Boxing device

Abstract

To provide a boxing device capable of neatly folding a flap of a barrel-pasted carton for a pillow box carton.CONSTITUTION: The boxing device comprises: a lower flap erecting device 26 that erects a lower flap 6 of a pillow box carton; a gluing device 28 that applies glue to the erected lower flap; and an upper flap push-down device 27 that pushes down an upper flap 5. The lower flap erected by the lower flap erecting device is pushed down so as to slightly open outward due to a reaction force of a second folding line 7b portion etc. when the flap reaches the upper flap push-down device. Thus a lower flap positioning device 60 having a pressing plate member 61 for energizing and erecting the pushed-down lower flap is provided. The upper flap push-down device is composed such that a tip part of the pressing plate member presses the lower flap so as to oppose a first folding line 7a before pushing down the upper flap.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] There are a wide variety of boxes for storing products, one of which is the pillow box carton (sometimes called a "pillow case"). As shown in Figure 1(a), this pillow box carton 1 has a body 2 for storing products, with the side edges of an upper surface 3 and a lower surface 4 connected to each other, and both unconnected ends of the upper surface 3 and the lower surface 4 open. A first fold line 7a, which defines the boundary between the connection part with the upper flaps 5 connected to both ends of the upper surface 3 on the opening side, and a second fold line 7b, which defines the boundary between the connection part with the lower flaps 6 connected to both ends of the lower surface 4 on the opening side, are curved, and when assembled, the surface of the box curves to match the curves, and the center side in the width direction has a pillow-like shape with the top and bottom bulging out.

[0003] Fig. 1(b) is an exploded view (carton blank) of pillow box carton 1, and in the illustrated example, an adhesive strip 8 is provided on one side edge of upper surface portion 3. Then, by folding the side edge at the boundary between upper surface portion 3 and lower surface portion 4 and attaching adhesive strip 8 to lower surface portion 4, a folded body-attached carton (setup carton) 10 shown in Fig. 1(c) is constructed.

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses an apparatus that takes out body-filled cartons 10 shown in Figure 1(c) one by one, forms a body portion 2 in which the upper surface portion 3 and the lower surface portion 4 are curved toward each other and bulged out, supplies a product into the body portion 2, and then performs a boxing process by folding the lower flap 6 up from the second fold line 7b and folding the upper flap 5 down from the first fold line 7a.

[0005] Also, as shown in the developed view of Figure 2, there is a type of pillow box carton 1 in which a side portion 9 is placed between an upper surface portion 3 and a lower surface portion 4, and they are connected via the side portion 9. In this case, too, the connection portion between the upper surface portion 3 and the upper flap 5 and the connection portion between the lower surface portion 4 and the lower flap 6 are curved, and when the box is assembled, the body portion 2 is formed into a pillow shape with the upper surface portion 3 and the lower surface portion 4 bulging out in the center in the width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-114939 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 intermittently conveys a carton 10 and sequentially performs predetermined processes while it is temporarily stopped. Specifically, after the device has performed the process of raising the lower flap 6, it intermittently conveys the carton 10 and temporarily stops at an appropriate position to perform the process of folding the upper flap 5 downward for the carton 10 (with the lower flap 6 raised to close the opening). At this time, if the lower flap 6 is folded outward and its leading edge is positioned outside the first fold line 7a at the boundary of the upper flap 5, the leading edge of the lower flap 6 comes into contact with the upper flap 5, preventing the upper flap 5 from being folded. As a result, the upper flap 5 cannot be folded from the first fold line 7a.

[0008] On the other hand, if the lower flap 6 is firmly folded inside the body 2 in the previous process, the lower flap 6 will not collapse forward, preventing the above-mentioned problem from occurring. However, in this case, the raised upper flap 5 and the lower flap 6 may not be in contact with each other or may only be lightly touching each other. If the lower flap 6 collapses into the body 2 and becomes separated from the upper flap 5, and this state becomes visible from the outside, it will look unsightly.

[0009] For example, when trying to glue the lower flap 6 and the upper flap 5, the upper flap 5 and the lower flap 6 cannot be glued together if they are not in contact with each other, and if they are only in light contact with each other, the glue cannot be pressed between the upper flap 5 and the lower flap 6, making it impossible to glue them together neatly and reliably.

