Material preparation method and material preparation device

Abstract

To provide a material preparation method and a material preparation device that increase the degree of freedom in dealing with the setting of the number of cartons to be packaged in one package and the setting of the order of the cartons.SOLUTION: A material preparation method has a conveying process in which a material 1' is conveyed by a conveyor 10, and a material supplying process in which the material 1' is supplied to a conveyor 20 from five material supplying sections 2A-2E, which are the same number of locations as the number of color types of cartons 1. The material supply process supplies the material 1' from n locations, which is a natural number less than or equal to five, in each of a first cycle period and a second cycle period, and repeats the supply of the material 1' in the first cycle period and the second cycle period. The conveying process conveys the material 1' for one pitch in at least one of a first period from the first cycle period to the second cycle period and a second period from the second cycle period to the first cycle period, satisfying the equality Y=n+m when the predetermined number is Y, and the inequality X≠Y is satisfied when X is the same number as the number of types of appearance of cartons 1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for preparing carton material for containing tissue paper. [Background technology]

[0002] Cartons containing tissue paper (so-called "tissue boxes") are sold individually or in packs in which several are packaged together. For example, five cartons, at least one of which has a different appearance, are packaged together in film and displayed in stores. In this manner, the packaging pack in which a predetermined number of cartons are bundled together has the cartons arranged in a predetermined order that has been set in advance. To give a specific example, five colored cartons are arranged in the packaging pack in the order of red, yellow, green, blue, and orange.

[0003] As one technique related to a packaging pack in which a predetermined number of cartons are arranged in a predetermined order as described above, a technique for preparing materials for the cartons has been proposed. For example, in a line that manufactures packaging packs in which five cartons are arranged in a row in the order of color A, color B, color C, color D, and color E, a technology has been proposed in which the five material supply sections listed below are arranged in series along the conveying direction of the conveyor. The first material supply department supplies material A to be assembled into cartons of color A. The second material supply department supplies material B to be assembled into cartons of color B. The third material supply department supplies material C, which is assembled into cartons of color C. The fourth material supply department supplies material D which is assembled into cartons of color D. The fifth material supply department supplies material E which is assembled into cartons of color E.

[0004] That is, a plurality of material supply units (here, five) are provided, the number of which corresponds to the number of colors of the cartons constituting the packaging pack (here, five colors). Each material supply unit places and supplies materials of a corresponding color on the conveyor, and it takes a predetermined unit cycle period to place one material on the conveyor. Adjacent material supply units in the conveying direction are spaced apart from each other by one pitch, which is the distance that the conveyor can transport materials by during the unit cycle period.

[0005] With the five material supply units and conveyors arranged as described above, materials are placed on the conveyor from each material supply unit for each unit cycle period, and the five placed materials are paid out downstream in the conveying direction at a speed of one pitch per unit cycle period. Focusing on five consecutive unit cycle periods, in the first unit cycle period, material A is placed on the conveyor by the first material supply unit. Then, in the second unit cycle period, material A is transported to a supply point for material B by the second material supply unit, and material B from the second material supply unit is superimposed on material A. Then, in the third unit cycle period, materials A and B are transported to a supply point for material C by the third material supply unit, and material C placed from the third material supply unit is superimposed on materials A and B. Similarly, in the fourth unit cycle period, materials A, B, and C are transported to a supply point for material D by the fourth material supply unit, and material D from the third material supply unit is superimposed on materials A, B, and C. Then, in the fifth unit cycle period, materials A, B, C, and D are transported to a supply point of material E by the fifth material supply unit, and material E from the fifth material supply unit is superimposed on materials A, B, C, and D. In this manner, materials A, B, C, D, and E are superimposed, thereby preparing a predetermined number (here, five) of materials according to a predetermined arrangement order of colors A, B, C, D, and E.

[0006] In the above method, five material supply units are arranged in an order corresponding to the arrangement of the five cartons that make up one packaging pack, and the number of material supply units installed, X (five in the above example), is set to the same number (satisfying the equation "X=Y") as the number of cartons packaged in one pack, Y (five in the above example) (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Patent application No. 2021-209692 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] The number of cartons packed in one packaging body is not limited to five as described above, but may be any multiple number such as six or seven. Also, the arrangement order of the cartons packed in one pack may be set in various ways. However, when the number of material supply units X and the number of carton boxes Y constituting one packaging pack are set equal as described above (when the equation "X=Y is satisfied"), the number of material supply units needs to be set according to the number of carton boxes constituting one packaging pack. Therefore, when the setting of the number of boxes constituting a packaging pack is changed, the number of material supply units installed increases or decreases, and the degree of freedom in responding to the change in the setting of the number of boxes is insufficient. Furthermore, when the materials for the cartons constituting one packaging pack are supplied only during the unit cycle period as described above, it is difficult to change the setting of the arrangement order of the cartons in the packaging pack. As described above, there is a problem that the setting of the number of carton boxes and the arrangement order of the cartons constituting the packaging pack are restricted. Therefore, there is room for improvement in terms of increasing the flexibility in setting the number of cartons packed in one pack and the arrangement order.

[0009] The present material preparation method and material preparation device have been devised in consideration of the above problems, and one of the objects of the present invention is to increase the flexibility in setting the number of cartons to be packed in one pack and the arrangement order. However, in addition to this object, another object of the present invention is to achieve actions and effects derived from each configuration shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described later, which cannot be obtained by conventional techniques. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The material preparation method disclosed herein includes the following components (1) to (6). (1) A method for preparing materials for cartons, which are continuously transported to a wrapping part that wraps a group of cartons, each of which contains a predetermined number of tissues and is arranged in a predetermined order, in one pack, comprising the steps of: a conveying step of conveying the material by a conveyor; the materials to become the cartons with the common appearance are stacked at each of the locations, the number of which is equal to the number of types of appearance of the cartons constituting the carton group and which are lined up in series along the conveying direction, a unit cycle period is required to place one of the materials on the conveyor at each of the locations, the locations are spaced apart in the conveying direction by one pitch which is a distance that the materials can be conveyed by the conveyor in the unit cycle period, and a material supplying process for placing the materials on the conveyor at each of the locations and supplying them, The material supply step includes supplying the materials from "n" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, during a first cycle period in the first half of a two-cycle period that is twice the unit cycle period, and supplying the materials from "m" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, during a second cycle period in the second half of the two-cycle period, thereby repeatedly supplying the materials during the first cycle period and the second cycle period; The conveying step conveys the material by at least one pitch during a first period from when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period, and during a second period from when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period; When the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y=n+m" is satisfied, and when the predetermined number is "X", the inequality "X≠Y" is satisfied. A material preparation method comprising: (2) Satisfying the inequality "X < Y ≤ 2X" The material preparation method according to (1), characterized in that. (3) Satisfying the inequality "Y < 2X" The material preparation method according to (1) or (2), characterized in that. (4) In the conveying step, the material is conveyed by one pitch in each of the first period and the second period The material preparation method according to any one of (1) to (3), characterized in that. (5) In the conveying step, the material is conveyed by one pitch over the first period and the second period The material preparation apparatus according to any one of (1) to (3), characterized in that. (6) In the material supply step, the combination of the materials supplied in the first cycle period is different from the combination of the materials supplied in the second cycle period The material preparation method according to any one of (1) to (5), characterized in that. (7) A material preparation method for preparing the material of the carton that is continuously conveyed in units of one pack toward a wrapping part that wraps a carton group in which a predetermined number of cartons containing tissue paper are arranged in a predetermined order, A conveying step of conveying the material by a conveyor, At the same number of locations as the number of types of the appearance of the cartons forming the carton group, and at each of the locations arranged in series along the conveying direction, the materials that are the same cartons with the same appearance are stacked, and it takes a unit cycle period to place one of the materials on the conveyor at each location, and the locations are separated from each other in the conveying direction by a distance of one pitch, which is the distance that the material can be conveyed by the conveyor in the unit cycle period, and a material supply step of placing and supplying the material on the conveyor at the location, the material supply step comprises: supplying the materials from "n" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, in a first cycle period, which is the first of three periods obtained by dividing a three-cycle period, which is three times the unit cycle period, into thirds; supplying the materials from "m" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, in a second cycle period, which is the second of three periods obtained by dividing the three-cycle period into thirds; and supplying the materials from "l" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, in a third cycle period, which is the third of three periods obtained by dividing the three-cycle period into thirds; and repeating the supply of the materials in the first cycle period, the supply of the materials in the second cycle period, and the supply of the materials in the third cycle period; the conveying step conveys the material by at least one pitch during a first period from when the material is supplied from the "n" location in the first cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "m" location in the second cycle period, a second period from when the material is supplied from the "m" location in the second cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "l" location in the third cycle period, and a third period from when the material is supplied from the "l" location in the third cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "n" location in the first cycle period; When the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y=n+m+l" is satisfied, and when the predetermined number is "X", the inequality "X≠Y" is satisfied. A material preparation method comprising:

