Automatic Chrysanthemum Folding Device

Abstract

We provide an automatic chrysanthemum folding device that requires minimal installation space and is low-cost. [Solution] An automatic chrysanthemum folding device is provided that folds the excess portion 10 in a chrysanthemum style by repeatedly performing the following actions each time the roll product 1 is rotated by the roll rotation mechanism 11: making a crease with the paper pressing plate 35, forming pleats 59 with the paper clamp 50, and making a crease in the pleats 59 with the paper pressing plate 35.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to an automatic chrysanthemum folding device.

Background Art

[0002] In order to protect a roll product (for example, a sheet roll obtained by winding a plastic sheet around a core), wrapping paper is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the roll product, and then the surplus portion of the wrapping paper is folded toward the end surface of the roll product, so that the outer peripheral surface and the end surface of the roll product are covered with the wrapping paper. Here, the surplus portion of the wrapping paper is a portion of the wrapping paper that protrudes cylindrically in the roll axis direction from the outer peripheral surface of the roll product by setting the length of the wrapping paper in the roll axis direction to be larger than the length of the roll product in the roll axis direction when the wrapping paper is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the roll product.

[0003] There is a chrysanthemum fold as a method of folding the surplus portion toward the end surface of the roll product. The chrysanthemum fold is a method of folding the surplus portion along the periphery of the end surface of the roll product in the inner diameter direction so that a plurality of folds extending in the radial direction are formed at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. Here, each fold is in a state of falling on the same side in the circumferential direction along the end surface of the roll product so that the folds adjacent to each other in the circumferential direction overlap each other.

[0004] By chrysanthemum-folding the surplus portion on the end surface of the roll product, the aesthetics of the packaging state are improved, leading to an improvement in the commercial value. This chrysanthemum fold is generally performed manually. However, manual chrysanthemum folding requires skill. Therefore, as an automatic chrysanthemum folding device for automatically chrysanthemum-folding the surplus portion of the wrapping paper on the end surface of the roll product, the one described in Patent Document 1 has been proposed.

[0005] The automatic chrysanthemum folding device of Patent Document 1 includes a roll holding portion that holds the roll product so that the roll center axis is horizontal, a turntable disposed opposite to the end surface of the roll product, a plurality of arms connected to the outer periphery of the turntable, a plurality of paper pressing plates provided at the tips of each arm, and a swing mechanism that swings each arm.

[0006] The rotation center of the turntable coincides with the roll center axis of the roll product. Each arm is spaced apart around the roll center axis. The tip of each arm extends toward the roll product, and the base of each arm is connected to the outer circumference of the turntable, forming the pivot point of the arm. The oscillation of each arm causes each paper press plate to swing between a standby position outside the outer surface of the roll product and a pressing position inside the outer surface of the roll product when viewed from the direction of the roll axis.

[0007] Each paper press plate swings from its standby position to its pressing position, pressing against the outer surface of the excess paper and bending it toward the end face of the roll product. At this time, a fold is formed in each gap between adjacent paper press plates, with a portion of the excess paper protruding outward in the direction of the roll axis. These folds extend inward from the periphery of the end face of the roll product and are aligned circumferentially. Each paper press plate rotates with the turntable, pressing against the sides of each fold and bending each fold toward the end face of the roll product. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] Utility Model Registration No. 3182366 Gazette [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0009] The automatic paper folding device described in Patent Document 1 has multiple paper-holding plates located radially outside the outer surface of the roll product, spaced apart around the entire circumference. Therefore, it is necessary to secure a large space radially outside the entire circumference to avoid interference with these paper-holding plates, resulting in a large space required for installation of the automatic paper folding device. Furthermore, the automatic paper folding device described in Patent Document 1 requires the same number of paper-holding plates as the number of folds in the paper folding, resulting in a large number of parts and high cost.

[0010] Furthermore, in order to fold roll products with different outer diameters, it is necessary to prepare multiple units in advance, each using a paper press plate sized according to the outer diameter of the roll product, and to replace the unit each time the outer diameter of the roll product is changed. Therefore, the work required to handle multiple types of roll products with different outer diameters is complicated.

[0011] The problem this invention aims to solve is to provide an automatic chrysanthemum folding device that requires minimal installation space and is low-cost. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] To solve the above problems, this invention provides an automatic chrysanthemum folding device with the following configuration. [Configuration 1] It has a roll holding section that holds a roll product with packaging paper wrapped around its outer surface so that the roll's central axis is horizontal, An automatic chrysanthemum-folding device for folding the excess portion of the packaging paper that protrudes from the outer surface of the roll product in the direction of the roll axis to the end face of the roll product, A paper press plate is positioned so as to intersect the periphery of the roll product when viewed from the direction of the roll axis, A paper press advance / retract mechanism moves the paper press plate in the roll axis direction between a forward position in contact with the end face of the roll product and a retracted position away from the end face of the roll product, A paper press movement mechanism that moves the aforementioned paper press plate in a direction intersecting the roll axis direction, A paper clamp for gripping the excess portion, A paper clamp moving mechanism for moving the paper clamp along the end face of the roll product, The roll product has a roll rotation mechanism that rotates the roll product around the roll central axis, The paper pressing plate moves toward the end face of the roll product by the paper pressing advance / retraction mechanism, thereby pressing a portion of the excess against the end face of the roll product and creating a fold along the periphery of the roll product. The paper clamp grips one of the portions of the excess portion adjacent to the paper press plate in the width direction, sandwiching the portion being held by the paper press plate, and moves the gripped portion onto the paper press plate by the paper clamp moving mechanism, thereby folding back along one side edge in the width direction of the paper press plate to the other side in the width direction, and folding back from the other side in the width direction to one side edge in the width direction of the paper press plate to the one side in the width direction. The paper press plate is pulled out from between the pleat and the end face of the roll product by the paper press advance / retract mechanism and the paper press movement mechanism, moves to a position facing the end face of the roll product with the pleat sandwiched between them, then moves toward the end face of the roll product, and presses the portion of the pleat that has been folded back on one end in the width direction on the paper press plate against the end face of the roll product, thereby creating a crease in the folded portion. An automatic chrysanthemum folding device that rotates the roll product around the roll central axis by a certain angle using the roll rotation mechanism, and with each rotation, repeats the operation of making a crease along the periphery of the roll product with the paper pressing plate, forming the pleat with the paper clamp, and making a crease in the folded portion of the pleat with the paper pressing plate, thereby folding the excess portion into a chrysanthemum shape.

