JP3340843B2 - Transfer container assembling method and apparatus - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for transferring and assembling a foldable container stored in a trolley in a folded state into a box shape from the folded state and supplying it to a container transport line or the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In distribution centers and the like, it has become an important issue to improve the efficiency of sorting operations for packing various kinds of products into containers, which are box-shaped containers, for each product type or for each delivery destination. By the way, as a container used for sorting products, a container having a foldable structure is widely used so that the container can be stored compactly when not in use.

FIG. 12 shows an example of such a folding container 1. As shown in FIG. 12, the conventional folding container 1 has front, rear, left and right frame plate portions 2, 3, and 4.
An upper frame 6 having a rectangular frame structure formed by 4 and 5, a rectangular bottom plate 7, and an upper end rotatably connected to the left frame plate portion 4 of the upper frame 6 and a lower end positioned on the left side of the bottom plate 7. A left side plate 8 rotatably connected to an edge, and a right side plate rotatably connected at an upper end to the right frame plate portion 5 of the upper frame 6 and a lower end rotatably connected to a right edge of the bottom plate 7. A front plate 11 whose upper end is pin-connected to the front frame plate portion 2 of the upper frame 6 and which can be folded into the upper frame 6 by rotation about the pin connection portion; A rear side plate 12 that is pin-coupled to the rear frame plate portion 3 of the upper frame 6 and is foldable inside the upper frame 6 by turning about the pin joint portion as a rotation center, and the left and right side plates 8, Numeral 9 is configured to be foldable under the front and rear side plates 11 and 12 whose intermediate portions are folded inward and folded first. There.

The folding container 1 is obtained by folding the front and rear and left and right side plates 11, 12, 8, 9 so that the left and right side plates 8, 9 overlap under the front and rear side plates 11, 12 which have been folded earlier. As shown in FIG. 12 (a), the folded state is flat and small in height.

In order to assemble the folded container 1 in a box shape in a folded state, for example, as shown in FIG. 12B, the front and rear frame plates 2 and 3 are gripped by hand and pulled up. Then, the left and right side plates 8 and 9 that have been folded are stretched by the weight of the bottom plate 7 and the like, and are brought into an upright state. Next, as shown in (c) of FIG. 12, the front and rear side plates 11, 12 which have been in the folded state are rotated so as to push down, and the front and rear side plates 11, 12 are brought upright, so that the upper part is raised. The open box-shaped folding container 1 is completed. As shown in FIG. 12, a notch 14 into which a finger is inserted and an opening are formed in the front and rear frame plate portions 2 and 3 and the front and rear side plates 11 and 12 for gripping during assembly or the like. 15 are equipped. Also, on both sides of the left and right frame plate portions 4 and 5 of the upper frame 6,
An engagement recess 17 is formed which can be used when the folding container 1 is transported or automatically assembled.

The above-mentioned folding container 1 can be manually assembled into a box shape as shown in FIGS. 12A, 12B, and 12C, but the sorting of goods at a distribution center or the like is performed. In order to improve workability and save labor, the assembly of the folding container 1 is usually automated. Conventionally, as a device for assembling the folding container 1 into a box shape from a folded state, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 63-190009, a holding body for detachably holding the upper frame 6 is provided. A holding body elevating device for raising and lowering the holding body, a box-making arm provided in pairs corresponding to the front and rear side plates 11, 12 and rotating to push down the front and rear side plates 11, 12; There has been proposed a device having an arm lifting device for lifting and lowering, and a configuration in which the holder lifting device has a crank mechanism.

[0007]

However, the conventional automation of assembling the folding containers 1 has been developed on the premise that the folding containers 1 flowing on the transport line are assembled one by one. For example,
If it is desired to simultaneously assemble a plurality of folding containers 1 and carry them out to a predetermined transport path in order to improve the processing capacity, the assembling apparatuses and transport lines for the folding containers 1 are provided by the number of folding containers 1 to be assembled at the same time. Must. In addition, since the folding container 1 is generally collected in a state of being folded and stacked on a trolley, even if a conventional automatic device for the folding container 1 is introduced,
A large installation space must be separately provided with a transfer device that is a former stage, a transfer device that transfers while being stacked on a transport line, and a step-balancing device for cutting out one by one from the stacked state. However, there is a problem that the equipment cost becomes extremely high.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problem, and an apparatus capable of assembling a plurality of foldable containers directly from a trolley while simultaneously holding the foldable containers and carrying them out to a predetermined conveyance path, etc. , Step balance function,
An object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for transferring and assembling a foldable container, which can greatly reduce the installation space of the apparatus and also reduce the equipment cost by using an apparatus having an assembling function.

