Packing equipment

Abstract

To provide a box-packing device that can prevent damages to articles or partitions and pack them more tightly in a box.SOLUTION: A box-packing device is equipped with supply means 50 for placing first and second articles W and a partition D together, which are held by a moving part 52, into a box B. The moving part 52 has a plurality of suction means 56a, 56b that suck the top surfaces of the articles W being conveyed and hold both articles W in a horizontal prone posture with a spacing L between each other, article spacing changing means 61, 63, 65 that expand the spacing L between the articles W by raising the articles W in a horizontal prone posture and changing them into an upright posture, and partition holding means 54 for holding the partition D, which is supported in an upright posture at a predetermined position P1, between the two articles W with an expanded spacing L. The articles W in the upright posture are changed to the horizontal prone posture before being placed in the box B. The partition D is placed in the box B between both articles W in the prone posture, with the upright posture maintained, after the holding by the partition holding means 54 is released.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a boxing device that stores articles in each space inside a box divided by a partition. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a boxing device that divides the interior of a box made of corrugated cardboard or the like with dividers and stores items in each space inside the box divided by the dividers. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a package in which dividers are arranged between the stored items inside the box. For purposes such as restricting the movement of the items inside the box and reducing packaging materials, there is a demand for a package that stores items in the box to reduce the size of the box so that the gap between the side surfaces of the box and the items when the items are stored in the box is reduced, thereby packing the items more tightly.

[0003] Various methods are used for packing the dividers and the articles into boxes. For example, a method may be selected in which the dividers are inserted into the box and then the articles are inserted. This method requires a process for fixing the position of the dividers inside the box, and also requires measures to prevent the dividers from coming into contact with the articles inserted later and being significantly displaced or falling over inside the box, resulting in a complex structure for the entire device.

[0004] Another method for packing boxes is to insert the dividers after placing the items inside the box. In this case, there is a concern that when inserting the dividers into the box, the dividers may bend due to resistance from the items or misalignment of the items, resulting in problems such as improper insertion or damage to the items. This problem tends to become more pronounced the more tightly the items are packed in the box.

[0005] Another method of packing devices is to place the items and the partitions together inside the box, for example, by sandwiching the partitions between the items and pressing the items using an insertion guide or the like. In this case, there is a concern that pressing the items may cause damage or deformation to the items. Therefore, there is a need for a packing device that can prevent damage to the items or the partitions even when packing the items and the partitions more tightly inside the box. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Utility Model Application Publication No. 03-49927 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a boxing device that can prevent damage to articles or dividers and can pack items more tightly into boxes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the packing device of the present invention takes the following measures. First, the invention of claim 1 comprises a moving section (52) including a plurality of suction means (56a, 56b) for suctioning the upper surfaces of first and second articles (W1, W2) that are conveyed and holding the articles (W1, W2) in a horizontally lying position with a distance (L) between them, an article interval change means (61, 63, 65) for raising at least one of the first article (W1) and the second article (W2) held in the horizontally lying position and changing it to an upright position, thereby widening and holding the distance (L) between the first article (W1) and the second article (W2), and a partition holding means (54) for holding a partition (D) supported in an upright position at a predetermined position (P1) between the first article (W1) and the second article (W2) whose distance (L) has been widened by the article interval change means (61, 63, 65), and and a supply means (50) that supplies the first item (W1) and the second item (W2) held at an increased distance by the spacing change means (61, 63, 65) and the partition (D) held by the partition holding means (54) together into a box body (B) by the moving section, wherein the item (W) in the upright position held by the suction means (56a, 56b) is changed to the lying position by the item spacing change means (61, 63, 65) before being placed in the box body (B), and the partition (D) is released from its holding by the partition holding means (54) and placed in the box body (B) while maintaining the upright position between the first item (W1) and the second item (W2) changed to the lying position and the first item (W1) and the second item (W2).

[0009] According to the invention of claim 1, the packing device sucks and holds the first item (W1) and the second item (W2) using the suction means (56a, 56b) provided in the moving section (52), and changes the position of at least one of the items (W) to an upright position using the item spacing change means (61, 63, 65). By putting the items (W) in an upright position, the opposing side ends (W8) of the items (W1, W2) are further separated, creating a larger gap between the first item (W1) and the second item (W2). By widening the gap (L) between the items (W1, W2), interference between the items (W1, W2) and the partition (D) can be prevented when the partition holding means (54) holds the partition (D) between the first item (W1) and the second item (W2). Furthermore, by providing the moving section 52 with the suction means 56a, 56b and the partition holding means 54, the first item W1, the second item W2, and the partition D can be supplied together into the box B while maintaining the upright position of the partition D between the first item W1 and the second item W2. Furthermore, the item W held by suction in the upright position can be inserted into the box B while maintaining the upright position. In this case, the gap S3 between the item W and the side walls B5, B6 inside the box B can be increased, making it easier to prevent interference between the item W entering the box B and the opening edge or side walls B5, B6 of the box B. Therefore, a box B that fits the item W tightly can be selected. Therefore, it is possible to provide a boxing device that can prevent damage to the articles (W) or the partitions (D) and can pack the articles more tightly into boxes.

