Positioning mechanism of cardboard material

Abstract

To provide a positioning mechanism which is provided in a box making device of a cardboard box and can position a cardboard material folded in a flat plate shape preferably so as to easily expand into a rectangular cylindrical three-dimensional shape.SOLUTION: A positioning mechanism of a cardboard material is constituted by including a lower end guide part 11 extended and arranged in a direction X of a first axis, a side face fixing guide plate 12 arranged on one side and a side end part moving guide plate 13 arranged on the other side facing each other in the direction X of the first axis, and a front side lower guide plate 14 and a front side upper guide plate 15 arranged on one side and a back side moving guide plate 16 arranged on the other side facing each other in a direction Y of a second axis in an area above the lower end guide part 11. A flat plate-shaped cardboard material 50 expanded into a rectangular cylindrical shape by an expansion mechanism 30 is supplied so that a lower end edge part is placed on the lower end guide part 11 to be positioned.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a cardboard material positioning mechanism, a cardboard material unfolding mechanism, a cardboard material positioning method, and a cardboard material unfolding method, which are provided in a cardboard box making device that makes cardboard boxes. [Background technology]

[0002] As a box making device for making a hexahedral cardboard box having, for example, a pair of front and rear front parts and a pair of left and right side parts from a cardboard material folded into a flat plate shape, a device using a robot preferably having two arms has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2). In these box making devices, the end effectors of the two arms of the robot are each equipped with a suction part, and the movement of the arms and the end effector is finely controlled while these suction parts suck and hold a predetermined part of the cardboard material folded into a flat plate shape, and release the suction, so that the cardboard material is unfolded into a three-dimensional shape, preferably a rectangular cylinder. The cardboard material unfolded into a three-dimensional shape, preferably a rectangular cylinder, is sent to a subsequent process to make a cardboard box, preferably a hexahedral shape, where a bottom part is formed, contents are accommodated inside, and the top part is closed (see FIG. 4). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2013-86837 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2017-119411 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the above-mentioned conventional box making device, when the cardboard material is unfolded into, for example, a rectangular cylindrical three-dimensional shape, if the control of the movement of the robot arm and end effector becomes complicated, the operation takes time and it becomes difficult to unfold smoothly, and when the size or shape of the target cardboard material is changed, it requires a lot of time to set up the device itself and to change the control of the movement of the robot arm and end effector. For these reasons, there is a demand for the development of technology that can unfold cardboard material into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape more simply and smoothly.

[0005] On the other hand, in order to enable cardboard material to be smoothly unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape in a box-making device, it is thought that it will be possible to unfold it more easily and efficiently by positioning the cardboard material folded into a flat shape in a predetermined position to make it easier to unfold.

[0006] The present invention relates to a cardboard material positioning mechanism, a cardboard material unfolding mechanism, a cardboard material positioning method, and a cardboard material unfolding method that are provided in a box-making device that makes cardboard boxes and that efficiently position cardboard material folded into a flat shape by guiding it, thereby enabling the cardboard material to be unfolded more easily and smoothly into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The present invention is a cardboard material positioning mechanism that is provided in a box-making device that makes cardboard boxes having a pair of front portions and a pair of side portions, and positions each piece of cardboard material folded into a flat plate shape, including the front portion, whose orientation remains the same, and the side portions, whose orientation changes, between a state where the cardboard material is folded into a flat plate shape and a state where the cardboard material is unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape, so that the cardboard material can be unfolded by an unfolding mechanism. The left-right direction in which the pair of side portions of the unfolded cardboard material face each other is the direction of a first axis, the front-to-back direction in which the pair of front portions face each other is the direction of a second axis, and the up-down direction perpendicular to the first and second axes is the direction of a third axis, and the cardboard material positioning mechanism includes a lower end guide portion extended in the direction of the first axis, a side fixed guide plate arranged on one side opposing the first axis direction and a side end moving guide plate arranged on the other side, a front side lower guide plate and a front side upper guide plate arranged on one side opposing the second axis direction in an area above the lower end guide portion, and a back side moving guide plate arranged on the other side. The flat cardboard material is supplied one by one so that its lower edge is placed on the lower end guide portion, and the side end moving guide plate moves back and forth in the direction of the first axis to sandwich the cardboard material between it and the side fixed guide plate in the left-right direction, thereby positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the first axis, and the rear side moving guide plate moves back and forth in the direction of the second axis to sandwich the cardboard material between it and the front side lower guide plate in the front-to-back direction, thereby positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the second axis, and after the cardboard material has been positioned in the directions of the first axis and the second axis, the front side lower guide plate retracts below the lower end of the positioned cardboard material, and the front side upper guide plate retracts above the upper end of the positioned cardboard material.

[0008] The present invention also provides an unfolding mechanism for use in a box making machine provided with the above-mentioned cardboard material positioning mechanism, the unfolding mechanism including: a first surface holding part that detachably contacts the rear surface side front surface part of the cardboard material and holds the rear surface side front surface part in a positioned position, with the front surface part of the cardboard material on the front side lower guide plate side as a front surface side front surface part and the front surface part on the rear side moving guide plate side as a rear surface side front surface part, when the cardboard material is positioned by the positioning mechanism; and a second surface holding part that detachably contacts the front surface part of the front side of the cardboard material and holds the front surface side front surface part. The second surface holding part moves along a circular arc-shaped track in a top view while holding the front surface side front surface part, thereby moving the front surface side front surface part from the positioned position to a position where the front surface side front surface part is disposed perpendicular to the pair of side surface parts, thereby unfolding the cardboard material into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape.

