JP7842649B2 - Deployment device - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a device for unfolding corrugated cardboard sheets.

Conventional box-making devices exist that unfold a sheet of corrugated cardboard into a cardboard box. For example, a configuration has been proposed in which a pair of opposing sheet-like sections of a corrugated cardboard sheet are attracted to each other, and one of these sections is moved to open the sheet (for example, Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2005-7619

As described in Patent Document 1, in a configuration where the plate-like portion of the corrugated cardboard sheet is opened by suction, a suction device such as a vacuum pump is required to generate suction force, which results in a larger box-making apparatus.

The present invention aims to provide a configuration that enables miniaturization of the device .

One aspect of the present disclosure is a unfolding device for unfolding a corrugated cardboard sheet having four consecutive surfaces and eight flaps extending from the upper and lower ends of the four surfaces by folding the folds provided between each of the four surfaces into mountain folds, the unfolding device comprising: a first pressing part that presses a third flap through a gap between a first flap located on the upper end side of the corrugated cardboard sheet and a second flap adjacent thereto; a second pressing part that presses the second flap through a gap formed between the third flap and a fourth flap adjacent thereto; and an unfolding part that moves the first pressing part and the second pressing part relative to each other to unfold the corrugated cardboard sheet by folding the four folds into mountain folds.

According to the present invention , the device can be made smaller.

A perspective view of a box-making apparatus according to an embodiment. Front view of a box-making apparatus according to an embodiment. A cross-sectional view of the box-making apparatus according to this embodiment, viewed from the front. A cross-sectional view showing the corrugated cardboard sheet conveying system of the box-making apparatus according to the embodiment. A cross-sectional view of the box-making apparatus according to the embodiment, along the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet. A perspective view showing an extracted configuration of the opening arm according to the embodiment. A plan view showing an extracted configuration of the opening arm according to the embodiment. A perspective view showing an enlarged view of the opening arm, extracting the configuration of the opening arm according to the embodiment, and illustrating how the opening arm is inserted into the gap. Figure 8 is a perspective view from the opposite side. A schematic diagram showing the cardboard sheet being opened by the opening arm. A plan view showing the pressing arm and tape unit according to the embodiment, along with the state in which the cardboard sheet is opening. A perspective view showing an extracted configuration of the pressing arm and the first flap bending arm according to the embodiment. A side view showing an extracted configuration of the pressing arm and the first flap bending arm according to the embodiment. A side view showing an extracted configuration of one side of the pressing arm and the first flap bending arm according to the embodiment. A plan view showing the configuration of the pressing arm and regulating arm according to the embodiment. A plan view showing a state in which a corrugated cardboard sheet has been shaped into a box using the pressing arm and regulating arm according to the embodiment. A plan view showing the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. A perspective view showing the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. A front view showing the state of the second flap before it is bent by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. A front view showing the folded state of the second flap by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. A front view showing the state of the second flap at the end of bending by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. A side view showing a tape unit extracted according to the embodiment. A side view seen from the opposite side of Figure 22. A side view showing the state before tape application begins using the tape unit according to the embodiment. A perspective view showing a tape unit extracted according to the embodiment. A side view seen from the opposite side of Figure 24. A side view seen from the opposite side of Figure 25. A cross-sectional view showing the standby state of the tape unit according to the embodiment. A cross-sectional view showing the tape application start state of the tape unit according to the embodiment. A cross-sectional view showing the state of tape application in the tape unit according to the embodiment. A cross-sectional view showing the state in which the tape is being applied to the tape unit according to the embodiment, with the first tape press roller detached from the bottom surface. A cross-sectional view showing the cut state of the tape in the tape unit according to the embodiment. A cross-sectional view showing the state of the tape unit after the tape has been cut according to the embodiment. A cross-sectional view showing the state in which the second tape press roller has reached a corner during the tape application process of the tape unit according to the embodiment. A cross-sectional view showing the completed state of tape application in the tape unit according to the embodiment. (a) A perspective view of the tape unit according to the embodiment, showing the tape exposed, and (b) A perspective view showing the tape with the fixing plate removed. A perspective view from a different direction than Figure 36(a). A perspective view showing the tape removed from the tape unit according to the embodiment. A side view showing the tape unit according to the embodiment in contact with the inner wall. A control block diagram of a box-making apparatus according to an embodiment. A flowchart illustrating the control of a corrugated cardboard sheet from insertion to insertion position according to the embodiment. A flowchart illustrating the control process from opening the corrugated cardboard sheet to bending the first flap according to the embodiment. A flowchart of the control process from bending the second flap to applying tape according to the embodiment. A flowchart illustrating the preparation for removing cardboard boxes according to the embodiment.

The embodiments will be described using Figures 1 to 44. First, the overall configuration of the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described using Figures 1 to 44.

[Overall configuration of the box-making equipment]
As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a housing 101, a transport mechanism 200, an opening mechanism (unfolding device) 300, a first pressing mechanism 400, a first flap bending mechanism (folding part) 500, a regulating mechanism 600 (see Figure 15, etc.), a second flap bending mechanism (folding part) 700 (see Figure 18, etc.), a tape unit (adhesive part) 800, and the like. When a cardboard sheet folded into a plate shape is inserted into the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the inserted cardboard sheet is opened into a cylindrical shape inside the housing 101, and the flap on one side of the cylindrical shape is folded and tape is applied, thereby automatically assembling a box-shaped cardboard box with the flap on the other side of the cylindrical shape open.

The following describes the overall configuration. In the following explanation, the front right side of Figure 1 and the front side of Figure 2 are considered the front of the device, respectively. Unless otherwise specified, the front-to-back and left-to-right directions refer to the direction when viewing the device from the front.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the housing (outer cover) 101 has a cardboard sheet insertion opening 102 and an assembled cardboard box removal opening 103 on its front surface, when the side operated by the operator is considered the front. That is, in the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the insertion opening 102 and the removal opening 103 are formed on the front surface of the apparatus so that the insertion of cardboard sheets and the removal of assembled cardboard boxes can be performed from the same direction. An operating section 104, such as a start button and a stop button for the apparatus, is provided on the front surface of the housing 101. The operating section 104 may also be provided with a display section such as a lamp or screen to indicate the status of the apparatus.

The insertion opening 102 is a slit formed vertically, slightly to the left of the center in the left-right direction when viewed from the front of the housing 101, and extending downwards from approximately the center in the vertical direction. Therefore, the operator inserts the cardboard sheet into the box-making device 100 through the insertion opening 102 while it is standing upright. In this embodiment, the position of the insertion opening 102 is described as being slightly to the left of the center, but it may also be positioned slightly to the right of the center.

The dispensing opening 103 is formed above the insertion opening 102 and is continuous with the insertion opening 102. It has a larger opening area than the insertion opening 102. Specifically, it has an opening area large enough to allow assembled cardboard boxes to be removed. Furthermore, the dispensing opening 103 extends from the front to the top of the housing 101, making it easier to remove assembled cardboard boxes. The left edge of the dispensing opening 103 is formed on the same vertical line as the left edge of the insertion opening 102.

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the box-making apparatus 100, seen from the front. Inside the housing 101, various mechanisms and units such as a conveying mechanism 200, an opening mechanism 300, a first pressing mechanism 400, and a first flap bending mechanism 500 are arranged. First, the conveying mechanism 200 is positioned at a location that coincides with the insertion opening 102 in the direction of insertion of the corrugated cardboard sheet (from front to rear). In particular, below the apparatus, a conveying roller (first conveying roller) 201 is arranged to convey the corrugated cardboard sheet inserted from the insertion opening 102, as will be described later, and above the apparatus, driven rollers (second conveying roller, third conveying roller) 202 are arranged to nip the corrugated cardboard sheet between itself and the conveying roller 201 for conveyance.

Furthermore, above the device and below the driven roller 202, an opening mechanism 300 for opening the cardboard sheet is positioned. The opening mechanism 300 has a first opening arm (first pressing part) 310 and a second opening arm (second pressing part) 320 , which are positioned to grip the cardboard sheet inserted from the insertion opening 102 in the thickness direction when it is in the home position. As will be described in more detail later, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are positioned to face the upper flap of the cardboard sheet.

The tape unit 800 is positioned approximately in the center of the housing 101 in the left-right direction. As will be described in detail later, the tape unit 800 moves in the front-back direction (parallel to the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet) to attach tape to the lower flap of the cardboard. Because the tape unit 800 is located approximately in the center in the left-right direction, when the cardboard sheet is opened in the left-right direction, as will be described later, it is retracted to either the front-back direction (towards the front in this embodiment) to avoid interfering with the cardboard sheet.

To the right of the tape unit 800 are the first pressing mechanism 400 and the first flap bending mechanism 500. As will be described in detail later, the first pressing mechanism 400 has first pressing sections 410 (420) on both sides in the front-to-back direction, which move in the front-to-back direction toward each other. It then presses the front and rear sides of the corrugated cardboard sheet opened by the opening mechanism 300, shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet into a cylindrical form.

The first flap bending mechanism 500, as will be described in detail later, has first bending arms 510 (520) supported below the first pressing portions 410 (420) on both sides in the front-rear direction. The first bending arms 510 (520) are movable in the front-rear direction together with the first pressing portions 410 (420), and when the first pressing portions 410 (420) are pressing the front and rear sides of the corrugated cardboard sheet, they bend the first flaps connected to the lower front and rear sides of the corrugated cardboard sheet.

Above the first pressing mechanism 400, a one-sided restricting member 650 is provided to restrict the position of the right side of the corrugated cardboard sheet opened by the opening mechanism 300. Opposite the one-sided restricting member 650, another-sided restricting member 660 is provided to restrict the position of the left side of the corrugated cardboard sheet. The other-sided restricting member 660 guides the left side of the corrugated cardboard sheet when it is inserted through the insertion opening 102.

As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an upper flap retaining roller 670 is positioned above the one-sided restricting member 650 to hold down the upper flap of the opened cardboard sheet. The upper flap retaining roller 670 is a driven roller with a rotation axis parallel to the left-right direction, and can guide the upper flap of the opened cardboard sheet in the front-rear direction.

Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a scooping member 671 is provided below the first pressing mechanism 400 and the first flap bending mechanism 500. As described above, since the tape unit 800, which moves in the front-rear direction, is positioned approximately in the center of the housing 101 in the left-right direction, it is not possible to place a member to support the lower end of the open cardboard sheet within the range of movement of the tape unit 800. Therefore, the scooping member 671 is positioned to the right of the tape unit 800 and below the first pressing mechanism 400 and the first flap bending mechanism 500. When the lower end of the open cardboard sheet passes the tape unit 800 in the left-right direction, the scooping member 671 supports this lower end by scooping it up, thereby preventing the cardboard sheet from tilting. Additionally, the scooping member 671 is inclined downwards towards the left, allowing it to guide the lower end of the open cardboard sheet upwards even if it drops slightly downwards.

Inside the housing 101, although not visible in Figures 1, 2, and 4, are a regulating mechanism 600 (see Figures 3, 15, etc.) and a second flap bending mechanism 700 (see Figures 3, 18, etc.). The regulating mechanism 600 is located on the left side of Figure 3 and, as described later, uses regulating arms 610 and 620, positioned in the front-to-back direction, to regulate the position of the front and rear sides of the corrugated cardboard sheet together with the first pressing section 410 (420), thereby shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet into a cylindrical form. The second flap bending mechanism 700 uses second bending arms 710 and 720, positioned on both the left and right sides of Figure 3, to bend the second flap on the lower side of the corrugated cardboard sheet. The configurations of each are described in detail below.