[0010] Next, the invention of claim 2, which is dependent on claim 1, is characterized in that the item spacing change means (61, 63, 65) changes the item (W) in the upright position to the lying position within the box body (B) so as to reduce the distance (S1) between the item (W) in the upright position and the partition (D), and places the first item (W1), the second item (W2), and the partition (D) on the box body (B).

[0011] According to the invention of claim 2, after passing through the opening of the box body B, the article (W) that has been sucked and held in an upright position is changed by the article spacing change means (61, 63, 65) to return to a horizontal position and is placed inside the box body B together with the partition (D). Therefore, the article (W) can be placed inside the box body B without interfering with the opening edge of the box body B. In other words, it is easier to place the article (W) and the partition (D) inside the box body B and the box can be packed more tightly.

[0012] Next, the invention of claim 3, which is dependent on claim 2, is characterized in that a gap (S3) is formed between the article (W) in the upright position that has been placed into the box body (B) by the supply means (50) and the side wall (B5, B6) inside the box body (B) that faces the article (W), and the article spacing change means (61, 63, 65) changes the article (W) in the upright position inside the box body (B) to the lying position so as to reduce the gap (S3) between the article (W) in the upright position and the side wall (B5, B6) inside the box body (B).

[0013] According to the invention of claim 3, a gap (S3) is left between the article (W) that has entered the box body (B) in an upright position and the side walls (B5, B6) of the box body (B). By returning the article (W) from the upright position inside the box body (B) to a lying position, the gap (S3) between the article (W) and the side walls (B5, B6) becomes smaller, and the article (W) and the partition (D) are placed inside the box body (B). Therefore, the article (W) can be easily placed inside the box body (B) without interfering with the opening edge of the box body (B). In other words, the article (W) and the partition (D) can be more easily placed inside the box body (B) and can be packed more tightly.

[0014] Next, the invention of claim 4, which is dependent on claim 1 or claim 2, is characterized in that, within the box body (B), subsequent items (W) are placed on top of the first item (W1) and the second item (W2) which are placed in the lying position on both sides of the partition (D) which is in the upright position, and the subsequent items (W) are held in the lying position by the suction means (56a, 56b) with a distance (L) between them, and are placed in the upright position by the item distance change means (61, 63, 65) so that the opposing side ends (W8) of the subsequent items (W) are higher, and the distance (L) between the subsequent items (W) is widened, and the subsequent items (W) are supplied into the box body (B) by the supply means (50).

[0015] According to the invention of claim 4, subsequent articles (W) are stacked on top of the first article (W1) and the second article (W2) placed on both sides of the partition (D) in the box (B). The subsequent articles (W) are sucked and held so that their side ends (W8) on the partition (D) side are higher, i.e., in an upright position inclined in a V-shape, and are supplied into the box (B). When subsequent articles (W) to be stacked above the bottom tier are supplied into the box (B), the subsequent articles (W) are placed on both sides of the partition (D) already placed thereon. Even if the position of the upper end of the partition (D) shifts due to some factor inside the box body (B), when stacking subsequent items (W) from the second tier from the bottom onwards, by supplying them into the box body (B) at an inclined V-shape, the upper end of the partition (D) can be guided to the correct position by the underside of the inclined subsequent items (W). [Effects of the Invention]

[0016] The present invention provides a cartoning device that can prevent damage to the items or compartments and can pack items more tightly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic plan view of a packing device according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a front view of the hand unit of the robot. [Figure 3] 3 is a view of the partition supply device of FIG. 1 as seen in the direction of the arrow III. [Figure 4] 10A to 10C are diagrams showing a process of holding an article and a partition by a hand unit. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a process of inserting an article and a partition held by a hand portion into a box body. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a process of releasing the hand unit from holding the article and the partition and placing them inside the box. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a process of inserting the articles to be stored in the second tier from the bottom into the box. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the second lowest article is placed inside the box. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing an example of setting the distance from a partition to a side wall inside a box body. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] This embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. The boxing device according to this embodiment is a device that places (contains) a plurality of articles W and partitions D that are maintained in an upright position between the articles W in a substantially rectangular box B. The articles W are substantially rectangular bagged products that are made by filling and sealing bags with contents such as food.

[0019] 1 and 8, inside the box body B according to this embodiment, a partition D is placed (stored) in an upright position in the center of the box body B in the longitudinal direction so as to divide the internal space of the box body B into two. At this time, both ends of the partition D are in contact with a pair of opposing side panels B3, B4 inside the box body B. The area of ​​each of the internal spaces of the box body B divided by the partition D is set to be approximately the same as or slightly larger than the area of ​​a single item W placed in a horizontal position with its longitudinal direction aligned along the partition D. A plurality of items W are stacked and placed (stored) in each internal space of the box body B divided by the partition D.

