Sealing machine

Abstract

To facilitate the removal of the lower tape holder from the sealing machine. [Solution] A sealing machine 1 is provided in which a lower tape holder 41, positioned below the conveying table 10, is exposed on the conveying table 10. The width direction of the conveying table 10 is the longitudinal direction, and a crossbeam 60 is provided that is parallel to the upper surface of the conveying table 10 and can move up and down on the conveying table 10. An upper pressing guide 50 is provided that is positioned in a use position that overlaps with the lower tape holder 41 in a plan view during sealing work and presses the upper surface of the workpiece 90. The upper pressing guide 50 is provided with a locking mechanism 53 that allows the upper pressing guide 50 to be fixed to the crossbeam 60 in the use position, and that allows the upper pressing guide 50 to be moved from the use position when the fixing is released.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing machine for sticking an adhesive tape to a joint of a flap of a box-shaped container such as a cardboard box for sealing, and more particularly to a sealing machine characterized by an upper pressing guide provided for pressing the upper surface of the box-shaped container during the sealing operation.

Background Art

[0002] A box-shaped container (hereinafter also referred to as a "work") 90 such as a cardboard box to be sealed by a sealing machine has openings 91 formed on the upper and lower surfaces as shown in FIG. 10(A), and short-side flaps 92 and 93 provided on the short sides of the opening 91 and long-side flaps 94 and 95 provided on the long sides, respectively, in pairs.

[0003] With the short-side flaps 92 and 93 folded inward (see FIG. 10(B)), after folding the long-side flaps 94 and 95 so as to cover the short-side flaps 92 and 93 (see FIG. 10(C)), by sticking an adhesive tape 81 to the joint portion of the two long-side flaps 94 and 95 (FIG. 10(D)), the flaps 92 to 95 can be used as lids to seal the openings 91 on the upper and lower surfaces.

[0004] The sealing machine 100 seals the box-shaped container 90 such as the cardboard box in the state where the flaps 92 to 95 are folded, and sticks an adhesive tape 81 to the joint of the long-side flaps 94 and 95 on either one or both of the upper and lower surfaces.

[0005] As an example of such a carton sealing machine 100, Figure 11 shows a carton sealing machine 100 that is designed to attach adhesive tape 81 to the joints of the long side flaps 94 and 95 on both the top and bottom surfaces of the workpiece 90. It comprises a transport table 110 for transporting the workpiece 90, a pair of side belts 120 that move the workpiece 90 in a predetermined direction by rotating it while gripping the workpiece 90 on the transport table 110, an upper taping unit 130 positioned above the transport table 110, and a lower taping unit 140 positioned below the transport table 110.

[0006] The aforementioned upper taping unit 130 and lower taping unit 140 are each equipped with a tape holder 131, 141 that rotatably holds a tape roll 80 in which adhesive tape 81 is wound in a roll shape on a hollow core material such as a paper tube, and a unitized device necessary for attaching the adhesive tape 81 pulled from the tape roll 80 to the workpiece 90 and cutting it to the appropriate length.

[0007] Therefore, by arranging the upper taping unit 130 and the lower taping unit 140 above and below the path through which the workpiece 90 passes, when the side belt 120 is rotated and the workpiece 90 is moved on the transport table 110 in the direction of the arrow in the figure (left side of the page), the adhesive tape 81 is attached to the bottom surface of the workpiece 90 as it passes over the lower taping unit 140, and the adhesive tape 81 is attached to the top surface of the workpiece 90 as it passes below the upper taping unit 130.

[0008] In this way, when sealing work is performed using the sealing machine 100, the adhesive tape 81 pulled from the tape roll 80 is attached to the workpiece 90, and the adhesive tape 81 wound on the tape roll 80 will eventually run out. Therefore, when the adhesive tape 81 runs out, it is necessary to remove the hollow core material such as the paper tube remaining in the tape holders 131 and 141 and replace it with a new tape roll 80.

[0009] When replacing the tape roll 80, the upper tape holder 131, which is located on the upper taping unit 130, is positioned above the transport table 110, and sufficient workspace is secured, making the replacement work relatively easy.

[0010] However, since the lower tape holder 141, which is provided on the lower taping unit 140, is located under the transport table 110, if one attempts to replace the tape roll 80 in the same position, it would be difficult to do so because the worker would have to crawl under the transport table 110 to perform the work.

