Paper pack container forming and filling machine

Abstract

To provide a paper pack container forming and filling machine that enables only one worker in the loading room to take out cartons from a cardboard box filled with cartons and efficiently replenish cartons into the carton magazine of a paper pack container forming and filling machine installed in a clean room.SOLUTION: Carton case conveyor 20 is provided with a longitudinal stopper 24 that restrains the movement of carton case 21 in the transport direction and a lateral gripping mechanism 25 that restrains the movement in the lateral direction. Carton case 21 is provided with notches 21a on both sides through which the contacting part 32 of carton gripper 30 can pass. And the initial position of carton gripper 30 is set to a position where the contacting part 32 can pass through the notch 21a and grip the carton 22 when the carton case 21 is positioned on the carton case conveyor 20 and the carton gripper 30 in the open position descends a predetermined distance Z0 to close.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a paper pack container forming and filling machine, and more specifically to a paper pack container forming and filling machine that allows a single worker in an entrance room to remove cartons from a packed cardboard box and efficiently replenish the cartons in a carton magazine of the paper pack container forming and filling machine installed in a clean room. [Background technology]

[0002] Paper rectangular cylindrical containers with a triangular roof-shaped upper portion, called a gable top (hereinafter referred to as "paper carton containers"), are widely used as containers for filling alcoholic products such as sake, synthetic alcohol, and shochu, as well as fresh cream, milk drinks, juices, etc. A filling and sealing device (hereinafter referred to as a "paper carton container forming and filling machine" or simply a "filling machine") that carries out a series of processes from forming the paper carton container to filling and sealing the contents is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Paper cartons are made from a folded "flat rectangular prism-shaped frame with open ends" called a "carton." The carton is usually packed in cardboard and transported by a carrier from the carton manufacturer to the beverage manufacturer, which is the user of the paper carton container forming and filling machine.

[0004] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a process of refilling a carton magazine with cartons in a conventional paper-package forming and filling machine. Cardboard boxes filled with cartons transported by transport companies are stored in the receiving room adjacent to the clean room. The clean room, where the paper carton container forming and filling machine is installed, is maintained at a specified level of cleanliness (for example, the number of particles of 0.5 μm or more is about 10,000 per cubic foot), so cardboard boxes filled with cartons cannot be transported into the clean room.

[0005] Therefore, the first worker in the loading room unpacks the cardboard boxes and transfers the cartons into a dedicated carton case. The carton case filled with cartons is transported into the clean room by a carton case conveyor that connects the loading room and the clean room. An air shower room is provided between the loading room and the clean room, and the cartons packed in the carton case are exposed to the air shower for a specified period of time to maintain a specified level of cleanliness before being transported into the clean room.

[0006] In the clean room, a second worker wearing a dustproof suit takes out cartons from the carton case and sets them in the carton magazine of the paper carton container forming and filling machine. The processing capacity of the paper carton container forming and filling machine is about 150 to 400 pieces per minute. Therefore, the second worker sets the cartons in the carton magazine according to the processing capacity of the filling machine. The empty carton case is returned to the first worker in the carry-in room by the carton case conveyor, and the first worker who receives the empty carton case takes the cartons out of the cardboard again and fills them in the carton case. After that, the carton case filled with cartons is transported back into the clean room by the carton case conveyor connecting the carry-in room and the clean room. After that, the carton refilling process continues while the paper carton container forming and filling machine is operating.

[0007] On the other hand, a carton conveying device is known in which a robot equipped with a suction head (suction device) and a side holding arm at the tip removes a bundle of cartons from a container filled with cartons (carton case), transfers them into a capsule with an open body, and supplies the cartons to a carton magazine by transporting the capsule containing the bundle of cartons through an air pipe using air pressure (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

[0008] A groove is continuously formed on the inner peripheral surface of the air pipe along the longitudinal direction (axial direction), and a protrusion that fits into the groove is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the capsule. The groove is formed on the lower part of the inner peripheral surface of the air pipe near the start point of the air pipe, and on the upper part of the inner peripheral surface of the air pipe near the end point of the air pipe. In other words, the capsule rotates half a turn while moving from the start point to the end point, or from the end point to the start point. As a result, the body opening of the capsule faces upward near the start point of the air pipe, and faces downward near the end point of the air pipe. This allows the capsule to receive a carton by natural drop at the start point of the air pipe, and to hand over a carton by natural drop at the end point of the air pipe. The capsule, which has been emptied after handing over the carton, is moved in the opposite direction in the air pipe by air pressure, returning to its original position, and is configured to receive a carton again. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0009] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 4334115 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 60-6521 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-12533 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0010] As described above, with conventional paper carton container forming and filling machines, in order to set the cartons in the carton magazine of the machine, a total of two workers must be stationed, one in the loading room and one in the clean room.

