carton opener

Abstract

To solve the problem that since an upper end portion of a side face of a carton is cut at the same height position over the whole periphery by using a cutting blade in a conventional carton opener, an inner flap folded to a lower side of an outer flap remains without being cut off from a side face, it is necessary to open the inner flap by hand, and much time and labor are required for opening operation of the carton.SOLUTION: In the present invention, in a carton opener (1) that a top surface can be opened by cutting an upper end portion of a side surface of a carton (2) over the entire circumference with a cutting blade (41), the upper end portion of the side surface where an inner flap (95) is formed is cut by the cutting blade (41) at a position lower than the upper end portion of the side surface where an outer flap (96) of the carton (2) is formed, and the inner flap (95) is separated from the side surface together with the outer flap (96).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a carton opener that cuts the entire periphery of the upper edge of the side of a carton with a cutting blade, thereby enabling the top surface to be opened. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART Conventionally, parts and raw materials used in manufacturing plants and the like are packed in cartons formed into a rectangular box shape using corrugated cardboard or thick paper and delivered to the plants.

[0003] In manufacturing plants and the like, a large number of cartons packed with parts, raw materials, etc. are brought in, and the top of each carton is mechanically opened using a carton opener.

[0004] This carton opener is capable of processing large quantities of cartons continuously, and uses a cutting blade to cut the top edge of the side of the carton at the same height all around, allowing the top of the carton to be opened (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-190932 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] In the packed carton, outer flaps are formed on the upper end of one pair of opposing sides, and inner flaps are formed on the upper end of the other pair of opposing sides, with the inner flaps folded under the outer flaps and the outer flaps attached together with packing tape.

[0007] Therefore, when the upper edge of the side of the carton is cut at the same height around the entire circumference using a cutting blade, as with the conventional carton opener described above, the inner flap, which is folded lower than the outer flap, will remain without being cut off from the side, making it necessary to open the inner flap by hand, which can require a great deal of time and effort to open the carton. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] Therefore, in the present invention according to claim 1, a carton opener that can open the top surface by cutting the entire periphery of the upper end of the side of the carton with a cutting blade is provided, As a cutting mechanism for cutting the upper side edge of the carton, a cutting unit containing a cutting blade is provided in a cartridge via a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the cutting blade, and is detachably attached to a pressing unit having a belt that presses the upper side edge of the carton and a drive source that rotates the belt, and stock means is provided on which a plurality of cartridges are placed, and the cartridges are capable of adjusting the position of the cutting blade by the position adjustment mechanism depending on whether they are cutting the upper side edge where the outer flap is formed or the upper side edge where the inner flap is formed, and are interchangeable with the plurality of cartridges placed on the stock means. The carton is conveyed from front to rear by the conveying means, and a belt that presses the upper end of the side of the carton from above to below is rotated by a drive source to auxiliarily convey the carton from front to rear, while the upper end of the side of the carton is cut with a cutting blade, and the upper end of the side where the inner flap is formed is cut with the cutting blade at a position lower than the upper end of the side where the outer flap of the carton is formed, thereby cutting off the inner flap together with the outer flap from the side. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] The present invention provides the following effects.

[0012] In other words, in this invention, a carton opener cuts the entire upper edge of the side of a carton with a cutting blade to enable opening of the top surface. The cutting blade cuts the upper edge of the side where the inner flaps are formed at a lower position than the upper edge of the side where the outer flaps of the carton are formed, and the inner flaps are cut off from the side along with the outer flaps.As a result, inner flaps that are folded below the outer flaps can also be cut off from the side of the carton in the same way as the outer flaps, eliminating the need for the manual opening of inner flaps that was previously required, and reducing the time and effort required to open a carton.

[0013] In particular, if the upper ends of a pair of opposing sides on which the inner flaps are formed are cut with a cutting blade, and then the upper ends of a pair of opposing sides on which the outer flaps are formed are cut with a cutting blade, the outer flaps remain formed on the upper ends of the sides of the carton even after the inner flaps are cut, and the cut inner flaps are held down by the outer flaps above them, so that after the inner flaps are cut, only the inner flaps do not fall off from the carton, interfering with the cutting of the outer flaps, and the outer flaps can be cut smoothly after the inner flaps are cut.

