JP5228198B2 - One-touch carton opening device - Google Patents

Description

In the present invention, a folded one-touch carton [hereinafter simply referred to as “carton”. ] Is Okoshihako by the upstream one by one drawer Okoshihako fixed guide curved from the conveyor to a carton Okoshihako device lock shape structure configured on the bottom of the carton is locked I automatically union of. In particular, it runs reliability is high in the lock, less probability of mounting transfer cartons downstream conveyor is stopped by the lock of Okoshihako defective, effectively carton force capable system configuration contents are filled It relates to a box device.

Regarding the configuration in which the carton is pulled out from the upstream conveyor and opened, it was as follows. That is, the means for withdrawing the carton is to take out the cartons in the carton magazine one by one and take out one side of one side of the carton by sucking it out, and make it open while contacting the curved surface of the lifting guide on the other side. Further, the carton should be opened by being sucked away from the side surfaces on both the front and back sides of the carton.

  However, the above means often caused a carton error and a lock failure. Due to this defect, the carton transfer system of the downstream conveyor is stopped, and the workability is deteriorated because the stop time becomes longer.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, in addition to the above system, the system further includes a sensor that detects whether or not the box is opened, and the idea is not to pass the boxing carton to the downstream conveyor. In addition, the system is provided with a lifting assist means for preventing the carton that has been lifted from returning to its original state due to elasticity by being sucked from the front and back by a suction cup with a robot hand, thereby pushing the side of the carton. I was sure to open it. (Patent Document 1, paragraph 0015, FIG. 11)

  Patent Document 2 discloses an apparatus that reliably opens the sheet so as not to cause reverse folding in consideration of the above problems.

Here, the details of the opening in the carton are described below. The carton sucks the first side of one plane folded into the front and back two sheet-shaped planes with a vacuum pad, etc., and the adjacent second side of the plane in the same direction becomes the curved surface of the lifting guide. When the first side surface is gradually pulled out while abutting, the angle between the first side surface and the second side surface approaches 180 degrees to 90 degrees, the carton is opened, and the bottom surface is a square as shown in FIG. It becomes a shape.

When the bottom surface of the carton becomes square, the bottom surface of the carton is combined with a lock-shaped structure.

However, when the lock shape of the carton bottom as shown in FIG. 3A is a key shape, it is a stable structure that is difficult to release if locked, but is difficult to lock.

Therefore, in the hoisting apparatus using the key-shaped carton that is difficult to lock, the flow to the downstream conveyor stops due to the occurrence of the lock failure, and a lot of time is spent. Therefore, there has been a demand for a highly reliable hoisting device that can cope with the carton at the bottom of the key type that is difficult to unlock, and ensures the locking.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 11-11430 (pages 2, 3 and 1) Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-96404 (pages 2, 3 and 1)

An object of the present invention is to provide a hoisting device that solves the above-described problems even in a carton having a key-type bottom structure.

That is, the first side surface on one surface side of the folded carton is sucked and pulled out by a vacuum pad, and the adjacent second side surface on the same surface side is drawn on the curved surface of the lifting guide while the first side surface is sucked. While making contact, make the bottom of the carton into a square shape and combine it with a key-like lock shape. In addition, in order to secure the lock, a force is applied to push the bottom of the second side , and immediately after that the upper part of the second side An object of the present invention is to provide a hoisting device that gives a force to push in and has a high reliability even with a key-type lock and does not have a lock failure.

The present invention, which has been made to solve the above problems, receives cartons folded one by one from an upstream conveyor, and adjoins the first side while sucking and pulling out the first side of the carton dropped into the carton stocker. The second side surface to be opened is slid while abutting on the curved surface of the lifting guide, and the bottom lock portion formed on the bottom surface of the carton is engaged and locked to lift the carton. A hoisting device for transferring to a downstream conveyor,
a) a gate opening / closing mechanism provided with a gate member that opens and closes in the horizontal direction with respect to the movement of the carton, and moves the gate member in the closing direction so as to prevent the carton falling on the carton stocker from falling down;
b) a suction vacuum pad for sucking or releasing the first side of the carton dropped into the carton stocker;
c) The first side surface of the carton dropped on the carton stocker is sucked by the hoisting vacuum pad and moved in the horizontal direction, and the second side surface is brought into contact with the curved surface of the hoisting fixing guide so that the bottom surface of the carton is squared. A pad moving mechanism to open the shape,
d) a bottom hoisting mechanism that pushes the bottom side continuous with the second side face swung up by turning the bottom hoisting guide with the first side surface sucked by the vacuum pad;
e) An upper hoisting mechanism that pushes the upper portion continuous with the second side surface swung up by turning the upper hoisting guide immediately after the bottom portion continuous with the second side surface is pushed in;
f) The present position of the carton is sensed by a sensor, and is configured to include a gate opening / closing mechanism, a hoisting vacuum pad, a pad moving mechanism, a bottom hoisting mechanism, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the upper hoisting mechanism. Yes.

