Sealing machine and method of manufacturing carton

Abstract

To provide a sealing machine allowed to stably form a tab at an end of an adhesive tape to be affixed to a carton and a method of manufacturing a carton.SOLUTION: A sealing machine 1 comprises a conveyance device 3 that transports a carton C, a position acquiring device 4 that acquires a carried position of the carton C, a tape feeding unit 5 that feeds an adhesive tape T to join flaps of the carton C together, a cutting member 6 that cuts the adhesive tape T at an upstream side in a transport direction X of the carton C, a suction head 8 that is provided on the cutting member 6, for forming a tab Tt that the adhesive tape T after cut is drawn to be folded back with adhesive surfaces closely contacted with each other, and a control device 10 that controls the drawing action by the conveyance device 3 and the suction head 8. The control device 10 adjusts the drawing time of the adhesive tape T with the suction head 8 by retarding the transport of the carton C, based on the transported position of the carton C acquired by the position acquiring device 4.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing machine and a carton manufacturing method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, techniques for sealing cartons with adhesive tape have been known. For example, Patent Document 1 describes a carton sealer (sealing machine) that includes a cutter and a suction head that forms a folded portion at the leading end of the subsequent tape formed by cutting, and that folds the adhesive tape with the suction head to form a folded portion (tab portion) with a non-adhesive outer surface. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-321817 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the method described in Patent Document 1, there is insufficient time for the end of the adhesive tape to pass through the suction head, and depending on the thickness of the adhesive tape and the installation environment, it may not be possible to form the tab portion as intended.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and its object is to provide a sealing machine and a carton manufacturing method that can stably form a tab portion at the end of an adhesive tape that is attached to a carton. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the sealing machine of the present invention comprises a conveying device that conveys cartons, a position acquisition device that acquires the conveying position of the carton, a tape supply unit that supplies adhesive tape that joins the flaps of the carton together, a cutting member that cuts the adhesive tape upstream of the carton in the conveying direction, a suction head that is provided on the cutting member and sucks the adhesive tape after cutting to bring the adhesive surfaces into close contact with each other and form a folded-over tab portion, and a control device that controls the suction operation of the conveying device and the suction head, and the control device delays the conveying of the carton from a normal speed based on the conveying position of the carton acquired by the position acquisition device to adjust the suction time of the adhesive tape by the suction head.

[0007] In order to achieve the above object, the carton manufacturing method of the present invention comprises joining the flaps of a carton being transported in a transport direction with adhesive tape, cutting the adhesive tape with a cutting member upstream of the carton in the transport direction, and sucking the cut adhesive tape with a suction head provided on the cutting member to bring the adhesive surfaces into close contact with each other and form a folded-over tab portion, and delaying the transport of the carton from a normal speed based on the transport position of the carton to adjust the suction time of the adhesive tape by the suction head. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the sealing machine and carton manufacturing method of the present invention, it is possible to stably form a tab portion at the end portion of the adhesive tape to be attached to the carton. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a sealing machine according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the sealing machine. [Figure 3] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the sealing machine. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the operation of the sealing machine. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is an explanatory view showing the vicinity of a cutting member when the adhesive tape is cut. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a carton manufacturing method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0011] (sealing machine) Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a sealing machine according to an embodiment. The sealing machine 1 is a device that joins left and right flaps (not shown) that form the top surface C1 of a carton C together with adhesive tape T. The sealing machine 1 includes a support frame 2, a conveying device 3, a position acquisition device 4, a tape supply unit 5, a cutting member 6, a damper member 7, a suction head 8, and a control device 10. In the following description, the horizontal direction in which the carton C is conveyed will be referred to as the "conveying direction X," the horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveying direction X will be referred to as the "direction Y," and the vertical direction perpendicular to the conveying direction X and direction Y will be referred to as the "direction Z."

[0012] The conveying device 3 conveys the cartons C in a conveying direction X at a conveying speed described below. The conveying device 3 is a belt conveyor device driven by the power of a drive source such as an electric motor. The driving of the conveying device 3 is controlled by a control device 10.

