Box sealing device and box sealing method

Abstract

To provide a box sealing device and a box sealing method capable of surely folding a part of a packaging material when packing an accumulated item into a box and closing a lid material (flap).SOLUTION: A box sealing device 100 has a stacking section 20 that stacks a plurality of articles XA1 into an accumulated item AX2, and a filling section 50 that pushes and stores the accumulated item XA2 in a box B. The stacking section 20 has an article moving means 23 for stacking the articles XA1, and a folding guide 25 that abuts against a part of a packaging material and folds the article XA1 while it is being moved, in which the filling section 50 has a pushing member 511 for the accumulated item XA2, driving means 512, 513 for the pushing member 511, and a flap folding means 52 for folding flaps F2, F3 of the box B, and the flap folding means 52 folds the flaps F2, F3 so as to cover the advanced pushing member 511, and the driving means 512, 513 extract the pushing member 511 after the flaps F2, F3 are folded, and move it to a retracted position A2.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing device and a sealing method for automatically packing a plurality of articles into a box and closing a lid material. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a device that stacks a plurality of articles and automatically packs them into a box (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 describes a device that stores articles stacked, for example, vertically and horizontally (3 columns and 4 rows) in one box.

[0003] Furthermore, when the item to be packed in a box is a package, there is also known a device that can fold a portion of the packaging material that may interfere with the boxing depending on the shape of the package (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Patent Document 1 describes a boxing device that places a number of self-supporting gusset bags with a heading part at the top in a self-supporting position from above into a box with the top open, and then closes the top flaps of the box to pack the bags. This boxing device is equipped with a folding tool and a supporting tool, and is configured to press the heading parts of the gusset bags placed in the box from the front side of the gusset bags to give each heading part a fold toward the back, and to pull out the folding tool and supporting tool as the top inner flaps come to cover them. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5128506 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in the case of the packing device described in Patent Document 1, the folding tool and supporting tool are pulled out in exchange for the upper inner flap coming over the box, so there is a possibility that the fold in the heading portion will return to its original shape during this time, which raises the risk that the heading portion will not be reliably folded and packed into the box.

[0007] This problem is not limited to self-supporting gusset bags with a heading part at the top, but also occurs with pillow packages, for example. In other words, pillow packages generally have top seal parts (edges) formed by heat sealing the packaging film while forming the gusset part, and the edge parts are highly rigid and tend to recover from their creases even when folded by applying an external force.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and provides a sealing device and a sealing method that, when packing a collection of items into a box, can reliably fold a portion of the packaging material to pack the items into a box and close a lid material (flap). [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention has a stacking section that stacks a plurality of articles supplied from upstream, and a filling section that pushes and stores the stacked articles in a box having an opening on one side, the stacking section having an article moving means that moves the articles to stack a state, and a folding guide that abuts against a part of a packaging material and folds the articles while the articles are being moved, and the filling section has a pushing member that can push the stacked articles toward the inside of the box, a driving means that moves the pushing member forward and backward between a retracted position and an advanced position, and a flat member that is configured to be able to advance and retreat relative to the box and is continuous with a first side of the opening of the box. the retracted position is a position where the folded state of a portion of the packaging material can be maintained by the pushing member, and the advanced position is a position where the accumulated products are stored in the box, the flap folding means folds the flap so as to cover the pushing member that has moved to the advanced position, and the driving means removes the pushing member from the second side of the opening of the box after the flap is folded and moves it to the retracted position.

[0010] The present invention also relates to a sealing method in a sealing device, comprising the steps of: an article moving means moving a plurality of articles supplied from upstream to a collecting position, while abutting a portion of the packaging material of each of the articles against a folding guide, folding and stacking the articles; a pushing member using the accumulated product to push the accumulated product consisting of the plurality of articles while maintaining the folded state of the portion of the packaging material, and storing the accumulated product in a box having an opening on one side; a flap folding means folding a flap continuous with a first side of the opening of the box so as to cover the pushing member while the pushing member is in contact with the accumulated product; and a step of retracting the pushing member from the second side of the box after folding the flap. Effect of the Invention

[0011] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a sealing device and a sealing method that, when packing a pile of articles into a box, can reliably fold a part of the packaging material to pack the articles into the box and close a lid material (flap). [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 2] 1 is a perspective view showing an overall configuration of a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a schematic plan view showing an overall configuration of a sealing device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] 1A is a perspective view of an article, (B) a side view of the article, (C) a side view of an assembly, and (D) a plan view of an assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an overview of a supply unit according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an overview of a stacking section according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an overview of a stacking section according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a front view showing an overview of a stacking section according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an overview of a filling section according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an overview of a filling section according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] 1A is a plan view, (B) and (C) are front views, (D) is a plan view, and (E) is a front view showing an overview of a filling section according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an overview of a filling section according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a driving means of a filling unit according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In this drawing and the following drawings, some components are omitted as appropriate to simplify the drawings. In this drawing and the following drawings, the size, shape, thickness, etc. of the members are exaggerated as appropriate.

[0014] <Overall composition> 1 and 2 are perspective views showing an example of the overall configuration (main parts) of a sealing device 100 according to this embodiment, and FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the outline of each part of the sealing device 100. As shown in FIG.

[0015] 1 to 3, the sealing device 100 of this embodiment has a supply section 10 for the article XA1, a stacking section 20 for the article XA1, a transfer section 30, a box conveying section 40 for the box B, a filling section 50, and a discharge section 60. The supply section 10 supplies a plurality of articles XA1 continuously supplied from upstream to the stacking section 20 in units of stacking numbers. The stacking section 20 stacks these to form a bundle of stacked products XA2. The transfer section 30 transfers the stacked product XA2 from the stacking section 20 to the filling section 50. The box conveying section 40 also raises, for example, a folded box B and conveys it from upstream to downstream with one side open. The filling section 50 pushes the stacked product XA2 by a pushing means 51 to store (fill) it in the box B, and closes a part of the lid material of the box B. The discharge section 60 closes the remaining lid material of the box B and discharges it to a downstream process.

[0016] Hereinafter, the directions in the description of this embodiment are defined as follows: a first direction in which the item XA1 is supplied from an upstream process and the item XA1 (accumulated item XA2) is discharged to a downstream process is defined as a conveying direction T of the item XA1; a second direction perpendicular to the conveying direction T and which is a moving direction when the accumulated item XA2 is stored in the box B is defined as a pushing direction P; and a third direction perpendicular to the conveying direction T and the pushing direction P is defined as a height direction H. For example, the height direction H is a vertical direction, the conveying direction T is one horizontal direction (first horizontal direction), and the pushing direction P is the other horizontal direction (second horizontal direction). FIG. 3 is a plan (top) schematic diagram of the sealing device 100 as viewed from the height direction H.