In addition, the control unit provides a control signal for moving the gate member in the closing direction so that the carton in the carton stocker does not fall down when the sensor detects that the carton has fallen into the carton stocker. B) Control signal to suck the first side when it contacts the first side of the carton dropped into the carton stocker, and release suction when the bottom and top pushes continuous with the second side of the carton are completed C) a control signal for moving the carton in the horizontal direction when the first side surface is sucked by the lifting vacuum pad. ) When the carton moves in the horizontal direction and the bottom of the carton is opened in a square shape, the second is opened by turning the bottom hoisting guide. A control signal for pushing the bottom part continuous with the side face is sent to the bottom hoisting mechanism. E) Immediately after the bottom part continuous with the second side face is pushed in, the upper hoisting guide is turned to move the upper part continuous with the second side face. The control signal to push in is sent to the upper hoisting mechanism.

The present invention has the following effects. That is, even if the lock shape of the bottom of the carton is a key-shaped carton that is difficult to lock, the hoisting device does not have a lock failure.

  Therefore, the system configuration in which the carton using the hoisting device is filled with the contents can eliminate the problem that the automation operation is interrupted due to a lock failure.

Embodiments of the carton hoisting device of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a carton hoisting device, and FIG. 2 is a side view thereof. FIG. 3 shows the structure of the carton , (a) is a bottom view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a folded state.

In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the carton 1 is folded in such a manner that two side surfaces in four directions are divided into two sides, as shown in FIG. 3 (a) and 3 (b) show the opened carton 1 in which the folded carton 1 is opened and the bottom surface has a quadrangular shape. As shown in FIG. 3 (b), the opened carton 1 is surrounded by two pairs of opposite side surfaces, that is, the first side surface 5 and the second side surface 6 in the opened state, and a carton top surface is formed thereon. 8. A carton bottom 7 is formed below. In the carton bottom surface 7, as shown in FIG. 3A, the bottom portion continuous with the first side surface and the bottom portion continuous with the second side surface are combined, but the bottom portion continuous with the second side surface becomes the bottom surface lock portion 3. The two are engaged and locked with each other.

In the folded carton 1 shown in FIG. 3 (c), the bottom continuous with the first side surface 5 and the bottom continuous with the second side surface 6 are folded inside, respectively, and only the lid 4 continuous with one first side surface 5. , Outside the first side surface 5 .

1 and 2, there is an upstream conveyor 100 on which the folded carton 1 is placed on the left side of the drawings, and the cartons 1 are arranged at predetermined intervals between separator members 9 that move together with the upstream conveyor 100. It is listed one by one.

The carton take-out vacuum pad 90c receives a control signal for taking out the carton from the control unit 60, sucks one side of the folded carton 1 and takes it out one by one, and the carton take-out air cylinder 90a raises the carton 1 Then, the slide member 90b moves the carton 1 directly above the carton stocker 25, and then stops the suction of the carton take-out vacuum pad 90c and drops the carton 1 onto the carton stocker 25. (See Figure 2)

The gate opening / closing mechanism 30 has a gate member 30b that opens and closes in the horizontal direction with respect to the movement of the carton 1 by a control signal to the gate opening / closing air cylinder 30a. By moving the gate member 30b in the closing direction, the carton 1 The carton 1 dropped on the stocker 25 is prevented from falling from the opening side of the carton stocker 25 ( see FIG. 1).

The pad moving mechanism 20 moves the carton 1 for opening, and a vacuum pad 20c for opening is attached to the tip. FIG. 1 shows a state in which a carton vacuum pad 20c (a plurality, in this embodiment, two sets are acting as a set simultaneously) sucks the carton 1 . In FIG. 1, the pad moving mechanism 20 is close to the gate opening / closing mechanism 30 (in the left direction in the figure, indicated by a dotted line) and sucking the folded carton 1, and The state where the carton 1 is moved (moved to the right in the figure, indicated by a solid line) and the opening is completed is shown at the same time.

