End part folding and tape applying device

Abstract

To provide an end part folding and tape applying device capable of folding an end part including a seal part of a bag body and applying a tape to a back surface of the bag body with a simple configuration without increasing the size of the device.SOLUTION: An end part folding and tape applying device includes: an inclined conveyor 31 having a conveyance surface 35 where an article W which is filled with a content A and is packaged by applying a lateral seal is placed in an inclined posture so that a lateral seal part 7 of the article W is positioned in a vertical direction, and can be conveyed; folding means 32 for folding an upper end part 5 including the lateral seal part 7 on the upper side of the article W placed on the conveyance surface 35 toward a back surface 3 side of the article W; transport means 33 for transporting the article W in which the upper end part 5 is kept folded by the folding means 32 in a lateral direction X along the conveying surface 35; and tape application means 50 for applying a tape T in the lateral direction X to the back surface 3 and the upper end part 5 of the article W in which the upper end part 5 is kept folded, according to the transportation of the article W in the lateral direction X by the transport means 33.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an end folding and taping device that folds the end of a bag body and attaches a tape.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as a type of packaging, a form in which ears are formed at the ends of a bag body by filling a packaging bag with an object to be packaged and performing a horizontal seal is known. For such a bag body, depending on the object to be packaged such as Western confectionery or Japanese confectionery, for the purpose of enhancing the elegance and aesthetic appeal of the appearance of the bag body, one or both of the ears of the bag body are bent along the bottom surface, and a packaging form in which a strip of a predetermined width is wound around the bag body may be adopted. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a packaging form in which the ears of a bag body are bent and a strip is attached to the ears.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, a packaging form in which a strip is wound around a bag body is manufactured by bending one or both ears of a bag body automatically packaged by a bag-making and filling packaging machine to the back side of the bag body and attaching the bent ears to the back surface of the bag body with glue or tape. However, at present, the folding of the ears of the bag body and the attachment with tape etc. are performed manually, and automation has been desired from the viewpoint of production efficiency etc.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide an end folding and taping device that can fold the end including the seal portion of the bag body and attach a tape to the back surface of the bag body with a simple configuration without increasing the size of the device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the end folding tape sticking device of the present invention takes the following means. First, the invention according to claim 1 is an inclined conveyor (31) having a conveying surface (35) on which an article (W) filled with a content (A) and bagged with a horizontal seal is placed and conveyed in an inclined posture such that a horizontal seal portion (7) of the article (W) is positioned in a vertical direction intersecting the conveying direction, a folding means (32) for folding an upper end portion (5) including the upper horizontal seal portion (7) of the article (W) placed on the conveying surface (35) toward the back surface (3) side of the article (W), a transfer means (33) for transferring the article (W) in a state where the upper end portion (5) is folded by the folding means (32) in a lateral direction (X) along the conveying surface (35), and a tape sticking means (50) for sticking a tape (T) in the lateral direction (X) to the back surface (3) and the upper end portion (5) of the article (W) in a state where the upper end portion (5) is folded along with the transfer of the article (W) in the lateral direction (X) by the transfer means (33).

[0007] According to the invention according to claim 1, an article (W) filled with the content (A) and bagged with a horizontal seal can be placed on the conveying surface (35) of the inclined conveyor (31) in an inclined posture such that the horizontal seal portion (7) is positioned vertically. Thereby, since the content (A) shifts downward along the conveying surface (35) due to its own weight, a space is created where the content (A) is not located above the bag, and interference when folding the upper end portion (5) of the article (W) can be prevented. The article (W) maintained in an inclined posture on the conveying surface (35) is folded by the folding means (32) so that the upper end portion (5) faces the back surface (3) side of the article (W) and the horizontal seal portion (7) faces the back surface (3) of the article (W). The article (W) is transferred in the lateral direction (X) along the conveying surface (35) by the transfer means (33) while maintaining the state where the upper end portion (5) is folded. That is, the article (W) is transferred such that the direction of the horizontal seal is along the transfer direction. As the article (W) moves in the lateral direction (X), the tape (T) is attached in the lateral direction (X) to the folded upper end portion (5) and the back surface (3) of the article (W) by the tape attaching means (50). Therefore, the folding and taping of the upper end portion (5) including the horizontal seal portion (7) of the article (W) can be automatically performed. Thus, it is possible to provide an end folding and taping device that can fold the end portion (5) including the seal portion (7) of the bag body and attach the tape (T) to the back surface (3) of the bag body with a simple configuration.