[0011] The material preparation device disclosed herein includes the following components (8) to (14). (8) A material preparation device for preparing materials for cartons which are continuously transported to a wrapping part which wraps a group of cartons, each of which contains a predetermined number of tissues and is arranged in a predetermined order, in one pack, comprising: A conveyor for transporting the material; At the same number of locations as the number of types of the appearance of the cartons forming the carton group, and at each of the locations arranged in series along the conveyance direction, the materials that become the cartons with the same appearance are stacked, and it takes a unit cycle period to place one of the materials on the conveyor at each location, and the locations are spaced apart from each other in the conveyance direction by one pitch, which is the distance that the material can be conveyed by the conveyor during the unit cycle period, and a material supply unit that places and supplies the material to the conveyor at the location; The material supply unit supplies the material from "n" locations, which is a natural number less than or equal to the same number, among the same number of locations during the first cycle period of the first half of the two-cycle period, which is twice the unit cycle period, and supplies the material from "m" locations, which is a natural number less than or equal to the same number, among the same number of locations during the second cycle period of the second half of the two-cycle period, and repeatedly performs the supply of the material during the first cycle period and the supply of the material during the second cycle period; The conveyor conveys the material by at least one pitch during the first period from when the material is supplied from the "n" locations during the first cycle period until the material is supplied from the "m" locations during the second cycle period, and during the second period from when the material is supplied from the "m" locations during the second cycle period until the material is supplied from the "n" locations during the first cycle period; When the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y = n + m" is satisfied, and when the same number is "X", the inequality "X ≠ Y" is satisfied A material preparation device, characterized in that. (9) Satisfies the inequality "X < Y ≤ 2X" The material preparation device according to (8), characterized in that. (10) Satisfies the inequality "Y < 2X" The material preparation device according to claim (8) or (9), characterized in that. (11) The conveyor conveys the material by one pitch during each of the first period and the second period The material preparation method according to any one of (8) to (10), (12) The conveyor conveys the material by the one pitch over the first period and the second period. The material preparation device according to any one of (8) to (10), (13) The material supply unit supplies a combination of the materials in the first cycle period that is different from a combination of the materials in the second cycle period. The material preparation method according to any one of (8) to (12), (14) A material preparation device for preparing materials for cartons which are continuously transported to a wrapping part which wraps a group of cartons, each of which contains a predetermined number of tissues and is arranged in a predetermined order, in one pack, comprising: A conveyor for transporting the material; a material supply section which supplies the materials to be used as the cartons having the same appearance as the number of cartons constituting the carton group and which are lined up in series along a conveying direction, each of which is stacked with the materials to be used as the cartons having the same appearance, and which requires a unit cycle period to place one material on the conveyor at each of the carton locations, and which is spaced apart in the conveying direction by one pitch, which is a distance that the materials can be transported by the conveyor during the unit cycle period; the material supply unit supplies the materials from "n" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, during a first cycle period, which is the first of three periods obtained by dividing a three-cycle period, which is three times the unit cycle period, into thirds; supplies the materials from "m" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, during a second cycle period, which is the second of three periods obtained by dividing the three-cycle period into thirds; and supplies the materials from "l" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, during a third cycle period, which is the third of three periods obtained by dividing the three-cycle period into thirds; and repeats the supply of the materials during the first cycle period, the supply of the materials during the second cycle period, and the supply of the materials during the third cycle period; the conveyor conveys the material at least one pitch during a first period from when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period, a second period from when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "l" location during the third cycle period, and a third period from when the material is supplied from the "l" location during the third cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period; When the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y=n+m+l" is satisfied, and when the predetermined number is "X", the inequality "X≠Y" is satisfied. A material preparation device comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to the material preparation method and material preparation device of the present invention, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom in setting the number of cartons to be packed in one pack and the arrangement order. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams showing an overview of a manufacturing process for a packaging pack body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a material preparation method and a material preparation device according to the present invention will be described. Materials prepared by the material preparation method and the material preparation device are carton materials for storing tissues. In this embodiment, a material preparation method and a material preparation device for preparing materials for cartons in a manufacturing line for packaging packs in which a plurality of cartons containing tissues are packaged together into one pack are described as an example. In this manufacturing line, various semi-finished products such as carton materials, cartons assembled from the materials, and tissues to be contained in the cartons are transported and packaging packs are manufactured in sequence.

[0015] The directions used in the description of this embodiment are defined as follows. The direction in which gravity acts is defined as downward, and the opposite direction to downward is defined as upward. The direction in which various semi-finished products manufactured into the packaging pack are transported is defined as the transport direction, and upstream and downstream are defined based on the transport direction. In addition, in this embodiment, various numbers "n", "m", "l", "X", and "Y" are used in the description, which will be described in detail later. These numbers "n", "m", "l", "X", and "Y" are all natural numbers (i.e., positive integers).

[0016] I. One embodiment In the following embodiment, the configuration of the material preparation method and the material preparation device is described in item [1], and the action and effect of the configuration of item [1] is described in item [2]. [1. Configuration] In this section [1], we first provide an overview of the packaging pack manufacturing line in subsection [1-1], then explain the material preparation equipment in subsection [1-2], and finally explain the material preparation method in subsection [1-3].

[0017] [1-1. Manufacturing line] The packaging pack manufacturing line is a line that manufactures packaging packs. The packaging packs manufactured by this manufacturing line are a predetermined number of cartons containing tissues packaged in a pack in a predetermined order. In other words, if a predetermined number of cartons in a predetermined order are considered to be a carton group, then the packaging pack is a pack of cartons packaged in a pack.

[0018] In this production line, as shown in Fig. 1, cartons 1 (only one part is marked in Fig. 1) containing bundles of tissues 3 are sequentially transported toward a part that packages a group of cartons arranged in a predetermined order into one pack. This production line is provided with various parts P1 to P6, which are listed below. - Bundle transport part P1: Part that transports the bundle of tissues 3 Material preparation part P2: Part that prepares material 1' for carton 1 (material preparation device) · Carton part P3: Part that holds tissue paper bundles 3 in carton 1 Parallel part P4: A part that transports carton 1 in parallel Wrapping part P5: Wraps each carton of a certain number

[0019] Bundles of tissues 3 transported by the bundle transport part P1 are stored in cartons 1 made of folded materials 1' prepared by the material preparation part P2. In other words, the bundle transport part P1 and the material preparation part P2 are provided in parallel, and the manufacturing process merges with the cartoner part P3 downstream of these parts P1 and P2. After carton part P3, the carton 1 is transported to parallel part P4.

[0020] In this way, the routes for the cartons 1 that were transported in series are allocated to parallel routes, and the cartons 1 are transported in the parallel part P4 on each of the allocated routes. Then, a predetermined number of the cartons 1 transported on each route of the parallel part P4 are wrapped into one pack in the wrapping part P5.

