JP2022092553A - Semi-automatic shipping-box sealing system - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a semi-automatic shipping-box sealing system capable of attaching a seal tape in a manner not to open flaps upward of a thin shipping box and furthermore wrapping the same extending from a side-surface portion to a lower-surface portion.SOLUTION: A semi-automatic shipping-box sealing system comprises a seal tape bonding mechanism 20 that is provided above a conveyor 10 and configured to hang down a front end of a seal tape T reeled off from a roll body TR upstream of an upstream tape-depression roll 22 and attach the seal tape T to upper surfaces of a pair of outer flaps 4 and 5, a tape cutting mechanism 30 that makes a parting cut to the seal tape T, a shipping box front-end taping mechanism 40 that attaches a front-side hanging portion T1 of the seal tape T to a front-end face 1a and a lower surface of the shipping box 1 with a front-side taping roll 41, and a shipping box rear-end taping mechanism 50 that abuts at a rear-end taping roll 51 against an upper part of a rear-end face 1b of the shipping box 1 and attaches a rear-side hanging portion T2 of the seal tape T attached to the upper surface of the shipping box 1 to the rear-end face 1b and a lower surface of the shipping box 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

The present invention relates to a semi-automatic shipping box sealing system.

A distribution management system (WMS) based on a huge amount of receipt / shipment and inventory information aggregated using a computer has been introduced in a product sorting work line in a distribution center or a warehouse of a mail order business. In the sorting work line, first, a product ordered by a customer is picked from a warehouse or a shelf and stored together with a delivery note in a shipping box such as a cardboard box selected according to the size of the product. Then, the shipping box containing the product and the invoice is poured into the shipping box automatic sealing system by the conveyor line, the pair of inner flaps are folded, then the pair of outer flaps are folded, and the sealing tape is placed at the abutting portion between the outer flaps. (Adhesive tape) is pasted and sealed, and an invoice is issued using an invoice issuing / pasting machine (labeler) and affixed to the shipping box automatically.

Japanese Patent No. 6682737 Japanese Patent No. 4948525

In recent years, the number of parcel delivery services handled has increased sharply due to the growth of mail-order sales using the Internet, and along with this, social loss due to redelivery of parcel delivery services for individuals has become a problem. As one of the countermeasures, if the recipient is absent at the time of delivery of the courier, the delivery is completed by putting the shipping box such as a cardboard box containing the product into the mailbox specified by the recipient in advance. "In" is becoming popular.

In the post-in method using a mailbox, a thin shipping box having a length x width = A4 size or less and a height of 20 to 30 mm or less is used.

However, when a thin size post-in shipping box is put into a shipping work line using the above-mentioned automatic shipping box sealing system for taping and sealing, the following problems arise.

For shipping boxes having a box height of 70 mm or more, shipping boxes such as corrugated cardboard boxes are taped and sealed using the automatic sealing device disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2. The sealing tape (adhesive tape) is attached to one side surface of the shipping box, for example, with a length of 50 mm, and after being attached to the upper surface, it is also attached to the other side surface, for example, with a length of 50 mm. ing.

However, in the case of the above-mentioned post-in and other thin size shipping boxes with a low box height of about 20 to 30 mm, it is difficult to automatically attach both ends of the sealing tape to the side surface of the shipping box. Even if the sealing tape can be attached automatically, the sealing tape will peel off due to vibration during transportation because the attachment length of the sealing tape to the side surface of the shipping box is short. However, it is possible that the product in the shipping box may be exposed to the outside.

On the other hand, in the shipping box automatic sealing system that taps and seals shipping boxes such as cardboard boxes using a conventional automatic sealing device, the shipping box to be handled contains the product and the delivery note, and the inner flap. It is a shipping box such as a cardboard box with the outer flap open, and it is equipped with an inner flap folding mechanism and an outer flap folding / sealing tape attachment mechanism, and it has various sizes, especially various heights. Different shipping boxes are poured into the system by the conveyor line, the pair of inner flaps are folded by the inner flap folding mechanism, and then the pair of outer flaps are folded by the outer flap folding / sealing tape attachment mechanism, and the outer flaps are butted together. Since the box is sealed with a boxing tape (adhesive tape) attached, the equipment cost is high.

In order to reduce the cost of the device, the present inventor manually folds the pair of inner flaps and then the pair of outer flaps by the operator. I came up with the idea that it is not necessary to have a centering mechanism that matches the above.