[0020] The "standing position" according to the present invention refers to the position when the partition D is supported or held by, for example, the support means 34 or the gripping means 54 (partition holding means) described later, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, or when it is placed on the bottom B7 of the box body B as shown in FIG. 6. The plane of the partition D in the "standing position" is approximately perpendicular to the surface of the bottom B7 of the box body B. The "lying position" and the "standing position" also refer to the position of the article W. The "lying position" includes, for example, a horizontal position or a position slightly inclined from the horizontal when the article W is held by the hand unit 52 (moving unit) described later, as shown in FIG. 2. Furthermore, the "lying position" also includes a flat position or a position slightly inclined from the flat position when the article W is placed (stored) in the box body B or on a conveying surface such as a conveyor. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 4, the "standing posture" is a posture that is more inclined than the lying posture when the article W is held by the hand unit 52, and also includes a posture in which the distance L between the articles W is increased, such as when the inclination angle is 90 degrees.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 1, the packing device includes a first conveying device 10 that conveys items W, a partition supplying device 30 that supplies partitions D to a delivery position P1 (a predetermined position), a robot 50 (supply means) that supplies items W and partitions D to boxes B, and a second conveying device 20 that conveys the boxes B. An item detection means (not shown) and an item orientation detection means (not shown) are disposed near the first conveying device 10. A packing position P2 is set on the second conveying device 20, and partition presser devices 24 are disposed on both side edges of the conveying surface 21 at the packing position P2. The packing device also includes a control unit (not shown) that issues operation commands to each device.

[0022] The first conveying device 10 is a belt conveyor that forms a conveying surface 14 using an endless belt and conveys articles W placed on the conveying surface 14 in a lying position (e.g., a flat position) at predetermined intervals. The conveying surface 14 is transparent to LED light emitted from an article position detection means. A specific area on the conveying surface 14 that is larger than the area on which the articles W are placed is set as an illumination area 14a onto which the LED light is emitted. The article detection means detects each article W conveyed sequentially by the first conveying device 10.

[0023] The article orientation detection means acquires orientation information, etc., of the articles W that are conveyed sequentially. Specifically, the timing of the arrival of the articles W is determined from the article detection information by the article detection means and article feed information from an encoder pulse attached to the first conveying device 10. Then, in accordance with the timing of the arrival of the articles W, LED light is irradiated from the back surface of the conveying surface 14 toward the illumination area 14a, and the light that passes through the belt is detected by a camera disposed above the first conveying device 10, and brightness information of a specific area is analyzed. In this way, the article orientation detection means acquires information about the outline of the articles W and their positions on the conveying surface 14, as well as inclination information of the articles W with respect to the conveying direction X, i.e., how the articles W are oriented relative to the conveying direction X when placed.

[0024] The partition supply device 30 is a device that supplies partitions D to a delivery position P1, and is arranged parallel to the first conveying device 10. The delivery position P1 is a position where a hand unit 52 of a robot 50, which will be described later, grasps and picks up the partitions D, and is adjacent to the boxing position P2 of the second conveying device 20. The partition supply device 30 includes a magazine (not shown) that stores stacked partitions D, a removal means 31 that removes the partitions D stored in the magazine as shown in FIG. 3, a transport means 32 that transports the removal means 31 together with the removed partitions D toward the delivery position P1, a position changing means that changes the position of the partitions D to an upright position, and a support means 34 that supports the partitions D at the delivery position P1.

[0025] The transport means 32 transports the take-out means 31 together with the taken-out partition D toward the delivery position P1. The transport means 32 is composed of an electric slider, and includes a slider body 35 on which the take-out means 31 is disposed, and a linear guide 37. When the electric slider is activated in response to a command from a control unit (not shown), the slider body 35 can be guided by the linear guide 37 and move linearly and repeatedly.

[0026] The removal means 31 is configured to suck and remove the lowest partition D stored in the magazine. The removal means 31 includes a rotation shaft 41 (drive shaft) extending horizontally intersecting the movement direction of the slider body 35, a pair of pivot arms 42 connected at one end to the rotation shaft 41, and an air cylinder 46 disposed on the pivot arm 42. A plurality of first suction devices 45 are disposed on the piston tip 43 of the air cylinder 46. When the air cylinder 46 is actuated in response to a command from the control unit, the plurality of first suction devices 45 can move forward and backward. The removal means 31 is disposed on the slider body 35 and can move integrally with the slider body 35.

[0027] Each first suction device 45 rises due to the extension operation of the air cylinder 46 and comes into contact with the lowest partition D stored in the magazine. When each first suction device 45 comes into contact with the partition D, a suction force is applied to each first suction device 45 in response to an operation switching command from the control unit. This suction force is maintained until the support means 34, which will be described later, clamps the partition D. When the first suction device 45 comes into contact with the partition D and adsorbs it, the first suction device 45 is lowered by the operation of the air cylinder 46, and one of the lowest partitions D is removed from the magazine.

