Letter Making Device

Abstract

To provide a configuration that enables miniaturization of a box making device. [Solution] A first opening arm (310) has a thickness narrower than a gap (G1) between a pair of flaps (F1, F2) provided adjacent to one plate (S1) of a pair of opposing plate-shaped portions (S1, S2) of a folded cardboard sheet. A first opening motor (312) moves the first opening arm (310). When inserted into the gap (G1) between the pair of flaps (F1, F2), the first opening arm (310) faces a flap (F2) provided on the other plate-shaped portion (S2) of the pair of plate-shaped portions (S1, S2) and positioned opposite the gap (G1). The first opening motor (312) moves the first opening arm (310) so that the first opening arm (310) pushes the flap (F2) provided on the other plate-shaped portion (S2) and moves the other plate-shaped portion (S2) away from one plate-shaped portion (S1).

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a box making device that opens a cardboard sheet folded into a plate shape to form a cardboard box. [Background technology]

[0002] A box-making device that opens a folded cardboard sheet into a cardboard box has been known for some time. For example, a configuration has been proposed in which a pair of opposing plate-shaped portions of a cardboard sheet are attracted to each other and one of the plate-shaped portions is moved to open the cardboard sheet (for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-7619 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described in Patent Document 1, in the case of a configuration in which the cardboard sheet is opened by adsorbing the plate-shaped portion thereof, a suction device such as a vacuum pump is required to generate suction force, which results in the box-making device becoming larger.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that allows for miniaturization of a box making device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The box-making device of the present invention comprises an opening arm having a thickness narrower than the gap between a pair of flaps arranged adjacent to one of a pair of opposing plate-shaped portions of a cardboard sheet folded into a plate shape, and a moving means for moving the opening arm, wherein the opening arm, when inserted into the gap between the pair of flaps, faces a flap arranged on the other of the pair of plate-shaped portions and located opposite the gap, and the moving means moves the opening arm so that the opening arm pushes the flap arranged on the other plate-shaped portion and moves the other plate-shaped portion away from the one plate-shaped portion. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the box making device can be made smaller. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a box making device according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a front view of a box making device according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the box making device according to the embodiment, seen from the front side. [Figure 4] 2 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the cardboard sheet conveying system of the box making device according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the box making device according to the embodiment, taken along the cardboard sheet insertion direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration related to the opening arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the configuration related to the opening arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is an enlarged perspective view illustrating the configuration related to the opening arm according to the embodiment, in which the opening arm is inserted into a gap. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a perspective view seen from the opposite side to FIG. 8. [Figure 10] Schematic diagram showing the cardboard sheet being opened by the opening arm. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the pressing arm and the tape unit according to the embodiment, together with the state in which the cardboard sheet is being opened. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration relating to a pressing arm and a first flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the configuration relating to a pressing arm and a first flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a side view illustrating the configuration relating to a pressing arm and a first flap bending arm on one side according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 4 is a plan view illustrating the configuration relating to the pressing arm and the restricting arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] 10 is a plan view showing a state in which a cardboard sheet has been shaped into a box shape by the pressing arm and the regulating arm according to the embodiment. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state before the second flap is bent by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state in which the second flap is bent by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] FIG. 10 is a front view showing a state when bending of the second flap by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment is completed. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a side view showing the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 23] A side view seen from the opposite side to Figure 22. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a state before the tape unit according to the embodiment starts applying a tape. [Figure 25] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 26] A side view seen from the opposite side to Figure 24. [Figure 27]A side view seen from the opposite side to Figure 25. [Figure 28] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a standby state of the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 29] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the tape of the tape unit according to the embodiment starts to be applied; [Figure 30] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the tape of the tape unit according to the embodiment is being applied. [Figure 31] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the first tape pressure roller has come off the bottom surface while the tape of the tape unit according to the embodiment is being applied. [Figure 32] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the tape of the tape unit according to the embodiment is cut. [Figure 33] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a state after the tape of the tape unit according to the embodiment has been cut. [Figure 34] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which the second tape pressure roller has reached a corner portion while the tape of the tape unit according to the embodiment is being applied. [Figure 35] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view showing a state where the tape of the tape unit according to the embodiment has been attached. [Figure 36] 1A is a perspective view showing a state in which the tape is exposed, and FIG. 1B is a perspective view showing a state in which the tape fixing plate has been removed, of a tape unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 37] FIG. 36(b) is a perspective view seen from a different direction than that of FIG. 36(a). [Figure 38] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a state in which the tape has been removed from the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 39] FIG. 10 is a side view showing a state in which the tape unit according to the embodiment hits an inner wall. [Figure 40] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the box making device according to the embodiment. [Figure 41] 10 is a flowchart of control from insertion of a cardboard sheet to the insertion position according to the embodiment. [Figure 42] 10 is a flowchart of control from opening a cardboard sheet to bending a first flap according to an embodiment. [Figure 43]10 is a flowchart of control from bending the second flap to attaching the tape according to the embodiment. [Figure 44] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a process for preparing to remove a cardboard box according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 44. First, the overall configuration of a box making device 100 of the present embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 44.

[0010] [Overall configuration of box making equipment] 1 to 3, the box making device 100 of this embodiment includes a housing 101, a conveying mechanism 200, an opening mechanism 300, a first pressing mechanism 400, a first flap bending mechanism 500, a restricting mechanism 600 (see FIG. 15, etc.), a second flap bending mechanism 700 (see FIG. 18, etc.), and a tape unit 800. When a cardboard sheet folded into a plate shape is inserted into the box making device 100 of this embodiment, the box making device 100 automatically assembles a box-shaped cardboard box with the flap on the other side of the cylinder open by opening the inserted cardboard sheet inside the housing 101 and folding the flap on one side of the cylinder and attaching tape.

[0011] The overall configuration will be explained below. In the following explanation, the right front side of the paper in Fig. 1 and the front side of the paper in Fig. 2 will be referred to as the front side of the device, and unless otherwise specified, the front-rear and left-right directions will refer to the directions when the device is viewed from the front side.

[0012] 1 and 2, when the side where an operator operates the device is defined as the front side, the housing 101 has an insertion opening 102 for cardboard sheets and an removal opening 103 for assembled cardboard boxes formed on the front side. That is, in the box making device 100 of this embodiment, the insertion opening 102 and the removal opening 103 are formed on the front side of the device so that cardboard sheets can be inserted and assembled cardboard boxes can be removed from the same direction. An operation unit 104 such as a start button and a stop button for the device is provided on the front side of the housing 101. The operation unit 104 may also be provided with a display unit such as a lamp or a screen that displays the status of the device.

[0013] The insertion slot 102 is a slit formed to the left of the center in the left-right direction when the housing 101 is viewed from the front, and extending vertically from approximately the center downward in the up-down direction. Therefore, the operator inserts the cardboard sheet in an upright state into the box making device 100 through the insertion slot 102. In the description of this embodiment, the position of the insertion slot 102 is described as being to the left of the center, but it may also be to the right of the center.

[0014] The removal opening 103 is formed above the insertion opening 102, continuing from the insertion opening 102, and has a larger opening area than the insertion opening 102. Specifically, it has an opening area large enough to allow the assembled cardboard boxes to be removed. The removal opening 103 opens from the front to the top of the housing 101, making it easy to remove the assembled cardboard boxes. The left edge of the removal opening 103 is formed on the same line as the left edge of the insertion opening 102 in the vertical direction.

[0015] 3 is a cross-sectional view of the internal configuration of box making device 100 as viewed from the front side. Inside housing 101, various mechanisms and units are arranged, such as conveying mechanism 200, opening mechanism 300, first pressing mechanism 400, and first flap bending mechanism 500. First, conveying mechanism 200 is arranged at a position overlapping with insertion opening 102 in the cardboard sheet insertion direction (direction from the front to the rear). In particular, below the device, conveying roller 201 is arranged to convey the cardboard sheet inserted through insertion opening 102, as will be described later, and above the device, driven roller 202 is arranged to nip and convey the cardboard sheet between conveying roller 201 and conveying it.

[0016] Additionally, an opening mechanism 300 for opening a cardboard sheet is disposed above the device below driven roller 202. Opening mechanism 300 has a first opening arm 310 and a second opening arm 320 that are disposed so as to sandwich the cardboard sheet inserted through insertion slot 102 in the thickness direction at the home position. As will be described in more detail below, first opening arm 310 and second opening arm 320 are disposed so as to face the upper flaps of the cardboard sheet.

[0017] A tape unit 800 is disposed in approximately the center in the left-right direction inside the housing 101. As will be described in detail later, the tape unit 800 moves in the front-to-rear direction (a direction parallel to the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet) to apply tape to the lower flap of the cardboard. Because the tape unit 800 is located in approximately the center in the left-to-right direction, it retreats to either the front or rear direction (to the front in this embodiment) so as not to interfere with the cardboard sheet when the cardboard sheet is opened in the left-to-right direction as will be described later.

[0018] A first pressing mechanism 400 and a first flap bending mechanism 500 are arranged on the right side of the tape unit 800. As will be described in detail later, the first pressing mechanism 400 has first pressing sections 410 (420) arranged on both sides in the front-rear direction, which move in the front-rear direction so as to approach each other. The first pressing mechanism 400 presses the front and rear side surfaces of the cardboard sheet opened by the opening mechanism 300, thereby shaping the cardboard sheet into a cylindrical shape.

[0019] As will be described in detail later, the first flap bending mechanism 500 has first bending arms 510 (520) supported below the first pressing portions 410 (420) on both sides in the front-rear direction. The first bending arms 510 (520) are movable in the front-rear direction together with the first pressing portions 410 (420), and fold the first flaps connected to the front and rear side surfaces of the underside of the cardboard sheet when the first pressing portions 410 (420) are pressing the front and rear side surfaces of the cardboard sheet.

[0020] Above the first pressing mechanism 400, there is provided a one-side regulating member 650 that regulates the position of the right side surface of the cardboard sheet opened by the opening mechanism 300. In addition, at a position opposite to the one-side regulating member 650, there is provided an other-side regulating member 660 that regulates the position of the left side surface of the cardboard sheet. When the cardboard sheet is inserted through the insertion slot 102, the other-side regulating member 660 guides the left side surface of the cardboard sheet.

[0021] 3 and 4, an upper flap pressing roller 670 that presses down the upper flap of an opened cardboard sheet is disposed above the one-side regulating member 650. The upper flap pressing roller 670 is a driven roller with a rotation axis parallel to the left-right direction, and is capable of guiding the upper flap of an opened cardboard sheet in the front-rear direction.

[0022] 3 and 4, a scooping member 671 is provided below the first pressing mechanism 400 and the first flap bending mechanism 500. As described above, the tape unit 800, which moves in the front-to-rear direction, is located approximately in the center of the left-to-right direction within the housing 101. Therefore, a member supporting the lower end of the cardboard sheet during opening cannot be located within the range of movement of the tape unit 800. For this reason, the scooping member 671 is located to the right of the tape unit 800, below the first pressing mechanism 400 and the first flap bending mechanism 500. When the lower end of the cardboard sheet during opening passes the tape unit 800 in the left-to-right direction, the scooping member 671 scoops up and supports the lower end, preventing the cardboard sheet from tilting. Furthermore, the scooping member 671 is inclined downward as it approaches the left side, so that even if the lower end of the cardboard sheet during opening drops slightly downward, it can be guided upward.

[0023] Although hidden and not visible in Figures 1, 2, and 4, a restriction mechanism 600 (see Figures 3, 15, etc.) and a second flap bending mechanism 700 (see Figures 3, 18, etc.) are disposed within the housing 101. The restriction mechanism 600 is disposed on the left side of Figure 3, and as will be described later, restricts the positions of the front and rear side surfaces of the cardboard sheet together with the first pressing unit 410 (420) using restriction arms 610, 620 disposed in the front-rear direction, thereby shaping the cardboard sheet into a cylindrical shape. The second flap bending mechanism 700 folds the lower second flap of the cardboard sheet using second bending arms 710, 720 disposed on both the left and right sides of Figure 3. Each configuration will be described in detail below.

