Deployment device

Abstract

To provide a box making device having a constitution capable of being miniaturized.SOLUTION: A first opening arm 310 has a thickness smaller than a gap G1 between a pair of flaps F1, F2 provided at one plate-like part S1, out of a pair of plate-like parts S1, S2 facing each other of a corrugated sheet folded up in a plate-like shape, so as to be adjacent to each other. A first opening motor 312 moves the first opening arm 310. The first opening arm 310, in a state of being inserted to the gap G1 between the pair of flaps F1, F2, faces the flap F2 which is provided at the other plate-like part S2 out of the pair of plate-like parts S1, S2 and is at a position facing the gap G1. The first opening motor 312 moves the first opening arm 310 so that the first opening arm 310 presses the flap F2 provided at the other plate-like part S2 to separate the other plate-like part S2 from the one plate-like part S1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention , Da relates to a deploying device for deploying a cardboard sheet.

Background Art

[0002] There has been conventionally known a box-making device that opens a cardboard sheet folded in a plate shape to form a cardboard box. For example, a configuration has been proposed in which a pair of plate-shaped portions of a cardboard sheet facing each other are adsorbed and one of the plate-shaped portions is moved to open the cardboard sheet (for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] In the case of the configuration in which the plate-shaped portion of the cardboard sheet is adsorbed and opened as described in Patent Document 1, a suction device such as a vacuum pump for generating a suction force is required, so that the box-making device becomes large-sized.

[0005] The present invention , equipped aims to provide a configuration capable of reducing the size of the device.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is , renAn unfolding device for a corrugated cardboard sheet having four consecutive surfaces and eight flaps extending from the upper and lower ends of each of the four surfaces, unfolding the corrugated cardboard sheet by folding the folds provided between each of the four surfaces into mountain folds, comprising: a first pressing part that presses a third flap through the gap between a first flap located on the upper end side of the corrugated cardboard sheet and a second flap adjacent thereto; a second pressing part that presses the second flap through the gap formed between the third flap and a fourth flap adjacent thereto; and an unfolding part that moves the first pressing part and the second pressing part relative to each other to unfold the corrugated cardboard sheet by folding the four folds into mountain folds. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention , equipped It allows for a smaller size. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A perspective view of a box-making apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Front view of a box-making apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] A cross-sectional view of the box-making apparatus according to this embodiment, viewed from the front. [Figure 4] A cross-sectional view showing the corrugated cardboard sheet conveying system of the box-making apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] A cross-sectional view of the box-making apparatus according to the embodiment, along the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet. [Figure 6] A perspective view showing an extracted configuration of the opening arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] A plan view showing an extracted configuration of the opening arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] A perspective view showing an enlarged view of the opening arm, extracting the configuration of the opening arm according to the embodiment, and illustrating how the opening arm is inserted into the gap. [Figure 9] Figure 8 is a perspective view from the opposite side. [Figure 10]Schematic diagram showing the state in which the cardboard sheet is opened by the opening arm. [Figure 11] Plan view showing the pressing arm and the tape unit according to the embodiment together with the state in which the cardboard sheet is being opened. [Figure 12] Perspective view extracting and showing the configuration of the pressing arm and the first flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 13] Side view extracting and showing the configuration of the pressing arm and the first flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 14] Side view extracting and showing the configuration of the pressing arm and the first flap bending arm on one side according to the embodiment. [Figure 15] Plan view extracting and showing the configuration of the pressing arm and the regulating arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 16] Plan view showing the state in which the cardboard sheet is shaped into a box by the pressing arm and the regulating arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 17] Plan view extracting and showing the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] Perspective view extracting and showing the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 19] Front view showing the state before the second flap is bent by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 20] Front view showing the state in which the second flap is being bent by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment. [Figure 21] Front view showing the state when the bending of the second flap by the second flap bending arm according to the embodiment is completed. [Figure 22] Side view extracting and showing the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 23] Side view seen from the side opposite to FIG. 22. [Figure 24] Side view showing the state before the tape is attached by the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 25] Perspective view extracting and showing the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 26] A side view seen from the opposite side of Figure 24. [Figure 27] A side view seen from the opposite side of Figure 25. [Figure 28] A cross-sectional view showing the standby state of the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 29] A cross-sectional view showing the tape application start state of the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 30] A cross-sectional view showing the state of tape application in the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 31] A cross-sectional view showing the state in which the tape is being applied to the tape unit according to the embodiment, with the first tape press roller detached from the bottom surface. [Figure 32] A cross-sectional view showing the cut state of the tape in the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 33] A cross-sectional view showing the state of the tape unit after the tape has been cut according to the embodiment. [Figure 34] A cross-sectional view showing the state in which the second tape press roller has reached a corner during the tape application process of the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 35] A cross-sectional view showing the completed state of tape application in the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 36] (a) A perspective view showing the tape unit according to an embodiment with the tape exposed, and (b) A perspective view showing the tape with the fixing plate removed. [Figure 37] A perspective view from a different direction than Figure 36(a). [Figure 38] A perspective view showing the tape removed from the tape unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 39] A side view showing the tape unit according to the embodiment in contact with the inner wall. [Figure 40] A control block diagram of a box-making apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 41] A flowchart illustrating the control of a corrugated cardboard sheet from insertion to insertion position according to the embodiment. [Figure 42]A flowchart illustrating the control process from opening the corrugated cardboard sheet to bending the first flap according to the embodiment. [Figure 43] A flowchart of the control process from bending the second flap to applying tape according to the embodiment. [Figure 44] A flowchart illustrating the preparation for removing cardboard boxes according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The embodiments will be described using Figures 1 to 44. First, the overall configuration of the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment will be described using Figures 1 to 44.

[0010] [Overall configuration of the box-making machine] As shown in Figures 1 to 3, the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment comprises a housing 101, a transport mechanism 200, and an opening mechanism. (deployment device) 300, First pressing mechanism 400, First flap bending mechanism (Folded section) 500, Regulating mechanism 600 (see Figure 15, etc.), Second flap bending mechanism (Folded section) 700 (see Figure 18, etc.), tape unit (Attachment area) It is equipped with 800, etc. The box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment automatically assembles a box-shaped cardboard box with the other flap open by inserting a cardboard sheet folded into a plate shape, opening the inserted cardboard sheet into a cylindrical shape inside the housing 101, folding the flap on one side of the cylindrical shape and attaching tape.

[0011] The following describes the overall configuration. In the following description, the front right side of Figure 1 and the front side of Figure 2 are considered the front of the device, respectively, and unless otherwise specified, the front-to-back and left-to-right directions refer to the direction when viewing the device from the front.

[0012] cabinet (Exterior cover)As shown in Figures 1 and 2, when the operator's side is facing forward, the front of the 101 has a corrugated cardboard sheet insertion opening 102 and an assembled corrugated cardboard box removal opening 103. In other words, in the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the insertion opening 102 and the removal opening 103 are formed on the front of the apparatus so that the insertion of corrugated cardboard sheets and the removal of assembled corrugated cardboard boxes can be performed from the same direction. An operating section 104, such as a start button and a stop button for the apparatus, is provided on the front of the housing 101. The operating section 104 may also be provided with a display unit such as a lamp or screen to indicate the status of the apparatus.

[0013] The insertion opening 102 is a slit formed vertically, extending from approximately the center downwards, and slightly to the left of the center when viewed from the front of the housing 101. Therefore, the operator inserts the cardboard sheet into the box-making device 100 through the insertion opening 102 while it is standing upright. In this embodiment, the position of the insertion opening 102 is described as being slightly to the left of the center, but it may also be slightly to the right of the center.

[0014] The dispensing opening 103 is formed above the insertion opening 102 and is continuous with the insertion opening 102, and has a larger opening area than the insertion opening 102. Specifically, it has an opening area large enough to allow assembled cardboard boxes to be removed. Furthermore, the dispensing opening 103 opens from the front to the top of the housing 101, making it easier to remove assembled cardboard boxes. The left edge of the dispensing opening 103 is formed on the same line as the left edge of the insertion opening 102 in the vertical direction.

