Carton inspection method

Abstract

To provide a carton inspection method that improves the efficiency of packaging a predetermined number of cartons in one packed unit.SOLUTION: A carton sorting method sorts cartons that are continuously conveyed to a wrapping process in which a group of cartons, each consisting of a predetermined number of cartons storing tissue paper, is wrapped to one packed unit. This method includes: a counting step of counting the number of cartons being conveyed or an integer multiple of the predetermined number; and a sorting step of sorting the cartons every predetermined number or integer multiple counted in the counting step. The sorting step stops conveyance of the cartons every predetermined number or an integer multiple counted in the counting step, and then restarts conveyance of the stopped cartons, sorts the cartons at intervals every predetermined number or integer multiple.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for sorting cartons containing tissues and a method for sorting cartons containing tissues. [Background technology]

[0002] Cartons containing tissues (so-called "box tissues") are sold individually or in packs in which several are packaged together. For example, several cartons (e.g., five or two) are wrapped together in film and displayed in stores as a package (see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-189213 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, when manufacturing a packaging pack in which a predetermined number of cartons are packed into one pack, if the predetermined number of cartons packed into one pack cannot be handled individually, the efficiency of packaging the predetermined number of cartons in one pack may decrease. Therefore, there is room for improvement in increasing the efficiency of packaging the predetermined number of cartons in one pack.

[0005] The present invention was conceived in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and one of its objectives is to improve the efficiency of packaging a predetermined number of cartons in one pack unit. However, other objectives of the present invention are not limited to this objective. The functions and effects derived from the configurations shown in the "Mode for Carrying Out the Invention" below, which cannot be obtained with conventional technology, can also be considered as other objectives of the present invention. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The carton sorting method disclosed herein sorts cartons continuously conveyed to a wrapping process in which a group of cartons, each containing a predetermined number of tissues, is wrapped into packs. The method includes a counting step of counting the number of conveyed cartons at intervals of the predetermined number or an integer multiple of the predetermined number, and a sorting step of sorting the cartons at intervals of the predetermined number or an integer multiple of the predetermined number. The sorting step stops the conveyance of the cartons at intervals of the predetermined number or an integer multiple of the predetermined number, and then resumes the conveyance of the stopped cartons, separating the cartons at intervals of the predetermined number or an integer multiple of the predetermined number. The carton sorting method disclosed herein involves wrapping processes in parallel for packaging a group of cartons each containing tissue paper in packs, and sorting the cartons that are continuously transported toward the wrapping processes. The method includes a parallel process for transporting the cartons toward each of the wrapping processes, and a sorting process for sorting the cartons that are transported serially into the cartons that are transported to each of the plurality of wrapping processes in the parallel process. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of packaging a predetermined number of cartons in one pack. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a carton containing tissues. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a packaging pack in which a plurality of cartons are bundled together. [Figure 3] 1A to 1C are schematic diagrams illustrating an outline of a manufacturing process for a packaging pack body. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a top view schematically showing the upstream part of the inspection part. [Figure 5]FIG. 10 is a top view schematically showing the downstream part of the inspection part. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a material preparation method. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a carton inspection method including a carton classification method and a carton sorting method. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described. In this embodiment, a method for manufacturing a packaging pack in which multiple cartons containing tissues are packaged together into one pack is described. This manufacturing method includes various methods such as a method for preparing materials for the cartons (material preparation method), a method for inspecting the cartons (carton inspection method), a method for sorting the cartons (carton sorting method), and a method for allocating the cartons (carton sorting method).

[0010] In this manufacturing method, various semi-finished products to be manufactured into the packaging pack body to be manufactured are continuously conveyed, and the packaging pack bodies are manufactured one after another. In this embodiment, the method used in the description is defined as follows. The direction of gravity is defined as downward, and the opposite direction of downward is defined as upward. The direction in which the various semi-finished products manufactured into the packaging pack are transported is defined as the transport direction, and upstream and downstream are defined based on the transport direction. The horizontal direction perpendicular to the transport direction is defined as the width direction. The transport direction is also known as the "MD direction," the width direction is also known as the "CD direction," and the direction perpendicular to both the transport direction and the width direction is also known as the "TD direction."

[0011] I. ONE EMBODIMENT In the following embodiment, the configuration related to the manufacturing method of the packaging pack body is described in item [1], and the action and effect of the configuration of item [1] is described in item [2]. [1. Configuration] In this section [1], the packaging pack body to be manufactured is explained in subsection [1-1], the equipment for manufacturing the packaging pack body is explained in subsection [1-2], and the method for manufacturing the packaging pack body using this manufacturing equipment is explained in subsection [1-3].

[0012] [1-1. Packaging] In this section, the carton that forms part of the packaging pack will be described, followed by a description of the packaging pack itself. As shown in Figure 1, the carton 1 is a box (a so-called "box tissue") containing tissues 3 in its internal space. The internal space contains stacked bundles of tissues 3. The bundles are folded so that they can be removed in a so-called pop-up manner.

[0013] The internal space is surrounded by a plurality of walls 1U, 1B, 1X, and 1Y that form the carton 1. In this carton 1, rectangular walls 1U, 1B, 1X, and 1Y are provided in a planar manner along the surface of a rectangular parallelepiped. These wall portions 1U, 1B, 1X, and 1Y are roughly classified into the following four types depending on their locations and extending directions.

[0014] Top wall 1U: A side wall extending above the carton 1 Bottom wall 1B: A side wall extending below the carton 1 Side wall portion 1X: A pair of vertical walls facing each other between the top wall portion 1U and the bottom wall portion 1B End wall portion 1Y: A pair of vertical walls facing each other between the top wall portion 1U and the bottom wall portion 1B 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 perpendicular to each other. In the carton 1 exemplified here, the top wall 1U and bottom wall 1B extend over an area larger than the side wall 1X and end wall 1Y.

[0015] Furthermore, in the carton 1 illustrated in this embodiment, the top wall portion 1U, bottom wall portion 1B and side wall portion 1X have a single structure formed, for example, from a single piece of material, while the end wall portion 1Y has a multi-layer structure in which multiple sheets of material are stacked on top of each other. An outer flap portion FU and an inner flap portion FD are provided on the end wall portion 1Y, 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 a so-called over-flap type in which a part of the flap on the top wall portion 1U side overlaps 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. The inner flap portion FD is folded inward, and the outer flap portion FU is folded over to cover the inner flap portion FD, thereby forming the end wall portion 1Y.

[0017] The top wall 1U is provided with an outlet 1T as an opening for pulling out the tissues 3. The outlet 1T is formed by removing a portion 11 of the top wall 1U. More specifically, when the portion 11 of the top wall 1U is cut away along a break line, the area of ​​the portion 11 is removed, and the outlet 1T is opened. A plastic film 12 is attached to the inside of the top wall 1U to cover the outlet 1T. A slit is formed in the film 12 in the front-to-rear direction, and tissues 3 can be taken out through the slit.

[0018] The carton 1 constructed as described above is colored, and has on its surface an external design such as a corporate mark, a character, or a barcode. Most of the exterior of this carton 1 is colored, with a design printed on the top wall 1U and a barcode printed on the bottom wall 1B. This barcode is not printed on the other walls 1U, 1X, or 1Y, but only on the bottom wall 1B. In other words, the barcode gives the back surface of the carton 1 a unique appearance.

[0019] The carton 1 constructed as above is produced by folding a sheet-like material 1' (only one part of which is marked in FIG. 3). In the material 1', not only the top and bottom walls but also the flaps on the side and end walls are in the form of a sheet that is flush with the surface. This material 1' is in a state where the side wall 1X is folded down on one side (the lower left side in FIG. 1) between the side wall 1X and the bottom wall 1B of the carton 1, and the side wall 1X is folded down on the other side (the upper right side in FIG. 1) between the side wall 1X and the top wall 1B. By folding back the folded-down portions, a semi-finished carton 1 is manufactured from the material 1'.