[0008] Next, the invention according to claim 2, which depends on claim 1, comprises an article conveying conveyor (10) for conveying the article (W) from upstream towards the inclined conveyor (31), and transfer means (20) for transferring the article (W) conveyed by the article conveying conveyor (10) to the inclined conveyor (31). The inclined conveyor (31) includes a first support portion (36) that supports the lower end portion (6) of the article (W) that is transferred in the lateral direction (X) along the conveying surface (35), and a second support portion (39) that is disposed so as to be capable of ascending along a reference plane (R) from a position (Z2) below the first support portion (36) on the reference plane (R) that forms the same plane as the conveying surface (35), and that supports the lower end portion (6) of the article (W) placed on the conveying surface (35). The inclined conveyor (31) is characterized by comprising lifting means (40) capable of sliding the article (W) upward along the conveying surface (35) by raising the second support portion (39) to the same height position (Z1) as the first support portion (36).

[0009] According to the invention according to claim 2, the article (W) conveyed by the article conveying conveyor (10) is placed on the conveying surface (35) of the inclined conveyor (31) by the transfer means (20). Thereby, the article (W) conveyed from upstream can be placed in an inclined posture. Further, since the inclined conveyor (31) is provided with the lifting means (40) having the second support portion (39), the article (W) supported at the lower end portion (6) by the second support portion (39) can slide upward along the conveying surface (35) in the inclined posture. By raising the article (W) at a speed equal to or higher than a certain level in the inclined posture by the lifting means (40), inertial force acts on the content (A) filled in the bag, and the content (A) can be more surely positioned below the bag along the conveying surface (35). Further, by moving the second support portion (39) to the same height position (Z1) as the first support portion (36), the lateral transfer (X) of the article (W) by the transfer means (33) can be smoothly performed.

[0010] Next, the invention according to claim 3, which depends on claim 2, is such that when the article (W) placed on the conveying surface (35) by the transfer means (20) slides upward by the lifting means (40), the upper end portion (5) of the article (W) protrudes upward above the reference surface (R), the inclined conveyor (31) has a conveying end surface (37) extending upward on the conveying surface (35) along the reference surface (R); the folding means (32) includes a first folding portion (41, 43) that abuts against the upper end portion (5) protruding upward from the conveying end surface (37) from the surface (2) side of the article (W) and bends the upper end portion (5) by moving in the thickness direction of the article (W); and a second folding portion (42, 43) that has a contact surface (43a, 43b) that abuts against the upper end portion (5) folded by the first folding portion (41, 43) from the outside, and folds the upper end portion (5) so that the horizontal seal portion (7) and the back surface (3) of the article (W) face each other as the contact surface (43a, 43b) moves along the back surface of the conveying end surface (37), and holds the upper end portion (5) between the conveying end surface (37) of the inclined conveyor (31) and the contact surface (43b).

[0011] According to the invention according to claim 3, the inclined conveyor (31) is provided with a conveying end face (37) arranged to extend above the conveying surface (35) along the reference plane (R). When the article (W) slides upward along the conveying surface (35) by the lifting means (40), the upper end portion (5) is placed on the conveying surface (35) in a state where it protrudes upward from the conveying end face (37) in the plane direction of the reference plane (R). Further, since the folding means (32) includes a first folding portion (41, 43) and a second folding portion (42, 43), the upper end portion (5) of the article (W) is folded in two steps. The first folding portion (41, 43) abuts on the upper end portion (5) of the article (W) protruding from the conveying end face (37) and moves in the thickness direction of the article (W). Thereby, the bending base point of the upper end portion (5) of the article (W) can be positioned. Then, the contact surfaces (43a, 43b) of the second folding portion (42, 43) abut on the folded upper end portion (5) from the outside and move along the back surface of the conveying end face (37), so that the upper end portion (5) is folded. Further, since the upper end portion (5) is held between the conveying end face (37) and the contact surface (43b), a folding habit is formed, and the article (W) can be guided toward the tape sticking means (50) in a state where the upper end portion (5) is more reliably folded. Therefore, with the configuration having the conveying end face (37), the operation of folding the upper end portion (5) of the article (W) can be assisted.

