Packaging machine and weighing apparatus

A packaging machine and a weighing apparatus low in equipment cost, small in installation space, and allowing a reduction in time required from the manufacture of packaged bodies to the completion of weighing to increase productivity. The stick packaged bodies are weighed by a weighing load cell in the housing of the stick packaging machine. Accordingly, the stick packaged bodies must not be fed to a weighing stage apart from the packaging machine by a belt conveyor. Therefore, the equipment cost can be reduced, and the installation space for the stick packaged bodies including peripheral equipment can also be reduced. In addition, the productivity can be increased since the time required for the stick packaged bodies to pass a weighing requirement to be formed in products is shortened.

FIELD OF THE ART

The present invention relates to a packaging machine and a weighing machine, and specifically relates to an improvement of a packaging machine for manufacturing packaging, in which contents, such as a powder, bulk body, or liquid of a food, medical drug, etc., are packaged, and an improvement of a weighing, machine that weighs a weight of an arbitrary object to be weighed, such as a powder, bulk body, or liquid, discharged from any one of various manufacturing apparatuses.

BACKGROUND ART

A stick type packaging (packaging) that packages, for example, a food or a medical drug of powder form, in a rod-like form has been developed recently. The material of the stick type packaging is a laminated film, formed by laminating a polyethylene terephthalate film, an aluminum foil, a polyethylene film, etc. The stick packaging is formed by bringing together and heat-sealing longitudinal edges (longitudinal sealed portions) at both sides in a width direction of the laminated film, and then heat-sealing lateral edges (pair of lateral sealed portions) at both sides in a length direction of the laminated film, which has thus been made cylindrical in form. The stick packaging is rod-like in form. It is therefore highly portable and convenient and can be opened readily. However, the stick packaging is a bag with a special shape. It is thus manufactured using a specialized stick packaging machine.

As an example of a conventional stick packaging machine (packaging machine), there is that described in Patent Document 1. The stick packaging machine of Patent Document 1 includes a supplying unit that supplies a laminated packaging sheet wound around a reel, a hopper that drops contents into a pre-packaging body that is in a state in which an upper portion is unsealed, a guiding cylinder unit that shapes the packaging sheet into cylindrical form, a longitudinal seal forming unit that adheres together longitudinal edges of the packaging sheet that has been made cylindrical in form, a lateral seal forming unit that adheres together lateral edges in a length direction, a cutter that forms a notch at an end of one of the lateral edges, and a lateral seal cutting unit that cuts the lateral edge to form the stick packaging.

In manufacturing the stick packaging, first, the packaging sheet is lead out from the reel by the supplying unit. The packaging sheet is then shaped to a cylindrical shape by the guiding cylinder unit, and the longitudinal edges of the packaging sheet that has been made cylindrical in form are adhered together by the longitudinal seal forming unit to form a longitudinal sealed portion. A lateral sealed portion is then formed by the lateral seal forming unit successively adhering together the cylindrical packaging sheet at a predetermined pitch, and the contents (for example, sugar) inside the hopper are dropped and filled into the pre-packaging body in the state in which the upper portion is unsealed. An upper end of the pre-packaging body is then sealed by the lateral seal forming unit, and a notch (cut) is formed in one of the lateral sealed portions by the cutter. The lateral sealed portions are then cut successively by the lateral seal cutting unit. As a result, stick packagings are manufactured successively.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. H11-263374.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

Object(s) of the Invention

However, with the stick packaging machine of Patent Document 1, weighing, for inspection of whether the contents filled in a stick packaging are filled correctly to within a weight error set in advance, is performed after discharge of the stick packaging from inside the stick packaging machine.

A weighing stage thus had to be installed separately in a factory, and a belt conveyor or other transferring apparatus for transferring the stick packaging from the stick packaging machine to the weighing stage was required separately. As a result, the equipment cost was high, the installation space used for the entirety of the equipment for manufacturing stick packagings was large, a long time was required for a stick packaging to pass the weighing inspection and become a product, and the productivity was low.

An object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine that is inexpensive in equipment cost, is small in installation space, shortens the time from manufacture of a packaging to the end of weighing, and enables improvement of productivity.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine that can weigh packagings at high precision reliably.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine that can select and discharge just non-defective items from a packaging discharging unit.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine that, although being simple and inexpensive in structure, can remove packagings, judged to be defective by weighing, from the packaging discharging unit reliably.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a packaging machine, with which not only a new packaging machine but even an existing packaging machine can be modified readily to a packaging machine exhibiting the effects of the present invention.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a weighing machine that is inexpensive in equipment cost, is small in installation space, shortens the time from manufacture of a weighed object to the end of weighing, and enables improvement of productivity.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a weighing machine that, although being simple and inexpensive in structure, can load weighed objects, discharged from a defective item outlet, into a defective item recovery box reliably.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a weighing machine that enables changing of recovery positions of defective weighed objects according to defect conditions and enable defective weighed objects to be recovered at a substantially uniform height in the defective item recovery box.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A packaging machine according to a first claim of the present invention is a packaging machine that overlaps both longitudinal edges of a single packaging sheet, having a strip shape, or opposing longitudinal edges of two packaging sheets, each having a strip shape, seals the overlapped portions of the packaging sheet or sheets to shape the packaging sheet or sheets into a cylindrical shape, then seals a lower end of a pre-packaging body in the middle of manufacturing a packaging, then fills the pre-packaging body with a predetermined amount of contents, then after sealing an upper end of the above-mentioned pre-packaging body, cuts the sealed portion at the upper end of the pre-packaging body, and discharges the packaging thus obtained out of the machine by means of a packaging discharging unit, and in this packaging machine, the above-mentioned packaging discharging unit is incorporated inside the above-mentioned packaging machine, and the above-mentioned packaging discharging unit is provided with a means for weighing the above-mentioned packaging that is manufactured.