The following describes how the carton 1 opens.
One side of the folded carton 1 has two side surfaces , a first side surface 5 and a second side surface 6 . Of these, the hoisting vacuum pad 20c sucks the first side face 5 and moves the carton 1 away from the gate opening / closing mechanism 30 by the pad moving mechanism 20 (right direction in the figure) . At this time, the second side surface 6 moves together with the first side surface 5, but is not sucked by the hoisting vacuum pad 20 c and moves along the hoisting fixing guide 15. That is, the angle formed by the first side surface 5 and the second side surface 6 gradually approaches 180 ° from 90 °, and the carton 1 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 is formed.

In the pad moving mechanism 20 , the control unit 60 controls the actuator including the actuator fixing unit 20 a and the actuator moving unit 20 b.

As described above, even if Okoshihako carton 1 is in place, the bottom locking portion 3 in the carton bottom is sometimes incomplete. In particular, when the lock structure of the bottom lock portion 3 is a key type, the probability of being incomplete increases.

If the carton 1 is placed on the downstream conveyor 200 in a state of incomplete locking, the carton trouble occurs such or content lock is disengaged will go out and detected in the sensor becomes a system stop .

  Therefore, the present invention includes a bottom hoisting mechanism 40 and an upper hoisting mechanism 50 as shown in FIGS.

Bottom Okoshihako mechanism 40 is composed of a bottom Okoshihako air cylinder 40a and the bottom Okoshihako guide 40b attached to its bottom Okoshihako air cylinder 40a.

In response to the control signal sent from the control unit 60, the cylinder of the bottom hoisting air cylinder 40a causes the bottom hoisting guide 40b to pivot about the fulcrum 40d, so that the second side surface 6 of the carton 1 is raised . The bottom is pushed in. Thereby, when the engagement of the bottom surface lock portion 3 is incomplete, this can be corrected.

On the other hand, the upper Okoshihako mechanism 50 is composed of mounted an air cylinder 50a for the upper Okoshihako thereon Okoshihako air cylinder 50a upper Okoshihako guide 50b.

Subsequent to the control signal from the control unit being sent to the bottom hoisting air cylinder 40a, the control signal is also sent to the upper hoisting air cylinder 50a. Cylinder of the air cylinder 50a for the upper Okoshihako by the control signal, the upper Okoshihako guide 50b, swirled around the fulcrum 50d, empowering pushing the upper portion of the second side surface 6. This corrects the key-type incomplete formation. By this operation, there is no lock failure and the probability of work line stoppage can be further reduced.

As described above, the carton 1 having the bottom formed by the key shape is dropped onto the downstream conveyor 200 and placed on the content insertion conveyor of the next step.

1 and 2, the control unit 60 includes various sensors that detect the position of the carton 1 in the upstream conveyor 100, the pad moving mechanism 20, the gate opening / closing mechanism 30, the bottom hoisting mechanism 40, and the upper hoisting mechanism 50. The external information input terminal 60a that receives the received signal and sends it to the CPU via the I / F, the external information is judged by the CPU, and the pad moving mechanism 20, the gate opening / closing mechanism 30, and the bottom part opening according to a predetermined program A control signal output terminal 60b for transmitting a control signal to the mechanism 40 and the upper hoisting mechanism 50 via the I / F is provided . FIG. 10 shows an example of the control unit 60.

4-9 is explanatory drawing of the operation | movement order of a boxing apparatus. Each stage of the operation order (1) to (6) is shown. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a control unit of the carton hoisting device.
Here, the control unit 60 immediately before starting the operation is initialized as follows at least. In the control unit 60 shown in FIG. 10, in the initial state, a gate control signal for closing the gate member 30b of the gate opening / closing mechanism 30 is sent to the gate opening / closing air cylinder 30a.

In addition, a pad release signal is sent to the hoisting vacuum pad 20c attached to the tip of the pad moving mechanism 20, and a control signal is sent so that the pad moving mechanism 20 enters a waiting state at a predetermined position. ing. That is, as shown in FIG. 1, the folded carton 1 is sucked and pulled out by the hoisting vacuum pad 20c, and waits at a position where the stroke length until the bottom surface 7 of the carton 1 becomes a square shape.

