Container assembly device

Abstract

To provide a container assembly device which enables a container to be assembled more simply and quickly.SOLUTION: A container assembly device includes: a device body; and a lifting device. The lifting device includes: a lifting tool having an engagement piece that engages with each parts to be engaged on an opposing side of a top frame; and a lifting body having a holding part for holding the lifting tool, and supported on the device body so as to be movable up and down in a height direction; lifting means for moving the lifting body to a predetermined height; and traction means configured so as to lift the top frame of the container to a predetermined height position by pulling the lifting tool upward in a height direction while maintaining the state in which the engaging piece is engaged with the part to be engaged. The lifting means is capable of moving the lifting body to the predetermined height position by taking up or paying out a lifting belt around a lifting drum, while maintaining the lifting tool in a retraction position, and the traction means generates tension in the traction belt by taking up the traction belt around the traction drum, and is capable of displacing the lifting tool from the retraction position to an engageable position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a container assembling device for assembling a foldable container that is mutually transformable into a folded configuration and a box configuration. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, foldable containers (see Figs. 33 and 34) that transform from a folded state in which the walls of the housing are folded up like plates into a box-like housing have been used to store and transport goods. These foldable containers can be folded and stacked when not in use to save space, and can be easily assembled and folded without using screws, etc., so they are used for various purposes such as factory lines. Various trial and error efforts have been made to quickly and easily assemble large quantities of foldable containers.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic assembly machine for folding containers. In the following paragraphs, the reference numbers of Patent Document 1 are shown in parentheses. In the automatic assembly machine, both sides of the folded and stacked container (1) are carried in to the left in the figure by a carry-in device (9), and then the lower feed device (29) holds and sends them downward, and the container at the bottom end is roughly extended by the weight of the side plates, etc. Then, the push device (54) pushes the first side plate (3) from the inside to fully extend it. In this state, the container (1) is transported by the conveyor belt (57), and then the expansion device (67) is inserted to push the second side plate (4) and expand it. In this way, the container (1) is assembled. In this expansion device (67), a pair of rotating arms (73) are provided at the tip of the rod (71) of the cylinder (69) provided in the upward direction, and a roller (75) is attached to the tip of each rotating arm (73). The pair of rotating arms (73) are provided with a stopper to prevent the angle between them from becoming smaller than a predetermined angle, and are normally closed at this predetermined angle by the weight of the roller (75) and the rotating arm (73). When the roller (75) comes into contact with the bottom plate (5) of the container (1), the rotating arm (73) is adapted to freely rotate in a direction that increases the angle. The roller (75) and the rotating arm (73) are arranged in a position where they can enter the container by the cylinder (69). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 7-2227 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In a conventional automatic assembly machine (container assembly machine) such as that in Patent Document 1, one of the folded and stacked containers is held and sent downward by a lower feed device, the first side plate is pushed from the inside by a push device to extend it, and the container is then transported by a conveyor belt, and the second side plate is pushed and expanded by an expansion device, thereby assembling the container. In other words, a problem with conventional automatic assembly machines is that they require many steps to assemble one container, and therefore the containers cannot be assembled quickly. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to make the assembly process more efficient than before and to enable containers to be assembled simply and quickly.

[0006] A second problem is that conventional automatic assembly machines are only compatible with one type of container, and cannot assemble containers with lid plates (see FIG. 34) that have a lid plate formed on the top plate. Therefore, a further object of the present invention is to make it possible to easily and quickly assemble containers with lid plates.

[0007] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a container assembling device that enables containers to be assembled more simply and quickly. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A container assembling device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a container assembling device for assembling a foldable container that is mutually transformable between a folded form and a box form, the device comprising: the container comprises a bottom wall, a top frame having an opening on the inside and placed on the bottom wall in the folded configuration; a pair of first side walls whose upper and lower edges are pivotally connected to horizontal sides of the bottom wall and the top frame, respectively, and having hinge portions that allow the first side walls to bend freely only inward between the upper and lower edges; a pair of second side walls whose upper edges are pivotally connected to vertical sides of the top frame and have free ends at their lower edges, and which are folded so that their inner surfaces face upward through the opening of the top frame in the folded configuration; and engaged portions provided on opposing sides of the top frame, and which are configured such that when the container transforms from the folded configuration to the box configuration, the first side walls pass through an intermediate configuration in which they extend linearly, and the second side walls are pressed outward and fitted to the first side walls and / or the bottom wall, The container assembling device includes: an apparatus body defining an arrangement space therein for arranging the container; A lifting device provided for the device body, The lifting device is a hoisting device having engaging pieces that engage with the engaged portions on the opposing sides of the top frame for the container introduced into the arrangement space, the hoisting device being displaceable between a retracted position where it does not interfere with the container in the arrangement space and an engageable position where it protrudes from the retracted position and can engage with the engaged portions and the bottom wall, respectively; a lifting body having a holding part for holding the hanging tool and supported by the device body so as to be movable up and down in a height direction; a lifting means for moving the lifting body to a predetermined height, the lifting means including a lifting belt connected to the lifting body and extending in a height direction, a lifting drum for winding and unwinding the lifting belt, and a lifting motor for rotating the lifting drum; a towing means configured to lift the top frame of the container to a predetermined height position by towing the hoisting tool upward in the height direction while maintaining a state in which the engaging piece is engaged with the engaged portion, the towing means comprising: a towing belt connected to the hoisting tool and extending in the height direction, a towing drum capable of winding up and letting out the towing belt, and a towing motor that rotates and drives the towing drum; A lifting device comprising: A control unit for controlling the operation of the container assembling apparatus. The lifting means is capable of moving the lifting body to a predetermined height position while maintaining the hoisting tool at the retracted position by winding or unwinding the lifting belt using the lifting drum, and The towing means generates tension in the towing belt by winding up the towing belt with the towing drum, and is capable of displacing the hoisting device from the retracted position to the engageable position.

[0009] According to a container assembling device of one embodiment of the present invention, the top frame of a container in a folded form introduced into the arrangement space is lifted upward in the height direction by the lifting device, and the container can be transformed from the folded form to a box form via an intermediate form by its own weight. In particular, the lifting body is moved to a predetermined height position where the container can be lifted while maintaining the lifting tool in a retracted position by the lifting means, and the lifting tool is displaced from the retracted position to an engageable position by the towing means, whereby the engaging piece of the lifting tool is engaged with the engaged part of the top frame of the container, and the top frame of the container can be reliably lifted. Thus, the container assembling device makes the assembly process more efficient than before, and enables containers to be assembled more simply and quickly.

[0010] A further aspect of the container assembling device of the present invention is characterized in that the lifting device is configured to fit the second side wall of the container against the first side wall and / or the bottom wall by the inertial force when lifting the top frame of the container.

[0011] A further embodiment of the container assembling apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that it further comprises a pressing device which operates to press the pair of second side walls from the inside to the outside of the container in the intermediate form in which the top frame is lifted by the lifting device, so as to fit the second side walls against the first side wall and / or the bottom wall.

[0012] A further aspect of the container assembling apparatus of the present invention is characterized in that the towing belt and the lifting belt are integrally formed as a single belt body, one end of the belt body is connected to the towing drum, and the other end of the belt body is connected to the lifting drum.

[0013] A further embodiment of the container assembly device of the present invention is characterized in that the engaging piece is provided on the holding portion of the lifting body, is placed on a guideway that slopes diagonally upward toward the opposing engaged portion, and is lifted upward in the height direction by the towing belt while simultaneously sliding diagonally upward from the retracted position to the engageable position.

[0014] A container assembling device according to a further embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that, when tension on the towing belt is released, the hoisting tool returns from the engageable position to the retracted position by its own weight.

[0015] In a further embodiment of the container assembling apparatus of the present invention, the hoisting tool is constantly biased toward the retracted position by an elastic body provided in the holding portion, When the tension of the towing belt is released, the sling returns from the engageable position to the retracted position by the elastic force of the elastic body.

[0016] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a container assembling apparatus comprising: the container further comprises a pair of cover plates that are pivotally connected to the horizontal sides of the top frame via hinge portions and that close the opening of the top frame from above in a double door manner, the pair of cover plates being displaceable between a closed position in which they are placed on an upper surface of the top frame and an open position in which they open the opening of the top frame, The lifting device further includes a cover plate opening mechanism for displacing the pair of cover plates from the closed position to the open position. That is, the container assembling device of the present invention makes it possible to easily and quickly assemble a container with cover plates.