With the invention according to the first claim, the manufactured packaging is weighed by the weighing machine in the middle of being discharged out of the machine via the packaging discharging unit. Because a packaging weighing stage is thus incorporated inside the packaging machine, the equipment cost is made inexpensive, the installation space is made small, the time from the manufacture of the packaging to the end of weighing is shortened, and the productivity can be improved.

As the packaging sheet, for example, a laminated film, formed by laminating a polyethylene terephthalate film, an aluminum foil, a polyethylene film, etc., can be employed.

As the packaging, for example, a stick packaging, a three-side-sealed packaging, a four-side-sealed packaging, etc., can be employed. A three-side-sealed packaging is a packaging with a rectangular shape with which three sides are sealed. A four-side-sealed packaging is a packaging with a rectangular shape in front view with which four sides are sealed.

The strip-shaped packaging sheet is stored in a packaging sheet supplying unit in a state of being wound around a reel or in a zigzag-folded state.

The sealing of both longitudinal edges of the packaging sheet is performed by a longitudinal seal forming unit. The sealing of the upper end and the lower end of the packaging sheet is performed by a lateral seal forming unit. As each of the longitudinal sealing unit and the lateral sealing unit, a heat sealer may be employed.

As contents filled in the packaging, for example, a food item, such as instant coffee, instant milk, sugar, salt, etc., or a medical drug of granular or powder form may be employed. Any one of various liquid materials or bulk materials may also be used.

The contents are contained in a hopper or other contents storing unit. As a contents supplying unit, for example, a metering pump may be employed.

The cutting of the sealed portion at the upper end of the pre-packaging body is performed by a lateral seal cutting unit having a cutter and a cutter moving means that moves the cuter laterally.

Two (double), three (triple), or more sets of a principal portion of the packaging machine, which includes the supplying unit, longitudinal seal forming unit, lateral seal forming unit, contents storing unit, contents supplying unit, and lateral seal cutting unit, may be installed in a main apparatus body of the packaging machine.

The packaging discharging unit has a packaging discharging passage leading from the lateral seal cutting unit to the exterior of the machine. There may be just one discharging passage or two or more discharging passages.

The arrangement of the weighing means is not restricted. The weighing means may, for example, be arranged from a weighing bucket and a weighing load cell that is a weighing apparatus.

The number of weighing means installed in the main apparatus body may be set in accordance to the number of principal packing machine components installed.

A packaging machine according to a second claim of the present invention is a packaging machine according to a first claim that includes the weighing means with a weighing bucket receiving the packaging and a weighing load cell being disposed on the weighing bucket and measuring the weight of the packaging.

With the invention according to the second claim, because the weighing means has the weighing bucket, which receives the packaging, and the weighing load cell, which is connected to the weighing bucket, the packaging can be weighed reliably at high precision.

The shape of the weighing bucket is not restricted. An arrangement having a chute that discharges the packaging after weighing is preferable. In this case, an automatic opening/closing door may be provided at a packaging outlet.

A packaging machine according to a third claim of the present invention is a packaging machine according to a second claim that the packaging discharging unit has a housing, and in the housing are housed the weighing means, a discharging chute, being disposed at a portion of the packaging discharging unit downstream the weighing means and discharging the packaging out of the machine, a defective item removing means, being disposed on the discharging chute and removing defective packagings judged by weighing to be outside a weight range of non-defective items, and a non-defective item counter, being disposed at an end portion of the discharging chute at the side at which the packagings that are non-defective are discharged and counting the number of non-defective packagings that have passed through the discharging chute, and in the defective item removing means are disposed an opening/closing lid, opening and closing a defective item outlet, formed in a portion of the discharging chute, by being rotated within a vertical plane, and a lid rotating means, rotating the opening/closing lid within the vertical plane.

With the invention according to the third claim, a packaging that is judged to be defective in the weighing process is removed by the defective item removing means at the portion downstream the weighing stage of the packaging discharging unit. Just the non-defective items can thereby be selected and discharged from the packaging discharging unit.

In the middle of discharging the defective packaging from the discharging chute, the opening/closing lid is rotated to the defective item outlet opening side by the lid rotating means and the defective item is placed into the defective item outlet. A packaging that is judged to be defective by weighing can thereby be removed reliably from the packaging discharging unit by a simple and inexpensive structure.

Also, because the packaging discharging unit having the weighing means is arranged as a unit, not just a new packaging machine but even an existing packaging machine can be modified easily to a packaging machine that exhibits the effects of the present invention.

