Flap folding device, box making device, box sealing device and box packing device

Abstract

To prevent a holding member and a second flap from coming into strong contact with each other.SOLUTION: A flap folding device 12B folds a first flap Bf1 and a second flap Bf2 of an unfolded box material Z to form a bottom surface Bc of a cardboard box B. The flap folding device 12B includes first members 60, 90 that fold a pair of first flaps Bf1, a second member 70 that folds a pair of second flaps Bf2, and a holding member 80 that includes a plate-shaped long portion 81 extending in a long side direction of an opening Bp and presses and holds the folded pair of first flaps Bf1 with the long portion 81. After the first members 60 and 90 fold the pair of first flaps Bf1, the second member 70 folds the pair of second flaps Bf2 while the pair of first flaps Bf1 is held by the holding member 80. The holding member 80 is attached so as to be able to swing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flap folding device, a box making device, a box sealing device, and a cartoning device. [Background technology]

[0002] A flap folding device is known that folds a pair of first flaps provided on the short side of an opening of an unfolded cardboard sheet and a pair of second flaps provided on the long side of the opening to form a lid for a cardboard box (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Such a flap folding device includes a holding member (pressing member) that presses and holds the pair of folded first flaps. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6952466 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above-described flap folding device, if the position of the holding member or the second flap is shifted, for example, the holding member and the second flap may come into strong contact with each other, which may cause problems such as the second flap being bent.

[0005] The present disclosure describes a flap folding device, a box making device, a box sealing device, and a case packing device that can prevent strong contact between the holding member and the second flap. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present disclosure is a flap folding device that folds a pair of first flaps provided on the short side of the opening of an unfolded cardboard sheet and a pair of second flaps provided on the long side of the opening to form the bottom or lid of a cardboard box, the flap folding device comprising: a first member that folds the pair of first flaps toward the inside of the opening; a second member that folds the pair of second flaps toward the inside of the opening; and a holding member that includes a rod-shaped or plate-shaped long portion extending along the long side of the opening and presses and holds the folded pair of first flaps with the long portion; the second member folds the pair of second flaps after the first member folds the pair of first flaps, while the pair of first flaps are held by the holding member, and the holding member is attached so as to be able to swing.

[0007] In this flap folding device, even if the position of the holding member relative to the second flap shifts and the two come into contact, the holding member can swing, making it possible to avoid strong contact between the holding member and the second flap.

[0008] (2) In the flap folding device described in (1) above, when the opening is substantially square, the flap that is folded first may be the first flap, and the flap that is folded last may be the second flap. In this way, one aspect of the present disclosure can handle cases where the opening of the unfolded cardboard sheet is substantially square.

[0009] (3) In the flap folding device described in (1) or (2) above, the holding member may be configured to be swingable about an axis extending along the long side direction. In this case, the holding member can be swung around the axis extending along the long side direction.

[0010] (4) In the flap folding device described in any one of (1) to (3) above, the holding member may, while pressing and holding the pair of folded first flaps, partition the pair of second flaps folded by the second member so that the pair of second flaps do not overlap. In this case, the holding member can prevent the pair of second flaps from overlapping.

[0011] (5) In the flap folding device described in any one of (1) to (4) above, a part of the first member may be provided integrally with the holding member, which simplifies the device configuration.

[0012] (6) In the flap folding device described in (3) above, the holding member may be able to swing at least 5° in each of the two rotational directions about the axis relative to the reference position. In this case, the holding member can be swung effectively to prevent strong contact between the holding member and the second flap.

[0013] (7) One aspect of the present disclosure is a box making device including an unfolding section that grips a folded cardboard sheet and unfolds it into a rectangular tubular shape, and the flap folding device according to any one of (1) to (6) above that folds a pair of first flaps and a pair of second flaps of the cardboard sheet unfolded into the rectangular tubular shape by the unfolding section to form the bottom of a cardboard box. In this box making device, the flap folding device also has the effect of preventing strong contact between the holding member and the second flaps.

[0014] (8) One aspect of the present disclosure is a sealing device including the flap folding device according to any one of (1) to (6) above, which folds a pair of first flaps and a pair of second flaps at an opening of a cardboard sheet that has been unfolded to form a bottom, to form a lid for a cardboard box, and a tape application unit that applies tape to the lid so that the pair of second flaps are maintained in a folded state. This sealing device also has the operational effect of preventing strong contact between the holding member and the second flaps by the flap folding device.

