JP6886187B2 - Boxing device and boxing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a boxing device and a boxing method, and for example, relates to a boxing device in which a plurality of packages are integrated.

In the case of a packaging form in which each product is stored in the case in an upright position when the opening surface of the case is on the upper side, the upper surface of the case is attracted while the multiple products are upright, and the case is open upward. It is packed inside (see Patent Document 1 etc.).

JP 2011-84332

For example, if the product is box-shaped as in Patent Document 1, a plurality of products can be adsorbed in an aligned posture, but if the product has an irregular shape and low stability such as a flat package, it is in an upright state. It is difficult to adsorb. Also, if the article to be stored in the package is, for example, a plurality of small items or powder, even if the package is adsorbed and stood up, the contents will accumulate on the lower side and swell, and the upper part will become thinner. It is difficult to lift, and even if it is lifted, the lower side swells, and when viewed as a whole of a large number of packages, it becomes very wide and cannot be supplied to the case.

The above-mentioned problems are described as independent of each other, and the present invention does not necessarily have to be able to solve all of the described problems, as long as at least one problem can be solved. In addition, we have the intention to acquire the rights to the structure for solving this problem independently by divisional application, amendment, etc.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the boxing device of the present invention is: (1) a bucket body for temporarily storing a plurality of products in a stacked state so as to be in contact with each other, and a drive for controlling the posture of the bucket body. A stacking bucket device having the device, a case standing device arranged on the downstream side of the stacking bucket device and holding the case in an upright posture with its opening surface facing diagonally downward, and the case standing device housed in the bucket body. A filling pusher device for pushing a plurality of products toward the case with a pusher member is provided, and the drive device is the bucket from a retracted position for supplying the product to the bucket body to a forward position on the case erecting device side. It has a function to move the main body forward in a forward leaning posture and a function to change the bucket main body to a backward leaning posture at the forward position. A stopper mechanism is provided to prevent the vehicle from detaching from the side and to enable the detachment in the backward leaning posture.

The products are stored inside the bucket body in a state of being stacked so as to be in contact with each other. When the bucket body moves forward from the backward position to the forward position in the state where the plurality of products are stored, the stored products move forward relative to the bucket body because they are in a forward leaning posture. Since the urging force in the direction is applied, for example, even if the rear surface of the bucket body is open, the detachment from the rear surface is suppressed. In addition, the product tries to move to the front side of the bucket body, but the stopper mechanism prevents the product from coming off from the front side. Further, since each product tends to move diagonally forward and downward with the forward leaning posture of the bucket body, stable transportation can be performed without collapsing the load, and high-speed movement becomes possible. Further, for example, even if the product has an irregular shape such as a package and low stability as in the embodiment, it can move from the retracted position to the forward position without collapsing the load for the above reason.

Then, when the forward position is reached, the bucket body changes to a backward tilted posture, and the plurality of products stored in the bucket body are pushed out by the pusher member. The product receives the urging force diagonally upward by the pusher member in the backward tilting posture, and also receives the urging force diagonally downward on the side opposite to the pushing direction due to gravity, so that the rear end surface of each product is the pusher member in the backward tilting posture. Since it is pushed out while being supported by, for example, the upper product can be neatly packed in a stacked state without popping out in the pushing direction and causing the load to collapse. As a result, each product is stored in the case in an upright posture when the opening surface of the case is on the upper side.

(2) The pusher member pushes out the product in a backward tilted posture, and the filling pusher device pushes the pusher member diagonally upward when pushing out the plurality of products toward the case. It may be configured to move. In this way, the pusher member pushes it diagonally upward and supplies it into the case. Since the product is pushed diagonally upward, while receiving the urging force diagonally upward from the pusher member, the product receives the urging force diagonally downward on the opposite side of the pushing direction due to gravity, so that, for example, the upper product is pushed diagonally upward. It is good because it can be neatly packed in a stacked state without popping out toward it and causing the load to collapse.

(3) The case erecting device has a function of tilting the case from an upright posture to change the opening posture to a transport posture with the opening surface facing upward, and the filling pusher device changes the posture of the pusher member to the backward tilted posture. When the case erecting device tilts the case from the erecting posture in a state where the plurality of products extruded by the pusher member are supplied to the case, the filling is provided. The pusher device may be configured to change the posture of the pusher member to the forward leaning posture.

The product extruded from the bucket body is supplied into a case in which the opening surface stands by in an obliquely downward standing posture. After the supply of this product, the case is tilted from the standing posture by the case standing device to change the transport posture with the opening surface facing upward. When this case collapses, the pusher member also changes from a backward leaning posture to a forward leaning posture, so that the product supplied inside the case maintains the posture in which the product is stored in the case without jumping out of the case, for example, from the opening surface. The pusher member can guide the user to do so. This pusher member can combine the function of transferring the product from the bucket body to the case and the function of maintaining the stored state of the product when the posture of the transferred case is changed. It is not necessary to separately provide a device having a function.

(4) The bucket main body is provided with a plurality of shutters for supporting the supplied products at the top and bottom, and a part of the plurality of products housed in the bucket main body is placed on the shutter in the closed state. When a predetermined number of products are supported in an overlapping state and the shutter is opened, the products placed on the shutter fall and move, and the plurality of products are stacked so as to be in contact with each other in the bucket body. The bucket body may be configured to be in a state so that the rear surface side is opened, the product is supplied from the opened side, and the predetermined product is placed on the shutter.