[0028] The partition supply device 30 is equipped with a cam mechanism 38. When the slider body 35 of the transfer means 32 travels toward the delivery position P1, a pair of pivot arms 42 of the take-out means 31 engage with the cam mechanism 38 and rotate. As a result, the partition D sucked by the first suction tool 45 of the take-out means 31 rises as it moves toward the delivery position P1, and assumes an upright position at the delivery position P1. In this way, the configuration for changing the position of the partition D from a lying position to an upright position corresponds to the position changing means.

[0029] At the delivery position P1, there are provided a support means 34 that supports the lower part of the partition D that has been put into an upright position by the position changing means, and a detection means (not shown) that detects the presence or absence of the partition D. The support means 34 is composed of a pair of chuck members that rotate about a rotation shaft 48, and supports the lower end of the upright-positioned partition D by clamping it from both sides. When the support means 34 supports the partition D, the first suction device 45 of the removal means 31 releases the suction of the partition D. Then, after the suction of the partition D has been released, the slider body 35 is returned, which engages the cam mechanism 38 to rotate the pair of rotating arms 42, and the orientation of the first suction device 45 returns to its original position.

[0030] 1, in this embodiment, a robot 50 is disposed adjacent to a delivery position P1 as a supply means. The robot 50 is a scalar robot equipped with an articulated arm 51 and a hand unit 52 (movement unit) rotatably attached to the tip of the arm 51, and is configured so that the hand unit 52 can move freely within its operating range.

[0031] 2, the hand unit 52 includes a main body 53, a gripping means 54 (partition holding means) provided near the center of the lower portion of the main body 53, and a plurality of (two in this embodiment) suction means 56a, 56b arranged opposite and spaced apart on both sides of the lower portion of the main body 53 via the gripping means 54. The hand unit 52 can suck and hold two articles W, one each with the two suction means 56a, 56b, and can also grip a partition D with the gripping means 54.

[0032] The gripping means 54 includes an air slider and a pair of gripping tools 54b disposed on the air slider. The pair of gripping tools 54b can move closer to or farther away from each other when the air slider is actuated by an operation switching command from the control unit. The gripping means 54 is normally in a state in which the gripping tools 54b are spaced apart from each other, and when the air slider is actuated in response to a command from the control unit, the two gripping tools 54b move closer to each other and grip the upper part of the partition D, which is supported in an upright position, from both sides. The gripping means 54 functions as a partition holding means that holds the partition D.

[0033] Each of the suction means 56a, 56b includes a support block 61 made of resin and having a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape, and a plurality of second suction devices 62 arranged at predetermined intervals on the underside of the support block 61. Each of the second suction devices 62 is composed of a bellows with a suction pad formed at the tip thereof. Each of the second suction devices 62 is connected to an air supply source provided on the main body side of the robot 50 via an air flow path formed inside the support block 61. The suction means 56a, 56b are configured to suck air using each of the second suction devices 62 in response to an operation switching command from the control unit.

[0034] These suction means 56a, 56b are configured so that one suction means 56a suctions the top surface of one article W (e.g., the first article W1) among the multiple articles W conveyed by the first conveying device 10, and then the other suction means 56b suctions the top surface of the next article W (e.g., the second article W2), and holds these articles W in a horizontally lying position with a distance L1 between them. The distance L1 between the two articles W (the first article W1 and the second article W2) held in a horizontally lying position is set to be the same dimension as the thickness of the partition D or slightly wider than the thickness of the partition D.

[0035] Here, when the suction means 56a, 56b suction-hold two articles W in a horizontal position, the opposing side ends W8 of the two articles W, i.e., the side end W8 located near the center of the hand unit 52, are referred to as the "inner side end." The distance L between the two articles is the horizontal distance between the inner side ends W8. Furthermore, for each article W, the side end W9 located opposite the inner side end W8, i.e., the side end W9 located on the opposite side, is referred to as the "outer side end." When the article W is placed (stored) in the box B, the inner side end W8 faces the partition D, and the outer side end W9 faces the side walls B5, B6 of the box B.

[0036] Each support block 61 is rotatably supported by a pivot link 65 relative to the main body 53 of the hand unit 52. Furthermore, each support block 61 is connected to an air cylinder 63 disposed on the main body 53 of the hand unit 52. The control unit switches the operation of each air cylinder 63, thereby changing the angle of inclination of the lower surface of the support block 61. Specifically, the support block 61 can be changed between a horizontally lying position, in which the lower surface of the support block 61 is substantially parallel to the conveying surface 14, and an upright position, in which the outer end of each support block 61 is inclined at a predetermined angle so that it is lower than the inner end (the center of the hand unit 52). These configurations function as an article spacing changer, and can raise at least one of the articles W held in the horizontally lying position and change it to an upright position for holding. Furthermore, by changing the articles W to the upright position, the distance L between the articles W held by suction is increased, i.e., the articles W can be held at a distance L2 that is greater than the distance L1 in the horizontally lying position.