[0020] As shown in Fig. 2, the packaging pack 10 is made up of a plurality of stacked cartons 1 wrapped in a wrapping material 19. Specifically, the cartons 1 are stacked so that the top wall 1U (see Fig. 1) of one carton faces the bottom wall 1B (see Fig. 1) of another carton 1, and the side wall 1X (see Fig. 1) of all the cartons 1 are arranged along the same plane, and the end wall 1Y (see Fig. 1) of all the cartons 1 are arranged along the same plane. Here, a packaging pack 10 is shown as an example in which five (plural) cartons 1 are bundled together with a wrap material 19. However, a packaging pack may contain a number of cartons other than five, such as two or four, in one pack.

[0021] The colors (main colors) of the cartons 1 packaged in the packaging pack 10 are arranged in a predetermined order along the direction in which the cartons 1 are stacked in the packaging pack 10. Examples of the predetermined arrangement patterns include the following three patterns. Multi-pattern: Each carton has a different color pattern. Bi-color pattern: Each carton has two colors. Mono Pattern: A pattern in which each carton is set to the same color

[0022] In the multi-pattern, each of the cartons 1 constituting the carton group in the packaging pack 10 has a different appearance. In the bi-pattern, at least some of the cartons 1 constituting the carton group in the packaging pack 10 have a different appearance. In the mono pattern, the cartons 1 constituting the carton group in the packaging pack 10 have the same color, and the appearances of the cartons 1 are the same or almost the same.

[0023] In the multi-pattern and bi-pattern, the order of colors of the cartons 1 arranged in the packaging pack 10 in the stacking direction is also set in advance. In this embodiment, an example is described in which, when any different color is linked to each of "color A, color B, color C, color D, color E," the order of "color A, color B, color C, color D, color E" is pre-set as the sorting order in the multi-pattern, and the order of "color A, color B, color A, color B, color A" is pre-set as the sorting order in the bi-pattern.

[0024] Therefore, the following arrangement order in the multi-pattern packaging pack 10 is not a preset arrangement order and is determined to be an incorrect pattern. "Color E, Color A, Color B, Color C, Color D" (one offset) "Color A, Color B, Color B, Color D, Color E" (overlap of Color B, missing Color C) "Color A, Color C, Color B, Color D, Color E" (Color B and Color C in the wrong order)

[0025] Furthermore, the following arrangement order in the bi-pattern packaging pack 10 is not a preset arrangement order and is considered to be an incorrect pattern. "Color B, Color A, Color B, Color A, Color A" (one offset) "Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color B" (sequential color B) In addition, in the case of a packaging pack 10 in which two cartons 1 are packed into one pack, the multi-pattern can also be called the bi-pattern, and the bi-pattern can also be called the multi-pattern.

[0026] In addition, the carton 1 is decorated with a design that corresponds to the color of the carton 1. Specifically, the five designs A to E listed below form part of the appearance of the carton 1. These designs A to E are arbitrary designs that are different from each other. Pattern A: A pattern on carton 1 of color A Pattern B: A pattern on carton 1 of color B Pattern C: A pattern on carton 1 of color C Pattern D: A pattern on carton 1 of color D Pattern E: A pattern applied to carton 1 of color E

[0027] [1-2. Manufacturing equipment] Next, an apparatus for manufacturing the packaging pack body 10 will be described with reference to FIG. In this manufacturing device, cartons 1 (only one part is marked with a reference number in FIG. 3) containing bundles of tissues 3 are continuously conveyed to a part that packages a group of cartons arranged in a predetermined order into packs. This manufacturing device is provided with various parts P1 to P6, as listed below. Bundle transport part P1: Part that transports bundles of tissues 3 Material preparation part P2: Part that prepares material 1' for carton 1 Cartona part P3: Part that holds tissue paper bundles 3 in carton 1 Inspection part P4: Inspects carton 1 Parallel part P5: Part that transports carton 1 in parallel Wrapping part P6: A part that wraps each of the five (predetermined number) cartons.

[0028] Bundles of tissues 3 transported by the bundle transport part P1 are placed in cartons 1 made from folded materials 1' prepared by the material preparation part P2. In other words, the bundle transport part P1 and the material preparation part P2 are arranged in parallel, and the manufacturing process merges with the carton part P3 downstream of these parts P1 and P2. After the carton part P3, the transported cartons 1 are inspected by 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 ejected from the production line.

[0029] In this way, the routes for the cartons 1 that were previously transported serially are allocated to parallel routes, and the cartons 1 are transported along each of the allocated routes in parallel parts P5. Then, five cartons 1 transported along each route in parallel parts P5 are wrapped into one pack in wrapping parts P6.

[0030] In the manufacturing apparatus of this embodiment, the conveying speed of the cartons 1 downstream of the parallel part P5 (hereinafter referred to as the "downstream conveying speed") is set to be slower than the conveying speed of semi-finished products such as bundles of tissues 3 and cartons 1 upstream of the parallel part P5 (hereinafter referred to as the "upstream conveying speed"). These conveying speeds correspond to the number of conveyed objects to be processed per unit time (for example, processing capacity expressed in units of [pieces / minute]).

[0031] For example, the number of semi-finished products such as bundles of tissues 3 and cartons 1 processed per unit time upstream of the parallel part P5 (hereinafter referred to as the "upstream processing capacity") is set to no more than twice the number of cartons 1 processed per unit time downstream of the parallel part P5 (hereinafter referred to as the "downstream processing capacity"). In other words, the upstream conveying speed is set to no more than twice the downstream conveying speed. More specifically, when the number of paths allocated in the parallel part P5 is "a", the upstream processing capacity is set to no more than a times the downstream processing capacity, and the upstream conveying speed is set to no more than a times the downstream conveying speed.

[0032] <Bundle transport part> The bundle conveying part P1 conveys bundles of tissues 3 that have been folded by known equipment such as a multi-stand folding machine (also called a "multi-stand interfolder") or a rotary folding machine. These bundles are cut into product sizes that can be housed in cartons 1, and are conveyed in parallel to the cartons 1 conveyed from the material preparation part P2, which will be explained next, at positions corresponding to each carton 1.

[0033] When the number of semi-finished products such as bundles of tissues 3 and cartons 1 that can be processed per unit time in the parts P1 to P4 upstream of the parallel part P5 (so-called "upstream processing capacity") is greater (higher processing capacity) than the number of cartons 1 that can be processed per unit time in the wrapping part P6 downstream of the parallel part P5 (so-called "downstream processing capacity"), it is preferable to provide the parallel part P5 that allocates paths as described above in the production line to suppress or prevent rate-limiting effects caused by the wrapping part P6. As a specific example, when the processing capacity of the packaging machine used to package groups of 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 to allocate paths for the cartons 1 in parallel by the parallel part P5.

[0034] <Material preparation part> The material preparation part P2 includes the following parts 21 to 24. Deposit Part 21: Part that places material 1' in carton 1 Stack part 22: The part that stacks the placed materials 1' Store part 23: A part for temporarily storing stacked materials 1' Feed part 24: Part that sends stored material 1' downstream

[0035] In the deposit part 21, materials 1' corresponding to each carton 1 in the carton group are stacked and arranged in a predetermined order along the conveying direction of the materials 1'. The "predetermined order" here refers to the order corresponding to the predetermined order described above in the description of the packaging pack 10. The deposit parts 21 are provided in a plurality of locations (five locations in this example) according to the number of cartons 1 to be packaged in the packaging pack 10. In each deposit part 21, it is preferable that the portion of the material 1' that corresponds to the outlet 1T of the carton 1 faces upward. In this embodiment, the material 1' that is assembled into the carton 1 with the outlet 1T facing upward is exemplified.

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

[0037] These parts 2A to 2E are arranged side by side in the conveying direction, and this arrangement is in a predetermined order corresponding to the arrangement sequence. When a bi-pattern packaging pack body 10 is manufactured, five parts 2A, 2B, 2A, 2B, 2A are provided in the order of the first part 2A, second part 2B, first part 2A, second part 2B, first part 2A. In each deposit part 21, a large number of materials 1' are stacked, and the materials 1' are placed one by one onto a conveyor (not shown) located below. Figure 3 shows an example of the inside of a container 2 with an open bottom and a large number of cartons 1 stacked below it.

