Robot hand, box making device equipped with the robot hand, and box making method

Abstract

To provide a robot hand, a box manufacturing apparatus including the same, and a box manufacturing method, capable of addressing a shortage of labor force which is a social issue, since the present invention can handle both a C-type box and a B-type box with a single box manufacturing apparatus, realize improvement of an automation ratio in a box folding step of a distribution processing work and improvement of equipment investment recovery efficiency, and save a facility installation space.SOLUTION: A robot hand 1 comprises: a slide mechanism including a rail 2, a pair of guides 3 (31, 32) that are slidably supported by the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides to get closer to or separate from each other; and a pair of plate-like parts 4 (41, 42) supported by the respective guides. The pair of plate-like parts are arranged in parallel so that lateral end sides 4a face each other and at least plate faces on one sides of both front and rear faces are positioned on the same plane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a robot hand, a box making device including the robot hand, and a box making method. [Background technology]

[0002] There are various types of cardboard boxes, as specified in JIS-Z1507:2013 "Types of cardboard boxes." In particular, cardboard boxes defined as 0300 and 0301 in JIS-Z1507 are generally called Type C boxes, and are widely used as gift boxes. Cardboard boxes defined as 0504 in JIS-Z1507 are generally called Type B boxes, and are widely used as gift boxes together with Type C boxes, as they can be assembled with a single touch.

[0003] Generally, cardboard boxes are made using specialized box-making equipment for each type of cardboard box, or in many cases, box-making work has been done manually. This is because packaging patterns change easily over time due to internal products and cultural factors, and it is technically, economically, and space-wise difficult to mechanize and automate. In recent years, for distribution processing work that requires the production of a variety of products in a small space, a box assembly device that uses a robot arm to form a box shape has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, a device that packs contents into a box formed using a robot arm has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Behind this are social factors such as the advancement of robot technology, labor shortages due to the declining birthrate and aging population, and the demand for continuous high productivity. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-93675 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2020-29282 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The cardboard box making equipment described in Patent Document 1 is designed specifically for each type of box, such as C-type boxes and B-type boxes, and it is difficult to use one box making equipment to make multiple types of boxes. This is because conventional box making equipment is generally composed of a cylinder that moves linearly and a guide that regulates the cardboard sheets. In general distribution processing sites, C-type boxes and B-type boxes are frequently used, and a box making equipment that can be used for both C-type boxes and B-type boxes has been required to improve productivity.

[0006] The present disclosure aims to provide a robot hand, a box-making device equipped with the same, and a box-making method that can enable both C-type boxes and B-type boxes to be made using a single box-making device, thereby improving the automation rate of the box folding process during distribution processing and improving the efficiency of capital investment recovery, and also by not taking up space for equipment installation, thereby addressing the labor shortage that is a social issue. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The robot hand according to the present invention is a robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet into a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, the box making device includes one or two robot arms for a robot hand having the robot hand as an end effector, The robot hand is The robot hand can be attached to and detached from the robot arm, a slide mechanism having a rail, a pair of guides slidably supported on the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides so as to approach and separate them from each other; and a pair of plate-shaped parts respectively supported by the pair of guides, the pair of plate-shaped portions have lower end edges extending in a direction parallel to the pair of plate-shaped portions, and the pair of guides support the pair of plate-shaped portions such that, when the pair of plate-shaped portions act on the blank plate in a box-making process, the lower end edges become lower ends of the plate-shaped portions and such that the heights of the lower end edges in the up-down direction are the same as each other, The pair of plate-like portions are characterized in that the side edges of the plate-like portions face each other and at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces is arranged side by side so as to be positioned on the same plane.

[0008] The box making device according to the present invention includes a robot hand according to the present invention and a box making device having the robot hand at its tip. For robot handsIt is characterized by comprising a robot arm, a box folding jig for folding a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet at a predetermined position, and a base for supporting the box folding jig.

[0009] In the box making apparatus according to the present invention, the robot hand For robot hands It is preferable that the robot hand and the box folding jig are detachable from the base. By changing the robot hand and the box folding jig according to the type of cardboard box to be made, it is possible to easily switch the type of cardboard box that can be made by the box making device.

[0010] In the box making device according to the present invention, the blank plate has a bottom plate, side plates respectively connected to the four edges of the bottom plate, an upper end plate connected to each side plate, and a folded side plate connected to the upper end plate, a first pair of opposing side plates among the side plates have side flaps, and a second pair of side plates do not have side flaps, and a box formed from the blank plate has a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, one side of the rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape is open and has a storage chamber on the inside, and the box making device is For robot hands It is preferable that the robot arm includes a first robot arm and a second robot arm, the pair of plate-like parts have lower end sides extending in a parallel direction of the pair of plate-like parts, and the pair of guides support the pair of plate-like parts such that the heights of the lower end sides in the up-down direction are the same.

[0011] In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second robot arm further includes a suction portion, so that the completed C-type boxes can be efficiently carried out.

[0012] In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the box folding jig has a frame portion that forms a bottom plate area corresponding to the bottom plate, and a flap pressing portion for folding the side flaps. This makes it possible to efficiently make C-type boxes.

[0013] In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of plate-like parts further have a protruding part protruding from at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the lower end edge, and the protruding part provided on one of the pair of plate-like parts and the protruding part provided on the other of the pair of plate-like parts have the same height from the lower end edge. This makes it possible to more reliably fold the upper end panel of a C-type box to produce a box with excellent appearance.

[0014] In the box making apparatus according to the present invention, For robot hands It is preferable that a third robot arm is provided in addition to the robot arm, and the third robot arm has a suction portion. This makes it possible to efficiently supply blank sheets for C-type boxes.

[0015] In the box making device of the present invention, the blank plate has a bottom plate having four edges, a front side plate connected to a first edge of the bottom plate, a rear side plate connected to a second edge of the bottom plate opposite the first edge, and a left side plate and a right side plate connected to the remaining third and fourth edges of the bottom plate, respectively, and the front side plate has a top end plate connected to the edge of the front side plate opposite the first edge and a folded side plate connected to the top end plate, and the rear side plate has a cover plate to become the lid portion connected to the edge of the rear side plate opposite the second edge, an insertion piece connected to the cover plate, and a fixing piece extending in a direction adjacent to each of the left side plate and the right side plate, the left side panel and the right side panel have top flaps respectively connected to an edge of the left side panel facing the third edge and an edge of the right side panel facing the fourth edge, and side flaps respectively extending in a direction adjacent to the front side panel, and have overlapping folds respectively extending diagonally from a corner of the bottom panel on the rear side panel side across the left side panel and the top flap, and across the right side panel and the top flap, and a box formed from the blank panel has a rectangular or cubic shape and has an opening with one side of the rectangular or cubic shape open, a lid part which closes the opening, and a storage chamber provided inside the rectangular or cubic shape, and the box making device is For robot hands It is preferable to have a fourth robot arm as the robot arm. It is capable of forming B-type boxes.