[0009]

The object of the present invention is to provide a pair of front and rear side plates (11, 12) which are pivotally attached to an upper frame (6) and rotate inside the container to form a side surface of the container. A folding container for assembling a folding container (1) composed of left and right side plates (8, 9) constituting the other container side by connecting the upper frame (6) and the bottom plate (7) so as to be stretchable. A method for transferring and assembling a container (1), wherein a plurality of folding containers (1) stacked on a trolley and in a folded state are laid out in a plane with the bottom plate (7) facing down. A positioning step of positioning the plurality of folding containers (1) laid out in a fixed position by the positioning step; and an opening provided in front and rear side plates (11, 12) of each of the folding containers (1). (15) Hook piece 53), the left and right side plates (8, 9) are stretched by being hooked, and the left and right side plates (8, 9) are extended, and the left and right side plates are extended and transferred to a predetermined container carrying-out position while being lifted. The front and rear side plates (11, 10) of each of the folding containers (1) locked by the hook pieces (53) with respect to the plurality of folding containers (1) transferred above the predetermined container unloading position in the transfer step. The front and rear side plates (11, 12) are turned upright so that the front and rear side plates (11, 12) are in an upright state, completed in a box shape, and the front and rear side plate standing and placing steps of being lowered onto the container unloading position are sequentially performed. This can be achieved by the method for transferring and assembling the folding container (1) described above.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a pair of front and rear side plates (11, 12) and an upper frame (6) which are pivotally attached to an upper frame (6) and rotate inside the container to form a side surface of the container. Of a folding container (1), which is constructed by assembling a folding container (1) composed of left and right side plates (8, 9) constituting a side surface of another container by elastically connecting a bottom plate (7) with a bottom plate (7). Container transfer positioning means (22) for positioning a plurality of folded containers (1) in a folded state in a state where the plurality of folded containers (1) are laid in a plane with the bottom plate (7) facing down. ), A hook piece (53) to be hooked on an opening (15) provided in the front and rear side plates (11, 12) of the folding container (1) in a folded state, and are locked by the hook piece (53). Front and rear plates (11, 1 ) And a plurality of clamp units (23) having a swing arm (54) for rotating so as to push down, and the plurality of clamp units (23) are positioned in a plane by the container carrying-in positioning means (22). Clamp suspension frame (24) arranged and held in a plane corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of folded containers (1), the positioning position by the container carrying-in positioning means (22), and the container carrying-out means (30, 31). ) At a predetermined container unloading position, a frame vertical movement mechanism (25) for raising and lowering the clamp suspension frame (24), a positioning position by the container loading and positioning unit, and a predetermined container unloading position by the container unloading unit. In the meantime, the clamp suspension frame (24) is horizontally moved. It can be achieved by placing the assembly device (20) of the frame horizontal movement mechanism (26) folding the container, characterized in that a (1) that.

In the positioning step of the transfer and assembly of the folding containers, it is preferable that each folding container is positioned at a fixed position by sandwiching an outer periphery of a bottom plate of the folding containers arranged in a plane.

Further, as the container carrying-in positioning means in the folding container transfer and assembling apparatus, a supporting frame surrounding the outer periphery of a plurality of folding containers laid out in a plane and a horizontal position at an opposing position on the supporting frame. A backing plate which is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in a direction, and which can abut on a side end surface of the bottom plate of the folding container, wherein the bottom plate of the folding container is sandwiched by the facing plates to define the folding container. It is preferable to provide a container positioning device for positioning at a position.

[0013]

According to the above construction of the present invention, a plurality of foldable containers which are laid out in a flat state in a folded state and stacked in a stacked state are simultaneously stepped and assembled. Since the transfer to the predetermined container carrying-out position is performed while performing the assembling operation, a plurality of folding containers can be assembled at the same time and carried out to a predetermined transport path or the like.