[0015] Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view of the internal structure of the box-making machine 100, seen from the front. Inside the housing 101 are various mechanisms and units, including a conveying mechanism 200, an opening mechanism 300, a first pressing mechanism 400, and a first flap bending mechanism 500. First, the conveying mechanism 200 is positioned at a location that coincides with the insertion opening 102 in the direction of insertion of the corrugated cardboard sheet (from front to back). In particular, below the device are conveying rollers that transport the corrugated cardboard sheet inserted from the insertion opening 102, as will be described later. (First conveyor roller) 201 is positioned, and above the device are driven rollers for nipping and transporting cardboard sheets between the transport roller 201 and the device. (Second conveyor roller, third conveyor roller) Unit 202 is located there.

[0016] Furthermore, above the device and below the driven roller 202, an opening mechanism 300 for opening the cardboard sheet is positioned. The opening mechanism 300 has a first opening arm positioned to grip the cardboard sheet inserted from the insertion opening 102 in the thickness direction when it is in the home position. (First pressing part) 310 and second opening arm (Second pressing part) It has 320. As will be described in more detail later, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are positioned to face the upper flap of the cardboard sheet.

[0017] A tape unit 800 is positioned approximately in the center of the housing 101 in the left-right direction. The tape unit 800 moves in the front-back direction (parallel to the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet), as will be described in detail later, to attach tape to the lower flap of the cardboard. Because the tape unit 800 is located approximately in the center in the left-right direction, when the cardboard sheet is opened in the left-right direction, as will be described later, it is retracted to either the front-back direction (towards the front in this embodiment) so as not to interfere with the cardboard sheet.

[0018] To the right of the tape unit 800 are the first pressing mechanism 400 and the first flap bending mechanism 500. As will be described in more detail later, the first pressing mechanism 400 has first pressing parts 410 (420) on both sides in the front-to-back direction, which move in the front-to-back direction so as to move closer to each other. Then, it presses the front and rear sides of the corrugated cardboard sheet opened by the opening mechanism 300 to shape the corrugated cardboard sheet into a cylindrical shape.

[0019] The first flap bending mechanism 500 has first bending arms 510(520) supported below the first pressing parts 410(420) on both sides in the front-rear direction, as will be described in detail later. The first bending arms 510(520) are movable in the front-rear direction together with the first pressing parts 410(420), and when the first pressing parts 410(420) are pressing the front and rear sides of the corrugated cardboard sheet, they bend the first flaps connected to the front and rear sides of the lower side of the corrugated cardboard sheet.

[0020] Above the first pressing mechanism 400, a one-sided restricting member 650 is provided to restrict the position of the right side of the corrugated cardboard sheet opened by the opening mechanism 300. Opposite the one-sided restricting member 650, another-sided restricting member 660 is provided to restrict the position of the left side of the corrugated cardboard sheet. The other-sided restricting member 660 guides the left side of the corrugated cardboard sheet when it is inserted through the insertion opening 102.

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, an upper flap retaining roller 670 is positioned above the one-sided restricting member 650 to hold down the upper flap of the opened cardboard sheet. The upper flap retaining roller 670 is a driven roller having a rotation axis parallel to the left-right direction, and can guide the upper flap of the opened cardboard sheet in the front-rear direction.

[0022] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, a scooping member 671 is provided below the first pressing mechanism 400 and the first flap bending mechanism 500. As described above, since the tape unit 800, which moves in the front-rear direction, is positioned approximately in the center of the housing 101 in the left-right direction, it is not possible to place a member to support the lower end of the open corrugated cardboard sheet within the range of movement of the tape unit 800. For this reason, the scooping member 671 is positioned to the right of the tape unit 800 and below the first pressing mechanism 400 and the first flap bending mechanism 500. When the lower end of the open corrugated cardboard sheet passes the tape unit 800 in the left-right direction, the scooping member 671 supports this lower end by scooping it up, thereby preventing the corrugated cardboard sheet from tilting. In addition, the scooping member 671 is inclined downwards as it moves to the left, so that even if the lower end of the open corrugated cardboard sheet drops slightly downwards, it can be guided to be lifted upwards.

[0023] Inside the housing 101, although not visible in Figures 1, 2, and 4, are a regulating mechanism 600 (see Figures 3, 15, etc.) and a second flap bending mechanism 700 (see Figures 3, 18, etc.). The regulating mechanism 600 is located on the left side of Figure 3 and, as will be described later, uses regulating arms 610 and 620, positioned in the front-rear direction, to regulate the position of the front and rear sides of the corrugated cardboard sheet together with the first pressing section 410 (420), thereby shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet into a cylindrical form. The second flap bending mechanism 700 uses second bending arms 710 and 720, positioned on both the left and right sides of Figure 3, respectively, to bend the second flap on the lower side of the corrugated cardboard sheet. The configurations of each are described in detail below.

[0024] [Cardboard sheet insertion configuration] The configuration for inserting the cardboard sheet will be explained using Figures 4 and 5. As described above, the cardboard sheet inserted through the insertion opening 102 is transported to the back (rear) by the transport mechanism 200. The transport mechanism 200 consists of a transport roller 201, a driven roller 202, and a first detection sensor. (Detection unit) 203, second detection sensor 204, tip stopper 205, transport roller drive mechanism 210, roller lifting mechanism (Roller moving part) It has 220.

[0025] The transport roller 201 is positioned approximately in the center in the front-to-back direction and transports the cardboard sheet to the back by contacting the lower end of the inserted cardboard sheet. The transport roller 201 is rotationally driven by the transport roller drive mechanism 210. The transport roller 201 is also movable vertically by the roller lifting mechanism 220. As will be described later, when inserting a cardboard sheet, the transport roller 201 is positioned in a retracted position (lower position) that does not nip the cardboard sheet with the driven roller 202. After the cardboard sheet has been inserted to a certain extent, it moves to the transport position (upper position), where it nips the cardboard sheet with the driven roller 202 and transports it to the back.

[0026] The reason why the transport roller 201 is positioned in the retracted position when inserting the cardboard sheet is as follows: Firstly, if the transport roller 201 is in the transport position when inserting the cardboard sheet, there is a possibility that it may come into contact with the transport roller 201 when the operator manually inserts the cardboard sheet, thus hindering the insertion process. In other words, there is a risk that the operator may feel discomfort such as hitting a wall when inserting the cardboard sheet, so the transport roller 201 is positioned in the retracted position when inserting manually.

[0027] Furthermore, as will be described later, when moving the transport roller 201 from the retracted position to the transport position, the transport roller 201 is kept rotating. This is because the transport roller 201 lifts up while rotating, allowing for smooth transport without causing any discomfort to the operator. If the transport roller 201 were to rotate after the cardboard sheet had been nipped, the cardboard sheet inserted by the operator would stop briefly before transport would start. This could make the operator feel as if the cardboard sheet was being suddenly pulled, potentially causing discomfort.

[0028] Multiple driven rollers 202 (three in this embodiment) are arranged in the front-rear direction, and by contacting the upper end of the inserted corrugated cardboard sheet, they guide the sheet toward the back while regulating the position of the upper end of the corrugated cardboard sheet. Of the three driven rollers 202, the two driven rollers 202 that are located on the outer sides in the front-rear direction are spaced apart from each other in the front-rear direction, and are arranged so as to sandwich the conveyor roller 201 in the front-rear direction. In order to convey the corrugated cardboard sheet while preventing tilting with a small number of components, it is preferable that the conveyor roller 201 be positioned between the two outer driven rollers 202.