In addition, the present inventor has a structure in which the conventional inner flap folding mechanism and the outer flap folding / sealing tape attaching mechanism are lowered from the upper positions for safety when the above-mentioned manual work is taken in by the operator. I came up with the idea that it is necessary to abolish it because the loss is large and it leads to high cost. In a thin shipping box with a height of 30 mm or less, the handling target is within a range of several mm even if the height fluctuates. Therefore, the tape pressing member that adheres the sealing tape to the upper surface of the shipping box is shipped. I came up with the idea that height fluctuations can be dealt with by constructing a structure that is lifted by the box and returns to the lower direction when the shipping box passes through.

Further, when the present inventor adopts the manual work by the above-mentioned operator and sends the shipping box to the taping / sealing mechanism, the time interval of sending the shipping box to the transport line becomes different, so that the work efficiency can be improved. As a result, if the shipping box that was sent to the transport line first is sent to the transport line before it passes through the outer flap folding / sealing tape sticking mechanism, there will be a problem with the sticking of the sealing tape. Since this may occur, I came up with the idea that it is necessary to devise a way to prevent the next shipping box from being sent to the transport line before the shipping box that was sent to the transport line first passes through the sealing tape affixing mechanism.

The present invention has been devised in view of the above problems, and a sealing tape is attached to the upper surface portion of a thin shipping box so that a pair of outer flaps does not open, and further extended from the side surface portion to the lower surface portion. The purpose of the present invention is to provide a semi-automatic shipping box sealing system that can be attached by wrapping around and that does not cause the sealing tape to peel off due to vibration during transportation.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the first aspect of the present invention has, as a basic configuration, a conveyor for transporting shipping boxes and a pair of conveyors provided above the conveyor. It is provided with a sealing tape attaching mechanism for attaching a sealing tape to the upper surface of the shipping box so that the outer flap does not open, and a control unit.

The conveyor has two endless conveyor belts that travel integrally at a required interval, and both sides of the lower surface of the shipping box in which a pair of upper inner flaps are folded and a pair of outer flaps are folded are formed on both sides of the two rows. It is placed on an endless conveyor belt to transport the shipping box.

The boxing tape affixing mechanism is provided between the two endless conveyor belts so that the upstream tape holding roll can be lifted so as to be located above the conveyor transport surface by a required distance, and the boxing tape is provided at the upper position of the mechanism. The tip of the sealing tape unwound from the roll body is hung on the upstream side of the upstream side tape holding roll, and the sealing tape is brought into the pair when the shipping box contacts and passes under the upstream side tape holding roll. Attach it to the top surface of the outer flap of.

The semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the first aspect of the present invention further includes a tape cutting mechanism, a shipping box front end tape sticking mechanism, and a shipping box rear end tape sticking mechanism as characteristic configurations. I have.

The tape cutting mechanism is configured to make a cut-off cut in the sealing tape at the center of the distance from the rear end surface of the shipping box that has passed through the upstream tape pressing roll to the lower end of the upstream tape pressing roll. There is.

The shipping box front end tape sticking mechanism uses a front end side tape sticking roll provided between the two endless conveyor belts to attach the front hanging portion of the sealing tape stuck to the upper surface of the shipping box. It has a function of pressing and sticking to the front end of the lower surface of the shipping box.

The shipping box rear end tape sticking mechanism has a rear end side tape sticking roll corresponding between the two endless conveyor belts, and when the shipping box passes the upper side of the rear end side tape sticking roll. By following the shipping box and moving it in close contact with the lower rear end of the shipping box, the rear hanging portion of the sealing tape attached to the upper surface of the shipping box is pressed against the lower rear end of the shipping box. It has a pasting function.

In the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the second aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration according to the first aspect, the shipping box front end tape attaching mechanism is upward with the front end side tape attaching roll. A linear actuator for vertical movement that moves the movable rod protruding vertically, a swing arm that is rotatably supported by the movable rod at the lower end and supports the front end side tape-attached roll at the upper end, and the swing arm. It is configured to have a spring for accumulating the restoring force to return to the original rising state while allowing the state of tilting from the rising state to the front side in the transport direction.

In the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the third aspect of the present invention, in addition to the configuration according to the first or second aspect, the shipping box rear end tape attaching mechanism is used to attach the rear end side tape. The roll, the servo motor, the rotating arm whose base end is fixed to the output shaft of the servo motor and supports the rear end side tape-attached roll at the swing end, and the housing of the servo motor are reciprocated in the transport direction. It is configured to have a linear actuator for lateral movement to be made to move.

