Carton classification method

Abstract

To increase the efficiency of packaging a specified number of cartons in a pack unit.SOLUTION: The carton classification method divides cartons, which consist of a predetermined number of cartons containing tissue paper, into groups to be continuously transported towards a wrapping step where they are packaged as a single unit. This method includes: a counting step that counts the number of transported cartons in the predetermined number or multiples thereof; and a classification step that divides the cartons for each of the predetermined number or multiples thereof as counted in the counting step. The classification step restarts the transportation of the stopped cartons after halting the transport of the cartons for each of the predetermined number or multiples thereof as counted in the counting step, ensuring a spacing between the cartons for each of the predetermined number or multiples thereof.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for classifying cartons containing tissue paper and a method for distributing cartons containing tissue paper.

Background Art

[0002] Cartons containing tissue paper (so-called "box tissues") are sold individually or in a form where multiple cartons are packaged together in a pack. For example, multiple cartons such as five or two are arranged side by side in a store as a packaged unit wrapped with a film (see Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] To manufacture a packaged unit in which a predetermined number of cartons are grouped together as described above, if the handling cannot be done for each of the predetermined number of cartons to be packaged in a pack, the efficiency of packaging the predetermined number of cartons in a pack unit may decrease. Therefore, there is room for improvement in enhancing the efficiency of packaging a predetermined number of cartons in a pack unit.

[0005] This case was devised in view of the above problems, and one of the objectives is to enhance the efficiency of packaging a predetermined number of cartons in a pack unit. In addition to this objective, the actions and effects derived from each configuration shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" described later and not achievable by the conventional technology can also be positioned as other objectives of this case.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The carton sorting method disclosed herein sorts the cartons that are continuously conveyed toward a wrapping process for wrapping, in units of one pack, a carton group composed of a predetermined number of cartons for storing tissue paper. This method includes a counting process of counting the number of the conveyed cartons for each of the predetermined number or an integral multiple of the predetermined number, and a sorting process of sorting the cartons for each of the predetermined number or the integral multiple counted in the counting process. The sorting process stops the conveyance of the cartons for each of the predetermined number or the integral multiple counted in the counting process, and then resumes the conveyance of the stopped cartons, and sorts the cartons with an interval between each of the cartons for each of the predetermined number or the integral multiple. In addition, the carton distribution method disclosed herein distributes the cartons that are continuously conveyed toward a wrapping process in which a wrapping process for wrapping, in units of one pack, a carton group composed of a plurality of cartons for storing tissue paper is carried out in parallel. This method includes a parallel process of conveying the cartons toward each of the wrapping processes, and a distribution process of distributing the cartons conveyed in series to the cartons to be conveyed to each of the plurality of wrapping processes in the parallel process.

Advantages of the Invention

[0007] According to the present case, the efficiency of packing a predetermined number of cartons in units of one pack can be increased.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present invention will be described. In the present embodiment, a method for manufacturing a packaged pack body in which a plurality of cartons containing tissue paper are collectively packaged into one pack will be described. This manufacturing method includes various methods such as a method for preparing carton materials (material preparation method), a method for inspecting cartons (carton inspection method), a method for classifying cartons (carton classification method), and a method for distributing cartons (carton distribution method).

[0010] In this manufacturing method, various semi-finished products to be manufactured in the packaged pack body are continuously conveyed, and the packaged pack body is sequentially manufactured. In the present embodiment, the methods used in the description are defined as follows. The direction of the action of gravity is downward, and the opposite direction of downward is upward. The direction in which various semi-finished products to be manufactured in the packaged pack body are conveyed is defined as the conveyance direction, and the upstream and downstream are defined based on the conveyance direction. Also, the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction in the horizontal direction is defined as the width direction. Note that the conveyance direction is the so-called "MD direction", the width direction is the so-called "CD direction", and the direction orthogonal to both the conveyance direction and the width direction is the so-called "TD direction".

[0011] [I. One Embodiment] In the following one embodiment, the configuration related to the method for manufacturing the packaged pack body will be described in item [1], and the actions and effects by the configuration of item [1] will be described in item [2]. [1. Configuration] In this item [1], after explaining the packaging pack to be manufactured in sub-item [1-1], the apparatus for manufacturing the packaging pack will be explained in sub-item [1-2], and the method for manufacturing the packaging pack with this manufacturing apparatus will be explained in sub-item [1-3].

[0012] [1-1. Packaging Pack] In this item, the carton that forms part of the packaging pack will be explained, and then the packaging pack will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1, the carton 1 is a box (so-called "box tissue") in which the tissue paper 3 is accommodated in the internal space. In the internal space, a stack of the tissue papers 3 is accommodated. This stack is folded so as to be taken out by a so-called pop-up method.

[0013] The above internal space is surrounded by a plurality of wall portions 1U, 1B, 1X, 1Y that form the carton 1. In this carton 1, rectangular wall portions 1U, 1B, 1X, 1Y are provided in a planar manner along the surface of a rectangular parallelepiped. These wall portions 1U, 1B, 1X, 1Y are roughly classified into the following four according to the arrangement location and the extending direction.

[0014] · Top wall portion 1U: A horizontal wall portion extending above the carton 1 · Bottom wall portion 1B: A horizontal wall portion extending below the carton 1 · Side wall portion 1X: A pair of standing wall portions facing each other between the top wall portion 1U and the bottom wall portion 1B · End wall portion 1Y: A pair of standing wall portions facing each other between the top wall portion 1U and the bottom wall portion 1B Note that the direction in which the pair of side wall portions 1X face each other and the direction in which the pair of end wall portions 1Y face each other are orthogonal to each other. In the carton 1 exemplified here, the top wall portion 1U and the bottom wall portion 1B extend over a larger area than the side wall portion 1X and the end wall portion 1Y.

[0015] Also, in the carton 1 exemplified in this embodiment, the top wall portion 1U, the bottom wall portion 1B, and the side wall portion 1X form a single-layer structure formed of, for example, a single material, while the end wall portion 1Y forms a multi-layer structure in which a plurality of materials are overlapped. On this end wall portion 1Y, an outer flap portion FU and an inner flap portion FD are provided, and the outer flap portion FU is disposed outside the inner flap portion FD.

[0016] The outer flap portion FU is composed of a pair of flaps, one extending from the top wall portion 1U and the other extending from the bottom wall portion 1B. This outer flap portion FU is of the so-called over-flap type in which a part of the flap on the top wall portion 1U side overlaps with a part of the flap on the bottom wall portion 1B side. The inner flap portion FD is composed of a pair of flaps extending from the side wall portion 1X. When the inner flap portion FD is folded inward and the outer flap portion FU is folded so as to cover the inner flap portion FD, the end wall portion 1Y is formed.

[0017] On the top wall portion 1U, an outlet 1T is provided as an opening for pulling out the tissue paper 3. The outlet 1T is formed by removing a part 11 of the top wall portion 1U. Specifically, when a part 11 of the top wall portion 1U is cut off along the broken line, the area of the part 11 is removed and the outlet 1T is opened. On this outlet 1T, a plastic film 12 is attached inside the top wall portion 1U so as to cover the outlet 1T. The film 12 has a slit formed along the front-rear direction, and the tissue paper 3 can be taken out through the slit.

[0018] The carton 1 configured as described above is colored, and a design such as a corporate mark or a character, and an appearance such as a barcode are applied to the surface. Most of the appearance of this carton 1 is colored, a design is printed on the top wall portion 1U, and a barcode is printed on the bottom wall portion 1B. This barcode is not provided on the other wall portions 1U, 1X, 1Y, but is provided only on the bottom wall portion 1B. In other words, the barcode forms a unique appearance on the back surface of the carton 1.

[0019] The carton 1 configured as described above is manufactured by folding a sheet-like material 1′ (corresponding to only one location in FIG. 3). In the material 1′, not only the top wall portion and the bottom wall portion but also the flaps of the side wall portion and the end wall portion are in a sheet-like shape along the same plane. This material 1′ forms a state in which the side wall portion 1X is folded down on one side (the lower left side in FIG. 1) between the side wall portion 1X and the bottom wall portion 1B of the carton 1 and a state in which the side wall portion 1X is folded down on the other side (the upper right side in FIG. 1) between the side wall portion 1X and the top wall portion 1B. By raising the folded portions in this way, a semi-finished product of the carton 1 is manufactured from the material 1′.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the packaging pack body 10 is formed by wrapping a plurality of stacked cartons 1 with a wrapping material 19. Specifically, the bottom wall portion 1B (see FIG. 1) of another carton 1 faces the top wall portion 1U (see FIG. 1) of the carton 1 and they are stacked, and the side wall portions 1X (see FIG. 1) of all the cartons 1 are arranged along the same plane and the end wall portions 1Y (see FIG. 1) of all the cartons 1 are arranged along the same plane. Here, an example of the packaging pack body 10 in which five (a plurality of) cartons 1 are bundled together with a wrapping material 19 is illustrated. However, a plurality of cartons other than five, such as two or four, may be packaged in one pack in the packaging pack body.