[0011] In light of the difficulty in replacing the tape roll 80 held in the lower tape holder 141 provided on the lower taping unit 140, the sealing machine 100 of Patent Document 1, described below, adopts a configuration in which the lower taping unit 140 is attached to the transport table 110 so as to be rotatable around a pivot point X, as shown in Figure 12.

[0012] As a result, in the sealing machine 100 of Patent Document 1, the lower taping unit 140 can rotate between an application position where the lower tape holder 141 is located below the transport table 110 and a tape roll replacement position exposed above the transport table 110 (see Figure 3 of Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0013] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2000-203528 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0014] In the sealing machine 100 described in Patent Document 1 above, the tape roll 80 can be replaced while the lower tape holder 141 provided on the lower taping unit 140 is swung to a tape roll replacement position exposed above the transport table 110. This significantly improves the work efficiency when replacing the tape roll 80 compared to when the tape roll 80 is replaced by crawling under the transport table 110.

[0015] However, since an upper pressing guide 150 is provided above the transport table 110 to press against the upper surface of the workpiece 90 so that the flap of the workpiece 90 does not open, this upper pressing guide 150 gets in the way when performing tasks such as exposing the lower tape holder 141 provided on the lower taping unit 140 onto the transport table 110 or when replacing the tape roll 80 on the transport table 110.

[0016] In particular, when sealing a small workpiece 90, the upper pressing guide 150 is lowered to a low position corresponding to the height of the workpiece 90, and therefore close to the top surface of the transport table 110. As a result, even if the lower taping unit 140 is rotated to expose the lower tape holder 141 on the transport table 110, it may not be possible to expose it on the transport table 110 due to interference with the upper pressing guide 150.

[0017] Therefore, in the sealing machine 100 shown in Figure 12, when exposing the lower tape holder 141 on the transport table 110, the upper taping unit 130 and upper pressing guide 150, which were lowered in accordance with the height of the workpiece 90 as shown in Figure 11, must be raised to a position where they do not interfere with the work by operating the lifting mechanism 170 to raise the height H in the illustrated example, as shown in Figure 12, before exposing the lower tape holder 141 on the transport table 110.

[0018] Furthermore, since the tape roll 80 of the lower tape holder 141 is replaced after the upper taping unit 130 and upper pressing guide 150 have been raised in this manner, when the replacement of the tape roll 80 of the lower tape holder 141 is completed and the sealing work is to be resumed, it is necessary to operate the lifting mechanism 170 again to perform the cumbersome adjustment work of setting the upper taping unit 130 and upper pressing guide 150 to an appropriate height corresponding to the height of the workpiece 90. This also makes the replacement of the tape roll 80 of the lower taping unit 140 a cumbersome process.

[0019] In the above description, a configuration was described in which the lower tape holder 141 is exposed on the transport table 110 by the rotation of the lower taping unit 140, corresponding to the configuration adopted in Patent Document 1.

[0020] However, the problem that the upper pressing guide 150 gets in the way when exposing the lower tape holder 141 on the transport table 110 is not limited to the above configuration, and can similarly occur when, for example, the lower taping unit 140 is pulled out and removed from above the transport table 110.

[0021] Furthermore, although the above explanation used the example of exposing the lower tape holder 141, a component of the lower taping unit 140, on the transport table 110, the problem of the upper pressing guide 150 interfering with the work can also occur if the lower tape holder 141 is made to be exposed on the transport table 110 independently of other equipment. In other words, it is a problem that can occur in any configuration that allows the lower tape holder 141 to be exposed on the transport table 110, regardless of how it is exposed.

[0022] Therefore, the present invention has been made to overcome the drawbacks of the above-mentioned prior art, and aims to facilitate the removal of the lower tape holder in a sealing machine in which the lower tape holder, which is located below the conveying table, can be exposed on the conveying table.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0023] The means for solving the problems will be described below together with the reference numerals used in the form for implementing the invention. These reference numerals are for clarifying the correspondence between the description of the claims and the description of the form for implementing the invention, and needless to say, they are not used restrictively for interpreting the technical scope of the present invention.

