Packing equipment

Abstract

To provide a boxing device for smoothly and surely boxing an accumulated article without being caught by a box.CONSTITUTION: A boxing device includes: a bucket conveyor device 12 including a bucket 20 whose bottom face part 25 is tilted along a conveyance direction; a shuttle-connecting rail device 17 arranged on a right side of a conveyance side of the bucket conveyor device and having a product storage part 30 moving forward / backward in a direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction; and a pusher device 18 delivered to the product storage part by pushing out an accumulated article 2 stored in the bucket temporarily stopping at a pulling-out position by a pusher member 46. A conveying surface 31 of the product storage part is tilted in conformance with the bottom face part of the bucket. It is so constituted that the pusher member temporarily stops on a side face side where a box is opened in a state where the product storage part in which the accumulated article is loaded is advanced and present inside the box 3, and the accumulated article on the product storage part can be made to fall down into the box, and is obtainable by backwardly moving the product storage part in a temporarily stopping state thereon.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 12

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a packing machine. [Background technology]

[0002] An example of a boxing device that supplies products from the side of a box with an open side and sets a group of products stacked flat inside the box is the device disclosed in Patent Document 1. The device disclosed in Patent Document 1 is equipped with a supply conveyor that moves forward and backward and up and down so that the discharge end can enter the box, and supplies products one by one to the supply conveyor, inserts the tip of the supply conveyor into the box, and drops the products one by one from the supply conveyor. By gradually raising the tip of the supply conveyor, the next product is dropped on top of the previously supplied product, and multiple products are packed into the box in a flat stack. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 3668889 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The configuration of supplying products one by one into a box, as in the device disclosed in Patent Document 1, is poor in productivity and does not allow for a large number of products to be processed per unit time. Therefore, the inventors came up with the idea of, for example, adding a process of stacking multiple products flat in a previous stage, and supplying the stacked products into the box through a side opening.

[0005] However, with this configuration, for example, if the products are irregularly shaped or are stacked in a misaligned state, the width of the stacked products in a plan view will be wider than the width of each individual product. If the width of the expanded stacked products becomes longer than the width of the open part of the box, the stacked products will get caught on the opening of the box and will not be able to be fed smoothly into the box.

[0006] Furthermore, for example, if the surface of the product is wet, the frictional resistance increases, and the conveying surface does not move forward like a belt conveyor, and when an attempt is made to push out the accumulated products placed on the conveying surface with a pusher member and supply them into a box, the friction with the conveying surface makes it difficult to smoothly push out and supply the accumulated products.

[0007] Furthermore, if the product is soft, for example, and you try to control the position by hitting the product against a stopper or guide, the product may bend, so such position control is not possible. Therefore, even if the product is stacked in a misaligned state as described above, it is difficult to correct the situation.

[0008] The above-mentioned problems are described as being independent of each other, and the present invention does not necessarily have to solve all of the problems described, but it is sufficient if it can solve at least one of the problems. Furthermore, we intend to obtain rights to the configurations for solving these problems separately through divisional applications, amendments, etc. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the packing device of the present invention comprises: (1) a bucket conveyor device having a bucket for storing an accumulated product in which a plurality of products are accumulated; a transfer device arranged on the side of the discharge side of the bucket conveyor device and having a product storage section that moves back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; and a pusher device that uses a pusher member to push out the accumulated products stored in the bucket, which stops temporarily at a position for extraction to the transfer device, and hands them over to the transfer device; the transfer device is configured so that, at the front end position, at least the front side of the product storage section enters the interior of a box whose side is open, and at the rear position, it is located in a position where it can receive the accumulated products pushed out from the bucket waiting at the extraction position; the conveying surface along which the accumulated products in the product storage section move relative to each other is inclined in the left-right direction at least at the part that enters the interior of the box; when the product storage section is at the front end position, the pusher member stops temporarily at the side of the open side of the box, and in this stopped state, the product storage section is moved backward so that the accumulated products on the product storage section can be dropped and supplied into the box.

[0010] The accumulated products pushed out of the bucket by the pusher member are transferred to the product storage section, and as the product storage section moves forward, the accumulated products move forward as well. When the product storage section enters a box with an open side, which is temporarily stopped and waiting ahead of it, the accumulated products also enter the box through the opening. Because at least the portion of the product storage section's conveying surface that enters the box is inclined left and right, the accumulated products positioned on the conveying surface also incline along that inclination. Therefore, when the accumulated products are placed into the box, they can be supplied in an oblique position with one side lifted in the insertion direction. This reduces the width in a plan view, allowing the accumulated products to enter the box smoothly without getting caught on the box.

[0011] Furthermore, when products are supplied into the bucket, they shift back and forth along the conveying direction, causing the stacked products to become wider overall, so that even if the stacked products are pushed in horizontally, they will not fit into the box.However, by tilting the product along the conveying surface of the product storage section, it is possible to insert the products into the box if they are narrower than the width of the opening of the box.

[0012] Then, when the product storage section is moved backward with the pusher member temporarily stopped at the side opening of the box, even if the accumulated products try to move backward with the product storage section, the pusher member is present in the direction of movement, so the accumulated products will, for example, abut against the pusher member and remain there. When the product storage section moves out of the box, only the accumulated products will remain inside the box. Then, since they are no longer supported by the conveying surface of the product storage section, they will fall and rest on the bottom of the box, where they will be packed. In this way, multiple products can be packed at once as they are.

[0013] (2) The bottom of the bucket may be configured with a plurality of free rollers arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. In this way, the products come into line contact with the free rollers, reducing contact resistance and facilitating movement in the inclined direction. Furthermore, when the pusher member pushes out the accumulated products in the bucket waiting at the removal position, the free rollers rotate in the direction of movement of the pushed-out accumulated products, allowing for smooth movement.