[0017] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a container assembling apparatus comprising: the cover plate opening mechanism includes a pair of pivot arms that are pivotally supported by the lifting body via a pivot shaft and that displace the pair of cover plates from the closed position to the open position, The rotating arm portion is provided with a hook piece that is disposed opposite to a vertical side of the container and hooks onto the hooked portion of each of the cover plates from below, The present invention is characterized in that, with the hooking piece hooked onto the hooked portion, the pair of pivoting arms are flipped up around the pivot axis, causing the pair of cover plates to pivot from the closed position to the open position.

[0018] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a container assembling apparatus comprising: The rotating arm portion is provided with a wound portion around which the towing belt is wound between the towing drum and the hoisting tool, When the traction belt is wound up by the traction drum, the rotating arm portion is raised from the initial position to the standing position via the wound portion, After the rotating arm is raised to an upright position, tension is generated in the traction belt by further winding of the traction belt by the traction drum, and the hoist is displaced from the retracted position to the engageable position.

[0019] A further aspect of the present invention relates to a container assembling apparatus comprising: the sling includes a pair of base portions to which the engagement pieces are connected and which extend longitudinally along each horizontal side of the container, the base portions being configured to be pulled upward by the towing belt; the towing means includes a pair of first towing belts for towing one end sides of the pair of base portions on one vertical side of the container, and a pair of first towing drums for winding up and unwinding the pair of first towing belts, the towing means includes a pair of second towing belts for towing the other ends of the pair of base portions, respectively, on the other vertical side of the container, and a pair of second towing drums for winding up and letting out the pair of second towing belts, respectively; The pair of first traction drums and the pair of second traction drums are configured to be driven by one of the traction motors; The cover plate opening mechanism is provided only on one vertical side of the container, and the first traction belt is wound around the wound portion of the rotating arm between the first traction drum and the base, The present invention is characterized in that slack is formed in the second traction belt so that tension acting on the sling is simultaneously generated between the first traction belt and the second traction belt.

[0020] A container assembling device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a container assembling device for assembling a foldable container that is mutually transformable between a folded form and a box form, the device comprising: The container comprises a bottom wall, a top frame having an opening on the inside and placed on the bottom wall in the folded state, a pair of first side walls whose upper and lower edges are pivotally connected to the horizontal sides of the bottom wall and the top frame, respectively, and having hinges that allow the first side walls to bend freely only inward between the upper and lower edges, a pair of second side walls whose upper edges are pivotally connected to the vertical sides of the top frame and have free ends at their lower edges, and whose inner surfaces are folded up so that they face upward through the opening of the top frame in the folded state, and a pair of opposing sides of the top frame. and a pair of cover plates that are pivotally connected to the horizontal sides of the top frame via hinge portions and close the opening of the top frame from above in a double-door manner, and when the container is transformed from the folded form to the box form, the first side wall passes through an intermediate form in which it extends straight, and the second side wall is pressed outward to be fitted to the first side wall and / or the bottom wall, and the pair of cover plates are displaceable between a closed position in which they are placed on the upper surface of the top frame and an open position in which they open the opening of the top frame, The container assembling device includes: an apparatus body defining an arrangement space therein for arranging the container; A lifting device provided for the device body, The lifting device is a hoisting device having engaging pieces that engage with the engaged portions on the opposing sides of the top frame for the container introduced into the arrangement space, the hoisting device being displaceable between a retracted position where it does not interfere with the container in the arrangement space and an engageable position where it protrudes from the retracted position and can engage with the engaged portions and the bottom wall, respectively; a towing means configured to tow the hoisting tool upward in a height direction while maintaining a state in which the engaging piece is engaged with the engaged part, thereby hoisting the top frame of the container to a predetermined height position; A lifting device including a cover plate opening mechanism for displacing the pair of cover plates from a closed position to an open position; A control unit for controlling the operation of the container assembling apparatus. the cover plate opening mechanism includes a pair of pivot arms that are pivotally supported by the lifting body via a pivot shaft and that displace the pair of cover plates from the closed position to the open position, The rotating arm portion is provided with a hook piece that is disposed opposite to a vertical side of the container and hooks onto the hooked portion of each of the cover plates from below, The present invention is characterized in that, with the hooking piece hooked onto the hooked portion, the pair of pivoting arms are flipped up around the pivot axis, causing the pair of cover plates to pivot from the closed position to the open position.

[0021] According to one embodiment of the container assembling device of the present invention, the top frame of the container in the folded form introduced into the arrangement space is lifted upward in the height direction by the lifting device, and the container can be transformed from the folded form to the intermediate form and then to the box form by its own weight. In particular, the lid plate opening mechanism displaces a pair of lid plates of the lid plate-equipped container from the closed position to the open position, thereby assembling the lid plate-equipped container into the open box form. Thus, the container assembling device makes the assembly process more efficient than before and enables the assembly of the lid plate-equipped container to be performed more simply and quickly. Effect of the Invention

[0022] The container assembling device of the present invention makes it possible to assemble a container easily and quickly. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container assembling device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the container assembling device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a side view of the container assembling device of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view of the container assembling device of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is a schematic perspective view of a lifting body of the container assembling device of FIG. 1 as seen from above. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a plan view of the lifting body of FIG. 5 . [Figure 7] FIG. 6 is a front view of the lifting body of FIG. 5 . [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a rear view of the lifting body of FIG. 5 . [Figure 9] A cross-sectional view of the lifting body shown in FIG. 7 along the line A-A. [Figure 10] 8 is a cross-sectional view of the lifting body shown in FIG. 7 along the line B-B. [Figure 11] A cross-sectional view of the lifting body shown in Figure 7 along the line CC. [Figure 12] 10 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the rotating arm portion has been rotated to a flip-up position in the lifting body of FIG. 9. [Figure 13] 12 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the lifting body of FIG. 11 in a state where the rotating arm is in a raised position and the suspender protrudes from the holder. FIG. [Figure 14] 14 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing a state in which the suspender protrudes from the holding portion in the lifting body of FIG. 13. [Figure 15] 6A is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the rotating arm and the hook piece (at a hookable position) of the lifting body of FIG. 5, and FIG. 6B is a partially enlarged perspective view showing the rotating arm and the hook piece displaced to a bent position. [Figure 16] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a first band body consisting of a first lifting belt and a first traction belt of the container assembling apparatus of FIG. 1; [Figure 17] 2 is a schematic diagram showing a second band body consisting of a second lifting belt and a second traction belt of the container assembling apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 18] 1 is a schematic perspective view of a container assembling apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, in which a container in a folded form is placed in an arrangement space. FIG. [Figure 19] 19 is a schematic diagram showing the positional relationship between a hoisting tool and a container in the container assembling apparatus of FIG. 18. [Figure 20] 4 is a schematic diagram showing a first step in which the lifting body is lowered relative to the container in the arrangement space in the container assembling device of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 21] 13 is a schematic diagram showing a second step of flipping up the pair of rotating arms to displace the cover plate of the container from the closed position to the open position in the container assembling device of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Figure 22] 13 is a schematic diagram showing a third step in which the hoisting tool is displaced from the retracted position to the engageable position in the container assembling device of the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 23] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a fourth step in which the top frame of the container is lifted and transformed into a box shape in the container assembling apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 24] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a fifth step in which a box-shaped container is placed on the conveyor rollers and the hoisting tool is displaced from the engageable position to the retracted position and moved to the bottom in the container assembling apparatus of one embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 25] FIG. 4 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a configuration in which a pressing device is introduced into the container assembling apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 26] 26 is a partially enlarged perspective view showing a schematic operation of a pressing device of the container assembling apparatus of FIG. 25. [Figure 27] 26A and 26B are cross-sectional views each showing a schematic operation of the pressing device in FIG. 25, in which (a) shows a state in which the sliding body has advanced toward the arrangement space, and (b) shows a state in which the rotating body has rotated downward. [Figure 28] 28(b) is a plan view showing a schematic operation of the pressing device of FIG. 25, showing a state in which the pressing portion further protrudes from the pressing body after the pressing device has been displaced to the state shown in FIG. 28(b). [Figure 29] FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a cover plate opening mechanism of a container assembling device according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 30] 30 is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the cover plate opening mechanism of FIG. 29. [Diagram 31] FIG. 11 is a partially enlarged cross-sectional view showing a container assembling device according to another embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 32] 32 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the hoisting tool has been displaced from the retracted position to the engageable position in the container assembling device of FIG. 31. [Diagram 33] 1A to 1C are perspective views showing an example of a foldable container (without a lid plate), in which (a) shows a box form, (b) shows an intermediate form, and (c) shows a folded form. [Diagram 34] 1A and 1B are perspective views showing an example of a foldable container (with a lid plate), in which (a) shows a box configuration with the lid plate in an open position, and (b) shows a folded configuration with the lid plate in a closed position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the shapes of the figures referred to in the following description are conceptual or schematic diagrams for explaining preferred shapes, and the dimensional ratios do not necessarily match the actual dimensional ratios. In other words, the present invention is not limited to the dimensional ratios in the drawings. In addition, the up, down, left, and right directions may be interpreted as being mutually interchangeable.