[0010] The above-mentioned problems are described as being independent of each other, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the problems described, but it is sufficient if it can solve at least one of the problems. Furthermore, we intend to obtain rights to the configurations for solving these problems separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a packing device that (1) packs products into a body-mounted carton having a first surface and a second surface that constitute a body portion for storing products, the first surface and the second surface at least partially overlapping when folded and having both side edges connected directly or via side surfaces, and curved in the width direction when raised, the first surface having a first flap at each of the unconnected ends and the second surface having a second flap at each of the unconnected ends, and the boundary between the first surface and the first flap and the boundary between the second surface and the second flap are curved, the packing device comprising: a conveying device that intermittently conveys the body-mounted carton; carton opening devices that open the folded body-mounted carton, each of which is disposed in a temporary stop area of ​​the conveying device; and a product supplying device that supplies the product into the body portion from the opened portion of the body-mounted carton. The folding device is provided with a second flap folding device that folds the second flap from the boundary portion with the second surface portion, and a first flap folding device that folds the first flap from the boundary portion with the first surface portion, and the second flap folded by the second flap folding device is in an outwardly opened position at least when it reaches the first flap folding device, and the first flap folding device is provided with a positioning device that holds the second flap and positions it at a predetermined position, and the predetermined position is a position that does not interfere with the folding of the first flap, and the first flap folding device folds the first flap with the second flap positioned at the predetermined position by the positioning device, and when the positioning device moves away from the second flap in the predetermined position, the second flap can come into contact with the first flap folded by the first flap folding device.

[0012] In this way, the second flap folded by the second flap folding device is in an outwardly opened position when the first flap folding device is installed, and therefore does not collapse inward into the body, preventing a gap from forming between the second flap and the folded first flap. Furthermore, the outwardly opened second flap is positioned in a predetermined position by the positioning device, allowing the first flap folding device to fold the first flap without interfering with the second flap. This allows the first flap to be folded neatly. Furthermore, when the positioning device moves away from the second flap, the second flap comes into contact with the folded first flap, preventing the second flap from collapsing into the body.

[0013] In the embodiment, the first surface portion corresponds to the upper surface portion 3, the second surface portion corresponds to the lower surface portion 4, the first flap corresponds to the upper flap 5, and the second flap corresponds to the lower flap 6. In the embodiment, the first flap folding device corresponds to the upper flap folding device 27, and the second flap folding device corresponds to the lower flap raising device 26. In the embodiment, the boundary portion corresponds to the first fold line 7a and the second fold line 7b.

[0014] (2) The positioning device includes a holding member that contacts the second flap and urges it in a direction toward the body portion, and a driving means that moves the holding member toward or away from the body portion, and the predetermined position may be a position where the tip side of the holding member or the open end side of the second flap faces the boundary portion between the first surface portion and the first flap.

[0015] In this way, when the first flap is folded by the first flap folding device, the pressing member or the second flap supports the boundary between the first flap and the first surface portion, thereby guiding the first flap to be folded from this boundary portion, and allowing it to be folded neatly.

[0016] (3) The driving means may be configured to move the holding member toward and away from the body portion in an oblique direction.

[0017] In this way, the tip side of the pressing member can be biased while in contact with the second flap, and the pressing member can be positioned at a predetermined position without coming into surface contact with the second flap and rubbing against it.

[0018] (4) It is preferable that a gluing device be provided for applying glue to the surface of the first flap or the second flap, and that the first flap folding device bend the first flap and urge it toward the body portion, thereby adhering the first flap and the second flap together with the glue.

[0019] In this way, the first flap and the second flap can be glued together with glue to close the box. The positioned second flap does not fall inward, and when the positioning device moves away from the second flap, the second flap can come into contact with the first flap, so the first flap and the second flap are firmly glued together with glue.

[0020] (5) A gluing device may be provided for applying glue to the surface of the first flap or the second flap, the first flap folding device having the function of folding the first flap and urging it toward the body portion, and bonding the first flap and the second flap together with the glue, the gluing device may be configured to apply the glue to multiple locations on the second flap, and the holding member may be configured to come into contact with the area where the glue is not applied.

[0021] In this way, the pressing member does not come into contact with the glue, so the glue is not spread, and the pressing member is prevented from becoming dirty, allowing for clean adhesion.