[0011] A user (beverage manufacturer) of the paper carton container forming and filling machine has requested that "it be possible for just one worker to transfer cartons from cardboard boxes to a carton case, transport the carton case filled with cartons into a clean room, and then remove the cartons from the carton case in the clean room and replenish them in the carton magazine of the paper carton container forming and filling machine."

[0012] On the other hand, the carton conveying device described in Patent Document 2 can meet the user's needs with only one operator, but because the body of the capsule is open, when the capsule containing the carton moves through the air pipe, part of the carton may rub against the inner surface of the air pipe and be damaged.

[0013] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the problems with the prior art described above, and its object is to provide a paper pack container forming and filling machine that allows a single worker in the loading room to remove cartons from a packed cardboard box and efficiently replenish the cartons in the carton magazine of the paper pack container forming and filling machine installed in a clean room. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] A first feature of the paper pack container forming and filling machine according to the present invention for achieving the above object is a paper pack container forming and filling machine (1) that forms cartons (22) supplied from a carton magazine (60) into paper pack containers, fills the formed paper pack containers with liquid, and seals the top of the paper pack container filled with liquid, and the paper pack container forming and filling machine (1) includes a carton container (21) that stores the cartons (22), and a carton container (21) that is separated into a carry-in room "where cardboard boxes filled with cartons (22) are carried in" and a clean room "where the filling machine (1) itself is installed and is maintained at a predetermined cleanliness level." a carton gripping mechanism (30) which removes cartons (22) from the carton container (21) filled with cartons (22) transported from the loading room, and a moving mechanism (40) which moves the carton gripping mechanism (30) to the carton magazine (60) while moving or swinging the carton gripping mechanism (30) along a predetermined coordinate axis, and the conveyor (20) has positioning mechanisms (24, 25) which determine the position of the carton container (21) filled with cartons (22) transported to the clean room.

[0015] In the above configuration, one worker in the carry-in room transfers the cartons (22) in the cardboard boxes to the carton container (21) stationary on the conveyor (20), and the carton container (21) filled with the cartons (22) is transported into the clean room by the conveyor (20). The carton container (21) filled with the cartons (22) transported into the clean room is positioned on the conveyor (20), and the cartons (22) in the carton container (21) are gripped by the carton gripping mechanism (30). The cartons (22) gripped by the carton gripping mechanism (30) are moved by the moving mechanism (40) to the carton magazine (60) and released in the carton magazine (60), and the cartons (22) are automatically replenished in the carton magazine (60). In this manner, it becomes possible for only one worker to replenish the cartons (22) into the carton magazine (60) of the paper-package forming and filling machine.

[0016] A second feature of the paper carton container forming and filling machine of the present invention is that the carton gripping mechanism (30) has two clamping plates (31) that move in opposite directions, and the carton container (21) has a cutout portion (21a) through which the clamping plates (31) can pass.

[0017] In the above-described configuration, the carton gripping mechanism (30) can stably grip the carton (22).

[0018] A third feature of the paper-package forming and filling machine of the present invention is that the initial position of the carton gripping mechanism (30) is a position where, when the carton container (21) filled with cartons (22) is positioned on the conveyor (20) by the positioning mechanisms (24, 25), the carton gripping mechanism (30) passes through the cutout portion (21a) and grips the carton (22) when it is in the open state and lowers a predetermined distance (Z0) to close.

[0019] In the above-described configuration, the carton gripping mechanism (30) can stably grip the carton (22) simply by lowering a predetermined distance (Z0) in the open state and then closing.

[0020] A fourth feature of the paper carton container forming and filling machine of the present invention is that the conveyor (20) is configured to transport the empty carton container (21) to the loading room based on the timing at which the carton gripping mechanism (30) grips the carton (22) in the carton container (21) and rises.