In addition to the configuration according to any one of the above 1 to 3, the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the 4th aspect of the present invention is located at the upstream end of the conveyor and on the vertical surface above the transport surface. It is equipped with a sensor that detects the state of the shipment or the worker's hand crossing, and a warning generation means.
The control unit is adapted to input the signal of the sensor, and when the signal of the sensor is input when the shipping box to be conveyed on the conveyor is present, the warning generation means is used. It is configured to transmit a warning sound generation signal.

According to the present invention, a sealing tape can be attached to the upper surface portion of a thin shipping box so that the pair of outer flaps does not open, and further extended from the side surface portion to the lower surface portion and attached so as to be wound. It is possible to provide a semi-automatic shipping box sealing system in which the sealing tape does not peel off due to vibration during the process.

It is a perspective view of the shipping box which shows the form before processing which concerns on the processing target of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of the shipping box which shows the form after processing. It is an overall front view of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention. In the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, when the sealing tape is attached when the upstream tape pressing roll comes into contact with the upper part of the front end surface of the shipping box, the upstream tape pressing roll is lifted. It is a figure which shows the state. It is a figure which shows the state which concerns on the semi-automatic type shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention, the upstream side tape pressing roll rides on the upper surface of a shipping box, and then attaches the sealing tape to the upper surface of a shipping box. be. It is a figure which concerns on the explanation of the shipping box front end tape sticking mechanism of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the perspective view which shows the upstream part of the conveyor including the front end side tape sticking roll. It is a figure relating to the explanation of the shipping box front end tape sticking mechanism of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the lower end of the front end surface of a shipping box rides on the upper position of the front end side tape sticking roll. It is a front view which shows the state. It is a figure relating to the explanation of the shipping box front end tape sticking mechanism of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and the front end side tape sticking roll makes the front hanging part of the sealing tape the lower surface of a shipping box. It is a front view which shows the state of sticking to the front end part. It is a figure which shows the main part which concerns on the semi-automatic type shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and includes the mechanical mechanism part provided above the conveyor transport surface, and the shipping box front end tape sticking mechanism. It is a front view which shows the state before attaching the front hanging part to the front end part of the lower surface of a shipping box. It is a front view which shows the state which concerns on the semi-automatic type shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and attaches the front side hanging part to the lower surface front end part of a shipping box. It is a figure which concerns on the explanation of the back end tape sticking mechanism of the shipping box of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention, and is the perspective view which shows the downstream part of the conveyor including the back end side tape sticking roll. be. In connection with the shipping box rear end tape sticking mechanism of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the shipping box passes downstream of the rear end side tape sticking roll, and the rear end surface of the shipping box is a sensor. It is a front view which shows the place which was detected in. In connection with the shipping box rear end tape sticking mechanism of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the rear end side tape sticking roll whose rear end surface of the shipping box is detected by the sensor follows the shipping box. It is a figure which shows the place which caught up with the corner part of the lower end part of the lower surface of a shipping box. In connection with the shipping box rear end tape sticking mechanism of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, the rear end side tape sticking roll is positioned forward from the corner of the lower rear end of the shipping box to the required dimension. It is a figure which shows the state which it moved in close contact with. It is a figure which shows the tape cutting mechanism of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system which concerns on embodiment of this invention.

Hereinafter, the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[System processing target]
FIG. 1A is a perspective view of a shipping box 1 showing a pre-processing mode according to a processing target of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The shipping box 1 contains a pair of inner flaps 2 and 3 and then a pair of outer flaps 4 and 5 by hand after the goods and delivery notes (not shown) are accommodated before being delivered to the system. It is a form. The shipping box 1 related to the processing target of the system is a thin-sized shipping box having a size suitable for a post-in method using a mailbox. Specifically, vertical (L) x horizontal (W) = A4 size, high. The size is (H) 30 mm or less.

FIG. 1B is a perspective view of a shipping box 1 showing a processed form of the processing target of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. The shipping box 1 has a sealing tape (adhesive tape) on the upper surface of the shipping box so that the pair of outer flaps 4 and 5 does not open and the gap g between the pair of outer flaps 4 and 5 is closed. Along with attaching T, the front hanging portion (front overhanging end) T1 and the rear hanging portion (rear overhanging end) T2 of the sealing tape T are attached to the front end surface 1a, the lower surface front end, and the rear of the shipping box, respectively. It is attached to the end surface 1b and the rear end of the lower surface, and the feed letter I is attached to the upper surface of the shipping box.