[0015] (9) One aspect of the present disclosure is a boxing device including the box making device described in (7) above and a boxing unit that stores items in the cardboard box made by the box making device. In this boxing device, too, the flap folding device provided in the box making device has the effect of preventing strong contact between the holding member and the second flap.

[0016] (10) One aspect of the present disclosure is a boxing device including the sealing device described in (8) above and a boxing unit that stores articles in a cardboard box to be sealed by the sealing device. In this boxing device, too, the flap folding device provided in the sealing device has the effect of preventing strong contact between the holding member and the second flap. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent strong contact between the holding member and the second flap. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a case packing device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the flow of cardboard boxes and products in the packing device of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing the flap folding device of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a side view showing the flap folding device of FIG. [Figure 5] 5 is a rear view showing the flap folding device of FIG. [Figure 6] Fig. 6(a) is a rear view showing the swinging of the holding part in the flap folding device of Fig. 3. Fig. 6(b) is another rear view showing the swinging of the holding part in the flap folding device of Fig. 3. [Figure 7] Fig. 7(a) is a side view showing an example of forming the bottom surface of a cardboard box using the flap folding device of Fig. 3. Fig. 7(b) is a side view showing a continuation of Fig. 7(a). [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a side view showing a continuation of FIG. 7(b). [Figure 9] Fig. 9(a) is a rear view showing a continuation of Fig. 8. Fig. 9(b) is a rear view showing a continuation of Fig. 9(a). [Figure 10] Fig. 10(a) is a schematic rear view illustrating the operation of the flap folding device of Fig. 3. Fig. 10(b) is another schematic rear view illustrating the operation of the flap folding device of Fig. 3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for convenience, the front-rear, up-down, and left-right directions relative to the cartoning device 1 are used. Some figures display three-dimensional orthogonal axes indicating these directions. As an example, the position where the box material (cardboard sheet) Z is placed and the position where the sealed cardboard box B is discharged are the front of the cartoning device 1. The position where the product supply means 50 is provided is the rear of the cartoning device 1. The front-rear and left-right directions are both directions that extend horizontally. The up-down direction is equivalent to the vertical direction.

[0020] First, the overall configuration of the packing device 1 of this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figure 1, the packing device 1 is a device that assembles (manufactures) a cardboard box B, stores a plurality of products (articles) A in the cardboard box B, and seals the cardboard box B. The packing device 1 assembles a plurality of box materials Z stored in a box material storage section 11 one by one, and packs a plurality of products A, which are supplied from the outside by product supply means 50 and carried in sequentially, into the cardboard box B in an aligned state.

[0021] The box body Ba of the cardboard box B is a rectangular parallelepiped. That is, in a standard position with the top surface Bd facing upward, the box body Ba includes four parallel, equal-length side edges extending in the vertical direction. Meanwhile, the box body Ba has a top surface Bd and a bottom surface Bc, each of which is a congruent rectangle. The top surface Bd and the bottom surface Bc each include a pair of short sides C and a pair of long sides D. When the flaps Bf are open on the top surface Bd, the box body Ba has an opening Bp. This opening Bp also includes a pair of short sides C and a pair of long sides D, just like the top surface Bd. (Strictly speaking, there is a difference between the top surface Bd and the opening Bp due to the thickness of the box material Z, but this distinction is not made in this embodiment.)

[0022] 1 and 2, the packing device 1 includes a box supply means 10 that assembles cardboard boxes B and supplies them to a holding position PB, a box holding section 20 that holds the cardboard boxes B at the holding position PB, and a sealing means 30 that transports and seals the cardboard boxes B that contain a plurality of products A. The packing device 1 further includes a product supply means 50 that sequentially supplies a plurality of products A. Each component of the packing device 1 will be described below.

[0023] The box supply means 10 has a box material storage section 11 that stores multiple box materials Z, a box making section 12 that assembles the box body Ba of the cardboard box B, a first rotation section 13 that rotates the assembled box body Ba, and a box under-transport section 14 that transports the box body Ba downward. The box material storage section 11 supports multiple box materials Z that are stacked on top of each other using a support section (not shown). The box material storage section 11 includes a lifting mechanism 11a that removes the box materials Z one by one. Each box material Z removed by the lifting mechanism 11a is transported to a subsequent stage by a conveyor (not shown).