Up to this point, the bottom hoisting mechanism 40 and the upper hoisting mechanism 50 have been sent control signals for turning off the bottom hoisting air cylinder 40a and the upper hoisting air cylinder 50a , respectively.

In the above initial state, the CPU waits for the carton 1 to fall and be stored in the carton stocker 25. When the carton 1 falls on the carton stocker 25 , the CPU inputs a sensor signal for detecting it from the external information input terminal 60a, and determines the input signal via the I / F. The CPU reads out the determination results and programs of various means that are predetermined and written in the storage device 60c, and the CPU outputs a control signal from the control signal output terminal 60b to the pad moving mechanism 20 via the I / F. The hoisting vacuum pad 20 c is pressed against the carton 1 in the carton stocker 25. Further, a suction control signal is sent from the CPU and the carton 1 is sucked by the vacuum pad 20c for opening. FIG. 4 shows the first operation order (1) in this state.

FIG. 5 shows a second operation sequence (2) in which the gate member 30b is opened and the hoisting vacuum pad 20c is pulled to be opened.

Following the first operation sequence (1) in FIG. 4, the CPU sends a control signal for moving the hoisting vacuum pad 20c from the control signal output terminal 60b to the pad moving mechanism 20 in the right direction of the figure and to the gate member 30b . In response, a control signal for opening the gate is sent.

The second operation sequence (2) in FIG. 5 shows a state in which the carton 1 is slightly opened from the folded state. That is, in this figure, the angle formed between the first side surface 5 and the second side surface 6 is between 180 degrees and 90 degrees.

In this state, the first side surface 5 is sucked by the hoisting vacuum pad 20c, and the second side surface 6 is in contact with the curved surface of the hoisting fixing guide 15 and is inclined in the horizontal direction.

Third In operation sequence (3) in FIG. 6, Ri carton 1 which is Okoshihako the Do in a square shape (rectangular), showing a state in which the vacuum pad 20c is stopped for Okoshihako.

Here, the angle formed by the first side surface 5 and the second side surface 6 of the carton 1 is 90 degrees and is stopped. At this time, it is assumed that the bottom surface 7 of the carton 1 is in an incompletely locked state, that is, the bottom surface is not yet in the locked state.

The fourth operation sequence (4) in FIG. 7 shows a state in which the bottom hoisting guide 40b turns and pushes the bottom continuous with the second side surface 6 of the carton 1 to completely lock it.

That is, the bottom hoisting guide 40b turns around the fulcrum 40d and pushes the bottom continuous with the second side surface 6 of the carton 1 and pushes the bottom lock 3 to completely lock the unlocked or incomplete lock. To.

In the fifth operation sequence (5) in FIG. 8 , the upper hoisting guide 50 b turns to push the upper part continuous with the second side surface 6 of the carton 1 .

The upper hoisting guide 50b turns around the fulcrum 50d and pushes the upper part continuous with the second side surface 6 of the carton 1 . The timing to push the upper Okoshihako guide 50b, by the bottom Okoshihako guide 40b is to just pushed the bottom, the bottom lock is more complete.

In the sixth operation sequence (6) of FIG. 9 , the bottom hoisting guide 40b and the upper hoisting guide 50b are returned, the suction of the hoisting vacuum pad 20c is released, and the carton is opened and the bottom is completely locked. 1 is dropped onto the downstream conveyor 200.

That is, if the control unit 60 operates the bottom hoisting guide 40b and the upper hoisting guide 50b to determine that the bottom part and the upper part continuous with the second side surface 6 of the carton 1 have been pushed, the bottom part immediately A control signal is sent to the hoisting air cylinder 40a and the upper hoisting air cylinder 50a, and the respective air cylinders are pulled backward, and the bottom hoisting guide 40b and the upper hoisting guide 50b are pulled from the second side surface 6. The suction of the vacuum pad 20c for lifting is further released, and the carton 1 is dropped onto the downstream conveyor 200 below.

The dropped carton 1 is conveyed to a conveyor for storing contents.

It is a top view of a carton hoisting device. It is a side view of a carton hoisting device. The structure of a carton is shown, (a) is a bottom view, (b) is a side view, and (c) is a view showing a folded state. Operation sequence of the boxing device (1) Operation sequence of the boxing device (2) Operation sequence of the boxing device (3) Operation sequence of the boxing device (4) Operation sequence of the boxing device (5) Operation sequence of the boxing device (6) It is a figure which shows the control part of a carton hoisting apparatus.

