JPH10310103A - Palletizer - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the installation space and the amount of an equipment investigation cost by collecting the functions of two machines of a palletizer and a stretch packaging machine, into one machine. SOLUTION: Right under a carriage roller of a loading station 5 of a lowering type palletizer, one of a pair of rings, which have an internal diameter being sufficiently larger than the diagonal line dimension of a pallet 6a, and are vertically movably and rotatably engaged with each other, is attached, and to the other ring, a film feeding means equipped with a supporting means for the taking up of a stretch film and a film tension imparting means, is fixed, and the rings are rotated by a motor. At a stop location of the film feeding device on the rotating ring, a film cutting means, a means which fastens one end of the cut film on an article to be packed, and a means to pinch the other cut end, are provided independently from the rotating rings.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a palletizer, and more particularly, to a method for wrapping a packaged object on a pallet while winding a stretched film around a side of the packaged object to stretch-wrap the packaged object. About possible pallets.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, articles to be packed are arranged in a predetermined stacking pattern for each step, and the articles to be packed are stacked on a predetermined number of pallets and stretch-wrapped to prevent packing. Although these processes have been widely performed, each of these processes has been performed in two steps, each including a separate apparatus, that is, a palletizer and a stretch wrapping machine.

[0003]

Therefore, an installation space for two apparatuses and a large capital investment have been required. The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a palletizer capable of mounting a mechanism necessary for stretch packaging in a frame of a palletizer and performing palletizing while stacking articles to be packed. It is in.

[0004]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a palletizer according to the present invention comprises a means for placing, on a pallet, objects to be packed arranged in a predetermined stacking pattern at least one step at a time. Means for lowering the pallet by a dimension corresponding to the height of one stage of the packing object every time the one stage of the packing object is placed on the pallet. One of a pair of rings, which have an inner diameter at least sufficiently larger than the diagonal dimension of the pallet and are vertically and rotatably engaged with each other so as to be positioned below the means for placing an object on the pallet, Attached to a vertical frame, and the other ring is connected to a drive source to rotate the ring and stop it at a fixed position, and supports the winding of the stretch film on the rotating ring Means for fixing the film unwinding means and a means for applying tension to the film unwound from the film take-up means, and a film cutting means at a stop position of the film supply apparatus independently of the rotating ring. Means for locking the end of the cut film on the object to be packaged on the object to be packed and means for clamping the end of the film on the film winding side are provided.

In the apparatus of the present invention, as a tension applying means attached to the rotating ring, for example, a brake roller, which is braked by a magnet brake using an electromagnet or a permanent magnet, is engaged with the film between the film winding and the article to be packed. And a roller pre-stretch method (for details, see FIG. 1, reference numerals 14 to 17 in Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-23283). For example, see Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-40682. Further, by adding appropriate power supply means (for example, a dynamo having a rotor that rotates in contact with the outer periphery of the non-rotating ring of the pair of rings), a powered pre-stretch method (for example, Tokiko Sho 59-
No. 52087) or a biaxial pre-stretch method (for example, see Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 3-501963 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 4-279409).

Conventionally, as the film cutting means used in the apparatus of the present invention, the means for engaging one of the film cutting ends on the object to be packed, and the means for holding the other film cutting end, A widely used combination of a film holding arm and a cutter arm with or without a heat sealer, or a swing arm equipped with a cutter and a heat sealer and / or a film holder and a gripper can be used (for example, a real machine). FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 of JP-B-63-23283). Alternatively, a mechanism described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Hei 6-211206 may be used. Further, the device of the present invention,
The entire pair of rings rotatably engaged with each other may be moved up and down along the vertical frame of the palletizer.

[0007]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the apparatus according to the present invention, an unwinding end is arranged around a material to be packed, which is arranged in a predetermined stacking pattern by one step and descends step by step each time it is placed on a pallet. By rotating the winding of the stretch film pinched by the pinching means, the stretch film with tension applied around the packaged object is spirally wound,
The effect of stretch packaging is achieved. Further, in the apparatus of the present invention, the winding of the stretch film is rotated a plurality of times during the stop time from when the object to be packed placed on the pallet is lowered by one stage to when the material is next lowered, and the film is rotated. By repeating the cycle of cutting and locking the cut end to the side surface of the object to be packed, an effect of winding the stretch film in a band shape over the stack of the upper and lower two stages of the object to be packed is achieved. . Further, in the apparatus of the present invention, the entire pair of rings which are vertically and mutually rotatably engaged with each other are vertically moved up and down, so that the lower end of the pallet stacking process is completed from the upper end to the lower end. In this way, a stretch film is wound around the upper end in a cross-spiral form and stretch-wrapped.