[0012] Next, the invention according to claim 4, which depends on claim 3, is characterized in that the tape sticking means (50) is arranged adjacent to the conveying end face (37) in the inclined conveyor (31), and the tape (T) is stuck along the horizontal seal portion (7) so as to straddle the horizontal seal portion (7) at the upper end portion (5) of the article (W) and the back surface (3) of the article (W).

[0013] According to the invention according to claim 4, the tape sticking means (50) is disposed adjacent to the transport end face (37) of the inclined conveyor (31). Thereby, when the article (W) is transferred laterally (X) from the transport end face (37), it becomes easy to set the sticking position of the seal so that the tape (T) straddles the lateral seal portion (7) at the folded upper end portion (5) and the back face (3) of the article (W). Further, since the distance for transferring the article (W) with the upper end portion (5) folded toward the tape sticking means (50) can be made shorter, simplification of the apparatus can be achieved. Further, by sticking the tape (T) along the lateral seal portion (7), tape sticking can be performed in a state where the upper end portion (5) is neatly folded, and the elegance of the article (W) can be improved.

Effect of the Invention

[0014] The present invention provides an end folding and taping device that can fold an end portion including a seal portion of a bag body with a simple configuration and stick a tape on the back face of the bag body without increasing the size of the device.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] This embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 1, the article W according to this embodiment is a bagged product formed by filling a tubular film with a plurality of packaged articles (contents A), such as Japanese confectionery individually packaged in a film, arranged side by side on a carton tray B, and performing a longitudinal seal and a transverse seal for pillow packaging. On the surface where the carton tray B is located, that is, on the back surface 3 of the article W, a longitudinal seal portion 4 is formed, and transverse seal portions 7 are formed at the upper end portion 5 and the lower end portion 6.

[0017] The end folding and taping device according to this embodiment is a device that folds the end portion (for example, the upper end portion 5) of the article W filled with the contents A and subjected to a transverse seal to the back surface 3 side, and attaches a tape T to the folded end portion and the back surface 3 of the article W.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 2, the end folding and taping device includes an article conveying conveyor 10, a transfer robot 20, an end folding transfer mechanism 30, and a tape attaching mechanism 50. The transfer robot 20 is arranged adjacent to the side of the article conveying conveyor 10 as viewed from the conveying direction, and the end folding transfer mechanism 30 and the tape attaching mechanism 50 are arranged on the opposite side. The end folding and taping device also includes a control unit (not shown) that issues operation commands to each mechanism.

[0019] The article conveying conveyor 10 forms a conveying surface 12 by an endless belt, and is a belt conveyor that conveys the article W placed on the conveying surface 12 at predetermined intervals toward the inclined conveyor 31 described later from the upstream. Above the article conveying conveyor 10, a detection camera (not shown) for detecting the orientation of the article W with respect to the conveying direction is provided. Further, the article conveying conveyor 10 can convey the article W placed on the conveying surface 12 by the transfer robot 20 downstream after the tape is attached to the back surface 3.

[0020] The transfer robot 20 (transfer means) is an articulated robot including an arm 21 rotatably connected and a hand part 23 rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 21, and is configured to freely move the hand part 23 within the operating range. As shown in FIG. 4, the hand part 23 includes a plurality (four in this embodiment) of suction tools 25 and is configured to be able to suction and hold the article W. Further, the hand part 23 can change the suction position corresponding to the orientation of the article W detected by the detection camera.

[0021] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the end folding transfer mechanism 30 includes an inclined conveyor 31, a folding means 32, and a transfer means 33. The inclined conveyor 31 has a transport surface 35 on which the article W is placed and a plate-shaped first support portion 36 disposed on the lower end side of the transport surface 35. The transport surface 35 is inclined and is configured to place and transport the article W in an inclined posture such that the lateral seal portion 7 of the article W is positioned in the vertical direction intersecting the transport direction. The transport direction of the article W placed on the transport surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31 is the lateral direction X, and the article W is transported such that the seal direction of the lateral seal portion 7 faces the transport direction. The first support portion 36 supports the lower end portion 6 of the article W transported in the lateral direction X along the transport surface 35 by the transfer means 33 with a support surface 36a intersecting the transport surface 35. A placement position P1 for placing the article W by the transfer robot 20 is set on the transport surface 35. Further, a transport end surface 37 extending upward on the upper side of the placement position P1 is disposed along a reference plane R that is in the same plane as the transport surface 35. The transport end surface 37 is disposed such that when the article W placed at the placement position P1 is moved upward along the transport surface 35 by the lifting means 40 described later, the upper end portion 5 of the article W protrudes above the transport end surface 37 on the reference plane R.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 4, a lifting means 40 is constituted by an air cylinder 38 and a plate-shaped second support portion 39 attached to the air cylinder 38 on the lower side along a reference plane R of a placement position P1 on a conveyance surface 35. The second support portion 39 supports a lower end portion 6 of an article W placed on the conveyance surface 35 by a support surface 39a intersecting the conveyance surface 35. Then, by the expansion and contraction operation of the air cylinder 38, the second support portion 39 can move in the vertical direction along the reference plane R (conveyance surface 35). When the transfer robot 20 transfers the article W to the placement position P1, the second support portion 39 is located at a height position Z2 below the first support portion 36 on the reference plane R (see FIG. 3). The lifting means 40 is configured such that the article W can be slid upward along the conveyance surface 35 by raising the support surface 39a of the second support portion 39 to the same height position Z1 as the support surface 36a of the first support portion 36 along the reference plane R.

