JP2020189682A - Wraparound caser - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a wraparound caser obtained by improving feed capability of sheets.SOLUTION: A wraparound caser for folding and packaging a sheet S in a box shape after supplying an article M to the sheet S folded in an approximately U-shape or L-shape comprises: a first sheet-conveying conveyor 16 for conveying the sheet S; a second sheet-conveying conveyor 20 provided in parallel with the first sheet-conveying conveyor 16; a first sheet supply device 18 for supplying the sheet S to the first sheet-conveying conveyor 16; a second sheet supply device 22 for supplying the sheet S to the second sheet-conveying conveyor 20; a transfer device 24 provided on a downstream side of the second sheet supply device 22, for transferring the sheet S conveyed by the second sheet-conveying conveyor 20 to the first sheet-conveying conveyor 16; and an article pushing-out device 26 for supplying the article M onto the sheet S conveyed by the first sheet-conveying conveyor 16.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a wrap round caser that wraps an article in a sheet.

For example, the sheet taken out from the sheet magazine is folded into a U shape, the articles accumulated in a row are pushed into the U-shaped sheet, and then the sheet is folded into a box shape to wrap the article and packaged. A lap round caser is known (see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-299708

On the other hand, in order to improve the processing capacity of the lap round caser, it is necessary to increase the speed of each configuration. For example, it is necessary to increase the speed of taking out the sheet from the sheet magazine. However, in recent years, the thickness of sheets has been thinned due to resource saving efforts, and there is a limit in strength to speed up the removal of sheets from magazines.

An object of the present invention is to provide a lap round caser having an improved sheet supply capacity.

The wrap round caseer according to the first aspect of the present invention is a wrap round case in which an object to be packaged is supplied to a sheet folded into a substantially U-shape or a substantially L-shape, and then the sheet is folded and packaged in a box shape. A first sheet transporting means for transporting sheets, a second sheet transporting means provided in parallel with the first sheet transporting means, and a first sheet feeding means for supplying sheets to the first sheet transporting means. A second sheet supplying means for supplying the sheet to the second sheet conveying means, and a sheet provided downstream of the second sheet feeding means and conveyed by the second sheet conveying means are transferred to the first sheet conveying means. It is characterized by including a transfer means for transferring to the first sheet transport means and a packaged object supply means for supplying the packaged object on the sheet transported by the first sheet transport means.

In the lap round caser according to the second aspect of the present invention, in the first invention, the first sheet transporting means includes a plurality of holding members for holding the sheets, and the first sheet supplying means has a predetermined number. A sheet is supplied to the holding member, and the transfer means transfers the sheet transported by the second sheet transport means to the holding member between the sheets supplied by the first sheet supply means. It is characterized by.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a lap round caser having an improved sheet supply capacity.

It is a top view which shows the arrangement of the lap round caser which is one Embodiment of this invention. It is a side view of the 1st (2nd) sheet supply device. It is the figure which looked at the transfer device from the transport direction. It is a side view of the transfer apparatus seen from the side of the 1st and 2nd sheet conveyors.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the arrangement of a lap round caser according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In the wrap round caser 10 of the present embodiment, the article (packaged object) M supplied from the article supply device 12 and conveyed on the article transfer conveyor 14 is transferred onto the sheet S in units of a predetermined number, and the sheet S is transferred. Wrap in. The lap round caser 10 includes, for example, a first sheet transfer conveyor (first sheet transfer means) 16 that conveys the sheet S, and a first sheet supply device (first sheet) that supplies the sheet S to the first sheet transfer conveyor 16. A second sheet supply device that supplies sheets S to the supply means) 18, the second sheet transfer conveyor (second sheet transfer means) 20 provided in parallel with the first sheet transfer conveyor 16, and the second sheet transfer conveyor 20. A transfer device (second sheet supply means) 22 and a transfer device provided downstream of the second sheet supply device 22 to transfer the sheet S transferred by the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 to the first sheet transfer conveyor 16. A transfer means) 24 and an article extrusion device (object supply means) 26 for supplying the article M onto the sheet S conveyed by the first sheet conveyor 16.