[0021] In the manufacturing device of this embodiment, the conveying speed of the carton 1 downstream of the parallel part P4 (hereinafter referred to as the "downstream conveying speed") is set to be slower than the conveying speed of the semi-finished products such as the bundles of tissues 3 and the carton 1 upstream of the parallel part P4 (hereinafter referred to as the "upstream conveying speed"). These conveying speeds correspond to the number of conveyed objects to be processed per unit time (for example, the processing capacity expressed in units of [pieces / min]).

[0022] For example, the number of semi-finished products such as bundles of tissues 3 and cartons 1 processed per unit time upstream of the parallel part P4 (hereinafter referred to as "upstream processing capacity") is set to be equal to or less than twice the number of cartons 1 processed per unit time downstream of the parallel part P4 (hereinafter referred to as "downstream processing capacity"). In other words, the upstream conveying speed is set to be equal to or less than twice the downstream conveying speed. In more detail, when the number of paths allocated in the parallel part P4 is "a", the upstream processing capacity is set to be equal to or less than a times the downstream processing capacity, and the upstream conveying speed is set to be equal to or less than a times the downstream conveying speed.

[0023] When the number of semi-finished products such as bundles of tissues 3 and cartons 1 that can be processed per unit time in the parts P1-P3 upstream of the parallel part P4 (so-called "upstream processing capacity") is greater (higher processing capacity) than the number of cartons 1 that can be processed per unit time in the wrapping part P5 downstream of the parallel part P4 (so-called "downstream processing capacity"), it is preferable to provide the parallel part P4 that distributes the paths as described above in the production line in order to suppress or prevent the rate limitation caused by the wrapping part P5. As a specific example, when the processing capacity of a packaging machine used to package a predetermined number of cartons 1 in the wrapping part P5 is lower than the processing capacity of the equipment used in the upstream parts P1-P3, it is preferable that the parallel part P4 distributes the paths of the cartons 1 in parallel.

[0024] <Bundle transport part> The bundle conveying part P1 conveys bundles of tissues 3 that have been folded by known equipment such as a multi-stand folding machine (also called a "multi-stand interfolder") or a rotary folding machine. These bundles are cut into product sizes that can be stored in cartons 1, and are conveyed in parallel to positions corresponding to the respective cartons 1 conveyed from the material preparation part P2, which will be described next.

[0025] <Materials preparation part> The material preparation part P2 includes the following parts 21 to 24. Material supply part 21: Part that supplies material 1' (material supply part) -Transport part 22: Part that transports the supplied material 1' Store Part 23: A part for temporarily storing stacked materials 1' Feed part 24: The part that sends out the stored material 1' downstream

[0026] In the material supply part 21, materials 1' corresponding to each of the cartons 1 constituting the carton group are stacked, and the materials 1' are supplied from the stacked materials 1' to the conveying part 22. The transport part 22 is provided with a conveyor 20 on which the material 1' supplied from the material supply part 21 is placed. The conveyor 20 is a transport device which transports the placed material 1' to the store part 23. The conveyor 20 is set so that the transport direction is horizontal, and the placement surface onto which the material 1' is supplied faces upward. In other words, the placement surface of the conveyor 20 is set in an orientation such that another material 1' can be placed on top of the material 1' supplied to the placement surface of the conveyor 20.

[0027] While the materials 1' are transported in a horizontal direction by the conveyor 20 described above, in the store part 23, the materials 1' transported by the conveyor 20 are stacked one above the other and the stacked materials 1' are temporarily stored. Specifically, the material 1' produced later is stacked on top of the material 1' transported earlier. In the feed part 24, the materials 1' are fed one by one from below the store part 23. The materials 1' fed in the feed part 24 are transported toward the wrapping part P5 (downstream). In the store part 23, the materials 1' are stacked at the top and fed out one by one from the bottom, so a first-in, first-out system is adopted. In this store part 23, the materials 1' are stored only temporarily for the period from when they are stacked until when they are fed out.

[0028] <Cartonapart> In the cartoner part P3, the material 1' fed from the feed part 24 is used to successively produce cartons 1 containing bundles of tissue papers 3. This cartna part P3 is provided with the following parts 31 to 33. Folding part 31: Folds the material 1′ from the feed part 24. Storage part 32: A part that stores tissue paper 3 in folded material 1' Sealing part 33: The part that seals the material 1' contained in tissue paper 3

[0029] In the folding part 31, the material 1' fed from the feed part 24 is folded and assembled into a carton 1 with a portion of the carton 1 open. In the storage part 32, the bundle of tissues 3 transported by the bundle transport part P1 is stored in the open portion of the material 1' (carton 1) assembled in the folding part 31. In the sealing part 33, the open portion of the carton 1 is sealed. Cartons 1 each containing a bundle of tissues 3 are manufactured by these parts 31 to 33. The carton 1 thus manufactured is transported to the parallel part P4 which will be described next.

[0030] <Parallel Part> In the parallel part P4, the cartons 1 transported from the cartoner part P3 are distributed to two routes (not shown), and the cartons 1 are transported in parallel on the two routes. Specifically, the cartons 1 divided into a predetermined number or an integer multiple of the predetermined number are distributed to each route and transported. The cartons 1 transported on each route of the parallel part P4 are transported toward the wrapping part P5.

[0031] <Wrapping part> In the wrapping part P5, a group of cartons 1 containing bundles of tissues 3 arranged in a predetermined order are packaged as one pack. In this wrapping part P5, similar to the parallel part P4, the cartons are arranged in parallel, and a predetermined number of cartons 1 are packaged in a wrapping material 19. In this manner, the packaging pack 10 is manufactured.

[0032] In the packaging pack 10 to be packaged in this wrapping part P5, the upstream carton 1 is placed on the upper side (the side to which handles and the like are attached). In terms of materials 1' in the store part 23, of the predetermined number of materials 1' assembled into a predetermined number of cartons 1 constituting one packaging pack 10, the materials 1' stored lower (downstream side) in the store part 23 are placed on the lower side of the packaging pack 10. Depending on the specifications and settings of the wrapping part P5, the downstream carton 1 may be disposed on the upper side, opposite to the above arrangement.

[0033] [1-2. Material preparation device] Next, the material preparation part P2 will be described. As described above, the material preparation part P2 is provided with a material preparation device including the conveyor 20 of the transport part 22 and the material supply part 21. This material preparation part P2 is a part that prepares materials 1' to be stacked vertically in a store part 23 to form a carton group in which a predetermined number of cartons 1 are arranged in a predetermined order.

[0034] The "predetermined number" which is the number of cartons 1 constituting the carton group can be restated as the number of cartons 1 packaged in the packaging pack 10. This "predetermined number" can be any number such as five boxes as exemplified in the Background Art, six boxes, seven boxes, or the like. Further, the "predetermined arrangement order" that is preset as the arrangement order of a predetermined number of cartons 1 that form a carton group can be rephrased as the pattern in which the cartons 1 are arranged in the packaging pack 10. Various patterns can be adopted for this "predetermined arrangement order."

[0035] First, a predetermined number of cartons 1 constituting the packaging pack 10 will be described. Some of the cartons 1 among the predetermined number constituting the packaging pack 10 are set to have different appearances from the other cartons 1 (other parts) among the predetermined number constituting the packaging pack 10. The appearance here refers to the color (main color) of the cartons 1, as well as designs such as corporate marks and characters, bar codes, etc.

[0036] In this embodiment, the color is exemplified as the appearance of the carton 1. That is, an example is given in which materials 1' for a predetermined number of cartons 1 arranged in a preset color sequence in the packaging pack 10 are prepared. In this embodiment, the predetermined number is exemplified as seven (seven boxes). That is, an example is given in which seven cartons 1 are packaged in one packaging pack 10, and materials 1' are prepared so that the colors of the seven cartons 1 are arranged in a predetermined order.

[0037] Furthermore, in this embodiment, an example is shown in which the number (types) of colors (appearances) of the cartons 1 in one packaging pack 10 is five colors (five types), namely, color A, color B, color C, color D, and color E. In detail, instead of all the cartons in one packaging pack 10 being set to different colors, an example is described in which materials 1' are prepared for manufacturing a packaging pack 10 including cartons 1 of each of the five colors (i.e., five boxes), as well as another box of cartons 1 of one of the five colors (two boxes in total), and another box of cartons 1 of a color different from the two boxes and of one of the five colors (two boxes in total).