[0009] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for positioning cardboard material using the above-mentioned cardboard material positioning mechanism, comprising the steps of: placing the lower edge of the cardboard material on the lower end guide portion and supplying the cardboard material to an area surrounded on all four sides by the side fixed guide plate and the side end moving guide plate which face each other in the direction of the first axis, and the front side lower guide plate and the rear side moving guide plate which face each other in the direction of the second axis; moving the side end moving guide plate to sandwich the cardboard material between the side fixed guide plate and the cardboard material, thereby positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the first axis; and moving the rear side moving guide plate to sandwich the lower end portion of the cardboard material between the front side lower guide plate and the cardboard material, thereby positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the second axis.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention provides a method for spreading out cardboard material using the spreading mechanism for cardboard material described above, comprising the steps of: bringing the first surface holding part into contact with a front part on a rear side of the cardboard material in a state in which the cardboard material has been positioned by the positioning mechanism, thereby holding the front part on the rear side at the positioned position; and retracting the front side lower guide plate of the positioning mechanism below the positioned cardboard material and retracting the front side upper guide plate above the positioned cardboard material, thereby forming the positioned cardboard material into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape. The method includes the steps of: preventing these guide plates from interfering with the cardboard material when the cardboard material is unfolded; bringing the second surface holding portion into contact with a front portion of the front side of the cardboard material to hold the front portion of the front side; and moving the second surface holding portion holding the front portion of the front side of the cardboard material along an arc-shaped trajectory when viewed from above, thereby moving the front portion of the front side from a positioned position to a position where the front portion of the front side is arranged perpendicular to the pair of side portions, thereby unfolding the cardboard material into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the cardboard material positioning mechanism, or cardboard material unfolding mechanism, or cardboard material positioning method, or cardboard material unfolding method of the present invention, by guiding cardboard material folded into a flat plate shape, it is possible to easily and smoothly unfold the cardboard material into a three-dimensional cylindrical shape by efficiently positioning it so that it is easy to unfold. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1(a) is a perspective view seen from the front side, illustrating a cardboard material positioning mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 1(b) is a perspective view seen from the rear side. [Diagram 2]FIG. 2(a) is a perspective view from the front side illustrating the cardboard material positioning mechanism according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, with the cardboard sheet supplied, and FIG. 2(b) is a perspective view from the rear side. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which a cardboard material folded into a flat plate shape is unfolded into a rectangular tubular three-dimensional shape. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a state in which the bottom part of a cardboard box is formed from cardboard material that has been developed into a three-dimensional rectangular tubular shape. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a perspective view illustrating a process of positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the first axis. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram of the positional relationship between the lower end guide portion, the side fixed guide plate, and the side end moving guide plate. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustrating a process of positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the second axis. [Figure 8] 8(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process for positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the second axis. [Figure 9] 9(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the process of holding the positioned cardboard material by the surface holding parts and retracting the front lower guide plate and the front upper guide plate. [Figure 10] 10(a) to 10(c) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating the process of developing a cardboard material into a three-dimensional rectangular tubular shape. [Figure 11] 11(a) and (b) are schematic cross-sectional views illustrating a process of transferring the cardboard material to the next process while maintaining its rectangular tubular three-dimensional shape. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a perspective view illustrating a first surface holding part constituting the deployment mechanism. [Figure 13] 13(a) and (b) are top views illustrating a state in which the front portion on the rear side is held by the first surface holding portion. [Figure 14]13 is a perspective view illustrating a second surface holding part constituting the deployment mechanism. FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is a perspective view illustrating a third surface holding part constituting the deployment mechanism. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] A cardboard material positioning mechanism 10 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention shown in Figs. 1(a) and (b) is provided as a component of a box making device for making cardboard boxes, preferably hexahedral, and is used as a mechanism for positioning cardboard material 50 folded into a flat plate shape so that it can be smoothly unfolded by an unfolding mechanism 30 having surface holding parts 31 and 32 (see Figs. 10(a) to (c)) described later when unfolding the cardboard material 50 into a three-dimensional rectangular tube shape (see Fig. 3) (see Figs. 2(a) and (b)). The positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment has a function of efficiently positioning each of the cardboard materials 50 (see Figs. 2(a) and (b)), which are supplied one by one in a standing state in a predetermined position, preferably by operation by a robot arm or manually, while guiding them to a predetermined position so that they can be unfolded by the unfolding mechanism 30 described later, and making it possible to unfold the cardboard material 50 folded into a flat plate shape more easily and smoothly into a three-dimensional rectangular tube shape.

[0014] The cardboard material positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment is provided in a box-making device that makes cardboard boxes, preferably hexahedral in shape, having a pair of front portions 51a, 51b and a pair of side portions 52a, 52b (see Figure 4), and is a mechanism that positions each of the cardboard materials 50 (see Figure 3) folded into a flat shape, including the front portions 51a, 51b which remain oriented in the same way and the side portions 52a, 52b which can change orientation, so that they can be unfolded by the unfolding mechanism 30 when folded into a flat shape and when unfolded into a three-dimensional shape, preferably a rectangular cylinder. The left-right direction in which a pair of side portions 52a, 52b of the unfolded cardboard material 50 face each other is the direction X of the first axis (see Figure 4), the front-to-back direction in which a pair of front portions 51a, 51b face each other is the direction Y of the second axis (see Figure 4), and the up-down direction perpendicular to the first and second axes is the direction Z of the third axis (see Figure 4). As shown in Figures 1(a) and (b) and Figures 2(a) and (b), the cardboard material positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment has a lower end guide section 11 extending in the direction X of the first axis. A side fixed guide plate 12 is arranged on one opposing side in the direction X of the first axis, and a side end moving guide plate 13 is arranged on the other side. In a region above the lower end guide section 11, a front side lower guide plate 14 and a front side upper guide plate 15 are arranged on one opposing side in the direction Y of the second axis, and a rear side moving guide plate 16 is arranged on the other side. In the cardboard material positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment, flat cardboard material 50 is supplied one by one, and the lower end edge is placed on the lower end guide section 11 (see Figures 2(a) and (b)). In this embodiment, the lower edge portion of the cardboard material 50 placed on the lower end guide portion 11 is the lower edge portion of the bottom side first flap 55a and bottom side second flap 55b described below, which are positioned below in the vertical direction (direction Z of the third axis) when the cardboard material 50 is unfolded into a rectangular tubular three-dimensional shape (see Figures 3 and 4).

[0015] The side end moving guide plate 13 advances and retreats in the first axis direction X, thereby sandwiching the cardboard material 50 between itself and the side fixed guide plate 12 in the left-right direction, thereby positioning the cardboard material 50 in the first axis direction X. The back side moving guide plate 16 advances and retreats in the second axis direction Y, thereby sandwiching the cardboard material 50 between itself and the front side lower guide plate 14 in the front-rear direction, thereby positioning the cardboard material 50 in the second axis direction Y. After the cardboard material 50 has been positioned in the first axis direction X and the second axis direction Y, the front side lower guide plate 14 retreats below the lower end of the positioned cardboard material 50, and the front side upper guide plate 15 retreats above the upper end of the positioned cardboard material 50 (see FIG. 9).

[0016] In addition, in this embodiment, the side end moving guide plate 13 is preferably arranged so that its position in the direction Z of the third axis can be adjusted, and the front side upper guide plate 15 is preferably arranged so that its position in the direction Z of the third axis can be adjusted.