[0029] In this embodiment, the corrugated cardboard boxes made in the box-making apparatus 100 are removed in the upper right direction as shown in Figure 5. Therefore, the right (front) driven roller 202 shown in Figure 5 is positioned slightly closer to the conveyor roller 201. Also, of the three driven rollers 202 shown in Figure 5, the central driven roller 202 is located between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 in the front-rear direction, as shown in Figure 7, which will be described later. This is to more efficiently suppress the tilting of the corrugated cardboard sheet during the opening operation by bringing the driven roller 202 into contact with the part of the corrugated cardboard sheet (in this embodiment, one of the plate-shaped parts S1) on which force is applied during the opening operation of the corrugated cardboard sheet.

[0030] As will be described later, when the transport roller 201 is in the transport position, such a driven roller 202 can nip the cardboard sheet between itself and the transport roller 201 in the vertical direction, which is perpendicular to the transport direction of the transport roller 201.

[0031] The first detection sensor 203 is located near the insertion opening 102 (entrance) and detects when a cardboard sheet is inserted through the insertion opening 102. The first detection sensor 203 consists of, for example, a sensor flag that is pivotably mounted so as to protrude from and retract from the transport path of the cardboard sheet, and a sensor that detects the pivoting position of the sensor flag. This sensor is, for example, a photointerrupter.

[0032] When a cardboard sheet is inserted through the insertion opening 102, the leading edge of the cardboard sheet hits the sensor flag, causing the sensor flag to flip over and changing the sensor's logic. As a result, the first detection sensor 203 detects that a cardboard sheet has been inserted. In this embodiment, once the first detection sensor 203 detects the insertion of a cardboard sheet, the drive of the transport roller 201 is started.

[0033] Furthermore, as will be described later, the first detection sensor 203 also detects the timing of the stop of the drive of the transport roller 201. That is, when the corrugated cardboard sheet is transported to a predetermined insertion position, the rear end of the corrugated cardboard sheet passes the first detection sensor 203, and the sensor flag is set. Then, the logic of the sensor changes, and it is detected that the rear end of the corrugated cardboard sheet has passed the first detection sensor 203. Based on the timing at which the first detection sensor 203 detects that the rear end of the corrugated cardboard sheet has passed, the drive of the transport roller 201 is stopped, thereby stopping the transport of the corrugated cardboard sheet.

[0034] The second detection sensor 204 is positioned near the downstream side of the transport roller 201 in the transport direction. Similar to the first detection sensor 203, the second detection sensor 204 is composed of a sensor flag that is pivotably mounted so as to protrude into and retract from the transport path of the cardboard sheet, and a sensor that detects the pivoting position of the sensor flag. When the leading edge of the cardboard sheet hits the sensor flag and the sensor flag falls over, the logic of the sensor changes. This allows the second detection sensor 204 to detect that the cardboard sheet has passed its position. In this embodiment, once the second detection sensor 204 detects the passage of the cardboard sheet, the transport roller 201, which is in the retracted position, starts to move to the upper position, as will be described later. Then, by bringing the transport roller 201 into contact with the lower end of the cardboard sheet, the cardboard sheet is nipped between the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202, and the transport of the cardboard sheet by the transport roller 201 begins.

[0035] The tip stopper 205 is located further downstream in the transport direction than the second detection sensor 204, and the leading edge of the corrugated cardboard sheet transported by the transport roller 201 comes into contact with it, restricting further transport of the corrugated cardboard sheet. The state in which the corrugated cardboard sheet abuts against the tip stopper 205 is a predetermined insertion position, and the unfolding of the corrugated cardboard sheet begins based on this insertion position.

[0036] The conveyor roller drive mechanism 210 includes a roller drive motor 211 and a drive transmission mechanism 212. The driving force of the roller drive motor 211 is transmitted to the conveyor roller 201 via the drive transmission mechanism 212. The drive transmission mechanism 212 includes a first pulley 213, a second pulley 214, a third pulley 215, a fourth pulley 216, a first belt 217, and a second belt 218. The first pulley 213 is fixed to the drive shaft of the roller drive motor 211, and the first belt 217 is stretched between the first pulley 213 and the second pulley 214. The third pulley 215 is arranged coaxially with the second pulley 214 and rotates together with the second pulley 214. The second belt 218 is stretched between the third pulley 215 and the fourth pulley 216. The fourth pulley 216 is fixed to the rotation shaft of the conveyor roller 201.

[0037] The rotation of the roller drive motor 211 is transmitted to the conveyor roller 201 in the following order: first pulley 213, first belt 217, second pulley 214, third pulley 215, second belt 218, and fourth pulley 216. The conveyor roller 201 is capable of swinging vertically, as described below, with the rotation axes of the second pulley 214 and the third pulley 215 as the pivot axis 219. In this embodiment, the drive is transmitted from the motor to the conveyor roller 201 by two pulley transmission mechanisms in order to swing the conveyor roller 201 vertically. However, other mechanisms such as gear mechanisms may be used as long as it is possible to achieve both the vertical movement of the conveyor roller 201 and the transmission of drive from the motor.

[0038] The roller lifting mechanism 220, which serves as a means for releasing the nip, is capable of both nipping the corrugated cardboard sheet using the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202, and releasing the nip. Such a roller lifting mechanism 220 includes a lifting drive motor 221, a lifting arm 222, and a lifting cam 223. The rotational driving force of the lifting drive motor 221 is transmitted to the lifting cam 223 by a drive transmission mechanism such as a pulley. The lifting cam 223 is an eccentric cam, and the distance from the center of rotation to the outer surface (cam surface) varies depending on the rotation angle. The lifting arm 222 is supported so as to be able to swing around the aforementioned pivot axis 219, and rotatably supports the transport roller 201 on one end, while the lifting cam 223 is positioned to contact the lower surface of the other end.

[0039] When the lifting cam 223 rotates due to the drive of the lifting drive motor 221, the lifting arm 222 swings around the pivot axis 219, moving the transport roller 201 vertically. Figure 5 shows both the transport roller 201 in the transport position and the retracted position superimposed. When the lifting arm 222 is lifted by the lifting cam 223, the transport roller 201 descends to the retracted position, and when the lifting cam 223 rotates from this position and the lifting arm 222 descends, the transport roller 201 rises to the transport position. The raising and lowering of the transport roller 201 is detected by the transport roller lifting sensor 224. The transport roller lifting sensor 224 detects, for example, the position of the lifting arm 222.

[0040] [Flowchart of cardboard sheet transport operation] Next, the operation of transporting the cardboard sheet to the insertion position using the transport configuration described above will be explained with reference to Figure 41. Note that the following operations are performed by the control unit 1000 shown in Figure 40, which will be described later. First, the operator manually starts inserting the cardboard sheet from the insertion opening 102. When the first detection sensor (inlet sensor) 203 detects the cardboard sheet (ON) (S101), the drive of the transport roller 201 is started (S102). As described above, when inserting the cardboard sheet, the transport roller 201 is retracted downward from the transport path (in the retracted position). In other words, after the so-called initial operation in which the power of the device is turned on and the operation of each part is confirmed, the transport roller 201 waits in the position retracted downward from the transport path. This position is the default position of the transport roller 201.

[0041] When the leading edge of the cardboard sheet in the insertion direction passes the position of the transport roller 201 and is detected (ON) by the second detection sensor (transport start sensor) 204 (S103), the lifting drive motor 221 starts rotating, raising the transport roller 201 to the transport position (S104). That is, by rotating the lifting drive motor 221, the lifting cam 223 is rotated, causing the lifting arm 222, which is in contact with the cam surface, to swing around the pivot axis 219. Then the transport roller 201 is moved from the retracted position to the transport path (transport position) and brought into contact with the lower end of the cardboard sheet.

[0042] After the conveyor roller 201 comes into contact with the cardboard sheet, the cardboard sheet is conveyed by the conveyor roller 201. At this time, the operator feels that the cardboard sheet is being conveyed automatically from the middle of its insertion. Then, even after the rear end of the cardboard sheet passes the first detection sensor 203 and the sensor's logic changes (turns OFF), the conveyor roller 201 continues to rotate for a while (S105).