[0021] In the above configuration, a worker in the loading room can pack the cartons 22 into the carton container 21 while the moving mechanism 40 is moving the carton gripping mechanism 30 to the carton magazine 60. As a result, the carton container 21 filled with the cartons 22 is positioned on the conveyor 20 by the positioning mechanisms 24, 25 by the time the carton gripping mechanism 30 returns to its initial position. This allows the next carton refilling process to start promptly, improving work efficiency.

[0022] A fifth feature of the paper-package forming and filling machine of the present invention is that the conveyor (20) is configured to transport the carton container (21) filled with cartons (22) from the loading room into the clean room based on the timing at which the carton gripping mechanism (30) that has gripped the carton (22) releases the carton (22) in the carton magazine (60).

[0023] In the above-described configuration, while the moving mechanism (40) is moving the carton gripping mechanism (30) to the initial position, the carton container (21) filled with cartons (22) is transported into the clean room and positioned on the conveyor (20) by the positioning mechanisms (24, 25), thereby improving work efficiency. Effect of the Invention

[0024] According to the paper pack container forming and filling machine of the present invention, it is possible for a single worker in the loading room to remove cartons from a packed cardboard box and efficiently replenish the cartons in the carton magazine of the paper pack container forming and filling machine installed in a clean room. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is an external view of a paper pack container forming and filling machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the operation of a paper pack container forming and filling machine according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 3] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of a liquid filling unit of a paper pack container forming and filling machine according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 4] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of a carton loader unit of a paper-package container forming and filling machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 5] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of a carton gripper of the carton loader section; FIG. [Figure 6] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a support mechanism for a swing cylinder of the carton loader section. FIG. [Figure 7] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a gripping operation of the carton loader unit with respect to a carton. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing the swinging of the carton loader unit relative to the carton gripper. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is an explanatory diagram showing the origin return operation of the carton loader unit. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a carton refilling process in the paper pack container forming and filling machine of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a carton refilling process in a conventional paper carton container forming and filling machine. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a development of the upper part of a carton for paper pack containers. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0027] 1 and 2 are explanatory diagrams showing a paper pack container forming and filling machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an external view of this paper pack container forming and filling machine 1. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the operation of this paper pack container forming and filling machine 1. There are two separate parallel rows of container forming and filling lines from the setting of the cartons to the discharge of the products (paper pack containers filled with contents). That is, there are two of each of the same components. Here, for convenience of explanation, only one row of container forming and filling lines is shown. Also, in FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, the rotation plane of the mandrel is shown parallel to the horizontal plane, but in reality, the rotation plane of the mandrel is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, this paper pack container forming and filling machine 1 includes a carton bottom forming section 2 that forms a carton into a bottomed carton, a spout fitting section 3 that fits a spout that serves as an outlet for the contents (filling liquid), a carton top primary folding section 4 that loosens the folds in the top of the carton and temporarily widens the top opening of the carton, a liquid filling section 100 that fills the bottomed carton with the contents (filling liquid), a carton top secondary folding section 5 that temporarily forms the top opening of the carton so that it fits into the nozzle section of a carton top heating device 6, and a liquid filling section 102 that fills the top inner peripheral surface of the carton. and an upper carton heating device 6 which heats the outer peripheral surface, an upper carton pressing section 7 which presses and seals the upper part of the carton, a container carrying section 8 which takes out paper pack containers filled with contents to the outside, a contents storage section 9 which stores contents to be filled into the paper pack containers, and a carton loader section 10 which takes cartons 22, which have been transported from an entrance room (Fig. 10) where cleanliness is not controlled to a clean room (Fig. 10) where cleanliness is controlled, out of carton cases 21 and automatically replenishes them in carton magazines 60. Each component will be described below.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2, the carton case 21 filled with cartons 22 is transported by the carton case conveyor 20 from the carry-in room into the clean room in which the paper-pack container forming and filling machine 1 is installed. In the clean room, the carton case 21 is positioned by the vertical stopper 24 and the horizontal gripping mechanism 25, and the cartons 22 are removed from the carton case 21 by the carton gripper 30. The carton gripper 30 that has gripped the carton 22 is moved by the carton gripper moving mechanism 40 to a predetermined position in the carton magazine 60, where the carton gripper 30 releases the carton 22. Details of the carton loader 10 will be described later with reference to Figs. 4 to 9. The cartons 22 refilled in the carton magazine 60 are then transported by a moving mechanism (not shown) to the carton pull-out section of the carton bottom forming section 2.