[Cardboard sheet insertion configuration]
The configuration for inserting the corrugated cardboard sheet will be explained using Figures 4 and 5. As described above, the corrugated cardboard sheet inserted through the insertion opening 102 is transported to the back (rear) by the transport mechanism 200. The transport mechanism 200 includes a transport roller 201, a driven roller 202, a first detection sensor (detection unit) 203, a second detection sensor 204, a tip stopper 205, a transport roller drive mechanism 210, and a roller lifting mechanism (roller moving unit) 220.

The conveyor roller 201 is positioned approximately in the center in the front-to-back direction and conveys the cardboard sheet to the back by contacting the lower end of the inserted cardboard sheet. The conveyor roller 201 is rotationally driven by the conveyor roller drive mechanism 210. Furthermore, the conveyor roller 201 is movable vertically by the roller lifting mechanism 220. As described later, when inserting the cardboard sheet, the conveyor roller 201 is positioned in a retracted position (lower position) that prevents it from nipping the cardboard sheet between itself and the driven roller 202. Once the cardboard sheet has been inserted to a certain extent, it moves to the conveying position (upper position), where it nips the cardboard sheet between itself and the driven roller 202 and conveys it to the back.

The reason the transport roller 201 is positioned in the retracted position when inserting cardboard sheets is as follows: First, if the transport roller 201 is in the transport position when inserting cardboard sheets, there is a possibility that it may come into contact with the transport roller 201 when the operator manually inserts the cardboard sheets, potentially hindering the insertion process. In other words, there is a risk that the operator may feel discomfort, such as a sense of being stuck, when inserting the cardboard sheets, so the transport roller 201 is positioned in the retracted position when manually inserting the sheets.

Furthermore, as will be described later, when moving the transport roller 201 from the retracted position to the transport position, the transport roller 201 is kept rotating. This is because, while rotating, the transport roller 201 lifts up, allowing for smooth transport without causing any discomfort to the operator. If the transport roller 201 were rotated after the cardboard sheet was nipped, the cardboard sheet inserted by the operator would stop briefly before transport began. This could cause the operator to feel as if the cardboard sheet was suddenly being pulled, potentially leading to discomfort.

Multiple driven rollers 202 (three in this embodiment) are arranged in the front-to-back direction. They contact the upper end of the inserted corrugated cardboard sheet, regulating its position and guiding it towards the back. Of the three driven rollers 202, the two located on the outer edges in the front-to-back direction are spaced apart from each other in the front-to-back direction, and are positioned to sandwich the conveyor roller 201 in the front-to-back direction. To transport the corrugated cardboard sheet while preventing tilting with fewer components, it is preferable to position the conveyor roller 201 between the two outer driven rollers 202.

In this embodiment, the box-making apparatus 100 is configured to remove the manufactured cardboard boxes in the upper right direction as shown in Figure 5. Therefore, the right-side (front) driven roller 202 shown in Figure 5 is positioned slightly closer to the conveyor roller 201. Furthermore, of the three driven rollers 202 shown in Figure 5, the central driven roller 202 is located between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 7 (described later). This is to more efficiently suppress the tilting of the cardboard sheet during the opening operation by bringing the driven roller 202 into contact with the part of the cardboard sheet (in this embodiment, one of the plate-shaped parts S1) where force is applied during the opening operation.

As will be described later, such driven rollers 202 can nip the cardboard sheet between themselves and the conveyor roller 201 in the vertical direction, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor roller 201, when the conveyor roller 201 is in the conveying position.

The first detection sensor 203 is positioned near the insertion opening 102 (entrance) and detects when a cardboard sheet is inserted through the insertion opening 102. The first detection sensor 203 consists of, for example, a sensor flag that is pivotably mounted to protrude from and retract from the cardboard sheet transport path, and a sensor that detects the pivoting position of the sensor flag. This sensor is, for example, a photointerrupter.

When a cardboard sheet is inserted through the insertion opening 102, the leading edge of the cardboard sheet touches the sensor flag, causing the sensor flag to flip over and changing the sensor's logic. This allows the first detection sensor 203 to detect that a cardboard sheet has been inserted. In this embodiment, once the first detection sensor 203 detects the insertion of a cardboard sheet, the drive of the transport roller 201 is started.

Furthermore, as described later, the first detection sensor 203 also detects the timing of the stop of the drive of the transport roller 201. That is, when the corrugated cardboard sheet is transported to a predetermined insertion position, the rear end of the corrugated cardboard sheet passes the first detection sensor 203, and the sensor flag is raised. Then, the sensor's logic changes, and it is detected that the rear end of the corrugated cardboard sheet has passed the first detection sensor 203. Based on the timing at which the first detection sensor 203 detects that the rear end of the corrugated cardboard sheet has passed, the drive of the transport roller 201 is stopped, thereby stopping the transport of the corrugated cardboard sheet.

The second detection sensor 204 is positioned near the downstream side of the transport roller 201 in the transport direction. Similar to the first detection sensor 203, the second detection sensor 204 consists of a sensor flag, which is pivotably mounted to protrude from and retract from the transport path of the cardboard sheet, and a sensor that detects the pivot position of the sensor flag. When the leading edge of the cardboard sheet strikes the sensor flag, causing it to fall, the sensor's logic changes. This detects that the cardboard sheet has passed the position of the second detection sensor 204. In this embodiment, once the second detection sensor 204 detects the passage of the cardboard sheet, the transport roller 201, which is in the retracted position, begins to move to the upper position, as described later. Then, by bringing the transport roller 201 into contact with the lower end of the cardboard sheet, the cardboard sheet is nipped between the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202, and the transport of the cardboard sheet by the transport roller 201 begins.

The tip stopper 205 is located further downstream in the transport direction than the second detection sensor 204. It contacts the leading edge of the corrugated cardboard sheet transported by the transport roller 201, restricting further transport of the cardboard sheet. The state where the cardboard sheet abuts against the tip stopper 205 is the predetermined insertion position, and the unfolding of the cardboard sheet begins based on this insertion position.

The conveyor roller drive mechanism 210 includes a roller drive motor 211 and a drive transmission mechanism 212. The driving force of the roller drive motor 211 is transmitted to the conveyor roller 201 via the drive transmission mechanism 212. The drive transmission mechanism 212 includes a first pulley 213, a second pulley 214, a third pulley 215, a fourth pulley 216, a first belt 217, and a second belt 218. The first pulley 213 is fixed to the drive shaft of the roller drive motor 211, and the first belt 217 is stretched between the first pulley 213 and the second pulley 214. The third pulley 215 is coaxial with the second pulley 214 and rotates together with it. The second belt 218 is stretched between the third pulley 215 and the fourth pulley 216. The fourth pulley 216 is fixed to the rotation shaft of the conveyor roller 201.

The rotation of the roller drive motor 211 is transmitted to the conveyor roller 201 in the following order: first pulley 213, first belt 217, second pulley 214, third pulley 215, second belt 218, and fourth pulley 216. As described below, the conveyor roller 201 can swing vertically using the rotation axes of the second pulley 214 and third pulley 215 as the pivot axis 219. In this embodiment, the drive from the motor to the conveyor roller 201 is transmitted using two pulley transmission mechanisms to allow the conveyor roller 201 to swing vertically. However, other mechanisms such as gear mechanisms may be used if it is possible to achieve both vertical movement of the conveyor roller 201 and drive transmission from the motor.

The roller lifting mechanism 220, acting as a nip release mechanism, is capable of both nipping and releasing the cardboard sheet using the conveyor roller 201 and the driven roller 202. This roller lifting mechanism 220 includes a lifting drive motor 221, a lifting arm 222, and a lifting cam 223. The rotational driving force of the lifting drive motor 221 is transmitted to the lifting cam 223 by a drive transmission mechanism such as a pulley. The lifting cam 223 is an eccentric cam, where the distance from the center of rotation to the outer surface (cam surface) varies depending on the rotation angle. The lifting arm 222 is supported so as to be able to swing around the aforementioned pivot axis 219, rotatably supporting the conveyor roller 201 at one end, and positioned so as to abut the lifting cam 223 against the lower surface of the other end.

When the lifting cam 223 rotates due to the drive of the lifting drive motor 221, the lifting arm 222 swings around the pivot axis 219, moving the conveyor roller 201 vertically. Figure 5 shows both the conveyor roller 201 in the conveying position and the retracted position superimposed. When the lifting arm 222 is lifted by the lifting cam 223, the conveyor roller 201 descends to the retracted position. When the lifting cam 223 rotates from this position and the lifting arm 222 lowers, the conveyor roller 201 rises to the conveying position. The movement of the conveyor roller 201 is detected by the conveyor roller lifting sensor 224. The conveyor roller lifting sensor 224 detects, for example, the position of the lifting arm 222.

[Flowchart of the cardboard sheet transport operation]
Next, the operation of transporting the cardboard sheet to the insertion position using the transport configuration described above will be explained with reference to Figure 41. Note that the following operations are performed by the control unit 1000 shown in Figure 40, which will be described later. First, the operator manually starts inserting the cardboard sheet from the insertion opening 102. When the first detection sensor (inlet sensor) 203 detects the cardboard sheet (ON) (S101), the drive of the transport roller 201 is started (S102). As described above, when inserting the cardboard sheet, the transport roller 201 is retracted downward from the transport path (in the retracted position). In other words, after the so-called initial operation in which the power of the device is turned on and the operation of each part is confirmed, the transport roller 201 waits in a position retracted downward from the transport path. This position is the default position of the transport roller 201.

When the leading edge of the cardboard sheet in the insertion direction passes the position of the transport roller 201 and is detected (ON) by the second detection sensor (transport start sensor) 204 (S103), the lifting drive motor 221 starts rotating, raising the transport roller 201 to the transport position (S104). That is, rotating the lifting drive motor 221 rotates the lifting cam 223, causing the lifting arm 222, which is in contact with the cam surface, to swing around the pivot axis 219. Then, the transport roller 201 is moved from the retracted position to the transport path (transport position) and brought into contact with the lower end of the cardboard sheet.

After the conveyor roller 201 contacts the cardboard sheet, the cardboard sheet is conveyed by the conveyor roller 201. During this process, the operator feels the automatic conveyance of the cardboard sheet from the moment it is inserted. Even after the rear end of the cardboard sheet passes the first detection sensor 203 and the sensor's logic changes (turns OFF), the conveyor roller 201 continues to rotate for a short period (S105).

Specifically, the conveyor roller continues to rotate for a time equivalent to a distance longer than the predetermined distance at which the leading edge of the cardboard sheet abuts against the tip stopper 205. During this time, the cardboard sheet is stopped because its leading edge is in contact with the tip stopper 205, and the conveyor roller 201 is slipping. This is to ensure that the cardboard sheet stops securely in contact with the tip stopper 205. In other words, it is to determine the stopping position of the cardboard sheet.

After a predetermined time has elapsed since the first detection sensor 203 was turned OFF (S106), the lifting drive motor 221 is driven to swing the lifting arm 222, lowering the transport roller 201 to the retracted position (S107). That is, after the transport roller 201 has transported the cardboard sheet to the insertion position, the nip between the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202 is released. After a further certain period of time has elapsed, the rotation of the transport roller 201 is stopped (S108). In this state, the cardboard sheet is positioned at the predetermined insertion position within the housing 101.

In this embodiment, during the transport of the corrugated cardboard sheet, the transport roller 201 and driven roller 202 nip the sheet, restricting its vertical position. Once transport is complete, the transport roller 201 is retracted, releasing the vertical position restriction (i.e., releasing the nip). This is to allow the folded corrugated cardboard sheet to open smoothly during the opening operation described below.

