Film supply apparatus and filling and packaging system including the film supply apparatus

A film supply apparatus comprising:

• two film holders supporting two rolls of film as a film on a use side and a film on a stand-by side, respectively;
• a feed roller for feeding the film on the use side;
• a film holding member releasably holding a leading end portion of the film on the stand-by side in the upper stream of the feed roller in a feeding direction of the film such that the film on the stand-by side is drawn out to face the film on the use side;
• a film returning mechanism placed upstream of the film holding member in the feeding direction of the film and pulling back the film on the stand-by side upstream in the feeding direction of the film in a state in which the film returning mechanism holds the film on the stand-by side in the upper stream of a part held by the film holding member;
• and
• a fusion bonding mechanism having a heater bar containing an electric heater and a heater bar receiver cooperating with the heater bar to pressurize and heat the film, the fusion bonding is placed between the film holding member and the film returning mechanism in the feeding direction of the film and heat-sealing the two opposite films throughout a width thereof, and
• wherein the heat sealing of the films on the use side and the stand-by side is performed by the heater bar and the heater bar receiver in a state in which the leading end portion of the film on the stand-by side released from the holding by the film holding member is pulled back by the film returning mechanism to be placed in an area pressurized by the heater bar and the heater bar receiver and a trailing end portion of the film on the use side is fed by the feed roller to overlie the film on the stand-by side in the area pressurized by the heater bar and the heater bar receiver, and
• the film holding member holds the leading end portion of the film by pressing the leading end portion of the film against the heater bar receiver.