[0014] (3) The conveying surface of the product storage section may be configured by a plurality of free rollers arranged in parallel in the direction of movement of the product storage section. This allows for smooth relative movement of the accumulated products with respect to the conveying surface of the product storage section, and allows for smooth movement of the accumulated products from the bucket to the product storage section and smooth supply of the accumulated products from the product storage section into the box.

[0015] (4) The bottom of the bucket has a first space formed along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and open at both ends, and the conveying surface has a second space formed along the movement direction of the product storage section and open at both ends. The first space of the bucket, which is temporarily stopped at the removal position, and the second space can be positioned on the same straight line. The lower end of the pusher member may be provided with a protrusion that can enter the first space and the second space. In this way, when the pusher member is moved forward with the protrusion provided on the lower end of the pusher member inserted into the first space, the protrusion moves while positioned below the bottom surface of the accumulated products, so that the accumulated products can be reliably pushed out of the bucket and moved to the product storage section. Furthermore, because the first space and the second space are positioned on the same straight line, the protrusion of the pusher member that pushes the accumulated products out of the bucket and moves toward the product storage section can enter the second space and move directly within the second space. Therefore, the accumulated products that have been transferred to the product storage section can be reliably pushed out by the pusher member.

[0016] (5) The bottom of the bucket is preferably inclined along the conveying direction, the conveying surface is inclined in the left-right direction along its entire length, and the inclination direction of the conveying surface is the same as the inclination direction of the bottom of the bucket.

[0017] In this way, because the bottom of the bucket is inclined, the multiple products that make up the stack stored in the bucket are inclined along the inclination of the bottom, and the overall length of the stack along the conveying direction is shortened in plan view. The stacked products pushed out of the bucket by the pusher member are transferred to the product storage section, and as the product storage section moves forward, the stacked products move forward accordingly. When the product storage section enters a box with an open side that is temporarily stopped and waiting ahead of it, the stacked products also enter the box through the opening. When the stacked products are placed into this box, they can be supplied in an oblique position with one side lifted in the insertion direction, which shortens the width in plan view, and the stacked products enter the box smoothly without getting caught on the box.

[0018] (6) It is preferable to provide a transfer means for supplying the products into the bucket, the transfer means shifting the supply position of the products along the conveying direction, and the overall length of the stacked products in the conveying direction being shorter than the width of the opening of the box in a plan view when the stacked products are stored in the bucket at an angle, and longer than the width of the opening of the box when the bucket is returned to a horizontal state. In this way, when the stacked products are smoothly inserted into the box together with the product storage section, the product storage section is moved backward to remove it from the box, and the stacked products are dropped and supplied inside the box to be packed, the sides of the stacked products, more specifically, predetermined sides of each of the multiple products constituting the stack, come into contact with the inner surface of the box, and the stacked products are stably held by the reaction force from the inner surface of the box.

[0019] Furthermore, the configurations shown in (1) to (6) above can be configured by combining them as appropriate, and based on such combined configurations, it is advisable to combine the components described in the embodiments and drawings. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the present invention, the accumulated products can be packed smoothly and reliably into the box without getting caught in the box. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a perspective view showing a preferred embodiment of a packing device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] This is a front view. [Figure 4] This is a perspective view (part 1). [Figure 5] This is a perspective view (part 2). [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the state in which the product storage section is in the rear end position. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a front view showing the state in which the product storage section is at the rear end position. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a left side view showing the product storage section in the rear end position. [Figure 9]FIG. 11 is a perspective view (part 1) showing the state in which the product storage section is in the rear end position. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a second perspective view showing the state in which the product storage section is in the rear end position. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the state in which the product storage section is in the rear end position. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a perspective view showing a state in which the product storage section is at a front end position. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the state in which the product storage section is at the front end position. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a left side view showing the state in which the product storage section is at the front end position. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing the state in which the product storage section is at the front end position. [Figure 16] FIG. 4 is an enlarged front view illustrating a pusher member and a bucket. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various changes, modifications, and improvements can be made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0023] 1 to 3 show the overall configuration of the packing device 10 of this embodiment, and Fig. 4 and subsequent Fig. 4 show enlarged portions thereof. For convenience of illustration, some moving components are shown in multiple states on the same drawing. Accordingly, there are also drawings depicting the product 1 in different states at different times in time series on the same screen.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the boxing device 10 of this embodiment includes a product conveying device 11 that conveys products 1 lined up one by one in a row from front to back, a bucket conveyor device 12 that is arranged on the discharge side of the product conveying device 11 and conveys an accumulation 2 consisting of a plurality of products 1 stacked on top of each other, a box conveying device 13 that is arranged on the discharge end side of the bucket conveyor device 12 and conveys boxes 3 with at least one side open, a transfer robot 16 that transfers the products 1 conveyed by the product conveying device 11 to buckets 20 of the bucket conveyor device 12, and a shuttle crossover rail device 17 and a pusher device 18 that supply the accumulation 2 stored in the bucket 20 that is temporarily stopped at the removal position into boxes 3 waiting on the box conveying device 13.

[0025] Product 1 is a flat pouch containing a product, and is a four-sided sealed package formed by sealing the four sides of two overlapping films. This package has a rectangular main body 1a with a strip-shaped sealed portion 1b around the four sides. In this embodiment, water adheres to product 1 during the previous manufacturing process, and the product is transported on product transport device 11 with its surface wet. The surface of main body 1a has an uneven shape that reflects the shape of the food product being packaged.