[0022] Furthermore, the configurations shown in (1) to (5) above can be configured by combining them as appropriate, and based on such combined configurations, it is advisable to combine the components described in the embodiments and drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0023] According to the present invention, for example, the flaps of a body-mounted carton for a pillow box carton can be neatly folded. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a pillow box carton. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 shows another embodiment of a pillow box carton. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a preferred embodiment of a packing device according to the present invention; [Figure 4] 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing the conveying device 22, the lower flap raising device 26, the gluing device 28, the upper flap folding device 27, and the like. [Figure 5] 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing the conveying device 22, the lower flap raising device 26, the gluing device 28, the upper flap folding device 27, etc. FIG. [Figure 6] 2 is a plan view showing the conveying device 22, the lower flap raising device 26, the gluing device 28, the upper flap folding device 27, etc. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view mainly showing an upper flap folding device 27. [Figure 8] This is a front view. [Figure 9] This is a diagram (part 1) explaining the operation. [Figure 10] This is a diagram (part 2) explaining the operation. [Figure 11] This is a diagram (part 3) explaining the action. [Figure 12] This is a diagram (part 4) explaining the action. [Figure 13] 10 is a perspective view (part 3) showing the conveying device 22, the lower flap raising device 26, the gluing device 28, the upper flap folding device 27, etc. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0026] Fig. 3 shows the overall schematic configuration of a preferred embodiment of the packing device according to the present invention, and Fig. 4 and subsequent Figs. 4 and 5 show the configuration of the main components. The body-filled cartons 10 to be processed by the packing device 20 of this embodiment are gusseted and have side surfaces 9 between the top surface 3 and bottom surface 4, as shown in Fig. 2.

[0027] The packing device 20 of this embodiment includes a carton stocker 21 that temporarily stores folded cartons 10 in a stacked state, a conveying device 22 that intermittently conveys the cartons 10 removed from the carton stocker 21, a carton supplying device 23 that removes the cartons 10 from the carton stocker 21 one by one starting from the front and supplies them to the conveying device 22 located below, and various devices that perform various processes on the cartons 10 during transport along the conveying direction of the conveying device 22.

[0028] The body-filled carton 10 to be processed is a gusseted type, the development of which is shown in Figure 2. In the folded state, as shown in Figure 3, the bottom surface 4 and one of the side surfaces 9 are set in the carton stocker 21 in an upright position behind the body-filled cartons 10 lined up front and back.

[0029] The various devices arranged along this conveying direction are, for example, disposed at processing stages where the cartons 10 conveyed intermittently by the conveying device 22 temporarily stop. These processing stages, from upstream to downstream along the conveying direction, include a carton opening stage A (carton opening device 24) that opens the folded cartons 10, a product supply stage B that supplies products 25 into the cartons 10 whose bodies 2 are expanded, a lower flap raising stage C (lower flap raising device 26) that folds the lower flaps 6 at the second fold line 7b on the base end side to stand them up, and an upper flap folding stage D (upper flap folding device 27) that folds the upper flaps 5 downward at the first fold line 7a on the base end side to fold them down. While specific devices are not shown in FIG. 3 , each stage is equipped with a processing device for performing the processing performed at that stage. The processing devices may be, for example, devices disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0030] Furthermore, a gluing device 28 is disposed in the area between the lower flap raising stage C and the upper flap folding stage D, which applies various types of glue, such as hot melt adhesive, to a predetermined position on the surface of the raised lower flap 6. By these devices, the openings on both sides of the body-mounted carton 10 containing the products are closed with the upper flap 5 and the lower flap 6, and the carton is then assembled and packed.

[0031] The conveying device 22 conveys the cartons 10 opened into a cylindrical shape by the carton opening device 24 in a horizontal position, i.e., with the openings at both longitudinal ends positioned on the left and right. As shown in Figures 3 to 7, the conveying device 22 is structured to include a plurality of sprockets 31 (see Figure 13) arranged at the front and rear ends in the conveying direction and at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides of the conveying direction, an endless chain 32 stretched around the sprockets 31, and front fingers 33 and rear fingers 34 attached to the endless chain 32 at a predetermined pitch. The distance between the pair of front fingers 33 and rear fingers 34 is set to a length corresponding to the width of the carton 10 opened by the carton opening device 24. The pair of front fingers 33 and rear fingers 34 holds and conveys the carton 10 by sandwiching both the left and right sides of the body portion 2 of the carton 10 from the front and rear in the conveying direction.