The structure of the defective item removing means is not restricted. For example, a defective packaging may be removed by grasping by a grasping means.

The size and shape of the housing are not restricted. The housing may be fixed to the main apparatus body or may be detachable with respect to the main apparatus body.

A weighing machine according to a fourth claim of the present invention is a weighing machine that has a housing, a conveying passage, being housed in the housing and conveying an object to be weighed from an inlet to an outlet that are formed apart from each other in the housing, and a weighing means, disposed on the conveying passage, the weighing means in turn has a weighing bucket, receiving the object to be weighed, and a weighing load cell, being connected to the weighing bucket and measuring the weight of the object to be weighed.

With the invention according to the fourth claim, the object to be weighed is weighed by the weighing means in the process of discharge to the exterior of the machine through the conveying passage. Because the object to be weighed is thus weighed by the weighing means inside the housing, when, for example, the weighing machine is positioned near a product outlet of an apparatus that manufactures the object to be weighed, a belt conveyor or other transferring apparatus that transfers the object to be weighed to the weighing stage as in the conventional case is made unnecessary. The equipment cost is thus made inexpensive, the installation space used by the entirety of the equipment that manufactures the object to be weighed is made small, the time required for the object to be weighed to pass the weighing inspection and become a product is shortened, and the productivity can be improved.

Also, because the weighing means has the weighing bucket, which receives the packaging, and the weighing load cell, which is connected to the weighing bucket, the packaging can be weighed reliably at high precision.

The type of the weighed object is not restricted. For example, any one of various types of powders, bulk bodies, and liquids may be employed.

As the conveying passage, for example, a chute or an endless conveyor may be employed.

The arrangement of the weighing means is not restricted. The weighing means may, for example, be arranged from a weighing bucket and a weighing load cell that is a weighing apparatus.

A weighing machine according to a fifth claim of the present invention is a weighing machine according to the fourth claim that in the housing are housed a discharging chute, being disposed at a portion of the conveying passage downstream the weighing bucket and discharging the weighed object to the exterior of the machine, a defective item removing means, being disposed on the discharging chute and removing defective weighed objects that are judged by weighing to be outside a weight range of non-defective items, and a non-defective item counter, being disposed at an end portion of the discharging chute at the side at which the weighed objects that are non-defective are discharged and counting the number of non-defective weighed objects that have passed through the discharging chute, and in the defective item removing means are disposed an opening/closing lid, opening and closing a defective item outlet, formed in a portion of a bottom plate of the discharging chute, by being rotated within a vertical plane, and a lid rotating means, rotating the opening/closing lid within the vertical plane.

With the invention according to the fifth claim, a weighed object that is judged to be defective in the weighing process is removed by the defective item removing means at the portion downstream the weighing stage of the conveying passage. Just the non-defective items can thereby be selected and discharged from among the weighed objects.

During the discharging of a weighed object that is a defective item (may be referred to hereinafter as “defective weighed object”) from the discharging chute, the opening/closing lid is rotated to the defective item outlet opening side by the lid rotating means and the defective weighed object is placed into the defective item outlet. A weighed object that is judged to be defective by weighing can thereby be removed reliably from the conveying passage by a simple and inexpensive structure.

Also, because the conveying passage having the weighing load cell is incorporated in a housing and arranged as a unit, not just a new weighed object manufacturing apparatus but even an existing weighed object manufacturing apparatus can be modified simply to a weighed object manufacturing apparatus that exhibits the effects of the present invention.

As the lid rotating means, for example, a rotary solenoid may be employed. In this case, a rotating rod of the rotary solenoid is rotated within a vertical plane to make the opening/closing lid open and close the defective item outlet within the vertical plane. An electrical motor may be used in place of the rotary solenoid.

A weighing machine according to a sixth claim of the present invention is a weighing machine according to the fifth claim that a defective item recovery box, containing weighed objects that are defective items, is disposed immediately below the defective item outlet, and to the opening/closing lid is fixed a discharging guide that contacts each defective weighed object that is a discharged from the defective item outlet and guides the defective weighed object into the defective item recovery box.

With the invention according to the sixth claim, when the opening/closing lid rotates to the defective item outlet opening side and the defective item outlet opens, the defective weighed object, discharged from the discharging chute, drops down so as to follow a parabolic curve from the defective item outlet. In this process, the defective weighed object contacts the discharging guide of the opening/closing lid and is thereafter guided by the discharging guide and becomes housed in the defective item recovery box. A defective weighed object that is discharged from the defective item outlet can thereby be loaded reliably into the defective item recovery box by a simple and inexpensive structure that does not use a conveyor, etc.

The material, shape, and size of the defective item recovery box are not restricted.

Here, “immediately below the defective item outlet” shall refer not just to a portion immediately below the defective item outlet but shall refer inclusively to portions in a nearby region as well.

The discharging guide may be formed integral to or as a separate member from the opening/closing lid. However, the opening/closing lid and the discharging guide must be in a fixed state. That is, in accompaniment with the rotation of the opening/closing lid, the discharging guide always rotates by the same angle and defines the direction of dropping of a defective weighed object.