[0013] This configuration allows the roll product to be rotated at fixed angles, and with each rotation, a paper clamp is used to form one pleat, and a paper press plate is used to create a crease at the folded end of that pleat. By repeating these actions, a chrysanthemum fold with multiple pleats is formed. This means that the chrysanthemum fold can be formed with just one paper press plate and one paper clamp, eliminating the need to place multiple paper press plates around the entire circumference. Therefore, there is no need to secure a large space radially outward around the entire circumference, and the space required to install the automatic chrysanthemum fold device is small. In addition, it is not necessary to provide the same number of paper press plates as there are pleats in the chrysanthemum fold; one paper press plate is sufficient, resulting in low costs.

[0014] [Configuration 2] The automatic chrysanthemum folding device according to Configuration 1, wherein the paper pressing plate and the paper clamp are provided on both sides in the roll axis direction of the roll holding portion.

[0015] In this configuration, since the paper pressing plate and the paper clamp are provided on both sides in the roll axis direction of the roll holding portion, the surplus portion can be chrysanthemum-folded simultaneously on both sides in the roll axis direction at the end face of the roll product.

[0016] [Configuration 3] The automatic chrysanthemum folding device according to any one of Configuration 1 or 2, wherein when forming the Z-shaped pleat, the paper pressing plate is arranged such that the direction in which the side edge on one side in the width direction of the paper pressing plate extends is the radial direction of the roll product, and the Z-shaped pleat is formed in a state where the surplus portion is pressed by the paper pressing plate.

[0017] In this configuration, when forming the Z-shaped pleat, the paper pressing plate is arranged such that the direction in which the side edge on one side in the width direction of the paper pressing plate extends is the radial direction of the roll product. Therefore, the portion of the pleat that is folded back to the other side in the width direction along the side edge on one side in the width direction of the paper pressing plate is formed to extend radially from the center of the roll product, and a chrysanthemum fold with excellent aesthetics can be formed.

[0018] [Configuration 4] The paper pressing plate is arranged to extend in the vertical direction when viewed from the roll axis direction. The automatic chrysanthemum folding device according to any one of Configuration 1 to 3, wherein the positions of the paper pressing plate and the paper clamp are configured to be adjustable in the vertical direction according to the outer diameter of the roll product.

[0019] In this configuration, by simply adjusting the positions of the paper pressing plate and the paper clamp in the vertical direction, it is possible to perform chrysanthemum folding corresponding to a plurality of types of roll products having different outer diameters without performing unit replacement or the like according to the outer diameter of the roll product.

[0020] [Configuration 5] Each time the roll rotation mechanism rotates the roll product by a certain angle, the wrapping paper is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the roll product by the rotated angle, the paper pressing plate makes a crease along the periphery of the roll product, the paper clamp forms a fold, and the paper pressing plate makes a crease at the folded-back portion of the fold. By repeating these operations, the wrapping paper is configured to be folded in a chrysanthemum shape while being wound around the outer peripheral surface of the roll product. The automatic chrysanthemum folding device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4.

[0021] In this configuration, the wrapping paper is wound around the outer peripheral surface of the roll product in response to the rotation of the roll product accompanying the chrysanthemum folding, so that the winding of the wrapping paper and the chrysanthemum folding can be performed in parallel.

[0022] [Configuration 6] The roll rotation mechanism rotates the roll product by 15° to 60° each time. The automatic chrysanthemum folding device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5.

[0023] In this configuration, the number of folds of the chrysanthemum folding formed on the end face of the roll product can be 6 to 24.

