Automatic packaging machine including circulation system

Abstract

An automatic packaging system for continuously and automatically packaging products without interruption using triple circulation systems. The triple circulation systems include an unpackaged product feeding circulation system continuously feeding unpackaged products via circulation, a package feeding circulation system continuously feeding packages via circulation, and a packaged product circulation conveying system continuously transporting packaged products wrapped in the packages via circulation. The automatic packaging system continuously and automatically packages products without interruption, thereby efficiently improving productivity.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An automatic packaging machine comprising:
 an unpackaged product feeding circulation system comprising an unpackaged product transport conveyor disposed in a space defined by a base frame and unpackaged product transport containers disposed on the unpackaged product transport conveyor at equal distances from each other so as to circulate on the unpackaged product transport conveyor;   a package feeding circulation system comprising a package feeding conveyor disposed on one side of the unpackaged product feeding circulation system and package loading plates disposed on the package feeding conveyor at equal distances from each other so as to circulate on the package feeding conveyor, such that packages are loaded on the package loading plates;   a cylinder-type unpackaged product inserting unit disposed above the unpackaged product feeding circulation system to insert unpackaged products transported by the unpackaged product transport conveyor into the packages;   a package opening unit disposed above the package feeding circulation system to be movable back and forth, and comprising an upper guide and a side guide, with a pair of blades being provided on the upper guide to open a mouth of each of the packages by a grippers-like opening action, thereby allowing the unpackaged product inserting unit to insert an unpackaged product into each of the packages; and   a packaged product circulation conveying system comprising a packaged product transport conveyor disposed on one side of the package feeding circulation system, a packaged product support plate disposed on the packaged product transport conveyor at equal distances from each other as to circulate on the packaged product transport conveyor, an upper holder pivotably provided above the packaged product support plate to hold each of the packages in which the product is inserted, a coil spring downwardly pivoting the upper holder by elastic force, and an upper holder controller disposed on a product transfer line, in a position above the upper holder, to be movable up and down, thereby upwardly pivoting the upper holder.   
     
     
         2 . The automatic packaging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the unpackaged product transport containers has a V-shaped, rounded, or polygonal side-view geometry, with an upper portion being open. 
     
     
         3 . The automatic packaging machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the unpackaged product inserting unit comprises a pair of servo cylinders, a pair of pneumatic cylinders, or a combination of a servo cylinder and a pneumatic cylinder. 
     
     
         4 . The automatic packaging machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a lift disposed on the side guide, such that an upper portion thereof is pivotable, to raise a lower portion of each of the packages. 
     
     
         5 . The automatic packaging machine according to  claim 1 , further comprising a pneumatic unit configured to widen the mouth of each of the packages by blowing air toward the mouth using a valve connected to an air intake unit disposed in a lower space defined by the base frame and an air discharging unit connected to the valve. 
     
     
         6 . The automatic packaging machine according to  claim 5 , further comprising a product tight fitting unit disposed on a package transfer line to tightly fit the packages to packaged products, wherein the product tight fitting unit comprises:
 a package entrance guide configured to guide entrance of the packages in which the packaged products are inserted;   grippers pivoting to grip the mouth of each of the packages; and   a reciprocation unit moving the grippers back and forth.   
     
     
         7 . The automatic packaging machine according to  claim 6 , further comprising a loading unit comprising a loading chamber defined by the base frame, wherein, in a position in which the package is fitted to the packaged product by the product tight fitting unit, when the mouth of each of the packages is bound and then remainders are cut from the mouth of each of the packages, the loading unit accommodates the remainders via vacuum suction. 
     
     
         8 . The automatic packaging machine according to  claim 7 , wherein the loading chamber comprises two or more loading chambers, such that, when the remainders are accumulated in one of the loading chambers to be detected by a sensor, a three-way valve connected to the loading chambers is controlled to automatically replace the one loading chamber with the other loading chamber.