[0026] The product conveying device 11 includes multiple belt conveyors arranged along the conveying direction, and conveys products 1 one after the other on the conveying surface. This product conveying device 11 uses a shuttle-type pitch changer, and the downstream end of the upstream belt conveyor reciprocates along the conveying direction, moving its downstream end upstream while supplying products 1 one by one onto the downstream suction belt conveyor. That is, when a sensor located at the downstream end of the belt conveyor detects a product 1, the downstream end retracts upstream and supplies the product to the suction belt conveyor. Then, when a predetermined number of products 1 (four in this embodiment) are supplied from the belt conveyor onto the suction belt conveyor, the suction belt conveyor rotates and temporarily stops when the products 1 reach the discharge end area opposite the bucket conveyor device 12. Note that while the preceding and following products 1 are shown conveyed at a constant interval with an equal pitch, in actual conveyance situations, the products may be conveyed with varying intervals depending on the timing of supply from the belt conveyor to the suction belt conveyor.

[0027] The bucket conveyor device 12 is disposed on the left side of the product conveying device 11 in the conveying direction, with the downstream section of the product conveying device 11 overlapping the upstream section of the bucket conveyor device 12. The bucket conveyor device 12 has eight buckets 20 attached to a predetermined endless chain 21 driven in a double loop, and the movement of the buckets 20 is controlled in units of four, arranged front to back. The length of the horizontal section of the bucket conveyor device 12 along the conveying direction is equal to or greater than the total length of the eight buckets 20, allowing all eight buckets 20 to be present on the conveying surface at the same time, as shown in FIG. 1 . In this case, the four upstream buckets 20 pause temporarily on the left side of the conveying line of the product conveying device 11, waiting for the transfer robot 16 to transfer and supply the products 1 from the product conveying device 11. The four downstream buckets 20 wait in appropriate positions to fill and supply boxes 3 waiting on the box conveying device 13.

[0028] The transfer robot 16 includes a suction nozzle 22 and a drive mechanism 23 that moves the suction nozzle 22 up and down and back and forth horizontally between the product transport device 11 and the bucket conveyor device 12. In this embodiment, four suction nozzles 22 are provided, allowing four products 1 to be transferred at once. Specifically, the suction nozzles 22 are attached in pairs to the underside of base members 24, and the drive mechanism 23 moves the suction nozzles 22 together with the base members 24. The two base members 24 are configured to be positioned in a straight line above the transport surface of the product transport device 11, with the spacing between the two suction nozzles 22 attached to each base member 24 being equal to the arrangement pitch of the buckets 20 of the bucket conveyor device 12. The four suction nozzles 22 attached to the front and rear base members 24 positioned in a straight line are also positioned in a straight line and at equal intervals equal to the arrangement pitch of the buckets 20.

[0029] As a result, the product conveying device 11 temporarily stops with four products 1 lined up front and behind in the downstream section of the product conveying device 11 facing the bucket conveyor device 12, where the products 1 wait. Then, in this state, the drive mechanism 23 operates to position the four suction nozzles 22 above the conveying surface of the product conveying device 11, and each suction nozzle 22 is positioned above a respective product 1. The timing at which the suction nozzles 22 reach a predetermined position above the conveying surface and the timing at which the products 1 reach a predetermined position on the conveying surface can be any order. Next, the drive mechanism 23 operates to move the suction nozzles 22 downward, contacting and suctioning the surfaces of the products 1, thereby suction-holding all four products 1 together. Then, while still holding the products 1 by suction, the suction nozzles 22 move to predetermined positions above each bucket 20 of the bucket conveyor device 12. When suction is released in this state, the four products 1 are dropped and supplied into the opposing buckets 20. By repeating this process, the products 1 are stacked in each bucket 20.

[0030] 1 and 4 show a state in which the four suction nozzles 22 are positioned above the conveying surface of the product conveying device 11 while holding the product 1 by suction, and the product 1 is present below the suction nozzles 22 on the conveying surface of the downstream section of the product conveying device 11. However, this simultaneously depicts a state in which the four products 1 are temporarily stopped in a line up in front of and behind the product conveying device 11 in the downstream section, and a state in which the waiting product is picked up by the four suction nozzles 22 and rises. In reality, for example, when the suction nozzles 22 pick up the product 1 on the product conveying device 11 and move upward, there is no product 1 in the downstream section of the product conveying device 11, and after the product is transferred by the suction nozzles 22 to each bucket 20 of the bucket conveyor device 12, the operation is controlled so that the four products 1 are positioned on the conveying surface of the downstream section of the product conveying device 11 until the suction nozzles 22 return to above the downstream section of the product conveying device 11 again or thereafter.

[0031] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the width of the bucket 20 is set to be at least twice the width of the products 1 in the conveying direction, and when the transfer robot 16 supplies the products 1 to the bucket 20, it is controlled so that the products 1 are alternately shifted by one product in the left and right directions. As a result, the products 1 conveyed in a single line on the product conveying device 11 are set in the bucket conveyor device 12 as accumulated products 2 in which a predetermined number of products 1 are lined up in two left and right lines.

[0032] The products 1 transferred onto the same bucket 20 are not necessarily stacked in the same position in a plan view, but are stacked with a shift in the front-to-back or left-to-right direction. Therefore, the stacked products 2 may have a longer width in the conveying direction of the products 1 and / or a longer length along the conveying direction in a plan view.

[0033] Taking into consideration that the planar dimensions of the accumulated product 2 are larger than those of the product 1 alone, the bucket 20 of this embodiment has a larger dimension and shape, with its length in the front-to-back direction along the conveying direction being longer than the front-to-back length of the product 1, so that the product 1 will fit within the bucket 20 even if its supply position varies front to back.