Further, when a plurality of folding containers are laid out in a plane, if the adjacent folding containers are laid out so as to be in close contact with each other, a plurality of folding containers can be assembled at once with a small space. The apparatus can be made compact and the installation space can be significantly reduced.

In order to transport the folded containers into the assembling apparatus, a plurality of folded containers in a folded state are used one by one, and a cart or the like laid out in a multi-stage manner is used. It is possible to carry a large number of folding containers into an assembly device at once without equipping a transport line, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of assembling folding containers without complicating the equipment, and to reduce equipment costs. Can be reduced.

Moreover, in the positioning step when the folding containers are carried into the assembling apparatus, the configuration is such that each folding container is positioned at a fixed position by sandwiching the outer periphery of the bottom plate of the folding containers laid out in a plane. When the hook pieces are hooked on the opening of the front and rear side plates of the folding container and started to be lifted, the bottom plate itself of the folding container remains in the initial position by the above-described clamping, and the folded left and right side plates are reliably extended. In other words, when the upper frame of the foldable container is simply pulled up, the left and right side plates are surely extended in an upright state compared to the case where the conventional assembly method in which the left and right side plates are extended by the weight of the bottom plate or the like is used. And the reliability of the assembly work by the device is improved, and the extension of the left and right side plates is not enough, so that the front and rear side plates cannot be raised. It is possible to prevent the occurrence.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a method and an apparatus for transferring and assembling a folding container according to the present invention will be described. First, the structure of a transfer and assembling apparatus for carrying out the method of transferring and assembling according to the present invention will be described. Then, a specific procedure of an embodiment of the method for transferring and assembling a folding container according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a front view of one embodiment of a transfer container assembling apparatus 20 of the folding container 1 according to the present invention. The transfer and assembling apparatus 20 according to this embodiment is for assembling the folding container 1 having the configuration shown in FIG. 12 from the folded state into a predetermined box shape, as shown in FIG. Means 22, four clamp units 23,
Clamp suspension frame 24 and frame vertical movement mechanism 2
5 and a frame horizontal movement mechanism 26.

The main body frame 21 is a structure for supporting the container carrying-in positioning means 22, the clamp unit 23, the clamp suspension frame (top fork) 24, the frame vertical movement mechanism 25, the frame horizontal movement mechanism 26, and the like. As shown in FIG. 2, a container loading section 2 through which a trolley (dolly) 28 in which four folded containers 1 in a folded state are laid out in multi-tiers at one level can pass.
9 and a container unloading section 33 through which container unloading means 30 and 31 for unloading the assembled folding container 1 are inserted.

Here, the container carrying means 30, 31
Is a so-called roller conveyor. The container unloading means 30 pays out the folding container 1 placed by the clamp unit 23 or the like to the container unloading means 31, and the container unloading means 31 ,
The folding container 1 placed by the clamp unit 23 or the like or the folding container 1 discharged from the container unloading means 30 is discharged to a predetermined sorting position (or a sorting transport path). That is, the transport direction of the folding container 1 by the container unloading means 30 is the direction indicated by the arrow B in FIG. 2, and the transport direction of the folding container 1 by the container unloading means 31 is the arrow C in FIG.
This is the direction indicated by.

The above-mentioned cart 28 is shown by arrows D, E, F in FIG.
, And passes through the container carrying-in section 29 provided by the main body frame 21. The cart 28 loaded with the folding containers 1 stops at the center of the container loading section 29 in the main body frame 21, and the stacked folding containers 1 are assembled. Then, when all of the stacked folding containers 1 are completed and emptied, the container exits the container carry-in section 29 and proceeds to loading of the next folding container 1. Each of the folding containers 1 loaded on the cart 28 is loaded with the bottom plate 7 facing down and the front frame 2 of the folding container 1 facing forward in the traveling direction of the cart 28. .

The container carrying-in positioning means 22 includes a carriage stopping device (not shown) for stopping the carriage 28 having entered the container carrying-in section 29 at a predetermined position in the container carrying-in section 29, and a multi-stage on the carriage 28. And a container positioning device (compactor) 35 (see FIG. 1) for positioning and fixing the four folding containers 1 arranged in a plane at the uppermost stage among the folding containers 1 stacked in the container. . Here, the bogie stopping device controls the traveling speed of the bogie 28 (acceleration / deceleration or stop) and contacts the bogie 28 when the bogie 28 advances to a fixed position in the container loading section 29. Although a configuration is provided with a stopper or the like for restraining the movement of the carriage 28, a known technique can be appropriately selected for the control system, the stopper, and the like.

