Abstract: A gas filling method includes the steps of: intermittently transferring a bag to arrange the bag at a gas blowing processing position; inserting a blowing nozzle into a gas guide path of the bag in the gas blowing processing position; pinching the blowing nozzle arranged in the gas guide path from outside of the bag with a pair of pinching members in the gas blowing processing position; causing the blowing nozzle to eject the gas in such a manner that the gas is sent to the gas accommodation portion in the gas blowing processing position in a state where the blowing nozzle is pinched via the bag by the pair of pinching members; and closing the gas accommodation portion in an airtight manner in the gas blowing processing position in a state where the blowing nozzle is arranged in the gas guide path.

Abstract: A bag transfer apparatus includes a plurality of holding units which include a first holding unit and a second holding unit provided to be adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction and are provided to be able to move, wherein each of the plurality of holding units includes: a left support unit which supports one side portion of a bag; and a right support unit which supports another side portion of the bag, and wherein one of the right support unit of the first holding unit and the left support unit of the second holding unit is positioned above the other.

Abstract: A heat sealing apparatus includes: a first sealing unit and a second sealing unit which are provided to be capable of being opened and closed and perform a heat sealing process of a bag while nipping the bag in a state where the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit are arranged in a closed position with the bag positioned between the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit; and a heat shield member including a heat reflector which is provided to cover at least a part of the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit arranged in the closed position, at a position away from the first sealing unit and the second sealing unit.

Abstract: A gas filling method includes the steps of: intermittently transferring a bag to arrange the bag at a gas blowing processing position; inserting a blowing nozzle into a gas guide path of the bag in the gas blowing processing position; pinching the blowing nozzle arranged in the gas guide path from outside of the bag with a pair of pinching members in the gas blowing processing position; causing the blowing nozzle to eject the gas in such a manner that the gas is sent to the gas accommodation portion in the gas blowing processing position in a state where the blowing nozzle is pinched via the bag by the pair of pinching members; and closing the gas accommodation portion in an airtight manner in the gas blowing processing position in a state where the blowing nozzle is arranged in the gas guide path.

Abstract: A bag transfer apparatus includes a plurality of holding units which include a first holding unit and a second holding unit provided to be adjacent to each other in a horizontal direction and are provided to be able to move, wherein each of the plurality of holding units includes: a left support unit which supports one side portion of a bag; and a right support unit which supports another side portion of the bag, and wherein one of the right support unit of the first holding unit and the left support unit of the second holding unit is positioned above the other.

Abstract: A packaging system includes a packaging machine and a relay device. The relay device has a relay rotary table, a plurality of second holding portions, and an adjustment unit. The adjustment unit adjusts a relative angle between each of the second holding portions and the relay rotary table. The above relative angle is adjusted such that an angle of the second holding portion arranged on a supply station matches an angle of the first holding portion arranged on the supply station. Further, the above relative angle is adjusted such that an angle of the second holding portion arranged on a discharge station matches an angle of the first holding portion arranged on the discharge station.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism includes a main rotating member, a first driving unit, a support mechanism, a holding unit, a second driving unit and control unit and transfers a sheet member from a pickup position to a delivery position. The support mechanism is connected to the main rotating member and the holding unit. The control unit controls the second driving unit in such a manner that, when the sheet member is placed in at least one of the pickup position and the delivery position, a position of the holding unit is not substantially changed in a state where the main rotating member rotates around the rotational axis in the first rotation direction.

Abstract: A gripper device used in a bag filling and packaging machine and moved, while holding a bag, along a predetermined path to change the orientation of the bag, the gripper device including: a movable frame that is moved along the predetermined path in a horizontal plane, a pivot frame that is pivotably supported by the movable frame and has a horizontal pivot axis, a pair of gripper arms that are pivotably supported by the pivot frame and pivoted, in conjunction with each other, symmetrically in a plane parallel to the pivot axis of the pivot frame, a bag orientation changing mechanism that is installed on the movable frame and pivots the pivot frame at an angle of 90°, and a gripper arm pivot mechanism that is installed on the movable frame and pivots the pair of gripper arms.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sealing method and device for a bag, in which pressurized gas spray outlets (47, 52) are provided at distal ends of a horn (31) and an anvil (32) so as to be used as gas blowing nozzles, the distal ends of the horn and the anvil are placed against a cutout (19) formed in a gas compartment (16) of the bag, a gas is blown into the gas compartment to inflate it, and then the horn and the anvil clamp films surrounding the cutout while the gas blowing is in progress, so that ultrasonic sealing is carried out by the horn to the films to trap the gas inside the gas compartment. A contact member (71) is provided directly under the horn. The contact member is pressed against inflated film (18) of the gas compartment, and in this state ultrasonic vibration energy is supplied to the horn.

Abstract: A packaging system includes a packaging machine and a relay device. The relay device has a relay rotary table, a plurality of second holding portions, and an adjustment unit. The adjustment unit adjusts a relative angle between each of the second holding portions and the relay rotary table. The above relative angle is adjusted such that an angle of the second holding portion arranged on a supply station matches an angle of the first holding portion arranged on the supply station. Further, the above relative angle is adjusted such that an angle of the second holding portion arranged on a discharge station matches an angle of the first holding portion arranged on the discharge station.

Abstract: A transfer mechanism includes a main rotating member, a first driving unit, a support mechanism, a holding unit, a second driving unit and control unit and transfers a sheet member from a pickup position to a delivery position. The support mechanism is connected to the main rotating member and the holding unit. The control unit controls the second driving unit in such a manner that, when the sheet member is placed in at least one of the pickup position and the delivery position, a position of the holding unit is not substantially changed in a state where the main rotating member rotates around the rotational axis in the first rotation direction.