[0016] The box making device according to the present invention is For robot hands It is preferable that a fifth robot arm is provided in addition to the robot arm, and the fifth robot arm has a suction portion. This makes it possible to efficiently feed the blank plate of the B-type box and efficiently erect the cover plate and the rear side plate.

[0017] The box making device according to the present invention is For robot hands It is preferable that a sixth robot arm is provided in addition to the robot arm, and the sixth robot arm has a suction portion. This makes it possible to efficiently carry out the completed B-type boxes.

[0018] In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the box folding jig has a fixing portion for fixing the bottom plate, thereby making it possible to more efficiently make B-type boxes.

[0019] In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the box folding jig has a folding mechanism that pushes the front side panel upward from below, thereby making it possible to more efficiently make B-type boxes.

[0020] In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of plate-like parts further have ribs protruding from at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the opposing side edges of the pair of plate-like parts, thereby making it possible to more efficiently make B-type boxes.

[0021] A box making method according to the present invention is a box making method using the box making device according to the present invention, comprising: step 1A of taking out one of the blank plates and placing it on the box folding jig; step 2A of using the first robot arm and the second robot arm to stand the side plates and fold the side flaps in a valley manner so that the side flaps are in contact with the surfaces of the second pair of side plates facing the storage chamber; and step 3A of folding inward a pair of folded side plates connected to the second pair of side plates via the upper end panel so that the side flaps are sandwiched between the second pair of side plates and the folded side plates. A pair of folded side plates connected to the first pair of side plates via the upper end plate and step 4A of folding the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the first robot arm inward to form the box, and step 2A includes step 2A1 of bringing the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the first robot arm and the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the second robot arm into a state facing each other, and step 2A2 of the power unit moving the pair of guides away from or close to each other to bring the pair of plate-shaped parts into a separated state or a close state, and pressing both ends of the boundary portion of the bottom plate with the second pair of side plates with the lower end edges of the pair of plate-shaped parts.

[0022] In the box making method according to the present invention, it is preferable that in step 2A2, one of the second pair of side plates is pushed by the lower end edge of the pair of plate-like parts mounted on the first robot arm, and the other of the second pair of side plates is pushed by the lower end edge of the pair of plate-like parts mounted on the second robot arm at the same time, thereby making it possible to more efficiently make a B-type box.

[0023] In the box making method according to the present invention, in the step 2A, it is preferable to use the first robot arm and the second robot arm to push the bottom plate into the frame of the box folding jig to erect the side plates, thereby making it possible to more efficiently make a B-type box.

[0024] A box making method according to the present invention is a box making method using the box making device according to the present invention, and includes, in order, a step 1B of taking out one of the blank plates and placing it on the box folding jig, a step 2B of lifting up the cover plate and the rear side plate to erect the cover plate and the rear side plate and also erecting the left side plate and the right side plate, a step 3B of folding the side flaps toward the storage chamber using the fourth robot arm, a step 4B of erecting the front side plate, and a step 5B of folding the folded side plate inward to form the box. The step 3B includes a step 3B1 in which the power unit moves the pair of guides away from each other to place the pair of plate-shaped portions in a separated state and position the pair of plate-shaped portions outside the side flap, a step 3B2 in which the power unit moves the pair of guides closer to each other to move the pair of plate-shaped portions in a direction to bring them closer to each other while moving the side flap toward the storage chamber, and a step 3B3 in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are moved toward the storage chamber to fold the side flap toward the storage chamber. The robot hand according to the present invention is a robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet to make a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, the box-making device having one or two robot arms for the robot hand that have the robot hand as an end effector, the robot hand being detachable from the robot arm for the robot hand and comprising a slide mechanism having a rail, a pair of guides slidably supported on the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides so as to move closer to and away from each other, and a pair of plate-shaped parts supported by the pair of guides, each of the pair of plate-shaped parts having lower end edges extending in a parallel direction of the pair of plate-shaped parts, the pair of guides supporting the pair of plate-shaped parts such that the heights of the lower end edges are the same in the up-down direction, and the pair of plate-shaped parts further having protruding portions that protrude from at least one of the front and back plate surfaces and extend in a direction parallel to the lower end edges. It is characterized by: In the robot hand of the present invention, it is preferable that the protrusion portion provided on one of the pair of plate-like portions and the protrusion portion provided on the other of the pair of plate-like portions have the same height from the lower end edge. Effect of the Invention

[0025] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot hand, a box making device equipped with the same, and a box making method that can be used to make both Type C boxes and Type B boxes, thereby improving the automation rate of the box folding process during distribution processing and improving the efficiency of capital investment recovery. Since the equipment does not require space for installation, it is possible to address the labor shortage that is a social issue. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0026] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic front view illustrating an example of a robot hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. [Diagram 2] 1 is a front view showing a first example of a schematic configuration of a box making device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first example of a box folding jig. [Figure 4]1 is a schematic configuration diagram (schematic development view of a box) showing a first example of a blank plate for a box produced by the box producing device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a box assembled from the blank sheets shown in FIG. 4. FIG. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining modified examples of the plate-shaped portion. [Figure 7] 10 is a schematic configuration diagram (schematic development view of the box) showing a second example of a blank plate for a box produced by the box producing device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a box assembled from the blank plates shown in FIG. 7. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a front view showing a second example of the schematic configuration of a box making device according to the present embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining modified examples of the plate-shaped portion. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second example of a box folding jig. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the flow of a box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 1A. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 2A. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 2A. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 3A. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 4A. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 5A. [Figure 18] FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram illustrating the flow of a box-making process, and shows step 1B. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 2B. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 3B1. [Figure 21]FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 3B2. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 4B. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 5B. [Figure 24] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 6B. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0027] The embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to these descriptions. Various modifications of the embodiments may be made as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved.

[0028] Fig. 1 is a front schematic view showing a first example of a robot hand according to this embodiment. The robot hand 1 according to this embodiment is a robot hand mounted on a box making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet to make a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, and as shown in Fig. 1, the robot hand 1 includes a slide mechanism having a rail 2, a pair of guides 3 (31, 32) slidably supported on the rail 2, and a power unit 5 that slides the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) so as to approach and separate them from each other, and a pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) supported by the pair of guides 3 (31, 32), respectively, and the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are arranged side by side such that side end edges 4a face each other and at least one of the front and back plate surfaces is located on the same plane.