[Basic configuration]
The basic configuration refers to the configuration of the mechanical mechanism portion provided above the transport surface of the conveyor that transports the shipping box in order to attach the sealing tape (adhesive tape) to the upper surface of the shipping box.

FIG. 2 is an overall front view of the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. The semi-automatic shipping box sealing system 100 has, as a basic configuration, a conveyor 10 for transporting the shipping box 1 and a sealing tape on the upper surface of the shipping box 1 so as not to open a pair of outer flaps provided above the conveyor 10. It is provided with a box tape attaching mechanism 20 for attaching T and a control unit 60.

The conveyor 10 has two endless conveyor belts 10a provided at required intervals and a servo motor 10c that integrally travels the two endless conveyor belts 10a, and has an upper side as shown in FIGS. 1A and 4A. Both sides of the lower surface of the shipping box 1 in which the pair of inner flaps are folded and the pair of outer flaps are further folded are placed on the two endless conveyor belts 10a to convey the shipping box 1.

The boxing tape affixing mechanism 20 corresponds to between the two endless conveyor belts 10a and is located on the upper side of the conveyor transport surface 10b by a required distance, in order from the upstream side of the conveyor 10, the shipping box guide inclined plate 21 and the inclined plate 21. The upstream side tape pressing roll 22, the intermediate position tape pressing sliding contact member 23, the downstream side tape pressing roll 24, and the tape pressing plate 25 are each provided with downward urging force so that they can be lifted. At the same time, the tip of the sealing tape T, which is unwound from the roll body TR formed by winding the sealing tape T rotatably supported around the support shaft 26 provided at the upper position of the mechanism, is passed through the tape guide 27 to the upstream side tape pressing roll 22. It comes in contact with the upstream side of the conveyor belt and hangs down.

The frame (unsigned) that supports the shipping box guide inclined plate 21, the upstream side tape pressing roll 22, the intermediate position tape pressing sliding contact member 23, the downstream side tape pressing roll 24, and the tape pressing plate 25 is It is provided so that it can be changed, for example, 5-10 mm in the vertical direction. As a result, when switching from the state of processing the shipping box 1 having a height H of 25-30 mm shown in FIG. 2 to the state of processing the shipping box 1 having a height H of 20-24 mm, the height of the frame is adjusted. do. The distance from the transport surface 10b of the conveyor 10 to the lower end of the above component supported by the frame (unsigned) is individually height-adjustable in addition to the overall adjustment by the frame (unsigned). ing.

The shipping box guide inclined plate 21 moves the shipping box 1 diagonally in the transport direction so that the shipping box 1 fed from the upstream end of the transport surface 10b of the conveyor 10 smoothly enters the lower side of the upstream tape pressing roll 22. It is designed to guide you downwards.

As shown in FIG. 3A, the upstream tape pressing roll 22 is rotatably supported by the lower end of the tilt lever 22a provided so as not to rotate in the direction of vertical hanging beyond a certain tilt angle, and is supported by the tilt lever 22a. By providing a spring 22b that increases the urging force when the lower end of the sword is lifted, the shipping box 1 retains the urging force to the shipping box 1 while being lifted by the shipping box 1 passing underneath. It is a structure that descends and returns to its original height when it passes through.

The upstream tape pressing roll 22 is made of, for example, rubber or another flexible material, and when it comes into contact with the upper corner portion of the front end surface 1a of the shipping box 1 conveyed by the conveyor 10, it is slightly deformed and dented. While rotating, it swings upstream in the transport direction and rides on the shipping box 1. At this time, a part T11 on the upper side of the front hanging portion T1 of the sealing tape T is attached to the upper end of the front end surface 1a of the shipping box 1, and a part T12 on the lower side of the front hanging part T1 is the front end of the shipping box 1. It is in a state of hanging below the surface 1a (FIG. 3A). The intermediate portion between the upper part T11 and the lower part T12 of the front hanging portion T1 corresponds to the front end surface 1a of the shipping box 1, but is not attached (adhesive) because no pressing force is applied. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 3B, the upstream tape pressing roll 22 presses the sealing tape T onto the upper surface of the shipping box 1 while rolling relatively to the upper surface of the shipping box 1 even after riding on the shipping box 1. Relatively moves to the rear end (upstream end in the transport direction) of the upper surface of the box, and the sealing tape T is attached to the upper surface of the shipping box 1.

