KR100662928B1 - Carton erecting mechanism - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to an apparatus for sequentially operating a folded carton having a panel disposed opposite from a hopper unit to initiate its formulation, the apparatus connecting one of the opposed panels in turn and comprising the one panel from the hopper unit. Carton pickup means for taking out the folded carton and means for transferring the carton from the hopper to the transport end of the packaging device orbiting about the rotatable axis, the panel gripping means in the direction away from the carton pickup means Another of the opposed panels is gripped to grasp another panel to initiate unfolding of the carton, the panel gripping means being installed on a guide rail and a transverse carriage moving in a first plane along the guide rail.

Description

Carton Sizing Device {CARTON ERECTING MECHANISM}             

The present invention relates to the packaging of main goods such as cans or bottles in a number of packed cartons, etc. In particular, such cartons are fed from the hopper unit in a folded state to continuously start assembly of the cartons and finish them. It's about doing.

Many of the known packaging machines are dedicated devices for assembling only one type of one size carton. As a result, current planting plants are required to pack different types of cartons using multiple devices, each of which has significant occupied space and is costly to both purchase and operation.

Only a limited number of devices can pack different size cartons, for example six, eight or twelve packs of a wraparound carton. All these devices need to be adjusted to change the carton from one size or type to another. This adjustment includes the manual removal of all cartons inside the device, and optionally the mechanical adjustment of the components of the device. This change can take up to 30 minutes or longer, and the equipment is not available (known as “downtown”), which causes costly delays in bottle feed facilities. This delay can cause halt in the entire bottle line as well as the device if multiple problems occur during the change period.

The present invention seeks to solve the disadvantages of the presently known devices by providing a feeder that can assemble one or more types of cartons. In addition, the present invention can change from one carton type to another, or change the size of the carton with minimal downtime. The present invention allows the fabrication of an “a fully flexible” device whose features overcome or at least alleviate the problems of the presently known devices.

The present invention can be used in the apparatus described in the related application (Application No. D-7725, National Application No. 2000-7002951). The present invention may be used for various other types of devices. Alternatively, the erecting mechanism of the present invention can be sold in separate modules to be fitted with new equipment or to be retrofitted with existing equipment.

British patent UK 2053133 relates to a device for moving / storing blanks, establishing and conveying blanks in a fixed containment warehouse. The device includes a transfer member mounted in four point linkages and disposed in an rotary carrier that is adjusted by a can. In order to facilitate the movement of the blank during rotation, the conveying members stop. During the transfer of the established blank to the transfer device, a section members are moved simultaneously with the transfer device.

U. S. Patent No. 4625575 relates to a can assembly for a feed mechanism provided with a can plate having a continuous can track comprising a deep section and a shallow can trap section. Can track follow arm Used for relative movement in deeper and shallower can tracks. The pickup means is connected to the can arm by an eccentric arm, and the can track moves the pickup means to the outer extended position and returns to the inner receiving position.

International application WO 92/15450 relates to a carton sizing device having a suction device by taking out a folded carton in a warehouse. The suction device moves inward and outward on the sliding rod as it moves along the orbit around the central axis of rotation. An oscillating gripper mounted outside the orbit of the suction device grips outwards on the outer panel of the folded carton to open it.

These references in the prior art basically relate to carton pick-up means and do not solve the problems associated with establishing a carton from a flat state. The present invention is directed to solving the problems associated with separating opposite panels of different cartons after being stored in a flat state.

Accordingly, the present invention is intended to overcome or at least mitigate the problems of the prior art.

One aspect of the invention provides an apparatus for initiating sizing by sequentially adjusting a folded carton having opposing panels from a hopper unit, the apparatus in turn grasping one of the opposing panels and from the hopper unit Carton pick-up means for taking out the folded carton comprising the one panel and means for conveying the carton along an orbit about an axis rotatable from the hopper unit to the supply end of the packaging device, the panel holding means being a carton pick-up Disposed outside the raceway path for gripping the other of the opposing panels to grip the other panel in a direction away from the means to initiate the opening of the carton, the panel gripping means being first along the guide rail and the guide rail; It is installed on a transverse carriage that is movable in plane.

According to another aspect of the invention, the panel gripping means can be moved in the first plane by a linear servo motor.

According to still another aspect of the invention, the panel gripping means may be installed in the slide member substantially perpendicular to the guide rail, the slide member being movable relative to the guide rail, thereby holding the panel The means are movable in two planes.

According to another feature of another aspect of the invention, the panel gripping means is moved in a second plane by a linear servo motor.

According to another feature of another aspect of the present invention, the control means may be configured to control the movement of the panel gripping means.

According to another feature of another aspect of the invention, the panel gripping means comprises a suction cup and a cup holder mounted on the slide member, the suction cup being connected to a vacuum supply while opening the carton.