[0017] 4A and 4B are diagrams illustrating the article XA1 and the accumulated product XA2 of this embodiment. Fig. 4A is a perspective view of the article XA1, Fig. 4B is a side view, Fig. 4C is a side view of the accumulated product XA2, and Fig. 4D is a top (plan) view of the accumulated product.

[0018] 4(A) and 4(B), the article XA1 is, for example, a pillow package in which the packaged item is pillow-packaged with, for example, a packaging film. The pillow package (article XA1) has, for example, a center seal portion CE extending in one direction and a top seal portion TO extending in a direction perpendicular to the center seal portion CE. In this example, the top seal portions TO are provided at both longitudinal ends of the center seal portion CE, and hereinafter these are referred to as ear portions TO.

[0019] The pillow package has a main body 80 that contains the packaged item. In this example, the main body 80 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped (approximately cubic) shape, and has a front (upper surface) 81f and a back (lower surface) 81b, with a side surface 82 therebetween. Note that, although the main body 80 is exemplified here as having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped (approximately cubic) shape, the shape is not limited to this and may be, for example, a substantially cylindrical shape. A gusset portion 85 is formed in the vicinity of the ear portion TO by folding a part of the packaging film inward, for example, by a gusset claw (not shown).

[0020] As an example, in this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4(C) and 4(D), articles XA1 (pillow packages) are stacked (piled) in, for example, four rows along the extension direction of the ear portion TO (the conveying direction T in the sealing device 100) and two layers in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the ear portion TO (the height direction H in the sealing device 100) to form a total of eight accumulated products XA2, which are then filled (packed) into one box.

[0021] When stacking a plurality of articles XA1 (pillow packages) in a box in this way, efficient stacking within the box (effective use of the space within the box, space saving) is desired. Since the gusset portion 85 and the ear portion TO are areas that do not contain the packaged item and protrude from the main body portion 80, it is possible to save space per article XA1 by folding the ear portion TO as close to the main body portion 80 as possible, as shown on the left side of Fig. 4(B). Here, for example, immediately after the formation of the ear portion TO in the packaging machine, it is possible to fold the ear portion TO by blowing air from the outside, and the folded state can be maintained by creating a crease before cooling.

[0022] For example, in the case of the ear portion TO on the left side of Figure 4(B), after the ear portion (top seal portion) TO is formed in the packaging machine (pillow packaging machine), an air blowing means or the like is provided and air is blown from above the ear portion TO, so that it can be folded downward.

[0023] When packing the accumulated product XA2 into the box B, the space within the box B can be utilized more effectively if the folding directions of both ears TO are reversed (upward and downward) as shown in FIG. 4(C).

[0024] However, in order to reverse the folding direction of the ear portion TO using the air blowing means of the packaging machine, it is necessary to have an air blowing means from above and an air blowing means from below.In particular, when providing an air blowing means from below, it is necessary to disconnect the conveying path of the pillow packaging body XA1, which complicates the device configuration and control.

[0025] On the other hand, it is also possible to fold the ears TO by applying an external force during sealing in the sealing device 100. However, since the ears TO protrude outward in a state of being more rigid than other parts due to the heat seal, there is a high possibility that they will return to their original shape when the application of the external force is removed.

[0026] The sealing device 100 of this embodiment is a device for sealing an article (pillow package) XA1 having an ear portion TO, and can reliably fold the ear portion TO (and the gusset portion 85) to box and seal the article. The article XA1 has, for example, two ear portions TO as shown in Fig. 4, but in this case, the other ear portion TO has been folded in advance in an upstream process (such as a packaging machine).

[0027] Below, each part of the sealing device 100 will be described. Figures 5 to 12 are schematic diagrams showing the main components of the sealing device 100 shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the components omitted in Figures 5 to 12 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2 as appropriate.

[0028] <Supply section> FIG. 5 is a plan view of the supply section 10 as viewed from the height direction H. The supply section 10 is provided with a first conveying means 11 for the article XA1, and the article XA1 is supplied from an upstream process. The first conveying means 11 is, for example, a first bucket conveyor having a plurality of buckets 111 at the front and rear of the conveying direction T (see FIG. 1). One article XA1 is accommodated between a pair of buckets 111 arranged at the front and rear of the conveying direction T, and is conveyed along the conveying direction T. The configuration of the first conveying means (first bucket conveyor) 11 is known, so a description thereof is omitted. A supply section pushing means 13 is provided above the first bucket conveyor 11, which ejects the article XA1 from the bucket 111 to the side (in the pushing direction P) in the traveling direction (conveying direction T) of the bucket 111. The supply section pushing means 13 is a pusher that moves a plurality of (for example, four) pushing members 14 forward and backward in synchronization with the pushing direction P. The first bucket conveyor 11 operates intermittently, and when the first bucket conveyor 11 stops in the supply section 10, the supply section pushing means 13 pushes out four articles XA1 to the collecting position A1 of the accumulation section 20 via the delivery section 15 provided downstream in the pushing direction P. The pushing member 14 has protrusions 14B on the top and bottom of the pushing surface 14A in the height direction H, and the protrusions 14B push the shoulder portion (the inclined portion of the cylindrical packaging film) connecting the ear portion TO of the article XA1 (pillow package) and the main body, or the packaged item in the pillow package via the packaging film. This prevents the ear portion TO from bending in an unintended direction (see FIG. 6(A)).

[0029] <Accumulation section> The stacking section 20 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 to Fig. 8. Fig. 6 to Fig. 8 are front views seen from the downstream side in the conveying direction T, explaining the operation of the stacking section 20. With reference to Fig. 6 (and Fig. 5), the stacking section 20 has a stage 21, width-shifting means 22 (Fig. 5), article moving means 23, second conveying means 24, and folding guides 25, and stacks a plurality of articles XA1 supplied from upstream into a predetermined number of accumulated products XA2 (in this example, two layers stacked in the height direction H and four rows lined up horizontally in the conveying direction T).

[0030] 6 and 1, the article moving means 23 is, for example, a suction pad 231 that suction-holds the article XA1 and a drive means (for example, an air cylinder) 232 that moves it up and down in the height direction H. The article moving means 23 holds the article XA1 at the collection position A1 so that the tab TO extends in the horizontal direction (conveyance direction T), and moves it downward in the vertical direction (height direction T) in this example, to be accumulated on the second conveying means 24.