[Unfolding structure of cardboard sheets]
The configuration for opening the corrugated cardboard sheet will be explained using Figures 6 to 11. As described above, the corrugated cardboard sheet S inserted into the insertion position is opened by the opening mechanism 300 and shaped into a roughly rectangular cross-section and a roughly cylindrical shape. The opening mechanism 300 includes a first opening arm 310, a second opening arm 320, and the like. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are positioned to sandwich the upper flap of the corrugated cardboard sheet S in the thickness direction when it is in the insertion position at the home position. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first opening arm 310 is positioned to the left of the other-side regulating member 660. The second opening arm 320 is positioned to the right of the right edge of the insertion opening 102. These waiting positions allow the corrugated cardboard sheet S inserted by the operator to be guided between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320. The first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are positioned offset from each other in the front-rear direction.

In other words, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is transported between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 using the transport configuration described above. In the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the distance from the leading edge of the inserted corrugated cardboard sheet S to the gap (slit) between the flaps (described later) is predetermined, and the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are positioned at this predetermined location.

The arrangement of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 is based on the tip stopper 205. Therefore, as described above, the system ensures that the leading edge of the cardboard sheet S reliably abuts against the tip stopper 205. To ensure that the leading edge of the cardboard sheet S reliably abuts against the tip stopper 205, as described above, the system detects the cardboard sheet using the second detection sensor 204, and then rotates the transport roller 201 more times than the pulse or distance at which the leading edge of the cardboard sheet is expected to abut against the tip stopper 205.

The corrugated cardboard sheet S used in the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape when viewed from the flap side in the assembled (made) box-shaped corrugated cardboard. Therefore, when this corrugated cardboard is folded into a flat sheet, the pair of opposing flat sections S1 and S2 each have a pair of flaps of different lengths. The pair of flaps are arranged adjacent to each other in the state of the corrugated cardboard sheet. The pair of flaps of different lengths are provided at both ends of the flat sections S1 and S2 (both ends in the vertical direction at the insertion position). Generally, there is a gap between adjacent pairs of flaps, but as described above, in the case of corrugated cardboard with a rectangular shape when viewed from the flap side, the position of this gap differs between the pair of flat sections S1 and S2.

In this embodiment, when the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened in the box-making apparatus 100, the flaps located on both sides in the front-rear direction are referred to as the first flap F1, and the flaps located on both sides in the left-right direction are referred to as the second flap F2. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first opening arm 310 is positioned downstream (rear) of the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet S compared to the second opening arm 320. As will be described later, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened by moving the first opening arm 310 significantly to the right side of the apparatus. Therefore, the first flap F1 is shorter in length than the second flap F2, and the gap between the pair of flaps F1 and F2 provided on one of the plate-shaped parts S1 and S2, which is on the left side at the insertion position (hereinafter referred to as the first gap G1), is located further rear than the gap between the pair of flaps F1 and F2 provided on the other plate-shaped part S2, which is on the right side (hereinafter referred to as the second gap G2).

Therefore, in this embodiment, the box-making apparatus 100 is suitable for making cardboard boxes where the shape of the cardboard and the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S are predetermined, and the positions of the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 do not overlap when the cardboard sheet is folded into a flat shape. That is, the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment opens the cardboard sheet S by utilizing the fact that there is a flap facing the gap when the cardboard sheet is folded.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, there is a second flap F2 on the plate-like portion S2 side facing the first gap G1 on the plate-like portion S1 side, and a second flap F2 on the plate-like portion S1 side facing the second gap G2 on the plate-like portion S2 side. Then, by inserting the first opening arm 310 into the first gap G1 and moving the first opening arm 310 further, the opposing second flap F2 of the plate-like portion S2 is pushed. Similarly, by inserting the second opening arm 320 into the second gap G2 and moving the second opening arm 320 further, the opposing second flap F2 of the plate-like portion S1 is pushed. In this embodiment, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened by moving the first opening arm 310 a large distance.

Furthermore, by keeping the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet S constant, the order of the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 in the insertion direction (front-to-back direction) will always be the same. Considering the actual usage of the box-making machine, the label and printing positions on the corrugated cardboard will be approximately the same for the same type of cardboard. Therefore, in actual operation, it is common practice to insert the corrugated cardboard sheet S in the same orientation. The opening configuration of the corrugated cardboard sheet will be explained in detail below.

The first opening arm 310, as shown in Figure 8, is a plate-shaped member having a thickness narrower than the gap (first gap G1) between a pair of flaps (between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2) provided adjacent to each other on one of the pair of opposing plate-shaped portions S1 and S2 of the folded corrugated cardboard sheet S. The length of the first opening arm 310 is shorter than the length of the first gap G1. The first opening arm 310 is fixed to the first moving block 310a, which is movable along the first guide rail 311 arranged in the left-right direction.

As shown in Figure 6, the first opening arm 310 is moved by a first opening motor (left-opening motor) 312, which acts as a moving and unfolding part . Specifically, the drive of the first opening motor 312 is transmitted to the first opening arm 310 via the first opening mechanism 313, causing the first opening arm 310 to move in the left-right direction. The first opening mechanism 313 includes a pulley 314, a pulley 315, and a belt 316. The pulley 314 is connected to the drive shaft of the first opening motor 312 by a drive transmission mechanism such as the pulley mechanism. The belt 316 is stretched between the pulleys 314 and 315. The first moving block 310a is also fixed to the belt 316.

When the first opening motor 312 is driven, the pulley 314 rotates, causing the belt 316 to move in a circular motion. At this time, since the first moving block 310a is fixed to the belt 316, the movement of the belt 316 causes the first moving block 310a and the first opening arm 310 to move along the first guide rail 311.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is a first home position detection sensor (left-opening arm HP sensor) 317 that detects when the first opening arm 310 is in the home position, and a first arm position detection sensor (left-opening arm position sensor) 318 that detects when the first opening arm 310 has moved to a first predetermined position. Both detection sensors 317 and 318 are photointerrupters having a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section facing each other, and are capable of passing through the first flag 310b provided on the first moving block 310a. Both detection sensors 317 and 318 detect the position of the first opening arm 310 by detecting the passage of the first flag 310b.

As shown in Figure 9, the second opening arm 320 is a plate-shaped member having a thickness narrower than the gap (second gap G2) between a pair of flaps (between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2) provided adjacent to each other on the other plate-shaped portion S2 of the folded corrugated cardboard sheet S. The length of the second opening arm 320 is shorter than the length of the second gap G2. The second opening arm 320 is fixed to the second moving block 320a, which is movable along the second guide rail 321 arranged in the left-right direction.

As shown in Figure 6, the second opening arm 320 is moved by a second opening motor (right-opening motor) 322, which acts as a moving and unfolding part . Specifically, the drive of the second opening motor 322 is transmitted to the second opening arm 320 via the second opening mechanism 323, causing the second opening arm 320 to move in the left-right direction. The second opening mechanism 323 includes pulleys 324, 325, and a belt 326. Pulley 324 is connected to the drive shaft of the second opening motor 322 by a drive transmission mechanism such as the pulley mechanism. A belt 326 is stretched between pulleys 324 and 325. A second moving block 320a is also fixed to the belt 326.

When the second opening motor 322 is driven, the pulley 324 rotates, causing the belt 326 to move in a circular motion. At this time, since the second moving block 320a is fixed to the belt 326, the movement of the belt 326 causes the second moving block 320a and the second opening arm 320 to move along the second guide rail 321.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is a second home position detection sensor (right-opening arm HP sensor) 327 that detects when the second opening arm 320 is in the home position, and a second arm position detection sensor (right-opening arm position sensor) 328 that detects when the second opening arm 320 has moved to a second predetermined position. Both detection sensors 327 and 328 are photointerrupters having a light-emitting section and a light-receiving section facing each other, and are capable of passing through the second flag 320b provided on the second movement block 320a. Both detection sensors 327 and 328 detect the position of the second opening arm 320 by detecting the passage of the second flag 320b. Note that if position control is possible using motor pulses or the like, the first arm position detection sensor 318 and the second arm position detection sensor 328 may be omitted.

When opening the cardboard sheet S with the above configuration, the first opening motor 312 is driven to move the first opening arm 310 to the right from the home position shown in Figures 6 and 7. At this time, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the first opening arm 310 pushes the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-like portion S2, causing the other plate-like portion S2 to move away from the first plate-like portion S1. Furthermore, the first opening arm 310 is positioned to push the second flap F2 and move the other plate-like portion S2 relative to the insertion position described above.

With the above-described transport configuration, when the corrugated cardboard sheet S is inserted into the insertion position, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is nipped by the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202. Since it is difficult to open the corrugated cardboard sheet S in this state, in this embodiment, after inserting the corrugated cardboard sheet S into the insertion position with the transport roller 201, the roller lifting mechanism 220 is operated to release the nip caused by the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202. Then, after the nip is released, the movement of the first opening arm 310 begins.

Furthermore, if the cardboard sheet S is opened while the nip is released, the posture of the cardboard sheet S will be unstable, and this operation may cause the cardboard sheet S to tilt. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cardboard sheet S is nipped again after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of movement of the first opening arm 310. This predetermined time is the time until the other plate-shaped part S2 reaches a position where it is separated from the conveyor roller 201, with respect to the rotation axis direction of the conveyor roller 201. In other words, the other plate-shaped part S2 is moved to a position where it will not be nipped again even if the nip operation is performed again, so that only one plate-shaped part S1 is nipped. This prevents the operation of opening the cardboard sheet S from becoming difficult due to the nip, and also suppresses the cardboard sheet S from tilting or becoming unstable during the opening operation.

Furthermore, it is preferable that the predetermined time be set to the time before the other plate-shaped portion S2, which is moved by the first opening arm 310, reaches the movement path of the tape unit 800. This is because if it moves this far, the cardboard sheet becomes prone to tilting.

Meanwhile, while the first opening arm 310 is pushing the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped portion S2 and moving the other plate-shaped portion S2, the second opening arm 320 is inserted into the second gap G2 and in contact with the second flap F2 provided on one plate-shaped portion S1 and positioned opposite the second gap G2. That is, when the first opening arm 310 moves to the right and enters the first gap G1, the second opening arm 320 also moves to the left and enters the second gap G2 and comes into contact with the second flap F2. As a result, with one plate-shaped portion S1 held down by the second opening arm 320, the other plate-shaped portion S2 is moved away from the first plate-shaped portion S1 by the first opening arm 310. This results in the corrugated cardboard sheet S being opened.

Specifically, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 11, the shape of the corrugated cardboard sheet S changes from a flat plate to a parallelogram. Here, the four sides of the parallelogram shown in Figure 11 constitute the four side panels D11, D12, D21, and D22 of the cylindrical corrugated cardboard. If the shorter sides are designated as side panels D11 and D21, and the longer sides as side panels D12 and D22, then one flat plate section S1 is composed of side panels D11 and D12, and the other flat plate section S2 is composed of side panels D21 and D22. First flaps F1 are provided on the shorter side panels D11 and D21, and second flaps F2 are provided on the longer side panels D12 and D22.

When the first opening arm 310 pushes the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-like portion S2, moving the other plate-like portion S2 upward in Figure 11, the side plate portion D11 of one plate-like portion S1 and the side plate portion D21 of the other plate-like portion S2 rise up clockwise in Figure 11. Then, the side plate portion D22 of the other plate-like portion S2 separates from the side plate portion D12 of the one plate-like portion S1. At this time, the movement of the second flap F2 provided on the side plate portion D12 of the one plate-like portion S1 is restricted by the second opening arm 320, so the side plate portion D12 does not move. Also, the second gap G2 between the flaps provided on the other plate-like portion S2 passes through the second opening arm 320. The width of the second opening arm 320 (length in the vertical direction in Figure 11) is set to allow the second gap G2 to smoothly exit the second opening arm 320.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, by moving the first opening arm 310 located at the rear to the right, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened by rotating the side plates D11 and D21 clockwise, as shown in Figure 11. In other words, one of the plate-like parts S1 deforms to rise from the rear. This is because, as will be described later, the tape unit 800 is located at the front of the housing 101 in its home position, and remains in the home position even during the opening operation.