[0013] The position acquisition device 4 is a sensor, such as a photoelectric sensor or a laser sensor, that can acquire the conveying position of the carton C on the conveying device 3. The position acquisition device 4 includes a first sensor 41 and a second sensor 42 that are spaced apart from each other in the conveying direction X. The first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42 are provided between an upstream roller 53R and a downstream roller 54R, which will be described later.

[0014] The tape supply unit 5 includes a plurality of path rollers 51 and a tape application mechanism 52. The plurality of path rollers 51 are rotatably provided on the support frame 2 below a tape roll TR around which adhesive tape T is wound and which is attached to a rotating reel shaft (not shown). In this embodiment, "rotatably" means rotatable around an axis extending along direction Y. The plurality of path rollers 51 include path rollers 511, 512, 513, and 514 which are arranged in order from the tape roll TR, and form a feeding path for the adhesive tape T.

[0015] The tape application mechanism 52 includes an upstream rotating member 53, an upstream roller 53R, a downstream rotating member 54, a downstream roller 54R, and a connecting member 55. The upstream rotating member 53 is provided on the support frame 2 so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 53A coaxially with the path roller 514. An upstream roller 53R for pressing the adhesive tape T against the carton C is rotatably attached to one end of the upstream rotating member 53. A path roller 513 is rotatably attached to the other end of the upstream rotating member 53. The downstream rotating member 54 is disposed downstream of the upstream rotating member 53 in the conveying direction X, and is provided on the support frame 2 so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 54A. A downstream roller 54R for pressing the adhesive tape T against the carton C is rotatably attached to one end of the downstream rotating member 54. One end of a plate-shaped connecting member 55 is rotatably connected to the upstream rotating member 53 around a support shaft 551A, and the other end of the connecting member 55 is rotatably connected to the downstream rotating member 54 around a support shaft 552A. A spring (not shown) is connected to the downstream rotating member 54, and the downstream rotating member 54 and the upstream rotating member 53 are configured to be held in the state shown in Fig. 1 by the biasing force of the spring unless other forces are applied. With the above configuration, the upstream roller 53R and the downstream roller 54R are provided so as to be movable up and down in conjunction with each other, and are arranged side by side in the conveying direction X.

[0016] The cutting member 6 is disposed between the upstream rotating member 53 and the downstream rotating member 54 in the conveying direction X, and is attached to the support frame 2 so as to be rotatable about a support shaft 6A. One end 63 of the cutting member 6 is provided with a cutter 61 having a cutting blade formed on its lower edge. The cutting member 6 also has a guide portion 62 that protrudes from the one end 63. The guide portion 62 is positioned so as not to interfere with the cutter 61.

[0017] A damper member 7 is attached to the other end 64 of the cutting member 6. The damper member 7 has a cylindrical cylinder 71 and a rod 72 inserted into the cylinder 71. A spring receiving member 73 is attached to the end of the rod 72, and is slidably inserted into the inner circumferential surface of the cylinder 71. A spring 74 is provided between the spring receiving member 73 and the end face of the cylinder 71 to urge the rod 72 toward the end. A stopper 75 is provided midway through the rod 72, abutting against the end face of the cylinder 71 to restrict movement of the rod 72. The damper member 7 is rotatably attached to the downstream rotating member 54 at the end of the cylinder 71 opposite the rod 72, and is rotatably attached to the other end 64 of the cutting member 6 at the tip of the rod 72.

[0018] The suction head 8 is formed of a metal or resin block, and is attached to the cutting member 6 upstream of the cutter 61. A groove 81 (FIG. 5) extending upward is formed on the lower surface of the suction head 8 (the surface facing downward in the state shown in FIG. 1). The groove 81 is preferably formed so as not to penetrate the end surfaces of the suction head 8 in the Y direction. An ejector-type vacuum suction device 90, for example, that sucks air from the groove 81 via a suction path 91 is connected to the suction head 8. The suction head 8, together with the vacuum suction device 90 and the suction path 91, constitutes a suction device for sucking the end portion of the adhesive tape T after cutting into the groove 81, as will be described later. The suction device (vacuum suction device 90) is driven and controlled by the control device 10. The cutting member 6 and suction head 8 are disposed in positions where they do not interfere with the upstream rotating member 53 and the downstream rotating member 54.

