Abstract:
An article bagging apparatus designed to reduce impacts caused by stopping at advance and retraction terminal points. The article bagging apparatus has an upper scoop ( 12 ) and a lower scoop ( 14 ) rectilinearly movable forward and backward together. The upper and lower scoops are advanced and inserted into a bag through an opening thereof, and the upper scoop is displaced upward, thereby expanding the bag vertically. In addition, the upper and lower scoops are retracted to pull the expanded bag, thereby allowing an article placed in the path of retraction to enter the bag. The article bagging apparatus includes a coupling unit ( 22 ) that allows the upper scoop to be displaced vertically and that causes the upper and lower scoops to move together forward and backward, an upper guide rail ( 24 ) supporting the upper scoop horizontally movably, and an upper drive unit ( 26 ) vertically moving the upper guide rail.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 to Japanese Patent Application No. 2009-228736 filed on Sep. 30, 2009, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference. 
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to an article bagging apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus for use in bread manufacturing to bag baked bread. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Factory-produced bread products (loaves) are, in general, packaged individually in packaging bags for delivery. 
     Examples of the bread bagging technique are disclosed in for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,671,048, No. 5,743,071 and No. 6,421,984. 
     These patents disclose bagging apparatuses, respectively. These apparatuses each have an upper scoop and a lower scoop movable forward and backward together in a horizontal direction. The upper scoop and the lower scoop are advanced and inserted into a bag through an opening thereof, and the upper scoop is displaced upward relative to the lower scoop, thereby expanding the bag vertically. In addition, the upper and lower scoops are retracted to pull the expanded bag in the direction of retraction of the upper and lower scoops, thereby allowing a loaf of bread placed in the path of retraction of the lower scoop to enter the bag through the opening. 
     The upper scoop needs to be moved forward and backward together with the lower scoop and to move vertically relative to the lower scoop. Therefore, a drive unit for vertically moving the upper scoop is installed on a carrier that moves forward and backward together with the upper and lower scoops supported thereon. 
     Consequently, the parts of the bagging apparatus that are moved forward and backward, including the upper and lower scoops, the drive unit and the carrier, are considerably heavy in weight. Therefore, if these heavy parts of the apparatus are moved forward and backward at high speed, large impacts always occur at the forward and backward ends of the movement. Accordingly, failures are likely to occur in the bagging apparatus, particularly in the power cable, air hose and so forth of the drive unit for the upper scoop. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     An object of the present invention is to solve the problems associated with the apparatus for bagging loaves or other articles as stated above. 
     The present invention provides an article bagging apparatus having an upper scoop and a lower scoop. The upper scoop and the lower scoop are horizontally rectilinearly advanced together and inserted into a bag through an opening thereof, and the upper scoop is then displaced upward relative to the lower scoop, thereby expanding the bag vertically. Then, the upper and lower scoops are retracted together to pull the expanded bag in the direction of retraction of the upper and lower scoops, thereby allowing an article placed in the path of retraction of the lower scoop to enter the bag through the opening. The article bagging apparatus further includes a lower drive unit driving the lower scoop in a longitudinal direction along which the upper and lower scoops are advanced and retracted, a coupling unit that allows the upper scoop to be displaced vertically relative to the lower scoop and that couples together the upper and lower scoops so that the upper and lower scoops move together in the longitudinal direction, an upper guide rail supporting the upper scoop movably in the longitudinal direction, an upper drive unit vertically moving the upper guide rail, and a stationary frame supporting the upper drive unit and the lower drive unit. When the upper and lower scoops are about to enter the opening of the bag, the upper drive unit moves the upper guide rail down to lower the upper scoop toward the lower scoop, and when the upper and lower scoops have entered the bag, the upper drive unit moves the upper guide rail up to displace the upper scoop upward away from the lower scoop to expand the bag vertically. The terms “horizontally”, “vertically”, “upper”, “lower” or the like are used herein to make it easy to understand the relative positional relationship among the parts of the bagging apparatus according to the present invention, but not to indicate any absolute positional relationship thereof. 
     In this article bagging apparatus, the mechanism for vertically moving the upper scoop is arranged as follows. The upper scoop is longitudinally movably provided on the upper guide rail, and the upper drive unit for vertically moving the upper guide rail is provided on the stationary frame. The upper drive unit is not moved and, therefore, the part of the bagging apparatus that is moved in the longitudinal direction can be reduced in weight to a considerable extent. Consequently, it is possible to reduce impacts occurring when the moving part of the apparatus stops at the advance and retraction terminal points, and hence possible to greatly improve the above-described problems associated with the conventional apparatus. 
