Packaging apparatus

Abstract

A packaging apparatus which can achieve a reduced amount of use of a packaging material is provided. The packaging apparatus includes a print portion. The print portion can print information relating to an object to be packaged on the packaging material at a normal print position and at an initial print position downstream from the normal print position in a direction of transportation. The print portion prints information for a first package at the initial print position and prints information for second and subsequent packages at the normal print position.

1 . A packaging apparatus comprising:
 a packaging material transportation portion which transports a packaging material in a shape of an elongated sheet in a longitudinal direction of the packaging material;   an accommodation portion forming portion which forms an accommodation portion which accommodates an object to be packaged with the packaging material transported by the packaging material transportation portion; and   a print portion provided upstream from the accommodation portion forming portion in a direction of transportation of the packaging material, the print portion being configured to print information relating to the object to be packaged on the packaging material transported by the packaging material transportation portion,   the print portion being capable of performing printing at a normal print position and an initial print position downstream from the normal print position in the direction of transportation, the print portion being configured to print the information for a first package at the initial print position and to print the information for second and subsequent packages at the normal print position.   
     
     
         2 . The packaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the accommodation portion forming portion forms a package in which the accommodation portion is formed,   the normal print position is defined with a point distant from a point of boundary formation by a distance which is an integral multiple of a width of the package in the direction of transportation upstream in the direction of transportation being defined as a base point, the point of boundary formation being a point where the accommodation portion forming portion forms a boundary between packages adjacent in the direction of transportation,   the initial print position is defined as a position downstream from the normal print position in the direction of transportation by a distance shorter than the width of the package in the direction of transportation,   after the print portion performs printing at the initial print position, the packaging material transportation portion transports the packaging material by a distance calculated by subtracting a distance between the initial print position and the normal print position from the width of the package in the direction of transportation, and   an operation by the print portion to perform printing at the normal print position and an operation by the packaging material transportation portion to transport the packaging material by the width of the package in the direction of transportation are thereafter alternately repeated.   
     
     
         3 . The packaging apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the print portion includes a print head and a head moving portion which moves the print head in the direction of transportation of the packaging material, and   an area in which the print head is movable includes a print area at the normal print position and a print area at the initial print position.   
     
     
         4 . The packaging apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the width of the package in the direction of transportation is variable.   
     
     
         5 . The packaging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 a drug is adopted as the object to be packaged, and   the drug is packaged based on a prescription.