Carton opening device

Abstract

To provide a carton opening device capable of opening a folded body-pasted carton with a simple structure.CONSTITUTION: A carton opening device includes: a second suction cup portion 39 that contacts a guide plate member 44 and sucks a lower surface portion 4 of a body-pasted carton 10 having a rectangular cross section with a side surface portion 9 raised; and a third suction cup portion 40 that sucks a top surface portion 3, wherein each suction cup portion moves up and down independently. The second suction cup portion is lowered first to separate it from the third suction cup portion, and the upper surface and the lower surface are curved to deform the body-pasted carton into a vertically long shape, so that a width W1 becomes narrower than an interval W2 between a front finger 33 and a rear finger 34. In this state, both suction cup portions are lowered to position the body-pasted carton between the fingers, and then the suction is released. When the suction is released, the body-pasted carton is deformed so that its curve becomes gentler and its width becomes wider, and the side surface portion fits into notches 33a and 33b of the fingers and are gripped.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a carton opening device. [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 in which, when body-filled cartons 10 shown in Figure 1(c) are taken out one by one by a carton supplying device and set on a conveying device, a carton opening device forms a body portion 2 in which the upper surface portion 3 and the lower surface portion 4 are curved and bulged relative to each other, and after the product is supplied into the body portion 2, the lower flap 6 is folded up from the second fold line 7b and the upper flap 5 is folded down from the first fold line 7a, thereby completing the boxing process.

[0005] The carton opening device, which opens the flat carton body 10 by curving the top and bottom surfaces 3 and 4, includes a pair of arms that clamp a pair of long sides of the body 2. The arms rotate forward and backward within a predetermined angle range, have V-shaped gripping portions on the opposing surfaces of their tips, and receive power from a drive source (not shown) to move between a collapsed standby position and an upright position. When the arms are in the upright position, the distance between the pair of arms is shorter than the distance between the notches in the front and rear fingers. As a result, the pair of arms clamp the pair of long sides of the carton body 10, making the width of the body 2 of the opened carton body 10 shorter than the distance between the front and rear fingers.

[0006] With the body 2 sandwiched between the pair of arms, the arms are lowered to position the pair of long sides of the body-filled carton 10 so that its height is aligned with the deepest parts of the notches in the opposing surfaces of the front and rear fingers. The arms are then returned to their standby position, releasing the clamping of the body 2. The elastic force of the body-filled carton 10 causes the top surface 3 and bottom surface 4 to curve more gently, widening the width between the long sides, and both long sides fitting within and being held in place within the notches in the front and rear fingers.

[0007] Also, as shown in the developed view of Figure 2, there is a type of pillow box carton 1 in which a side section 9 is placed between an upper section 3 and a lower section 4, and they are connected via the side section 9. In this case, too, the connection between the upper section 3 and the upper flap 5 and the connection between the lower section 4 and the lower flap 6 are curved, and when the box is assembled, the body section 2 has a pillow-like shape with the upper section 3 and the lower section 4 bulging out in the center in the width direction. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-114939 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] If the pair of arms are raised and the width of the carton is narrowed by clamping it from the front and back, it becomes cumbersome to accommodate size changes, for example, when there are many different types of cartons. This means that it is necessary to prepare arms to accommodate different sizes and adjust the spacing between the arms. In particular, the mechanism for clamping the carton from the front and back to curve the top and bottom surfaces and form a pillow-like shape is complex, making it difficult to install in a narrow space. Furthermore, narrowing the width of the carton 10 by opening and closing the arms poses a bottleneck to speeding up the process.