[0032] As shown in FIG. 3 , the carton supply device 23 includes a first suction cup 38 disposed on the distal end of an arm member 36 via an attachment member 37. The arm member 36 and attachment member 37 move the first suction cup 38 back and forth between a first position where the first suction cup 38 faces and holds the leading carton 10 in the carton stocker 21 by suction, and a second position where the suction surface of the first suction cup 38 faces downward, a predetermined position above the supply position of the conveyor 22. As a result, the first suction cup 38 applies suction while in the first position to hold one carton 10 by suction. Furthermore, the carton supply device 23 transitions the first suction cup 38 to the second position. As a result, the carton 10 held by the first suction cup 38 waits in a horizontal position above the supply position of the conveyor 22 by a predetermined distance. In addition, in Figure 3, the first suction cup portion 38 is depicted in a state where it is in the first position together with the arm member 36 and the mounting member 37, and the first suction cup portion 38 and the mounting member 37 are depicted in the same drawing on their way to the second position.

[0033] The carton opening device 24 includes a second suction cup 39 that sucks the bottom surface 4 of the carton 10 sucked by the first suction cup 38 in the second position, a third suction cup 40 that sucks the top surface 3 of the carton 10 in the second position instead of the first suction cup 38, and a movement mechanism that moves the second suction cup 39 and the third suction cup 40 along a predetermined trajectory. This movement mechanism is configured, for example, so that the second suction cup 39 moves up and down in the vertical direction, and the third suction cup 40 moves down before the third suction cup 40 while sucking and holding the top surface 3, thereby increasing the distance between the second suction cup 39 and the third suction cup 40 and causing the top surface 3 and the bottom surface 4 to change into a curved, expanded position. Furthermore, the carton 10 is positioned in this expanded position between the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34. The second suction cups 39 and the third suction cups 40 temporarily move apart from each other by a distance greater than the reference distance, making the width of the body 2 (the length from front to back in the conveying direction of the conveying device 22) narrower than the distance between the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34. The second suction cups 39 and the third suction cups 40 then descend while maintaining this narrowed state. As a result, the carton 10 is positioned within the space between the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34 without interfering with them. While positioned within this space, the second suction cups 39 and the third suction cups 40 move closer to each other. This widens the width of the carton 10, controlling it so that it enters the cutouts 33a, 34a of the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34, respectively. After this, the second suction cups 39 and the third suction cups 40 release suction. As a result, the body 2 expands, and the carton 10, which is now open at both ends, is supported by the front fingers 33 and the rear fingers 34, and when the second suction cup 39 and the third suction cup 40 move away from and retract from the carton 10, the carton 10 is intermittently conveyed by the conveying device 22. Note that Figure 3 also depicts multiple states of the second suction cup 39 and the third suction cup 40 and the mechanisms that drive them.

[0034] A product supply device (not shown) is placed on product supply stage B. This product supply device may include, for example, a chute guide that forms a path for guiding the products 25 into the body 2 of the carton 10, and a pusher member that pushes the products 25 into the body 2.

[0035] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the lower flap raising devices 26 arranged on the lower flap raising stage C are located on both the left and right sides of the conveying path for the carton 10 and perform the process of raising each of the two lower flaps 6. This lower flap raising device 26 includes, for example, a flat plate-shaped member 41 whose leading edge has a curved shape corresponding to the curve of the second fold line 7b, and a drive mechanism for raising and lowering the flat plate-shaped member 41. The drive mechanism may include, for example, a drive source such as a first cylinder 42 and a connecting member 43 that transmits the reciprocating motion of the first cylinder 42 to the flat plate-shaped member 41. The flat plate-shaped member 41 is configured to move up and down in response to the reciprocating motion of the first cylinder 42, thereby contacting and lifting the lower flap 6. In addition, the leading edge of the flat plate-shaped member 41 is configured to contact and lift the lower flap 6 not immediately adjacent to the second fold line 7b but slightly away from it. The flat plate member 41 may be configured to move straight up. Alternatively, a link mechanism or the like may be used to gradually raise the plate member 41 closer to the body 2 of the carton 10, or a horizontally extending cylinder may be provided so that the plate member 41, once in the upper position, moves back and forth toward the body 2.