[0034] Furthermore, the bottom surface 25 of the bucket 20 is an inclined surface that rises toward the downstream side in the conveying direction, i.e., toward the front in the direction of travel. This guides the movement of the product 1 toward the rear in the conveying direction under its own weight. The rear wall 26 of the bucket 20 is attached to a predetermined endless chain 21 that forms a double loop, and is configured to stand vertically in the section where the product 1 moves horizontally along the conveying direction. As a result, if the product 1 is guided by the inclined surface of the bottom surface 25 and moves relatively toward the rear in the direction of travel within the bucket 20, it will hit the rear wall 26 and prevent further rearward movement. In this way, the rear wall 26 functions as a positioning guide for the rear side of each bucket 20.

[0035] Near the lower end of the front side of the rear wall 26, a number of first rotating shafts 27a extending diagonally upward and forward are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, and first rollers 27 are rotatably attached to the first rotating shafts 27a. Each first roller 27 is a free roller and is configured to be rotatable around the first rotating shaft 27a. The lower ends of the multiple first rotating shafts 27a are attached to the rear wall 26 at the same height and at the same inclination angle relative to the conveying surface. As a result, the multiple first rotating shafts 27a, and therefore the multiple first rollers 27, are located on the same plane and form part of the bottom surface 25.

[0036] A front support portion 29 is attached to the same endless chain 21 as the paired rear wall portion 26 at a predetermined distance forward of the rear wall portion 26, and is configured to stand vertically during the section moving horizontally along the conveying direction. The front support portion 29 is a generally T-shaped plate when viewed from the front (see FIG. 14, etc.), with the horizontally extending portion of the T-shape bent backward and inclined (see FIG. 16, etc.). The height of this front support portion 29 is lower than the rear wall portion 26 and is configured to correspond to the height position of the front edge side of the bottom surface portion 25. A number of second rotation shafts 28a extending diagonally downward and rearward are arranged in parallel in the left-right direction perpendicular to the conveying direction in an inclined portion near the upper end of the front support portion 29, and second rollers 28 are rotatably attached to the second rotation shafts 28a. Each second roller 28 is a free roller and is configured to rotate about its own axis. The upper ends of the second rotating shafts 28a are attached to the front support portion 29 at the same height, and the inclination angles with respect to the conveying surface are also the same. Furthermore, the first rotating shaft 27a and the second rotating shaft 28a are configured to be positioned on the same straight line, and the first roller 27 and the second roller 28 have the same diameter. As a result, the first roller 27 and the second roller 28 are positioned on the same plane, constituting the bottom surface portion 25.

[0037] The multiple first rollers 27 and second rollers 28 are arranged side by side, intersecting the conveying direction. This allows the product 1 placed on the bottom surface portion 25 to come into line contact with the multiple first rollers 27 and second rollers 28, reducing contact resistance. This makes it easier for the product 1 to move rearward in the conveying direction along the inclination of the first rollers 27 and second rollers 28.

[0038] Furthermore, a predetermined distance is provided between the front end of the first roller 27 and the rear end of the second roller 28, and a predetermined first space 19 is formed between the first roller 27 and the second roller 28, which are positioned on the same line. This first space 19 reaches both the left and right ends of the bucket 20 in the width direction. Furthermore, the length of the first roller 27 in the front-rear direction is shorter than the length of the second roller 28 in the front-rear direction, and the first space 19 is formed rearward of the center position of the bottom surface portion 25 in the front-rear direction.

[0039] Furthermore, in this embodiment, no side guides are provided on either the left or right side in the conveying direction, leaving them open. As a result, the products 1 constituting the accumulated products 2 in the bucket 20 are free to move left, right, and forward in the conveying direction, and when the products 1 attempt to move relatively backward as described above, for example, the products 1 are guided to move smoothly without resistance, allowing for neat alignment, reducing the degree of positional deviation in the conveying direction, and suppressing deformation of the products 1 due to resistance applied during movement.

[0040] When products 1 are supplied to the bucket 20 configured as described above, because the bottom surface 25 is formed as an inclined surface, each product 1 supplied into the bucket 20 is arranged in an inclined manner with the front side in the conveying direction raised in accordance with the inclination angle of the bottom surface 25, and the stacked products 2 are set in a state in which the longitudinal cross section is approximately a parallelogram. Therefore, for example, the length in the front-to-rear direction of the stacked products 2 neatly stacked without any shifting in the front-to-rear direction along the conveying direction in a plan view is shorter than the length in the front-to-rear direction of the products 1. Similarly, the length in the front-to-rear direction of the entire stacked products 2 configured to be stacked with a shift in the front-to-rear direction in a plan view is shorter than the length in the front-to-rear direction of the stacked products 2 when returned to a horizontal position.

[0041] The vicinity of the downstream end of the conveying surface of the bucket conveyor device 12, that is, the position of the leading downstream bucket 20 when eight buckets 20 are lined up as shown in Figure 1 etc., is the extraction position where the accumulated items 2 in the bucket 20 are extracted sideways and handed over to the shuttle crossover rail device 17, and the accumulated items 2 stored in the bucket 20 at that extraction position are pushed out by the pusher device 18, guided by the shuttle crossover rail device 17, moved forward toward the box 3 and supplied into the box 3.

[0042] The shuttle crossover rail device 17 includes a product storage section 30 that stores inclined stacked products 2, and a first movement device 32 that moves the product storage section 30 back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor device 12. The product storage section 30 includes a base plate 35 and a plurality of third rollers 37 that are rotatably supported by the base plate 35. The base plate 35 includes a bottom plate portion 35a and first side wall portions 35b and second side wall portions 35c that are formed by bending both left and right side edge portions of the bottom plate portion 35a and standing them up. The bottom plate portion 35a is formed in a narrow rectangular shape extending in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor device 12, i.e., along the forward and backward movement direction of the shuttle crossover rail device 17, and when the direction of movement toward the box conveying device 13 is defined as the forward direction, a height difference is provided so that the height of the first side wall portion 35b provided on the right edge of the bottom plate portion 35a is high and the height of the second side wall portion 35c provided on the left edge of the bottom plate portion 35a is low.

