Label peeling device for folding containers

Abstract

To provide a label peeling device that can remove a label even when a second side plate to which the label is attached is conveyed in a conveyance direction.SOLUTION: The present invention relates to a label peeling device for a folding container 1, which includes: conveyance means 3 for conveying the folding container 1 in an assembled state with a frame body 5 facing downward; and a spray nozzle 19 that sprays a spray medium onto a label L attached to a second side plate 7. The label L is attached to at least one of second side plates 7 of the folding container 1 in the assembled state, and the conveyance means 3 conveys the folding container such that the second side plate 7 faces the conveying direction. The splay nozzle 19 is provided on a conveyance path of the folding container 1 by the conveyance means. The label peeling device is provided with moving means 20 for moving the splay nozzle 19 between a splay state of splaying the splay medium onto the label L of the second side plate 7 and a retracted state of allowing passage of the folding container 1, and fall-down prevention means 18 that supports the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1 in the assembled state from the inside.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0003] , , , , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a label peeling device for a folding container, and more particularly to a label peeling device for a folding container that removes a label attached to a side plate of a foldable folding container.

Background Art

[0002] Today, folding containers are used in the logistics of goods. The above folding containers can accommodate goods by being assembled during transportation, and can be made into a small volume in a folded state after transportation. As such a folding container, there is known one having a bottom plate, a frame body with an opening formed therein, a foldable first side plate provided between the bottom plate and the frame body and provided at opposite positions, and a second side plate provided between the first side plates and swingably provided with respect to the frame body (see FIG. 3). To change the folding container having the above configuration from an assembled state (FIG. 3(a)) to a folded state, first, the second side plate is tilted inward with respect to the frame body (FIG. 3(b)), and then the first side plate is bent, so that the frame body and the bottom plate approach each other to enter the above folded state (FIG. 3(c)). When transporting goods using the above folding container, a label describing the name of the goods to be accommodated, the destination, etc. is attached to the second side plate of the folding container, and such a label needs to be removed after transportation of the goods. Therefore, a label peeling device for a folding container that injects an injection medium into the folding container to remove the label is used. As such a label peeling device, there is known one including a conveying means for conveying the folding container in an assembled state with the frame body facing downward, and an injection nozzle for injecting an injection medium onto the second side plate to which the label is attached (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

[0004] In the label peeling device described in Patent Document 1, the orientation of the second side plate of the folded container transported by the transport means is set to a direction perpendicular to the transport direction, and for this reason the spray nozzles are provided on both sides of the transport means. However, transporting the folding containers in this manner sometimes caused problems during transport. For example, if the frame of the folding container is provided with an openable and closable lid (see Figure 2), and this lid is located on the same side as the first side plate, transporting the containers with the lids open could cause the lids of adjacent folding containers to interfere with each other. In view of these problems, the present invention provides a label peeling device for a foldable container that can properly remove the label even when the second side plate is transported in the transport direction. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In other words, the label peeling device for a folding container according to claim 1 is a label peeling device for a folding container that peels off a label attached to a folding container having a bottom plate, a frame having an opening formed therein, a foldable first side plate provided between the bottom plate and the frame and positioned opposite to it, and a second side plate provided between the first side plates and pivotably mounted relative to the frame, A label peeling device for a folding container comprises a transport means for transporting the assembled folding container with the frame facing downwards, and a spray nozzle for spraying a spraying medium onto a label attached to the second side plate, A label is affixed to at least one of the second side plates of the assembled folding container, and the transport means transports the folding container so that the second side plate with the label affixed faces the transport direction. The above-mentioned spray nozzle is provided on the transport path of the foldable container by the transport means, The invention is characterized by providing a means for moving the spray nozzle between a spraying state in which the spraying medium is sprayed onto the label of the second side plate and a retracted state that allows the folding container to pass through, and a means for preventing the container from tipping over that supports the second side plate of the assembled folding container from the inside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the above invention, since the second side plate of the folding container is transported facing the transport direction, even if a lid is provided on the folding container as described above, it is possible to prevent the lids of adjacent folding containers from interfering with each other. Furthermore, by moving the spray nozzle to a retracted position using a moving mechanism, contact with the spray nozzle can be prevented even when the foldable container is moved by a transport mechanism. Furthermore, even when the spraying medium is sprayed onto the second side plate by the spray nozzle, the second side plate is supported from the inside by the anti-tilting means. Therefore, the second side plate will not tilt inward due to the high-pressure spraying medium, and the label can be reliably removed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] Front view of the container washing device according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] Perspective view of a folding container [Figure 3] This diagram illustrates the process of transforming a foldable container, which omits the lid, from its assembled state to its folded state. [Figure 4] Front view showing the label peeling position. [Figure 5] Side view showing the label peeling position. [Figure 6] Diagram illustrating the operation in the folded position. [Figure 7] Side view showing the folding position [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] The embodiments of the present invention will now be described based on the drawings. Figure 1 shows a front view of a container washing device 2 for washing a folding container 1. The container washing device 2 is configured to transport the folding container 1 by a transport means 3, and along the transport direction of the transport means 3, there are set positions: a supply position A where an operator places the assembled folding container 1, a first washing position B for washing the folding container 1, a label peeling position C for removing the label attached to the folding container 1, a second washing position D for final washing of the folding container 1, a folding position E for folding the assembled folding container 1, and a discharge position F for removing the folded folding container 1. Furthermore, a housing H is provided to cover the transport means 3 from the first washing position B to the folding position E.