In this way, a part number of products of the plurality of products are placed on the shutter. In this way, for example, when transferring a plurality of products from a device provided on the upstream side to the bucket body from a device in which the products are vertically integrated, even if the number of the products is large, the products are placed on each shutter. It is possible to keep the number of products small, and it is possible to shorten the fall distance when transferring each product. Therefore, the product is neatly placed on each shutter without collapsing the load. At this time, since the rear surface side of the bucket body is open, for example, if the shutter is opened while the bucket body is in a forward leaning posture, it is possible for the product to fall to the outside from the open portion on the rear surface side of the bucket body. It is preferable because it can be suppressed to. In this case, the timing of opening the shutter may be either during the forward movement of the bucket body in the forward leaning posture or after the movement is stopped, and it is preferable that the shutter is opened during the forward movement because the processing time can be shortened. Further, as shown in (5) below, it is more preferable to open the shutter with the pusher member arranged on the open side of the rear surface of the bucket body.

(5) The pusher member of the filling pusher device is configured so that the length in the vertical direction changes, and the pusher member is located on the open side of the rear surface of the bucket body, and the product is placed on the shutter. It is preferable that the pusher member is in the first form having a long length, and the pusher member is extruded in the second form having a short length.

When opening the shutter, if the pusher member is positioned on the open side of the rear surface of the bucket body, each product will fall and move in the bucket body as the shutter opens, but the bucket body is opened. Since the first form of the pusher member having a long length in the vertical direction exists on the surface, each product jumps out of the bucket body or collapses regardless of whether the bucket body is in the forward leaning posture or the backward leaning posture. It falls and moves without any slack, and is in a state of being stacked so that it touches the top and bottom. When the product is pushed out from the bucket body, the pusher member having a short length in the vertical direction of the second form is used, so that the product can be reliably pushed into the case, for example.

(6) The upstream side of the stacked bucket device is provided with a vertical loop device that conveys the product in the vertical direction and simultaneously carries out the plurality of products arranged vertically, and the bucket body is the bucket body. It is formed by receiving the plurality of products carried out from the vertical loop device in a state of being close to the carry-out side of the vertical loop device, and moving the bucket body away from the vertical loop device to the forward position. It is preferable that the pusher member and the arm holding the pusher member enter the space, and the arm moves forward the pusher member to push out the plurality of products housed in the bucket body.

In this way, the pusher member or the like of the filling pusher device is made to enter the space formed by moving the bucket main body forward and separating from the vertical loop device, and the pusher member is moved so as to enter the bucket main body. By doing so, the product stored in the bucket body can be pushed out. Since the pusher member or the like is configured to enter the space, the space can be narrowed and the moving distance when the bucket body moves forward can be shortened. For example, in a normal device, the bucket body moves to the arrangement position of the pusher device including the pusher member, and the pusher member pushes out the product there. However, in such a configuration, the moving distance of the bucket body becomes long and long. With the movement of a distance, there is a risk that the product may fall or collapse during movement, but the present invention does not have such a problem.

(7) In the boxing method according to the present invention, the bucket body for temporarily storing a plurality of products in a stacked state moves forward in a forward leaning posture, stops at the boxing position, and the opening surface faces diagonally downward. The plurality of products stored in the bucket body are pushed out by the pusher member while the bucket body is in the backward tilted position and stopped in a state of approaching the case held in the standing position. It was supplied into the case.

According to the present invention, a plurality of products temporarily stored in the bucket body can be moved to a supply position to the case without collapsing, and the products stacked in the case can be neatly supplied. You can. For example, even if the product is irregular and unstable, such as a package, the above effect can be obtained.

It is a front view which shows one preferable embodiment of the boxing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is the perspective view (the 1). It is the perspective view (No. 2). FIG. 1 is an enlarged front view (No. 1) showing a vertical loop device 10, a stacked bucket device 11, and the like. FIG. 2 is an enlarged front view (No. 2) showing a vertical loop device 10, a stacked bucket device 11, and the like. It is a perspective view (the 1) which mainly shows the part of a stacking bucket device. It is an enlarged perspective view which shows a part of one preferable embodiment of the boxing apparatus which concerns on this invention. (A) is a left side view (upstream side) showing an example of the stacked bucket device, (b) is a front view thereof, and (c) is a right side view (downstream side) thereof. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the stacking bucket apparatus. It is a figure which shows an example of a filling pusher device. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the case standing apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the case standing apparatus. It is a figure explaining operation and control of each apparatus. (A) is a perspective view showing the state of FIG. 13 (c), (b) is a perspective view showing the state of FIG. 13 (d), and (c) is a perspective view showing the state of FIG. 13 (e). FIG. 1 is a perspective view (No. 2) showing the state of FIG. 13 (e).

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not construed as being limited to this, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

As shown in the figure, the boxing device of the present embodiment is a device for storing a plurality of the product 1 in the case 2 in an upright posture in a direction orthogonal to the opening surface. Product 1 is a pillow package containing a plurality of articles. The product 1 which is a pillow package is manufactured and carried out by a packaging machine on the upstream side (not shown), moves one by one on the transport path 3, and is supplied to the boxing device of the present embodiment. The transport posture in the transport path is flat and substantially rectangular, but a plurality of articles are stored in a disjointed state. For example, the product 1 in the flat transport posture shown in FIG. 1 and the like. When the article is lifted up with one side and placed in an upright posture, the stored articles move downward in the pillow package, and the lower portion of the pillow package is inflated.

Therefore, for example, when the opening surface of the case 2 is turned upward and the product 1 is supplied into the case 2 from the opening surface above the case 2 in an upright posture, the lower part of the product 1 in the upright posture. The portion swells, making it difficult to store it in the case 2. Therefore, the boxing device of the present embodiment is configured to pack the products in a stacked state in which the products 1 are stacked up and down in a flat and flat posture by supplying them into the case 2 with the opening surface lying down. did.