[0025] The container assembling device 100 of this embodiment is used for assembling a foldable container that can be transformed into a folded form and a box form. The container assembling device 100 of this embodiment is automatically driven by being supplied with power from a power source (not shown), and allows a user to assemble a container by operating a control panel (not shown) or the like. Here, the foldable container is generally used for transportation, and is exemplified as a container 10 without a lid plate in FIG. 33 or a container 10 with a lid plate in FIG. 34 without the purpose of limitation. The container assembling device 100 of the present invention corresponds to both the container 10 without a lid plate in FIG. 33 and the container 10 with a lid plate in FIG. 34. Therefore, in the following description, when the term "container 10" is used, it means both the configurations in FIG. 33 and FIG. 34, and when the configuration in FIG. 34 is specified, it is described as a "container 10 with a lid plate."

[0026] As shown in Fig. 33(a), the box-shaped container 10 without a lid plate includes a rectangular bottom wall 11, a top frame 12 disposed opposite the bottom wall 11 and having an opening on the inside, a pair of first side walls 13 facing each other between the horizontal side of the bottom wall 11 and the horizontal side of the top frame 12, and a pair of second side walls 14 facing each other between the vertical side of the bottom wall 11 and the vertical side of the top frame 12. Two recessed engaged portions 17 forming handles are formed on each of the opposing horizontal sides (or vertical sides) of the top frame 12. The container 10 is mutually transformable from a box-like shape with an upward opening as shown in Fig. 33(a) to a folded shape in which the container 10 is folded over like a plate as shown in Fig. 33(c) via a shape in the middle of transformation as shown in Fig. 33(b). As shown in FIG. 33(b), the pair of first side walls 13 have their upper and lower edges pivotally connected to the horizontal side of the bottom wall 11 and the horizontal side of the top frame 12, respectively, and have hinge portions 13a that allow them to bend freely only inward between their upper and lower edges. Also, as shown in FIG. 33(b), the pair of second side walls 14 have their upper edges pivotally connected to the vertical side of the top frame 12, and have free ends at their lower edges. Also, fitting portions 15 that fit into the side edges of the pair of first side walls 13 and the vertical side of the bottom wall 11 are provided on both side edges and the lower edge of the second side walls 14. Note that in FIG. 33(b), when the first side walls 13 are partially bent, the second side walls 14 abut against the upper edges of the first side walls 13, and therefore the second side walls 14 do not pivot toward the bottom wall 11.

[0027] In the box-shaped container 10 of Fig. 33(a), the pair of second side walls 14 are fixed to at least one of the straight first side wall 13 and the bottom wall 11, thereby maintaining the container 10 in a box shape. In the folded container 10 of Fig. 33(c), the top frame 12 is placed on the bottom wall 11. Inside the opening of the top frame 12, the pair of first side walls 13 are folded inwardly in a dogleg shape via the hinge portions 13a, and above the folded first side walls 13, the pair of second side walls 14 are folded in such a way that their inner surfaces face upward from the opening of the top frame 12. Then, when the top frame 12 is lifted, as shown in Figures 33(a) to (c), gravity causes the first side wall 13 to deform from a bent state to an intermediate state in which it extends straight, and then the second side wall 14 is pressed outward to fit into the first side wall 13 and / or the bottom wall 11 via the fitting portion 15, thereby transforming the container 10 from the folded state to a box state. Note that multiple containers 10 can be stacked in multiple tiers in either the folded state or the box state.

[0028] 34(a)-(c) show a container 10 with a lid plate in which a lid plate is added to the container 10 without a lid plate in FIG. 33. That is, the container 10 with a lid plate in FIG. 34 has a common structure with the container 10 without a lid plate in FIG. 33 except for the lid plate 18. As shown in FIG. 34(a), the container 10 with a lid plate further includes a pair of lid plates 18, 18 that are pivotally connected to the horizontal sides of the top frame 12 via second hinge parts 18a and close the opening of the top frame 12 from above in a double-door style. The pair of lid plates 18, 18 can be displaced between a closed position where they are placed on the upper surface of the top frame 12 and an open position where they open the opening of the top frame 12 (where they abut against the outer surface of the first side wall 13). A hooked part 19 is provided on the lower surface of each lid plate 18 for hooking a finger or the like to rotate the lid plate 18. As shown in Fig. 34(a), in the box-shaped container 10 with lid plates, a pair of lid plates 18, 18 are disposed outside a pair of first side walls 13, 13, and the opening of the top frame 12 is opened. As shown in Fig. 34(b), even in a state in which the first side wall 13 and the second side wall 14 of the container 10 with lid plates are folded, the pair of lid plates 18, 18 can be displaced to an open position. In Fig. 34(c), in the container 10 with lid plates in which the first side wall 13 and the second side wall 14 are folded, the pair of lid plates 18, 18 are displaced to a closed position in which they are placed on the upper surface of the top frame 12, so that the container 10 with lid plates is in a folded state.

[0029] The configuration of a container assembling apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figs. 1 to 4. Fig. 1 is a schematic perspective view of the container assembling apparatus 100. Fig. 2 is a front view of the container assembling apparatus 100. Fig. 3 is a side view of the container assembling apparatus 100. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the container assembling apparatus 100. Figs. 1 to 4 show the container assembling apparatus 100 in an initial stage.

[0030] 1 to 4, the container assembling apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes an apparatus main body 101 that defines an arrangement space 103 for arranging a container therein, a lifting device 130 provided for the arrangement space 103, and a transport device 107 for transporting an assembled container 10 arranged in the arrangement space 103 to the inside or outside. Although not shown, the container assembling apparatus 100 may also include a power supply unit that receives power from a power source, a control unit (processor) that controls the operation of each component of the container assembling apparatus 100, and a control panel for inputting instructions from a user. Each component that constitutes the container assembling apparatus 100 will be described below.

[0031] The device main body 101 is made of a rectangular frame 102 extending in the length, width and height directions. An arrangement space 103 for arranging the container 10 is formed inside the frame 102. Four lift rails 105 extend in the height direction as part of the frame 102 at the four corners of the arrangement space 103. The arrangement space 103 has an area sufficient to accommodate one container 10 in a plan view, and has a height sufficient to accommodate at least one box-shaped container 10 in a front view.

[0032] The conveying device 107 is provided at the bottom of the arrangement space 103 and is configured to convey the container 10 placed in the arrangement space 103 to the inside and outside. The conveying device 107 includes a plurality of conveying rollers on which the container 10 is placed. The conveying rollers are rotationally driven by a control unit, so that the container 10 can be conveyed to the inside and outside of the arrangement space 103 at an appropriate timing. An introduction path (not shown) for introducing the container into the arrangement space 103 may be optionally provided adjacent to the upstream side of the conveying device 107. In addition, a conveying path (not shown) for conveying the unloaded container 10 to a destination may be optionally provided adjacent to the downstream side of the conveying device 107.

[0033] The lifting device 130 is configured to hold (hang) the top frame 12 of one container 10 in the arrangement space 103 and lift the container 10 upward in the height direction. The lifting device 130 includes a lifting body 131 held by the lifting rail 105 and moving up and down in the height direction along the lifting rail 105, a lifting tool 133 held by the lifting body 131 and configured to lift the container 10 introduced into the arrangement space 103 while maintaining the folded shape, a lifting means 136 for moving the lifting body 131 to a predetermined height, a pulling means 137 for pulling the lifting tool 133 upward in the height direction, and a cover plate opening mechanism for displacing a pair of cover plates 18, 18 of the cover plate-equipped container 10 (FIG. 34) from a closed position to an open position. The lifting tool 133 has engagement pieces 134 that engage with the respective engaged portions 17 on the opposing sides of the top frame 12. That is, the lifting device 130 is configured to lift the container 10 upward in the height direction with the engaging piece 134 of the lifting tool 133 engaged with the engaged portion 17.