[0043] Specifically, the conveyor roller continues to rotate for a time equivalent to a distance longer than the predetermined distance at which the leading edge of the cardboard sheet abuts against the tip stopper 205. During this time, the cardboard sheet is stopped because its leading edge is in contact with the tip stopper 205, and the conveyor roller 201 is slipping. This is to ensure that the cardboard sheet is stopped when it is in firm contact with the tip stopper 205. In other words, it is to determine the stopping position of the cardboard sheet.

[0044] After a predetermined time has elapsed since the first detection sensor 203 was turned OFF (S106), the lifting drive motor 221 is driven to swing the lifting arm 222 and lower the transport roller 201 to the retracted position (S107). That is, after the corrugated cardboard sheet is transported to the insertion position by the transport roller 201, the nip between the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202 is released. After a certain period of time has elapsed, the rotation of the transport roller 201 is stopped (S108). In this state, the corrugated cardboard sheet is positioned at the predetermined insertion position inside the housing 101.

[0045] In this embodiment, when transporting the corrugated cardboard sheet, the transport roller 201 and driven roller 202 nip the corrugated cardboard sheet, restricting its vertical position. When transport is complete, the transport roller 201 is retracted to release the vertical position restriction on the corrugated cardboard sheet (i.e., release the nip). This is to allow the folded corrugated cardboard sheet to open smoothly in the opening operation described below.

[0046] [Unfolding structure of cardboard sheets] The configuration for opening the corrugated cardboard sheet will be explained using Figures 6 to 11. As described above, the corrugated cardboard sheet S inserted into the insertion position is opened by the opening mechanism 300 and shaped into a roughly rectangular cross-section and a roughly cylindrical shape. The opening mechanism 300 includes a first opening arm 310, a second opening arm 320, and the like. As shown in Figures 6 and 7, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are positioned to sandwich the upper flap of the corrugated cardboard sheet S in the thickness direction when it is in the insertion position at the home position. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the first opening arm 310 is positioned to the left of the other-side regulating member 660. The second opening arm 320 is positioned to the right of the right edge of the insertion opening 102. These waiting positions allow the corrugated cardboard sheet S inserted by the operator to be guided between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320. The first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are positioned offset from each other in the front-rear direction.

[0047] In other words, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is transported between the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 by the transport configuration described above. In the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment, the distance from the leading edge of the inserted corrugated cardboard sheet S to the gap (slit) between the flaps, which will be described later, is predetermined, and the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are positioned at this predetermined location.

[0048] The arrangement of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 is based on the tip stopper 205. Therefore, as described above, the tip of the cardboard sheet S is made to reliably abut against the tip stopper 205. In order to reliably abut the tip of the cardboard sheet S against the tip stopper 205, as described above, the transport roller 201 is rotated more times than the pulse or distance at which the tip of the cardboard sheet is expected to abut against the tip stopper 205, after the second detection sensor 204 detects the cardboard sheet.

[0049] The corrugated cardboard sheet S used in the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment has a rectangular shape when viewed from the flap side in the assembled (box-made) state of the corrugated cardboard box. Therefore, when this corrugated cardboard is folded into a board shape, the pair of opposing board-like parts S1 and S2 each have a pair of flaps of different lengths. The pair of flaps are provided so as to be adjacent to each other in the state of the corrugated cardboard sheet. The pair of flaps of different lengths are provided at both ends of the board-like parts S1 and S2 (both ends in the vertical direction at the insertion position). Generally there is a gap between adjacent pairs of flaps, but as described above, in the case of corrugated cardboard with a rectangular shape when viewed from the flap side, the position of this gap differs between the pair of board-like parts S1 and S2.

[0050] In this embodiment, when the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened in the box-making apparatus 100, the flaps located on both sides in the front-rear direction are referred to as the first flap F1, and the flaps located on both sides in the left-right direction are referred to as the second flap F2. In this embodiment, the first opening arm 310 is positioned downstream (rear) of the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet S compared to the second opening arm 320, and as will be described later, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened by moving the first opening arm 310 significantly to the right side of the apparatus. For this reason, the first flap F1 is shorter in length than the second flap F2, and the gap between the pair of flaps F1 and F2 provided on one of the plate-shaped parts S1 and S2, which is on the left side at the insertion position (hereinafter referred to as the first gap G1), is located further rear than the gap between the pair of flaps F1 and F2 provided on the other plate-shaped part S2, which is on the right side (hereinafter referred to as the second gap G2).

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the box-making apparatus 100 is suitable for making cardboard boxes in which the shape of the cardboard and the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S are predetermined, and the positions of the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 do not overlap when the cardboard sheet is folded into a flat shape. In other words, the box-making apparatus 100 of this embodiment opens the cardboard sheet S by utilizing the fact that there is a flap facing the gap when the cardboard sheet is folded.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 6, there is a second flap F2 on the plate-like portion S2 side facing the first gap G1 on the plate-like portion S1 side, and a second flap F2 on the plate-like portion S1 side facing the second gap G2 on the plate-like portion S2 side. Then, by inserting the first opening arm 310 into the first gap G1 and moving the first opening arm 310 further, the second flap F2 of the opposing plate-like portion S2 is pushed. Similarly, by inserting the second opening arm 320 into the second gap G2 and moving the second opening arm 320 further, the second flap F2 of the opposing plate-like portion S1 is pushed. In this embodiment, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened by moving the first opening arm 310 a large distance.

[0053] Furthermore, by keeping the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet S constant, the order of the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 in the insertion direction (front-to-back direction) will always be the same. Considering the actual usage of the box-making machine, the position of the labels and prints affixed to the corrugated cardboard will be in roughly the same position for the same type of corrugated cardboard. For this reason, in actual work, it is common to insert the corrugated cardboard sheet S in the same orientation. The opening configuration of the corrugated cardboard sheet will be explained in detail below.

[0054] As shown in Figure 8, the first opening arm 310, which functions as an opening arm, is a plate-shaped member having a thickness narrower than the gap (first gap G1) between a pair of flaps (between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2) provided adjacent to each other on one of the pair of opposing plate-shaped parts S1 and S2 of the folded corrugated cardboard sheet S. The length of the first opening arm 310 is shorter than the length of the first gap G1. The first opening arm 310 is fixed to the first moving block 310a, and the first moving block 310a is movable along the first guide rail 311 which is arranged in the left-right direction.

[0055] The first opening arm 310 is as shown in Figure 6, Mobile section and deployment sectionThe first opening motor (left-opening motor) 312 moves the first opening arm 310. Specifically, the drive of the first opening motor 312 is transmitted to the first opening arm 310 via the first opening mechanism 313, causing the first opening arm 310 to move in the left-right direction. The first opening mechanism 313 includes pulleys 314, 315, and a belt 316. Pulley 314 is connected to the drive shaft of the first opening motor 312 by a drive transmission mechanism such as the pulley mechanism. A belt 316 is stretched between pulleys 314 and 315. The first moving block 310a is also fixed to the belt 316.

[0056] When the first opening motor 312 is driven, the pulley 314 rotates, causing the belt 316 to move in a circular motion. At this time, since the first moving block 310a is fixed to the belt 316, the movement of the belt 316 causes the first moving block 310a and the first opening arm 310 to move along the first guide rail 311.

[0057] Furthermore, in this embodiment, there is a first home position detection sensor (left-opening arm HP sensor) 317 that detects when the first opening arm 310 is in the home position, and a first arm position detection sensor (left-opening arm position sensor) 318 that detects when the first opening arm 310 has moved to a first predetermined position. Both of these detection sensors 317 and 318 are photointerrupters having a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part facing each other, and the first flag 310b provided on the first moving block 310a can pass through them. Both detection sensors 317 and 318 detect the position of the first opening arm 310 by detecting the passage of the first flag 310b.