[0038] In the material supply part 21, material supply sections 2 are provided at locations equal in number to the number of colors of the cartons 1 in the packaging pack body 10. Specifically, five material supply sections 2 (the same number as the five colors) are lined up in series along the conveying direction, and the following five material supply sections 2A to 2E are provided at these five locations. A first material supply section 2A supplies materials 1′ of color A to be assembled into a carton 1 of color A. A second material supply section 2B supplies color B materials 1′ to be assembled into color B cartons 1. A third material supply section 2C supplies color C materials 1′ to be assembled into color C cartons 1. A fourth material supply section 2D supplies color D materials 1′ to be assembled into color D cartons 1. A fifth material supply section 2E supplies color E materials 1′ to be assembled into color E cartons 1.

[0039] If the "five locations" referred to here are the first location, the second location, the third location, the fourth location, and the fifth location arranged in order from the upstream side to the downstream side, the first material supply section 2A is arranged in the first location, and the second material supply section 2B is arranged in the second location. Similarly, the third material supply section 2C is arranged in the third location, the fourth material supply section 2D is arranged in the fourth location, and the fifth material supply section 2E is arranged in the fifth location. That is, the five material supply sections 2A to 2E are arranged in series along the conveying direction, and materials 1' of a common color are piled up at each location where the material supply sections 2A to 2E are provided.

[0040] Each of the material supply units 2A-2E provided at the above locations requires a unit cycle period (a predetermined period) to place one material 1' on the conveyor 20. Adjacent material supply units 2A-2E in the conveying direction are disposed at a distance of one pitch, which is the distance that the material 1' can be conveyed by the conveyor 20 in a unit cycle period. In other words, the five locations where material supply units 2A-2E are provided are set so that adjacent locations are disposed at a distance of one pitch in the conveying direction. The "transportable distance" here refers to the distance that the conveyor 20 transports the material 1' per unit cycle period when the conveyor 20 is transporting the material 1' (i.e., when it is operating). Note that when the conveyor 20 temporarily stops transporting the material 1' (i.e., when it is not operating), the conveyor 20 naturally stops and does not transport the material 1'.

[0041] The material supply section 21, which places the materials 1' on the conveyor 20 at the five locations and supplies them as described above, repeatedly supplies the materials 1' of the carton 1 constituting one packaging pack 10. In this material supply part 21, materials 1' for a carton 1 constituting one packaging pack body 10 are supplied over two cycle periods (plural cycle periods) which are twice (plural) the unit cycle period.

[0042] The reason why the materials 1' of the carton 1 constituting one packaging pack body 10 are supplied in two cycle periods in the material supply section 2 is to prevent the material supply section 2 from becoming a rate limiting factor in the production line. For example, if materials 1' for a carton 1 constituting one packaging pack 10 are supplied in a period three times or more the unit cycle period, a preparation period 1.5 times longer is required compared to supplying materials 1' for a carton 1 constituting one packaging pack 10 in two cycle periods, making it difficult to ensure the manufacturing efficiency of the packaging pack 10. In order to prevent such a decrease in manufacturing efficiency, the period for preparing materials 1' for a carton 1 constituting one packaging pack 10 is set to two cycle periods, excluding periods three times or more the unit cycle period.

[0043] In addition, by providing the wrapping parts P5 in parallel, the wrapping part P5 is prevented from becoming a speed limiter in the production line. If the period for packaging one packaging pack body 10 by the wrapping part P5 is set equal to half the period for preparing materials 1' for the carton 1 constituting one packaging pack body 10 in the material preparation part P2 (i.e., unit cycle period), no speed limiter occurs between the material preparation part P2 and the wrapping part P5, which helps ensure production efficiency.

[0044] The material supply units 2A-2E supply materials 1' from "n" locations (locations satisfying the inequality "X≧n"), which are five or less, in a unit cycle period (hereinafter referred to as the "first cycle period") that is the first half of the two cycle periods, and supply materials 1' from "m" locations (locations satisfying the inequality "X≧m"), which are five or less, in a unit cycle period (hereinafter referred to as the "second cycle period") that is the second half of the two cycle periods. Such supply of materials 1' in the first cycle period and supply of materials 1' in the second cycle period are repeatedly performed by the material supply unit 2.

[0045] The conveyor 20 transports the material 1' for at least one pitch in a first period corresponding to the first half of the two cycle periods and a second period corresponding to the second half. Here, an example of transporting the material 1' for one pitch in at least one of the first and second periods will be described. The "first period" here refers to the period from when the material 1' is supplied from location "n" in the first cycle period to when the material is supplied from location "m" in the second cycle period. The "second period" here refers to the period from when the material 1' is supplied from location "m" in the second cycle period to when the material is supplied from location "n" in the first cycle period.

[0046] Since materials 1' for a carton 1 forming one packaging pack body 10 are supplied over two cycle periods, "n" pieces of materials 1' are supplied from "n" locations during the first cycle period, and "m" pieces of materials 1' are supplied from "m" locations during the second cycle period. Therefore, when the predetermined number (here, seven) is "Y", the equation "Y=n+m" is satisfied. As described above, the number of colors in the carton 1 in one packaging pack body 10 is five, and the material supply units 2A-2E are provided in the same number of locations as the number of colors. When the number of locations where these material supply units 2A-2E are provided (the same number, five in this case) is "X", the inequality "Y<2X" is satisfied.

[0047] If the materials 1' are supplied from all of the material supply units 2A-2E in only one of the first and second cycle periods, and the materials 1' are not supplied from any of the material supply units 2A-2E in the other period, all of the materials 1' can be supplied in only one period, and the supply period is extended by the amount of the other period. That is, this is a case where "n=5" and "m=0", or "n=0" and "m=5", and the equation "X=Y" is satisfied. In such a case, it is unnecessary to set a period in which the materials 1' are not supplied, so the material preparation part P2 is provided on the premise that the equation "X=Y" is not satisfied (i.e., the inequality "X≠Y" is satisfied).

[0048] Alternatively, if materials 1' are supplied from all material supply units 2A-2E in both the first cycle period and the second cycle period, then "n=5" and "m=5" are equal to "X", which is the number of installed material supply units 2A-2E, and the equation "Y=2X" (here, 10) is satisfied. When this equation "Y=2X" is satisfied, it can be said that the material 1' is supplied from all material supply units 2A-2E in each cycle period, and it can also be said that all material supply units 2A-2E are constantly operating. On the other hand, if the equality "Y=2X" is not satisfied and the inequality "Y<2X" is satisfied, it can be said that supply by at least one of the material supply units 2A-2E is stopped during at least one of the first cycle period and the second cycle period. In this embodiment, it is premised that the inequality "Y≦2X" is satisfied.

[0049] In the form exemplified here, in the two-cycle period, all of the material supply units 2A to 2E supply the material 1′, and the inequality "X<Y" is satisfied. That is, at least one of the material supply units 2A to 2E supplies the material 1′ twice in the two-cycle period. That is, the form exemplified in this embodiment satisfies the inequality "X<Y<2X".

[0050] Hereinafter, as two patterns for preparing the material 1′ according to the operation mode of the conveyor 20, the first pattern and the second pattern will be illustrated. In the first pattern and the second pattern, the supply form of the material 1′ by the material supply units 2A to 2E and the conveyance form of the material 1′ by the conveyor 20 are set so as to be stacked in a predetermined order from above to below in the store part 23.

[0051] Note that, in the first pattern and the second pattern exemplified here, the combination of the colors (types of appearance) of the material 1′ supplied in the first cycle period is different from the combination of the colors (types of appearance) of the material 1′ supplied in the second cycle period. Also, the type of appearance formed by a part of the material 1′ supplied in the first cycle period is common to the type of appearance formed by at least a part of the material 1′ supplied in the second cycle period. Plainly speaking, the material 1′ of the same color (the types of appearance are common) is supplied in each of the first cycle period and the second cycle period.