[0017] In this embodiment, the cardboard material 50 is preferably capable of forming a so-called A-type (mandarin orange box type) cardboard box, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, in which the front and rear pair of front parts 51a, 51b and the left and right pair of side parts 52a, 52b are connected with four vertical fold lines 53a, and the front part 51a and the side part 52a on one side and the front part 51b and the side part 52b on the other side are folded flat in a pair so as to overlap each other, so that the cardboard material 50 is folded into a flat plate shape. Also, the top side first flap 54a is connected to the upper side of each of the front parts 51a, 51b with the horizontal fold line 53b, and the bottom side first flap 55a is connected to the lower side with the horizontal fold line 53b. The top side second flap 54b is connected to the upper side of each of the side portions 51b and 52b via the horizontal fold line 53b, and the bottom side second flap 55b is connected to the lower side via the horizontal fold line 53b. In the case of cardboard material for forming an A-type cardboard box, the bottom side first flap 55a and the bottom side second flap 55b have different protruding widths from the horizontal fold line 53b, and for example, the protruding width of the bottom side second flap 55b is larger than the protruding width of the bottom side first flap 55a. In such cardboard material, for example, the lower end edge of the bottom side second flap 55b with the larger protruding width becomes the lower end edge placed on the lower end guide portion 11 of the positioning mechanism 10.

[0018] Such a cardboard material 50 is positioned at a predetermined position by the cardboard material positioning mechanism 10 of this embodiment (see Figs. 2(a) and (b)), which includes the lower end guide portion 11, the side fixed guide plate 12 and the side end moving guide plate 13 facing each other in the direction X of the first axis, the front side lower guide plate 14 and the front side upper guide plate 15 arranged on one side facing each other in the direction Y of the second axis, and the back side moving guide plate 16 arranged on the other side facing each other in the direction Y of the second axis, each of which has the above-mentioned configuration. When the cardboard material 50 is unfolded from the positioned state using the unfolding mechanism 30 described later, the cardboard material 50 is unfolded so that the pair of front portions 51a, 51b maintain the same orientation as the direction X of the first axis when positioned, and the pair of side portions 52a, 52b change their orientation from the direction X of the first axis when positioned to the direction Y of the second axis perpendicular thereto, to form a rectangular cylindrical three-dimensional shape (see Figs. 10(a) to (c)).

[0019] In the embodiment, the positioning mechanism 10 having the above-mentioned configuration is provided in a state of being firmly supported by a portal support frame 40 including a pair of column frames 42 erected from a base portion 41 and an upper end beam frame 43 connecting the upper ends of the pair of column frames 42, as shown in Figs. 1(a), (b) and 2(a), (b). In addition, a band-shaped intermediate beam frame 44 is installed between the pair of column frames 42 at the middle portion in the height direction of the portal support frame 40, and is extended in parallel with the upper end beam frame 43. The upper end beam frame 43 and the intermediate beam frame 44 are arranged in a state of being extended along the direction X of the first axis of the unfolded cardboard material 50. The lower end guide portion 11 constituting the positioning mechanism 10 is fixed to the upper surface of the intermediate beam frame 44, and is arranged to be extended in the direction X of the first axis.

[0020] In this embodiment, the lower end guide portion 11 is formed by arranging a plurality of top-shaped unit members 11a having a rectangular cross-sectional shape on the upper surface portion of the intermediate beam frame 44 in a band-shaped shape, with their central axes aligned along the second axis direction Y, and arranging them consecutively at a predetermined interval in the first axis direction X, which is the extension direction of the intermediate beam frame 44. As a result, compared to the case where a flat plate-shaped member is used as the lower end guide portion, the contact length with the lower end edge of the placed cardboard material 50 is reduced, and the sliding resistance is reduced, making it possible to slide the cardboard material 50 more smoothly in the first axis direction X. In order to further reduce the sliding resistance, a low-friction resin material such as MC nylon or Super Mu, which has a low friction coefficient, can be attached to the upper surface portion of the top-shaped unit member 11a, which is the contact surface with the cardboard material 50, or the top-shaped unit member 11a may be made of a low-friction resin material. The lower end guide portion may be a flat plate-shaped member having a low-friction resin material attached to its upper surface or made of a low-friction resin material.

[0021] The side fixed guide plate 12 arranged on one side facing in the direction of the first axis X is made of a plate member made of metal such as stainless steel or synthetic resin, and is supported by one of the pillar frames 42 constituting the gate-shaped support frame 40, and is preferably arranged and fixed vertically with the side abutment surface portion 12b described later facing the direction of the first axis X. The side fixed guide plate 12 preferably has a rectangular front shape, and a rectangular cutout portion 12a is formed on the side edge portion of the area overlapping with one of the pillar frames 42 in the direction X of the first axis. This allows the first surface holding portion 31 of the unfolding mechanism 30 described later to rotate around one of the pillar frames 42. In addition, the portion of the side fixed guide plate 12 other than the cutout portion 12a protrudes beyond the front lower guide plate 14 in the direction Y of the second axis, and forms the side abutment surface portion 12b that abuts one of the side portions 52a of the cardboard material 50 unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape. In addition, the side fixed guide plate 12 only needs to be fixed in a predetermined position opposite the side end moving guide plate 13 at the start of the positioning operation. For example, it may be retracted to another position before the start of the positioning operation, and then moved via a driving mechanism such as a cylinder so that it is fixed in the predetermined position at the start of the positioning operation.

[0022] The side end moving guide plate 13 arranged on the other side facing in the direction X of the first axis is made of a plate member made of metal such as stainless steel or synthetic resin. The side end moving guide plate 13 is attached to the upper end portion of the support plate 13a which is connected to a known first advancing and retreating mechanism 45 installed on the base part 41 of the gate-shaped support frame 40. The support plate 13a which stands from the first advancing and retreating mechanism 45 is positioned off to the side of the lower end guide part 11 (direction Y of the second axis) in a top view, and the side end moving guide plate 13 is provided so as to protrude above the lower end guide part 11 in a top view. This allows the side end moving guide plate 13 to move forward and backward in the direction of the first axis X by driving the first advancing and retreating mechanism 45 (see FIG. 1(b)) without interfering with the lower end guide part 11 and the back side moving guide plate 16 which can be advanced and retreated.

[0023] In this embodiment, the side end moving guide plate 13 has a shape in which the upper part is bent and extended obliquely in the direction opposite to the direction facing the side fixed guide plate 12. This makes it possible to more smoothly guide the cardboard material 50 when it is supplied so that the lower end edge is placed on the lower end guide part 11 at an appropriate position in the direction X of the first axis (see FIG. 6).

[0024] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the side end movement guide plate 13 can be provided so that its position in the third axis direction Z is adjustable, preferably as described above, by making the length of the support plate 13a variable or by making the mounting position relative to the support plate 13a variable. This makes it possible to adjust the height position of the side end movement guide plate 13 in the third axis direction Z in response to multiple types of cardboard materials 50 with different heights in the third axis direction Z, and to smoothly position these cardboard materials 50 in the first axis direction X in a more stable state.

