Flap raising mechanism, sealing device, and boxing device

Abstract

This improves the stability of transporting cardboard boxes while suppressing damage to the flaps. [Solution] The flap-raising mechanism 40 raises the flap Bf provided on the edge E extending along the transport direction at the opening Bp of the cardboard box B while transporting the cardboard box B which opens upward in a substantially horizontal transport direction. The flap-raising mechanism 40 includes a contact portion 70 that contacts the flap Bf of the transported cardboard box B and raises the flap Bf. The contact portion 70 has a flap-raising portion 71 including an upper surface 7 that slopes downward as it moves upstream in the transport direction. The upper surface 7 of the tip portion 72 of the flap-raising portion 71 extends so as it moves upstream in the transport direction so as it moves closer to the side surface Bs of the cardboard box B, and contacts the flap Bf at a position laterally away from the side surface Bs.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a flap raising mechanism, a sealing device, and a boxing device.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a flap raising mechanism that raises a flap provided on an edge extending along the conveyance direction at the opening of a cardboard box while conveying the cardboard box having an upward opening in a substantially horizontal conveyance direction. As this type of technology, for example, Patent Document 1 describes a sealing device provided with left and right flap raising members (contact portions) that come into contact with the left and right flaps of the conveyed cardboard box. In the sealing device described in Patent Document 1, the left and right flaps are scooped up by the left and right flap raising members, and the left and right flaps are raised.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the above-described technology, when the contact portion contacts the flap to raise the flap, a large load may be applied to the root portion of the flap that is easily damaged. Further, when raising the flap due to the load, a phenomenon occurs in which the cardboard box floats (lifts up), and due to such floating of the cardboard box, there is a possibility that the subsequent cardboard boxes cannot be conveyed and the cardboard boxes become clogged.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a flap raising mechanism, a sealing device, and a boxing device that can improve the conveyance stability of a cardboard box while suppressing damage to the flap.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] (1) One aspect of the present disclosure is a flap-raising mechanism for raising a flap provided on an edge extending along the transport direction at the opening of a corrugated cardboard box that opens upward, while transporting the corrugated cardboard box in a substantially horizontal transport direction, comprising a contact portion that contacts the flap of the transported corrugated cardboard box and raises the flap, the contact portion having a flap-raising portion including an upper surface or upper edge that slopes downward as it moves toward the upstream side in the transport direction, the upper surface or upper edge of a part of the flap-raising portion extending toward the side of the corrugated cardboard box along the transport direction as it moves toward the upstream side in the transport direction, and contacting the flap at a position laterally away from the side of the corrugated cardboard box.

[0007] In this flap-raising mechanism, as a cardboard box is transported, the flap of the cardboard box comes into contact with the upper surface or upper edge of the flap-raising part, causing the flap to be scooped up and raised. At this time, since the upper surface or upper edge of a portion of the flap-raising part comes into contact with the flap at a position laterally away from the side of the cardboard box, it is possible to avoid applying load to the easily damaged base of the flap. Since the upper surface or upper edge of a portion of the flap-raising part extends closer to the side of the cardboard box as it moves upstream in the transport direction, the flap rises more gently and the applied load is smaller compared to when it extends straight along the side. As a result, it is possible to suppress the application of a large load to the base of the flap. In addition, it is possible to suppress the phenomenon of the cardboard box lifting up due to a large load, and to prevent cardboard box jams. In other words, according to this disclosure, it is possible to improve the stability of transporting cardboard boxes while suppressing damage to the flap.

[0008] (2) The flap raising mechanism described in (1) above further comprises a guide portion provided on the upstream side of the conveying direction of the contact portion, which guides the position of the cardboard box, and the guide portion may extend so as to the upstream side of the conveying direction that it moves laterally away from the side of the cardboard box. This makes it possible to bring the guide portion into contact with the side of the cardboard box if the position of the cardboard box being conveyed is misaligned, for example, and guide the position of the cardboard box to be set to a predetermined position.

[0009] (3) In the flap raising mechanism described in (1) or (2) above, the upper surface or upper edge of the other portion of the flap raising portion that is continuous with the downstream side in the conveying direction may extend so as it moves downstream in the conveying direction, it will approach the side of the cardboard box. In this case, the other end of the flap raising portion can reliably raise the flap until, for example, the flap is standing upright.