[0034] The configuration of the lift body 131 will be described in more detail with reference to FIGS.

[0035] As shown in Fig. 5 to Fig. 8, the lifting body 131 has a rectangular frame shape composed of a pair of first frames 131a in the front-rear direction and a pair of second frames 131b in the left-right direction when viewed from the front. The lifting body 131 is arranged inside the four lifting rails 105 and is configured to be supported so as to be slidable in the height direction along the lifting rails 105. In particular, both ends of the first frame 131a in the front-rear direction of the lifting body 131 are slidably held by the two lifting rails 105 in the front-rear direction. A lifting belt 136a of the lifting means 136 is connected (wound) to the lifting body 131 via a connected part 131c.

[0036] A hoist 133 is held on each of the first frames 131a of the lifting body 131 so as to be able to face the horizontal side of the container 10 in the folded state. The hoist 133 is provided with a base 133a that is movably held relative to the first frame 131a. The base 133a is an elongated body extending along the longitudinal direction of the first frame 131a. The base 133a is configured to be pulled upward by a pulling belt 137a of the pulling means 137. The base 133a acts to move the hoist 133 from the retracted position to the engageable position by the action of the pulling belt 137a. A pair of engagement pieces 134 are fixed near both ends of the base 133a, which is an elongated body.

[0037] 9 to 11, the hoist 133 is provided with (one or more) plate-shaped engaging pieces 134 so as to be able to support the horizontal sides of the top frame 12 and the bottom wall 11. The engaging piece 134 is made of a claw-shaped plate whose tip can be hooked from below onto the concave engaged portion 17. In this embodiment, two engaging pieces 134 are provided so as to be able to face two engaged portions 17 on the horizontal side of the top frame 12 of the container 10, respectively.

[0038] Each hoist 133 (engagement piece 134) is movably held by a holding portion 132 formed on a first frame 131a of the lifting body 131 in a state where it is prevented from coming off. The hoist 133 is configured to be displaceable between a retracted position where the hoist 133 does not interfere with the container 10 (in the arrangement space 103) and an engageable position where the hoist 133 protrudes from the retracted position into the arrangement space 103 and can engage with the container 10. In other words, the position where the engagement piece 134 is accommodated in the holding portion 132 constitutes the retracted position, and the position where a part of the engagement piece 134 protrudes so as to enter the arrangement space 103 constitutes the engageable position. The holding portion 132 is formed with a guide path 132a that is inclined obliquely upward toward the opposite engaged portion 17. The engagement piece 134 is arranged on the guide path 132a, and the sliding direction of the engagement piece 134 is guided by the guide path 132a. 12 and 13, a pin 134b protruding from the engagement piece 134 is disposed in a slide groove 132b of the holding portion 132 at the engageable position, whereby the engagement piece 134 is held by the holding portion 132.

[0039] The lifting means 136 is configured to move the lifting body 131 in a predetermined height direction. The lifting means 136 includes a flexible lifting belt 136a that is connected (wound) to the lifting body 131 and extends in the height direction, a lifting drum 136b that can wind and unwind the lifting belt 136a, and a lifting motor 136c that rotates the lifting drum 136b. In this embodiment, the tip sides of the four lifting belts 136a are respectively connected (or wound) to the four connected parts 131c of the lifting body 131, and the base ends are respectively connected to the four lifting drums 136b. Then, one lifting motor 136c is connected to the four lifting drums 136b via gears so as to rotate each of the lifting drums 136b in the same operation (winding or unwinding) and at the same rotation speed. That is, the control unit drives the lift motor 136c to rotate the lift drum 136b in the winding direction, thereby lifting the lift body 131 along the lift rail 105, and on the other hand, rotates the lift drum 136b in the unwinding direction, thereby lowering the lift body 131 along the lift rail 105.

[0040] The towing means 137 is configured to pull the base 133a of the hoist 133 upward in the height direction to hoist the top frame 12 of the container 10 to a predetermined height position. The towing means 137 includes a flexible towing belt 137a connected (wound) to the hoist 133 and extending in the height direction, a towing drum 137b that can wind and let out the towing belt 137a, and a towing motor 137c that rotates and drives the towing drum 137b. In this embodiment, the tip sides of the four towing belts 137a are connected (or wound) to four locations on the base 133a of the hoist 133, respectively, and the base ends are connected to the four towing drums 137b, respectively. In addition, one towing motor 137c is connected to the four towing drums 137b via gears so as to rotate each towing drum 137b in the same operation (winding or letting out) and at the same rotation speed. Then, the hoist 133 is displaced from the retracted position to the engageable position by the tension of the towing belt 137a generated by winding up the towing belt 137a by the towing drum 137b, and the container 10 engaged with the hoist 133 can be lifted to a predetermined height. When the tension of the towing belt 137a is released by letting out the towing belt 137a by the towing drum 137b, the hoist 133 can return from the engageable position to the retracted position. In this embodiment, the hoist 133 moves downward along the inclination of the guideway 132a by its own weight (or gravity), thereby returning from the engageable position to the retracted position.

[0041] Furthermore, in the lifting device 130 of this embodiment, a cover plate opening mechanism for displacing a pair of cover plates 18, 18 of the cover plate-equipped container 10 from a closed position to an open position is provided on the front side of the lifting body 131 (one vertical side of the container 10) as shown in FIG. 9. On the other hand, no cover plate opening mechanism is provided on the rear side of the lifting body 131 (the other vertical side of the container 10) as shown in FIG. 11. In the specification, when it is necessary to distinguish between the configuration of the front side of the lifting body 131 (one vertical side of the container 10) and the configuration of the rear side of the lifting body 131 (the other vertical side of the container 10), the former component is referred to as a "first..." and the latter component is referred to as a "second...". However, the descriptions "first" and "second" are omitted except when a comparison between the two is intended.

[0042] As shown in FIG. 9, the cover plate opening mechanism includes a pair of rotating arms 141, 141 that are pivotally supported by the second frame 131b of the lifting body 131 via a rotating shaft 142 and displace the pair of cover plates 18, 18 from the closed position to the open position. The pair of rotating arms 141, 141 are pivotally supported near both ends of the second frame 131b. As shown in FIG. 9, in the initial form, the pair of rotating arms 141, 141 are in an initial position (approximately horizontal position) placed on the upper surface of the second frame 131b. Then, as shown in FIG. 12, the pair of rotating arms 141, 141 are configured to take a standing position (approximately vertical position) rotated to the flip-up position around the rotating shaft 142. Since the pair of rotating arms 141, 141 are inclined in the directions opposite to each other even in the flip-up position (standing position), they can return from the standing position to the original initial position by their own weight (gravity).

[0043] As shown in FIG. 9, each of the rotating arms 141 is provided with a wound part 143 around which the traction belt 137a is wound between the traction drum 137b and the suspender 133. The wound part 143 is disposed near the tip of the rotating arm 141. That is, as shown in FIG. 12, the traction drum 137b winds up the traction belt 137a, and the rotating arm 141 is raised from the initial position to the rising position via the wound part 143. Note that no tension is generated in the traction belt 137a against the suspender 133 until the turning arm 141 has been raised from the initial position to the rising position. Then, after the turning arm 141 is raised to the rising position, tension is generated in the traction belt 137a by further winding up the traction belt 137a by the traction drum 137b, and the suspender 133 is displaced from the retracted position to the engageable position as shown in FIG. 13.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 15, each of the rotating arms 141 is provided with a hook piece 144 that is disposed opposite the vertical side of the container and hooks onto the hooked portion 19 of each of the cover plates 18 from below. The hook piece 144 is provided near the tip of the rotating arm 141. The hook piece 144 is configured to be displaced between a hookable position (see Fig. 15(a)) where it protrudes horizontally from the rotating arm 141 toward the arrangement space 103 (the vertical side of the container 10) and a bent position (see Fig. 15(b)) where it is bent upward and folded. In the hookable position, the hook piece 144 has a horizontal hook surface facing upward, and the hook surface can support and lift up the cover plate 18 of the cover-equipped container 10. In addition, the hook piece 144 is restricted from rotating downward at the hookable position protruding in the horizontal direction as shown in FIG. 15(a), so that it is possible to support the cover plate 18 from below. On the other hand, the hook piece 144 is allowed to rotate upward at the hookable position protruding in the horizontal direction, so that it is possible to bend vertically upward and displace to a folded bent position as shown in FIG. 15(b) when the container 10 abuts against the lower surface of the hook piece 144. That is, the hook piece 144 is allowed to move from above to below with respect to the container 10, and is restricted from moving from below to above with respect to the container 10. Then, when the hook piece 144 is hooked from below to the hooked portion 19 on the lower surface of the cover plate 18, the pair of rotating arms 141, 141 are flipped up around the rotating shafts 142, 142, so that the pair of cover plates 18, 18 can be rotated from the closed position to the open position.