According to another aspect of the invention, the face contact panel may comprise an opposite side panel of a carton.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a supply unit of a packaging device showing a bag feeder mechanism of an embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective view from the opposite side of the packaging device shown in Figure 1,

3 is an enlarged perspective view of the back feeder mechanism shown in FIG. 1;

4 to 6 are perspective views showing the bag feeder mechanism for separating the facing panels of the carton,

7A, 7B and 7C are side views of a basket in basket form, a fully enclosed carton for eight bottles, a fully enclosed carton for twelve bottles,

FIG. 8 is four graphs showing an example of the derivative of the distance, velocity, acceleration and acceleration over time of a linear servo motor controlling the X coordinate of the suction cup;

9 is four graphs showing an example of the derivative of the distance, velocity, acceleration and acceleration with respect to time of the linear servomotor controlling the Y coordinate of the suction cup.

The mechanism according to the invention can establish various carton forms such as, for example, wraparound, fully enclosed and basket type cartons. Reference herein to carton forms includes specific carton styles of different sizes. For example, the mechanism can load a fully enclosed carton for eight or twelve articles.

1 and 2 of the drawings, there is shown a carton sizing device 10 for processing a carton of the type described above. The upstream end of the device comprises a hopper unit 12, 14 in which a plurality of cartons are stored for processing, for example in the folded basket form and the fully enclosed cartons 16, 18. In this embodiment, each hopper unit 12, 14 is in the form of a gravity feed, and the carton blank is held in each inclined hopper unit to provide a reliable supply.

A rotary vacuum feeder 20, which is installed adjacent to the hopper units 12 and 14, sequentially takes out the cartons from the hopper unit, and paper feeds the cartons in the rotation path " Z " Feed in a chain (22, a paper feed chain). The paper supply chain 22 is installed for transporting the carton to a downstream loading station 24.

When the carton is withdrawn from the hopper unit 12 and rotated by the rotary vacuum feeder 20, a back feeder mechanism 30 separates the opposing panel and partially assists in establishing the carton. Used to give In the embodiment shown in the figure, the carton conveyed by the rotary vacuum supply is a fully enclosed carton in a flat folded state as shown in FIG. 7B.

In order to transport the carton from the inclined positions of the hopper units 12, 14 to the vertical plane of the paper supply chain 22, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the axis of rotation of the rotary vacuum feeder 20 is rotated from the vertical plane. You need to offset it. Thus, the back feeder mechanism 30 must also be offset tangentially to the orbit path of the carton.

Returning to the configuration of the back feeder mechanism 30 shown in FIG. 3, it includes a suitable engagement means for gripping one or more carton panels. In this embodiment, the gripping means comprises a suction cup 32 supported by a cup holder 34 mounted on a slide member 36. Appropriate means are provided for moving the gripping means in the "X (second plane)" and / or "Y (first plane)" directions. For example, the slide member 36 may be installed on a transverse carriage 38 and moved in the direction indicated by the letter X (second plane) with respect to the transverse carriage. The cross carriage 38 is preferably connected to a guide rail 39 which is fixed to a support frame (not shown). The transverse carriage is configured to move the suction cup and the slide member in the direction indicated by the letter Y (first plane) with respect to the guide rail 39. Thus, the suction cup 32 can move toward or away from the rotary vacuum feeder 20, or can move in a direction parallel to the orbit path Z of the carton. If necessary, a slide limiting member may be included at the end of the slide member and / or the guide rail.

It is clear that alternative components or shapes can be used to install an assembly that can move in the X-Y direction.

The slide member 36 is moved by first drive means such as, for example, a first linear servomotor (not shown) controlled by a suitable control system, and the transverse carriage 38 is also controlled by the control system, for example. Is moved by second drive means such as a second linear servo motor (not shown) controlled by the < RTI ID = 0.0 > In some embodiments, the control system is programmed to pre-set the appropriate X-Y coordinates, to define the path of the suction cup. The control means may be control means for a packaging device in which a dedicated processor or bag feeder mechanism is used. Alternatively, the control means is preferably a known programmable servo control system. Manual input means may be included to change certain "X" or "Y" coordinates. More details on one type of control system are described in the related application (Application No. D-7725, Domestic Application No. 2000-7002951).

In use, the back feeder mechanism 30 separates one of the carton panels 40 from the opposing panel 42 held by the rotary vacuum supply 20. In this embodiment, the opposing panels used are the side panels 40, 42. When the rotary vacuum feeder 20 transports the carton, the suction cup 32 of the back feeder mechanism 30 comes in contact with the side panel 40 of the folded carton 18 as shown in FIG. Is moved. The contact position is preferably at the central part of the wall which is approximately separated. Vacuum is applied to the suction cup 32 to hold the side panel 40. As the rotary vacuum supply 20 continues to rotate the carton forward, the suction cup 32 of the back feeder mechanism is spaced apart from the rotary vacuum supply 20 to separate the two side panels as shown in FIG. Move it to work. In this embodiment, a leading pair of suction cups of the rotary vacuum supply release a leading end panel 46. Thus, the carton is folded with the side walls and ends separated and partially upright. Then, the vacuum supply of the back feeder mechanism is cut off, and the carton is released from the back feeder shown in FIG.

