Thin box sealing device

Abstract

To provide a thin box sealing device capable of easily, quickly, and neatly performing a work sealing an unsealed box storing a content by applying a sealing tape from an upper lid side to a bottom surface side, and not requiring a plurality of tape application rollers for applying an adhesive tape to a back surface of the box while moving.SOLUTION: In a thin box sealing device in which an opening narrower than the width of a box 2 is provided on a conveyance surface immediately below a tape applicator 11, a moving speed of rear end back surface tape application means is faster than a conveying speed of the box 2, while the rear end of the box 2 is passing above a second guide groove, the rear end back surface tape application means rising from the lowermost end of the first guide groove to the second guide groove reaches a terminal end of the second guide groove, by the tape applicator 11, in a rear end side of the adhesive tape that is applied to a top surface part of the box 2 and cut, while applying a rear end hanging part that hangs down from the lower side of the rear end surface of the box 2 to the back surface of the box.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a device for sealing boxes with adhesive tape, and more particularly to a thin box sealing device suitable for thin boxes. [Background technology]

[0002] In factories, logistics centers, and the like that ship various products, after items are placed in boxes, sealing work is performed. For example, in a sealing device that performs the sealing work and is incorporated in an automatic packaging machine that is arranged on a shipping work line and performs a process from assembling boxes to filling the items with the items, folding the flaps, sealing the boxes with tape, and attaching labels, the direction in which a box filled with contents is advanced (the box conveying direction) is the same as the direction in which adhesive tape is applied to seal the top lid flap, and the adhesive tape is applied to seal the top lid flap at the same time as the box is advanced.

[0003] When sealing the top lid flap with adhesive tape, in the case of a thick box (for example, 70 mm or more thick), as the box is moved from the rear side in the direction of travel (the entrance side of the box) to the front side (the exit side of the box), i.e., from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction, the box is allowed to enter with a certain length (for example, about 50 mm) of adhesive tape hanging down in order to attach the front end of the adhesive tape to the side part of the box on the front side in the direction of travel (downstream in the conveying direction), and the adhesive tape is attached to the side part (front end surface) on the downstream side in the conveying direction, and then to the top part, and further, in order to attach the rear end of the adhesive tape to the side part (rear end surface) on the rear side (upstream in the conveying direction), the adhesive tape is cut and attached with an adhesive tape cutter at a certain length (for example, about 50 mm) from the rear end of the top part.

[0004] In recent years, mail orders and transactions between individuals have become more common, and the method of delivery that allows items to be dropped into a postbox is highly valued for its cost-saving features, prevention of redelivery, and convenience. As the standard thickness for non-standard-sized mail is 30 mm or less, and the standard thickness for delivery services by major courier companies that allow items to be dropped into a postbox is 25 mm or less, thin boxes with a thickness of 25 mm or less or 35 mm or less have become widely used in recent years. Thin boxes with a top flap that can be closed have a thickness of 10 mm or more. In this application, a box with a thickness of 10 mm or more and 35 mm or less is defined as a thin box.

[0005] In the sealing of thin boxes with a thickness of about 25 mm or 30 mm, when sealing the top flap with adhesive tape, it is necessary to automatically attach both ends of the adhesive tape to the side of the box with high precision, and even if the adhesive tape can be attached to the side of the box, the length of the part attached to the side of the box is short, so it is easy to peel off, and problems such as the tape peeling off due to vibration during transportation are likely to occur. Therefore, it is necessary for both ends of the adhesive tape to reach not only the side of the box but also the back of the box.

[0006] However, when sealing the top lid flap by applying adhesive tape at the same time as moving the box forward, there was a problem in that it was difficult to apply both ends of the adhesive tape that seals the top lid flap to the back side of the box because the tape would hang down to the bottom of the box.

[0007] In response to this problem, a box sealing system has been proposed that includes a shipping box front end tape application mechanism and a shipping box rear end tape application mechanism between two endless conveyor belts (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-92553 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] However, the conventional box sealing system described above requires a tape application roller below the conveying surface which moves to apply tape to the underside of the front end of the box, and a tape application roller which moves to apply tape to the underside of the rear end of the box, and because both only move in parallel, there was a problem that when the adhesive tape was hung down from both the front and rear ends and wrapped around to the underside to apply it, if the hanging adhesive tape was long, it could stick to the tape application roller or the conveying roller.

