JPH0320241Y2 - - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] "Industrial Application Field" The present invention relates to a flap folding device for folding a flap portion.

``Prior art'' Conventionally, boxes have been formed by folding each part of a blank sheet, and when folding, the inside part of the box is usually placed before the outside part. It is folded. For example, the flap portion, which serves as the glue margin, is bent before the side wall portions constituting the box body, so that it is not exposed to the outside of the box.

``Problem to be solved by the invention'' However, for example, the flap part, which serves as a glue margin that is continuous with the part that becomes the lid of the box, is usually closed after the product is stored inside the box body, so the box The main body was first formed and then bent, so that the flap portion was exposed to the outside of the box main body.

It has also been done to prevent the flap from being exposed to the outside by inserting it into the pre-assembled box body at a required distance (Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 53-36385
In particular, in the case of a blank sheet made of a thin material, the insertion operation of the flap portion becomes unstable, and insertion failures are likely to occur. Particularly when the flap is used as a glue margin, the glue overflows to the outside when the flap is inserted, resulting in poor adhesion and poor appearance.

In view of such circumstances, the present invention provides a flap folding device that can smoothly and reliably fold a flap portion into a box body even after the box body is formed.

``Means for Solving the Problems'' That is, the present invention has a side wall portion that is continuous to the box body at one end and a free end at the other end, and a side wall portion that is continuous to the box body and overlaps the free end portion of the side wall portion. a conveyor for conveying boxes, and a flap portion for conveying boxes;
A flap folding device is provided with a flap folding mechanism that is operated in synchronization with the conveyor and folds the flap portion of the box so as to overlap the free end portion of the side wall portion. A supporting member is provided for supporting the side wall, and the supporting member is movable between a holding position in which the free end of the side wall portion is brought close to the box body and an open position in which the free end of the side wall portion is separated from the box body. Further, a cam is provided on the machine frame of the flap folding device to engage with a cam follower provided on the support member to move the support member between the holding position and the release position, and furthermore, the flap folding mechanism is connected to the support member. A member is arranged in a position to open the free end of the side wall, and the flap folding mechanism folds the flap between the box body and the side wall in the open position.

"Operation" According to the above structure, when the flap part of the box is bent by the flap bending mechanism so as to overlap the free end part of the side wall part, the support member is held by the cam and the cam follower. Since it has been moved from the position to the open position, the free end of the side wall supported by the support member is also in the open state due to the elasticity of the connection part with the box body.

In this state, if the flap part is bent by the flap bending mechanism, the flap part will be folded between the box body and the side wall part in the open position, and then the flap part will be folded into the cam and cam follower. Therefore, by moving the support member from the open position to the holding position and bringing the free end of the side wall portion closer to the box body, the flap portion can be held between the box body and the free end of the side wall portion.

"Example" The present invention will be explained below with reference to the illustrated example.
In FIG. 1, 1 is a box in the process of being bent and formed from a blank sheet, and this box 1 has a bottom 2, side walls 3 and 4 extending upward from both sides of the bottom 2, and one side wall 3. A lid portion 5 extending from the upper end
and a flap part 6 continuous to the tip of this lid part 5.
and two other side walls and glue margins (not shown). Therefore, one side wall portion 4 is
Its lower end is continuous with the box main body 7 comprising the bottom 2, side walls 3, 4, etc., and its upper end is a free end and can swing around the lower end. Note that a container 8 as a product is already housed in the box body 7.

Reference numeral 10 denotes a conveyor for conveying the boxes 1, and as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, this conveyor 1
0 is three endless chains 1 each arranged in parallel.
1, 12, 13, each chain 11, 1
2 and 13 are guide rails 14, 15, and 1, respectively.
6, and are designed to run at the same speed.

A support member 17 for supporting the front side wall 3 of the box 1 in the conveyance direction is attached to the center chain 12, and a supporting member 17 is attached to the chains 11 and 13 on both sides so as to straddle both chains. Side wall portion 4 on the rear side in the conveyance direction
A support member 18 is attached to support the (see Fig. 1). The front support member 17 is the bracket 1
The rear support member 18 is swingably supported on a shaft 21 attached to both chains 11 and 13 via brackets 20.