[0031] The stage 21 is provided slightly below the transfer section 15 of the supply section 10 in the height direction H, and its upper surface becomes the collecting position A1. The stage 21 is made up of two shutter members 212 that open and close (move closer to and away from) before and after the pushing direction P. A width-shifting means 22 is provided on the stage 21. The width-shifting means 22 has two width-shifting members 221 arranged opposite to each other in the conveying direction T, and a drive means (not shown) that moves these closer to and away from each other. The width-shifting means 22 moves the opposing width-shifting members 221 closer to each other, thereby shifting the four articles XA1 discharged from the bucket 111 of the supply section 10 closer to each other in the conveying direction T.

[0032] The second transport means 24 is a second bucket conveyor equipped with a plurality of buckets 241 lined up in the front and rear of the transport direction T (see FIG. 1). A set of accumulated products XA2 is stored between a set of buckets 241 lined up in the front and rear of the transport direction T, and is transported along the transport direction T. The second transport means (second bucket conveyor) 24 is continuous with the accumulation section 20, the transfer section 30, and the filling section 50, and is a common transport means for these sections. The second bucket conveyor 24 is also of known configuration, so a description thereof will be omitted.

[0033] As shown in FIG. 6(A), the folding guides 25 are provided on both sides of the second bucket conveyor 24 in the conveying width direction (pushing direction P) perpendicular to the conveying direction T. The folding guides 25 come into contact with a part of the packaging material of the article XA1 and fold it while the article XA1 is being moved by the article moving means 23. In detail, one folding guide 25 is a flat plate-like member fixed immovably to the frame (base) of the frame (sealing device 100) of the second bucket conveyor 24, and is erected at one end of the second bucket conveyor 24 in the conveying width direction (pushing direction P) so as to form a side wall of the second bucket conveyor 24, as shown in FIG. 6. The folding guide 25 has a main body 250 and an inclined portion 251 located above the main body 250 in the height direction H. The inclined portion 251 is inclined so as to be wider outward in the conveying width direction than other portions in the front view shown in FIG. 6.

[0034] The folding guides 25 are disposed opposite each other in the conveying width direction, and as shown in Fig. 6(B), the separation distance W1 between the main body portions 250 in the conveying width direction is set to be greater than the length L1 (length between both ears TO) of the main body portion 80 of the article XA1 (pillow package) with one ear TO folded down, and smaller than the overall length L2 including both ears TO. The separation distance W2 between the tip ends 251A of the inclined portions 251 is greater than the separation distance W1 between the main body portions 250, but is set to be smaller than the overall length L2 including both ears TO of the article XA1.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 7(A), the article moving means 23 (suction pad 231) suctions and holds the article XA1 on the stage 21. In this example, the article moving means 23 holds four rows of articles XA1 (group of articles) arranged side by side. At this time, one ear TO of the article XA1 (upstream side in the pushing direction P, right side in FIG. 7(A)) is located above the end of the delivery section 15 on the downstream side in the pushing direction P so as to overlap it (the positional relationship of each part is set in this way). In this embodiment, the other ear TO of the article XA1 (downstream side in the pushing direction P, left side in FIG. 7(A)) is folded down, for example, downward in advance (for example, immediately after the ear TO is formed in the packaging machine). In other words, in this embodiment, the ear TO on the upstream side of the pushing direction P of the article XA1 in the stacking section 20 is folded, and when distinguishing between the two in the following description, the upstream ear TO will be referred to as the upstream ear TO1 and the downstream ear TO will be referred to as the downstream ear TO2, but unless otherwise specified, ear TO will refer to the upstream ear TO1.

[0036] The stage 21 is composed of two shutter members 212 that move close to or apart from each other, and as shown in Figure 7 (B), the two shutter members 212 can be separated (opened) so that the separation distance W3 between them is greater than the separation distance W2 between the tips 251A of the inclined portions 251.

[0037] When the stage 21 is opened, the article moving means 23 moves the held article XA1 downward. At this time, as shown in Fig. 8(A), the ear portion TO first abuts against the downstream end of the transfer section 15 and is folded upward as it descends. When the article moving means 23 further moves the article XA1 downward in this state, the tip or part of the outer surface of the folded-up ear portion TO abuts against the tip or inner surface of the inclined portion 251 as shown in Fig. 8(B). When the article moving means 23 continues to move the article XA1 downward, the folded-up state of the ear portion TO is maintained as it is pressed against the main body portion 250 (inner surface) of the folding guide 25 and is placed on the second bucket conveyor 24 (bucket 211) (Fig. 8(C)). In this way, the article moving means 23 holds the article XA1 so that the ear portion TO extends horizontally (conveying direction T) and moves the article XA1 downward in the vertical direction (height direction H) while abutting the ear portion TO against the folding guide 25 and folding it (folding it vertically upward).

[0038] In this example, multiple articles XA1 are accumulated (stacked) in two tiers in the height direction H (vertical direction) in the accumulation section 20. Similarly, the second tier of articles XA1 (group of articles) also has its ears TO folded up by the folding guides while moving to the second bucket conveyor 24, and is placed on the second bucket conveyor 24 (on top of the articles XA1 in the lower tier).

[0039] <Transfer section> The transfer section 30 will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The articles XA1 (accumulated product XA2) accumulated in the accumulation section 20 are transferred to the filling section 50 by the transfer section 30 while maintaining their accumulated state. In the transfer section 30, the folded-up ear portions TO of each of the eight articles XA1 constituting the accumulated product XA2 are also maintained in their folded-up state while being transferred. Specifically, the transfer section 30 has, for example, the second bucket conveyor 24 and transfer guides 32 arranged on both sides of the second bucket conveyor 24 in the conveying width direction (pushing direction P).

[0040] The transfer guide 32 is a plate-like member immovably fixed to the frame (base) of the frame (sealing device 100) of the second bucket conveyor 24, and is, for example, erected so as to be aligned (aligned) with the main body 250 of the folding guide 25 along the conveying direction T, and is a plate-like member that can abut against the side in the conveying direction T of the accumulated product XA2 conveyed by the second bucket conveyor 24. The ears TO of each of the eight articles XA1 constituting the accumulated product XA2 move (slide) in the conveying direction T while abutting against one side of the transfer guide 32 while moving through the transfer section 30, and thus the accumulated product XA2 is transferred to the filling section 50 while maintaining the folded state of each ear TO. In order to prevent the accumulated product XA2 from getting caught, the upstream end of the transfer guide 32 in the conveying direction T is an inclined section whose plate thickness becomes thinner from downstream to upstream.