[0030] In the carton bottom forming section 2, a carton is pulled out one by one from the carton pull-out section where multiple flat cartons are stacked, by a lever with a vacuum device (not shown), and placed on the carton conveyor. As the carton is being placed on the conveyor, the farthest corner of the carton fits into the L-shaped piece, and the carton is molded from its flat shape into a rectangular prism frame shape with openings on both ends.

[0031] Next, the cartons formed into a rectangular prism shape with both ends open are inserted into the mandrel by a carton conveyor. The mandrels are installed so that the rotation plane is perpendicular to the horizontal plane, and are arranged radially at equal intervals (for example, at 60° intervals) along the diameter direction. Therefore, the cartons inserted into the mandrel undergo the following process: 60° rotation → first bottom heater → 60° rotation → second bottom heater → 60° rotation → bottom crease → 60° rotation → bottom press → 60° rotation → carton removal.

[0032] The bottom of the carton is heated in two stages by the first bottom heater and the second bottom heater. The reason for heating the bottom in two stages is to minimize damage to the carton due to heat. The carton is then rotated 60 degrees, and the bottom of the carton is folded along the crease by a bottom breaker (not shown). After that, it is rotated another 60 degrees, and the bottom of the carton is pressed vertically (longitudinal direction) upward by a bottom press (not shown). This forms a bottomed carton.

[0033] After another 60° rotation, the carton is then pulled off the mandrel by an elevator (not shown) and transported by a pair of internal conveyors 70.

[0034] The spout fitting section 3 presses a preheated spout against the spout opening (T9 in Fig. 12(b)) at the top of the carton and welds it to the inner surface of the carton by ultrasonic vibration. When forming and filling a carton without a spout, the spout fitting section 3 is not in operation.

[0035] The carton top primary folding section 4 presses the intersections (near the x's in Fig. 12(b)) of the folds (dotted lines T1, T5, T3, T7 in Fig. 12(b)) inwards towards each other, creating a crimp in the folds (so that the pressed areas are concave inwards) in the top of the carton. The top of the carton is then pressed outwards in the conveying direction to widen the opening at the top of the carton. The carton is conveyed to the right in the drawing along the conveying path (Fig. 1) sandwiched between a pair of internal conveyors 70, with its position stably maintained by the separating pieces of the internal conveyors.

[0036] The liquid filling unit 100 fills a predetermined amount of contents (filling liquid) into a bottomed carton (paper pack container). The contents (filling liquid) are supplied to the liquid filling unit 100 from the contents storage unit 9 by gravity or by a pump via a predetermined line. The paper pack container is filled with a predetermined amount of filling liquid from the filling nozzle unit 120 (Fig. 3) by moving a filling piston 111 (Fig. 3) a predetermined stroke amount.

[0037] The carton top secondary folding section 5 again presses the folds in the top of the carton (dotted lines T2, T6, T4, and T8 in Fig. 12(b)) inward in a direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, creating a crease in the top of the carton (so that the pressed areas are concave inward). After that, the carton top secondary folding section 5 slightly expands the top opening of the carton. This is to allow the top of the carton to fit nicely into the nozzle that blows hot air in the next carton top heating device 6.

[0038] The carton upper part heating device 6 heats the inner and outer peripheral surfaces of the upper part of the carton.

[0039] The carton upper pressing section 7 presses the upper part of the carton in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction to seal the upper part of the carton. In this embodiment, the pressing is performed in three stages: provisional pressing, first pressing, and second pressing.

[0040] The container discharge section 8 discharges the sealed paper-packaged containers to the outside by a discharge conveyor. A gentle slope (Fig. 1) is provided at the joint between the transport path (Fig. 1) and the discharge conveyor. Therefore, the sealed paper-packaged containers are smoothly transferred to the discharge conveyor by the force of the internal conveyor 70 and their own weight.