[0019] The control device 10 includes an input / output device, a storage device (ROM, RAM, non-volatile RAM, etc.), a central processing unit (CPU), etc., and performs overall control of the sealing machine 1. Specifically, the control device 10 controls the conveyance of the carton C by the conveyance device 3 and the suction operation of the adhesive tape T by the suction head 8, based on various settings input via the input / output device and the conveyance position of the carton C detected by the position acquisition device 4. The control device 10 also acquires information on the product specifications of the carton C input by, for example, an operator, and switches between performing the suction operation of the adhesive tape T and delaying the conveyance of the carton C according to the information. In other words, if the product specifications of the carton C do not require a tab portion Tt (described later), the suction head 8 does not perform suction of the adhesive tape T so as not to form the tab portion Tt, and the control device does not delay the conveyance speed of the carton C (described later).

[0020] (Sealing machine operation) Next, the basic operation of the sealing machine 1 when applying the adhesive tape T to the carton C will be described with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. Fig. 2 to Fig. 4 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of the operation of the sealing machine 1. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing the vicinity of the cutting member 6 when the adhesive tape T is cut.

[0021] First, as shown in FIG. 1, when the carton C is located in front of the upstream roller 53R, the upstream rotating member 53 and the downstream rotating member 54 are held in the state shown in FIG. 1 by the force of a spring (not shown), as described above, and the upstream roller 53R and the downstream roller 54R are positioned below the top surface C1 (outer surface) of the carton C. The adhesive tape T is wound around each path roller 51 from the tape roll TR and extends downward, with its adhesive surface facing upstream in the conveying direction X and its end portion contacting the upstream roller 53R. A tab portion Tt (FIG. 5), which will be described later, is formed at the end portion. The other end 64 of the cutting member 6 is pressed upstream in the conveying direction X by the damper member 7, and a clockwise force is applied. As a result, the cutter 61 and the guide portion 62 are positioned above the top surface C1 of the carton C.

[0022] When the carton C is conveyed from this state along the conveyance direction X, the side surface C2 (outer surface) of the carton C abuts against the upstream roller 53R with the adhesive tape T sandwiched between them, as shown in FIG. 2(a). As the carton C continues to be conveyed, as shown in FIG. 2(b), the upstream roller 53R rotates from the side surface C2 to the top surface C1 of the carton C while the upstream rotating member 53 rotates clockwise. As a result, the upstream roller 53R presses the adhesive tape T from the side surface C2 to the top surface C1, thereby adhering the tape. In addition, the downstream rotating member 54, which is connected to the upstream rotating member 53 via the connecting member 55, rotates counterclockwise against the biasing force of a spring (not shown). As a result, the downstream roller 54R is positioned at the same height as the upstream roller 53R.

[0023] When the downstream rotating member 54 rotates in this manner, the damper member 7 is pulled, causing the cutting member 6 to rotate counterclockwise, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b). However, after the carton C and the cutting member 6 come into contact, the cutting member 6 is pushed by the carton C and rotates clockwise again, increasing the distance between the downstream rotating member 54 and the other end 64 of the cutting member 6. This change in the distance between the downstream rotating member 54 and the other end 64 of the cutting member 6 is absorbed in the damper member 7 by the extension of the rod 72 from the cylinder 71 while the spring 74 contracts.

[0024] As the carton C continues to be conveyed, the upstream roller 53R and the downstream roller 54R rotate and move upstream in the conveyance direction X along the upper surface C1, and the adhesive tape T is adhered to the upper surface C1, as shown in FIG. 3(a). The cutting member 6 also has the guide portion 62 in contact with the upper surface C1. Even if the carton C continues to be conveyed until the upstream roller 53R is positioned upstream of the upper surface C1, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the upstream roller 53R does not descend as long as the downstream roller 54R is positioned on the upper surface C1. Therefore, the adhesive tape T extends between the upstream roller 53R and the upper surface C1.