While it is desirable to use a suction cup to hold one of the panels, some embodiments may use alternative components, for example mechanical connecting means.

The carton 18 continues to move along the orbital path until it contacts the paper supply chain 22. In particular, a leading edge 48 of the carton is adjacent to a leading lug 50 of the paper supply chain 22. The front lug 50 is spaced apart from the suction cups 44 and 52 of the rotary vacuum feeder 20 to guide the front edge 48, whereby the front end panel 54 and the side are substantially vertical. The panel 40 is disposed. At the same time, the rear lug 56 moves in contact with the rear end panel 58 to help complete the formulation. Thereafter, the suction cups 44 and 52 of the rotary vacuum supply 20 release the carton and continue to move in the "Z" direction, and the carton 30 is moved downstream by the paper supply chain to the loading station 60. Is moved to.

As described above, the preferred “pick up” position 62 of the suction cup of the back feeder mechanism shown in FIG. 7 is located approximately in the center of the side panel of the carton. However, this position may vary depending on the shape of the carton, and in particular depending on the size of the side panels and end panels for each carton type and for different carton sizes. Examples of these positions applied to a basket shaped carton and a larger size fully enclosed carton are shown in FIGS. 7A and 7C. Likewise, the path of the suction cup separating the two panels will also vary depending on the particular carton type being established. It is contemplated that the suction cup can follow a fluctuating path similar to that disclosed in WO 92/15450. Alternatively, a rotary path may be used for some cartons. The advantage of the back feeder mechanism described above lies in the flexibility provided by the system. Therefore, the position of the suction cup 32 of the back feeder mechanism may be moved to a predetermined position, or any path may be adopted as long as the stop member restricts the end movement of the slide member 36 or the guide rail 39. Thus, the back feeder mechanism can be programmed to move the path to a follow-up and / or pick-up position for a particular carton type, the path and position being variable depending on the carton type. An embodiment of the speed and acceleration of a linear servo motor controlling the path of the suction cup, the X direction (second plane) and the Y (first plane) direction of the suction cup when constructing a fully enclosed carton is shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Is shown.

By preprogramming the control system, the position and path of the suction cup 32 can be preset, thus reducing the amount of down time when switching carton form or style. According to the invention, not only the operating speed of the device is improved, but also the efficiency and durability are improved.

While the preferred embodiment described herein is for loading bottles in a carton, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to a combination carton. The present invention can also be used for packaging cans, cardboard “bricks” and other containers into cartons.

Moreover, although the preferred embodiment described herein is shown as part of an apparatus for loading a container in a vertically stacked sleeved carton, the invention is not limited to this type of carton. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the present invention may be used in wraparound or end loaded cartons.

The back feeder mechanism of the present invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments, and it will be appreciated that various modifications are possible within the scope of the present invention. This back feeder mechanism does not take much time to adjust the mechanism and involves various configurations of groups of articles containing a range of carton sizes and shapes such as, for example, four, six, eight and twelve bottles. Can process carton.

Claims (9)

In the carton sizing device 10 for starting the sizing by sequentially adjusting the folded cartons 16, 18 having panels disposed opposite from the hopper units 12, 14, The cartoning device in turn grasps one of the opposingly arranged panels, and on the rotary shaft rotatable from the hopper unit to the feed end of the packaging device and carton pick-up means for taking out the folded carton comprising the one panel from the hopper unit. Means for transporting the carton along an orbital path relative to the The panel gripping means is arranged outside the track path for gripping the other of the opposing panels to grasp the other panel in the direction away from the carton pick-up means to initiate the opening of the carton, the panel gripping means being guide rails 39 And a transverse carrier 38 which is movable in a first plane Y along the guide rail. The method of claim 1, And the panel gripping means is moved in the first plane (Y) by a linear servo motor. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The panel gripping means is installed on the slide member 36 in a state perpendicular to the guide rail 39, and the slide member is movable with respect to the guide rail, so that the panel gripping means has a first and second plane (X, Carton sizing device characterized in that moving within Y). The method of claim 3, wherein And the panel gripping means is moved in a second plane (X) by a linear servo motor. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Carton sizing apparatus characterized in that the control means for controlling the movement of the panel holding means. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Carton sizing apparatus characterized in that the control means controls the position, speed and acceleration of the panel holding means. The method according to claim 1 or 2, Carton setting device characterized in that the control means has a receiving means for receiving information about the speed of the carton in the trajectory path transfer. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The panel gripping means comprises a suction cup 32 and a cup holder 34 mounted on the slide member 36, the suction cup being connected to a rotary vacuum supply 20 during the carton opening. Carton Sizing Device The method according to claim 1 or 2, And wherein the opposite side panels of the carton are in contact with each other.

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