[0036] As the flat member moves upward, the open end of the lower flap 6 is raised by the leading edge of the flat member, and finally the lower flap 6 stands up at 90 degrees. At this time, the connection portion with the lower surface portion 4 on the lower side curves along the second fold line 7b, and the standing lower flap 6 also becomes a curved surface with the widthwise central portion lowered toward the back.

[0037] The lower flap 6 thus folded at 90 degrees acts on the folding force in a direction that causes it to fall outward due to a reaction force and repulsion force against the folding force. Therefore, when the lower flap 6 is intermittently conveyed and reaches the next upper flap folding stage D (upper flap folding device 27), the lower flap 6 opens outward, and the open end is displaced outward from the first fold line 7a, facing the upper flap 5.

[0038] The lower flap raising device 26 may be raised in advance to a position inclined at a predetermined angle, with the lower flaps 6 tilted outward, rather than being raised 90 degrees as described above. In this case, it is preferable to raise the lower flaps 6 to an extent that glue can be applied to predetermined positions of the lower flaps 6 by the gluing device 28 while they are moving from the lower flap raising stage C to the upper flap folding stage D. Alternatively, conversely to the above, the lower flaps 6 may be pushed into the body 2 and temporarily tilted so that the open end is positioned inside the first fold line 7a, i.e., so that the lower flaps 6 tilt (enter) into the body 2, as long as the reaction force described above or the like subsequently causes the lower flaps 6 to assume a position in which they are tilted outward.

[0039] The gluing device 28 may be configured to spray, for example, hot melt or other glue to adhere to the opposing surface. In this embodiment, the glue 17 (see FIG. 2) is applied to two locations, front and back, along the conveying direction on the surface of the lower flap 6. The glue 17 is not applied to the intermediate location in the front-to-back direction along the conveying direction.

[0040] As shown in Figures 4 to 6, the upper flap pushing-down device 27 is located on both the left and right sides of the conveying path for the carton body 10 and performs the process of pushing down each of the two upper flaps 5. This upper flap pushing-down device 27 includes a block member 51 that contacts and presses down the surface of the upper flap 5, a second cylinder 52 that moves the block member 51 up and down, and a third cylinder 53 that moves the block member 51 back and forth toward the carton body 10. The second cylinder 52 faces upward, and the second cylinder rod 52a is configured to be able to reciprocate up and down. A movable base plate 55 is attached to the tip of the second cylinder rod 52a, and the third cylinder 53 is connected to the upper surface of the movable base plate 55. The third cylinder 53 has a third cylinder rod 53a located on the conveying device 22 side and is configured to be able to reciprocate in a horizontal plane toward the conveying device 22. Then, the block member 51 is attached to the tip of the third cylinder rod 53a via a connecting member 56.

[0041] In this way, when the second cylinder 52 is operated and the second cylinder rod 52a is reciprocated, the block member 51 is raised and lowered integrally with the third cylinder 53. Furthermore, when the third cylinder 53 is operated and the third cylinder rod 53a is operated, the block member 51 moves forward and backward toward the carton 10.

[0042] The block member 51 has a front surface 51a that is curved according to the curve of the first fold line 7a, and a bottom surface 51b that is thick and has a downwardly convex curved surface in the widthwise center. A recessed groove 51c is provided in the widthwise center of the bottom surface 51b, and the recessed groove 51c is configured to face the center of the upper flap 5 in the width direction (the direction of the short side of the top surface portion 3). As a result, when the block member 51 moves downward, the periphery of the recessed groove 51c in the middle of the bottom surface 51b first comes into contact with the center of the upper flap 5, urging the contact area downward. As the block member 51 further moves downward in this state, the contact area of ​​the bottom surface 51b of the block member 51 with the upper flap 5 increases, and the open end side of the upper flap 5 moves downward, centering on the base end side. Then, when the block member 51 further moves downward, the front edge side of the lower surface 51b of the block member 51 presses the upper flap 5, folding the upper flap 5 along the first folding line 7a.