In other words, if one of the plate-like sections S1 rises from the front during the opening operation of the cardboard sheet S, it might be possible to separate the area where the tape unit 800 and the cardboard sheet S opening operation occur in order to prevent interference with the tape unit 800. In this case, the device would become larger. In contrast, as in this embodiment, by setting the rising direction of one of the plate-like sections S1 in relation to the home position of the tape unit 800, it is possible to prevent interference between the cardboard sheet S and the tape unit 800 during the opening operation while simultaneously miniaturizing the device. Alternatively, the home position of the tape unit 800 could be set to the rear side of the housing 101, and one of the plate-like sections S1 could rise from the front during the opening operation, i.e., the side plate sections D11 and D21 could rotate counterclockwise.

In this embodiment, the first opening arm 310 moves until it is detected by the first arm position detection sensor 318, i.e., to the first predetermined position. In this state, as shown in Figure 11, the cardboard sheet S is only opened to a parallelogram shape. Then, with the cardboard sheet S in this shape, the first pressing mechanism 400 is operated. This point will be described later.

Furthermore, if the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet into the device is reversed from the case described above, the movement direction of each opening arm will be reversed. That is, if the positional relationship of the gap between the flaps provided on the pair of plate-like sections is reversed from the above, for example, the positions of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 in their home positions are reversed left to right, and the second opening arm 320 is moved significantly to the right to open the cardboard sheet S.

Furthermore, by configuring the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 to allow adjustment of their front-to-back positions, it is possible to accommodate variations in the shape of the cardboard boxes, even if the positions of the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 are misaligned. In other words, while the front-to-back positions of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are fixed in the above configuration, they can also be configured to be movable in the direction of transporting the cardboard sheets.

In this case, a sensor is provided to measure the distance from the leading edge of the cardboard sheet to the gap between the flaps. The position of at least one of the opening arms, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, is moved in the cardboard sheet transport direction according to the length detected by the sensor. Furthermore, in this case as well, since the leading edge stopper 205 serves as the reference point for abutment, in order to ensure that the leading edge of the cardboard sheet material abuts the leading edge of the cardboard sheet material against the leading edge stopper 205, the transport roller 201 is rotated more times than the pulse or distance at which the leading edge of the cardboard sheet is expected to abut the leading edge of the cardboard sheet against the leading edge stopper 205, after detection by the second detection sensor 204, as described above.

In this embodiment, as described above, the corrugated cardboard sheet is opened by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320. Therefore, for example, a configuration that opens the corrugated cardboard sheet by suction on its sides can be made more compact than such a configuration. That is, when opening a corrugated cardboard sheet by suction, a suction device such as a vacuum pump is required, resulting in a larger device. On the other hand, in this embodiment, where the corrugated cardboard sheet is opened by moving the opening arms, the opening arms can be moved by motor drive, allowing for a significant reduction in size compared to configurations using vacuum pumps or similar devices.

Furthermore, because the device opens the cardboard sheet by inserting an opening arm into the gap in the flap and pressing and moving the opposite flap, it can be used with any rectangular cardboard box, making it highly versatile. Also, after opening the cardboard sheet, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 remain inside the opened cardboard sheet. In the case of suction devices such as vacuum pumps, a mechanism for suction to adhere to the outside of the opened cardboard sheet is necessary because the outer side of the cardboard sheet is attracted. Therefore, the configuration of this device, which keeps the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 inside the opened cardboard sheet, allows for significant miniaturization compared to suction devices such as vacuum pumps. Additionally, because excessive force is less likely to be applied during the opening operation, damage to the cardboard during assembly can be suppressed.

[Cylindrical shaping of corrugated cardboard sheets and first flap bending configuration]
The configuration for shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet into a cylindrical form and bending the first flap F1 will be explained using Figures 11 to 14. As described above, in the opening operation of the corrugated cardboard sheet S by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is only opened to a parallelogram shape, as shown in Figure 11. In this embodiment, with the corrugated cardboard sheet S in this shape, the first pressing mechanism 400 is operated to shape the corrugated cardboard sheet S so that its shape when viewed from the flap side becomes rectangular. In addition, in this embodiment, the first flap bending mechanism 500 is operated in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing mechanism 400.

Specifically, the first pressing parts 410 and 420 of the first pressing mechanism 400 are brought into contact with the sides of the cardboard box unfolded by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, thereby regulating the position of the cardboard box within the device. Simultaneously, the first pressing parts 410 and 420 of the first pressing mechanism 400 are moved toward the center of the device to shape the unfolded cardboard sheet S into a short form. At this time, the first flap bending mechanism 500 bends the first flap F1 in conjunction with the operation of the first pressing mechanism 400.

[First pressing mechanism]
The first pressing mechanism 400 includes first pressing parts 410, 420, etc. As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the first pressing parts 410, 420 are arranged on both sides in the front-rear direction within the housing 101 so as to sandwich the opening region α where the opening operation of the corrugated cardboard sheet S takes place. Furthermore, the surfaces of the first pressing parts 410, 420 facing the opening region α are parallel to the left-right and up-down directions (surfaces perpendicular to the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet S). In addition, the first pressing parts 410, 420 are positioned in the height direction opposite to the side plate parts D11, D21 so as to press the side plate parts D11, D21 when shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet S.

The front first pressing portion 410 has a biasing plate portion 440 on the side facing the opening region α, i.e., the rear side, via a compression spring 442. The compression spring 442 is located inside the cylinder 441. The biasing plate portion 440 has a pressing surface 440a facing the opening region α that is parallel to the left-right direction. The biasing plate portion 440 is biased toward the opening region α, and as will be described later, it prevents excessive pressure on the side plate portion D21 when shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet S into a cylindrical shape. In other words, as will be described later, when the first pressing portion 410 presses the side plate portion D21, the biasing plate portion 440 moves slightly in the front-rear direction, preventing excessive force from being applied to the side plate portion D21 and the first pressing portion 410.

On the other hand, the rear second pressing portion 420 has a pressing surface 420a facing the opening region α that is parallel to the left-right direction. While the second pressing portion 420 does not currently have a biasing plate as described above, it may be provided. Furthermore, the biasing plate 440, etc., may be provided on the second pressing portion 420 side rather than the first pressing portion 410 side.

These first pressing sections 410 and 420 move in the front-rear direction by the drive of the first pressing section moving motors 411 and 421, respectively. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the first pressing section guide rail 430 (see Figure 12), the first pressing section moving motors 411 and 421, and the first pressing section moving mechanisms 412 and 422 are arranged in the front-rear direction on the right side of the opening region α (upper side of Figure 11) with respect to the left-right direction (up-down direction in Figure 11). In other words, the first pressing section guide rail 430, the first pressing section moving motors 411 and 421, and the first pressing section moving mechanisms 412 and 422 are arranged on the opposite side of the opening region α from the transport path of the cardboard sheet S (the position where the transport rollers 201 and driven rollers 202 are arranged). As mentioned above, the first pressing sections 410 and 420 have surfaces perpendicular to the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet S in order to press the side plate sections D11 and D21 during the shaping of the corrugated cardboard sheet S. If the first pressing sections 410 and 420 were to be positioned on the same side as the transport path of the corrugated cardboard sheet S, they would have to be positioned outside the length of the corrugated cardboard sheet S (the combined length of D21 and D22) inserted into the device. In contrast, since the length of the corrugated cardboard sheet S in the front-to-back direction becomes shorter when opened (only the length of D22), the first pressing sections 410 and 420 can be positioned outside the shortened corrugated cardboard sheet S on the opposite side of the transport path, making it possible to miniaturize the device compared to positioning them on the transport path side.

As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the first pressing sections 410 and 420 are supported on the first pressing section guide rail 430 via moving blocks 431 and 432, respectively, so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The first pressing section 410 moves along the first pressing section guide rail 430 driven by the first pressing section moving motor (right first flap bending and pressing motor) 411, and the second pressing section 420 moves along the first pressing section moving motor (left first flap bending and pressing motor) 421.

The drive of the first pressing section moving motors 411 and 421 is transmitted to the first pressing sections 410 and 420 via the first pressing section moving mechanisms 412 and 422. The first pressing section moving mechanism 412 has pulleys 412a and 412b and belts 412c and 412d. Belt 412c is stretched between a drive pulley (not shown) and pulley 412a, which are provided on the drive shaft of the first pressing section moving motor 411, and belt 412d is stretched between pulleys 412a and 412b. A moving block 431 is fixed to belt 412d. Therefore, the drive of the first pressing section moving motor 411 is transmitted to belt 412c, pulley 412a, and belt 412d. As belt 412d moves in a circular motion, the moving block 431 and the first pressing section 410 move along the first pressing section guide rail 430 together with belt 412d. Consequently, as the first pressing section moving motor 411 rotates in both forward and reverse directions, the first pressing section 410 moves in both the forward and backward directions.

Similarly, the first pressing section moving mechanism 422 has pulleys 422a, 422b, and belts 422c and 422d. Belt 422c is stretched between pulley 422a and a drive pulley (not shown) provided on the drive shaft of the first pressing section moving motor 421, and belt 422d is stretched between pulleys 422a and 422b. A moving block 432 is fixed to belt 422d. Therefore, the drive of the first pressing section moving motor 421 is transmitted to belt 422c, pulley 422a, and belt 422d, and as belt 422d moves circumferentially, the moving block 432 and the first pressing section 420 move along the first pressing section guide rail 430 together with belt 422d. Therefore, as the first pressing section moving motor 421 rotates in forward and reverse directions, the first pressing section 420 moves in both the forward and backward directions. While the drive motors for the first pressing sections 410 and 420 could be shared, in this embodiment, as described below, the starting timing of the movement of the first pressing sections 410 and 420 is staggered, so they are driven by separate motors.

In this embodiment, the rear first pressing portion 420 starts moving before the front first pressing portion 410. This is because, as described above, the opening operation by the first opening arm 310 causes the other plate-like portion S2 to lift from the rear. In other words, pressing the side of the cardboard from the lifted side allows for more efficient shaping of the cardboard. The front first pressing portion 410 will come into contact with the side of the cardboard pressed by the rear first pressing portion 420. For example, due to variations in the size of the cardboard sheet S, if the front first pressing portion 410 and the rear first pressing portion 420 move too far towards the center of the device relative to the cardboard being shaped, the side of the cardboard will be pressed too hard. For this reason, the front first pressing portion 410 is provided with a biasing plate portion 440 via a compression spring 442, as described above. The biasing plate portion 440 comes into contact with the side of the cardboard when the compression spring 442 is extended. The movement of the first pressing section 410 is set to a position that matches the predetermined size of the cardboard being shaped, within the range where the compression spring 442 is not fully compressed. This allows variations in the size of the cardboard to be absorbed within the range of compression of the compression spring 442, thereby suppressing deformation of the cardboard.

[First flap bending mechanism]
As described above, the first flap bending mechanism 500 operates in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing mechanism 400. The first flap bending mechanism 500 includes first bending arms 510, 520, etc. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the first bending arms 510, 520 are arranged on both sides in the front-rear direction within the housing 101, similar to the first pressing parts 410, 420, so as to sandwich the opening region α where the cardboard sheet S is opened. In this embodiment, the first bending arms 510, 520 are each supported by the first pressing parts 410, 420, and move in the front-rear direction together with the first pressing parts 410, 420. Also in this embodiment, the first bending arms 510, 520 are each plate-shaped members, and the surface facing the opening region α is a surface parallel to the left-right direction.

The front first bending arm 510 is pivotably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 410. Specifically, the first bending arm 510 is fixed to a pivot shaft 511 that is rotatably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 410. The pivot shaft 511 has a pivot axis parallel to the left-right direction, and the first bending arm 510 is capable of pivoting in the front-rear direction around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 511.