[0009] Using Figures 2 and 3 to illustrate the folding container 1, the folding container 1 consists of a rectangular plate-shaped bottom plate 4, a rectangular frame 5 with an opening 5a formed therein, a foldable first side plate 6 provided between the bottom plate 4 and the frame 5 and positioned opposite each other, a second side plate 7 provided between the first side plates 6 and pivotably mounted relative to the frame 5, and a lid material 8 pivotably mounted on the frame 5 to close the opening 5a. Figure 2 shows the assembled folding container 1, with Figure 2(A) showing the lid 8 in the closed state and Figure 2(B) showing the lid 8 in the open state. The cover material 8 is pivotably mounted on the long side portion of the rectangular frame 5, and when closed, the roughly wave-shaped ends of the cover material 8 interlock to close the opening 5a. On the other hand, when the lid material 8 is swung relative to the frame 5, the opening 5a of the frame 5 becomes open, and the lid material 8 can be opened horizontally relative to the frame 5, as well as open so as to hang down along the first side plate 6.

[0010] Figure 3 shows the procedure for changing the collapsible container 1 in the assembled state to the collapsed state. Fig. 3(a) shows the collapsible container 1 in the assembled state, Fig. 3(c) shows the collapsible container 1 in the collapsed state, and Fig. 3(b) shows the intermediate state. For the sake of explanation, the lid member 8 is omitted in Fig. 3. In Fig. 3, the first side plates 6 are respectively located at the long side portions of the bottom plate 4 and the frame body 5, and their upper and lower end portions are respectively connected to the bottom plate 4 and the frame body 5 so as to be swingable. Also, a hinge 6a for bending the first side plate 6 into a U-shape is provided at the intermediate portion between the bottom plate 4 and the frame body 5 in the first side plate 6. When the collapsible container 1 is in the collapsed state, the first side plate 6 is bent by the hinge 6a and is accommodated between the approaching bottom plate 4 and the frame body 5.

[0011] The second side plates 7 are respectively located at the short side portions of the bottom plate 4 and the frame body 5, and their upper end portions are connected to the frame body 5 so as to be swingable, and their lower end portions are connected to the bottom plate 4 by engaging protrusions or the like not shown. Also, the second side plate 7 is located between the first side plates 6 facing each other in the assembled state, thereby preventing the first side plate 6 from being bent by the hinge 6a and maintaining the assembled state of the collapsible container 1. And in the collapsible container 1 of this embodiment, a label L is attached to one of the two second side plates 7.