[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 carton opening device of the present invention is a carton opening device for (1) opening a body-mounted carton having a first surface and a second surface that constitute a body portion for storing a product, 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 end that is not connected, and the second surface having a second flap at each end that is not connected, the boundary between the first surface and the first flap and the boundary between the second surface and the second flap being curved, when supplied to a conveying device, so that the carton can be opened to store the product, the conveying device having front fingers and rear fingers that hold the body-mounted carton from the front and rear with the first surface facing up, and suctioning the first surface before it is supplied to the conveying device. The carton conveyor comprises a lower suction means, a first moving means for raising and lowering the lower suction means, an upper suction means for suctioning the second surface portion, and a second moving means for raising and lowering the upper suction means, wherein the first moving means and the second moving means have the function of moving the lower suction means and the upper suction means, when they are suctioned together, to increase the relative distance between them, thereby curving the first surface portion and the second surface portion, and the function of moving the lower suction means and the upper suction means, when they are suctioned together, downward to position the carton between the front finger and the rear finger; and wherein the suction of the upper suction means and the lower suction means is released when the carton is positioned between the front finger and the rear finger, thereby widening the width of the carton, and the carton is held in contact with the front finger and the rear finger.

[0012] In this way, while the first and second surfaces are held by suction with the lower suction means and the upper suction means, the distance between the two suction means can be widened to curve the first and second surfaces and narrow the width of the carton. By raising and lowering the lower suction means and the upper suction means, the carton can be opened and narrowed, allowing for high-speed processing. Also, changes in the size of the carton to be processed can be accommodated by, for example, changing the distance traveled by the lower suction means or the upper suction means.

[0013] In this embodiment, the first surface portion and the second surface portion correspond to the lower surface portion 4 and the upper surface portion 3, respectively. In addition, in this embodiment, the lower suction means and the upper suction means correspond to the second suction cup portion 39 and the third suction cup portion 40, respectively.

[0014] (2) When the lower suction means and the upper suction means are separated from each other while the first surface and the second surface are being suctioned, and the first surface and the second surface are curved, the width of the carton is shorter than the distance between the front and rear fingers, and the carton is positioned between the front and rear fingers in this shortened state. In this way, the carton can be smoothly inserted and positioned between the front and rear fingers without coming into contact with them.

[0015] (3) It is preferable that the suction of the upper suction means and the lower suction means is released first by the upper suction means. In this way, the suction of the upper suction means is released first, which reduces the degree of curvature of the first and second surfaces and widens the width of the carton. However, since the first surface on the underside of the carton is held by the lower suction means, the width of the carton widens at the position held by the lower suction means. This makes it possible to precisely control the height position of the carton.

[0016] (4) A carton supply means is provided which adsorbs the second surface of the stored carton, removes the carton from its storage location, moves it, and transfers the removed carton to the lower adsorption means, and the carton supply means is preferably configured to move away from the carton and for the upper adsorption means to approach and adsorb the second surface of the carton whose first surface is adsorbed by the lower adsorption means.

[0017] In this way, the upper suction means does not need to remove the loaded carton, allowing for simple and fast processing. After delivering the loaded carton to the lower suction means, the carton supply means can remove the next loaded carton. In other words, while the upper and lower suction means are opening the loaded carton or supplying it to the conveying device, the next carton can be removed, improving the processing speed of the entire system.

[0018] (5) The carton body has a side portion, and preferably includes a guide member that contacts the side portion of the carton body as it moves downward and raises the side portion. In this way, the side portion can be raised. Then, since the lower suction means and the upper suction means suction a predetermined surface while the side portion is raised, the carton body can be moved up and down without shifting horizontally while being held by suction, thereby adjusting the width of the carton body, and feeding and setting it on the conveying device.

[0019] (6) It is preferable to provide a pusher means for biasing the side surface portion raised by the guide member to raise the side surface portion relative to the first surface portion. In this way, it is possible to raise the side surface portion even if the height of the side surface portion is low.

[0020] Furthermore, the configurations shown in (1) to (6) 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]

[0021] According to the present invention, a body-mounted carton for a pillow box carton can be opened with a simple structure, enabling high-speed processing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [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 incorporating a carton opening device according to the present invention; [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a perspective view (part 1) showing a part of a carton packing device including a carton opening device. [Figure 5] 1 is a front view showing a portion of a carton packing machine including a carton opening device. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a perspective view (part 2) showing a part of the carton packing device including the carton opening device. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a third perspective view showing a part of the carton packing device including the carton opening device. [Figure 9] FIG. 4 is a perspective view (part 4) showing a part of the carton packing device including the carton opening device. [Figure 10] FIG. 5 is a fifth perspective view showing a part of the carton packing device including the carton opening device. [Figure 11] This is a diagram (part 1) explaining the operation. [Figure 12] This is a diagram (part 2) explaining the operation. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] 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.