[0041] Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of the carton loader unit 10 of the paper pack container forming and filling machine 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a main part of the carton gripper 30. This carton loader section 10 is comprised of a carton case conveyor 20 that transports carton cases 21 filled with cartons 22 from an entrance room (FIG. 10) into a clean room (FIG. 10), a carton gripper 30 that removes cartons 22 from the carton cases 21, a carton gripper moving mechanism 40 that moves and swings the carton gripper 30 in the X, Y and Z directions, and a carton magazine 60 that is attached to the paper pack container forming and filling machine 1 and stores the cartons 22. Each component will be described in further detail below.

[0042] The carton case conveyor 20 may be, for example, a Platop (registered trademark) chain type in which a top plate (not shown) that receives the carton cases 21 and a chain (not shown) that transmits power are integrally formed. Alternatively, instead of the Platop (registered trademark) chain type, it may be possible to use a free roller conveyor (gravity conveyor) that does not have a power source that rotates the chain.

[0043] The chain is wound around a sprocket 27 and is driven to rotate by the conveyor motor 23. For example, when the conveyor motor 23 rotates forward, the carton case 21 is transported from the carry-in room into the clean room. When the conveyor motor 23 rotates reversely, the carton case 21 is transported from the clean room to the carry-in room.

[0044] The vertical position (Y coordinate position) of the carton case 21 is fixed by the vertical stopper 24, and the horizontal position (X coordinate position) is fixed by the horizontal gripping mechanism 25. In other words, the carton case 21 transported from the carry-in room into the clean room is positioned at a predetermined position on the carton case conveyor 20 by the vertical stopper 24 and the horizontal gripping mechanism 25. The "predetermined position" here refers to a position where the pinching plate 31 can pass through the notch 21a and grip the carton 22 when the carton gripper 30 is lowered a predetermined distance Z0 in the Z-axis direction in the open state and closed. The position of the carton gripper 30 before being lowered the predetermined distance Z0 in the Z-axis direction is called the "initial position" or "origin".

[0045] In addition, the carton case conveyor 20 is supported by pillars 26 and is configured so that its height can be adjusted.

[0046] As shown in Figure 5(a), the carton gripper 30 is composed of left and right clamping plates 31, 31 that are close to each other and grip a stack of cartons 22, left and right abutment portions 32, 32 that crimp the stack of cartons 22 to prevent the stack of cartons 22 from coming undone, and a gripper slider 33 that drives the left and right clamping plates 31, 31 closer to or apart from each other.

[0047] The clamping plate 31 is made up of a horizontal portion 31a, a vertical portion 31c that supports the abutment portion 32, and an oblique side portion 31b that connects the horizontal portion 31a and the vertical portion 31c. The clamping plate 31 is fixed to a slide base 33a of the gripper slider 33 by a bolt.

[0048] 4, the abutting portion 32 is made of a rectangular plate having the same width as the sandwiching plate 31. As shown in FIG.

[0049] The gripper slider 33 includes two slide bases 33a that move in opposite directions, and a gripper motor 33b that drives the slide bases 33a. The rotational power of the gripper motor 33b is reversed 180° by a left-right feed screw (not shown) and transmitted to the slide base 33a.

[0050] Returning to FIG. 4 again, the carton gripper movement mechanism 40 includes a Z-axis slider 41 that moves the carton gripper 30 in the Z-axis direction (vertical direction), a carton gripper support plate 42 that supports the carton gripper 30, a first bearing stand 43 having a fitting hole that fits onto a carton gripper swing shaft 42a provided vertically below the carton gripper support plate 42, a fixed plate 44 to which the first bearing stand 43 is fixed, a swing cylinder 45 that swings the carton gripper 30 around the carton gripper swing shaft 42a, and a cylinder locking shaft provided at the tip of the swing cylinder 45. The carton gripper 30 is equipped with a second bearing stand 46 having a hole into which 45a fits, a cylinder gripping member 47 having a cylinder swing shaft 47a, a bearing plate 48 that receives the cylinder swing shaft 47a, a cylinder support plate 49 to which the bearing plate 48 is attached, a Y-axis slider 50 that moves the carton gripper 30 in the Y-axis direction (horizontal direction), an X-axis slider 51 and an X-axis auxiliary slider 52 that move the carton gripper 30 in the X-axis direction perpendicular to both the Z-axis and Y-axes, and a first Y-axis slider fixing base 53 and a second Y-axis slider fixing base 54 to which the Y-axis slider 50 is fixed.