[0058] As shown in Figure 9, the second opening arm 320 is a plate-shaped member having a thickness narrower than the gap (second gap G2) between a pair of flaps (between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2) provided adjacent to each other on the other plate-shaped part S2 of the pair of opposing plate-shaped parts S1 and S2 of the folded corrugated cardboard sheet S. The length of the second opening arm 320 is shorter than the length of the second gap G2. The second opening arm 320 is fixed to the second moving block 320a, and the second moving block 320a is movable along the second guide rail 321 which is arranged in the left-right direction.

[0059] The second opening arm 320 is as shown in Figure 6, as a movable part and a deployable part The second opening motor (right-opening motor) 322 moves the second opening arm 320. Specifically, the drive of the second opening motor 322 is transmitted to the second opening arm 320 via the second opening mechanism 323, causing the second opening arm 320 to move in the left-right direction. The second opening mechanism 323 includes pulleys 324 and 325, and a belt 326. Pulley 324 is connected to the drive shaft of the second opening motor 322 by a drive transmission mechanism such as the pulley mechanism. A belt 326 is stretched between pulleys 324 and 325. The second moving block 320a is also fixed to the belt 326.

[0060] When the second opening motor 322 is driven, the pulley 324 rotates, causing the belt 326 to move in a circular motion. At this time, since the second moving block 320a is fixed to the belt 326, the movement of the belt 326 causes the second moving block 320a and the second opening arm 320 to move along the second guide rail 321.

[0061] Furthermore, this embodiment includes a second home position detection sensor (right-opening arm HP sensor) 327 that detects when the second opening arm 320 is in the home position, and a second arm position detection sensor (right-opening arm position sensor) 328 that detects when the second opening arm 320 has moved to a second predetermined position. Both detection sensors 327 and 328 are photointerrupters having a light-emitting part and a light-receiving part facing each other, and are capable of passing through the second flag 320b provided on the second moving block 320a. Both detection sensors 327 and 328 detect the position of the second opening arm 320 by detecting the passage of the second flag 320b. Note that if position control is possible by motor pulses or the like, the first arm position detection sensor 318 and the second arm position detection sensor 328 may be omitted.

[0062] When opening the cardboard sheet S with the above configuration, the first opening motor 312 is driven to move the first opening arm 310 to the right from the home position shown in Figures 6 and 7. At this time, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the first opening arm 310 pushes the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped part S2, causing the other plate-shaped part S2 to move away from the one plate-shaped part S1. The first opening arm 310 is also positioned to push the second flap F2 and move the other plate-shaped part S2 with respect to the insertion position described above.

[0063] With the above-described transport configuration, when the corrugated cardboard sheet S is inserted into the insertion position, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is nipped by the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202. In this state, it is difficult to open the corrugated cardboard sheet S. Therefore, in this embodiment, after the corrugated cardboard sheet S is inserted into the insertion position by the transport roller 201, the roller lifting mechanism 220 is operated to release the nip caused by the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202. Then, after the nip is released, the movement of the first opening arm 310 is started.

[0064] Furthermore, if the cardboard sheet S is opened while the nip is released, the posture of the cardboard sheet S will not be stable, and this operation may cause the cardboard sheet S to tilt. Therefore, in this embodiment, the cardboard sheet S is nipped again after a predetermined time has elapsed from the start of movement of the first opening arm 310. This predetermined time is the time until the other plate-shaped part S2 reaches a position where it is separated from the conveyor roller 201, with respect to the rotation axis direction of the conveyor roller 201. In other words, the other plate-shaped part S2 is moved to a position where it will not be nipped again even if the nip operation is performed again, so that only one plate-shaped part S1 is nipped. This prevents the operation of opening the cardboard sheet S from becoming difficult due to the nip, and also suppresses the cardboard sheet S from tilting or becoming unstable in posture during the opening operation.

[0065] It is preferable that the predetermined time is set to the time before the other plate-shaped part S2, which is moved by the first opening arm 310, reaches the movement path of the tape unit 800. This is because if it moves this far, the cardboard sheet is more likely to tilt.

[0066] Meanwhile, while the first opening arm 310 is pushing the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped part S2 and moving the other plate-shaped part S2, the second opening arm 320 is inserted into the second gap G2 and in contact with the second flap F2 provided on one plate-shaped part S1 and located opposite the second gap G2. That is, when the first opening arm 310 moves to the right and enters the first gap G1, the second opening arm 320 also moves to the left and enters the second gap G2 and comes into contact with the second flap F2. As a result, with one plate-shaped part S1 held down by the second opening arm 320, the other plate-shaped part S2 is moved away from the one plate-shaped part S1 by the first opening arm 310. As a result, the cardboard sheet S is opened.

[0067] Specifically, as shown by the dashed lines in Figure 11, the shape of the corrugated cardboard sheet S changes from a flat plate to a parallelogram. Here, the four sides of the parallelogram shown in Figure 11 constitute the four side panels D11, D12, D21, and D22 of the cylindrical corrugated cardboard. If the shorter sides are designated as side panels D11 and D21, and the longer sides as side panels D12 and D22, then one flat plate section S1 is composed of side panels D11 and D12, and the other flat plate section S2 is composed of side panels D21 and D22. The shorter side panels D11 and D21 are provided with a first flap F1, and the longer side panels D12 and D22 are provided with a second flap F2.

[0068] When the first opening arm 310 pushes the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped part S2 and moves the other plate-shaped part S2 upward in Figure 11, the side plate portion D11 of one plate-shaped part S1 and the side plate portion D21 of the other plate-shaped part S2 rise up clockwise in Figure 11. Then, the side plate portion D22 of the other plate-shaped part S2 separates from the side plate portion D12 of the one plate-shaped part S1. At this time, the side plate portion D12 does not move because the movement of the second flap F2 provided on the side plate portion D12 of the one plate-shaped part S1 is restricted by the second opening arm 320. Also, the second gap G2 between the flaps provided on the other plate-shaped part S2 passes through the second opening arm 320. The width of the second opening arm 320 (length in the vertical direction in Figure 11) is set to be such that the second gap G2 can smoothly exit from the second opening arm 320.

[0069] Furthermore, in this embodiment, by moving the first opening arm 310 located at the rear to the right, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened by rotating the side plates D11 and D21 clockwise, as shown in Figure 11. In other words, one of the plate-like parts S1 deforms to rise from the rear. This is because, as will be described later, the tape unit 800 is located at the front of the housing 101 in the home position and remains in the home position even during the opening operation.

[0070] In other words, if one of the plate-shaped parts S1 rises from the front when the cardboard sheet S is opened, it is conceivable to separate the area where the tape unit 800 and the area where the cardboard sheet S is opened from the tape unit 800 in order to prevent interference with the tape unit 800. In this case, the device becomes larger. In contrast, as in this embodiment, if the rising direction of one of the plate-shaped parts S1 is set in relation to the home position of the tape unit 800, it is possible to miniaturize the device while preventing interference between the cardboard sheet S and the tape unit 800 during the opening operation. Alternatively, the home position of the tape unit 800 may be set to the rear side inside the housing 101, and one of the plate-shaped parts S1 may rise from the front when the opening operation is performed, that is, the side plate parts D11 and D21 may rotate counterclockwise.

[0071] In this embodiment, the first opening arm 310 moves to a first predetermined position until it is detected by the first arm position detection sensor 318. In this state, as shown in Figure 11, the cardboard sheet S is only opened to the shape of a parallelogram. Then, with the cardboard sheet S in this shape, the first pressing mechanism 400 is operated. This point will be described later.

[0072] Furthermore, if the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet into the device is reversed from the case described above, the movement direction of each opening arm will be reversed. That is, if the positional relationship of the gap between the flaps provided on the pair of plate-like parts is reversed from the above, for example, the positions of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 in their home positions are reversed left to right, and the second opening arm 320 is moved significantly to the right to open the cardboard sheet S.

[0073] Furthermore, by configuring the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 to allow adjustment of their front-to-back positions, it is possible to accommodate cases where the shape of the cardboard differs and the positions of the first gap G1 and the second gap G2 are misaligned. In other words, in the above-described configuration, the front-to-back positions of the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 are fixed, but they can also be configured to be movable in the direction of transporting the cardboard sheet.