As shown in FIG. 3, the container positioning device 35 includes a support frame 36 surrounding the outer circumferences of the four foldable containers 1 laid in a plane, and two opposite positions on the support frame 36 in two directions. And a backing plate 37 that can be moved forward and backward in the horizontal direction and that can contact the side end surface of the bottom plate 7 of the folding container 1. That is, the caul plates 37 are provided at a total of four places, and each caul plate 37 is attached to the support frame 36 by a fluid pressure cylinder (in this embodiment, an air cylinder) 38 so as to be able to advance and retreat. In addition, each of the backing plates 37 includes two adjacent folding containers 1.
The length dimension is set so as to straddle. Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the support frame 36 includes a servomotor 44 mounted on an upper portion of the main body frame 21, a belt wheel 45 rotationally driven by the servomotor 44,
The folding container 1 is wound by a lifting mechanism 48 including a transmission wire 47 and the like, which is wound around the belt wheel 45 and has one end connected to the support frame 36 and the other end connected to a counterweight (balance weight) 46. In the stacking direction (vertical direction).

The elevating mechanism 48 detects the foldable container 1 loaded on the cart 28, and moves the foldable container 37 so that the bottom plate 7 of the foldable container 1 located at the uppermost stage and the abutment plate 37 face each other. Elevation control means (not shown) capable of controlling the elevating operation by the mechanism 48 is provided. The counterweight 46 balances loads acting on both ends of the transmission wire 47 in order to easily fix the support frame 36 at an arbitrary height position. As described above, as shown in FIG. 4, the four folding containers 1 are
Are collectively clamped and accurately positioned and fixed at a fixed position where a lifting operation by a clamp unit 23 described later can be smoothly performed.

As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the clamp unit 23 includes a guide rod 50 extending horizontally in the front-rear direction of the folding container 1 positioned at a predetermined position by the container positioning device 35. A pair of blocks 51 supported movably in the front-rear direction of the folding container 1 by the guide rods 50, and a fluid pressure cylinder (an air cylinder in this embodiment) 52 for moving each block 51 along the guide rods 50. A hook piece (clamp finger) 53 that is hooked on an opening 15 provided in the front and rear side plates 11 and 12 for lifting the folded container 1 held by the block 51 and in a folded state; A pair of swings for rotating the locked front and rear side plates 11 and 12 so as to push down. A configuration in which an over arm 54 and 54.

Here, the hook piece 53 has a guide shaft 55 extending from the upper end of the hook piece 53 and penetrating the block 51 slidably in the vertical direction, and a guide shaft protruding above the block 51. The block 51 is fixed by a fixing member 56 for securing the shaft 55 at one end and a compression spring 57 which is externally fitted to the guide shaft 55 so as to be sandwiched between the hook piece 53 and the block 51. It has been retained. With such a holding structure, the hook piece 53 can slide upward against the urging force of the compression spring 57, and the guide shaft 55
Is also displaceable in the diametric direction. Also, the upper surface 59 at the lower end of the hook piece 53 is hooked at the opening 15 of the front and rear side plates 11 and 12 of the folding container 1, and has a hook shape, as shown in FIG. When the side plates 11 and 12 reach the upright state by the swing arm 54, the side plates 11 and 12 are formed into a smooth slope shape so that the engagement with the opening 15 is naturally released.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 6, two swing arms 54 are provided for each of the two clamp arms 23 for raising the front plate 11 and raising the rear plate 12.
There are four in total. The swing arm 54 has a roller 61 at its tip for smoothing contact with the front plate 11 or the rear plate 12.
As shown in FIG. 8, the swing arm 54 on the front side plate 11 side is used.
The swing arm 54 of the rear plate 12 is connected to the swing arm 54 by a link rod 62 so as to rotate in conjunction with the swing arm 54, and further, a fluid pressure cylinder (a first embodiment) serving as a driving source for rotating these swing arms 54. In the case of the example, the distal end of the rod 64 of the air cylinder 63 is pin-connected to the base end of the swing arm 54 on the rear plate 12 side.