This boxing device includes a vertical loop device 10 for stacking products 1 vertically, a stacking bucket device 11 arranged on the carry-out side of the vertical loop device 10, and a filling pusher for pushing the product 1 against the stacking bucket device 11. The device 12 and the case erecting device 13 which is arranged on the downstream side of the stacking bucket device 11 and controls the posture of the case 2 are provided.

The vertical loop device 10 is a device that carries out a predetermined number of products 1 that are transported and supplied one by one from the upstream side transport path 3 in a state of being stacked vertically. The vertical loop device 10 is composed of a bucket conveyor, and the bucket rotates and moves along the vertical direction (vertical direction). Specifically, the vertical loop device 10 includes timing pulleys 15 and 16 arranged vertically, an annular timing belt 17 that is bridged by the timing pulleys 15 and 16 and travels intermittently, and the timing belt 17 and the like. A bucket 18 or the like that can be attached at an interval pitch is provided.

The timing pulleys 15 and 16 and the timing belt 17 operate intermittently under the drive of a drive device (not shown). In the drive device, a predetermined bucket 18 is temporarily stopped at a position facing the carry-out outlet of the transport path 3, and the bucket 18 is revolved by resuming rotation to move the bucket 18 in a desired position with the stacking bucket device 11 on the carry-out side on the opposite side. It operates to pause at the carry-out position facing the relationship.

Further, the drive device is related to the operating status of the packaging machine on the upstream side, the operating status of the device on the downstream side, and the like by rotating the timing belt 17 while moving the pair of upper and lower timing pulleys 15 and 16 up or down. Instead, the product 1 is supplied to each bucket 18 without coming off, and a predetermined number (15 in the present embodiment) of the product 1 is controlled to be carried out at the correct position and in a timely manner.

The bucket 18 includes a first plate portion 18a and a second plate portion 18b that are arranged vertically at predetermined intervals. On the carry-in side of the product 1 (left side in the figure), the first plate portion 18a is located on the lower side, and the top and bottom are reversed as the revolution moves, and on the carry-out side of the product 1 (right side in the figure), the second plate portion is located. Located on the upper side. The distance between the first plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b is set to a length with a certain margin with respect to the thickness of the product 1. Under the control of the servo motor, the inner surface of the first plate portion 18a on the carry-in side is temporarily stopped in a state of being flush with the transport surface of the transport path 3, and the inner surface of the second plate portion 18b on the carry-out side is a stacking bucket device. It pauses in a state of facing the predetermined position of 11. The product 1 inserted between the pair of the first plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b is sandwiched between the first plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b and lightly held, and the timing belt 17 As a result, it moves with the revolution movement of the bucket 18.

The width of the first plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b is set to be shorter than the width of the product 1, and when the product 1 is supplied into the bucket 18, the left and right ends of the product 1 in the transport direction are buckets. The posture is such that it protrudes to the outside of No. 18 (see FIGS. 2, 3, etc.). Further, although not shown, guide side walls are arranged on both the left and right outer sides of the moving paths of the plurality of buckets 18 with a predetermined margin, and the product 1 supplied in the buckets 18 is left and right when revolving and moving. I try not to leave both sides.

On both sides of the multi-stage bucket 18 located on the carry-out side, strip-shaped discharge pushers 19 extending vertically are arranged. The discharge pusher 19 is driven by a cylinder (not shown), and has a standby position shown in FIGS. 1 to 4 and a discharge position close to the stacking bucket device 11 side shown in FIGS. 5 to 7 from the standby position. It is configured to move back and forth between. The pair of discharge pushers 19 arranged on the left and right can come into contact with both ends of the product 1 protruding from both the left and right sides of the bucket 18 for 15 stages, and when the transition from the standby position to the discharge position occurs, both ends of the 15 product 1 are reached. And pushes it to the downstream side, and discharges it from the bucket 18 to the outside. The discharged product 1 is stored in the next-stage stacking bucket device 11.

As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the stacked bucket device 11 includes a bucket main body 21 that receives a large number of products 1 in a vertically stacked state, and a drive device 22 that controls the posture of the bucket main body 21. The bucket body 21 includes a base member 23, a pair of left and right side walls 24 standing upright at predetermined positions on the upper surface of the base member 23, and shutters 25 arranged on each side wall 24 so as to penetrate the inside and outside of the side wall 24. A drive mechanism 26 for reciprocating the shutter 25 in the horizontal direction, a stopper mechanism 27 arranged on the carry-out side of the side wall 24, and the like are provided. The distance between the pair of left and right side walls 24 is equal to or slightly wider than the width of the product 1. In the present embodiment, the width is slightly wider than the width of the predetermined product 1. As will be described later, the product 1 transferred from the vertical loop device 10 to the bucket body 21 is subsequently dropped and moved in the bucket body 21, so that it is formed between the peripheral edge of the smallest size product 1 and the side wall 24. The gap should be wide enough so that the load will not collapse even if it falls while being slightly exposed during the falling movement.

The stopper mechanism 27 comprises a stopper plate 30 arranged at the carry-out side end of each side wall 24, a rotary actuator 31 that rotates in the forward and reverse directions, and a linking member 32 that links the output shaft of the rotary actuator 31 and the stopper plate 30. Be prepared. When the output shaft of the rotary actuator 31 rotates in the forward and reverse directions, the rotational force is transmitted to the stopper plate 30 via the linking member 32, and the rotary actuator 31 rotates approximately 90 degrees from the closed first posture shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 and the state. And transition between the open second posture. When the stopper plate 30 is in the first posture, the stopper plate 30 closes a part of the inner space formed between the pair of side walls 24 on the carry-out side, is pushed out by the discharge pusher 19, and enters the bucket body 21. It is prevented that the product 1 is separated from the front of the bucket body 21 as it is. Further, when the stopper plate 30 is in the second posture, the carry-out side of the inner space formed between the pair of side walls 24 is opened, and the product 1 in the bucket main body 21 can be carried out from the front.