Effect of the Invention

[0024] The automatic chrysanthemum folding device of this invention rotates the roll product by a certain angle each time. Each time it rotates, the paper clamp forms one fold, and the paper pressing plate makes a crease at the folded-back portion of the fold. By repeating these operations, a chrysanthemum folding with a plurality of folds is formed. Therefore, the formation of the chrysanthemum folding can be performed with one paper pressing plate and one paper clamp, and it is not necessary to arrange a plurality of paper pressing plates over the entire circumference in the circumferential direction. Therefore, it is not necessary to secure a wide space radially outward over the entire circumference, and the space required to install the automatic chrysanthemum folding device is small. Also, it is not necessary to provide the same number of paper pressing plates as the number of folds of the chrysanthemum folding, and one paper pressing plate is sufficient, so the cost is low.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0025] [Figure 1] Top view of the automatic chrysanthemum folding device of the embodiment [Figure 2] View from below in Figure 1 [Figure 3] Cross-sectional view along line III-III in Figure 1 [Figure 4] View from arrow IV in Figure 3 [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows a magnified cross-sectional view of the area near the paper press plate. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view along the line VI-VI in Figure 5 [Figure 7] Figure 5 shows a magnified cross-sectional view of the area near the paper press plate. [Figure 8] Cross-sectional view along line VIII-VIII in Figure 7 [Figure 9] Cross-sectional view along line IX-IX in Figure 7 [Figure 10] View from the right side of Figure 7 [Figure 11] Figure 10 shows the paper press plate moved toward the end face of the roll product. [Figure 12] Figure 11 shows the paper clamp being moved downwards toward the excess portion, and then gripping the excess portion with the paper clamp. [Figure 13] View from the left side of Figure 12 [Figure 14] This diagram shows the state as shown in Figure 13, but with the paper clamp moved onto the paper clamping plate. [Figure 15] View from above in Figure 13 [Figure 16] View from above in Figure 14 [Figure 17] This figure shows the state as described in Figure 16, but with the paper clamp moved towards the end face of the roll product. [Figure 18] Figure 17 shows the state after lowering the paper press plate, and the paper being extracted from between the pleats and the end face of the roll product. [Figure 19] View from below in Figure 18 [Figure 20] Figure 19 shows the state after the paper press plate has been swung clockwise. [Figure 21] This figure shows the paper press plate moved away from the end face of the roll product, compared to the state shown in Figure 20. [Figure 22]Figure 21 shows the state after the paper press plate has been swung counterclockwise. [Figure 23] This figure shows the paper press plate moved towards the end face of the roll product, as in the state shown in Figure 22. [Figure 24] Figure 23 shows the state after the excess portion has been released from gripping by the paper clamp. [Figure 25] Figure 24 shows the state after moving the paper clamp away from the starting edge of the packaging paper. [Figure 26] Figure 25 shows the state after moving the paper clamp away from the end face of the roll product. [Figure 27] This diagram shows the paper press plate moved upwards from the state shown in Figure 26. [Figure 28] This figure shows the paper press plate moved away from the end face of the roll product, compared to the state shown in Figure 27. [Figure 29] View from the left side of Figure 28 [Figure 30] Figure 29 shows the roll product rotated counterclockwise from its original state. [Figure 31] Diagram showing the completed state of the chrysanthemum fold of the excess portion. [Figure 32] A diagram showing that the packaging paper is wrapped around the entire circumference of the outer surface of the roll product. [Figure 33] A diagram showing that the packaging paper is wrapped around only a portion of the outer surface of the roll product. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0026] Figure 1 shows an automatic paper folding device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This automatic paper folding device includes a roll holding unit 2 that holds a roll product 1 (for example, a sheet roll in which a plastic sheet is wound around a core) so that the roll central axis is horizontal, folding units 3 provided on both sides of the roll holding unit 2 in the direction of the roll axis (left and right direction in the figure), a unit position adjustment mechanism 4 that moves the folding units 3 in the direction of the roll axis, and a paper clamp unit 5 (see Figure 3) supported by the folding units 3.

[0027] As shown in Figure 3, the roll holding section 2 includes a support roller 6 that rotatably supports the roll product 1, and a support column 7 that supports the support roller 6 in a fixed position. The support roller 6 is formed in a cylindrical shape and is installed parallel to the roll product 1. The support roller 6 is installed in pairs in a horizontal direction (left-right direction in the figure) perpendicular to the roll central axis, with the roll central axis in between, and the pair of support rollers 6 supports the outer circumference of the roll product 1 from below. The support column 7 is fixed to the upper surface of the base 8.

[0028] As shown in Figure 1, the pair of receiving rollers 6 are provided on both sides in the direction of the roll axis with respect to the center position of the roll product 1 in the direction of the roll axis (left-right direction in the figure). The size of the roll product 1 is an outer diameter of 400 to 1200 mm and a length in the direction of the roll axis (width of the roll product 1) of 700 to 2500 mm. The packaging paper 9 is wrapped around the outer surface of the roll product 1, and excess portions 10 are provided at both ends of the roll product 1. The excess portions 10 are the parts of the packaging paper 9 that protrude cylindrically from the outer surface of the roll product 1 in the direction of the roll axis when the length of the packaging paper 9 in the direction of the roll axis is set to be greater than the length of the roll product 1 in the direction of the roll axis when wrapping the packaging paper 9 around the outer surface of the roll product 1.