Similarly, the rear first bending arm 520 is pivotably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 420. Specifically, the first bending arm 520 is fixed to a pivot shaft 521 that is pivotably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 420. The pivot shaft 521 has a pivot axis parallel to the left-right direction, and the first bending arm 520 is capable of pivoting in the front-rear direction around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 521.

Furthermore, interlocking arms 512 and 522 are fixed to the aforementioned pivot shafts 511 and 521, respectively, and the interlocking arms 512 and 522 also swing around the pivot axes of the pivot shafts 511 and 521, respectively. That is, the interlocking arm 512 and the first bending arm 510 swing together as a single unit, and the interlocking arm 522 and the first bending arm 520 swing together as a single unit, around the pivot axes of the pivot shafts 511 and 521, respectively.

Cam followers 513 and 523 are positioned at the ends of the interlocking arms 512 and 522, respectively. The cam followers 513 and 523 are rollers rotatably supported at the ends of the interlocking arms 512 and 522, respectively. The cam followers 513 and 523 contact the cam surfaces 515 and 525 of the cam members 514 and 524, which are positioned below the first pressing section guide rail 430.

As shown in Figure 13, the cam surface 515 that contacts the front cam follower 513 is an inclined surface that slopes upward towards the rear. The cam surface 525 that contacts the rear cam follower 523 is also an inclined surface that slopes upward towards the front. In other words, the cam surfaces 515 and 525 are inclined surfaces that slope in opposite directions.

The cam followers 513 and 523 do not contact the lower portion (the lower end in this embodiment) of the cam surfaces 515 and 525 when the first bending arms 510 and 520 are in their home position, furthest from the opening region α in the front-rear direction. In this state, the first bending arms 510 and 520 hang down approximately vertically. Then, as the first pressing portions 410 and 420 move in the front-rear direction toward the opening region α, the cam followers 513 and 523 come into contact with the cam surfaces 515 and 525. The engagement between the cam followers 513 and 523 and the cam surfaces 515 and 525 causes the interlocking arms 512 and 522 to rotate so that their tips move upward. Consequently, the first bending arms 510 and 520, which are connected to the interlocking arms 512 and 522 via the pivot shafts 511 and 521, also rotate in the same direction.

Using Figure 14 as an example, the rear first bending arm 520 is explained as follows: When the first pressing portion 420 moves forward, the cam follower 523 moves along the cam surface 525, causing the interlocking arm 522 and the first bending arm 520 to rotate counterclockwise around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 521. Similarly, when the first pressing portion 410 moves backward, the front first bending arm 510 rotates clockwise together with the interlocking arm 512 due to the engagement between the cam follower 513 and the cam surface 515. In this embodiment, the interlocking arms 512, 522, cam followers 513, 523, and cam surfaces 515, 525 constitute the interlocking mechanism 531, 532, which causes the first bending arms 510, 520 to perform a bending operation in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing portions 410, 420.

The first bending arms 510 and 520, when rotated around the pivot axis of the pivot shafts 511 and 521 as described above, bend the first flap F1 located below the side plates D11 and D21 in the front-rear direction of the cardboard opened by the opening mechanism 300. In the following description, the opened cardboard sheet S is referred to as cardboard. The bending angle of the first flap F1 is set to an angle where the first flap F1 is approximately horizontal, or an angle inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so that the tip points downward. In this embodiment, after bending the first flap F1, the second flap F2 is bent as described later. Therefore, the first flap F1 is bent to an angle inclined to just before becoming horizontal, and the first flap F1 is further bent when bending the second flap F2.

In this embodiment, since the first bending arms 510 and 520 are provided on the first pressing sections 410 and 420, the installation space can be reduced compared to providing them separately, thus enabling miniaturization of the device. Furthermore, since the rotational movement of the first bending arms 510 and 520 is linked to the movement of the first pressing sections 410 and 420, the operating mechanism can be simplified, and the installation space can be reduced. Therefore, the device can be made lower cost and smaller.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, before the cardboard box is fully opened, that is, while it is in a parallelogram shape, the first pressing parts 410 and 420 are brought into contact with the side panels D11 and D21 of the cardboard box, and in conjunction with this, the first flap F1 located below the side panels D11 and D21 is folded. In other words, these actions are performed in a single operation. If the first flap F1 is folded after the cardboard box is fully opened, the edge F11 of the first flap F1 may interfere with the edge F21 of the second flap F2 (see Figure 9), making it difficult to open. In contrast, as in this embodiment, by folding the first flap F1 while it is in a parallelogram shape, the first flap F1 pushes against the second flap F2, allowing the edge F11 of the first flap F1 and the edge F21 of the second flap F2 to fold smoothly without interference.

[Regulatory structure for cardboard]
The configuration for restricting the corrugated cardboard will be explained using Figures 15 and 16. As described above, in the opening operation of the corrugated cardboard sheet S by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is only opened to the point of being a parallelogram, as shown in Figure 11. In this embodiment, with the corrugated cardboard sheet S in this shape, the restricting mechanism 600 is operated to restrict the positions of the front and rear side plates D11 and D21 so that the shape of the corrugated cardboard sheet S when viewed from the flap side becomes rectangular.

The first pressing mechanism 400 and the regulating mechanism 600 described above work in conjunction with each other to shape the cardboard sheet S into a rectangular shape. While the order in which the first pressing mechanism 400 and the regulating mechanism 600 operate is not critical, in this embodiment, the regulating mechanism 600 is set to start operating first.

The regulating mechanism 600 includes regulating arms 610 and 620. The regulating arms 610 and 620 are rotatable around the pivot axes 616 and 626, respectively. Furthermore, the regulating arms 610 and 620 are located on opposite sides of the first pressing sections 410 and 420 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the regulating arms 610 and 620 are positioned opposite the first pressing sections 410 and 420, respectively, with the insertion position of the cardboard sheet S in between.

When the regulating arms 610 and 620 are folded as shown in Figure 15, they are positioned away from the transport path of the corrugated cardboard sheet S. In this embodiment, the regulating mechanism 600 is positioned to the left of the transport path of the corrugated cardboard sheet S (below Figure 15), and the regulating arms 610 and 620 retract from the transport path, preventing obstruction of the transport of the corrugated cardboard sheet S.

Therefore, when inserting the corrugated cardboard sheet S through the insertion opening 102, the restricting surfaces 610a and 620a that restrict the sides of the cardboard are parallel to the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S and retracted from the transport path. Then, when opening the cardboard sheet S into a rectangular shape, the restricting surfaces rotate to straddle the transport path and restrict the sides of the cardboard. By configuring the restricting arms 610 and 620 in this way, the position where the cardboard sheet S is inserted and the position where the restricting arms 610 and 620 rotate to restrict the sides of the cardboard can overlap, allowing for miniaturization of the device.

Furthermore, the regulating arms 610 and 620, like the first pressing sections 410 and 420, are positioned on both sides of the housing 101 in the front-rear direction. Each of the regulating arms 610 and 620 is a plate-shaped member and has regulating surfaces 610a and 620a, which are parallel to the vertical direction. These regulating arms 610 and 620 rotate around the pivot axes 616 and 626 by the drive of the regulating arm drive motors 611 and 621. The drive of the regulating arm drive motors 611 and 621 is transmitted to the regulating arms 610 and 620 via the regulating arm drive mechanisms 612 and 622.

The regulating arm drive mechanism 612, which transmits drive to the front regulating arm 610, includes pulleys 613 and 614, a belt 615, and a gear train 617. Pulley 613 is mounted on the drive shaft of the regulating arm drive motor 611, and the belt 615 is stretched between pulleys 613 and 614. Pulley 614 and the regulating arm 610 are connected via the gear train 617. The rotation of the regulating arm drive motor 611 is transmitted to pulleys 613, 615, and 614, and the rotation of pulley 614 is transmitted to the regulating arm 610 via the gear train 617. This causes the regulating arm 610 to rotate around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 616. The rotation direction of the front regulating arm 610 from the retracted position to the regulating position is counterclockwise.

Similarly, the regulating arm drive mechanism 622, which transmits drive to the rear regulating arm 620, includes pulleys 623 and 624, a belt 625, and a gear train 627. Pulley 623 is mounted on the drive shaft of the regulating arm drive motor 621, and the belt 625 is stretched between pulleys 623 and 624. Pulley 624 and the regulating arm 620 are connected via the gear train 627. The rotation of the regulating arm drive motor 621 is transmitted to pulleys 623, 625, and 624, and the rotation of pulley 624 is transmitted to the regulating arm 620 via the gear train 627. This causes the regulating arm 620 to rotate around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 626. The direction of rotation of the rear regulating arm 620 from the retracted position to the regulating position is clockwise.

Furthermore, sensor flags 630 and 631 are provided at the base end of the regulating arm (right regulating arm) 610, respectively. The sensor flags 630 and 631 are positioned at different phases in the rotational direction around the pivot axis 616 and are detected by the rotational position detection sensor 632 of the right regulating arm. The rotational position detection sensor 632 is a photointerrupter and detects when either sensor flag 630 or 631 has passed. Sensor flag 630 is provided so that the rotational position detection sensor 632 can detect when the regulating arm 610 is in the retracted position shown in Figure 15, and sensor flag 631 is provided so that the rotational position detection sensor 632 can detect when the regulating arm 610 is in the regulated position shown in Figure 16. When using the detection of the photointerrupter by sensor flag 630 as a reference, the retracted position is set as the home position of the regulating arm 610, and the arm is stopped at the regulated position by controlling the pulse or time that drives the regulating arm drive motor 611. Furthermore, when using the detection of the photointerrupter by the sensor flag 631 as the basis, the restricted position is set as the home position of the restricting arm 610, and the arm is stopped in the retracted position by controlling the pulse or time that drives the restricting arm drive motor 621.

Similarly, sensor flags 640 and 641 are provided at the base end of the regulating arm (left regulating arm) 620, respectively. The sensor flags 640 and 641 are positioned at different phases in the rotational direction around the pivot axis 626 and are detected by the rotational position detection sensor 642 of the left regulating arm. The rotational position detection sensor 642 is a photointerrupter and detects when either sensor flag 640 or 641 has passed. Sensor flag 640 is provided so that the rotational position detection sensor 642 can detect when the regulating arm 620 is in the retracted position shown in Figure 15, and sensor flag 641 is provided so that the rotational position detection sensor 642 can detect when the regulating arm 620 is in the regulated position shown in Figure 16. When using the detection of the photointerrupter by sensor flag 640 as a reference, the retracted position is set as the home position of the regulating arm 620, and the arm is stopped at the regulated position by controlling the pulse or time that drives the regulating arm drive motor 621. Furthermore, when using the detection of the photointerrupter by the sensor flag 641 as the basis, the restricted position is set as the home position of the restricting arm 620, and the arm is stopped in the retracted position by controlling the pulse or time that drives the restricting arm drive motor 621.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, a one-sided restricting member 650 and a other-sided restricting member 660 are provided on both the left and right sides of the opening region α. The one-sided restricting member 650 on the right side (upper side in Figure 15) is positioned between the first pressing portions 410 and 420 in the front-rear direction. A one-sided restricting surface 651, which is parallel to the vertical direction, is provided on the opening region α side of the one-sided restricting member 650, and the position of the rectangularly opened side panel portion D22 of the cardboard is restricted by the one-sided restricting surface 651.

Similarly, the other-side restricting member 660 on the left side (lower side of Figure 15) is positioned between the restricting arms 610 and 620 in the front-rear direction. The other-side restricting surface 661, which is parallel to the vertical direction, is provided on the opening region α side of the other-side restricting member 660. This surface restricts the position of the rectangularly opened side panel portion D21 of the corrugated cardboard. As described above, the other-side restricting surface 661 also serves to guide the left side of the corrugated cardboard sheet S when the corrugated cardboard sheet is inserted through the insertion opening 102.