[0052] <First Pattern> The operation mode of the conveyor 20 in the first pattern for preparing the material 1′ is set to a mode of conveying the material 1′ by one pitch in each of the first period and the second period. In this first pattern, with reference to Table 1 below, an example in which a pattern arranged in the order of color E, color D, color C, color B, color A, color E, color D is set as the "predetermined order" will be described. Note that the order of colors E, D, C, B, A, E, and D given as an example of the specified order here is the order from top to bottom in the packaging pack 10, which can also be said as the order from upstream to downstream.

[0053] [Table 1]

[0054] In addition, in the notation A2 in Table 1, the "A" on the left half indicates that the color of material 1' is color A, and the "2" on the right half indicates that it was supplied in the latter half of the two-cycle period (i.e., the "second cycle period"). Similarly, in the notation C2, the "C" on the left half indicates that the color of material 1' is color C, and the "2" on the right half indicates that it was supplied in the second cycle period. Similarly, for the notations B1, D1, D2, E1, and E2, the left half "B~E" indicates the color of material 1', and the right half "1, 2" indicates the timing of supply of material 1'.

[0055] In the first pattern, three materials 1' are supplied from three locations (n=3) during the first cycle period, and four materials 1' are supplied from four locations (m=4) during the second cycle period. This supply of seven materials 1' over two cycle periods is repeated. In this first pattern, during a first cycle period, materials 1' of colors B, D, and E are placed on the conveyor 20 from the second material supply unit 2B, the fourth material supply unit 2D, and the fifth material supply unit 2E. Then, during a second cycle period, materials 1' of colors A, C, D, and E are placed on the conveyor 20 from four locations, namely the first material supply unit 2A, the third material supply unit 2C, the fourth material supply unit 2D, and the fifth material supply unit 2E.

[0056] In this first pattern, no supply of materials 1' is carried out from the first material supply unit 2A and the third material supply unit 2C during the first cycle period, and no supply of materials 1' is carried out from the second material supply unit 2B' during the second cycle period. In more detail, in the first pattern, both "n" and "m" are less than "X", and during both the first cycle period and the second cycle period, material 1' is not supplied from some of the material supply sections 2A to 2E, and material 1' is supplied from the other sections other than those sections.

[0057] Here, the first pattern for supplying the material 1' in the above manner will be explained step by step for each unit cycle period. First, in the first cycle period of the two-cycle period, material 1' of color B is placed on the conveyor 20 at the second location from the second material supply section 2B, material 1' of color D is placed on the conveyor 20 at the fourth location from the fourth material supply section 2D, and material 1' of color E is placed on the conveyor 20 at the fifth location from the fifth material supply section 2E. The materials 1' of colors B, D, and E thus supplied are transported by one pitch by the conveyor 20 operating in the first period. In detail, the materials 1' of color B are transported from the second location to the third location, the materials 1' of color D are transported from the fourth location to the fifth location, and the materials 1' of color E are transported from the fifth location to the sixth location, which is one pitch downstream of the fifth location.

[0058] Next, in the second cycle period which is the latter half of the two-cycle period, materials 1' of color A are placed on the conveyor 20 at a first location from the first material supply unit 2A, and materials 1' of color C are placed on the conveyor 20 at a third location from the third material supply unit 2C. Also, materials 1' of color D are placed on the conveyor 20 at a fourth location from the fourth material supply unit 2D, and materials 1' of color E are placed on the conveyor 20 at a fifth location from the fifth material supply unit 2E.

[0059] At the third location, the materials 1' of color C supplied from the third material supply unit 2C are superimposed above the materials 1' of color B because the materials 1' of color B are transported to the third location. Similarly, at the fifth location, the materials 1' of color E supplied from the fifth material supply unit 2E are superimposed above the materials 1' of color D because the materials 1' of color D are transported to the fifth location. In contrast, materials 1' of colors A and D supplied from the first material supply section 2A and the fourth material supply section 2D at the first and fourth locations are placed on the conveyor 20 without being superimposed on material 1', since material 1' is not transported to the first and fourth locations.

[0060] Then, the materials 1' are transported by one pitch by the conveyor 20 operating in the second period. More specifically, the materials 1' of color A are transported from the first location to the second location, the materials 1' of colors B and C are transported from the third location to the fourth location, and the materials 1' of color D are transported from the fourth location to the fifth location. At the same time, the materials 1' of colors D and E are transported from the fifth location to the sixth location, and the materials 1' of color E are transported from the sixth location to the seventh location, which is one pitch downstream of the sixth location.

[0061] When the supply and transportation of the materials 1' as described above is repeated, seven materials 1' arranged in a predetermined order are prepared in sequence, as shown by the bold frame in Table 1. The "arrangement corresponding to a predetermined order" referred to here is an arrangement in which, of two locations separated by one pitch in the conveying direction, five materials 1' are overlapped at the upstream location (corresponding to the right half of the area enclosed in a thick frame) and two materials 1' are overlapped at the downstream location (corresponding to the left half of the area enclosed in a thick frame). At the upstream location, materials 1' are overlapped from the bottom in the order of color A, color B, color C, color D, and color E, and at the downstream location, materials 1' are stacked from the bottom in the order of color D and color E.

[0062] Specifically, at the upstream location, the materials 1' of color B supplied in the first cycle period are superimposed on the materials 1' of color A supplied in the second cycle period, and the materials 1' of color C supplied in the second cycle period are superimposed on the materials 1' of color B. The materials 1' of color D supplied in the first cycle period are superimposed on the materials 1' of color C, and the materials 1' of color E supplied in the second cycle period are superimposed on the materials 1' of color D. Also, at the downstream location, the materials 1' of color E supplied in the first cycle period are superimposed on the materials 1' of color D supplied in the second cycle period.

[0063] The materials 1' of colors D and E overlapped at the downstream portion are overlapped at store part 23 with the materials 1' of color D on the bottom and the materials 1' of color E on the top. Then, the materials 1' of colors A, B, C, D, and E overlapped at the upstream portion are overlapped upward on the materials 1' of colors D and E. In other words, the materials 1' are overlapped at store part 23 from top to bottom in the order of color E, color D, color C, color B, color A, color E, and color D.

[0064] <Second pattern> The operation mode of the conveyor 20 in the second pattern for preparing the material 1' is set to a mode in which the conveyance is temporarily stopped during either the first period or the second period, and the conveyance is performed during the other of the first period or the second period. Here, an example will be described in which the conveyor 20 temporarily stops the conveyance during the first period, and the conveyor 20 performs the conveyance only during the second period.

[0065] In this second pattern, referring to Table 2 below, an example will be described in which the pattern in which the colors are arranged in the order of color E, color E, color D, color C, color B, color A, and color A is set as the "predetermined order." Note that the order exemplified here as the predetermined order is the same as the first pattern, and is the order from the upper side to the lower side in the packaging pack 10, and is also the order from the upstream side to the downstream side. Further, the notations A1, A2, B1, C1, D1, E1, E2 in Table 2 represent the color of the material 1' in the left half "A~E" in the same way as the notations in Table 1, and the right half "1,2" of the notation represents the supply timing of the material 1'.

[0066]

Table 2

[0067] In the second pattern, five materials 1' are supplied from five locations (n = 5) during the first cycle period, and two materials 1' are supplied from two locations (m = 2) during the second cycle period. The supply of the seven materials 1' over such two cycle periods is repeatedly performed. In this second pattern, during the first cycle period, all five-color materials 1' are placed on the conveyor 20 from all of the material supply units 2A to 2E. Then, during the second cycle period, the materials 1' of color A and color E are placed on the conveyor 20 from two locations, the first material supply unit 2A and the fifth material supply unit 2E.