     Specifically, the article bagging apparatus may include a lower carrier movable forward and backward horizontally with the lower scoop supported thereon, and an upper carrier movable forward and backward along the upper guide rail with the upper scoop supported thereon. The coupling unit may have an upper engaging member and a lower engaging member extending from the upper carrier and the lower carrier, respectively, and engaged with each other vertically slidably but not movably relative to each other in the longitudinal direction. 
     More specifically, the upper carrier may have at least two wheels spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction. The wheels may be rollably supported by the upper guide rail. 
     Even more specifically, the upper drive unit may have a servomotor supported by the stationary frame, and a link mechanism drivably connecting an output shaft of the servomotor and the upper guide rail to cause the upper guide rail to move vertically in response to an output from the output shaft. The link mechanism may be rotatably connected to the upper guide rail at two points spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction to support the upper guide rail horizontally. 
     The link mechanism may have a rotating shaft rotatably attached to the stationary frame being spaced from the output shaft of the servomotor in the longitudinal direction and extending parallel to the output shaft, and a sub-link mechanism drivably connecting the output shaft and the rotating shaft to apply to the rotating shaft the same rotation as that of the output shaft, and first and second arms of the same length that are secured to the output shaft and the rotating shaft, respectively, and that extend in the same angle direction with respect to the output shaft and the rotating shaft, the first and second arms being rotatably connected at their distal ends to the upper guide rail at two points spaced from each other in the longitudinal direction. 
     An embodiment of the present invention will be explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1   a  is a diagram showing a state of an article bagging apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention as applied to the bagging of loaves (blocks of bread) shown in  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   f  before the article bagging operation is started, in which the article bagging apparatus is shown only with its main constituent parts. 
         FIG. 1   b  is a diagram similar to  FIG. 1   a , showing a state of the article bagging apparatus after the starting of the bagging operation, in which a bag is inflated by air blown thereinto through its opening and an upper scoop is lowering toward a lower scoop and approaching the opening of the bag. 
         FIG. 1   c  is a diagram showing a state of the article bagging apparatus in which the upper and lower scoops have been moved from the position of  FIG. 1   b  and inserted into the bag through the opening and the upper scoop has begun to move upward. 
         FIG. 1   d  is a diagram showing a state of the article bagging apparatus in which the upper and lower scoops have been further inserted into the bag from the position of  FIG. 1   c  and the upper scoop in the bag has been moved upward away from the lower scoop, thereby causing the bag to be expanded vertically. 
         FIG. 1   e  is a diagram showing a state of the article bagging apparatus in which the upper and lower scoops have been retracted from the position of  FIG. 1   d  together with the expanded bag to allow a loaf placed in the retraction path to enter the bag and in which a stopper has been engaged with the loaf. 
         FIG. 1   f  is a diagram showing a state of the article bagging apparatus in which the upper and lower scoops have been retracted from the position of  FIG. 1   e  to the position assumed before starting the operation, with the bag and the loaf therein left in the position shown in  FIG. 1   e , and the bag and the loaf have been carried out by an outfeed conveyor (not shown). 
         FIG. 2  is a perspective view showing a specific arrangement of the article bagging apparatus shown in  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   f.    
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
     First, an outline of an article bagging apparatus  10  according to the present invention will be explained with reference to  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   f.    
     The article bagging apparatus  10  has an upper scoop  12  and a lower scoop  14  that are longitudinally movable forward and backward together in a horizontal direction. A bag-holding member H is installed at a position forward of the article bagging apparatus  10 . The bag-holding member H holds a bag B placed thereon with its opening B′ directed toward the article bagging apparatus  10 .  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   f  are drawings for illustrating the whole article-bagging process carried out for one bag B. In these figures, the bag-holding member H is shown to hold one bag B. In actual practice, however, the bag-holding member H is arranged to hold a large number of bags stacked thereon such that the uppermost one of the stack of bags is always at the height shown in the figures, and the process comprising the steps shown in  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   f  is repeated to sequentially perform article bagging for the plurality of bags. 