[0025] The front lower guide plate 14 is made of a plate member made of a metal such as stainless steel or a synthetic resin, and is supported by a known second advance / retract mechanism 46 (FIG. 1(a)) installed on the base part 41 of the gate-shaped support frame 40, and is arranged on one side in the second axis direction Y across the lower end guide part 11 in a state in which it can advance and retreat in the up-down direction, which is the direction of the third axis Z. The front lower guide plate 14 has a rectangular front shape that is long horizontally in the first axis direction X, and is arranged on one side across the lower end guide part 11 with its inner surface aligned along the front end faces of the multiple piece-shaped unit members 11a that make up the lower end guide part 11. In the process of positioning the cardboard material 50 described later, the front lower guide plate 14, for example, has its upper half portion protruding into an area above the upper surface of the top-shaped unit member 11a and the lower end portion of the cardboard material 50 is sandwiched between the opposing back side movable guide plate 16, thereby enabling positioning of the cardboard material 50 in the direction of the second axis Y. In the process of unfolding the cardboard material 50 described later, the front lower guide plate 14 is moved downward by the drive of a second advancing and retreating mechanism 46 equipped with, for example, an air cylinder, so that the upper end portion can be retreated to a position where it does not protrude from the upper surface of the top-shaped unit member 11a (see FIG. 9).

[0026] The front upper guide plate 15 arranged on one of the opposing sides in the direction Y of the second axis is made of a plate member made of metal such as stainless steel or synthetic resin. The front upper guide plate 15 extends from a rotation drive unit 47 (see FIG. 1(a)) supported by one of the column frames 42 constituting the gate-shaped support frame 40 and fixed above the side fixed guide plate 12 to an upper region of the lower end guide unit 11. The front upper guide plate 15 is attached to a rotation rod 47a extending parallel to the upper end beam frame 43 along the direction X of the first axis in a state of being joined as a single unit. The front upper guide plate 15 has an L-shaped cross section when viewed from the direction X of the first axis, and is a member that is horizontally elongated in the direction X of the first axis. In the process of positioning the cardboard material 50 described later, the front upper guide plate 15 is arranged so that the surface of the abutment surface 15a, which is one side of the L-shaped cross section, is flush with the inner surface of the lower front lower guide plate 14, and the upper end of the cardboard material 50 positioned in the direction Y of the second axis is abutted against the abutment surface 15a, so that the upper end can be stably positioned. In the process of unfolding the cardboard material 50 described later, the abutment surface 15a of the front upper guide plate 15 can be rotated 90 degrees so as to be parallel to the lower guide 11 by the drive of a rotation drive unit 47 equipped with a rotary actuator or the like, for example, to retract upward to a position where it does not interfere with the upper end of the cardboard material 50 (see FIG. 9).

[0027] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the front upper guide plate 15 can be provided with an adjustable height position in the third axis direction Z, preferably as described above, by making the support position (mounting position) of the rotation drive unit 47 supported by, for example, one of the column frames 42 movable up and down (in the direction Z of the third axis) along the column frame 42. This makes it possible to smoothly position the cardboard material 50 in the direction Y of the second axis in a more stable state while adjusting the height position of the abutment surface portion 15a of the front upper guide plate 15 in the direction Z of the third axis in correspondence with a plurality of types of cardboard material 50 having different heights in the direction Z of the third axis.

[0028] The rear side moving guide plate 16 is made of a plate member made of a metal such as stainless steel or a synthetic resin. The rear side moving guide plate 16 is supported by a known third advance / retract mechanism 48 (see FIG. 1(b)) installed on the base part 41 of the gate-shaped support frame 40, and is arranged on the other side of the second axis direction Y, opposite the front side lower guide plate 14 across the lower end guide part 11, in a state in which it can advance and retract in the second axis direction Y. The rear side moving guide plate 16 has a rectangular front shape that is long horizontally in the first axis direction X, and its lower end edge part has a comb-like shape in which the parts corresponding to the multiple piece-shaped unit members 11a that constitute the lower end guide part 11 are cut out in a rectangular shape. This allows the rear side moving guide plate 16 to advance and retract in the second axis direction Y to a position close to the lower front side lower guide plate 14 without interfering with the multiple short piece-shaped members 11a of the lower end guide part 11.

[0029] In this embodiment, the rear side moving guide plate 16 has a shape in which its upper portion is bent and extended obliquely in the direction opposite to the direction facing the front side lower guide plate 14. This makes it possible to more smoothly guide the cardboard material 50 when it is supplied so that the lower end edge is placed on the lower end guide portion 11 (see FIG. 8(a)).

[0030] In order to position each of the cardboard materials 50 so that it can be unfolded by the unfolding mechanism 30 described later using the cardboard material positioning mechanism 10 having the above-mentioned configuration, as shown in Figures 2(a) and (b), the cardboard materials 50 folded into a flat shape are supplied one by one in an upright state in an area surrounded on all four sides by the side fixed guide plate 12 and the side end moving guide plate 13 facing each other in the direction X of the first axis, and the front side lower guide plate 14 and the back side moving guide plate 16 facing each other in the direction Y of the second axis, while the lower end of the cardboard material 50 is placed on the lower end guide plate 11 while the upper end of the cardboard material 50 is leaned against the contact surface 15a of the front side upper guide plate 15, as shown in Figure 8(a). This effectively prevents the supplied cardboard material 50 from falling to the back side and falling off.

[0031] Here, in this embodiment, when the cardboard material 50 is supplied, it is preferable to maintain a gap S between the side fixed guide plate 12 and the side end moving guide plate 13, which is, for example, about 10 to 20 mm wider in the direction X of the first axis than the width B of the cardboard material 50 folded flat (see FIG. 6). In addition, it is preferable that the gap between the end of the supplied cardboard material 50 on the side end moving guide plate 13 side and the side end moving guide plate 13 is equal to or larger than the gap between the end on the side end fixed guide plate 12 side and the side end fixed guide plate 12. The gap between the end of the cardboard material 50 on the side end moving guide plate 13 side and the side end moving guide plate 13 can be set appropriately depending on the size of the cardboard material 50, but is preferably 10 mm, and more preferably 5 mm.

[0032] After the cardboard material 50 folded into a flat plate shape is supplied to the positioning mechanism 10, as shown in FIG. 5, the first advancing and retreating mechanism 45 moves the side end moving guide plate 13 toward the side fixed guide plate 12 in the first axis direction X, and the cardboard material 50 is sandwiched between the side fixed guide plate 12 in the left-right direction to position the cardboard material 50 in the first axis direction X. When positioning the cardboard material 50 in the first axis direction X, it is preferable to provide a clearance of about 1 mm between the side fixed guide plate 12 and the side end moving guide plate 13 with respect to the width B of the cardboard material 50 folded flat, and more preferably a clearance of about 0.5 mm. This effectively prevents the cardboard material 50 from being damaged during positioning and makes it difficult to align the cardboard material 50 in the second axis direction Y.