[0023] The folding means 32 is constituted by a first cylinder 41, a second cylinder 42 attached to the first cylinder 41 via a connecting member, and a contact portion 43 attached to the second cylinder 42 via a connecting member. The contact portion 43 is formed, for example, by bending a plate-shaped member made of metal into a U shape along the longitudinal direction, and has an intermediate surface 43a, an upper surface 43b, and a lower surface 43c that face each other above and below the intermediate surface 43a. Further, the longitudinal direction of the contact portion 43 is along the lateral direction X, and its length is set to be shorter than or substantially the same as the length of the lateral direction X of the conveyance end surface 37. The upper surface 43b of the contact portion 43 has a convex portion 43d extending in the longitudinal direction. The folding means 32 is disposed such that the longitudinal direction of the contact portion 43 is substantially parallel to the lateral direction X of the conveyance end surface 37. The folding means 32 moves the second cylinder 42 and the contact portion 43 in a direction Y intersecting the reference plane R so as to cross near the upper end of the conveyance end surface 37 by the expansion and contraction operation of the first cylinder 41, and the contact portion 43 can move along the reference plane R on the back side of the conveyance end surface 37 by the expansion and contraction operation of the second cylinder 42.

[0024] The folding means 32 is configured to fold the upper end portion 5 including the upper horizontal seal portion 7 of the article W placed on the conveyance surface 35 in two steps toward the back surface 3 side of the article W. As shown in FIG. 5, the contact portion 43 waits at a position spaced upward from the conveyance end surface 37 in the direction Y intersecting the reference plane R. When the article W slides upward along the conveyance surface 35 by the elevating means 40, the first cylinder 41 operates and moves downward along the direction Y intersecting the reference plane R. As a result, the lower surface 43c of the contact portion 43 contacts the upper end portion 5 of the article W protruding upward from the conveyance end surface 37 in the plane direction of the reference plane R from the surface 2 side of the article W, moves in the thickness direction of the article W, and bends the upper end portion 5. The upper end portion 5 is bent along the intermediate surface 43a of the contact portion 43. The configuration of bending the upper end portion 5 by bringing the lower surface 43c of the contact portion 43 into contact corresponds to the "first folding portion".

[0025] As shown in FIG. 6, when the contact portion 43 moves downward along the direction Y intersecting the reference plane R by the operation of the first cylinder 41, the upper surface 43b is positioned slightly below the reference plane R. From this state, the contact portion 43 can move along the plane direction of the conveyance surface 35 (reference plane R) by the operation of the second cylinder 42. As a result, the intermediate surface 43a (contact surface) of the contact portion 43 contacts the bent upper end portion 5 from the outside, that is, from the upper side in the plane direction of the reference plane R, and the upper end portion 5 is further folded. Then, the upper surface 43b (contact surface) of the contact portion 43 contacts the upper end portion 5 and moves along the back surface of the conveyance end surface 37. As a result, the upper end portion 5 is folded so that the horizontal seal portion 7 and the back surface 3 of the article W face each other, and the upper end portion 5 is held between the conveyance end surface 37 of the inclined conveyor 31 and the upper surface 43b of the contact portion 43. Thus, the configuration of further folding the upper end portion 5 bent by the first folding portion and holding the folded upper end portion 5 corresponds to the "second folding portion".