[0014] Furthermore, if the cutting blade is housed in the cartridge via a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the cutting blade, and the position of the cutting blade can be adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism when cutting the upper end of the side where the outer flap is formed and when cutting the upper end of the side where the inner flap is formed, the position of the cutting blade can be easily adjusted using the position adjustment mechanism provided in the cartridge depending on whether the outer flap is being cut or the inner flap is being cut. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. [Figure 2] 1A is a front view showing the first cutting unit, and FIG. 1B is a right side view showing the first cutting unit. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a front view of the first cutting unit as seen from the right side, showing the cutting means disposed on the left side of the first cutting unit. [Figure 4] Rear view of the same. [Figure 5] FIG. 1(a) is a left side view, and FIG. 1(b) is a left side cross-sectional view. [Figure 6] A front view of the first cutting unit as seen from the right side, showing the stock means arranged on the left side of the first cutting unit (a rear view of the first cutting unit as seen from the right side, showing the cleaning means arranged on the left side of the first cutting unit). [Figure 7] Same plan view. [Figure 8] (a) is a left side view, and (b) is a right side view. [Figure 9]FIG. [Figure 10] An explanatory diagram showing the cutting position (outer flap side (a) and inner flap side (b)). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] A specific configuration of the carton opener according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0017] As shown in Figure 1, carton opener 1 cuts the entire upper edge of the side of carton 2 while conveying carton 2, enabling the top surface to be opened. Here, carton 2 has rectangular side surfaces on which outer flaps are formed and which extend in the lengthwise and depthwise directions, and rectangular side surfaces on which inner flaps are formed and which extend in the widthwise and depthwise directions, and carton opener 1 cuts the upper edge of each side surface (outer flap, inner flap) so that the top surface (outer flap and inner flap) can be opened.

[0018] This carton opener 1 has an input conveyor 3, a measuring conveyor 4, a first direction changing conveyor 5, a first cutting unit 6, a second direction changing conveyor 7, a second cutting unit 8, and an output conveyor 9 arranged in this order along the transport path of the cartons 2. The input conveyor 3, measuring conveyor 4, first direction changing conveyor 5, first cutting unit 6, second direction changing conveyor 7, second cutting unit 8, and output conveyor 9 are controlled by a control unit (computer) 10.

[0019] The carton opener 1 then transports the carton 2 carried on the input conveyor 3 in the lengthwise direction to the measuring conveyor 4, measures the size (length, width, depth) of the carton 2 on the measuring conveyor 4, turns the transport direction of the carton 2 by 90 degrees on the first direction changing conveyor 5, and transports the carton 2 in the widthwise direction to the first cutting unit 6, cuts the upper end portions of a pair of opposing side surfaces (inner flaps) where the inner flaps of the carton 2 are formed as the carton 2 is being transported by the first cutting unit 6, turns the transport direction of the carton 2 by 90 degrees on the second direction changing conveyor 7, and transports the carton 2 in the lengthwise direction to the second cutting unit 8, cuts the upper end portions of a pair of opposing side surfaces (outer flaps) where the outer flaps of the carton 2 are formed as the carton 2 is being transported by the second cutting unit 8, and transports the carton to the output conveyor 9 to open the top surface (outer and inner flaps) of the carton 2. This carton opener 1 can process a large number of cartons 2 continuously, and even if the sizes of the cartons 2 vary, they can be processed appropriately and efficiently by measuring them with the measuring conveyor 4. The carton opener 1 may accurately measure the size of the cartons 2 with the measuring conveyor 4, or may measure the approximate size with the measuring conveyor 4 and recognize the exact size of the carton 2 with sensors provided in the first and second cutting units 6, 8.

[0020] In this carton opener 1, the first cutting unit 6 and the second cutting unit 8, which cut the upper side edges of the carton 2, have roughly the same configuration, and the configuration of the first cutting unit 6 will be described below. Note that the first cutting unit 6 will be described as cutting the upper left and right side edges of the carton 2 while transporting the carton 2 from front to rear, with the face into which the carton 2 is carried being the front.

[0021] As shown in Figure 2, the first cutting unit 6 has a conveying means 12 arranged in the center of a rectangular box-shaped main frame 11, a pair of cutting means 13 and 14 arranged on the left and right above the conveying means 12, and stocking means 15 and 16 and cleaning means 17 and 18 arranged on the left and right sides of the conveying means 12.

[0022] The conveying means 12 conveys the cartons 2 from the front to the rear.

[0023] This conveying means 12 has a pair of left and right supports 21, 22 that extend up and down attached to the upper part of support frames 19, 20 that extend left and right and are erected on the lower front and rear ends of the main frame 11, and the supports 21, 22 horizontally support a conveyor 23 that extends forward and backward.