[0051] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the cylinder support mechanism (cylinder gripping member 47, bearing plate 48, cylinder support plate 49). Note that the cylinder gripping member 47 and bearing plate 48 are shown in cross section. For convenience of explanation, the carton gripper support plate 42 and the swing cylinder 45 are also shown.

[0052] The cylinder gripping members 47 are U-shaped members, and two of them together grip and secure the body of the swing cylinder 45. The two cylinder gripping members 47 are secured together by two connecting bolts 47b, one above the other. Note that only the lower connecting bolt 47b is shown in Fig. 6.

[0053] In addition, a pin bolt 47a having a pin and a threaded portion formed on one side is provided between the two upper and lower connecting bolts 47b. The pin bolt 47a serves as a cylinder swing shaft 47a of the swing cylinder 45, and is fitted rotatably into a bearing (circular tube) 48a of a bearing plate 48.

[0054] The bearing plate 48 is a rectangular member and has a bearing (circular tube) 48a that rotatably supports the pin bolt 47a. The bearing plate 48 is fixed to a cylinder support plate 49 by two bearing plate fixing bolts 48b.

[0055] The cylinder support plate 49 is attached to the side of the carton gripper support plate 42 and supports the swing cylinder 45 via a bearing plate 48 .

[0056] 7 to 9 are explanatory diagrams showing the operation of the carton loader unit 10. For convenience of explanation, the Y-axis slider 50, the X-axis slider 51, and the carton case conveyor 20 are not shown. FIG. 7 shows the gripping operation of the carton loader unit 10 for gripping a carton 22. FIG. 8 shows the replenishing operation of the carton loader unit 10 with cartons 22 in the carton magazine 60. FIG. 9 shows the origin return operation of the carton loader unit 10. In addition, each operation of the actuators (Z-axis slider 41, Y-axis slider 50, X-axis slider 51, swing cylinder 45, gripper slider 33, lateral gripping mechanism 25, etc.) is configured to be controlled by a dedicated controller (not shown). Each operation will be explained below.

[0057] 7(a), the carton gripper 30 is configured to come to an initial position (origin) when attempting to grip a carton 22. The "initial position (origin)" here means a position where the abutment portion 32 of the carton gripper 30 can pass through the notch portion 21a of the carton case 21 and grip the carton 22 when the carton gripper 30 in the open state is lowered vertically downward (in the Z-axis direction) by a predetermined distance Z0 while the carton case 21 filled with cartons 22 is in abutment with the vertical stopper 24 and fixed by the horizontal gripping mechanism 25.

[0058] A carton case 21 filled with cartons 22 transported into the clean room by a carton case conveyor 20 first comes into contact with a vertical stopper 24. When the carton case 21 comes into contact with the vertical stopper 24, a sensor (not shown) built into the vertical stopper 24 detects it. Note that any sensor that can detect the carton case 21 may be used, and there is no particular restriction on the sensing principle. For example, a limit switch, a proximity switch, a photoelectric switch, a displacement sensor, etc. can be used.

[0059] When the limit switch detects this, the lateral gripping mechanism 25 is activated to fix the position of the carton case 21. At the same time, the Z-axis slider 41 vertically lowers the carton gripper support plate 42 to a position where the carton gripper 30 can grip the carton 22. The travel distance Z0 of the carton gripper support plate 42 in this case is preset.

[0060] As shown in FIG. 7( b ), when the carton gripper support plate 42 descends vertically downward by a predetermined movement distance Z 0 , the carton gripper 30 enters a closed state (CLOSE) and grips the carton 22 .

[0061] As shown in Fig. 7(c), when the carton gripper 30 grips the carton 22, the Z-axis slider 41 raises the carton gripper 30 to its initial position. When the Z-axis slider 41 has raised the carton gripper 30 to its initial position, the controller releases the lateral gripping mechanism 25 and reverses the rotation of the conveyor motor 23 to transport the empty carton case 21 to the carry-in room (Fig. 10).

[0062] As shown in Fig. 8(a), the controller drives the Y-axis slider 50 (Fig. 4) or the X-axis slider 51 (Fig. 4) to move the carton gripper 30 gripping the carton 22 vertically above the carton magazine 60. In this case, the first imaginary central axis L1 connecting the carton gripper swing shaft 42a and the cylinder locking shaft 45a is parallel to the Y-axis. Also, the second imaginary central axis L2 connecting the cylinder locking shaft 45a and the cylinder swing shaft 47a is parallel to the Z-axis and perpendicular to the first imaginary central axis L1.