[0012] To change the collapsible container 1 having such a configuration from the assembled state to the collapsed state, first, as shown in Fig. 3(b), the second side plate 7 is swung inward of the collapsible container 1. When the second side plate 7 falls until it is parallel to the frame body 5, the second side plate 7 disengages from between the first side plates 6, and the first side plate 6 becomes in a state where it can be bent by the hinge 6a. As the first side plate 6 bends in a U-shape toward the inner side, the upper and lower ends of the first side plate 6 also swing with respect to the bottom plate 4 and the frame body 5, and finally, as shown in FIG. 3(c), the folded first side plate 6 is accommodated between the bottom plate 4 and the frame body 5. In the container washing device 2 of the present embodiment, the folded container 1 in the assembled state is conveyed with the opening 5a facing downward. Therefore, if the second side plate 7 is pressed toward the inner side, the second side plate 7 will fall due to its own weight, and the bottom plate 4 located above will fall while bending the first side plate 6 due to its own weight, so that the folded container 1 can be put into a folded state.

[0013] The conveying means 3 includes a first conveyor 11 provided from the supply position A to the second washing position D, a second conveyor 12 provided from the folding position E and its downstream discharge position F, and a lid material support member 13 (see FIG. 5) for supporting the lid material 8 of the folded container 1 provided along the first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12. The first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12 each include sprockets 11a and 12a provided at both ends, chains 11b and 12b stretched in parallel between these sprockets 11a and 12a, and driving means (not shown) for driving the sprockets 11a and 12a. In this embodiment, the sprocket 11a on the downstream side of the first conveyor 11 and the sprocket 12a on the upstream side of the second conveyor 12 are provided on the same drive shaft, and the first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12 are configured to operate synchronously.

[0014] As shown in FIG. 4, the chains 11b constituting the first conveyor 11 are provided at a required interval, and the portion of the chain 11b that moves upward forms a conveying surface for conveying the folded container 1. As described above, the folding container 1 is placed on the chain 11b with its opening 5a facing downwards. Also, as shown in Figure 5, the lid support member 13 is provided at the height of the transport surface and supports the lid 8, which is open to approximately 180°, from below, so that the lid 8 of the folding container 1 is transported in an open state from the supply position A to the discharge position F.

[0015] Furthermore, each chain 11b of the first conveyor 11 is provided with multiple sets of positioning members 14 at predetermined intervals for positioning the folding container 1. The positioning member 14 is composed of a substantially U-shaped member that protrudes upward from the transport surface, and the distance between a pair of positioning members 14 in the transport direction is set to be approximately the same as the length of the opening 5a of the folding container 1. With this configuration, when the folding container 1 is placed on the first conveyor belt 11 at the supply position A, a set of positioning members 14 are positioned inside the opening 5a of the frame 5.

[0016] A first washing means 15 for washing the assembled folding container 1 is provided at the first washing position B set on the transport means 3 described above, and in this embodiment, two folding containers 1 are stopped at the first washing position B. The first cleaning means 15 described above includes a plurality of spray nozzles 15a and a supply means (not shown) for supplying a spray medium to each spray nozzle 15a, and a cleaning solution containing detergent can be used as the spray medium. The spray nozzles 15a described above are configured to spray a spraying medium onto the outside and inside of the assembled folding container 1. A detailed explanation is omitted, but the number and arrangement of the spray nozzles 15a are suitable for cleaning the folding container 1. Furthermore, the second cleaning position D is provided with a second cleaning means 16 having the same configuration as the first cleaning means 15, and at this second cleaning position D, the folding container 1 is rinsed by spraying water as a spraying medium from the cleaning nozzle 16a.

[0017] A label peeling means 17, which is a label peeling device according to the present invention for removing the label L attached to the folding container 1, is provided at the label peeling position C set on the first conveyor belt 11, and one folding container 1 is set to stop at the label peeling position C. The label peeling means 17 includes a tilt prevention means 18 for preventing the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1 from collapsing while the label L is being peeled off, an injection nozzle 19 for injecting an injection medium onto the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1, a moving means 20 for moving the injection nozzle 19, and a shielding means 21 for preventing the folding container 1 from being damaged by the injected injection medium. As described above, the label L is affixed to one of the second side plates 7 of the folding container 1. At the supply position A, the second side plate 7 with the label L attached is placed facing the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport means 3. As a result, at the label peeling position C, the label L is located on the downstream side in the transport direction of the folding container 1.