A weighing machine according to a seventh claim of the present invention is a weighing machine according to the sixth claim that further has a rotation angle adjusting means that adjusts angles of rotation of the opening/closing lid and the discharging guide by the lid rotating means to change the position of dropping of the defective weighed object.

With the invention according to the seventh claim, the rotation angles of the opening/closing lid and the discharging guide in the lid opening process are adjusted, based on a weighing signal from the weighing load cell, by the rotation angle adjusting means. The position of dropping of a weighed object that is guided by the discharging guide is thereby changed to enable the position of recovery of the weighed object to be changed according to defect conditions, such as overweight and underweight. Defective weighed objects that differ in defect conditions can thus be recovered separately in a plurality of defective item recovery boxes.

Also, the rotation angle adjusting means may be used to change the lid opening angle of the opening/closing lid by a small angle at a time each time a defective weighed object is detected. By doing so, defective weighed objects are prevented from dropping in a biased manner onto a single location inside the defective item recovery box and the defective weighed objects can be dropped substantially uniformly across the entire range of the interior of the defective item recovery box. Collapsing to the exterior of the box, etc., of defective weighed objects, which become heaped despite there being an allowance in the containment space in an upper portion of the box, can thereby be prevented. The amount of defective weighed objects that can be recovered in the defective item recovery box without using manpower can also be increased.

Here, the rotation angle of the opening/closing lid is made variable. However, it shall be deemed that at least in the lid opening process of the opening/closing lid, an angle that enables the passage of a defective weighed object through the defective item outlet is secured at all times.

EFFECT(S) OF THE INVENTION

With the invention according to the first claim, because the packaging weighing stage is incorporated inside the packaging machine, the equipment cost is made inexpensive, the installation space is made small, the time from the manufacture of the packaging to the end of weighing can be shortened, and the productivity can be improved.

With the invention of the second claim, because the weighing means has the weighing bucket, which receives the packaging, and the weighing load cell, which is connected to the weighing bucket, the packaging can be weighed reliably at high precision.

With the invention of the third claim, a packaging that is judged to be defective in the weighing process is removed by the defective item removing means at the portion downstream the weighing stage of the packaging discharging unit. Just the non-defective items can thereby be selected and discharged from the packaging discharging unit.

In the middle of discharging the defective packaging from the discharging chute, the opening/closing lid is rotated to the defective item outlet opening side by the lid rotating means and the defective packaging is placed into the defective item outlet. A packaging that is judged to be defective by weighing can thereby be removed reliably from the packaging discharging unit by a simple and inexpensive structure.

Also, because the packaging discharging unit having the weighing means is arranged as a unit, not just a new packaging machine but even an existing packaging machine can be modified easily to a packaging machine that exhibits the effects of the present invention.

With the invention according to the fourth claim, because the weighed object is weighed by the weighing means inside the housing, when, for example, the weighing machine is positioned near a product outlet of an apparatus that manufactures the weighed object, a belt conveyor or other transferring apparatus that transfers the weighed object to the weighing stage as in the conventional case is made unnecessary. The equipment cost is thus made inexpensive, the installation space used by the entirety of the equipment that manufactures the weighed object is made small, the time required for the weighed object to pass the weighing inspection and become a product is shortened, and the productivity can be improved.

Also, because the weighing means has the weighing bucket, which receives the packaging, and the weighing load cell, which is connected to the weighing bucket, the packaging can be weighed reliably at high precision.

With the invention according to the fifth claim, a weighed object that is judged to be defective in the weighing process is removed by the defective item removing means at the portion downstream the weighing stage of the conveying passage. Just the non-defective items can thereby be selected and discharged from among the weighed objects.

In the middle of discharging the weighed object that is a defective item from the discharging chute, the opening/closing lid is rotated to the defective item outlet opening side by the lid rotating means and the defective weighed object is placed into the defective item outlet. A weighed object that is judged to be defective by weighing can thereby be removed reliably from the conveying passage by a simple and inexpensive structure.

With the invention according to the sixth claim, a defective weighed object, discharged from the discharging chute, drops down so as to follow a parabolic curve from the defective item outlet. In this process, the defective weighed object contacts the discharging guide of the opening/closing lid and is thereafter guided by the discharging guide and becomes housed in the defective item recovery box. A defective weighed object that is discharged from the defective item outlet can thereby be loaded reliably into the defective item recovery box by a simple and inexpensive structure that does not use a conveyor, etc.

With the invention according to the seventh claim, the rotation angle of the opening/closing lid and the discharging guide in the lid opening process is adjusted, based on a weighing signal from the weighing load cell, by the rotation angle adjusting means. The position of dropping of a weighed object that is guided by the discharging guide is thereby changed to enable the position of recovery of the weighed object to be changed according to defect conditions, such as overweight and underweight. Defective weighed objects that differ in defect conditions can thus be recovered separately in a plurality of defective item recovery boxes.

DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS

BEST MODES FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention shall be referenced and described below.

First, a stick packaging machine of Embodiment 1 shall be described with reference toFIG. 1toFIG. 5. Here, a quadruple stick packaging machine (packaging machine) that can simultaneously manufacture four stick packagings (packagings/weighed objects) that are sugar sticks shall be described as an example.