[0024] The box making unit 12 receives each box material Z, unfolds the box material Z into a cylindrical shape, folds in the bottom flaps Bf, and applies tape to the bottom surface Bc. As a result, the box body Ba is transported further rearward with the opening Bp facing upward. In this embodiment, "box making" of the cardboard box B means forming a rectangular box body Ba. Therefore, "box making" does not necessarily require the top flaps Bf to be folded in. The box making unit 12 constitutes a box making device.

[0025] The box making unit 12 includes at least an unfolding unit 12A and a flap folding device 12B. The unfolding unit 12A grasps the folded box material Z and unfolds it into a rectangular tubular shape. The flap folding device 12B folds the flaps Bf of the box material Z unfolded into a rectangular tubular shape by the unfolding unit 12A to form the bottom surface (bottom) Bc of the cardboard box B. Details of the flap folding device 12B will be described later. The box making unit 12 may include a suction rotation mechanism 12a that rotates the box main body Ba so that the long side D of the box main body Ba faces the conveying direction.

[0026] The first rotating unit 13 rotates the completed cardboard box B into a predetermined position. As an example, the first rotating unit 13 rotates the cardboard box B into a position where the long side D is positioned downward and the opening Bp faces to the side. The position of the cardboard box B by the first rotating unit 13 is controlled by, for example, the controller 6, which will be described later.

[0027] The under-box conveying section 14 conveys the box body Ba downward. For example, the under-box conveying section 14 includes a pair of upper and lower conveying belts that sandwich the box body Ba, and conveys the box body Ba downward by running the pair of upper and lower conveying belts. The box holding section 20 holds the cardboard box B at the holding position PB. For example, a part (lower part) of the above-mentioned under-box conveying section 14 constitutes the box holding section 20 that holds the cardboard box B.

[0028] The product supply means 50 has a product carry-in section 51, a product conveying section 52, and a product transferring section 53. The product carry-in section 51 is arranged downstream of processes that perform, for example, weight, sealability, and foreign matter contamination inspections, and receives a supply of products A that have passed inspection and passes each product A to the product conveying section 52. The product conveying section 52 receives each product A that has been adjusted to a predetermined position from the product carry-in section 51, stands the multiple products A upright to form a product group X, and conveys the product group X. The product conveying section 52 is composed of, for example, multiple conveyors.

[0029] The product transfer unit 53 is a transfer means that transfers the product group X into the box main body Ba (inside the cardboard box B). The product transfer unit 53 has a transfer plate 53a that includes a plate-shaped portion facing forward and is slidable in the front and rear directions. The transfer plate 53a is driven by the controller 6, and when the box holding unit 20 has finished holding the cardboard box B and the product conveying unit 52 has finished forming the product group X, the transfer plate 53a moves forward to push (transfer) the product group X into the box main body Ba.

[0030] The sealing means 30 includes a second rotation unit 31 that rotates the box body Ba containing the product group X, a sealing unit 32 that closes the box body Ba with the flaps Bf and applies tape, and a discharge conveyor 33 that transports the box body Ba forward. The second rotation unit 31 includes a suction rotation mechanism 31a that rotates the box body Ba 90 degrees around an axis extending in the left-right direction. The second rotation unit 31 rotates the cardboard box B so that the transport direction of the cardboard box B matches the direction of tape application by the sealing unit 32. The sealing unit 32 folds the top side flaps Bf of the box body Ba transported by the discharge conveyor 33 and applies tape to the top surface Bd. The sealing unit 32 constitutes a sealing device. The sealing unit 32 includes a flap folding device 32A and a tape application unit 32B.

[0031] The flap folding device 32A folds in the flaps Bf at the opening Bp of the box body Ba (box material Z that has been unfolded to form a bottom surface Bc) on the discharge conveyor 33, forming the top surface (lid) Bd of the cardboard box B. The configuration of the flap folding device 32A is similar to that of the flap folding device 12B of the box making unit 12, so a description thereof will be omitted. The tape applying unit 32B applies tape to the top surface Bd so that the flaps Bf remain folded in (the pair of second flaps are folded in). A known mechanism can be used for the tape applying unit 32B. The sealed cardboard box B is discharged from the front end of the box filling device 1.