[0029] Boxes having a rectangular or cubic shape formed from a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet are, for example, Type C boxes and Type B boxes. Here, Type C boxes are cardboard boxes defined as 0300 and 0301 in JIS-Z1507, and Type B boxes are cardboard boxes defined as 0504 in JIS-Z1507.

[0030] The robot hand 1 includes a robot hand used when manufacturing a C-type box and a robot hand used when manufacturing a B-type box. The robot hand 1 preferably has a base 9 attached to the tip of a robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C).

[0031] The slide mechanism causes the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) to slide along the rails 2 (21, 22) by the power unit 5 to bring the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) close to each other, and causes the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) to slide along the rails 2 (21, 22) to separate the pair of guides 3 (31, 32). The rails 2 are members laid on the surface of the base 9 as shown in FIG. 1 or grooves (not shown) provided in the base 9, and preferably have a first rail 21 for sliding the first guide 31 of the pair of guides 3, and a second rail 22 for sliding the second guide 32 of the pair of guides 3. The first rail 21 and the second rail 22 are preferably arranged in the same straight line. The guides 3 (31, 32) are members slidably supported by the rails 2. The power unit 5 is, for example, an air cylinder or a motor such as a linear motor or a servo motor.

[0032] The pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are, for example, plate members made of resin. The pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are a first plate-shaped part 41 fixed to the first guide 31 and a second plate-shaped part 42 fixed to the second guide 32. The pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) have side end edges 4a facing each other when fixed to the pair of guides 3 (31, 32). It is preferable that the side end edges 4a are side edges of the plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) that extend in a direction perpendicular to the extending direction of the rails 2 (21, 22). It is preferable that the plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) have support parts 41A, 42A fixed to the guides 3 (31, 32) and action parts 41B, 42B connected to the support parts 41A, 42A and acting on the blank plate during box making. The acting parts 41B, 42B are preferably wider than the supporting parts 41A, 42A. The acting parts 41B, 42B are preferably substantially rectangular. Here, the substantially rectangular shape includes various modified shapes such as a rectangular shape, a square shape, a trapezoid shape, a parallelogram shape, and shapes with rounded corners.

[0033] The pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are arranged side by side such that at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces is located on the same plane. "At least one of the front and rear plate surfaces is located on the same plane" includes a form in which only the front plate surface is located on the same plane, a form in which only the rear plate surface is located on the same plane, and a form in which both the front and rear plate surfaces are located on the same plane. Here, the front and rear of the plate surfaces are not particularly limited, and for example, the surface fixed to the guide 3 (31, 32) may be the front plate surface and the surface opposite to the front plate surface may be the rear plate surface, or vice versa.

[0034] 2 and 9 are front views showing an example of a schematic configuration of a box making device according to this embodiment. The box making device 900 (900A, 900B) according to this embodiment has a mode for making a C-type box and a mode for making a B-type box. FIG. 2 shows a state in which the box making device 900 (900A) is in a mode for making a C-type box, and FIG. 9 shows a state in which the box making device 900 (900B) is in a mode for making a B-type box. The box making device 900A in FIG. 2 and the box making device 900B in FIG. 9 have a common configuration except that the end effectors and box folding jigs 920 (920A, 920B) attached to the tips of the robot arms 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) and 952 are different. Therefore, each mode can be easily switched by changing the end effectors and box folding jigs 920 (920A, 920B). That is, one box making device 900 (900A, 900B) can be used to make both C-type boxes and B-type boxes. The box making device 900 has the same basic configuration in the mode for making C-type boxes and the mode for making B-type boxes. For this reason, the common configuration will be described first, and then each mode will be described.

[0035] As shown in Figures 2 and 9, the box making apparatus 900 (900A, 900B) of this embodiment includes a robot hand 1 of this embodiment, a robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) having the robot hand 1 at its tip, a box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) for folding a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet at a predetermined position, and a base 930 for supporting the box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B).

[0036] The robot hand 1 is an end effector attached to the tip of a first robot arm 910A and a second robot arm 910B shown in FIG. 2 and a fourth robot arm 910C shown in FIG. 9, and is, for example, the robot hand shown in FIG.

[0037] The robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) is suspended from the top plate of the box making device 900 (900A, 900B) as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 9. The specifications of the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) is a general-purpose six-axis robot manipulator. The robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) has joints, and the position and posture of the robot hand 1 can be changed three-dimensionally by the operation of the joints.

[0038] The box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) includes a box folding jig 920A for a C-type box (shown in FIGS. 2 and 3) and a box folding jig 920B for a B-type box (shown in FIGS. 9 and 11).

[0039] The base 930 is a work table on which the box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) is placed.

[0040] Each part of the box making machine 900 (900A, 900B) is centrally controlled by a control unit (not shown). The control unit includes, for example, a CPU, RAM, and ROM, and executes various controls. The CPU is a so-called central processing unit, and executes various programs to realize various functions. The RAM is used as a working area for the CPU. The ROM stores the basic OS and programs executed by the CPU. The programs include a program for making boxes for type C boxes and a program for making boxes for type B boxes.

[0041] In the box making device 900 (900A, 900B) according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the robot hand 1 is detachable from the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C), and the box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) is detachable from the base 930. By replacing the end effector and the box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) according to the type of cardboard box to be made, it is possible to easily switch the type of cardboard box that can be made by the box making device 900 (900A, 900B). As a result, the box making device 900 according to this embodiment can make C-type boxes and B-type boxes with a single device.

[0042] Next, a case where the box making device 900 (900A, 900B) is in a mode for making C-type boxes will be described.

[0043] Fig. 4 is a schematic diagram (schematic development view of the box) showing a first example of a blank plate for a box produced by the box producing device according to the present embodiment. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a box produced by assembling the blank plates shown in Fig. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, in the box making apparatus according to this embodiment, a blank plate 100 has a bottom plate 101, side plates 102a, 102b connected to four edges 121a, 121b of the bottom plate 101, upper end plates 104a, 104b connected to the side plates 102a, 102b, and folded side plates 105a, 105b connected to the upper end plates 104a, 104b. Of the side plates 102a, 102b, a first pair of opposing side plates 102b have side flaps 103, while the other, second pair of side plates 102a do not have side flaps 103. A box 100A formed from the blank plate 100 has a structure as follows: As shown in Figure 5, the box has a rectangular or cubic shape, one side of the rectangular or cubic shape is open, and has a storage chamber 130 inside. As shown in Figure 2, the box making device 900A has a first robot arm 910A and a second robot arm 910B as the robot arm 910, and as shown in Figure 1, the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) have lower end edges 4b extending in the parallel direction of the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42), and it is preferable that the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) support the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) so that the vertical heights of the lower end edges 4b are the same.