[0026] The transfer means 33 is a plate-shaped pressing member standing upright with respect to the conveying surface 35, and is arranged to be movable in the lateral direction X along the conveying surface 35 by driving a servo motor or the like. By the pressing member abutting against one side surface of the article W with the upper end portion 5 folded and moving in the lateral direction X, the article W in a state where the upper end portion 5 is folded can be transferred in the lateral direction X from the placement position P1 along the conveying surface 35.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 7, the tape sticking mechanism 50 is configured by arranging a tape roll paper portion 52, a tape cutting portion 53, and a tape sticking portion 54 on a support surface 51a of a gantry 51 disposed on the back side of the end folding transfer mechanism 30. The support surface 51a of the gantry 51 is inclined so as to intersect the conveying surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31, and the upper end side of the support surface 51a is adjacent to the upper end of the conveying surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31. The tape T is appropriately selected, for example, a single-sided tape in which an adhesive is laminated on a strip-shaped plastic film via a primer. Also, a tape of an arbitrary width is selected according to the size of the article W and the material of the bag.

[0028] On the lower side on the support surface 51a of the gantry 51, a tape roll paper portion 52 for setting a tape roll is arranged, and near the center of the support surface 51a, a tape cutting portion 53 for cutting the tape T into a predetermined length (for example, the width dimension of the article W) is arranged. The tape roll paper portion 52 is rotatably supported by the support surface 51a, and is configured to rotate by a driving force of a servo motor or the like and send out the tape T toward the tape cutting portion 53. Also, a plurality of guide rollers 56 are arranged in the path for sending the tape T from the tape roll paper portion 52 to the tape cutting portion 53.

[0029] Above the tape cutting portion 53, a tape sticking portion 54 for sticking the cut tape T to the back surface 3 of the article W at the upper end of the support surface 51a of the gantry 51 is provided. The tape sticking portion 54 includes a suction belt 57 and a pulley 59. When the pulley 59 rotates by a driving force such as a servo motor, the suction belt 57 can orbit along a predetermined path. Then, the surface of the cut tape T opposite to the adhesive surface is adsorbed by the suction belt 57, and the tape T is made to standby at the standby position P2 adjacent to the conveyance end surface 37. The feeding path of the tape T is curved so as to merge with the transfer path of the article W placed on the inclined conveyor 31 at the standby position P2, and the tape T is fed so that the back surface 3 of the article W and the adhesive surface of the tape T face each other. With this configuration, as the article W is transferred in the lateral direction X by the transfer means 33, the suction belt 57 is fed in synchronization with the movement of the article W, and the tape T is stuck to the back surface 3 and the upper end portion 5 of the article W in a state where the upper end portion 5 is folded in, in the lateral direction X from the portion where the conveyance end surface 37 is disengaged. Thus, the configuration for sticking the tape T to the back surface 3 and the upper end portion 5 of the article W corresponds to the "tape sticking means". In the present embodiment, the tape T is stuck along the horizontal seal portion 7 so as to straddle the horizontal seal portion 7 at the upper end portion 5 of the article W and the back surface 3 of the article W.

[0030] Also, on the downstream side of the standby position P2 of the tape T at the upper end of the gantry 51, a pressing roller 61 that contacts the back surface 3 of the article W is provided. On the side facing the pressing roller 61 across the conveyance surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31, a regulating guide 62 that extends along the lateral direction X of the conveyance surface 35 is provided (see FIG. 2). The pressing roller 61 presses and supports the folded upper end portion 5 of the article W and the tape T stuck to the back surface 3. The regulating guide 62 supports the article W pressed by the pressing roller 61 from the opposite side. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the tape T from peeling off and the like, and transfer the article W in the lateral direction X while maintaining the state where the tape T is stuck.

[0031] The control unit stores and updates at any time the article feed information obtained from the encoder pulses attached to the article conveyor 10, the detection information regarding the orientation of the article W on the conveyance surface 12 detected by the detection camera, and the like. Further, the control unit issues an operation command (control) to the hand unit 23 of the transfer robot 20 and the like based on the information acquired by the detection camera and the like. Furthermore, the control unit issues an operation command (control) to each cylinder, electric motor in the end folding transfer mechanism 30, the drive motor in the tape sticking mechanism 50, and the like.