[0018] The above-mentioned anti-collapse means 18 includes a downstream anti-collapse member 18a that contacts the second side plate 7 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the folding container 1 from the inside, and an upstream anti-collapse member 18b that contacts the second side plate 7 on the upstream side in the transport direction from the inside. The downstream tilt prevention member 18a is composed of a pair of parallel plate-shaped members, as shown in Figure 5, and is located between the chains 11b that make up the first conveyor belt 11. Furthermore, the shape of the tip of the downstream tilt prevention member 18a is such that when it contacts the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1 from the inside, the downstream tilt prevention member 18a and the second side plate 7 make line contact in the vertical direction. Furthermore, a drive shaft 18c is connected to the base end of the downstream tilt prevention member 18a, and the drive shaft 18c is provided below the conveying surface of the first conveying conveyor 11 and is driven by a motor 18d provided outside the housing H. By swinging the downstream tilt prevention member 18a around the drive shaft 18c, the tip of the downstream tilt prevention member 18a protrudes above the conveying surface and contacts the second side plate 7 from the inside, and the entire downstream tilt prevention member 18a moves to a retracted state where it is retracted below the conveying surface.

[0019] The upstream tilt prevention member 18b, like the downstream tilt prevention member 18a, is provided between the chains 11b that make up the first conveyor belt 11, and is driven by a motor (not shown) that drives a drive shaft 18e provided at its base end, so that it can move between a contact state in which it abuts the second side plate 7 from the inside and a retracted state in which it is retracted below the conveying surface. In this embodiment, the upstream tilt prevention member 18b is a bent rod-shaped member, and when the upstream tilt prevention member 18b is positioned in the activated state, the tip of the upstream tilt prevention member 18b contacts the second side plate 7 on the upstream side in the transport direction of the folding container 1 from the inside. Furthermore, the shape of the upstream tilt prevention member 18b may be the same as that of the downstream tilt prevention member 18a, and the upstream tilt prevention member 18b may be omitted if the positioning is properly performed by the positioning member 14 provided on the first conveyor belt 11.

[0020] The spray nozzle 19 is located on the transport path of the folding container 1 by the first transport conveyor 11, and is positioned adjacent to the downstream side of the position where the folding container 1 stops at the label peeling position C. Furthermore, the spray nozzle 19 in this embodiment sprays the spraying medium toward the upstream side in the transport direction, thereby peeling off the label L attached to the downstream side of the foldable container 1 in the transport direction. As described above, since the spray nozzle 19 in this embodiment is provided on the transport path of the folding container 1, it moves vertically up and down by the moving means 20, so that it moves between a spraying state in which the spraying medium is sprayed onto the label L of the second side plate 7 and a retracted state that allows the folding container 1 to pass. The injection nozzle 19 in this embodiment consists of a nozzle body 19a connected to a supply means (not shown) and a plurality of nozzles 19b provided on the nozzle body 19a. By fixing the nozzles 19b facing in multiple directions, the injection medium is dispersed and ejected. The above-mentioned spray nozzle 19 sprays water as a spraying medium at high pressure to remove the label L attached to the second side plate 7, but a mixture of liquid, gas, or powder may also be used as the spraying medium.

[0021] The moving means 20 includes a rotating shaft 20a provided above and below the first conveyor belt 11, a motor 20b provided outside the housing H to drive the rotating shaft 20a, a chain 20c stretched between sprockets provided on each of the upper and lower rotating shafts 20a, and a holding member 20d provided on the chain 20c to which the nozzle body 19a of the injection nozzle 19 is fixed. With the above configuration, when the motor 20b drives the rotating shaft 20a, the injection nozzle 19 moves up and down in conjunction with the holding member 20d. When the moving means 20 positions the spray nozzle 19 in the retracted position, the folding container 1 being transported by the transport means 3 can pass below the spray nozzle 19. On the other hand, when the moving means 20 lowers the spray nozzle 19 from the retracted position, the spraying medium sprayed by the spray nozzle 19 is sprayed into the foldable container 1, and the moving means 20 lowers the spray nozzle 19 to a lowered position near the height of the transport surface as shown by the dashed line in Figure 4.