[0024] 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 figures show the configuration of the main components. The body-filled carton 10 to be processed by the packing device 20 of this embodiment has a gusset and is configured with a side surface 9 between an upper surface 3 and a lower surface 4, as shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, multiple states of the same component are depicted in the same drawing. In Fig. 4 and subsequent figures, some components are omitted for convenience of illustration.

[0025] The packing device 20 on which the carton opening device 24 of this embodiment is implemented 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 carton opening device 24, and various devices that perform various processes on the cartons 10 during transport along the conveying direction of the conveying device 22.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 with the expanded body portions 2, a lower flap raising stage C (lower flap raising device) 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) 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 to be performed at that stage. The processing devices may be, for example, devices disclosed in Patent Document 1.

[0028] 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.

[0029] 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 10, the conveying device 22 is structured to include a plurality of sprockets 31 arranged at the front and rear ends of the cartons 10 in the conveying direction and at predetermined positions on both the left and right sides, 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 clamping both the left and right sides of the body portion 2 of the carton 10 from the front and rear in the conveying direction.

[0030] The front finger 33 and the rear finger 34 have cutouts 33a and 34a at the same height on their opposing surfaces. The pair of front finger 33 and rear finger 34 holds and transports the carton 10 with the side surface 9 of the carton 10 inserted into the cutouts 33a and 34a.

[0031] As shown in FIGS. 3 to 7 , 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 then 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.

[0032] The carton opening device 24 has the function of forming a flat carton 10 removed from the carton stocker 21 by the carton supply device 23 into a state in which the top surface 3 and bottom surface 4 are curved toward each other to form a bulging body 2, with both longitudinal ends open, and setting the opened cylindrical carton 10 with the bulging body 2 between a pair of front fingers 33 and rear fingers 34 on the front and rear sides of the conveying device 22. The specific configuration of this carton opening device 24 will be described later.

[0033] A product supply device is placed on product supply stage B. This product supply device may include, for example, a chute guide 29 that forms a path for guiding the products 25 into the body 2 of the carton 10, a pusher that pushes the products 25 into the body 2, and the like.

[0034] The lower flap raising devices disposed on the lower flap raising stage C are not shown, but are disposed on both the left and right sides of the conveying path for the body-mounted carton 10, and perform the process of raising each of the two lower flaps 6. These lower flap raising devices include, for example, a flat plate-shaped member whose leading edge has a curved shape corresponding to the curve of the second fold line 7b, and a drive mechanism such as a cylinder that raises and lowers the flat plate-shaped member. The flat plate-shaped member is configured to move up and down in response to the reciprocating motion of the drive mechanism, so that the flat plate-shaped member comes into contact with and lifts the lower flap 6. The leading edge of the flat plate-shaped member is configured to come into contact with and lift the lower flap 6 not immediately adjacent to the second fold line 7b, but slightly away from it.

[0035] 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 raised lower flap 6 also has a curved surface with the widthwise central portion lowered toward the back.

[0036] 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 of the surface of the lower flap 6. It is preferable that the glue 17 not be applied to the intermediate location in the front-to-back direction along the conveying direction.

[0037] Although not shown, the upper flap knockdown devices arranged on the upper flap knockdown stage D are arranged on both the left and right sides of the conveyance path for the carton 10, and perform the process of knocking down each of the two upper flaps 5. These upper flap knockdown devices are equipped with a block member that comes into contact with and presses down the surface of the upper flap 5, and a drive mechanism that moves the block member up and down and, when in the lowered position, moves the block member back and forth toward the carton 10.