[0010] To provide a thin box sealing device that can easily, quickly and neatly seal an unsealed box containing contents by applying sealing tape from the top lid side to the bottom side, and does not require multiple tape application rollers that move to apply adhesive tape to the back side of the box. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] A first aspect of the present invention is a thin box sealing device comprising: a conveying means for placing and conveying a box with contents filled and a top flap closed; and a tape applicator above the conveying means for sealing the top flap of the box with adhesive tape; and an opening narrower than the width of the box is provided on the conveying surface directly below the tape applicator, The opening, A disk member that can be rotated by a motor; A link plate having one end as a fulcrum and the other end swingable; a link rod that connects the disk member and the link plate and swings the other end of the link plate in conjunction with the rotation of the disk member; a rear end back surface tape attaching means attached to the other end side of the link plate; a grooved cam having a long groove portion into which the rear end back surface tape application means is inserted and which causes a piston movement parallel to the conveying direction, the long groove portion has a first guide groove for lifting the trailing end back surface tape application means from below the opening to the conveying surface, and a second guide groove that extends from the first guide groove and moves the trailing end back surface tape application means in parallel downward in the conveying direction, the moving speed of the rear end back surface tape attaching means is faster than the conveying speed of the box, The present invention provides a thin box sealing device, characterized in that while the rear end of the box passes above the second guide groove, the rear end back surface tape application means rises from the lowest end of the first guide groove to the second guide groove, and reaches the terminal end of the second guide groove while applying to the rear end of the box a rear end hanging portion of the adhesive tape that has been applied to the upper surface of the box by the tape application machine and cut, the rear end hanging portion hanging below the lower edge of the rear end surface of the box.

[0012] According to the first aspect of the present invention, the task of sealing an unsealed box containing contents by applying sealing tape from the top lid side to the bottom side can be performed easily, quickly and neatly, and there is no need for multiple tape application rollers that move around to apply adhesive tape to the back side of the box.

[0013] Moreover, the link plate is a pair of plates, a connecting shaft having both ends sandwiched and fixed between the link plates, The link plate and the link rod are connected via the connecting shaft, the link rod is a rod having both annular ends, the ring at one end being fitted onto a connecting pin erected on the surface of the disk member, and the ring at the other end being fitted onto the connecting shaft, The fulcrum is a rotation shaft that is sandwiched between the link plates and rotatably supports the link plates, the rear end back surface tape applying means is a rear end back surface tape applying roller held between the link plates, It is preferable that the trailing end backside tape application roller presses the adhesive surface of the trailing end hanging portion of the adhesive tape against the backside portion of the box while sliding in the second guide groove downward in the conveying direction.

[0014] Furthermore, a length from a position where the rear end back surface tape joining roller contacts the lower side of the rear end surface of the box to a terminal position of the second guide groove is longer than a length of the rear end hanging portion of the adhesive tape, When the rear end surface of the box passes above the terminal end of the second guide groove, it is preferable that the roller for applying tape on the rear back surface of the box returns to the bottom end of the first guide groove and the motor is stopped until the rear end of the box to be transported next after the box starts to pass above the second guide groove.

[0015] It is also preferable that the transport means is a roller conveyor having a plurality of transport rollers, and that the transport roller downstream of the opening in the transport direction functions as a front end back surface tape applying means. Effect of the Invention

[0016] According to the present invention, the operation of sealing an unsealed box containing contents by applying sealing tape from the top lid side to the bottom side can be easily, quickly and neatly performed, and a plurality of tape application rollers that move to apply adhesive tape to the back surface of the box can be eliminated. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a thin box sealing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a schematic diagram of a tape applicator and a tape application assistance mechanism of a thin box sealing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view of the thin box sealing device in FIG. 1 with a tape applicator removed. [Figure 4] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams showing the state of a box at each stage of a sealing process by the thin box sealing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the tape application assistance mechanism of the thin box sealing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the motor side. [Figure 6] 6 is a top view of the tape application assistance mechanism shown in FIG. 5. [Figure 7]6 is a perspective view of the tape application assistance mechanism shown in FIG. 5, seen from the disk member side. [Figure 8] 3A to 3C are explanatory diagrams of the state at each stage of the sealing process by the thin box sealing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] 8(e) and 8(f) of the tape application assistance mechanism of the thin box sealing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 10] 1 is an explanatory diagram of a tape application assistance mechanism of the thin box sealing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention in a state where the tape on the rear end side has been applied to the back surface. [Figure 11] 11 is an explanatory diagram of a tape application assistance mechanism of the thin box sealing device after the state shown in FIG. 10 and before the next box flows in. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0018] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the thin box sealing device of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings using preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these. EXAMPLES

[0019] (composition) Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing a configuration example of a thin box sealing device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The thin box sealing device 1 shown in Fig. 1 is a device for conveying and sealing a box 2, which is an object to be sealed.