[0024] To achieve the above object, the letter sealing machine 1 of the present invention includes a conveying table 10 and a lower tape holder 41 disposed below the conveying table 10, and performs a letter sealing operation of sticking an adhesive tape 81 pulled out from a tape roll 80 held by the lower tape holder 41 to the bottom surface of a workpiece 90 moving on the conveying table 10. In the letter sealing machine 1 where the lower tape holder 41 can be exposed onto the conveying table 10 when the tape roll 80 is replaced, the conveying table 10 has a longitudinal direction in the width direction thereof, and a cross beam 60 is provided so as to be movable up and down on the conveying table 10 in a state parallel to the upper surface of the conveying table 10, an upper pressing guide 50 is provided which is disposed at a use position overlapping the lower tape holder 41 in a plan view and presses the upper surface of the workpiece 90 during the letter sealing operation, and on the upper pressing guide 50 locking mechanisms 53, 53' are provided which can fix the upper pressing guide 50 to the cross beam 60 at the use position and can move the upper pressing guide 50 from the use position by releasing the fixing. This is characterized by (Claim 1).

[0025] The locking mechanism 53 can be configured to lock the upper pressing guide 50 to the cross beam 60 in a state slidable in the longitudinal direction of the cross beam 60 when the fixing is released (Claim 2).

[0026] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 53 may be configured to allow the upper press guide 50 to move from its operating position by releasing the connection between the upper press guide 50 and the cross beam 60 when the fixing is released, thereby allowing the upper press guide 50 to be removed from the cross beam 60 (Claim 3).

[0027] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 53' may be provided with a hinge 57 connecting the upper retaining guide 50 and the crossbeam 60, so that when the locking is released, the upper retaining guide 50 can rotate around the hinge 57 as a pivot point, thereby being able to move from the operating position (Claim 4).

[0028] When the fixing is released, if a locking mechanism 53 is provided that allows the upper retaining guide 50 to slide in the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam 60, or allows the upper retaining guide 50 to be removed from the crossbeam 60, the crossbeam 60 may be provided with a positioning projection 66 that abuts against the upper retaining guide 50 to position the upper retaining guide in the usage position (Claim 5). [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] With the configuration of the present invention described above, the following remarkable effects can be obtained with the sealing machine 1 of the present invention.

[0030] A locking mechanism 53 is provided on the upper pressing guide 50. During the sealing operation, the upper pressing guide 50 is fixed to the crossbeam 60 in the position of use by this locking mechanism 53. However, by releasing the locking, the upper pressing guide 50 can be moved from the position of use, and therefore from above the lower tape holder 41. As a result, the upper pressing guide 50 does not get in the way when the lower tape holder 41 is exposed on the transport table 10, and work efficiency is greatly improved.

[0031] Furthermore, since there is no need to raise the crossbeam 60 when replacing the tape roll 80 of the lower tape holder 41, after replacing the tape roll 80 and returning the lower tape holder 41 to the underside of the transport table 10, the sealing work can be resumed simply by fixing the upper pressing guide 50 to the crossbeam 60 in the position of use, eliminating the need to adjust the height of the upper pressing guide 50 by raising or lowering the crossbeam 60.

[0032] Furthermore, the locking mechanism 53 with the aforementioned functions can be realized with a relatively simple configuration, and the upper pressing guide 50 can be easily moved by manual operation by an operator to a position that does not obstruct the exposure of the lower tape holder 41 on the transport table 10. Therefore, compared to solving the problem with a complex device configuration employing electrical or magnetic means, the number of parts is smaller, the cost is lower, and the CO2 emissions are lower, resulting in a method that solves the problem with less environmental impact. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0033] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a carton sealing machine in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] Front view of a carton sealing machine in one embodiment of the present invention (with the lower taping unit attached). [Figure 2B] Front view of a carton sealing machine in one embodiment of the present invention (with the lower taping unit removed). [Figure 3A] A plan view of a carton sealing machine in one embodiment of the present invention (with the upper pressing guide fixed in the position of use). [Figure 3B] A plan view of a carton sealing machine in one embodiment of the present invention (with the upper pressing guide moved from its operating position). [Figure 4] Side view of a carton sealing machine in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] A perspective view showing a portion of the side belt cut out. [Figure 6] Cross-sectional view of the upper clamping guide fixed to the crossbeam. [Figure 7]Plan view of the main part of the upper clamping guide fixed to the crossbeam. [Figure 8] A modified example of the upper clamping guide is shown; (A) is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the upper clamping guide when it is fixed to the crossbeam, and (B) is a front view of the sealing machine with the upper clamping guide moved. [Figure 9] Further modifications of the upper clamping guide are shown: (A) is a plan view of the main part of the upper clamping guide when it is fixed to the crossbeam, and (B) is a plan view of the sealing machine when the upper clamping guide is moved. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram of the workpiece (box-shaped container / cardboard box), where (A) shows the flaps in the upright position, (B) shows the short-side flaps folded in, (C) shows the long-side flaps folded in, and (D) shows adhesive tape applied to the seam of the long-side flaps. [Figure 11] Front view of a conventional carton sealing machine (corresponding to Figure 1 of Patent Document 1). [Figure 12] Front view of a conventional carton sealing machine (corresponding to Figure 3 in Patent Document 1). [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0034] The sealing machine of the present invention will be described below with reference to the attached drawings.