[0022] As shown in Figure 4, the shielding means 21 is provided at a position adjacent to the downstream side in the transport direction of the folded container 1 when it stops at the label peeling position C, and consists of a plate-shaped shielding plate 21a and a driving means 21b that moves the shielding plate 21a up and down. The shielding plate 21a is provided so as to be able to swing around a drive shaft that constitutes a drive means 21b located below the conveying surface of the first conveying conveyor 11. The drive means 21b moves the shielding plate 21a between a shielded state in which it protrudes above the conveying surface and a retracted state in which it is retracted below the conveying surface. More specifically, when the shielding plate 21a is in the shielding position, it is positioned between the spray nozzle 19, which has descended to its lowered position, and the connecting portion between the frame 5 of the folding container 1, which has stopped at the label peeling position C, and the second side plate 7. In this way, it is possible to prevent the connection between the frame 5 and the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1 from being damaged by the spray medium sprayed at high pressure from the spray nozzle 19. When the injection nozzle 19 is retracted to its retracted position, the shielding plate 21a also moves to a retracted position below the transport surface, and even when the folding container 1 is moved by the first transport conveyor 11 thereafter, collision with the shielding plate 21a is prevented.

[0023] Next, the folding mechanism 31 provided at the folding position E will be described using Figures 6 and 7. Figure 6 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the folding mechanism 31, and Figure 7 is a side view of the folding position E. The second conveyor 12, which passes through the folding position E, is not equipped with a positioning member 14 like the first conveyor 11. The folding container 1, which has been cleaned by the second cleaning means 16, is transferred from the first conveyor 11 to the second conveyor 12 while maintaining its assembled state.

[0024] The folding mechanism 31 includes a bottom plate support mechanism 32 that supports the bottom plate 4, a positioning mechanism 33 that positions the folding container 1 together with the bottom plate support mechanism 32, and a pressing mechanism 34 provided above that presses the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1 inward. The bottom plate support means 32 includes a bottom plate support member 35 provided at a position adjacent to the downstream side in the transport direction of the folded container 1 which has been stopped at the folded position E by the second transport conveyor 12, and a moving means 36 for moving the bottom plate support member 35. As shown in Figure 7, the bottom plate support member 35 is composed of a pair of parallel members, and as shown in Figure 6, a hook-shaped support portion 35a is formed at its tip. The moving means 36 consists of a drive shaft 36a that swings the bottom plate support member 35 and a motor 36b that drives the drive shaft 36a, and the drive shaft 36a is provided below the conveying surface of the chain 12b that constitutes the second conveying conveyor 12.

[0025] With this configuration, when the motor 36b drives the drive shaft 36a, the bottom plate support member 35 swings and moves between a supported state (Figures 6(a) to (d)) where it protrudes above the conveying surface and supports the bottom plate 4, and a retracted state (Figure 6(e)) where it is retracted below the conveying surface. In the assembled state of the folding container 1 described above, a step is formed between the bottom plate 4 and the second side plate 7. Specifically, the bottom plate 4 has protruding portions 4a in the front-rear direction relative to the second side plate 7 (see Figure 6(A)). When the bottom plate support member 35 is in the supported position, the support portion 35a of the bottom plate support member 35 is located below the protruding portion 4a of the bottom plate 4, thereby preventing the bottom plate 4 from falling.

[0026] The positioning means 33 is provided on the upstream side in the transport direction of the folded container 1 which has been stopped at the folded position E by the second transport conveyor 12, and comprises a swingable positioning member 37 and a moving means 38 for moving the positioning member 37. The moving means 38 consists of a drive shaft 38a that swings the positioning member 37 and a motor (not shown) that drives the drive shaft 38a, and the drive shaft 38a is provided below the conveying surface of the chain 12b that constitutes the second conveying conveyor 12. With this configuration, when the drive shaft 38a is driven by the motor, the positioning member 37 swings and moves between a retracted state where it is moved downwards from the conveying surface (Figures 6(a) and 6(e)) and a positioning state where it protrudes upwards from the conveying surface and contacts the folding container 1 from the upstream side in the conveying direction (Figures 6(b) to 6(d)). When the positioning member 37 is in the positioning state, the frame 5 of the folding container 1 is sandwiched between it and the bottom plate support member 35, which is in the support state, from the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction, thereby preventing the folding container 1 from shifting position.