[0010] (4) In any of the flap raising mechanisms described in (1) to (3) above, the contact portion may be a plate-shaped member that extends along the conveying direction so as to bend. In this case, the contact portion can be easily constructed.

[0011] (5) In the flap raising mechanism described in any of (1) to (4) above, the flap includes a first flap provided along a first edge extending in the direction of transport at the opening of the cardboard box, and a second flap provided along a second edge extending in the direction of transport at the opening of the cardboard box and facing the first edge, and the contact portion may include a first contact portion that contacts the first flap to raise the first flap, and a second contact portion that contacts the second flap to raise the second flap. In this case, damage to the first flap and the second flap can be suppressed by the first contact portion and the second contact portion.

[0012] (6) Another aspect of the present disclosure is a sealing device comprising a flap-raising mechanism as described in any of (1) to (5) above, and a sealing mechanism for closing and sealing the flap of a cardboard box whose flap has been raised by the flap-raising mechanism. This sealing device also includes the flap-raising mechanism, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effect of improving the stability of transporting cardboard boxes while suppressing damage to the flap.

[0013] (7) Another aspect of the present disclosure is a boxing device comprising a boxing mechanism for packing articles into cardboard boxes and a flap-raising mechanism of any of (1) to (5) above for raising a flap provided on the edge of the opening of the cardboard box packed with articles by the boxing mechanism. This boxing device also includes the flap-raising mechanism, thereby achieving the above-mentioned effect of improving the stability of transporting cardboard boxes while suppressing damage to the flaps.

[0014] (8) The boxing apparatus described in (7) above may include a sealing mechanism that closes the flap of a cardboard box whose flap has been raised by a flap raising mechanism to seal the box. In this case, the cardboard box can be sealed by the sealing mechanism. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a flap raising mechanism, a sealing device, and a boxing device that can improve the stability of transporting cardboard boxes while suppressing damage to the flaps. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a boxing apparatus according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the flow of cardboard boxes and goods in the boxing apparatus shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a schematic side view showing a part of the sealing device shown in Figure 1. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a front view of the flap raising mechanism shown in Figure 1, viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a side view of the flap raising mechanism of FIG. 1 as viewed from the left direction. [Figure 6] FIG. 6(a) is a side view of the flap raising mechanism of FIG. 1 as viewed from the left direction for explaining the raising of the flap by the flap raising mechanism. FIG. 6(b) is a front view of the flap raising mechanism of FIG. 6(a) as viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction. [Figure 7] FIG. 7(a) is a side view showing the continuation of FIG. 6(a). FIG. 7(b) is a front view of the flap raising mechanism of FIG. 7(a) as viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction. [Figure 8] FIG. 8(a) is a side view showing the continuation of FIG. 7(a). FIG. 8(b) is a front view of the flap raising mechanism of FIG. 8(a) as viewed from the upstream side in the conveying direction.

MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, for convenience, the front-back, up-down, and left-right directions with respect to the boxing device 1 are used. In some figures, three-dimensional orthogonal axes indicating these directions are displayed. Both the front-back direction and the left-right direction are directions extending horizontally. The up-down direction is equal to the vertical direction.

[0018] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the boxing device | apparatus 1 is an apparatus which assembles (manufactures a box) a cardboard box B, accommodates a plurality of articles A in the cardboard box B, and seals the cardboard box B. The article A is, for example, a bag formed by sealing both ends of a film formed in a cylindrical shape. The boxing device 1 includes a box supply device 10 that assembles and supplies a cardboard box B, a product supply device 50 that sequentially supplies a plurality of articles A, a boxing mechanism 20 that pushes and accommodates a plurality of articles A into the cardboard box B, and a sealing device 30 that conveys and seals the cardboard box B containing a plurality of articles A.

[0019] The box supply device 10 includes a box material storage section 11 that stores a plurality of box materials Z, a box manufacturing section 12 that assembles the box body Ba of the cardboard box B, and a first rotating section 13 that rotates the assembled box body Ba. The box material storage section 11 includes a lifting mechanism 11a that takes out the box materials Z one by one. Each box material Z taken out by the lifting mechanism 11a is conveyed to the subsequent stage by a conveyor (not shown).