1: One-touch carton (carton)
3; Bottom lock part (when opened)
4; lid 5; first side surface 6; second side surface 7; carton bottom surface 8; carton top surface 9; separator member 15;
20; Pad moving mechanisms 20a and 20a; Actuator fixing portion 20b; Actuator moving portion 20c; Vacuum pad for opening (a plurality of vacuum pads)
25; cart Nsu storage 30; gate opening and closing mechanism 30a; gate opening and closing air cylinder 30b; gate member 30d; stocker width adjustment screw 40; bottom Okoshihako mechanism 40a; bottom Okoshihako air cylinder 40b; bottom Okoshihako guide 40d; ( Rotation of bottom hoisting guide) fulcrum 50; upper hoisting mechanism 50a; upper hoisting air cylinder 50b; upper hoisting guide 50d; (turning of upper hoisting guide) fulcrum 60; control unit 60a; external information Control device output terminal 60c; Storage device 60d; Display device 60e; Input device 90; Carton unloading mechanism 90a; Carton unloading air cylinder 90b; (Carton unloading) slide member 90c; Carton unloading vacuum pad 100; Upstream conveyor 100d; rotating belt end 200; downstream conveyor 00d; rotating belt ends

Claims (2)

Receive one-touch cartons folded from the upstream of the conveyor one by one, while the extraction by suction a first side of the one-touch carton dropped into the cart Nsu stocker, for Okoshihako a second side surface adjacent to the first side surface while abutting on the fixed guide of the curved surface causes the Okoshihako by sliding, said one-touch carton bottom engaged with the bottom locking portion configured to the lock by Okoshihako the one-touch cartons, to the downstream In the boxing device to be transferred to the conveyor,
a) a gate member that opens and closes in a horizontal direction with respect to the movement of the one-touch carton, moves the gate member in a closing direction, and prevents a one-touch carton that has fallen on the carton stocker from falling down;
b) a vacuum pad for opening which sucks or releases the first side surface of the one- touch carton that has fallen into the carton stocker;
c) The first side of the one-touch carton dropped on the carton stocker is sucked by the hoisting vacuum pad and moved in the horizontal direction, and the second side is brought into contact with the curved surface of the hoisting fixing guide. A pad moving mechanism for opening the bottom of the one-touch carton into a square shape ;
in a state in which d) the first side is sucked by the vacuum pads, and a bottom Okoshihako mechanism to push the second side a continuous bottom has caused a box by pivoting the bottom Okoshihako guide,
Immediately e) bottom continuous with the second side surface is incorporated pressed, an upper Okoshihako mechanism to push the upper portion continuous with the second side surface which is caused Hakodate by pivoting the upper Okoshihako guide,
f) a control unit that senses the current position of the one-touch carton with a sensor and controls operations of the gate opening / closing mechanism, the hoisting vacuum pad, the pad moving mechanism, the bottom hoisting mechanism, and the upper hoisting mechanism ; ,
One-touch carton hoisting device characterized by comprising: The controller is
When a) said one-touch carton is dropped into the basket Nsu stocker is sensed through the sensor, the gating control signal for moving the gate member so that the one-touch cartons in the cart Nsu stocker does not fall in the closing direction To the mechanism ,
b) a control signal for sucking the first side surface when the first side surface of the one- touch carton that has fallen into the carton stocker comes into contact ; and a bottom and top push that is continuous with the second side surface of the one-touch carton. When completed, a control signal for releasing suction is sent to the vacuum pad for opening,
c) When the first side surface is sucked by the lifting vacuum pad, a control signal for moving the one-touch carton in the horizontal direction is sent to the pad moving mechanism,
d) When the bottom of the one-touch carton is moved in a horizontal direction the one-touch carton has Okoshihako in a square shape, a control signal forcing the bottom continuous with the second side surface which is caused Hakodate swirled the bottom Okoshihako guide To the bottom hoisting mechanism,
e) Immediately after the continuous bottom and the second side surface is incorporated pressed, sends a control signal to push the upper portion continuous with the second side surface by pivoting the upper Okoshihako guide to the top Okoshihako mechanism,
The one-touch carton hoisting device according to claim 1.

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