[0008]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited thereto. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the apparatus of the present invention, and shows a state in which a part of a frame is cut away for easy viewing of the drawing. 2 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a schematic side view thereof, FIG. 4 is a plan view of a main part of the apparatus of FIG.
FIG. 5 is a side view of a main part viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG.

In the drawing, reference numeral 1 denotes an article to be packed, 2 denotes a carry-in conveyor, 3 denotes a direction change conveyor, 4 denotes a cross conveyor, 5 denotes a loading station, 5a denotes a carry roller,
5b is a vertical frame, 5c is a horizontal frame, 6 is a pallet supply device, 6a is a pallet, 6b is a pallet conveyor, 7 is a pallet lifter, 8 is a first unloading conveyor,
9 is a second carry-out conveyor, 10 is a stretch packaging mechanism, 1
1 is a ring assembly, 11a is an upper ring, 11b is a lower ring, 11c is a belt, 11d is a bracket,
1e is a variable speed motor, 12 is a film feeder, 12
a is a winding support shaft, 12b is tension applying means, 12c
Is the upstream stretching roller, 12d is the downstream stretching roller,
12e is a sprocket, 13 is a swing arm, 13a is a hot wire knife, 13b is a film presser, 13c is an air cylinder, 14 is a gripper, and F is a stretch film.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, the apparatus according to the present embodiment, like a conventional palletizer, carries in a carry-in conveyor 2 for carrying in a packaged article 1 and a carried-in article 1 in accordance with a loading pattern. A direction changing conveyor 3 capable of feeding the packaged goods in the right angle direction while keeping the direction of the packaged goods, or changing the direction of the packaged goods by 90 ° and then feeding the packaged goods in the right angle direction, and arranging these packed goods in one row. A cross conveyor 4 for feeding the material to be packed in a right angle direction and the packing material for one stage, and in order to place them on a pallet, rotate the rollers to feed the material to be packed forward. At the same speed as
A stowage station 5 composed of a carriage roller 5a in which the group of rollers retreats and a pallet 6a stacked in a magazine are taken out one by one from below, and the supplied one pallet 6a is taken out of the stowage station 5 The pallet conveyor 6b to be transported directly below, and the pallet is lifted to just below the loading station 5 and the height of the one-stage package is set every time the one-stage package is placed on the pallet. And a pallet lifter 7 that finally moves the pallet 6a on which the articles to be packed are placed on a predetermined number of stages onto a first discharge conveyor 8 provided immediately below the pallet 6a. A first unloading conveyor 8 and a second unloading conveyor 9 for sending the loaded pallets 6a out of the machine.
And The above-mentioned structure does not differ from the conventional palletizer, and a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

A feature of the apparatus according to the present invention is that a means for placing an object to be packed on a pallet (in this embodiment, a loading station 5).
Below, a means (stretch wrapping mechanism 10) for stretching and wrapping the article to be packed is provided.

Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, the stretch wrapping mechanism 10 is mounted on the vertical frame 5 of the loading station 5.
b, a film supply device 12 mounted thereon, and a swing arm 13 mounted on a horizontal frame 5c of the loading station 5
And a gripper 14. The ring assembly 11 has an inner diameter sufficiently larger than the diagonal dimension of the pallet 6a, and comprises a pair of rings 11a, 11b which are vertically and rotatably engaged with each other. The lower ring 11b is fixed to the vertical frame 5b by a bracket 11d so as to be located below 5a. The upper ring 11a is driven by a variable speed motor 11e via a belt 11c to rotate.

The film supply device 12 comprises an unwinding shaft 12a for supporting winding of the stretch film F and tension applying means 12b.
Mounted on top of. Note that this tension applying means 12
b is a pair of undriven stretching rollers 12c and 12d, the roller 1 located downstream of the flow below the film.
Reference numeral 2d denotes a so-called "roller pre-stretch type" in which the pair of sprockets 12e are connected so as to rotate at a fixed ratio faster than the roller 12c located upstream.

The swing arm 13 is provided with a hot wire knife 13a for cutting a film and the cut end of the single-sided adhesive stretch film F on the packing object side, which is already stretched around the packing object 1. A film holder 13b for attaching and locking the film F is attached. The swing arm 13 is pivotally mounted on the horizontal frame 5b, and is pivoted by an air cylinder (not shown). The hot wire knife 13a is moved back and forth with respect to the stretch film F by the air cylinder 13c. The horizontal frame 5c is provided with a gripper 14 which is opened and closed by an air cylinder (not shown). The mounting positions of the swing arm 13 and the gripper 14 on the horizontal frame 5b substantially coincide with the positions at which the film supply device 12 mounted on the ring 11a stops after being rotated a set number of times. I have.