[0020] The box manufacturing section 12 receives each box material Z, spreads the box material Z into a cylindrical shape, folds the flap Bf on the bottom surface side, and attaches a tape to the bottom surface Bc. The box manufacturing section 12 may include a suction rotation mechanism 12a that rotates the box body Ba so that the long side D of the box body Ba faces the conveyance direction. The box body Ba of the cardboard box B is a rectangular parallelepiped. A flap Bf as a major flap is provided on the edge along the long side D of the opening Bp of the box body Ba. The flap Bf is a flap provided on the edge E extending along the conveyance direction (the extending direction of the long side D) in the opening Bp. Also, a flap Bz as a minor flap is provided on the edge along the short side of the opening Bp of the box body Ba. The flap Bz is a flap provided on the edge extending along the direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction in the opening Bp.

[0021] The first rotating section 13 rotates the cardboard box B after box manufacturing to a predetermined posture. As an example, the first rotating section 13 rotates the cardboard box B to a posture where the long side D is positioned downward and the opening Bp faces the lateral direction (hereinafter also referred to as "side"). The posture of the cardboard box B by the first rotating section 13 is controlled, for example, by a controller 60.

[0022] The product supply device 50 includes a product loading section 51 and a product conveyance section 52. The product loading section 51 is arranged, for example, on the downstream side of a process that performs inspections such as weight, sealing property, and foreign matter inclusion inspection, receives the supply of the articles A that have passed the inspection, and passes each article A to the product conveyance section 52. The product conveyance section 52 receives each article A from the product loading section 51 and accumulates a predetermined number of articles A. The product conveyance section 52 conveys these articles A to the boxing mechanism 20 described later in a state where a part of the plurality of articles A overlaps with each other.

[0023] The packing mechanism 20 is a mechanism that pushes multiple items A into a cardboard box B that has an opening on the side, thereby packing (containing) multiple items A into the cardboard box B. The packing mechanism 20 is not particularly limited, and various mechanisms can be used.

[0024] The sealing device 30 includes a second rotating section 31 that rotates a cardboard box B containing multiple items A by a boxing mechanism 20, a discharge conveyor 33 that transports the cardboard box B rotated by the second rotating section 31, a flap raising mechanism 40 that raises the flap Bf of the cardboard box B while it is being transported by the discharge conveyor 33, and a sealing mechanism 34 that closes the flap Bf and flap Bz of the cardboard box B whose flap Bf has been raised by the flap raising mechanism 40 to seal the box.

[0025] The second rotating section 31 rotates the cardboard box B so that the direction of extension of the long side D of the box body Ba coincides with the transport direction of the discharge conveyor 33. The discharge conveyor 33 transports the cardboard box B to the discharge position in a substantially horizontal transport direction with the opening Bp facing upward. Hereinafter, the transport direction of the cardboard box B by the discharge conveyor 33 will also be simply referred to as the "transport direction". The flap raising mechanism 40 raises the flap Bf of the cardboard box B being transported by the discharge conveyor 33. Details of the flap raising mechanism 40 will be described later.

[0026] The sealing mechanism 34 closes the flaps Bf and Bz of the cardboard box B being transported by the discharge conveyor 33 to seal it. As shown in Figure 3, the sealing mechanism 34 has a front flap folding section 35, a rear flap folding section 36, left and right flap folding sections 37, and a tape application section 38.

[0027] Returning to Figure 1, the boxing device 1 includes a controller 60 that controls the operation of the box supply device 10, the boxing mechanism 20, the sealing device 30, and the product supply device 50, etc. The controller 60 is configured as a computer device including a processor such as a CPU, memory such as ROM and RAM, storage, and communication devices. In the controller 60, the processor executes predetermined software (programs) loaded into memory, etc., and controls the reading and writing of data in memory and storage, as well as communication by the communication devices, thereby realizing various controls.

[0028] Next, we will explain the details of the flap raising mechanism 40.

[0029] The flap raising mechanism 40 raises the flap Bf of the cardboard box B, which is filled with item A by the box packing mechanism 20. For example, raising the flap Bf means rotating the open flap Bf so that its tip moves upward (closes) around the edge E, so that it is standing upright and in a position that is roughly aligned with the vertical direction.

