JPH01153402A - Folder of front flap at bottom of box - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To make it possible to fold a flap inside on transferring of a box, by transferring the box from a fixed guide to a folding guide by a transferring mechanism, supporting an article in the box by means of a movable support guide and by folding the front flap of the box with holding it at the folding guide. CONSTITUTION:While an article 82 transferred on a conveyor 78 and assembled by a grouping bar 80, is covered from the top of the article by a box 76 forming a square cylinder, it is put on a first fixed guide 2. On transferring of the box 76 due to a transferring mechanism, a first container-support guide 8 is also advanced in an almost constant speed. Therefore, the article 82 within the box 76 is transferred toward a second fixed guide 4. When the front end of the box 76 reaches the up-stream end of the second fixed guide 4, the front flap 76a of the bottom of the box 76 is gradually folded backwards according to the advance of the box 76 and further completely folded backwards on transferring of the box onto the second fixed guide 4. The first container-support guide 8 moves back to the front fixed guide 2 after having prevented the article 82 from falling down at the position.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION [Industrial Field of Application] The present invention relates to a flap folding device, and particularly to a device for folding in a front side flap at the bottom of a box body.

[Conventional technology]

In a box packing machine that folds and seals the flaps of the box after storing the item inside the box, when storing the item from above the box, a mechanism is required to lift the item to the top of the box. Therefore, the device becomes complicated and large.

Therefore, a flap folding device is used which folds in the flap at the bottom of the box after covering the box from above the article (Japanese Patent Publication No. 55-29841, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 59-1989).
1038'02, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 55-128720, Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 56-128801, etc.).

[Problem that the invention seeks to solve]

The above-mentioned conventional folding devices are particularly characterized by a structure in which the flaps located at the front and rear of the box body are folded in. In both cases, the box body is covered with the stored articles at rest, and the The flap is folded in.

The present invention provides a front flap folding device for the bottom of a box body, which covers articles being continuously conveyed with a box body and folds the flaps during the conveyance of the articles, in order to efficiently pack the articles into boxes.

(Means for Solving the Problems) The front flap folding device for the bottom of the box according to the present invention includes a fixed guide that supports the bottom surface of the box in which articles are stored, and a gap provided on the downstream side of the fixed guide. A folding guide is arranged and can be engaged with the front flap at the bottom of the box, and a moving mechanism that moves the box from the fixed guide to the folding guide is configured to be able to reciprocate and bend the box from the fixed guide. The device is equipped with a support guide that supports the lower surface of the article inside the box body as it moves toward the guide.

(Function) In the box bottom front flap folding device according to the present invention, the movable support guide supports the article inside the box while the moving mechanism moves the box from the fixed guide to the folding guide. Engage the front flap with the bending guide and bend it.

〔Example〕

The present invention will be explained below with reference to illustrated embodiments. Figures 1 to 3 show a front flap folding device and a rear flap folding device at the bottom of a box body according to an embodiment of the present invention, and (2) shows the bottom surface of the box body in which articles such as containers are stored. (4) is a second fixed guide disposed downstream of the first fixed guide with a gap in between; (a) is the second fixed guide supporting the first fixed guide;
A third fixed guide is placed on the downstream side of the fixed guide with a large gap therebetween, and the box in which the article is stored is sequentially transferred to the first fixed guide (2) by a moving mechanism (not shown).
, are moved on the second fixed guide (4) and the third fixed guide (6) in the direction of the illustrated arrow.

The first fixed guide (2) has a mouth-shaped opening on the downstream side (left side in the figure), and the second fixed guide (4) on the downstream side is in the mouth-shaped space (2a). A first container support guide (8) is provided that can reciprocate toward the container. This first container support guide (8) is connected to the second fixed guide (
4), and the moving mechanism moves the lower surface of the item inside the box from the first fixed guide (2) to the second fixed guide (4). Support it to prevent it from falling.

The second fixed guide (4) has an upstream end (4a) bent slightly downward and has a mouth shape with the downstream side open. It consists of plate bodies (5a) and (8b), and a reciprocating rear flap folding guide (10) is arranged between these fixed guides (4) and (61).A rear flap folding kite (10) are two parallel plates (10a).