[0025] 4(a), when the guide portion 62 is positioned upstream of the upper surface C1 in the conveying direction X, the cutting member 6 rotates counterclockwise due to the weight of the one end portion 63 and the contraction of the rod 72 caused by the spring 74. As a result, the cutter 61 descends and cuts the adhesive tape T. At this time, the suction head 8 sucks the end portion of the adhesive tape T after cutting, and as shown in FIG. 5, the end portion enters the groove 81, and the adhesive surfaces of the adhesive tape T come into close contact with each other and are folded back to form a tab portion Tt.

[0026] Then, as shown in FIG. 4(b), when the downstream roller 54R is positioned upstream of the upper surface C1 in the conveying direction X, the downstream rotating member 54 rotates clockwise due to the biasing force of a spring (not shown) and the weight of the downstream roller 54R. As a result, the downstream roller 54R descends along the side surface C3 (outer surface), and the adhesive tape T is adhered to the side surface C3. Furthermore, the upstream rotating member 53, which is connected to the downstream rotating member 54 via the connecting member 55, rotates counterclockwise. As a result, the upstream roller 53R descends, and the end portion of the adhesive tape T, including the tab portion Tt, comes into contact with the upstream roller 53R. Furthermore, as the downstream rotating member 54 rotates, the rod 72 of the damper member 7 contracts as the spring 74 expands. When the stopper 75 (FIG. 1) abuts against the end surface of the cylinder 71, the rod 72 is fully contracted. As a result, the damper member 7 presses the other end 64 of the cutting member 6, causing the cutting member 6 to rotate clockwise and assume the state shown in FIG.

[0027] 1 to 4 are repeated, whereby the adhesive tape T is sequentially attached to the cartons C supplied by the conveying device 3. Then, as shown in FIG. 1, by providing the tab portion Tt of the adhesive tape T at a position facing the side surface C2, the tab portion Tt becomes a portion of the adhesive tape T that is not attached to the side surface C2. This allows a person handling the carton C to easily peel off the adhesive tape T from the carton C by pinching the tab portion Tt.

[0028] (Carton manufacturing method according to an embodiment) The sealing machine 1 of the embodiment executes the following process to more reliably form the tab portion Tt. Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a carton manufacturing method according to the embodiment. The process shown in Fig. 6 is executed by the control device 10 while the adhesive tape T is being attached to the carton C as described above. The process of Fig. 6 may be executed repeatedly for each carton C that is conveyed sequentially.

[0029] First, as shown in Figures 1 and 2(a), for example, before the carton C is detected by the first sensor 41, the control device 10 causes the conveying device 3 to convey the carton C at a predetermined normal speed (step ST1). The predetermined normal speed is the conveying speed during normal conveyance of the carton C, i.e., during conveyance before the application of the adhesive tape T to the carton C begins, and may be set appropriately taking into consideration the productivity of the sealing machine 1, etc.

[0030] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the first sensor 41 detects a carton C (step ST2). If the control device 10 determines that the first sensor 41 has not detected the carton C (for example, the state shown in FIGS. 1 and 2(a)) (No in step ST2), the control device 10 continues conveying the carton C at the normal speed. On the other hand, if the control device 10 determines that the first sensor 41 has detected the carton C by conveying the carton C to a position where it overlaps with the first sensor 41, as shown in FIG. 2(b) (Yes in step ST2), the control device 10 starts suction by the suction head 8 after a first predetermined time Δt1 has elapsed since the detection of the carton C (step ST3). Furthermore, the control device 10 starts decelerating the conveying speed after a second predetermined time Δt2 has elapsed since the detection of the carton C by the first sensor 41 (step ST4). That is, the control device 10 starts a delay process to delay the conveyance of the carton C from the normal speed. In this embodiment, "delay" includes a case where the conveying speed of the carton C is reduced, and a case where the conveyance of the carton C is stopped in the processing of step ST6 described later.