[0068] In this second pattern, there are no material supply units 2A to 2E that do not perform supply during the first cycle period, and during the second cycle period, the supply of the material 1' from the second material supply unit 2B', the third material supply unit 2C', and the fourth material supply unit 2D' is not performed. Speaking more generally, in the second pattern, "n" is equal to "X" (satisfying the equation "n = X"), and "m" is less than "X" (satisfying the inequality "m < X").

[0069] Here, regarding the second pattern of supplying the material 1' in the above form, an explanation will be given in order for each unit cycle period. First, during the first cycle period, which is the first half of the two cycle periods, all-color materials 1' are placed on the conveyor 20 from all of the material supply units 2A to 2E, and the materials 1' of each color are placed at each of the first to fifth locations. All the materials 1' of all colors thus supplied remain in the position where they were deposited, since the operation of the conveyor 20 is temporarily suspended during the first period.

[0070] Next, in the second cycle period which is the latter half of the two-cycle period, material 1' of color A is placed on the conveyor 20 at a first location from the first material supply section 2A, and material 1' of color E is placed on the conveyor 20 at a fifth location from the fifth material supply section 2E. The material 1' of color A supplied from the first material supply unit 2A at the first location during the second cycle period is superimposed above the material 1' of color A supplied at the first location during the first cycle period. Similarly, the material 1' of color E supplied from the fifth material supply unit 2E at the fifth location during the second cycle period is superimposed above the material 1' of color E supplied at the fifth location during the first cycle period.

[0071] During the second cycle, since the second material supply section 2B' to the fourth material supply section 2D' do not supply materials 1', only materials 1' of colors B, C, and D that were placed during the first cycle are placed at the second to fourth locations. Then, the materials 1' are transported by one pitch by the conveyor 20 operating in the second period. In detail, two materials 1' of color A are transported from the first location to the second location, one material 1' of color B is transported from the second location to the third location, and one material 1' of color C is transported from the third location to the fourth location. At the same time, one material 1' of color D is transported from the fourth location to the fifth location, and two materials 1' of color D are transported from the fifth location to the sixth location.

[0072] When the supply and transportation of the materials 1' as described above is repeated, seven materials 1' arranged in a predetermined order are sequentially produced, as shown in Table 2 surrounded by a thick frame. The "arrangement corresponding to a predetermined order" referred to here does not mean that a predetermined number of materials 1' are overlapped in two places as in the first pattern, but that seven materials 1' are overlapped in one place.

[0073] In detail, the material 1' of color A supplied in the first cycle period is superimposed on the material 1' of color A supplied in the second cycle period, and the material 1' of color B supplied in the first cycle period is superimposed on the material 1' of color A supplied in the second cycle period. The material 1' of color C supplied in the first cycle period is superimposed on the material 1' of color B, and the material 1' of color D supplied in the first cycle period is superimposed on the material 1' of color C. The material 1' of color E supplied in the first cycle period is superimposed on the material 1' of color D, and the material 1' of color E supplied in the second cycle period is superimposed on the material 1' of color E. The materials 1' stacked in one place as described above are then stacked in the store part 23 from top to bottom in the order of color E, color E, color D, color C, color B, color A, and color A.

[0074] [1-3. How to prepare materials] Next, a method for preparing materials will be described. The material preparation method of this embodiment is a method of preparing materials 1' using the material preparation device described above in item [1-2]. In this material preparation method, a conveying step of conveying the material 1' by the conveyor 20 and a material supplying step of placing the material 1' on the conveyor 20 and supplying it are carried out.

[0075] The material supplying process is a process carried out by the material supplying section 2. In this material supplying process, as described above in the explanation of the material supplying section 2, the materials 1' are placed on the conveyor 20 at each of five locations, the number of which is equal to the number of colors of the carton 1, and are lined up in series along the conveying direction and supplied. In this material supply process, the combination of materials 1' supplied in the first cycle period is different from the combination of materials 1' supplied in the second cycle period.

[0076] The conveying process is a process carried out by the conveyor 20. In this conveying process, the material 1' is conveyed by at least one pitch during the first period and the second period. Here, an example of conveying the material 1' by one pitch during at least one of the first period and the second period will be described. In the case of the above-mentioned first pattern, in the conveying process, the material 1' is conveyed by one pitch in each of the first period and the second period. In the case of the above-mentioned second pattern, in the conveying process, the conveying is temporarily stopped in one of the first period and the second period, and the conveying is carried out in the other of the first period and the second period. Specifically, in the first period, the conveying by the conveyor 20 is temporarily stopped, and the conveying by the conveyor 20 is carried out only in the second period.

[0077] The predetermined number of "Y" related to the above-mentioned material supply process and conveying process, the number "n" and "m" of the supply locations of the material 1' in the unit cycle period, and the number "X" of the installed material supply units satisfy the equation "Y = n + m", and also satisfy the inequality "X < Y" and the inequality "Y < 2X" (the inequality "X ≠ Y"). After carrying out such a material supply process and conveying process, a storing process by the store part 23 is carried out. After the storing process, a feeding process by the feed part 24 is carried out.

[0078] In the storing process, the materials 1' supplied and conveyed in the material supply process and the conveying process are stacked vertically in the store part 23 and stored. In the feeding process, the materials 1' stacked in the storing process are fed out toward the wrapping part. In this feeding process, the materials 1' stacked in the storing process are fed out one by one from the lower side.

[0079] [2. Operations and Effects] Since the material preparation device and the material preparation method of the present embodiment are configured as described above, the following operations and effects can be obtained. (1) According to the material preparation device and the material preparation method, during the first cycle period, the material 1' is supplied from "n" locations among the five material supply parts 2A to 2E, and during the second cycle period, the material 1' is supplied from "m" locations. Seven materials 1' that are assembled into seven cartons 1 to be packaged in one packaging pack body 10 are supplied with the material 1' over two cycle periods. In this way, the equation "Y = n + m" is satisfied, and the inequality "X ≠ Y" is satisfied.

[0080] Therefore, the material 1' can be prepared without providing the same number of material supply parts 2A to 2E as the number of cartons 1 forming one packaging pack body 10, and it is possible to respond to changes in the setting of the number of cartons 1 forming one packaging pack body 10. Also, since the supply of the material 1' to the cartons 1 forming one packaging pack body 10 is carried out over two cycle periods, it is possible to ensure a degree of freedom in responding to changes in the arrangement order setting of the cartons 1 in the packaging pack body 10. Thus, the degree of freedom in responding to the setting of the number of cartons 1 packaged in one pack and the setting of the arrangement order can be increased.

[0081] (2) On the premise of satisfying the inequality "Y ≤ 2X", since the inequality "X < Y" is satisfied (that is, the inequality "X < Y ≤ 2X" is satisfied), the arrangement order of the number of cartons more than the number of locations where the material supply parts 2A to 2E are provided can be set to a predetermined arrangement order. Also from this point, the degree of freedom in responding to the setting of the number of cartons 1 packaged in one pack and the setting of the arrangement order can be increased.

[0082] (3) Since the inequality "Y < 2X" is satisfied, not all of the material supply parts 2A to 2E always supply the material 1' every unit cycle period, and the supply of the material 1' from at least a part of the material supply parts 2A to 2E is stopped in at least one of the unit cycle periods in the two cycle periods. Therefore, it is possible to prepare the material 1' of the cartons 1 having a predetermined arrangement order that cannot be set in a form where the material 1' is always supplied from all of the material supply parts 2A to 2E every unit cycle period. Also from this point, the degree of freedom in responding to the setting of the arrangement order of the cartons 1 packaged in one pack can be increased.

[0083] (4) When the materials 1' are transported by one pitch in each of the first and second periods as in the first pattern, the materials 1' of the cartons 1 to be packaged in one pack are distributed and arranged in two locations, thereby reducing the number of materials 1' stacked at each location. This contributes to stable transport of the materials 1'. The first pattern in which the materials 1' are prepared in this way is suitable for use in an arrangement in which cartons 1 of the same color are arranged at a distance from one another in one package body, and can also be said to be suitable for an arrangement in which the color arrangement is repeated.