[0020] The thin box sealing device 1 may be one of the part devices that can be incorporated into a multi-function device that automatically or semi-automatically performs the processes from setting the box material to assembling, packaging, and labeling. The multi-function device into which the thin box sealing device 1 is incorporated may be a multi-function device that includes, for example, device parts for a process of setting the box material, device parts for a process of assembling the box material into a box, device parts for a process of putting products into the box, device parts for a process of closing the top lid of the box, the thin box sealing device parts of this embodiment as device parts for a process of sealing the box, and a device for a process of attaching a label. Note that these device parts may be one that performs multiple processes with one device part.

[0021] Alternatively, the thin box sealing device of this embodiment may be one in which a person manually places a box with its top lid closed on the thin box sealing device, or one in which a person manually picks up a box that has been sealed by the thin box sealing device.

[0022] The thin box sealing device 1 includes a conveying roller 12 arranged to carry a box 2 and a tape applicator 11 installed on the upper part of the conveying roller 12, photoelectric sensors 114a and 114b for detecting that the object to be sealed passes a predetermined position of the tape applicator 11, belt-type conveying guides 14 installed on both sides of the conveying roller 12 to control the moving direction and conveying speed of the box 2, an induction motor 18 for supplying power for moving the conveying guide 14, a height adjustment handle 17 for adjusting the height of the tape applicator 11 to match the height of the box 2 to be sealed, and a width adjustment handle 16 for adjusting the width between the conveying guides 14 to match the width of the box 2 to be sealed. The upper surface of the conveying roller 12 is the conveying surface 19, and the conveying roller 12 is a cylindrical rotating body whose longitudinal direction is perpendicular to the conveying direction, and a large number of conveying rollers 12 are arranged horizontally in the conveying direction. No power is supplied to the conveying rollers 12, and they only rotate but do not move. The box 2 advances in the conveying direction while sliding on the surfaces of the conveying rollers 12 .

[0023] Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the tape applicator and tape application assist mechanism of the thin box sealing device of the embodiment 1 of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a diagram seen from the rear side of Fig. 1, i.e., the rear side of the tape applicator 11, and omits everything other than the tape applicator 11 and the tape application assist mechanism 4. Photoelectric sensor 114a detects the passage of a box 2 on the upstream side of the conveying direction (the entrance side of the box), and photoelectric sensor 114b detects the passage of a box 2 on the downstream side of the conveying direction (the exit side of the box). As a box 2 flows in the conveying direction, the state changes from a state where neither photoelectric sensors 114a nor 114b detects the box (State 1) to a state where the front end of the box has passed the detection point of photoelectric sensor 114a but has not yet passed the detection point of photoelectric sensor 114b and the box is detected only by photoelectric sensor 114a (State 2), then passes through a state where the front end of the box has passed the detection point of photoelectric sensor 114b and the rear end of the box is upstream of the detection point of photoelectric sensor 114a and the box is detected by photoelectric sensors 114a and 114b (State 3), and then passes through a state where the rear end of the box is downstream of the detection point of photoelectric sensor 114a but the rear end of the box has not yet passed the detection point of photoelectric sensor 114b and box 2 is detected only by photoelectric sensor 114b (State 4), before returning to State 1.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the thin box sealing device in FIG. 1 with the tape applicator removed. As shown in FIG. 3, the multiple transport rollers 12, some of which are located under the tape applicator 11, are short in length and arranged on both sides, with an opening 15 in the center. The opening 15 is provided with a tape application support mechanism 4 for the thin box sealing device. Among the transport rollers 12, the first one on the front side of the opening 15 in the transport direction is a front end back surface tape application / transport roller 121. Like the other transport rollers 12, the front end back surface tape application / transport roller 121 only rotates and does not move. The upper surface of the transport roller 12 becomes the transport surface 19 on which the box 2 slides.

[0025] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the state of a box at each stage of the sealing process by the thin box sealing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 4(a) is a perspective view of box 2 from the direction in which top surface 21 is visible, at the stage before the process of closing top cover flap 25 is completed and the box is sealed. Box 2 is placed on transport rollers 12 in the state shown in Fig. 4(a), and is transported to below tape applicator 11. Arrow A indicates the transport direction.