[0038] The block member preferably has a curved front surface that conforms to the curve of the first fold line 7a, and a thick bottom surface with a downwardly convex curved surface at the center in the width direction. When the drive mechanism moves the block member downward, the center of the bottom surface first contacts the center of the upper flap 5, urging the contact area downward. As the block member further moves downward in this state, the contact area of ​​the bottom surface of the block member with the upper flap 5 increases, and the open end of the upper flap 5 moves downward, centered on the base end side. As the block member further moves downward, the front edge of the bottom surface of the block member presses against the upper flap 5, folding it along the first fold line 7a.

[0039] When the block member reaches the lower position in this manner, the drive mechanism moves the block member forward toward the carton 10. As a result, the front surface of the block member comes into contact with the upper flap 5, which has been folded downward, and pushes it toward the body 2 of the carton 10. The front surface 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).

[0040] This forms a gusseted pillow box carton 1. This pillow box carton 1 has products stored in the body portion 2 that bulges out vertically in the width direction, and the boxing is complete.

[0041] An example of a specific configuration of the carton opening device 24 may be as follows: 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. Furthermore, in this embodiment, since the carton 10 to be processed has a gusset, the carton opening device 24 includes a temporary raising device 43 that raises the side surface 9 of the gusset portion and changes the position so that the top surface 3 and bottom surface 4 are facing each other at a predetermined distance (the height of the side surface 9).

[0042] This temporary raising device 43 includes two guide plate members 44, a pusher member 45, and a first cylinder 46 that moves the pusher member 45 back and forth. The guide plate member 44 includes a base portion 44a extending horizontally, a vertical portion 44b extending upward from the tip of the base portion 44a, and an inclined portion 44c extending diagonally upward from the upper end of the vertical portion 44b toward the carton stocker 21. The guide plate member 44 having such a shape may be formed, for example, by bending an appropriate position of a long, thin, strip-shaped flat plate.

[0043] The two guide plate members 44 are arranged parallel to each other at a predetermined distance (in the left-right direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying device 22) at a predetermined position above the conveying device 22. The pusher member 45 is arranged to be movable between the two guide plate members 44. This movement follows the reciprocating movement of the first cylinder 46. The pusher member 45 waits on the back side (carton stocker 21 side) of the guide plate members 44 (vertical portion 44b and inclined portion 44c), moves forward in response to the forward movement of the first cylinder 46, passes between the two guide plate members 44, and is positioned on the front side.

[0044] The temporary raising device 43 cooperates with the carton opening device 24 to raise the side surface 9 of the gusseted carton 10. That is, the carton supplying device 23 suction-holds the leading carton 10 in the carton stocker 21 with the first suction cup 38, which is in the first position, and then rotates the arm member 36 by a predetermined angle while holding the carton, displacing the first suction cup 38 to a downward second position. When the first suction cup 38 reaches the second position, the carton 10 is above the guide plate member 44, and the setting position of the carton 10 in each device and the carton stocker 21 is adjusted so that the boundary between the bottom surface 4 and the side surface 9, which are flat when folded, overlaps the vertical portion 44b in a plan view.

[0045] Meanwhile, the carton opening device 24 raises the second suction cup 39, bringing it into contact with the underside 4 of the carton 10 waiting at the second position and sucking and holding it there. Then, the suction of the first suction cup 38 is released. This causes the second suction cup 39 to receive the folded carton 10 from the first suction cup 38 near the upper entrance of the guide plate member 44. The carton opening device 24 then lowers the second suction cup 39 to erect the carton. Specifically, the folded carton 10 is lowered by the second suction cup 39, and as it descends, the side surface 9 comes into contact with the inclined portion 44c. As the carton 10 descends while still in contact with the inclined portion 44c, the side surface 9 is raised by the inclined portion 44c and then rises along the vertical portion 44b, so that the side surface 9 is raised 90 degrees.

[0046] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as the first suction cup portion 38 moves downward, the first cylinder 46 moves forward in time with the side portion 9 of the body-mounted carton 10 moving along the guide plate member 44, and the pusher member 45 moves forward. The forward-moving pusher member 45 pushes the side portion 9. As a result, even if, for example, the pillow box carton 1 is low (thin) and the width of the side portion 9 (the distance between the upper surface portion 3 and the lower surface portion 4) is narrow, the pusher member 45 can firmly urge the side portion 9, allowing the side portion 9 to rise.