The first sheet transfer conveyor 16 is provided adjacent to and in parallel with the article transfer conveyor 14. The second sheet transfer conveyor 20 is provided adjacent to the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 along the side side of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 opposite to the article transfer conveyor 14. An article supply device 12 is arranged at the upstream end of the article transfer conveyor 14. The first sheet supply device 18 is arranged at the upstream end of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16, and the second sheet supply device 22 is arranged at the upstream end of the second sheet transfer conveyor 20.

Article M is supplied to the article transfer conveyor 14 from the article supply device 12 in multiple rows (for example, 6 rows). The article transport conveyor 14 includes an article transport upstream conveyor 14A and an article transport downstream conveyor 14B, and a grouping device 28 is arranged at a position extending from the downstream end of the article transport upstream conveyor 14A to the upstream end of the article transport downstream conveyor 14B. Will be done.

The grouping device 28 includes a number of flight bars 28A extending across the transport surface of the article transport conveyor 14. The flight bar 28A is arranged along the article transport conveyor 14, and is circulated and moved by an endless chain or the like having an outbound / inbound route in the vertical direction. The flight bar 28A on the lower side (outward route side) moves in the article transporting direction, and groups of articles M transported in multiple rows on the article transport conveyor 14 in predetermined numbers (for example, 4 rows and 6 columns) in the transport direction. The flight bar 28A on the upper side (return side) is moved to the upstream side at a height that does not interfere with the article M. The article group G, which is collected at a predetermined number by the flight bar 28A and divided into groups, is pushed out by the flight bar 28A to the article transport downstream conveyor 14B and transferred to the article transport downstream conveyor 14B. The guide plate 15 that guides each row of the article M along the transport direction on the article transport upstream conveyor 14A and the article transport downstream conveyor 14B before and after the grouping device 28 is provided so that the row of the article M does not shift. Is provided.

A guide bar 30 extending in the lateral direction of the transport surface is provided on the transport surface of the article transport downstream conveyor 14B at intervals corresponding to the divided article group G (for example, at intervals of four rows). The article group G delivered from the article transfer upstream conveyor 14A by the flight bar 28A of the grouping device 28 is accommodated and transported between a pair of guide bars 30 for each article group G.

An article extrusion device 26 is arranged adjacent to the side of the article transfer downstream conveyor 14B on the side opposite to the first sheet transfer conveyor 16. The article extrusion device 26 includes a plurality of pushers 26A that are reciprocated across the transport surface of the article transport downstream conveyor 14B and circulated along the transport direction of the article transport downstream conveyor 14B. The pusher 26A is arranged between a pair of guide bars 30 each accommodating the article group G on the outward route, and while moving in the transport direction of the article transport downstream conveyor 14B, the article group G housed between the guide bars 30. Is sequentially extruded onto the first sheet transfer conveyor 16.

As will be described later, on the first sheet transfer conveyor 16, the sheets S supplied from the first and second sheet supply devices 18 and 22 are bent into a substantially U shape (including a J shape). It is placed at predetermined intervals in the transport direction. The article transfer conveyor 14, the first sheet transfer conveyor 16, the article extrusion device 26, and the grouping device 28 are synchronously driven, and each sheet S on the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 is sandwiched between the guide bars 30 of the article transfer downstream conveyor 14B. It is moved while corresponding to each article group G. As a result, the article group G extruded laterally by the pusher 26A can be transferred onto the corresponding sheet S which is conveyed on the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 along the front and rear guide bars 30.

An article support device 32 having a large number of article support members 32A corresponding to each pusher 26A is arranged on the side side of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 opposite to the article extrusion device 26. When the article support member 32A abuts on the front edge of the article group G extruded onto each sheet S and moves the article group G from the article transport downstream conveyor 14B to each sheet S on the first sheet transport conveyor 16. In addition, by retreating in accordance with the advance of the pusher 26A, the leading article M is prevented from tipping over.

Next, with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, the method of conveying the sheet S in the first and second sheet transfer conveyors 16 and 20 and the first and second sheet transfer devices 18 and 22 to the first and second sheet transfer conveyors. The method of supplying the sheet S to 16 and 20 will be described. Note that FIG. 2 is a side view of the first sheet supply device 18, but the description thereof will be omitted because the second sheet supply device 22 also has the same configuration as the first sheet supply device 18.