[0024] [Cardboard sheet insertion configuration] The configuration for inserting a cardboard sheet will be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. As described above, the cardboard sheet inserted through the insertion port 102 is transported to the rear by the transport mechanism 200. The transport mechanism 200 has a transport roller 201, a driven roller 202, a first detection sensor 203, a second detection sensor 204, a leading end stopper 205, a transport roller drive mechanism 210, and a roller lifting mechanism 220.

[0025] The conveying roller 201 is disposed approximately in the center in the front-to-rear direction, and conveys the inserted cardboard sheet toward the rear by contacting the lower end of the cardboard sheet. The conveying roller 201 is rotationally driven by a conveying roller drive mechanism 210. The conveying roller 201 is also movable in the vertical direction by a roller lifting mechanism 220. As will be described later, when a cardboard sheet is inserted, the conveying roller 201 is located in a retracted position (lower position) where it does not nip the cardboard sheet between itself and the driven roller 202, and once the cardboard sheet has been inserted to a certain extent, it moves to the conveying position (upper position), where it nips the cardboard sheet between itself and the driven roller 202 and conveys it toward the rear.

[0026] Here, the reason why the conveying rollers 201 are positioned in the retracted position when inserting a cardboard sheet is as follows: First, if the conveying rollers 201 are in the conveying position when inserting a cardboard sheet, there is a possibility that the operator may come into contact with the conveying rollers 201 and get in the way when manually inserting the cardboard sheet. In other words, there is a risk that the operator may feel a sense of discomfort, such as a bump, when inserting the cardboard sheet, so the conveying rollers 201 are positioned in the retracted position when manually inserting the cardboard sheet.

[0027] Furthermore, as will be described later, when the conveying roller 201 is moved from the retracted position to the conveying position, the conveying roller 201 is rotated. This is because the conveying roller 201 is lifted in a rotated state, allowing for smooth conveyance without causing discomfort to the operator. If the conveying roller 201 were to rotate after nipping the cardboard sheet, the cardboard sheet inserted by the operator would stop briefly and then start being conveyed. This may make the cardboard sheet feel like it is being pulled suddenly, which may also be uncomfortable for the operator.

[0028] A plurality of driven rollers 202 (three in this embodiment) are arranged in the front-to-rear direction, and by abutting against the upper end of an inserted cardboard sheet, they regulate the position of the upper end of the cardboard sheet and guide it toward the back. Of the three driven rollers 202, the two driven rollers 202 arranged on the outer sides in the front-to-rear direction are arranged at a distance from each other in the front-to-rear direction, and are arranged so as to sandwich the conveying roller 201 in the front-to-rear direction. In order to convey the cardboard sheet while preventing tilting with a minimum number of parts, it is preferable to arrange the conveying roller 201 between the two outer driven rollers 202.

[0029] In this embodiment, the cardboard boxes made by the box making device 100 are configured to be removed diagonally in an upper right direction in Fig. 5, and therefore the driven roller 202 on the right (front) side shown in Fig. 5 is positioned slightly closer to the conveying roller 201. Of the three driven rollers 202 shown in Fig. 5, the central driven roller 202 is located between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 in the front-to-rear direction, as shown in Fig. 7, which will be described later. This is because the driven roller 202 abuts against the cardboard sheet at a portion where force is applied during the opening operation of the cardboard sheet (in this embodiment, one of the plate-shaped portions S1), thereby more efficiently preventing the cardboard sheet from tilting during the opening operation.

[0030] As will be described later, when the conveying roller 201 is positioned in the conveying position, such a driven roller 202 can nip the cardboard sheet between itself and the conveying roller 201 in the vertical direction, which is perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveying roller 201.

[0031] The first detection sensor 203 is disposed near (at the entrance to) the insertion slot 102 and detects that a cardboard sheet has been inserted through the insertion slot 102. The first detection sensor 203 is composed of, for example, a sensor flag that protrudes into the conveyance path of the cardboard sheet and is provided so as to be swingable so as to be retractable from the conveyance path, and a sensor that detects the swing position of the sensor flag. This sensor is, for example, a photointerrupter.

[0032] When a cardboard sheet is inserted through the insertion slot 102, the leading edge of the cardboard sheet hits the sensor flag, causing the sensor flag to fall over and change the sensor logic. This causes the first detection sensor 203 to detect that a cardboard sheet has been inserted. In this embodiment, when the first detection sensor 203 detects the insertion of a cardboard sheet, the conveyance rollers 201 start to be driven.

[0033] As will be described later, the first detection sensor 203 also detects the timing to stop driving the conveyance rollers 201. That is, when the cardboard sheet is conveyed to a predetermined insertion position, the trailing edge of the cardboard sheet passes the first detection sensor 203, and a sensor flag is raised. This changes the sensor logic, and it is detected that the trailing edge of the cardboard sheet has passed the first detection sensor 203. Then, based on the timing at which the first detection sensor 203 detects that the trailing edge of the cardboard sheet has passed, the driving of the conveyance rollers 201 is stopped, thereby stopping the conveyance of the cardboard sheet.

[0034] The second detection sensor 204 is disposed near the downstream side of the conveyance roller 201 in the conveyance direction. Similar to the first detection sensor 203, the second detection sensor 204 is composed of, for example, a sensor flag that protrudes into the conveyance path of the cardboard sheet and swings freely to retract from the conveyance path, and a sensor that detects the swing position of the sensor flag. When the leading edge of the cardboard sheet hits the sensor flag and the sensor flag falls, the sensor logic changes. This detects that the cardboard sheet has passed the position of the second detection sensor 204. In this embodiment, when the second detection sensor 204 detects the passage of the cardboard sheet, the conveyance roller 201, which is in the retracted position, starts moving to the upper position, as described below. Then, by bringing the conveyance roller 201 into contact with the lower end of the cardboard sheet, the cardboard sheet is nipped between the conveyance roller 201 and the driven roller 202, and conveyance of the cardboard sheet by the conveyance roller 201 begins.

[0035] Leading edge stopper 205 is provided further downstream in the conveying direction than second detection sensor 204, and is contacted by the leading edge of the cardboard sheet conveyed by conveying roller 201 to prevent the cardboard sheet from being conveyed any further. The state in which the cardboard sheet hits leading edge stopper 205 is the predetermined insertion position, and unfolding of the cardboard sheet begins based on this insertion position.

[0036] The conveyance roller drive mechanism 210 has a roller drive motor 211 and a drive transmission mechanism 212. The drive force of the roller drive motor 211 is transmitted to the conveyance roller 201 via the drive transmission mechanism 212. The drive transmission mechanism 212 has a first pulley 213, a second pulley 214, a third pulley 215, a fourth pulley 216, a first belt 217, and a second belt 218. The first pulley 213 is fixed to the drive shaft of the roller drive motor 211, and a first belt 217 is stretched between the first pulley 213 and the second pulley 214. The third pulley 215 is disposed coaxially with the second pulley 214 and rotates together with the second pulley 214. A second belt 218 is stretched between the third pulley 215 and the fourth pulley 216. The fourth pulley 216 is fixed to the rotation shaft of the conveyance roller 201.

[0037] The rotation of the roller drive motor 211 is transmitted to the conveyance roller 201 in the following order: first pulley 213, first belt 217, second pulley 214, third pulley 215, second belt 218, and fourth pulley 216. As will be described later, the conveyance roller 201 can swing up and down around a swing axis 219, which is the rotation axis of the second pulley 214 and the third pulley 215. In this embodiment, in order to swing the conveyance roller 201 up and down, drive power is transmitted from the motor to the conveyance roller 201 by two pulley transmission mechanisms. Note that other mechanisms, such as a gear mechanism, may be used as long as they can achieve both the vertical movement of the conveyance roller 201 and the transmission of drive power from the motor.

[0038] The roller lifting mechanism 220, which serves as a nip releasing means, is capable of nipping the cardboard sheet with the conveying roller 201 and the driven roller 202 and releasing the nip. Such a roller lifting mechanism 220 has a lifting drive motor 221, a lifting arm 222, and a lifting cam 223. The rotational drive force of the lifting drive motor 221 is transmitted to the lifting cam 223 by a drive transmission mechanism such as a pulley. The lifting cam 223 is an eccentric cam, and the distance from the rotation center to the outer circumferential surface (cam surface) varies depending on the rotation angle. The lifting arm 222 is supported so as to be swingable around the swing shaft 219, rotatably supports the conveying roller 201 at one end, and is disposed so that the lifting cam 223 abuts against the lower surface of the other end.

[0039] When the lift cam 223 rotates due to the drive of the lift drive motor 221, the lift arm 222 swings around the swing shaft 219, moving the transport roller 201 up and down. FIG. 5 shows the transport roller 201 in both the transport position and the retracted position. When the lift arm 222 is lifted by the lift cam 223, the transport roller 201 descends to the retracted position, and when the lift cam 223 rotates from this position and the lift arm 222 descends, the transport roller 201 ascends to the transport position. The elevation of the transport roller 201 is detected by a transport roller elevation sensor 224. The transport roller elevation sensor 224 detects, for example, the position of the lift arm 222.

[0040] [Flow of cardboard sheet transport operation] Next, the operation of conveying a cardboard sheet to the insertion position using the above-described conveying configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 41. The following operation is executed by the control unit 1000 shown in FIG. 40, which will be described later. First, an operator manually starts inserting a cardboard sheet through the insertion slot 102. When the first detection sensor (entrance sensor) 203 detects (ON) a cardboard sheet (S101), the conveying rollers 201 start to be driven (S102). As described above, when inserting a cardboard sheet, the conveying rollers 201 are retracted downward from the conveying path (at the retracted position). In other words, after the device is powered on and a so-called initial operation is performed to check the operation of each part, the conveying rollers 201 wait in a position retracted downward from the conveying path. This position becomes the default position of the conveying rollers 201.

[0041] When the leading edge of the cardboard sheet in the insertion direction passes the position of the conveying roller 201 and is detected (ON) by the second detection sensor (conveyance start sensor) 204 (S103), the lifting drive motor 221 starts to rotate, and the conveying roller 201 is raised to the conveying position (S104). That is, by rotating the lifting drive motor 221, the lifting cam 223 is rotated, and the lifting arm 222, which is in contact with the cam surface, is caused to swing about the swing shaft 219. Then, the conveying roller 201 is moved from the retracted position to the conveying path (conveying position) and is brought into contact with the lower end of the cardboard sheet.

[0042] After the conveying roller 201 comes into contact with the cardboard sheet, the cardboard sheet is conveyed by the conveying roller 201. At this time, the operator feels the sensation of the cardboard sheet being conveyed automatically from the middle of inserting the cardboard sheet. Then, even when the rear end of the cardboard sheet passes the first detection sensor 203 and the logic of the sensor changes (OFF), the conveying roller 201 continues to rotate for a while (S105).

[0043] Specifically, the conveying rollers continue to rotate for a time period that corresponds to a distance that is longer than the predetermined distance required for the leading edge of the cardboard sheet to hit leading edge stopper 205. At this time, the leading edge of the cardboard sheet is in contact with leading edge stopper 205, so the cardboard sheet is stopped and conveying rollers 201 are slipping. This is to ensure that the cardboard sheet is stopped in a state where it is reliably in contact with leading edge stopper 205. In other words, this is to determine the stopping position of the cardboard sheet.

[0044] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the first detection sensor 203 was turned OFF (S106), the lift drive motor 221 is driven to swing the lift arm 222, and the conveying roller 201 is lowered to the retracted position (S107). That is, after the cardboard sheet is conveyed to the insertion position by the conveying roller 201, the nip formed by the conveying roller 201 and the driven roller 202 is released. After a further predetermined time has elapsed, the rotation of the conveying roller 201 is stopped (S108). In this state, the cardboard sheet is positioned at the predetermined insertion position within the housing 101.

[0045] As described above, in this embodiment, when the cardboard sheet is being conveyed, the conveying roller 201 and the driven roller 202 nip the cardboard sheet, restricting its vertical position. When conveyance is complete, the conveying roller 201 is retracted, thereby releasing the restriction on the cardboard sheet's vertical position (i.e., releasing the nip). This is to allow the folded cardboard sheet to be opened smoothly during the opening operation described below.