[0041] <Box conveying section> Referring to FIG. 3, the box conveying section 40 has, for example, a third conveying means 41 and a box raising means 42, and conveys the box B with one side in the conveying direction T open. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the box B of this embodiment has a rectangular parallelepiped box body B0 and three flaps F1 to F3 as lid members. The box body B0 has longitudinal side faces BL1 and BL2, lateral side faces BS1 and BS2, and a bottom face BB along the outer shape of the accumulated product XA2, and the opposite face of the bottom face BB is open. One of the lid members, the flap F1, is an outer flap F1 that covers the opening of the box body B0 and seals the box body B0. The outer flap F1 is an insert-type lid member that is provided continuously with one side of one longitudinal side face (one longitudinal side Sa of the opening). The other two flaps F2 and F3 of the cover member are inner flaps F2 and F3 that partially cover the opening of the box body B0 on ​​the inside (the side of the product XA1) of the outer flap F1. The inner flaps F2 and F3 are provided contiguous to one side of each of the opposing short side surfaces (one short side of the opening, the first side Sb).

[0042] 3, the box raising means 42 is a means for forming the box body B0 (longitudinal side surfaces BL1, BL2, lateral side surfaces BS1, BS2, and bottom surface BB) of the folded box B into a three-dimensional rectangular parallelepiped shape. The box raising means 42 does not bend (fold) the flaps F1 to F3, and places the raised box B on the third conveying means 41 so that the opening of the box B faces a side in the conveying direction T (one side in the conveying width direction), specifically the downstream side in the pushing direction P, and the outer flap F1 and the longitudinal side surface continuous therewith are positioned below in the height direction H. In this state, the inner flaps F2, F3 are continuous with one side (first side Sb) downstream in the pushing direction P of the lateral side surfaces facing each other in the conveying direction T (see FIGS. 1 and 2).

[0043] <Filling section> The filling section 50 will be described with reference to Fig. 9 to Fig. 13. Fig. 9, Fig. 10, and Fig. 12 are plan views seen from above in the height direction H to explain the operation of the filling section 50. Fig. 11 shows Fig. 11(A) and Fig. 11(D) which are plan views seen from above in the height direction H to explain the operation of the filling section 50, Fig. 11(B) is a front view of Fig. 11(A) seen from the upstream (left side in the figure) of the conveying direction T, Fig. 11(C) is a front view continuing from Fig. 11(B), and Fig. 11(E) is a front view of Fig. 11(D) seen from the upstream (left side in the figure) of the conveying direction T. Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing a part of the configuration of the filling section 50 in Fig. 2.

[0044] 9(A), the filling section 50 has a pushing means 51, a flap folding means 52, an upper holding means 53, a pushing path 54, a side guide 55, and a lifting guide 56, and pushes and stores the accumulated product XA2 in a box B having an opening on the side. The pushing means 51 is a pusher having a flat pushing member 511 provided to face the bottom surface (opening) of the box B to be conveyed, and a driving means 510 for moving the pushing member 511 forward and backward relative to the opening of the box B (i.e., for moving the pushing member 511 forward and backward in a pushing direction P).

[0045] Fig. 13 is a perspective view of the driving means 510. In this example, the driving means 510 includes a first height direction driving means (e.g., an air cylinder) 512 that moves the pushing member 511 up and down in the height direction H, and a pushing direction driving means (e.g., an actuator) 513 that moves the pushing member 511 back and forth in the pushing direction P together with the first height direction driving means 512.

[0046] The first pushing direction driving means 513 reciprocates the pushing member 511 between the retreated position A2 shown in Fig. 9(A) and the advanced position A3 shown in Fig. 9(B). The pushing member 511 pushes the stacked product XA2 toward the inside of the box B and stores (fills) it in the box B. In detail, the retreated position A2 of the pushing member 511 in this embodiment is a position where the pushing member 511 can maintain the folded state of a part of the packaging material, i.e., the ear portion TO, and is, for example, a position where the pushing member 511 is aligned with the transfer guide 32 of the transfer section 30 in the conveying direction T (see Fig. 3). The advanced position A3 of the pushing member 511 is a position where the pushing member 511 has moved until the entire stacked product XA2 is stored in the box B.

[0047] 9(A), the first pushing direction driving means 513 moves the pushing member 511 to the retracted position A2 and waits for the transport of the stack XA2. When the stack XA2 is transported downstream (forward) in the pushing direction P of the pushing member 511, the side of the stack XA2, i.e., the upstream side in the pushing direction P, abuts against the pushing member 511, and the folded state of each ear TO of the article XA1 constituting the stack XA2 is maintained by the pushing member 511. In addition, a lifting guide 56 is provided at a position facing the pushing member 511 in the pushing direction P in this state. The lifting guide 56 is configured to be movable in the height direction H, and when the accumulated product XA2 is transported downstream (forward) in the pushing direction P of the pushing member 511, it rises to guide the downstream side of the accumulated product XA2 in the pushing direction P, and descends to retreat just before the first pushing direction driving means 513 starts to move the pushing member 511 to the advancing position A3. Note that the lifting guide 56 is omitted from the figures after FIG. 9(A). When the first pushing direction driving means 513 moves the pushing member 511 to the advancing position A3 (FIG. 9(B)), the accumulated product XA2 is filled into the box B while the folded state of each ear portion TO of the article XA1 constituting the accumulated product XA2 is maintained by the pushing member 511.

[0048] As will be described in detail later, in this embodiment, with the pushing member 511 in the advanced position A3, the inner flaps F2, F3 are folded, and then the pushing member 511 is moved upward from the advanced position A3 in the height direction H. Then, after the pushing member 511 is moved again to the retracted position A2, the pushing member 511 is lowered to wait for the transport of the next stacked product XA2.