[0024] Then, the conveying means 12 conveys the cartons 2 carried into the front end of the conveyor 23 from the front to the rear on the conveyor 23 and carries them out to the rear end of the conveyor 23.

[0025] The cutting means 13 and 14 simultaneously cut the upper end portions of the opposing side surfaces of the carton 2 while the carton 2 is being conveyed by the conveying means 12 .

[0026] The cutting means 13, 14 are configured such that horizontal sliders 29, 30 extending left and right are attached to a support frame 24 extending left and right, erected midway along the upper end of the main frame 11, via a pair of left and right supports 25, 26 (27, 28) extending up and down, vertical sliders 31, 32 extending up and down are attached to the horizontal sliders 29, 30 so that they can move vertically up and down and horizontally left and right, and cutting mechanisms 33, 34 are attached to the lower ends of the left and right vertical sliders 31, 32. As a result, the left and right spacing and vertical height of the cutting mechanisms 33, 34 can be adjusted according to the size of the carton 2 using the left and right horizontal sliders 29, 30 and vertical sliders 31, 32, so that the upper end portions of the left and right side surfaces of the carton 2 can be cut simultaneously by the cutting mechanisms 33, 34.

[0027] In these cutting means 13, 14, the pair of cutting mechanisms 33, 34 provided on the left and right sides have roughly the same configuration, and the configuration of the cutting mechanism 33 provided in the cutting means 13 located on the left side will be described below. Note that the cutting means 13 will be described as cutting the upper end of the side of the carton 2 while transporting the carton 2 from left to right, with the surface viewed from the right side of the first cutting unit 6 being the front.

[0028] As shown in Figures 3 to 5, the cutting mechanism 33 has a support 35 attached horizontally to the lower end of the vertical slider 31, and a cutting section 36 formed on the lower rear side of the support 35 for cutting the upper end of the side of the carton 2, and a pressing section 37 formed on the front end side of the support 35 for pressing the upper corner of the side of the carton 2.

[0029] The cutting section 36 has a connector 38 attached to the lower rear part of the support 35, and a connector 39 attached to the lower end of the connector 38.

[0030] The cutting unit 36 ​​houses a cutting tool 42 having a cutting blade 41 in a cartridge 40 shaped like a hollow rectangular box with openings at the front and rear, via a position adjustment mechanism 43. This position adjustment mechanism 43 can move the cutting tool 42 in the up-down direction, the front-to-back direction, and the up-down rotational direction relative to the cartridge 40. This allows the cutting unit 36 ​​to adjust the position (up-down height, front-to-back projection amount, and tilt angle) of the cutting blade 41 of the cutting tool 42 using the position adjustment mechanism 43. A connecting tool 44 is attached to the upper end of the cartridge 40. The cutting tool 42 is an ultrasonic cutter that applies ultrasonic vibrations to the cutting blade 41 to enable cutting.

[0031] The cutting section 36 is configured so that the cutting blade 41 used in the cutting means 13 (cutting mechanism 33) can be replaced for each cartridge 40 by detachably connecting a connecting device 39 provided on the support 35 side with a connecting device 44 provided on the cartridge 40 side.

[0032] The pressing section 37 has a body 45 extending left and right attached to the lower front end of the support body 35 via a support 46, and has upper pressing tools 47 formed around the body 45 for pressing the upper corners of the side of the carton 2 from above downward, and side pressing tools 48 formed below the body 45 for pressing the upper corners of the side of the carton 2 horizontally (towards the center of the carton 2).

[0033] The upper pressing tool 47 has a pair of front and rear arms 49, 50 (51, 52) attached to the left and right front and rear sides of the body 45, extending laterally, a driven roller 53 attached rotatably between the front and rear arms 49, 50 on the left end via a driven shaft 54 ​​extending forward and backward, and a drive roller 55 attached between the front and rear arms 51, 52 on the right end via a drive shaft 56 extending forward and backward. A drive gear 57 is attached to the drive shaft 56 on the rear side of the drive roller 55, and the drive gear 57 is connected via a drive belt 59 to a drive source 58 attached to the upper right side of the support body 35.

[0034] The upper pressing tool 47 has tension rollers 60, 61 attached to the upper left and right parts of the body 45, and a pressing body 62 made of an elastic body that extends left and right attached to the lower part of the body 45.