[0046] [Opening configuration of cardboard sheet] The configuration for opening a cardboard sheet will be described using Figures 6 to 11. As described above, the cardboard sheet S inserted into the insertion position is opened by the opening mechanism 300 and shaped into a generally cylindrical shape with a generally rectangular cross section. The opening mechanism 300 includes a first opening arm 310, a second opening arm 320, and the like. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are arranged in the home position so as to sandwich the upper flap of the cardboard sheet S in the insertion position in the thickness direction. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first opening arm 310 is placed in standby mode at a position to the left of the other-side regulating member 660. The second opening arm 320 is placed in standby mode at a position to the right of the right edge of the insertion slot 102. These standby positions allow the cardboard sheet S inserted by the operator to be guided between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320. The first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are also positioned offset from each other in the front-to-rear direction.

[0047] In other words, the above-described conveying configuration conveys the cardboard sheet S between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320. In the box making device 100 of this embodiment, the distance from the leading edge of the inserted cardboard sheet S to the gap (slit) between the flaps, which will be described later, is predetermined, and the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are disposed at that predetermined position.

[0048] The positioning of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 is based on the leading edge stopper 205. Therefore, as described above, the leading edge of the cardboard sheet S is reliably abutted against the leading edge stopper 205. In order to reliably abut the leading edge of the cardboard sheet S against the leading edge stopper 205, as described above, after the cardboard sheet is detected by the second detection sensor 204, the conveying roller 201 is rotated a number of pulses or a distance greater than the expected distance at which the leading edge of the cardboard sheet abuts against the leading edge stopper 205.

[0049] The cardboard sheet S used in the box making device 100 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape when viewed from the flap side when assembled (made into a box) into a box-shaped cardboard. Therefore, when this cardboard is folded into plates, a pair of plate-like portions S1, S2 that face each other each have a pair of flaps of different lengths. The pair of flaps are arranged adjacent to each other in the cardboard sheet state. The pair of flaps of different lengths are arranged on both end sides of the plate-like portions S1, S2 (both end sides in the vertical direction at the insertion position). Generally, there is a gap between a pair of adjacent flaps, but in the case of a cardboard that is rectangular when viewed from the flap side as described above, the position of this gap differs between the pair of plate-like portions S1, S2.

[0050] When the cardboard sheet S is opened in the box making device 100 of this embodiment, the flaps located on both sides in the front-to-rear direction are referred to as first flaps F1, and the flaps located on both sides in the left-to-right direction are referred to as second flaps F2. In this embodiment, the first opening arm 310 is disposed downstream (rearward) of the second opening arm 320 in the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S, and as will be described later, the cardboard sheet S is opened by moving the first opening arm 310 significantly to the right of the device. For this reason, the first flap F1 is shorter in length than the second flap F2, and the gap between the pair of flaps F1, F2 provided on one plate-shaped member S1 on the left side of the pair of plate-shaped members S1, S2 at the insertion position (hereinafter referred to as the first gap G1) is located rearward of the gap between the pair of flaps F1, F2 provided on the other plate-shaped member S2 on the right side (hereinafter referred to as the second gap G2).

[0051] Therefore, the box making device 100 of this embodiment is suitable for making cardboard boxes in which the shape of the cardboard and the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S are predetermined and the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 do not overlap when the cardboard sheet is folded into a plate. That is, the box making device 100 of this embodiment opens the cardboard sheet S by taking advantage of the fact that there is a flap facing the gap when the cardboard sheet is folded.

[0052] 6, the second flap F2 on the plate-shaped portion S2 faces the first gap G1 on the plate-shaped portion S1, and the second flap F2 on the plate-shaped portion S1 faces the second gap G2 on the plate-shaped portion S2. The first opening arm 310 is inserted into the first gap G1 and further moved to push the opposing second flap F2 on the plate-shaped portion S2. Similarly, the second opening arm 320 is inserted into the second gap G2 and further moved to push the opposing second flap F2 on the plate-shaped portion S1. In this embodiment, the cardboard sheet S is opened by moving the first opening arm 310 a large distance.

[0053] By keeping the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S constant, the order of the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 in the insertion direction (front-to-back direction) is always the same. Considering the actual usage conditions of the box making machine, the label positions and printing positions attached to the cardboard will be in almost the same positions for the same type of cardboard. For this reason, in actual work, it is common to insert the cardboard sheet S in the same direction. Below, we will explain in detail the opening configuration of the cardboard sheet.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 8, the first opening arm 310 serving as the opening arm is a plate-like member having a thickness narrower than the gap (first gap G1) between a pair of flaps (between a first flap F1 and a second flap F2) provided adjacent to one plate-like portion S1 of a pair of opposing plate-like portions S1, S2 of a cardboard sheet S folded into a plate shape. The length of the first opening arm 310 is shorter than the length of the first gap G1. The first opening arm 310 is fixed to a first moving block 310a, which is movable along a first guide rail 311 arranged in the left-right direction.

[0055] As shown in Fig. 6, the first opening arm 310 is moved by a first opening motor (left opening motor) 312 serving as a moving means. Specifically, the drive of the first opening motor 312 is transmitted to the first opening arm 310 via a first opening mechanism 313, causing the first opening arm 310 to move left and right. The first opening mechanism 313 has a pulley 314, a pulley 315, and a belt 316. The pulley 314 is connected to the drive shaft of the first opening motor 312 by a drive transmission mechanism such as a pulley mechanism. A belt 316 is stretched between the pulleys 314 and 315. A first moving block 310a is fixed to the belt 316.

[0056] When the first opening motor 312 is driven, the pulley 314 rotates, causing the belt 316 to move in a circular motion. At this time, since the first moving block 310a is fixed to the belt 316, the movement of the belt 316 causes the first moving block 310a and the first opening arm 310 to move along the first guide rail 311.

[0057] In this embodiment, the device further includes a first home position detection sensor (left-opening arm_HP sensor) 317 that detects when the first opening arm 310 is located at the home position, and a first arm position detection sensor (left-opening arm position sensor) 318 that detects when the first opening arm 310 has moved to a first predetermined position. Both detection sensors 317, 318 are photointerrupters having a light-emitting portion and a light-receiving portion facing each other, and are capable of being passed by a first flag 310b provided on the first moving block 310a. Both detection sensors 317, 318 detect the position of the first opening arm 310 by detecting the passage of the first flag 310b.

[0058] 9, the second opening arm 320 is a plate-like member having a thickness narrower than the gap (second gap G2) between a pair of flaps (between a first flap F1 and a second flap F2) provided adjacent to each other on the other plate-like portion S2 of a pair of opposing plate-like portions S1, S2 of the folded cardboard sheet S. The length of the second opening arm 320 is shorter than the length of the second gap G2. The second opening arm 320 is fixed to a second moving block 320a, which is movable along a second guide rail 321 arranged in the left-right direction.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 6, the second opening arm 320 is moved by a second opening motor (right-hand opening motor) 322. Specifically, the drive of the second opening motor 322 is transmitted to the second opening arm 320 via a second opening mechanism 323, causing the second opening arm 320 to move in the left-right direction. The second opening mechanism 323 has a pulley 324, a pulley 325, and a belt 326. The pulley 324 is connected to the drive shaft of the second opening motor 322 by a drive transmission mechanism such as a pulley mechanism. A belt 326 is stretched between the pulleys 324 and 325. A second moving block 320a is fixed to the belt 326.

[0060] When the second opening motor 322 is driven, the pulley 324 rotates, causing the belt 326 to move in a circular motion. At this time, since the second moving block 320a is fixed to the belt 326, the movement of the belt 326 causes the second moving block 320a and the second opening arm 320 to move along the second guide rail 321.

[0061] This embodiment also includes a second home position detection sensor (right-opening arm_HP sensor) 327 that detects when the second opening arm 320 is located at the home position, and a second arm position detection sensor (right-opening arm position sensor) 328 that detects when the second opening arm 320 has moved to a second predetermined position. Both detection sensors 327, 328 are photointerrupters having a light-emitting element and a light-receiving element facing each other, and a second flag 320b provided on the second moving block 320a can pass through them. Both detection sensors 327, 328 detect the position of the second opening arm 320 by detecting the passage of the second flag 320b. Note that if position control is possible using motor pulses or the like, the first arm position detection sensor 318 and the second arm position detection sensor 328 may be omitted.

[0062] When opening the cardboard sheet S with the above-described configuration, the first opening motor 312 is driven to move the first opening arm 310 to the right from the home position shown in Figures 6 and 7. At this time, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the first opening arm 310 pushes the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped portion S2, moving the other plate-shaped portion S2 away from one plate-shaped portion S1. The first opening arm 310 is also positioned so that it pushes the second flap F2 and moves the other plate-shaped portion S2 based on the above-described insertion position.

[0063] When the cardboard sheet S is inserted into the insertion position using the above-described conveying configuration, the cardboard sheet S is nipped by the conveying roller 201 and the driven roller 202. In this state, it is difficult to open the cardboard sheet S, so in this embodiment, after the cardboard sheet S is inserted into the insertion position by the conveying roller 201, the roller lifting mechanism 220 is operated to release the nip between the conveying roller 201 and the driven roller 202. Then, after the nip is released, the first opening arm 310 starts moving.

[0064] Furthermore, if the cardboard sheet S is opened while the nip is released, the cardboard sheet S will not be in a stable position, and this operation may result in the cardboard sheet S tilting. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cardboard sheet S is nipped again after a predetermined time has elapsed since the first opening arm 310 began to move. This predetermined time is the time it takes for the other plate-shaped portion S2 to reach a position where it is no longer attached to the conveying roller 201, relative to the rotational axis direction of the conveying roller 201. In other words, the other plate-shaped portion S2 is moved to a position where it will not be nipped even if the nipping operation is performed again, and only one plate-shaped portion S1 is nipped. This prevents the nipping from making it difficult to open the cardboard sheet S and also prevents the cardboard sheet S from tilting or losing its position during the opening operation.

[0065] The predetermined time is preferably set to a time before the other plate-shaped portion S2 moved by the first opening arm 310 reaches the movement path of the tape unit 800. This is because if the cardboard sheet moves this far, it will be prone to tilting.

[0066] Meanwhile, while the first opening arm 310 is pushing the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped portion S2 to move the other plate-shaped portion S2, the second opening arm 320 is inserted into the second gap G2 and abuts against the second flap F2 provided on one plate-shaped portion S1 and positioned opposite the second gap G2. That is, when the first opening arm 310 moves to the right and enters the first gap G1, the second opening arm 320 also moves to the left and enters the second gap G2 and abuts against the second flap F2. As a result, while the second opening arm 320 holds down one plate-shaped portion S1, the first opening arm 310 moves the other plate-shaped portion S2 in a direction away from the one plate-shaped portion S1. As a result, the cardboard sheet S is opened.

[0067] Specifically, as shown by the dashed lines in Fig. 11, the shape of the cardboard sheet S changes from a plate shape to a parallelogram. Here, the four sides of the parallelogram shown in Fig. 11 constitute the four side plate portions D11, D12, D21, and D22 of the cylindrical cardboard. If the shorter sides are defined as side plate portions D11 and D21 and the longer sides are defined as side plate portions D12 and D22, one plate portion S1 is constituted by side plate portions D11 and D12, and the other plate portion S2 is constituted by side plate portions D21 and D22. A first flap F1 is provided on the shorter side plate portions D11 and D21, and a second flap F2 is provided on the longer side plate portions D12 and D22.

[0068] When the first opening arm 310 pushes the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped portion S2 and moves the other plate-shaped portion S2 upward in FIG. 11, the side plate portion D11 of one plate-shaped portion S1 and the side plate portion D21 of the other plate-shaped portion S2 rise up clockwise in FIG. 11. Then, the side plate portion D22 of the other plate-shaped portion S2 moves away from the side plate portion D12 of the one plate-shaped portion S1. At this time, the movement of the second flap F2 provided on the side plate portion D12 of the one plate-shaped portion S1 is restricted by the second opening arm 320, so the side plate portion D12 does not move. In addition, the second gap G2 between the flaps provided on the other plate-shaped portion S2 passes through the second opening arm 320. The width of the second opening arm 320 (the length in the vertical direction in FIG. 11) is set to a length that allows the second gap G2 to smoothly move out of the second opening arm 320.