The sliding contact member 23 for pressing the intermediate position tape is projected from the swing end of the second tilt lever 23a in a hanging shape. The second tilt lever 23a is provided so as to urge the shipping box 1 when the shipping box 1 passes under the sliding contact member 23 for pressing the intermediate position tape. The sliding contact member 23 for pressing the intermediate position tape prevents the outer flap of the shipping box 1 from being lifted, and slides and presses the sealing tape T attached to the upper surface of the shipping box 1.

The downstream side tape pressing roll 24 has a downstream side tape pressing roll 24 at the lower end thereof, a third swinging lever 24a, a fourth swinging lever 24b for swinging the third swinging lever 24a, and a fourth swinging lever 24b. It has an air cylinder 24c that swings the swing lever 24b. The downstream side tape pressing roll 24 lowers and presses against the shipping box 1 by the extension operation of the air cylinder 24c, and rises and separates from the shipping box 1 by the contraction operation of the air cylinder 24c. The downstream side tape pressing roll 24 prevents the outer flap of the shipping box 1 from being lifted, and strongly presses the sealing tape T attached to the upper surface of the shipping box 1 to rotate freely.

The intermediate position tape pressing sliding contact member 23, the downstream side tape pressing roll 24, and the tape pressing plate 25 are optional components, and are lifted by the tape shipping box to maintain the urging force to the shipping box and are shipped. It can be replaced by at least one tape pressing member having a structure that returns downward when the box passes through. The shipping box guide inclined plate 21 and the tape pressing plate 25 are also optional components.

In the boxing tape attaching mechanism 20, when the shipping box 1 conveyed on the conveyor 10 is guided by the shipping box guiding inclined plate 21 and passes through the lower side of the upstream side tape pressing roll 22 in contact, the boxing tape T Is attached to the upper surface of the shipping box 1 (the upper surface of the pair of outer flaps), and with the subsequent transport movement of the shipping box 1, the intermediate position tape pressing sliding contact member 23 and the downstream side tape pressing roll 24 It is configured to press the sealing tape T attached to the upper surface of the pair of outer flaps of the shipping box 1 in which the tape pressing plate 25 contacts and passes the lower side to stabilize the tape attachment.

[Characteristic configuration]
The characteristic configuration is a mechanical mechanism provided below the transport surface of the conveyor that transports the shipping box in order to attach the sealing tape (adhesive tape) to the front and rear ends of the shipping box in a wound state. The composition of the part.

As shown in FIG. 1, the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system 100 further includes a tape cutting mechanism 30, a shipping box front end tape sticking mechanism 40, and a shipping box rear end tape sticking mechanism 50. There is.

[About the ribbon-cutting mechanism 30]
As shown in FIGS. 5 and 8, the tape cutting mechanism 30 is provided correspondingly between the upstream side tape pressing roll 22 and the intermediate position tape pressing sliding contact member 23. The tape cutting mechanism 30 has an upper block 31 having two tape receiving surfaces provided on the upper side of the sealing tape T being attached to the shipping box 1, and two strips provided facing the lower side of the upper block 31. It has a lower block 32 having a tape receiving surface portion of the above, and a parting cutter 33 provided in a recess of the lower block 32.

The distance from the rear end surface 1b of the shipping box 1 that has passed through the upstream tape pressing roll 22 to the lower end of the upstream tape pressing roll 22 is the rear hanging portion T2 of the sealing tape T with respect to the shipping box 1 during tape attachment. When the length becomes close to the total value of the front hanging portion T1 with respect to the shipping box to be processed next, the upper block 31 and the lower block 32 sandwich the sealing tape T and the cut-off cutter 33 has the distance. It is configured to make a cut-off cut in the sealing tape T at the center of the box. In FIG. 8, the dimension A hangs down and becomes the rear hanging portion T2, and the dimension B hangs down and becomes the rear hanging portion T1.

[About the tape attachment mechanism 40 at the front end of the shipping box]
As shown in FIG. 4A, the shipping box front end tape attaching mechanism 40 is made of a flexible material such as rubber or urethane corresponding to the space between the two endless conveyor belts 10a, and the roll top surface coincides with the conveyor transport surface 10b. It has a front end side tape pasting roll 41 provided so as to slightly protrude.