A cam 26 is fixed to the machine frame 25 of the flap folding device, and a cam follower 27 provided on the rear support member 18 is engaged with the cam 26. This cam 26 has a recess 28 at a predetermined position as shown in FIG.
When the support member 18 is engaged with the cam 26 at a position other than the recess 28, the support member 18 stands up parallel to the front support member 17, and both support members 1
7 and 18 sandwich the box body 7, and the cam follower 27
When it engages with the recess 28, it swings clockwise in FIG. 1 to separate its upper end from the box body 7. When the upper end of the support member 18 is separated from the box body 7, the upper free end of the side wall 4 can be opened by swinging in the same direction as the support member 18 by the elasticity of the lower end connection part. ing.

Furthermore, a bending guide 30 is provided above the conveyor 10 to bend the lid 5 extending upward from the front side wall 3 as the conveyor 10 conveys the box 1. At the position where the recessed portion 28 is formed, there is a flap folding mechanism that operates a folding member 31 in synchronization with the conveyor 10 at a position that does not interfere with the folding guide 30, and folds the flap portion 6 when the folding member 31 is lowered. There are 32. This flap folding mechanism 3
2 includes a pair of gears 33 and 34, an idle gear 35 that interlocks both gears, and an operating member 36 that is pivotally connected to both gears 33 and 34 and faces downward, and the lower end of the operating member 36. The above bending member 3
1 is installed. The bending member 31 is composed of an L-shaped cross section whose rear end protrudes downward, and the flap part 6 extending horizontally backward from the lid part 5 can be bent downward at the L-shaped part. It's getting old.

In the above configuration, under normal conditions, the box body 7
The front and rear side walls 3 and 4 are a pair of supporting members 1
7 and 18, and when the box body 7 passes under the bending guide 30, the lid part 5 is bent horizontally, so that the flap part 6 also extends horizontally backward. become.

From this state, the cam follower 27 moves into the recess 28.
When engaged, the support member 18 swings clockwise in FIG. 1 as described above, and the upper free end of the side wall 4 also swings in the same direction, opening its upper portion. In this state, the actuating member 36 interlocked with the pair of gears 33 and 34 of the flap folding mechanism 32 moves the folding member 31 forward and lowers it, and the L-shaped portion of the folding member 31 moves away from the lid part 5. The flap portion 6 extending horizontally rearward is bent downward.

When the flap portion 6 is bent downward, the cam follower 27 comes to separate from the recess 28 of the cam 26, and when the side wall portion 4 approaches the box body 7 by the support member 18, the bending member 31 is raised. It is separated from the lid part 5 and the flap part 6.
At this moment, the flap part 6 is prevented from freely swinging in the counterclockwise direction in FIG. Becomes caught between.

Note that the flap folding mechanism 32 is not limited to that of the above-mentioned embodiment, and may have other configurations, such as attaching the folding member 31 to an endless chain movably provided on the upper part of the conveyor 10. A part of the endless chain may be made to run along a guide rail projecting downward, thereby causing the bending member to descend toward the box body 7.

``Effect of the invention'' As described above, in the present invention, after the flap part is folded between the side wall part in the open position and the box body, the free end of the side wall part is brought close to the box body, and the flap part is folded between the two. Since the flap part is held in place, even if the flap part is made of a thin material, it is possible to fold the flap part smoothly and reliably.

In addition, even when the above-mentioned flap part is used as a glue margin, the glue does not overflow to the outside when folding the flap part and cause poor adhesion or deteriorate the appearance, unlike in the conventional case. Adhesion can be performed and the appearance of the box can be maintained in a good condition.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a schematic side view showing an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a portion of FIG. 1 that is different from FIG. 2. DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Box, 3, 4... Side wall part, 6... Flap part, 7... Box body, 10... Conveyor, 1
7, 18...Support member, 21...Shaft, 25...Machine frame, 26...Cam, 27...Cam follower, 28
... recess, 31 ... bending member, 32 ... bending mechanism.

Claims (1)

[Claims for Utility Model Registration] A side wall portion whose one end is continuous with the box body and whose other end is a free end, and a flap portion which is continuous with the box body and overlaps with the free end portion of the side wall portion. a flap folding device comprising: a conveyor for conveying a box having a box; and a flap folding mechanism operated in synchronization with the conveyor for folding a flap portion of the box so as to overlap a free end portion of the side wall portion. A support member for supporting the side wall portion is provided on the conveyor, and the support member is held at a holding position in which the free end of the side wall portion is brought close to the box body, and the free end of the side wall portion is separated from the box body. a cam that engages with a cam follower provided on the support member to move the support member between the holding position and the open position; Further, the flap folding mechanism is arranged at a position where the supporting member opens the free end of the side wall, and the flap folding mechanism folds the flap between the box body and the side wall in the open position. Features a flap folding device.