[0032] The boxing device 1 includes a controller 6 that controls the operation of each of the box supply means 10, box holding unit 20, sealing means 30, and product supply means 50. The controller 6 is configured as a computer device including a processor such as a CPU, memories such as ROM and RAM, storage, and communication devices. In the controller 6, the processor executes predetermined software (programs) loaded into the memory, etc., and controls the reading and writing of data in the memory and storage, as well as communication via the communication devices, thereby realizing various controls. In the above, the product supply means 50 constitutes a boxing unit that places product A into a cardboard box B made by the box making unit 12, and a boxing unit that places product A into a cardboard box B to be sealed by the box sealing unit 32.

[0033] Next, the flap folding device 12B will be described in detail.

[0034] As shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, 7(a), 7(b), 9(a), and 9(b), the flap folding device 12B folds a pair of first flaps Bf1 and a pair of second flaps Bf2 of the unfolded box material Z to form the bottom Bc of the cardboard box B. The first flap Bf1 is a flap Bf provided on the short side C of the opening Bp of the unfolded box material Z, and the second flap Bf2 is a flap Bf provided on the long side D of the opening Bp of the unfolded box material Z. The first flap Bf1 is a flap Bf that is folded first, and the second flap Bf2 is a flap Bf that is folded last. The first flap Bf1 is also referred to as a minor flap, and the second flap Bf2 is also referred to as a major flap. The opening Bp is approximately square. Hereinafter, the unfolded box material Z may also be referred to as a cardboard box B.

[0035] The flap folding device 12B includes a first member 60 and a first member 90 that fold the pair of first flaps Bf1 toward the inside of the opening Bp, a second member 70 that folds the pair of second flaps Bf2 toward the inside of the opening Bp, and a holding member 80 that presses and holds the pair of folded first flaps Bf1.

[0036] The first member 60 is a plate-like member that extends horizontally and is curved in a side view. In the illustrated example, the rear end of the first member 60 extends along a horizontal plane and curves downward as it moves from the rear end to the front as viewed from the side. The rear end of the first member 60 is located at a height corresponding to the first flap Bf1. The surface 60a of the rear end of the first member 60 abuts against one of the first flaps Bf1, pushing it into the inside of the opening Bp and folding the one first flap Bf1 toward the inside of the opening Bp. The first member 90 includes a movable arm (see FIG. 7(b)). By driving the movable arm, the first member 90 abuts against the other first flap Bf1, pushing it into the inside of the opening Bp and folding the other first flap Bf1 toward the inside of the opening Bp. The first member 90 is not particularly limited, and various known techniques may be employed.

[0037] The second member 70 has a pair of contact portions 71. The contact portions 71 are cylindrical rod members whose axial direction is the front-to-rear direction. Each contact portion 71 is connected to an arm 72. By driving the arm 72, each contact portion 71 comes into contact with the second flap Bf2 and pushes it into the inside of the opening Bp, folding the second flap Bf2 toward the inside of the opening Bp. The second member 70 is also referred to as a second flap folding rod.

[0038] The holding member 80 includes a long portion 81 and a base portion 82. The long portion 81 presses and holds the pair of folded first flaps Bf1. The long portion 81 is a plate-like member extending in the front-rear direction (the long side direction in which the long side D of the opening Bp extends). The long portion 81 has a thickness in the left-right direction, and is formed so that its upper portion is thinner than the remaining portions (see FIG. 5). The first member 60 is fixed and integrated with the front end side of the long portion 81. In other words, the first member 60 is provided integrally with the holding member 80. The long portion 81 may be a rod-shaped member. The base portion 82 is a rectangular block-shaped member with its longitudinal direction in the front-rear direction. The base portion 82 is provided at the lower part of the long portion 81.

[0039] The flap folding device 12B includes a support portion 83, a shaft 84, and a restricting portion 85. The support portion 83 supports the holding member 80, the shaft 84, and the restricting portion 85. The support portion 83 includes at least plate-shaped vertical plates 83x, 83y whose thickness direction is in the front-to-rear direction, and a plate-shaped horizontal plate 83z whose thickness direction is in the up-to-down direction. The support portion 83 is provided so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction on, for example, an installation surface on which the flap folding device 12B is installed. This allows at least a portion of the flap folding device 12B to move toward the box material Z.

[0040] The vertical plates 83x and 83y are arranged to sandwich the base portion 82 in the front-rear direction. A shaft 84 is coaxially provided on each of the vertical plates 83x and 83y, with the axial direction being the front-rear direction. The rear end of the base portion 82 is attached to the shaft 84 of the vertical plate 83x via a bushing, and the front end of the base portion 82 is attached to the shaft 84 of the vertical plate 83y via a bushing. As a result, the long portion 81 and the base portion 82 are supported so as to be swingable about the shaft 84 relative to the vertical plates 83x and 83y. In other words, the holding member 80 is attached so as to be swingable. The holding member 80 here is configured to be swingable about the shaft 84, which is an axis extending along the front-rear direction. The horizontal plate 83z is arranged below the base portion 82 with a gap therebetween.