     The upper scoop  12  and the lower scoop  14  that are in a retracted position (operation start position) shown in  FIG. 1   a  are advanced toward the bag-holding member H by a drive mechanism (described later) as shown in  FIG. 1   b . At the same time, the upper scoop  12  is lowered to reduce the distance between the upper and lower scoops  12  and  14 . Following this, air is blown toward the opening B′ of the bag B from an air blower (not shown) to inflate the bag B, and thus the opening B′ is opened. With the bag opening B′ kept open in this position, the upper and lower scoops  12  and  14  positioned at a reduced mutual distance are inserted into the bag B through the opening B′ as shown in  FIG. 1   c . When the upper and lower scoops  12  and  14  reach an advance terminating position shown in  FIG. 1   d , the upper scoop  12  is displaced upward to expand the bag B vertically. At this time, a loaf L of bread as an article to be bagged is placed on a portion of the lower scoop  14  that extends rearward from the bag B. Subsequently, the upper and lower scoops  12  and  14  are moved toward the retracted position as shown in  FIG. 1   f . During this movement, as shown in  FIG. 1   e , an L-shaped loaf stopper  16  is positioned in the retracting path of the lower scoop  14  to stop the loaf L from moving together with the lower scoop  14 , thereby allowing the loaf L to be left in the bag B moved together with the lower scoop  14 . When the upper and lower scoops  12  and  14  are returned to the retracted position, the lower scoop  14  separates rearward from the bag B containing the loaf L. The bag B containing the loaf L is carried out by a conveyor (not shown). 
     As shown in  FIG. 1   d , to supply the loaf L onto the lower scoop  14 , a belt conveyor may be used that extends horizontally from the front side of the drawing sheet to a position close to the lower scoop  14  in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the longitudinal movement of the lower scoop  14  at substantially the same height as the retracting path of the lower scoop. To carry out the bagged loaf L, a belt conveyor may be used that extends horizontally from a position under the retracting path of the lower scoop toward the back side of the drawing sheet to receive the loaf L removed from the lower scoop  14  at the position shown in  FIG. 1   e.    
     As shown in  FIG. 2 , the article bagging apparatus  10  has a lower drive unit  20  driving the lower scoop  14  horizontally in the longitudinal direction, a coupling unit  22  (see  FIG. 1   b ) that allows the upper scoop  12  to be displaced vertically relative to the lower scoop  14  and that couples together the upper scoop  12  and the lower scoop  14  so that the upper and lower scoops  12  and  14  move forward and backward together in the longitudinal direction, an upper guide rail  24  supporting the upper scoop  12  movably in the longitudinal direction, an upper drive unit  26  vertically moving the upper guide rail  24 , and a stationary frame F supporting the upper drive unit  26  and the lower drive unit  20 . 
     Specifically, the lower scoop  14  is an elongated plate-shaped member supported at the rear end thereof by a lower carrier  30  to extend horizontally forward. The lower carrier  30  is supported by a lower guide rail  34  comprising a pair of bar-shaped guide members  32  that extend horizontally in the longitudinal direction and that are laterally spaced from each other. The lower carrier  30  has, as shown clearly in  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   f , a pair of upper wheels  36  and one lower wheel  38  provided on each of the lateral sides thereof. The upper wheels  36  are rotatably engaged with the upper surface of the associated bar-shaped guide member  32 . The lower wheel  38  is rotatably engaged with the lower surface of the bar-shaped guide member  32  at a mid-position between the two upper wheels  36 . The lower carrier  30  is displaceable along the lower guide rail  34  by the upper and lower wheels  36  and  38 . 
     The lower drive unit  20  has a servomotor  40  attached to the stationary frame F, a driving pulley  44  secured to an output shaft  42  of the servomotor  40 , an idle pulley  46  set at a position rearward of the driving pulley  44 , and an endless timing belt  48  passed over the driving pulley  44  and the idle pulley  46 . The lower carrier  30  is coupled to an upper running portion  50  of the endless timing belt  48 . The servomotor  40  is controlled so that the output shaft  42  is rotated forward and backward within a predetermined rotation range. In response to the rotation of the output shaft  42  of the servomotor  40 , the upper running portion  50  of the endless timing belt  48  is periodically moved forward and backward in the longitudinal direction, and thus the lower carrier  30  is moved forward and backward, thereby driving the lower scoop  14  in the longitudinal direction. 