As shown in FIG. 3, the clamp suspension frame 24 has an arrangement of the four folding containers 1 in which the four clamping units 23 described above are positioned in a predetermined position by the container carrying-in positioning means 22 in a plane. It is a structure that is arranged and held in a planar shape corresponding to.

As shown in FIG. 1, the frame vertical moving mechanism 25 moves the clamp suspension frame 24 up and down at the positioning position by the container carrying-in positioning means 22 and the predetermined container carrying-out position by the container carrying-out means 30, 31. A mechanism for operating, specifically, a carriage frame 67 supporting the clamp suspension frame 24 via an intermediate frame 66, a servomotor 68 mounted on the upper part of the main body frame 21, and a rotation by the servomotor 68 The clamped suspension comprises a driven belt wheel 69, a transmission wire 71 wound around the belt wheel 69, one end of which is connected to the carriage frame 67, and the other end of which is connected to a counterweight 70. The frame 24 is replaced with an intermediate frame 66 or a carriage. Frame 67 and thereby integrally elevating the arrow J direction. The counterweight 70 balances loads acting on both ends of the transmission wire 71 in order to easily fix the carriage frame 67 at an arbitrary height position.

The frame horizontal moving mechanism 26 horizontally moves the clamp suspension frame 24 between a positioning position by the container carrying-in positioning means 22 and a predetermined container carrying-out position by the container carrying-out means 30, 31. More specifically, a horizontal moving mechanism (not shown) interposed between the clamp suspension frame 24 and the intermediate frame 66 connected to each other to realize relative movement of the frames 24 and 66 in the horizontal direction. When,
These frames 66, 6 are interposed between the intermediate frame 66 and the carriage frame 67 which are connected to each other.
7 and a horizontal movement mechanism (not shown) for realizing relative movement in the horizontal direction (the direction of arrow K in the figure). And a known mechanism that allows horizontal movement.

The method for transferring and assembling the folding container 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention is carried out by using the above-described transferring and assembling apparatus 20. Hereinafter, an operation procedure of the transfer and assembling method according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. First, the folding container 1 is transferred and assembled by the cart 28 in which four folding containers 1 in the folded state are laid out in a multi-stage manner.
It is carried into a fixed position within 0 (the container carrying-in section 29) (step 101).

Then, the container carrying-in positioning means 22 is operated, and the carriage 2 is moved to a predetermined position in the container carrying-in portion 29.
8 and the container positioning device 3
5 descends and the folding container 1 located at the top
Stops at a position where the bottom plate 7 of the container and the backing plate 37 of the container positioning device 35 face each other. Then, by sandwiching the bottom plate 7 of the uppermost foldable container 1 with the opposing backing plates 37 of the container positioning device 35, the four foldable containers 1 positioned at the uppermost tier are positioned and fixed (step 102). ).

Next, the frame vertical movement mechanism 25 is operated to lower the clamp suspension frame 24 on each of the four folding containers 1 positioned and fixed by the container carrying-in positioning means 22, as shown in FIG. As shown, the hook pieces 53 provided on each clamp unit 23 suspended on the clamp suspension frame 24 are inserted through the openings 15 in the front and rear side plates 11 and 12 of the corresponding folding container 1. Further, the position of the hook piece 53 is adjusted by the fluid pressure cylinder 52 so that the tip of the hook piece 53 is engaged with the edge of the opening 15 so that the hook piece 53 is hooked on the opening 15, and then, The frame vertical movement mechanism 25 is operated again to raise the clamp suspension frame 24 by an appropriate amount, and the upper frame 6 of the folding container 1 is pulled up by an appropriate distance (step 103).
Here, the rising amount of the clamp suspension frame 24 is substantially equal to the distance from the upper end of the opening 15 to the bottom surface 7 after the folding container 1 is assembled. At the beginning of the operation of hooking the hook pieces 53 into the openings 15 and lifting the folding container 1,
The bottom plate 7 of the folding container 1 is still maintained in a fixed state by being pinched by the container carrying-in positioning means 22. Therefore, the left and right side plates of the folded container 1 are reliably extended to the upright state as shown in FIG.