[0035] In the following description, the sealing machine of the present invention will be described as having a structure in which adhesive tape is applied to both the top and bottom surfaces of the workpiece. However, the configuration of the present invention can also be used in a sealing machine configuration in which adhesive tape is applied only to the bottom surface of the workpiece.

[0036] [Overall structure of the carton sealing machine] The sealing machine 1 of the present invention, as described in the prior art, uses a box-shaped container such as a corrugated cardboard box as described with reference to Figure 10 as the object to be sealed (workpiece), and attaches adhesive tape 81 to the joints of the long side flaps 94 and 95 that cover the top and bottom surfaces of the workpiece 90.

[0037] To enable the application of such adhesive tape 81, the sealing machine 1 of the present invention includes, as shown in Figures 1 to 4, a transport table 10 on which the workpiece 90 is placed, a pair of side belts 20, 20 for moving the workpiece 90 on the transport table 10, an upper taping unit 30 for applying adhesive tape 81 to the center of the upper surface of the workpiece 90 in the width direction (the joint portion of the long side flaps 94 and 95), a lower taping unit 40 for applying adhesive tape 81 to the center of the bottom surface of the workpiece 90 in the width direction (the joint portion of the long side flaps 94 and 95), and an upper pressing guide 50 for pressing down on the upper surface of the workpiece 90 during sealing to prevent the long side flaps 94 and 95 from rising.

[0038] Furthermore, the sealing machine 1 of the present invention includes a crossbeam 60 to which the aforementioned upper taping unit 30 and upper pressing guide 50 are attached, and a lifting mechanism 70 for moving the crossbeam 60 up and down on the transport table 10.

[0039] [Transport Table] In this embodiment, the upper surface of the aforementioned transport table 10 is composed of a roller conveyor 11, which allows the workpiece 90 placed on the transport table 10 to move smoothly in the longitudinal direction of the transport table 10.

[0040] As shown in Figure 1, the upper surface of the transport table 10 is divided into two halves in the center of its width. A slit-shaped mounting hole 12 is provided in the center of the transport table 10 in the width direction on the side where the workpiece 90 is introduced (the side where the upper pressing guide 50, described later, is located). The lower taping unit 40, described later, is inserted into this mounting hole 12 with the tape roll 80 facing downwards and is mounted to hang from the underside of the transport table 10. This lower taping unit 40 is configured to attach adhesive tape to the center of the bottom surface of the workpiece 90 as it moves on the transport table 10.

[0041] [Side belt] Side belts 20, 20 are provided along two of the long sides of the transport table 10.

[0042] As shown in Figure 5, this side belt 20 comprises an endless annular belt 23 stretched between pulleys 21 and 22 located at both ends in the longitudinal direction, and a motor 24 that rotates one of the aforementioned pulleys 21 and 22. By rotating the pulley 21 and therefore the belt 23 with the motor 24, the workpiece 90 held between the side belts 20, 20 is conveyed in the longitudinal direction of the conveying table 10.

[0043] The spacing between the two side belts 20, 20 is configured to be variable according to the width of the workpiece 90, thereby allowing the workpiece 90 to be moved on the transport table 10 even if the size of the workpiece 90 changes.

[0044] [Cross beam and lifting mechanism] Approximately midway along the longitudinal direction of the transport table 10, a lifting mechanism 70 is provided, which includes an arch-shaped support base 71 that straddles the transport table 10 in the width direction. The aforementioned crossbeam 60 is attached to this lifting mechanism 70 so that it can move up and down on the transport table 10.