[0030] The flap Bf includes a first flap Bf1 provided along a first edge E1 extending in the transport direction at the opening Bp of the corrugated cardboard box B, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), and a second flap Bf2 provided along a second edge E2 extending in the transport direction at the opening Bp of the corrugated cardboard box B and facing the first edge E1. The corrugated cardboard box B includes a pair of sides Bs along the transport direction. The pair of sides Bs are the left and right outer sides of the box body Ba, and are parallel to each other. Note that in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), some of the components are omitted for the sake of explanation (the same applies to Figures 7(a), 7(b), 8(a), and 8(b)).

[0031] As shown in Figures 4, 5, 6(a), and 6(b), the flap raising mechanism 40 includes a contact portion 70 and a guide portion 80. The contact portion 70 contacts the flap Bf of the cardboard box B being transported by the discharge conveyor 33 and raises the flap Bf. The contact portion 70 includes a first contact portion 70A that contacts the first flap Bf1 to raise the first flap Bf1, and a second contact portion 70B that contacts the second flap Bf2 to raise the second flap Bf2.

[0032] The first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B are positioned to sandwich the box body Ba of the cardboard box B with a gap in the left-right direction. The first contact portion 70A is positioned on one side Bs of the cardboard box B, and the second contact portion 70B is positioned on the other side Bs of the cardboard box B. The left-right distance between the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B corresponds, for example, to the left-right width of the cardboard box B being transported. In the illustrated example, the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B are configured symmetrically across the cardboard box B (see Figure 4). The configuration of the second contact portion 70B is the same as that of the first contact portion 70A, except that it is symmetrical. Therefore, the first contact portion 70A will be described in detail below, and the description of the second contact portion 70B will be omitted.

[0033] The first contact portion 70A is a plate-shaped member that extends along the conveying direction in a bent manner. Specifically, the first contact portion 70A has a surface and a back surface aligned in the vertical direction, and is a bent plate-shaped member that extends in the conveying direction while bending to the left and right in a plan view. The first contact portion 70A has a flap riser portion 71 including an upper surface 7 that extends so as to the upstream side in the conveying direction. The upper surface 7 is an end surface that slopes downward as it goes upstream in the conveying direction relative to the horizontal plane. The upper surface 7 extends in a straight line when viewed from the side. The upper surface 7 is inclined at a constant gradient when viewed from the side. The upper surface 7 is a flat surface.

[0034] The flap riser portion 71 has a tip portion (one part) 72 that includes the upstream portion in the conveying direction, and a base portion (the other part) 73 that includes the downstream portion in the conveying direction. In a plan view, the tip portion 72 is a flat plate-like portion that approaches the side Bs of the cardboard box B as it moves upstream in the conveying direction. In other words, the upper surface 7 of the tip portion 72 extends so as it moves upstream in the conveying direction that it approaches the side Bs of the cardboard box B. To put it another way, the upper surface 7 of the tip portion 72 extends so as it moves downstream in the conveying direction that it moves further away from the side Bs of the cardboard box B. In the illustrated example, in a plan view, the upper surface 7 of the tip portion 72 extends linearly along a slope that inclines inward (towards the side Bs) as it moves upstream in the conveying direction. The tip portion 72 of the first contact portion 70A and the tip portion 72 of the second contact portion 70B move closer to each other (the gap between them narrows) as they move upstream in the conveying direction.

[0035] The base portion 73 is a continuous portion of the tip portion 72 on the downstream side in the conveying direction. In a plan view, the base portion 73 is a flat plate-like portion that approaches the side Bs of the cardboard box B as it moves downstream in the conveying direction. In other words, the upper surface 7 of the base portion 73 extends closer to the side Bs of the cardboard box B as it moves downstream in the conveying direction. To put it another way, the upper surface 7 of the base portion 73 extends further away from the side Bs of the cardboard box B as it moves upstream in the conveying direction. In the illustrated example, in a plan view, the upper surface 7 of the base portion 73 extends linearly along a slope that inclines inward as it moves downstream in the conveying direction. The base portion 73 of the first contact portion 70A and the base portion 73 of the second contact portion 70B approach each other (the gap between them narrows) as they move downstream in the conveying direction.