Abstract: A bag mouth opening device for continuously conveyed bags including suction cups (16, 17) continuously rotated in mutually opposite directions along substantially symmetrical elliptical moving paths (24, 25) on ether side of a conveying path (1) for bags. The time the suction cups take to make their single rotation along the moving paths matches the time a bag (20) takes to be conveyed for an inter-bag distance(s). The major axes (26, 27) of both moving paths of the suction cups are inclined at almost the same angles relative to the conveying path and digress from the bag conveying path toward their anterior side.

Abstract: A method and device for opening spout attachment portion of a bag being set up such that films on both sides of a spout attachment portion (2) of a bag (1) are suction-held up by a pair of suction cups (8), and the spacing between the pair of suction cups is widened to open the spout attachment portion, after which a gas is blown from the spout attachment portion into the bag by a gas blowing member (9); and when the gas is blown into, a clamping member (19) clamps a position under the gripper that is on the top edge (6) side of the bag from both sides of the bag, thus suppressing outflow of the gas blown into the bag from the top edge, thus allowing entire bag to inflate for its entirety substantially and the spout attachment portion to be kept opened.

Abstract: A gripper device includes: a carrier device movably provided; a plurality of gripper pairs attached to the carrier device through supports; and a distance adjustment mechanism that adjusts a distance between one gripper and another gripper included in each of the plurality of gripper pairs, wherein, the one gripper and the another gripper included in each of the plurality of gripper pairs are attached to the carrier device through a same support, and the distance adjustment mechanism swings at least one of the one gripper and the another gripper included in each of the plurality of gripper pairs around the same support in such a manner that a distance between the one gripper and the another gripper is adjusted.

Abstract: A gripper device used in a bag filling and packaging machine and moved, while holding a bag, along a predetermined path to change the orientation of the bag, the gripper device including: a movable frame (2) that is moved along the predetermined path in a horizontal plane, a pivot frame (3) that is pivotably supported by the movable frame and has a horizontal pivot axis (O1), a pair of gripper arms (4, 5) that are pivotably supported by the pivot frame and pivoted, in conjunction with each other, symmetrically in a plane parallel to the pivot axis of the pivot frame, a bag orientation changing mechanism (14) that is installed on the movable frame and pivots the pivot frame at an angle of 90°, and a gripper arm pivot mechanism (15) that is installed on the movable frame and pivots the pair of gripper arms.

Abstract: An apparatus for supplying spout attachment bags including a first transfer device for transferring a spout attachment bag in a horizontal orientation, a positioning device for receiving and horizontally positioning the spout attachment bag transferred from the first transfer device, a second transfer device for transferring upward the spout attachment bag positioned by the positioning device and changing the spout attachment bag from the horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation so that the spout attachment opening faces upward and is horizontal, and a detection device. The position of the spout attachment opening on the positioning device is detected by the detection device and is compared to a preset reference position, so that any amount of deviation between the two positions is corrected, thus keeping the height positions of the spout attachment openings of the spout attachment bags changed to a vertical orientation steady.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for charging the gas compartment portion of a bag (1) in which incisions (9) are formed in gas introduction section (6a) of the gas compartment portion (6). A pair of gas injection nozzles (23, 24) are disposed so as to be on the opposite sides of the bag and reciprocate between its standby and advanced positions, so that in the advanced position, the discharge outlets (23a, 24a) of the gas injection nozzles are aligned with the gas introduction section on both sides, and compressed gas is injected into the gas introduction section through the incisions. A small gap (L) is provided between the discharge outlets of the gas injection nozzles when they are in the advanced position. As the gas is injected, film sheets of the expanded gas introduction section closely adhere to the discharge outlets, so that the gas injection state becomes stable.

Abstract: In a method and apparatus for filling a gas in a gas compartment portion of a bag, a bag-conveying gripper (41) including a pair of gripping elements (45 and 46), and the inner surface (gripping surface) of the gripping element (45) being formed with a shallow groove (47). The bag-conveying gripper (41) grips the sealed portion (12) of the bag, and a neck section (16a) of the gas compartment portion (16) in the sealed portion is held at a groove formed in the gripping elements of the bag-conveying gripper. Compressed gas is ejected into the gas compartment portion through incision (17) formed in the neck section, inflating the gas compartment portion 16. The inflated shape of the neck section held by the bag-conveying gripper is restricted to a flat configuration by the inner surfaces of the bag-conveying gripper.

Abstract: An ultrasonic sealing method and device for a bag, in which pressurized gas spray outlets (47, 52) are provided at distal ends of a horn (31) and an anvil (32) so as to be used as gas blowing nozzles, the distal ends of the horn and the anvil are placed against a cutout (19) formed in a gas compartment (16) of the bag, a gas is blown into the gas compartment to inflate it, and then the horn and the anvil clamp films surrounding the cutout while the gas blowing is in progress, so that ultrasonic sealing is carried out by the horn to the films to trap the gas inside the gas compartment. A contact member (71) is provided directly under the horn. The contact member is pressed against inflated film (18) of the gas compartment, and in this state ultrasonic vibration energy is supplied to the horn.

Abstract: A pouch in which an air layer can be formed with a simple mechanism using a single-tube air nozzle is provided. A pouch includes, in a side edge portion where a first and a second side-surface films are sealed, a non-sealed region which is not sealed over a predetermined length, and an opening provided near an upper end of the non-sealed region penetrating through the first and/or the second side-surface films. The non-sealed region includes an air filling portion which takes therein, through the opening, air from an air blowout hole of an air nozzle having a tip surface in a predetermined distance from the opening. The air filling portion is not sealed within a predetermined radius larger than a radius of the air nozzle such that, when the air filling portion expands due to increase of internal pressure, a part near the opening is adhered to the tip surface.