[0044] The blank plate 100 shown in FIG. 4 is a blank plate for a C-type box 100A shown in FIG. 5. Here, the four edges of the bottom plate 101 and the bottom ruling are in the same position, so they are both denoted by symbols 121a and 121b. The box 100A is assembled using a single cardboard sheet as the blank plate 100. At this time, the appearance of the box 100A has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top surface, as shown in FIG. 5. As shown in the development view of FIG. 4, when the length of the edge 121a is longer than the length of the edge 121b, the box 100A has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. At this time, the bottom plate 101 has a longitudinal direction 111 and a lateral direction 112. In this embodiment, the length of the edge 121a and the length of the edge 121b may be equal. Furthermore, the height h2 of the side plate 102a may be equal to the length of the edge 121a and the length of the edge 121b. At this time, the box 100A has a cuboid shape.

[0045] The blank plate 100 has a bottom plate 101, side plates 102a, 102b connected to the four edges 121a, 121b of the bottom plate 101, upper end plate 104a, 104b connected to each side plate 102a, 102b, and folded side plates 105a, 105b connected to the upper end plate 104a, 104b. The blank plate 100 has bottom rulings 121a, 121b at the boundary between the bottom plate 101 and the side plates 102a, 102b, inner rulings 113a, 113b at the boundary between the side plates 102a, 102b and the upper end plate 104a, 104b, and outer rulings 114a, 114b at the boundary between the upper end plate 104a, 104b and the folded side plate 105a, 105b. In the development view shown in FIG. 4, bottom ruling lines 121a, 121b, inner ruling lines 113a, 113b, and outer ruling lines 114a, 114b are each valley-folded, whereby box 100A shown in FIG. 5 can be formed.

[0046] At least one pair (105a) of the opposing folded side plates 105a, 105b preferably has a convex shape 106 on the outer edge, and the bottom plate 101 preferably has an engagement hole 107. In FIG. 4, the convex shape 106 is provided on the outer edge of each of the opposing folded side plates 105a. It is preferable that two or more convex shapes are provided on one outer edge. It is preferable that the convex shape 106 is provided on each of the folded side plates 105a opposing each other in the longitudinal direction 111. The convex shape 106 may further be provided on each of the folded side plates 105b opposing each other in the lateral direction 112, and may further be provided on each of the folded side plates 105a opposing each other in the longitudinal direction 111 and each of the folded side plates 105b opposing each other in the lateral direction 112. It is preferable that the convex shape 106 be provided on the folded side panel when it is desired to keep the folded side panel fixed without continuing to press it down after the side panel is folded by the robot arm during the process of forming the box 100A by the robot.

[0047] The locking hole 107 is provided in the bottom plate 101. At this time, the locking hole 107 is provided at a position where it can lock the convex shape 106 when the folded-back side plate 105a is folded back toward the storage chamber 130 of the box 100A and faces the side plate 102a. In FIG. 4, the locking hole 107 is provided at a position in contact with the edge 121a of the bottom plate 101.

[0048] 5 shows a state in which convex shape 106 is engaged with engaging hole 107 when folded side panel 105a is folded back toward storage chamber 130 of box 100A to face side panel 102a. In this engaged state, it is no longer necessary to perform an operation of folding in the other box side wall (specifically, folded side panel 105b) while continuing to fix the box side wall (specifically, folded side panel 105a) with a robot arm, and folded side panel 105b can be folded in without the need to fix folded side panel 105a. Box manufacturing can be performed using a robot arm system with as few as two or three robot arms.

[0049] It is preferable that the side plate 102a in the longitudinal direction 111 be folded perpendicular to the grain direction (paper width direction) of the carton, so that the convex shape 106 can easily enter the engagement hole 107 on the bottom surface.

[0050] The material of the box 100A is not particularly limited, but paper, particularly cardboard, is preferable. When the carton according to this embodiment is formed, the product placed inside is not particularly limited, but glass containers, metal containers, or plastic containers filled with beverages are preferable. Instead of containers, small boxes or items other than beverages may be placed. The thickness of the box 100A is preferably 1 to 7 mm, more preferably 1.5 to 5 mm.

[0051] When the box making device 900A is in a mode for making a C-type box, the box making device 900A has a first robot arm 910A and a second robot arm 910B as the robot arm 910, as shown in FIG. 2. The first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B each have a robot hand 1 shown in FIG. 1. In the robot hand 1, the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 have a lower end side 4b, as shown in FIG. 1. It is more preferable that the lower end side 4b extends in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the rails 2 (21, 22). The pair of guides 3 (31, 32) support the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 so that the vertical heights of the lower end sides 4b are the same. By making the vertical heights of the lower edge 4b ​​of the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the lower edge 4b ​​of the second plate-shaped portion 42 the same, both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate 101 (shown in Figure 4) and a pair of side plates 102a can be pressed simultaneously by the lower edge 4b ​​of the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the lower edge 4b ​​of the second plate-shaped portion 42 during box making, thereby making it possible to more reliably fold the pair of side plates 102a at the specified positions.

[0052] It is preferable that the second robot arm 910B further has an adsorption unit (not shown) as an end effector in addition to the robot hand 1. The adsorption unit is, for example, a suction cup. The adsorption unit can suck up the assembled C-type box and carry it out efficiently. Since the second robot arm 910B is used for both assembling and carrying out the boxes, there is no need to provide a separate robot arm dedicated to carrying out the boxes, and the number of robot arms can be reduced.

[0053] When the box making device 900A is in a mode for making a C-type box, the box folding jig 920A preferably has a frame portion 922 for forming a bottom plate region 921 corresponding to the bottom plate 101 (shown in FIG. 4) and a flap pressing portion 923 for folding the side flap 103 (shown in FIG. 4), as shown in FIG. 3. The frame portion 922 may form the bottom plate region 921 by arranging a plurality of protrusions as shown in FIG. 3. The flap pressing portion 923 has a protruding shape and is provided at the four corners of the frame portion 922. By pushing the bottom plate 101 into the bottom plate region 921, the side plates 102a and 102b are made to stand up, and the side flap 103 is folded in a valley shape so that it comes into contact with the surface of the side plate 102a on the side of the storage chamber 130. In this way, the C-type box can be made efficiently.