[0033] Next, as shown in Figures 7 and 8(b), with the abutment surface portion 15a of the front side upper guide plate 15 positioned flush with the inner surface of the front side lower guide plate 14, the third advance / retract mechanism 48 moves the rear side movable guide plate 16 toward the front side lower guide plate 14 in the direction Y of the second axis, so that the lower end portion of the cardboard material 50 is sandwiched between the front side lower guide plate 14 in the front-to-rear direction, thereby positioning the cardboard material in the direction Y of the second axis.

[0034] That is, in this embodiment, the process includes placing the lower edge on the lower end guide portion 11 and supplying the cardboard material 50 to an area surrounded on all four sides by the side fixed guide plate 12 and the side end moving guide plate 13 that face each other in the direction X of the first axis, and the front side lower guide plate 14 and the back side moving guide plate 16 that face each other in the direction Y of the second axis, and moving the side end moving guide plate 13 so that the cardboard material 50 is sandwiched between the side fixed guide plate 12 that faces each other in the direction X of the first axis. Thus, the method for positioning the cardboard material includes a step of positioning the cardboard material 50 in the direction X of the first axis, and a step of positioning the cardboard material 50 in the direction Y of the second axis by moving the rear side movable guide plate 16 so that the lower end portion of the cardboard material 50 is sandwiched between the opposing front side lower guide plate 14 in the direction Y of the second axis, thereby making it possible to position the cardboard material 50 folded flat so that it can be unfolded by the unfolding mechanism 30. In this embodiment, after the step of positioning the cardboard material 50 in the direction X of the first axis, a step of positioning the cardboard material 50 in the direction Y of the second axis is carried out, but the present invention is not limited to this, and it is also possible to carry out a step of positioning the cardboard material 50 in the direction X of the first axis after the step of positioning the cardboard material 50 in the direction Y of the second axis.

[0035] Furthermore, in this embodiment, once the cardboard material 50 has been positioned by the positioning method described above, as shown in Figure 9, the front side lower guide plate 14 is retracted below the lower end of the positioned cardboard material 50, and the abutment surface portion 15a of the front side upper guide plate 15 is retracted above the upper end of the positioned cardboard material 50. This makes it possible to unfold the flat folded cardboard material 50 into a three-dimensional rectangular tubular shape by the following cardboard unfolding method using the unfolding mechanism 30 described below.

[0036] That is, as shown in Figures 10(a) to (c) and Figure 9, the method of unfolding cardboard material in this embodiment includes a step of contacting the first surface holding part 31 with the front part 51b on the rear side of the cardboard material 50 in a state in which the cardboard material 50 has been positioned by the above-mentioned positioning mechanism 10, thereby holding the front part 51b on the rear side in the positioned position (see Figure 10(a)); and a step of retracting the front side lower guide plate 14 of the positioning mechanism 10 below the positioned cardboard material 50 and retracting the front side upper guide plate 15 above the positioned cardboard material 50, so that when the positioned cardboard material 50 is unfolded into a three-dimensional shape, preferably a rectangular tube shape, these guide plates 14 , 15 does not interfere with the cardboard material 50 (see FIG. 9), a step of bringing the second surface holding part 32 into contact with the front surface part 51a on the front side of the cardboard material 50 to hold the front surface part on the front side (see FIG. 10(a)), and a step of moving the second surface holding part 32 holding the front surface part 51a on the front side of the cardboard material 50 along a circular arc-shaped track C (see FIG. 10(a)) in a top view to move the front surface part 51a on the front side from a positioned position to a position where the front surface part 51a on the front side is disposed at a right angle to the pair of side parts 52a, 52b, thereby developing the cardboard material 50 into a three-dimensional shape, preferably a rectangular tube (FIGS. 10(a) and (b)). Here, the right angle includes a right angle (90°) as well as a substantially right angle, for example, about 90±5°.

[0037] 11(a) and 11(b), the method for expanding the cardboard material of this embodiment preferably further includes a step of contacting one side surface portion 52a on the side of the side fixing guide plate 12 side and the other side surface portion 52b facing in the direction X of the first axis of the cardboard material 50 expanded into a three-dimensional rectangular tube shape in the above-mentioned expanding step with the third surface holding portion 33 from the outside, and holding the three-dimensional rectangular tube shape of the cardboard material 50 together with the second surface holding portion 32 in contact with the front surface portion 52a on the front side. This makes it possible to continue to hold the state in which the cardboard material 50 is expanded into a three-dimensional rectangular tube shape, preferably a rectangular tube shape, even if the state in which the first surface holding portion 31 holds the front surface portion 51b on the back side is released. This also makes it possible to further include a process in which the second surface holding portion 32 is brought into contact with the front portion 51a on the front side of the cardboard material 50 and the third surface holding portion 33 is brought into contact with the other side portion 52b, thereby transferring the cardboard material 50, for example downwardly, toward the next process, preferably while maintaining the three-dimensional rectangular tubular shape.

[0038] The cardboard material 50, which preferably retains its three-dimensional rectangular tubular shape, is transferred to the next process, where, for example, the bottom portion can be formed, contents can be placed inside, and the top portion can be closed (see Figure 4).

[0039] In this embodiment, such a method of unfolding the cardboard material can be easily carried out by using the unfolding mechanism 30 described below in a box making machine provided with the cardboard material positioning mechanism 10 described above. When the cardboard material 50 is positioned by the positioning mechanism 10, the front portion of the cardboard material 50 on the side of the front side lower guide plate 14 is the front side front portion 51a, and the front portion on the side of the rear side movable guide plate 16 is the rear side front portion 51b. The unfolding mechanism 30 of this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2(b), 10(a)-(c), and 12, is equipped with a first surface holding portion 51 that detachably contacts the front portion 51b on the rear side of the cardboard material 50 and holds the rear side front portion 51b in the positioned position when the cardboard material 50 is positioned by the positioning mechanism 10, and a second surface holding portion 32 that detachably contacts the front portion 51a on the front side of the cardboard material 50 and holds the front side front portion 51a, as shown in Figures 10(a)-(c), 11(a), (b), and 14. The second surface holding portion 32, while holding the front side front portion 51a, moves along an arc-shaped path C when viewed from above, thereby moving the front side front portion 51a from a positioned position to a position where the front side front portion 51a is arranged perpendicular to the pair of side portions 52a, 52b, thereby expanding the cardboard material 50 into a three-dimensional shape, preferably a rectangular tube (see Figures 10(a) to (c)).

[0040] Furthermore, the first surface holding part 31 and the second surface holding part 32 hold the front parts 51a, 51b respectively in detachable contact, but in the deployment mechanism 30 of this embodiment, the first surface holding part 31 and the second surface holding part 32 preferably hold the front parts 51b, 51a respectively by suction. Suction exerts a holding force by applying negative pressure and loses the holding force by releasing the negative pressure, so that the front parts can be held in detachable contact.