A slit extending in the horizontal direction is provided at a predetermined position on the side wall 24, and the shutter 25 is arranged through the slit. The tip sides of the left and right shutters 25 are configured to freely appear and disappear in the inner space formed by a pair of side walls 24, respectively, and when the tip side protrudes into the inner space, the product 1 that comes into contact with the upper surface of the shutter 25 is provided. Support and prevent product 1 from falling. Further, when the tip of the shutter 25 moves backward and enters the side wall 24, for example, the support of the product 1 by the shutter 25 is released and the product 1 falls.

As described above, the side wall 24 may be formed of a single long plate member to provide a slit, but a plurality of small plate members are arranged one above the other with a predetermined gap, and the shutter 25 is inserted into the gap. It may be arranged.

Further, in the present embodiment, the left and right shutters 25 forming a pair are provided at the same height, and four sets of the shutters 25 are arranged vertically at equal intervals. Then, each shutter 25 is configured to receive and support three products 1 carried out from the vertical loop device 10. Specifically, of the 15 products 1, the product 1 for 3 from the bottom is placed on the base member 23 in a laminated state, and the 4th product 1 from the bottom is on the lowermost shutter 25. The fifth and sixth products 1 from the bottom are stacked on top of it. Hereinafter, the 7th to 9th product 1 from the bottom is supported by the 2nd shutter 25 from the bottom, the 10th to 12th product 1 from the bottom is supported by the 3rd shutter 25 from the bottom, and the 13th from the bottom. The fifteenth product 1 is configured to be supported by the fourth shutter 25 from the bottom. Then, the upper surface of the base member 23 and the upper surface of each shutter 25 store the corresponding product 1 (first, fourth, seventh, tenth, thirteenth from the bottom) of the vertical loop device 10 that temporarily stops at the carry-out position. It is set so as to be located on the same plane as the second plate portion 18b of the bucket 18 to be used. As a result, when the corresponding product 1 is pushed out by the discharge pusher 19, it horizontally moves as it is and is transferred onto the base member 23 or the shutter 25 which faces each other. Further, when each product 1 stored in the other bucket 18 is pushed out by the discharge pusher 19, it falls and moves a predetermined distance and is placed on the lower product 1, but since the number of loaded products is three, it is placed on the lower product 1. The fall distance is short, and the three products 1 are stacked and fit in the bucket body 21 without collapsing the load. That is, when transferring a large number of products 1 such as 15 products 1 as in the present embodiment, if the entire product 1 is transferred to the bucket main body 21, the uppermost product 1 is equivalent to 15 products. There is a head and there is a risk of the load collapsing, but in the present embodiment, the occurrence of the above problem is suppressed by dividing the load into a plurality of (three steps) and receiving the load. The drive mechanism 26 for reciprocating the shutter 25 is composed of a first cylinder 34 or the like attached to a frame 33 standing upright at both left and right ends of the upper surface of the base member 23.

The drive device 22 has a function of moving the bucket main body 21 forward and backward and a function of switching the standing posture of the bucket main body 21. The function of moving the bucket body forward and backward moves the bucket body 21 back and forth between the retracted position near the carry-out side of the vertical loop device 10 and the forward position near the carry-in side of the case erecting device 13 by moving forward from the retracted position. To control. The specific configuration that realizes both functions is as follows.

The drive device 22 is arranged on a pair of left and right guide rails 35 extending in the front-rear direction, a pedestal 37 that moves forward and backward along the guide rail 35, and a pedestal 37 that is connected to the pedestal 37. A drive belt device 38 or the like that applies a driving force in the front-rear direction is provided. When the drive belt device 38 rotates in the forward and reverse directions, the pedestal 37 also moves forward and backward accordingly. The base member 23 is attached to the upper surface of the pedestal 37 via a bearing portion. The bearing portion has a rotating shaft extending in the left-right direction, the base member 23 rotates forward and reverse within a predetermined angle range around the rotating shaft, and the bucket main body 21 rotates in the forward and reverse directions in FIGS. 5, 8, 9, and 13. Transition between the forward leaning posture in which the upper part falls forward as shown in (a) to (c) and the like and the backward leaning posture in which the upper part falls backward as shown in FIGS. 13 (c) to 13 (f) and the like. .. Further, the bucket main body 21 takes an upright posture in the vertical direction, for example, as shown in FIG. These posture transitions are configured by a link mechanism 40 or the like in which one end is connected to the second cylinder 39 and the cylinder rod 39a of the second cylinder 39 and the other end is connected to the side wall 24. For example, the second cylinder 39 controls the amount of protrusion of the cylinder rod 39a, that is, the cylinder rod 39a stops at the most protruding position, the most contracted (stored in the main body) position, and the intermediate point. If it is used, it is preferable to adopt a configuration that switches between three postures.

In the present embodiment, when the bucket main body 21 receives the product 1 from the vertical loop device 10, it takes an upright posture so that the product 1 can be delivered smoothly. Further, when moving forward with the product 1 stored, the product 1 is prevented from falling by taking a forward leaning posture. Then, when the product 1 is discharged and filled and supplied to the case 2, the product 1 takes a backward leaning posture, and when the product 1 to be filled and supplied is filled and supplied into the case 2, the product 1 slides down and the load collapses. 2 Suppress falling apart in the inside.