[0074] In this case, a sensor is provided to measure the distance from the leading edge of the cardboard sheet to the gap between the flaps, and the position of at least one of the opening arms, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, is moved in the direction of transport of the cardboard sheet according to the length detected by the sensor. Also in this case, since the leading edge stopper 205 serves as the reference point for abutment, in order to ensure that the leading edge of the cardboard sheet material abuts the leading edge of the cardboard sheet material against the leading edge stopper 205, the transport roller 201 is rotated more times than the pulse or distance at which the leading edge of the cardboard sheet is expected to abut the leading edge stopper 205, after detection by the second detection sensor 204, as described above.

[0075] In this embodiment, as described above, the corrugated cardboard sheet is opened by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, which allows for a more compact design than, for example, a configuration that opens the corrugated cardboard sheet by suction on its sides. That is, when opening a corrugated cardboard sheet by suction, a suction device such as a vacuum pump is required, which makes the device larger. On the other hand, in a configuration where the corrugated cardboard sheet is opened by moving the opening arms, as in this embodiment, the opening arms can be moved by the drive of a motor, which allows for a significantly smaller design than a configuration that uses a vacuum pump or the like.

[0076] Furthermore, since the device is designed to open the cardboard sheet by inserting an opening arm into the gap in the flap and pressing and moving the flap opposite the gap, it can be used as long as the cardboard is rectangular, making it highly versatile. Also, after opening the cardboard sheet, the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 remain inside the opened cardboard sheet. In the case of suction devices such as vacuum pumps, it is necessary to provide a mechanism that adheres to the outside of the opened cardboard sheet in order to adsorb the outer side of the cardboard sheet. Therefore, the configuration of this device, in which the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320 remain inside the opened cardboard sheet, makes it possible to achieve a significant miniaturization compared to suction devices such as vacuum pumps. In addition, because excessive force is not easily applied during the opening operation, damage to the cardboard during assembly can be suppressed.

[0077] [Cylindrical shaping of corrugated cardboard sheets and first flap bending configuration] The configuration for shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet into a cylindrical form and bending the first flap F1 will be explained using Figures 11 to 14. As described above, in the opening operation of the corrugated cardboard sheet S by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is only opened to a parallelogram shape, as shown in Figure 11. In this embodiment, with the corrugated cardboard sheet S in this shape, the first pressing mechanism 400 is operated to shape the corrugated cardboard sheet S so that its shape when viewed from the flap side becomes rectangular. In addition, in this embodiment, the first flap bending mechanism 500 is operated in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing mechanism 400.

[0078] Specifically, the first pressing parts 410 and 420 of the first pressing mechanism 400 are brought into contact with the sides of the cardboard box unfolded by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, thereby regulating the position of the cardboard box within the device. At the same time, in order to shape the unfolded cardboard sheet S into a short shape, the first pressing parts 410 and 420 of the first pressing mechanism 400 are moved toward the center of the device. At this time, the first flap bending mechanism 500 bends the first flap F1 in conjunction with the operation of the first pressing mechanism 400.

[0079] [First pressing mechanism] The first pressing mechanism 400 includes first pressing parts 410, 420, etc. As shown in Figures 11 to 13, the first pressing parts 410, 420 are arranged on both sides in the front-to-back direction within the housing 101 so as to sandwich the opening region α where the opening operation of the corrugated cardboard sheet S takes place. Furthermore, the surfaces of the first pressing parts 410, 420 facing the opening region α are parallel to the left-to-right and up-to-down directions (surfaces perpendicular to the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet S). In addition, the first pressing parts 410, 420 are positioned in the height direction opposite to the side plates D11, D21 so as to press the side plates D11, D21 when shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet S.

[0080] The front first pressing portion 410 has a biasing plate portion 440 on the side facing the opening region α, i.e., the rear side, via a compression spring 442. The compression spring 442 is located inside the cylinder 441. The biasing plate portion 440 has a pressing surface 440a facing the opening region α that is parallel to the left-right direction. The biasing plate portion 440 is biased toward the opening region α, and as will be described later, it prevents the side plate portion D21 from being pressed too hard when shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet S into a cylindrical shape. In other words, as will be described later, when the side plate portion D21 is pressed by the first pressing portion 410, the biasing plate portion 440 moves slightly in the front-rear direction, so that no excessive force is applied to the side plate portion D21 and the first pressing portion 410.

[0081] On the other hand, the rear second pressing portion 420 has a pressing surface 420a facing the opening region α that is parallel to the left-right direction. The second pressing portion 420 is not provided with the biasing plate portion as described above, but it may be provided. Alternatively, the biasing plate portion 440 or the like may be provided on the second pressing portion 420 side instead of the first pressing portion 410 side.

[0082] These first pressing sections 410 and 420 move in the front-rear direction by the drive of the first pressing section moving motors 411 and 421, respectively. As shown in Figures 11 and 12, the first pressing section guide rail 430 (see Figure 12), the first pressing section moving motors 411 and 421, and the first pressing section moving mechanisms 412 and 422 are arranged in the front-rear direction on the right side of the opening region α (upper side of Figure 11) with respect to the left-right direction (up-down direction in Figure 11). In other words, the first pressing section guide rail 430, the first pressing section moving motors 411 and 421, and the first pressing section moving mechanisms 412 and 422 are arranged on the opposite side of the opening region α from the transport path of the cardboard sheet S (the position where the transport rollers 201 and driven rollers 202 are located). As mentioned above, the first pressing sections 410 and 420 have surfaces perpendicular to the insertion direction of the corrugated cardboard sheet S in order to press the side plate sections D11 and D21 when shaping the corrugated cardboard sheet S. If the first pressing sections 410 and 420 were to be placed on the same side as the transport path of the corrugated cardboard sheet S, they would have to be placed outside the length of the corrugated cardboard sheet S (the combined length of D21 and D22) that is inserted into the device. In contrast, when the corrugated cardboard sheet S is opened, its length in the front-to-back direction becomes shorter (only the length of D22), so on the opposite side of the transport path, the first pressing sections 410 and 420 can be placed outside the shortened corrugated cardboard sheet S, making it possible to make the device smaller than if they were placed on the transport path side.

[0083] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the first pressing sections 410 and 420 are supported on the first pressing section guide rail 430 via moving blocks 431 and 432, respectively, so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The first pressing section 410 moves along the first pressing section guide rail 430 driven by the first pressing section moving motor (right first flap bending and pressing motor) 411, and the second pressing section 420 moves along the first pressing section guide rail 430 driven by the first pressing section moving motor (left first flap bending and pressing motor) 421.

[0084] The drive of the first pressing section moving motors 411 and 421 is transmitted to the first pressing sections 410 and 420 via the first pressing section moving mechanisms 412 and 422. The first pressing section moving mechanism 412 has pulleys 412a and 412b and belts 412c and 412d. Belt 412c is stretched between a drive pulley (not shown) and pulley 412a, which are provided on the drive shaft of the first pressing section moving motor 411, and belt 412d is stretched between pulleys 412a and 412b. A moving block 431 is fixed to belt 412d. Therefore, the drive of the first pressing section moving motor 411 is transmitted to belt 412c, pulley 412a, and belt 412d, and as belt 412d moves in a circular motion, the moving block 431 and the first pressing section 410 move along the first pressing section guide rail 430 together with belt 412d. Consequently, as the first pressing section moving motor 411 rotates in forward and reverse directions, the first pressing section 410 moves in both the forward and backward directions.