[0041] 11(a), (b) and 15, the unfolding mechanism 30 of this embodiment is preferably equipped with a third surface holding part 33, which detachably contacts from the outside one side surface part 52b of the cardboard material 50 unfolded preferably into a three-dimensional rectangular cylindrical shape, the other side surface part 52b facing the one side surface part 52a on the side of the side fixing guide plate 12, and together with the second surface holding part 32, holds the preferably rectangular cylindrical three-dimensional shape of the cardboard material 50. In the unfolding mechanism 30 of this embodiment, the third surface holding part 33 holds the side surface part 52b preferably by suction.

[0042] In this embodiment, the first surface holding part 31 constituting the unfolding mechanism 30 includes a plate-shaped guide part 31a arranged parallel to the front part 51b on the rear side of the positioned cardboard material 50 at a distance from the front part 51b on the rear side, and a holding body part 31b moving forward and backward from the plate-shaped guide part 31a in the direction Y of the second axis, as shown in Fig. 5, Fig. 12, and Fig. 13(a) and (b). The plate-shaped guide part 31a and the holding body part 31b are attached to the tip part of a band-shaped rotating arm part 34 (see Fig. 12). The rotating arm part 34 has a base end part integrally joined to a rotating drive mechanism 36 including, for example, a rotary actuator, which is installed on a base stand 35 that is slidable up and down and is attached to one of the column frames 42 on the side of the side fixed guide plate 12 of the gate-shaped support frame 40 that supports the positioning mechanism 10. As a result, the rotating arm portion 34 and the first surface holding portion 31 attached to its tip portion can be rotated 90 degrees around the central axis of the rotating drive mechanism 36, which is arranged parallel to the pillar frame 42, by driving the rotating drive mechanism 36, for example, from a state in which the rotating arm portion 34 is positioned along the direction Y of the second axis to a position in which the plate-shaped guide portion 31a of the first surface holding portion 31 is positioned along the direction X of the first axis.

[0043] In this embodiment, the base stand 35 can be moved up and down along one of the column frames 42, preferably by a base stand advancing and retreating mechanism 37, which is the direction of the third axis Z, and the rotary drive mechanism 36 and the rotary arm section 34 and the first surface holding section 31 joined thereto can be moved forward and backward in the direction of the second axis Y, for example, by an extrusion cylinder 38 installed on the base stand 35. This makes it possible to adjust the height position of the first surface holding section 31 in the direction of the third axis Z in response to a plurality of types of cardboard material 50 having different heights in the direction of the third axis Z, and also makes it possible to increase the amount of movement of the holding main body section 31b constituting the first surface holding section 31 in the direction of the second axis Y, thereby making it possible to reliably bring the holding main body section 31b into contact with the front section 51b on the rear side of the positioned cardboard material 50.

[0044] In this embodiment, the plate-like guide portion 31a constituting the first surface holding portion 31 is a plate member made of metal such as stainless steel or synthetic resin having a horizontally long rectangular front shape, and has two circular openings 31c through which the holding body portion 31b passes, arranged side by side in the horizontal direction. The plate-like guide portion 31a is supported by a plurality of spacer shafts 31d at the tip portion of the rotating arm portion 34, and is attached so as to be spaced apart from the rotating arm portion 34 and to be parallel to the rotating arm portion 34 and to be arranged to protrude inward. Two holding body portions 31b that can be advanced and retreated by a driving portion 31e equipped with an air cylinder, for example, are accommodated in the space between the rotating arm portion 34 and the plate-like guide portion 31a so as to be protruding from each of the circular openings 31c.

[0045] The holding body 31b constituting the first surface holding part 31 includes an adsorption pad capable of adsorbing the front part 51b on the rear side of the cardboard material 50 by the suction force of the suction device 31f, for example. The adsorption pad is preferably made of an elastic material such as silicon, nylon, nitrile rubber, or fluororubber, and the diameter and number of pads can be designed appropriately. The adsorption pad is preferably made of a bellows structure having two or more stages so as to absorb the effects of misalignment or tilt with the cardboard material 50, and is preferably made of a two-stage bellows structure so as to prevent the pad from being displaced downward due to the effects of gravity.

[0046] In this embodiment, for example, the rotating arm portion 34 is rotated by driving the rotation drive mechanism 36, and the plate-shaped guide portion 31a of the first surface holding portion 31 is positioned along the direction X of the first axis so as to be arranged parallel to the front portion 51b on the back side of the cardboard material 50, with a gap of preferably about 0.5 mm remaining between the plate-shaped guide portion 31a and the front portion 51b (see FIG. 13(a)). Thereafter, the holding body portion 31b housed in the gap between the rotating arm portion 34 and the plate-shaped guide portion 31a is protruded from the plate-shaped guide portion 31a through the circular opening 31c and brought into contact with the front portion 51b. Then, the front portion 51b on the back side of the cardboard material 50 is sucked by the suction force of the suction device 31f, and the positioned cardboard material 50 is held (see FIG. 13(b)).

[0047] At this time, as described above, the extrusion cylinder 38 installed on the base stand 35 moves the rotation drive mechanism 36 and the rotating arm portion 34 and first surface holding portion 31 joined thereto back and forth in the direction Y of the second axis, thereby increasing the amount of movement of the holding main body portion 31b that constitutes the first surface holding portion 31 in the direction Y of the second axis, thereby enabling the holding main body portion 31b to be reliably brought into contact with the front portion 51b on the rear side of the positioned cardboard material 50. Furthermore, the first surface holding portion 31 is composed of a plate-shaped guide portion 31a arranged parallel to the positioned rear side front portion 51b at a distance from the rear side front portion 51b, and a holding main body portion 31b, preferably made of an suction pad, which advances and retreats from the plate-shaped guide portion 31a in the direction Y of the second axis.Therefore, it is possible to effectively prevent the holding main body portion 31b, made of an elastic suction pad, particularly having a bellows structure, from being deformed downward in a sagging manner due to, for example, the weight of the cardboard material 50 held by the holding main body portion 31b.

[0048] In this embodiment, the second surface holding unit 32 and the third surface holding unit 33 constituting the unfolding mechanism 30 are attached as end effectors to a robot arm (not shown) that is preferably installed in a working area around the lower end guide unit 11 supported by a gate-shaped support frame 40 in a box making device provided with the cardboard material positioning mechanism 10. The second surface holding unit 32 and the third surface holding unit 33 are each detachably brought into contact with a predetermined position of the positioned flat plate-shaped cardboard material 50 or the cardboard material 50 unfolded to preferably have a rectangular cylindrical three-dimensional shape by controlling the movement of the robot arm. By attaching the second surface holding unit 32 and the third surface holding unit 33 to the robot arm, it becomes possible to freely move the second surface holding unit 32 and the third surface holding unit 33 in the first axis direction X, the second axis direction Y, and the third axis direction Z by operating the robot arm. The robot arm may preferably be an arm constituting a 5-axis or 6-axis vertical articulated robot, a parallel link robot, a dual-arm robot, or the like.