[0049] The filling section 50 of this embodiment further includes an upper pressing means 53. The upper pressing means 53 is a plate-like member that works in conjunction with the pushing member 511 to press the upper side of the accumulated product XA2 to prevent the product from collapsing during the period until the accumulated product XA2 is filled into the box B. With reference to FIG. 13, the upper pressing means 53 is reciprocally movable in the pushing direction P by the same first pushing direction driving means 513 as the pushing member 511, and is configured to be reciprocally movable (up and down) in the height direction H by a second height direction driving means (e.g., an air cylinder) 531 separate from the pushing member 511. In detail, before the pushing member 511 starts pushing the accumulated product XA2, the second height direction driving means 531 causes the upper pressing means 53 to wait above the accumulated product XA2 in the height direction H, and after the pushing member 511 starts pushing the accumulated product XA2 (or at the same time as the starting), it lowers the upper pressing means 53 to press the upper side of the accumulated product XA2 (FIG. 9(A)). Then, the first pushing direction driving means 513 moves the upper holding means 53 together with the pushing member 511 toward the box B. Then, the second height direction driving means 531 again moves (retreats) the upper holding means 53 upward in the height direction H of the stack XA2 after the leading end of the stack XA2 is loaded into the box B (FIG. 9(B)).

[0050] In the filling section 50, as shown in FIG. 9, a pushing path 54 is provided between the second bucket conveyor 24 that conveys the accumulated product XA2 and the third conveying means 41 that conveys the box B, and the pushing means 51 pushes the accumulated product XA2 on the pushing path 54. Movable side guides 55 are provided at the front and rear of the pushing path 54 in the conveying direction T. The side guides 55 guide the sides of the pushed accumulated product XA2, which are in the front and rear of the conveying direction T, to prevent the load from collapsing and to prevent the inner flaps F2 and F3 from folding. Each side guide 55 has two flat plate-shaped first side guides 551A and second side guides 551B, and a side guide drive means 552. The first side guide 551A is located upstream of the pushing direction P, and the second side guide 551B is located downstream thereof.

[0051] The side guide driving means 552 includes a pushing direction driving means (e.g., an air cylinder) not shown that reciprocates the first side guide 551A and the second side guide 551B back and forth in the pushing direction P, and a rotation driving means (e.g., an air cylinder) not shown that rotates (pivots) the second side guide 551B about a rotation shaft 551C extending in the height direction H. The rotation driving means changes the second side guide 551B between a horizontal (side-by-side) position (FIG. 9(A)) relative to the first side guide 551A and a vertical position (orthogonal to the front end of the first side guide 551A in the pushing direction P) (FIG. 10(B)).

[0052] In detail, the second pushing direction driving means moves the pair of side guides 55 upstream in the pushing direction P so as not to interfere with the box B until the box B is transported to the filling position A4 of the filling section 50. In addition, the rotation driving means rotates the second side guide 551B about the rotation shaft 551C in the direction of the arrow a shown in Fig. 12(B) to change the position to a perpendicular position with respect to the first side guide 551A.

[0053] When box B is transported to the filling position A4 and becomes available for filling with the accumulated product XA2, the rotation drive means 554 rotates the second side guide 551B around the rotation shaft 551C in the direction of the arrow b shown in FIG. 12(B) to change the position to be aligned side by side with the first side guide 551A (FIG. 9(A)). The pushing member 511 pushes the accumulated product XA2, and the second pushing direction drive means moves the first side guide 551A and the second side guide 551B, which have the same surface, so as to approach box B. At this time, the second side guide 551B enters inside the folding direction of the inner flaps F2 and F3, and regulates the folding of the inner flaps F2 and F3 during filling with the accumulated product XA2 (FIG. 9(A)).

[0054] When filling of the accumulated product XA2 into box B is completed, the second pushing direction driving means moves (retreats) the first side guide 551A and the second side guide 551B upstream in the pushing direction P, and the rotation driving means rotates the second side guide 551B in the direction of arrow a shown in Figure 12 (B) around the rotation axis 551C, changing it to a position perpendicular to the first side guide 551A.

[0055] The flap folding means 52 moves toward and away from the box B across the pushing path 54, and folds (folds) the inner flaps F2, F3 so as to cover a part of the opening. In detail, the flap folding means 52 has a flap folding member 521 and a flap folding drive means 522 for the flap folding member 521. The flap folding means 52 are provided at the front and rear of the conveying direction T corresponding to the inner flaps F2, F3, respectively. The pair of flap folding means 52 provided at the front and rear of the conveying direction T have the same configuration, and one of the flap folding means 52 will be described below.

[0056] The flap folding member 521 is a flat, e.g., rectangular, member that is long in the conveying direction T, and has a main body portion 521A that is parallel to (facing) the opening (bottom surface BB) of the box B, and an inclined portion 521B provided on at least the longitudinal side of the main body portion 521A, closer to the other flap folding member 521. The inclined portion 521B is a surface that inclines so as to move away from the box B as it approaches the other flap folding member 521 (see FIG. 2).

[0057] In the side guide 55, when the second side guide 551B is rotated by the rotation drive means, the restriction of the inner flaps F2, F3 by the second side guide 551B is released, and both of them become foldable (FIG. 10(A)).

[0058] The flap folding driving means 522 moves the flap folding member 521 toward and away from the box B while maintaining the orientation of the flap folding member 521 relative to the box main body B0. In detail, the flap folding means 52 on the upstream side in the conveying direction T moves the flap folding member 521 diagonally downstream in a top view so that the distance between the box B and the flap folding member 521 gradually decreases from upstream to downstream in the conveying direction T ( FIG. 10(B) ). As a result, the flap folding member 521 comes into contact with the vicinity of the tip (the tip when the first side Sb side is the base end) of the inner flap F2 and pushes it toward the opening of the box B, folding the inner flap F2 so as to cover part of the opening.

[0059] Similarly, in the flap folding means 52 on the downstream side in the conveying direction T, the flap folding drive means 522 moves the flap folding member 521 diagonally upstream in a top view so that the distance between the box B and the flap folding member 521 gradually decreases from downstream to upstream in the conveying direction T (FIG. 10(B)). As a result, the flap folding member 521 comes into contact with the vicinity of the tip (the tip when the first side Sb side is taken as the base end) of the inner flap F3 and pushes it toward the opening of the box B, folding the inner flap F3 to cover part of the opening.

[0060] While the inner flaps F2 and F3 are being folded by the flap folding means 52, the pushing member 511 is in contact with the side of the stack XA2, and the folded state of each ear TO of the article XA1 constituting the stack XA2 is maintained by the pushing member 511. That is, the flap folding means 52 folds the inner flaps F2 and F3 so as to cover the pushing member 511 that has moved to the advance position A3 (FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B)). After the inner flaps F2 and F3 are folded, the first height direction driving means 512 pulls out the pushing member 511 upward from the side Sc (second side Sc, upper side in the height direction H, see FIG. 2) of the opening of the box B that faces the side Sa that is continuous with the outer flap F1 (FIGS. 11(B) and 11(C)), and moves it to the retreat position A2 (FIG. 12(B)). The flap folding drive means 522 keeps the flap folding member 521 in a position to abut against the inner flaps F2, F3 until the box B with the folded inner flaps F2, F3 begins to move to the downstream discharge section 60 (Figures 11(D), 11(E), 12(A)), and then retreats the flap folding member 521 (Figure 12(B)).