As shown in FIGS. 4B and 4C, the front end side tape sticking roll 41 can rotate freely, and the front hanging portion T1 of the sealing tape T stuck to the upper surface of the shipping box 1 when the shipping box 1 comes to a predetermined position. Has a function of pressing and pasting on the lower surface of the shipping box 1 on the front end surface 1a side.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 4A, when the shipping box 1 transported on the conveyor belt 10a is transported to an upstream position close to the front end side tape pasting roll 41, as shown in FIG. 5A. The upper surface is pressed by the sliding contact member 23 for pressing the intermediate position tape, and the conveyor belt 10a continues to convey the upper surface.

Next, as shown in FIG. 4B, when the lower end of the front end surface of the shipping box 1 reaches the position where it rides on the front end side tape sticking roll 41, as shown in FIG. 5B, the front end side tape sticking roll 41 and the intermediate position tape pressing slide It is sandwiched between the contact member 23 and conveyed, and the floating is suppressed and conveyed. At this time, as shown in FIG. 4B, the front end side tape affixing roll 41 rotates around due to the contact pressure with the shipping box 1, and the front side hanging portion T1 of the sealing tape T is attached to the lower surface front end portion of the shipping box 1. Start.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the lower end of the front end surface of the shipping box 1 rides on the front end side tape affixing roll 41 and reaches the required dimension position, the front end side tape affixing roll reaches the front side hanging portion T1 of the sealing tape T. The end is pasted to the front end of the lower surface of the shipping box 1, and the pasting is completed.

The front end side tape affixing roll 41 stands by downward, and rises when the front end surface of the shipping box 1 comes close to the upstream side of the front end side tape affixing roll 41 to exert the affixing function. , The boxing tape T may be configured to descend so as not to come into contact with the rear hanging portion T2. In that case, the bracket that rotatably supports the front end side tape sticking roll 41 is engaged with a linear guide that guides the bracket in the vertical direction, and the bracket is moved up and down by a linear actuator (for example, an air cylinder or an electromagnetic cylinder). This can be achieved by taking the timing of the vertical movement of the linear actuator based on the signal of the sensor that detects the transport position of the shipping box 1.

[About the tape sticking mechanism 50 at the rear end of the shipping box]
As shown in FIG. 6, the shipping box front end tape attaching mechanism 50 is made of a flexible material such as rubber or urethane corresponding to the space between the two endless conveyor belts 10a, and the roll top surface coincides with the conveyor transport surface 10b. It has a rear end side tape pasting roll 51 provided so as to slightly protrude.

As shown in FIGS. 7A, B, and C, the shipping box rear end tape sticking mechanism 50 follows the shipping box 1 when the shipping box 1 passes the upper side of the rear end side tape sticking roll 51. By moving closely to the rear end of the lower surface of the shipping box 1, a part T22 below the rear hanging portion T2 of the sealing tape T attached to the upper surface of the shipping box 1 is pressed and attached to the rear end of the lower surface of the shipping box 1. It has a function to attach.

More specifically, the shipping box rear end tape attachment mechanism 50 engages the rear end side tape attachment roll 51, the bracket 52 that rotatably supports the rear end side tape attachment roll 51, and the bracket 52 in the transport direction. A linear guide 53 for guiding, a linear actuator (for example, an air cylinder or an electromagnetic cylinder) 54 for reciprocating the bracket 52 in the transport direction, and a position slightly downstream from the upstream stop position of the rear end side tape pasting roll 51. It is provided with a sensor 55 that detects the moment when the rear end surface of the shipping box 1 passes.

As shown in FIG. 7A, the control unit 60 controls the linear actuator 54 to operate in a reduced manner when the sensor 55 detects the rear end surface of the shipping box 1 and inputs a signal to be output. By reducing the linear actuator 54, the tape-attached roll 51 on the rear end side follows the shipping box 1 at a speed higher than the moving speed of the shipping box 1. As shown in FIG. 7B, when the rear end side tape pasting roll 51 reaches the lower end of the rear end surface of the shipping box 1, the rear hanging portion T2 of the sealing tape T is attached to the rear end surface of the shipping box 1. Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7C, the rear end side tape sticking roll 51 moves in close contact with the rear end edge of the lower surface rear end portion of the shipping box 1 to a position separated by a required distance, thereby moving the rear side of the sealing tape T to the rear side. A part T22 on the lower side of the hanging portion T2 is pressed and attached to the rear end portion of the lower surface of the shipping box 1. After that, the control unit 60 controls the linear actuator 54 so as to extend.