[0035] The upper pressing tool 47 has an endless belt 63 rotatably wound around a pressing body 62, a driving roller 55, a driven roller 53, and tension rollers 60 and 61. The upper pressing tool 47 presses the upper corners of the side surfaces of the cartons 2 downward by bringing the belt 63 into contact with the upper surfaces (outer flaps) of the upper corners of the side surfaces of the cartons 2. Moreover, the belt 63 presses the upper corners of the side surfaces of the cartons 2 downward while rotating around the body 45 due to the driving source 58, and also assisted in transporting the cartons 2 from the front to the rear of the first cutting unit 6 (from the left side to the right side of the cutting means 13 (cutting mechanism 33)). As a result, even if the carton 2 encounters resistance when the upper end of the side of the carton 2 is cut by the cutting blade 41 while being conveyed, the carton 2 can be smoothly conveyed by the conveyor 23 of the conveying means 12 and the belts 63 of the cutting means 13, 14.

[0036] The side pressing tool 48 has two brackets 64, 64 extending vertically attached to the left and right rear sides of the body 45 at a distance from each other, and two guide bodies 65, 66 extending horizontally attached to the left and right brackets 64, 64 at a distance from each other. A plurality of cylindrical rollers 67 extending vertically are attached to the guide bodies 65, 66 side by side and rotatably mounted so as to protrude forward. A gap is formed between the left and right guide bodies 65, 65 (66, 66), and the tip end (cutting blade 41) of the cutting tool 42 housed in the cartridge 40 protrudes from the gap forward of the guide bodies 65, 65 (66, 66) and downwardly from the belt 63.

[0037] The side pressing devices 48 press the upper corners of the side surfaces of the cartons 2 in the lateral direction by bringing the rollers 67 of the guide bodies 65, 66 into contact with the side surfaces of the upper corners of the cartons 2. Moreover, the guide bodies 65, 66 are designed so that the rollers 67 roll in the conveyance direction as the cartons 2 are conveyed. This allows the cartons 2 to be conveyed smoothly without being impeded.

[0038] In this way, the cutting means 13, 14 press the upper corners of the opposing side surfaces of the carton 2 being conveyed by the conveying means 12 from above with the upper pressing tool 47 and from the side with the side pressing tool 48, while simultaneously cutting the upper end portions of the opposing side surfaces of the carton 2 with the left and right cutting blades 41, 41 that abut against the conveyed carton 2. Note that the cutting means 13, 14 only need to be able to cut the upper end portions of the side surfaces of the carton 2 with the cutting blade 41 by moving the upper end portions of the side surfaces of the carton 2 relative to the cutting blade 41, and may also be configured so that the cutting blade 41 moves while the carton 2 is stationary.

[0039] The stock means 15, 16 are used to exchangeably store a plurality of (four in this example) cartridges 40 which are detachably mounted on the cutting means 13, 14.

[0040] The stock means 15, 16 are provided on the left and right sides of the conveying means 12 corresponding to the left and right cutting means 13, 14, respectively, and are attached to left and right support frames 68, 69 extending forward and backward and installed between support frames 19, 20 at the lower front and lower rear ends of the main frame 11. The left and right stock means 15, 16 are provided symmetrically on the left and right sides about the conveyor 23 extending forward and backward of the conveying means 12, and have roughly the same configuration, so the configuration of the left stock means 15 will be described below. Note that the stock means 15 will be described assuming that the surface viewed from the right side of the first cutting unit 6 is the front, and that the cartridges 40 are placed on it lined up in the left-right direction (the conveying direction of the cartons 2).

[0041] As shown in Figures 6 to 8, the stock means 15 has a slider 70 that extends left and right attached to the top of a support frame 68, and a support body 72 that is horizontally attached to the top of a slide body 71 that is provided on the top of the slider 70 and can move horizontally left and right.

[0042] The stock means 15 also has a plurality of (four in this case) pistons 73 attached to the front side of the support body 72 at intervals on the left and right, extending up and down, and a platform 75 attached horizontally to the upper end of a lifting rod 74 that can move vertically (up and down) up and down on each piston 73.

