Vertical filling-packaging machine

Abstract

There is provided a vertical filling-packaging machine capable of feeding fluidized content material into a tubular film with good quantitative accuracy and in which air bubbles are mixed into the content material. The packaging machine according to the present invention performs an operation of feeding content material through injection nozzle ( 15 ) into tubular film ( 1 ′) that includes a bottom portion. This packaging machine performs an operation of transporting the tubular film downward, and an operation of tightly sealing the tubular film by heat sealing using lateral sealing mechanism ( 60 ). Lower end ( 15 a ) of the injection nozzle is configured to be immersed in the content material throughout entirety of the series of packaging operations, and the operation of feeding the content material starts in a state in which the injection port of the injection nozzle is immersed in the content material.

1 . A vertical filling-packaging machine comprising:
 an injection nozzle for feeding content material that is fluidized into a tubular film that includes a bottom portion;   a transporter configured to transport the tubular film downward in a state in which the content material is fed thereinto; and   a lateral sealing mechanism for tightly sealing the tubular film by heat sealing a portion of the tubular film,   wherein the vertical filling-packaging machine manufactures a packaged product by a series of packaging operations including at least following operations: an operation of feeding the content material through the injection nozzle; an operation of transporting the tubular film downward in a state in which the content material is fed thereinto; and an operation of heat sealing by the lateral sealing mechanism,   wherein an injection port of the injection nozzle is configured to be immersed in the content material throughout entirety of the series of packaging operations, and the operation of feeding the content material starts in a state in which the injection port of the injection nozzle is immersed in the content material.   
   
   
       2 . The vertical filling-packaging machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pair of squeezing rollers which pinches the portion of the tubular film in which the fed content material is present, and which rotates in a state in which the pair of squeezing rollers which pinches the portion of the tubular film in which the fed content material is present, thereby forming a flat void-filled portion on the tubular film and transporting the tubular film downward,
 wherein the operation of feeding the content material is to feed the content material into the tubular film that is located higher than the portion that is pinched by the pair of squeezing rollers.   
   
   
       3 . The vertical filling-packaging machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the content material that has been accumulated in a position higher than that of the squeezing rollers is dropped downward into the tubular film located lower than the squeezing rollers at the same time when the pair of squeezing rollers is opened, and
 after the content material is dropped, liquid level of the content material is configured to be higher than the injection port of the injection nozzle.   
   
   
       4 . The vertical filling-packaging machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a content material feeding mechanism including: a reservoir tank for reserving the content material; a feed passage for transferring the content material from the reservoir tank to the injection nozzle; pump means used as a driving source for transferring the content material from the reservoir tank to a side of the injection nozzle; a return passage for returning the content material from the side of the injection nozzle to the reservoir tank; and valve means capable of switching between an operation of feeding the content material, which has been transferred through the feed passage, into the tubular film through the injection nozzle and an operation of returning the content material, which has been transferred through the feed passage, back to a side of the reservoir tank. 
   
   
       5 . The vertical filling-packaging machine according to  claim 4 , further comprising:
 a film feeding device which holds two feed rolls, joins an end portion of a first film drawn from one of the feed rolls to an end portion of a second film drawn from the other of the feed rolls, and feeds the joined first and second films as a long film; and   a vertical sealing mechanism which performs vertical sealing on side edge portions of the long film along a longitudinal direction of the long film so as to change the long film into the tubular film,   wherein the vertical sealing mechanism performs vertical sealing on a joint portion in which the first film and the second film are joined in a state in which an operation of transporting the long film is terminated, and   the valve means of the content material feeding mechanism is switched to a position on a side of returning the content material to the side of the reservoir tank while the vertical sealing operation is being performed on the joint portion.   
   
   
       6 . The vertical filling-packaging machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the time to perform vertical sealing on the joint portion is longer than the time to perform an ordinary vertical sealing so as to prevent the content material from leaking from a vertical sealed portion formed by the vertical sealing. 
   
   
       7 . A method of manufacturing a packaged product, comprising a series of packaging operations, said series comprising at least following operations:
 feeding content material that is fluidized through an injection nozzle into a tubular film that includes a bottom portion;   transporting the tubular film downward in a state in which the content material is fed thereinto; and   tightly sealing the tubular film by heat sealing a portion of the tubular film in a lateral direction,   wherein an injection port of the injection nozzle is configured to be immersed in the content material throughout entirety of the series of packaging operations, and the operation of feeding the content material starts in a state in which the injection port of the injection nozzle is immersed in the content material.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising pinching the portion of the tubular film in which the fed content material is present with a pair of rotating squeezing rollers, thereby forming a flat void-filled portion on the tubular film and transporting the tubular film downward,
 wherein the operation of feeding the content material is to feed the content material into the tubular film that is located higher than the portion that is pinched by the pair of squeezing rollers.   
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the content material that has been accumulated in a position higher than that of the squeezing rollers is dropped downward into the tubular film located lower than the squeezing rollers at the same time when the pair of squeezing rollers is opened, and
 after the content material is dropped, liquid level of the content material is configured to be higher than the injection port of the injection nozzle.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising transferring the content material from a reservoir tank wherein through a feed passage to the injection nozzle. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein a pump drivers the transferring of the content material from the reservoir tank to a side of the injection nozzle. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising returning the content material from the side of the injection nozzle to the reservoir tank via a return passage. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , switching a valve between (a) feeding the content material, which has been transferred through the feed passage, into the tubular film through the injection nozzle and (b) returning the content material, which has been transferred through the feed passage, back to a side of the reservoir tank. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 joining an end portion of a first film drawn from a first feed roll to an end portion of a second film drawn from a second feed roll;   feeding the joined first and second films as a long film; and   vertically sealing on side edge portions of the long film along a longitudinal direction of the long film so as to change the long film into the tubular film.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein, in a state in which an operation of transporting the long film is terminated, a joint portion in which the first film and the second film are joined are vertically sealed, and the valve is switched to a position on a side of returning the content material to the side of the reservoir tank while the vertical sealing operation is being performed on the joint portion. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the time to perform vertical sealing on the joint portion is longer than the time to perform an ordinary vertical sealing so as to prevent the content material from leaking from a vertical sealed portion formed by the vertical sealing. 
   
   
       17 . A vertical filling-packaging machine comprising:
 an injection nozzle for feeding content material that is fluidized into a tubular film that includes a bottom portion;   transport means for transporting the tubular film downward in a state in which the content material is fed thereinto; and   a lateral sealing mechanism for tightly sealing the tubular film by heat sealing a portion of the tubular film,   wherein the vertical filling-packaging machine manufactures a packaged product by a series of packaging operations including at least following operations: an operation of feeding the content material through the injection nozzle; an operation of transporting the tubular film downward in a state in which the content material is fed thereinto; and an operation of heat sealing by the lateral sealing mechanism,   wherein an injection port of the injection nozzle is configured to be immersed in the content material throughout entirety of the series of packaging operations, and the operation of feeding the content material starts in a state in which the injection port of the injection nozzle is immersed in the content material.