[0069] In this embodiment, by moving the first opening arm 310 on the rear side to the right, the side plate portions D11 and D21 rotate clockwise to open the cardboard sheet S, as shown in Fig. 11. In other words, one plate portion S1 deforms so as to rise from the back side. This is because, as will be described later, the tape unit 800 is located at the front side of the housing 101 in the home position, and is also located at the home position during the opening operation.

[0070] That is, if one of the plate-shaped portions S1 is configured to rise from the front side during the opening operation of the cardboard sheet S, it is conceivable to separate the tape unit 800 from the area where the opening operation of the cardboard sheet S is performed in order to prevent interference with the tape unit 800. In this case, the device would become larger. In contrast, as in this embodiment, by setting the rising direction of one of the plate-shaped portions S1 in relation to the home position of the tape unit 800, it is possible to prevent interference between the cardboard sheet S and the tape unit 800 during the opening operation while also achieving a compact device. Note that the home position of the tape unit 800 may be set to the rear side within the housing 101, and one of the plate-shaped portions S1 may be configured to rise from the front side during the opening operation, i.e., the side plate portions D11 and D21 may be configured to rotate counterclockwise.

[0071] In this embodiment, the first opening arm 310 moves until it is detected by the first arm position detection sensor 318, i.e., until it reaches the first predetermined position. In this state, as shown in FIG. 11, the cardboard sheet S is only opened to the shape of a parallelogram. Then, with the cardboard sheet S in this shape, the first pressing mechanism 400 is operated. This point will be described later.

[0072] If the cardboard sheet is inserted into the device in the opposite direction to that described above, the movement directions of the respective opening arms will be opposite. In other words, if the positional relationship of the gap between the flaps provided on the pair of plate-like portions is opposite to that described above, for example, the positions of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 at their home positions are reversed left and right, and the cardboard sheet S is opened by moving the second opening arm 320 significantly to the right.

[0073] Furthermore, if the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are configured to be adjustable in their front-to-rear positions, it is possible to accommodate cases where the shapes of the cardboard boxes differ and the positions of the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 are misaligned. That is, in the above-described configuration, the positions of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 in the front-to-rear direction are fixed, but they can also be configured to be movable in the conveying direction of the cardboard sheets.

[0074] In this case, a sensor is provided to measure the distance from the leading edge of the cardboard sheet to the gap between the flaps, and the position of at least one of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 is moved in the conveying direction of the cardboard sheet according to the length detected by the sensor. Also in this case, leading edge stopper 205 serves as the reference for abutment, so in order to ensure that the leading edge of the cardboard sheet abuts leading edge stopper 205, conveying roller 201 is rotated a number of pulses or distance greater than the expected distance for the leading edge of the cardboard sheet to abut leading edge stopper 205 after detection by second detection sensor 204, as described above.

[0075] In this embodiment, as described above, the cardboard sheet is opened using the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, which allows for a more compact design than, for example, a configuration in which the cardboard sheet is opened by suction on the side. In other words, when opening a cardboard sheet by suction, a suction device such as a vacuum pump is required, which results in a larger device. On the other hand, in a configuration in which the cardboard sheet is opened by moving the opening arm as in this embodiment, the opening arm can be moved by driving a motor, which allows for a much smaller design than a configuration that uses a vacuum pump or the like.

[0076] Furthermore, because the cardboard sheet is opened by inserting the opening arm into the gap between the flaps and pressing and moving the flap facing the gap, it can be used with any rectangular cardboard, making it highly versatile. Furthermore, after the cardboard sheet is opened, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 remain inside the opened cardboard sheet. Suction devices such as vacuum pumps require a mechanism for adsorbing the outside of the opened cardboard sheet in order to adsorb the outer side of the cardboard sheet. Therefore, the configuration of this device, which keeps the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 inside the cardboard sheet after opening, allows for significant miniaturization compared to suction devices such as vacuum pumps. Furthermore, because excessive force is less likely to be applied during the opening operation, damage to the cardboard sheet during assembly can be reduced.

[0077] [Cylindrical shaping of cardboard sheet and first flap bending configuration] 11 to 14, the configuration for shaping the cardboard sheet into a cylindrical shape and bending the first flap F1 will be described. As described above, in the opening operation of the cardboard sheet S by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, the cardboard sheet S is only opened to a parallelogram shape as shown in FIG. 11. In this embodiment, while the cardboard sheet S is in this shape, the first pressing mechanism 400 is operated to shape the cardboard sheet S so that the shape viewed from the flap side becomes rectangular. Also, in this embodiment, the first flap bending mechanism 500 is operated in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing mechanism 400.

[0078] That is, the first pressing portions 410, 420 of the first pressing mechanism 400 are brought into contact with the sides of the cardboard box unfolded by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, thereby regulating the position of the cardboard box within the device. At the same time, the first pressing portions 410, 420 of the first pressing mechanism 400 are moved toward the center of the device to shape the unfolded cardboard sheet S into a short shape. At this time, the first flap bending mechanism 500 folds the first flap F1 in conjunction with the operation of the first pressing mechanism 400.

[0079] [First pressing mechanism] The first pressing mechanism 400 includes first pressing units 410, 420. As shown in FIGS. 11 to 13, the first pressing units 410, 420 are arranged on both sides in the front-to-rear direction within the housing 101, sandwiching an opening region α where the cardboard sheet S is opened. The first pressing units 410, 420 have surfaces facing the opening region α that are parallel to the left-right and up-down directions (surfaces perpendicular to the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S). The first pressing units 410, 420 are positioned in the height direction to face the side plate units D11, D21, and press the side plate units D11, D21 when shaping the cardboard sheet S.

[0080] The front first pressing portion 410 has a biasing plate portion 440 provided on the side facing the opening region α, i.e., the rear surface, via a compression spring 442. The compression spring 442 is disposed within a cylinder 441. The biasing plate portion 440 has a pressing surface 440a facing the opening region α that is parallel to the left-right direction. The biasing plate portion 440 is biased toward the opening region α, and as described below, prevents the side plate portion D21 from being pressed too hard when shaping the cardboard sheet S into a cylindrical shape. In other words, as described below, when the first pressing portion 410 presses the side plate portion D21, the biasing plate portion 440 moves slightly in the front-rear direction, preventing excessive force from being applied to the side plate portion D21 and the first pressing portion 410.

[0081] On the other hand, the rear second pressing portion 420 has a pressing surface 420a facing the opening region α that is parallel to the left-right direction. The second pressing portion 420 does not have a biasing plate portion as described above, but may have one. Also, the biasing plate portion 440 may be provided on the second pressing portion 420 side rather than the first pressing portion 410.

[0082] Such first pressing units 410, 420 are moved in the front-rear direction by the driving of first pressing unit movement motors 411, 421, respectively. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, on the right side (upper side in Figure 11) of the opening area α in the left-right direction (up-down direction in Figure 11), a first pressing unit guide rail 430 (see Figure 12), first pressing unit movement motors 411, 421, and first pressing unit movement mechanisms 412, 422, which are arranged in the front-rear direction, are arranged. That is, the first pressing unit guide rail 430, first pressing unit movement motors 411, 421, and first pressing unit movement mechanisms 412, 422 are arranged on the opposite side of the opening area α from the conveyance path of the cardboard sheet S (the position where the conveyance roller 201 and the driven roller 202 are arranged). As described above, the first pressing units 410, 420 have surfaces perpendicular to the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S in order to press the side plate portions D11, D21 when shaping the cardboard sheet S. If the first pressing units 410, 420 were to be placed on the same side as the conveyance path of the cardboard sheet S, they would have to be placed outside the cardboard sheet S (the combined length of D21 and D22) inserted into the device. In contrast, when the cardboard sheet S is unfolded, its length in the front-to-rear direction becomes shorter (the length of D22 only), so the first pressing units 410, 420 can be placed outside the shortened cardboard sheet S on the opposite side of the conveyance path, making it possible to make the device more compact than if they were placed on the conveyance path side.

[0083] 12 and 13, the first pressing units 410 and 420 are supported on a first pressing unit guide rail 430 via moving blocks 431 and 432, respectively, so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The first pressing unit 410 moves along the first pressing unit guide rail 430 by being driven by a first pressing unit moving motor (right first flap bending and pressing motor) 411, and the second pressing unit 420 moves along the first pressing unit guide rail 430 by being driven by a first pressing unit moving motor (left first flap bending and pressing motor) 421.

[0084] The drive of first pressing unit movement motors 411, 421 is transmitted to first pressing units 410, 420 via first pressing unit movement mechanisms 412, 422. First pressing unit movement mechanism 412 has pulleys 412a, 412b and belts 412c, 412d. Belt 412c is stretched between pulley 412a and a drive pulley (not shown) provided on the drive shaft of first pressing unit movement motor 411, and belt 412d is stretched between pulley 412a and pulley 412b. A moving block 431 is fixed to belt 412d. Therefore, the drive of the first pressing unit movement motor 411 is transmitted to the belt 412c, the pulley 412a, and the belt 412d, and as the belt 412d moves in a circular motion, the moving block 431 and the first pressing unit 410 move together with the belt 412d along the first pressing unit guide rail 430. Therefore, as the first pressing unit movement motor 411 rotates forward and backward, the first pressing unit 410 moves in both the forward and backward directions.

[0085] Similarly, the first pressing unit moving mechanism 422 has pulleys 422a and 422b and belts 422c and 422d. Belt 422c is stretched between pulley 422a and a drive pulley (not shown) provided on the drive shaft of first pressing unit moving motor 421, and belt 422d is stretched between pulley 422a and pulley 422b. A moving block 432 is fixed to belt 422d. Therefore, the drive force of first pressing unit moving motor 421 is transmitted to belt 422c, pulley 422a, and belt 422d, and as belt 422d moves in a circular motion, moving block 432 and first pressing unit 420 together with belt 422d move along first pressing unit guide rail 430. Therefore, as first pressing unit moving motor 421 rotates forward and backward, first pressing unit 420 moves in both the forward and backward directions. Although the first pressing units 410 and 420 may share a common drive motor, in this embodiment, as will be described below, the timing at which the first pressing units 410 and 420 start moving is staggered, so they are driven by different motors.

[0086] In this embodiment, the rear first pressing portion 420 begins to move before the front first pressing portion 410. This is because, as described above, the opening operation of the first opening arm 310 lifts the other plate-shaped portion S2 from the rear side. That is, pressing the side of the cardboard box from the lifted side allows for more efficient shaping of the cardboard box. The front first pressing portion 410 abuts against the side of the cardboard box pressed by the rear first pressing portion 420. For example, due to variations in the size of the cardboard sheet S, if the front first pressing portion 410 and the rear first pressing portion 420 move too far toward the center of the device relative to the cardboard box being shaped, the side of the cardboard box will be pressed too hard. For this reason, the front first pressing portion 410 is provided with a biasing plate portion 440 via a compression spring 442, as described above. The biasing plate portion 440 abuts against the side of the cardboard box when the compression spring 442 is stretched. The movement of first pressing portion 410 is set to a position that matches the predetermined size of the cardboard box to be shaped, within a range that does not fully compress compression spring 442. This allows compression spring 442 to absorb any variation in size of the cardboard box, within the range of compression, and prevents the cardboard box from being deformed.

[0087] [First flap bending mechanism] As described above, the first flap bending mechanism 500 operates in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing mechanism 400. The first flap bending mechanism 500 includes first bending arms 510 and 520. As shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 , the first bending arms 510 and 520, like the first pressing units 410 and 420, are arranged on both sides of the housing 101 in the front-to-rear direction so as to sandwich the opening region α where the cardboard sheet S is opened. In this embodiment, the first bending arms 510 and 520 are supported by the first pressing units 410 and 420, respectively, and move in the front-to-rear direction together with the first pressing units 410 and 420. In this embodiment, the first bending arms 510 and 520 are each a plate-shaped member, and the surface facing the opening region α is a surface parallel to the left-to-right direction.

[0088] The front first bending arm 510 is swingably supported at the lower end of the first pressing part 410. Specifically, the first bending arm 510 is fixed to a rotation shaft 511 that is swingably supported at the lower end of the first pressing part 410. The rotation axis direction of the rotation shaft 511 is parallel to the left-right direction, and the first bending arm 510 can swing in the front-rear direction around the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 511.

