners are rounded off, for 
example, a regular or irregular polygonal cylinder). and the like. 
The inner sliding member is inserted in the cylindrical net and is 
vertically moved in the cylindrical net correspondingly to each step of 
the packing operations. In this case, the inner sliding member is directly 
or indirectly supported by the support member through the cylindrical net 
externally. By way of example, the inner sliding member may directly be 
supported and lifted up through the cylindrical net by the support member 
(with which the inner sliding member comes in contact), and may then fall 
down by self-respect. Furthermore, the inner sliding member may indirectly 
be moved vertically by a magnetic force to be applied to the support 
member (with which the inner sliding member does not come in contact). In 
addition, the inner sliding member may directly be moved vertically 
through the cylindrical net by a roller as the support member (with which 
the inner sliding member comes in contact).

PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
There are used an inner sliding member 2 having a smooth outer face shown 
in FIGS. 2 to 4 and an operating device 17 shown in FIG. 5 as a continuous 
packing apparatus 30 for performing continuous packing by means of a 
cylindrical long packing net 1. 
As shown in FIG. 1, the cylindrical long packing net 1 is supplied in the 
form of a thick string wound onto a roll 20. 
It is necessary to extend the string so as to have the shape of the 
cylindrical long packing net 1. 
It is required that the cylindrical long packing net 1 like a string is 
supplied from the lower roll 20 and is continuously pulled up to expand 
its aperture such that goods (confectionery) 16 to be packed can easily be 
put thereinto. 
The operating device 17 shown in FIG. 5 mainly comprises a ring-shaped 
support fitting 3, an elevator (with a built-in servomotor or air 
cylinder) 18 for causing the support fitting 3 to go up and down, a rail 
19, a ring-shaped upper fitting 10, a holder 4 for pressing and supporting 
the cylindrical long packing net 1 together with the upper fitting 10 with 
the aperture of the Cylindrical long packing net 1 expanded, a hopper 15 
coaxially provided on the top of the holder 4, a clamp 5, a clamp 11, a 
cutter 12, a heat source 13, and a saucer 14. The reference numeral 9 
denotes a force pin erected on the support fitting 3. The reference 
numeral 4a denotes a flange of the holder 4 for pressing the aperture of 
the cylindrical long packing net 1 together with the upper fitting 10. The 
reference numeral 21 denotes a coil spring. The reference numeral 22 
denotes a support shaft of the coil spring 21. The reference numeral 23 
denotes a cylinder. The reference numeral 24 denotes a basic wall. The 
reference numeral 25 denotes an upper plate. The reference numeral 26 
denotes a lower plate. 
The continuous packing apparatus 15 having the above-mentioned structure is 
operated by the operating device 17 as shown in FIGS. 6 to 15. 
As shown in FIG. 6, the cylindrical long packing net 1 supplied from the 
roll 20 has its aperture slightly expanded by inserting the inner sliding 
member 2 therein. 
As shown in FIG. 7, the inner sliding member (or shuttle) 2 is supported by 
the support fitting 3 through the cylindrical long packing net 1 
externally. The support fitting 3 is pushed up to a constant height h 
together with the cylindrical long packing net 1 along the rail 19 by 
means of the elevator 18. In this case, the cylindrical long packing net 1 
is fixed by the clamp 5. Thus, before support fitting 3 is pushed up the 
constant height h, clamp 5 clamps onto cylindrical long packing net 1, 
thereby drawing or sliding the net down from above supporting fitting 3. 
The sliding between the cylindrical long packing net 1 and the inner 
sliding member 2 causes the aperture of the cylindrical long packing net 1 
to expand greatly in order to be easily fixed to the holder 4. 
As shown in FIG. 8, the clamp 5 is opened and the cylindrical long packing 
net 1 having the aperture expanded is pulled up to a height H at which the 
upper fitting 10 is pushed up. Then, the elevator 18 falls down so that 
the cylindrical long packing net 1 is interposed between the upper fitting 
10 and the holder 4 through which the goods (confectionery) 16 to be 
packed pass. Thus, as shown FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, when inner sliding member 2 
is moved up, holder 4 fits within inner sliding member 2 so that the 
packing net 1 is pulled up to surround the holder 4, and when the inner 
sliding member 2 is lowered, the net 1 is trapped between flange 4a of 
holder 4 and upper fitting 10. Thereafter, the inner sliding member 2 
slides down through the cylindrical long packing net 1 as shown in FIG. 9, 
and returns to a position in FIG. 6 as shown in FIG. 10. 
The middle portion of the cylindrical long packing net 1 having no inner 
sliding member 2 is held by the clamp 11 (FIG. 11), and is then cut by the 
cutter 12 (FIG. 12). A Cut portion is melted and sealed by the heat source 
13. Consequently, the cylindrical long packing net 1 is transformed into a 
constant slender bag (see FIG. 13). When a given quantity of goods 
(confectionery) 16 to be packed are put into the cylindrical long packing 
net 1 through the holder 4 as shown in FIG. 14, the cylindrical long 
packing net 1 is supported by the saucer 14 transferred in a transverse 
direction as shown in FIG. 15. In addition, the upper fitting 10 is lifted 
up by the cylinder 23 through the support shaft 22, so that the 
cylindrical long packing net 1 is removed from the upper fitting 10. 
Consequently, the state shown in FIG. 6 is returned. 
In order to repeat the steps shown in FIGS. 6 to 15, the goods 16 can also 
be packed by continuous operations with each means provided on the 
circumference differently from the operating device shown in FIG. 5. 
According to the present invention, the goods 16 can be packed by the 
cylindrical long packing net 1 with the use of the inner sliding member 2 
automatically, continuously and very quickly. 
For reference, specific examples of the dimensions and materials of the 
packing apparatus, the packing net and the like are as follows. It is 
necessary to change the following dimensions according to the sizes of the 
net and goods to be packed. 
i) Inner sliding member 2 (see FIG. 4) 
Same diameter portion a:6.5 cm 
Slanting portion b:8.0 cm 
Diameter D:13.0 cm 
Material:Al (NiP treatment) 
ii) Packing net 1 (see FIG. 1) 
Strand size:6 mm 
Mesh:5 mm.times.5 mm 
Overall size in a natural state:about 20 cm .phi. 
Material:Polyethylene resin 
iii) Goods 16 to be packed 
Diameter of confectionery (drops):about 3 cm 
iv) Others 
H:10 cm (FIG. 7) 
H:35 cm (FIG. 8) 
c:15 cm (FIG. 12) 
m:15.5 Cm (FIG. 12)