[0032] Next, the process until the tape T is attached to the article W by the end folding and taping device according to the present embodiment will be described. The article W, which is a bagged product, is placed on the conveyance surface 12 of the article conveyor 10 from the upstream and conveyed (see FIG. 2). The detection camera detects the article W on the arriving conveyance surface 12. Based on a command from the control unit based on the detection information of the article W, the transfer robot 20 makes the orientation of the hand unit 23 correspond to the orientation of the article W, and adsorbs and holds the article W with the hand unit 23. Then, the adsorbed and held article W is transferred to the placement position P1 on the conveyance surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31 (see FIG. 3).

[0033] When the article W is transferred to the placement position P1, the air cylinder of the lifting means 40 operates according to a drive command from the control unit, and the second support portion 39 that supports the lower end portion 6 of the article W rises to the same height position Z1 as the first support portion 36 (see FIG. 4). That is, the second support portion 39 slides upward along the reference surface R so that the height of the support surface 39a of the second support portion 39 and the support surface 36a of the first support portion 36 becomes the same. The article W moves to a position where the upper end portion 5 protrudes above the conveyance end surface 37 on the reference surface R. The contents A inside the bag of the article W are displaced downward along the conveyance surface 35 due to its own weight and the upward sliding movement of the article W.

[0034] When the article W moves upward along the transport surface 35 from the placement position P1, the first cylinder 41 of the folding means 32 is actuated by a drive command from the control unit, and the contact portion 43 that has been waiting above the transport end surface 37 in the direction Y intersecting the reference surface R moves downward (see Fig. 5). As a result, the upper end portion 5 of the article W protruding upward from the transport end surface 37 in the plane direction of the reference surface R is bent. At this time, the upper surface 43b of the contact portion 43 is substantially parallel to the transport end surface 37 and is located slightly below the reference surface R (see Fig. 6). Then, the second cylinder 42 is actuated, and the contact portion 43 moves along the back surface of the transport end surface 37 until the convex portion 43d is locked to the upper end of the transport end surface 37. As a result, the upper end portion 5 of the article W is folded so that the horizontal seal portion 7 and the back surface 3 of the article W face each other. At this time, the folded upper end portion 5 is sandwiched between the upper surface 43b of the contact portion 43 and the back surface of the transport end surface 37, and the folded state is maintained.

[0035] On the other hand, the tape sticking mechanism 50 sucks and holds the tape T cut to a predetermined length (the width of the article W), and makes the tape T wait at the standby position P2 (see Fig. 7).

[0036] When the upper end portion 5 of the article W at the placement position P1 is folded, the transfer means 33 is actuated by a drive command from the control unit, and the article W is transferred in the lateral direction X along the transport surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31. The lower end portion 6 of the transferred article W is supported by the first support portion 36 (see Fig. 3). Along with this, the suction belt 57 is fed in synchronization with the transfer of the article W, and the tape T waiting at the standby position P2 is fed so as to face the back surface 3 of the transferred article W. Then, the tape T is attached along the horizontal seal portion 7 so as to straddle the folded upper end portion 5 and the back surface 3 of the article W from the portion that has come off the transport end surface 37, that is, the portion where the article W protrudes from the side end of the transport end surface 37 (see Fig. 7). The article W is supported by the pressing roller 61 and the regulating guide 62, and is transferred to the downstream side of the inclined conveyor 31.

[0037] The transfer robot 20 sucks and holds the article W with the tape T attached thereto by the hand portion 23, and places it on the conveying surface 12 on the downstream side of the article conveying conveyor 10. Then, the article W is conveyed toward the downstream of the article conveying conveyor 10 (see FIG. 2).