InFIG. 1,10indicates a stick packaging machine according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention, and this stick packaging machine10includes four supplying units11that supply four laminated packaging sheets F simultaneously, four longitudinal seal forming units13, each sealing a longitudinal sealed portion12a(FIG. 5), formed by bringing together both ends (both longitudinal edges) in a width direction of a packaging sheet F, and folding the packaging sheet F to a cylindrical form, four lateral seal forming units14, each forming lateral sealed portions12b(FIG. 5) at both an upper end and a lower end of a pre-packaging body12A in the middle of manufacture, four hoppers (contents storing units)15, each storing sugar (contents) S provided from above and dropping a predetermined amount of sugar S in a continuous manner, four contents supplying units16, each supplying sugar S, supplied from hoper15, to the pre-packaging body12A, four lateral seal cutting units17, each cutting respective lateral sealed portions12bby a cutter17a, four stick discharging units (packaging discharging units)18, each discharging a stick packaging12(FIG. 5), discharged from a corresponding lateral seal cutting unit17, out of the stick packaging machine10, and a main apparatus body19in which the above components are installed.

Each stick packaging mechanism20, having a supplying unit11, a longitudinal seal forming unit13, a lateral seal forming unit14, a hopper15, a contents supplying unit16, a lateral seal cutting unit17, and a stick discharging unit18, has the same structure, and the respective stick packaging mechanisms20are aligned in parallel in horizontal states in the main apparatus body19. Thus, the following description shall concern just a single stick packaging mechanism20.

The stick packaging machine10shall now be described in detail.

The main apparatus body19is a vertically long, rectangular parallelepiped casing, and the supplying unit11, which supplies the laminated packaging sheet F, wound around a reel11a, is disposed at a lower portion at a rear side (back side) of the main apparatus body19. The hopper15, which loads sugar S into the pre-packaging body12A that is in the state of being unsealed at an upper portion, is erected on an upper face at a front side of the main apparatus body19. The contents supplying unit16, which shapes the packaging sheet F into cylindrical form, is disposed at an upper end portion at the front side of the main apparatus body19. The longitudinal seal forming unit13, which adheres together both end portions in the width direction of the cylindrical packaging sheet F and thereby forms a backlining portion12a, is disposed at an upper portion at the front side of the main apparatus body19.

The lateral seal forming unit14, which seals the cylindrical packaging sheet F in a direction orthogonal to a length direction of the packaging sheet F at a predetermined pitch in the length direction and thereby forms lateral sealed portions12b, is disposed at a central portion of the front side of the main apparatus body19. A cutter22, which forms a notch at an end portion at one of the lateral edges, is disposed immediately below the lateral seal forming unit14at the front side of the main apparatus body19. Lateral seal cutting unit17, which cuts lateral sealed portions12bto form the stick packaging12, is disposed immediately below cutter22.

The stick discharging unit18is disposed at a lower portion of the front side of the main apparatus body19. An introducing chute18a, which feeds each manufactured the stick packaging12into the stick discharging unit18, is disposed immediately below lateral seal cutting unit17. Also, a belt conveyor23, which conveys out each stick packaging12, discharged from the stick discharging unit18, is disposed near a lower end portion of the front side of the main apparatus body19. Furthermore, a defective item recovery box24, which recovers defective stick packagings (defective packagings)12B that are judged to be defective in a weighing process, is positioned on a floor surface below the stick discharging unit18. A weighing means25, which weighs each manufactured the stick packaging12, is disposed in the stick discharging unit18.

The stick discharging unit18shall now be described in detail with reference toFIG. 2toFIG. 4.

As shown inFIG. 2toFIG. 4, the stick discharging unit18has, as a main body, a housing26, having an inlet26afor the stick packaging12formed at an upper side and having an outlet26bfor the stick packaging12formed at a lower corner portion at a front side. The housing26houses four stick packaging mechanisms20together. At inlet26ain the housing26is housed a weighing bucket27, which receives the stick packaging12discharged from the introducing chute18aand has an outlet27aformed at a lower end portion. A region of the stick packaging machine10at which the weighing bucket27is positioned is a weighing stage.

The weighing bucket27is a chute-shaped bucket that is inclined with its outlet27adirected downward. A vertically-sliding opening/closing door28is mounted to the outlet27a, and an ascending/descending lever28aprotrudes from an upper end portion of the opening/closing door28. A first rotary solenoid29, which rotates a rotating rod29awithin a vertical plane to raise and lower the opening/closing door28, is fixed at a portion of the housing26near the opening/closing door28.

A fixed base portion30, which fixes the housing26to the main apparatus body19, is disposed at a portion of the housing26immediately below the weighing bucket27. A weighing load cell31is fixed onto the fixed base portion30. The weighing bucket27is connected via a bracket32of a substantially V-like shape in side view to a probe of the weighing load cell31. When the stick packaging12is loaded into the weighing bucket27, the stick packaging12is weighed by the weighing load cell31via bracket32. After weighing, the rotating rod29aof the first rotary solenoid29is rotated within the vertical plane to a door opening side. The opening/closing door28is thereby raised via the ascending/descending lever28aand the stick packaging12is discharged from the weighing bucket27toward the outlet26bof the housing26.