The left and right side plates 8 of the folding container 1
Immediately before the container 9 is completely raised, the holding of the bottom plate 7 by the container carrying-in positioning means 22 is released. Then, the lifting of the clamp suspension frame 24 by the frame vertical movement mechanism 25 is further continued, and the four folding containers 1 in which the lifting left and right side plates 8, 9 of the folding container 1 are extended are laid under the container. When it is separated (floats) by an appropriate distance from the existing folding container 1 (state shown in FIG. 11), the ascending operation by the frame vertical movement mechanism 25 stops, and the frame horizontal movement mechanism 26 operates instead, and the Is horizontally moved to the container unloading position where the container unloading means 30 and 31 are located (step 104).

When the clamp suspension frame 24 is located above the container unloading means 30, 31, the horizontal movement operation by the frame horizontal movement mechanism 26 is stopped, and the frame vertical movement mechanism 25 is operated again to move the clamp suspension frame 24. The folding container 1 which has been lowered and lifted by the clamp unit 23
Lower to 0,31. When the operation of lowering the foldable container 1 onto the container carrying-out means 30, 31 is started, the rotation of the front and rear side plates 11, 12 by the swing arm 54 is started in parallel. Immediately before the folded container 1 suspended by the swing arm 54 touches the container carrying means 30, 31, the front and rear side plates 11, 12 by the swing arm 54 are set to be completely erected and completed in a box shape. You have
Almost at the same time when the suspended folded container 1 touches the container unloading means 30 and 31, the hook piece 5
3, the engagement is naturally released, and the container carrying means 30,
31 can immediately carry out the folding container 1 (step 105).

When the folded container 1 is lowered to the container carrying-out means 30, 31, the clamp suspension frame 24 is lifted up by an appropriate amount by the frame vertical movement mechanism 25, and is further on standby by the frame horizontal movement mechanism 26. Is returned to the fixed position above the carriage 28. Then, it is determined whether or not the folding container 1 still remains on the cart 28, and if so, the processing from step 102 is repeated (step 106).

When all of the folding containers 1 on the trolley 28 that has entered the container loading section 29 are assembled, the empty trolley 28 exits the container loading section 29, and the next trolley 28 on which the folding containers 1 are loaded is placed. It enters the container carry-in section 29 and is repeated in order from step 101 described above.

According to one embodiment as described above, the assembling operation is simultaneously performed on the four folding containers 1 laid out in a flat state in the folded state, and further, while the assembling operation is being performed, a predetermined container is operated. 4 to transfer to the unloading position
The individual folding containers 1 can be assembled at the same time and carried out to a predetermined transport path or the like.

Further, the folding containers 1 carried into the transfer and assembling apparatus 20 are laid out in a plane and the bottom plate 7 is held by the container positioning device 35 so that the adjacent folding containers 1 are in close contact with each other. Therefore, it is possible to assemble four folding containers 1 at a time with a small space, and it is possible to make the apparatus compact and to significantly reduce the installation space.

Further, the folding container 1 in the folded state
Is loaded into the transfer and assembling apparatus 20 by a cart 2 in which four folding containers 1 in a folded state are laid out in multi-tiers, four by one.
8 makes it possible to carry a large amount of folding containers 1 into the transfer and assembling apparatus 20 at once without equipping a special transport line such as a conveyor, and to fold the apparatus without complicating the apparatus. The efficiency of assembling the container 1 can be improved, and equipment costs can be reduced.