[0038] <Effects of the Embodiment> (1) According to the end folding tape sticking device according to the above embodiment, the article W filled with the content A and bagged with a horizontal seal can be placed on the conveying surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31 in an inclined posture such that the horizontal seal portion 7 is positioned vertically. As a result, since the content A shifts downward along the conveying surface 35 by its own weight, a space is created where the content A does not position above the bag, and interference when folding the upper end portion 5 of the article W can be prevented. The article W maintained in the inclined posture on the conveying surface 35 is folded by the folding means 32 such that the upper end portion 5 faces the back surface 3 side of the article W and the horizontal seal portion 7 faces the back surface 3 of the article W. The article W is maintained in a state where the upper end portion 5 is folded, and is transferred in the horizontal direction X along the conveying surface 35 by the transfer means 33. That is, the article W is transferred such that the direction of the horizontal seal is along the transfer direction. As the article W moves in the horizontal direction X, the tape T is stuck in the horizontal direction X to the folded upper end portion 5 and the back surface 3 of the article W by the tape sticking mechanism 50 (tape sticking means). Therefore, the folding and taping of the upper end portion 5 including the horizontal seal portion 7 of the article W can be automatically performed. Thus, an end folding tape sticking device can be provided that can fold an end portion (for example, the upper end portion 5) including the horizontal seal portion 7 of the bag body with a simple configuration and stick the tape T to the back surface 3 of the bag body. (2) In the above embodiment, the article W conveyed by the article conveyor 10 is placed on the conveying surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31 by the transfer robot 20 (transfer means). Thereby, the article W conveyed from the upstream can be placed in an inclined posture. Further, since the inclined conveyor 31 is provided with the elevating means 40 having the second support portion 39, the article W supported by the lower end portion 6 by the second support portion 39 can slide upward along the conveying surface 35 in the inclined posture. By raising the article W at a speed equal to or higher than a certain level in the inclined posture by the elevating means 40, an inertial force acts on the content A filled in the bag, and the content A can be more surely positioned below the bag along the conveying surface 35. Further, by moving the support surface 39a of the second support portion 39 to the same height position Z1 as the support surface 36a of the first support portion 36, the transfer of the article W in the lateral direction X by the transfer means 33 can be smoothly performed. (3) The inclined conveyor 31 includes a conveying end surface 37 disposed so as to extend upward on the upper side of the conveying surface 35 along the reference surface R. When the article W slides upward along the conveying surface 35 by the elevating means 40, the upper end portion 5 is placed on the conveying surface 35 in a state of protruding upward from the conveying end surface 37 in the surface direction of the reference surface R. Further, since the folding means 32 includes the contact portion 43 that constitutes the first folding portion and the second folding portion, the upper end portion 5 of the article W is folded in two steps. The contact portion 43 contacts the upper end portion 5 of the article W protruding from the conveying end surface 37 and moves in the thickness direction of the article W. Thereby, the bending base point of the upper end portion 5 of the article W can be positioned. Then, the intermediate surface 43a (contact surface) of the contact portion 43 contacts the bent upper end portion 5 from the outside (the upper side in the surface direction of the reference surface R), and the contact portion 43 moves along the back surface of the conveying end surface 37, so that the upper end portion 5 is folded. Further, since the upper end portion 5 is held between the conveying end surface 37 and the upper surface 43b (contact surface), a folding habit is imparted, and the article W can be guided toward the tape sticking portion 54 in a state where the upper end portion 5 is more surely folded. Therefore, the configuration having the conveying end surface 37 can assist the operation of folding the upper end portion 5 of the article W. (4) The tape application part 54 (tape application means) of the tape application mechanism 50 is disposed adjacent to the transport end face 37 of the inclined conveyor 31. As a result, when the article W is transferred laterally in the X direction from the transport end face 37, it becomes easy to set the tape application position of the tape T so that the tape T straddles the horizontal seal part 7 at the folded upper end part 5 and the back face 3 of the article W. Further, since the distance for transferring the article W with the upper end part 5 folded toward the tape application part 54 can be made shorter, the apparatus can be simplified. Also, by applying the tape T along the horizontal seal part 7, the tape application can be performed with the upper end part 5 neatly folded, and the elegance of the article W can be improved. (5) In the above embodiment, the upper end part 5 of the article W can be taped to the back face 3 of the article W across the width direction. As a result, the upper end part 5 of the article W can be more securely fixed to the back face 3, and the state of being folded toward the back face 3 side of the article W can be maintained. Thus, the elegance of the bag body can be improved. (6) By setting the tape application position on the article W so that the tape T surely straddles the horizontal seal part 7 and the back face 3 of the article W, the folded upper end part 5 can be surely fixed to the back face 3 of the article W even with a narrow tape T.