[0043] The upper flap lowering device 27 includes a lower flap positioning device 60 that holds down the lower flap 6, which was raised in the previous process, and positions it in a desired position. The lower flap positioning device 60 includes a holding plate member 61 that biases the lower flap 6 at its tip end and a fourth cylinder 62 that moves the holding plate member 61 up and down in a diagonal direction. The fourth cylinder 62 is disposed inside the second cylinder 52, i.e., between the second cylinder 52 and the conveying device 22, so that the fourth cylinder rod 62a reciprocates diagonally up and down. The holding plate member 61 is connected to the fourth cylinder rod 62a along the direction of the fourth cylinder rod 62a with its tip end portion 61a positioned close to the conveying device 22. This causes the fourth cylinder 62 to operate, and as the fourth cylinder rod 62a reciprocates, the holding plate member 61 also moves up and down along the direction of the fourth cylinder rod 62a.

[0044] When the pressure plate member 61 is lowered to a first position (standby position), the tip portion 61a of the pressure plate member 61 is located below and separated from the carton body 10, as shown in Figures 8, 11, 12, etc. On the other hand, when the fourth cylinder rod 62a is protruded by the forward movement of the fourth cylinder 62, the tip portion 61a of the pressure plate member 61 comes into contact with the lower flap 6 and urges it diagonally upward toward the body portion 2. At the second position, where the pressure plate member 61 reaches the uppermost position, as shown in Figure 9, etc., the tip portion 61a is configured to face the first fold line 7a, which is the boundary between the top surface portion 3 and the upper flap 5. Alternatively, instead of facing the first fold line 7a in this way, the tip portion 61a of the pressure plate member 61 may face the first fold line 7a, so that the open end of the lower flap 6 held down by the pressure plate member 61 faces the first fold line 7a.

[0045] As a result, the tip portion 61a of the retaining plate member 61 comes into contact with the lower flap 6 during the upward movement, causing the lower flap 6 to rise, and when it reaches the second position, the tip portion 61a faces the first fold line 7a (see FIG. 9). Therefore, the raised lower flap 6 stands at an angle of 90 degrees, with its open end positioned slightly inside the vicinity of the first fold line 7a.

[0046] That is, in this embodiment, at least during the time from when the lower flap 6 is raised in the previous process until it is intermittently transported and reaches the upper flap folding stage D, the open end of the lower flap 6 assumes a position that opens outward, and if it remains in that position, the open end will face the upper flap 5 and interfere with the folding process of the upper flap 5. Therefore, as described above, the lower flap 6 is displaced into a position where it is raised 90 degrees by the holding plate member 61, so that the upper flap 5 can be folded down from the first fold line 7a without interfering with the lower flap 6.

[0047] Therefore, when the second cylinder 52 is operated in this state to move the block member 51, which is waiting at the first position, downward, the upper flap 5 is urged downward as described above, and the tip portion 61a of the retaining plate member 61 contacts and supports the first fold line 7a of the upper flap 5, preventing the connection portion and the upper flap 5 from becoming flat. Therefore, the upper flap 5 can be folded along the base end side (first fold line 7a) while maintaining the curved connection portion of the first fold line 7a.

[0048] Furthermore, when the block member 51 starts folding the upper flap 5, the second cylinder 52 continues to move downward, causing the fourth cylinder 62 to also move downward, and the pressure plate member 61 also moves downward (see FIG. 10 , etc.). This action causes the pressure plate member 61 to move away from the first fold line 7a, releasing its function of supporting the first fold line 7a from below. Accordingly, the lower flap 6, which had been held down by the pressure plate member 61, attempts to return outward due to a reaction force, but comes into contact with the upper flap 5, which has begun to bend, preventing it from further falling outward. As a result, the open end of the lower flap 6 faces the first fold line 7a and supports the first fold line 7a from below in place of the pressure plate member 61. Therefore, as the block member 51 continues to move downward, the process of folding and collapsing the upper flap 5 continues, and the upper flap 5 is ultimately folded 90 degrees about the first fold line 7a.

[0049] When the block member 51 reaches the lower position in this manner, the second cylinder 52 stops operating and the third cylinder 53 operates forward, thereby moving the block member 51 forward toward the carton body 10 (see FIG. 11, etc.).