[0021] The color (main color) of each carton 1 packaged in the packaging pack body 10 has a preset order in the direction along the stacking direction of the cartons 1 in the packaging pack body 10. Examples of the preset order patterns include the following three patterns. · Multi-pattern: A pattern in which all the colors set for each of the cartons 1 are different · Bi-pattern: A pattern in which the colors set for each of the cartons 1 are two colors · Mono-pattern: A pattern in which the colors set for each of the cartons 1 are the same color

[0022] In the multi-pattern, each of the cartons 1 forming the carton group in the packaging pack 10 has a different appearance. In the bi-pattern, at least a part of the cartons 1 forming the carton group in the packaging pack 10 has a different appearance. In the single-pattern, the colors of the respective cartons 1 forming the carton group in the packaging pack 10 are common, and the appearances of the respective cartons 1 are the same or substantially the same.

[0023] In the multi-pattern and the bi-pattern, the order of the colors of the respective cartons 1 arranged in order along the direction in which the cartons 1 are stacked in the packaging pack 10 is also preset. In the present embodiment, when arbitrary different colors are associated with each of "color A, color B, color C, color D, color E", in the multi-pattern, the order of "color A, color B, color C, color D, color E" is preset as the arrangement order, and in the bi-pattern, an example where the order of "color A, color B, color A, color B, color A" is preset as the arrangement order will be described.

[0024] Therefore, the following arrangement order in the multi-pattern packaging pack 10 is not the preset arrangement order and is regarded as a defective pattern. · "Color E, color A, color B, color C, color D" (shifted by one position) · "Color A, color B, color B, color D, color E" (duplication of color B, omission of color C) · "Color A, color C, color B, color D, color E" (order reversal of color B and color C)

[0025] Also, the following arrangement order in the bi-pattern packaging pack 10 is not the preset arrangement order and is regarded as a defective pattern. · "Color B, color A, color B, color A, color A" (shifted by one position) · "Color A, color B, color A, color B, color B" (continuity of color B) In the packaging pack 10 with one pack consisting of two cartons 1, the multi-pattern can also be called the bi-pattern, and the bi-pattern can also be called the multi-pattern.

[0026] In addition, according to the color of the carton 1, the carton 1 is provided with a pattern. Specifically, the following five patterns A to E are part of the appearance of the carton 1. These patterns A to E are arbitrary designs that are different from each other. · Pattern A: The pattern applied to the carton 1 with color A · Pattern B: The pattern applied to the carton 1 with color B · Pattern C: The pattern applied to the carton 1 with color C · Pattern D: The pattern applied to the carton 1 with color D · Pattern E: The pattern applied to the carton 1 with color E

[0027] [1-2. Manufacturing Equipment] Next, referring to Figure 3, an apparatus for manufacturing the packaging pack 10 will be described. In this manufacturing apparatus, the carton 1 (only one location is labeled in Figure 3) that houses the bundle of tissue papers 3 is continuously conveyed toward the part that packages the carton group in a predetermined order in units of one pack. This manufacturing apparatus is provided with various parts P1 to P6 listed below. · Bundle Conveying Part P1: The part that conveys the bundle of tissue papers 3 · Material Preparation Part P2: The part that prepares the material 1' of the carton 1 · Carton Part P3: The part that houses the bundle of tissue papers 3 in the carton 1 · Inspection Part P4: The part that inspects the carton 1 · Parallel Part P5: The part that conveys the carton 1 in parallel · Wrapping Part P6: The part that wraps every five (predetermined number) cartons 1

[0028] The bundle of tissue papers 3 conveyed by the bundle conveying part P1 is housed in the carton 1 in which the material 1' prepared by the material preparation part P2 is folded. That is, the bundle conveying part P1 and the material preparation part P2 are provided in parallel, and the manufacturing processes merge at the downstream carton part P3 with respect to these parts P1 and P2. After the carton part P3, the conveyed carton 1 is inspected at the inspection part P4. The cartons 1 that pass the inspection are sorted to the parallel part P5, and the cartons 1 that do not pass the inspection are discharged from the production line to outside the system.

[0029] In this way, when the path of the carton 1 that has been conveyed in series is sorted in parallel, the carton 1 is conveyed at the parallel part P5 in each of the sorted paths. Then, the cartons 1 conveyed through each path of the parallel part P5 are packed into one pack at the wrapping part P6 in groups of five.

[0030] In the manufacturing apparatus of the present embodiment, the conveyance speed of semi-finished products such as the bundle of tissue paper 3 and the carton 1 upstream of the parallel part P5 (hereinafter referred to as "upstream conveyance speed") is lower than the conveyance speed of the carton 1 downstream of the parallel part P5 (hereinafter referred to as "downstream conveyance speed"). These conveyance speeds correspond to the number of objects to be conveyed processed per unit time (for example, the processing capacity expressed in units of [pieces / min]).

[0031] For example, the number of semi-finished products such as the bundle of tissue paper 3 and the carton 1 processed per unit time upstream of the parallel part P5 (hereinafter referred to as "upstream processing capacity") is set to be not more than twice the number of cartons 1 processed per unit time downstream of the parallel part P5 (hereinafter referred to as "downstream processing capacity"). In other words, the upstream conveyance speed is set to be not more than twice the downstream conveyance speed. More specifically, when the number of paths sorted at the parallel part P5 is "a", the upstream processing capacity is set to be not more than a times the downstream processing capacity, and the upstream conveyance speed is set to be not more than a times the downstream conveyance speed.

[0032] <Bundle conveyance part> In the bundle conveyance part P1, a bundle of tissue paper 3 folded by a known device such as a multi-unit machine (also referred to as a "multi-stand interfolder") or a rotary folding machine is conveyed. This bundle is cut to a product size that can be accommodated in the carton 1 and is conveyed in parallel at positions corresponding to each of the cartons 1 conveyed from the material preparation part P2 described below.

[0033] In parts P1 to P4 upstream of the parallel part P5, the number of semi-finished products such as the bundle of tissue paper 3 and the carton 1 that can be processed per unit time (so-called "upstream processing capacity") is greater than the number of cartons 1 that can be processed per unit time (so-called "downstream processing capacity") in the wrapping part P6 downstream of the parallel part P5. When this is the case (when the processing capacity is high), in order to suppress or prevent the bottleneck caused by the wrapping part P6, it is preferable to provide the parallel part P5 that distributes the path as described above on the production line. Speaking of a specific example, when the processing capacity of the packaging machine used to package every five cartons 1 in the wrapping part P6 is lower than the processing capacity of the equipment used in the upstream parts P1 to P4, it is preferable that the parallel part P5 distributes the paths of the cartons 1 in parallel.

[0034] <Material preparation part> The material preparation part P2 is provided with parts 21 to 24 listed below. · Deposit part 21: The part for arranging the material 1' of the carton 1 · Stack part 22: The part for overlapping the arranged materials 1' · Store part 23: The part for temporarily storing the overlapped materials 1' · Feed part 24: The part for feeding out the stored materials 1' downstream

[0035] In the deposit part 21, the materials 1' corresponding to each of the cartons 1 forming the carton group are stacked, and the materials 1' are arranged in a predetermined order along the conveyance direction of the materials 1'. The "predetermined order" mentioned here is the order corresponding to the preset order described above in the description of the packaging pack 10. This deposit part 21 is provided at a plurality of locations (here, five locations) corresponding to the number of cartons 1 to be packaged in the packaging pack 10. In each deposit part 21, it is preferable that the part corresponding to the outlet 1T of the carton 1 is stacked in a posture facing upward in the material 1'. The material 1' assembled into the carton 1 with the outlet 1T facing upward in this way is illustrated in this embodiment.

[0036] When the multi-pattern packaging pack 10 is manufactured, the following five parts 2A to 2E are provided in the deposit part 21. · First part 2A: Deposit part 21 for arranging the material 1' of color A · Second part 2B: Deposit part 21 for arranging the material 1' of color B · Third part 2C: Deposit part 21 for arranging the material 1' of color C · Fourth part 2D: Deposit part 21 for arranging the material 1' of color D · Fifth part 2E: Deposit part 21 for arranging the material 1' of color E

[0037] These parts 2A to 2E are arranged side by side along the conveyance direction, and this arrangement is in an order corresponding to the predetermined order. Note that when the bi-pattern packaging pack 10 is manufactured, five parts 2A, 2B, 2A, 2B, and 2A are provided in the order of the above-mentioned first part 2A, second part 2B, first part 2A, second part 2B, and first part 2A. In each of the deposit parts 21, a large number of materials 1' are in a stacked state, and the materials 1' are arranged one by one on a conveyor (not shown) arranged below. Fig. 3 shows an example in which a large number of cartons 1 are stacked inside and below a container 2 (container) with an open bottom.

[0038] In the stack part 22, the materials 1' stacked in each of the deposit parts 21 are fed out one by one (so to speak, one sheet at a time) in the conveying direction, and the materials 1' fed out from the downstream side in the conveying direction are superposed on the materials 1' fed out from the upstream side in the conveying direction in the deposit part 21. At this time, the materials 1' are superposed in a posture where the part corresponding to the outlet 1T of the carton 1 faces upward. Specifically, the material 1' of color B arranged in the second part 2B is superposed on the material 1' of color A arranged in the first part 2A. The material 1' of color C arranged in the third part 2C is further superposed on the material 1' of color A and the material 1' of color B superposed in this way. Similarly, the materials 1' of two colors, color D and color E, are sequentially superposed in the fourth part 2D and the fifth part 2E. In this way, a set of materials in which five materials 1' are superposed in the order corresponding to a predetermined arrangement order is manufactured.