[0061] The box conveying section 40 conveys the box B filled with the accumulated product XA2 to the discharge section 60 (FIG. 12(B)). The discharge section 60 is also provided with a transfer guide 61 (see FIG. 3). The transfer guide 61 is fixed immovably to the frame (base) of the box sealing device 100, and is a plate-like member that is erected, for example, along the conveying direction T on both sides of the pushing direction P (width direction of the conveying path) of the third conveying means 41 and can abut against the sides in the conveying direction T of the box B conveyed by the third conveying means 41. In the discharge section 60, the accumulated product XA2 is contained in the box B, and the box B moves in a folded state with the inner flaps F2 and F3. While moving in the discharge section 60, the inner flaps F2 and F3 move (slide) in the conveying direction T while abutting against one side of the transfer guide 61, thereby maintaining the folded state of the inner flaps F2 and F3. In order to prevent the stacked product XA2 from getting caught, the upstream end of the transfer guide 61 in the conveying direction T is an inclined portion whose plate thickness becomes thinner from downstream to upstream. In the discharge section 60, an outer flap folding means (not shown) folds the outer flap F1 in accordance with the retreat of the flap folding member 521, and inserts it into the box body B0 to seal the box.

[0062] <Sealing method> The sealing method in the sealing device 100 of this embodiment will be described in chronological order. First, as shown in Fig. 5, articles XA1 are supplied one by one from an upstream process to the supply section 10. The supply section pushing means 13 pushes out a plurality of articles XA1 (e.g., four articles) that form the first layer of the accumulated product XA2, arranged horizontally in this example, to the collecting position A1 on the stage 21 of the accumulation section 20 via the transfer section 15 provided downstream in the pushing direction P (Fig. 6(A) and Fig. 6(B)).

[0063] The multiple articles XA1 pushed out to the collecting position A1 are spaced apart from each other by a predetermined distance. In this state, these articles XA1 are placed at the collecting position A1 so that their edges TO extend horizontally (the conveying direction T). The width-shifting means 22 provided in the stacking section 20 shifts the articles XA1 widthwise and collects them (FIG. 5).

[0064] 7(A), the suction pad 231 of the article moving means 23 descends to suction and hold the collected multiple (e.g., four) articles XA1 (accumulated items XA2) collectively. The suction pad 231 holds the accumulated items XA2 without moving their posture, that is, so that a part of the packaging material ((upstream) edge portion TO) of each of the articles XA1 extends horizontally (transport direction T).

[0065] 7(B), when the stage 21 is opened (the two shutter members 212 move apart), the article moving means 23 (drive means 232) moves the held stack XA2 downward in the vertical direction (height direction T). The destination of the stack XA2 is onto the second conveying means 24, but during the movement (while being moved), the ear portions TO of each of the articles XA1 are brought into contact with the folding guides 25 and folded.

[0066] In detail, during the movement of the accumulated product XA2 by the article moving means 23, the ears TO of each article XA1 come into contact with the lower end of the transfer section 15, and as the accumulated product XA2 descends, the ears TO are folded upward (FIG. 8(A)). When the article moving means 23 further moves the article XA1 downward in this state, the tip or part of the outer surface of the folded ears TO descends while being pressed against the tip or inner surface of the inclined portion 251 (FIG. 8(B)) and the main body 250 (inner surface) of the folding guide 25, and the folded ears TO are maintained in a folded state and are accumulated (here, side-by-side accumulated state) on the second bucket conveyor 24 (bucket 211). As a result, the first layer of the accumulated product XA1 is accumulated (FIG. 8(C)). In this way, in this embodiment, while the article XA1 is accumulated by the article moving means 23, the ears TO are brought into contact with the folding guide 25 and folded upward in the vertical direction. When the first-level accumulated product XA2 moves below the stage 21 and the suction pads 231 that have released the suction move upward, the two shutter members 212 approach each other and close the stage 21 that was open.

[0067] Next, the second tier of the stacked products XA2 is stacked in the same manner. That is, the supplies 10 are supplied with the products XA1 one by one from the upstream process, and the supply section pushing means 13 pushes out a plurality of (e.g., four) products XA1 that will form the second tier of the stacked products XA2 in a horizontally arranged state to the stage 21 (collecting position A1) of the stacking section 20. The width-shifting means 22 shifts these products XA1 widthwise, and then the product moving means 23 suctions and holds the four products XA1 (stacked products XA2) together. When the stage 21 is opened, the product moving means 23 (drive means 232) moves the held stacked products XA2 downward in the vertical direction (height direction T), and during the movement (while moving), the ears TO of each product XA1 are abutted against the folding guides 25 to be folded. Then, while the folded-up state of the ears TO is maintained, the second tier of articles XA1 is accumulated on the first tier of articles XA1 of the second bucket conveyor 24 (bucket 211). As a result, an accumulated product XA2 of eight articles XA1 (four rows and two tiers) is formed (FIG. 8(D)).

[0068] Thereafter, the transfer guide 32 of the transfer section 30 transfers the accumulated product XA2 from the accumulation section 20 (collecting position) to the filling section 50 (retracted position A2 of the pushing member 511) while maintaining the folded-up state of the ear portion TO (FIG. 3). Meanwhile, the third transfer means 41 transfers the raised box B with its side open to the filling position A4.

[0069] In the filling section 50, in order to avoid interference with the box B being transported to the filling position A4, the first side guide 551A of the side guides 55 provided on both sides (before and after the conveying direction T) of the pushing path 54 is moved upstream in the pushing direction P, and the second side guide 551B is changed to a position perpendicular to the first side guide 551A (Figure 12 (B)).

[0070] When box B is transported to the filling position A4 and filling of the accumulated product XA2 becomes possible (FIG. 9(A)), the side guide 55 is changed to a position where it is aligned side by side with the first side guide 551A, and the first side guide 551A and the second side guide 551B, whose surfaces are aligned, are moved closer to box B. At this time, the second side guide 551B enters inside the folding direction of the inner flaps F2, F3, and regulates the folding of the inner flaps F2, F3 during filling of the accumulated product XA2.

