Strip pack device

Abstract

A strip pack device is adapted to manufacture a strip-pack product having an article attached to a strip. The strip pack device includes a conveying part, a drawing-in part, a moving part and an attachment part. The drawing-in part is configured and arranged to draw a front end of the article conveyed by the conveying part to a predetermined position. The front end is located frontward in a conveying direction. The moving part is configured and arranged to receive the article at the predetermined position in the drawing-in part, to move the article from the predetermined position in a generally opposite direction of a draw-in direction of the drawing-in part, and to move the article to an attaching position. The attachment part is configured and arranged to attach the front end of the article to the strip after the article has been moved to the attaching position.

1 . A strip pack device adapted to manufacture a strip-pack product having an article attached to a strip, the strip pack device comprising:
 a conveying part configured and arranged to convey the article in a substantially horizontal direction;   a drawing-in part configured and arranged to draw a front end of the article conveyed by the conveying part to a predetermined position, the front end being located frontward in a conveying direction;   a moving part configured and arranged to receive the article at the predetermined position in the drawing-in part, to move the article from the predetermined position in a generally opposite direction of a draw-in direction of the drawing-in part, and to move the article to an attaching position; and   an attachment part configured and arranged to attach the front end of the article to the strip after the article has been moved to the attaching position by the moving part.   
   
   
       2 . The strip pack device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the moving part includes a pivoting link member, and a distal end of the pivoting link member has a grasping section configured and arranged to grasp the front end of the article at the predetermined position and   the grasping section is configured and arranged to move, when beginning to move from the predetermined position, in the generally opposite direction of the draw-in direction, and to move to the attaching position along an arcuate path.   
   
   
       3 . The strip pack device according to  claim 2 , further comprising
 an opposite-direction-moving part configured and arranged to move the grasping section in the generally opposite direction of the draw-in direction when the grasping part begins to move away from the predetermined position.   
   
   
       4 . The strip pack device according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the moving part is configured and arranged so that the front end of the article grasped by the grasping section assumes a predetermined orientation in the attaching position.   
   
   
       5 . The strip pack device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the moving part has a parallel link mechanism including the pivoting link member, and   the grasping section is provided at a distal end of the parallel link mechanism.   
   
   
       6 . The strip pack device according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the moving part further has
 a first toothed member provided at a pivoting fulcrum of the pivoting link member so as to be incapable of rotating regardless of pivoting of the pivoting link member, 
 a second toothed member rotatably provided at the distal end of the pivoting link member, with the grasping section being fixedly coupled to the second toothed member and 
 a winding drive member wound between the first toothed member and the second toothed member.