[0045] The aforementioned lifting mechanism 70 is configured such that when a handle 72 provided on the arch-shaped support base 71 is rotated, screw shafts (not shown) housed within the two vertical support columns 71a and 71b that make up the support base 71 rotate synchronously, allowing the crossbeam 60, which has both ends screwed onto these screw shafts, to move up and down on the transport table 10 while maintaining a state parallel to the surface of the transport table 10.

[0046] [Upper taping unit] A bracket 65 for an upper taping unit is provided at the center of the longitudinal direction of the aforementioned crossbeam 60, projecting perpendicularly from the crossbeam 60 toward the front in the direction of movement of the workpiece 90, and the aforementioned upper taping unit 30 is attached to this bracket 65.

[0047] The upper taping unit 30 is equipped with an upper tape holder 31 that rotatably holds a tape roll 80 in which adhesive tape 81 is wound in a roll shape on a hollow core material such as a paper tube. Furthermore, the equipment necessary for attaching the adhesive tape 81 pulled out from the tape roll 80 of the upper tape holder 31 to the upper surface of the workpiece 90 and cutting it is provided as a single unit.

[0048] This configuration allows the adhesive tape 81 to be attached to the central position in the width direction of the upper surface of the workpiece 90, which passes below the upper taping unit 30, and therefore to the joint portion of the long side flaps 94 and 95.

[0049] [Lower taping unit] The lower taping unit 40 has a structure that is the upper taping unit 30 described above inverted vertically. It includes a lower tape holder 41 that rotatably holds the tape roll 80, and the equipment necessary to attach the adhesive tape 81 pulled from the tape roll 80 of the lower tape holder 41 to the bottom surface of the workpiece 90 and cut it, all of which are provided together as a single unit.

[0050] This configuration allows the adhesive tape pulled from the tape roll 80 to be applied to the center of the widthwise direction of the bottom surface of the workpiece 90, and therefore to the joint of the long side flaps 94 and 95, as the workpiece 90 is transported on the transport table 10 and passes over the lower taping unit 40.

[0051] In this embodiment, the lower taping unit 40 can be attached in a suspended state below the conveying table 10 by inserting the lower taping unit 40 from the upper surface side of the conveying table 10 into a slit-shaped mounting hole 12 provided in the center of the conveying table 10 in the width direction.

[0052] With this mounting structure, the lower taping unit 40 can be removed from the mounting hole 12 by pulling it upward from the upper surface of the transport table 10, thereby exposing the lower tape holder 41 provided on the lower taping unit 40 onto the transport table 10.

[0053] In this embodiment, as described above, the lower tape holder 41 can be exposed on the transport table 10 by pulling the lower taping unit 40 upward and removing it from the mounting hole 12. However, instead of this configuration, the lower tape holder 41 can be exposed on the transport table 10 by rotating the lower taping unit 40 around the pinning position, as described in Patent Document 1 with reference to Figure 12. Various configurations can be used to expose the lower tape holder 41 on the transport table 10.

[0054] [Upper Clamp Guide] An upper retaining guide 50 is attached to the aforementioned crossbeam 60 so as to protrude on the opposite side from the bracket 65 for the upper taping unit.

[0055] This upper pressing guide 50 prevents the workpiece 90 from lifting up when the adhesive tape 81 is applied to the bottom surface of the workpiece 90, and also allows the flaps 92-95 to be kept folded during the sealing process, pressing down on the central portion of the upper surface of the workpiece 90, and therefore the joint portion of the long side flaps 94 and 95 from above.

[0056] Thus, in order to be able to hold down the center of the workpiece 90 in the width direction (the joint portion of the long side flaps 94 and 95), the upper pressing guide 50 needs to be fixed to the crossbeam 60 at the center of the transport table 10 in the width direction during the sealing operation, and therefore at a position that overlaps with the position of the lower taping unit 40 in a plan view (the position of use).

[0057] Thus, during the sealing process, the upper pressing guide 50 is positioned in a location (usage position) that overlaps with the position of the lower taping unit 40 in a plan view. Therefore, when attempting to remove the lower taping unit 40 from the transport table 10 by pulling it upwards as shown in Figure 2B, after it has been attached to the transport table 10 through the mounting hole 12 provided in the transport table 10 as shown in Figure 2A, the lower taping unit 40 may interfere with the upper pressing guide 50, making it impossible to smoothly remove the lower taping unit 40.

[0058] Therefore, in the sealing machine 1 of the present invention, the upper pressing guide 50 is provided with a locking mechanism 53 that allows the upper pressing guide 50 to be fixed to the cross beam 60 in the aforementioned usage position, and also allows the upper pressing guide 50 to be moved from the usage position by releasing the fixing.