[0041] 3, 6(a), and 6(b), the restricting portions 85 are members that restrict the swinging of the holding member 80. A plurality of restricting portions 85 are arranged on the horizontal plate 83z on each of the right and left sides of the base portion 82. The restricting portions 85 are plate members bent into an L shape, and include a bottom plate that extends along the horizontal plane and is provided on the horizontal plate 83z, and a side plate that extends upward from the end of the bottom plate on the base portion 82 side. The restricting portions 85 come into contact with the swinging base portion 82, thereby restricting further swinging of the holding member 80.

[0042] Specifically, when the holding member 80 pivots about the shaft 84 by 5° from the reference position to one side in the rotational direction around the axis of the shaft 84 (hereinafter simply referred to as the "rotational direction"), the restricting portion 85 comes into contact with the base portion 82 and prevents further pivoting in that direction (see FIG. 6(a)). Furthermore, when the holding member 80 pivots about the shaft 84 by 5° from the reference position to the other side in the rotational direction, the restricting portion 85 comes into contact with the base portion 82 and prevents further pivoting in that direction. This allows the holding member 80 to pivot at least 5° in each of the one and other rotational directions relative to the reference position. The reference position is the position of the elongated portion 81 extending in the up-down direction. Note that in FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b), a portion of the vertical plate 83x is shown cut away.

[0043] When the bottom surface Bc of the cardboard box B is formed using the flap folding device 12B described above, as shown in Fig. 7(a), the flap folding device 12B moves toward the box material Z that is unfolded and moving backward, and as shown in Fig. 7(b), the surface 60a of the first member 60 pushes one of the first flaps Bf1 into the inside of the opening Bp and folds the one first flap Bf1 toward the inside of the opening Bp. At the same time, the first member 90 is driven, and the first member 90 pushes the other first flap Bf1 into the inside of the opening Bp and folds the other first flap Bf1 toward the inside of the opening Bp.

[0044] The flap folding device 12B continues to move, and as shown in FIG. 8, the long portion 81 of the holding member 80 presses down and holds the pair of folded first flaps Bf1 (i.e., supports them so they do not droop). As shown in FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b), after the first members 60, 90 fold the pair of first flaps Bf1, with the pair of first flaps Bf1 held by the holding member 80, the second member 70 is driven, causing the second member 70 to push the pair of second flaps Bf2 toward the inside of the opening Bp and fold the pair of second flaps Bf2 toward the inside of the opening Bp. At this time, while pressing down and holding the pair of folded first flaps Bf1, the holding member 80 separates the pair of second flaps Bf2 folded by the second member 70 so that the pair of second flaps Bf2 do not overlap.

[0045] Here, for example, as shown in FIG. 10(a), if the position of the holding member 80 or the height of the second member 70 is misaligned, or, as shown in FIG. 10(b), if the dimensional accuracy of the cardboard box B is poor, the position of the holding member 80 may be misaligned relative to the second flap Bf2, potentially causing the two to come into contact. Even in this case, the flap folding device 12B allows the holding member 80 to swing around the shaft 84, thereby preventing strong contact between the holding member 80 and the second flap Bf2. This prevents the second flap Bf2 from bending or becoming a resistance to conveyance. This eliminates the need for strict quality control of the cardboard box B or for the assembly and adjustment of the device. This creates a degree of leeway for the device, making it easier to handle.

[0046] In the flap folding device 12B, when the opening is substantially square, the flap Bf that is folded first is the first flap Bf1, and the flap Bf that is folded last is the second flap Bf2. In this way, this embodiment can also handle cases where the opening Bp of the unfolded box material Z is substantially square.

[0047] In the flap folding device 12B, the holding member 80 is configured to be swingable around a shaft 84. In this case, the holding member 80 can be swung around an axis extending along the long side direction, which is the direction along the long side D.

[0048] In the flap folding device 12B, while the holding member 80 presses and holds the pair of folded first flaps Bf1, it separates the pair of second flaps Bf2 folded by the second member 70 so that the pair of second flaps Bf2 do not overlap. In this case, the holding member 80 makes it possible to prevent the pair of second flaps Bf2 from overlapping.