[0027] Figure 4(b) is an oblique view of box 2 from a direction where the back surface 24 side is visible, in a state immediately after the tape applicator 11 has applied adhesive tape 3 to the end of the top lid flap 25 of the top surface 21 and sealed the box, in which the front end side hanging portion 31 of the adhesive tape 3 hanging down to the front end face 22, which is the front end side portion of the box 2, hangs down to the bottom of the box 2, and the rear end side hanging portion 32 of the adhesive tape 3 hanging down to the rear end face 23, which is the rear end side portion of the box 2, hangs down to the bottom of the box 2.

[0028] Among the conveying rollers 12, the first one on the front side of the opening 15 in the conveying direction is a front end backside tape application / conveying roller 121, which not only conveys the box 2 but also serves to apply to the back surface the end of the tape hanging down at the front end of the box 2. Fig. 4(c) is a perspective view of the box 2 from a direction in which the back surface 24 of the box 2 is seen in a state in which the adhesive surface 33 side of the front end hanging part 31 is pressed against and applied to the back surface 24 of the box 2 by the front end backside tape application / conveying roller 121, at a stage in which the front end surface 22 of the box 2 passes in front of the opening 15, i.e., downstream in the conveying direction, and the rear end surface 23 of the box 2 is passing over the opening 15. The back surface 24 and the non-adhesive surface 312 of the front end hanging portion 31 come into contact with the transport roller 12 at the front side of the opening 15 in the transport direction, but since the adhesive surface 311 of the front end hanging portion 31 is attached to the back surface 24, the adhesive surface 33 of the front end hanging portion 31 does not stick to the transport roller 12, and transport can proceed smoothly.

[0029] In this embodiment, the transporting means for the box 2 is a roller conveyor in which a plurality of transport rollers 12 are arranged, and the transport roller 12 on the downstream side of the opening 15 in the transport direction is a front end back surface tape application / transport roller 121 which has the function of a front end back surface tape application means, but the end on the downstream side of the opening 15 in the transport direction may not be a front end back surface tape application / transport roller 121 but may simply be a plate or a belt conveyor, or it may be a loading platform for the next process equipment at the terminal end of the thin box sealing device.

[0030] The upper surface of the transport roller 12, i.e., the transport surface 19, comes into contact with the back surface 24 of the box 2, whereby the front end side hanging portion 31 is affixed to the back surface 24.

[0031] Fig. 4(d) is a perspective view of box 2 from a direction in which back surface 24 of box 2 is visible, in a state in which adhesive surface 321 of rear end hanging portion 32 is pressed against and affixed to back surface 24 of box 2 by tape application assist mechanism 4, just before rear end surface 23 of box 2 passes downstream in the conveying direction from opening 15. Since adhesive surface 321 of rear end hanging portion 32 does not stick to conveying rollers 12 and non-adhesive surface 322 comes into contact with conveying rollers 12, conveying can proceed smoothly. Even when box 2 is conveyed to the terminal end of the thin box sealing device, it can proceed to processes such as labeling and shipping in the state shown in Fig. 4(d).

[0032] Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the tape application assist mechanism of the thin box sealing device of the first embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from the motor side. Fig. 6 is a top view of the tape application assist mechanism shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the tape application assist mechanism shown in Fig. 5, as viewed from the disk member side. The tape application assist mechanism 4 shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 is an assist mechanism for adhering the rear end side hanging portion 32 of the adhesive tape 3 to the rear end side back surface portion 24 of the box 2. The tape application assistance mechanism 4 comprises a disc member 42 that can be rotated by a motor 41, a link plate 43 with one end side serving as a fulcrum 47 and the other end side capable of swinging, a link rod 44 that connects the disc member 42 and the link plate 43 and swings the other end side of the link plate 43 in conjunction with the rotation of the disc member 42, and a rear end back surface tape application roller 45 as a rear end back surface tape application means attached to the other end side of the link plate 43, and a grooved cam 5 having long groove portions 51 provided on a pair of plate portions 52 into which the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 is inserted and which piston-moves it parallel to the conveying direction.

[0033] The disk member 42 is provided with a plurality of holes at predetermined intervals along the circumferential direction in a wheel-like shape in order to reduce weight.

[0034] The long groove portion 51 has a first guide groove 511 that raises the trailing end back surface tape application roller 45 from below the opening 15 to the conveying surface 19, and a second guide groove 513 that extends from the first guide groove 511 and moves the trailing end back surface tape application roller 45 in parallel downstream in the conveying direction. In this embodiment, the long groove portion 51 is disposed below the opening 15 so that the disk member 42 is on the upstream side in the conveying direction and the groove cam 5 is on the downstream side in the conveying direction.