[0059] In this embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the aforementioned crossbeam 60 is formed from a C-shaped channel material that opens toward the upper retaining guide 50, and the aforementioned locking mechanism 53 is provided, which consists of a fitting portion 54 provided at the base end of the upper retaining guide 50, a slide plate 55 housed in the channel of the crossbeam 60, and a bolt 56 connecting the fitting portion 54 and the slide plate 55.

[0060] Then, the main body portion 51 of the upper pressing guide 50 is welded to this fitting portion 54, or attached by other means, to form the upper pressing guide 50, so that the bottom surface 51a of this main body portion 51 can press down on the upper surface of the workpiece 90.

[0061] The aforementioned fitting portion 54 comprises a vertical piece 54a arranged vertically, and an upper horizontal piece 54b and a lower horizontal piece 54c that protrude horizontally from the upper and lower ends of the vertical piece, respectively. As a result, the fitting portion 54 is formed in a U-shape that opens toward the crossbeam 60, and is configured to allow the crossbeam 60 to be fitted (loosely fitted) inside.

[0062] The upper retaining guide 50 can then be attached to the crossbeam 60 by connecting the fitting portion 54 to the sliding plate 55 housed in the channel of the crossbeam 60 via bolts 56 while the crossbeam 60 is fitted into the fitting portion 54.

[0063] The aforementioned slide plate 55 is made of a metal plate that is wider than the opening width of the crossbeam 60 (the distance between the edges of the flanges 61 and 62 of the crossbeam 60), and has a screw hole 55a into which the tip of the aforementioned bolt 56 is screwed. By inserting the tip of the bolt 56 into the opening 54d formed in the vertical piece 54a of the fitting part 54 and screwing it into the screw hole 55a provided in the slide plate 55 and tightening it, the flanges 61 and 62 of the crossbeam 60 are sandwiched between the vertical piece 54a of the fitting part 54 and the slide plate 55, thereby firmly fixing the upper retaining guide 50 onto the crossbeam 60.

[0064] Conversely, by loosening the bolt 56 and releasing the clamping between the vertical piece 54a of the fitting portion 54 and the slide plate 55 of the flanges 61 and 62 of the crossbeam 60, the upper retaining guide 50 can be slid in the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam 60.

[0065] Furthermore, the upper retaining guide 50 can be removed from the crossbeam 60 by loosening the bolt 56 until the tip of the bolt 56 falls out of the screw hole 55a of the slide plate 55.

[0066] Therefore, when removing the lower taping unit 40 from the mounting hole 12 to expose the lower tape holder 41 on the transport table 10, the upper retaining guide 50 can be slid from the "usage position" shown in Figure 3A to the position indicated as "after movement" in Figure 3B by loosening the bolt 56, or, although not shown, by removing the tip of the bolt 56 from the screw hole 55a of the slide plate 55 and detaching the upper retaining guide 50 from the cross beam 60, thereby preventing the upper retaining guide 50 from interfering with the attachment and detachment of the lower taping unit 40.

[0067] In the illustrated embodiment, the bolt 56 is provided with a handle 56a on its head, allowing the user to easily fix and release the upper retaining guide 50 to the crossbeam 60 by turning the bolt 56 by hand without using any tools.

[0068] [Positioning protrusion] The sealing machine 1 of the present invention is further provided with a positioning projection 66 consisting of a bolt attached to the upper surface of the crossbeam 60, as shown in Figure 7, in order to enable the upper pressing guide 50 to be precisely fixed in the aforementioned usage position.

[0069] The positioning projection 66 is positioned to abut against the upper horizontal piece 54b of the fitting portion 54 provided on the locking mechanism 53 of the upper pressing guide 50 when the upper pressing guide 50 is placed in the aforementioned usage position. As a result, by attaching the upper pressing guide 50 to the cross beam 60 so that the upper horizontal piece 54b of the fitting portion 54 abuts against the positioning projection 66, the upper pressing guide 50 can be accurately and easily attached to the usage position.

[0070] In the illustrated embodiment, the positioning projection 66 is provided on the upper surface of the crossbeam 60. However, it may be provided on either the upper or lower flange 61 or 62 of the crossbeam instead, or at multiple locations therein. The mounting position is not limited to the illustrated example, as long as it can abut against the fitting portion 54 of the upper retaining guide 50 and position the upper retaining guide 50 in the working position.