[0037] As described above, the hand unit 52 is configured to include the suction means 56a, 56b and the item spacing change means, so that the items W are suctioned and held in a lying position by the suction means 56a, 56b and then changed to an upright position by the item spacing change means. The upright items W held by the suction means 56a, 56b are changed to a lying position by the item spacing change means before being placed (stored) in the box B.

[0038] As shown in Fig. 1, the second conveying device 20 is a belt conveyor that forms a conveying surface 21 using an endless belt and conveys boxes B placed on the conveying surface 21 at predetermined intervals. The second conveying device 20 is disposed so as to cross the first conveying device 10 at an intersection. The second conveying device 20 conveys boxes B with their tops open to a preset packing position P2.

[0039] The partition holding device 24 is a device that maintains the posture of the partition D placed inside the box body B in an upright position at the packing position P2. The partition holding device 24 is equipped with a third suction tool 25 that can suck the side panels B3 and B4 of the box body B from the outside. After the partition D is inserted inside the box body B placed at the packing position P2, the partition holding device 24 sucks the lower parts of the pair of side panels B3 and B4 of the box body B from the outside of the box body B using the third suction tool 25. The suction positions on the side panels B3 and B4 are set, for example, at positions (four locations) that are spaced to the left and right from the position where the partition D makes line contact inside the box body B. In other words, by pressing the lower parts (four locations) of the pair of side panels B3 and B4 from the outside, the contact resistance between the upright partition D and the side panels B3 and B4 inside the box body B increases, thereby stabilizing the position and posture of the partition D.

[0040] The control unit stores and updates, as needed, the detection information of the article W detected by the article detection means, the article feed information obtained from the encoder pulses attached to the first conveying device 10, the information regarding the outline of the article W and the position of the article W on the conveying surface 14 obtained by the article orientation detection means, and the tilt information of the article W with respect to the conveying direction X. The control unit also issues operation commands (control) to the hand unit 52 of the robot 50 and the like based on the information obtained by the article orientation detection means. The control unit also issues operation switching commands (control) to the electric slider 36 and the first suction device 45 of the partition supply device 30. The control unit also issues operation commands (control) to the third suction device 25 of the partition hold-down device 24.

[0041] Next, the flow up to placing (storing) the items W and the partition D in the box B will be explained. As shown in FIG. 1, multiple items W are placed on the conveying surface 14 and conveyed so that the longitudinal direction of the items W faces the conveying direction X of the first conveying device 10. The item detection means detects the arriving items W. The item orientation detection means acquires the outline of the items W, position information of the items W on the conveying surface 14, and inclination information of the items W with respect to the conveying direction X.

[0042] Furthermore, the partition supply device 30 supplies the partition D to the delivery position P1. The partition D is supported in an upright position at the delivery position P1 by the support means 34. Furthermore, the second conveying device 20 conveys the box body B with its top open to the packing position P2.

[0043] The robot 50 (supply means) receives an operation command based on the position information of the article W and the inclination information of the article W with respect to the conveying direction X, rotates the arm 51, and uses one of the suction means 56a in the hand unit 52 to pick up one of the articles W (first article W1) placed on the conveying surface 14. Then, when the next article W (second article W2) arrives, the robot 50 receives an operation command based on the position information of the second article W2 and the inclination information of the second article W2 with respect to the conveying direction X, rotates the arm 51, and uses the other suction means 56b in the hand unit 52 to pick up the second article W2 placed on the conveying surface 14.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 2, the first item W1 and the second item W2 picked up by the hand unit 52 are spaced apart enough to allow insertion through the opening of the box B, i.e., spaced apart by a distance L1, and held by suction in a horizontal position. As shown in FIG. 4, after picking up the first item W1 and the second item W2, the hand unit 52 tilts the lower surfaces of the support blocks 61 of the hand unit 52 to an upright position, thereby suction-holding the first item W1 and the second item W2 with the distance L between them widened (the distance L2 shown in FIG. 4). In this embodiment, the upright position is achieved by tilting the opposing inner side ends W8 of the first item W1 and the second item W2 held by the suction means 56a and 56b by a predetermined angle so that the inner side ends W8 are higher than the opposite (outer) side ends W9. In other words, the positions of the two items W1 and W2 are changed to a generally V-shape.

[0045] Next, the robot 50 rotates the arm 51 to move the hand unit 52, which holds the first item W1 and the second item W2 in a V-shaped position (upright position), above the delivery position P1. As shown in FIG. 4, at the delivery position P1, the partition D is supported in an upright position by the support means 34. The robot 50 lowers the hand unit 52 so that the upper edge of the upright partition D enters the gap (for example, between the side ends W8 that are widened to the distance L2) formed between the first item W1 and the second item W2 held in the upright position by the hand unit 52, and then grips the upper part of the partition D with the gripping means 54.