[0038] In the stack part 22, the materials 1' stacked in each deposit part 21 are fed out one by one (one sheet, so to speak) in the conveying direction, and the material 1' fed out from the downstream side in the conveying direction is overlapped on the material 1' fed out from the upstream side in the conveying direction in the deposit part 21. At this time, each material 1' is overlapped with the part of the carton 1 corresponding to the outlet 1T facing upward. Specifically, the material 1' of color B arranged in the second part 2B is overlapped above 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 overlapped on the material 1' of color A and the material 1' of color B thus overlapped. Similarly, the material 1' of two colors, color D and color E, are overlapped in sequence in the fourth part 2D and the fifth part 2E. In this way, a material set is produced in which five materials 1' are overlapped in an order corresponding to the predetermined arrangement sequence.

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

[0040] <Cartonapart> In the carton part P3, the material 1' fed from the feed part 24 is used to successively produce cartons 1 containing bundles of tissues 3. This cartna part P3 is provided with the following parts 31 to 33. Folding part 31: Folds material 1' from feed part 24 Storage section 32: A section that stores tissue paper 3 in folded material 1' Sealing part 33: The part that seals the material 1' contained in tissue paper 3

[0041] In the folding part 31, the material 1' fed out from the feed part 24 is folded and assembled into a carton 1 with an end wall 1Y (see Figure 1) open. In the storage part 32, bundles of tissues 3 transported by the bundle transport part P1 are stored into the material 1' (carton 1) assembled in the folding part 31. In the sealing part 33, the end wall 1Y (see Figure 1) of the carton 1 is sealed. These parts 31 to 33 produce cartons 1 each containing a bundle of tissues 3. The cartons 1 manufactured in this manner are transported to the inspection part 4P, which will be described next, with the bottom wall portion 1B (see Figure 1) placed on the conveyor, the top wall portion 1U (see Figure 1) facing upward, and the cartons spaced apart along the transport direction.

[0042] <Inspection part> In the inspection part P4, the condition of the carton 1 is inspected in-line. The inspection part P4 is provided with the following configurations of an input system, a control system (inspection system), and an output system. Input system: Detects the information required for the inspection and inputs it into the control system Control system: Generates control signals based on information input from the input system Output system: Operated by the control signal generated by the control system

[0043] As shown in Figures 4 and 5, this inspection part 4P is provided with sensors 40 as an input system configuration, a controller 41 (control device) as a control system configuration, and a side belt 43, a switch mechanism 44, and an alarm 45 (alarm part) as an output system configuration. Signals detected by the sensors 40 are input to the controller 41, and control signals generated by the controller 41 based on the input detection signals are output to the side belt 43, the switch mechanism 44, and the alarm 45. Below, each configuration will be explained in order: input system, output system, and control system.

[0044] ==Input system== The sensors 40 are provided in the manufacturing device to detect the cartons 1 (only one location is marked with a reference numeral in FIGS. 4 and 5) from above, and sequentially detect the cartons 1 as they are conveyed. Here, the following three sensors are given as examples of the sensors 40: Color sensor 4A: A sensor that detects the color of carton 1 Barcode reader 4B: Scanner for scanning the exterior of carton 1 Camera 4C: Optical device (imaging device) that captures (takes) an image of carton 1

[0045] Color sensor 4A can sequentially detect the color of the cartons 1 being conveyed. Barcode reader 4B can also detect the cartons 1 being conveyed if there is a barcode in its detection area. Camera 4C can capture images of cartons 1 being conveyed, but images of cartons 1 in a stationary state are clearer than images of cartons 1 being conveyed.

[0046] The camera 4C can detect 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, and can also detect the design on 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 design is detected by the camera 4C (hereinafter referred to as the "design area") are set to different areas. Furthermore, the color area is set to be larger than the design area.

[0047] The color sensors 4A and cameras 4C illustrated here are arranged in a row, five in number, the same as the number of cartons 1 that make up the carton group. More specifically, the color sensors 4A and cameras 4C are arranged at positions corresponding to the five cartons 1 that are the detection targets. In addition to these five color sensors 4A and cameras 4C, it is preferable to provide one more color sensor 4A and camera 4C (for a total of six), as in this embodiment, to detect a target carton that is used to determine the first or second trigger condition, which will be described later.

[0048] ==Output system== The side belt 43 is a mechanism for switching between temporarily stopping (pausing) the cartons 1 being conveyed and resuming (releasing) the conveyance of the cartons 1 that have been temporarily stopped. A pair of side belts 43 are provided on the outer side in the width direction of the conveying path of the cartons 1, and can pinch the cartons 1 from the outer side in the width direction to temporarily stop the conveyance of the cartons 1, and can release this stopped state to resume the conveyance of the cartons 1. The cartons 1 whose conveyance is temporarily stopped by the side belts 43 are placed side by side in contact with each other in the conveying direction. The part where the side belt 43 is provided can be said to be a pause part that stops the transport of the carton 1 if one focuses on its function of temporarily stopping the carton 1, and can also be said to be a release part that stops the transport of the carton 1 if one focuses on its function of resuming the transport of the carton 1.

[0049] The switch mechanism 44 is a mechanism for switching the conveying path of the carton 1 whose conveyance has been resumed by the side belts 43. This switch mechanism 44 selectively switches the conveying route depending on the result of inspection of the carton 1 by the controller 41, which will be described later. If the inspection result of the carton 1 is normal (if there is no abnormality), the conveying route is switched to the main route R1. If the inspection result of the carton 1 is abnormal (if there is no abnormality), the conveying route is switched to the side route R2.

[0050] The switch mechanism 44 illustrated here, when switched to the main route R1, alternately distributes the conveyance route of the cartons 1 to the first main route R11 and the second main route R12. However, the switch mechanism for switching between the main path and the side 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 disposed downstream of the switch mechanism.

[0051] The main route R1 is a transport route leading to the wrapping part P6, and a first main route R11 and a second main route R12 are provided in parallel. The side route R2 is a conveying route along which the cartons 1 are discharged from the production line. The part provided with the switch mechanism 44 can be said to be a switch part when focusing on the function of switching the conveying path of the carton 1 between the main path R1 and the side path R2. This part can also be said to be provided with an OK switch part that focuses on the function of switching to the main path R1 and an NG switch part that focuses on the function of switching to the side path R2. The alarm 45 is a device that notifies an operator of the inspection result of the carton 1. For example, the alarm 45 includes an alarm device such as a buzzer, a monitor, or an alarm light.

[0052] ==Control System== The controller 41 determines whether or not a predetermined trigger condition is met based on the signals input from the sensors 40, and outputs a control signal to the configuration of the output system depending on whether or not the trigger condition is met. Here, the following three types of trigger conditions are exemplified: Note that only one of the first trigger condition and the second trigger condition is adopted depending on the pattern of the packaging pack body 10 to be manufactured. First trigger condition: Conditions for manufacturing the multi-pattern packaging pack body 10 Second trigger condition: Conditions for manufacturing the bi-pattern packaging pack body 10 Third trigger condition: Condition to avoid mixing of inverted carton 1

[0053] The first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is a condition that is determined to be met when a preset target carton is detected, and is determined to be unmet when it is not. The "target carton" here is preset to different contents for each of the first trigger condition and the second trigger condition. Whether the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met is determined based on the color detected by the color sensor 4A that detects the color of the carton 1. For convenience, Fig. 4 illustrates the color sensor 4A or camera 4C (sensors 40) that detects the color of the carton 1 being conveyed downstream of the side belt 43 to distinguish it from the color sensor 4A or camera 4C (five sensors 40 indicated by black dots) that is used to determine whether the inspection conditions described below are met.

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

[0055] As described above, the part in which the success or failure of the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is determined based on the color of carton 1 can be said to be a color sensing part (sensing part) that detects the target carton based on the target color, which is the color of the target carton. In addition, the part in which the success or failure of the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is determined based on the design of carton 1 can also be called a design sensing part (sensing part) that detects the target carton based on the target design, which is the design of the target carton.

[0056] When it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met, a control signal to temporarily stop the transport of the carton 1 is output to the side belt 43, and it is determined whether the inspection conditions are met. The "inspection conditions" here are preset so that the conditions determined when the first trigger condition is met and the conditions determined when the second trigger condition is met are different from each other. It should be noted that no inspection condition is set to be determined after determining whether the third trigger condition is met.