[0089] Similarly, the rear first bending arm 520 is swingably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 420. Specifically, the first bending arm 520 is fixed to a rotation shaft 521 that is swingably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 420. The rotation axis direction of the rotation shaft 521 is parallel to the left-right direction, and the first bending arm 520 can swing in the front-rear direction around the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 521.

[0090] Furthermore, interlocking arms 512 and 522 are fixed to the above-mentioned rotating shafts 511 and 521, respectively, and the interlocking arms 512 and 522 also swing around the rotation axes of the rotating shafts 511 and 521, respectively. That is, the interlocking arm 512 and the first bending arm 510 swing together, and the interlocking arm 522 and the first bending arm 520 swing together, respectively, around the rotation axes of the rotating shafts 511 and 521.

[0091] Cam followers 513, 523 are disposed at the respective tips of interlocking arms 512, 522. Cam followers 513, 523 are rollers rotatably supported at the respective tips of interlocking arms 512, 522. Cam followers 513, 523 come into contact with cam surfaces 515, 525 of cam members 514, 524 disposed below first pressing portion guide rail 430.

[0092] 13, cam surface 515 that contacts front cam follower 513 is an inclined surface that slopes upward as it approaches the rear. Cam surface 525 that contacts rear cam follower 523 is an inclined surface that slopes upward as it approaches the front. In other words, cam surfaces 515, 525 are inclined surfaces that slope in opposite directions to each other.

[0093] When the first bending arms 510, 520 are positioned at their home positions, which are the furthest from the opening region α in the front-to-rear direction, the cam followers 513, 523 do not contact the lower portions (lower ends in this embodiment) of the cam surfaces 515, 525. In this state, the first bending arms 510, 520 hang down in a substantially vertical direction. When the first pressing portions 410, 420 move in the front-to-rear direction toward the opening region α, the cam followers 513, 523 come into contact with the cam surfaces 515, 525. Due to engagement between the cam followers 513, 523 and the cam surfaces 515, 525, the interlocking arms 512, 522 rotate so that the tips of the interlocking arms 512, 522 move upward. Then, the first bending arms 510, 520, which are connected to the interlocking arms 512, 522 via the rotation shafts 511, 521, also rotate in the same direction.

[0094] 14 will be used to explain the rear first bending arm 520 as an example. When the first pressing unit 420 moves forward, the cam follower 523 moves along the cam surface 525, and the interlocking arm 522 and the first bending arm 520 rotate counterclockwise around the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 521. Similarly, when the front first bending arm 510 moves rearward, the cam follower 513 engages with the cam surface 515, causing the front first bending arm 510 to rotate clockwise together with the interlocking arm 512. In this way, in this embodiment, the interlocking arms 512, 522, the cam followers 513, 523, and the cam surfaces 515, 525 constitute interlocking mechanisms 531, 532 that cause the first bending arms 510, 520 to perform bending operations in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing units 410, 420.

[0095] When the first bending arms 510, 520 rotate about the rotation axes of the rotation shafts 511, 521 as described above, they fold the first flap F1 provided below the side panel portions D11, D21 in the front-to-rear direction of the cardboard box opened by the opening mechanism 300. In the following description, the opened cardboard sheet S is referred to as the cardboard box. The bending angle of the first flap F1 is an angle at which the first flap F1 is approximately horizontal or an angle at which the tip is inclined relative to the horizontal direction so that the tip points downward. In this embodiment, after bending the first flap F1, the second flap F2 is bent as described below. Therefore, the first flap F1 is bent to an angle inclined just short of becoming horizontal, and the first flap F1 is further bent when bending the second flap F2.

[0096] In this embodiment, since the first bending arms 510, 520 are provided on the first pressing units 410, 420 in this way, the installation space can be made smaller than if they were provided separately, and the device can be made more compact. Furthermore, since the rotational movement of the first bending arms 510, 520 is linked to the movement of the first pressing units 410, 420, the operating mechanism can be simplified and the installation space can be made smaller. This allows for lower costs and a smaller device.

[0097] In this embodiment, before the cardboard box is fully opened, i.e., in the state of a parallelogram, the first pressing portions 410, 420 are abutted against the side plate portions D11, D21 of the cardboard box, and in conjunction with this, the first flap F1 provided below the side plate portions D11, D21 is folded. In other words, these operations are performed as a single operation. Here, if the first flap F1 is folded after the cardboard box is fully opened, the edge F11 of the first flap F1 may interfere with the edge F21 of the second flap F2 (see FIG. 9), making it difficult to open. In contrast, when the first flap F1 is folded in the state of a parallelogram as in this embodiment, the first flap F1 presses the second flap F2, so the edge F11 of the first flap F1 and the edge F21 of the second flap F2 do not interfere with each other, and the cardboard box can be folded smoothly.

[0098] [Cardboard regulation structure] The configuration for regulating the cardboard will be described using Figures 15 and 16. As described above, in the opening operation of the cardboard sheet S by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, the cardboard sheet S is only opened to the state of a parallelogram, as shown in Figure 11. In this embodiment, when the cardboard sheet S is in this shape, the regulating mechanism 600 is operated to regulate the positions of the side plate portions D11 and D21 in the front-to-rear direction so that the shape of the cardboard sheet S when viewed from the flap side becomes rectangular.

[0099] The first pressing mechanism 400 and the regulating mechanism 600 work in conjunction with each other to shape the cardboard sheet S into a rectangular shape. At this time, it does not matter which of the first pressing mechanism 400 and the regulating mechanism 600 starts operating first, but in this embodiment, the regulating mechanism 600 starts operating first.

[0100] The restriction mechanism 600 includes restriction arms 610 and 620. The restriction arms 610 and 620 are rotatable around the rotation axes of rotation shafts 616 and 626, respectively. The restriction arms 610 and 620 are located on the opposite side of the first pressing portions 410 and 420 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the restriction arms 610 and 620 are located at positions facing the first pressing portions 410 and 420, respectively, across the insertion position of the cardboard sheet S.

[0101] 15, the regulating arms 610, 620 are in a position retracted from the conveying path of the cardboard sheet S. In this embodiment, the regulating mechanism 600 is disposed to the left of the conveying path of the cardboard sheet S (lower side in FIG. 15), and the regulating arms 610, 620 are retracted from the conveying path to prevent the conveying of the cardboard sheet S from being obstructed.

[0102] Therefore, when cardboard sheet S is inserted through insertion opening 102, regulating arms 610, 620 have regulating surfaces 610a, 620a that regulate the side surfaces of the cardboard, parallel to the insertion direction of cardboard sheet S, and are retracted from the conveyance path. Then, when cardboard sheet S is opened into a rectangular shape, regulating arms 610, 620 rotate to straddle the conveyance path and regulate the side surfaces of the cardboard. By configuring regulating arms 610, 620 in this manner, the position where cardboard sheet S is inserted and the position where regulating arms 610, 620 rotate to regulate the side surfaces of the cardboard can be arranged to overlap, thereby making the device more compact.

[0103] Similarly to the first pressing portions 410 and 420, the restriction arms 610 and 620 are disposed on both sides of the housing 101 in the front-rear direction. The restriction arms 610 and 620 are plate-shaped members, and have restriction surfaces 610a and 620a that are parallel to the up-down direction. The restriction arms 610 and 620 rotate about the rotation axes of rotation shafts 616 and 626 when driven by restriction arm drive motors 611 and 621. The drive of the restriction arm drive motors 611 and 621 is transmitted to the restriction arms 610 and 620 via restriction arm drive mechanisms 612 and 622.

[0104] A restriction arm drive mechanism 612 that transmits drive to the front restriction arm 610 includes pulleys 613 and 614, a belt 615, and a gear train 617. The pulley 613 is attached to the drive shaft of a restriction arm drive motor 611, and a belt 615 is wound around the pulleys 613 and 614. The pulley 614 and the restriction arm 610 are connected via a gear train 617. The rotation of the restriction arm drive motor 611 is transmitted to the pulley 613, the belt 615, and the pulley 614, and the rotation of the pulley 614 is transmitted to the restriction arm 610 via the gear train 617. This causes the restriction arm 610 to rotate about the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 616. The rotation direction of the front restriction arm 610 from the retracted position to the restriction position is counterclockwise.

[0105] Similarly, a restriction arm drive mechanism 622 that transmits drive to the rear restriction arm 620 includes pulleys 623 and 624, a belt 625, and a gear train 627. The pulley 623 is attached to the drive shaft of the restriction arm drive motor 621, and a belt 625 is wound around the pulleys 623 and 624. The pulley 624 and the restriction arm 620 are connected via a gear train 627. The rotation of the restriction arm drive motor 621 is transmitted to the pulley 623, the belt 625, and the pulley 624, and the rotation of the pulley 624 is transmitted to the restriction arm 620 via the gear train 627. This causes the restriction arm 620 to rotate around the rotation axis of the rotation shaft 626. The rotation direction of the rear restriction arm 620 from the retracted position to the restriction position is clockwise.

[0106] Further, sensor flags 630 and 631 are provided at the base end of the regulating arm (right regulating arm) 610. The sensor flags 630 and 631 are provided at positions with different phases in the rotation direction around the rotary shaft 616 and are detected by a rotation position detection sensor 632 of the right regulating arm. The rotation position detection sensor 632 is a photointerrupter and detects the passage of the sensor flag 630 or 631. The sensor flag 630 is provided so that the rotation position detection sensor 632 can detect that the regulating arm 610 is positioned at the retracted position of FIG. 15, and the sensor flag 631 is provided so that the rotation position detection sensor 632 can detect that the regulating arm 610 is positioned at the regulating position of FIG. 16. When the detection of the photointerrupter by the sensor flag 630 is used as a reference, the retracted position is set as the home position of the regulating arm 610, and the regulating arm is stopped at the regulating position by controlling the pulses or time for driving the regulating arm drive motor 611. When the detection of the photointerrupter by the sensor flag 631 is used as the reference, the regulating position is set as the home position of the regulating arm 610, and the regulating arm drive motor 621 is stopped at the retracted position by controlling the pulses or time for driving the regulating arm drive motor 621.

[0107] Similarly, sensor flags 640 and 641 are provided at the base end of the regulating arm (left regulating arm) 620. The sensor flags 640 and 641 are provided at positions around the rotary shaft 626 that are in different phases in the rotational direction, and are detected by a rotation position detection sensor 642 of the left regulating arm. The rotation position detection sensor 642 is a photointerrupter that detects the passage of the sensor flag 640 or 641. The sensor flag 640 is provided so that the rotation position detection sensor 642 can detect that the regulating arm 620 has reached the retracted position shown in FIG. 15, and the sensor flag 641 is provided so that the rotation position detection sensor 642 can detect that the regulating arm 620 has reached the restricting position shown in FIG. 16. When the detection of the photointerrupter by the sensor flag 640 is used as a reference, the retracted position is set as the home position of the regulating arm 620, and the regulating arm is stopped at the restricting position by controlling the pulses or time for driving the regulating arm drive motor 621. When the detection of the photointerrupter by the sensor flag 641 is used as a reference, the regulating position is set as the home position of the regulating arm 620, and the regulating arm drive motor 621 is stopped at the retracted position by controlling the pulses or time for driving the regulating arm drive motor 621.

[0108] In this embodiment, a one-side regulating member 650 and an other-side regulating member 660 are provided on both left and right sides of the opening area α. The one-side regulating member 650 on the right side (upper side in FIG. 15) is disposed between the first pressing portions 410 and 420 in the front-rear direction. A one-side regulating surface 651, which is a surface parallel to the up-down direction, is provided on the opening area α side of the one-side regulating member 650, and the one-side regulating surface 651 regulates the position of the side panel portion D22 of the cardboard box opened into a rectangular shape.

[0109] Similarly, the other-side regulating member 660 on the left side (lower side in FIG. 15) is disposed between the regulating arms 610 and 620 in the front-to-rear direction. An other-side regulating surface 661, which is a surface parallel to the up-down direction, is provided on the opening area α side of the other-side regulating member 660, and the other-side regulating surface 661 regulates the position of the side panel portion D21 of the cardboard box opened into a rectangular shape. As described above, the other-side regulating surface 661 also has the function of guiding the left side surface of the cardboard sheet S when the cardboard sheet is inserted through the insertion slot 102.