[0050] As a result, the front surface 51a of the block member 51 comes into contact with the upper flap 5 folded downward, and pushes it toward the body 2 of the carton 10. The front surface 51a is a surface that is curved in the width direction with the center protruding forward, and because this curved surface is shaped to follow the first fold line 7a, the upper flap 5 also has a curved surface that follows the first fold line 7a. The upper flap 5 also comes into contact with the lower flap 6 located behind it, and the upper flap 5 and the lower flap 6 are bonded together by the glue applied by the gluing device 28, combined with the reaction force of the lower flap 6 (the force that tries to fall outward).

[0051] Thereafter, the third cylinder 53 operates in a forward direction, causing the block member 51 to retract and separate from the body-filled carton 10 (see Figure 12, etc.). This forms a gusseted pillow box carton 1. This pillow box carton 1 contains products within the body portion 2, which bulges out vertically in the width direction, and the boxing is complete. Thereafter, the second cylinder 52 operates in a forward direction, moving the block member 51 upward and waiting for the process of folding down the upper flap 5 of the next body-filled carton 10.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, after the second cylinder 52 has completed its backward movement and the block member 51 has reached its lowered position, the third cylinder 53 moves forward to move the block member 51 forward. However, the third cylinder 53 may start its forward movement midway through its downward movement, and the block member 51 may move forward toward the carton 10 while moving downward.

[0053] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the tip portion 61a of the pressing plate member 61 is chamfered in an R-shape (arc shape) on both left and right ends, and is formed linearly between them. By chamfering both left and right ends in this way, it is possible to prevent both ends from coming into contact with the upper flap 5 and poking it, thereby preventing it from being damaged.

[0054] Furthermore, the pressure plate member 61 is formed in a substantially rectangular shape and faces the center of the lower flap 6 in the width direction (front-rear direction along the conveying direction), thereby minimizing contact with the glue 17 applied to the lower flap 6. The shape of the pressure plate member 61 is arbitrary, and various shapes are possible, such as a bifurcated shape that contacts the lower flap 6 at two points on the left and right to hold it down as a whole. Furthermore, for example, if the pressure plate member 61 is bifurcated, the tip portion 61a of the pressure plate member 61 contacts the open end of the lower flap 6 at the glue application position. However, by raising and lowering the pressure plate member 61 at an angle as in this embodiment, the tip portion 61a of the lower flap 6 can contact the open end of the lower flap 6 from the beginning, avoiding the glue 17, and can be lifted.

[0055] In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 4 and subsequent figures, the upper flap-folding stage D may include a support 65 for supporting the body 2, which may be arranged between the endless chains 32 arranged on the left and right sides, and which can be raised and lowered. The upper surface of this support 65 is curved to fit the underside 4 of the body 2, and is configured to be raised and lowered by a fifth cylinder 66. When the support 65 is in the lowered position, its upper surface is located below the conveyance plane of the carton body 10, while when it is in the raised position, it can support the underside 4 of the body 2. As a result, while the conveying device 22 is conveying the carton body 10, the support 65 waits in the lowered position. When the carton body 10 reaches the upper flap-folding stage D and the conveying device 22 temporarily stops, the support 65 rises, and the upper surface of the support 65 comes into contact with and supports the underside 4 of the carton body 10.

[0056] Thereafter, as described above, when the block member 51 moves downward and biases the upper flap 5 so as to bend it downward, the receiving base 65 supports the body portion 2, thereby allowing the upper flap 5 to be folded smoothly.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 13 , the upper flap folding stage D has an upper holding guide 67 disposed at a predetermined position above the conveying path, which can hold down the areas near both long sides of the top surface 3 of the carton 10 on the receiving table 65. The upper holding guide 67 is raised and lowered by a sixth cylinder 68. When in the raised position, the upper holding guide 67 is positioned so as not to come into contact with the carton 10 being conveyed, while when in the lowered position, the upper holding guide 67 can support the top surface 3 and side surfaces 9 near the long sides of the carton 2. As a result, while the conveying device 22 is conveying the carton 10, the upper holding guide 67 waits in the raised position. When the carton 10 reaches the upper flap folding stage D and the conveying device 22 is temporarily stopped, the upper holding guide 67 descends, holding down the top surface 3 and side surfaces 9 near the long sides of the carton 10 from above. This prevents the body part 2 from being deformed even if the urging force is transmitted to the body part 2 when the block member 51 urges the upper flap 5 downward.