[0043] Near the lower end of the first side wall portion 35b, a number of third rotation shafts 37a are arranged in parallel in the front-to-rear direction, extending diagonally upward toward the center of the width of the bottom plate portion 35a, and third rollers 37 are rotatably attached to the third rotation shafts 37a. Each third roller 37 is a free roller, configured to be rotatable about the third rotation shaft 37a. The lower ends of the multiple third rotation shafts 37a are attached to the first side wall portion 35b at the same height and with the same inclination angle.

[0044] Furthermore, the inclination angle of this third rotating shaft 37a is set to be equal to the inclination angle of the first rotating shaft 27a, the attachment position of the third rotating shaft 37a to the first side wall 35b is set to be the same as the attachment position of the first rotating shaft 27a of the bucket 20 waiting at the removal position to the rear wall 26, and the lengths of the first roller 27 and the third roller 37 are made equal. As a result, the third roller 37 is positioned on the same plane as the first roller 27 waiting at the removal position, and further the tip positions of the first roller 27 and the third roller 37 are positioned on the same straight line and are aligned in the left-right direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor device 12, i.e., the front-to-rear direction of the product storage section 30.

[0045] Near the upper end of the second side wall portion 35c, a number of fourth rotation shafts 38a are arranged in parallel in the front-rear direction, extending diagonally downward toward the center of the width of the bottom plate portion 35a, and fourth rollers 38 are rotatably attached to the fourth rotation shafts 38a. Each fourth roller 38 is a free roller, and is configured to be rotatable about its own axis of rotation, the fourth rotation shaft 38a.

[0046] The upper ends of the multiple fourth rotating shafts 38a are attached to the second side wall portion 35c at the same height and with the same inclination angle. Furthermore, the third rotating shaft 37a and the fourth rotating shaft 38a are configured to be positioned on the same straight line, and the third roller 37 and the fourth roller 38 have the same diameter. As a result, the third roller 37 and the fourth roller 38 are positioned on the same plane, forming the conveying surface 31 of the product storage section 30. This conveying surface 31 forms a connecting rail, which is a path along which the accumulated products 2 move from the bucket conveyor device 12 to the box conveying device 13. The third roller 37 and the fourth roller 38 that form this connecting rail are free rollers whose rotation axes are perpendicular to the front-to-rear direction. Therefore, when the accumulated products 2 attempt to move relatively forward and backward on the conveying surface 31, the third roller 37 and the fourth roller 38 rotate, allowing the accumulated products 2 to move smoothly with low resistance.

[0047] In addition, the fourth roller 38 is positioned on the same plane as the second roller 28 of the bucket 20 waiting at the removal position, and the tip positions of the second roller 28 and the fourth roller 38 are positioned on the same straight line and are aligned in the left-right direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor device 12, i.e., in the front-to-back direction of the product storage section 30.

[0048] Furthermore, a predetermined second space 39 is formed between the tips of the third roller 37 and the fourth roller 38. This second space 39 reaches both the front and rear ends of the product storage section 30. The second space 39 is located on an extension of the first space 19 of the bucket 20 waiting at the removal position.

[0049] In addition, the first side wall portion 35b of the product storage section 30 is configured to be positioned on the same plane as the rear wall portion 26 of the bucket 20 that is temporarily stopped at the extraction position of the bucket conveyor device 12, and the rear end edge side of the first side wall portion 35b, i.e., the edge on the bucket conveyor device 12 side, forms a guide portion 35d that opens outward.

[0050] The first movement device 32 for moving the product storage section 30 back and forth includes a first guide rail 41 arranged to extend in the front-to-rear direction, a first slider 42 that fits into the first guide rail 41 and moves back and forth, a support column 43 formed upright on the upper surface of the first slider 42, and a first drive motor 44 that serves as a drive source for reciprocating the first slider 42. The output shaft of the first drive motor 44 is connected to the first slider 42 via a predetermined power transmission mechanism, and the first slider 42 moves back and forth along the first guide rail 41 as the output shaft rotates forward and backward. The first drive motor 44 may be, for example, a servo motor.

[0051] The rear end side of the lower surface of the bottom plate portion 35a of the base plate 35 is connected to the upper end surface of the support pillar portion 43. As a result, the first slider 42 and therefore the support pillar portion 43 move forward and backward in response to the output of the first drive motor 44, and the product storage unit 30 also moves forward and backward together. When the product storage unit 30 is in the front end position, the front end portion of the product storage unit 30 can enter the inside of a box 3 waiting in the box transport device 13 (see Figures 4, 9, etc.). When the product storage unit 30 is in the rear end position, the rear end of the product storage unit 30 comes close to the right side of the bucket conveyor device 12.

[0052] The pusher device 18 includes a pusher member 46, a cylinder 47 that raises and lowers the pusher member 46, and a second movement device 48 that moves the cylinder 47 back and forth from the bucket conveyor device 12 to the box transport device 13. The second movement device 48 includes a second guide rail 51 that extends in the front-to-rear direction from the bucket conveyor device 12 to the box transport device 13, a second slider 52 that fits into the second guide rail 51 and moves back and forth, and a second drive motor 54 that serves as a drive source for reciprocating the second slider 52. The output shaft of the second drive motor 54 is connected to the second slider 52 via a predetermined power transmission mechanism, so that the second slider 52 reciprocates along the second guide rail 51 as the output shaft rotates forward and backward. The second drive motor 54 may be, for example, a servo motor.