[0031] The first predetermined time Δt1 and the second predetermined time Δt2 are set so as to be included in the time period from when the first sensor 41 detects the carton C until before the guide portion 62 of the cutting member 6 comes off the top surface C1 as shown in FIG. 3(b). More specifically, the first predetermined time Δt1 is set using experiments, analysis, machine learning, etc. as a time for increasing the suction force in advance so that the suction head 8 can apply sufficient suction force to the adhesive tape T when the adhesive tape T is later cut by the cutting member 6. The second predetermined time Δt2 is set using experiments, analysis, machine learning, etc. as a time for reducing the conveying speed of the carton C by the conveying device 3 in advance so that the conveying of the carton C can be promptly stopped in the processing of step ST6 described later. The deceleration processing in step ST4 may be performed by reducing the conveying speed at least below the normal speed, but is preferably performed so that the conveying speed approaches zero as step ST6 approaches, within a range that does not stop the conveying (i.e., the conveying speed does not become zero). Although step ST3 is executed before step ST4, step ST3 and step ST4 may be executed either first or simultaneously. In other words, either the first predetermined time Δt1 or the second predetermined time Δt2 may be set to be the longer time.

[0032] As a result, the carton C is transported and the adhesive tape T is applied as shown in Figures 2(a) to 3(b) while the suction head 8 performs a suction operation and the transport speed of the carton C is reduced. Also, as shown in Figure 3(a), when the second sensor 42 and the carton C overlap in the transport direction X during this time, the carton C is detected by the second sensor 42.

[0033] Next, the control device 10 determines whether the carton C has not been detected by the second sensor 42 (step ST5). When the control device 10 determines that the carton C has been detected by the second sensor 42 (No in step ST5), the control device 10 continues conveying the carton C as is. On the other hand, when the control device 10 determines that the carton C has not been detected by the second sensor 42 because the carton C has been conveyed to a position where it does not overlap with the second sensor 42 as shown in FIG. 4(a) (Yes in step ST5), the control device 10 stops conveying the carton C by the conveying device 3 (step ST6). The conveyance of the carton C is stopped after the cutting member 6 descends from the upper surface C1 and before the downstream roller 54R descends from the upper surface C1 as shown in FIG. 4(a). In this way, by delaying the conveyance of the carton C (here, by stopping the conveyance) more than usual and adjusting the suction time of the adhesive tape T, the adhesive tape T after cutting can be sucked by the suction head 8 for a sufficient time, and the tab portion Tt can be more reliably formed.

[0034] Next, the control device 10 stops suction by the suction head 8 after a third predetermined time Δt3 has elapsed since the second sensor 42 failed to detect the carton C (step ST7). The third predetermined time Δt3 is set using experiments, analysis, machine learning, etc., as a time during which the tab portion Tt can be stably formed. The control device 10 also resumes conveyance of the carton C after a fourth predetermined time Δt4 has elapsed since the second sensor 42 failed to detect the carton C (step ST8). That is, the control device 10 ends the delay in conveyance of the carton C. The conveyance speed of the carton C at this time is set to the normal speed. The fourth predetermined time Δt4 is set longer than the third predetermined time so that the adhesive tape T is not forcibly peeled off from the suction head 8 before suction ends due to the upstream roller 53R being lowered as the conveyance of the carton C resumes.

[0035] (Effects of the embodiment) As described above, the sealing machine 1 includes the conveying device 3 that conveys the cartons C, the position acquiring device 4 that acquires the conveying position of the cartons C, the tape supplying unit 5 that supplies the adhesive tape T that joins the flaps of the cartons C, the cutting member 6 that cuts the adhesive tape T upstream of the cartons C in the conveying direction X, the suction head 8 that is provided on the cutting member 6 and sucks the cut adhesive tape T to bring the adhesive surfaces into close contact with each other and form a folded-back tab portion Tt, and the control device 10 that controls the suction operation of the conveying device 3 and the suction head 8. Based on the conveying position of the cartons C acquired by the position acquiring device 4, the control device 10 delays the conveyance of the cartons C from a normal speed to adjust the suction time of the adhesive tape T by the suction head 8.