Between the weighing bucket27and outlet26bof the housing26is housed a discharging chute38, with which an end portion at the outlet26bside is inclined downward. The discharging chute38has an isosceles triangular shape in side view. A defective item outlet31ais formed near an intermediate portion in a length direction of the discharging chute38. At both sides of a face of the fixed base portion30at the discharging side are disposed base portions of a pair of arms30a, with each of which a front end portion is fixed to an obtuse angle portion of the discharging chute38. The discharging chute38is provided with a defective item removing means33that removes each defective stick packaging12B judged to be outside a weight range of non-defective items by weighing.

Specifically, an opening/closing lid35, having a substantially inverted-V-like shape in side view, being axially supported via a rotating pin34on the portion of the discharging chute38at which the defective item outlet31ais formed, and the opening and closing the defective item outlet31aby rotating within a vertical plane, and a second rotary solenoid (lid rotating means)36, rotating the opening/closing lid35via a rotating rod36a, are provided. The second rotary solenoid36is fixed to a back face of an end portion at the outlet26bside of the discharging chute38. Also, at an end portion at the discharging side of the discharging chute38is provided a non-defective item counter37that counts the number of the non-defective stick packagings12that have passed through the discharging chute38.

The above-mentioned defective item recovery box24is positioned immediately below the defective item outlet31a. The stick discharging unit18is arranged as a unit by the housing the weighing bucket27, the weighing load cell31, the first rotary solenoid29, the second rotary solenoid36, the discharging chute38, the opening/closing lid35, and the non-defective item counter37in the housing26. The weighing means25is arranged from the weighing bucket27, the weighing load cell31, and bracket32.

InFIG. 1,39is a control panel of the stick packaging machine10.

Actions of the stick packaging machine10according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention shall now be described with reference toFIG. 1toFIG. 5.

First, the packaging sheet F is lead out from reel11aby means of the supplying unit11. The packaging sheet F is then shaped to a cylindrical shape by using the contents supplying unit16, and both ends in the width direction of the cylindrical packaging sheet F are adhered together by means of the longitudinal seal forming unit13to form longitudinal sealed portion12a. The cylindrical packaging sheet F is then heat-sealed at a predetermined pitch in the length direction by means of the lateral seal forming unit14to form one of lateral sealed portions12b. Sugar S, inside the hopper15, is then dropped and filled into the pre-packaging body12A in the state of being unsealed at the upper portion. The upper end portion of the pre-packaging body12A is then sealed by means of the lateral seal forming unit14, and a notch (cut) is formed in one of the lateral edges by means of cutter22. By then successively cutting lateral sealed portions12bby means of lateral seal cutting unit17, stick packagings12are manufactured continuously.

Each manufactured the stick packaging12is loaded into the weighing bucket27from the introducing chute18a. The stick packaging12is weighed by means of the weighing load cell31here. After weighing, the opening/closing door28is raised by means of the first rotary solenoid29, and the stick packaging12is discharged from the weighing bucket27. The stick packaging12is consequently discharged out of the machine through the discharging chute38and from outlet26bof the housing26(FIG. 4(a)).

However, a defective stick packaging12B, which is judged, in the weighing process, to be lighter or heavier than anon-defective item weight set in advance, is dropped, in the middle of passing through the discharging chute38, from the defective item outlet31a, opened by the rotating of the opening/closing lid35by the second rotary solenoid36, and is loaded into the above-mentioned defective item recovery box24immediately below (FIG. 4(b)).

The non-defective stick packagings12that have been discharged out of the machine are successively transferred to a subsequent packing process by means of the above-mentioned belt conveyor23.

As described above, since the weighing means25for the stick packaging12is disposed inside the stick packaging machine10, the equipment cost is made inexpensive, the installation space is made small, and the time required from the manufacture to the end of weighing of the stick packaging12is shortened, thereby enabling the productivity to be improved.

Also, because the weighing means25has the weighing bucket27, which receives the stick packaging12, and the weighing load cell31, which is connected to the weighing bucket27, the stick packaging12can be weighed reliably at high precision.

A defective stick packaging12B that is judged to be defective in the weighing process is removed by means of defective item removing means33at a portion downstream the weighing stage of the stick discharging unit18. Just non-defective items can thereby be selected and discharged from the stick discharging unit18.

Furthermore, in the middle of passing through the discharging chute38, the defective stick packaging12B is discharged from the defective item outlet31a, which is opened by the rotating of the opening/closing lid35by the second rotary solenoid36. Thus, even though the structure is simple and inexpensive, a stick packaging12that is judged to be defective by weighing can be removed reliably from the stick discharging unit18.

Yet furthermore, the stick discharging unit18, having the weighing means25, is arranged as a unit in Embodiment 1. Thus, not just a new stick packaging machine10but even an existing stick packaging machine can be modified readily to a stick packaging machine that exhibits the effects of the present invention.

A weighing machine according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention shall now be described with reference toFIG. 6toFIG. 9.