[0053] The cylinder 47 is attached to the second slider 52 and has a cylinder rod 47a that protrudes downward, with a pusher member 46 attached to the tip of the cylinder rod 47a. As a result, the pusher member 46 is raised and lowered by the reciprocating motion of the cylinder rod 47a. In the raised position, the lower edge of the pusher member 46 is positioned above the upper surface of the accumulated products 2 in the bucket 20, and in the lowered position, the lower edge of the pusher member 46 is close to the bottom surface 25 of the bucket 20. The lower edge of the pusher member 46 is an inclined side that is inclined to correspond to the inclined surface of the bottom surface 25, and the inclination angle is the same as the inclination angle of the bottom surface 25. Furthermore, a rectangular protrusion 46a that protrudes downward is provided at a predetermined position on the lower edge, and is configured so that the protrusion 46a can enter the first space 19 of the bucket 20 when it reaches the lowered position. In this way, even if the product 1 is flat and thin and there is a risk that the product 1 will get into the gap between the lower edge of the pusher member 46 and the bottom surface portion 25, the protruding piece portion 46a that enters the first space portion 19 is located below the bottom surface portion 25, thereby preventing such getting into place and making it possible to push the entire accumulated product 2 forward.

[0054] Furthermore, as the second drive motor 54 rotates forward and backward, the second slider 52 moves forward along the second guide rail 51, and when it reaches the front position, the pusher member 46 enters near the opening of, or preferably inside, the box 3 waiting on the box transport device 13, and when it reaches the rear position, the pusher member 46 is positioned on the left outer side (rear side in the pushing direction of the accumulated products 2) of the bucket 20 of the bucket conveyor device 12. Figure 1 etc. shows both the front position and the rear position.

[0055] The box conveying device 13 conveys the box 3 with both sides and the top open, and waits at the boxing position. Once the predetermined number of products 1 have been packed, the box conveying device 13 operates to intermittently convey the box 3 containing the accumulated products 2, folding the flaps along the way to form the box.

[0056] The boxing device 10 has a control function for performing the following operations, and transfers the products 1 being transported on the product transport device 11 into the buckets 20 of the bucket conveyor device 12 to form accumulated products 2, and then pushes the accumulated products 2 in the buckets 20 out of the buckets 20 using a pusher device 18, and moves on the shuttle crossover rail device 17, pushing them from the side into boxes 3 waiting on the box transport device 13 to pack them into boxes.

[0057] Specifically, the bucket conveyor device 12 first moves the four empty buckets 20 to a position opposite the downstream section of the product transport device 11 and temporarily stops the buckets. The transfer robot 16 operates the four suction nozzles 22 for the temporarily stopped buckets 20, collectively suctioning and holding the first four products on the product transport device 11, and supplies each of them into the corresponding bucket 20. The transfer robot 16 then stacks a predetermined number of products 1 flat while changing the supply position within the bucket 20, forming an accumulated product 2.

[0058] Next, a predetermined number of products 1 are transferred, and when the accumulated products 2 are stored in each of the four buckets 20, the four buckets 20 move forward all at once, pausing when the leading bucket 20 reaches the removal position. The four following empty buckets 20 also move forward and pause when they reach a position opposite the downstream section of the product conveying device 11. As a result, the eight buckets 20 are lined up, connected front to back, on the conveying surface of the bucket conveyor device 12, as shown in FIG. 1 and other figures. For convenience of illustration, FIG. 1 shows the state in which the accumulated products 2 are stored in the eight buckets 20. However, at the moment when the eight buckets 20 are lined up in a row, the front four buckets 20 contain accumulated products 2, while the trailing four buckets 20 do not contain accumulated products 2 and are empty, as described above. Then, as shown below, while the accumulated products 2 stored in the four front buckets 20 are supplied to boxes 3 waiting on the box conveying device 13, the transfer robot 16 transfers the accumulated products 2 to the four empty buckets 20.

[0059] As described above, when the leading bucket 20 of the four front buckets 20 containing accumulated products 2 temporarily stops at the removal position, the second moving device 48 moves the pusher member 46 to the rear position, i.e., to the outer left in the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor device 12, and the cylinder 47 moves the pusher member 46 to a standby position in a lowered position. As a result, the pusher member 46 faces the left side of the accumulated products 2 stored in the first bucket 20 temporarily stopped at the removal position. In addition, the product storage section 30 of the shuttle crossover rail device 17 waits at its rear end position, and the bottom surface 25 of the first bucket 20 and the conveying surface 31 of the product storage section 30 are close to each other and on the same plane.

[0060] Next, the second drive motor 54 rotates, causing the second moving device 48 to move the pusher member 46 forward, which pushes the accumulated products 2 in the bucket 20 forward and transfers them to the conveying surface 31 of the product storage section 30 of the shuttle crossover rail device 17. As the pusher member 46 moves forward, the protruding piece 46a of the pusher member 46 moves within the first space 19 and enters the second space 39 of the product storage section 30. This ensures that all of the multiple products 1 that make up the accumulated products 2 are pushed out of the bucket 20 and transferred to the product storage section 30. As described above, the conveying surface 31 of the product storage section 30 is also an inclined surface having the same inclination angle as the bottom surface 25, so that the accumulated products 2 maintain an inclined posture with each individual product 1 tilted.

[0061] Furthermore, the first moving device 32 and the second moving device 48 cooperate to move the product storage section 30 and the pusher member 46 forward together, and the product storage section 30 enters the box 3 waiting on the box conveying device 13 from the side thereof. The accumulated products 2 on the product storage section 30 move toward the box conveying device 13 following the forward movement of the product storage section 30, and are further pushed forward by the pusher member 46 and move forward on the product storage section 30. As a result, when the product storage section 30 reaches the front end position and the pusher member 46 reaches the forward position, the accumulated products 2 on the product storage section 30 are positioned inside the box 3 together with the product storage section 30.