[0071] In Figure 7, reference numeral 67 indicates a screw hole, and the bolt, which is the positioning projection 66 mentioned above, can be removed from the position shown and screwed into this screw hole 67.

[0072] This allows the positioning projection 66 to be selectively attached to either the left side of the paper (as shown in the illustration) or the right side of the paper (the position of the screw hole 67) relative to the upper horizontal piece 54b of the fitting portion 54 of the upper press guide 50. This makes it possible to attach the positioning projection 66 to the side that is easier for the operator to align from their standing position when sliding the upper press guide 50.

[0073] [Effect, etc.] In the sealing machine 1 configured as described above, when performing the sealing operation, the upper pressing guide 50 is fixed to the crossbeam 60 at its working position, that is, at a position that coincides with the position of the lower tape holder 41 in a plan view. The height of the crossbeam 60 is adjusted by the lifting mechanism 70 so that the bottom surface 51a of the main body portion 51 of the upper pressing guide 50 and the lower position of the upper taping unit 30 correspond to the height of the upper surface of the workpiece 90.

[0074] When the adhesive tape 81 is applied to the workpiece 90 and the adhesive tape 81 on the tape roll 80 held in the lower tape holder 41 and upper tape holder 31 is consumed and runs out, it becomes necessary to remove the hollow core material such as a paper tube remaining in the lower tape holder 41 and upper tape holder 31 and replace it with a new tape roll 80.

[0075] Of these, when replacing the tape roll 80 of the lower tape holder 41, if the upper pressing guide 50 is in its working position, and therefore directly above the lower taping unit 40, it will interfere with the operation of lifting the lower taping unit 40, which is housed in the mounting hole 12, to the upper surface of the transport table.

[0076] Therefore, in the sealing machine 1 of the present invention, which is provided with a locking mechanism 53 on the upper pressing guide 50 as described with reference to Figures 6 and 7, by loosening the bolt 56 connecting the slide plate 55 and the vertical piece 54a of the fitting portion 54 and releasing the clamping of the flanges 61 and 62 of the crossbeam 60 by the slide plate 55 and the vertical piece 54a of the fitting portion 54, the upper pressing guide 50 can be moved along the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam 60 in a direction in which its movement is not restricted by the positioning projection 66, as shown by the arrow in Figure 7. By moving the upper pressing guide from the usage position to, for example, the position indicated as "after movement" in Figures 3B and 4, the lower tape holder can be easily removed.

[0077] After attaching a new tape roll 80 to the lower tape holder 41 provided on the lower taping unit 40, and then inserting the lower taping unit 40 again into the mounting hole 12 provided on the transport table, the upper pressing guide 50 can be slid on the crossbeam 60 until the edge of the upper horizontal piece 54b provided on the fitting portion 54 of the locking mechanism 53 abuts against the bolt attached as a positioning projection 66, thereby returning the upper pressing guide 50 to its working position accurately.

[0078] In this state, the upper retaining guide 50 can be firmly fixed to the crossbeam 60 in the usage position by tightening the bolt 56 provided on the locking mechanism 53 and clamping the flanges 61 and 62 of the crossbeam 60 between the slide plate 55 and the vertical piece 54a of the fitting portion 54.

[0079] In this way, when replacing the tape roll 80 of the lower tape holder 41, the upper pressing guide 50 is moved from its position, eliminating the need to raise the crossbeam 60 using the lifting mechanism 70.

[0080] Therefore, when resuming the sealing operation for workpieces 90 of the same size as before the tape roll 80 was replaced, the sealing operation can be resumed simply by returning the upper pressing guide 50 to its position and fixing it to the crossbeam 60, without having to perform complicated tasks such as height adjustment.

[0081] In the above explanation, the upper retaining guide 50 was described as being moved from its usage position by loosening the bolt 56 provided on the locking mechanism 53 and sliding it in the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam 60. However, instead of this method, the upper retaining guide 50 may also be moved from its usage position by turning the bolt 56 until it falls out of the screw hole 55a provided on the slide plate 55, thereby removing the upper retaining guide 50 from the crossbeam 60.

