JP2023139373A - container folding device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a container folding device capable of folding a container while pressing a lock mechanism.SOLUTION: A container folding device includes: a pair of first walls; a pair of second walls perpendicular to the pair of first walls; and a locking mechanism to lock the first wall provided on an upper part of the first walls and the second wall. In the container folding device, the locking mechanism is pressed into an unlocked state, and the first wall is folded toward a space surrounded by the first wall and the second wall. The container folding device includes: a first pressing part that presses the locking mechanism; a second pressing part located on an opposite side of the space across the first wall and below the first pressing part, and pressing the first wall toward the space; a first arm that holds the first pressing part and the second pressing part; and a second arm that moves the first arm vertically. The second arm has a support shaft that rotatably supports the first arm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Application for application of Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act has been filed November 8, 2021 Online event https://jipm-event. com/karakuri/exh At the 26th Karakuri Improvement Exhibition 2021

The present disclosure relates to a container folding device.

2. Description of the Related Art Collapsible containers and folding devices for folding such containers are conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 1). The folding device of Patent Document 1 folds the container by pushing the first (left and right walls) and the second wall (front and rear walls) toward the space surrounded by the first and second walls.

Jito No. 3030297 Publication

In recent years, various types of such collapsible containers have been developed. Some collapsible containers include containers in which the first wall or the second wall is folded while pressing a locking mechanism that locks the first wall and the second wall. When folding a container using such a device, it is necessary to fold the first wall or the second wall while maintaining the pressed state of the locking mechanism.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a container folding device that can fold a container while pressing a locking mechanism.

A container folding device according to the present disclosure includes: a pair of first walls; a pair of second walls perpendicular to the pair of first walls; a locking mechanism for locking the first wall and the second wall, the first wall is folded toward a space surrounded by the first wall and the second wall by pressing the locking mechanism to release the locking mechanism. This is a container folding device. The container folding device includes a first pressing part that presses the locking mechanism, and a first pressing part that is located on the opposite side of the space and the first wall and below the first pressing part, and that presses the first wall into the space. The device includes a first arm in which a second pressing portion that presses toward, the first pressing portion, and the second pressing portion are formed, and a second arm that moves the first arm up and down. The second arm has a support shaft that rotatably supports the first arm.

According to this container folding device, with the first pressing part supported by the first arm moving downward pushing the locking mechanism, the first arm rotates around the support shaft, and the second pressing part Push the first wall. This pushes the first wall toward the space with the locking mechanism unlocked. As a result, the first wall is folded.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a container folding device that can fold a container while pressing a lock mechanism.

FIG. 1 is an overall view of a container folding device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram of a container according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram of a folding mechanism and a first transport device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Schematic diagram illustrating operation of a folding mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the first arm according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the third pressing section according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the operation of a drop mechanism according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the first moving mechanism according to the embodiment of the present disclosure. Diagram of a second transport device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the operation of the second transport device according to the embodiment of the present disclosure.

Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

As shown in FIG. 1, the container folding device 1 includes a folding mechanism 2, a first conveyance device 4, and a second conveyance device 6.

As shown in FIG. 2, the container folding device 1 of this embodiment includes a pair of first walls C1, a pair of second walls C2 orthogonal to the pair of first walls C1, and an upper part of the first wall C1. This is an apparatus for folding a container C, which includes a locking mechanism C3 that is provided and locks a first wall C1 and a second wall C2. As shown in an enlarged view in FIG. 2, the container C presses the locking mechanism C3 to release the locking mechanism C3, and directs the first wall C1 toward the space S surrounded by the first wall C1 and the second wall C2. By folding the container C, the container C can be folded. Such containers have various locking mechanisms C3, for example, the A type has the locking mechanism C3 facing upward, and the B type has the locking mechanism C3 installed horizontally.

As shown in FIG. 3, the folding mechanism 2 includes a pair of first pressing parts 21, a pair of second pressing parts 22, a pair of first arms 23, a second arm 24, a rotation device 25, and a pair of A third pressing portion 26 is provided. A feeder 8 is provided upstream of the folding mechanism 2 in the unloading direction. The feeder 8 is provided with a roller 8a facing the folding mechanism 2 and a locking mechanism 8b, and when the operator steps on a pedal 9, the lock is released and the unfolded container C is carried into the folding mechanism 2. be done.

As shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the first pressing portion 21 presses the locking mechanism C3 of the container C. The second pressing section 22 presses the first wall C1 of the container C toward the space S. The second pressing part 22 is located on the opposite side of the space S of the container C and the first wall C1, and below the first pressing part 21, when the container C is placed in the folded position V.

A first pressing portion 21 and a second pressing portion 22 are formed on the pair of first arms 23 . The first arm 23 is made of metal, and is a member whose lower part is divided into a Y-shape and whose upper part is bent into an L-shape. A first pressing portion 21 and a second pressing portion 22 are formed at the tip. In this embodiment, the first roller 21a is rotatably attached to the first pressing section 21. A second roller 22a is rotatably attached to the second pressing portion 22.

The second arm 24 moves the first arm 23 up and down. The second arm 24 is a metal plate-like member. In this embodiment, the first arm 23 is rotatably connected to both ends of the second arm 24. The second arm 24 is provided with an electric or pneumatic actuator 24a that moves the second arm 24 up and down.

As shown in FIG. 4(c), the second arm 24 has a support shaft 27 that rotatably supports the first arm 23. As shown in FIG. The rotation device 25 rotates the first arm 23 about the support shaft 27 . In this embodiment, the rotating device 25 includes a wire 25a and an actuator 25b that pulls the wire 25a. The wire 25a is fixed to the ends of the L-shaped bent portions of the pair of first arms 23. When the actuator 25b pulls the wire 25a, the first arm 23 rotates around the support shaft 27.

As shown in FIG. 5A, when the first arm 23 is moved downward by the second arm 24, the first roller 21a of the first pressing section 21 presses the locking mechanism C3 of the container C. As shown in FIG. 5(b), in a state in which the first pressing section 21 presses the locking mechanism C3 of the container C, the first arm 23 rotates, and the second roller 22a of the second pressing section 22 presses against the first wall. Push C1 towards space S. At this time, since the first roller 21a and the second roller 22a rotate, the first arm 23 rotates smoothly. Furthermore, since the first roller 21a can push in the locking mechanism C3, it can also push in the locking mechanism C3, such as the B type shown in FIG. 2, for example. In this way, the first wall C1 of the container C is folded toward the space S.

As shown in FIG. 2, the pair of third pressing parts 26 rotate in a direction intersecting the rotational direction of the first arm 23, and push out the second wall C2 toward the space S. As shown in FIG. 6(a), the third pressing portion 26 includes a pedestal 26a, a third arm 26b, a wire 26c, and an actuator 26d. A wire 26c is fixed to the third arm 26b. Actuator 26d pulls wire 26c. The third arm 26b is rotatably supported by the base 26a. Further, the third arm 26b is supported by the base 26a via a spring that urges it upward. Therefore, when the third arm 26b is pulled by the wire 26c, the third arm 26b rotates downward. On the other hand, when the wire 26c is loosened, the third arm 26b returns upward due to force. The pair of third pressing portions 26 are arranged such that the third arms 26b face each other. When the third arm 26b rotates downward, it protrudes more toward the folding position V where the container C is folded than the pedestal 26a.

As shown in FIG. 6(b), when the actuator 26d pulls the wire 26c, the third arm 26b collapses and pushes the second wall C2 of the container C toward the space S. In this way, the second wall C2 is folded.

As shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the first conveyance device 4 includes a drop mechanism 41, an elevator mechanism (an example of a first moving mechanism) 42, and an elevator support (an example of a first support) 43. have

As shown in FIG. 7(a), the dropping mechanism 41 is a mechanism for dropping the container C from the folding position V onto the elevator base 43 located below the folding position V. The elevator support 43 is a support that transports the folded container C downward. The dropping mechanism 41 includes a collapsible conveyor 41a that supports the container at the folded position V, a wire 41b fixed to the collapsible conveyor 41a, and an actuator 41c that pulls the wire 41b.

As shown in FIG. 7(b), the collapsible conveyor 41a is rotatably supported downward by the frame 41d. The wire 41b is fixed to the collapsible conveyor 41a, and when the wire 41b is pulled, the collapsible conveyor 41a is maintained in the folded position V, and when the wire 41b is loosened, it rotates downward.