[0036] The point where the tip portion 72 and the base portion 73 are continuous is located in the center of the flap rise portion 71 in the conveying direction, forming a convex corner on the outward side (away from the side Bs). The upstream end position, which is the first position on the upper surface 7 of the tip portion 72 that is closest to the side Bs, is located inward from the downstream end position, which is the second position on the upper surface 7 of the base portion 73 that is closest to the side Bs. In other words, the narrowest point of each tip portion 72 of the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B is closer to the side Bs than the narrowest point of each base portion 73 of the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B.

[0037] The first contact portion 70A is supported by its base end portion 73 being connected to the support frame 3 via a bracket 2. The support frame 3 is provided separately from the discharge conveyor 33 and does not move with the transport of the discharge conveyor 33. The first contact portion 70A, supported by the support frame 3 via the bracket 2, is fixed and held in a constant position in the transport direction.

[0038] The guide portion 80 is provided on the upstream side of the contact portion 70 in the transport direction. The guide portion 80 is continuous with the tip portion 72 of the contact portion 70 on the upstream side in the transport direction. The guide portion 80 guides the position of the cardboard box B in the left-right direction as it is being transported by the discharge conveyor 33. In a plan view, the guide portion 80 is a flat plate-like portion that moves further away from the side surface Bs of the cardboard box B as it moves upstream in the transport direction. In other words, the guide portion 80 extends laterally away from the side surface Bs of the cardboard box B as it moves upstream in the transport direction. In the illustrated example, the guide portion 80 extends linearly along a slope that inclines outward as it moves upstream in the transport direction. The guide portions 80 provided on the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B are spaced further apart from each other (the gap widens) as they move upstream in the transport direction. Where the contact portion 70 and the guide portion 80 are continuous, a curved portion (corner) with an inward convex shape is formed.

[0039] The flap-raising mechanism 40 described above raises the flap Bf that was open on the outside of the cardboard box B being transported on the discharge conveyor 33, for example, as follows.

[0040] Specifically, first, the box body Ba of the cardboard box B being transported is passed between the guide portions 80 that are continuous with the respective leading ends of the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B. At this time, if the lateral position of the cardboard box B being transported is misaligned, one of the guide portions 80 will contact the side Bs of the cardboard box B, causing the cardboard box B to move in the lateral direction and be guided (corrected) so that the lateral position of the cardboard box B is at a predetermined position. Also, at this time, the upper surfaces 7 of the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B are located separately below the flap Bf and are not yet in contact with the flap Bf.

[0041] Next, as shown in Figures 6(a) and 6(b), the cardboard box B is transported further, and the downstream edge of the flap Bf in the transport direction is brought into contact with the upper surfaces 7 of the tip portions 72 of the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B. At this time, since the upper surfaces 7 of each tip portion 72 do not extend straight in the transport direction, but rather approach the side surfaces Bs of the cardboard box B as they move upstream in the transport direction, the upper surfaces 7 of each tip portion 72 first come into contact with the flap Bf at a position laterally away from the side surfaces Bs of the cardboard box B.

[0042] Next, as shown in Figures 7(a) and 7(b), the cardboard box B is transported further, and the flap Bf is slid against the upper surface 7 of each tip portion 72 so that the flap Bf rises over the upper surface 7 of each tip portion 72. The cardboard box B is transported further, and the flap Bf is brought into contact with the upper surface 7 of each base portion 73, and the flap Bf is slid against the upper surface 7 of each base portion 73 so that the flap Bf rises over the upper surface 7 of each base portion 73. As a result, the flap Bf is scooped up by the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B, and the flap Bf rotates so that it closes around the edge E. Then, as the downstream end of each upper surface 7 of each base portion 73 comes into contact with the flap Bf, as shown in Figures 8(a) and 8(b), the flap Bf has rotated by more than 120° from before contact with the contact portion 70, for example, and is raised to an upright position.

[0043] As described above, in the flap-raising mechanism 40, as the cardboard box B is transported, the flap Bf of the cardboard box B comes into contact with the upper surface 7 of the flap-raising part 71, the flap Bf is scooped up, and the flap Bf is raised. At this time, the upper surface 7 of the tip portion 72 of the flap-raising part 71 comes into contact with the flap Bf at a position laterally away from the side Bs of the cardboard box B, thus preventing stress from being placed on the base of the flap Bf, which is prone to damage.