The filling pusher device 12 includes an L-shaped arm 43 that moves up and down and moves forward and backward on the carry-out side of the vertical loop device 10, and a pusher member 44 that is connected to the tip of the L-shaped arm 43. The L-shaped arm 43 includes a first arm portion 43a extending vertically and a second arm portion 43b connected to the lower end of the first arm portion 43a and extending horizontally toward the downstream side. A guide rail portion 42 extending in the vertical direction is attached to the side surface of the first arm portion 43a. Although not shown, a slider that is linked to the guide rail portion 42 and moves relative to the rail is fixed to the machine frame of the device (not shown). As a result, the first arm portion 43a and thus the L-shaped arm 43 are guided to move up and down, and move up and down by receiving the driving force of a drive source such as a timing belt for driving the servomotor. Further, the L-shaped arm 43 receives a driving force of a drive source (not shown) and moves forward and backward, more specifically, moves forward from a position close to the vertical loop device 10 toward the case standing device 13. After that, it moves backward toward the original position close to the vertical loop device 10.

The lower end of the pusher member 44 is rotatably attached to the first bearing portion 46 attached to the tip of the second arm portion 43b. The pusher member 44 rotates forward and reverse within a predetermined angle range with the first bearing portion 46 as the center of rotation, and transitions between two positions, a backward tilted posture and a forward tilted posture. The attitude control of the pusher member 44 is performed by receiving the drive of the third cylinder 45 arranged on the second arm portion 43b. The tip of the cylinder rod 45a of the third cylinder 45 is linked to the back surface of the pusher member 44 via the second bearing portion 47, and when the cylinder rod 45a is contracted, the pusher member 44 takes a backward tilting posture and the cylinder rod 45a In the extended state, the pusher member 44 takes a forward leaning posture.

Further, the pusher member 44 includes a lower plate member 44a and an upper plate member 44b that are vertically arranged in an upright state. The first bearing portion 46 and the second bearing portion 47 described above are attached to the rear surface side of the lower plate member 44a. The upper plate member 44b is configured to be movable up and down relative to the lower plate member 44a by an appropriate guide mechanism. A fourth cylinder 48 is attached to the rear surface of the lower plate member 44a. The cylinder rod 48a of the fourth cylinder 48 reciprocates in the vertical direction, and when the cylinder rod 48a is extended, the upper plate member 44b is located at an upper position and the pusher member 44 is also extended. In the contracted state, the upper plate member 44b is located at a lower position, and the entire length overlaps with the lower plate member 44a, and the pusher member 44 also contracts. When the pusher member 44 is in the first form, its total length is substantially equal to the height of the bucket body 21, and when the pusher member 44 is in the second form, its total length is at least 15 products 1 directly stacked. It should be substantially equal to the height of the state, and more preferably as high as possible within the range where the case 2 can be entered, as will be described later. The total length in the second form is shorter than the vertical length of the opening when the case 2 is erected so that the pusher member 44 can enter the case 2.

As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the case erecting device 13 holds the transport conveyor 50 for transporting the case 2 in a posture in which the opening surface is facing upward, and the case 2 placed on the transport conveyor 50. It is provided with a raising mechanism 51 that stands up while being lifted. The conveyor 50 includes an endless belt 53 arranged so as to extend from a position near the carry-out side of the drive device 22 of the stacking bucket device 11 toward the downstream side. A push piece 53a projecting outward is provided at a predetermined position on the belt surface of the endless belt 53. The push pieces 53a are provided at equal intervals along the rotation direction of the endless belt 53, and are provided at two locations in the present embodiment. On both the left and right sides of the downstream section of the belt surface of the endless belt 53, fixed guide plates 54 that support the bottom surface of the transport case 2 and form the transport surface are arranged. The upper surface of the fixed guide plate 54 and the belt surface of the endless belt 53 are substantially flush with each other, or the belt surface is slightly lowered. A pair of left and right side guides 55 are arranged upright on the outside of the fixed guide plate 54. The distance between the pair of left and right side guides 55 is substantially equal to the width of the case 2 in the traveling direction (in this embodiment, the length of the short side of the opening).

Further, first movable guide plates 56 that support the bottom surface of the case 2 to be conveyed are arranged on both the left and right sides of the upstream side section of the belt surface of the endless belt 53. The first movable guide plate 56 constitutes a part of the raising mechanism 51, as will be described later. Further, a side guide is not provided on the outside of the first movable guide plate 56, and one side (in this embodiment, the left side in the traveling direction of the case 2 by the endless belt 53) is open. On the one open portion side, a transport supply device of Case 2 (not shown) is provided. This transport supply device transports the case 2 in a posture in which the upper surface side is open and the flaps provided on the four sides of the upper end edge are upright, and the case 2 is supplied onto the case upright device 13 from the open portion side. The case 2 supplied on the case erecting device 13 is placed so as to straddle a pair of left and right first movable guide plates 56.