[0049] The second surface holding part 32 constituting the unfolding mechanism 30 is supported by a joint base part 32c joined to a robot arm (not shown) and a spacer shaft 32d. As shown in FIG. 14, the second surface holding part 32 includes a plate-shaped guide part 32a that is spaced apart from the joint base part 32c and arranged parallel to it, and a holding body part 32b that is accommodated in the space between the plate-shaped guide part 32a and the joint base part 32c. In this embodiment, the holding body part 32b is preferably configured to include a suction pad. The plate-shaped guide part 32a has a circular opening 32e through which the holding body part 32b passes, and the holding body part 32b can be protruded from the plate-shaped guide part 32a through the circular opening 32e by driving a driving part 32f equipped with an air cylinder, for example, and can be brought into contact with a predetermined position of the front part 51a on the front side of the cardboard material 50. The holding body 32b holds the front part 51a on the front side of the cardboard material 50 by the suction force of the suction device (see Figs. 10(a) to (c)).

[0050] Here, the predetermined position of the front side front portion 51a with which the holding body portion 32b of the second surface holding portion 32 comes into contact is preferably as close as possible to the vertical fold line 53a between the one side surface portion 52a in the direction X of the first axis, without protruding into the one side surface portion 52a. In the direction Z of the third axis, it is preferably the center part of the front side front portion 51a. The predetermined position of the front side front portion 51a with which the holding body portion 32b of the second surface holding portion 32 comes into contact is preferably a position that can accommodate a plurality of types of cardboard material 50 with different sizes and absorb the difference in size. The predetermined position of the cardboard material 50 with which the second surface holding portion 32 comes into contact can also be automatically adjusted by controlling a robot arm according to the type or size of the cardboard material 50. In addition, since the position of the second surface holding portion 32 is adjustable, it can be moved to a predetermined position on a plane defined, for example, by the direction X of the first axis and the direction Z of the third axis, so that the position at which it comes into contact with the front surface portion 51a on the front side of the cardboard material 50 can be appropriately adjusted.

[0051] As shown in Figs. 11(a), (b) and 15, the third surface holding part 33 constituting the unfolding mechanism 30 includes a joint base part 33c joined to a robot arm (not shown), a plate-shaped guide part 33a and a holding body part 33b. The plate-shaped guide part 33a is supported by a spacer shaft 33d, and is attached to the joint base part 33c at a distance therebetween and disposed parallel to the joint base part 33c. The holding body part 33b is accommodated in the space between the plate-shaped guide part 33a and the joint base part 33c. In this embodiment, the holding body part 33b is preferably configured to include a suction pad. The plate-shaped guide part 33a has a circular opening 33e through which the holding body part 33b passes, and the holding body part 33b can be protruded from the plate-shaped guide part 33a through the circular opening 33e by driving a driving part equipped with an air cylinder, for example, and can be brought into contact with a predetermined position of the other side part 52b of the cardboard material 50. The holding body portion 33b can hold the other side surface portion 52b of the cardboard material 50 by the suction force of the suction device 33f.

[0052] Here, the specified position for adsorbing the other side portion 52b of the cardboard material 50, which has been expanded by the holding main body portion 33b of the second surface holding portion 33 to preferably form a rectangular tubular three-dimensional shape, is preferably the central portion a of the other side portion 52b.

[0053] With the second surface holding portion 32 in contact with the front portion 51a on the front side of the cardboard material 50 and the third surface holding portion 33 in contact with the other side portion 51b, the cardboard material 50 with its rectangular tubular three-dimensional shape maintained can then be transferred to the next process in a box-making device that makes cardboard boxes, as described above, where, for example, the bottom portion can be formed, items can be placed inside, or the top portion can be closed.

[0054] Furthermore, according to the cardboard material positioning mechanism 10, cardboard material unfolding mechanism 30, cardboard material positioning method, or cardboard material unfolding method of this embodiment, the cardboard material 50 folded into a flat plate shape is guided and efficiently positioned so that the cardboard material 50 is easy to unfold, making it possible to unfold the cardboard material 50 more easily and smoothly, preferably into a rectangular tubular three-dimensional shape.

[0055] The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment and can be modified in various ways. For example, the first surface holding part, the second surface holding part, and the third surface holding part do not necessarily have to be ones that contact by suction and hold the front part or the side part, and may be other various contact means that can be detachably contacted. In addition, the cardboard box to be made, which has a pair of front parts and a pair of side parts, does not necessarily have to be a hexahedral cardboard box, and may be, for example, a cardboard box with an octagonal upper surface shape with the four corners chamfered. The cardboard material that is expanded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape does not necessarily have to be expanded into a rectangular cylindrical three-dimensional shape, and can be expanded into, for example, an octagonal cylindrical three-dimensional shape. The advancing and retreating mechanism may be one that includes a straight-line mechanism such as a Robo Cylinder or a Linear in addition to an air cylinder. By preferably using a Robo Cylinder or a servo as the advancing and retreating mechanism, it becomes possible to automatically advance and retreat the guide plate to a predetermined position and distance according to the type and size of the cardboard material. The advance / retract mechanism may be a multi-axis drive such as a rack and pinion, ball screw + servo motor, or stepping motor. Linear motion and rigidity can also be assisted by a pole push and shaft, LM guide, etc. The rotation drive unit and rotation drive mechanism may be an electric or pneumatic rotary actuator, or a motor or mechanism for rotation. These make it possible to automatically adjust the amount of advance / retraction of the side end moving guide plate, the contact surface height of the upper guide plate, the contact height of the first surface holding part, and the contact position and circular motion of the second surface holding part. [Explanation of symbols]

[0056] 10. Cardboard material positioning mechanism 11 Lower end guide 11a Short piece-shaped member 12 Side fixed guide plate 12a Notch 12b Side contact surface part 13 Side end moving guide plate 13a Support plate 14 Front lower guide plate 15 Front upper guide plate 15a Contact surface part 16 Rear moving guide plate 30 Deployment mechanism 31 First surface holding part 31a, 32a, 33a Plate-shaped guide portion 31b, 32b, 33b Holding body part (suction pad) 31c, 32e, 33e Circular opening 31d, 32d, 33d Spacer shaft 31e, 32f Drive unit 31f,33f Suction device 32 Second surface holding part 32c,33c Joint base part 33 Third surface holding part 34 Rotating arm part 35 Base 36 Rotational drive mechanism 37 Base platform advance / retract mechanism 38 Extrusion Cylinder 40 Gate-type support frame 41 Base 42 Pillar Frame 43 Upper beam frame 44 Intermediate beam frame 45 1st advancement / retraction mechanism 46 2nd advancement / retraction mechanism 47 Rotation drive unit 48 Third advancement / retraction mechanism 47a Rotating rod 50 Cardboard 51a Front side 51b Front part of rear side 52a One side part 52b Other side part 53a Vertical fold line 53b Horizontal fold line 54a Top side first flap 54b Top side second flap 55a Bottom side first flap 55b Bottom side second flap B Width of flat folded cardboard C. Circular orbit S Distance between side fixed guide plate and side edge moving guide plate X 1st axis direction Y Second Axis Direction Z 3rd axis direction