[0029] The roll holding section 2 is provided with a roll rotation mechanism 11 that rotates the roll product 1 around the roll central axis. The roll rotation mechanism 11 includes an electric motor 12 and a rotation transmission path 13 that transmits the rotation output from the electric motor 12 to two receiving rollers 6. The rotation transmission path 13 consists of a first drive sprocket 14 (see Figure 3) provided on the output shaft of the electric motor 12, a first driven sprocket 16 provided on a rotating shaft 15 arranged parallel to the receiving rollers 6, a first chain 17 (see Figure 3) wrapped between the first drive sprocket 14 and the first driven sprocket 16, two second driven sprockets 18 provided in axial positions corresponding to two of the receiving rollers 6 on the rotating shaft 15, a third driven sprocket 19 provided on each receiving roller 6, and two second chains 20 wrapped between the two second driven sprockets 18 and each of the third driven sprockets 19 on the two receiving rollers 6.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the unit position adjustment mechanism 4 is provided on each of the pair of bending units 3 on both sides of the roll axis direction of the roll holding section 2. Each unit position adjustment mechanism 4 includes a linear guide 21 that supports the bending unit 3 so as to be movable in the roll axis direction, an electric motor 22, and a motion conversion mechanism 23 that converts the rotation of the electric motor 22 into linear movement of the bending unit 3 in the roll axis direction. The motion conversion mechanism 23 here uses a screw shaft that extends in the roll axis direction and a nut that screws onto the screw shaft. The nut is fixed to the bending unit 3. The screw shaft is mounted on the base 8 in a state that it is rotatable but its movement in the roll axis direction is restricted.

[0031] The unit position adjustment mechanism 4 allows the pair of bending units 3, located on both sides of the roll holding section 2 in the direction of the roll axis, to be moved in opposite directions along the roll axis, thereby adjusting the distance between the pair of bending units 3 to correspond to the axial length dimension of the roll product 1. Furthermore, the unit position adjustment mechanism 4 allows the center position of the pair of bending units 3, located on both sides of the roll holding section 2 in the direction of the roll axis, to be adjusted by moving them in the same direction along the roll axis.

[0032] As shown in Figure 5, the bending unit 3 includes a support frame 24, a pivoting mechanism 25 that pivots the support frame 24 around a pivot axis 27, and a support frame position adjustment mechanism 26 that moves the support frame 24 vertically. As shown in Figure 2, the support frame 24 is supported so as to be able to pivot between an upright position (shown by the solid line in the figure) and a collapsed position (shown by the dashed line in the figure) where it is tilted away from the roll product 1, around a pivot axis 27 that is perpendicular to the roll center axis in the horizontal direction (perpendicular to the plane of the paper in the figure).

[0033] As shown in Figure 6, the slewing mechanism 25 includes an electric motor 28, a slewing shaft 27 to which the rotation of the electric motor 28 is input, and a bearing 29 that rotatably supports the slewing shaft 27. The support frame 24 is prevented from rotating by the slewing shaft 27 so that the support frame 24 rotates integrally with the slewing shaft 27. The slewing shaft 27 is attached to the mounting base 30 via the bearing 29. When the mounting base 30 is moved vertically (in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper in the figure) by the support frame position adjustment mechanism 26 (described later), the slewing shaft 27 moves vertically integrally with the mounting base 30.

[0034] As shown in Figure 5, the support frame position adjustment mechanism 26 includes a linear guide 31 that supports the support frame 24 so as to be movable in the vertical direction, an electric motor 32, and a motion conversion mechanism 33 that converts the rotation of the electric motor 32 into linear vertical movement of the support frame 24. The motion conversion mechanism 33 here uses a screw shaft that extends in the vertical direction and a nut that screws onto the screw shaft. The nut is fixed to the mounting base 30.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the folding unit 3 on the left side of the figure and the folding unit 3 on the right side of the figure have a symmetrical configuration. Similarly, the paper clamp unit 5 on the left side of the figure and the paper clamp unit 5 on the right side of the figure also have a symmetrical configuration. Therefore, the following description will focus on the folding unit 3 and paper clamp unit 5 on the left side of the figure, while the folding unit 3 and paper clamp unit 5 on the right side of the figure will be given the same reference numerals and their description will be omitted. Furthermore, the description will be given with the support frame 24 in the upright position.

[0036] As shown in Figure 5, the folding unit 3 includes a support plate 34, a paper press plate 35 supported by the support plate 34, a paper press moving mechanism 36 that moves the paper press plate 35 in a direction intersecting the roll axis direction (parallel to the paper plane in the figure), and a paper press advance / retract mechanism 38 that moves the paper press plate 35 in the roll axis direction (perpendicular to the paper plane in the figure) between an advanced position where it contacts the end face 37 of the roll product 1 and a retracted position where it moves away from the end face 37 of the roll product 1.

[0037] As shown in Figure 7, the support plate 34 extends vertically when viewed from the direction of the roll axis. The side edge 39 on one side of the support plate 34 in the width direction (left side in the figure) is formed as a straight line that slopes upward and toward the other side in the width direction (right side in the figure). The side edge 40 on the other side of the support plate 34 in the width direction (right side in the figure) is formed as a straight line that extends vertically.

[0038] The paper press plate 35 extends vertically when viewed from the direction of the roll axis and is positioned to intersect with the lower edge of the periphery of the roll product 1. One side edge 41 of the paper press plate 35 in the width direction (left side in the figure) is formed in a straight line extending vertically. The other side of the paper press plate 35 in the width direction (right side in the figure) is covered by the support plate 34, while the other side of the paper press plate 35 in the width direction (left side in the figure) is exposed and not covered by the support plate 34. The exposed portion of the paper press plate 35 that is not covered by the support plate 34 has a triangular shape that gradually widens towards the center of the roll product 1.