The rear end side tape pasting roll 51 stands by at a required lower position than the transport surface of the conveyor belt 10a, and the transport surface of the conveyor belt 10a immediately after the rear end surface of the shipping box 1 passes through the rear end side tape pasting roll 51. It may be configured to perform a so-called box motion in which the height is not the same as that of the above, the height is slightly higher than the above, the follow-up operation described above is performed, the processing is performed, and the position is returned to the upstream standby position.

[Warning means 72]
The semi-automatic shipping box sealing system 100 includes a sensor 71 for detecting a state in which a shipment or a worker's hand crosses at the upstream end of the conveyor 10 and a vertical surface above the transport surface, and a warning generating means 72, and controls the system. The unit 60 is adapted to input the signal of the sensor 71, and when the signal of the sensor 71 is input when the shipping box 1 to be conveyed on the conveyor 10 is present, the unit 60 is directed to the warning generation means 72. Send a warning signal. As a result, it is possible to avoid the existence of a plurality of shipping boxes 1 on the conveyor 10, and it is possible to avoid the trouble of sticking the sealing tape T to the upper surface of the shipping box 1.

The sensor 71 has a light emitting element arranged vertically on one side of the conveyor 10 and constantly emitting light, and a light receiving element arranged vertically so as to face the light emitting element on the other side, and either of them emits light. Detects a state in which the shipment or the operator's hand crosses when the light of the element is not received by the light receiving element. The sensor 71 is not limited to the combination of the light emitting element and the light receiving element as long as it can detect a state in which the shipment or the operator's hand crosses.

The warning generating means 72 may be a buzzer, a warning guide voice generating means, a warning light generating means, a vibration generating means, or the like.

[About the label sticking machine 75 and the invoice label issuing machine 76]
The semi-automatic shipping box sealing system 100 has a relay conveyor 73 that is adjacent to the conveyor 10 and receives the shipping box 1 that is carried out from the conveyor 10, and a shipping box 1 that is adjacent to the relay conveyor 73 and is carried out from the relay conveyor 73. A label is attached to the upper surface of the free roller table 74 that carries out gravity by using the inclination of the receiving transport surface and the shipping box 1 that is provided above the relay conveyor 73 and is temporarily stopped on the relay conveyor 73. It is equipped with a machine 75 and a feed label issuing machine 76 that issues a feed label when the shipping box 1 comes on the relay conveyor 73 corresponding to the delivery note stored in the shipping box 1 and delivers it to the label affixing machine 75. ing.

The shipping box 1 before folding the four flaps 2-5 is supplied to the shipping box supply conveyor 77 connected to the upstream side of the conveyor 10, and the delivery box 1 is housed in the shipping box 1 by a first scanner (not shown). The displayed contents of the document and the bar code displayed on the shipping box 1 are read, and the displayed contents are stored in the control unit 60. The control unit 60 is a second scanner (not shown) that displays the barcode displayed on the shipping box 1 when the shipping box 1 manually folds and seals the four flaps 2-5 and comes to the relay conveyor 73. Data is transferred to the invoice label issuing machine 76 for reading and printing the invoice corresponding to the barcode.

As described above, according to the semi-automatic shipping box sealing system having the above configuration, a sealing tape is attached to the upper surface portion of the thin shipping box so that the pair of outer flaps does not open, and further, the side surface portion ( It can be attached by extending it from the front end surface (or the rear end surface) to the lower surface, and there is no risk of the sealing tape peeling off due to vibration during transportation. In addition, when switching to a thin shipping box with a height of about 25 to 30 mm, which can be applied without adjusting the height of the sealing tape attachment mechanism, etc., and with a height of about 20 to 24 mm. Can be applied by adjusting the frame supporting the boxing tape attaching mechanism or the like so as to be lowered by, for example, 5 mm. In addition, if the lifting dimension of the sealing tape attaching mechanism or the like is set to, for example, 15 mm, it can be applied to a thin shipping box having a height of 20 to 30 mm.