[0039] In the store part 23, the sets of materials manufactured in the stack part 22 are superposed. Specifically, the set of materials manufactured later is superposed on the set of materials manufactured earlier. In the feed part 24, the materials 1' are fed out one by one from below the store part 23. The materials 1' fed out in the feed part 24 are conveyed toward the wrapping part PP6 (downstream). In the store part 23, since the materials 1' are sequentially fed out from below and the sets of materials are superposed from above, the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method is adopted. In this store part 23, the materials 1' are stored only for a temporary period from when the sets of materials are superposed until each material 1' is fed out.

[0040] <Carton part> In the carton part P3, cartons 1 containing bundles of tissue paper 3 are sequentially manufactured using the materials 1' fed out from the feed part 24. This carton part P3 is provided with parts 31 to 33 shown below. · Folding part 31: A part for folding the material 1' from the feed part 24 · Storage part 32: A part for storing the tissue paper 3 in the folded material 1' · Sealing part 33: A part for sealing the material 1' in which the tissue paper 3 is stored

[0041] In the folding part 31, the material 1' fed out from the feed part 24 is folded and assembled in a state where the end wall part 1Y (see FIG. 1) of the carton 1 is open. In the storage part 32, a bundle of the tissue paper 3 conveyed by the bundle conveyance part P1 is stored in the material 1' (carton 1) assembled in the folding part 31. In the sealing part 33, the end wall part 1Y (see FIG. 1) of the carton 1 is sealed. By these parts 31 to 33, cartons 1 in which bundles of the tissue paper 3 are stored are manufactured one by one. The carton 1 manufactured in this way is conveyed toward the inspection part 4P to be described below in a state where the bottom wall part 1B (see FIG. 1) is placed on the conveyor, with the top wall part 1U (see FIG. 1) facing upward and at intervals along the conveyance direction.

[0042] <Inspection part> In the inspection part P4, the state of the carton 1 is inspected inline. The inspection part P4 is provided with the following input system, control system (inspection system), and output system configurations. · Input system: Detects information necessary for inspection and inputs the information to the control system · Control system: Generates a control signal based on the information input from the input system · Output system: Operates by the control signal generated by the control system

[0043] In this inspection part 4P, as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, sensors 40 are provided as a configuration of the input system, a controller 41 (control device) is provided as a configuration of the control system, and a side belt 43, a switch mechanism 44, and an alarm 45 (alarm part) are provided as a configuration of the output system. The signal detected by the sensors 40 is input to the controller 41, and the control signal generated by the controller 41 based on the input detection signal is output to the side belt 43, the switch mechanism 44, and the alarm 45. Hereinafter, each configuration will be described in order for the input system, the output system, and the control system.

[0044] ==Input System== The sensors 40 are provided so as to detect the carton 1 (only one location is labeled in FIGS. 4 and 5) from above in the manufacturing apparatus, and sequentially detect the conveyed cartons 1. Here, the following three are exemplified as the sensors 40. · Color sensor 4A: A sensor that detects the color of the carton 1 · Barcode reader 4B: A scanner that scans the appearance of the carton 1 · Camera 4C: An optical device (imaging device) that takes a picture (images) of the carton 1

[0045] The color sensor 4A can sequentially detect the color of the conveyed carton 1. The barcode reader 4B can also detect the conveyed carton 1 if there is a barcode in its detection area. Although the camera 4C can image the carton 1 during conveyance, an image of the carton 1 in a stationary state is clearer than an image of the carton 1 during conveyance that has been photographed.

[0046] The camera 4C can detect not only the color that is the detection target of the color sensor 4A and the barcode that is the detection target of the barcode reader 4B, but also the pattern of the carton 1. Here, the area where the color is detected by the color sensor 4A (hereinafter referred to as the "color area") and the area where the pattern is detected by the camera 4C (hereinafter referred to as the "pattern area") are set in different areas. Further, the color area is set to be larger than the pattern area.

[0047] The color sensors 4A and cameras 4C exemplified here are provided in five rows, the same number as the number of cartons 1 forming the carton group. Specifically, the color sensors 4A and cameras 4C are arranged at positions corresponding to each of the five cartons 1 to be detected. In addition to these five color sensors 4A and cameras 4C, it is preferable to provide another (a total of six) color sensor 4A or camera 4C as in the present embodiment in order to detect the target carton used for the determination of the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition described later.

[0048] ==Output system== The side belt 43 is a mechanism that switches between a temporary stop (pause) of the conveyed carton 1 and the resumption of conveyance (release) of the temporarily stopped carton 1. A pair of these side belts 43 is provided on the outer side in the width direction with respect to the conveyance path of the carton 1, and it is possible to temporarily stop the conveyance of the carton 1 by sandwiching it from the outer side in the width direction, or to resume the conveyance of the carton 1 by releasing this stopped state. The cartons 1 whose conveyance is temporarily stopped by the side belt 43 are in a state of being in contact with each other in the conveyance direction. The part where the side belt 43 is provided can be said to be a pause part that stops the conveyance of the carton 1 when focusing on the function of temporarily stopping the carton 1, and can also be said to be a release part that stops the conveyance of the carton 1 when focusing on the function of resuming the conveyance of the carton 1.

[0049] The switch mechanism 44 is a mechanism that switches the conveyance path of the carton 1 whose conveyance has been resumed by the side belt 43. In this switch mechanism 44, the conveyance path is alternatively switched according to the inspection result of the carton 1 by the controller 41 described later. If the inspection result of Carton 1 is normal (i.e., without abnormalities), the conveying path is switched to the main path R1. If the inspection result of Carton 1 is abnormal (i.e., not normal), the conveying path is switched to the bypass path R2.

[0050] The switching mechanism 44 illustrated here distributes the conveying path of Carton 1 to the first main path R11 and the second main path R12 alternately when switched to the main path R1. However, the switching mechanism for switching between the main path and the bypass path and the distribution mechanism for distributing to the first main path and the second main path may be provided separately. In this case, the distribution mechanism is arranged downstream of the switching mechanism.

[0051] The main path R1 is a conveying path leading to the wrapping part P6, and the first main path R11 and the second main path R12 are provided in parallel. The bypass path R2 is a conveying path for discharging Carton 1 from the production line. Focusing on the function of switching the conveying path of Carton 1 between the main path R1 and the bypass path R2, the part where the switching mechanism 44 is provided can be said to be a switch part. It can also be said that this part is provided with an OK switch part focusing on the function of switching to the main path R1 and an NG switch part focusing on the function of switching to the bypass path R2. The alarm 45 is a device for notifying the operator of the inspection result of Carton 1. For example, notifiers such as a buzzer, a monitor, and an alarm lamp are included in the alarm 45.

[0052] ==Control System== Based on the signals input from the above sensors 40, the controller 41 determines the success or failure of a predetermined trigger condition and outputs a control signal to the configuration of the output system according to the success or failure of the trigger condition. Here, three types of trigger conditions shown below are illustrated as examples. Note that only one of the first trigger condition and the second trigger condition is adopted according to the pattern of the packaged pack 10 to be manufactured. · First trigger condition: The condition when manufacturing the multi-pattern packaged pack 10 · Second trigger condition: Conditions when manufacturing the double-pattern packaging pack 10 · Third trigger condition: Conditions for avoiding the mixing of the inverted cartons 1

[0053] The first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is a condition where it is determined that it holds when a preset target carton is detected, and it is determined that it does not hold when not. The "target carton" mentioned here is preset with different contents for each of the first trigger condition and the second trigger condition. Whether the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition holds is determined based on the detected color of the color sensor 4A that detects the color formed by the carton 1. In FIG. 4, for the purpose of distinguishing from the color sensor 4A or the camera 4C (five sensors 40 indicated by black dots) used for determining whether the inspection conditions described later hold, the color sensor 4A or the camera 4C (sensors 40) that detects the color formed by the carton 1 being conveyed downstream of the side belt 43 is illustrated for convenience.

[0054] Here, a configuration example is shown in which whether the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition holds is determined based on the detected color by the color sensor 4A or the camera 4C (sensors 40) that detects the color formed by the carton 1 within the side belt 43 (that is, the carton 1 at the position sandwiched by the side belt 43 is the detection target). However, based on the image of the color sensor 4A or the camera 4C that images the carton 1 being conveyed upstream or downstream of the side belt 43, whether the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition holds may be determined from the color formed by the carton 1 or the pattern of the carton 1.

[0055] The part where whether the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition holds is determined based on the color formed by the carton 1 as described above can be said to be a color sensing part (sensing part) that detects this target carton based on the target color that is the color formed by the target carton. Also, the part where the success or failure of the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is determined based on the pattern of Carton 1 can be said to be a design sensing part (sensing part) that detects this target carton based on the target design which is the pattern formed by the target carton.

[0056] When it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied, a control signal is output to temporarily stop the conveyance of Carton 1 to the side belt 43, and the success or failure of the inspection condition is determined. The "inspection condition" mentioned here is preset to have different contents for the condition determined when the first trigger condition is satisfied and the condition determined when the second trigger condition is satisfied. Note that no inspection condition is set after the determination of the success or failure of the third trigger condition.