[0044] In addition, since the upper surface 7 of the tip portion 72 of the flap rise portion 71 extends closer to the side Bs as it moves upstream in the conveying direction, the rise of the flap Bf becomes gentler compared to the case where it extends straight along the side Bs, and the applied load is reduced. As a result, it is possible to suppress the application of a large load to the base portion of the flap Bf. Furthermore, it is possible to suppress the phenomenon in which the cardboard box B lifts up due to a large load, and even if the cardboard box B is empty (empty box conveyance), it is possible to prevent jamming of the cardboard box B. In other words, according to this embodiment, it is possible to improve the stability of conveyance of the cardboard box B while suppressing damage to the flap Bf.

[0045] The flap raising mechanism 40 further includes a guide portion 80 provided on the upstream side of the contact portion 70 in the transport direction. The guide portion 80 extends so as it moves further upstream in the transport direction, it moves away from the side Bs of the cardboard box B. This allows the guide portion to contact the side Bs of the cardboard box B, for example, if the position of the transported cardboard box B is shifted in the left-right direction, and guide the position of the cardboard box B to a predetermined position in the left-right direction.

[0046] In the flap raising mechanism 40, the upper surface 7 of the base end portion 73 of the flap raising portion 71 extends so that it approaches the side surface Bs of the cardboard box B as it moves downstream in the conveying direction. In this case, the base end portion 73 of the flap raising portion 71 ensures that the flap Bf is raised reliably until, for example, the flap Bf is in an upright position.

[0047] In the flap raising mechanism 40, the contact portion 70 is a plate-shaped member that extends along the conveying direction in a way that allows it to bend. In this case, the contact portion 70 can be easily constructed. In particular, in this embodiment, the contact portion 70 and the guide portion 80 are integrally formed by providing two bends in the plate-shaped member, making it possible to easily construct the contact portion 70 and the guide portion 80.

[0048] In the flap raising mechanism 40, the contact portion 70 includes a first contact portion 70A that contacts the first flap Bf1 and a second contact portion 70B that contacts the second flap Bf2. In this case, damage to the first flap Bf1 and the second flap Bf2 can be suppressed by the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B.

[0049] The sealing device 30 includes a flap raising mechanism 40 and a sealing mechanism 34. The sealing device 30 also includes a flap raising mechanism 40, which provides the above-mentioned effect of improving the stability of transporting the cardboard box B while suppressing damage to the flap Bf. In addition, the sealing device 30 can close and seal the flap Bf of the cardboard box B, which has been raised by the flap raising mechanism, using the sealing mechanism 34.

[0050] The boxing device 1 includes a boxing mechanism 20 and a flap raising mechanism 40. Because the boxing device 1 also includes the flap raising mechanism 40, it achieves the above-mentioned effect of improving the stability of transporting the cardboard box B while suppressing damage to the flap Bf. Furthermore, the boxing device 1 can pack items A into the cardboard box B using the boxing mechanism 20.

[0051] The box packing device 1 is equipped with a sealing mechanism 34. In this case, the sealing mechanism 34 can close the flap Bf of the cardboard box B, which has been raised by the flap raising mechanism 40, and seal the box.

[0052] Furthermore, this embodiment also provides the following effects. In this embodiment, the transported cardboard box B can be positioned (centered) in the left-right direction between the upstream end positions of each tip portion 72 of the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B. In this embodiment, the distance in the transport direction from the position where the flap Bf first makes contact to the position where it makes contact so that it is fully raised can be extended at the flap rising portion 71. In this embodiment, the portion where the tip portion 72 and the base portion 73 are continuous (the outwardly convex bent portion) contacts the vicinity of the left-right center of the flap Bf. This allows the flap Bf to be raised appropriately.

[0053] In this embodiment, the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B are configured to allow adjustment of the distance between them in the left-right direction. As an example of a configuration that allows adjustment of the distance between the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B in the left-right direction, a configuration is adopted that adjusts the mounting position of the bracket 2 on the support frame 3 in the left-right direction (for example, the elongated hole 2X of the bracket 2 shown in Figure 4). This makes it possible to adapt the flap raising mechanism 40 to cardboard boxes B of various widths.

[0054] In this embodiment, the upstream end position (first position) on the upper surface 7 of the tip portion 72, which is closest to the side surface Bs, is located inward (closer to the side surface Bs) than the downstream end position (second position) on the upper surface 7 of the base portion 73, which is closest to the side surface Bs. This effectively allows the cardboard box B to be positioned in the left-right direction by the upstream end position of the tip portion 72, and the flap Bf to be fully raised by the downstream end position of the base portion 73.