[0057] The success or failure of the inspection conditions is determined based on the detection signals of the sensors 40 that detect the five cartons 1 whose transport has been temporarily stopped by the side belts 43. In other words, the cartons 1 to be detected and used to determine whether the inspection conditions are met are located between the side belts 43 (i.e., inside the side belts 43). However, the cartons 1 to be detected and used to determine whether the inspection conditions are met may be located at any location upstream or downstream of the side belts 43. Here, an example is given in which the success or failure of the inspection conditions is determined based on an image captured by the camera 4C. In this image determination, the predetermined arrangement order is determined based on the order of the colors of the five cartons 1 or the order of the designs or images.

[0058] However, the success or failure of the inspection conditions may be determined based on the detected color of each of the five cartons 1 whose conveyance is temporarily stopped by the side belts 43. For example, when it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met, the color of the carton 1 is detected by each of the five color sensors 4A while the carton 1 to be detected moves by one distance (the dimension of the carton 1 in the conveyance direction). 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 times for some (one to four locations) or all (five locations).

[0059] The part in which the success or failure of the inspection conditions is determined based on the color of the carton 1 as described above can be said to be a color check part (check part) that inspects whether the cartons 1 are in a predetermined order based on their colors. In addition, the part in which the success or failure of the inspection conditions is determined based on the pattern of carton 1 can also be called a design check part (check part) or image check part (check part), which inspects whether the cartons are arranged in a specified order based on the pattern or image of carton 1. In Figure 4, an example of a location where the color of the object to be inspected is detected is shown as a black dot, and the codes of the color sensor 4A and camera 4C that detect the color, pattern, or image used to determine whether the inspection conditions are met are extracted from only one black dot.

[0060] When it is determined that the inspection conditions are met, a control signal is output to the side belts 43 to resume conveyance of the cartons 1. At this time, if it is determined that the inspection conditions are met, a control signal is output to the switch mechanism 44 to switch the conveyance path to the main path R1. On the other hand, if it is determined that the inspection conditions are not met, a control signal is output to the switch mechanism 44 to switch the conveyance path to the side path R2.

[0061] Furthermore, when it is determined that the third trigger condition is satisfied, even if it is determined that the inspection condition is satisfied, a control signal for switching the conveying path to the bypath route R2 is output to the switch mechanism 44. Even if 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 conveying path to the bypath route R2 is output to the switch mechanism 44. In other words, as a condition for switching the conveying path to the bypath route R2, the third trigger condition takes precedence over the inspection condition. 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 is output to the switch mechanism 44 to switch the transport path to the main path R1.

[0062] The inspection condition that is determined when the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met is that if the condition is met, the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is determined to be normal, and if the condition is not met, the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is determined to be abnormal. On the other hand, if the third trigger condition is met, it is determined that an inverted carton 1 (hereinafter referred to as an "error carton") has been mixed in and that the situation is abnormal, and if it is not met, it is determined that an inverted carton 1 has not been mixed in and that the situation is normal.

[0063] In other words, if it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met and the third trigger condition is not met (AND condition), the cartons are in the specified order and no error cartons are mixed in, and carton 1 is deemed to be in compliance in inspection part 4P. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first or second trigger condition is not met or the third trigger condition is met (OR condition), it means that either the pre-set order is not the same or an error carton is mixed in, and carton 1 is determined to be non-compliant (non-conforming) in inspection part 4P. Depending on the above-mentioned determination result, a control signal is output to the alarm 45. For example, when an abnormality in the carton 1 is determined, a control signal is output to activate a buzzer or an alarm light as the alarm 45, or a control signal is output to display the determination result of the carton 1 on a monitor as the alarm 45.

[0064] --First trigger condition-- The "target carton" of the first trigger condition is one carton 1 that has been preset among the carton group. A specific example of the target carton is the carton 1 that has a color that can be detected with high accuracy by the color sensor 4A, such as the darkest or most vivid color among the colors A, B, C, D, and E of the cartons 1 in the carton group. Another specific example of the target carton is the carton 1 that is furthest downstream among the carton group (the carton 1 of color A, the carton 1 that is arranged at the top of the packaging pack 10). In the judgment example shown here, if the target carton is detected by the color sensor 4A, which detects the carton 1 in the side belt 43, it is judged that the first trigger condition is met, and if not, it is judged that the first trigger condition is not met.

[0065] The inspection condition (hereinafter referred to as the "first inspection condition") that is determined when the first trigger condition is met is a condition that is determined to be met if the arrangement order of the five cartons 1 including the target carton is a predetermined order, and is determined to be not met otherwise. The "predetermined order" here is a pattern that is set in advance as the order of the multi-pattern, and is a pattern in which the colors are arranged in the order of "color A, color B, color C, color D, color E." To give a specific example, a carton 1 of color A is set as the target carton, and the success or failure of the first inspection condition is determined by checking whether the carton 1 of color A located furthest downstream and the four cartons 1 upstream of it are arranged in the specified order.

[0066] --Second trigger condition-- The second trigger condition is that the "target cartons" are two (plural) cartons 1 lined up in the conveying direction. That is, the "target cartons" of the second trigger condition are multiple cartons that form a predetermined pattern, which is a combination of the appearances of adjacent cartons 1. The "predetermined pattern" here is a predetermined pattern that does not exist in a single carton group in the order of consecutive colors in a bi-pattern.

[0067] Specifically, a pattern in which two cartons 1 of color A are lined up is set as the "predetermined pattern," and these two cartons 1 are set as the "target cartons." However, from the viewpoint of improving inspection accuracy, a pattern in which two or more cartons 1 are lined up may be set as the "predetermined pattern." An example of such a setting is when three cartons 1 are set as "target cartons," and the predetermined pattern of a target carton consisting of these three cartons 1 includes a pattern in which the cartons are lined up in the order of "color A, color A, color B," or a pattern in which the cartons are lined up in the order of "color B, color A, color A." However, to simplify the configuration, a single carton 1 of color A or color B may be set as the target carton used to determine whether the second trigger condition is met. Here, if the target carton is detected by the color sensor 4A, which detects the carton 1 in the side belt 43, it is determined that the second trigger condition is met, and if not, it is determined that the second trigger condition is not met.

[0068] The inspection condition (hereinafter referred to as the "second inspection condition") that is determined when the second trigger condition is met is a condition that is determined to be met if the arrangement order of the five cartons 1 including the target carton is a predetermined order, and is determined to be not met otherwise. The "predetermined order" here is a pattern that is set in advance as an order of the bi-pattern, and is a pattern in which the colors are arranged in the order of "color A, color B, color A, color B, color A." To give a specific example, a pattern in which two cartons 1 of color A are lined up is set for the target carton, and it is checked whether one of these cartons 1 on the downstream side and four cartons 1 further downstream are in a predetermined order, thereby determining whether the second inspection condition is met. Alternatively, a pattern in which two cartons 1 of color A are lined up is set for the target carton, and it is checked whether one of these cartons 1 on the upstream side and 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 met when the presence of an error carton is detected, and is determined to be unmet otherwise. Here, since the barcode on the bottom wall portion 1B of the error carton is exposed on the top surface of the carton 1, if the barcode is detected by the barcode reader 4B, it is determined that the third trigger condition is met, and if not, it is determined that the third trigger condition is not met. However, as long as it is possible to detect the appearance specific to the bottom wall 1B of the carton 1, not only the barcode reader 4B but also sensors 40 such as a color sensor 4A that detects a color (appearance) specific to the bottom wall 1B, or a camera 4C or sensor that detects a pattern (appearance) specific to the bottom wall 1B may be used. In order to identify the bottom wall 1B in this way, the sensors 40 may detect an appearance such as a color or pattern that is present on the bottom wall 1B but not on the top wall 1B (walls other than the bottom wall 1B), or the sensors 40 may detect an appearance such as a color or pattern that is present on the bottom wall 1B but not on the top wall 1B (walls other than the bottom wall 1B) (i.e., detect an appearance that is not present on the bottom wall 1B).

[0070] --others-- When it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met and the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is deemed normal (the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is met), a control signal is output to the side belt 43 to resume the transport of only the multiple cartons 1 whose arrangement order has been determined (i.e., only the number of cartons 1 that can be combined into one pack of packaging pack body 10).