[0085] Similarly, the first pressing section moving mechanism 422 includes pulleys 422a, 422b, and belts 422c and 422d. Belt 422c is stretched between pulley 422a and a drive pulley (not shown) provided on the drive shaft of the first pressing section moving motor 421, and belt 422d is stretched between pulleys 422a and 422b. A moving block 432 is fixed to belt 422d. Therefore, the drive of the first pressing section moving motor 421 is transmitted to belt 422c, pulleys 422a and 422d, and as belt 422d moves circumferentially, the moving block 432 and the first pressing section 420 move along the first pressing section guide rail 430 together with belt 422d. Therefore, as the first pressing section moving motor 421 rotates in forward and reverse directions, the first pressing section 420 moves in both the forward and backward directions. Although the drive motors for the first pressing sections 410 and 420 could be the same, in this embodiment, as described below, the starting timing of the movement of the first pressing sections 410 and 420 is staggered, so they are driven by different motors.

[0086] In this embodiment, the rear first pressing portion 420 starts moving before the front first pressing portion 410. This is because, as described above, the opening operation by the first opening arm 310 causes the other plate-like portion S2 to lift up from the rear. In other words, pressing the side of the cardboard from the lifted side allows for more efficient shaping of the cardboard. The front first pressing portion 410 will come into contact with the side of the cardboard pressed by the rear first pressing portion 420. For example, if the front first pressing portion 410 and the rear first pressing portion 420 move too far towards the center of the device due to variations in the size of the cardboard sheet S, the side of the cardboard will be pressed too hard. For this reason, the front first pressing portion 410 is provided with a biasing plate portion 440 via a compression spring 442, as described above. The biasing plate portion 440 comes into contact with the side of the cardboard when the compression spring 442 is extended. The movement of the first pressing part 410 is set to a position that matches the predetermined size of the cardboard being shaped, within the range where the compression spring 442 is not fully compressed. This allows the compression spring 442 to absorb variations in the size of the cardboard even if there are variations in size, thereby suppressing deformation of the cardboard.

[0087] [First flap bending mechanism] As described above, the first flap bending mechanism 500 operates in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing mechanism 400. The first flap bending mechanism 500 includes first bending arms 510, 520, etc. As shown in Figures 12 and 13, the first bending arms 510, 520 are arranged on both sides in the front-rear direction within the housing 101, similar to the first pressing parts 410, 420, so as to sandwich the opening region α where the cardboard sheet S is opened. In this embodiment, the first bending arms 510, 520 are supported by the first pressing parts 410, 420, respectively, and move in the front-rear direction together with the first pressing parts 410, 420. Also in this embodiment, the first bending arms 510, 520 are plate-shaped members, and the surface facing the opening region α is a surface parallel to the left-right direction.

[0088] The front first bending arm 510 is pivotably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 410. Specifically, the first bending arm 510 is fixed to a pivot shaft 511 which is pivotably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 410. The pivot shaft 511 has a pivot axis direction parallel to the left-right direction, and the first bending arm 510 is able to pivot in the front-rear direction about the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 511.

[0089] Similarly, the rear first bending arm 520 is pivotably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 420. Specifically, the first bending arm 520 is fixed to a pivot shaft 521 that is pivotably supported at the lower end of the first pressing portion 420. The pivot shaft 521 has a pivot axis direction parallel to the left-right direction, and the first bending arm 520 is able to pivot in the front-rear direction about the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 521.

[0090] Furthermore, the aforementioned pivot shafts 511 and 521 have interlocking arms 512 and 522 fixed to them, respectively, and the interlocking arms 512 and 522 also swing about the pivot axis of the pivot shafts 511 and 521, respectively. That is, the interlocking arm 512 and the first bending arm 510 swing together as one unit, and the interlocking arm 522 and the first bending arm 520 swing together as one unit, about the pivot axis of the pivot shafts 511 and 521, respectively.

[0091] Cam followers 513 and 523 are positioned at the ends of the interlocking arms 512 and 522, respectively. The cam followers 513 and 523 are rollers that are rotatably supported at the ends of the interlocking arms 512 and 522, respectively. The cam followers 513 and 523 contact the cam surfaces 515 and 525 of the cam members 514 and 524, which are positioned below the first pressing section guide rail 430.

[0092] As shown in Figure 13, the cam surface 515 that contacts the front cam follower 513 is an inclined surface that slopes upward towards the rear. The cam surface 525 that contacts the rear cam follower 523 is an inclined surface that slopes upward towards the front. In other words, the cam surfaces 515 and 525 are inclined surfaces that slope in opposite directions.

[0093] When the first bending arms 510 and 520 are in their home position, furthest from the opening region α in the front-rear direction, the cam followers 513 and 523 do not contact the lower portion (lower end in this embodiment) of the cam surfaces 515 and 525. In this state, the first bending arms 510 and 520 hang down in a substantially vertical direction. As the first pressing portions 410 and 420 move in the front-rear direction toward the opening region α, the cam followers 513 and 523 come into contact with the cam surfaces 515 and 525, and the engagement between the cam followers 513 and 523 and the cam surfaces 515 and 525 causes the interlocking arms 512 and 522 to rotate so that their tips move upward. As a result, the first bending arms 510 and 520, which are connected to the interlocking arms 512 and 522 via the pivot shafts 511 and 521, also rotate in the same direction.

[0094] Using Figure 14 as an example, the rear first bending arm 520 moves forward, causing the cam follower 523 to move along the cam surface 525, and the interlocking arm 522 and the first bending arm 520 to rotate counterclockwise around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 521. Similarly, when the first pressing part 410 moves backward, the front first bending arm 510 rotates clockwise together with the interlocking arm 512 due to the engagement between the cam follower 513 and the cam surface 515. In this embodiment, the interlocking arms 512, 522, cam followers 513, 523, and cam surfaces 515, 525 constitute the interlocking mechanism 531, 532, which causes the first bending arms 510, 520 to perform a bending operation in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing parts 410, 420.

[0095] As described above, when the first bending arms 510 and 520 rotate around the pivot axis of the pivot shafts 511 and 521, they bend the first flap F1 located below the front-to-back side plate portions D11 and D21 of the cardboard opened by the opening mechanism 300. In the following description, the opened cardboard sheet S will be referred to as cardboard. The bending angle of the first flap F1 is set to an angle at which the first flap F1 is approximately horizontal, or to an angle inclined with respect to the horizontal direction so that the tip points downward. In this embodiment, after bending the first flap F1, the second flap F2 is bent as described later, so the first flap F1 is bent to an angle inclined to just before becoming horizontal, and the first flap F1 is bent further when bending the second flap F2.

[0096] In this embodiment, since the first bending arms 510 and 520 are provided on the first pressing parts 410 and 420, the installation space can be reduced compared to providing them separately, thus enabling miniaturization of the device. Furthermore, since the rotational movement of the first bending arms 510 and 520 is linked to the movement of the first pressing parts 410 and 420, the operating mechanism can be simplified and the installation space can be reduced. As a result, the device can be made lower cost and smaller.

[0097] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first pressing parts 410 and 420 are brought against the side panels D11 and D21 of the cardboard before the cardboard is fully opened, that is, while it is in a parallelogram shape, and in conjunction with this, the first flap F1 located below the side panels D11 and D21 is folded. In other words, these actions are performed in a single operation. If the first flap F1 is folded after the cardboard is fully opened, the edge F11 of the first flap F1 may interfere with the edge F21 of the second flap F2 (see Figure 9), making it difficult to open. In contrast, as in this embodiment, if the first flap F1 is folded while it is in a parallelogram shape, the first flap F1 pushes against the second flap F2, so that the edge F11 of the first flap F1 and the edge F21 of the second flap F2 do not interfere with each other and can be folded smoothly.

[0098] [Regulatory structure for cardboard] The configuration for restricting the corrugated cardboard will be explained using Figures 15 and 16. As described above, in the opening operation of the corrugated cardboard sheet S by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is only opened to a parallelogram shape, as shown in Figure 11. In this embodiment, with the corrugated cardboard sheet S in this shape, the restricting mechanism 600 is operated to restrict the positions of the front-rear side plates D11 and D21 so that the shape of the corrugated cardboard sheet S when viewed from the flap side becomes rectangular.