[0057] The success or failure of the inspection condition is determined based on the detection signals of the sensors 40 that target the five Cartons 1 whose conveyance has been temporarily stopped by the side belt 43. In other words, the Carton 1 that is the target of detection used for determining the success or failure of the inspection condition is in the position sandwiched by the side belt 43 (so to speak, inside the side belt 43). However, the Carton 1 that is the target of detection used for determining the success or failure of the inspection condition may be at any location upstream or downstream of the side belt 43. Here, an example is given where the success or failure of the inspection condition is determined based on the image of the camera 4C for imaging. In this image determination, a predetermined order is determined based on, for example, the order of the colors formed by the five Cartons 1 or the order of the patterns or images.

[0058] However, the success or failure of the inspection conditions may be determined based on the detected color of the color sensor 4A that detects the color of each of the five cartons 1 whose conveyance has been temporarily stopped by the side belt 43. For example, when it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied, the color of the carton 1 to be detected is detected by each of the five color sensors 4A while the carton 1 to be detected moves by one unit (by the dimension in the conveyance direction of the carton 1). The detection of the color of the carton 1 by the five color sensors 4A may be performed simultaneously, or may be performed at different timings in part (one to four locations) or in whole (five locations).

[0059] As described above, the part where the success or failure of the inspection conditions is determined based on the color of the carton 1 can be said to be a color check part (check part) that checks whether the carton 1 is in a predetermined order based on the color of the carton 1. In addition, the part where the success or failure of the inspection conditions is determined based on the pattern of the carton 1 can also be said to be a design check part (check part) or an image check part (check part) that checks whether the carton 1 is in a predetermined order based on the pattern or image of the carton 1. In FIG. 4, an example of the location where the color to be inspected is detected is indicated by a black dot, and the reference numerals of the color sensor 4A and the camera 4C that detect the color, pattern, or image used for determining the success or failure of the inspection conditions are drawn out from only one location of the black dot and shown.

[0060] When the success or failure of the inspection conditions is determined, a control signal for restarting the conveyance of the carton 1 to the side belt 43 is output. At this time, if it is determined that the inspection conditions are satisfied, a control signal for switching the conveyance path to the main path R1 is output to the switch mechanism 44. On the other hand, if it is determined that the inspection conditions are not satisfied, a control signal for switching the conveyance path to the bypass path R2 is output to the switch mechanism 44.

[0061] Also, when it is determined that the third trigger condition is satisfied, a control signal for switching the conveyance path to the bypass path R2 is output to the switch mechanism 44 even if it is determined that the inspection condition is satisfied. Even when it is determined that the inspection condition is not satisfied when it is determined that the third trigger condition is satisfied, a control signal for switching the conveyance path to the bypass path R2 is output to the switch mechanism 44. In other words, the third trigger condition takes precedence over the inspection condition as a condition for switching the conveyance path to the bypass path R2. On the other hand, when it is determined that the third trigger condition is not satisfied, if it is determined that the inspection condition is satisfied, a control signal for switching the conveyance path to the main path R1 is output to the switch mechanism 44.

[0062] The inspection condition determined when the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied is determined that if it is satisfied, the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is normal, and if it is not satisfied, the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is abnormal. On the other hand, for the third trigger condition, if it is satisfied, it is determined that the reversed cartons 1 (hereinafter referred to as "error cartons") are mixed and abnormal, and if it is not satisfied, it is determined that the reversed cartons 1 are not mixed and normal.

[0063] That is, when it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied and the third trigger condition is not satisfied (AND condition), it is in a predetermined arrangement order and no error cartons are mixed, and the cartons 1 are considered to be compliant in the inspection part 4P. On the other hand, when it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is not satisfied or the third trigger condition is satisfied (OR condition), it is either not in the preset predetermined arrangement order or error cartons are mixed, and the cartons 1 are considered not to be compliant (non-compliant) in the inspection part 4P. A control signal is output to the alarm 45 according to the above determination result. For example, when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the cartons 1, a control signal for operating a buzzer or an alarm lamp as the alarm 45 is output, or a control signal for displaying the determination result of the cartons 1 on a monitor as the alarm 45 is output.

[0064] - First trigger condition - The "target carton" of the first trigger condition is one preset carton 1 among the carton group. As a specific example of the target carton, there is carton 1 that forms a color with high detection accuracy by the color sensor 4A, such as the darkest or clearest color among colors A, B, C, D, and E formed by carton 1 in the carton group. Another specific example of the target carton can be the carton 1 on the most downstream side among the carton group (carton 1 of color A, the carton 1 arranged on the uppermost side in the packaging pack 10). In the determination example shown here, when the target carton is detected by the color sensor 4A that detects carton 1 in the side belt 43, it is determined that the first trigger condition is satisfied, and if not, it is determined that the first trigger condition is not satisfied.

[0065] The inspection condition (hereinafter referred to as the "first inspection condition") determined when the first trigger condition is satisfied is a condition in which it is determined that the arrangement order of five cartons 1 including the target carton is a predetermined arrangement order, and if not, it is determined that it is not satisfied. The "predetermined arrangement order" mentioned here is a pattern preset as a multi-pattern arrangement order, and it is a pattern arranged in the order of "color A, color B, color C, color D, color E". Taking a specific example, if carton 1 of color A is set as the target carton, it is inspected whether the carton 1 of color A arranged on the most downstream side and the four cartons 1 upstream of it are in the predetermined arrangement order, and thus the success or failure of the first inspection condition is determined.

[0066] - Second trigger condition - For the second trigger condition, the "target carton" is two (or more) cartons 1 arranged in the transport direction. That is, a plurality of cartons 1 forming a predetermined pattern set in advance as a combination of the appearances formed by adjacent cartons 1 are used as "target cartons" for the second trigger condition. The "predetermined pattern" mentioned here is set in advance with a pattern that does not exist in one carton group in the order of continuous bi-pattern colors.

[0067] Specifically, a pattern in which two cartons 1 of color A are arranged side by side is set as the "predetermined pattern", and these two cartons 1 are set as "target cartons". However, from the viewpoint of improving inspection accuracy, a pattern in which two or more cartons 1 are arranged side by side may be set as the "predetermined pattern". As such a setting example, an example in which three cartons 1 are set as "target cartons" can be cited. As a predetermined pattern formed by these three cartons 1 as target cartons, patterns arranged in the order of "color A, color A, color B" or "color B, color A, color A" can be cited. However, in order to simplify the configuration, one carton 1 of color A or color B may be set as a target carton used for determining the success or failure of the second trigger condition. Here, when a target carton is detected by the color sensor 4A that detects the carton 1 inside the side belt 43, it is determined that the second trigger condition is satisfied, and if not, it is determined that the second trigger condition is not satisfied.

[0068] The inspection condition (hereinafter referred to as the "second inspection condition") determined when the second trigger condition is satisfied is a condition in which it is determined that the arrangement order of five cartons 1 including the target carton is a predetermined arrangement order, and if not, it is determined that it is not satisfied. The "predetermined arrangement order" mentioned here is a pattern set in advance as the arrangement order of the bi-pattern, and is a pattern arranged in the order of "color A, color B, color A, color B, color A". For example, a pattern is set in which two Cartons 1 of color A are lined up in the target carton, and it is inspected whether one of the downstream Cartons 1 among these Cartons 1 and the four Cartons 1 further downstream are in a predetermined order, thereby determining whether the second inspection condition is met. Alternatively, a pattern is set in which two Cartons 1 of color A are lined up in the target carton, and it is inspected whether one of the upstream Cartons 1 among these Cartons 1 and the four Cartons 1 further upstream are in a predetermined order, thereby determining whether the second inspection condition is met.

[0069] ――Third trigger condition―― The third trigger condition is a condition that is determined to be satisfied when the mixing of error cartons is detected, and is determined to be not satisfied otherwise. Here, since the barcode on the bottom wall portion 1B of the error carton is exposed on the upper surface of the Carton 1, when the barcode is detected by the barcode reader 4B, it is determined that the third trigger condition is satisfied, and otherwise, it is determined that the third trigger condition is not satisfied. However, if the unique appearance of the bottom wall portion 1B of the Carton 1 can be detected, not limited to the barcode reader 4B, sensors 40 such as a color sensor 4A that detects a unique color (appearance) of the bottom wall portion 1B, a camera 4C that detects a unique pattern (appearance) of the bottom wall portion 1B, or other sensors may be used. In this way, in order to discriminate the bottom wall portion 1B, the sensors 40 may detect an appearance such as a color or pattern that exists on the bottom wall portion 1B but not on the top wall portion 1B (the wall portion other than the bottom wall portion 1B), or the sensors 40 may detect an appearance such as a color or pattern that does not exist on the bottom wall portion 1B but exists on the top wall portion 1B (the wall portion other than the bottom wall portion 1B) (that is, detect an appearance that does not exist on the bottom wall portion 1B).

[0070] ――Others―― When it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied and the order of the Cartons 1 is determined to be normal (when it is determined that the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is satisfied), a control signal for restarting the conveyance of only the plurality of Cartons 1 whose order has been determined (that is, only the number of Cartons 1 that are grouped into one package pack body 10) is output to the side belt 43.