[0054] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the plate-shaped portion. FIG. 6 shows the first plate-shaped portion 41 as a representative of the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42), but the second plate-shaped portion 42 has a configuration in which the first plate-shaped portion 41 is reversed from left to right. When the box making device 900A is in a mode for making a C-type box, the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) further has a protruding portion 43 protruding from at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the lower end side 4b as shown in FIG. 6, and it is preferable that the protruding portion 43 provided on one 41 of the pair of plate-shaped portions and the protruding portion 43 provided on the other 42 (shown in FIG. 1) of the pair of plate-shaped portions have the same height from the lower end side 4b. The protruding portion 43 provided on the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the protruding portion 43 provided on the second plate-shaped portion 42 have the same height in the up-down direction. The protrusion 43 may be provided only on the front plate surface of the front and back plate surfaces, only on the back plate surface, or on both the front and back plate surfaces. The protrusion 43 preferably has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. When manufacturing a C-type box, the protrusion 43 is pressed against the upper end plate 104a from above. This makes it possible to more reliably bend the upper end plate 104a of the C-type box and produce a box with excellent appearance. The upper end plate 104a pressed by the protrusion 43 is preferably the upper end plate 104a in the longitudinal direction 111.

[0055] When the box making apparatus 900A is in a mode for making C-type boxes, the box making apparatus 900A has a third robot arm (not shown) in addition to the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B, and the third robot arm preferably has a suction unit. The third robot arm is a robot arm for supplying the blank board 100 by suction, and has a suction unit as an end effector instead of the robot hand 1 of the first robot arm 910A or the second robot arm 910B. The suction unit is, for example, a suction cup.

[0056] Next, a case where the box making device 900 (900A, 900B) is in a mode for making B-type boxes will be described.

[0057] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram (schematic development of the box) showing a second example of a blank plate for a box made by the box making device according to this embodiment. Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a box assembled from the blank plates shown in Fig. 7. In the box making device 900B according to this embodiment, the blank plate 200, as shown in Fig. 7, comprises a bottom plate 201 having four edges 211a, 211b, 211c, and 211d, a front side plate 202a connected to a first edge 211a of the edges of the bottom plate 201, a rear side plate 202b connected to a second edge 211b facing the first edge 211a of the edges of the bottom plate 201, a left side plate 202c and a right side plate 202d connected to the remaining third edge 211c and fourth edge 211d of the edges of the bottom plate 201, The front side plate 202a has an upper end plate 203 connected to an edge 211e opposite to a first edge 211a of the front side plate 202a, and a folded side plate 204 connected to the upper end plate 203. The rear side plate 202b has a cover plate 205 connected to an edge 211g opposite to a second edge 211b of the rear side plate 202b, an insertion piece 206 connected to the cover plate 205, and fixing pieces 202c and 202d extending in directions adjacent to the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d. 7, the left side panel 202c and the right side panel 202d have upper flaps 208 respectively connected to an edge 211k facing the third edge 211c of the left side panel 202c and an edge 211l facing the fourth edge 211d of the right side panel 202d, and side flaps 209 respectively extending in a direction adjacent to the front side panel 202a. The blank plate 200 has an overlapping fold 210 extending diagonally from a corner thereof, and the box 200A formed from the blank plate 200 has a rectangular or cubic shape as shown in FIG. 8, and has an opening 220 with one side of the rectangular or cubic shape open, a lid 221 that closes the opening 220, and a storage chamber 222 provided on the inside of the rectangular or cubic shape. The box making apparatus 900B preferably has a fourth robot arm 910C as the robot arm 910 as shown in FIG. 9.

[0058] The blank plate 200 shown in FIG. 7 is a blank plate for a B-type box 200A shown in FIG. 8. Here, the edges and the ruling lines are in the same position, so they are all given the same reference numerals 211 (211a to 211n). The box 200A is assembled using a single cardboard sheet as the blank plate 200. At this time, the exterior of the box 200A has a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the opening 220 on the top surface can be covered with the lid 221, as shown in FIG. 8. As shown in the development view of FIG. 7, when the length of the edge 211a is longer than the length of the edge 211c, the box 200A has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. At this time, the bottom plate 201 has a longitudinal direction 291 and a lateral direction 292. In this embodiment, the length of the edge 211a and the length of the edge 211c may be equal. Furthermore, the height of the front side plate 202a, the height of the rear side plate 202b, the height of the left side plate 202c, and the height of the right side plate 202d may be made equal to the length of the edge 211a and the length of the edge 211c. In this case, the box 200A has a cubic shape.

[0059] It is preferable that the blank plate 200 is mountain-folded at the overlapping fold 210 with the fixing piece 207 fixed to the inside of the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d by gluing or the like, and that the left side plate 202c, the right side plate 202d, the top flap 208, and the side flap 209 are sandwiched between the rear side plate 202b and the cover plate 205 connected to the rear side plate 202b, and the bottom plate 201 and the front side plate 202a connected to the bottom plate 201. Then, in the development view shown in Fig. 6, by valley-folding each of the ruling lines 211 (211a to 211n), the blank plate 200A shown in Fig. 7 can be formed.

[0060] In the blank plate 200, the side flap 209 has a first protrusion 212 protruding toward the front side panel 202a, the folded side panel 204 has a second protrusion 213 on its outer edge opposite the edge 211f that forms the boundary with the upper end panel 203, and the bottom panel 201 has an engagement hole portion 214, and it is preferable that when the left side panel 211c and the right side panel 211d are erected and the side flap 209 is folded toward the storage chamber 222 as shown in Figure 7, the first protrusion 212 can be engaged with the engagement hole portion 214, and when the folded side panel 204 is folded back toward the storage chamber 222 and facing the front side panel 202a, the second protrusion 213 can be engaged with the engagement hole portion 214. When the box is in this locked state, it is no longer necessary to hold the side flaps 209 in place with fingers or a robot arm while folding back the side panels 204, and the side panels 204 can be folded back without the need to hold the side flaps 209 in place. Box-making can be done using a robot arm system with as few as two or three robot arms.

[0061] It is preferable that the front side panel 202a and the folded side panel 204 are folded perpendicular to the grain direction (paper width direction) of the carton.

[0062] The material of the box 200A is not particularly limited, but paper, particularly cardboard, is preferable. When the box 200A according to this embodiment is molded, the product placed inside is not particularly limited, but a glass container, metal container, or plastic container filled with a beverage is preferable. Instead of a container, a small box or an item other than a beverage may be placed. The thickness of the box 200A is preferably 1 to 7 mm, more preferably 1.5 to 5 mm.

[0063] When the box making apparatus 900B is in a mode for making B-type boxes, as shown in Fig. 9, the box making apparatus 900B has a fourth robot arm 910C as the robot arm 910. The fourth robot arm 910C has the robot hand 1 shown in Fig. 1 as an end effector.

[0064] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the plate-shaped portion. When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, it is preferable that the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) further have a rib 44 protruding from at least one of the front and back plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the mutually opposing side edges 4a of the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) as shown in FIG. 10. When making a B-type box, the rib 44 abuts against the outer surface of the side flap 209 (shown in FIG. 7) and folds the side flap 209 toward the storage chamber as the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) move in a direction toward each other. The rib 44 may be provided only on the front plate surface of the front and back plate surfaces, only on the back plate surface, or on both the front and back plate surfaces. The ribs 44 provided on the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the ribs 44 provided on the second plate-shaped portion 42 are preferably parallel to each other.