     The upper scoop  12  is a member slightly curved in cross-section that corresponds to the forward end portion of the lower scoop  14 . The upper scoop  12  is connected through an inverted L-shaped connecting member  62  to the forward end portion of an elongated bar-shaped upper carrier  60  that is installed under and parallel to the upper guide rail  24  and that is suspended by the upper guide rail  24 . The upper carrier  60  has a pair of guide wheel units  64  provided at respective longitudinally spaced positions to support the upper carrier  60  movably along the upper guide rail  24 . Specifically, each guide wheel unit  64  has a U-shaped guide wheel support member  66  comprising a fixed lower portion  66   a  secured to the lower surface of the upper carrier  60  and upright portions  66   b  ( FIG. 2  shows only one of the upright portions  66   b  that is closer to this side of the drawing sheet) extending upward from the right and left sides, respectively, of the fixed lower portion  66   a  along the opposite sides of the upper carrier  60 . The guide wheel unit  64  further has a pair of vertically spaced guide wheels  64   a  provided on the inner side of each upright portion  66   b . Each guide wheel  64   a  is rotatable about an axis extending horizontally in the lateral direction. The pair of guide wheels  64   a  are set to hold therebetween the corresponding one of right and left flanges  24   a  provided along the lower edge portion of the upper guide rail  24 . Further, the guide wheel unit  64  has a guide wheel support member  68  extending horizontally from each upright portion  66   b  of the U-shaped guide wheel support member  66  to support a guide wheel  64   b  rotatably about a vertical axis. The guide wheel  64   b  is rotatably engaged with one side surface of the upper guide rail  24 . 
     The coupling unit  22  has an upper engaging member  70  extending from the upper carrier  60  and a lower engaging member  72  extending from the lower carrier  30 . The upper and lower engaging members  70  and  72  are engaged with each other vertically slidably but not horizontally movably relative to each other. The lower engaging members  72  comprise a pair of members set to hold the upper engaging member  70  from both sides. The pair of members have guide rollers  74  rotatably attached to their upper ends, respectively, to guide the upper engaging member  70 . 
     The upper drive unit  26  has a servomotor  90  supported by the stationary frame F and a link mechanism  96  drivably connecting an output shaft  92  of the servomotor  90  and the upper guide rail  24  to cause the upper guide rail  24  to move vertically in response to the rotation of the output shaft  92 . 
     The link mechanism  96  is rotatably connected to the upper guide rail  24  at two longitudinally spaced points to support the upper guide rail  24  horizontally. Specifically, the link mechanism  96  has a rotating shaft  98  rotatably attached to the stationary frame F being spaced rearward from and extending parallel to the output shaft  92  of the servomotor  90 , a sub-link mechanism  100  drivably connecting the output shaft  92  and the rotating shaft  98  to apply to the rotating shaft  98  the same rotation as that of the output shaft  92 , and first and second arms  102  and  104  of the same length that are secured to the output shaft  92  and the rotating shaft  98 , respectively, and that extend in the same angle direction with respect to the output shaft  92  and the rotating shaft  98 . The first and second arms  102  and  104  are connected at their distal ends to the upper guide rail  24  at two longitudinally spaced points. In the illustrated example, the first and second arms  102  and  104  are rotatably connected to brackets  105  and  107  secured to the upper guide rail  24  through horizontal connecting shafts  106  and  108 , respectively. 
     The illustrated sub-link mechanism  100  has first and second links  110  and  112  of the same length that are secured to the output shaft  92  and the rotating shaft  98 , respectively, and that extend in the radial direction of the shafts  92  and  98  in parallel to each other, and a connecting link  114  having two opposite ends rotatably connected to the respective distal ends of the first and second links  110  and  112 . Thus, the sub-link mechanism  100  constitutes a parallel link mechanism. 
     In an article bagging operation, the servomotor  40  of the lower drive unit  20  is controlled to rotate the output shaft  42  forward and backward within a predetermined angle range, thereby causing the lower scoop  14  to move forward and backward. At the same time, the servomotor  90  of the upper drive unit  26  is controlled to rotate the output shaft  92  clockwise and counterclockwise within a predetermined angle range, thereby causing the upper scoop  12  to move up and down vertically. The upper scoop  12  and the lower scoop  14  are controlled as explained above with reference to  FIGS. 1   a  to  1   f  by controlling the servomotor  90  of the upper drive unit  26  with respect to the rotation of the output shaft  42  of the servomotor  40  of the lower drive unit  20  at appropriate timing, thereby performing a bagging operation. 
     Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment. For example, the above-described sub-link mechanism is not limited to the illustrated one, but may take any other form, provided that the output shaft  92  and the rotating shaft  98  are drivably connected to apply to the rotating shaft  98  the same rotation as that of the output shaft  92 .