[0071] Regarding the resumption of the conveyance of the carton 1 by the side belt 43, in order to stabilize the number of cartons 1 for which the conveyance is resumed, it is preferable to count the number of cartons 1 for which the conveyance has been resumed by appropriate sensors. Alternatively, the driving time of the side belt 43 during which the conveyance is being resumed (that is, the time for feeding out the carton 1 from the side belt 43 to the downstream side) may be set in advance to a predetermined period. The "predetermined period" referred to here includes a period for feeding out the number of cartons 1 corresponding to the number of cartons 1 that can be grouped into one package in the packaged package body 10, or a period for feeding out an arbitrary number of cartons 1 such as a period that is an integer multiple of this period. When driving the side belt 43 for only the predetermined period in this way, in order to stabilize the number of cartons 1 for which the conveyance is resumed, it is preferable to detect the conveyance direction position of the most downstream (front) carton 1 among the five (or more) stopped cartons 1 by appropriate sensors. For example, when it is detected that the most downstream carton 1 among the cartons 1 for which the conveyance has been stopped is located slightly upstream of the predetermined position, it is preferable to set the predetermined period slightly longer, and when it is detected that it is located slightly downstream of the predetermined position, it is preferable to set the predetermined period slightly shorter.

[0072] When the number of cartons 1 for which the conveyance has been resumed is counted by appropriate sensors, compared with the case of driving the side belt 43 for only a predetermined period, for example, it is possible to suppress the downstream slippage of the cartons 1 that should be temporarily stopped from being conveyed by the side belt 43, and it is possible to stabilize the number of cartons 1 for which the conveyance is resumed. On the other hand, when driving the side belt 43 for only a predetermined period, compared with the case where the number of cartons 1 for which the conveyance has been resumed is counted by appropriate sensors, it is possible to stabilize the number of cartons 1 for which the conveyance is resumed with a simple configuration that suppresses the addition of sensors and the addition of control logic. The part that resumes the conveyance of the carton 1 as described above can be said to be a counting part that counts a plurality (any number according to a predetermined period) of cartons 1, such as the number of cartons 1 grouped into one packaging pack 10 for one pack or an integer multiple of this number, and can also be said to be a partitioning part that partitions the cartons 1 for each counted number.

[0073] In this partitioning part, after the conveyance of the cartons 1 is stopped for each counted number (here, five) counted by the counting part, the conveyance of these stopped cartons 1 is resumed, and they are partitioned with an interval between carton groups composed of cartons 1 for each counted number by the counting part. Specifically, it is partitioned into a state where there is an interval between the five cartons 1 partitioned by the partitioning part and the five cartons partitioned immediately after (or immediately before) this.

[0074] Note that a method may be adopted in which the cartons 1 whose conveyance has been resumed by the side belt 43 are detected by the sensors 40, and the cartons 1 are counted based on the detection result. Specifically, a barcode reader 4B that detects the cartons 1 from below (sensors 40 that sequentially scan the barcodes of each non-turned-over carton 1) is provided, and a method of counting the number of cartons 1 according to the number of barcodes scanned by the barcode reader 4B can be adopted. Similarly, a method of counting the number of cartons 1 according to the number of marks (patterns of each carton 1) imaged by the camera 4C can also be adopted.

[0075] On the other hand, when it is determined that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is abnormal although the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is determined to be satisfied (it is determined that the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is not satisfied), a control signal for discharging the cartons 1 from the production line until the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied thereafter is output. Specifically, a control signal for resuming the conveyance of the cartons 1 is output to the side belt 43, and a control signal for switching the conveyance path to the bypass path R2 is output to the switch mechanism 44. In addition, when it is determined that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is abnormal even though the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied (when it is determined that the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is satisfied), in order to suppress the control processing resources, the determination of whether the third trigger condition is satisfied, which is to be performed thereafter, is omitted.

[0076] <Parallel part> In the parallel part P5, after the transport path is switched to the main path R1 by the switch mechanism 44, the transport is restarted to the main path R1 on the downstream side of the switch mechanism 44, and the paths are alternately assigned to each of the five cartons 1 (cartons divided every predetermined number) and transported in parallel on the first main path R11 and the second main path R12. The cartons 1 transported on each of the main paths R11 and R12 in the parallel part P5 are continuously transported toward the wrapping part.

[0077] <Wrapping part> In the wrapping part P6, cartons 1 containing bundles of tissue paper 3 are packaged in units of one pack in a carton group having a predetermined arrangement order. In this wrapping part P6, it is provided in parallel in the same manner as the parallel part P5, and packaging with a wrapping material 19 for every five cartons 1 is performed. In this way, the packaged pack body 10 is manufactured.

[0078] [1-3. Manufacturing method] Next, a method for manufacturing the packaged pack body 10 will be described. In this manufacturing method, a wrapping process for packaging a carton group in which five cartons 1 are arranged in a predetermined order in units of one pack is performed in the wrapping part P6, and the cartons 1 are continuously transported toward this wrapping process.

[0079] Here, an example will be described by focusing on the material preparation method performed in the material preparation part P2 and the carton inspection method performed in the inspection part P4. In these methods, in each of the above parts as the configuration of the manufacturing apparatus in item [1-2], a process in which the word "part" in its name is replaced with a process is performed. For example, in the material preparation method, after the deposit process is performed in the deposit part 21, the stacking process is performed in the stack part 22. In the carton inspection method, after the sensing process is performed in the sensing part, the checking process is performed in the check part.

[0080] <Material preparation method> The material preparation method is a method for preparing the material 1' of the carton 1 that is continuously conveyed toward the wrapping process. In this material preparation method, as shown in FIG. 6, the processes are performed in the order of the deposit process (step A1), the stacking process (step A2), the storing process (step A3), and the feeding process (step A4). After these processes are performed, the cartoning process is performed.

[0081] In the deposit process, the material 1' corresponding to each of the cartons 1 forming the carton group of the packaging pack 10 is stacked, and the material 1' is arranged in a predetermined order along the conveyance direction. In the stacking process, the material 1' stacked in each of the deposit processes is fed out one by one in the conveyance direction, and the material 1' fed out from the downstream side is superposed on the material 1' fed out from the upstream side in the deposit process. In the storing process, the material sets that are the material 1' superposed in the stacking process are superposed. In this storing process, the material sets are superposed on the upper side. In the feeding process, the material sets superposed in the storing process are fed out toward the wrapping process. In this feeding process, the material 1' forming each material set is fed out one by one from the lower side.

[0082] <Carton inspection method> The carton inspection method is a method for inspecting the carton 1 that is continuously conveyed toward the wrapping process. In this carton inspection method, as shown in Fig. 7, after performing the first sensing step (step B1), the steps are performed in the order of the pause step (step B2), the check step (step B3), and the release steps (steps B4, B5). Then, a switch step (steps B8, B9) is performed to switch the conveyance path according to the determination result (inspection result) of the arrangement order of the cartons 1. When it is determined that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is normal, a second sensing step (step B6) is performed before the switch step (step B8). On the other hand, when it is determined that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is abnormal or when the turning over of the cartons 1 is detected, the first sensing step (step B10) is performed again after the alarm step (step B7) or the switch step (step B9). When the switch step is performed after it is determined that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is normal, a sorting step and a parallel step are performed toward the wrapping step.

[0083] In the first sensing step, it is determined whether or not a target carton is detected in the conveyed carton 1 (that is, whether or not the trigger condition is satisfied). In the method for manufacturing the multi-pattern packaging pack 10, one preset carton 1 among the carton group is set as the target carton, and it is determined whether or not the first trigger condition is satisfied. In the method for manufacturing the bi-pattern packaging pack 10, two (or more) cartons 1 arranged in the conveyance direction in the conveyed carton 1 are set as the target cartons, and it is determined whether or not the second trigger condition is satisfied.

[0084] In the determination of whether or not the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied, a color sensing step or a design sensing step is performed. In the color sensing step, the target carton is detected based on the target color which is the color formed by the target carton. In the design sensing step, the target carton is detected based on the target design which is the pattern formed by the target carton. In the pause step, when the target carton is detected (it is determined that the trigger condition is satisfied) in the above sensing step, the conveyance of Carton 1 is stopped. In this pause step, the conveyance of five cartons 1 including at least one of the target cartons is stopped.

[0085] In the check step, it is inspected (it is determined whether the inspection condition is satisfied) whether the arrangement order of the five cartons 1 stopped in the pause step is a predetermined arrangement order. When the target carton is detected in the above sensing step, it is inspected whether the arrangement order of the five cartons 1 including at least one of the target cartons is a predetermined arrangement order. In the method for manufacturing the multi-pattern packaging pack 10, it is inspected whether the arrangement order of the cartons 1 to be inspected corresponds to the arrangement order corresponding to the multi-pattern, and it is determined whether the first inspection condition is satisfied. In the method for manufacturing the bi-pattern packaging pack 10, it is inspected whether the arrangement order of the cartons 1 to be inspected corresponds to the arrangement order corresponding to the bi-pattern, and it is determined whether the second inspection condition is satisfied.

[0086] In the determination of whether the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is satisfied, a color check step or an image check step is performed. In the color check step, based on the colors formed by the five cartons 1, it is inspected whether it is a predetermined arrangement order. In the image check step, based on the image obtained by photographing the five cartons 1, it is inspected whether it is a predetermined arrangement order.