[0071] When the stacked product XA2 moves to the filling section 50, the pushing member 511 at the retracted position A2 abuts against the side of the stacked product XA2, and the pushing member 511 continues to maintain the folded-up state of the ear portion TO. The pushing member 511 pushes the stacked product XA2 toward the box B while maintaining the folded-up state of the ear portion TO (FIG. 9(B)). The upper pressing means 53 descends from a retracted position above the stacked product XA2 in conjunction with the movement of the pushing member 511 to press the upper surface of the stacked product XA2 and move in the pushing direction P together with the pushing member 511. The second height direction driving means 531 again moves (retracts) the upper pressing means 53 upward in the height direction H of the stacked product XA2 before the stacked product XA2 is filled into the box B. The stacked product XA2 is then filled (stored) into the box B by the pushing member 511.

[0072] When filling of the accumulated product XA2 into box B is completed, the second pushing direction driving means moves (retreats) the first side guide 551A and the second side guide 551B upstream in the pushing direction P, and as shown in Figure 10(A), the rotation driving means rotates the second side guide 551B in the direction of arrow a around the rotation axis 551C, changing it to a position perpendicular to the first side guide 551A (Figure 10(B)).

[0073] The flap folding means 52 keeps the flap folding member 521 retracted to a retracted position A5 away from the box B until the pushing member 511 has pushed the accumulated product XA2 and the filling of the box B is completed (FIG. 10(A)). When the filling of the accumulated product XA2 into the box B is completed and the second side guide 551B has retracted, the flap folding member 521 advances toward the box B as shown in FIG. 10(B). The flap folding member 521 bends (folds) the inner flaps F2, F3 so as to cover a part of the opening of the box B.

[0074] While the flap folding means 52 is folding the inner flaps F2, F3, the pushing member 511 continues to be at the advancing position A3, and the folded state of each of the ears TO of the article XA1 constituting the accumulated product XA2 is maintained. The flap folding means 52 folds the inner flaps F2, F3 so as to cover the pushing member 511 that has moved to the advancing position A3 (FIGS. 11(A) and 11(B)).

[0075] Thereafter, the first height direction driving means 512 pulls out the pushing member 511 upward in the height direction H from the second side Sc of the opening of the box B after the inner flaps F2 and F3 are folded (FIGS. 11(B) and 11(C)). Note that the pushing member 511 may push the stacked product XA2 further into the box B before pulling out the pushing member 511 upward.

[0076] When the upward movement of the pushing member 511 (removal from between the opening of the box B and the inner flaps F2, F3) is completed, the first pushing direction driving means 513 moves (retracts) the upper holding means 53, the pushing member 511, the first height direction driving means 512 and the second height direction driving means 531 integrally to the upstream side in the pushing direction P. The pushing member 511 moves to the retracted position A2 (FIGS. 11(D), 11(E), 12).

[0077] Even after the pushing member 511 is pulled out upward, the folding (pressing) of the inner flaps F2, F3 by the flap folding member 521 is maintained (FIGS. 11C to 11E). The flap folding means 52 keeps the flap folding member 521 on standby in a position to abut against the inner flaps F2, F3 until the box B with the folded inner flaps F2, F3 starts to move to the downstream discharge section 60. When the accumulated product XA2 is delivered to the discharge section 60 and the inner flaps F2, F3 are held down by the transfer guide 61, the flap folding means 52 moves the flap folding member 521 backward. The flap folding means 52 may further press (additionally press) the inner flaps F2, F3 by the flap folding member 521 during the period from when the upward movement of the pushing member 511 is completed until when the flap folding member 521 is moved backward. A gap is generated between the inner flaps F2, F3 and the accumulated product XA2 due to the insertion of the pushing member 511, but this gap can be filled by applying additional pressure, thereby preventing the fold of the ear portion TO from being restored (Figure 12 (A)).

[0078] The box conveying section 40 conveys the box B filled with the accumulated products XA2 to the discharge section 60 (FIG. 12(B)). In the discharge section 60, an outer flap folding means (not shown) folds the outer flap F1 and inserts it into the box body B0 to seal the box.

[0079] In this manner, in this embodiment, while the article XA1 is being accumulated in the accumulation section 20, the folding guide 25 folds the ear TO upward in the height direction H. Thereafter, the folded state of the ear TO is maintained by the transport guide 32 provided in the transport section 30 and the pushing member 511 waiting at the retracted position A2 of the filling section 50 until the accumulated product XA2 moves from the accumulation section 20 to the filling section 50. Then, while maintaining the folded state of the ear TO, the pushing member 511 pushes the accumulated product XA2, completing the filling into the box B.

[0080] Furthermore, in the filling section 50, after the accumulated product XA2 is filled into the box B by the pushing member 511, the inner flaps F2, F3 are folded by the flap folding means 52 while the ears TO are kept folded by the pushing member 511. Then, while the folding of the inner flaps F2, F3 by the flap folding means 52 continues (pushing to an extent that does not apply load to the pushing member 511), the pushing member 511 is pulled upward. Thereafter, while the ears TO are kept folded by the flap folding means 52 and the inner flaps F2, F3, the box is transferred to the discharge section 60, where the outer flap F1 is closed to seal the box.

[0081] In this way, even when a part of the packaging material (edge ​​portion TO) is folded to seal the box, it is possible to realize a sealing device and a sealing method that can avoid the fold from returning to its original shape, reliably fold a part of the packaging material (edge ​​portion TO) to pack the box, and close the lid material (flap).

[0082] Since the stacking process in the stacking section 20 and the filling process in the filling section 50 are carried out in separate processes and areas, the work efficiency can be improved and the degree of freedom in the arrangement of the upper pressing means 53 is increased.

[0083] In this embodiment, the downstream ear portion TO2 is folded downward in the upstream process of the sealing device 100, and in the filling section 50, only the upstream ear portion TO1 in the pushing direction P is folded up (upward) in the middle of accumulation (accumulation or stacking in the height direction H, particularly in two layers, etc.).

[0084] The downstream ear TO2 is folded downward by, for example, providing an air blowing means or the like and blowing air from above the downstream ear TO2 after the ear (top seal portion) TO is formed in a packaging machine (pillow packaging machine) not shown. When folding the ear TO and storing it in the box B, the folding directions of the upstream ear TO1 and the downstream ear TO2 are reversed (upward and downward) in order to make more effective use of the space in the box B.