The sheets S are stacked in a flatly developed state and held in the sheet magazine 34 in a state of being tilted at a predetermined angle. In the sheet magazine 34, both sides of the stacked sheets S are supported by, for example, three side guides 34A extending in the stacking direction. Further, the upper side of the tilted sheet S is supported by the upper guide 34B extending in the stacking direction, and the lower side is supported by the lower guide 34C extending in the stacking direction. The positions of the upper and lower guides 34B and 34C can be adjusted by the guide position adjusting devices 35B and 35C according to the size of the seat S. In FIG. 2, the positions of the moved upper guide 34B and lower guide 34C are shown by broken lines as an example.

A sheet extraction device 36 is arranged below the sheet magazine 34. The sheet extraction device 36 includes extraction arms 36B and 36C that are rotated around a shaft 36A provided at a base end portion thereof. The take-out arm 36B is provided with a plurality of suction heads 36D, and the take-out arm 36C is provided with a plurality of suction heads 36E. The take-out arm 36B is rotated around the shaft 36A in the range of the arc R1 of FIG. 2, and the take-out arm 36C is rotated together with the take-out arm 36B around the shaft 36A in the range of the arc R2 of FIG.

The take-out arms 36B and 36C are rotated upward until the suction heads 36D and 36E are pressed against the lower surface of the lowermost sheet S of the sheet magazine 34, and each of the suction arms 36B and 36C sucks the sheet S. After that, the take-out arms 36B and 36C are both rotated downward, and the sheet S sucked and held by the suction heads 36D and 36E is pulled out from the sheet magazine 34. The suction head 36D sucks the bottom surface portion of the box-shaped sheet S, and the suction head 36E sucks the portion below the bottom surface of the sheet S.

Since the lower end of the lower guide 34C is provided with a locking portion 34D for locking the lower side of the stacked sheets S, the suction head 36E can be used when the sheet S is taken out from the sheet magazine 34. It is used for the purpose of assisting.

A plate 38 is horizontally arranged below the sheet magazine 34, and the sheet S taken out from the sheet magazine 34 is placed on the plate 38 by the take-out arm 36B. That is, the take-out arm 36B is rotated below the plate 38 as shown by the arc R1, and the suction head 36D releases the sheet S when the bottom surface of the sheet S comes into contact with the plate 38.

Further, when the take-out arm 36B transfers the sheet S from the sheet magazine 34 to the plate 38, the upper side of the sheet S comes into contact with the first bending guide 40 provided at the lower end of the upper guide 34B, and the sheet S comes into contact with the first bending guide 40. It is folded upward along the folding line of. Further, the lower side of the sheet S is bent upward along the bending line of the sheet S by the second bending guide 42 arranged near the plate 38. As a result, the sheet transferred to the plate 38 is in a state of being bent in a U shape when viewed from the side with the bottom surface as the center. At this time, the suction head 36E releases the suction immediately before the lower side of the sheet S comes into contact with the second bending guide 42.

The longitudinal direction of the plate 38 coincides with the transport direction of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20), and its tip is arranged close to the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20). Will be done. The height of the plate 38 is the height of the transfer surface of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20).

Below the plate 38, a sheet extrusion device 44 that pushes the sheet S placed on the plate 38 onto the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20) is arranged. A slit is provided in the plate 38 along the longitudinal direction, and the sheet pusher 44A of the sheet extruder 44 projects from the slit to the upper surface of the plate 38. The seat pusher 44A can be linearly moved along the longitudinal direction of the plate 38 by the slider 44B. Although the crank mechanism 44C is used to drive the seat pusher 44A in FIG. 2, another drive source such as a ball screw or an air cylinder may be used.

The sheet pusher 44A is located at a position (right side in the drawing) away from the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20) until the sheet S is supplied from the sheet magazine 34 onto the plate 38 by the sheet take-out device 36. When the sheet S that has been retracted and bent in a U shape is placed on the plate 38, it is advanced toward the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20). As a result, the sheet S bent in a U shape is pushed out onto the transfer surface of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20). In FIG. 2, the retracted sheet pusher 44A is drawn with a broken line, and the sheet pusher 44A extruding the sheet S onto the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20) is drawn with a solid line. ..