[0082] [Examples of modified locking mechanisms] In the locking mechanism 53 described above with reference to Figures 6 and 7, the upper retaining guide 50 is fixed to the crossbeam 60 by connecting the slide plate 55 inserted into the channel of the crossbeam 60 and the vertical portion 54a of the fitting portion 54 with a bolt 56, thereby clamping the flanges 61 and 62 of the crossbeam 60. The upper retaining guide 50 is moved from its operating position, that is, from the position above the mounting hole 12 provided on the transport table 10, by loosening the bolt 56 to slide the upper retaining guide 50 in the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam 60, or by removing the bolt 56 and detaching the upper retaining guide 50 from the crossbeam 60.

[0083] Alternatively, the locking mechanism 53' shown in Figures 8 and 9 may include a hinge 57 connecting the upper retaining guide 50 and the crossbeam 60, and the upper retaining guide 50 may be made rotatable vertically around the pivot axis of the hinge 57, as shown in Figure 8, or rotatable horizontally, as shown in Figure 9, thereby allowing the upper retaining guide 50 to be moved from its operating position.

[0084] In the illustrated embodiment, the upper retaining guide 50 can be fixed in the working position by screwing the tip of a bolt 56, which is inserted through an opening 54d provided in the vertical piece 54a, into a threaded hole 68a provided in the side wall 68 of the crossbeam 60. At the same time, by loosening the bolt 56 and letting the tip of the bolt 56 fall out of the threaded hole 68a provided in the side wall 68a of the crossbeam 60, the upper retaining guide 50 can be rotated in the direction of the arrow in the figure around the pivot axis of the hinge 57.

[0085] Thus, as long as the upper retaining guide 50 is fixed in the position of use and can be moved from the position of use by releasing this fixed state, the structure of the locking mechanisms 53, 53' is not particularly limited, and various configurations can be adopted. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] 1,100 Box sealing machine 10,110 Transport Table 11 Roller conveyor 12 mounting holes 20,120 Side belts 21,22 Pulley 23 belts 24 motors 30,130 Upper taping unit 31,131 Upper tape holder 40,140 Lower taping unit 41,141 Lower tape holder 50,150 Upper Clamp Guide 51 Main body (upper pressing guide) 51a Bottom (of the main body) 53,53' Locking mechanism 54 Fitting part 54a Vertical piece (of the mating part) 54b Upper horizontal piece (fitting part) 54c Lower horizontal piece (fitting part) 54d hole 55 Slide plate 55a Threaded hole 56 volts 56a Handle 57 Hinge 60 Crossbeam 61, 62 Flange (of the crossbeam) 65 Bracket (for upper taping unit) 66 Positioning projection (bolt) 67 screw holes 68 Side wall (of the crossbeam) 68a Threaded hole 70,170 Lifting mechanism 71 Support stand 71a,71b Post 72 handle 80 Tape Rolls 81 Adhesive Tape 90 Box-shaped containers (workpieces) 91 Opening 92,93 Short side flap 94,95 Long side flap

Claims

1. A sealing machine comprising a transport table and a lower tape holder positioned below the transport table, which performs a sealing operation by attaching adhesive tape pulled from a tape roll held by the lower tape holder to the bottom surface of a workpiece moving on the transport table, and which allows the lower tape holder to be exposed on the transport table when the tape roll is replaced, The width direction of the transport table is the longitudinal direction, and a crossbeam is provided that is parallel to the upper surface of the transport table and can move up and down on the transport table, During the sealing process, an upper pressing guide is provided, which is positioned in a location that overlaps with the lower tape holder in a plan view and presses against the upper surface of the workpiece. The upper retaining guide, A locking mechanism is provided that allows the upper retaining guide to be fixed to the crossbeam in the usage position, and allows the upper retaining guide to be moved from the usage position by releasing the fixation. A sealing machine characterized by the following features.

2. The sealing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking mechanism locks the upper pressing guide to the crossbeam in a state that allows it to slide in the longitudinal direction of the crossbeam when the locking is released.

3. The sealing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking mechanism, when the fixing is released, releases the connection between the upper pressing guide and the cross beam, allowing the upper pressing guide to be removed from the cross beam, thereby making the upper pressing guide movable from the position of use.

4. The sealing machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the locking mechanism includes a hinge connecting the upper pressing guide and the cross beam, and when the locking is released, the upper pressing guide rotates with the hinge as a pivot point, thereby allowing it to move from the operating position.

5. The sealing machine according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the cross beam is provided with a positioning projection that abuts with the upper pressing guide to position the upper pressing guide in the position of use.

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