[0062] Next, the pusher member 46 moves backward through the product storage section 30 while temporarily stopping inside the box 3 at the front position or near the entrance. Then, even if the accumulated products 2 try to move backward together with the product storage section 30, the pusher member 46 prevents this movement. Then, when only the product storage section 30 moves backward and is positioned outside the box 3, the accumulated products 2 are dropped and supplied into the box 3. In this way, multiple products 1 are packed into boxes all at once.

[0063] When the stacked products 2 are inserted into the box 3 together with the product storage section 30, they are positioned at an angle along the conveying surface 31. Therefore, the width of the stacked products 2 perpendicular to the front-to-back direction is narrower than when the stacked products 2 are horizontal in a plan view, allowing them to smoothly enter the box 3 without interfering with the sidewalls. The stacked products 2 are then dropped and supplied as the product storage section 30 retracts, resting on the bottom of the box 3 and shifting to a horizontal position. If the multiple products 1 constituting the stacked products 2 are significantly displaced laterally and the width of the stacked products 2 in the horizontal position is wider than the width of the box 3 (the width in the front-to-back direction along the conveying direction of the box conveying device 13), a predetermined seal portion 1b of one of the products 1 will contact the inner surface of the box 3. However, since the product 1 in this embodiment is a flat pouch and is flexible and bendable, including the main body 1a, it will deform appropriately and fit into the box 3. Even if the main body 1a is relatively hard, the seal portion 1b that contacts the inner surface of the box 3 is soft, allowing it to fit into the box 3 in either case. Furthermore, even if the pouches are wet or the products are irregularly shaped and the product edges of the accumulated products are not aligned in a plan view, they can be packed reliably into a box.

[0064] Since the conveying surface 31 of the product storage section 30 of the shuttle crossover rail device 17 is also a free roller, the accumulated products 2 can be transferred smoothly from the bucket 20 by the pusher member 46. In addition, when the accumulated products 2 are dropped into the box 3 as the product storage section 30 moves backward, they are dropped smoothly without being dragged back.

[0065] Thereafter, the pusher member 46 is displaced to an elevated position by the cylinder 47, and while remaining in that elevated position, is moved backward by the second moving device 48 to return to the rear end position, at which point it is moved downward by the cylinder 47 in preparation for pushing out the next stacked item 2.

[0066] When the accumulated products 2 stored in the first bucket 20 are pushed out by the pusher member 46 described above and transferred to the product storage section 30 of the shuttle crossover rail device 17, the bucket conveyor device 12 moves the front four buckets 20 forward by one bucket's length and pauses when the second bucket 20 reaches the removal position. Therefore, when the pusher member 46 that pushed out the accumulated products 2 stored in the first bucket 20 moves backward, the second bucket 20 is already waiting at the removal position, but because the pusher member 46 is in the raised position during the backward movement as described above, it moves to the rear end position without interfering with the accumulated products 2 stored in the second bucket 20.

[0067] Thereafter, by repeating the above operation, the accumulated products 2 stored in the four front buckets 20 are packed sequentially into boxes 3. Then, when the accumulated products 2 stored in the fourth bucket 20 are pushed out by the pusher member 46, the bucket conveyor device 12 moves the four front buckets 20 to prepare for the transfer of the next product from the product transport device 11.

[0068] In the above-described embodiment, the conveying surface 31 of the product storage section 30 of the shuttle crossover rail device 17 is constructed of free rollers, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the surface may be shaped to be uneven, for example, embossed, or may be made of a material with low contact resistance.

[0069] In the above-described embodiment, the bottom surface 25 of the bucket 20 is inclined downward in the forward direction of the conveyance, but it may be inclined upward in the reverse direction of the conveyance. In this case, the front wall should be formed upright at the forward side of the conveyance, so that the accumulated products 2 are aligned on the front wall side. Furthermore, when the inclination direction is reversed in this way, the inclination of the conveying surface 31 of the product storage section 30 should also be reversed left and right.

[0070] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the drive mechanism 23 of the transfer robot 16 moves the suction nozzle 22 in a reciprocating linear motion between the product conveying device 11 and the bucket conveyor device 12. Therefore, if the products 1 are conveyed at equal intervals back and forth on the product conveying device 11 and are always picked up by the suction nozzle 22 at the same position on the conveying surface of the product conveying device 11, the individual products 1 transferred into the bucket 20 will be stacked in the same position and will not be misaligned in the front-to-back direction along the conveying direction. On the other hand, if the products 1 conveyed by the product conveying device 11 are unevenly spaced back and forth or depending on the box size, the individual products 1 transferred into the bucket 20 will be stacked with a misalignment in the front-to-back direction along the conveying direction, but the amount of misalignment corresponds to the variation in the product conveying device 11 and differs for each accumulated product 2. Therefore, if the amount of misalignment is large, the side of the stacked product 2 may come into contact with the inner surface of the box 3, acting like a spring to fix the stacked product 2 inside the box 3 and prevent the load from falling over, or if the amount of misalignment is small, a gap may form between the side of the stacked product 2 and the inner surface of the box 3.

[0071] Therefore, for example, it is preferable to configure the system so that the sides of the stacked products 2 always contact and are held against the inner surface of the box 3. For example, regardless of variations in the products 1 on the product transport device 11, when transferring using a transfer robot, the products 1 can be stacked with a predetermined length offset forward and backward along the conveying direction of the bucket conveyor device 12. In this case, the predetermined length of offset can be set so that the overall length of the stacked products 2 stored in a tilted state in the bucket 20 is shorter than the width of the open box 3 in a plan view, and longer than the width of the open box 3 when returned to a horizontal state. Furthermore, if the overall length is made longer than the width of the open box 3, it is preferable to configure the seal portion 1b of the product 1 to be curved and act like a spring to secure the stacked products within the box and prevent the load from shifting.