Next, the operation of the apparatus of this embodiment will be described. The state before the start of the apparatus of the present embodiment is as follows.
The pallet lifter 7 lifts the empty pallet 6a to just below the carriage roller 5a of the loading station 5 and holds it there. Stretch wrapping mechanism 10
In the film supply device 12, the film F unwound from the winding of the stretch film attached to the winding support shaft 12a is fed to the upstream stretching roller 1 of the tension applying means 12b.
2c and the periphery of the downstream stretching roller 12d are engaged in an S-shape, and the leading end thereof is held by the gripper 14.

When the apparatus is started, the article 1 to be packed is carried into the machine from the carry-in conveyor 2 and is turned on the direction changing conveyor 3.
According to the stowage pattern, the paper is sent in a right angle direction without changing its direction or after changing its direction by 90 °, and then is sent in a right angle direction and put on the cross conveyor 4. The cross conveyor 4 arranges a row of items to be packed thereon, and then feeds the packages in a right angle direction, and places the row of items on the carry roller 5 a of the loading station 5. The carry roller 5 a rotates and receives one row of the articles to be packed from the cross conveyor 4. When the carry roller 5a receives a plurality of rows of items to be packed, one-stage items to be packed are aligned on the carrier roller 5a. The carriage roller 5a keeps rotating and sends the packaged material forward, while retreating itself, thereby transferring one stage of the packaged material onto the pallet 6a waiting thereunder.

When one level of the article to be packed is placed on the pallet 6a, the pallet lifter 7 is lowered by a dimension corresponding to the height of one level of the article to be packed. Immediately before the pallet lifter 7 descends, the upper ring 11a is driven by a variable speed motor 11e via a belt 11c, starts rotating at a low speed, and rapidly increases to a predetermined speed. Film F
Since the end is gripped by the gripper 14, the upstream stretching roller 12c unwound from the film winding, and the downstream stretching roller 12d rotating at a peripheral speed faster by a fixed ratio than the upstream stretching roller 12c. Tension is given by being stretched between. The film F thus imparted with tension is wound spirally upward from the lower end of the film F placed on the pallet 6a as shown in FIG. Can be At an appropriate timing after the film supply device 12 makes one rotation, the gripper 14 opens to release the end of the film F.

When the article 1 stops descending, the upper ring 11a also rapidly decelerates and stops. When the next one stage of the goods to be packed is loaded by the carriage roller 5a of the loading station 5 and the pallet lifter 7 starts to descend, the upper ring 11a starts rotating again, and the surroundings of the goods to be packed are The tensioned film is wound spirally. Such an operation is repeated until the objects to be packed are stacked on the pallet 6a by a predetermined number of steps, and the pallet lifter 7 has been lowered by the last one step.

Next, when the film supply device 12 is stopped at the starting position, the swing arm 13 is first turned by an air cylinder (not shown), and the film retainer 13b moves the adhesive stretch film to the side of the packaged object. Adhesively locks onto the surface of a stretch film of the same quality and is inserted between the gripper 14 and the article 1 to be packed, so that a part of the film F comes under the open gripper. When the course is changed, the gripper 14 closes and holds the film F. Next, the hot wire knife 13a is energized, and then protrudes for a very short time with the hot wire knife 13a by the operation of the air cylinder 13c, and when the film is cut between the packaged object 1 and the gripper 14, both the hot wire knife 13b and the swing arm 13 Return to the original position again.

In the apparatus of this embodiment, the pallet lifter 7
The cycle in which the film supply device 12 is rotated a plurality of times only during the stop time from the lowering to the next lowering to cut the film and lock the cut end on the side of the object to be packed By repeating each time the object descends, as shown in FIG. 7, a plurality of stretch films can be wound around the stack of the upper and lower two-stage items to be packed in a band shape. It is preferable that the positions of the ring assembly 11, the swing arm 13 and the gripper 14 can be adjusted in the vertical direction so as to be able to accommodate various kinds of objects to be packed. In this case, the swing arm 13 and the gripper 1 can be adjusted.
4 may be mounted on its non-rotating part, lower ring 11b, via a suitable bracket so that it can be adjusted together with ring assembly 11.

Further, in the device of the present invention, as shown in FIG.
The ring assembly 11 attached to the film supply device 12 is configured to be vertically moved up and down, for example, along the vertical frame 5b of the loading station 5, and when a predetermined number of articles to be packed are stacked on the pallet 6a, the ring assembly is completed. Solid 11
By raising and lowering the whole from the upper end to the lower end of the article to be packed and then from the lower end to the upper end, it is possible to wind a stretched film with tension as shown in FIG. 9 in a cross spiral shape.