[0039] <Modification Example> The present invention is not limited to the configuration described in the above-described embodiment, and various changes, additions, and deletions are possible without changing the gist. (1) As shown in FIG. 8, the hand part 23 of the transfer robot 20 may be configured to include a pressing member 27 that can contact the upper side of the article W. For example, when the transfer robot 20 transfers the article W to the inclined conveyor 31, the article W held by suction by the suction tool 25 is placed on the transport surface 35 of the inclined conveyor 31, and the upper side of the article W is pressed toward the transport surface 35 by the pressing member 27. As a result, the air inside the bag of the article W can be moved downward, and the folding of the upper end part 5 of the article W can be made easier. (2) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the article W conveyed by the article conveying conveyor 10 is transferred to the inclined conveyor 31 by the transfer robot 20. However, the transfer robot 20 may not be arranged, and the article W may be conveyed by a conveyor with an inclined conveying surface. (3) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the article W transferred to the inclined conveyor 31 is slid upward by the elevating means 40. However, the elevating means 40 may not be arranged, and the article W may be placed such that the upper end portion 5 of the article W protrudes above the upper side of the conveying end surface 37 from the beginning. (4) The range where the tape T is attached to the upper end portion 5 and the back surface 3 of the article W may extend over the entire length of the width of the article W or the upper end portion 5, or may be set shorter than the width of the article W or the upper end portion 5.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0040] A: Contents B: Carton Tray P1: Placing Position P2: Standby Position R: Reference Plane T: Tape W: Article 2: Front Surface 3: Back Surface 4: Longitudinal Seal Portion 5: Upper End Portion 6: Lower End Portion 7: Transverse Seal Portion 10: Article Conveying Conveyor 12: Conveying Surface 20: Transfer Robot (Transfer Means) 23: Hand Portion 25: Suction Tool 27: Pressing Member 30: End Folding Transfer Mechanism 31: Inclined Conveyor 32: Folding Means 33: Transfer Means 35: Conveying Surface 36: First Support Portion 37: Conveying End Surface 39: Second Support Portion 40: Elevating Means 41: First Cylinder (First Folding Portion) 42: Second Cylinder (Second Folding Portion) 43: Contact Portion (First Folding Portion, Second Folding Portion) 43a: Intermediate Surface (Contact Surface) 43b: Upper Surface (Contact Surface) 43c: Lower Surface 50: Tape Attachment Mechanism 52: Tape Reel Portion 53: Tape Cutting Portion 54: Tape Attachment Portion 57: Suction Belt 61: Pressing Roller

Claims

1. An inclined conveyor having a conveying surface on which an article filled with contents and packed in a bag with a horizontal seal is placed and conveyed in an inclined posture such that the horizontal seal portion of the article is positioned in the vertical direction intersecting the conveying direction, Folding means for folding the upper end portion including the upper horizontal seal portion of the article placed on the conveying surface toward the back surface side of the article, Transfer means for transferring the article with the upper end portion folded by the folding means in the horizontal direction along the conveying surface, A tape sticking means for sticking a tape in the horizontal direction to the back surface of the article and the upper end portion with the upper end portion folded while the article is being transferred in the horizontal direction by the transfer means. An end folding and taping device comprising:

2. An article conveying conveyor for conveying the article from upstream toward the inclined conveyor, Transfer means for transferring the article conveyed by the article conveying conveyor to the inclined conveyor, comprising: The inclined conveyor, A first support portion for supporting the lower end side of the article transferred in the horizontal direction along the conveying surface, A second support portion disposed so as to be able to ascend along the reference surface from a position below the first support portion on a reference surface forming the same plane as the conveying surface and for supporting the lower end side of the article placed on the conveying surface, and elevating means capable of sliding the article upward along the conveying surface by raising the second support portion to the same height position as the first support portion. The end folding and taping device according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises:

3. The inclined conveyor, When the article placed on the conveying surface by the transfer means slides upward by the elevating means, the inclined conveyor has a conveying end surface extending above the conveying surface along the reference surface so that the upper end portion of the article protrudes upward on the reference surface, The folding means, A first folding portion that abuts on the upper end portion protruding upward from the conveying end surface from the front surface side of the article and bends the upper end portion by moving in the thickness direction of the article, It has a contact surface that abuts against the upper end portion bent by the first folding portion from the outside, and by moving the contact surface along the back surface of the transport end surface, the upper end portion is folded so that the horizontal seal portion and the back surface of the article face each other, and a second folding portion that holds the upper end portion between the transport end surface of the inclined conveyor and the contact surface. The end folding tape sticking device according to claim 2, characterized by comprising:

4. The tape sticking means is arranged so as to be adjacent to the transport end surface in the inclined conveyor, The end folding tape sticking device according to claim 3, characterized in that the tape is attached along the horizontal seal portion so as to straddle the horizontal seal portion and the back surface of the article at the upper end portion of the article.

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