Claims

1. A cardboard material positioning mechanism is provided in a box making device that makes cardboard boxes having a pair of front portions and a pair of side portions, and positions each of the cardboard materials folded into a flat shape, including the front portions whose orientation remains the same and the side portions whose orientation changes between a state where the cardboard material is folded into a flat shape and a state where the cardboard material is unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape, so that the cardboard material can be unfolded by an unfolding mechanism, The left-right direction in which the pair of side portions of the unfolded cardboard material face each other is defined as the direction of a first axis, the front-rear direction in which the pair of front portions face each other is defined as the direction of a second axis, and the up-down direction perpendicular to the first axis and the second axis is defined as the direction of a third axis. the lower end guide portion is arranged to extend in the direction of the first axis, a side fixed guide plate arranged on one side opposing the direction of the first axis and a side end moving guide plate arranged on the other side, a front side lower guide plate and a front side upper guide plate arranged on one side opposing the direction of the second axis in a region above the lower end guide portion, and a back side moving guide plate arranged on the other side, The flat cardboard material is supplied one by one, and the lower edge is placed on the lower end guide portion, The side end moving guide plate moves forward and backward in the direction of the first axis, thereby sandwiching the cardboard material between the side fixed guide plate and the cardboard material in the left-right direction, thereby positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the first axis, The rear side moving guide plate moves back and forth in the direction of the second axis to sandwich the cardboard material between the front side lower guide plate and the cardboard material in the front-rear direction, thereby positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the second axis, and a cardboard material positioning mechanism in which, after the cardboard material is positioned in the direction of the first axis and the direction of the second axis, the front side lower guide plate is retracted below the lower end of the positioned cardboard material, and the front side upper guide plate is retracted above the upper end of the positioned cardboard material.

2. 2. The cardboard positioning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the front upper guide plate is provided so that its position in the direction of the third axis can be adjusted.

3. 2. The cardboard positioning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the side edge movement guide plate is provided so that its position in the direction of the third axis can be adjusted.

4. 2. The cardboard positioning mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the side fixed guide plate has a side abutment surface that abuts against one side of the cardboard material when it is unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape.

5. A deployment mechanism used in a box making machine provided with the cardboard material positioning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, When the cardboard material is positioned by the positioning mechanism, the front surface of the cardboard material on the front lower guide plate side is defined as a front surface of the front side, and the front surface of the cardboard material on the rear moving guide plate side is defined as a front surface of the rear side, a first surface holding part that detachably contacts the front surface portion of the back side of the cardboard material and holds the front surface portion of the back side at a positioned position, and a second surface holding part that detachably contacts the front surface portion of the front side of the cardboard material and holds the front surface portion of the front side, The second surface holding portion holds the front surface portion of the front side and moves along an arc-shaped trajectory when viewed from above, thereby moving the front surface portion of the front side from a positioned position to a position where the front surface portion of the front side is arranged perpendicular to the pair of side surfaces, thereby expanding the cardboard material into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape.

6. 6. The cardboard unfolding mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the first surface holding portion and the second surface holding portion each hold the front surface by suction.

7. The cardboard material unfolding mechanism described in claim 5, wherein the first surface holding portion includes a plate-shaped guide portion arranged parallel to the front surface portion of the rear side at a distance from the positioned front surface portion of the rear side, and a holding main body portion that moves forward and backward from the plate-shaped guide portion in the direction of the second axis.

8. The cardboard unfolding mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the first surface holding portion is provided so that its position in the direction of the third axis can be adjusted.

9. A cardboard material unfolding mechanism as described in claim 5, further comprising a third surface holding portion which detachably contacts from the outside one side surface portion of the cardboard material unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape, the other side surface portion facing the side surface portion on the side fixing guide plate side, and together with the second surface holding portion, holds the cylindrical three-dimensional shape of the cardboard material.

10. A method for positioning cardboard material using the cardboard material positioning mechanism according to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising: a step of placing the lower edge of the cardboard material on the lower end guide portion and supplying the cardboard material to an area surrounded on all four sides by the side fixed guide plate and the side end moving guide plate that face each other in the direction of the first axis, and the front side lower guide plate and the back side moving guide plate that face each other in the direction of the second axis; a step of positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the first axis by moving the side end moving guide plate so as to sandwich the cardboard material between the side end moving guide plate and the side fixed guide plate; a step of positioning the cardboard material in the direction of the second axis by moving the rear side movable guide plate so as to sandwich the lower end portion of the cardboard material between the rear side movable guide plate and the front side lower guide plate.

11. A method for expanding cardboard material using the cardboard material expansion mechanism according to claim 5, comprising: a step of bringing the first surface holding portion into contact with a front surface portion of the back surface side of the cardboard material in a state where the cardboard material has been positioned by the positioning mechanism, and holding the front surface portion of the back surface side at a positioned position; a step of retracting the front lower guide plate of the positioning mechanism below the positioned cardboard material and retracting the front upper guide plate above the positioned cardboard material so that these guide plates do not interfere with the cardboard material when the positioned cardboard material is unfolded into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape; a step of contacting the second surface holding portion with a front surface portion of the front side of the cardboard material to hold the front surface portion of the front side; a step of moving the second surface holding portion, which holds the front surface portion of the front side of the cardboard material, along an arc-shaped trajectory when viewed from above, thereby moving the front surface portion of the front side from a positioned position to a position where the front surface portion of the front side is arranged perpendicular to the pair of side surfaces, thereby expanding the cardboard material into a cylindrical three-dimensional shape.

12. A method for unfolding cardboard material as described in claim 11, further comprising a step of contacting a third surface holding portion from the outside with the other side surface portion opposite the one side surface portion on the side fixing guide plate side of the cardboard material unfolded into a rectangular cylindrical three-dimensional shape, thereby maintaining the cylindrical three-dimensional shape of the cardboard material together with the second surface holding portion contacting the front surface portion on the front side.

13. 13. The method for unfolding cardboard material according to claim 12, further comprising a step of contacting the second surface holding portion with the front surface portion of the front side of the cardboard material and contacting the third surface holding portion with the other side surface portion, thereby transferring the cardboard material to the next process while maintaining its cylindrical three-dimensional shape.

Images