Moreover, the container positioning device 35
Is a positioning step when the folding container 1 is carried into the transfer and assembling apparatus 20, and the folding container 1 is positioned at a fixed position by sandwiching the outer periphery of the bottom plate 7 of the folding container 1 laid out in a plane. When the hook pieces 53 are hooked on the openings 15 of the front and rear side plates 11 and 12 of the folding container 1 and started to be lifted, the bottom plate 7 itself of the folding container 1 remains at the initial position by the above-described clamping,
The folded left and right side plates 8 and 9 are reliably extended. Therefore, when the upper frame 6 of the folding container 1 is simply pulled up, the left and right side plates 8, 9 are surely compared with the case where the conventional assembly method in which the left and right side plates 8, 9 are extended by the weight of the bottom plate 7 or the like is used. The right and left side plates 8 and 9 can be extended in an upright state, and the reliability of the assembling work by the device can be improved.
It is also possible to prevent the occurrence of inconveniences such as the inability to raise the 12.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where four folding containers 1 are assembled at one time has been described. However, the folding containers 1 assembled at one time according to the arrangement of the container unloading means 30 and 31 and the transporting ability. Can be increased to, for example, 6 or 8 or more,
The invention is not limited to the embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the folding containers 1 laid out in a plane are arranged.
Has determined that the bottom plate 7 is pinched by the container positioning device 35 and positioned accurately.
Positioning accuracy of the loading means such as
Depending on the dimensional accuracy of the folding container 1 or the state in which the folding containers 1 are stacked, the configuration of the transfer assembly device 20 may be simplified by omitting the container positioning device 35.

[0042]

According to the method for transferring and assembling a folding container according to the present invention, a plurality of folding containers that are laid flat in a folded state and stacked in a stacked state are simultaneously subjected to step balancing. In order to carry out the assembling operation and further transfer the container to a predetermined container unloading position while performing the assembling operation, a single device simultaneously assembles a plurality of folding containers in a stepwise manner and transfers the container to a predetermined transport path or the like. be able to. In addition, when a plurality of foldable containers are laid out in a plane, if adjacent foldable containers are laid out in close contact with each other, it is possible to assemble a plurality of foldable containers at once with a small amount of space. And the installation space can be significantly reduced. In addition, according to the folding container transfer and assembling apparatus of the present invention, since each of the functions of stepping, assembling, and transferring the folding containers in a stacked state is provided, one apparatus can be used without using large-scale equipment. These operations can be performed continuously from the stepping of the stacked folding containers to the transfer after assembly.

In order to carry the folded containers into the transfer and assembling apparatus, a plurality of folded containers in a folded state are laid one by one on a multi-stage cart. It is possible to carry a large number of foldable containers at once without installing a special transport line, and it is possible to improve the efficiency of transferring and assembling foldable containers without complicating the equipment. In addition, it is possible to reduce equipment costs. In addition, in the positioning step when the folding container is carried into the transfer and assembling apparatus, by sandwiching the outer periphery of the bottom plate of the folding container laid out in a plane, each folding container is configured to be positioned at a fixed position. When the hook piece is hooked on the opening of the front and rear side plates of the folding container and started to be lifted, the bottom plate itself of the folding container remains in the initial position by the above-described clamping, and the folded left and right side plates are reliably extended. In other words, when the upper frame of the folding container is simply pulled up, the left and right side plates can be reliably extended to the upright state compared to the case where the conventional assembly method of extending the left and right side plates by the weight of the bottom plate is used. As a result, the reliability of the assembly work by the device is improved, and the inconveniences such as the inability to erect the front and rear side plates due to insufficient extension of the left and right side plates occur. It is possible to prevent.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of a folding container transfer and assembly apparatus according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a main part of the folding container transfer and assembly apparatus according to the embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line HH in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along line II of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view of a clamp unit of the folding container transfer and assembly apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory view of an operation of a hook piece of the folding container transfer and assembly apparatus according to the embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an operation explanatory view of a swing arm of the folding container transfer and assembling apparatus of one embodiment.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of an embodiment of the method for transferring and assembling a folding container according to the present invention.

FIG. 10 is an explanatory view of the operation of the hook pieces of the folding container transfer and assembly apparatus according to one embodiment.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of a lifting operation of the folding container by the folding container transfer and assembling apparatus of one embodiment.

FIG. 12 is a configuration explanatory view of a folding container to be transferred and assembled according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Foldable container 2,3,4,5 Frame plate part 6 Upper frame 7 Bottom plate 8 Left side plate 9 Right side plate 11 Front side plate 12 Rear side plate 14 Notch 15 Opening 20 Transfer assembly device 21 Main body frame 22 Container loading positioning means 23 Clamp unit Reference Signs List 24 clamp suspension frame (top fork) 25 frame vertical movement mechanism 26 frame horizontal movement mechanism 28 trolley (dolly) 29 container carry-in part 30, 31 container carry-out means 33 container carry-out part 35 container positioning device (compactor) 38 fluid pressure cylinder 44 servo Motor 45 Belt wheel 46 Counter weight 47 Transmission wire 48 Lifting mechanism 50 Guide rod 51 Block 52 Fluid pressure cylinder 53 Hook piece 54 Swing arm 55 Guide shaft 57 Compression spring 62 Link rod 63 Fluid pressure cylinder 68 Sa Bomota 69 pulley 70 counterweight 71 transfer wire