[0087] In the release step, the suspension of conveyance by the pause step is released, and the conveyance of the cartons 1 whose arrangement order has been inspected (the products of the inspection conditions have been determined) in the check step is resumed. When the conveyance of the carton 1 is restarted in this release process, if the side belt 43 is driven for a predetermined period or the conveyed carton 1 is counted based on the result of detection by the sensors 40, a counting process for counting a plurality of cartons 1 is carried out. When the counting process is carried out, a classifying process for classifying the cartons 1 for each counted number may also be carried out. This classifying process stops the conveyance of the carton 1 for each counted number (here, five), then restarts the conveyance of the stopped carton 1, and classifies while leaving an interval between carton groups each consisting of the cartons 1 for each counted number. The second sensing process is carried out after the release process described above, after it is inspected that it is in a predetermined order and it is determined that the inspection conditions are satisfied in the checking process.

[0088] In the second sensing process, a reversed error carton is detected in the conveyed carton 1 (the validity of the third trigger condition is determined). When a barcode reader 4B is used for detecting the error carton, the appearance peculiar to the back surface of the carton 1 is scanned to detect the error carton. When a camera 4C is used for detecting the error carton, the error carton is detected from the image obtained by photographing the appearance formed by the back surface of the carton 1. Note that after it is determined that the inspection conditions are not satisfied in the checking process, the second sensing process is not carried out, and the alarm process described below is carried out.

[0089] In the alarm process, when it is inspected that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is not the predetermined arrangement order in the checking process or when an error carton is detected in the second sensing process, a nonconformity such as an abnormal inspection result or detection of an error carton is notified by an alarm 45. Note that the alarm process can be carried out at an arbitrary timing after the determination of the validity of the inspection conditions by the checking process and after the determination of the validity of the third trigger condition by the second sensing process.

[0090] In the switch process, at least the conveyance path of the carton 1 detected by the sensing process is switched, and here, the conveyance path of the carton 1 restarted in the release process is switched. In this switch process, an OK switch process (step B8) or an NG switch process (step B9) is carried out according to the inspection result of the check process or the detection result of the second sensing process. When it is inspected in the check process that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is the predetermined arrangement order and no error carton is detected in the second sensing process (that is, when it conforms to the inspection), the OK switch process is carried out. In the OK switch process, the conveyance path is switched to the main path R1.

[0091] When it is not inspected in the check process that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is the predetermined arrangement order or an error carton is detected in the second sensing process (that is, when it does not conform to the inspection), the NG switch process is carried out. For example, in the NG switch process, the conveyance paths of at least five cartons 1 including the error carton detected in the second sensing process are switched to the bypass path R2. After the NG switch process, the first sensing process is carried out again to determine whether the target carton is detected.

[0092] Until the target carton is detected (negative determination in step B10), the conveyance of the cartons 1 discharged through the bypass path R2 is not stopped (steps B5, B9), and the notification by the alarm 45 is continued (step B7). That is, when it is determined that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is abnormal, the cartons 1 are continuously discharged from the production line until the target carton is detected in the determination of the success or failure of the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition. When the target carton is detected (positive determination in step B10), the pause process (step B2) is carried out again to stop the conveyance of the cartons 1. That is, when the target carton is detected after it is determined that the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is abnormal, the conveyance is temporarily stopped to inspect the arrangement order of the cartons 1 and the mixture of error cartons.

[0093] In the sorting process carried out after the OK switch process, the cartons 1 being conveyed in series are sorted so as to be conveyed through two (or more) paths. In the parallel process, the cartons 1 sorted in the sorting process are conveyed to the wrapping process carried out in parallel. In this way, five cartons 1 are packaged in units of one pack in the wrapping process, and the packaged pack body 10 is manufactured.

[0094] [2. Operations and Effects] Since the present embodiment is configured as described above, the following operations and effects can be obtained. In this item [2], the material preparation method will be described in subsection [2-1], the carton classification method and the carton sorting method will be described in subsection [2-2], and the carton inspection method will be described in subsection [2-3].

[0095] [2-1. Material Preparation Method] (1) According to the material preparation method, in the deposit process, the materials 1' corresponding to each carton 1 of the packaged pack body 10 are arranged in a state where they are stacked and in a predetermined order along the conveyance direction according to the arrangement. Moreover, in the stack process, the materials 1' fed out one by one from the upstream side are overlapped with the materials 1' fed out from the downstream side one by one. Therefore, the materials 1' of the cartons 1 can be prepared in an order corresponding to the predetermined order. Therefore, the materials 1' of the cartons 1 can be efficiently prepared in an order corresponding to the predetermined order.

[0096] (2) Since the material sets, which are the materials 1' overlapped in the stack process, are overlapped in the store process, the materials 1' can be overlapped in an order corresponding to the predetermined order. As a result, compared with the case where the materials 1' (material sets) are arranged side by side in the conveyance direction, the space for supplying these materials 1' is suppressed, contributing to space saving. (3) In the storage process, for the material stack overlapped on the upper side, in the feeding process of feeding it toward the wrapping process, the material 1' is fed out one by one from the lower side. By such a first-in-first-out method, the materials 1' in an order corresponding to a predetermined order can be continuously fed out (prepared). Consequently, it contributes to improving the manufacturing efficiency of the packaging pack body 10.

[0097] [2-2. Carton Classification Method and Carton Distribution Method] (1) According to the carton classification method, five (predetermined number) cartons 1 grouped into one pack of the packaging pack body 10 are counted in the counting process, and the cartons 1 counted in the counting process are classified into groups of five in the classification process. Specifically, after stopping the conveyance of the cartons 1 every five counted in the counting process, the conveyance of the five stopped cartons 1 is restarted, and the cartons 1 are classified with an interval between the carton groups each consisting of five cartons 1. Therefore, the carton groups classified into groups of five cartons 1 are conveyed to the wrapping process, and the distribution accuracy of the cartons 1 in the distribution process can be improved. Thus, the efficiency of packaging five cartons 1 in one pack unit can be increased.

[0098] (2) According to the carton distribution method, the cartons 1 distributed in the distribution process are conveyed to each of the wrapping processes in the parallel process. Therefore, even if the upstream conveyance speed (processing speed) on the upstream side of the distribution process is higher than the downstream conveyance speed (processing speed) on the downstream side of the distribution process, a decrease in the processing speed in the upstream process can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to avoid the downstream conveyance speed becoming the bottleneck in manufacturing the packaging pack body 10. Thus, the efficiency of packaging five cartons 1 in one pack unit can be increased. This efficiency can be further improved by using the above carton classification method in combination with the carton distribution method.

[0099] [2-3. Carton Inspection Method] In this item [2-3], a method for inspecting the arrangement order of cartons 1 will be described, and then a method for inspecting the reversal (orientation) of cartons 1 will be described. <Arrangement Order of Cartons> (1) According to the carton inspection method for inspecting the arrangement order of cartons 1, whether the arrangement order of cartons 1 conveyed to the wrapping process is a predetermined arrangement order is inspected in the checking process. If it is inspected to be the predetermined arrangement order, the conveyance path of cartons 1 is switched to the main path R1 by the OK switch process, and if it is inspected not to be the predetermined arrangement order, the conveyance path of cartons 1 is switched to the bypass path R2 by the NG switch process.

[0100] Therefore, cartons 1 that are not in the predetermined arrangement order can be discharged from the production line, and cartons 1 that form the predetermined arrangement order can be conveyed to the wrapping process. In this way, by suppressing the mixing of cartons 1 that are not in the predetermined arrangement order in the packaging pack 10, cartons 1 in the predetermined arrangement order can be packaged in one pack. When the conveyance path is switched to the bypass path R2 by the NG switch process as described above, cartons 1 are conveyed through the bypass path R2 and discharged. Therefore, compared with the technique of removing (discharging) cartons from the production line by knocking them down from the production line, damage to the discharged cartons 1 can be suppressed. Subsequently, the discharged cartons 1 can also be used for the packaging pack 10.

[0101] Furthermore, after the conveyance of five cartons 1 including the target carton is stopped in the pause process triggered by the detection of the target carton, the conveyance stop is released in the release process and the conveyance of the five cartons 1 is resumed. Therefore, the cartons 1 conveyed downstream from the release process are divided into groups of five. Thus, the efficiency of conveying groups of cartons divided into groups of five to the wrapping process and packaging the five cartons 1 in units of one pack can also be increased. (2) In the checking process, since the order of the five cartons 1 stopped from being conveyed by the pause process is inspected, the inspection accuracy is improved as compared with the technique of inspecting the order of the conveyed cartons 1.

[0102] (3) If one of the cartons 1 preset in the carton group is preset as the target carton, it is possible to suppress the mixing of cartons 1 not in the predetermined order in the multi-pattern packaging pack 10. By setting only one carton 1 as the target carton in this way, it is possible to inspect the predetermined order with a simple logic. Also, if two cartons 1 arranged in the conveying direction are preset as the target cartons, it is possible to suppress the mixing of cartons 1 not in the predetermined order in the bi-pattern packaging pack 10. By setting the pattern in which the appearances of the cartons 1 are combined as the target carton in this way, it contributes to the improvement of the accuracy of inspecting the predetermined order.