[0063] 8(b), the extension of the swing cylinder 45 rotates the carton gripper 30 about the carton gripper swing shaft 42a by an angle θ. Incidentally, this angle θ is equal to the inclination angle θ of the carton magazine 60.

[0064] 8(c), Z-axis slider 41 lowers carton gripper support plate 42 in the Z-axis direction by a preset distance so that the carton 22 gripped by carton gripper 30 is placed in carton magazine 60. After carton gripper 30 has lowered the preset distance, carton gripper 30 opens and cartons 22 are replenished into carton magazine 60. When carton gripper 30 opens, the controller rotates conveyor motor 23 in the forward direction to transport carton case 21 filled with cartons 22 from the carry-in room into the clean room (FIG. 10).

[0065] As shown in FIG. 9(a), the Z-axis slider 41 raises the carton gripper 30, which is in an open state inclined relative to the horizontal direction, by a predetermined distance in the Z-axis direction.

[0066] 9(b), the swing cylinder 45 contracts while returning to the origin, causing the carton gripper 30 to return to the horizontal direction. In this case, the first imaginary central axis L1 is parallel to the Y axis, and the second imaginary central axis L2 is parallel to the Z axis.

[0067] As shown in FIG. 9( c ), when the carton gripper 30 returns to the origin, the carton case 21 newly filled with cartons 22 is positioned at a predetermined position on the carton case conveyor 20 by the vertical stopper 24 and the horizontal gripping mechanism 25 .

[0068] To summarize the above with reference to Figure 10, first (1) a worker in the carrying-in room removes cartons 22 from cardboard boxes and packs them into carton cases 21. When the worker has finished packing the cartons 22, he presses the ON switch (not shown) of the carton case conveyor 20. As a result, the carton case 21 filled with cartons 22 (hereinafter referred to as the "full carton case 21") is transported into the clean room by the carton case conveyor 20.

[0069] When a full carton case 21 is transported into the clean room, it abuts against the vertical stopper 24, turning the lateral gripping mechanism 25 on and turning the carton case conveyor 20 off. This positions the full carton case 21 at a predetermined position on the carton case conveyor 20. When the lateral gripping mechanism 25 is turned on, the Z-axis slider 41 starts to lower the carton gripper 30.

[0070] (2) When the Z-axis slider 41 lowers the carton gripper 30 by a predetermined distance Z0, the carton gripper 30 closes, whereby the carton gripper 30 grips the cartons 22 in the full carton case 21.

[0071] (3) After that, the Z-axis slider 41 raises the carton gripper 30 by a predetermined distance Z0 while keeping the carton gripper 30 closed (holding the carton 22). When the carton gripper 30 returns to the origin, the carton case conveyor 20 is turned on. The transport direction of the carton case conveyor 20 is the direction from the clean room toward the loading room. As a result, the empty carton case 21 is returned to the loading room.

[0072] (4) The Y-axis slider 50 moves the carton gripper 30 above the carton magazine 60. During the movement, the swing cylinder 45 tilts the carton gripper 30 by an angle θ.

[0073] (5) After that, the Z-axis slider 41 lowers the carton gripper 30, which is inclined at the angle θ while gripping the carton 22, a predetermined distance. Then, the carton gripper 30 opens, and the carton 22 is replenished into the carton magazine 60.

[0074] Then, the Z-axis slider 41 raises the open carton gripper 30 by a predetermined distance. Then, the Y-axis slider 50 moves the carton gripper 30 to the origin. During the movement, the swing cylinder 45 swings the carton gripper 30 in the opposite direction by an angle θ to make it horizontal.