As shown in FIG. 8(a), the elevator mechanism 42 moves an elevator abutment (an example of a first abutment) 43 up and down. The elevator mechanism 42 includes a balancer mechanism 44 and an unloading mechanism having a stopper (an example of a swing member) 45 and a swing shaft 46. The elevator abutment 43 is arranged to be movable up and down via the rail 43a. Elevator pedestal 43 is suspended from balancer mechanism 44 via wire 44a. The elevator support 43 supports a roller conveyor 46a that conveys the container C via a swing shaft 46. A stopper 45 is provided at a position of the rail 43a where the elevator abutment 43 is stopped. The stopper 45 has a protrusion 45a that protrudes upward. The swing shaft 46 is arranged offset from the center of gravity of the roller conveyor 46a (in this embodiment, the center of the length L) toward the discharge direction F side.

When a predetermined number of containers C overlap, the balancer mechanism 44 moves the elevator support base 43 downward by the weight of the containers C. In this embodiment, the balancer mechanism 44 is set to start moving with the weight of three containers. Specifically, the balancer mechanism 44 includes a coiled spring, and the traction force of the spring is balanced with the weight of the elevator support base 43 and three containers.

As shown in FIG. 8(b), when the elevator support base 43 descends to the lowest position, the end of the roller conveyor 46a on the opposite side to the carry-out direction F comes into contact with the stopper 45. The end of the roller conveyor 46a on the side opposite to the carry-out direction F is pushed up by the protrusion 45a of the stopper 45, and the end on the side of the carry-out direction F is lowered about the swing shaft 46. As a result, the container C is transported to a stock chute 61, which will be described later.

As shown in FIG. 8(c), when the container C is carried out from the elevator abutment 43, the elevator abutment 43 becomes lighter. Therefore, the balancer mechanism 44 winds up the wire 44a by traction force, and moves the elevator support base 43 upward. At this time, the end of the roller conveyor 46a on the opposite side to the carry-out direction F is lowered around the swing shaft 46.

As shown in FIG. 9, the second conveyance device 6 includes a stock chute (an example of a third abutment) 61, a stock stopper (an example of a stopper mechanism) 62, and a lifter abutment (an example of a second abutment) 63. , a rising lifter mechanism (an example of a second moving mechanism) 64, a limit switch (an example of a switch) 65, and a take-out chute 66. The second transport device 6 transports the container C upward toward a take-out chute 66 . The stock chute 61, the lifter abutment 63, and the take-out chute 66 are provided with rollers that are inclined toward the unloading direction F.

The stock chute 61 is a support that supports and dams the container C carried into the lifter support 63. Stock stopper 62 includes a stopper arm 62a and a spring 62b. The stopper arm 62a is rotatably supported at the bottom of the stock chute 61. The stopper arm 62a is provided so that an end 62c in the carry-out direction F can come into contact with the lifter support 63, and an upper end 62d protrudes from the upper surface of the stock chute 61. The stopper arm 62a is biased toward the stock chute 61 (upward) by a spring 62b, and the upper end 62d is brought into a state in which it protrudes from the upper surface (stopped state). When the lifter support 63 is lowered, the stopper arm 62a is pushed downward by the lifter support 63, and is displaced to a state in which the upper end 62d is lowered (released state).

The lifter support 63 is a support that moves the container C upward. The ascending lifter mechanism 64 moves the lifter support base 63 up and down. The limit switch 65 is a switch that is pressed by the container C when the container C is carried into the lifter abutment 63. The lifter pedestal 63 is arranged on the rail 63a so as to be movable up and down.

The ascending lifter mechanism 64 includes a first wire 64a, a second wire 64b, a two-stage pulley 64c around which the first wire 64a and the second wire 64b are wound, and an actuator 64d that pulls the second wire 64b. include. The first wire 64a is fixed to the lifter support 63, and when the first wire 64a is wound around the two-stage pulley 64c, the lifter support 63 is raised. On the other hand, when the first wire 64a becomes loose, the lifter abutment 63 is lowered. The second wire 64b is fixed to an actuator 64d, and when the actuator 64d pulls the second wire 64b, the second pulley 64c is wound up. The two-stage pulley 64c winds up the first wire 64a twice as far when the second wire 64b winds up the two-stage pulley 64c once. This corresponds to the lifting distance of the lifter support 63. The limit switch 65 is turned on by the container C to operate the actuator 64d.

As shown in FIG. 10(a), when the lifter abutment 63 is at the lower end, the stock stopper 62 is released and the container C moves toward the lifter abutment 63. At this time, the actuator 64d is in an extended state.