[0039] Furthermore, the paper press plate 35 is positioned such that the direction in which one side edge 41 in the width direction (left side in the figure) extends is the radial direction of the roll product 1 (the direction passing through the center of the roll product 1). As a result, when viewed from the direction of the roll axis, the side edge 41 on one side in the width direction (left side in the figure) coincides with a virtual vertical line passing through the center of the roll product 1. The side edge 41 on one side in the width direction (left side in the figure) and the upper edge of the paper press plate 35 are chamfered. As shown in Figure 2, the paper press plate 35 is provided on both sides of the roll holding section 2 in the direction of the roll axis.

[0040] As shown in Figure 10, the paper press plate 35 is connected to the support plate 34 so as to be able to swing around a pivot axis 42 in the roll axis direction (left-right direction in the figure). The paper press plate 35 is positioned opposite the end face 37 of the roll product 1, and the support plate 34 is positioned on the opposite side (left side in the figure) of the paper press plate 35 from the side facing the roll product 1. The paper press plate 35 is formed to be thinner than the support plate 34. As shown in Figure 8, a pivot axis 42 is fixedly provided on the surface of the paper press plate 35 that overlaps with the support plate 34, protruding from the side of the support plate 34 (downward side in the figure), and this pivot axis 42 is rotatably supported via a bearing 44 in a cylindrical portion 43 fixed to the support plate 34.

[0041] The paper press movement mechanism 36 shown in Figure 5 moves the paper press plate 35 vertically and also pivots the paper press plate 35 around the pivot axis 42 relative to the support plate 34, thereby moving the paper press plate 35 in a direction intersecting the roll axis direction (parallel to the paper surface in the figure).

[0042] As shown in Figure 10, the paper press movement mechanism 36 is a mechanism for moving the paper press plate 35 vertically and includes a linear guide 45 that supports the paper press plate 35, the support plate 34, and the paper press advance / retract mechanism 38 so that they can move vertically, an electric motor 46, and a motion conversion mechanism 47 that converts the rotation of the electric motor 46 into vertical linear movement of the paper press advance / retract mechanism 38. The linear guide 45 is fixed to the support frame 24 and rotates integrally with the support frame 24. The motion conversion mechanism 47 here uses a ball screw shaft that extends vertically and a ball nut that screws onto the screw shaft. The ball nut is fixed to the bracket 49 to which the paper press advance / retract mechanism 38 is attached. The electric motor 46 here is a servo motor.

[0043] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 7 and 9, the paper press movement mechanism 36 has a pivot shaft 42 and an air cylinder 48 located below the pivot shaft 42 as a mechanism for pivoting the paper press plate 35 relative to the support plate 34. One end of the air cylinder 48 is rotatably connected to the lower part of the support plate 34, and the other end of the air cylinder 48 is rotatably connected to the lower part of the paper press plate 35.

[0044] As shown in Figure 10, the paper press advance / retract mechanism 38 uses an air cylinder. The body of the air cylinder is fixed to the bracket 49, and the rod of the air cylinder is connected to the support plate 34. The body of the air cylinder is positioned so that the rod advances and retracts in the direction of the roll axis (left and right in the figure), and as the rod moves, the paper press plate 35 moves together with the support plate 34 in the direction of the roll axis (left and right in the figure). The air cylinder shown in the figure is a guided air cylinder.

[0045] The paper clamp unit 5 includes a paper clamp 50 for gripping the excess portion 10 and a paper clamp moving mechanism 51 for moving the paper clamp 50 along the end face 37 of the roll product 1. The paper clamp 50 includes a receiving portion 52 positioned opposite the end face 37 of the roll product 1, a pressing portion 53 positioned on the opposite side of the receiving portion 52 from the side facing the end face 37 of the roll product 1, and an air cylinder 54 for moving the pressing portion 53 in the direction of the roll.

[0046] The receiving portion 52 is part of a downward-opening, U-shaped member 55, which consists of a pair of opposing portions facing each other in the direction of the roll axis and a connecting portion connecting the upper ends of the pair of opposing portions. The receiving portion 52 is the opposing portion of the pair of opposing portions of the U-shaped member 55 that is closer to the end face 37 of the roll product 1. The receiving portion 52 is formed in a plate shape perpendicular to the direction of the roll axis. The U-shaped member 55 is arranged so as to form a U shape when viewed from a horizontal direction perpendicular to the roll central axis (in the figure, the direction perpendicular to the plane of the paper).

[0047] The air cylinder 54 is fixed to the opposing part of a pair of U-shaped members 55, the one furthest from the end face 37 of the roll product 1. The pressing part 53 is provided at the tip of the rod of the air cylinder 54. This paper clamp 50 positions the excess part 10 between the pressing part 53 and the receiving part 52, and by extending the rod of the air cylinder 54 in this state, the pressing part 53 at the tip of the rod presses the excess part 10 against the receiving part 52, allowing the excess part 10 to be gripped between the pressing part 53 and the receiving part 52. The part of the pressing part 53 that contacts the excess part 10 is formed in a hemispherical shape. The pressing part 53 is made of rubber. As shown in Figure 2, the paper clamp units 5 are provided on both sides of the roll holding part 2 in the direction of the roll axis.

[0048] As shown in Figure 5, the paper clamp moving mechanism 51 includes a first cylinder 56 that moves the paper clamp 50 in a horizontal direction (left-right direction in the figure) perpendicular to the roll central axis, a second cylinder 57 that moves the paper clamp 50 in the direction of the roll axis (left-right direction in the figure), as shown in Figure 4, and a third cylinder 58 that moves the paper clamp 50 in the vertical direction. The paper clamp 50 is supported by the support frame 24 via the paper clamp moving mechanism 51. The first cylinder 56, the second cylinder 57, and the third cylinder 58 are air cylinders.

