Packing apparatus for instant noodle and packing method thereof

Abstract

An apparatus for packaging instant noodles includes a transferring device configured to transfer instant noodle packaging containers in which instant noodles are inserted through a supply device; an alignment device configured to position images including a product name displayed on external surfaces of the respective instant noodle packaging containers in the same direction and align the instant noodle packaging containers when the instant noodle packaging containers in which the instant noodles are received are transferred by the transferring device; and a cover closing and sealing device configured to receive a cover, in which another image including the product name is displayed, from a cover supply part, make the image formed in the cover correspond to the image formed in the instant noodle packaging container in the same direction, and seal an opened portion of the instant noodle packaging container.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus for packaging instant noodles, comprising:
 a transferring device configured to transfer instant noodle packaging containers in which instant noodles are inserted through a supply device;   an alignment means configured to position images including a product name displayed on external surfaces of the respective instant noodle packaging containers in the same direction and align the instant noodle packaging containers when the instant noodle packaging containers in which the instant noodles are received are transferred by the transferring device; and   a cover closing and sealing device configured to receive a cover, in which another image including the product name is displayed, from a cover supply part, make the image formed in the cover correspond to the image formed in the instant noodle packaging container in the same direction, and close and seal an opened portion of the instant noodle packaging container.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the transferring device includes a motor, and a plurality of movement support plates formed so that the instant noodle packaging containers are fitted to and seated on the plurality of movement support plates at a predetermined interval, and formed to be movable while circulating in a caterpillar form by receiving driving force of the motor.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the alignment means includes a fixing and supporting part configured to fix and support the respective instant noodle packaging containers when the instant noodle packaging containers are transferred to predetermined positions through the transferring device, a position changing part configured to temporarily move and change the positions of the fixed and supported instant noodle packaging containers in the transferring device, a detecting sensor configured to detect an indication portion that is a reference point of an image displayed on each of the external surfaces of the instant noodle packaging containers when the positions of the instant noodle packaging containers are changed according to driving of the position changing part, and a controller configured to stop operations of the position changing part and the fixing and supporting part while returning the position changing part and the fixing and supporting part to initial positions when each of the positions of the indication portions is detected by the detecting sensor.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the fixing and supporting part includes a motor configured to generate vacuum pressure, and an adsorption pad configured to generate adsorption force by driving of the motor to be adsorbed onto a lower surface of the instant noodle packaging container.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the position changing part includes an elevation driving part configured to elevate the instant noodle packaging container fixed and supported by the fixing and supporting part, and a rotation driving part configured to rotate the instant noodle packaging container in a circumferential direction when the instant noodle packaging container is elevated by the elevation driving part.   
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein:
 the fixing and supporting part and the position changing part are interworked together to be driven and stopped.   
     
     
         7 . A method of packaging instant noodles, comprising:
 inserting instant noodles inside an instant noodle packaging container having one side formed in an opened portion;   when the instant noodle packaging containers in which the instant noodles are received are transferred by a transferring device to reach predetermined positions, performing alignment of positioning all images formed on external surfaces of the instant noodle packaging containers including a product name in the same direction by detecting indication portions displayed on the external surfaces of the instant noodle packaging containers by a sensor to position the instant noodle packaging containers; and   performing cover closing and sealing of sealing the opened portion of the instant noodle packaging container while making another image including the product name displayed on a cover correspond to the image formed in the instant noodle packaging container in the same direction.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein:
 the performing of the alignment includes detecting an indication portion displayed on the external surface of the instant noodle packaging container by each sensor while elevating and rotating the instant noodle packaging containers in a state where the respective instant noodle packaging containers are fixed and supported, and seating the detected instant noodle packaging container in the transferring device by moving down the detected instant noodle packaging container while stopping the rotation of the detected instant noodle packaging container when the indication portion of the instant noodle packaging containers is detected.   
     
     
         9 . An instant noodle packaging container comprising: an instant noodle packaging container main body having an upper surface formed in an opened portion so that instant noodles may be received therein; and a cover configured to seal and close the opened portion of the instant noodle packaging container main body,
 wherein images including a product are displayed on the instant noodle packaging container main body and the cover, and the instant noodle packaging container is sealed and closed by the cover in a state where the image of the instant noodle packaging container main body and the image of the cover are positioned in the same direction.   
     
     
         10 . The instant noodle packaging container of  claim 9 , wherein:
 the instant noodle packaging container main body includes an indication portion which maintains a distance from the image including the product name and serves as a reference point of the image.