[0110] When the first arm position detection sensor 318 detects the first opening arm 310, the restricting arms 610 and 620 begin to rotate from the retracted position shown in FIG. 15 to the restricting position shown in FIG. 16. Then, in the restricting position, the restricting surfaces 651 and 652 abut against the side plate portions D11 and D21 of the cardboard box, which has been opened into a parallelogram by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320. At this time, the restricting arms 610 and 620 cooperate with the first pressing portions 410 and 420 to press the side plate portions D11 and D21, thereby shaping the cardboard sheet S in the process of unfolding into a rectangular cardboard box and restricting the front-to-rear position of the cardboard box. At this time, the left-to-right position of the cardboard box is also restricted by the one-side restricting member 650 and the other-side restricting member 660.

[0111] In this embodiment, the members that contact the front-rear side surfaces of the cardboard box and regulate its position in the front-rear direction operate differently. That is, the first pressing portions 410, 420 regulate the side plate portions D11, D21 of the cardboard box by sliding, while the regulating arms 610, 620 regulate the side plate portions D11, D21 of the cardboard box by rotating.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first pressing portions 410, 420 and the restricting arms 610, 620 are arranged approximately diagonally across the cardboard box. That is, the rear restricting arm 620 is arranged approximately diagonally across from the front first pressing portion 410, and the front restricting arm 610 is arranged approximately diagonally across from the rear first pressing portion 420. Therefore, when these members are used to shape and restrict the cardboard box, the cardboard box is subjected to forces acting on it, which can prevent the cardboard box from being deformed.

[0113] In particular, since the rear first pressing portion 420 starts pressing the cardboard before the front first pressing portion 410, if the front restricting arm 610 is not located diagonally opposite, the cardboard cannot withstand the force applied when the cardboard is shaped into a rectangular form, which could result in deformation of the cardboard. Therefore, providing at least the front restricting arm 610 can suppress such deformation of the cardboard. Note that the rear restricting arm 620 also serves to suppress deformation of the cardboard by receiving the force applied when the front first pressing portion 410 presses the cardboard. However, at this stage, the cardboard is shaped into a substantially rectangular form, and the force it receives is not large. Therefore, the rear restricting arm 620 may be omitted. However, since the rear restricting arm 620 reliably shapes the cardboard into a rectangular form, it is preferable to provide the rear restricting arm 620 to compensate for the shape of the cardboard. Furthermore, it is preferable to provide the rear restricting arm 620 because it strengthens the restriction in the front-to-rear direction when applying tape using the tape unit 800, which will be described later.

[0114] [Flow of opening the cardboard sheet and bending the first flap] Next, a flow from the opening operation (opening) of the cardboard sheet S by the above-mentioned opening mechanism 300 to the shaping of the cardboard and bending of the first flap F1 by the above-mentioned pressing mechanism 400 will be described with reference to FIG. 42. First, when the cardboard sheet S is inserted into the insertion position, the second opening arm (right-opening arm) 320 is moved toward the second gap G2 between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped portion S2. Then, the second opening arm 320 enters the second gap G2 and abuts against the second flap F2 of the opposing one of the plate-shaped portions S1, thereby pressing down on one of the plate-shaped portions S1 (S201). The second opening arm 320 moves a distance equivalent to the thickness of the other plate-shaped portion S2 and stops.

[0115] Next, the first opening arm (left opening arm) 310 is moved toward the first gap G1 between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2 provided on one plate-shaped member S1. Then, the first opening arm 310 enters the first gap G1 and abuts against the second flap F2 of the other opposing plate-shaped member S2 (S202). Furthermore, the first opening arm 310 is moved to move the other plate-shaped member S2 away from one plate-shaped member S1.

[0116] At this time, when the first opening arm 310 abuts against the second flap F2 of the other plate-shaped portion S2 and moves to the right, the second opening arm 320 abuts against the second flap F2 of one plate-shaped portion S1 and stops, so that only the other plate-shaped portion S2 appears to move, unfolding the cardboard sheet S. At the start of unfolding the cardboard sheet S, as explained in S107 of Fig. 41, the conveying roller 201 has descended, and the nip between the conveying roller 201 and the driven roller 202 has been released.

[0117] Next, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the movement of the first opening arm 310 started (S203), the conveying roller 201 starts to be driven (S204), and then the conveying roller 201 is raised, and the cardboard sheet S is nipped between the conveying roller 201 and the driven roller 202 (S205). As described above, this predetermined time is the time it takes for the other plate-shaped portion S2 to move to a position where it is released from the conveying roller 201.

[0118] Because the conveying roller 201 is kept rotating and in contact with the cardboard sheet (here, one of the plate-shaped portions S1), one of the plate-shaped portions S1 is conveyed rearward by the conveying roller 201. In this embodiment, the cardboard sheet is opened by moving the first opening arm 310, while the cardboard sheet is conveyed further rearward. This reduces the amount of relative movement between the first opening arm 310 and the second flap F2 in the front-to-rear direction, allowing the cardboard sheet to be opened smoothly. Furthermore, by conveying the cardboard sheet rearward, interference with the tape unit 800 on the front side can be reduced.

[0119] Next, after a certain time has elapsed since the conveying roller 201 was raised (S206), the conveying roller 201 is lowered (S207) and stopped (S208). This certain time is, for example, the time it takes for the other plate-shaped portion S2, which is being moved by the first opening arm 310, to reach the scooping member 671. That is, while the cardboard sheet in the process of being opened passes through the conveyance path of the tape unit 800, the cardboard sheet is nipped between the conveying roller 201 and the driven roller 202, and when the lower end of the cardboard sheet is supported by the scooping member 671, this nip is released. This makes it possible to prevent the cardboard sheet in the process of being opened from tilting even when the nip is released.

[0120] Next, when the first opening arm 310 is detected by the first arm position detection sensor (push movement start sensor) 318 (S209), the rear restriction arm (left restriction arm) 620 starts to rotate (S210). After that, the front restriction arm (right restriction arm) 610 starts to rotate (S211). The reason why the rear restriction arm 620 is rotated first is that the cardboard sheet opens so as to stand up later due to the opening operation by the first opening arm 310, and therefore the cardboard can be shaped more stably by having the rear restriction arm 620 abut against the side of the cardboard first.

[0121] Next, after a certain time has elapsed since the front-side restricting arm 610 started to rotate (S212), the rear-side first pressing portion (left first flap / pressing arm) 420 starts to move toward the front (toward the center of the device) (S213). After a certain time has elapsed since the rear-side first pressing portion 420 started to move (S214), the front-side first pressing portion (right first flap / pressing arm) 410 starts to move toward the rear (toward the center of the device) (S215). The reason why the rear-side first pressing portion 420 is moved first is the same as the reason why the rear-side restricting arm 620 is moved first. When the first pressing portions 410, 420 move, the first bending arms 510, 520 rotate in conjunction with each other as described above, and the front and rear first flaps F1 on the bottom of the cardboard box are each bent inward.

[0122] [Bending configuration of the second flap] 17 to 21, a configuration for bending the second flap F2 will be described. After bending the first flap F1 in the front-rear direction as described above, the second flap F2 in the left-right direction is bent by the second flap bending mechanism 700. The second flap bending mechanism 700 has second bending arms 710, 720, etc. As shown in FIGS. 17 and 18, the second bending arms 710, 720 are arranged on both left and right sides of the housing 101 so as to sandwich an opening region α where the cardboard sheet S is opened. In this embodiment, the second bending arms 710, 720 are each plate-shaped members, and the surface facing the opening region α is parallel to the front-rear direction (the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S).

[0123] The second bending arm 710 on the right side (upper side in FIG. 17) is fixed to a rotating shaft 711. The rotating shaft 711 is rotatably supported by a frame (not shown) inside the housing 101 with its rotation axis direction parallel to the front-to-rear direction. The second bending arm 710 is able to swing left and right about the rotation axis of the rotating shaft 711. In the standby position (position in FIG. 19) where no bending operation is being performed, the second bending arm 710 is parallel to the approximately vertical direction, and moves from the standby position to the bending position (position in FIG. 21) by rotating to the left about the rotation axis of the rotating shaft 711.

[0124] Similarly, the second bending arm 720 on the left side (lower side in FIG. 17 ) is fixed to a pivot shaft 721. The pivot shaft 721 is pivotally supported on a frame (not shown) inside the housing 101 with the pivot axis direction parallel to the front-to-rear direction. The second bending arm 720 can swing left and right about the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 721. At a standby position (position in FIG. 19 ) where no bending operation is being performed, the second bending arm 720 is parallel to the approximately vertical direction and moves from the standby position to the bending position (position in FIG. 21 ) by pivoting to the right about the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 721. Note that, at a standby position where no bending operation is being performed, the second bending arm 720 on the left side is retracted to the left of the conveyance path of the cardboard sheet S, similar to the regulating arms 610 and 620, so as not to obstruct the conveyance of the cardboard sheet S.

[0125] The second bending arms 710, 720 rotate about the rotation axis of the rotary shafts 711, 721 by the drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712, 722. The drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712, 722 is transmitted to the second bending arms 710, 720 via second bending arm drive transmission mechanisms 713, 723. The second bending arm drive transmission mechanisms 713, 723 are each configured by combining a pulley and belt mechanism with a gear train. Specifically, the drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712, 722 is transmitted to the gear train via the pulley and belt, and the gears of the gear train mesh with gears fixed to the rotary shafts 711, 721, thereby transmitting the drive to the second bending arms 710, 720. The second bending arms 710, 720 rotate left and right as the second bending arm drive motors 712, 722 rotate forward and backward, respectively.

[0126] Sensor flags 730 and 740 are provided on the rotating shafts 711 and 721, respectively. Furthermore, rotational position detection sensors 731, 732, 741, and 742 are disposed at positions where the sensor flags 730 and 740 pass but where the phases of the rotational directions of the rotating shafts 711 and 721 are different. The rotational position detection sensors 731, 732, 741, and 742 are photointerrupters that detect the passage of the sensor flags 730 and 740. The rotational position detection sensors 731 and 741 detect that the second bending arms 710 and 720 are positioned in the standby position, and the rotational position detection sensors 732 and 742 detect that the second bending arms 710 and 720 are positioned in the bending position, respectively.

[0127] Furthermore, in this embodiment, rollers 714, 724 are rotatably supported at the tips of the second bending arms 710, 720. As a result, the rollers 714, 724 come into contact with the second flap F2 when the second bending arms 710, 720 bend the second flap F2. This reduces friction between the second bending arms 710, 720 and the second flap F2 during the bending operation, allowing the bending operation to be performed smoothly.

[0128] In particular, in this embodiment, the second flap F2 is longer than the first flap F1 and therefore experiences a greater load when bending. For this reason, as described above, no rollers are provided at the tips of the first bending arms 510 and 520, but rollers 714 and 724 are provided at the tips of the second bending arms 710 and 720.

[0129] Although rollers may also be provided on the first bending arms 510, 520, they are not provided in this embodiment for the following reason. Specifically, the first bending arms 510, 520 fold the first flap F1, which is bent before the second flap F2, and maintain the first flap F1 in a folded state while the second flap F2 is being folded by the second bending arms 710, 720. Therefore, with the second flap F2 folded by the second bending arms 710, 720, the first bending arms 510, 520 are sandwiched between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2.

[0130] After folding the second flap F2, as described below, tape is attached to the underside of the cardboard using the tape unit 800. During this attachment, the first bending arms 510, 520 are pulled out from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2, so it is preferable that the first bending arms 510, 520 be as thin as possible. If rollers were provided at the tips, the thickness would increase by the amount of the rollers, so rollers are not provided at the tips of the first bending arms 510, 520. Because the first flap F1 is shorter than the second flap F2, the load when bending is small, and the bending operation can be performed smoothly even without providing rollers at the tips of the first bending arms 510, 520.