InFIG. 6toFIG. 9,50is a weighing machine according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention, and this weighing machine50is an apparatus that can simultaneously weigh stick packagings12discharged from an existing, septuple type stick packaging machine (not shown), which can simultaneously manufacture seven stick packagings (objects to be weighed)12.

Weighing machine50includes a housing51, a conveying passage52that conveying stick packagings12housed in the housing51, and a weighing means53that is disposed on the conveying passage52and measures the weights of stick packagings12.

The housing51is a main body of weighing machine50and has an inlet51afor the stick packaging12formed on an upper side and an outlet51bfor the stick packaging12formed on a lower corner portion at a front side. Inside the housing51, seven weighing mechanisms54, corresponding to seven introducing chutes of the unillustrated, existing stick packaging machine, are housed together. All weighing mechanisms54have the same structure. For the convenience of description, just one weighing mechanism54shall now be described in detail for Embodiment 2.

A weighing bucket55, which receives the stick packaging12discharged from the existing stick packaging machine, is disposed at inlet51aof the housing51. Of the stick packaging machine10, a region in which the weighing bucket55is disposed is a weighing stage. The outlet55afor the stick packaging12is formed at a lower end portion (downstream portion) of the weighing bucket55. The weighing bucket55is a chute-shaped bucket that is inclined with its outlet55adirected downward. A portion from an upper face of a downstream half of the weighing bucket55to the outlet55ais covered in a manner enabling opening and closing by an opening/closing door56that can rotate within a vertical plane.

The opening/closing door56is formed of a flat plate that is long in a machine length direction (left/right direction of weighing machine50) and has its front portion bent downward by 45° and has its base portion bent upward by substantially 80°. A hinge portion is formed near the bent portion at the base side of the opening/closing door56. The hinge portion is centered about a rotating shaft56athat is spanned across side plates at both sides of a gate-shaped bracket60to be described later. The center of gravity of the opening/closing door56is positioned to the front side (outlet side) of the hinge portion. The opening/closing door56thus normally closes the outlet55aof the weighing bucket55by its own weight.

A bracket57, which is long in the machine length direction of weighing machine50, is protruded form an inner face at a position of intermediate height of a rear plate (back plate) of the housing51. A weighing load cell59, having a probe directed towards the inner side of the housing51, is fixed via a fixing base portion58to bracket57. Lower end portions of a bottom plate of the gate-shaped bracket60are fixed to the probe, and the weighing bucket55is positioned in an internal space of the gate-shaped bracket60.

A first rotary solenoid62is suspended via bracket61from an inner face of an intermediate portion in a machine width direction (front/rear direction) of an upper plate of the housing51. When a rotating rod62aof the first rotary solenoid62is rotated towards a door opening side within a vertical plane, the base portion of the opening/closing door56is pushed towards the outer side of the housing51. The opening/closing door56is thereby rotated, about the rotating shaft56aand within the vertical plane, to a door opening side. Consequently, the outlet55aof the weighing bucket55opens, and the stick packaging12is discharged toward the outlet51bof the housing51from inside the measuring bucket55.

Between the weighing bucket55and outlet51bof the housing51is housed a discharging chute63, with which an end portion at the outlet side is inclined downward. The discharging chute63has an isosceles triangular shape in side view. A fixed rod64is spanned across apex portions of side plates of equilateral triangular shape at both sides of the discharging chute63. Respective ends of the fixed rod64are fixed between a pair of the brackets65that are disposed apart from each other on an inner face of a portion at an intermediate height of the front plate housing51.

A defective item outlet63ais formed from an upstream portion (upper portion) to a midstream portion (intermediate portion in the length direction) of the discharging chute63. The discharging chute63is provided with a defective item removing means66that can open and close the defective item outlet63aand removes, via the defective item outlet63a, a defective stick packaging12B judged to be outside a weigh range of non-defective items by weighing.

This arrangement shall now be described in detail. The defective item removing means66has an opening/closing lid67of substantially inverted-V-like shape in side view that opens and closes the defective item outlet63aby rotating within a vertical plane, and a second rotary solenoid (lid rotating means)68that rotates the opening/closing lid67via a rotating rod62a.

The opening/closing lid67is a flat plate that is bent to a sideways V-like shape in side view and is mainly made up of a bottom plate and a pair of side plates that are formed by bending both sides of the bottom plate perpendicularly. A downstream portion of the bottom plate is bent towards the inner side of the housing51by just substantially 120° with respect to an upstream portion of the bottom plate. This downstream portion of the bottom plate is a discharging guide70that guides each defective stick packaging12B, discharged from the defective item outlet63a, to the defective item recovery box69. A guiding piece71, which is long in a length direction of the discharging guide70, is protruded from an intermediate portion in a width direction of an outer face of the discharging guide70(outer face of the housing51). A slot71a, which is long in a length direction of guiding piece71, is formed in guiding piece71. A roller68b, which is axially supported by a front end portion of rotating rod68aof the second rotary solenoid68, is inserted in slot71ain a manner enabling movement in a length direction of slot71a.