[0049] From here, we will explain how to fold the excess portion 10 on the end face 37 of the roll product 1 using an automatic chrysanthemum folding device.

[0050] [Preparation process] First, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 2, with the support frame 24 in the collapsed position, the roll product 1, with the packaging paper 9 wrapped around its outer surface, is placed on the roll holding section 2.

[0051] Next, as shown by the arrows in Figure 10, the support frame 24 is rotated by the pivot mechanism 25 around the pivot axis 27 from the lowered position (indicated by the dashed line in the figure) to the upright position (indicated by the solid line in the figure). At this time, as the paper press plate 35 rises while pressing against the outer surface of the excess portion 10, the excess portion 10 is pushed from below upward and rises toward the end face 37 of the roll product 1. Here, the paper clamp 50 is moved to a position offset to one side in the width direction (left side in the figure) from the side edge 41 of the paper press plate 35 in the width direction (left side in the figure), as shown in Figure 5. Also, the paper clamp 50 is pre-adjusted to be positioned above the raised excess portion 10.

[0052] [The paper press plate 35 creates a fold along the edge of the roll product 1.] Next, as shown in Figure 11, the paper press plate 35 is moved from the retracted position (the position shown by the dashed line in the figure) to the advanced position (the position shown by the solid line in the figure). As a result, a portion of the excess portion 10 (the portion of the excess portion 10 that is pressed by the paper press plate 35 and rises towards the end face 37 of the roll product 1) is pressed against the end face 37 of the roll product 1, and a fold is formed at the base of that portion of the excess portion 10 along the periphery of the roll product 1.

[0053] [The action of forming pleats 59 using paper clamps 50] Next, as shown in Figure 12, the paper clamp 50 is lowered by the operation of the third cylinder 58 of the paper clamp moving mechanism 51, thereby accommodating the upper end of the raised excess portion 10 between the receiving portion 52 and the pressing portion 53. Next, the air cylinder 54 of the paper clamp 50 is operated, gripping the end of the excess portion 10 between the pressing portion 53 at the tip of the rod of the air cylinder 54 and the receiving portion 52. At this time, as shown in Figure 13, the paper clamp 50 grips the portion of the excess portion 10 adjacent to both sides in the width direction of the paper pressing plate 35, sandwiching the portion being pressed by the paper pressing plate 35, on the side opposite to the starting end 60 of the packaging paper 9 (the left side in the figure).

[0054] Next, as shown in Figures 14 to 16, the paper clamp 50, which is gripping the excess portion 10, is moved onto the paper press plate 35 (to a position facing the end face 37 of the roll product 1 with the paper press plate 35 in between) by the operation of the first cylinder 56 (see Figure 5) of the paper clamp moving mechanism 51, causing it to fold back along one side edge 41 in the width direction (left side in the figure) of the paper press plate 35 to the other side in the width direction (right side in the figure). At this time, as shown in Figure 16, the paper press plate 35 is also folded back from the other side in the width direction (right side in the figure) than the side edge 41 in the width direction (left side in the figure) of the paper press plate 35 to one side in the width direction (left side in the figure). As a result of these actions, a Z-shaped fold 59 is formed when viewed from the vertical direction (direction perpendicular to the paper plane in the figure), as shown in Figure 16.

[0055] [The paper press plate 35 creates a crease in the folded portion of the pleat 59.] As shown in Figure 17, the paper clamp 50, which is gripping the excess portion 10, is moved toward the end face 37 of the roll product 1 (upward in the figure) by the operation of the second cylinder 57 (see Figure 4) of the paper clamp moving mechanism 51, pushing the pleats 59 toward the end face 37 of the roll product 1.

[0056] Next, as shown in Figures 18 and 19, the electric motor 46 (see Figure 10) of the paper press movement mechanism 36 is activated to lower the paper press plate 35. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 20, the air cylinder 48 of the paper press movement mechanism 36 is retracted, causing the paper press plate 35 to swing around the pivot axis 42 from a pressing position where the direction in which one side edge 41 of the paper press plate 35 in the width direction (left side in the figure) extends is in the radial direction (up and down direction in the figure) of the roll product 1, to an avoidance position where it is tilted away from the paper clamp 50 from the radial direction of the roll product 1 (tilted clockwise in the figure). This allows the paper press plate 35 to be pulled out from between the pleat 59 and the end face 37 of the roll product 1.

[0057] Next, as shown in Figure 21, the paper press plate 35 is moved away from the end face 37 of the roll product 1 by the paper press advance / retract mechanism 38 (to the left in the figure). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 22, by extending the air cylinder 48 of the paper press movement mechanism 36, the paper press plate 35 is swung (swung counterclockwise in the figure) around the pivot axis 42 from the avoidance position to the pressing position. As a result, the paper press plate 35 moves to a position facing the end face 37 of the roll product 1 with the pleats 59 in between.

[0058] Next, as shown in Figure 23, the paper press plate 35 is moved by the paper press advance / retract mechanism 38 in the direction toward the end face 37 of the roll product 1 (to the right in the figure), and the pleat 59 located between the paper press plate 35 and the end face 37 of the roll product 1, as shown in Figure 22, is pressed against the end face 37 of the roll product 1, thereby creating a fold in the folded portion.