[0103] (4) When the detection of the target carton is based on the target color which is the color formed by the target carton, or when the inspection of whether it is in the predetermined order is based on the colors of the five cartons 1, a color sensor 4A with a lower device cost and a simpler control logic than the camera 4C can be used. (5) When the detection of the target carton is based on the target design which is the pattern formed by the target carton, or when the inspection of whether it is in the predetermined order is based on the patterns of the five cartons 1, in either case, it is possible to perform the inspection when different patterns are applied to each of the cartons forming the single-color mono-pattern packaging pack.

[0104] (6) In the checking process, when the inspection of whether it is in the predetermined order is based on the colors and patterns of the five cartons 1 (that is, when the color check process and the design check process are used in combination), by inspecting both the colors and patterns of the cartons 1, the accuracy of inspecting the order of the cartons 1 is improved. Furthermore, since the color area and the pattern area are set in different areas, both the accuracy of the inspection based on the color of Carton 1 and the accuracy of the inspection based on the pattern of Carton 1 can be ensured, and further improvement in the accuracy of inspecting the arrangement order of Carton 1 becomes possible. Also, since the color area is set larger than the pattern area, both the inspection accuracy based on color and the inspection accuracy based on pattern are ensured, and the inspection accuracy can be further increased.

[0105] <Orientation of Carton> (1) According to the carton inspection method for inspecting the reverse side of Carton 1, when an error carton, which is Carton 1 that has been reversed, is detected in the sensing step, the conveyance path of Carton 1 including the error carton is switched to the bypass path R2 in the NG switch step. On the other hand, if no error carton is detected in the sensing step, the conveyance path is switched to the main path R1 in the OK switch step. Therefore, the reversed error cartons can be discharged from the production line, and only the non-reversed Carton 1 can be conveyed to the wrapping step. By suppressing the mixing of Cartons 1 with different orientations in the packaging pack 10 in this way, Cartons 1 with the same orientation can be packaged in one pack.

[0106] (2) In the sensing step of detecting an error carton, when the barcode reader 4B is used, it is possible to detect an error carton by scanning the unique appearance on the back surface of Carton 1, and when the camera 4C is used, it is possible to detect an error carton from the image of the appearance formed by the back surface of Carton 1. If the detection of the barcode by the barcode reader 4B is more stable or more accurate than the detection of the appearance by the camera 4C, the accuracy and stability of the detection can be improved by using the barcode reader 4B for detecting the error carton. On the other hand, by using the camera 4C for detecting the error carton, it becomes possible to also detect the reverse of Carton 1 that does not have a barcode on the back surface.

[0107] [2-4. Others] According to this manufacturing method, since the material 1' is prepared in an order corresponding to a predetermined arrangement order by the material preparation method, by using the material preparation method and the carton inspection method in combination, the mixing of the cartons 1 not in the predetermined arrangement order can be further suppressed. Since the material 1' is efficiently prepared by the material preparation method, by using the material preparation method and the carton classification method in combination, the manufacturing efficiency of the packaging pack 10 can be further increased. Further, by also using the carton distribution method in combination, the manufacturing efficiency of the packaging pack 10 can be further increased. Note that the above-described operations and effects can also be obtained by this manufacturing apparatus.

[0108] [II. Modification Example] The above-described embodiments are merely examples, and there is no intention to exclude various modifications and applications of technologies not explicitly stated in this embodiment. Each configuration of this embodiment can be variously modified and implemented without departing from their gist. Also, it can be selectively adopted as necessary and can be appropriately combined.

[0109] For example, regarding the manufacture of a bi-pattern packaging pack, when it is determined that the second trigger condition is satisfied but the arrangement order of the cartons is determined to be abnormal (the second inspection condition is not satisfied), it is not necessary to discharge all the cartons 1 determined to have an abnormal arrangement order. Specifically, the conveyance of only the four downstream cartons out of the five cartons determined to have an abnormal arrangement order may be restarted and discharged from the production line, and the arrangement order of the four cartons upstream of these including the remaining one carton may be inspected again. The inspection of the four cartons with the remaining one carton being the most upstream is preferably repeatedly performed until it becomes a "quasi-predetermined arrangement order" excluding the carton on the most downstream side in the predetermined arrangement order. In this case, until the quasi-predetermined arrangement order is inspected, the four cartons are sequentially discharged from the bypass path, and when the quasi-predetermined arrangement order is inspected and then the predetermined arrangement order is also inspected, the five cartons are conveyed to the main path. Speaking perfunctorily, if the number of cartons 1 forming the packaging pack body is set as "X" (in the above example, "5", a predetermined number) and a natural number smaller than "X" is set as "Y" (in the above example, "4"), then among the "X" cartons whose arrangement order has been determined to be abnormal, the "X" cartons including the "X - Y" cartons on the downstream side may be inspected again. In such an inspection method, in order to suppress the chain of misalignment when cartons with abnormal arrangements are mixed, when "X" is odd, it is preferable that "Y" is also odd, and it is also preferable that "X" and "Y" are relatively prime to each other.

[0110] Also, regarding the manufacture of a bi - pattern packaging pack body, when the lowermost carton (the carton of color A in the above example) forming the carton group is missing, after determining the success or failure of the second inspection condition and inspecting the arrangement order of the five cartons, the target carton including the lowermost carton forming the carton group will be missing. Therefore, the second trigger condition is not satisfied, and cartons more than the number of cartons forming the carton group are conveyed downstream without stopping at the side belt. In such a case, in the sorting part (sorting process), based on the predetermined conveyance direction dimension set in advance as the dimension of the cartons forming the carton group and the conveyance direction dimension of the actually sorted plurality of cartons, those cartons whose conveyance direction dimension of the actually sorted plurality of cartons deviates from the predetermined conveyance direction dimension are discharged outside the system. For example, it is preferable that a lump of cartons whose conveyance direction dimension of the actually sorted plurality of cartons is less than the predetermined conveyance direction dimension (so - called inappropriate length) is discharged from the production line.

[0111] Here, regarding the manufacture of a bi - pattern packaging pack body, two examples of inspection flows in which one carton of color A is set as the target carton used for determining the success or failure of the second trigger condition will be described. In one example of the inspection flow, the cartons arranged in the following pattern X1 are the inspection targets. This pattern X1 is an inspection target in which an extra carton 1 (color B) is mixed between two bi - patterns. · Pattern X1: From the downstream side to the upstream side 「Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, A pattern arranged in the order of Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color A,」 When inspecting the cartons of Pattern X1, the five cartons on the downstream side form a bi-pattern arrangement, so the second inspection condition is met. Then, the resumption of carton conveyance continues until it is determined that the second trigger condition is met (here, the seventh carton from the downstream side including the most downstream side of Pattern X1 is detected). At this time, not only the five cartons inspected in the determination of whether the second inspection condition is met, but also the sixth carton from the downstream side including the most downstream side of Pattern X1 (the above-mentioned extra carton) will be conveyed downstream of the side belt without being stopped by the side belt. Therefore, for the cartons whose conveyance is resumed downstream from the side belt after it is determined that the second inspection condition is met until it is determined that the second trigger condition is met, the number of such cartons is counted (counted) by appropriate sensors, and only the number of cartons forming the carton group (here, five) is conveyed to this path from the most downstream side, and the cartons upstream of this (here, the extra cartons of Color B) are preferably discharged out of the system. That is, it is preferable to check the number of cartons conveyed from the side belt to this path by counting with appropriate sensors or calculating based on the conveyance speed. By such an inspection flow, it is possible to prevent the sixth carton from the downstream side including the most downstream side of Pattern X1 from being mixed downstream of the side belt.

[0112] In another example of the inspection flow, the cartons arranged in the following Pattern X2 are the inspection targets. This Pattern X2 is the inspection target with a defective downstream pattern. ·Pattern X2: From the downstream side towards the upstream side 「Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color B, A pattern arranged in the order of Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color A,」 When inspecting the cartons of Pattern X2, since the five cartons on the downstream side do not form the bi-pattern arrangement order, the second inspection condition is not satisfied, and the conveyance of the cartons resumes until the second trigger condition is determined to be satisfied. When the second inspection condition is not satisfied in this way, it is preferable to determine whether the most upstream carton among the five cartons inspected in the determination of the success or failure of the second inspection condition (here, the fifth carton from the downstream including the most downstream side of Pattern X2) is Color A to determine the success or failure of the second trigger condition. At this time, if it is determined that it is not Color A (the second trigger condition is not satisfied), it is preferable to sequentially set the immediately downstream carton (here, the sixth carton from the downstream including the most downstream side of Pattern X2) as the target cut and determine the success or failure of the second trigger condition. In the example given here, when the fifth carton from the downstream including the most downstream side of Pattern X2 is detected, the second trigger condition is not satisfied, and when the sixth carton from the downstream including the most downstream side of Pattern X2 is detected, the second trigger condition is satisfied. Also in this example, it is preferable to check the number of cartons conveyed from the side belt to the downstream side by counting with appropriate sensors or calculating based on the conveyance speed. By such an inspection flow, even when the most downstream carton forming one carton group is missing, the number of cartons discharged outside the system can be suppressed, contributing to the improvement of inspection efficiency.