[0071] When the conveyance of the cartons 1 by the side belts 43 is resumed, it is preferable to count the number of cartons 1 whose conveyance has been resumed by an appropriate sensor or the like in order to stabilize the number of cartons 1 whose conveyance has been resumed. Alternatively, the drive time of the side belts 43 whose conveyance has resumed (i.e., the time it takes for the side belts 43 to unload the cartons 1 downstream) may be set to a predetermined period. The "predetermined period" here refers to a drive time set in advance as a period for unloading an arbitrary number of cartons 1, such as a period for unloading the number of cartons 1 to be packed into one packaging pack 10 or a period that is an integer multiple of this period. When the side belts 43 are driven for a predetermined period in this manner, it is preferable to detect the conveyance direction position of the most downstream (leading) carton 1 of the five (plural) stopped cartons 1 using an appropriate sensor in order to stabilize the number of cartons 1 whose conveyance is resumed. For example, if it is detected that the most downstream carton 1 of the stopped cartons 1 is located slightly upstream of the predetermined position, it is preferable to set the predetermined period to be slightly longer. If it is detected that the most downstream carton 1 is located slightly downstream of the predetermined position, it is preferable to set the predetermined period to be slightly shorter.

[0072] When the number of cartons 1 whose conveyance has been resumed is counted by appropriate sensors, compared to when the side belts 43 are driven for only a predetermined period, it is possible to prevent cartons 1 whose conveyance should be temporarily stopped by the side belts 43 from slipping through to the downstream side, and it is possible to stabilize the number of cartons 1 whose conveyance is resumed. On the other hand, when the side belts 43 are driven for only a predetermined period, it is possible to stabilize the number of cartons 1 whose conveyance has been resumed with a simple configuration that does not require the addition of additional sensors or control logic, compared to when the number of cartons 1 whose conveyance has been resumed is counted by appropriate sensors. The part that resumes the transportation of cartons 1 as described above can be said to be a counting part that counts multiple cartons 1 (any number depending on the specified period), such as the number of cartons that can be packed into one packaging pack body 10 or an integer multiple of this number, and can also be said to be a sorting part that sorts cartons 1 according to the number counted in the counting part.

[0073] In this sorting part, the conveyance of cartons 1 is stopped for each number counted in the counting part (here, five), and then the conveyance of these stopped cartons 1 is resumed, and cartons are sorted with intervals between each group of cartons made up of the number counted in the counting part. Specifically, the five cartons 1 sorted in the sorting part are sorted with an interval between them and the five cartons sorted immediately after (or immediately before) them.

[0074] Alternatively, a method may be employed in which the sensors 40 detect the cartons 1 whose conveyance has resumed by the side belts 43, and the cartons 1 are counted based on the detection results. Specifically, a method may be employed in which a barcode reader 4B is provided that detects the cartons 1 from below (sensors 40 that sequentially scan the barcodes of each carton 1 that is not turned upside down), and the number of cartons 1 is counted according to the number of barcodes scanned by the barcode reader 4B. Similarly, a method may be employed in which the number of cartons 1 is counted according to the number of marks (designs on each carton 1) captured by the camera 4C.

[0075] On the other hand, if it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met but the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is abnormal (if it is determined that the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is not met), a control signal is output to discharge the cartons 1 from the production line until the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met. Specifically, a control signal to resume conveyance of the cartons 1 is output to the side belt 43, and a control signal to switch the conveyance path to the side path R2 is output to the switch mechanism 44. In addition, when it is determined that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met but the arrangement order of carton 1 is determined to be abnormal (the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is met), the subsequent determination of the success or failure of the third trigger condition is omitted in order to conserve control processing resources.

[0076] <Parallel Part> In the parallel part P5, the conveying path is switched to the main path R1 by the switch mechanism 44, and five cartons 1 (cartons divided into predetermined numbers) whose conveying has resumed on the main path R1 downstream of the switch mechanism 44 are conveyed in parallel on the alternately allocated first main path R11 and second main path R12. The cartons 1 conveyed on the main paths R11 and R12 of the parallel part P5 are continuously conveyed toward the wrapping part.

[0077] <Wrapping part> In the wrapping part P6, a group of cartons 1 containing bundles of tissues 3 arranged in a predetermined order are packaged as a pack. In this wrapping part P6, similar to the parallel part P5, the cartons are arranged in parallel, and packaging is performed for five cartons 1 at a time using the wrap material 19. In this manner, the packaging pack 10 is manufactured.

[0078] [1-3. Manufacturing method] Next, we will explain the method for manufacturing the packaging pack 10. In this manufacturing method, a wrapping process is carried out in a wrapping part P6, in which a group of five cartons 1 arranged in a predetermined order is packaged as one pack, and the cartons 1 are continuously transported to this wrapping process.

[0079] Here, we will explain 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, the processes are performed in each part described above as the configuration of the manufacturing equipment in item [1-2], with the word "part" replaced with the process. For example, in the material preparation method, a deposit process is carried out in the deposit part 21 and then a stack process is carried out in the stack part 22, and in the carton inspection method, a sensing process is carried out in the sensing part and then a check process is carried out in the check part.

[0080] <How to prepare materials> The material preparation method is a method for preparing materials 1' for cartons 1 that are continuously conveyed to the wrapping process. In this material preparation method, as shown in Figure 6, the steps are carried out in the order of deposit step (step A1), stack step (step A2), store step (step A3), and feed step (step A4). After these steps are carried out, the cartoner step is carried out.

[0081] In the depositing step, materials 1' corresponding to each of the cartons 1 constituting the carton group of the packaging pack 10 are stacked, and the materials 1' are arranged in a predetermined order along the conveying direction. In the stacking process, the materials 1' stacked in each of the depositing processes are fed out one by one in the conveying direction, and the material 1' fed out from the downstream side is overlapped on the material 1' fed out from the upstream side in the depositing process. In the storing step, the material sets, which are the materials 1' that have been stacked in the stacking step, are stacked. In this storing step, the material sets are stacked on top of each other. In the feeding step, the material sets that have been stacked in the storing step are fed toward the wrapping step. In this feeding step, the materials 1' that make up each material set are fed one by one from the bottom.

[0082] <Carton inspection method> The carton inspection method is a method for inspecting cartons 1 that are continuously transported to the wrapping process. In this carton inspection method, as shown in FIG. 7, a first sensing process (step B1) is performed, followed by a pause process (step B2), a check process (step B3), and a release process (steps B4 and B5) in that order. This is followed by a switch process (steps B8 and B9) in which the conveyance path is switched based on the determination result (inspection result) of the arrangement of the cartons 1. If the arrangement of the cartons 1 is determined to be normal, a second sensing process (step B6) is performed before the switch process (step B8). On the other hand, if the arrangement of the cartons 1 is determined to be abnormal or if an inverted carton 1 is detected, the first sensing process (step B10) is performed again after the alarm process (step B7) or switch process (step B9). Once the switch process is performed after the arrangement of the cartons 1 is determined to be normal, the sorting process and parallel process are performed to prepare the cartons for the wrapping process.

[0083] In the first sensing step, it is determined whether or not a target carton has been detected among the cartons 1 being conveyed (that is, whether or not the trigger condition is met). In the method for manufacturing a multi-pattern packaging pack body 10, one predetermined carton 1 from a group of cartons is set as a target carton, and it is determined whether a first trigger condition is met. In the method for manufacturing a bi-pattern packaging pack body 10, two (multiple) cartons 1 lined up in the conveying direction among the cartons 1 being conveyed are set as target cartons, and it is determined whether a second trigger condition is met.

[0084] In determining whether the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met, a color sensing step or a design sensing step is carried out. In the color sensing process, the target carton is detected based on the target color, which is the color of the target carton, and in the design sensing process, the target carton is detected based on the target design, which is the design of the target carton. In the pause process, when the target carton is detected in the sensing process (when it is determined that the trigger condition is met), the conveyance of the cartons 1 is stopped. In this pause process, the conveyance of five cartons 1, including at least one of the target cartons, is stopped.