[0035] The tape application assist mechanism 4 has a connecting shaft 432 having both ends sandwiched and fixed between the middle parts of two link plates 43. The link plate 43 and the link rod 44 are connected via the connecting shaft 432.

[0036] The link rod 44 is a rod having both annular ends, with a ring 441a at one end fitted onto the outside of a connecting pin 421 erected on the surface of the disc member 42, and a ring 441b at the other end of the link rod 44 fitted onto the outside of the connecting shaft 432. The ring 441b exteriorly supports the connecting shaft 432, and the connecting shaft 432 is rotatably connected within the ring 441b.

[0037] The connecting shaft 432 is sandwiched between a pair of link plates 43, and both ends are fixed to the middle of the link plates 43. The lower ends of the two link plates 43 are connected to each other via a rotating shaft 431 at a fulcrum 47, which is a joint, and are fixed to a structural member attached below the grooved cam 5, which also fixes the motor 41 and the disk member 42.

[0038] The tape application assist mechanism 4 has a rotating shaft 431 whose both ends are supported by being sandwiched between the lower ends of two link plates 43, and a rear end backside tape application roller 45 whose both ends are supported by being sandwiched between the upper ends of two link plates 43. The connecting shaft 432, the rotating shaft 431, and the rear end backside tape application roller 45 are parallel to each other, and are connected by being sandwiched in a direction perpendicular to the link plate 43.

[0039] A fulcrum 47 connected to the lower end of link plate 43 and through which rotating shaft 431 passes fixes the lower end of link plate 43 to a structural member that fixes motor 41 and disc member 42 attached below groove cam 5. Rotating shaft 431 supports link plate 43 so that it can swing with fulcrum 47 as a fixed end and the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 side as a free end.

[0040] In this embodiment, the rear end backside tape applying means is a rear end backside tape applying roller 45. In this embodiment, the grooved cam 5 is a pair of cams, and the rear end backside tape applying roller 45, which is sandwiched between the link plates 43, is sandwiched together with the link plates 43 between the grooved cams 5 provided to sandwich the outside of the link plates 43. A slide pin 46 is axially inserted through the rear end backside tape applying roller 45 from the outside of the grooved cam 5, and the rear end backside tape applying roller 45 is held slidably within the long groove portion 51.

[0041] Therefore, when the motor 41 is operated, the middle part of the link plate 43 connected to the connecting shaft 432 moves back and forth parallel to the conveying direction, and in response to this movement, the link plate 43 oscillates with the fulcrum 47 fixed, and the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 connected to the link plate 43 by the slide pin 46 moves back and forth within the long groove portion 51.

[0042] {How to use} Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the state at each stage of the sealing process by the thin box sealing device of the embodiment 1 of the present invention. The top / front end surface tape application roller 111 of the tape applicator 11 is a supply source of the adhesive tape 3, and the tape is cut by the cutter 113, and the tape is supplied and applied at the same time. Fig. 8(a) shows a state in which the top / front end surface tape application roller 111 of the tape applicator 11 comes into contact with the front end surface 22 of the box 2, and presses the adhesive tape 3 against the front end surface 22 and applies it, with the front end side hanging part 31 hanging down under the box 2, and then rises to the top surface 21. The detection state of the photoelectric sensors 114a and b corresponds to the above-mentioned state 2. The top / front end tape application roller 11 is supported by a fulcrum 112 and presses the front end surface 22, top surface 21, and rear end surface 23 of the box 2 in that order along the conveying surface 19 to apply the adhesive tape 3 to the box 2. At this time, the rear end of the box 2 is on the conveying roller 12 upstream in the conveying direction (the box entrance side) from the opening 15. In addition, the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 of the tape application support mechanism 4 is at the bottom end of the first guide groove 511 of the long groove portion 51 of the groove cam 5.

[0043] Fig. 8(b) shows the state where the top / front end tape application roller 111 of the taping machine 11 presses and applies the adhesive tape 3 to the top surface 21 of the box 2. The position of the taping machine 11 itself does not change, and the box 2 moves downstream in the conveying direction to seal it. The position of the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 remains the same as in Fig. 8(a).

[0044] Fig. 8(c) shows a state in which the top / front end surface tape application roller 111 of the taping machine 11 is located upstream of the rear end of the box 2 in the transport direction, and the front end of the box 2 is in contact with the front end back surface tape application / transport roller 121 to apply the front end hanging part 31 to the back surface part 24. The position of the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 remains the same as in Fig. 8(a). The sensing state of the photoelectric sensors 114a, b corresponds to state 3 described above.

[0045] FIG. 7 shows the state of the tape application assistance mechanism of the thin box sealing device according to the first embodiment of the present invention at the stages shown in FIGS. 8(a) to 8(c).