[0055] Although embodiments have been described above, the embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to those described above.

[0056] In the above embodiment, a restricting portion may be provided on the downstream side of the contact portion 70 in the transport direction to restrict the raised flap Bf from remaining raised (preventing it from returning to its original position). Such a restricting portion may be, for example, a plate-shaped member that is continuous with the downstream side of the contact portion 70 in the transport direction and extends horizontally downstream in the transport direction. In this case, the cardboard box B with the raised flap Bf can be suitably passed to the subsequent left and right flap folding portions 37.

[0057] In the above embodiment, the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B do not have to be configured in a symmetrical shape. The first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B may have different shapes. In the above embodiment, the flap raising mechanism 40 may be provided with only one of the first contact portion 70A and the second contact portion 70B. In the above embodiment, the boxing device 1 does not have to be provided with a sealing mechanism 34.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the contact portion 70 does not have to be a plate-shaped member, and the shape of the contact portion 70 is not particularly limited. The contact portion 70 may be a rod-shaped member or a block-shaped member. In the above embodiment, the upper surface 7 of the contact portion 70 is in contact with the flap Bf, but depending on the shape of the contact portion 70, the upper edge of the contact portion 70 may be in contact with the flap Bf.

[0059] The components in the above embodiments and modifications are not limited to the materials and shapes described above, and various materials and shapes can be applied. Furthermore, the components in the above embodiments and modifications can be arbitrarily applied to the components in other embodiments or modifications. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0060] 1...Boxing device, 7...Top surface, 20...Boxing mechanism, 34...Sealing mechanism, 30...Sealing device, 40...Flap rising mechanism, 70...Contact part, 70A...First contact part, 70B...Second contact part, 71...Flap rising part, 72...Tip part (part), 73...Base part (other part), 80...Guide part, A...Item, B...Cardboard box, Bf...Flap, Bf1...First flap, Bf2...Second flap, Bp...Opening, Bs...Side, E...Edge, E1...First edge, E2...Second edge.

Claims

1. A flap raising mechanism that raises a flap provided on the edge of the opening of a cardboard box that extends along the transport direction while transporting the cardboard box with an upward opening in a substantially horizontal transport direction, It has a contact portion that contacts the flap of the cardboard box being transported and raises the flap, The contact portion has a flap rising portion including an upper surface or upper edge that extends so as to the upstream side in the conveying direction, The upper surface or upper edge of a portion of the flap rising portion is The further upstream the conveying direction is, the closer it is to the side surface of the cardboard box along the conveying direction. A flap raising mechanism that contacts the flap at a position laterally away from the side surface of the cardboard box.

2. The contact portion is further provided on the upstream side in the transport direction and includes a guide portion that guides the position of the cardboard box, The aforementioned guide section is The flap raising mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the flap extends so as to the upstream side in the conveying direction that it moves laterally away from the side surface of the cardboard box.

3. The flap raising mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the upper surface or upper edge of the other portion of the flap raising portion that is continuous with the downstream side in the conveying direction of the portion extends so as it moves downstream in the conveying direction, approaching the side surface of the cardboard box.

4. The flap raising mechanism according to claim 3, wherein the contact portion is a plate-shaped member that extends along the conveying direction in such a way that it bends.

5. The flap includes a first flap provided along a first edge extending in the transport direction at the opening of the cardboard box, and a second flap provided along a second edge extending in the transport direction at the opening of the cardboard box and facing the first edge. The flap raising mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the contact portion includes a first contact portion that contacts the first flap to raise the first flap, and a second contact portion that contacts the second flap to raise the second flap.

6. A flap raising mechanism according to claim 1 or 2, A sealing device comprising a sealing mechanism for closing and sealing the flap of the cardboard box, which has been raised by the flap raising mechanism.

7. A packing mechanism for filling cardboard boxes with goods, A boxing apparatus comprising: a flap raising mechanism according to claim 1 or 2 for raising a flap provided on the edge of the opening of a cardboard box filled with articles by the boxing mechanism;

8. The box packing apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a sealing mechanism for closing and sealing the flap of the cardboard box whose flap has been raised by the flap raising mechanism.

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