[0085] In this embodiment, there is no means for restricting the folding of the ear TO, and the downstream ear TO2 (forward when filling the box B) is folded down in advance when the ear TO (downstream ear TO2) is formed. By folding down while cooling immediately after forming the ear (top seal portion) TO, it is possible to reliably create a fold. If the upstream ear TO1 is also created with a packaging machine (by blowing air from below), the configuration of the packaging machine becomes complicated. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the sealing device 100 arranged downstream of the packaging machine, the upstream ear TO1 is folded (folded up) and sealed when sealing the accumulated product XA2.

[0086] Furthermore, in the case where the accumulated product XA2 is particularly configured to be accumulated (stacked) vertically, when it moves in the stacking direction (from top to bottom), that movement can be utilized to fold it up (at the same time as stacking), eliminating the need for a separate drive mechanism for folding up the ear portion TO, thereby simplifying the device and control.

[0087] In addition, this embodiment is not limited to the above example, as long as it is configured such that when multiple items XA1 are accumulated horizontally (side by side) or vertically (stacked), the movement of item XA1 is utilized to fold the ear portion TO, and when the accumulated item XA2 is loaded into box B, the pushing member 511 folds the inner flaps F2, F3 while maintaining the folded state of the ear portion TO, and then the pushing member 511 is removed.

[0088] For example, when the stack XA2 (whose ears TO have been folded) is packed into the box B in the packing section 50, the stack XA2 may be rotated 90 degrees to pack into the box B with the extension direction of the ears TO aligned vertically.

[0089] 6 may be rotated 90 degrees. That is, the article XA1 may be arranged so that the tab TO extends vertically at the collecting position, and the tab TO may be folded by the folding guide 25 while the article XA1 is moved horizontally by the article moving means 23.

[0090] Also, it is sufficient to fold a part of the packaging material, and the article XA1 may be a stand-up pouch. The stand-up pouch does not need to be folded at the bottom, and the top is folded to correspond to the upstream ear TO1. Also, the article XA1 may be a pillow package having an ear TO on only one side, for example.

[0091] In the above example, the accumulated product XA2 is composed of the articles XA1 arranged in four rows and two stages, but it may be composed of one row and two stages, or four rows and one stage, for example.

[0092] In addition, the separation distance W1 of the folding guide 25 needs to be set to be greater than the length L1 of the main body 80 of the article XA1 (pillow package) so that the ear portion TO upstream of the pushing direction P abuts and is folded up when the article XA1 is accumulated (while being moved downward by the article moving means 23), and may be set to be greater than the overall length L2 of the article XA1.

[0093] Further, in the above embodiment, the case where the box conveying section 40 is provided with the box erecting means 42 has been exemplified, but the box conveying section 40 may be one that conveys boxes B that have already been erected.

[0094] As described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and technical concept of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0095] 10 Supply section 11 First conveying means (first bucket conveyor) 13 Supply section pushing means 14 Pushing member 15 Delivery Department 20 Accumulation section 21 Stage 22 Width adjustment means 23 Means of moving goods 24 Second conveying means (second bucket conveyor) 25 Folding guide 30 Transfer section 32 Transport Guide 40 Box conveyor 41 Third conveying means 50 Filling section 51 Pushing means 52 Flap folding means 53 Upper holding means 54 Pushway 55 Side guide 60 Discharge section 100 Box sealing device 111 Bucket 212 Shutter parts 221 Width adjustment member 231 Suction Pad 250 Main unit 251 Slope 251A Tip 511 Pushing members 512 First height direction driving means 513 First pushing direction driving means 521 Flap folding member 531 Second height direction driving means 551A First Side Guide 551B Second Side Guide 551C Rotating shaft B box F1 Outer flap F2,F3 Inner flap TO Ear (top seal) XA1 Article (pillow packaging)

Claims

1. an accumulation section that accumulates a plurality of articles supplied from an upstream side; a filling section for pushing and storing the accumulated products in a box having an opening at a side, The accumulation section is An article moving means for moving the articles to a stacked state; a folding guide that comes into contact with a portion of the packaging material and folds the packaging material while the article is moving; The filling section is A pushing member capable of pushing the accumulated products toward the inside of the box; A driving means for moving the pushing member between a retracted position and an advanced position; a flap folding means configured to be movable forward and backward with respect to the box and configured to fold a flap continuous with a first side of an opening of the box; The retracted position is a position where the pushing member can maintain a folded state of a portion of the packaging material, the advanced position is a position where the stack is accommodated in the box, The flap folding means folds the flap so as to cover the pushing member that has moved to the advanced position, The driving means extracts the pushing member from the second side of the opening of the box after the flap is folded, and moves the pushing member to the retracted position. A sealing device characterized by the above.

2. the article is a pillow package, the portion of the packaging material being one ear of the pillow packaging; the article moving means holds the article so that the ear portion extends in a first direction and moves the article in a second direction while bringing the ear portion into contact with the folding guide and folding the article; 2. The sealing device according to claim 1.

3. the first direction is a horizontal direction and the second direction is a vertical direction; the article moving means moves the article downward in the vertical direction while bringing the ears into contact with the folding guides and folding the article upward in the vertical direction; 3. The sealing device according to claim 2.

4. The first side is a side extending in a vertical direction, the second side is a side extending in a horizontal direction, The driving means extracts the pushing member vertically upward or downward after the flap is folded.

2. The sealing device according to claim 1.

5. a transfer section for transferring the accumulated products from the accumulation section to the filling section, The transport section has a transport guide capable of maintaining a folded state of a portion of the packaging material.

2. The sealing device according to claim 1.

6. In the stacking section, the plurality of articles are stacked at least in the vertical direction.

2. The sealing device according to claim 1.

7. A sealing method for a sealing device, comprising the steps of: an article moving means for moving a plurality of articles supplied from upstream to a collecting position, while abutting a part of a packaging material of each of the articles against a folding guide to fold and collect the articles; a step of pushing the stack of the plurality of articles while maintaining a folded state of a portion of the packaging material by a pushing member, and storing the stack in a box having an opening on one side; a step of folding a flap continuous with a first side of the opening of the box by a flap folding means so as to cover the pushing member while the pushing member is in contact with the accumulated products; and a step of retracting the pushing member from the second side of the box after folding the flap. A method for sealing a box, comprising:

8. the article is a pillow package, the portion of the packaging material being one ear of the pillow packaging; holding the article with the article moving means so that the ears extend in a first direction; a step of folding the article by bringing the ear portion into contact with the folding guide while moving the article in a second direction by the article moving means; 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the container is sealed.

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