[0113] Alternatively, when there is no target carton that should be upstream of the carton group for which it is determined that the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is satisfied, it will be determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition that should be satisfied immediately after the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is satisfied is not satisfied. When such non-satisfaction of the trigger condition is determined, it causes a problem that a carton group not in the predetermined arrangement order is conveyed to this path. Therefore, after it is determined that the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is satisfied, the cartons forming the carton group are conveyed to this path by the number of cartons until it is determined again that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied, and the cartons upstream of these cartons are conveyed to the bypass path and discharged. It is preferable to perform a switch process (provide a switch part). The switching of the conveyance path by such a switch process can be performed based on the detection results of sensors that detect the cartons for which the conveyance has been restarted. Specifically, each carton restarted from the side belt is detected by sensors, the conveyance speed of the carton is calculated from this detection result, and the cartons are conveyed to this path by the number of cartons forming the carton group based on the calculated conveyance speed. Then, the path is switched so that the subsequent cartons are conveyed to the bypass path.

[0114] The timing of performing the detection of the inverted carton (judgment of the establishment or non-establishment of the third trigger condition, sensing process) may be performed in parallel with the execution of the check process when the conveyance of the carton is temporarily stopped, or may be performed serially with the check process after this temporary stop is released and the conveyance is restarted. The detection of the inverted carton is not limited to detecting from above with a barcode reader that there is a barcode on the upper surface of the carton, but may also detect from below with a barcode reader or a camera that there is no barcode on the lower surface of the carton, or may detect from below with a color sensor or a camera that there is an appearance such as a specific color or pattern on the ceiling wall part on the lower surface of the carton. In addition, it is also possible to detect the inverted carton prior to the execution of the check process before the conveyance of the carton is temporarily stopped. In this case, the inverted carton can be conveyed to the bypass path and discharged without inspecting the order.

[0115] In addition, the checking process for inspecting whether the arrangement order of the cartons is a predetermined arrangement order can be carried out at any timing as long as it is after the determination of the success or failure of the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition and before the implementation of the switching process. For example, the checking process may be carried out before or after the conveyance of the cartons is temporarily stopped. Specifically, as an example, the inspection condition in the checking process is to temporarily stop the conveyance of the cartons by the side belt after determining the establishment of the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition, and then determine the success or failure after restarting the conveyance of the cartons by the side belt. By determining the success or failure of the inspection condition at such a timing, even when the cartons whose conveyance has been temporarily stopped by the side belt are displaced upstream from the positions detectable by the sensors used for determining the success or failure of the inspection condition, the inspection condition can be determined when the restarted conveyed cartons pass through the positions detectable by the sensors used for determining the success or failure of the inspection condition.

[0116] The sensors used in the first sensing process and the checking process are not limited to the form in which one color sensor is used in the first sensing process and five color sensors are used in the checking process (a form in which a total of six color sensors are used) as exemplified in one embodiment. Specifically, as an example, at least one of the five color sensors used in the checking process may be used in the first sensing process (a form in which a total of five color sensors are used). That is, at least a part of the plurality of provided sensors may be made to have a function for detecting the target carton and a function for inspecting whether the cartons are in a predetermined arrangement order. By thus making at least some of the sensors serve double duty in the first sensing process and the checking process, it is possible to inspect the arrangement order of the cartons with a simple configuration while suppressing a decrease in detection accuracy.

[0117] Furthermore, at least one of the inverted cartons and the arrangement order of the cartons may be inspected, and the first sensing process and the checking process or the second sensing process may be omitted. Alternatively, after performing a pause step of stopping the conveyance of the cartons without detecting the target carton, a check step of inspecting whether the order of the cartons is a predetermined order or a second sensing step of detecting the inversion of the cartons may be performed. In the check step in this case, for example, a color check step or an image check step is performed, and an alarm step of giving an alarm when it is inspected that the order is not the predetermined order in each of these steps is performed. Such a simple carton inspection method that does not require a release step is preferably applied to a manufacturing method in which an operator manually responds according to the inspection result. Considering the application to a manufacturing method in which an operator manually responds according to the inspection result, the sensing step of detecting the target carton may be performed, but the release step and the switch step may be omitted.

[0118] Conversely, the inspection of whether the order of the cartons is a predetermined order (i.e., the check step) may be omitted. When the target carton is detected in the first sensing step, a pause step is performed, and then a release step is performed. In this case, when the number of cartons whose conveyance has been restarted in the release step matches the number of cartons forming the carton group, the conveyance path is switched to the main path, and when it does not, the conveyance path is switched to the bypass path. Such a method is premised on the fact that the order of the cartons is a predetermined order and is suitable for a production line targeting cartons for which it is difficult to inspect the order using sensors.

[0119] In the above-described embodiment, a carton in a non-predetermined order or a reversed carton was exemplified as a defective carton (detection target) in a group of cartons. However, in addition to the exemplified defective cartons, there are defective cartons that should not be mixed in the group of cartons. For example, cartons of other varieties (different varieties) different from the varieties of cartons forming a group of cartons to be packaged in one pack, cartons with defective shapes such as partially peeled or crushed ones, and cartons with defective prints forming the appearance are examples of defective cartons. Sensors such as sensors and cameras for detecting such defective cartons may be installed, and the defective cartons detected by these sensors may be discharged from the production line to the outside of the system.

[0120] Note that it is also possible to only perform a counting step of counting every number (predetermined number) of cartons packaged in units of one pack in a packaging pack body, and then perform a sorting step of sorting the cartons for each of those numbers (predetermined number). The number counted in the counting step and the cartons sorted in the sorting step are not limited to the predetermined number, and may be a multiple of the predetermined number. That is, after performing a counting step of counting the number of cartons by the predetermined number or a multiple of the predetermined number, a sorting step of sorting the cartons for each of those numbers may be performed. Also in this case, the efficiency of packaging the predetermined number of cartons in units of one pack can be increased. In the counting step and the sorting step, by using a sensor that detects the predetermined number of cartons (for example, the fifth carton) or a multiple of the predetermined number of cartons (for example, the tenth carton) including the most downstream carton where the conveyance has stopped, or a sensor that detects another upstream carton (for example, the sixth carton or the eleventh carton) for this carton, the accuracy of sorting and counting can be improved.

[0121] Alternatively, the cycle for switching the transport path in the switching process is not limited to transporting the number of cartons that make up one carton group, but may also be every time the number of cartons that make up a plurality of carton groups is transported. Specifically, for Carton 1 inspected to be in a predetermined order, after transporting to the first path by the number of cartons that make up two carton groups (for example, ten at a time in this case, or fifteen at a time if it is the number of cartons that make up three carton groups), it may be transported to the second path by the number of cartons that make up two carton groups. In addition, the sorting process and the parallel process may be omitted.

Explanation of Signs

[0122] 1 Carton 1B Bottom Wall Portion 1T Outlet 1U Top Wall Portion 1X Side Wall Portion 1Y End Wall Portion 1' Material 3 Tissue Paper 10 Packaged Pack 19 Wrapping Material 21 Deposit Part 22 Stack Part 23 Store Part 24 Feed Part 31 Folding Part 32 Accommodation Part 33 Sealing Part 40 Sensors 41 Controller (Control Device) 42 Switch Mechanism 43 Side Belt 44 Switch Mechanism 45 Alarm 4A Color Sensor 4B Barcode Reader 4C Camera (Imaging Device) P1 Bundle Transport Part P2 Material Preparation Part P3 Carton Part P4 Inspection Part P5 Parallel Part P6 Wrapping Part R1 Main Route R11 First Main Route R12 Second Main Route R2 By-Path

Claims

1. A carton separation method for separating the cartons that are continuously conveyed toward a wrapping process for wrapping a group of cartons consisting of a predetermined number of cartons containing tissue paper in units of one pack, a counting step of counting the number of the conveyed cartons every the predetermined number or an integral multiple of the predetermined number, and a separating step of separating the cartons every the predetermined number or the integral multiple counted in the counting step, wherein the separating step stops the conveyance of the cartons every the predetermined number or the integral multiple counted in the counting step, then resumes the conveyance of the stopped cartons, and separates the cartons with an interval between every the predetermined number or the integral multiple of the cartons. A carton separation method characterized by the above.

2. A carton sorting method for sorting the cartons that are continuously conveyed toward a wrapping process in which a wrapping process for wrapping a group of cartons consisting of a plurality of cartons containing tissue paper in units of one pack is performed in parallel, a parallel step of conveying the cartons toward each of the wrapping processes, and a sorting step of sorting the cartons conveyed in series to the cartons to be conveyed to each of the plurality of wrapping processes in the parallel step. A carton sorting method characterized by the above.

3. The group of cartons consists of a predetermined number of the cartons, a counting step of counting the number of the conveyed cartons every the predetermined number or an integral multiple of the predetermined number, and a separating step of separating the cartons every the predetermined number or the integral multiple counted in the counting step, wherein the separating step stops the conveyance of the cartons every the predetermined number or the integral multiple counted in the counting step, then resumes the conveyance of the stopped cartons, and separates the cartons with an interval between every the predetermined number or the integral multiple of the cartons, and the sorting step sorts the cartons every the predetermined number or the integral multiple separated in the separating step. The carton sorting method according to Claim 2, characterized by the above.

Images