[0045] In the container assembling apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the first engagement piece 134 on the front side of the lifting body 131 (one vertical side of the container 10) and the second engagement piece 134 on the back side of the lifting body 131 (the other vertical side of the container 10) are simultaneously driven to protrude from the holding portion 132 (see Figures 13 and 14). Next, the drive mechanism of the container assembling apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described below.

[0046] In this embodiment, each component is driven mainly by the operation of the lifting means 136 and the traction means 137. In particular, as shown in Figures 16 and 17, the lifting belt 136a and the traction belt 137a are integrally formed as one belt body 138. One end of the belt body 138 is connected to the traction drum 137b, and the other end of the belt body 138 is connected to the lifting drum 136b.

[0047] More specifically, as shown in Fig. 16, the lifting means 136 includes a pair of first lifting belts 136a connected to one end of the pair of first frames 131a of the lifting body 131 on the front side of the lifting body 131 (one vertical side of the container 10), and a pair of first lifting drums 136b that can take up and let out the pair of first lifting belts 136a. The towing means 137 includes a pair of first pulling belts 137a that respectively pull one end of the pair of bases 133a on the front side of the lifting body 131 (one vertical side of the container 10), and a pair of first pulling drums 137b that can take up and let out the pair of first pulling belts 137a. The first lifting belts 136a and the first pulling belts 137a are integrally formed to form a first belt body 138.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 16, the first belt body 138 extends substantially vertically downward from the first traction drum 137b, and its lower end side is wound from below around the shaft-shaped wound part 143 at the tip side of the rotating arm 141 in an initial position lying substantially horizontally. Next, the first belt body 138 extends from the wound part 143 to the base end side of the rotating arm 141 and is wound from below around the base part 133a of the suspender 133. Next, the first belt body 138 extends from the base part 133a and is wound from below around the shaft-shaped connected part 131c of the lifting body 131. Then, the first belt body 138 extends substantially vertically upward from the connected part 131c and is connected at its upper end to the lifting drum 136b.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 17, the lifting means 136 includes a pair of second lifting belts 136a connected to the other end sides of the pair of first frames 131a of the lifting body 131 on the rear side (the other vertical side of the container 10), and a pair of second lifting drums 136b that can take up and let out the pair of second lifting belts 136a. The towing means 137 includes a pair of second pulling belts 137a that respectively pull the other end sides of the pair of bases 133a on the rear side (the other vertical side of the container 10) of the lifting body 131, and a pair of second pulling drums 137b that can take up and let out the pair of second pulling belts 137a. The second lifting belts 136a and the second pulling belts 137a are integrally formed to form a second belt body 138.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 17, the second belt body 138 extends substantially vertically downward from the second traction drum 137b, and its lower end side is wound around the base 133a of the hoist 133 from below. At this time, slack is formed in the second traction belt 137a portion of the second belt body 138. Next, the second belt body 138 extends from the base 133a, and is wound around the shaft-shaped connected portion 131c of the lifting body 131 from below. Then, the second belt body 138 extends substantially vertically upward from the connected portion 131c, and its upper end is connected to the second lifting drum 136b.

[0051] Here, in order to further simplify the power mechanism of the container assembling apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the pair of first lifting drums 136b and the pair of second lifting drums 136b are configured to be driven by a single lifting motor 136c, and the pair of first traction drums 137b and the pair of second traction drums 137b are configured to be driven by a single traction motor 137c.

[0052] Then, when only the lifting means 136 is driven by the control unit and the lifting belt 136a is wound (or let out) on the lifting drum 136b, the lifting belt 136a acts on the connected portion 131c to maintain the suspender 133 in the retracted position and move the lifting body 131 upward (or downward) in the height direction while maintaining the rotating arm portion 141 in the initial posture. Also, when the traction means 137 is driven by the control unit and the traction belt 137a is wound on the traction drum 137b, the first traction belt 137a acts to bounce up the rotating arm portion 141, and then the tension generated in the first and second traction belts 137a acts on the base portion 133a to displace the suspender 133 from the retracted position to the engageable position. Here, slack is formed in the second traction belt 137a in order to simultaneously generate tension acting on the suspending tool 133 between the first traction belt 137a and the second traction belt 137a and to simultaneously operate the first engagement piece 134 and the second engagement piece 134. The amount of winding required to eliminate the slack in the second traction belt 137a is set to correspond to the amount of winding of the first traction belt 137a required to bounce up the rotating arm 141. Furthermore, the control unit can control the lifting means 136 and / or the pulling means 137 to move the lifting body 131 upward and downward in the height direction while maintaining the suspending tool 133 at the engageable position with tension in the traction belt 137a generated.

[0053] Next, a method of assembling a container 10 with a lid plate from a folded state to an open box state using the container assembling device 100 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 24. Here, the container 10 with a lid plate shown in Figure 34 is the subject, but the container 10 without a lid plate shown in Figure 33 can also be assembled in a similar manner. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the container 10 with a lid plate is depicted simply in each figure.

[0054] Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram of the container assembling apparatus 100 in which the container 10 with a lid plate in the folded state is placed in the arrangement space 103. First, as shown in Fig. 18, the container 10 with a lid plate in the folded state is introduced onto the conveying rollers of the conveying device 107 in the arrangement space 103.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 19, the lifting body 131 is disposed above the lid-equipped container 10 in the arrangement space 103. This prevents interference between the container 10 and the lifting body 131 when the container 10 is introduced. At this time, each hoisting device 133 is disposed in the retracted position and located outside the arrangement space 103. Also, each rotating arm portion 141 is in the initial position, and each hook piece 144 is in a hookable position protruding horizontally. And no tension acting on the hoisting device 133 is generated in the belt body 138 (the lifting belt 136a and the towing belt 137a).

[0056] Then, the container assembling device 100 starts operating in response to a user operation, detection of the container 10 by a sensor, or the like.

[0057] In the first step, the control unit drives the lifting motor 136c of the lifting means 136 to send out, and the lifting drum 136b starts sending out the lifting belt 136a. At this time, the traction motor 137c of the traction means 137 may be driven at the same time. When the lifting body 131 descends, the hooking piece 144 abuts against the upper surface of the container 10 with a lid plate in the folded form. This abutment causes the hooking piece 144 to rotate upward and bend to a bent position. As the lifting body 131 descends, the hooking piece 144 at the bent position moves relatively to the side of the container 10 with a lid plate. Then, as shown in FIG. 20, the lifting body 131 moves to a height where the suspender 133 can engage with the container 10 with a lid plate when projected, and then the lifting means 136 stops. At almost the same time, the hook piece 144 naturally (by its own weight) tilts and displaces from the bent position to the hookable position, and is disposed below the hooked portion 19 of the cover plate 18. At this time, the engaging piece 134 of the suspender 133 faces the engaged portion 17 of the cover-equipped container 10.

[0058] In the second step, the control unit drives the traction motor 137c of the traction means 137, and the traction drum 137b starts winding up the traction belt 137a. Then, the first traction belt 137a acts on the rotating arm 141, and the rotating arm 141 is flipped up while the hook piece 144 is hooked on the hooked part 19. The pair of cover plates 18 of the cover plate-equipped container 10 rotates and is displaced from the closed position to the open position. At this time, the second traction belt 137a is also wound up in the same manner, and the initial slack is eliminated. As shown in FIG. 21, the pair of rotating arms 141 take an upright position, and the pair of cover plates 18 move away from the pair of rotating arms 141 and tilt so as to hang down to the outside of the top frame 12.

