Bag making and packaging machine

Abstract

A bag making and packaging machine is provided with a feed mechanism, a roll holding portion, a printing mechanism, a former, a longitudinal seal mechanism, a transverse seal mechanism, a cutting mechanism, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The printing mechanism prints information on a film. The former causes the two longitudinal sides of the film to become overlapped. The longitudinal seal mechanism bonds the two longitudinal sides and makes a film tube. The transverse seal mechanism sandwiches and bonds the film tube and makes a transverse seal portion. The cutting mechanism cuts the film tube at the transverse seal portion. The first sensor detects a mark on the film for identifying a cutting position for cutting the film tube. The second sensor detects a mark for specifying a printing position of the film where predetermined information is to be printed.

1 . A bag making and packaging machine for wrapping an article within a bag, the machine defining an upstream side and a downstream side thereof, comprising:
 a feed mechanism that feeds a film from the upstream side toward the downstream side, the film having a plurality of marks on printed one surface thereof at constant intervals in a longitudinal direction of the film, each of the intervals corresponding to a dimension of the bag from a first side of the bag to a second side opposite to the first side of the bag;   a roll holding portion that holds a film roll onto which the film is wound;   a printing mechanism disposed downstream from the roll holding portion and that prints predetermined information on the film;   a former disposed downstream of the printing mechanism and that causes two longitudinal edges of the film to become overlapped;   a longitudinal seal mechanism disposed downstream of the former and that makes a film tube by bonding the two longitudinal edges that are overlapping;   a transverse seal mechanism disposed downstream of the longitudinal seal mechanism and that makes a transverse seal portion that extends in a transverse direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the film tube by bonding two opposing portions of the film tube;   a cutting mechanism disposed downstream of the longitudinal seal mechanism and that cuts the film tube at the transverse seal portion;   a first sensor that detects locations of a corresponding one of the plurality of marks for determining a cutting position of the film tube cut by the cutting mechanism;   a second sensor that detects the locations of a corresponding one of the plurality of marks for determining a printing position of the film where the predetermined information is to be printed; and   a controller connected to former, the longitudinal seal mechanism, the printing mechanism, the cutting mechanism, the first sensor and the second sensor, the controller being configured to determine the cutting position of the film tube and operating the cutting mechanism to cut at the cutting position, and determine the printing position of the film printed by the printing mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the second sensor is disposed upstream of the printing mechanism.   
     
     
         3 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first sensor is disposed downstream of the longitudinal seal mechanism and upstream of the cutting mechanism.   
     
     
         4 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first sensor is disposed downstream of the printing mechanism and upstream of the former.   
     
     
         5 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the length of a feed path defined from the roll holding portion to the printing mechanism is equal to or more than three times as long as the dimension of the bag.   
     
     
         6 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the length of a feed path from the printing mechanism to the cutting mechanism is equal to or more than three times the dimension of the bag.   
     
     
         7 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a printing inspection mechanism that inspects whether or not the predetermined information is printed appropriately; and   a third sensor that detects the mark for specifying a timing to enable the printing inspection mechanism to operate, wherein,   the third sensor is disposed upstream of the printing inspection mechanism.   
     
     
         8 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a feed length changing mechanism that changes a length of the film from the printing mechanism to the cutting mechanism, the film being fed by the feed mechanism,   wherein the feed mechanism is able to stop once for each time the film is fed by the dimension of the bag, and   wherein the printing mechanism and the cutting mechanism both operate in the stoppage.   
     
     
         9 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the feed mechanism is able to stop twice for each time the film is fed by the dimension of the bag, and   one of the printing mechanism and the cutting mechanism operates in a first stoppage, and   the other of the printing mechanism and the cutting mechanism operates in a second stoppage.   
     
     
         10 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first sensor is disposed downstream of the longitudinal seal mechanism and upstream of the cutting mechanism.   
     
     
         11 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first sensor is disposed downstream of the printing mechanism and upstream of the former.   
     
     
         12 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 2 , wherein:
 the length of a feed path defined from the roll holding portion to the printing mechanism is equal to or more than three times as long as the dimension of the bag.   
     
     
         13 . The bag making and packaging machine according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the length of a feed path from the printing mechanism to the cutting mechanism is equal to or more than three times the dimension of the bag.