When the first opening arm 310 is detected by the first arm position detection sensor 318, the regulating arms 610 and 620 begin to rotate from the retracted position shown in Figure 15 towards the regulating position shown in Figure 16. At the regulating position, the regulating surfaces 651 and 652 are brought into contact with the side panels D11 and D21 of the cardboard, which are opened in a parallelogram shape by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320. At this time, the regulating surfaces 651 and 652 work in cooperation with the first pressing parts 410 and 420 to press the side panels D11 and D21, shaping the partially unfolded cardboard sheet S into a rectangular cardboard shape and regulating the cardboard's position in the front-to-back direction. Furthermore, the left-to-right position of the cardboard is regulated by the one-side regulating member 650 and the other-side regulating member 660.

In this embodiment, the members that contact the front-to-back sides of the cardboard and restrict its position in the front-to-back direction perform different actions. Specifically, the first pressing parts 410 and 420 restrict the side panels D11 and D21 of the cardboard by sliding them. On the other hand, the restricting arms 610 and 620 restrict the side panels D11 and D21 of the cardboard by rotating them.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first pressing sections 410 and 420 and the regulating arms 610 and 620 are positioned approximately diagonally opposite each other on the cardboard. Specifically, the rear regulating arm 620 is positioned approximately diagonally opposite the front first pressing section 410, and the front regulating arm 610 is positioned approximately diagonally opposite the rear first pressing section 420. Therefore, when shaping and regulating the cardboard with these components, the force acting on the cardboard can suppress deformation.

In particular, since the rear first pressing section 420 begins pressing the cardboard before the front first pressing section 410, if the front restricting arm 610 is not located diagonally opposite, it will not receive the force required to shape the cardboard into a rectangle, and there is a risk that the cardboard will deform. Therefore, by providing at least the front restricting arm 610, such deformation of the cardboard can be suppressed. The rear restricting arm 620 also plays a role in suppressing deformation of the cardboard by receiving the force when the front first pressing section 410 presses the cardboard. However, at this stage, the cardboard is already roughly shaped into a rectangle, and the force received is not significant. Therefore, the rear restricting arm 620 may be omitted. However, since the rear restricting arm 620 ensures that the cardboard is reliably shaped into a rectangle, it is preferable to provide the rear restricting arm 620 to compensate for the shape of the cardboard. Furthermore, when applying tape using the tape unit 800 described later, it is preferable to provide the rear restricting arm 620 to strengthen the restriction in the front-to-back direction.

[Flowchart of opening the cardboard box and bending the first flap]
Next, the flow from the opening operation (box opening) of the corrugated cardboard sheet S by the opening mechanism 300 described above to the shaping of the corrugated cardboard and the bending operation of the first flap F1 by the pressing mechanism 400 described above will be explained using Figure 42. First, when the corrugated cardboard sheet S is inserted into the insertion position, the second opening arm (right-opening arm) 320 is moved toward the second gap G2 between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped part S2. Then, the second opening arm 320 enters the second gap G2 and comes into contact with the second flap F2 of the opposing plate-shaped part S1, pressing down on the plate-shaped part S1 (S201). The second opening arm 320 moves by the thickness of the other plate-shaped part S2 and stops.

Next, the first opening arm (left-opening arm) 310 is moved toward the first gap G1 between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2 provided on one of the plate-shaped portions S1. Then, the first opening arm 310 is inserted into the first gap G1 and brought into contact with the second flap F2 of the other opposing plate-shaped portion S2 (S202). Furthermore, the first opening arm 310 is moved to move the other plate-shaped portion S2 away from the first plate-shaped portion S1.

At this point, the first opening arm 310 contacts the second flap F2 of the other plate-shaped section S2 and moves to the right. Since the second opening arm 320 contacts the second flap F2 of the other plate-shaped section S1 and stops, it appears that only the other plate-shaped section S2 moves while the corrugated cardboard sheet S is unfolded. At the start of the unfolding of the corrugated cardboard sheet S, as explained in S107 of Figure 41, the conveyor roller 201 is lowered, and the nip between the conveyor roller 201 and the driven roller 202 is released.

Next, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the first opening arm 310 began to move (S203), the drive of the conveyor roller 201 is started (S204), and the conveyor roller 201 is raised, causing the corrugated cardboard sheet S to nip with the conveyor roller 201 and the driven roller 202 (S205). This predetermined time is, as described above, the time it takes for the other plate-shaped portion S2 to move to a position where it detaches from the conveyor roller 201.

Since the transport roller 201 is in contact with the corrugated cardboard sheet (in this case, one of the plate-shaped sections S1) while rotating, one of the plate-shaped sections S1 is transported to the rear by the transport roller 201. In this embodiment, the corrugated cardboard sheet is opened by moving the first opening arm 310, while simultaneously transporting the corrugated cardboard sheet further to the rear. This suppresses the amount of relative movement between the first opening arm 310 and the second flap F2 in the front-rear direction, allowing for smooth opening of the corrugated cardboard sheet. Furthermore, transporting the corrugated cardboard sheet to the rear suppresses interference with the tape unit 800 located at the front.

Next, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the conveyor roller 201 rose (S206), the conveyor roller 201 is lowered (S207) and then stopped (S208). This certain period of time is, for example, the time it takes for the other plate-shaped part S2, which is being moved by the first opening arm 310, to reach the scooping member 671. That is, while the cardboard sheet that is in the process of opening is passing through the conveying path of the tape unit 800, the cardboard sheet is nipped between the conveyor roller 201 and the driven roller 202, and this nip is released when its lower end is supported by the scooping member 671. This prevents the cardboard sheet from tilting even after the nip is released.

Next, when the first opening arm 310 is detected by the first arm position detection sensor (pressure movement start sensor) 318 (S209), the rear regulating arm (left regulating arm) 620 begins to rotate (S210). Subsequently, the front regulating arm (right regulating arm) 610 begins to rotate (S211). The reason for rotating the rear regulating arm 620 first is that, because the opening action of the first opening arm 310 causes the cardboard sheet to stand up from behind, contacting the side of the cardboard with the rear regulating arm 620 first allows for more stable cardboard shaping.

Next, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the front restricting arm 610 began to rotate (S212), the rear first pressing part (left first flap and pressing arm) 420 begins to move towards the front (towards the center of the device) (S213). After a certain period of time has elapsed since the rear first pressing part 420 began to move (S214), the front first pressing part (right first flap and pressing arm) 410 begins to move towards the rear (towards the center of the device) (S215). The reason for moving the rear first pressing part 420 first is the same as for moving the rear restricting arm 620 first. When the first pressing parts 410 and 420 move, the first bending arms 510 and 520 rotate in conjunction as described above, and the first flaps F1 located at the front and rear of the underside of the cardboard are bent inward, respectively.

[Bending configuration of the second flap]
The configuration for bending the second flap F2 will be explained using Figures 17 to 21. As described above, after bending the first flap F1 in the front-rear direction, the second flap bending mechanism 700 bends the second flap F2 in the left-right direction. The second flap bending mechanism 700 includes second bending arms 710, 720, etc. As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the second bending arms 710 and 720 are arranged on both the left-right sides of the housing 101 so as to sandwich the opening region α in which the cardboard sheet S is opened. In this embodiment, the second bending arms 710 and 720 are each plate-shaped members, and the surface facing the opening region α is parallel to the front-rear direction (the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S).

The second bending arm 710 on the right side (upper side of Figure 17) is fixed to the pivot shaft 711. The pivot shaft 711 is rotatably supported on a frame (not shown) within the housing 101, with its rotation axis parallel to the front-rear direction. The second bending arm 710 is capable of swinging left and right around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 711. In the standby position (position in Figure 19), when not performing a bending operation, the second bending arm 710 is approximately parallel to the vertical. It moves to the bending position (position in Figure 21) by rotating to the left around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 711.

Similarly, the second bending arm 720 on the left side (lower side of Figure 17) is fixed to the pivot shaft 721. The pivot shaft 721 is rotatably supported on a frame (not shown) within the housing 101, with its pivot axis parallel to the front-rear direction. The second bending arm 720 is capable of swinging left and right around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 721. In the standby position when not performing bending operations (position in Figure 19), the second bending arm 720 is approximately parallel to the vertical direction. It moves to the bending position (position in Figure 21) by rotating to the right around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 721 from the standby position. Note that, in the standby position when not performing bending operations, the second bending arm 720, like the regulating arms 610 and 620, is retracted to the left of the corrugated cardboard sheet S transport path to avoid obstructing the transport of the corrugated cardboard sheet S.

These second bending arms 710 and 720 rotate around the rotation axis of the pivot shafts 711 and 721 by the drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712 and 722. The drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712 and 722 is transmitted to the second bending arms 710 and 720 via the second bending arm drive transmission mechanisms 713 and 723. The second bending arm drive transmission mechanisms 713 and 723 are each composed of a pulley and belt mechanism and a gear train. Specifically, the drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712 and 722 is transmitted to the gear train via the pulley and belt, and the gears in the gear train mesh with gears fixed to the pivot shafts 711 and 721, thereby transmitting the power to the second bending arms 710 and 720. The forward and reverse rotation of the second bending arm drive motors 712 and 722 causes the second bending arms 710 and 720 to rotate in the left and right directions, respectively.

Sensor flags 730 and 740 are provided on the pivot shafts 711 and 721, respectively. Furthermore, rotational position detection sensors 731, 732, 741, and 742 are positioned at locations where the rotational phase of the pivot shafts 711 and 721 differs at the point where sensor flags 730 and 740 pass. Rotational position detection sensors 731, 732, 741, and 742 are photointerrupters and detect the passage of sensor flags 730 and 740. Rotational position detection sensors 731 and 741 detect when the second bending arms 710 and 720 are in the standby position, respectively, while rotational position detection sensors 732 and 742 detect when the second bending arms 710 and 720 are in the bending position, respectively.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, rollers 714 and 724 are rotatably supported at the tips of the second bending arms 710 and 720. This ensures that when the second bending arms 710 and 720 bend the second flap F2, the rollers 714 and 724 contact the second flap F2. This reduces friction between the second bending arms 710 and 720 and the second flap F2 during the bending operation, allowing for smoother bending.

In this embodiment in particular, the second flap F2 is longer than the first flap F1, resulting in a greater load when bending it. Therefore, as described above, rollers are not provided at the tips of the first bending arms 510 and 520, but rollers 714 and 724 are provided at the tips of the second bending arms 710 and 720.

While rollers could also be provided on the first bending arms 510 and 520, they are not provided in this embodiment for the following reasons. Specifically, the first bending arms 510 and 520 bend the first flap F1, which is bent before the second flap F2. While the second flap F2 is being bent by the second bending arms 710 and 720, the first flap F1 is maintained in the bent position. Therefore, when the second flap F2 is bent by the second bending arms 710 and 720, the first bending arms 510 and 520 are sandwiched between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2.

After folding the second flap F2, tape is applied to the underside of the cardboard using the tape unit 800, as described later. During this application, the first bending arms 510 and 520 are pulled out from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2; therefore, it is preferable that the first bending arms 510 and 520 be made as thin as possible. If rollers are provided at the tips, the thickness increases by the amount of the rollers; therefore, rollers are not provided at the tips of the first bending arms 510 and 520. Since the first flap F1 is shorter than the second flap F2, the load during bending is small, and smooth bending can be performed even without rollers at the tips of the first bending arms 510 and 520.