(10b), and when it advances to the most downstream side,
To the position where both fixed guides (4) and (6) are connected as shown in Fig. 1, and when retreating to the furthest upstream side, to the innermost part of the space (4b) of the second fixed guide (4). It is possible to move back and forth between.

Both plates (6a) and (6b) of the third fixed guide (6)
), there is a second container support guide (
12) is provided. This second container support guide (
12), when retreated to the most upstream side, its upstream end (right side in the figure) reaches a position approximately equal to the downstream end of the rear flap folding guide (10) in the most retreated state;
The lower surface of the article inside the box is supported to prevent it from falling as it is moved from the second fixed guide (4) to the third fixed guide (6).

As shown in FIG. 2, the first container support guide (8) is fixed on a sliding body (18) that is slidably supported by two guide rods (14) and (16). .

This sliding body (18) is attached to a rod (24) connected to a swingable arm (22) together with a fulcrum shaft (20), and when the arm (22) swings, the first container The support guide (8) reciprocates. An arm (28) to which a cam follower (26) is attached is fixed to the fulcrum shaft (20), and swings integrally with the arm (22). The cam follower (26) is in contact with a cam (30) rotating in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure.
) The arm (22) swings as the cam follower (26) rotates nine times along the contour of the arm (28). A third arm (3
2) is fixed, and a tension spring (38) is disposed between this arm (32) and a bracket (36) on the base (34), and the cam follower (26) is always connected to the cam (30).
is in contact with.

The rear flap folding guide (10) and the second container support guide (12) also have the same structure as the first container support guide (8) so as to reciprocate. That is, the rear flap folding guide (10) is connected to the sliding body (40).
, is connected via a rod (42) to an arm (46) that swings around a fulcrum shaft (44), and is connected to a second arm (48).
) is reciprocated by moving in contact with a cam (52) that rotates in the direction of the arrow in the figure. This cam follower (50) bears against the cam by means of a tension spring (56) attached to the third arm (54). Further, the second container support guide (12) is connected to the arm 0 (64) that swings around the fulcrum shaft (62) via the sliding body (58) and the rod (60), and A cam follower (68) attached to the arm (66) rotates in the direction of the arrow shown in the figure (70).
) and moves in a reciprocating manner. This cam follower (68) abuts the cam (70) by a tension spring (72) attached to the third arm (71). The cam (52) that drives the rear flap folding guide (lO) and the cam (70) of the second container support guide (12) are fixed to the same shaft (74) and rotate integrally. Both guides (1o), (
12) are interlocked in the relationship described later.

The operation of the front flap folding device and the rear flap folding device for the bottom of the box body according to the above configuration will be explained with reference to FIGS. 4 to 6. In addition, each guide (2).

(4), (6), (8), (10),
The shape of (12) is not limited to the above-mentioned one, and in Figs. 4 to 6, a second fixed guide (4) or a rear flap folding guide (10) having a shape different from the above is used. are doing.

The box body (76) shaped into a rectangular tube is connected to the conveyor (78).
The first fixed guide (2) is placed on the first fixed guide (2) while being placed over the articles (82) which are conveyed thereon and gathered by the grouping bar (80). In addition, the flaps (76a), (76b), (76) at the bottom of the box (76)
c) and (76d) are formed into a cylindrical shape and then bent outward by a flap opener, a guide, etc. At the time when the box body (76) rides on the first fixed guide (2), the first container support guide (8) is at the most retracted position to the upstream side, and the first fixed guide (2)
Since there is a wide gap between the front flap (76a) at the bottom of the box (76) and the second fixed guide (41), the front flap (76a) at the bottom of the box body (76) falls between the two fixed guides (2) and (41), and the rear flap (
76b) is curved as described above, so it can be bent toward the rear (see FIG. 5(A)).

Box (76) and articles stored therein (82)
is placed on the first fixed guide (2) and the first container support guide (8), and when the box (76) is moved by the moving mechanism, the first container support guide (8) is also moved. Move forward at almost constant speed. Therefore, the article (8) inside the box (76)
2) can move toward the second fixed guide (4) without falling between the two fixed guides (2) and (4).