[0046] The trailing end backside tape applying roller 45 in the approximately L-shaped long groove 51 provided in the groove cam 5 remains stationary at the lowest end 512 until the motor 41 is activated a predetermined time after the photoelectric sensor detects that the box 2 has passed a predetermined position. After the state of FIG. 8(c) is reached, the motor 41 is activated and the associated disk member 42 rotates counterclockwise with the downstream side in the conveying direction on the right side. Although the counterclockwise rotation is described in this embodiment, clockwise rotation is also acceptable. Since FIG. 7 is a view from the back side of FIG. 8, when viewed from the front side of FIG. 7, the downstream side in the conveying direction is the left side, so the disk member 42 rotates clockwise.

[0047] A link rod 44, which has a ring 441a on one end thereof so as to pivotally support a connection pin 421 fixed by a screw at a position radially offset from the axis of the disk member 42 and has the connection pin 421 rotatably connected within the ring 441a, moves downstream in the conveying direction in conjunction with the rotation of the disk member 42. In the state shown in Fig. 7, one end of the link rod 44 is located at the 3 o'clock position on the disk member 42, that is, in the direction rotated 90 degrees clockwise from the top. This position is the standby position, or the steady state.

[0048] FIG. 8(d) shows a state where the box 2 moves further downward in the conveying direction, the rear end side of the box 2 starts to approach the position of the second guide groove 513, and the position of the rear end back surface tape attachment roller 45 starts to rise from the lowest end 512 of the first guide groove 511. The front end side of the box 2 is conveyed in a state where the front end side hanging part 31 has been completely attached to the back surface part 24, so there is no need to worry about the adhesive surface 311 sticking to the conveying roller 12. The rear end side hanging part 32 of the adhesive tape 3 hangs below the opening 15 with the adhesive surface 321 on the downstream side in the conveying direction (the exit side of the box). The detection state of the photoelectric sensors 114a, b corresponds to the above-mentioned state 4. In FIG. 8(a)(d), the part where the conveying roller 12 is not present below the conveying surface 19 is the position of the opening 15. This is a state where the rear end back surface tape attachment roller 45 starts to rise in the direction of the arrow B shown in FIG. 7. The timing to start rising, i.e., when the motor starts operating, is when the photoelectric sensors 114a, b detect the box 2. The speed at which the trailing end back surface tape application roller 45 moves downstream in the conveying direction is faster than the conveying speed of the box 2. In this embodiment, the speed at which the trailing end back surface tape application roller 45 moves downstream in the conveying direction is about four times the conveying speed of the box 2.

[0049] In this embodiment, the length from the position where the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 contacts the lower side 231 of the rear end surface 23 of the box 2 to the position of the end 514 of the second guide groove 513 is longer than the length of the rear end hanging portion 32 of the adhesive tape 3.

[0050] Figure 8 (e) shows a state in which the box 2 has moved slightly downstream in the conveying direction, so that the rear end of the box 2 is in the position of the second guide groove 513, the position of the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 has moved from the first guide groove 511 to the second guide groove 513, and the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 is approximately parallel to the conveying surface 19.

[0051] FIG. 9 is an explanatory diagram of the state between FIG. 8(e) and FIG. 8(f) of the tape application support mechanism of the thin box sealing device of the first embodiment of the present invention. The trailing end backside tape application roller 45 moves parallel to the second guide groove 513 in the C direction while maintaining a state in which the upper surface is almost parallel to or slightly above the conveying surface 19 from the opening 15. Note that both the B direction and the C direction are downstream in the conveying direction. In the state shown in FIG. 9, one end side of the link rod 44 moves in conjunction with the rotation of the disc member 42 to a position in the 6 o'clock direction of the disc member 42, that is, a position 90 degrees clockwise from the standby state, as viewed from the direction shown in FIG. The link rod 44 pushes the connecting shaft 432 downward in the conveying direction by the distance from the center of the disc member 42 to the connecting pin 421, and in conjunction with this, the trailing end backside tape application roller 45 slides and moves downward in the conveying direction in the first guide groove 511.

[0052] 8(f), box 2 has moved slightly downstream in the conveying direction, the rear end of box 2 is still in second guide groove 513, rear back surface tape application roller 45 is in terminal end 514 of second guide groove 513, and rear back surface tape application roller 45 advances while pressing non-adhesive surface 322 of rear end side hanging portion 32 from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction, and applies adhesive surface 321 of rear end side hanging portion 32 to back surface portion 24 of box 2. Rear back surface tape application roller 45 slides downstream in the conveying direction within second guide groove 513 at a speed faster than the conveying speed of box 2. While rear back surface tape application roller 45 slides within second guide groove 513, it presses adhesive surface 321 of rear end hanging portion 32 against back surface portion 24 of box 2 to apply pressure.