[0046] When the support means 34 of the partition supply device 30 releases support for the partition D, the robot 50 raises the hand unit 52 and rotates the arm 51 to move the partition D, the first item W1, and the second item W2 above the opening of the box body B placed at the packing position P2. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, the hand unit 52 is lowered to allow the two items W1 and W2, which are maintained in a V-shaped position (upright position), and the partition D, which is maintained in an upright position, to enter the box body B together. A gap S3 is left between the upright position items W1 and W2 that have entered the box body B and the side walls B5 and B6 of the box body B that face the items W1 and W2, respectively.

[0047] 6, the robot 50 uses the item spacing change means to change the upright position of both articles W1 and W2 into a horizontal position so as to reduce the distance S1 between each of the articles W1 and W2 and the partition D within the box B. That is, when the lower ends of the articles W1 and W2, which are held in a V-shaped position, enter the vicinity of the middle of the box B, the robot 50 changes the support block 61 of the hand unit 52 into a horizontal position (lateral position) and aligns the lower surfaces of the articles W1 and W2 so that they are horizontally aligned. Then, the hand unit 52 is lowered until the partition D reaches the bottom B7 of the box B.

[0048] When the partition D reaches the bottom B7, the partition pressing device 24 sucks the lower portions (four locations) of the side panels B3 and B4 of the box body B from the outside of the box body B and presses them inward. Thereafter, the robot 50 releases the gripping (holding) of the partition D by the gripping means 54 and also releases the suction of the two items W1 and W2 by the suction means 56a and 56b. That is, the partition D is released from the gripping means 54 and placed (stored) inside the box body B (bottom B7) with the first item W1 and the second item W2 in a lying position, between the two items W1 and W2, while maintaining an upright position. The partition D placed on the box body B is supported by the items W1 and W2 placed (stored) on the bottom B7 of the box body B, so that the lower end of the partition D can be maintained in an appropriate position even after the support by the hand unit 52 is released.

[0049] Inside the box body B, a first item W1 and a second item W2 are placed (stored) in a horizontal position on both sides of a partition D in an upright position, and subsequent items W are placed (stored) on top of each other. The robot 50 releases its grip (holding) of the partition D and its suction hold of the first item W1 and the second item W2, and then raises the hand unit 52 and moves them out of the box body B. The hand unit 52 is then moved above the first conveying device 10. The robot 50 sequentially picks up the subsequent items W, which are to be stacked in the second and subsequent layers from the bottom, using the suction means 56a, 56b of the hand unit 52, in the same way as the items W1, W2 placed (stored) on the bottom layer inside the box body B. The subsequent items W are held in a horizontal position with a distance L between them.

[0050] 7, the subsequent articles W held by the suction means 56a, 56b are put into an upright position by the article spacing change means so that the opposing side edges W8 of the subsequent articles W are higher, and the spacing L between the subsequent articles W is widened (to the spacing L2 shown in FIG. 7). That is, the subsequent articles W are sucked and held in a V-shaped position. Without grasping the partition D, the robot 50 moves the hand unit 52 above the opening of the box body B, and then lowers the hand unit 52 to allow the two subsequent articles W held in the upright position (V-shaped) to enter the box body B.

[0051] When the lower ends of the two following articles W, which are maintained in a V-shaped position, enter the box body B, the robot 50 sets the support block 61 of the hand unit 52 to a horizontal position (lying down position) and aligns the lower surfaces of the two following articles W so that they are aligned horizontally. Then, as shown in Fig. 8, the hand unit 52 is lowered until the following article W held by the hand unit 52 reaches the upper surfaces of the first article W1 and the second article W2 that were previously placed (contained) in the box body B, and then the suction means 56a, 56b release the suction of the following article W.

[0052] After the robot 50 has released the suction of the two succeeding articles W, it raises the hand unit 52 and moves it outside the box body B. Then, it moves the hand unit 52 again above the first conveying device 10. In other words, the supply of the succeeding articles W from the second tier from the bottom onwards is an operation of packing only the articles W into the box body B without grasping the partitions D, and this is repeated until the number of articles W reaches the stack number.