[0047] In the case of a carton 10 with a certain side height, the side portion 9 can be raised by bringing the side portion 9 into contact with the guide plate member 44 and moving downward while pressing it against the guide plate member 44. Therefore, in such a case, it is preferable to configure the device not to operate the first cylinder 46 and not to apply any force from the pusher member 45. In addition, when handling cartons 10 of different sizes, it is preferable to provide a function for turning the operation of the first cylinder 46 on and off depending on the size of the carton 10 to be processed, as described above. Furthermore, in the case of a boxing device 20 that forms pillow box cartons 1 with side portions 9 that are somewhat wide and tall, it is also possible to configure the device to raise the side portion 9 using only the guide plate member 44, without providing the pusher member 45 and the first cylinder 46.

[0048] The first movement mechanism 51, which moves the second suction cup 39 along a predetermined trajectory, includes a first motor 52 serving as a drive source; a motion direction conversion mechanism 53, which converts the rotational direction of the output shaft of the first motor 52 into vertical motion and is connected to the motion direction conversion mechanism 53; a base 54 connected to the motion direction conversion mechanism 53 and moves up and down; a thin, flat connecting rod 55 connected to one longitudinal end of the base 54 (the end opposite the connection point of the motion direction conversion mechanism 53) and extending forward in the conveying direction of the conveyor device 22; and a support plate 56 attached to the tip of the connecting rod 55. The second suction cup 39, facing upward, is attached to the top surface of the tip of the support plate 56. In this embodiment, two second suction cups 39 are arranged at a predetermined interval in the width direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The connecting rod 55 and the support plate 56 are located between a pair of endless chains 32 arranged on the left and right and extend horizontally. The first motor 52 may be, for example, a servo motor.

[0049] Furthermore, the base table 54 is arranged so as to extend in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying device 22, and sliders 58 are attached to both ends of the long side on the rear side in the conveying direction. The sliders 58 are movably connected to guide rails 59 that are arranged in parallel to each other and extend in the vertical direction at a predetermined interval. The guide rails 59 may be connected to the machine frame of the packing device 20.

[0050] In this way, when the base table 54 is urged up and down by the motion direction conversion mechanism 53 in accordance with the rotation of the first motor 52, the two sliders 58 connected to the base table 54 move up and down while being guided by the guide rails 59. Accordingly, the base table 54 and therefore the second suction cup portion 39 move up and down stably and linearly.

[0051] Moreover, by controlling the rotation and stopping of the first motor 52, it is possible to temporarily stop the second suction cup portion 39 at any position between the raised position and the lowered position.

[0052] The second movement mechanism 61, which moves the third suction cup 40 along a predetermined trajectory, has the functions of moving the third suction cup 40 up and down and rotating the suction cup surface within an angle range of approximately 90 degrees. The function of moving the third suction cup 40 up and down may be provided, for example, with a second motor 62 and a linear guide 63. This second motor 62 may be, for example, a servo motor. The output shaft (ball screw) of the second motor 62 is arranged to extend downward. The forward and reverse rotation of the second motor 62 moves a block 64 of the linear guide 63 up and down.

[0053] A movable box 66 constituting a rotation mechanism is connected to the block 64. The movable box 66 moves up and down in unison with the block 64 as it moves up and down. A third motor 67 is fixed to the block 64 side of the movable box 66 on its side surface 66a. A servo motor, for example, may be used as the third motor 67. A rotating shaft 68 is disposed at the tip end of the side surface 66a of the movable box 66, protruding perpendicularly to the side surface 66a. Although not shown, a power transmission mechanism is disposed within the movable box 66, and is configured to transmit the rotation of the output shaft of the third motor 67 to the rotating shaft 68. As a result, when the third motor 67 rotates forward or backward, the rotating shaft 68 also rotates forward or backward accordingly. In this embodiment, the rotating shaft 68 rotates forward or backward within an angular range of 90 degrees + α.