[0043] The stock means 15 can place cartridges 40 on each of a plurality of lifting tables 75, and can move the placing tables 75 left and right to preset positions using sliders 70, and can also raise and lower the placing tables 75 at preset positions. In this stock means 15, when the placing tables 75 are raised to a predetermined height at a predetermined position, the placing tables 75 receive cartridges 40 that have been disconnected from the cutting means 13, or connect cartridges 40 that have been placed on the placing tables 75 to the cutting means 13. In addition, in this stock means 15, when the placing tables 75 are lowered to a predetermined height at a predetermined position, the cleaning means 17 cleans the cutting blade 41 of the cartridge 40 placed on the placing tables 75.

[0044] The cleaning means 17, 18 are for cleaning the cutting blades 41 of the cartridges 40 that have been replaced from the cutting means 13, 14 and placed on the stock means 15, 16.

[0045] The cleaning means 17, 18 are provided on the left and right sides of the conveying means 12 corresponding to the left and right cutting means 13, 14 and the stocking means 15, 16, respectively, and are attached to left and right support frames 76, 77 extending forward and backward and installed between support frames 19, 20 at the lower front and lower rear ends of the main frame 11. The left and right cleaning means 17, 18 are provided symmetrically on the left and right sides about the conveyor 23 extending forward and backward of the conveying means 12, and have roughly the same configuration, so the configuration of the left cleaning means 17 will be described below. The cleaning means 17 is provided opposite the stocking means 15, and the face viewed from the left side of the first cutting unit 6 (the back of the stocking means 15) will be described as the front.

[0046] As shown in Figures 6 to 9, the cleaning means 17 has a support 79 attached horizontally to the top of a support frame 76 via a connecting base 78, an inclined base 80 attached to the top of the support 79, and a base 81 attached to the upper end of the inclined base 80, which is inclined in a low front-high rear shape, so that the inclination angle, height, and position can be adjusted.

[0047] The cleaning means 17 also has a cleaning mechanism 82 for cleaning the cutting blade 41 on the left side (right side in Figure 6) of the top surface of a base 81 that is inclined so that it is low in the front and high in the rear, and a supply mechanism 83 on the right side (left side in Figure 6) of the top surface of the base 81 for supplying detergent for cleaning the cutting blade 41 to the cleaning mechanism 82.

[0048] The cleaning mechanism 82 has a slider 84 attached to the left side of the upper surface of the base 81, which extends back and forth, and a cleaning tool 86 attached to the upper front end of a sliding body 85 which is provided on the top of the slider 84 and can move back and forth at an incline (horizontally in the front and rear directions relative to the base 81). This cleaning tool 86 is provided with a pair of upper and lower opening / closing bodies 87, 88 which extend left and right and can be opened and closed up and down, and soft cleaning bodies 89, 90 are attached to the opposing surfaces of each opening / closing body 87, 88 (the lower surface of the upper opening / closing body 87 and the upper surface of the lower opening / closing body 88).

[0049] The cleaning mechanism 82 advances the cleaning tool 86 to a preset position using the slider 84 and closes the upper and lower cleaning bodies 89, 90 using the opening and closing bodies 87, 88 of the cleaning tool 86 to clamp the cutting blade 41 of the cutting tool 42, and moves the cleaning tool 86 back and forth at an angle using the slider 84 to move the cleaning bodies 89, 90 along the cutting blade 41 from the base of the cutting blade 41 to the tip, and cleans the cutting blade 41 by removing chips, adhesives, and other adhesions from both the front and back sides of the cutting blade 41 with the cleaning bodies 89, 90.

[0050] The supply mechanism 83 has a slider 91 attached to the right side of the upper surface of the base 81, which extends forward and backward, and a supply tool 93 attached to the upper front end of a sliding body 92 which is provided on the top of the slider 91 and can move forward and backward at an incline (horizontally forward and backward with respect to the base 81). A tank which stores detergent is connected to this supply tool 93, and a preset amount of detergent is supplied from the tank to the supply tool 93, and is then discharged from a supply needle 94 which is provided on the supply tool 93 and extends forward and backward.

[0051] Then, in the supply mechanism 83, the slider 91 advances the supply tool 93 to a preset position, and the slider 84 of the cleaning mechanism 83 retracts the cleaning tool 86 to a preset position, and the opening and closing bodies 87, 88 of the cleaning tool 86 close the upper and lower cleaning bodies 89, 90 to clamp the supply needle 94 of the supply tool 93, and detergent is supplied from the supply needle 94 to the cleaning bodies 89, 90 that clamp the supply needle 94.