The bending operation of the second bending arms 710 and 720 will be explained using Figures 19 to 21. First, Figure 19 shows the standby position when no bending operation is being performed, and the second bending arms 710 and 720 are positioned so as to be approximately parallel in the vertical direction. Then, as described above, when the first flap F1 is folded to a predetermined position by the first bending arms 510 and 520, the first bending arms 510 and 520 stop at that position. At this time, the bottom surface of the cardboard is supported by the first bending arms 510 and 520, and the top surface is held down by the driven roller 202 and the upper flap retaining roller 670. The driven roller 202 and the upper flap retaining roller 670 are in contact with the unclosed upper flap of the cardboard (the second flap F2 in this embodiment). As a result, the vertical position of the cardboard is regulated by the first bending arms 510 and 520, the driven roller 202, and the upper flap retaining roller 670.

In this state, as shown in Figure 20, the second bending arms 710 and 720 begin to rotate, bending the second flap F2. During this process, the first bending arms 510 and 520 remain in the position where the first flap F1 is bent, supporting the cardboard. Furthermore, the second bending arms 710 and 720 are rotated to the bending position shown in Figure 21, and their rotation is stopped.

As shown in Figure 21, at the bending position, the pair of opposing second flaps F2 are not completely closed. That is, the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 are lower than the horizontal position. For example, the position where the rotation of the second bending arms 710 and 720 stops is when the second flaps F2 are tilted downwards by, for example, 3 degrees relative to the horizontal. This angle relative to the horizontal is not limited to 3 degrees, but can be appropriately set within a range of 1 to 10 degrees.

In this embodiment, by tilting the second flap F2 without completely closing it to a horizontal position, the first bending arms 510 and 520, which are sandwiched between the second flap F2 and the first flap F1, are made easier to remove. Furthermore, if the second flap F2 were completely closed to a horizontal position, the first bending arms 510 and 520 and the first flap F1 would be pushed up by the second flap F2, making it difficult to remove the first bending arms 510 and 520 and potentially deforming the cardboard. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rotation of the second bending arms 710 and 720 is stopped at a position where the second flap F2 is not folded to a horizontal position.

Furthermore, as shown in Figure 21, by stopping the second flap F2 at a tilted position where its tip is angled downwards, and applying the tape described later while the pair of second flaps F2 are in a valley-like shape, it becomes easier to apply the tape neatly without the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 overlapping.

In other words, when the pair of second flaps F2 to which the tape is attached by the tape unit 800 are folded horizontally, there is a risk that the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 will overlap. If the tape is applied in this state, the quality of the final product will be reduced. On the other hand, if the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 are valley-shaped, the tips will not overlap, making it easier to apply the tape and ensuring a stable quality of the final product.

As explained in Figure 21, after rotating the second bending arms 710 and 720 to the bending position, the first bending arms 510 and 520 are withdrawn from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. Then, after withdrawing the first bending arms 510 and 520, the bending operation of the first bending arms 510 and 520 is performed again to bring the first bending arms 510 and 520 into contact with the lower surface of the second flap F2 (moving them to the support position) . This operation is performed in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing parts 410 and 420 in the front-rear direction. In this state, the cardboard is supported on its lower surface by the first bending arms 510 and 520 and the second bending arms 710 and 720. In this state, tape is attached to the lower surface of the cardboard by the tape unit 800 described below.

[Tape Unit]
The tape unit 800, which applies tape to the bottom surface of the cardboard, will be described using Figures 22 to 39. As mentioned above, the tape unit 800 is located at the front of the housing 101 in the home position. Figures 22 and 23 show the position of the tape unit 800 in the home position, with Figure 22 showing the tape unit 800 from the left and Figure 23 showing it from the right. As is clear from Figures 22 and 23, the tape unit 800 is located in front of the cardboard D with the lower first flap F1 and second flap F2 closed as described above in the home position.

The tape unit 800 is positioned to be movable in the front-rear direction on the guide rail 880, as shown in Figures 24 to 27. Figures 24 to 27 also show the tape unit 800 in its home position; Figure 24 is a plan view from the left, Figure 25 is a perspective view from the left rear, Figure 26 is a plan view from the right, and Figure 27 is a perspective view from the right rear.

On the left and right sides of the base 801, which is placed on the guide rail 880 of the tape unit 800, movable blocks 802a and 802b are fixed, respectively. Meanwhile, on the left and right sides of the tape unit 800 inside the housing 101, pulleys 881a, 881b, 882a, 882b, and belts 883a and 883b are arranged, respectively. The pulleys 881a, 882a, and belt 883a are located on the left side of the tape unit 800, and belt 883a, stretched across pulleys 881a and 882a, is positioned in the front-to-back direction. Similarly, the pulleys 881b, 882b, and belt 883b are located on the right side of the tape unit 800, and belt 883b, stretched across pulleys 881b and 882b, is positioned in the front-to-back direction.

The moving blocks 802a and 802b are fixed to belts 883a and 883b, respectively. A tape unit moving motor (tape application motor) 886 is located on the right side of the tape unit 800. The drive of the tape unit moving motor 886 is transmitted to the right pulley 881b via a power transmission mechanism including pulleys and belts (not shown). The right pulley 881b and the left pulley 881a are connected by the same axis of rotation, and the drive of the tape unit moving motor 886 is also transmitted to the left pulley 881a. As a result, the forward and reverse rotation of the tape unit moving motor 886 causes the pulleys 881a and 881b to rotate synchronously in the forward and reverse directions.

The rear pulleys 882a and 882b are driven pulleys and are not connected to each other, but are arranged so that their rotational axes are coaxial. The belts 883a and 883b, stretched over these pulleys 881a, 881b, 882a, and 882b respectively, move in a circular motion when the pulleys 881a and 881b are rotated by the tape unit moving motor 886. The tape unit 800, connected to the belts 883a and 883b via moving blocks 802a and 802b, moves in the forward and backward directions along the guide rail 880.

Furthermore, sensor flags 803a and 803b are provided on both the left and right sides of the base 801, respectively. Meanwhile, a home position sensor 884 and a stop position sensor 885 are provided on both the front and rear sides of the housing 101. These sensors 884 and 885 are photointerrupters and detect the passage of sensor flag 803a or 803b. In this embodiment, the home position sensor 884 is located on the left side of the tape unit 800, and the stop position sensor 885 is located on the right side of the tape unit 800. When the right-side sensor flag 803a passes the home position sensor 884, it is detected that the tape unit 800 is in the home position, and when the left-side sensor flag 803b passes the stop position sensor 885, it is detected that the tape unit 800 is in the stop position. Note that sensors 884 and 885 may be placed on only one side, and the sensor flags may also be placed on only one side.

Next, the configuration for attaching the tape T to the tape unit 800 will be explained, mainly using Figure 28. Figure 28 is a view of the tape unit 800 from the right side. In this embodiment, as is clear from the perspective views in Figures 25 and 27, each component for attaching the tape T is supported by a frame 860 located on the left side of the tape unit 800. Therefore, the explanation will be given using Figure 28, which shows the tape unit 800 from the right side. Note that the frame supporting each component may be located on the right side, or on both the left and right sides.

The tape unit 800 includes a first pressing roller 810, a second pressing roller 820, a tape cutter 840, a flap pressing section 850, a tape holding section 870, and the like. The first pressing roller 810 is rotatably supported at the tip of the tape roller arm 811. The tape roller arm 811 is rotatably supported on a pivot shaft 812, and a tension spring 813 biases the first pressing roller 810 to rotate around the pivot shaft 812 towards the front side of the housing 101. The first pressing roller 810 is a roller that moves the tape T while attaching it to the cardboard. The tape T, pulled from the tape body rotatably held by the tape holding section 870, is supplied via tape guide rollers 831, 832, 833 and the final feed roller 830.

Furthermore, since the first presser roller 810 applies the tape T from the front side of the cardboard D, it is positioned higher than the bottom surface of the cardboard D at the start of tape application. Then, as described later, the tape T is applied to the front side rising from the bottom surface of the cardboard D. As the tape unit 800 moves backward, the first presser roller 810, against the biasing force of the tension spring 813, tilts backward relative to the direction of movement of the tape unit 800, and continues to move along the bottom surface of the cardboard D, applying the tape T to the bottom surface of the cardboard D.

The tape roller arm 811, which supports the first presser roller 810, is bent to prevent interference with the corner of the cardboard D when the first presser roller 810 moves from the side to the bottom. That is, the tape roller arm 811 does not linearly connect the pivot shaft 812 and the first presser roller 810. Instead, when the first presser roller 810 is in the position shown in Figure 28, it extends rearward from the pivot shaft 812 in the direction of movement of the tape unit 800, rises upward, and then extends further forward. In other words, the tape roller arm 811 forms a recessed shape 811a between the first presser roller 810 and the pivot shaft 812.

The second presser roller 820 is positioned in front of the first presser roller 810, that is, upstream with respect to the tape T application direction. The second presser roller 820 is supported at the tip of the second roller arm 821, which is rotatably supported by a pivot shaft 822. The pivot shaft 822 is positioned downstream in the application direction from the pivot center of the second presser roller 820. This allows for a smaller tape unit 800 than if the pivot shaft 822 were positioned upstream from the pivot center of the second presser roller 820. Furthermore, the second roller arm 821 is supported by a slide member 823 via the pivot shaft 822, and the slide member 823 is supported so as to be vertically movable relative to the frame 860.

The second roller arm 821 is biased by a biasing spring 824 so that the second pressing roller 820 moves forward relative to the direction of movement of the tape unit 800, around the pivot axis 822. The sliding member 823 is biased upward by a biasing spring (not shown) located on the back side of the tape unit 800 in the direction shown in Figure 28. The sliding member 823 also slides vertically along the sliding groove 825.

As will be described later, the second pressing roller 820 further presses the tape T, which has been attached to the cardboard D by the first pressing roller 810, against the cardboard D, and also has the role of attaching the tape T to the rear side surface of the cardboard D. That is, after the first pressing roller 810 has finished attaching the tape T to the bottom surface of the cardboard D, and the tape T has been cut by the tape cutter 840, the remaining tape T is attached to the rear side surface that rises from the bottom surface of the cardboard D.

The tape cutter 840 is mounted on the tape cutter arm 841. As shown in Figures 24 and 27, the tape cutter arm 841 is rotatably supported on the left side of the frame 860 and can rotate independently of the first presser roller 810. The tape cutter arm 841 is positioned to protrude from the tape cutter arm 841 towards the first presser roller 810. By rotating the tape cutter arm 841 as described later, the tape T attached to the cardboard D is cut by the first presser roller 810.

The tip of the tape cutter arm 841 is provided with a tape cutter arm contact portion 842, which protrudes above the first bending arm 510 in the state shown in Figures 24 and 28. The tape cutter arm contact portion 842 is positioned to the left of the rotational trajectory of the first bending arm 510 when viewed from the front of the housing 101, and rotates together with the tape cutter arm 841 regardless of the rotation of the first bending arm 510. As shown in Figure 24, the tape cutter arm 841 and the tape cutter 840 and the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 are biased by a tension spring 843 to move forward relative to the direction of movement of the tape unit 800.

The flap pressing section 850 is mounted on the tape cutter arm 841 and is rotatable together with the tape cutter arm 841. The flap pressing section 850 is located on the leading edge (downstream side) in the tape application direction, and during tape application, it moves while pressing down on the abutting portion of the pair of second flaps F2 against the underside of the cardboard D. The pressing surface of the flap pressing section 850 is a flat surface parallel to the horizontal direction, and by pressing down on the abutting portion of the pair of second flaps F2 with this surface, the leading edges of the pair of second flaps F2 can abut against each other almost horizontally without overlapping. The first tape pressing roller 810 applies tape T to this portion after the abutting portion of the pair of second flaps F2 has been pressed down by the flap pressing section 850.