On the transport surface of the first sheet transport conveyor 16 (second sheet transport conveyor 20), a holding member 46 that holds the front and back of the sheet according to the length of the bottom surface of the bent sheet S in the transport direction is provided. The holding member 46 is composed of a front edge seat guide 46A that engages with the front edge of the seat S and a trailing edge seat guide 46B that engages with the trailing edge of the seat S.

At this time, the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20) and the sheet pusher 44A are driven in synchronization as follows. That is, the sheet S is pushed out from the plate 38 by the sheet pusher 44A onto the transfer surface of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20), and the front edge of the bottom surface of the sheet S hits the front edge sheet guide 46A. Be touched. After that, the sheet S is pushed out by the sheet pusher 44A to the transport surface of the first sheet transport conveyor 16 (second sheet transport conveyor 20), and the trailing edge sheet guide 46B comes into contact with the trailing edge of the bottom surface of the sheet S.

As a result, each sheet S bent in a U shape is confirmed from the front and back by a pair of front edge sheet guides 46A and trailing edge sheet guides 46B on the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 (second sheet transfer conveyor 20). It is supported and its shape is maintained. As shown in FIG. 1, in the present embodiment, one front edge seat guide 46A is provided at the center in the lateral direction of the seat, and two trailing edge seat guides 46B are provided at a predetermined distance in the lateral direction of the seat. Be done.

The first and second sheet supply devices 18 and 22 of the present embodiment are holding members 46 (front edge and trailing edge sheet guides 46A and 46B) provided on the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 and the second sheet transfer conveyor 20, respectively. Sheet S is supplied every other sheet. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 and the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 are driven so that the positions of the holding members 46 in both are the same in the transfer direction. Then, the sheets S are supplied to the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 and the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 by the first and second sheet supply devices 18 and 22 almost at the same time. That is, the holding member 46 of the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 located next to the holding member 46 that holds the sheet S of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 does not hold the sheet S, and conversely, of the second sheet transfer conveyor 20. The holding member 46 of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 located next to the holding member 46 that holds the sheet S does not hold the sheet S. In FIG. 2, the second sheet supply device 22 is arranged on the downstream side of the first sheet supply device 18 by one of the holding members 46 in the transport direction, but the first and second sheet supply devices are arranged. 18 and 22 may be arranged side by side so that the first and second sheet feeding devices 18 and 22 alternately supply the sheets S to the first and second sheet transport conveyors 16 and 20 respectively.

Next, the details of the transfer device 24 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. Note that FIG. 3 is a view of the transfer device 24 viewed from the transport direction, and FIG. 4 is a view of the first and second sheet transport conveyors 16 and 20 viewed from the side.

As shown in FIG. 1, the transfer device 24 is arranged above the first and second sheet transfer conveyors 16 and 20. As shown in FIG. 3, the transfer device 24 includes, for example, two suction heads 48 inserted into two U-shaped sheets S held by every other set of holding members 46.

The suction head 48 includes three suction plates 50 facing forward, downward, and rearward, and each suction plate 50 sucks the front surface, the bottom surface, and the rear surface of the U-shaped sheet S. The suction head 48 is integrally supported by a head holding portion 52 provided with an elevating mechanism 52A such as an air cylinder, and is integrally elevated by the elevating mechanism 52A.

A slider 52B is provided at the upper end of the head holding portion 52, and the slider 52B can move along the first guide rail 24X extending in the transport direction of the first and second sheet transport conveyors 16 and 20. Further, the first guide rail 24X is orthogonal to the first guide rail 24X and is held by the second guide rail member 24Y extending above the first and second sheet conveyors 16 and 20 and extending between the two.

The second guide rail member 24Y includes a rail 54 along the longitudinal direction thereof, and the first guide rail 24X is slidably engaged with the rail 54. That is, the first guide rail 24X holding the suction head 48 can be integrally moved from above the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 to above the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 in the conveyor width direction, for example, with a motor. It is moved along the rail 54 by the timing belt.

With the above configuration, the suction head 48 can be raised and lowered in the vertical direction by the elevating mechanism 52A, and can be reciprocated in the conveyor transport direction along the first guide rail 24X, and along the second guide rail member 24Y. It can reciprocate between the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 and the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 in the conveyor width direction.