[0065] When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, the box making device 900B has a fifth robot arm 952 in addition to the fourth robot arm 910C, and the fifth robot arm 952 preferably has a suction unit (not shown). The fifth robot arm 952 is a robot arm for supplying the blank board 200 by suction, and has a suction unit as an end effector. The specifications of the fifth robot arm 952 are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the fifth robot arm 952 is a general-purpose six-axis robot manipulator. The fifth robot arm 952 has a joint, and the position and posture of the suction unit can be changed three-dimensionally by the operation of the joint. The suction unit is, for example, a suction cup. The fifth robot arm 952 also has a role of raising the blank board 200 while suctioning it, thereby making the rear side panel 202b stand up. In the blank board 200, since the fixing pieces 207 (shown in FIG. 7) connected to the rear side plate 202b are fixed to the insides of the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d, respectively, when the rear side plate 202b is erected, the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d are automatically erected. In this way, by providing the fifth robot arm 952, the B-type box 200A can be manufactured more efficiently.

[0066] When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, the box making device 900B has a sixth robot arm (not shown) in addition to the fourth robot arm 910C, and the sixth robot arm preferably has a suction unit. The sixth robot arm is a robot arm for carrying out the made box 200A, and has a suction unit as an end effector. The specifications of the sixth robot arm are not particularly limited, but it is preferably a general-purpose six-axis robot manipulator. The sixth robot arm has a joint, and the position and posture of the suction unit can be changed three-dimensionally by the operation of the joint. The suction unit is, for example, a suction cup.

[0067] FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second example of the box folding jig. When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, the box folding jig 920B preferably has a fixing part 924 for fixing the bottom plate 201 (shown in FIG. 7). The fixing part 924 is preferably a suction mechanism provided on a base surface 925 of the box folding jig 920B. The suction mechanism is, for example, a mechanism for sucking the bottom plate 201 of the blank plate 200 by exhausting air. By fixing the bottom plate 201, the rear side plate 202b can be raised up and the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d can be raised up accordingly more reliably. The fixing part 924 preferably has a structure in which a plurality of suction cups are arranged in parallel, as shown in FIG. 11. Also, when the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, the box folding jig 920B preferably has a frame part 927 for positioning the blank plate 200. The frame portion 927 preferably has a mounting surface 927a for the blank board 200. The base surface 925 may be an imaginary plane passing through the mounting surface 927a as indicated by the dotted line in FIG.

[0068] When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making B-type boxes, the box folding jig 920B preferably has a folding mechanism 926 that pushes the front side panel 202a upward from below. The folding mechanism 926 is a mechanism that reciprocates up and down and is embedded below the base surface 925 of the box folding jig 920B. By moving upward, it pops out from the base surface 925 and pushes the front side panel 202a up to stand it up.

[0069] Next, a method for forming a C-type box using the box forming apparatus 900A will be described with reference to Figs.

[0070] The box-making method according to this embodiment is a box-making method using the box-making apparatus 900A according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and includes a process 1A of taking out one blank plate 100 (shown in FIG. 4) and placing it on a box-folding jig 920 as shown in FIG. 12, a process 2A of raising the side plates 102a, 102b and valley-folding the side flaps 103 (shown in FIG. 4) using a first robot arm 910A and a second robot arm 910B as shown in FIG. 13, and a process 2B of folding the side plates 102a, 102b and valley-folding the side flaps 103 (shown in FIG. 4) into a second pair of boxes as shown in FIG. Step 2A is to bring the side flaps 103 into contact with the surfaces of the side plates 102a on the side of the storage chamber 130 side, and Step 3A is to fold inward a pair of folded side plates 105a (shown in FIG. 4) connected to the second pair of side plates 102a (shown in FIG. 4) via the upper end plate 104a (shown in FIG. 4) to bring the side flaps 103 (shown in FIG. 4) into a state sandwiched between the second pair of side plates 102a and the folded side plates 105a, as shown in FIG. 15. Step 3A is to fold inward a pair of folded side plates 105a (shown in FIG. 4) connected to the second pair of side plates 102a (shown in FIG. 4) via the upper end plate 104a (shown in FIG. 4) to bring the side flaps 103 (shown in FIG. 4) into a state sandwiched between the second pair of side plates 102a and the folded side plates 105a, as shown in FIG. Side Panel 102b (shown in FIG. 4) A pair of folded side plates 105b are connected to the upper end plate 104b via the upper end plate 104b. and step 4A of folding the plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) inward to form a box, as shown in FIG. 13. Step 2A includes step 2A1 of bringing the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) mounted on the first robot arm 910A and the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) mounted on the second robot arm 910B into a state facing each other, and step 2A2 of the power unit 5 bringing the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) (shown in FIG. 1) into a separated or close state so as to bring the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) into a separated or close state, and pressing both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate 101 and the second pair of side plates 102a with the lower end edges 4b of the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42).

[0071] In step 1A, one blank plate 100 is taken out from a carton rack, as shown in Fig. 12. Here, the blank plate 100 is preferably taken out by suction using a suction unit 951a provided on a third robot arm 951.

[0072] In step 2A, as shown in Fig. 13, it is preferable to use the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B to push the bottom plate 101 into the frame portion 922 (shown in Fig. 3) of the box folding jig to erect the side plates 102a, 102b. At this time, the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the first robot arm 910A and the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the second robot arm 910B are made to face each other (step 2A1), and the lower end edges 4b (shown in Fig. 1) of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) press both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate 101 and the second pair of side plates 102a (step 2A2). In step 2A2, the power unit 5 separates or brings the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) closer to each other so that the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 are located at both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate 101 and the second pair of side plates 102a. The boundary between the bottom plate 101 and the second pair of side plates 102a is a portion of the bottom plate 101 adjacent to the bottom ruling line 121a shown in FIG. 4. Also, in step 2A, the side flap 103 is simultaneously pressed against the flap pressing unit 923 and folded in a valley so that the side flap 103 is in contact with the surface of the second pair of side plates 102a on the side of the storage chamber 130. As a result, the bottom ruling lines 121a and 121b (shown in FIG. 4) are sufficiently folded in a valley by the robot arm, and the side plates 102a and 102b are sufficiently erected as shown in FIG.

[0073] In step 2A2, it is preferable that one of the second pair of side plates 102a is pressed by the lower end edge 4b ​​of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the first robot arm 910A, and at the same time, the other of the second pair of side plates 102a is pressed by the lower end edge 4b ​​of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the second robot arm 910B. By simultaneously performing the pressing by the first robot arm 910A and the pressing by the second robot arm 910B, a B-type box can be produced more efficiently.