[0084] (5) In the case where the transport of the materials 1' is temporarily stopped during either the first period or the second period and the materials 1' are transported during the other of the first period or the second period as in the second pattern, the materials 1' of the cartons 1 to be packaged in one pack are concentrated in one place, so that the material supply part 21 and the store part 23 can be arranged close to each other, compared with the case where the materials 1' are distributed in two places as in the first pattern. This contributes to increasing the layout freedom of the material preparation part P2. The second pattern in which the materials 1' are prepared in this way is suitable for use in an arrangement order in which cartons 1 of the same color are arranged adjacent to each other in one packaging pack body, and can also be said to be suitable for arranging cartons 1 by color together in one packaging pack body.

[0085] (6) In the first and second patterns described above, the color combination of the materials 1' supplied in the first cycle period is different from the color combination (type of appearance) of the materials 1' supplied in the second cycle period. This also increases the flexibility in setting the arrangement order of the cartons 1 packed in one pack. In addition, since materials 1' of the same color (common type of appearance) are supplied in the first cycle period and the second cycle period, the materials 1' for the cartons 1 in a predetermined order that can be set in various orders can be prepared by the material supply units 2A-2E provided in limited locations (five locations in this case). This also increases the degree of freedom in setting the number of cartons 1 to be packaged in one pack and the order.

[0086] (7) Since the materials 1' from the material supply part 21, the transport part 22, and the material supply process and the transport process are stacked vertically in the store part 23, the materials 1' can be stacked in an order corresponding to a predetermined arrangement order. This reduces the space required to supply the materials 1' compared to arranging the materials 1' in a line in the transport direction, contributing to space saving. (8) The materials 1' stacked on top of each other in the store part 23 and the storing process are fed one by one from the bottom in the feeding process for the wrapping process. This first-in, first-out method allows the materials 1' to be continuously fed (prepared) in a sequence corresponding to a predetermined arrangement sequence. This in turn contributes to improving the manufacturing efficiency of the packaging packs 10.

[0087] [II. Modifications] The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and is not intended to exclude various modifications and application of techniques not explicitly stated in the embodiment. Each configuration of the present embodiment can be modified in various ways without departing from the spirit of the embodiment. In addition, the configurations can be selected as necessary, and can be combined appropriately.

[0088] For example, the number "X" of locations where the material supply units 2A to 2E are provided is not limited to five locations, and may be any multiple number of locations. In addition, the number of carton boxes forming one packaging pack is not limited to the number of boxes that satisfy the inequality "Y < 2X", but may also be the number of boxes that satisfy the equation "Y = 2X" (if X = 5, then Y = 10). Such a form with the set number of boxes can be paraphrased as a form in which the supply period of the cartons forming one packaging pack is extended from the unit cycle period to two cycle periods with respect to the above-mentioned technology in the prior art section, and can also be said to be a form in which the number of locations for separating the cartons packaged in the wrapping part is doubled.

[0089] Alternatively, the material preparation device and the material preparation method of the present embodiment do not exclude a setting in which a predetermined number "Y" is smaller than the number "X" of locations where the material supply units 2A to 2E are provided (satisfies the inequality "Y < X"), and at least satisfies the inequality "X ≠ Y". However, the material preparation device and the material preparation method of the present embodiment are based on the viewpoint of setting these numbers "X" and "Y" to be different from each other with respect to the prior art that assumes that the number "X" of locations where the material supply unit is provided is set to be the same as the predetermined number "Y".

[0090] That is, if the inequalities "X ≧ m", "X ≧ n", the equation "Y = n + m" and the inequality "X ≠ Y" are satisfied, it is not limited to the above-mentioned form in one embodiment, and the above-mentioned "X", "Y", "n", "m" can be set to any plurality, and the locations of the material supply units that supply materials in each cycle period can also be set arbitrarily. Thereby, the degree of freedom in responding to the setting of the number of carton boxes 1 packaged in one pack and the setting of the arrangement order can be increased.

[0091] In addition, the parallel part may be omitted. In this case, one path is set from the carton part to the wrapping part, which contributes to the simplification of the production line. In the material preparation part, the period during which materials for a carton constituting one packaging pack are supplied is not limited to two cycle periods, and in principle, it can be set to a period three times or more the unit cycle period. Specifically, the period during which materials for a carton constituting one packaging pack are supplied is not limited to two cycle periods, which are twice the unit cycle period, and it can be three cycle periods, which are three times the unit cycle period.

[0092] When materials for a carton constituting one packaging pack are supplied over three cycle periods, the material supply section supplies materials from "n" locations (locations that satisfy the inequality "X≧n") in the first unit cycle period (hereinafter referred to as the "first cycle period") among the periods obtained by dividing the three cycle periods into thirds, supplies materials from "m" locations (locations that satisfy the inequality "X≧m") in the second unit cycle period (hereinafter referred to as the "second cycle period") among the periods obtained by dividing the three cycle periods into thirds, and supplies materials from "l" locations (locations that satisfy the inequality "X≧l") in the third unit cycle period (hereinafter referred to as the "second cycle period") among the periods obtained by dividing the three cycle periods into thirds. The supply of materials in the first cycle period, the supply of materials in the second cycle period, and the supply of materials in the third cycle period are repeatedly carried out by the material supply part.

[0093] When materials for a carton constituting one packaging pack are supplied over three cycle periods as described above, the materials 1' are transported for at least one pitch in the first, second and third periods described below. Here, an example will be described in which the materials 1' are transported for one pitch in at least one of the first, second and third periods. First period: After materials are supplied from "n" locations during the first cycle period, The period until materials are supplied from "m" location during the second cycle period -Second period: After materials are supplied from "m" location during the second cycle period The period until materials are supplied from "l" location during the third cycle period ·Third period: The period from when materials are supplied from the "l" locations during the third cycle period until materials are supplied from the "n" locations during the first cycle period

[0094] Note that, as in the first pattern described above, materials may be conveyed by one pitch in each of the first period, the second period, and the third period, or the conveyance of materials may be temporarily stopped in at least any one of the first period, the second period, and the third period as in the second pattern described above. Since materials for the carton forming one packaging pack are supplied over three cycle periods, "n" materials are supplied from the "n" locations during the first cycle period, "m" materials are supplied from the "m" locations during the second cycle period, and "l" materials are supplied from the "l" locations during the third cycle period. Therefore, when the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y = n + m + l" is satisfied.

[0095] Also, since the material supply parts are provided at the same number of locations as the number of colors of the carton in one packaging pack, when the number of locations where these material supply parts are provided (the same number, five in the example of one embodiment) is "X", it is set on the premise that the equation "X = Y" is not satisfied (that is, the inequality "X ≠ Y" is satisfied). Furthermore, it is preferable to satisfy the inequality "X < Y" or the inequality "Y ≤ 3X", and it is more preferable to satisfy the inequality "Y < 3X".

[0096] The period during which materials for the carton forming one packaging pack are supplied can be set to three cycle periods as described above, can be set to two cycle periods as described above in one embodiment, and in principle can also be set to a period of four times (four cycle periods) or more of the unit cycle period. An example of a supply pattern for materials for a carton constituting one packaging pack in a three-cycle period is one in which "X" is three and "Y" is seven, and materials are supplied from "three (n)" locations in the first cycle period, materials are supplied from "three (m)" locations in the second cycle period, and materials are supplied from "one (l)" location in the third cycle period (i.e., a "3+3+1" pattern). Another example is a "3+2+2" pattern.

[0097] Furthermore, examples of the supply of materials for a carton that constitutes one packaging pack during a four-cycle period include a "2+2+2+1" format and a "3+2+1+1" format. When materials for a carton constituting one packaging pack are supplied over multiple cycle periods (multiple here means a positive integer) as described above, it is preferable that two or more types of materials are supplied in a unit cycle period, for example in the form of "3+2+2."