As shown in FIG. 10(b), when the container C is carried into the lifter abutment 63, the limit switch 65 is pressed and the actuator 64d is activated. As shown in FIG. 10(c), the first wire 64a and the second wire 64b are thereby wound up, and the lifter support base 63 is raised. When the lifter abutment 63 reaches the rising end, the container C moves to the take-out chute 66. The folded container C in the take-out chute 66 is carried out by an operator. As shown in FIG. 10(d), when the container C is carried out to the take-out chute 66, the lifter abutment 63 is lowered to the lower end, and the next container C is carried into the lifter abutment 63.

As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide the container C folding device 1 that can fold the container C while pressing the lock mechanism C3. Furthermore, the folding device 1 of this embodiment automatically transports the folded container C to a position (height) that does not pose a burden to the operator. This greatly reduces the burden on the worker.

<Other embodiments>
Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments, and various changes can be made without departing from the gist of the invention. In particular, the plurality of modifications described in this specification can be arbitrarily combined as necessary.

For example, in the embodiment described above, the first roller 21a and the second roller 22a are attached to the first pressing section 21 and the second pressing section 22, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. The first roller 21a and the second roller 22a may not be provided.

1: Folding device, 2: Folding mechanism, 4: First conveying device, 6: Second conveying device 8a: Roller, 8b: Lock mechanism 21: First pressing section, 21a: First roller 22: Second pressing section, 22a: Second roller 23: First arm, 24: Second arm, 25: Rotating device 26: Third pressing portion, 27: Support shaft, 41: Falling mechanism 42: Elevator mechanism, 43: Elevator base, 44: Balancer mechanism 45: Stopper, 46: Swing shaft 61: Stock chute, 62: Stock stopper 62c: End, 63: Lifter abutment, 64: Ascent lifter mechanism, 65: Limit switch C: Container, C1: First wall , C2: Second wall, C3: Lock mechanism F: Export direction S: Space V: Folding position

Claims (9)

a pair of first walls, a pair of second walls perpendicular to the pair of first walls, and a locking mechanism provided on the top of the first wall to lock the first wall and the second wall. A container folding device which presses the locking mechanism to bring the locking mechanism into an unlocked state and folds the first wall toward a space surrounded by the first wall and the second wall,
a first pressing part that presses the locking mechanism;
a second pressing portion located on the opposite side of the space and the first wall and below the first pressing portion, and pressing the first wall toward the space;
a first arm in which the first pressing part and the second pressing part are formed;
a second arm that moves the first arm up and down;
Equipped with
The second arm has a support shaft that rotatably supports the first arm.
Container folding device. a first roller attached to the first pressing section;
a second roller attached to the second pressing section;
has,
The container folding device according to claim 1. further comprising a rotation device that rotates the first arm around the support shaft;
A container folding device according to claim 1 or 2. further comprising a third pressing portion that presses the second wall toward the space;
A container folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. further comprising a first conveyance device that conveys the folded container downward;
The first transport device includes a first support that supports the folded container, and a first movement mechanism that moves the first support up and down,
The first moving mechanism is configured to move the first supporting base downward by the weight of the containers when a predetermined number of containers overlap, and to move the first supporting base downward when the containers are carried out from the first supporting base. including a balancer mechanism that moves the platform upward;
A container folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The first transport device has a dropping mechanism that drops the container from a folding position where the container is folded to the first supporting base located below the folding position.
The container folding device according to claim 5. The first conveyance device has an unloading mechanism that unloads the container when the abutment is lowered to the lowest position,
The first abutment is arranged offset from the center of gravity of the first abutment in the carrying-out direction, and includes a swing shaft that swings the first abutment up and down,
The carry-out mechanism includes a swinging member that swings an end of the first supporting base opposite to the carry-out direction upward about the swing shaft.
The container folding device according to claim 5 or 6. further comprising a second conveyance device that conveys the container upward;
The second transport device includes a second support that moves the container upward;
a second moving mechanism that moves the second abutment up and down;
has
The second abutment includes a switch that is pressed by the container when the container is carried into the second abutment, and when the switch is pressed, the second moving mechanism is actuated.
A container folding device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The second transport device has a third support that supports the container to be carried into the second support,
The third abutment includes a stopper mechanism that is displaced between a stopped state in which the container is dammed and a released state in which the container can be carried into the second abutment,
The stopper mechanism lowers the stopper mechanism by the second support and displaces the stopper from the stopped state to the released state.
The container folding device according to claim 8.