The raising mechanism 51 having the first movable guide plate 56 is continuously upwardly directed to the first movable guide plate 56 arranged on the left and right sides of the endless belt 53 and the upstream end of the first movable guide plate 56. The second movable guide plate 57, which is arranged so as to extend, is connected to and integrated with the pair of left and right support frames 58. The pair of support frames 58 have a strip-shaped main body, are arranged so as to face each other at a predetermined interval, and are connected by a connecting plate 59 at an intermediate portion in the longitudinal direction. The support frame 58 is arranged so as to extend in the vertical direction in the basic posture in which the first movable guide plate 56 is arranged on the left and right sides of the endless belt 53, and the first movable guide plate is located at the lower end of each support frame 58 in that state. 56 are connected, and the second movable guide plate 57 is connected so as to straddle the pair of support frames 58. Further, a through hole is provided at the upper end of the support frame 58, and the rotating shaft 60 is inserted so as to penetrate the through hole. Both ends of the rotating shaft 60 project to the outside of the pair of support frames 58, and both ends of the rotating shaft 60 are supported by the machine frame 61 of the case erecting device 13. The rotating shaft 60 and the support frame 58 are non-rotatably connected to each other, and one end of the rotating shaft 60 is linked to a drive motor (not shown). As a result, the rotating shaft 60 receives the driving force of the driving motor and rotates forward and reverse within a predetermined angle range, and accordingly, the support frame 58, and thus the first movable guide plate 56 and the second movable guide plate 57 also rotate the rotating shaft 60. It rotates forward and reverse as the center of rotation. Due to this forward / reverse rotation, the first movable guide plate 56 rotates in a horizontal basic posture located on both sides of the endless belt 53 and a predetermined angle of 90 degrees or more from that state, and the first movable guide plate 56 tilts backward. Transition between the standing posture and the standing posture.

Further, as described above, the open portion on the outside of one of the pair of left and right first movable guide plates 56 constitutes the entrance / exit of the case 2, but the stopper member 63, the suction nozzle 64, and the like are arranged on the outside of the other. To do. The stopper member 63, the suction nozzle 64, and the like are also linked to the support frame 58, and rotate integrally in the forward and reverse directions with the rotation shaft 60 as the center of rotation. The case 2 supplied onto the case erecting device 13 from the open portion is prevented from moving further when its side surface comes into contact with the stopper member 63, and stops at a desired position on the case erecting device 13. Further, in this stopped state, one side surface of the case 2 (the right side surface in the moving direction at the time of supply and the rear side surface in the transport direction of the transport conveyor 50) is in contact with the second movable guide plate 57. In this state, the suction nozzle 64 sucks and holds the side surface of the case 2 on the stopper member 63 side. As a result, the bottom surface of the case 2 is in contact with the first movable guide plate 56, and one side surface is in contact with the second movable guide plate 57 and is guided by the suction nozzle 64. As a result, when the support frame 58 rotates and the first movable guide plate 56 and the second movable guide plate 57 transition from the basic posture to the standing posture, the case 2 also stands up following the transition, and the opening surface is opened in the succeeding posture. It faces the bucket body 21 of the stacking bucket device 11 on the upstream side (see FIG. 7 and the like). On the other hand, when the support frame 58 rotates in the opposite direction and returns to the basic posture from the standing posture, the case 2 also collapses and returns to the posture in which the open surface faces upward.

In the boxing device having the above-described configuration, each device cooperates as shown below, and 15 products 1 from the carry-out side of the vertical loop device 10 are temporarily stored in the bucket body 21 of the stacking bucket device 11. The product 1 stacked in the bucket body 21 is filled and supplied into the case 2. That is, first, in a state where the L-shaped arm 43 stands by upward, the stacked bucket device 11 arranges the bucket main body 21 close to the vertical loop device 10 and takes a vertically standing posture. In this state, the tip end side of the shutter 25 is located in the internal space between the side walls 24, and the stopper plate 30 is closed (see FIG. 4 and the like). Then, in this state, 15 products 1 are supplied from the vertical loop device 10, and 5 sets of 3 products 1 are stored in the bucket main body 21. Since the bucket body 21 stands vertically, the opening surface on the rear side is close to the carry-out side of the vertical loop device 10 over the entire length in the vertical direction thereof, and the shutter 25 and the base member 23 are also located horizontally. Each product 1 carried out from the vertical loop device 10 is transferred onto the shutter 25 in a state in which three products are stacked.

Next, the bucket body 21 shifts to the forward leaning posture in response to the drive of the second cylinder 39 (see FIGS. 5 and 13 (a) and the like). Then, while maintaining this forward leaning posture, the bucket body 21 moves forward by receiving the driving force of the drive belt device 38, and stops in front of the case standing device 13. Since the bucket body 21 is tilted forward during this forward movement, each product 1 housed inside is in contact with the stopper plate 30 at the front end edge in the traveling direction, and the left and right side edges are close to or in contact with the side wall 24. It is guided and transferred from the open surface behind it without leaving or falling.

Further, the case erecting device 13 rotates the support frame 58 at an appropriate timing to erect the first movable guide plate 56 to bring it into a backward tilted posture. Along with this, as shown in FIG. 13A, the case 2 also stands by in a state where the opening surface faces the bucket main body 21 on the upstream side and is opened diagonally downward in a backward tilted posture.

Next, the L-shaped arm 43 moves downward and enters the space between the bucket body 21 and the vertical loop device 10 formed by the bucket body 21 moving forward, and the pusher member 44 moves into the space between the bucket body 21. The descending movement stops at a position substantially opposite to the rear opening surface (see FIG. 13B and the like). In this stopped state, the lower end of the pusher member 44 is located slightly above the upper surface of the base member 23 of the bucket body 21 and faces the lowest product 1 placed on the base member 23. To do so. Further, the upper end of the pusher member 44 is located near the upper end of the bucket main body 21 so as to face the uppermost product 1 in the bucket main body 21. Further, the lower end of the pusher member 44 is close to the bucket main body 21, and the pusher member 44 takes a backward leaning posture and the bucket main body 21 takes a forward leaning posture. Then, they are separated by a predetermined distance.