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page (58) Field surveyed (Int. Cl. ⁷ , DB name) B65B 43/26 B65D 6/18 B65G 47/90 B65G 47/96 B65G 59/02

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] A pair of front and rear side plates (1) pivotally mounted on an upper frame (6) and rotating inside the container to form a side surface of the container.
1, 12) and the left and right side plates (8, 9) which extend and contractably connect the upper frame (6) and the bottom plate (7) to form another container side surface.
A method of transferring and assembling a folding container (1) constructed from a folded container (1) into a box shape from a folded state, comprising the steps of: stacking a plurality of folded containers (1) stacked on a truck in a folded state. A positioning step of positioning the bottom plate (7) in a planar state with the bottom plate (7) facing down, and positioning the plurality of folding containers (1) laid out in a fixed position by the positioning step, respectively. Hook pieces (53) are hooked on openings (15) provided in the front and rear side plates (11, 12) of the folding container (1) to extend the folds of the left and right side plates (8, 9) and to lift. A left and right side plate extending / transporting step of transferring above a predetermined container unloading position in a state; The transferred for a plurality of the folding container (1), front and back side boards of said hooks (53) by folding each are engaged container (1) to (11, 1
2) The front and rear side plates (11, 1)
A method for transferring and assembling a folding container (1), characterized in that the step (2) is completed in a box shape in an upright state, and the steps of raising and lowering the front and rear plates, which are lowered onto the container carry-out position, are sequentially performed. 2. A pair of front and rear side plates (1) pivotally attached to an upper frame (6) and rotating inside the container to form a container side surface.
1, 12) and the left and right side plates (8, 9) which extend and contractably connect the upper frame (6) and the bottom plate (7) to form another container side surface.
A folding container (1) transfer and assembling apparatus for assembling a folding container (1) configured from a folded state into a box shape from the folded state, wherein the plurality of folded containers (1) in the folded state are attached to the bottom plate (7). ) (22) A container carrying-in positioning means (22) for positioning the container in a fixed position in a state where the container is laid down on a flat surface
And the front and rear side plates (1) of the folding container (1) in the folded state.
A swing arm (53) which is turned to push down a hook piece (53) hooked on an opening (15) provided in the first and second pieces and front and rear side plates (11, 12) locked by the hook piece (53). 54), and a plurality of folding containers (1) in which the plurality of clamping units (23) are positioned in a plane by the container carrying-in positioning means (22). Clamp suspension frame (24) held in a planar arrangement corresponding to the arrangement of
A frame vertical movement mechanism (2) for raising and lowering the clamp suspension frame (24) at a positioning position by the container carrying-in positioning means (22) and a predetermined container carrying-out position by the container carrying out means (30, 31).
5) a frame horizontal movement mechanism (26) for horizontally moving the clamp suspension frame (24) between a position determined by the container loading and positioning means and a predetermined container unloading position by the container unloading means. An apparatus (20) for transferring and assembling a folding container (1). 3. In the positioning step, each of the folding containers (1) is positioned at a fixed position by sandwiching an outer periphery of a bottom plate (7) of the folding containers (1) arranged in a plane. The method for transferring and assembling a folding container (1) according to claim 1. 4. The container carrying-in positioning means (22).
A supporting frame (36) surrounding the outer circumference of a plurality of folding containers (1) laid out in a plane, and the folding container (1) is provided so as to be able to advance and retreat in a horizontal direction at an opposing position on the supporting frame (36). A backing plate (37) which can be brought into contact with a side end surface of a bottom plate (7) of the container (1), and the bottom plate (7) of the folding container (1) is provided by the backing plate (37) which is arranged oppositely 3. A device (20) for transferring and assembling a folding container (1) according to claim 2, further comprising a container positioning device (35) for positioning the folding container (1) in a fixed position by holding the container.