[0036] This configuration ensures sufficient time for forming the tab portion Tt by sucking the adhesive tape T. Therefore, the sealing machine 1 and the carton manufacturing method according to the embodiment make it possible to stably form the tab portion Tt at the end portion of the adhesive tape T that is attached to the carton C.

[0037] Furthermore, the control device 10 delays the conveyance of the carton C from after the cutting member 6 descends from the upper surface C1 of the carton C until the downstream roller 54R descends from the upper surface C1. More specifically, the control device 10 stops the conveyance of the carton C (steps ST5 and ST6). This configuration more reliably ensures time for the suction head 8 to suck the adhesive tape T after cutting, making it possible to stably form the tab portion Tt. Note that, although step ST6 is a conveyance stop process in the embodiment, the conveyance of the carton C may be delayed only by slowing down the conveyance speed as long as a sufficient suction time is ensured.

[0038] Furthermore, the control device 10 starts suction of the adhesive tape T and starts decelerating the conveying speed before the cutting member 6 descends from the upper surface C1 (steps ST2 to ST4). With this configuration, even when the suction operation by the suction head 8 is switched on and off as needed, by increasing the suction force before the adhesive tape T is cut, the suction head 8 can apply sufficient suction force at the time of cutting. In other words, the suction operation by the suction head 8 can be performed only during the necessary time period, thereby achieving energy savings. Furthermore, by starting to decelerate the conveying speed of the carton C before the adhesive tape T is cut, it becomes easier to delay the conveyance of the carton C as intended at the time of cutting, and the suction time can be more reliably secured.

[0039] However, suction by the suction head 8 only needs to be started at a point in time when it is possible to properly suck the end of the adhesive tape cut by the cutting member 6 into the groove 81. The suction operation by the suction head 8 may also be performed at all times. The delay in conveyance of the carton C (decrease in conveyance speed) only needs to be started at least after the cutting member 6 descends from the upper surface C1 and before the downstream roller 54R descends from the upper surface C1.

[0040] Furthermore, the control device 10 ends the delay in conveying the carton C after suction by the suction head 8 has finished (steps ST7 and ST8). This configuration makes it possible to prevent the adhesive tape T from being forcibly peeled off from the suction head 8 before suction has finished. Note that, as long as there is sufficient time to form the tab portion Tt by suction, the delay in conveying the carton C may be ended while the suction operation is continuing, for example, when the suction operation by the suction head 8 is constantly being performed.

[0041] Furthermore, the control device 10 controls the start of suction by the suction head 8, the start of the delayed conveyance, the end of suction by the suction head 8, and the end of the delayed conveyance, respectively, according to the passage of predetermined times (first predetermined time Δt1 to fourth predetermined time Δt4), starting from the acquisition of the conveyance position of the carton C by the position acquisition device 4. With this configuration, it becomes possible to easily adjust the order of each operation and the length of its execution time by time control, starting from the acquisition of the conveyance position of the carton C. Furthermore, as described above, energy can be saved by performing the suction operation by the suction head 8 only during the necessary time period.

[0042] Furthermore, the control device 10 switches between whether to perform the suction operation by the suction head 8 and whether to delay the transport of the cartons C, depending on the product specification information. With this configuration, unnecessary operations are not performed depending on the product specification information, and the cartons C can be manufactured appropriately.

[0043] Although the description of the embodiment has been completed above, aspects of the present invention are not limited to this embodiment. For example, in this embodiment, steps ST3 and ST4 are executed starting from the detection of carton C by the first sensor 41, and steps ST5 and ST6 are executed starting from the non-detection of carton C by the second sensor 42. However, steps ST3, ST4, ST5, and ST6 may be executed starting from the acquisition of the transport position of carton C by the position acquisition device 4. For example, steps ST3, ST4, ST5, and ST6 may be executed starting from the detection of carton C by the first sensor 41, with the first predetermined time Δt1 to the fourth predetermined time Δt4 appropriately set.