[0053] 8(g), the box 2 moves slightly downstream in the conveying direction, the rear end side of the box 2 is at the position of the second guide groove 513, the position of the rear end backside tape application roller 45 is at the end 514 of the second guide groove 513, the rear end backside tape application roller 45 finishes moving while pressing the non-adhesive surface 322 of the rear end side hanging portion 32 from the upstream side to the downstream side in the conveying direction, turns back, and presses the adhesive surface 33 side of the rear end side hanging portion 32 that has been affixed to the back surface portion 24 of the box 2 against the back surface portion 24 from the downstream side to the upstream side in the conveying direction. The rear end backside tape application roller 45 returns to the upstream side in the conveying direction in the second guide groove 513 at the same speed as before the turn back. In this embodiment, the rear end backside tape application roller 45 slides back faster than the conveying speed of the box 2, but it may return after a temporary stop, or it may be the same as or slower than the conveying speed of the box 2. While trailing end backside tape application roller 45 slides in second guide groove 513, the adhesive surface side of trailing end hanging portion 32 is pressed against back surface portion 24 of box 2. Link rod 44 presses connecting shaft 432 further downstream in the conveying direction by the distance from the center of disc member 42 to connection pin 421, and in conjunction with this, trailing end backside tape application roller 45 slides downstream in the conveying direction within second guide groove 513 to terminal end 514.

[0054] Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram of the tape application support mechanism of the thin box sealing device of the embodiment 1 of the present invention in a state where the tape on the rear end side has been applied to the rear surface. Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the state of Fig. 8(g) seen from the opposite side. When viewed from the direction shown in Fig. 10, the roller 45 moves in conjunction with the rotation of the disk member 42 to a position 180 degrees clockwise from the 9 o'clock direction, i.e., the standby state, in the disk member 42. After this state, the roller 45 for applying tape on the rear end rear surface returns in the direction D, i.e., upstream of the conveying direction.

[0055] In Figure 8 (h), the box 2 has moved slightly downstream in the conveying direction, and the position of the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 is halfway back from the second guide groove 513 to the first guide groove 511, and the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 is positioned upstream in the conveying direction from the rear end surface 23 of the box 2.

[0056] Fig. 11 is an explanatory diagram of the tape application support mechanism of the thin box sealing device before the next box flows in after the state shown in Fig. 10. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the state of Fig. 8(h) seen from the opposite side. When seen from the direction shown in Fig. 11, the disk member 42 moves in conjunction with the rotation of the disk member 42 to a position in the 12 o'clock direction, that is, a position 270 degrees clockwise from the standby state. The link rod 44 pulls back the connecting shaft 432 upstream in the conveying direction by the distance from the center of the disk member 42 to the connecting pin 421, and in conjunction with this, the rear end back surface tape application roller 45 slides and moves upstream in the conveying direction within the first guide groove 511.

[0057] Fig. 8(i) shows a state in which the box 2 has moved slightly downward in the transport direction, and the position of the trailing back surface tape application roller 45 has returned to the bottom end 512 of the first guide groove 511, and the trailing back surface tape application roller 45 is located upstream in the transport direction from the rear end face 23 of the box 2. The tape application support mechanism 4 is in the same standby state as in Fig. 8(a). The sensing state of the photoelectric sensors 114a, b corresponds to state 1 described above.

[0058] When the rear end surface 23 of the box 2 passes above the terminal end 514 of the second guide groove 513, the roller 45 for applying tape to the rear back surface returns to the bottom end 512 of the first guide groove 511, and the motor 41 stops until the rear end of the box to be transported next after the box 2 starts to pass above the second guide groove 513.

[0059] {effect} According to this embodiment, the work of applying sealing tape to an unsealed box containing contents from the top lid side to the bottom side to seal the box can be easily, quickly and neatly performed. In addition, there is no need for multiple tape application rollers that move in the opposite direction to the traveling direction to apply adhesive tape to the back side of the box. The tape can be applied from the rear end face to the bottom side at the rear side in the traveling direction (the entrance side of the box, the upstream side in the conveying direction), and since the adhesive side of the tape does not touch the rollers of the device before the tape is applied to the bottom side, the tape does not stick to the device or the adhesive side of the tape does not stick to the tape, so the box can be sealed smoothly and neatly. In addition, the tape can be prevented from floating on the bottom side. In addition, since the disc member only needs to be rotated once for each box by intermittently operating the induction motor, it is less likely to break down and is excellent in terms of durability and cost.