The film tension applying means used in the apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the roller pre-stretch method of the above-described embodiment.
A brake roller controlled by a magnetic brake (using a known electromagnet or permanent magnet) is disposed immediately after winding the film, and the film is engaged with the brake roller to form a stretch film between the film and the object to be packed. Brake roller system for applying tension (for details, see Jikku 63-23
No. 283, FIG. 1, reference numerals 14 to 17). Further, by adding an appropriate power supply means, a powered pre-stretch method (see Japanese Patent Publication No. 59-52087) can be realized.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the stretch wrapping mechanism provided with the tensioning means of the powered pre-stretch system as viewed from the same direction as in FIG. 5, but the film supply device is moved to a position different from that in FIG. doing. Symbols 10-1 in the figure
4 has the same meaning as in FIGS.
Is a friction material, 12f is a DC motor, 15 is a dynamo,
15a is a rotor, 16 is a stabilizer. The dynamo 15 and the stabilizer 16 are fixed to the upper ring 11 a, and the rotor 15 a of the dynamo 15 is in contact with the periphery of the lower ring 11 b of the ring assembly 11. A friction material 11f is stuck around the lower ring, and when the upper ring 11a rotates, the rotor 15a rotates the friction material 1 on the peripheral surface of the lower ring 11b.
The dynamo 15 rotates by friction with 1f, generates DC power, and supplies power to the DC motor 12f via the stabilizer 16. Since the generated DC voltage changes in proportion to the rotation speed of the rotor 15a, the rotation speed of the DC motor 12f is also increased or decreased by the rotation speed of the upper ring 11a (that is, the film supply device 12 provided thereon). In this manner, the film feeding amount of the film supply device 12 is controlled in proportion to the increase or decrease of the film winding speed on the article to be packed.

For example, by using a suitable power supply means as described above, a biaxial pre-stretch method (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3-5011963 or Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-27940) can be used as a means for imparting film tension to the apparatus of the present invention.
No. 9). In particular, when a non-adhesive film is used, it is preferable to attach a heat sealer described in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 63-23283 to the swing arm 13 in the above embodiment. Further, in the apparatus of the present invention, as a means for cutting a film, a means for engaging one of the cut ends of the film on the object to be packed, and a means for holding the other cut end of the film,
It is also possible to use the device of the mechanism described in 1206.

[0025]

As described in detail above, according to the present invention,
It is possible to provide a palletizer in which a mechanism necessary for stretch packaging is mounted in a palletizer frame, and a stretched film with tension is wound around a side surface of the palletized product while being palletized. As a result, the installation space of the equipment and the amount of capital investment can be significantly reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a palletizer according to one embodiment of the present invention.
It shows a state where a part of the frame is cut off.

FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a main part of the apparatus of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a side view of a main part viewed from the direction of arrow A in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a side view of a stretch package of an article to be packed placed on a pallet.

FIG. 7 is a side view of another stretch package of an article to be packed placed on a pallet.

FIG. 8 is a side view of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is different from FIG. 1;

9 and FIG. 7 of an article to be packed placed on a pallet.
It is a side view of another stretch package.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a main part of an apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention, which is different from FIGS.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: packed goods, 2: carry-in conveyor, 3: direction change conveyor, 4: cross conveyor, 5: loading station, 5
a: Carrier roller, 5b: Vertical frame, 5
c: horizontal frame, 6: pallet supply device, 6a: pallet, 6b: pallet conveyor, 7: pallet lifter, 8: first discharge conveyor, 9: second discharge conveyor,
10: stretch packaging mechanism, 11: ring assembly, 11
a: Upper ring, 11b: Lower ring, 11c: Belt, 11d: Bracket, 11e: Variable speed motor,
11f: friction material, 12: film supply device, 12a:
Winding support shaft, 12b: tension applying means, 12c: upstream stretching roller, 12d: downstream stretching roller, 12
e: sprocket, 12f: DC motor, 13: swing arm, 13a: hot wire knife, 13b: film holder,
13c: air cylinder, 14: gripper, 15: dynamo, 15a: rotor, 16: stabilizer

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A means for placing, on a pallet, objects to be packed arranged in a predetermined stacking pattern for at least one stage, and each time the objects for one stage are placed on the pallet, Means for lowering the pallet by a dimension corresponding to the height of one step of the object to be packed, wherein at least a diagonal line of the pallet is positioned below the means for placing the object to be packed on the pallet. One of a pair of rings having an inner diameter that is sufficiently larger than the size and vertically and rotatably engaged with each other is attached to the frame of the palletizer, and the other ring is rotated to stop at a fixed position. And a means for supporting the stretching of the stretch film on the rotating ring and a means for applying tension to the film unwound from the film winding. A film cutting means for fixing the feeding device and stopping the film feeding device at the stop position of the film feeding device independently of the rotating ring, and a means for locking an end of the cut film on the packing object side on the packing object; A palletizer provided with means for clamping an end of the film on the film winding side. 2. The palletizer according to claim 1, wherein said pair of engaging rings move up and down along a vertical frame of the palletizer.
The palletizer described.