[0052] The first cutting unit 6 is configured as described above, and while the conveying means 12 continuously and intermittently conveys the cartons 2 one by one, the left and right cutting means 13, 14 move up and down and left and right according to the size of each carton 2, and the left and right cutting means 13, 14 simultaneously press the upper end portions of the opposing sides of the carton 2 to cut it.

[0053] In addition, after cutting a preset number of cartons 2, the first cutting unit 6 places the cartridge 40 attached to the cutting means 13, 14 on an empty mounting table 75 of the stock means 15, 16, and attaches the cartridge 40 that was previously placed on the stock means 15, 16 to the cutting means 13, 14, thereby replacing the cartridge 40.

[0054] Furthermore, the first cutting unit 6 cleans the cutting blade 41 of the cartridge 40 placed on the table 75 of the stock means 15, 16 after replacement by the cleaning means 17, 18.

[0055] The replacement of the cartridge 40 and the cleaning of the cutting blade 41 can be performed simultaneously on both the left and right cutting means 13, 14, the stock means 15, 16, and the cleaning means 17, 18, or can be performed independently on both the left and right sides. The cleaning of the cutting blade 41 can also be performed simultaneously with the replacement of the cartridge 40, or simultaneously with the cutting of the carton 2.

[0056] The second cutting unit 8 also cuts the cartons 2, replaces the cartridges 40, and cleans the cutting blades 41, just like the first cutting unit 6. However, while the first cutting unit 6 cuts the upper end of the side of the carton 2 where the inner flap 95 is formed (inner flap 95) as shown in Figure 10(a), the second cutting unit 8 cuts the upper end of the side of the carton 2 where the outer flap 96 is formed (outer flap 96) as shown in Figure 10(b).

[0057] Therefore, the position of the cutting blade 41 of the cutting tool 42 in the first cutting unit 6 is adjusted by the respective position adjustment mechanisms 43 so as to be lower than the position of the cutting blade 41 of the cutting tool 42 in the second cutting unit 8.

[0058] As described above, the carton opener 1 is configured to cut the upper end of the side of the carton 2 where the inner flap 95 is formed with the cutting blade 41 at a position lower than the upper end of the side where the outer flap 96 is formed, thereby separating the inner flap 95 together with the outer flap 96 from the side.

[0059] Therefore, with the carton opener 1 configured as described above, the inner flap 95, which is folded lower than the outer flap 96, can also be cut off from the side of the carton 2 in the same way as the outer flap 96, eliminating the need for the manual opening of the inner flap 95 that was previously required, and reducing the time and effort required to open the carton 2.

[0060] In addition, the carton opener 1 is configured to cut the upper end portions of a pair of opposing sides on which the inner flap 95 is formed with cutting blades 41, 41, and then cut the upper end portions of a pair of opposing sides on which the outer flap 96 is formed with cutting blades 41, 41.

[0061] Therefore, in the carton opener 1 configured as described above, the outer flaps 96, 96 remain formed at the upper end of the side of the carton 2 even after the inner flaps 95, 95 are cut, and the cut inner flap 95 is held down by the outer flaps 96, 96 above it. Therefore, after the inner flap 95 is cut, only the inner flap 95 falls off from the carton 2, without interfering with the cutting of the outer flaps 96, 96, and the outer flaps 96, 96 can be cut smoothly after the inner flaps 95, 95 are cut.

[0062] In addition, the carton opener 1 accommodates the cutting blade 41 in the cartridge 40 via a position adjustment mechanism 43 for adjusting the position of the cutting blade 41, and is configured so that the position of the cutting blade 41 can be adjusted by the position adjustment mechanism 43 when cutting the upper end of the side where the outer flap 96 is formed and when cutting the upper end of the side where the inner flap 95 is formed.

[0063] Therefore, in the carton opener 1 configured as described above, the position of the cutting blade 41 can be easily adjusted using the position adjustment mechanism 43 provided in the cartridge 40 depending on whether the outer flap 96 or the inner flap 95 is being cut.

[0064] The carton opener 1 is also provided with cutting means 13, 14 for moving the upper end of the side of the carton 2 relative to the cutting blade 41 to cut the upper end of the side with the cutting blade 41, and cleaning means 17, 18 for cleaning the cutting blade 41 provided on the cutting means 13, 14.

[0065] Therefore, in the carton opener 1 having the above configuration, even if chips or adhesive adhere to the cutting blades 41 of the cutting means 13, 14 when cutting the cartons 2, the cutting blades 41 can be cleaned by the cleaning means 17, 18, and the upper side edges of a large number of cartons 2 can be cut well.