[0053] <Effects of the embodiment> (1) The packing device uses the suction means 56a, 56b of the hand unit 52 (moving unit) to suction-hold the first item W1 and the second item W2, and also uses the item spacing change means to change the position of the items W1, W2 to an upright position. By changing the position of the items W to an upright position, the opposing side ends (inner side ends W8) of the items W1, W2 are further apart, creating a larger gap between the first item W1 and the second item W2. By increasing the spacing L between the items W1, W2, interference between the items W1, W2 and the partition D can be prevented when the gripping means 54 (partition holding means) holds the partition D between the first item W1 and the second item W2. Furthermore, by providing the hand unit 52 with the suction means 56a, 56b and the gripping means 54, the first item W1, the second item W2, and the partition D can be supplied together into the box B while maintaining the upright position of the partition D between the first item W1 and the second item W2. Furthermore, the items W1 and W2, held by suction in the upright position, can enter the box B while maintaining the upright position. This increases the gap S3 between the items W and the side walls B5 and B6 inside the box B, making it easier to prevent interference between the items W1 and W2 entering the box B and the opening edge or side walls B5 and B6 of the box B. Therefore, a box B with a tighter size can be selected for the items W. This provides a boxing device that can prevent damage to the items W1 and W2 or the partition D and pack the items more tightly. (2) After passing through the opening of box body B, items W1 and W2, which are sucked and held in an upright position, are changed by the item spacing change means to return to a horizontal position and are placed inside box body B together with partition D. Therefore, items W1 and W2 can be placed inside box body B without interfering with the opening edge of box body B. In other words, it is easier to place (store) items W1 and W2 and partition D inside box body B, and they can be packed more tightly. (3) A gap S3 is left between the item W that has entered the box body B in the upright position and the side walls B5, B6 of the box body B. By returning the item W from the upright position inside the box body B to the lying position, the gap S3 between the item W and the side walls B5, B6 becomes smaller, and the item W and the partition D are placed inside the box body B. Therefore, the item W can be easily placed inside the box body B without interfering with the opening edge of the box body B. In other words, the item W and the partition D can be more easily placed inside the box body B and can be packed more tightly. (4) According to the packing device of the above embodiment, subsequent items W are stacked on top of the first item W1 and the second item W2 placed on both sides of the partition D in the box B. The subsequent items W are sucked and held so that their side ends (inner side ends W8) on the partition D side are higher, i.e., in an upright position inclined in a V-shape, and supplied into the box B. When subsequent items W to be stacked above the bottom tier are supplied into the box B, the subsequent items W are placed on both sides of the partition D already placed thereon. Even if the position of the upper end of the partition D inside the box B is shifted for some reason, by supplying the subsequent items W, second from the bottom, and onwards, into the box B at an inclination in a V-shape, the upper end of the partition D can be guided to the appropriate position by the underside of the inclined subsequent items W. (5) By tilting the two articles W held by the hand unit 52 by a predetermined angle to assume a V-shaped upright position, the opposing inner side ends W8 of the two articles W are further apart, forming a larger gap between the two articles W. Furthermore, the distance between the outer side ends W9, which are positioned opposite the inner side ends W8, can be shortened. Therefore, when the two articles W are inserted into the box B while maintaining the V-shaped upright position, a larger gap S3 can be formed between the outer side ends W9 of the two articles W and each inner wall of the box B. Therefore, even if the size of the box B is tight for the articles W, i.e., even if the gap S3 between the articles W and the side walls B5 and B6 of the box B when the articles W are placed (stored) is relatively small, interference between the articles W entering the box B and the opening edge or the side walls B5 and B6 of the box B can be prevented. (6) At the packing position P2, after the partition D is placed on the bottom B7 of the box body B, the partition pressing device 24 presses the lower parts (four locations) of a pair of side panels B3, B4 of the box body B from the outside, thereby increasing the contact resistance between the partition D in an upright position and the side panels B3, B4 inside the box body B, and stabilizing the position and posture of the partition D.