[0074] In step 3A, as shown in Fig. 15, it is preferable to fold the pair of folded side panels 105a inward using a first robot arm 910A and a second robot arm 910B. At this time, it is preferable to simultaneously fold the folded side panels 105a by the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B. Also, in step 3A, it is preferable that the convex shape 106 provided on the folded side panel 105a is locked into the locking hole 107. This allows the folded side panel 105a to be fixed without continuously pressing the folded side panel 105a with the robot arm.

[0075] 16, the pair of folded side panels 105a and another pair of folded side panels 105b of the blank sheet 100 are folded inward to complete the formation of the box 100A. At this time, the folding may be performed simultaneously by the two robot arms 910A and 910B, or the folding may be performed at different times by the two robot arms 910A and 910B.

[0076] After step 4A, as shown in FIG. 17, the box 100A is carried out by the second robot arm 910B (step 5A). The box 100A is preferably carried out by suction using a suction unit provided on the second robot arm 910B. The box 100A may also be carried out by the first robot arm 910A or the second robot arm 910B by moving the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) away from each other in the storage chamber 130 of the box 100A, pressing the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) against the inner walls of the pair of folded side plates 105a or 105b, respectively, and lifting the box 100A. The carried-out box 100A is placed on a conveyor.

[0077] Next, a method for making a B-type box using the box making device 900B will be described with reference to Figs.

[0078] The box making method according to this embodiment is a box making method using the box making device 900B according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 9, and includes step 1B of taking out one blank plate 200 (shown in FIG. 7) and placing it on a box folding jig as shown in FIG. 18, step 2B of pulling up the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b to erect the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b and also erecting the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d as shown in FIG. 19, step 3B of folding the side flaps 209 towards the storage chamber using the fourth robot arm 910C as shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, step 4B of erecting the front side plate 202a as shown in FIG. 22, and step 5B of folding the folded side plates inward as shown in FIG. 23. 20, the power unit 5 separates the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) from each other, thereby causing the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) to be separated from each other as shown in FIG. 20, and arranging the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) outside the side flap 209; a step 3B2 in which the power unit 5 moves the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) closer to each other, thereby moving the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) in a direction to bring them closer to each other, thereby moving the side flap 209 toward the storage chamber as shown in FIG. 21; and a step 3B3 in which the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) are moved toward the storage chamber to fold the side flap toward the storage chamber.

[0079] 18, in process 1B, one blank plate 200 is taken out from the carton rack and placed on a box folding jig 920. Here, the blank plate 200 is preferably taken out by suction using a suction unit 952a provided on a fifth robot arm 952.

[0080] In step 2B, as shown in Fig. 19, the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b are pulled up to erect the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b, and the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d are also erected. Here, it is preferable to erect the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b by lifting the fifth robot arm 952 while continuing to suck the blank plate 200 from step 1B. In the blank plate 200, the fixing pieces 207 (shown in Fig. 7) connected to the rear side plate 202b are fixed to the insides of the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d, respectively, so that when the rear side plate 202b is erected, the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d are automatically erected.

[0081] In step 3B, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, the side flap 209 is folded towards the storage chamber using the fourth robot arm 910C.

[0082] In step 3B, as shown in FIG. 20, the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 are arranged on the outside of the side flap 209 (step 3B1), and the side flap 209 is moved toward the storage chamber (step 3B2). Then, when the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 approach each other and the side flap 209 is folded to a certain extent, the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 are moved toward the storage chamber, thereby moving the side flap 209 toward the storage chamber (step 3B3). In step 3B3, it is preferable that the first protrusion 12 (shown in FIG. 7) is engaged with the engagement hole portion 14 (shown in FIG. 7). As a result, as shown in FIG. 21, the side flap 209 is fixed at a predetermined position even if the side flap 209 is not continuously held by the robot arm.

[0083] In step 4B, as shown in FIG. 22, it is preferable to use a bending mechanism 926 to push up the front side panel 202a to make it stand up.

[0084] In step 5B, as shown in Fig. 23, the folded side panels are folded inward to form box 200A. When the folded side panels are folded inward, it is preferable that second protrusions 13 (shown in Fig. 7) are engaged with engagement holes 14 (shown in Fig. 7).

[0085] In steps 2B to 5B, the blank plate 200 or the box 200A is preferably fixed by suction from below by a fixing portion 924 (shown in FIG. 11).

[0086] After step 5B, the box 200A is carried out (step 6B) as shown in Fig. 24. The box 200A is carried out by the fourth robot arm 910C moving the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) away from each other in the storage chamber of the box 200A, pressing the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) against the inner walls of the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d, respectively, in a braced state, and lifting the box 200A, or by sucking with a suction part provided on the sixth robot arm (not shown). The carried-out box 200A is placed on a conveyor. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1. Robot Hand 2 Rail 3(31,32) Guide 4(41,42) Plate-shaped part 4a Side edge 4b Bottom edge 5 Power section 9. Base 41A, 42A support part 41B, 42B action part 43 Projection part 44 Ribs 100 blank board 100A Box 101 Bottom plate 103 Side flap 121a,121b Edge 102a,102b side plate 104a,104b Upper end face plate 105a, 105b Folded side panels 106 Convex shape 107 Engagement hole 111 Longitudinal 112 Short side 113a, 113b Inner line 114a, 114b Outer line 130 Containment Room 200 Blank Board 200A Box 201 Bottom plate 202a Front side plate 202b Rear side plate 202c Left side plate 202d Right side plate 203 Upper end face plate 204 Folded side panel 205 Lid plate 206 Insert 207 Fixed piece 208 Top flap 209 Side Flap 210 Polymerization fold 211(211a~211n) Edge 212 First protrusion 213 Second protrusion 214 Engagement hole 220 Opening 221 Lid 222 Containment Room 900(900A,900B) Box making equipment 910(910A,910B,910C),951,952 Robot arm 920(920A,920B) Box folding jig 924 Fixed part 925 Base 926 Folding mechanism 930 Foundations 952a Adsorption part

Claims

1. A robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet into a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, the box making device includes one or two robot arms for a robot hand having the robot hand as an end effector, The robot hand is detachably attached to the robot arm for the robot hand, and includes a slide mechanism having a rail, a pair of guides slidably supported on the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides so as to approach and separate them from each other, and a pair of plate-like parts respectively supported by the pair of guides, The pair of plate-shaped portions have lower end sides extending in a direction in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are arranged side by side, the pair of guides support the pair of plate-like portions so that, when the pair of plate-like portions act on the blank plate in a box-making process, the lower end sides become lower ends of the plate-like portions and so that the heights of the lower end sides in the up-down direction are the same as each other, The pair of plate-like portions are arranged side by side so that their side edges face each other and at least one of the front and back plate surfaces is positioned on the same plane.