[0027] The pressing means 34 is provided above the folding container 1 which has been stopped at the folding position E by the second conveyor belt 12, and comprises a pair of swingably mounted pressing members 39 and a moving means 40 for moving the pressing members 39. As shown in Figure 6, the pressing member 39 is provided to press the second side plates 7 on the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction of the folding container 1, and as shown in Figure 7, the pressing member 39 is composed of a pair of parallel members. The pressing member 39 has a roughly V-shaped bend, and as shown in Figure 6(c), it is shaped such that the pressing member 39 and the bottom plate 4 do not come into contact when the second side plate 7 is pressed inward. The moving means 40 consists of a drive shaft 40a that swings the pressing member 39 and a motor 40b that drives the drive shaft 40a, and the drive shaft 40a is located above the folding container 1 that is transported by the second conveyor belt 12. With this configuration, when the drive shaft 40a is driven by the motor 40b, the pressing member 39 swings and moves between a retracted state where it is moved upward above the folding container 1 (Figure 6(a)(b)(d)(e)) and a pressed state where it presses the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1 inward (Figure 6(c)). When the pressing member 39 is positioned in the retracted position, the assembled folding container 1 can be moved to the folding position E without contacting the pressing member 39. When the pressing member 39 is moved to the pressed position, the tip of the pressing member 39 presses the second side plate 7 inward towards the folding container 1.

[0028] The operation of the container washing device 2 having the above configuration will be described below. First, the worker assembles the used folding container 1 and places it on the supply position A of the transport means 3 with the frame 5 facing downwards. At this time, a pair of positioning members 14 provided on the first conveyor belt 11 are placed inside the opening 5a formed in the frame 5 of the folding container 1, thereby positioning the folding container 1. Furthermore, the worker places the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1 with the label L attached facing the downstream side in the transport direction of the transport means 3, and also opens the lid material 8, and places each lid material 8 on top of the lid material support member 13 provided along the transport means 3.

[0029] The first conveyor belt 11 moves the foldable container 1, which is placed at supply position A, to the first washing position B while maintaining its assembled state. At this time, the lid material 8 is supported from below by the lid material support member 13, so that the lid material 8 is transported while remaining open. Then, as the folding container 1 intermittently moves to and stops at two first washing positions B, multiple spray nozzles 15a constituting the first washing means 15 spray the spraying medium at each stopping position to wash the folding container 1.

[0030] After cleaning is completed at the first cleaning position B, the folded container 1 is moved by the first conveyor belt 11 to the downstream label peeling position C while maintaining its assembled state. When the folding container 1 stops at the label peeling position C, the anti-falling means 18 of the label peeling means 17 is activated, and the downstream anti-falling member 18a and the upstream anti-falling member 18b, which were in the retracted position, move to the supported position. As a result, the downstream tilt prevention member 18a and the upstream tilt prevention member 18b each contact the two second side plates 7 of the folding container 1 from the inside, preventing the second side plates 7 from tilting. Next, the label peeling means 17 is activated, and the moving means 20 moves the spray nozzle 19 down from the retracted state to the spraying state, and the spraying medium is sprayed from the spray nozzle 19. The injection nozzle 19 is lowered to the lowered position by the moving means 20, then rises towards the retracted state, during which time the label L attached to the second side plate 7 is removed by the injection medium sprayed by the injection nozzle 19. At this time, the pressure of the injection medium injected from the injection nozzle 19 pushes the second side plate 7 inward, but because the downstream tilt prevention member 18a is in contact with the inward side of the second side plate 7, the second side plate 7 does not tilt inward, and the assembled state of the folding container 1 is maintained. Furthermore, since the downstream tilt prevention member 18a is in vertical line contact with the second side plate 7, the second side plate 7 is not deformed by the pressure of the spray medium, making it possible to reliably remove the label L.