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

[0086] To determine whether the first or second inspection condition is met, a color check process or an image check process is carried out. In the color check process, it is checked whether the five cartons 1 are arranged in a predetermined order based on the colors of the five cartons 1. In the image check process, it is checked whether the five cartons 1 are arranged in a predetermined order based on photographed images of the five cartons 1.

[0087] In the release process, the stoppage of conveyance caused by the pause process is lifted, and conveyance of the cartons 1 whose arrangement order has been inspected in the check process (products that meet the inspection conditions are determined) is resumed. When the conveyance of the cartons 1 is resumed in this release process, a counting process is carried out to count a plurality of cartons 1 by driving the side belts 43 for a predetermined period of time or counting the cartons 1 whose conveyance has resumed based on the results detected by the sensors 40. After the counting process is carried out, a sorting process can also be carried out to sort the cartons 1 into groups of the number counted in the counting process. In this sorting process, the conveyance of the cartons 1 is stopped every time the number of cartons counted in the counting process (five in this case) is reached, and then the conveyance of the stopped cartons 1 is resumed, and carton groups consisting of the number of cartons counted in the counting process are sorted with a gap between them. The second sensing step is carried out after the predetermined order is inspected and it is determined in the check step that the inspection conditions are met, followed by the release step.

[0088] In the second sensing step, an inverted error carton is detected among the cartons 1 being conveyed (determining whether the third trigger condition is met). When a barcode reader 4B is used to detect the error carton, the error carton is detected by scanning the unique appearance of the back surface of the carton 1. When a camera 4C is used to detect the error carton, the error carton is detected from an image of the appearance of the back surface of the carton 1. After it is determined in the check step that the inspection conditions are not met, the second sensing step is not performed, and the alarm step, which will be described next, is performed.

[0089] In the alarm process, if the cartons 1 are found in a different order from the specified order in the check process or if an error carton is detected in the second sensing process, an alarm 45 is used to notify of non-conformity such as an abnormal inspection result or the detection of an error carton. The alarm step can be performed at any timing after the check step determines whether the inspection condition is met and after the second sensing step determines whether the third trigger condition is met.

[0090] In the switching process, the conveying path of at least the carton 1 that has been detected in the sensing process is switched, and in this case, the conveying path of the carton 1 whose conveyance has resumed in the release process is switched. In this switching process, either an OK switching process (step B8) or an NG switching process (step B9) is performed depending on the inspection results of the checking process and the detection results of the second sensing process. If the checking step checks that the arrangement of the cartons 1 is in the predetermined order and if no error cartons are detected in the second sensing step (i.e., if the cartons pass the inspection), the OK switch step is performed. In the OK switch step, the conveying route is switched to the main route R1.

[0091] If the checking step does not check that the arrangement of the cartons 1 is in the predetermined arrangement or if an error carton is detected in the second sensing step (i.e., if the carton does not pass the inspection), an NG switching step is performed. For example, in the NG switching step, the conveying route of at least five cartons 1, including the error carton detected in the second sensing step, is switched to the side route R2. After the NG switch step, the first sensing step is performed again to determine whether or not the target carton has been detected.

[0092] Until the target carton is detected (negative determination in step B10), the transport of cartons 1 being discharged through side route R2 is not stopped (steps B5, B9), and alarm 45 continues to be issued (step B7). In other words, when the arrangement order of cartons 1 is determined to be abnormal, cartons 1 continue to be discharged from the production line until the target carton is detected by determining whether the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is met. When the target carton is detected (positive determination in step B10), the pause process (step B2) is performed again to stop the transport of the cartons 1. In other words, when the target carton is detected after the arrangement order of the cartons 1 is determined to be abnormal, the transport is temporarily stopped to check the arrangement order of the cartons 1 and whether there are any error cartons mixed in.

[0093] In the sorting process carried out after the OK switch process, the cartons 1 transported in series are sorted so that they are transported along two (or more) routes. In the parallel process, the cartons 1 sorted in the sorting process are transported to a wrapping process carried out in parallel. In this way, five cartons 1 are packaged in one pack in the wrapping process to produce the package body 10.

[0094] [2. Actions and Effects] Since this embodiment is configured as described above, the following actions and effects can be obtained. In this section [2], material preparation methods are described in subsection [2-1], carton classification and carton sorting methods are described in subsection [2-2], and carton inspection methods are described in subsection [2-3].

[0095] [2-1. How to prepare materials] (1) According to the material preparation method, in the depositing step, the materials 1' corresponding to each carton 1 of the packaging pack 10 are stacked and arranged in a predetermined order along the conveying direction. Then, in the stacking step, materials 1' fed one by one from the upstream side are superimposed one by one on materials 1' fed from the downstream side. Therefore, the materials 1' for the carton 1 can be prepared in an order corresponding to the predetermined order. Therefore, the materials 1' for the carton 1 can be efficiently prepared in an order corresponding to the predetermined arrangement order.

[0096] (2) Since the material sets, which are the materials 1' stacked in the stacking process, are stacked in the storing process, the materials 1' can be stacked in an order corresponding to the predetermined arrangement order. This reduces the space required to supply these materials 1' compared to when the materials 1' (material sets) are lined up in the conveying direction, contributing to space saving. (3) In the storing process, the stacked material sets are fed one by one from the bottom in the feeding process, toward the wrapping process. This first-in, first-out method allows the materials 1' to be continuously fed (prepared) in a sequence corresponding to the predetermined arrangement sequence. This ultimately contributes to improving the manufacturing efficiency of the packaging pack 10.

[0097] [2-2. Carton classification and sorting methods] (1) According to the carton sorting method, five (a predetermined number) of cartons 1 to be put together into one packaging pack 10 are counted in a counting process, and the cartons 1 counted in the counting process are sorted into groups of five in a sorting process. Specifically, the conveyance of the cartons 1 is stopped for every five counted in the counting process, and then the conveyance of the stopped five cartons 1 is resumed, and the cartons are sorted with a gap between each group of five cartons 1. Therefore, the carton groups sorted into groups of five cartons 1 are transported to the wrapping process, and the accuracy of sorting the cartons 1 in the sorting process can be improved. Therefore, the efficiency of packaging five cartons 1 in one pack can be improved.

[0098] (2) According to the carton sorting method, the cartons 1 sorted in the sorting process are transported to the wrapping processes in parallel processes. Therefore, even if the upstream transport speed (processing speed) upstream of the sorting process is faster than the downstream transport speed (processing speed) downstream of the sorting process, a decrease in the processing speed in the upstream process can be suppressed. In other words, it is possible to avoid the downstream transport speed being a rate-limiting factor in the production of the packaging pack 10. Therefore, it is possible to improve the efficiency of packaging five cartons 1 in one pack. This efficiency can be further improved by combining the carton sorting method with the carton classification method.

[0099] [2-3. Carton inspection method] In this section [2-3], we will first discuss how to inspect the arrangement of cartons 1, and then how to inspect the upside-down (orientation) of cartons 1. <Carton arrangement order> (1) According to the carton inspection method for inspecting the arrangement of cartons 1, the arrangement of cartons 1 to be transported to the wrapping process is inspected in a check process to see if it is in the predetermined order. If it is inspected that it is in the predetermined order, the transport route of carton 1 is switched to main route R1 by an OK switch process, and if it is inspected that it is not in the predetermined order, the transport route of carton 1 is switched to side route R2 by an NG switch process.

[0100] Therefore, cartons 1 that are not arranged in the specified order can be discharged from the production line, and cartons 1 that are arranged in the specified order can be transported to the wrapping process. In this way, by preventing cartons 1 that are not arranged in the specified order from being mixed into the packaging pack 10, cartons 1 that are arranged in the specified order can be packaged in one pack. When the conveying path is switched to the side path R2 by the NG switch process as described above, the carton 1 is conveyed along the side path R2 and discharged. Therefore, compared to a technique in which the carton is removed (discharged) from the production line by being knocked off, damage to the discharged carton 1 can be reduced. Furthermore, the discharged carton 1 can also be used for the packaging pack 10.