Next, under the drive of the second cylinder 39, the bucket body 21 shifts to the backward tilted posture (see FIGS. 13 (c), 14 (a), etc.). As a result, the opening surface on the rear surface side of the bucket body 21 is covered with the pusher member 44, and the product 1 housed in the bucket body 21 is surrounded on all four sides, and the stopper plate 30, the side wall 24, and the pusher are surrounded. The members 44 are in close proximity to each other. Further, by tilting the bucket body 21 backward, each product 1 moves rearward and is lightly pressed against the pusher member 44.

In this state, the shutter 25 is opened by being driven by the first cylinder 34. Then, each product 1 is released from the support by the shutter 25, falls and moves in the bucket main body 21, and all the products 1 are in a stacked state in which the vertically adjacent products are in contact with each other and are stacked. This drop movement distance is, for example, about 200 mm. As described above, the side wall 24, the stopper plate 30, and the pusher member 44 are arranged close to each other on the four sides of the product 1, and the product 1 is guided by them and collapses. It falls and moves stably without doing anything. Further, in the present embodiment, when the shutter 25 is opened, the fourth cylinder 48 operates accordingly, and the upper plate member 44b is moved downward to transition to the second mode in which the pusher member 44 is contracted (FIG. 13 (FIG. 13). d), see FIG. 14 (b), etc.). The timing at which the shutter 25 opens and the timing at which the pusher member 44 contracts to the second form may be the same, but it is preferable to delay the pusher member 44 a little.

By doing so, when the shutter 25 is closed, the pusher member 44 takes the extended posture of the first form, and guides the pusher member 44 from the base member 23 to the product 1 located near the upper end of the bucket body 21. , The detachment of the product 1 from the bucket body 21 is suppressed. Then, the shutter 25 is opened, the height of the product group in the stacked state in which 15 products 1 are directly stacked is lowered, and the pusher member 44, which is shrunk accordingly and becomes the second form, is in the stacked state. The height is set so as to cover the entire product group of the above product group and to be in contact with the side surface of the uppermost product 1. Then, in this second posture state, the size is smaller than the inner dimension of the case 2, and the pusher member 44 can enter the case 2.

Next, the rotary actuator 31 of the stacking bucket device 11 is driven to open the stopper plate 30, and the pusher member 44 in the second posture of the filling pusher device 12 is moved forward together with the L-shaped arm 43. As a result, as shown in FIGS. 13 (e), 14 (c), (d) and the like, the pusher member 44 enters the bucket body 21 and pushes the stacked products 1 into the case 2. At this time, the product 1 is supplied into the case 2 while being pushed up diagonally by the pusher member 44 in the backward tilting posture, and is supplied into the case 2. Therefore, each product 1 collapses and, for example, the upper product 1 Can be neatly supplied in a stacked state without falling forward from the product group stacked in advance and falling into the case 2. On the other hand, for example, when the case 2 is erected vertically and the stacked products 1 are moved horizontally while being transferred into the case 2, for example, when the moving speed is increased, the product 1 located above is moved. For example, if the product group falls forward in the direction of travel and is dropped and supplied into the case 2 before the stacked product group, the product group may not be neatly packed in a box. In the form, since it is supplied into the case 2 while being pushed up diagonally, it can be neatly packed in a box as described above even if it moves at a high speed. Further, if the L-shaped arm 43 has a trajectory such that the pusher member 44 moves diagonally upward, the product 1 can be pushed into the case 2 and supplied more stably.

Further, in the present embodiment, when the pusher member 44 is in the second posture, the total length in the height direction is set to be the same as or shorter than the internal dimension in the height direction of the standing case 2, so that the pusher member 44 is set. It can be entered into the case 2. Therefore, from this point of view, the stacked products 1 can be packed in the case 2 without collapsing the load.

Next, the case erecting device 13 rotates the support frame 58 when the product 1 is inserted into the case 2, and follows the first movable guide plate 56 and the second movable guide plate 57 when they return to the basic posture. The case 2 also collapses, and the open surface faces upward (see FIG. 13 (f) and the like). As the case 2 collapses, the third cylinder 45 provided on the second arm portion 43b of the L-shaped arm 43 is driven, and the pusher member 44 shifts to the forward leaning posture. By doing so, the product does not separate from the open portion of the case 2 which is opened diagonally downward, and the case 2 collapses while being loaded in the case 2, and the open surface faces upward. I will be in the same posture. After that, the temporarily stopped endless belt 53 is rotationally driven, and when the push piece 53a comes into contact with one side surface of the case 2, the case 2 is pushed as it is. The case 2 moves from the first movable guide plate 56 onto the fixed guide plate 54 and is carried out.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the pusher member 44 is configured to move in the bucket main body 21 and further enter the case 2. Therefore, when the pusher member 44 enters the case 2, the length of the second arm portion 43b is appropriately set so that the first arm portion 43a does not come into contact with the flap of the case 2. Further, in order to secure a place for placing the third cylinder 45 for changing the inclination of the pusher member 44, the length of the second arm portion 43b is appropriately set.

In the above-described embodiment, the bucket 18 of the vertical loop device 10 has a fixed width of the first plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b. It is preferable that the distance between the plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b can be changed. For example, the first plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b are arranged alternately, the first plate portion 18a is arranged at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, and the second plate portion 18b moves up and down with respect to the first plate portion 18a. .. It is preferable to adjust the distance between the first plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b according to the thickness of the product 1 so that the first plate portion 18a and the second plate portion 18b can be sandwiched from above and below.

In the above-described embodiment, the vertical loop device 10 supplies the product 1 in a state of being integrated in the bucket body 21 of the stacked bucket device 11, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the bucket. In addition to those that are loaded one by one from the top or bottom of the main body 21, various types can be applied.