[0131] The bending operation of the second bending arms 710, 720 will be described using FIGS. 19 to 21. First, FIG. 19 shows the standby position where the bending operation is not being performed, and the second bending arms 710, 720 are positioned so as to be approximately parallel in the vertical direction. Then, as described above, when the first bending arms 510, 520 bend the first flap F1 to a predetermined position, the first bending arms 510, 520 stop at that position. At this time, the cardboard box is supported on its underside by the first bending arms 510, 520, and its upper side is held down by the driven roller 202 and the upper flap presser roller 670. The driven roller 202 and the upper flap presser roller 670 abut against the unclosed flap (the second flap F2 in this embodiment) on the upper side of the cardboard box. As a result, the vertical position of the cardboard box is regulated by the first bending arms 510, 520, the driven roller 202, and the upper flap presser roller 670.

[0132] In this state, as shown in Figure 20, the second bending arms 710, 720 begin to rotate, folding the second flap F2. At this time, the first bending arms 510, 520 remain in the position where the first flap F1 is folded, supporting the cardboard box. Furthermore, the second bending arms 710, 720 are rotated to the bending position shown in Figure 21, and the rotation of the second bending arms 710, 720 is stopped.

[0133] 21, in the bending position, the pair of opposing second flaps F2 are not completely closed. That is, the tip ends of the pair of second flaps F2 are lower than when they are horizontal. For example, the position at which the rotation of the second bending arms 710, 720 stops is a position at which the second flaps F2 are tilted, for example, 3 degrees from the horizontal, so that their tip ends are positioned downward. This angle from the horizontal is not limited to 3 degrees and can be set appropriately within a range of 1 degree to 10 degrees.

[0134] In this embodiment, by tilting the second flap F2 rather than completely closing it to a horizontal position, the first bending arms 510, 520 sandwiched between the second flap F2 and the first flap F1 can be easily pulled out. Furthermore, if the second flap F2 were to be closed to a horizontal position, the first bending arms 510, 520 and the first flap F1 would be pushed up by the second flap F2, making it difficult to pull out the first bending arms 510, 520 and possibly deforming the cardboard box. For this reason, in this embodiment, the rotation of the second bending arms 710, 720 is stopped at a position where the second flap F2 is not bent to a horizontal position.

[0135] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 21, by stopping the second flap F2 at an inclined position so that the tip thereof is lowered, and applying the tape described below in a state in which the pair of second flaps F2 form a valley shape, it becomes easier to apply the tape neatly without the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 overlapping each other.

[0136] That is, when the pair of second flaps F2 to which tape is applied by the tape unit 800 are folded horizontally, there is a risk that the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 will overlap. If tape is applied in this state, the quality of the finished product will be reduced. On the other hand, if the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 are valley-shaped, it becomes easier to apply tape without the tips overlapping, and the quality of the finished product can be stably ensured.

[0137] As described with reference to FIG. 21 , after the second bending arms 710, 720 are rotated to the bending position, the first bending arms 510, 520 are pulled out from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. After the first bending arms 510, 520 are pulled out, the first bending arms 510, 520 are again bent to bring the first bending arms 510, 520 into contact with the underside of the second flap F2. This operation is performed in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing units 410, 420 in the front-to-rear direction. In this state, the cardboard box is supported on its underside by the first bending arms 510, 520 and the second bending arms 710, 720. In this state, tape is applied to the underside of the cardboard box using the tape unit 800, which will be described next.

[0138] [Tape unit] 22 to 39, the tape unit 800 that applies tape to the underside of a cardboard box will be described. As described above, the tape unit 800 is located at the front side within the housing 101 at the home position. FIGS. 22 and 23 show the position of the tape unit 800 at the home position, with FIG. 22 showing the tape unit 800 from the left side and FIG. 23 showing the tape unit 800 from the right side. As is clear from FIGS. 22 and 23, at the home position the tape unit 800 is located in front of the cardboard box D with the lower first flap F1 and second flaps F2 closed as described above.

[0139] As shown in Figures 24 to 27, the tape unit 800 is disposed on a guide rail 880 so as to be movable in the front-to-rear direction. Figures 24 to 27 also show the tape unit 800 in the home position, with Figure 24 being a plan view seen from the left side, Figure 25 being a perspective view seen from the left rear side, Figure 26 being a plan view seen from the right side, and Figure 27 being a perspective view seen from the right rear side.

[0140] Moving blocks 802a and 802b are fixed to the left and right sides of a base 801 that is placed on a guide rail 880 of the tape unit 800. Meanwhile, pulleys 881a, 881b, 882a, and 882b and belts 883a and 883b are disposed on the left and right sides of the tape unit 800 within the housing 101, respectively. The pulleys 881a and 882a and the belt 883a are disposed on the left side of the tape unit 800, and the belt 883a that is stretched around the pulleys 881a and 882a is disposed in the front-to-rear direction. Similarly, the pulleys 881b, 882b and the belt 883b are disposed on the right side of the tape unit 800, and the belt 883b that is stretched around the pulleys 881b and 882b is disposed in the front-to-rear direction.

[0141] Moving blocks 802a and 802b are fixed to the belts 883a and 883b, respectively. In addition, a tape unit moving motor (tape application motor) 886 is disposed on the right side of the tape unit 800, and the drive of the tape unit moving motor 886 is transmitted to a right-side pulley 881b via a power transmission mechanism such as a pulley and belt (not shown). The right-side pulley 881b and the left-side pulley 881a are connected by the same rotating shaft, and the drive of the tape unit moving motor 886 is also transmitted to the left-side pulley 881a. As a result, the pulleys 881a and 881b rotate in the forward and reverse directions synchronously as the tape unit moving motor 886 rotates forward and reverse.

[0142] The rear pulleys 882a and 882b are driven pulleys and are not connected to each other, but are arranged so that their rotation axes are coaxial. Belts 883a and 883b, which are respectively passed around these pulleys 881a, 881b, 882a, and 882b, move in circles when the pulleys 881a and 881b are driven and rotated by the drive of a tape unit moving motor 886, and the tape unit 800, which is connected to the belts 883a and 883b via moving blocks 802a and 802b, moves in the front-to-rear direction along the guide rail 880.

[0143] Furthermore, sensor flags 803a and 803b are provided on both the left and right side surfaces of the base 801, respectively. Meanwhile, a home position sensor 884 and a stop position sensor 885 are provided on both the front and rear sides of the housing 101. These sensors 884 and 885 are photointerrupters that detect the passage of the sensor flag 803a or 803b. In this embodiment, the home position sensor 884 is disposed on the left side of the tape unit 800, and the stop position sensor 885 is disposed on the right side of the tape unit 800. When the right sensor flag 803a passes the home position sensor 884, it is detected that the tape unit 800 is located at the home position, and when the left sensor flag 803b passes the stop position sensor 885, it is detected that the tape unit 800 is located at the stop position. Note that the sensors 884 and 885 may be disposed on only one side, either left or right, and the sensor flag may also be disposed on only one side.

[0144] Next, the configuration of the tape unit 800 for applying the tape T will be described mainly with reference to Figure 28. Note that Figure 28 is a view of the tape unit 800 as seen from the right side. In this embodiment, as is clear from the perspective views of Figures 25 and 27, the components for applying the tape T are supported by a frame 860 provided on the left side of the tape unit 800. For this reason, the description will be made with reference to Figure 28, which shows the tape unit 800 as seen from the right side. Note that the frame supporting the components may be on the right side or on both the left and right sides.

[0145] The tape unit 800 has a first pressure roller 810, a second pressure roller 820, a tape cutter 840, a flap pressure section 850, a tape holding section 870, etc. The first pressure roller 810 is rotatably supported at the tip of a tape roller arm 811. The tape roller arm 811 is rotatably supported on a rotation shaft 812, and is biased by a tension spring 813 so that the first pressure roller 810 rotates around the rotation shaft 812 toward the front side of the housing 101. The first pressure roller 810 is a roller that moves while adhering the tape T to the cardboard, and the tape T pulled out from a tape main body rotatably held by the tape holding section 870 is supplied via tape guide rollers 831, 832, 833 and a final feed roller 830.

[0146] Furthermore, because the first pressure roller 810 applies the tape T from the front side surface of the cardboard box D, when application of the tape T begins, the first pressure roller 810 is positioned higher than the bottom surface of the cardboard box D. Then, as will be described later, the tape T is applied to the front side surface that rises from the bottom surface of the cardboard box D, and as the tape unit 800 moves rearward, the first pressure roller 810 falls rearward relative to the movement direction of the tape unit 800 against the biasing force of the tension spring 813, and continues to move along the bottom surface of the cardboard box D, applying the tape T to the bottom surface of the cardboard box D.

[0147] The tape roller arm 811 that supports the first pressure roller 810 has a bent shape so that the first pressure roller 810 does not interfere with the corners of the cardboard box D when it moves from the side to the bottom. That is, the tape roller arm 811 does not linearly connect the rotating shaft 812 and the first pressure roller 810, but is formed so that when the first pressure roller 810 is in the position shown in Fig. 28, it extends rearward from the rotating shaft 812 in the movement direction of the tape unit 800, rises upward, and then extends further forward. That is, the tape roller arm 811 forms a recessed shape 811a between the first pressure roller 810 and the rotating shaft 812.

[0148] The second pressure roller 820 is disposed in front of the first pressure roller 810, i.e., upstream in the tape application direction. The second pressure roller 820 is supported at the tip of a second roller arm 821, which is rotatably supported on a rotary shaft 822. The rotary shaft 822 is positioned downstream in the tape application direction from the rotation center of the second pressure roller 820. This allows the tape unit 800 to be more compact than when the rotation shaft 822 is positioned upstream from the rotation center of the second pressure roller 820. The second roller arm 821 is supported by a slide member 823 via the rotary shaft 822, and the slide member 823 is supported so as to be vertically movable relative to the frame 860.

[0149] The second roller arm 821 is biased by a biasing spring 824 in a direction in which the second presser roller 820 moves forward around the rotation shaft 822 relative to the movement direction of the tape unit 800. The slide member 823 is biased upward in the direction shown in FIG. 28 by a biasing spring (not shown) that is arranged on the back side of the tape unit 800. The slide member 823 slides up and down along a slide groove 825.

[0150] As will be described later, such second pressure roller 820 has the role of further pressing down the tape T that has been applied to the cardboard box D by the first pressure roller 810 onto the cardboard box D, and also of applying the tape T to the rear side surface of the cardboard box D. That is, after the first pressure roller 810 has finished applying the tape T to the bottom surface of the cardboard box D and the tape T has been cut by the tape cutter 840, the remaining tape T is applied to the rear side surface that rises up from the bottom surface of the cardboard box D.

[0151] The tape cutter 840 is provided on a tape cutter arm 841. As shown in Figures 24 and 27, the tape cutter arm 841 is rotatably supported on the left side of the frame 860, and is rotatable independently of the first pressure roller 810. The tape cutter arm 841 is provided so as to protrude from the tape cutter arm 841 toward the first pressure roller 810, and by rotating as described below, the tape cutter arm 841 cuts the tape T attached to the cardboard box D by the first pressure roller 810.

[0152] 24 and 28, a tape cutter arm abutment portion 842 is provided at the tip of the tape cutter arm 841 so as to protrude above the first bending arm 510. When viewed from the front of the housing 101, the tape cutter arm abutment portion 842 is disposed in a position deviated to the left side from the rotation path of the first bending arm 510, and rotates together with the tape cutter arm 841 regardless of the rotation of the first bending arm 510. As shown in FIG. 24, the tape cutter arm 841 is biased by a tension spring 843 so that the tape cutter 840 and the tape cutter arm abutment portion 842 move forward in the movement direction of the tape unit 800.

[0153] The flap presser 850 is provided on the tape cutter arm 841 and is rotatable together with the tape cutter arm 841. The flap presser 850 is located on the leading end side (downstream side) in the tape application direction, and during tape application, moves while pressing the butted portion of the pair of second flaps F2 on the underside of the cardboard box D. The pressing surface of the flap presser 850 is a flat surface parallel to the horizontal direction, and by pressing the butted portion of the pair of second flaps F2 with this surface, the leading ends of the pair of second flaps F2 can be butted against each other approximately horizontally without overlapping. After the butted portion of the pair of second flaps F2 has been pressed by the flap presser 850, the first tape presser roller 810 applies the tape T to this portion.