A pair of unillustrated bearings are positioned apart from each other near the downstream portion of the portion in which the defective item outlet63aof the discharging chute63is formed. Between the bearings, the opening/closing lid67is axially supported via a rotating pin72, an axial direction of which is horizontal. The second rotary solenoid68is fixed to a rear face of an end at the outlet side of the discharging chute63via a bracket73. Also, a non-defective item counter74, which counts the number of the non-defective stick packagings12that have passed through the discharging chute63, is disposed at an end portion at the discharging side of the discharging chute63. The above-mentioned defective item recovery box69is positioned immediately below the defective item outlet63a.

The stick discharging unit18is arranged as a unit by housing the weighing bucket55, weighing load cell59, first rotary solenoid62, second rotary solenoid68, discharging chute63, opening/closing lid67, and non-defective item counter74in the housing51. The weighing means53is arranged from the weighing bucket55and the weighing load cell59. The conveying passage52is arranged from the weighing bucket55and the discharging chute63.

InFIG. 6,FIG. 8, andFIG. 9,75indicates supporting columns that are disposed at four corners of a bottom portion of the housing51. Each supporting column has a bolt75aas a main body and is arranged to be adjustable in height by a double nut structure75b.

Actions of weighing machine50according to Embodiment 2 shall now be described with reference toFIG. 6toFIG. 13.

First, a stick packaging12, discharged from the existing stick packaging machine, is loaded into the weighing bucket55from an unillustrated introducing chute. The stick packaging12is weighed by means of the weighing load cell59here. After weighing, the opening/closing door56is rotated within the vertical plane to the opening side (upward) by means of the first rotary solenoid62, and the stick packaging12is discharged from the weighing bucket55. The stick packaging12is consequently discharged out of the machine through the discharging chute63and from the outlet51bof the housing51(FIG. 6).

However, a defective stick packaging12B, which is judged, in the weighing process, to be lighter or heavier than anon-defective item weight set in advance, is dropped, in the middle of passing through the discharging chute63, so as to follow a parabolic curve from the defective item outlet63aby the rotating of the opening/closing lid67by the second rotary solenoid68. In the middle of the dropping process, the defective stick packaging12B contacts the discharging guide70and is thereafter guided by the discharging guide70and loaded into the defective item recovery box69. The defective stick packaging12B, discharged from defective item discharging port63a, can thus be loaded reliably into the defective item recovery box69by means of a simple and inexpensive structure that does not use a belt conveyor, etc.

As described above, since the weighing means53is arranged to weigh the stick packaging12inside the housing51, the stick packaging12does not have to be transferred by a belt conveyor, etc., to a weighing stage disposed far away from the stick packaging machine10as in the conventional case. As a result, the equipment cost is made inexpensive and the installation space used by the entirety of equipment for manufacturing the stick packaging12is made small. Moreover, the time required for the stick packaging12to pass the weighing inspection and become a product is shortened and the productivity can be improved.

Also, because the weighing means53has the weighing bucket55, which receives the stick packaging12, and the weighing load cell59, which is connected to the weighing bucket55, the stick packaging12can be weighed reliably at high precision.

Each defective stick packaging12B is removed by means of defective item removing means66at a portion downstream the weighing stage of the conveying passage52. Just non-defective items can thereby be selected and discharged from the conveying passage52.

Furthermore, in the middle of passing through the discharging chute63, the defective stick packaging12B is discharged from the defective item outlet63a, which is opened by the rotating of the opening/closing lid67by the second rotary solenoid68, and is discharged into defective item recover box69immediately below. Thus, even though the structure is simple and inexpensive, a stick packaging12that is judged to be defective by weighing can be removed reliably from along the conveying passage52.

As shown inFIG. 14, the rotation angles of the opening/closing lid67and the discharging guide70may be made adjustable, based on a weighing signal from the weighing load cell59, by means of a rotation angle adjusting means80provided in a control circuit in control panel39. Specifically, a circuit is arranged so that each time a defective stick packaging12B is detected, the lid opening angle of the opening/closing lid67and the rotation angle of the discharging guide70are changed by small angles at a time in multiple stages and in a fixed cycle. Defective stick packagings12B can thereby be prevented from dropping in a biased manner onto a single location inside the defective item recovery box69, and defective stick packagings12B can thus be dropped substantially uniformly over the entire range of the interior of the defective item recovery box69. Collapsing to the exterior of the box, etc., of a large amount of defective stick packagings12B that are heaped despite there being an allowance in the containment space inside an upper portion of the defective item recovery box69can thereby be prevented. The recovery amount of defective stick packagings12B that can be recovered in the defective item recovery box69without using manpower can also be increased.

Also, as another control method using the rotation angle adjusting means80, the position of dropping of the defective stick packaging12B, guided by the discharging guide70, is changed to enable the position of recovery of the defective stick packaging12B to be changed according to defect conditions, such as overweight and underweight. Defective stick packagings12B that differ in defect conditions can thus be recovered separately in a plurality of defective item recovery boxes69A and69B.

In these examples, the rotation angle of the opening/closing lid67is made variable. However, it shall be deemed that at least in the lid opening process of the opening/closing lid67, an angle that enables the passage of a defective stick packaging12B through the defective item outlet63ais secured at all times.