[0044] Furthermore, the position acquisition device 4 is not limited to the first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42. For example, sensors may be provided to detect the rotational positions of the upstream rotating member 53, the downstream rotating member 54, and the cutting member 6, and the conveyance position of the carton C may be acquired based on the detection results of the sensors. That is, when the upstream rollers 53R and the downstream rollers 54R are in a lowered state and the cutting member 6 is in an elevated state, it is possible to determine that the carton C is in the position shown in FIG. 1 or 4(b). When the upstream rollers 53R and the downstream rollers 54R change from a lowered state to an elevated state and the cutting member 6 is at least not fully lowered, it is possible to determine that the carton C is in the position shown in FIG. 2 or 3. When the upstream rollers 53R and the downstream rollers 54R are fully elevated and the cutting member 6 is fully lowered, it is possible to determine that the carton C is in the position shown in FIG. 4(a). In this way, the conveyance position of the carton C can be acquired by detecting the positions of components that move in conjunction with the conveyance position of the carton C. [Explanation of symbols]

[0045] 1. Sealing machine 3. Conveyor equipment 4 Location acquisition device 5 Tape supply section 53 Upstream rotating member 53R Upstream roller 54 downstream rotating member 54R downstream roller 55 Connecting member 6 Cutting material 8 suction heads 10 Control device C Carton T adhesive tape Tt tab part X conveying direction

Claims

1. a conveying device for conveying the cartons; a position acquisition device for acquiring the transport position of the carton; a tape supply unit that supplies adhesive tape for joining the flaps of the carton together; a cutting member that cuts the adhesive tape upstream of the carton in a conveyance direction; a suction head provided on the cutting member, which sucks the adhesive tape after cutting to bring adhesive surfaces into close contact with each other and form a folded tab portion; a control device that controls the suction operation by the conveying device and the suction head; Equipped with The control device is a sealing machine that adjusts the suction time of the adhesive tape by the suction head by delaying the transport of the carton from normal based on the transport position of the carton acquired by the position acquisition device.

2. the tape supply unit includes an upstream roller that is provided so as to be able to move up and down and that presses the adhesive tape while rotating along the outer surface of the carton, and a downstream roller that is provided so as to be able to move up and down in conjunction with the upstream roller and that presses the adhesive tape while rotating along the outer surface of the carton, the cutting member moves along the outer surface of the carton between the upstream roller and the downstream roller and descends from the top surface of the carton to cut the adhesive tape; The control device delays the conveyance of the carton at least during the period from after the cutting member descends from the top surface of the carton to before the downstream roller descends from the top surface. The sealing machine according to claim 1.

3. 3. The sealing machine according to claim 2, wherein the control device stops the conveyance of the carton during a period after the cutting member descends from the upper surface and before the downstream roller descends from the upper surface.

4. 4. The sealing machine according to claim 2, wherein the control device at least one of starts suction of the adhesive tape and starts decelerating the conveying speed of the carton before the cutting member descends from the upper surface.

5. 4. The sealing machine according to claim 2, wherein the control device ends the delay of the transport after the suction head has finished suctioning.

6. The sealing machine according to claim 1, wherein the control device controls the start of suction by the suction head, the start of the delay in the transport, the end of suction by the suction head, and the end of the delay in the transport according to the passage of predetermined times, starting from the acquisition of the transport position of the carton by the position acquisition device.

7. The sealing machine according to claim 1 , wherein the control device switches between execution and non-execution of suction by the suction head and delay of the transport in accordance with information relating to product specifications.

8. A carton manufacturing method comprising joining flaps of a carton being conveyed along a conveying direction with adhesive tape, cutting the adhesive tape by a cutting member upstream of the carton in the conveying direction, and sucking the cut adhesive tape with a suction head provided on the cutting member to bring the adhesive surfaces into close contact with each other and form a folded-back tab portion, A carton manufacturing method comprising: adjusting a suction time of the adhesive tape by the suction head by delaying the transport of the carton from a normal time based on the transport position of the carton.

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