[0054] The third suction cup portion 40 is fixed to this rotation shaft 68 via a connecting bar 69. Two connecting bars 69 are attached in parallel at a predetermined distance along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 68. A third suction cup portion 40 is attached to the tip end of each connecting bar 69. Furthermore, the angle at which each connecting bar 69 is attached to the rotation shaft 68 should be such that the connecting bar 69 can rotate forward and backward between a horizontal position (the suction cup surface of the third suction cup portion 40 faces downward) and a position slightly tilted backward from an upright vertical position (the suction cup surface of the third suction cup portion 40 faces diagonally upward).

[0055] As described above, the second suction cup portion 39 moves up and down by receiving the rotational output of the first motor 52, and the third suction cup portion 40 moves up and down by receiving the rotational output of the second motor 62. The first motor 52 and the second motor 62 are controlled to rotate or pause independently of each other. Therefore, the distance between the two suction cup portions may fluctuate or remain constant as they move up and down. An example of specific control is as follows:

[0056] First, in synchronization with the timing at which the first suction cup 38 of the carton supply device 23 reaches the second position, the first movement mechanism 51 moves the second suction cup 39 upward, bringing the suction surface of the second suction cup 39 into contact with the underside 4 of the carton 10 held by suction on the first suction cup 38. In this state, the second suction cup 39 begins suction and the first suction cup 38 ends suction. The first suction cup 38 then returns to the first position and performs the operation of removing the next carton 10. Meanwhile, the first movement mechanism 51 moves the second suction cup 39 downward, bringing the side surface 9 of the carton 10 into contact with the inclined portion 44c of the guide plate member 44 and lifting it, and then descending along the vertical portion 44b, thereby raising the side surface 9 that contacts the vertical portion 44b. As a result, the opposite side portion 9 is also raised, and the body-mounted carton 10 waits at a position midway up the vertical portion 44b, with the upper and lower portions 3 and 4 in a horizontal position and the side portion 9 in a vertical position, resulting in a roughly L-shaped vertical cross section.

[0057] Next, the second moving mechanism 61 operates to position the third suction cup 40 downward and lower it, bringing the suction cup surface of the third suction cup 40 into contact with the upper surface 3 of the waiting carton 10 (see FIG. 11(a)). Then, the third suction cup 40 starts suction and sucks the upper surface 3 and the lower surface 4 of the carton 10.

[0058] Next, the third suction cup 40 waits without changing its height position while suction-holding the upper surface 3, and the second suction cup 39 moves downward in this state. This increases the distance between the second suction cup 39 and the third suction cup 40, causing the upper surface 3 and the lower surface 4 to curve and displace into a bulging state (see FIG. 11(b)). In this bulging state, the width W1 between the pair of side surfaces 9 of the carton body 10 is set to be shorter than the distance W2 between the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34.

[0059] Thereafter, the first moving mechanism 51 and the second moving mechanism 61 operate, and the second suction cup 39 and the third suction cup 40 move downward while maintaining the vertical separation distance, positioning the expanded carton 10 between the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34 (see FIG. 12(a)). Because the width W1 of the carton 10 in the previous process is shorter than the distance W2 between the front and rear fingers, the carton 10 is positioned within the space between the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34 without interfering with them. Furthermore, the downward movement of the second suction cup 39 and the third suction cup 40 is stopped when the side surface 9 of the carton 10 is positioned opposite the cutouts 33a and 34a of the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34.

[0060] Next, the suction of the second suction cup 39 and the third suction cup 40 is released. This reduces the degree of curvature of the upper surface 3 and the lower surface 4, widening the width of the carton 10 and allowing it to enter the notches 33a, 34a of the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34. This causes the body 2 to expand, and the carton 10, now open at both ends, is supported by the front finger 33 and the rear finger 34, and is then intermittently conveyed by the conveying device 22 (see Figure 12(b)).

[0061] The timing for releasing the suction of the second suction cup unit 39 and the third suction cup unit 40 described above may be simultaneous, but it is preferable to release the suction of the upper third suction cup unit 40 first. By releasing the suction of the third suction cup unit 40 first in this way, the height position of the body-mounted carton 10 can be precisely controlled by the position of the second suction cup unit 39. It is also preferable to release the suction of the second suction cup unit 39 immediately after the suction of the third suction cup unit 40 is released, so that there is not much time difference between them. By shortening the time difference, the processing time can be shortened.