Initially, the suction head 48 stands by at an upper position above the center of the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 so as not to interfere with the sheet S. When two U-shaped sheets S are supplied onto the second sheet transfer conveyor 20, the slider 52B is moved downstream along the first guide rail 24X in accordance with the transfer of the second sheet transfer conveyor 20. At the same time, the suction head 48 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 52A and inserted into the two sheets S on the second sheet transfer conveyor 20.

When the front surface, the bottom surface, and the rear surface of each sheet S are sucked by the three suction cups 50 of each suction head 48 inserted into the sheet S, the suction head 48, that is, the sheet S is slightly raised by the elevating mechanism 52A. Further, while continuing the movement of the slider 52B to the downstream side along the first guide rail 24X, the first guide rail 24X is located at the center position of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 along the rail 54 of the second guide rail member 24Y. Moved towards.

As a result, the two sheets S on the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 are moved to the central position of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16. The suction head 48 is lowered by the elevating mechanism 52A at the central position of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 to release the suction, and the sheet S is transferred onto the first sheet transfer conveyor 16. In FIG. 3, the position of the suction head slightly raised by the elevating mechanism 52A and moved to the first transfer conveyor 16 side is shown by a broken line.

Since the sheet S is not held by the holding member 46 of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16 at the position corresponding to the sheet S on the second sheet transfer conveyor 20, the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 held by the suction head 48. The sheet S from the above is transferred between the holding members 46 (front edge sheet guide 46A, trailing edge sheet guide 46B) at the same position. As a result, the sheets S are held by all the holding members 46 of the first sheet transfer conveyor 16, and the article group G is charged into each sheet S by the article extrusion device 26 downstream. In the present embodiment, the suction head 48 is used as a transfer means for transferring the sheet S conveyed by the second sheet transfer conveyor 20 to the first sheet transfer conveyor 16, but the present invention is not limited to this. Instead, a robot hand may be used, or an extrusion mechanism may be used, and an appropriate configuration can be used.

As described above, according to the present embodiment, the sheets are supplied from the plurality of sheet magazines to the plurality of sheet transfer conveyors corresponding to each, and then the sheets of the plurality of sheet transfer conveyors are transferred to one sheet transfer conveyor. By mounting, the sheet supply capacity can be improved without changing the sheet supply speed from the sheet magazine. As a result, high processing capacity can be achieved even when a thinned sheet is used.

In the present embodiment, since two sheet transfer conveyors are used, every other sheet is supplied in each sheet transfer conveyor. For example, if three sheet transfer conveyors are used, every two sheets are supplied. Should be supplied. Further, in the present embodiment, two suction heads are provided, and two sheets are simultaneously transferred between the first and second sheet transfer conveyors, but one suction head may be used, and three or more suction heads may be used. You may. Further, in the present embodiment, the sheet S is bent into a substantially U-shape (J-shape) and supplied to the first and second sheet transfer conveyors, but in the present invention, the sheet is bent into a substantially L-shape and supplied. It can also be applied when

10 Wrap round caser 16 1st sheet transfer conveyor (1st sheet transfer means)
18 1st sheet supply device (1st sheet supply means)
20 Second sheet transfer conveyor (second sheet transfer means)
22 Second sheet supply device (second sheet supply means)
24 Transfer device (transfer means)
26 Article extruder (means for supplying objects to be packaged)
46 Holding member S sheet M Article (packaged object)

Claims (2)

In a wrap round caser in which an object to be packaged is supplied to a sheet bent in a substantially U-shape or a substantially L-shape, and then the sheet is folded and wrapped in a box shape.
The first sheet transporting means for transporting sheets and
A second sheet transporting means provided in parallel with the first sheet transporting means and
A first sheet supplying means for supplying a sheet to the first sheet conveying means,
A second sheet supplying means for supplying a sheet to the second sheet conveying means,
A transfer means provided downstream of the second sheet feeding means and transferring the sheet transported by the second sheet transporting means to the first sheet transporting means.
A wrap round caser comprising a packaged object supply means for supplying a packaged object on a sheet transported by the first sheet transporting means. The first sheet transporting means includes a plurality of holding members for holding the sheets.
The first sheet supply means supplies sheets to the holding members at predetermined positions,
The wrap according to claim 1, wherein the transfer means transfers a sheet transported by the second sheet transport means to the holding member between the sheets supplied by the first sheet supply means. Round caser.

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