As shown in Figures 36(a) to 38, the tape holding unit 870 rotatably holds the tape body. Figure 36(a) is a perspective view showing the tape body held by the tape holding unit 870 and pressed down by the tape presser plate 871. Figure 36(b) is a perspective view showing the tape body with the tape presser plate 871 removed. Figure 37 is a perspective view showing the tape T being pulled out from the tape body held by the tape holding unit 870 via the tape guide rollers 831, 832, 833 and the final feed roller 830 to the first tape presser roller 810. Figure 38 is a perspective view showing the tape body not being held by the tape holding unit 870.

The tape holding section 870 is formed in a cylindrical shape so that the cylindrical tape body can be loosely fitted onto it. Furthermore, the tape holding section 870 is positioned to protrude to the right from the left frame 860. Therefore, the tape body can be replaced from the right side of the tape holding section 870.

A screw 872 is provided at the center of the tape holding portion 870 so as to protrude. By passing the screw 872 through a through hole in the center of the tape press plate 871 and then tightening it with a nut 873, the tape press plate 871 can be fixed to the screw 872. With the tape body fitted onto the tape holding portion 870, the tape press plate 871 presses against the sides of the tape body, and by tightening it with a nut 873, the tape body can be held in the tape holding portion 870 in a rotatable and secure manner, preventing it from falling off.

Next, the tape application operation by the tape unit 800 will be explained using Figures 29 to 35. The tape unit 800 begins moving from its home position towards the rear when viewed from the front of the housing 101. As shown in Figure 29, the flap retaining portion 850 presses down on the abutting portion of the second flap F2 on the underside of the cardboard D, and the first tape retaining roller 810 abuts against the front side surface of the cardboard D, causing the tip of the tape T, supported by the first tape retaining roller 810, to adhere to the front side surface.

Furthermore, as the tape unit 800 moves to the rear, as shown in Figure 30, the first tape press roller 810 rotates forward against the biasing force of the tension spring 813 and enters the underside of the cardboard D. At this time, the first tape press roller 810 moves so as to trace the corner between the underside and the front side of the cardboard D, so that the tape T is also attached to this corner. Also, the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 rotates forward as it comes into contact with the cardboard D, and the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 also enters the underside of the cardboard D. Furthermore, in conjunction with the rotation of the tape cutter arm contact portion 842, the L-shaped push portion 844 provided on the tape cutter arm 841 comes into contact with the projection portion 826 provided on the slide member 823. As the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 enters the underside of the cardboard D, it rotates further, causing the slide member 823 to move downward against the biasing force of a biasing spring (not shown), and the second press roller 820 also enters the underside of the cardboard D.

In this state, as the tape unit 800 moves further to the rear, the first tape press roller 810 adheres the tape T to the underside of the cardboard D, and the second press roller 820 further presses the adhered tape T against the underside. Then, as shown in Figure 31, even when the first tape press roller 810 moves beyond the underside of the cardboard D, the tension of the tape T attached to the underside of the cardboard D keeps the first press roller 810 pressed down.

As the tape unit 800 advances further, as shown in Figure 32, when the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 passes the bottom surface of the cardboard D, it rotates to the rear due to the biasing force of the tension spring 843. The tape cutter 840, provided on the tape cutter arm 841, is pulled out from the bottom surface of the cardboard D, cutting the tape T that is stretched on the first presser roller 810. The length of tape T cut can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the tape cutter arm contact portion 842.

After the tape T is cut, the first tape press roller 810 rotates to the rear due to the biasing force of the tension spring 813, as shown in Figure 33. In this state, the second press roller 820 is positioned on the underside of the cardboard D. Also, the tape T is attached to the underside of the cardboard D, but not yet to the rear side.

As the tape unit 800 moves further, as shown in Figure 34, the second presser roller 820 reaches the corner between the bottom surface and the rear side surface of the cardboard D. Once the second presser roller 820 passes this corner, as shown in Figure 35, the sliding member 823 moves upward due to the biasing force of the biasing spring, causing the second presser roller 820 to move upward. Simultaneously, the second presser roller 820 is biased forward by the biasing force of the biasing spring 824. Therefore, the second presser roller 820 moves along the rear corner of the cardboard D, and further moves along the rear side surface while being biased against this side surface. At this time, the remaining tape T cut by the tape cutter 840 is attached to the rear corner and rear side surface of the cardboard D by the second presser roller 820.

The tape unit 800 completes the tape application operation. The tape unit 800 stops moving when it reaches the stop position sensor 885. In this embodiment, once the tape application is complete, the first bending arms 510, 520 and the second bending arms 710, 720 are returned to their original positions, releasing the support for the cardboard box and allowing it to drop downwards. This is to facilitate removal of the cardboard box D from the front opening 103 of the housing 101, as shown in Figure 1. Specifically, when the cardboard box D is supported by the first bending arms 510, 520 and the second bending arms 710, 720, it is positioned higher inside the housing 101, making it difficult to remove from the opening 103 due to the top surface of the cardboard box D getting caught. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cardboard box D is dropped downwards before removal.

The housing 101 is equipped with a cardboard box presence/absence sensor 101a (see Figure 40) that detects the presence or absence of cardboard box D. Therefore, the removal of cardboard box D can be detected by the cardboard box presence/absence sensor 101a. Upon detection that cardboard box D has been removed, the tape unit 800 moves towards the home position.

In this embodiment, to miniaturize the device, the tape unit 800 is positioned near the front side wall 105 of the housing 101 when it returns to its home position. As described above, a second tape press roller 820 is located on the front side of the tape unit 800 and protrudes forward. The second tape press roller 820 is rotatably supported via a second roller arm 821. Therefore, as shown in Figure 39, when the tape unit 800 returns to its home position, even if the second tape press roller 820 comes into contact with the front side wall 105, it rotates to move away from the side wall 105. That is, it moves from the position shown by the dashed line to the position shown by the solid line. This allows the home position of the tape unit 800 to be brought closer to the side wall 105, thereby enabling miniaturization of the device.

[Flowchart from the bending motion of the second flap to the tape application motion]
Next, the flow from the bending operation of the second flap F2 by the second flap bending mechanism 700 to the tape application operation by the tape unit 800 will be explained using Figure 43. Once the first flap F1 is bent according to the flow in Figure 42, the left second bending arm (front second flap bending arm) 720 is rotated (S301). Then, the right second bending arm (rear second flap bending arm) 710 is rotated (S302). Then, the second flaps F2 are bent on both the left and right sides. Note that the order of bending does not matter, and they can be done simultaneously.

Next, the rear first pressing section 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are moved to the home position (rear end of the first pressing section guide rail 430) (S303). The home position of the first bending arm 520 is detected by the home position sensor (left first flap bending and pressing arm HP sensor) 520a (see Figure 40). As a result, the first bending arm 520 is withdrawn from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. Then, the front first pressing section 410 and the first bending arm (right first flap bending arm) 510 are moved to the home position (front end of the first pressing section guide rail 430) (S304). The home position of the first bending arm 510 is detected by the home position sensor (right first flap bending and pressing arm HP sensor) 510a (see Figure 40). This causes the first bending arm 510 to be withdrawn from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. The order of withdrawal does not matter; either can be done first, or simultaneously.

Next, the rear first pressing section 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are moved again towards the cardboard, and the first bending arm 520 presses against the lower surface of the second flap F2 (S305). Then, the front first pressing section 410 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 510 are moved again towards the cardboard, and the first bending arm 510 presses against the lower surface of the second flap F2 (S306). As a result, the first bending arms 510 and 520, together with the second bending arms 710 and 720, support the lower surface of the cardboard. Note that the timing of pressing the second flap F2 can be either first or simultaneously.

In this state, the tape unit 800 is moved to apply tape to the raised edges of the front, bottom, and rear of the cardboard box (S307). When the tape unit 800 reaches a predetermined position (S308), the movement speed of the tape unit 800 is switched to a low speed (S309). The predetermined position is, for example, the position where the second tape press roller 820 reaches the rear corner of the cardboard box. By switching the tape unit 800 to a low speed from this point onward, the second tape press roller 820 can reliably apply tape to the rear side of the cardboard box.

When the tape unit 800 is detected by the stop position sensor 885 (S310), the movement of the tape unit 800 is stopped (S311). This completes the process of attaching the tape to the cardboard.

[Flowchart for preparing to remove cardboard boxes]
Next, the flow for preparing the cardboard for removal after tape application will be explained using Figure 44. Once the tape application operation is completed in the flow shown in Figure 43, the rear first pressing part 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are moved to the home position (rear end of the first pressing part guide rail 430) (S401). Then, the front first pressing part 410 and the first bending arm (right first flap bending arm) 510 are moved to the home position (front end of the first pressing part guide rail 430) (S402). This releases the support of the lower surface of the cardboard by the first bending arms 510 and 520. Note that the order of movement does not matter, and they can be done simultaneously.

After a certain period of time has elapsed since the support of the cardboard box's underside by the first bending arms 510 and 520 was released (S403), the left second bending arm (front second flap bending arm) 720 is moved to its home position (S404). Next, the right second bending arm (rear second flap bending arm) 710 is moved to its home position (S405). This releases the support of the cardboard box's underside by the second bending arms 710 and 720. The order of movement does not matter; either movement can occur first or simultaneously.

Furthermore, the rear restrictor arm (left restrictor arm) 620 is moved to the home position (S406), and then the front restrictor arm (right restrictor arm) 610 is moved to the home position (S407). That is, the restrictor arms 610 and 620 are moved away from the sides of the cardboard box. Note that the order of movement does not matter; they can be moved either way, or simultaneously. This completes the preparation for removing the cardboard box.

[Control Configuration]
The control configuration of the box-making apparatus 100 in this embodiment will be explained using Figure 40. The box-making apparatus 100 is controlled by the microcontroller 1001 of the control unit 1000. Various motors and various sensors are connected to the microcontroller 1001 via drivers, and the microcontroller 1001 controls the various motors based on the program and signals from the various sensors to execute the flows shown in Figures 41 to 44 and the various operations described above. Power is supplied to the control unit 1000 from the power supply 1002.

Furthermore, the box-making apparatus 100 has various indicator LEDs to display the operating status of the apparatus. In this embodiment, it is equipped with green (G), white (W), and yellow (Y) indicator LEDs 1011 to 1013, and an emergency stop switch indicator LED 1010, whose illumination is controlled by the microcontroller 1001. For example, when the assembly of the cardboard box is complete, one of the indicator LEDs 1011 to 1013 is illuminated to inform the operator that the assembly is complete. Note that the names of the various motors and sensors shown in Figure 40 do not match the names mentioned above, but if the symbols are the same, they refer to the same thing.

In this embodiment, the insertion of cardboard sheets and the removal of assembled cardboard boxes can be performed from the front of the device. Therefore, it is suitable for tasks where an operator assembles cardboard boxes one by one. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the device can be miniaturized by optimizing the arrangement of each component as described above. Therefore, the box-making device 100 of this embodiment allows for the efficient assembly of small quantities of cardboard boxes in a small space.

100... Box-making device 101... Enclosure 201... Conveyor roller 202... Driven roller 220... Roller lifting mechanism (nip release means)
310... First opening arm (opening arm)
312...First opening motor (means of movement)
320... Second opening arm

Claims (1)

A cardboard sheet having four consecutive surfaces and eight flaps extending from the upper and lower ends of each of the four surfaces, is unfolded by folding the folds provided between each of the four surfaces into mountain folds,
A first pressing part presses the third flap through the gap between the first flap located on the upper edge side of the cardboard sheet and the second flap adjacent thereto,
A second pressing portion that presses the second flap through the gap formed between the third flap and the adjacent fourth flap,
The unfolding unit moves the first pressing unit and the second pressing unit relative to each other to unfold the cardboard sheet by folding the four folds into mountain folds,
A deployment device having a deployment mechanism.