[0059] In the third step, when the control unit further drives the traction motor 137c of the traction means 137, tension is generated in the traction belt 137a, and the hoist 133 slides obliquely upward relative to the lifting body 131 so as to protrude toward the arrangement space 103. As shown in FIG. 22, the hoist 133 is displaced to the engageable position, and the upper surface of the engagement piece 134 engages with the lower surface of the engaged part 17. Then, with tension generated in the traction belt 137a, the traction motor 137c is further driven to wind up, and the lifting body 131 moves upward with the hoist 133 engaged with the container 10 with a lid plate, so that the hoist 133 lifts the top frame 12 of the container 10. At this time, preferably, the lifting means 136 is not driven to wind up. The second and third steps can be performed substantially simultaneously.

[0060] In the fourth step, while the container 10 is in this engaged state, the engaging piece 134 is pulled upward by the towing belt 137a, and the container 10 is lifted up until the bottom wall 11 of the container 10 is lifted up, whereby the container 10 is transformed into an intermediate form in which the first side wall 13 is extended by its own weight. Then, as shown in FIG. 23, the second side wall 14 rotates downward by its own weight and is fitted into the first side wall 13 and / or the bottom wall 11 via the fitting portion 15, so that the container 10 can be assembled into a box form. In this embodiment, the lifting device 130 is configured to fit the second side wall 14 of the container 10 into the first side wall 13 and / or the bottom wall 11 by the inertial force generated when lifting the top frame 12 of the container 10. In other words, by adjusting the winding speed of the towing drum 137b, the container 10 can be transformed from the folded form into a box form by the reaction generated during lifting.

[0061] In the fifth step, the control unit drives the towing means 137 to send out the towing belt 137a while maintaining the tension of the towing belt 137a, thereby lowering the lifting body 131 while the box-shaped container 10 is suspended by the hoist 133. At this time, preferably, the lifting means 136 is not driven to send out. Then, the box-shaped container 10 is placed on the conveying rollers of the conveying device 107. In this state, both the lifting means 136 and the towing means 137 are driven in the sending direction to release or loosen the tension of the towing belt 137a, thereby displacing the hoist 133 to the retreat position by its own weight, and displacing the rotating arm 141 to the initial position by its own weight, and moving the lifting body 131 to the bottom of the arrangement space 103 (below the conveying rollers) as shown in FIG. 24. Next, the box-shaped container 10 is sent out from the arrangement space 103 via the conveying device 107 to the outside, thereby completing a series of assembly steps. After the box-shaped container 10 has been sent out, the lifting body 131 is moved to the initial height position of the arrangement space 103. This causes the container assembling device 100 to return to its initial shape so that the next folded container 10 can be introduced into the arrangement space 103 and assembled.

[0062] In this embodiment, the container 10 can be assembled by utilizing the inertial force by adjusting the lifting speed of the container 10. In order to more reliably assemble the container 10, a pressing device 150 may be introduced into the container assembling apparatus 100. That is, the container assembling apparatus 100 may further include a pressing device 150 (see FIG. 25) that operates to press the pair of second side walls 14 from the inside to the outside of the container 10 in an intermediate state in which the top frame 12 is lifted by the lifting device 130 so that the second side walls 14 are fitted to the first side wall 13 and / or the bottom wall 11. Although not shown, the pressing device 150 is provided on the side facing the vertical side of the frame 102 (in the left-right direction in FIG. 3). Note that, in the case of a container 10 with a lid plate, the pressing process by the pressing device 150 is performed in a state in which the lid plate 18 opens the opening of the top frame 12.

[0063] The pressing device 150 operates to press the pair of second side walls 14 from the inside to the outside of the container 10 in an intermediate state in which the top frame 12 is lifted by the lifting device 130, so that the second side walls 14 are fitted to the first side wall 13 and / or the bottom wall 11. In this embodiment, the pressing device 150 is disposed adjacent to the side of the frame 102 of the device main body 101. The height of the pressing device 150 is determined so as to correspond to the container 10 lifted by the lifting device 130.

[0064] As shown in Figs. 25 and 26, the pressing device 150 includes a sliding body 151 that slides horizontally in a direction toward and away from the arrangement space 103 (left and right direction when viewed from the front), a rotating body 152 that is disposed on the sliding body 151 and rotates vertically downward via its rotating shaft 152a, and a pressing body 153 that is mounted on the tip side of the rotating shaft 152a of the rotating body 152 and operates to press the second side wall 14 of the container 10. The rotating body 152 is formed in a flat plate shape and has the rotating shaft 152a at approximately the center in the direction toward and away from the arrangement space 103. The base end portion and the tip portion are connected by the rotating shaft 152a so that they can be bent at approximately right angles to each other. Furthermore, the pressing device 150 is provided with a first driving device 156 for sliding the sliding body 151 and a second driving device 157 for sliding the rotating body 152. The first drive device 156 and the second drive device 157 are configured to simultaneously drive the pressing device 150 at multiple stages. Specifically, the first drive device 156 includes a plurality of first gears 156a that mesh with or are in frictional contact with the upper surface of each slide body 151, a first drive shaft 156b that axially supports the plurality of first gears 156a in the height direction, and a first drive motor 156c that rotatably drives the first drive shaft 156b in both directions. The second drive device 157 includes a plurality of second gears 157a that mesh with or are in frictional contact with the upper surface of each rotating body 152, a second drive shaft 157b that axially supports the plurality of second gears 157a in the height direction, and a second drive motor 157c that rotatably drives the second drive shaft 157b in both directions. The first drive device 156 and the second drive device 157 are separately controlled by a control unit. The pressing body 153 has a cylindrical shape extending in the front-rear direction when viewed from the front, and includes a pressing part 154 that protrudes and retreats in the front-rear direction from the tip of the cylindrical body in the axial direction. The pressing part 154 is a part that directly presses the inner surface of the second side wall 14 of the container 10. The pressing part 154 can be driven or controlled by a known mechanism such as a solenoid or a cylinder.

[0065] Next, the operation of the pressing device 150 will be described with reference to FIGS. The series of operations of the pressing device 150 described below are performed on the container 10 in the intermediate form lifted by the lifting device 130.

[0066] 26 is a schematic perspective view showing the pressing device 150 during pressing operation. In the initial form of the container assembling apparatus 100, each component of the pressing device 150 is retracted to a position where it does not interfere with the arrangement space 103. When the pressing device 150 starts to operate, the first driving device 156 is first actuated, the first driving shaft 156b and the first gear 156a rotate in the forward direction, and the sliding body 151 advances toward the arrangement space 103 as shown in FIG. 27(a). At this time, the tip sides of the sliding body 151 and the rotating body 152 are controlled to move until they are positioned above the top frame 12 of the container 10.

[0067] Next, after the entire rotating body 152 on the tip side of the slide body 151 enters the arrangement space 103 and stops, the second driving device 157 is operated, the second driving shaft 157b and the second gear 157a rotate in the forward direction, and only the rotating body 152 advances further on the slide body 151 until the rotation shaft 152a passes the tip of the slide body 151 and stops. Then, as shown in FIG. 27(b), the tip part of the rotating body 152 rotates so as to be bent at a substantially right angle by gravity via the rotation shaft 152a. That is, the rotating body 152 advances on the slide body 151, and the tip part rotates downward, so that the pressing body 153 moves inside the container 10. The rotation of the rotating body 152 may be driven and controlled by a motor or the like.

[0068] Then, as shown in Figs. 26 and 28, the pressing parts 154 protrude from both ends of the pressing body 153. That is, the pair of second side walls 14 of each container 10 are simultaneously pressed from the inside to the outside, and the pair of second side walls 14 are securely fitted to the first side wall 13 and / or the bottom wall 11 via the fitting parts 15. As a result, the container 10 is assembled into a box shape. This completes a series of pressing operations of the pressing device 150. The series of pressing operations of the pressing device 150 may be controlled by the control unit based on a sensor arbitrarily installed in the device body 101. In addition, in this embodiment, the control unit controls the multiple pressing devices 150 to perform the same operation simultaneously.

[0069] After the series of pressing operations are completed, the pressing device 150 performs the opposite operation to the above operation to return to the initial form. In particular, after the pressing operations are completed, the protruding pressing portion 154 retreats, and then the second driving device 157 is operated and the second driving shaft 157b and the second gear 157a rotate in the opposite direction, so that the rotating body 152 retreats in a direction away from the arrangement space 103, while the tip portion of the rotating body 152 abuts against the tip edge of the sliding body 151, so that the tip portion of the rotating body 152 rotates so as to rise up in the horizontal direction around the rotation shaft 152a. Next, after the rotating body 152 moves to its original position on the sliding body 151 and stops, the first driving device 156 is operated and the first driving shaft 156b and the first gear 156a rotate in the opposite direction, so that the sliding body 151 retreats to its original position, and the pressing device 150 returns to its initial position.