[0054] <Example of change> The present invention is not limited to the configurations described in the above-described embodiments, and various modifications, additions, and deletions are possible within the scope that does not change the gist of the present invention. (1) The packing device according to the present invention can pack items W tightly into a box because, when the items W are placed in a horizontal position inside a box B, the items W themselves are deformable when they come into contact with the side walls B5, B6 or the partition D inside the box B. On the other hand, when packing items W that are difficult to deform, such as small boxes, into a box B, the distance from the partition D to the side walls B5, B6 is preferably set to the distance at which the items W are longest in the horizontal direction (e.g., the diagonal length) as the items W are rotated inside the box B, as shown in FIG. 9. In other words, the distance from the partition D to the side walls B5, B6 is preferably set depending on the material, shape, strength, etc. of the items W. (2) The number and shape of the suction devices provided on the hand unit 52 are appropriately selected depending on the material and shape of the article W to be picked up. (3) The number of articles W picked up by the hand unit 52 may be changed as appropriate. For example, after three articles W placed in a lying position are held in a line, the articles W held on both sides of the hand unit 52 may be tilted, and then the dividers D supported in an upright position may be grasped between each of the articles W. Also, an embodiment in which the articles W are stacked in multiple rows and multiple columns within the box body B may be adopted. (4) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which a gripping means 54 for chucking the partition D was provided as a partition holding means, but instead, the partition D may be adsorbed and held by suction means 56a, 56b. (5) In the above embodiment, the hand unit 52 picks up the article W with the suction means 56a, 56b, and then tilts the article W so that the center of the hand unit 52 is higher and holds it in a V-shaped position. However, for example, the article W may be tilted so that the center of the hand unit 52 is lower and held in an inverted V-shaped position. Also, each article W may be held tilted in the same direction. Also, only one of the articles W may be tilted. (6) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the articles W transported by the first conveying device 10 were sucked and held one by one in sequence by the hand unit 52. However, instead of this, a mode in which multiple articles W are picked up at once can be selected. For example, if the front-to-rear spacing of the articles W transported by the first conveying device 10 is adjusted to the support spacing of the articles W by the hand unit 52, it is also possible to suck and hold and pick up the articles W collectively. (7) In the above embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the support block 61 of the hand unit 52 is tilted by the pivot link 65 is shown. However, instead of this, for example, the support block 61 may be tilted by directly connecting it to the motor shaft or by rotating it via a gear. (8) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the article W held by the suction means 56a, 56b in an upright position is introduced into the box body B and then placed in a horizontally lying position within the box body B. However, the timing for changing the article W from an upright position to a horizontally lying position can be set as appropriate. That is, the article W held in an upright position can be changed to a horizontally lying position by the article spacing change means at any timing before being placed (stored) in the box body B. For example, if the article W is to be placed in a box body B that is relatively large enough for the size of the article W, the article W in an upright position may be placed in a horizontally lying position before being introduced into the box body B, and the article W maintained in the horizontally lying position may then be introduced into the box body B. (9) The conveying device for conveying the article W or the box B is not limited to a belt conveyor, and various conveyors may be used. (10) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the hand unit 52 of the robot 50 was configured as the moving unit to be able to move freely in three-dimensional space, but other configurations may be selected instead of a robot. For example, if a conveying means is employed that conveys the article W so that the orientation of the article W relative to the conveying direction X of the article W is always the same, the moving unit may be configured to move linearly along the horizontal front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions, and pack the article together with the partition D into a box. (11) The gripping means 54 of the hand unit 52 may be configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis. In this case, when the hand unit 52 supplies the partition D into the box body B, the partition D may be rotated about the vertical axis so as to be non-parallel to the side walls B5 and B6 of the box body B, and after the partition D has entered the box body B, the partition D may be rotated about the vertical axis so as to be parallel to the side walls B5 and B6 of the box body B. (12) The item orientation detection means may employ various methods, such as capturing an image of the item W from above with a camera to obtain information on the inclination of the item W relative to the conveying direction X, or detecting the item W with a 3D sensor or the like and processing the image to obtain information on the inclination of the item W relative to the conveying direction X. (13) The articles according to the present invention include various products such as film-packaged products, pouch-packaged products, and products packaged in small boxes. In addition, the shapes of the articles include not only approximately rectangular parallelepiped products, but also flat products and products with non-uniform thickness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] B: Box body B3, B4: Side panels B5, B6: Side walls B7: Bottom of box body D: Partition L: Distance between items P1: Delivery position (predetermined position) P2: Packing position S1: Distance between the item and the partition S3: Gap between the item and the side wall W: Item W1: First item W2: Second item W8: Inner side edge W9: Outer side edge 10: First conveying device 14: Conveying surface 14a: Irradiation area 20: Second conveying device 24: Partition holding device 25: Third suction device 30: Partition supply device 31: Take-out means 32: Transfer means 34: Support means 45: First suction device 50: Robot (supply means) 52: Hand unit (movement unit) 54: Gripping means (partition holding means) 54b: Gripping tool 56a, 56b: Suction means 61: Support block (item spacing change means) 62: Second suction device 63: Air cylinder (item spacing change means) 65: Rotating link (item spacing change means)

Claims

1. a plurality of suction means for respectively suctioning the upper surfaces of the first and second articles that have been conveyed and holding the articles in a horizontal position with a gap between them; an article spacing change means for increasing the spacing between the first article and the second article by raising at least one of the first article and the second article held in the lying position and holding it in an upright position; a moving unit including a partition holding means for holding a partition supported in an upright position at a predetermined position between the first item and the second item whose distance from each other has been increased by the item distance changing means; a supply means for supplying the first and second articles held at an increased interval by the article interval changing means and the partition held by the partition holding means together into the box body by the moving unit, The article in the upright position held by the suction means is changed to the lying position by the article spacing change means before being placed in the box body, A box packing device in which the partition is released from its holding by the partition holding means and placed inside the box body while the upright position is maintained between the first item and the second item that have been changed to the lying position and the first item and the second item.

2. 2. The boxing device according to claim 1, wherein the item spacing change means changes the items in the upright position to the lying position within the box body so as to reduce the distance between the items in the upright position and the partition, and places the first item, the second item, and the partition on the box body.

3. a gap is provided between the article in the upright position that has been placed in the box by the supply means and a side wall of the box facing the article; 3. The boxing device according to claim 2, wherein the item spacing change means changes the upright position of the item within the box to the horizontal position so as to reduce the gap between the upright position of the item and the side wall within the box.

4. In the box body, subsequent articles are stacked on each of the first article and the second article placed in the lying position on both sides of the partition in the upright position, and placed in the box body; 3. The boxing device according to claim 1, wherein the following articles are held in the lying position by the suction means with a gap between them, and are then raised to the upright position by the article spacing change means so that the opposing side ends of the following articles are higher, thereby widening the gap between the following articles, and are then supplied into the box by the supply means.

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