2. The robot hand according to claim 1 ; a robot arm for a robot hand having the robot hand at a tip thereof; A box folding tool for folding a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet at a predetermined position; and a base supporting the box folding jig.

3. the robot hand is detachable from the robot arm for the robot hand, 3. The box making device according to claim 2, wherein the box folding jig is detachable from the base.

4. The blank plate has a bottom plate, side plates respectively connected to the four edges of the bottom plate, an upper end plate connected to each side plate, and a folded side plate connected to the upper end plate, and among the side plates, a first pair of opposing side plates have side flaps, and the other, a second pair of side plates do not have side flaps. The box formed from the blank plate has a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, one side of the rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape is open, and the box has a storage chamber inside, the box making device has a first robot arm and a second robot arm as robot arms for the robot hand, The pair of plate-shaped portions have lower end sides extending in a direction in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are arranged side by side, 4. The box making device according to claim 2, wherein the pair of guides support the pair of plate-like portions such that the heights of the bottom ends of the pair of plate-like portions in the up-down direction are the same.

5. The box making device according to claim 4 , wherein the second robot arm further comprises a suction portion.

6. 6. The box making device according to claim 4, wherein the box folding jig has a frame portion that forms a bottom plate area corresponding to the bottom plate, and a flap pressing portion for folding the side flaps.

7. The pair of plate-shaped portions further includes a protrusion portion protruding from at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the lower end edge, The box making device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the protrusion portion provided on one of the pair of plate-like portions and the protrusion portion provided on the other of the pair of plate-like portions have the same height from the bottom edge.

8. the box making device has a third robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand, 8. The box making device according to claim 4, wherein the third robot arm has a suction portion.

9. The blank plate has a bottom plate having four edges, a front side plate connected to a first edge of the bottom plate, a rear side plate connected to a second edge of the bottom plate opposite the first edge, and a left side plate and a right side plate connected to the remaining third and fourth edges of the bottom plate, respectively. The front side plate has a top end plate connected to the edge of the front side plate opposite the first edge and a folded side plate connected to the top end plate. The rear side plate has a cover plate that serves as a cover portion connected to the edge of the rear side plate opposite the second edge, and the cover plate is connected to the cover plate. the left side panel and the right side panel have top flaps respectively connected to an edge of the left side panel facing the third edge and an edge of the right side panel facing the fourth edge, and side flaps respectively extending in a direction adjacent to the front side panel, and have overlapping folds extending obliquely from a corner of the bottom panel on the side of the rear side panel across the left side panel and the top flap, and across the right side panel and the top flap, The box formed from the blank plate has a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, and has an opening on one side of the rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, the lid portion closing the opening, and a storage chamber provided inside the rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, 4. The box making apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a fourth robot arm as a robot arm for the robot hand.

10. The box making device has a fifth robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand, 10. The box making apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the fifth robot arm has a suction portion.

11. the box making device has a sixth robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand, 11. The box making apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sixth robot arm has a suction portion.

12. 12. The box making device according to claim 9, wherein the box folding jig has a fixing portion for fixing the bottom plate.

13. 13. The box making device according to claim 9, wherein the box folding jig has a folding mechanism for pushing the front side panel upward from below.

14. The box making device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the pair of plate-shaped portions further have a rib protruding from at least one of the front and back plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the mutually opposing side end edges of the pair of plate-shaped portions.

15. A box making method using the box making device according to any one of claims 4 to 8, A step 1A of taking out one of the blank plates and placing it on the box folding jig; a step 2A of using the first robot arm and the second robot arm to raise the side panels and fold the side flaps in a valley manner so that the side flaps are in contact with the surfaces of the second pair of side panels facing the storage chamber; A step 3A of folding inward a pair of the folded side panels connected to the second pair of side panels via the upper end panel to sandwich the side flaps between the second pair of side panels and the folded side panels; and step 4A of folding inward a pair of the folded side panels connected to the first pair of side panels via the upper end panel to form the box. The box-making method includes a step 2A1 of bringing the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the first robot arm and the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the second robot arm into a state facing each other, and a step 2A2 of the power unit moving the pair of guides away from or close to each other to bring the pair of plate-shaped parts into a separated or close state, and pressing both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate and the second pair of side plates with the lower edges of the pair of plate-shaped parts.

16. 16. The box-making method according to claim 15, wherein, in step 2A2, one of the second pair of side plates is pushed by the lower end edges of the pair of plate-shaped portions mounted on the first robot arm, while at the same time the other of the second pair of side plates is pushed by the lower end edges of the pair of plate-shaped portions mounted on the second robot arm.

17. 17. The box-making method according to claim 15, wherein in step 2A, the first robot arm and the second robot arm are used to push the bottom plate into a frame portion of the box folding jig to erect the side plates.

18. A box making method using the box making device according to any one of claims 9 to 14, A step 1B of taking out one of the blank plates and placing it on the box folding jig; a step 2B of lifting up the cover plate and the rear side plate to erect the cover plate and the rear side plate and also erecting the left side plate and the right side plate; a step 3B of folding the side flaps toward the storage chamber using the fourth robot arm; Step 4B of raising the front side panel; and step 5B of folding the side panels inward to form the box. The box-making method includes a step 3B1 in which the power unit moves the pair of guides away from each other to place the pair of plate-shaped portions away from each other and position the pair of plate-shaped portions outside the side flap, a step 3B2 in which the power unit moves the pair of guides closer to each other to move the pair of plate-shaped portions in a direction bringing them closer to each other while moving the side flap toward the storage chamber, and a step 3B3 in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are moved toward the storage chamber to fold the side flap toward the storage chamber.

19. A robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet into a box having a rectangular or cubic shape, the box making device includes one or two robot arms for a robot hand having the robot hand as an end effector, The robot hand is detachably attached to the robot arm for the robot hand, and includes a slide mechanism having a rail, a pair of guides slidably supported on the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides so as to approach and separate them from each other, and a pair of plate-like parts respectively supported by the pair of guides, The pair of plate-shaped portions have lower end sides extending in a direction in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are arranged side by side, The pair of guides support the pair of plate-like portions such that the heights of the lower end sides in the up-down direction are the same as each other, A robot hand characterized in that the pair of plate-shaped portions further have a protrusion portion protruding from at least one of the front and back plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the lower end edge.

20. A robot hand as described in Claim 19, characterized in that the protrusion portion provided on one of the pair of plate-like portions and the protrusion portion provided on the other of the pair of plate-like portions have the same height from the lower end edge.

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