[0070] The following describes the effects of the container assembling apparatus 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0071] According to the container assembling apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the top frame 12 of the container 10 in the folded form introduced into the arrangement space 103 is lifted upward in the height direction by the lifting device 130, and the container 10 can be transformed from the folded form to a box form via an intermediate form by its own weight. In particular, the lifting body 131 is moved to a predetermined height position where the container 10 can be lifted while the lifting tool 133 is maintained in the retracted position by the lifting means 136, and the lifting tool 133 is displaced from the retracted position to the engageable position by the towing means 137, whereby the engaging piece 134 of the lifting tool 133 is engaged with the engaged portion 17 of the top frame 12 of the container 10, and the top frame 12 of the container 10 can be reliably lifted. Thus, the container assembling apparatus 100 makes the assembling process more efficient than before, and enables the container 10 to be assembled more easily and quickly.

[0072] A second problem is that conventional automatic assembly machines are only capable of handling one type of container, and are unable to assemble a lid-equipped container 10 (see FIG. 34) in which a lid plate 18 is formed on the top frame 12. In contrast, the container assembling device 100 of this embodiment is provided with a lid plate opening mechanism (rotating arm portion 141, etc.) in the lifting device 130, and drives the lid plate opening mechanism in conjunction with a series of operations for lifting the lid plate-equipped container 10. In other words, the container assembling device 100 of this embodiment has a simple structure, yet is capable of assembling a lid plate-equipped container 10 into an open box shape.

[0073] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various embodiments and modifications may be made within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0074] [Second embodiment] The container assembling device 100 of the above embodiment is configured to be capable of assembling a container 10 with lid plates of a type in which a pair of lid plates 18, 18 open simultaneously. In contrast, the container assembling device 100' of the second embodiment is configured by modifying a part of the container assembling device 100 so as to be capable of assembling a container 10 (not shown) having a relatively large overlapping portion at the tip side of the lid plates 18, 18. If the overlapping portion of the double-door lid plates 18, 18 is large, the tips of the lid plates 18, 18 get caught when they are simultaneously rotated in the opening direction, and they cannot be opened smoothly. Therefore, the container assembling device 100' of the second embodiment is configured to be capable of smoothly opening the pair of lid plates 18, 18 by shifting the timing of applying force to each of the pair of lid plates 18, 18.

[0075] Specifically, as shown in FIG. 29, a mounting base 145 is provided only between the lower surface of one of the rotating arms 141 and the upper surface of the lifting body 131. The mounting base 145 is fixed to the upper surface of the second frame 131b. By placing one of the rotating arms 141 on the mounting base 145, the one of the rotating arms 141 takes an initial position rotated upward relative to the other of the rotating arms 141. A slack is formed in the belt body 138 between the wound part 143 of the one of the rotating arms 141 and the traction drum 137b in order to match the operation timing of the suspender 133 with respect to the other of the rotating arms 141. When the traction motor 137c is driven, the other of the rotating arms 141 (where the mounting base 145 is not provided) starts to rotate first, and lifts the inner cover plate 18 first. The outer cover plate 18 is also lifted at the same time by the overlapping portion. Then, the hooking piece 144 of one of the rotating arms 141 enters under the hooked portion 19 of the outer cover plate 18. As shown in FIG. 30, when the inclination angle (rise angle) of one of the rotating arms 141 and the other rotating arm 141 becomes the same, the slack in the belt body 138 on one side is eliminated, and the one of the rotating arms 141 starts to rise (rotate) together with the other rotating arm 141. In this way, by shifting the timing at which the force is applied to the pair of cover plates 18, 18, the catch of the overlapping portion can be suppressed, and the pair of cover plates 18, 18 can be opened smoothly. The placement base 145 may be a movable type that protrudes and sinks above the second frame 131b.

[0076] [Variations] (1) The container assembling device of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the engaging piece of the lifting device is configured to engage with the engaged part on the horizontal side of the top frame of the container, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, it may be configured to engage with the engaged part formed on the vertical side of the top frame of the container. Also, the engaged parts are formed at two places on the side of the top frame of the container, and two engaging pieces are formed for each first frame of the lifting body corresponding to this, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the engaged part may be provided at one place on the side of the top frame of the container, or may be provided at three or more places. Also, the entire side of the top frame may be the engaged part, and one or more engaging pieces may be provided to engage with any place of the engaged part.

[0077] (2) The container assembling apparatus of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment. In the above embodiment, the suspending tool is configured to return from the engageable position to the retracted position by its own weight when the tension of the traction belt is released, but the present invention is not limited to this. Figs. 31 and 32 show a container assembling apparatus 200 of another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 31, in the container assembling apparatus 200, the suspending tool 233 is constantly biased to the retracted position by an elastic body (spring) 239 provided in the holding part 232. As shown in Fig. 32, when the traction belt 237a is wound by the driving of the traction means 237 and tension is generated in the traction belt 237a, the suspending tool 233 is displaced from the retracted position to the engageable position against the elastic force of the elastic body 239. Then, when the tension of the traction belt 237a is released, the suspending tool 233 can be returned from the engageable position to the retracted position by the elastic return force of the elastic body 239 (without using gravity). That is, in the present invention, by using an elastic body or the like, it becomes possible to set the displacement direction of the sling not only in a displacement direction including a vertical component due to gravity, but also in a horizontal direction or the like.

[0078] (3) The container assembling device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may have a simpler structure in which the lid plate opening mechanism is omitted from the container assembling device.

[0079] (4) The container assembling device of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned configuration. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the engaging piece is configured to be a plate-shaped hook to hook onto the engaged part, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the engaged part may be a hole or a recess, and the engaging piece may be a pin or a protrusion. The engaging piece may also be configured to pinch and grip the top frame. Also, the hooking piece has a horizontal hooking surface facing upward, and is configured to flip up the cover plate of the container by using the hooking surface, but the present invention is not limited to this. The hooking piece may take any form as long as it can flip up the cover plate, and may be, for example, a pin controlled to protrude and retract by a cylinder or the like.

[0080] (5) The container assembling device of the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. In the above-mentioned embodiment, the lifting belt and the traction belt are integrally formed to form a single belt body, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, all the belts may be formed as separate bodies, and the letting out and winding up may be individually controlled by a motor assigned to each belt. Also, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the cover plate opening mechanism and the rotating arm are configured to be driven by the traction means (traction belt), but instead of this, the cover plate opening mechanism may include a driving means for independently driving the rotating arm.

[0081] (6) The container assembling device of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, the container assembling device is configured to be automatically driven, but may be configured to be manually operated by a user by adding an operating lever and a handle.

[0082] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications, and may be embodied in various forms within the technical scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 10 Container 11 Bottom wall 12 Top Frame 13 First side wall 13a Hinge part 14 Second side wall 15 Fitting part 17 Engaged part 18 Lid plate 18a Hinge part 19 Latched part 100 Container assembly equipment 101 Device body 102 Frames 103 Placement space 105 Lifting rail 107 Conveying device (conveying roller) 130 Lifting equipment 131 Lifting body 131a 1st frame 131b 2nd frame 131c Connected part 132 Holding part 132a Guideway 132b Slide groove 133 Lifting equipment 133a base 134 Engagement piece 134b Pin 136 Lifting means 136a Lifting belt 136b Lifting drum 136c Lifting motor 137 Traction means 137a Towing belt 137b Traction drum 137c Traction motor 138 Belt body 239 Elastic Body 141 Rotating arm (part of the cover plate opening mechanism) 142 Rotating shaft (part of the cover plate opening mechanism) 143 Winding part (part of the cover plate opening mechanism) 144 Hook (part of cover plate opening mechanism) 150 Pressing device 151 Slide body 152 Rotating Body 152a Rotating shaft 153 Pressing body 154 Pressing part 156 First Drive Unit 156a 1st Gear 156b First drive shaft 156c First drive motor 157 Second Drive Unit 157a 2nd Gear 157b Second drive shaft 157c Second drive motor