[0059] Next, as shown in Figure 24, the rod of the air cylinder 54 of the paper clamp 50 is retracted, and the pressing part 53 is moved away from the receiving part 52 (to the left in the figure), thereby releasing the grip of the excess part 10 by the paper clamp 50.

[0060] Next, as shown in Figure 25, the first cylinder 56 (see Figure 5) of the paper clamp moving mechanism 51 moves the paper clamp 50 away from the starting end 60 of the packaging paper 9 (away from the paper holding plate 35, to the left in the figure).

[0061] Next, as shown in Figure 26, the second cylinder 57 (see Figure 4) of the paper clamp moving mechanism 51 moves the paper clamp 50 away from the end face 37 of the roll product 1 (to the left in the figure).

[0062] Next, as shown in Figure 27, the electric motor 46 (see Figure 10) of the paper press moving mechanism 36 is activated to move the paper press plate 35 upward along the surface of the pleat 59, thereby creating a fold at the top of the pleat 59.

[0063] Next, as shown in Figure 28, the paper press advance / retract mechanism 38 moves the paper press plate 35 away from the end face 37 of the roll product 1 (to the left in the figure).

[0064] [Rotational movement] Next, as shown in Figures 29 and 30, the electric motor 12 (see Figure 3) of the roll rotation mechanism 11 is activated to rotate the roll product 1 around the roll central axis by a certain angle. Here, if the rotation angle of the roll product 1 is set in the range of 15° to 60°, the number of chrysanthemum-fold pleats 59 formed on the end face 37 of the roll product 1 can be set to 6 to 24. The direction of rotation of the roll product 1 is opposite to the winding direction of the packaging paper 9 wrapped around the roll product 1 (clockwise in the figure).

[0065] Next, the process returns to the aforementioned [action of creating a fold along the periphery of the roll product 1 using the paper press plate 35], and then the [action of creating a fold along the periphery of the roll product 1 using the paper press plate 35], the [action of forming pleats 59 using the paper clamp 50], the [action of creating a fold in the folded portion of pleats 59 using the paper press plate 35], and the [rotation action] are repeated until the chrysanthemum fold of the excess portion 10 is completed, as shown in Figure 31.

[0066] In the completed chrysanthemum-folded state, as shown in Figure 31, the excess portion 10 is folded inward along the periphery of the end face 37 of the roll product 1, and the multiple radially extending pleats 59 formed by the excess portion 10 are arranged at regular intervals in the circumferential direction. Each pleat 59 is folded to the same side in the circumferential direction along the end face 37 of the roll product 1 such that adjacent pleats 59 in the circumferential direction overlap each other.

[0067] As shown in Figure 30, the automatic chrysanthemum folding device of this embodiment rotates the roll product 1 by a fixed angle, and with each rotation, performs the operation of forming one pleat 59 with the paper clamp 50 and creating a crease in the folded portion of the pleat 59 with the paper press plate 35. By repeating these operations, a chrysanthemum fold with multiple pleats 59 is formed as shown in Figure 31. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange multiple paper press plates 35 around the entire circumference, and the chrysanthemum fold can be formed with one paper press plate 35 and one paper clamp 50 as shown in Figure 7. As a result, it is not necessary to secure a large space radially outward around the entire circumference, and the space required to install the automatic chrysanthemum folding device is small. In addition, it is not necessary to provide the same number of paper press plates 35 as the number of pleats 59 in the chrysanthemum fold shown in Figure 31, as shown in Figure 7, but one paper press plate 35 is sufficient, resulting in low cost.

[0068] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, this automatic chrysanthemum-folding device has a paper press plate 35 and a paper clamp 50 on both sides of the roll axis direction of the roll holding unit 2, so that the chrysanthemum-fold of the excess portion 10 on the end face 37 of the roll product 1 can be performed simultaneously on both sides in the roll axis direction.

[0069] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 14, when this automatic chrysanthemum folding device forms a Z-shaped pleat 59, the paper press plate 35 is positioned such that the direction in which the side edge 41 on one side in the width direction (left side in the figure) of the paper press plate 35 extends is the radial direction (up and down direction in the figure) of the roll product 1. As a result, the portion of the pleat 59 that is folded back along the side edge 41 on one side in the width direction (left side in the figure) of the paper press plate 35 to the other side in the width direction (right side in the figure) is formed to extend radially (up and down direction in the figure) from the center of the roll product 1, and as shown in Figure 31, a chrysanthemum fold with excellent aesthetics can be formed.

[0070] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 5, this automatic chrysanthemum-folding device can fold roll products 1 in a chrysanthemum style for multiple types of roll products 1 with different outer diameters without having to change units according to the outer diameter of the roll product 1, simply by adjusting the position of the support frame 24 connected to the paper press plate 35 and the paper clamp 50 in the vertical direction using the support frame position adjustment mechanism 26.

[0071] In the above embodiment, as shown in Figure 32, an example was described in which the packaging paper 9 is wrapped around the entire circumference of the roll product 1, and then the excess portion 10 of the packaging paper 9 is folded in a chrysanthemum style. However, as shown in Figure 33, the operation of wrapping the packaging paper 9 around the outer surface of the roll product 1 and the operation of folding the excess portion 10 of the packaging paper 9 in a chrysanthemum style may be performed in parallel.

