Latitudinal sealing mechanism for bag-packaging machine and a bag packaging machine having the same

A latitudinal seal mechanism for use in a bag packaging mechanism that fills articles to be packaged while sealing a tubular packaging material in longitudinal and latitudinal directions, said latitudinal sealing mechanism comprising:

• a pair of fixed cams fixedly supported in the bag packaging mechanism;
• a pair of seal members coupled to said pair of fixed cams, each of said of seal members being arranged and configured to move about one of said fixed cams in a generally circular path;
• first and second partial cam followers supported on said seal members;
• first and second partial cams having first and second surfaces that are selectively engageable with said first and second partial cam followers, respectively, for selectively moving said seal members toward one another, such that said seal members engage and hold a portion of the tubular packaging material between said seal members as said seal members approach one another, said first and second partial cams being connected via a link mechanism;
• pressure means for applying pressure to said first and second partial cams such that said seal members press against each other with said seal members holding the tubular packaging material therebetween, said pressure means applying force to a portion of said link mechanism in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which said seal members move to press against each other;
• and
• pressure adjustment means for adjusting a magnitude of pressure that said pressure means applies to said first and second partial cams.

A latitudinal seal mechanism for use in a bag packaging mechanism that fills articles to be packaged while sealing a tubular packaging material in longitudinal and latitudinal directions, said latitudinal sealing mechanism comprising:

• a pair of fixed cams fixedly supported in the bag packaging mechanism;
• a pair of seal members coupled to said pair of fixed cams, each of said seal members being arranged and configured to move about one of said fixed cams in a generally circular path, each of said fixed cams having a shape corresponding to one of the circular paths followed by said seal members;
• partial cam followers supported on respective ones of said seal members;
• a pair of partial cams having surfaces that are selectively engageable with said partial cam followers for selectively moving said seal members toward one another, such that said seal members engage and hold a portion of the tubular packaging material between said seal members as said seal members approach one another;
• said pair of partial cams being connected to each other via a link mechanism;
• said pair of partial cams including respective opposing surfaces, each of said opposing surfaces having an entrance surface, a pressure surface, and an exit surface, said pressure surface being formed immediately below said entrance surface, said exit surface being formed immediately below said pressure surface, said seal members receiving no pressure applied thereto while said partial cam followers engage said entrance surfaces, said seal members being pressed against each other while said partial cam followers engage said pressure surfaces, said seal members receiving no pressure applied thereto while said partial cam followers engage said exit surfaces;
• pressure means for applying pressure to said partial cams such that said seal members press against each other with said seal members holding the tubular packaging material therebetween, said pressure means applying force to a portion of said link mechanism in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which said seal members move to press against each other;
• pressure adjustment means for adjusting a magnitude of pressure that said pressure means applies to said partial cams;
• cam followers coupled between said seal members and said fixed cams, such that said seal members are engageable with said fixed cams;
• and
• driving means for moving said cam followers.

A bag packaging mechanism that fills articles to be packaged while sealing a tubular packaging material in longitudinal and latitudinal directions, said bag packaging mechanism comprising:

• forming means for forming a sheet-shaped packaging material supplied thereto in a tubular shape while receiving the articles to be packaged;
• a packaging material conveyance mechanism for conveying the tubular packaging material in a downward direction;
• a longitudinal seal mechanism for sealing in a longitudinal direction overlapping portions of the tubular packaging material conveyed thereto;
• and
• a latitudinal seal mechanism for sealing in a latitudinal direction portions of the tubular packaging material conveyed thereto with a predetermined distance therebetween, said latitudinal seal mechanism comprising:
• a pair of fixed cams fixedly supported in the bag packaging mechanism;
• a pair of seal members coupled to said pair of fixed cams, each of said seal members being arranged and configured to move about one of said fixed cams in a generally circular path;
• partial cam followers supported on respective ones of said seal members;
• a pair of partial cams having surfaces that are selectively engageable with said partial cam followers for selectively moving said seal members toward one another, such that said seal members engage and hold a portion of the tubular packaging material between said seal members as said seal members approach one another;
• and
• a link mechanism that connects said pair of partial cams together.