Envelopes – wrappers – and paperboard boxes – Paperboard box – With inner flexible or flaccid bag liner
Reexamination Certificate
2000-02-15
2001-05-29
Fidei, David T. (Department: 3728)
Envelopes, wrappers, and paperboard boxes
Paperboard box
With inner flexible or flaccid bag liner
C383S104000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06237841
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a retainer for accommodating a self-standing packaging bag that can stand by itself in an open state and for supplying such bags to a bag-packing packaging machine.
2. Prior Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. S58-73501 discloses one type of a bag-packing packaging machine.
This machine is designed so that packaging bags (which are empty) are accommodated in retainers, and the retainers are continuously conveyed. Various packaging operations such as filling the bags with contents to be packaged and sealing the bag openings, etc. are performed during the conveying process.
Each retainer is provided with a hollow space and a pair of vertical side grooves. The hollow space has a shape that corresponds to the cross-sectional configuration of the body portion of the packaging bag in an open state (i.e., a state in which the opening of the bag is open and the body portion of the bag is inflated), and the pair of vertical side grooves guide the side edges of the packaging bag. The packaging bag in a closed state is put in the hollow space and is opened and filled with the contents by a filling device.
Accordingly, the above-described filling device requires a bag-opening means such as a vacuum suction picker; and as a result, the structure of the device is extremely complicated. Furthermore, the retainer does not have any means for maintaining the opened packaging bag “as is” in its open state. Accordingly, even though the packaging bag once opened has some degree of shape retention if the bag is a self-standing bag, the bag opening tends to close as a result of vibration during the conveying process and of the recovery force of the packaging bag itself. Thus, when the bag is successively filled with liquid and solid substances during the conveyance, it is necessary to install a bag-opening means for each of liquid and solid substances in the filling devices.
Another prior art, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. S58-904 discloses that an open self-standing packaging bag (empty bag) is placed in a retainer, the retainer is successively conveyed to a filling station and sealing station, etc., and various packaging operations such as filling of the bag with contents and sealing of the bag opening, etc. are successively performed.
The retainer of this prior art includes a plate which has a retaining hole and insertion grooves. The retaining hole is in a shape that more or less coincides with the cross-sectional shape of the body portion of a self-standing packaging bag of an open state, and the insertion grooves are formed so that both side edges of the packaging bag are inserted and held therein. Thus, in this retainer, the packaging bag of an open state is set in the retaining hole and insertion grooves of the plate. However, there is no clear description about the means that keeps the open state of the bag in this prior art; therefore, it appears that the bag opening cannot be prevented from closing by way of recovery force of the packaging bag.
Still another prior art, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. H10-236448 discloses a retainer that is equipped with a packaging bag retaining means. With this retainer, a packaging bag is held in an open state, and the bag can be reliably positioned at a specified location. However, the structure of the retainer of this prior art is complicated, and the maintenance and cleaning is not accomplished easily.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is devised in light of the problems with the above-described conventional retainers.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a retainer which can maintain the open state of a self-standing packaging bag during various packaging operations after the self-standing packaging bag is set in the retainer in a closed state. Also, the retainer of the present invention does not have a complicated structure.
More specifically, the self-standing packaging bag retainer according to the present invention is characterized by the fact that: a bottomed retaining hole, which has a cross section that is capable of accommodating the body portion of an open self-standing packaging bag, is vertically formed; a pair of insertion grooves into which both side edges of the self-standing packaging bag are inserted are vertically formed in diametric positions of the retaining hole; the depth of the bottomed retaining hole and the insertion grooves is set so as to be smaller than the length (or height) of the self-standing packaging bag; and the outside surface of the open self-standing packaging bag contacts the inside surface of the retaining hole or the inside surfaces of the boundary areas between the retaining hole and the insertion grooves; so that the self-standing packaging bag is prevented from closing once it is put in the retainer.
In the above structure, it is desirable that the angle formed by the direction of an imaginary extension line of the inside surfaces of the bottomed retaining hole and the direction of an imaginary extension line of the insertion grooves in the boundary areas between the bottom retaining hole and the insertion grooves be set exactly at or about 90. This angle can vary according to the width of the insertion grooves, the shape and material of the boundary areas, the material of the packaging bag, and other factors. The object of the present invention can be achieved by setting the above-described angle at an angle of up to approximately 110 degrees. A desirable (horizontal) cross-sectional shape for the bottomed retaining hole is circular, elliptical, racetrack-shaped and some other shapes similar to these shapes. In other words, a cross-sectional shape which conforms to the outer configuration of the body portion of the packaging bag in an open state, or a rectangular cross-sectional shape, etc. may be employed.
Furthermore, the retainer of the present invention may be provided with projections in the boundary areas between the retaining hole and insertion grooves. The projections respectively protrude inward or toward the inside of the retaining hole and are formed continuously on the inside surfaces of the retaining hole. With these projections, the side surfaces of the opened self-standing packaging bag come into contact with the projections so that the self-standing packaging bag is prevented from closing. The projections can be formed separate from the retainer main body. In this case, the projections are designed so as to undergo elastic deformation and to be oriented toward the inside of the retaining hole so that the spaces between the tip ends of the adjacent projections become narrower toward these tip ends. The opened packaging bag is prevented from closing with the use of the thus structured projections.
Furthermore, in the above-described retainer, it is also possible to form a pair of suction plate insertion holes. Preferably, these holes are formed in the lower portions of the side walls of the retainer so that the suction plate insertion holes are oriented perpendicular to the insertion grooves and pass through the retainer from the outer circumferential surface to the retaining hole. With this structure, when the bag in the retainer is opened, a pair of suction plates are inserted via the suction plate insertion holes, and both surfaces of the lower portion of the bag are pulled toward both sides of the retainer (in this case, the upper portion of the bag, i.e., the portion protruding from the retainer, is also simultaneously pulled toward both sides of the retainer). Thus, the self-standing bag can be more or less uniformly opened from its bottom to the bag opening. When the bag is thus opened, it is preferable to blow compressed air into the interior of the bag through the bag opening.
Furthermore, in the retainer of the present invention, printing holes may be formed in appropriate positions in one or both side walls of the retainer. The printing holes are oriented perpendicular to the insertion grooves and pa
Fidei David T.
Koda & Androlia
Toyo Jidoki Co., Ltd.
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