When the front end of the box (76) reaches the upstream end (4a) of the second fixed guide (4), as the box (76) moves forward,
The front flap (76a) at the bottom of the box body (76) is gradually bent toward the rear (see Fig. 5 (B)), and as it moves onto the second fixed guide (4), it is completely bent toward the rear. It is folded (see FIG. 5(C)). Thereafter, until the box (76) and the article (82) are completely placed on the second fixed guide (4), the first container support guide (8) holds the article (82) at the same position. After preventing the fall, move back toward the first fixed guide (2) and move to the next box (7).
6) to support the article (82) within.

Note that the upstream end (4a) of the second fixed guide (4) is connected to the first
When folded downward as shown in the figure, the front flap (7
6a) can be smoothly transferred onto the second fixed guide (4).

Next, folding of the rear flap (76b) will be explained with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. While the box body (76) moves forward on the second fixed guide (4), the rear flap folding guide (1
0) is the fluff (17) after the box body (176) one space ahead.
6b), then move forward to fold in the flap (178
After folding b), it stops at the position shown in FIG. 1 (the most advanced position on the downstream side) to support the advancing box body (76) (see FIG. 7(A)).

As the box body (76) moves on the rear flap folding guide (10) and approaches the third fixed guide (6), the second container support guide (12) retreats from the front and its upstream end is positioned between the downstream ends of the rear flap folding guide (10) (see FIG. 7(B)).

Thereafter, the rear flap folding guide (10) and the second container support guide (12) both retreat to the upstream side, and the box body (76), which continues to move forward, gradually moves back to the second container support guide (12).
12) Climb onto the top (see Figure 7(C)).

The articles inside the box (76) are connected to the second container support guide (12).
When the second container support guide (12) is completely supported by the box (76), the second container support guide (12) starts moving forward at almost the same speed as the box (76). ) to prevent objects from falling (see Figures 7(E) and 6(A)).

While the box body (76) and the second container support guide (12) are gradually moving forward, the rear flap folding guide (10) is stopped at the most retracted position toward the upstream side, and the rear flap (76b)
) comes off from above the rear flap folding guide (lO) (see FIG. 6(B)) and hangs downward (see FIG. 7(F)).

After that, the rear flap folding guide (10) is inserted into the box body (76
), and catches up with the rear flap (78b) of the box body (76) and bends it forward (see Fig. 7 (G)).

The rear flap (78b) is folded forward.
It is folded onto the surface of the third fixed guide (6) (Fig. 7 (
H) and FIG. 6(C)), while the rear flap (76b) is folded in, the second container support guide (see FIG.
12) moves forward at a faster speed than the box (76) and pulls out forward so as not to be caught between the bottom of the box (76) and the rear flap (78b).

In this way, when the rear flap folding guide (10) reaches the most advanced position and the rear flap (75b) is folded in, the next box is moved from the second fixed guide to the rear flap folding guide (10) as described above. The 7th
Return to the state shown in Figure (A) and repeat the same operation.

In addition, both side flaps (76c) at the bottom of the box body (76).

(76d) and each upper flap can be folded in using a guide as shown in FIG. 4 or other conventionally known means.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As described above, according to the present invention, the front flap is folded by moving the box while supporting the article inside the box by the movable support guide, so the front flap can be folded in without stopping the box and the article. can be done.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

1 to 3 show a front flap folding device at the bottom of a box body according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1 is a plan view, and FIG.
The figure is a side view, FIG. 3 is a plan view showing the connection relationship of the driving part of the rear flap folding device, FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the entire device, and FIG.
Figures (A) to (C) are perspective views from below illustrating the operation of the front flap folding device, and Figures 6 (A) to (C) are perspective views from below illustrating the operation of the rear flap folding device. FIGS. 7(A) to 7(H) are explanatory diagrams sequentially illustrating the operation of the rear flap folding device. (2)...Fixed guide (first fixed guide), (4)
...Bending guide (second fixed guide), (8)...
- Support guide (first container support guide).

Claims (1)

[Claims] a fixed guide that supports the bottom surface of the box body in which the article is stored;
A bending guide is arranged downstream of the fixed guide with a gap and can be engaged with the front flap at the bottom of the box, and a moving mechanism that moves the box from the fixed guide to the bending guide allows for reciprocating movement. 1. A front flap folding device for a bottom of a box body, comprising: a support guide configured to support a lower surface of an article inside the box moving from a fixed guide to a folding guide;