[0101] Furthermore, detection of the target carton is used as a trigger to stop the transport of five cartons 1 including the target carton in the hold process, and then the transport stop is lifted in the release process and transport of the five cartons 1 is resumed. Therefore, the cartons 1 transported downstream of the release process are sorted into groups of five. Therefore, it is possible to improve the efficiency of packaging five cartons 1 as a unit of one pack by conveying a group of cartons divided into five cartons 1 to the wrapping process. (2) In the check process, the order of the five cartons 1 whose transport has been stopped by the pause process is inspected, which improves inspection accuracy compared to a technique that inspects the order of the cartons 1 being transported.

[0102] (3) If one predetermined carton 1 among the group of cartons is preset as the target carton, it is possible to prevent cartons 1 that are not in the specified order from being mixed in with the multi-pattern packaging pack 10. By setting only one carton 1 as the target carton in this way, the specified order can be inspected using simple logic. Furthermore, if two cartons 1 aligned in the conveyance direction are set in advance as target cartons, it is possible to prevent cartons 1 not in the specified order from being mixed in with the bi-pattern packaging pack 10. Setting a pattern that combines the appearances of cartons 1 as the target carton in this way contributes to improving the accuracy of inspecting the specified order.

[0103] (4) When the detection of the target carton is based on the target color, which is the color of the target carton, or when the inspection of whether the cartons are in the specified order is based on the colors of the five cartons 1, a color sensor 4A can be used, which has lower equipment costs and simpler control logic than the camera 4C. (5) When the detection of the target carton is based on the target design, which is the pattern of the target carton, or when the inspection of whether the cartons are in the specified order is based on the patterns of the five cartons 1, it becomes possible to inspect the case where each carton that makes up a mono-pattern packaging pack of the same color has a different pattern.

[0104] (6) When the inspection process for whether the cartons are arranged in the specified order is based on the color and pattern of the five cartons 1 (i.e., when the color check process and the design check process are used together), the accuracy of inspecting the order of the cartons 1 is improved by inspecting both the color and pattern of the cartons 1. Furthermore, by setting the color area and the pattern area in different areas, it is possible to ensure both the accuracy of inspection based on the color of the carton 1 and the accuracy of inspection based on the pattern of the carton 1, thereby making it possible to further improve the accuracy of inspecting the arrangement order of the cartons 1. Also by setting the color area larger than the pattern area, inspection accuracy based on both color and pattern is ensured, thereby further improving inspection accuracy.

[0105] <Carton orientation> (1) According to the carton inspection method for inspecting whether a carton 1 is upside down, when an error carton, which is an upside-down carton 1, is detected in the sensing process, the conveying route of the carton 1 including the error carton is switched to the side route R2 in the NG switch process. On the other hand, if an error carton is not detected in the sensing process, the conveying route is switched to the main route R1 in the OK switch process. Therefore, the inverted error cartons can be discharged from the production line, and only the cartons 1 that are not inverted can be transported to the wrapping process. In this way, by preventing the mixing of cartons 1 with different orientations in the packaging pack body 10, it is possible to package cartons 1 with the same orientation in one pack.

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

[0107] [2-4.Other] According to this manufacturing method, materials 1' are prepared in an order corresponding to the specified arrangement order by the material preparation method, so by using the material preparation method and the carton inspection method together, it is possible to further prevent the mixing of cartons 1 that are not arranged in the specified order. Since the material preparation method allows the materials 1' to be prepared efficiently, the combined use of the material preparation method and the carton sorting method can further increase the production efficiency of the packaging pack 10. Furthermore, the combined use of the carton sorting method can also further increase the production efficiency of the packaging pack 10. The present manufacturing apparatus can also provide the above-mentioned functions and effects.

[0108] [II. Modifications] The above-described embodiment is merely an example, and is not intended to exclude various modifications and application of techniques not explicitly stated in this embodiment. Each configuration of this embodiment can be modified and implemented in various ways without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, it is possible to select and combine as needed.

[0109] For example, in the production of bi-pattern packaging packs, if the second trigger condition is determined to be met but the carton order is determined to be abnormal (the second inspection condition is determined to be unsatisfied), all cartons 1 determined to be abnormally ordered may not be discharged. Specifically, of the five cartons determined to be abnormally ordered, the conveyance of only the four most downstream cartons may be resumed and discharged from the production line, and the order of the four cartons upstream of this carton, including the remaining carton, may be re-inspected. It is preferable that the inspection of the four cartons, with the remaining carton being the most upstream, be repeated until a "quasi-predetermined order" is reached, excluding the most downstream carton in the predetermined order. In this case, the four cartons are sequentially discharged from the side path until the semi-predetermined order is inspected. After the semi-predetermined order and the predetermined order are inspected, the five cartons are conveyed to the main path. By extension, if the number of cartons 1 making up the packaging pack is "X" ("5" in the above example, a predetermined number) and a natural number smaller than "X" is "Y" ("4" in the above example), then "X" cartons, including the "XY" downstream cartons, of the "X" cartons determined to be abnormally arranged may be re-inspected. In such an inspection method, in order to prevent a chain reaction of misalignment when cartons with abnormal arrangements are mixed in, if "X" is an odd number, then "Y" is also preferably an odd number, and it is also preferable that "X" and "Y" are coprime.

[0110] Furthermore, in the production of bi-pattern packaging packs, if the downstream-most carton in a carton group (in the above example, the carton of color A) is missing, after determining whether the second inspection condition is met and inspecting the arrangement of the five cartons, a target carton, including the downstream-most carton in the carton group, will be missing. Therefore, the second trigger condition is not met, and more cartons than the number required for the carton group are conveyed downstream without stopping on the side belt. In such a case, in the sorting part (sorting process), based on a predetermined conveying direction dimension set as the number of cartons required for the carton group and the conveying direction dimension of the actually sorted cartons, any cartons whose conveying direction dimension deviates from the predetermined conveying direction dimension are ejected from the system. For example, it is preferable to eject a group of cartons whose conveying direction dimension of the actually sorted cartons is less than the predetermined conveying direction dimension (i.e., an inappropriate length) from the production line.

[0111] Here, two examples of inspection flows will be described for the production of bi-pattern packaging packs, in which one carton of color A is set as the target carton used to determine whether the second trigger condition is met. In one example of an inspection flow, the cartons to be inspected are arranged in the following pattern X1. This pattern X1 is an inspection target in which an extra carton 1 (color B) is mixed in between two bi-patterns. Pattern X1: From downstream to upstream "Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, A pattern in which the colors are arranged in the order "Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color A." When inspecting cartons of pattern X1, the five downstream cartons are arranged in a bi-pattern, so the second inspection condition is met, and carton conveyance resumes until the second trigger condition is met (in this case, the seventh carton from the downstream side, including the most downstream side of pattern X1, is detected). In this case, not only the five cartons inspected in the second inspection condition determination, but also the sixth carton from the downstream side, including the most downstream side of pattern X1 (the aforementioned extra carton) are conveyed downstream of the side belt without being stopped by the side belt. Therefore, it is preferable to count the number of cartons that resume conveyance downstream from the side belt between the time the second inspection condition is met and the time the second trigger condition is met using an appropriate sensor, and convey only the number of cartons that make up the carton group (here, five cartons) from the most downstream side to the main path, while ejecting cartons further upstream (here, the extra cartons of color B) from the system. That is, it is preferable to check the number of cartons conveyed from the side belt to this route by counting them with an appropriate sensor or calculating the number based on the conveying speed. This inspection flow can prevent the sixth carton from being mixed in downstream of the side belt, including the most downstream side of pattern X1.

[0112] In another example of the inspection flow, the cartons arranged in the following pattern X2 are inspected. This pattern X2 is an inspection target where the downstream pattern is defective. Pattern X2: From downstream to upstream "Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color B, A pattern in which the colors are arranged in the order "Color A, Color B, Color A, Color B, Color A." When inspecting cartons of pattern X2, the second inspection condition is not met because the five downstream cartons are not arranged in a bi-pattern. Conveyance of the cartons is then resumed until the second trigger condition is met. When the second inspection condition is not met, it is preferable to determine whether the most upstream carton (here, the fifth carton from the downstream side, including the most downstream side of pattern X2) among the five cartons inspected in determining whether the second inspection condition is met is color A. If it is determined that the carton is not color A (the second trigger condition is not met), it is preferable to sequentially target cut the cartons immediately downstream (here, the sixth carton from the downstream side, including the most downstream side of pattern X2) and determine whether the second trigger condition is met. In this example, the second trigger condition is not met when the fifth carton from the downstream side, including the most downstream side of pattern X2, is detected, but the second trigger condition is met when the sixth carton from the downstream side, including the most downstream side of pattern X2, is detected. In this example, too, it is preferable to check the number of cartons conveyed downstream from the side belt by counting them with an appropriate sensor or calculating the number based on the conveying speed. This inspection flow can reduce the number of cartons discharged from the system even if the most downstream carton in a group of cartons is missing, thereby contributing to improved inspection efficiency.