[0058] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the packing process is performed on the body-mounted carton 10 for a gusseted pillow box carton, but the packing process may also be performed on the body-mounted carton 10 for a pillow box carton without a gusset, as shown in Figure 1.

[0059] Furthermore, when gluing and fixing both the upper flap 5 and the lower flap 6, the gluing device 28 applies glue to the surface of the lower flap 6, but it may also be configured to apply glue to the surface of the upper flap 5 (the surface facing the lower flap 6 when folded down).

[0060] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, the upper flap 5 is fixed by adhering the upper flap 5 and the lower flap 6 with glue, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, the upper flap 5 may be fixed using adhesive tape applied so as to straddle the space between the upper flap 5 and the lower surface portion 4. Furthermore, in the present invention, it is not always necessary to fix the upper flap 5, and the pillow box carton may be formed simply by folding the upper flap 5 and the lower flap 6, respectively.

[0061] While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments thereof, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are provided to aid in understanding the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the structures and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also encompasses combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the structures of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, it is hereby expressly stated that structures not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future as disclosed herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 1: Pillow box carton 2: Body 3:Top part 4: Bottom part 5: Upper flap 6: Lower flap 7a: First fold line 7b: Second fold line 8: Glue allowance piece 9: Side part 10: Body-attached carton 17: Glue 20: Packing equipment 21: Carton stocker 22:Transportation device 23: Carton supply device 24: Carton opening device 25:Product 26: Lower flap lifting device 27: Upper flap folding device 28: Gluing device 51: Block member 52: Second cylinder 52a: Second cylinder rod 53: Third cylinder 53a: Third cylinder rod 60: Lower flap positioning device 61: Retaining plate member 61a:Tip part 62: 4th cylinder 62a: 4th cylinder rod

Claims

1. The container has a first surface and a second surface that form a body portion for storing the product, The first surface portion and the second surface portion are at least partially overlapped in a folded state, and both side edges are connected to each other directly or via side portions, and are curved in the width direction in a raised state, The first surface portion has first flaps at both ends thereof that are not connected to each other, The second surface portion has second flaps at both ends thereof that are not connected to each other, A boxing device that stores the products in a carton having a body, the body having a boundary between the first surface and the first flap and a boundary between the second surface and the second flap being curved, a conveying device for intermittently conveying the carton body; The system includes a carton opening device that opens the folded carton body, a product supplying device that supplies the product from the opened portion of the carton body into the body portion, a second flap folding device that folds the second flap from the boundary portion with the second surface portion, and a first flap folding device that folds the first flap from the boundary portion with the first surface portion, each of which is arranged in a temporary stop area of ​​the conveying device, the second flap folded by the second flap folding device is in an outwardly opened position at least when it reaches the first flap folding device; the first flap folding device includes a positioning device that holds the second flap and positions it at a predetermined position; the predetermined position is a position that does not interfere with the folding of the first flap, the first flap folding device folds the first flap in a state where the second flap is positioned at the predetermined position by the positioning device; When the positioning device moves away from the second flap at the predetermined position, the second flap can come into contact with the first flap folded by the first flap folding device. Packing equipment.

2. the positioning device includes a pressing member that contacts the second flap and urges it in a direction toward the body portion, and a driving means that moves the pressing member toward or away from the body portion, 2. The boxing device according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined position is a position where the tip side of the pressing member or the open end side of the second flap faces a boundary portion between the first surface portion and the first flap.

3. 3. The boxing device according to claim 2, wherein the driving means is configured to move the pressing member toward and away from the body portion in an oblique direction.

4. a gluing device that applies glue to a surface of the first flap or the second flap; The packing device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the first flap folding device has the function of folding the first flap and biasing it toward the body portion, and bonding the first flap and the second flap together with the glue.

5. a gluing device that applies glue to a surface of the first flap or the second flap; the first flap folding device has a function of folding the first flap and biasing it toward the body portion, and bonding the first flap and the second flap together with the adhesive; The gluing device applies the glue to a plurality of locations on the second flap, 4. The boxing device according to claim 2, wherein the pressing member is configured to come into contact with the area where no glue is applied.

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