[0072] Specifically, a packaging paper feeding device (not shown) is installed adjacent to the automatic chrysanthemum-folding device shown in Figure 3, and the packaging paper 9 fed from the packaging paper feeding device is introduced between the receiving roller 6 shown in Figure 3 and the contact surface of the roll product 1. Then, each time the roll rotation mechanism 11 shown in Figure 3 rotates the roll product 1 by a certain angle, the packaging paper 9 is supplied from the packaging paper feeding device to the automatic chrysanthemum-folding device, and the packaging paper 9 is wrapped around the outer surface of the roll product 1 by the angle of rotation. By repeating this operation, the operation of making a fold along the periphery of the roll product 1 with the paper pressing plate 35, the operation of forming pleats 59 with the paper clamp 50, and the operation of making a fold in the folded portion of the pleats 59 with the paper pressing plate 35, the packaging paper 9 is wrapped around the outer surface of the roll product 1 and folded into a chrysanthemum shape.

[0073] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0074] 1 roll product 2 Roll holding section 9 Packing paper 10 surplus 11 Roll rotation mechanism 35 Paper press plate 36 Paper press movement mechanism 37 End face of roll product 38 Paper holding mechanism 41. One side edge in the width direction of the paper press plate 50 paper clamps 51 Paper clamp moving mechanism 59 Pleats

Claims

1. The device has a roll holding section (2) that holds a roll product (1) with packaging paper (9) wrapped around its outer surface so that the roll's central axis is horizontal. An automatic chrysanthemum folding device for folding the excess portion (10) of the packaging paper (9) that protrudes from the outer surface of the roll product (1) in the direction of the roll axis onto the end face (37) of the roll product (1), A paper press plate (35) is positioned so as to intersect with the periphery of the roll product (1) when viewed from the direction of the roll axis, A paper press advance / retract mechanism (38) moves the paper press plate (35) in the roll axis direction between a forward position in contact with the end face (37) of the roll product (1) and a retracted position away from the end face (37) of the roll product (1), A paper press moving mechanism (36) moves the paper press plate (35) in a direction intersecting the roll axis direction, A paper clamp (50) that grips the excess portion (10), A paper clamp moving mechanism (51) moves the paper clamp (50) along the end face (37) of the roll product (1), The roll product (1) is rotated by a roll rotation mechanism (11) around the roll central axis, The paper pressing plate (35) moves toward the end face (37) of the roll product (1) by the paper pressing advance / retraction mechanism (38), thereby pressing a portion of the excess portion (10) against the end face (37) of the roll product (1) and creating a fold along the periphery of the roll product (1). The paper clamp (50) grips one of the portions of the excess portion (10) adjacent to the paper press plate (35) in the width direction, sandwiching the portion being held by the paper press plate (35), and moves the gripped portion onto the paper press plate (35) by the paper clamp moving mechanism (51), thereby folding back along one side edge (41) in the width direction of the paper press plate (35) to the other side in the width direction, and folding back from the other side in the width direction to the one side edge (41) of the paper press plate (35) in the width direction to the one side in the width direction. The paper press plate (35) is pulled out from between the pleat (59) and the end face (37) of the roll product (1) by the paper press advance / retract mechanism (38) and the paper press move mechanism (36), moves to a position facing the end face (37) of the roll product (1) with the pleat (59) sandwiched between them, then moves toward the end face (37) of the roll product (1), and presses the portion of the pleat (59) that is folded back on one end in the width direction on the paper press plate (35) against the end face (37) of the roll product (1), thereby creating a fold in the folded portion. An automatic chrysanthemum folding device that rotates the roll product (1) around the roll central axis by a certain angle using the roll rotation mechanism (11), and with each rotation, repeats the operation of making a crease along the periphery of the roll product (1) with the paper press plate (35), forming the pleat (59) with the paper clamp (50), and making a crease in the folded portion of the pleat (59) with the paper press plate (35), thereby folding the excess portion (10) into a chrysanthemum shape.

2. The automatic paper folding device according to claim 1, wherein the paper pressing plate (35) and the paper clamp (50) are provided on both sides of the roll axis direction of the roll holding section (2).

3. The automatic chrysanthemum folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein when forming the Z-shaped pleat (59), the paper pressing plate (35) is positioned such that the direction in which one side edge (41) in the width direction of the paper pressing plate (35) extends is the radial direction of the roll product (1), and the Z-shaped pleat (59) is formed while the excess portion (10) is pressed down with the paper pressing plate (35).

4. The paper press plate (35) is arranged to extend vertically when viewed from the direction of the roll axis, The automatic paper folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the positions of the paper press plate (35) and the paper clamp (50) are configured to be adjustable vertically according to the outer diameter of the roll product (1).

5. An automatic chrysanthemum folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the roll rotation mechanism (11) is configured to fold the packaging paper (9) while wrapping it around the outer surface of the roll product (1) by the angle of rotation each time the roll product (1) is rotated by a certain angle, the paper pressing plate (35) is used to make a fold along the periphery of the roll product (1), the paper clamp (50) is used to form the pleat (59), and the paper pressing plate (35) is used to make a fold in the folded portion of the pleat (59), by repeating these actions each time the roll rotation mechanism (11) rotates the roll product (1) by a certain angle, thereby folding the packaging paper (9) around the outer surface of the roll product (1).

6. The automatic chrysanthemum folding device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the roll rotation mechanism (11) rotates the roll product (1) in increments of 15° to 60°.

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