[0031] On the other hand, when the injection nozzle 19 begins to descend by the moving means 20, the shielding means 21 is activated, and the driving means 21b moves the shielding plate 21a from the retracted state to the shielded state. As a result, when the injection nozzle 19 is lowered to its lowered position, the injection medium sprayed from the injection nozzle 19 is blocked by the shielding plate 21a, preventing the connecting portion 7a between the frame 5 and the second side plate 7 from being damaged by the high-pressure injection medium.

[0032] Then, when the injection nozzle 19 rises from the lowered position to the retracted position, the injection of the injection medium from the injection nozzle 19 stops, and at the same time, the shielding plate 21a of the shielding means 21 moves to the retracted position. Furthermore, once the downstream tilt prevention member 18a and the upstream tilt prevention member 18b of the tilt prevention means 18 move from the supported state to the retracted state, the first conveyor belt 11 moves the folded container 1, which maintains its assembled state, to the second washing position D.

[0033] When the folding container 1 is moved to the second washing position D described above, the multiple spray nozzles 16a constituting the second washing means 16 are washed with water as the spraying medium, and the folding container 1 is rinsed.

[0034] Once cleaning is completed at the second cleaning position D, the folding container 1, which has been transported on the first conveyor belt 11, moves onto the second conveyor belt 12 while maintaining its assembled state, and is then moved to the folding position E by the second conveyor belt 12. As shown in Figure 6(a), the bottom plate support means 32 constituting the folding means 31 positions the bottom plate support member 35 in a supported state by the moving means 36, while the positioning means 33 and pressing means 34 are in a retracted state. As a result, the folding container 1 transported by the second conveyor belt 12 does not come into contact with the positioning member 37 or the pressing member 39, but instead collides with the bottom plate support member 35 from the upstream side in the transport direction and stops. When the folding container 1 is stopped by the bottom plate support member 35, the support portion 35a of the bottom plate support member 35 is positioned below the protruding portion 4a of the bottom plate 4 in the folding container 1.

[0035] Next, as shown in Figure 6(b), the positioning member 37 of the positioning means 33 moves from the retracted state to the positioning state, thereby gripping the frame 5 of the folding container 1 from the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction and positioning it. Next, as shown in Figure 6(c), the pressing means 34 moves from the retracted state to the pressed state, causing the pressing member 39 to press the second side plates 7 located on the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction of the folding container 1 inwards. Since the second side plate 7 is provided so as to be pivotable relative to the frame 5, the second side plate 7, when pressed by the pressing member 39, pivots and falls over around the connection point with the frame 5. Here, when the second side plate 7 swings and detaches from the bottom plate 4, the bottom plate 4 will attempt to fall downward due to its own weight. However, since the bottom plate support member 35 supports the protruding portion 4a of the bottom plate 4 from below, the bottom plate 4 is prevented from falling.

[0036] Figure 6(d) shows the state in which the pressing means 34 has moved to the retracted position, and at the same time, the second side plate 7, which is pressed by the pressing member 39, has fallen inward towards the folding container 1 due to its own weight. At this time, the bottom plate support member 35 prevents the bottom plate 4 from falling, so the first side plate 6 can maintain a non-bending state, and the first side plate 6 does not obstruct the collapse of the second side plate 7. Figure 6(e) shows the bottom plate support means 32 in a retracted state from its supporting state. As the bottom plate support member 35 detaches from the bottom plate 4, the bottom plate 4 falls downward due to its own weight, and the first side plate 6 bends inward as a result, causing the folding container 1 to be folded. At the same time, the positioning means 33 is also retracted, and then the second conveyor belt 12 transports the folded container 1 to the discharge position F, where it is removed by the worker.

[0037] According to the container washing device 2 having the above configuration, the assembled folded container 1 is transported by the second side plate 7 to which the label L is attached toward the downstream side in the transport direction. This makes it possible to transport the lid material 8 of the folding container 1 in an open state perpendicular to the transport direction of the transport means 3, thereby preventing interference between the lid materials 8 of adjacent folding containers 1 on the upstream and downstream sides. On the other hand, at the label peeling position C, the spray nozzle 19 for spraying the spraying medium is provided on the transport path of the folding container 1, thereby enabling the spraying medium to be sprayed onto the second side plate 7 to which the label L is attached. Furthermore, since the spray nozzle 19 is movable by the moving means 20, when the folding container 1 is moved by the transport means 3, the spray nozzle 19 can be prevented from colliding with the folding container 1. Furthermore, in the container cleaning device 2 of this embodiment, when the spray nozzle 19 is in the lowered position, the sprayed spray medium is blocked, thereby preventing damage to the connection between the frame 5 and the second side plate 7 of the folding container 1 by the high-pressure spray medium.