[0049] In the flap folding device 12B, the first member 60 (part of the first member) of the first member 60 and the first member 90 is provided integrally with the holding member 80. In this case, the device configuration can be simplified. Note that the holding member 80 may be configured separately from the first member 60.

[0050] In the flap folding device 12B, the holding member 80 can be swung by at least 5° in each of the directions of rotation relative to the reference position. In this case, the holding member 80 can be swung effectively to prevent strong contact between the holding member 80 and the second flap Bf2. For example, if the holding member 80 swung less than 5° in each of the directions of rotation relative to the reference position, contact between the holding member 80 and the second flap Bf2 cannot be avoided, resulting in bending, or misalignment in the conveying direction between the first flap Bf1 and the second flap Bf2.

[0051] In the box making section 12, the box sealing section 32 and the box packing device 1 as well, the flap folding devices 12B and 32A have the effect of preventing the holding member 80 and the second flap Bf2 from coming into strong contact with each other.

[0052] Although the embodiments have been described above, one aspect of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0053] In the above embodiment, 5° includes approximately 5° and includes errors such as measurement errors. In the above embodiment, the box making unit 12 is equipped with the flap folding device 12B and the box sealing unit 32 is equipped with the flap folding device 32A, but the flap folding device 12B may be provided without the flap folding device 32A, or the flap folding device 32A may be provided without the flap folding device 12B.

[0054] The components in the above-described embodiments and modifications are not limited to the materials and shapes described above, and various materials and shapes can be applied. Furthermore, the components in the above-described embodiments and modifications can be arbitrarily applied to the components in other embodiments or modifications. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 1...boxing device, 10...box supply means (supply means), 12...carton making section (carton making device), 12A...unfolding section, 12B...flap folding device, 30...sealing means, 31...second rotating section, 32...sealing section (sealing device), 32A...flap folding device, 32B...tape applying section, 50...product supply means (cartoning section), 60, 90...first member, 70...second member, 80...holding member, 81...long section, 84...shaft, A...product (item), B...cardboard box, Bc...bottom (bottom), Bd...top (lid), Bf1...first flap, Bf2...second flap, Bp...opening, C...short side, D...long side, Z...box material (cardboard sheet).

Claims

1. A flap folding device that folds a pair of first flaps provided on the short side of an opening of an unfolded cardboard sheet and a pair of second flaps provided on the long side of the opening to form a bottom or a lid of a cardboard box, a first member that folds the pair of first flaps toward the inside of the opening; a second member that folds the pair of second flaps toward the inside of the opening; a holding member including a rod-shaped or plate-shaped elongated portion extending along the long side direction of the opening, and pressing and holding the pair of folded first flaps with the elongated portion; the second member folds the pair of second flaps in a state in which the pair of first flaps is held by the holding member after the first member folds the pair of first flaps, The holding member is attached so as to be able to swing.

2. The flap folding device according to claim 1 , wherein when the opening is substantially square, the flap that is folded first is the first flap and the flap that is folded last is the second flap.

3. The flap folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the holding member is configured to be swingable about an axis extending along the long side direction.

4. 3. The flap folding device according to claim 1, wherein the holding member, when holding and holding the pair of folded first flaps, separates the pair of second flaps folded by the second member so that the pair of second flaps do not overlap.

5. The flap folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a portion of the first member is integral with the holding member.

6. The flap folding device according to claim 3 , wherein the holding member is capable of swinging at least 5° in each of one and the other rotational directions about the axis relative to a reference position.

7. an unfolding unit that grasps the folded cardboard sheet and unfolds it into a rectangular tube; A box making device comprising: a flap folding device according to claim 1 or 2, which folds a pair of first flaps and a pair of second flaps of the cardboard sheet unfolded into a rectangular tube by the unfolding section to form the bottom of a cardboard box.

8. a flap folding device according to claim 1 or 2, which folds the pair of first flaps and the pair of second flaps at the opening of the cardboard sheet that has been unfolded to form a bottom, thereby forming a lid of the cardboard box; and a tape applying unit that applies tape to the lid so that the pair of second flaps are maintained in a folded state.

9. The box making device according to claim 7; a packing unit that stores articles in the cardboard boxes made by the box making device.

10. The sealing device according to claim 8; and a boxing unit that stores articles in the cardboard boxes to be sealed by the sealing device.

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