[0098] Furthermore, when materials for cartons constituting one packaging pack body are supplied over multiple cycle periods, the manner in which the materials are supplied in the above-mentioned second pattern is not limited to a form in which the transport of the materials is temporarily stopped, but may also be a form in which the materials are transported for only one pitch over multiple periods. For example, in the case where materials for a carton constituting one packaging pack are supplied over two cycle periods as described above as the second pattern according to one embodiment of item [I], the materials may be conveyed by one pitch over the first and second periods. In this case, the conveying speed of the materials in the first period may be set to be slower than the conveying speed of the materials in the second period (so to say, to decelerate the conveying speed of the materials in the first period), or the conveying speed of the materials in the second period and the conveying speed of the materials in the first period may be set to be equal to each other.

[0099] Similarly, as a second pattern relating to the modified example of item [II], when materials for a carton constituting one packaging pack body are supplied over three cycle periods as described above, the materials may be transported only one pitch over the first period, second period and third period. As described above, in order to transport materials by one pitch over multiple periods without temporarily stopping the transport of the materials and stack them in a specified order, a guide for moving the cartons on the conveyor and a guide for introducing materials supplied from each material supply section downstream in the transport direction according to the transport speed may be used. [Explanation of symbols]

[0100] 1 carton 1′ Materials 10 Packaging 19 Wrapping materials 2. Material Supply Department 2A First Material Supply Department 2B Second Material Supply Department 2C Third Material Supply Department 2D 4th Material Supply Department 2E 5th Material Supply Division 20 Conveyor 21 Materials Supply Part (Materials Supply Department) 22 Transport Part 23 Store Part 24 Feed Part 3 Tissue Paper 31 Oritate Part 32 Accommodation Part 33 Sealing Part P1 Bundle transport part P2 Material preparation part (material preparation device) P3 Cartnapart P4 Parallel Part P5 Wrapping Part

Claims

1. A method for preparing materials for cartons, which are continuously transported to a wrapping part that wraps a group of cartons, each of which contains a predetermined number of tissues and is arranged in a predetermined order, in one pack, comprising the steps of: a conveying step of conveying the material by a conveyor; the materials to become the cartons having the same appearance are stacked at each of the locations, the number of which is equal to the number of different appearances of the cartons constituting the carton group and which are lined up in series along the conveying direction, a unit cycle period is required to place one of the materials on the conveyor at each of the locations, the locations are spaced apart in the conveying direction by one pitch, which is a distance that the materials can be conveyed by the conveyor in the unit cycle period, and a material supplying process for placing the materials on the conveyor at each of the locations and supplying them, The material supply step includes supplying the materials from "n" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, among the same number of locations, during a first cycle period in the first half of a two-cycle period that is twice the unit cycle period, and supplying the materials from "m" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, among the same number of locations, during a second cycle period in the second half of the two-cycle period, thereby repeatedly supplying the materials in the first cycle period and the second cycle period; The conveying step conveys the material by at least one pitch during a first period from when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period, and during a second period from when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period; When the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y = n + m" is satisfied, and when the predetermined number is "X", the inequality "X ≠ Y" is satisfied. A material preparation method comprising:

2. Satisfy the inequality "X<Y≦2X" 2. The material preparation method according to claim 1.

3. Satisfy the inequality "Y < 2X" 3. The material preparation method according to claim 2.

4. The conveying step conveys the material by one pitch in each of the first period and the second period.

4. The material preparation method according to claim 3.

5. The conveying step conveys the material by the one pitch over the first period and the second period.

4. The material preparation method according to claim 3.

6. In the material supply step, a combination of the materials to be supplied in the first cycle period is different from a combination of the materials to be supplied in the second cycle period. The material preparation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A method for preparing materials for cartons, which are continuously transported to a wrapping part that wraps a group of cartons, each of which contains a predetermined number of tissues and is arranged in a predetermined order, in one pack, comprising the steps of: a conveying step of conveying the material by a conveyor; the materials to become the cartons having the same appearance are stacked at each of the locations, the number of which is equal to the number of different appearances of the cartons constituting the carton group and which are lined up in series along the conveying direction, a unit cycle period is required to place one of the materials on the conveyor at each of the locations, the locations are spaced apart in the conveying direction by one pitch, which is a distance that the materials can be conveyed by the conveyor in the unit cycle period, and a material supplying process for placing the materials on the conveyor at each of the locations and supplying them, the material supply step comprises: supplying the materials from "n" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, in a first cycle period, which is the first of three periods obtained by dividing a three-cycle period, which is three times the unit cycle period, into thirds; supplying the materials from "m" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, in a second cycle period, which is the second of three periods obtained by dividing the three-cycle period into thirds; and supplying the materials from "l" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, in a third cycle period, which is the third of three periods obtained by dividing the three-cycle period into thirds; and repeating the supply of the materials in the first cycle period, the supply of the materials in the second cycle period, and the supply of the materials in the third cycle period; The conveying step conveys the material by one pitch during at least one of a first period from when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period, a second period from when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "l" location during the third cycle period, and a third period from when the material is supplied from the "l" location during the third cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period, When the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y=n+m+l" is satisfied, and when the predetermined number is "X", the inequality "X≠Y" is satisfied. A material preparation method comprising:

8. A material preparation device for preparing materials for cartons which are continuously transported to a wrapping part which wraps a group of cartons, each of which contains a predetermined number of tissues and is arranged in a predetermined order, in units of one pack, comprising: A conveyor for transporting the material; a material supply section which supplies the materials to be used as the cartons having the same appearance as the number of cartons constituting the carton group and which are lined up in series along a conveying direction, each of which is stacked with the materials to be used as the cartons having the same appearance, and which requires a unit cycle period to place one material on the conveyor at each of the carton locations, and which is spaced apart in the conveying direction by one pitch, which is a distance that the materials can be transported by the conveyor during the unit cycle period; the material supply unit supplies the materials from "n" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, among the same number of locations, during a first cycle period in the first half of a two-cycle period that is twice the unit cycle period, and supplies the materials from "m" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, among the same number of locations, during a second cycle period in the second half of the two-cycle period, thereby repeatedly supplying the materials in the first cycle period and the second cycle period; the conveyor conveys the material by at least one pitch during a first period from when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period, and during a second period from when the material is supplied from the "m" location during the second cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "n" location during the first cycle period; When the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y = n + m" is satisfied, and when the predetermined number is "X", the inequality "X ≠ Y" is satisfied. A material preparation device characterized by:

9. A material preparation device for preparing materials for cartons which are continuously transported to a wrapping part which wraps a group of cartons, each of which contains a predetermined number of tissues and is arranged in a predetermined order, in units of one pack, comprising: A conveyor for transporting the material; a material supply section which supplies the materials to be used as the cartons having the same appearance as the number of cartons constituting the carton group and which are lined up in series along a conveying direction, each of which is stacked with the materials to be used as the cartons having the same appearance, and which requires a unit cycle period to place one material on the conveyor at each of the carton locations, and which is spaced apart in the conveying direction by one pitch, which is a distance that the materials can be transported by the conveyor during the unit cycle period; the material supply unit supplies the materials from "n" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, during a first cycle period, which is the first of three periods obtained by dividing a three-cycle period, which is three times the unit cycle period, into thirds; supplies the materials from "m" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, during a second cycle period, which is the second of three periods obtained by dividing the three-cycle period into thirds; and supplies the materials from "l" locations, which is a natural number equal to or less than the same number of locations, during a third cycle period, which is the third of three periods obtained by dividing the three-cycle period into thirds; and repeats the supply of the materials during the first cycle period, the supply of the materials during the second cycle period, and the supply of the materials during the third cycle period; the conveyor transports the material by at least one pitch during a first period from when the material is supplied from the "n" location in the first cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "m" location in the second cycle period, a second period from when the material is supplied from the "m" location in the second cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "l" location in the third cycle period, and a third period from when the material is supplied from the "l" location in the third cycle period to when the material is supplied from the "n" location in the first cycle period; When the predetermined number is "Y", the equation "Y=n+m+l" is satisfied, and when the predetermined number is "X", the inequality "X≠Y" is satisfied. A material preparation device characterized by:

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