[0072] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the product 1 is a flat pouch and is configured as a package sealed on all four sides, but it may also be a package sealed on three sides horizontally. Furthermore, it is not limited to a flat pouch, but may be one of a predetermined thickness, or may be a package manufactured by various packaging methods or various articles.

[0073] Furthermore, the accumulated product 2 is not limited to being a flat stack of multiple products 1 stacked one on top of the other as in the above-mentioned embodiment, but various forms may be used, such as a sashimi-like stack of products 1 shifted horizontally, or multiple products 1 lined up in the pushing direction by the pusher member 46 without being stacked one on top of the other.

[0074] In the above-described embodiment, the products 1 stored in two rows, one on the left and one on the right, are neatly stacked flat without overlapping each other in the illustrated example. However, it is preferable to stack the products 1 so that the side edges of adjacent products 1 on the left and right overlap each other. This shortens the overall length of the stacked products 2 in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, thereby reducing the size of the box 3. In particular, when the seal width of the seal portion 1b of the products 1 is wide, it is preferable to overlap the seal portions 1b. Furthermore, in some cases, the product 1 is packaged in a manner in which, for example, one side is wider than the others and the name of the product 1 or various designs and advertisements are printed on the wider seal portion 1b. In this case, it is preferable to overlap the wider seal portions 1b. In this case, for example, when the products 1 are conveyed by the product conveying device 11 in the same orientation and with the wider seal portion 1b located on one of the left and right sides, it is preferable to make the base member 24 of the transfer robot 16 rotatable. By making it rotatable in this manner, when the product 1 is picked up by the suction nozzle 22 and transferred to the bucket 20, the base member 24 can be rotated 180 degrees each time, so that the seal portions 1b with the wider seal width of the products 1 supplied to the left and right can be positioned toward the center, respectively.

[0075] In the above-described embodiment, the bottom surface 25 of the bucket 20 is inclined, and the conveying surface of the product storage section 30 of the shuttle crossover rail device 17 is inclined in the same direction along its entire length to match the inclined surface. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the bottom surface 25 of the bucket 20 may be horizontal, or the conveying surface of the product storage section 30 on the receiving side from the bucket 20 may be horizontal accordingly. In this case, the conveying surface of the product storage section 30 may be inclined left and right at the portion entering the box 3, and the inclination angle may gradually increase along the pushing direction toward that portion. As another configuration, for example, the product storage section 30 may be inclined using a cam mechanism or the like to incline the conveying surface before the product storage section 30, which has received the accumulated products 2 from the bucket 20, enters the box 3. In this case, the pusher may be rod-shaped with its tip entering the first space 19 and the second space 39.

[0076] While various aspects of the present invention have been described above using embodiments, it should be noted that these embodiments and descriptions are provided to aid in understanding the present invention, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the structures and manufacturing methods explicitly described in the specification, but also encompasses combinations of various aspects of the present invention disclosed herein. While the structures of the present invention that are sought to be patented are specified in the appended claims, it is hereby expressly stated that structures not currently specified in the claims may be claimed in the future as disclosed herein. [Explanation of symbols]

[0077] 1:Product 2: Accumulation 3:Box 10: Packing device 11: Product conveying device 12: Bucket conveyor device 13: Box conveying device 16: Transfer robot 17:Shuttle crossing rail device 18: Pusher device 19:First space part 20: Bucket 25: Bottom part 27: First roller 28: Second roller 30: Product storage section 31: Conveying surface 32: 1st moving device 37: Third Roller 38: 4th Roller 39:Second space part 46: Pusher member 46a: Protruding piece 48:Second moving device

Claims

1. a bucket conveyor device including a bucket for storing an accumulated product in which a plurality of products are accumulated; a transfer device disposed on the side of the discharge side of the bucket conveyor device and having a product storage section that moves back and forth in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction; a pusher device that pushes out the accumulated products stored in the bucket, which is temporarily stopped at a position where the products are extracted to the transfer device, with a pusher member and transfers the accumulated products to the transfer device; The transfer device is configured such that, at the front end position, at least the front side of the product storage section enters the inside of a box having an open side, and, at the rear position, is positioned at a location where it can receive the accumulated products pushed out from the bucket waiting at the extraction position, The conveying surface on which the accumulated products of the product storage section move relative to each other is inclined in the left-right direction at least at a portion that enters the inside of the box, When the product storage section is in the front end position, the pusher member temporarily stops at the side of the opening of the box, and in this stopped state, the product storage section is moved backward, so that the accumulated products on the product storage section can be dropped and supplied into the box. Packing equipment.

2. 2. The boxing device according to claim 1, wherein the bottom of the bucket is configured with a plurality of free rollers arranged in parallel in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction.

3. The boxing device according to claim 1 , wherein the conveying surface of the product storage section is configured by a plurality of free rollers arranged in parallel in the moving direction of the product storage section.

4. a bottom portion of the bucket having a first space portion formed along a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction and open at both ends; the conveying surface has a second space portion formed along the movement direction of the product storage portion and open at both ends, The first space portion of the bucket temporarily stopped at the extraction position and the second space portion are configured to be positioned on the same straight line, 2. The boxing device according to claim 1, wherein the pusher member has a lower end provided with a protrusion that can enter the first space and the second space.

5. The bottom of the bucket is inclined along the conveying direction, The conveying surface is inclined in the left-right direction over the entire length, and the inclination direction of the conveying surface is the same as the inclination direction of the bottom of the bucket. The packing device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. a transfer means for supplying the product into the bucket; 2. The boxing device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer means shifts the supply position of the products along the conveying direction, so that the overall length of the accumulated products in the conveying direction is shorter than or equal to the width of the opening of the box when stored in the bucket at an angle in a plan view, and is longer than the width of the opening of the box when returned to a horizontal position.

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