[0038] In the above embodiment, a folding container 1 equipped with a lid 8 is cleaned, but it is also possible to clean a folding container 1 without the lid 8. Furthermore, although the injection nozzle 19 in the above embodiment has a configuration in which a plurality of nozzles 19b are fixed to the nozzle body 19a, a configuration in which, for example, one nozzle 19b is pivotably mounted relative to the nozzle body 19a may also be used. By moving the spray nozzle 19 with the moving means 20 and spraying the spraying medium while oscillating the nozzle 19b, the label L on the second side surface 7 can be removed. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the label L is attached to the second side plate 7 on the downstream side in the transport direction of the folding container 1. However, if the label L is attached to the second side plate 7 on the upstream side, a label peeling means 17 can be provided upstream of the label peeling position C, and the label L can be peeled off by spraying a spraying medium from the upstream side in the transport direction of the folding container 1. Similarly, when removing the labels L from a folding container 1 in which labels L are attached to two second side plates 7, two label removal means 17 can be provided at the label removal position C, and the labels L can be removed by spraying a spray medium from the upstream and downstream sides in the transport direction of the folding container 1. When adopting these configurations, it is desirable to use the same type of anti-falling means 18 as the downstream anti-falling member 18a described in the above embodiment on the side where the label peeling means 17 is provided.

[0039] Furthermore, the motors that drive the downstream tilt prevention member 18a and the upstream tilt prevention member 18b, which constitute the above-mentioned tilt prevention means 18, can be conventionally known configurations such as an air cylinder or a lever. Similarly, the drive means 21b for driving the shielding plate 21a, the moving means 36 for the bottom plate support means 32, the moving means 38 for the positioning means 33, and the moving means 40 for the pressing means 34, which constitute the folding means 31, can also be conventionally known configurations, such as combinations of air cylinders or levers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0040] 1. Foldable container 2. Container washing device 3. Conveying means 17. Label peeling means (label peeling device) 18 Anti-tipping mechanism 19 Spray nozzle 20 Means of transportation 21 Means of shielding

Claims

1. A label peeling device for a folding container, comprising a bottom plate, a frame with an opening formed therein, a foldable first side plate provided between the bottom plate and the frame and positioned opposite to it, and a second side plate provided between the first side plates and pivotably mounted relative to the frame, wherein the label peeling device peels off a label attached to the folding container, A label peeling device for a folding container comprises a transport means for transporting the assembled folding container with the frame facing downwards, and a spray nozzle for spraying a spraying medium onto a label attached to the second side plate, A label is affixed to at least one of the second side plates of the assembled folding container, and the transport means transports the folding container so that the second side plate with the label affixed faces the transport direction. The above-mentioned spray nozzle is provided on the transport path of the foldable container by the transport means, A label peeling device for a folding container, characterized by comprising: a moving means for moving the spray nozzle between a spraying state in which a spraying medium is sprayed onto the label of the second side plate and a retracted state that allows the folding container to pass through; and a means for preventing the folding container from collapsing, which supports the second side plate of the assembled folding container from the inside.

2. The above-mentioned moving means raises and lowers the injection nozzle in the vertical direction. The label peeling device for a folding container according to claim 1, characterized in that a shielding means is provided between the connecting portion between the frame and the second side plate in the folding container and the spray nozzle that descends by the moving means, for preventing the spray medium from being sprayed from the spray nozzle.

3. The above-mentioned anti-collapse means comprises an anti-collapse member that contacts the second side plate of the folding container from the inside, and a moving means for moving the anti-collapse member between a contact state in which it protrudes above the conveying surface of the conveying means and contacts the second side plate, and a retracted state in which it is retracted below the conveying surface, characterized in that it is a label peeling device for a folding container according to claim 1 or 2.

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