In the above-described embodiment, when the product 1 is supplied from the vertical loop device 10 to the bucket main body 21 of the stacked bucket device 11, the bucket main body 21 is in a vertically standing posture, but it may be in a forward leaning posture. However, when the posture is vertically upright as in the embodiment, the gap between the bucket body 21 and the vertical loop device 10 is smaller, and the product 1 extruded horizontally by the discharge pusher 19 is stressed as it is on the bucket body 21 side. It's good because you can transfer without it.

In the above-described embodiment, the bucket body 21 is tilted backward when the shutter 25 is opened, but the bucket body 21 may be tilted vertically or may be tilted forward. However, it is preferable to use the backward leaning posture because it is not necessary to change the posture when performing the subsequent supply processing to the case 2. Further, when the bucket main body 21 is tilted backward, the open surface of the bucket main body 21 is close to the pusher member 44 in the backward tilted posture, which is preferable in view of the above points.

Further, the timing of opening the shutter is set to be performed in a state where the bucket body 21 has reached the forward position as shown in the above-described embodiment and modification, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the bucket. By opening the shutter while the main body is moving forward and stacking the products, the processing time can be shortened and the speed can be increased. However, as in the embodiment, if the filling pusher member is placed so as to cover the opening on the rear surface of the bucket body in the forward position, the load collapse occurs when the product is dropped and stepped. It is good because it can be suppressed as much as possible.

Although various aspects of the present invention have been described above with reference to embodiments and modifications, these embodiments and descriptions have not been made for the purpose of limiting the scope of the present invention, and are intended for understanding the present invention. It should be added that it was provided to contribute. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the configurations and manufacturing methods explicitly described herein, but also includes combinations of various aspects of the invention disclosed herein. Of the present invention, the configuration for which a patent is sought is specified in the appended claims, but even if the configuration is not currently specified in the claims, it is disclosed in the present specification. I would like to mention that there is a possibility of claiming a patent for this configuration in the future.

1: Product 2: Case 3: Transport path 10: Vertical loop device 11: Stacked bucket device 12: Filling pusher device 13: Case erecting device 21: Bucket body 22: Drive device 25: Shutter 27: Stopper mechanism 30: Stopper plate 31: Drive motor 34: First cylinder 39: Second cylinder 40: Link mechanism 43: L-shaped arm 43a: First arm part 43b: Second arm part 44: Pusher member 44a: Lower plate member 44b: Upper plate member 45 : Third cylinder 48: Fourth cylinder 50: Conveyance conveyor 51: Raising mechanism 56: First movable guide plate 57: Second movable guide plate

Claims (7)

A stacking bucket device having a bucket body for temporarily storing a plurality of products in a stacked state so as to be in contact with each other and a drive device for controlling the posture of the bucket body.
A case erecting device which is arranged on the downstream side of the stacked bucket device and holds the case in an upright posture with its opening surface facing diagonally downward.
A filling pusher device for pushing out the plurality of products stored in the bucket body toward the case with a pusher member is provided.
The drive device has a function of moving the bucket body forward from a retracted position for supplying the product to the bucket body to a forward position on the case erecting device side in a forward leaning posture, and the bucket main body at the forward position. Has a function to change to a backward leaning posture
The bucket body is a boxing device including a stopper mechanism that prevents the plurality of products from detaching from the front side in a forward leaning posture and enables the detaching in a backward leaning posture. .. The pusher member pushes out the product in a backward tilted posture.
The boxing device according to claim 1, wherein the filling pusher device is configured to move the pusher member diagonally upward when pushing out the plurality of products toward the case. The case erecting device has a function of tilting the case from an upright posture to change the opening surface to an upward transport posture.
The filling pusher device has a function of changing the posture of the pusher member from the backward leaning posture to the forward leaning posture.
When the case erecting device tilts the case from the erecting posture while the plurality of products extruded by the pusher member are supplied to the case, the filling pusher device changes the posture of the pusher member. The boxing device according to claim 2, wherein the boxing device is configured to change to a forward leaning posture. The bucket body is provided with a plurality of shutters that support the supplied product at the top and bottom.
A predetermined number of products out of the plurality of products housed in the bucket body are supported on the shutter in the closed state in a state of being overlapped with each other.
When the shutter is opened, the products placed on the shutters fall and move, and the plurality of products are stacked so as to be in contact with each other in the bucket body.
Any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bucket main body is configured such that the rear surface side is opened, the product is supplied from the opened side, and the predetermined product is placed on the shutter. The boxing device according to item 1. The pusher member of the filling pusher device is configured so that the length in the vertical direction changes.
The pusher member is located on the open side of the rear surface of the bucket body, and when the product is placed on the shutter, the pusher member is in the first form having a long length, and the pusher member is the same. The boxing device according to claim 4, wherein the product is extruded in a second form having a short length. On the upstream side of the stacking bucket device, a vertical loop device for transporting the products in the vertical direction and carrying out the plurality of products arranged vertically at a time is provided.
The bucket body receives the plurality of products carried out from the vertical loop device in a state of being close to the carry-out side of the vertical loop device, and the bucket body moves away from the vertical loop device to the forward position. The pusher member and the arm holding the pusher member enter into the space formed by the movement, and the arm moves forward the pusher member to push out the plurality of products housed in the bucket body. The boxing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the boxing device is configured. The bucket body, which temporarily stores multiple products stacked on top of each other, moves forward in a forward leaning posture, stops at the boxing position, and approaches the case where the opening surface is held in an upright posture diagonally downward. Stop in the state of letting
A boxing method characterized in that the plurality of products stored in the bucket body are pushed out by a pusher member and supplied into the case while the bucket body is in a backward tilted posture.

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