[0060] In addition, since the thin box sealing device of this embodiment is compact, it can be installed in post offices, parcel collection points, etc. Since it can seal a large number of items quickly and neatly compared to sealing them one by one, it is very convenient to be able to easily seal thin box packages at collection points, especially in the case of shipments between individuals, which have been increasing rapidly in recent years, and in the case of shipments of products from businesses that do not have sealing devices in their factories.

[0061] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the components of the above-described embodiments can be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1 Thin box sealing device 11 Tape applicator 111 Top and front end tape application roller 112 Fulcrum 113 Cutter 114 Photoelectric Sensor 12 Transport roller 121 Front end backside tape attachment and transport roller 14 Transport guide 15 Opening 16 Width adjustment handle 17 Height adjustment handle 18 Induction Motor 19 Conveying surface 2 boxes 21 Top part 22 Front end surface 23 Rear end surface 231 Bottom 24 Back part 25 Top flap 3. Adhesive tape 31 Front end hanging part 311 Adhesive surface 312 Non-adhesive surface 32 Rear end hanging part 321 Adhesive surface 322 Non-adhesive surface 4. Tape application support mechanism 41 Motor 42 Circular parts (wheels) 421 connection pin 43 Link plate 431 Rotating Axis 432 Connecting shaft 44 Link rod 441 ring 45 Roller for attaching tape to rear back surface 46 Slide pin 47 Fulcrum 5 groove cam 51 Long groove part 511 First guide groove 512 Bottom end 513 Second guide groove 514 Termination 52 Plate section

Claims

1. A thin box sealing device comprising: a conveying means for placing and conveying a box with contents filled and a top flap closed; and a tape applicator above the conveying means for sealing the top flap of the box with adhesive tape, the device having an opening narrower than the width of the box on the conveying surface directly below the tape applicator, The opening, A disk member that can be rotated by a motor; A link plate having one end as a fulcrum and the other end swingable; a link rod that connects the disk member and the link plate and swings the other end of the link plate in conjunction with the rotation of the disk member; a rear end back surface tape attaching means attached to the other end side of the link plate; a grooved cam having a long groove portion into which the rear end back surface tape application means is inserted and which causes a piston movement parallel to the conveying direction, the long groove portion has a first guide groove for lifting the trailing end back surface tape applying means from below the opening to the conveying surface, and a second guide groove that extends from the first guide groove and moves the trailing end back surface tape applying means in parallel downward in the conveying direction, the moving speed of the rear end back surface tape attaching means is faster than the conveying speed of the box, A thin box sealing device characterized in that while the rear end of the box passes above the second guide groove, the rear end back surface tape application means rises from the lowest end of the first guide groove to the second guide groove, and reaches the end of the second guide groove while applying to the back surface of the box the rear end side of the adhesive tape that was applied to the top surface of the box by the tape application machine and cut, the rear end hanging portion hanging below the lower edge of the rear end surface of the box.

2. The link plate is a pair of plates, a connecting shaft having both ends sandwiched and fixed between the link plates, The link plate and the link rod are connected via the connecting shaft, the link rod is a rod having both annular ends, the ring at one end being fitted onto a connecting pin erected on the surface of the disk member, and the ring at the other end being fitted onto the connecting shaft, The fulcrum is a rotation shaft that is sandwiched between the link plates and rotatably supports the link plates, the rear end back surface tape applying means is a rear end back surface tape applying roller held between the link plates, The thin box sealing device according to claim 1, characterized in that the trailing end back surface tape application roller presses the adhesive side of the trailing end hanging portion of the adhesive tape against the back surface of the box while sliding downward in the conveying direction along the second guide groove.

3. a length from a position where the rear end back surface tape joining roller contacts the lower side of the rear end surface of the box to a terminal position of the second guide groove is longer than a length of the rear end hanging portion of the adhesive tape, A thin box sealing device as described in claim 1 or 2, characterized in that when the rear end surface of the box passes above the terminal end of the second guide groove, the roller for applying tape to the back surface of the rear end returns to the bottom end of the first guide groove, and the motor stops until the rear end of the box to be transported next after the box starts to pass above the second guide groove.

4. The thin box sealing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the transport means is a roller conveyor having a plurality of transport rollers arranged thereon, and the transport roller downstream of the opening in the transport direction functions as a front end back surface tape application means.

Images