Claims

1. A container assembling device for assembling a foldable container that is mutually transformable into a folded form and a box form, comprising: the container comprises a bottom wall, a top frame having an opening on the inside and placed on the bottom wall in the folded configuration; a pair of first side walls whose upper and lower edges are pivotally connected to horizontal sides of the bottom wall and the top frame, respectively, and having hinge portions that allow the first side walls to bend freely only inward between the upper and lower edges; a pair of second side walls whose upper edges are pivotally connected to vertical sides of the top frame and have free ends at their lower edges, and which are folded so that their inner surfaces face upward through the opening of the top frame in the folded configuration; and engaged portions provided on opposing sides of the top frame, and when the container is transformed from the folded configuration to the box configuration, the first side walls pass through an intermediate configuration in which they extend linearly, and the second side walls are pressed outward and fitted to the first side walls and / or the bottom wall, The container assembling device includes: an apparatus body defining an arrangement space therein for arranging the container; A lifting device provided for the device body, The lifting device is a hoisting device having engaging pieces that engage with the engaged portions on the opposing sides of the top frame for the container introduced into the arrangement space, the hoisting device being displaceable between a retracted position where it does not interfere with the container in the arrangement space and an engageable position where it protrudes from the retracted position and can engage with the engaged portions and the bottom wall, respectively; a lifting body having a holding part for holding the hanging tool and supported by the device body so as to be movable up and down in a height direction; a lifting means for moving the lifting body to a predetermined height, the lifting means including a lifting belt connected to the lifting body and extending in a height direction, a lifting drum for winding and unwinding the lifting belt, and a lifting motor for rotating the lifting drum; a towing means configured to lift the top frame of the container to a predetermined height position by towing the hoisting tool upward in the height direction while maintaining a state in which the engaging piece is engaged with the engaged portion, the towing means comprising: a towing belt connected to the hoisting tool and extending in the height direction, a towing drum capable of winding up and letting out the towing belt, and a towing motor that rotates and drives the towing drum; A lifting device comprising: A control unit for controlling the operation of the container assembling apparatus. The lifting means is capable of moving the lifting body to a predetermined height position while maintaining the hoisting tool at the retracted position by winding or unwinding the lifting belt using the lifting drum, and The container assembling device is characterized in that the towing means generates tension in the towing belt by winding up the towing belt with the towing drum, and is capable of displacing the hoisting device from the retracted position to the engageable position.

2. 2. The container assembling apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that the lifting device is configured to fit the second side wall of the container against the first side wall and / or the bottom wall by the inertial force generated when lifting the top frame of the container.

3. 2. The container assembling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a pressing device which operates to press the pair of second side walls from the inside to the outside of the container in the intermediate state in which the top frame is lifted by the lifting device, so that the second side walls are fitted to the first side wall and / or the bottom wall.

4. 2. The container assembling device according to claim 1, wherein the towing belt and the lifting belt are integrally formed as a single belt body, one end of the belt body is connected to the towing drum, and the other end of the belt body is connected to the lifting drum.

5. 5. The container assembling device according to claim 4, wherein the engaging piece is provided in the holding portion of the lifting body, is arranged on a guideway that slopes obliquely upward toward the opposing engaged portion, and is hoisted upward in the height direction by the towing belt while simultaneously sliding obliquely upward from the retracted position to the engageable position.

6. 5. The container assembling device according to claim 4, wherein the hoisting tool returns from the engageable position to the retracted position by its own weight when the tension of the towing belt is released.

7. The sling is constantly biased to the retracted position by an elastic body provided in the holding portion, 5. The container assembling device according to claim 4, wherein the hoisting tool returns from the engageable position to the retracted position by the elastic force of the elastic body when the tension of the towing belt is released.

8. the container further comprises a pair of cover plates that are pivotally connected to the horizontal sides of the top frame via hinge portions and that close the opening of the top frame from above in a double door manner, the pair of cover plates being displaceable between a closed position in which they are placed on an upper surface of the top frame and an open position in which they open the opening of the top frame, 8. The container assembling apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting device further comprises a cover plate opening mechanism for displacing the pair of cover plates from the closed position to the open position.

9. the cover plate opening mechanism includes a pair of pivot arms that are pivotally supported by the lifting body via a pivot shaft and that displace the pair of cover plates from the closed position to the open position, The rotating arm portion is provided with a hook piece that is disposed opposite to a vertical side of the container and hooks onto the hooked portion of each of the cover plates from below, The container assembling device according to claim 8, characterized in that the pair of pivoting arms are flipped up around the pivot shaft with the hooking piece hooked onto the hooked portion, thereby causing the pair of cover plates to pivot from the closed position to the open position.

10. The rotating arm portion is provided with a wound portion around which the towing belt is wound between the towing drum and the hoisting tool, When the traction belt is wound up by the traction drum, the rotating arm portion is raised from the initial position to the standing position via the wound portion, The container assembling device according to claim 9, characterized in that after the rotating arm portion is flipped up to the standing position, tension is generated in the traction belt by further winding up the traction belt by the traction drum, and the lifting device is displaced from the retracted position to the engageable position.

11. the sling includes a pair of base portions to which the engagement pieces are connected and which extend longitudinally along each horizontal side of the container, the base portions being configured to be pulled upward by the towing belt; the towing means includes a pair of first towing belts for towing one end sides of the pair of base portions, respectively, on one vertical side of the container, and a pair of first towing drums for winding up and letting out the pair of first towing belts, respectively; the towing means includes a pair of second towing belts for towing the other ends of the pair of base portions, respectively, on the other vertical side of the container, and a pair of second towing drums for winding up and letting out the pair of second towing belts, respectively; The pair of first traction drums and the pair of second traction drums are configured to be driven by one of the traction motors; The cover plate opening mechanism is provided only on one vertical side of the container, and the first traction belt is wound around the wound portion of the rotating arm between the first traction drum and the base, The container assembling device according to claim 10, characterized in that the second traction belt has slack formed therein so as to simultaneously generate tension acting on the hoisting device between the first traction belt and the second traction belt.

12. A container assembling device for assembling a foldable container that is mutually transformable into a folded form and a box form, comprising: The container comprises a bottom wall, a top frame having an opening on the inside and placed on the bottom wall in the folded state, a pair of first side walls whose upper and lower edges are pivotally connected to the horizontal sides of the bottom wall and the top frame, respectively, and having hinges that allow the first side walls to bend freely only inward between the upper and lower edges, a pair of second side walls whose upper edges are pivotally connected to the vertical sides of the top frame and have free ends at their lower edges, and which are folded so that their inner surfaces face upward through the opening of the top frame in the folded state, and a pair of second side walls whose upper edges are pivotally connected to the vertical sides of the top frame and have free ends at their lower edges, and which are folded so that their inner surfaces face upward through the opening of the top frame in the folded state, and a pair of cover plates that are pivotally connected to the horizontal sides of the top frame via hinge portions and close the opening of the top frame from above in a double-door manner, and when the container is transformed from the folded form to the box form, the first side wall passes through an intermediate form in which it extends straight, and the second side wall is pressed outward to be fitted to the first side wall and / or the bottom wall, and the pair of cover plates are displaceable between a closed position in which they are placed on the upper surface of the top frame and an open position in which they open the opening of the top frame, The container assembling device includes: an apparatus body defining an arrangement space therein for arranging the container; A lifting device provided for the device body, The lifting device is a hoisting device having engaging pieces that engage with the engaged portions on the opposing sides of the top frame for the container introduced into the arrangement space, the hoisting device being displaceable between a retracted position where it does not interfere with the container in the arrangement space and an engageable position where it protrudes from the retracted position and can engage with the engaged portions and the bottom wall, respectively; a towing means configured to tow the hoisting tool upward in a height direction while maintaining a state in which the engaging piece is engaged with the engaged part, thereby hoisting the top frame of the container to a predetermined height position; A lifting device including a cover plate opening mechanism for displacing the pair of cover plates from a closed position to an open position; A control unit for controlling the operation of the container assembling apparatus. the cover plate opening mechanism includes a pair of pivot arms that are pivotally supported by the lifting body via a pivot shaft and that displace the pair of cover plates from the closed position to the open position, The rotating arm portion is provided with a hook piece that is disposed opposite to a vertical side of the container and hooks onto the hooked portion of each of the cover plates from below, a container assembling device characterized in that, with the hooking piece hooked to the hooked portion, the pair of pivoting arms are flipped up around the pivot axis, thereby causing the pair of cover plates to pivot from a closed position to an open position.

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