[0154] As shown in Figures 36(a) to 38, the tape holding part 870 rotatably holds the tape main body. Figure 36(a) is a perspective view showing a state in which the tape main body is held by the tape holding part 870 and pressed down by a tape presser plate 871. Figure 36(b) is a perspective view showing a state in which the tape presser plate 871 has been removed. Figure 37 is a perspective view showing a state in which the tape T has been pulled out from the tape main body held by the tape holding part 870 via tape guide rollers 831, 832, 833 and the final feed roller 830 to the first tape presser roller 810. Figure 38 is a perspective view showing a state in which the tape main body is not held by the tape holding part 870.

[0155] The tape holding part 870 is formed in a cylindrical shape so that the cylindrical tape main body can be loosely fitted onto the outside. The tape holding part 870 is also provided so as to protrude to the right side from the left frame 860. Therefore, the tape main body can be replaced from the right side of the tape holding part 870.

[0156] A screw 872 is provided protruding from the center of tape holding part 870, and tape presser plate 871 can be fixed to screw 872 by passing screw 872 through a through-hole provided in the center of tape presser plate 871 and then tightening with nut 873. With the tape main body fitted onto tape holding part 870, the side of the tape main body is pressed down by tape presser plate 871 and tightened with nut 873, so that the tape main body can be held to tape holding part 870 in a rotatable manner and prevented from falling off.

[0157] 29 to 35, the tape application operation by the tape unit 800 will be described. When viewed from the front of the housing 101, the tape unit 800 starts to move from the home position toward the rear. Then, as shown in Fig. 29, the flap presser 850 presses down on the butted portion of the second flap F2 on the underside of the cardboard box D, and the first tape presser roller 810 abuts against the front side surface of the cardboard box D, and the leading end of the tape T supported by the first tape presser roller 810 is applied to the front side surface.

[0158] 30 , when the tape unit 800 moves rearward, the first tape pressure roller 810 rotates forward against the biasing force of the tension spring 813 and enters the underside of the cardboard box D. At this time, the first tape pressure roller 810 moves to trace the corner between the underside and front side of the cardboard box D, so that the tape T is also stuck to this corner. Furthermore, the tape cutter arm abutment portion 842 abuts against the cardboard box D and rotates forward, and the tape cutter arm abutment portion 842 also enters the underside of the cardboard box D. Furthermore, in conjunction with the rotation of the tape cutter arm abutment portion 842, an L-shaped push-in portion 844 provided on the tape cutter arm 841 abuts against a protrusion 826 provided on the slide member 823. As the tape cutter arm abutment portion 842 penetrates the underside of the cardboard D, it rotates further, the slide member 823 moves downward against the force of the spring (not shown), and the second pressure roller 820 also penetrates the underside of the cardboard D.

[0159] In this state, the tape unit 800 moves further rearward, causing the first tape pressure roller 810 to apply the tape T to the underside of the cardboard box D, and the second pressure roller 820 to further press the applied tape T against the underside. Then, as shown in Figure 31, even when the first tape pressure roller 810 clears the underside of the cardboard box D, the first pressure roller 810 remains pressed down due to the tension of the tape T applied to the underside of the cardboard box D.

[0160] 32, when the tape unit 800 advances further and the tape cutter arm abutment portion 842 passes over the bottom surface of the cardboard box D, it rotates rearward due to the biasing force of the tension spring 843, and the tape cutter 840 attached to the tape cutter arm 841 is pulled out from the bottom surface of the cardboard box D and cuts the tape T stretched around the first pressure roller 810. The length of the tape T to be cut can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the tape cutter arm abutment portion 842.

[0161] After the tape T has been cut, the first tape pressure roller 810 rotates rearward due to the biasing force of the tension spring 813, as shown in Figure 33. In this state, the second pressure roller 820 is positioned on the bottom surface of the cardboard box D. Also, the tape T is stuck to the bottom surface of the cardboard box D, but has not yet stuck to the rear side surface.

[0162] As the tape unit 800 advances further, the second pressure roller 820 reaches the corner between the bottom surface and the rear side surface of the cardboard box D, as shown in FIG. 34. Then, when the second pressure roller 820 passes this corner, the slide member 823 moves upward due to the biasing force of the biasing spring, as shown in FIG. 35, and the second pressure roller 820 moves upward. At the same time, the second pressure roller 820 is biased forward by the biasing force of the biasing spring 824. As a result, the second pressure roller 820 moves along the rear corner of the cardboard box D, and then further moves along the rear side surface while being biased by this side surface. At this time, the remaining tape T cut by the tape cutter 840 is attached to the rear corner and rear side surface of the cardboard box D by the second pressure roller 820.

[0163] This completes the tape unit 800's operation of applying the tape T. The tape unit 800 stops moving when it reaches the stop position sensor 885. In this embodiment, once the application of the tape T is complete, the first bending arms 510, 520 and the second bending arms 710, 720 are returned to their original positions to release the support for the cardboard box, allowing the cardboard box to drop downward. This is to facilitate removal of the cardboard box D from the removal opening 103 on the front surface of the housing 101, as shown in FIG. 1 . In other words, when the cardboard box D is supported by the first bending arms 510, 520 and the second bending arms 710, 720, the cardboard box D is positioned at an upper position within the housing 101, and the top surface of the cardboard box D gets caught during removal, making it difficult to remove from the removal opening 103. For this reason, in this embodiment, the cardboard box D is first dropped downward before being removed.

[0164] A cardboard box presence sensor 101a (see FIG. 40) that detects the presence or absence of cardboard box D is provided inside the housing 101. Therefore, the cardboard box presence sensor 101a can detect that the cardboard box D has been removed. When it detects that the cardboard box D has been removed, the tape unit 800 moves toward the home position.

[0165] In this embodiment, in order to reduce the size of the device, when the tape unit 800 returns to the home position, it is positioned near the front side wall 105 of the housing 101. As described above, the second tape pressure roller 820 is located on the front side of the tape unit 800 and protrudes forward. The second tape pressure roller 820 is rotatably supported via a second roller arm 821. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 39 , when the tape unit 800 returns to the home position, even if the second tape pressure roller 820 abuts against the front side wall 105, it rotates so as to move away from the side wall 105. In other words, it moves from the position indicated by the dashed line to the position indicated by the solid line. This allows the home position of the tape unit 800 to be closer to the side wall 105, thereby reducing the size of the device.

[0166] [Flow from bending the second flap to attaching the tape] Next, the flow from the bending operation of the second flap F2 by the second flap bending mechanism 700 to the tape application operation by the tape unit 800 will be described with reference to Figure 43. After the first flap F1 is bent according to the flow of Figure 42, the left second bending arm (front second flap bending arm) 720 is rotated (S301). Next, the right second bending arm (rear second flap bending arm) 710 is rotated (S302). Then, the second flap F2 is folded on both the left and right sides. Note that the folding order may be different, or they may be performed simultaneously.

[0167] Next, the rear first pressing unit 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are moved to their home positions (the rear ends of the first pressing unit guide rails 430) (S303). The home position of the first bending arm 520 is detected by a home position sensor (left first flap bending and pressing arm HP sensor) 520a (see FIG. 40). As a result, the first bending arm 520 is pulled out from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. Next, the front first pressing unit 410 and the first bending arm (right first flap bending arm) 510 are moved to their home positions (the front ends of the first pressing unit guide rails 430) (S304). The home position of the first bending arm 510 is detected by a home position sensor (right first flap bending and pressing arm HP sensor) 510a (see FIG. 40). As a result, the first bending arm 510 is pulled out from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. The order of pulling out the first flap F1 and the second flap F2 does not matter, or they may be pulled out simultaneously.

[0168] Next, the rear first pressing unit 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are again moved toward the cardboard box, and the first bending arm 520 presses the underside of the second flap F2 (S305). Next, the front first pressing unit 410 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 510 are again moved toward the cardboard box, and the first bending arm 510 presses the underside of the second flap F2 (S306). As a result, the first bending arms 510, 520 support the underside of the cardboard box together with the second bending arms 710, 720. Note that the timing of pressing the second flap F2 does not matter, and they may be simultaneous.

[0169] In this state, the tape unit 800 is moved, and tape is applied to the raised portion of the front surface, the bottom surface, and the raised portion of the rear surface of the cardboard box (S307). When the tape unit 800 reaches a predetermined position (S308), the movement speed of the tape unit 800 is switched to low speed (S309). The predetermined position is, for example, the position where the second tape pressure roller 820 reaches the corner on the rear side of the cardboard box. By switching the tape unit 800 to low speed thereafter, the second tape pressure roller 820 can reliably apply tape to the side surface on the rear side of the cardboard box.

[0170] When the tape unit 800 is detected by the stop position sensor 885 (S310), the movement of the tape unit 800 is stopped (S311), thereby completing the operation of attaching the tape to the cardboard box.

[0171] [Flow of cardboard box removal preparation] Next, the flow of preparation for removal of the cardboard box after tape application will be described with reference to FIG. 44. When the tape application operation is completed in the flow of FIG. 43, the rear first pressing unit 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are moved to the home position (the rear end of the first pressing unit guide rail 430) (S401). Next, the front first pressing unit 410 and the first bending arm (right first flap bending arm) 510 are moved to the home position (the front end of the first pressing unit guide rail 430) (S402). This releases the support of the underside of the cardboard box by the first bending arms 510 and 520. Note that the order of movement does not matter, and they may be moved in either order, or simultaneously.

[0172] After a certain time has elapsed since the support of the underside of the cardboard box by the first bending arms 510, 520 has been released (S403), the left second bending arm (front second flap bending arm) 720 is moved to its home position (S404). Next, the right second bending arm (rear second flap bending arm) 710 is moved to its home position (S405). This releases the support of the underside of the cardboard box by the second bending arms 710, 720. Note that the order of movement does not matter, and they may be moved in either order, or simultaneously.

[0173] Furthermore, the rear restriction arm (left restriction arm) 620 is moved to the home position (S406), and then the front restriction arm (right restriction arm) 610 is moved to the home position (S407). That is, the restriction arms 610 and 620 are moved away from the side of the cardboard box. Note that the order of movement does not matter, or they can be moved simultaneously. This completes preparations for removing the cardboard box.

[0174] [Control configuration] The control configuration of the carton making device 100 of this embodiment will be described using Figure 40. The carton making device 100 is controlled by a microcomputer 1001 of a control unit 1000. Various motors and various sensors are connected to the microcomputer 1001 via drivers, and the microcomputer 1001 controls the various motors based on programs and signals from the various sensors to execute the flows of Figures 41 to 44 and the various operations described above. Power is supplied to the control unit 1000 from a power source 1002.

[0175] The box making machine 100 also has various display LEDs that display the operating status of the machine, and in this embodiment, it is equipped with green (G), white (W), and yellow (Y) display LEDs 1011-1013 and an emergency stop switch display LED 1010, the lighting of which is controlled by the microcomputer 1001. For example, when the assembly of the cardboard box is complete, one of the display LEDs 1011-1013 is turned on to notify the operator that the assembly is complete. Note that the names of the various motors and sensors shown in Figure 40 do not match those described above, but the same symbols refer to the same components.

[0176] In this embodiment, the insertion of cardboard sheets and the removal of assembled cardboard boxes can be performed from the front of the device. This makes it suitable for an operator to assemble cardboard boxes one by one. In addition, in this embodiment, the device can be made smaller by devising the arrangement of each component as described above. Therefore, the box making device 100 of this embodiment can efficiently assemble a small number of cardboard boxes in a small space. [Explanation of symbols]

[0177] 100...Box making equipment 101···Case 201 Conveyor roller 202... Driven roller 220 Roller lifting mechanism (nip release means) 310···First opening arm (opening arm) 312 First opening motor (moving means) 320···Second opening arm

Claims

[Claim 1] an opening arm having a thickness narrower than a gap between a pair of flaps provided adjacent to one of a pair of opposing plate-like portions of a cardboard sheet folded into a plate shape; a moving means for moving the opening arm, the opening arm is provided on the other of the pair of plate-shaped portions in a state where it is inserted into the gap between the pair of flaps, and faces a flap that is located at a position facing the gap, The moving means moves the opening arm so that the opening arm pushes a flap provided on the other plate-shaped portion and the other plate-shaped portion moves away from the one plate-shaped portion. A box-making device characterized by:

Images