[0066] In addition, the carton opener 1 is configured such that a cartridge 40 containing a cutting blade 41 is replaceably provided in the cutting means 13, 14, and also provided with stock means 15, 16 for storing the cartridge 40, and after the cartridge 40 is replaced, the cutting blade 41 of the cartridge 40 stored in the stock means 15, 16 is cleaned by cleaning means 17, 18.

[0067] Therefore, in the carton opener 1 having the above configuration, after replacing the cartridge 40, the carton 2 can be cut by the cutting means 13, 14 using the cartridge 40 that was placed on the stock means 15, 16, while the cutting blade 41 of the cartridge 40 placed on the stock means 15, 16 can be cleaned by the cleaning means 17, 18, thereby reducing loss (interruption) of the cutting work by the cutting means 13, 14 and efficiently cleaning the cutting blade 41 by the cleaning means 17, 18.

[0068] In addition, the carton opener 1 is configured so that the cleaning means 17, 18 can open and close a pair of cleaning bodies 89, 90, and can move along the cutting blade 41, and detergent can be supplied to the cleaning bodies 89, 90, and the cutting blade 41 is cleaned by moving the cleaning bodies 89, 90 from the base of the cutting blade 41 toward the tip while holding the cutting blade 41 between the cleaning bodies 89, 90 to which detergent has been supplied.

[0069] Therefore, in the carton opener 1 having the above-described configuration, chips and adhesive adhering to the cutting blade 41 can be removed from the cutting blade 41, and the cutting blade 41 can be cleaned well by the cleaning means 17, 18. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 1 Carton Opener 2 Cartons 3. Intake conveyor 4. Measuring conveyor 5 First turning conveyor 6 First cutting unit 7 Second turning conveyor 8 Second cutting unit 9. Discharge conveyor 10. Control unit 11 main frame 12 conveying means 13,14 Cutting means 15,16 Stocking means 17, 18 Cleaning means 19, 20 Support frame 21, 22 Support 23 Conveyor 24 Support frame 25, 26, 27, 28 Supports 29,30 Horizontal slider 31,32 Vertical slider 33,34 Cutting mechanism 35 Support 36 Cutting section 37 Pressing section 38 Connector 39 Connector 40 Cartridge 41 Cutting blade 42 Cutting tool 43 Position adjustment mechanism 44 Connector 45 Frame 46 Supporting tool 47 Upper pressing tool 48 Side pressure tool 49, 50, 51, 52 Arm 53 driven roller 54 driven shaft 55 Drive roller 56 Drive shaft 57 Drive gear 58 Drive source 59 Drive belt 60,61 Tension roller 62 pressing body 63 belt 64,64 Bracket 65,66 Guide body 67 Roller 68,69 Support frame 70 Slider 71 Slide body 72 support 73 piston 74 Lifting rod 75 Stand 76,77 Support frame 78 Connecting base 79 Support 80 Slope 81 Base 82 Cleaning mechanism 83 Supply mechanism 84 Slider 85 Slide body 86 Cleaning tool 87,88 Opening and closing body 89,90 Cleaning body 91 Slider 92 Slide body 93 Supply tool 94 Supply needle 95 Inner flap 96 Outer flap

Claims

[Claim 1] A carton opener that cuts the entire upper edge of the side of a carton with a cutting blade to open the top surface. As a cutting mechanism for cutting the upper end of the side of the carton, a cutting unit that houses a cutting blade via a position adjustment mechanism for adjusting the position of the cutting blade in a cartridge is detachably provided on a pressing unit that has a belt that presses the upper end of the side of the carton and a drive source that rotates the belt, a stock means on which a plurality of cartridges are placed; The cartridge is configured such that the position of the cutting blade can be adjusted by a position adjustment mechanism depending on whether the cutting blade is to cut the upper end of the side surface where the outer flap is formed or the upper end of the side surface where the inner flap is formed, and is replaceable with a plurality of cartridges placed on the stock means; The carton is conveyed from front to rear by the conveying means, and the upper end of the side of the carton is cut with a cutting blade while the carton is conveyed from front to rear in an auxiliary manner by rotating a belt that presses the upper end of the side of the carton from above to below by a drive source. This carton opener is characterized in that it cuts the upper end of the side surface where the inner flap is formed with a cutting blade at a position lower than the upper end of the side surface where the outer flap of the carton is formed, thereby cutting off the inner flap together with the outer flap from the side surface.

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