[0113] Alternatively, if a target carton that should be located upstream of a group of cartons for which the first or second inspection condition is determined to be met is not present, the first or second trigger condition, which should be met immediately after the first or second inspection condition is determined to be met, will not be determined to be met. When such a trigger condition is determined to be not met, a group of cartons not in the specified order will be transported along this route. Therefore, after it is determined that the first inspection condition or the second inspection condition is satisfied, it is preferable to carry out a switching process (providing a switching part) so that only the number of cartons constituting the carton group are conveyed to the main path until it is determined again that the first trigger condition or the second trigger condition is satisfied, and cartons upstream of these cartons are conveyed to the side path and discharged. The switching of the conveying path by such a switching process can be carried out based on the detection results of sensors that detect cartons whose conveyance has resumed. Specifically, each carton whose conveyance has resumed from the side belt is detected by sensors, the carton conveying speed is calculated from the detection results, and only the number of cartons constituting the carton group are conveyed to the main path based on the calculated conveying speed. The path is then switched so that subsequent cartons are conveyed to the side path.

[0114] The timing for detecting an inverted carton (determining whether the third trigger condition is met, sensing process) may be in parallel with the check process when the carton transport is temporarily stopped, or may be performed in series with the check process after the temporary stop is released and transport is resumed. The detection of an inverted carton is not limited to detecting from above with a barcode reader whether there is a barcode on the top surface of the carton, but may also be detecting from below with a barcode reader or camera whether there is no barcode on the bottom surface of the carton, or detecting from below with a color sensor or camera whether there is a distinctive color or pattern on the top wall of the carton on the bottom surface. It is also possible to detect an inverted carton before the check process is carried out, before the carton transport is temporarily stopped. In this case, the inverted carton can be transported to a side path and discharged without checking the order of the cartons.

[0115] Furthermore, the check process for checking whether the cartons are arranged in a predetermined order can be performed at any timing after determining whether the first or second trigger condition is satisfied and before the switching process. For example, the check process may be performed before or after the carton conveyance is temporarily stopped. As a specific example, the inspection condition in the check process may be determined by temporarily stopping the carton conveyance by the side belts after determining whether the first or second trigger condition is satisfied, and then resuming the carton conveyance by the side belts. By determining whether the inspection condition is satisfied at such timing, even if the carton whose conveyance is temporarily stopped by the side belts deviates upstream from a position detectable by the sensors used to determine whether the inspection condition is satisfied, the inspection condition can be determined when the carton whose conveyance is resumed passes a position detectable by the sensors used to determine whether the inspection condition is satisfied.

[0116] The sensors used in the first sensing step and the check step are not limited to the embodiment in which one color sensor is used in the first sensing step and five color sensors are used in the check step (a total of six color sensors are used). As a specific example, at least one of the five color sensors used in the check step may be used in the first sensing step (a total of five color sensors are used). That is, at least some of the sensors may be assigned both the function of detecting the target carton and the function of inspecting whether the cartons are arranged in a predetermined order. By using at least some of the sensors in both the first sensing step and the check step in this way, the carton order can be inspected 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 either the first sensing step and the checking step or the second sensing step may be omitted. Alternatively, a pause step may be performed in which the carton conveyance is stopped without detecting the target carton, followed by a check step in which the cartons are inspected to determine whether they are in the specified order or a second sensing step in which the cartons are inverted. In this case, the check step may include, for example, a color check step or an image check step, and an alarm step may be performed to notify the operator if the inspection indicates that the cartons are not in the specified order. This simple carton inspection method, which does not require a release step, is suitable for use in a manufacturing method in which an operator manually responds to the inspection results. Considering application to a manufacturing method in which an operator manually responds to the inspection results, the release step and switch step may be omitted, although a sensing step in which the target carton is detected may be performed.

[0118] Conversely, the inspection of whether the cartons are arranged in a predetermined order (i.e., the check process) may be omitted, and the pause process may be performed when a target carton is detected in the first sensing process, followed by the release process. In this case, the conveying route is switched to the main route when the number of cartons whose conveyance has resumed in the release process matches the number of cartons in the carton group, and otherwise the conveying route is switched to the side route. This method is based on the premise that the cartons are arranged in a predetermined order, and is suitable for production lines that handle cartons whose order is difficult to inspect using sensors.

[0119] In the above-described embodiment, cartons that are not arranged in a predetermined order or inverted cartons are exemplified as defective cartons (detection targets) in a group of cartons. However, in addition to the defective cartons exemplified above, there are other defective cartons that should not be mixed in a group of cartons. For example, examples of defective cartons include cartons of a different type (different type) from the types of cartons that make up the group of cartons to be packaged in one pack, cartons with defective shapes such as peeled or crushed parts, and cartons with defective prints on their exterior. Sensors such as sensors and cameras that detect such defective cartons may be installed, and defective cartons detected by these sensors may be removed from the production line.

[0120] It is also possible to simply carry out a counting step of counting the number of cartons (predetermined number) packaged in one pack in the packaging pack body, and then carry out a sorting step of sorting the cartons by that number (predetermined number). The number of cartons counted in the counting step and the number of cartons sorted in the sorting step are not limited to a predetermined number, and may be an integer multiple of the predetermined number. In other words, it is also possible to carry out a counting step of counting the number of cartons by a predetermined number or an integer multiple of the predetermined number, and then carry out a sorting step of sorting the cartons by that number. In this case as well, the efficiency of packaging a predetermined number of cartons in one pack can be improved. In the counting and sorting processes, the accuracy of sorting and counting can be improved by using a sensor that detects the predetermined number of cartons (for example, the fifth carton) or the carton that is an integer multiple of the predetermined number (for example, the tenth carton), including the carton that is furthest downstream where transport has stopped, or a sensor that detects the carton one carton upstream of this carton (for example, the sixth or eleventh carton).

[0121] Alternatively, the cycle for switching the conveying path in the switching process is not limited to every time the number of cartons constituting one carton group is conveyed, but may be every time the number of cartons constituting multiple carton groups is conveyed. Specifically, for cartons 1 that are inspected to be in the predetermined order, the number of cartons constituting two carton groups (for example, ten cartons in this case, or fifteen cartons in three carton groups) may be conveyed to the first path, and then the number of cartons constituting the two carton groups may be conveyed to the second path. In addition, the sorting step and the parallel step may be omitted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0122] 1 carton 1B Bottom wall 1T outlet 1U ceiling wall 1X side wall part 1Y end wall 1' Materials 3 tissue paper 10 Packaging 19 Wrapping material 21 Deposit Part 22 Stack Part 23 Store Apartments 24 Feed Part 31 Oritate 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 Cartnapart P4 Inspection part P5 Parallel Part P6 Wrapping part R1 Main route R11 First Route R12 Second Route R2 parapath

Claims

[Claim 1] A carton sorting method for sorting cartons that are continuously transported to a wrapping process in which a group of cartons containing a predetermined number of tissues arranged in a predetermined order is packaged in units of one pack, comprising: a counting step of counting the number of the conveyed cartons at intervals of an integer multiple (but not less than two times) of the predetermined number; a sensing step of detecting a predetermined target carton among the cartons being conveyed; a sorting step of sorting the cartons into groups of the number of the cartons counted in the counting step, The sorting step includes a pause step of stopping the conveyance of the cartons including the target carton when the target carton is detected in the sensing step for each of the integral multiples counted in the counting step, and a release step of canceling the stoppage of conveyance due to the pause step and restarting conveyance of the cartons, and sorts the cartons at intervals of the integral multiples. A carton sorting method characterized by the above.

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