100 ... Semi-automatic shipping box sealing system,
1 ... Shipping box,
1a ... front end face,
1b ... Rear end face,
A few ... inner flaps,
4, 5 ... Outer flap,
10 ... Conveyor,
10a ... Endless conveyor belt,
10b ... Transport surface,
10c ... Servo motor,
20 ... Sealing tape attachment mechanism,
21 ... Inclined plate for shipping box guidance,
22 ... Upstream tape pressing roll,
22a ... Inclined lever,
22b ... Spring,
23 ... Sliding contact member for pressing intermediate position tape,
23a ... Second tilt lever,
24 ... Downstream tape pressing roll,
24a ... Third swing lever,
24b ... Fourth swing lever,
24c ... Air cylinder,
25 ... Tape pressing plate,
26 ... Support axis,
27 ... Tape guide,
30 ... Tape cutting mechanism,
31 ... Upper block,
32 ... Lower block,
33 ... Cut-off cutter,
40 ... Tape attachment mechanism at the front end of the shipping box,
41 ... Front end side tape pasting roll,
50 ... Tape attachment mechanism at the rear end of the shipping box,
51 ... Rear end side tape pasting roll,
52 ... Servo motor,
52a ... frame,
53 ... Horizontal guide,
54 ... Rotating arm,
55 ... Linear actuator for lateral movement,
56 ... Sensor,
57 ... Rotation stop position detection sensor,
58 ... Standby stop position detection sensor,
60 ... Control unit,
71 ... Sensor,
72 ... Warning generation means,
73 ... Relay conveyor,
74 ... Free roller table,
75 ... Labeling machine,
76 ... Invoice label issuing machine,
g ... Gap,
I ... Invoice,
TR ... Roll body,
T ... Sealing tape (adhesive tape),
T1 ... Front hanging part (front overhanging end),
T11 ... A part of the upper side of the front hanging part,
T12 ... A part of the lower part of the front hanging part,
T2 ... Rear hanging part (rear overhanging end),
T22 ... A part of the lower part of the rear hanging part,

Claims (4)

It has two endless conveyor belts that run integrally with a required interval, and both sides of the lower surface of the shipping box in which a pair of upper inner flaps are folded and a pair of outer flaps are folded are placed on the two-row endless conveyor belt. A conveyor that is placed on the conveyor and conveys the shipping box, and a sealing tape attachment mechanism that is provided above the conveyor and attaches a sealing tape to the upper surface of the shipping box so that the pair of outer flaps does not open. The boxing tape affixing mechanism is provided with a control unit, and is provided so that the upstream side tape holding roll can be lifted so as to be located between the two endless conveyor belts and located above the conveyor transport surface by a required distance. When the tip of the sealing tape unwound from the roll body of the sealing tape provided at the upper position is hung on the upstream side of the upstream tape pressing roll and the shipping box contacts and passes under the upstream tape pressing roll. The sealing tape is configured to be attached to the top surface of the pair of outer flaps.
Further, a tape cutting mechanism configured to make a cut-off cut in the sealing tape at the center of the distance from the rear end surface of the shipping box that has passed through the upstream tape pressing roll to the lower end of the upstream tape pressing roll. When the shipping box comes to a predetermined position, the front hanging portion of the sealing tape attached to the upper surface of the shipping box by the front end side tape attaching roll provided between the two endless conveyor belts. Has a shipping box front end tape sticking mechanism having a function of pressing and sticking to the lower front end of the shipping box, and a rear end side tape sticking roll corresponding between the two endless conveyor belts, and the rear end side tape. When the shipping box passes through the upper side of the sticking roll, the shipping box is followed and moved in close contact with the rear end of the lower surface of the shipping box, whereby the rear side of the sealing tape attached to the upper surface of the shipping box. It is equipped with a shipping box rear end tape attachment mechanism having a function of pressing and attaching the hanging portion to the lower rear end of the shipping box.
A semi-automatic shipping box sealing system featuring this. The tape attaching mechanism at the front end of the shipping box is
The front end side tape sticking roll, a linear actuator for vertical movement that moves the movable rod protruding upward, and the lower end portion rotatably supported by the movable rod, and the front end side tape sticking roll is supported by the upper end portion. The first aspect of claim 1, wherein the swing arm has a swing arm and a spring that stores a restoring force that returns to the original rising state while allowing a state in which the swing arm is tilted forward in the transport direction from the rising state. Semi-automatic shipping box sealing system. The tape sticking mechanism at the rear end of the shipping box is
The rear end side tape sticking roll, the servomotor, the rotation arm whose base end is fixed to the output shaft of the servomotor and supports the rear end side tape sticking roll at the swing end, and the housing of the servomotor. The semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising a linear actuator for lateral movement that reciprocates in the transport direction. Further, it is provided with a sensor for detecting a state in which a shipment or a worker's hand crosses at the upstream end of the conveyor and on a vertical surface above the transport surface, and a warning generating means.
The control unit is adapted to input the signal of the sensor, and when the signal of the sensor is input when the shipping box to be conveyed on the conveyor is present, the warning generation means is used. The semi-automatic shipping box sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a warning sound generation signal is transmitted.

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