[0062] Furthermore, instead of releasing the suction when the second suction cup portion 39 and the third suction cup portion 40 are separated by a predetermined distance as in the state shown in Figure 12(a), the distance between the second suction cup portion 39 and the third suction cup portion 40 may be narrowed slightly, for example by slightly lowering the third suction cup portion 40, thereby slightly widening the width of the carton body 10 and releasing the suction when the side portion 9 of the carton body 10 has entered the front and rear cutout portions 33a, 34a.

[0063] In the above-described embodiment, the packing process is performed on a body-mounted carton 10 for a gusseted pillow box carton, but it is also possible to pack a body-mounted carton 10 for a pillow box carton without a gusset, as shown in Figure 1.

[0064] In the above-described embodiment, the lower flap 6 is glued, but various types of glue such as hot melt adhesive may be applied to a predetermined position on the surface of the upper flap 5, or a configuration may be adopted in which no glue is attached. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the second suction cup unit 39 is moved downward while the third suction cup unit 40 is stopped, but, for example, the second suction cup unit 39 and the third suction cup unit 40 may be lowered simultaneously, with the second suction cup unit 39 being lowered at a faster speed than the third suction cup unit 40. In this way, the processing time can be shortened.

[0065] 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]

[0066] 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 20: Packing equipment 21: Carton stocker 22:Transportation device 23: Carton supply device 24: Carton opening device 25:Product 33: Front finger 33a: Notch 34: Rear finger 34a: Notch 38: First suction cup 39: Second suction cup part 40: Third suction cup 43: Temporary raising device 44: Guide plate member 45: Pusher member 51: 1st movement mechanism 61:Second movement mechanism

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 carton opening device for opening a carton having a curved boundary between the first surface and the first flap and a curved boundary between the second surface and the second flap when supplying the carton to a conveying device so that the carton can accommodate the product, the conveying device has front fingers and rear fingers that sandwich and hold the carton from the front and rear with the first surface portion facing up, a lower suction means for suctioning the first surface portion before it is supplied to the conveying device; a first moving means for moving the lower suction means up and down; an upper suction means for suctioning the second surface portion; a second moving means for moving the upper suction means up and down; Equipped with the first moving means and the second moving means have a function of moving the lower suction means and the upper suction means, which are holding the first surface portion and the second surface portion by suction, so as to increase the relative distance between them, thereby curving the first surface portion and the second surface portion; and a function of moving the lower suction means and the upper suction means, which are holding the first surface portion and the second surface portion by suction, downward to position the carton between the front finger and the rear finger, The carton opening device is configured such that the width of the carton is increased by releasing the suction of the upper suction means and the lower suction means while the carton is positioned between the front finger and the rear finger, and the carton is held in contact with the front finger and the rear finger.

2. 2. The carton opening device according to claim 1, wherein when the lower suction means and the upper suction means are separated while suctioning the first surface portion and the second surface portion, causing the first surface portion and the second surface portion to bend, the width of the carton becomes shorter than the distance between the front finger and the rear finger, and in this shortened state, the carton is positioned between the front finger and the rear finger.

3. 2. The carton opening device according to claim 1, wherein the upper suction means and the lower suction means are released first by the upper suction means.

4. a carton supplying means for sucking the second surface of the stored carton, removing the carton from the stored location, moving the carton, and transferring the removed carton to the lower suction means; 4. A carton opening device according to claim 1, wherein the carton supply means moves away from the carton body, and the upper suction means approaches and adsorbs the second surface of the carton body to which the lower suction means is adsorbing the first surface.

5. The body-mounted carton has the side surface, 5. The carton opening device according to claim 4, further comprising a guide member that contacts the side surface of the carton during downward movement and raises the side surface.

6. 6. The carton opening device according to claim 5, further comprising pusher means for biasing the side surface portion raised by the guide member to raise the side surface portion relative to the first surface portion.

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