[0075] As described above, the paper carton container forming and filling machine 1 of the present invention has been described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above. In other words, various modifications, changes, additions, etc. can be made within the scope of the technical scope of the present invention. For example, the carton gripper moving mechanism 40 can be configured with a Z-axis slider 41 and a Y-axis slider 50, omitting the X-axis slider 51 and the X-axis auxiliary slider 52. In addition, the clamping plate 31 of the carton gripper 30 can be equipped with a mechanism (e.g., a fork, multiple long claws, etc.) that supports the lower part of the carton 22. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1. Paper carton container forming and filling machine (paper container forming and filling machine) 2 Carton bottom forming section (paper container assembly device) 3 Plug attachment part 4. Primary carton folding section (crease folding machine) 5. Carton upper secondary folding section (crease folding machine) 6 Carton top heating device 7 Carton upper press section (pressure device) 8 Container removal section 9 Content storage section (liquid storage section) 10 Carton Loader Section 20 Carton case conveyor (conveyor) 21 Carton case (carton container) 21a Notch 22 cartons 23 Conveyor motor 24 Vertical stopper (positioning mechanism) 25 Lateral gripping mechanism (positioning mechanism) 26 Posts 27 Sprocket 30 Carton gripper (carton gripping mechanism) 31 Clamp 31a Horizontal part 31b Hypotenuse part 31c Vertical section 32 Contact part 33 Gripper slider 33a Slide stand 33b Gripper motor 40 Carton gripper movement mechanism (movement mechanism) 41 Z-axis slider 42 Carton gripper support plate 43 First bearing stand 44 Fixed plate 45 Swing Cylinder 46 Second bearing stand 47 Cylinder gripping member 47a Pin bolt (cylinder pivot shaft) 48 Bearing plate 49 Cylinder support plate 50 Y-axis slider 51 X-axis slider 52 X-axis auxiliary slider 53 1st Y-axis slider fixing base 54 Second Y-axis slider fixing base 60 Carton Magazine 70 Internal Conveyor 100 Liquid filling section (filling device) 110 Filling cylinder section 120 Filling nozzle part 130 Suction valve 140 Nozzle valve 131 Spring 132, 142 Valve body 133, 143 axis 134, 144 clips 135, 145 Valve seat 136 Bearing parts 140 Nozzle valve (nozzle valve part) 146 Chamber 180, 190 Linear Actuator

Claims

1. A paper pack container forming and filling machine (1) for forming cartons (22) supplied from a carton magazine (60) into paper pack containers, filling the formed paper pack containers with liquid, and sealing the tops of the paper pack containers filled with the liquid, comprising: The paper pack container forming and filling machine (1) includes a carton container (21) for accommodating cartons (22), A conveyor (20) capable of moving the carton container (21) back and forth between a loading room where "cardboard boxes filled with cartons (22) are loaded" and a clean room where "the filling machine (1) itself is installed and maintained at a predetermined cleanliness level." a carton gripping mechanism (30) for removing the cartons (22) from the carton container (21) filled with the cartons (22) transported from the loading room; a moving mechanism (40) for moving the carton gripping mechanism (30) to the carton magazine (60) while moving or swinging the carton gripping mechanism (30) along a predetermined coordinate axis, The conveyor (20) has a positioning mechanism (24, 25) for determining the position of the carton container (21) filled with cartons (22) transported to the clean room. A paper pack container forming and filling machine characterized by the above.

2. The paper pack container forming and filling machine according to claim 1, The carton gripping mechanism (30) has two clamping plates (31) that move in opposite directions to each other, The carton container (21) has a notch (21a) through which the clamping plate (31) can pass. A paper pack container forming and filling machine characterized by the above.

3. The paper pack container forming and filling machine according to claim 2, The initial position of the carton gripping mechanism (30) is set so that the carton gripping mechanism (30) is in an open state and moves a predetermined distance (Z) when the carton container (21) filled with cartons (22) is positioned on the conveyor (20) by the positioning mechanisms (24, 25). ０ ) to the position where the carton (22) can be gripped through the notch (21a) when the carton is closed. A paper pack container forming and filling machine characterized by the above.

4. The paper pack container forming and filling machine according to claim 1, The conveyor (20) is configured to transport the empty carton container (21) to a carry-in room based on the timing when the carton gripping mechanism (30) grips the carton (22) in the carton container (21) and rises. A paper pack container forming and filling machine characterized by the above.

5. The paper pack container forming and filling machine according to claim 1, The conveyor (20) is configured to transport the carton container (21) filled with the cartons (22) from the carry-in room into the clean room based on the timing when the carton gripping mechanism (30) that has gripped the cartons (22) releases the cartons (22) from the carton magazine (60). A paper pack container forming and filling machine characterized by the above.

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