[0099] The first pressing mechanism 400 and the regulating mechanism 600 described above work in conjunction with each other to shape the cardboard sheet S into a rectangular shape. In this process, it is not necessary for either the first pressing mechanism 400 or the regulating mechanism 600 to start operating first, but in this embodiment, the regulating mechanism 600 is set to start operating first.

[0100] The regulating mechanism 600 includes regulating arms 610 and 620. The regulating arms 610 and 620 are rotatable about the pivot axes 616 and 626, respectively. The regulating arms 610 and 620 are located on opposite sides of the first pressing parts 410 and 420 in the left-right direction. In this embodiment, the regulating arms 610 and 620 are positioned opposite the first pressing parts 410 and 420, respectively, with the insertion position of the cardboard sheet S in between.

[0101] When the restricting arms 610 and 620 are folded as shown in Figure 15, they are positioned away from the transport path of the corrugated cardboard sheet S. In this embodiment, the restricting mechanism 600 is positioned to the left of the transport path of the corrugated cardboard sheet S (lower side of Figure 15), and the restricting arms 610 and 620 are positioned away from the transport path to prevent obstruction of the transport of the corrugated cardboard sheet S.

[0102] Therefore, when inserting the corrugated cardboard sheet S from the insertion opening 102, the restricting surfaces 610a and 620a that restrict the sides of the cardboard are parallel to the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S and retracted from the transport path. Then, when opening the cardboard sheet S into a rectangular shape, the restricting surfaces rotate to straddle the transport path and restrict the sides of the cardboard. By configuring the restricting arms 610 and 620 in this way, the position where the cardboard sheet S is inserted and the position where the restricting arms 610 and 620 rotate to restrict the sides of the cardboard can overlap, thereby enabling miniaturization of the device.

[0103] Furthermore, the regulating arms 610 and 620, like the first pressing parts 410 and 420, are positioned on both sides of the housing 101 in the front-rear direction. The regulating arms 610 and 620 are each plate-shaped members and have regulating surfaces 610a and 620a that are parallel to the vertical direction. These regulating arms 610 and 620 rotate around the pivot axes of the pivot shafts 616 and 626 by the drive of the regulating arm drive motors 611 and 621. The drive of the regulating arm drive motors 611 and 621 is transmitted to the regulating arms 610 and 620 via the regulating arm drive mechanisms 612 and 622.

[0104] The restrictor arm drive mechanism 612, which transmits drive to the front restrictor arm 610, includes pulleys 613 and 614, a belt 615, and a gear train 617. Pulley 613 is mounted on the drive shaft of the restrictor arm drive motor 611, and the belt 615 is stretched between pulleys 613 and 614. Pulley 614 and the restrictor arm 610 are connected via the gear train 617. The rotation of the restrictor arm drive motor 611 is transmitted to pulleys 613, 615, and 614, and the rotation of pulley 614 is transmitted to the restrictor arm 610 via the gear train 617. As a result, the restrictor arm 610 rotates around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 616. The direction of rotation of the front restrictor arm 610 from the retracted position to the restricted position is counterclockwise.

[0105] Similarly, the regulating arm drive mechanism 622, which transmits drive to the rear regulating arm 620, has pulleys 623 and 624, a belt 625, and a gear train 627. Pulley 623 is mounted on the drive shaft of the regulating arm drive motor 621, and the belt 625 is stretched between pulleys 623 and 624. Pulley 624 and the regulating arm 620 are connected via the gear train 627. The rotation of the regulating arm drive motor 621 is transmitted to pulleys 623, 625, and 624, and the rotation of pulley 624 is transmitted to the regulating arm 620 via the gear train 627. As a result, the regulating arm 620 rotates around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 626. The direction of rotation of the rear regulating arm 620 from the retracted position to the regulating position is clockwise.

[0106] Furthermore, sensor flags 630 and 631 are provided at the base end of the regulating arm (right regulating arm) 610, respectively. The sensor flags 630 and 631 are positioned at different phases in the rotational direction around the pivot axis 616 and are detected by the rotational position detection sensor 632 of the right regulating arm. The rotational position detection sensor 632 is a photointerrupter and detects when either sensor flag 630 or 631 has passed. Sensor flag 630 is provided so that the rotational position detection sensor 632 can detect when the regulating arm 610 is in the retracted position shown in Figure 15, and sensor flag 631 is provided so that the rotational position detection sensor 632 can detect when the regulating arm 610 is in the regulated position shown in Figure 16. When using the detection of the photointerrupter by sensor flag 630 as a reference, the retracted position is set as the home position of the regulating arm 610, and the arm is stopped in the regulated position by controlling the pulse or time that drives the regulating arm drive motor 611. Furthermore, when using the detection of the photointerrupter by the sensor flag 631 as a reference, the restricted position is set as the home position of the restricting arm 610, and the restricting arm is stopped in the retracted position by controlling the pulse or time that drives the restricting arm drive motor 621.

[0107] Similarly, sensor flags 640 and 641 are provided at the base end of the regulating arm (left regulating arm) 620, respectively. Sensor flags 640 and 641 are positioned at different rotational phases around the pivot axis 626 and are detected by the rotational position detection sensor 642 of the left regulating arm. The rotational position detection sensor 642 is a photointerrupter and detects when either sensor flag 640 or 641 has passed. Sensor flag 640 is provided so that the rotational position detection sensor 642 can detect when the regulating arm 620 is in the retracted position shown in Figure 15, and sensor flag 641 is provided so that the rotational position detection sensor 642 can detect when the regulating arm 620 is in the regulated position shown in Figure 16. When using the detection of the photointerrupter by sensor flag 640 as a reference, the retracted position is set as the home position of the regulating arm 620, and the arm is stopped in the regulated position by controlling the pulse or time that drives the regulating arm drive motor 621. Furthermore, when using the detection of a photointerrupter by the sensor flag 641 as a reference, the restricted position is set as the home position of the restricted arm 620, and the restricted arm is stopped in the retracted position by controlling the pulse or time that drives the restricted arm drive motor 621.

[0108] In this embodiment, a one-sided restricting member 650 and a other-sided restricting member 660 are provided on both the left and right sides of the opening region α. ​​The one-sided restricting member 650 on the right side (upper side in Figure 15) is positioned between the first pressing portions 410 and 420 in the front-rear direction. A one-sided restricting surface 651, which is parallel to the vertical direction, is provided on the opening region α side of the one-sided restricting member 650, and the position of the side plate portion D22 of the cardboard box, which is opened in a rectangular shape, is restricted by the one-sided restricting surface 651.

[0109] Similarly, the other-side restricting member 660 on the left side (lower side of Figure 15) is positioned between the restricting arms 610 and 620 in the front-rear direction. The other-side restricting surface 661, which is a surface parallel to the vertical direction, is provided on the opening region α side of the other-side restricting member 660, and the other-side restricting surface 661 restricts the position of the rectangularly opened side panel portion D21 of the corrugated cardboard. As described above, the other-side restricting surface 661 also has the function of guiding the left side of the corrugated cardboard sheet S when the corrugated cardboard sheet is inserted from the insertion opening 102.

[0110] When the first opening arm 310 is detected by the first arm position detection sensor 318, the regulating arms 610 and 620 begin to rotate from the retracted position in Figure 15 towards the regulating position in Figure 16. At the regulating position, the regulating surfaces 651 and 652 are brought into contact with the side panels D11 and D21 of the corrugated cardboard, which are opened in a parallelogram shape by the first opening arm 310 and the second opening arm 320. At this time, the regulating surfaces 651 and 652 work in cooperation with the first pressing parts 410 and 420 to press the side panels D11 and D21, shaping the partially unfolded corrugated cardboard sheet S into a rectangular shape and regulating the position of the cardboard in the front-to-back direction. At the same time, the position of the cardboard in the left-to-right direction is regulated by the one-side regulating member 650 and the other-side regulating member 660.

[0111] In this embodiment, the members that contact the front-to-back sides of the cardboard and restrict its position in the front-to-back direction perform different actions. Specifically, the first pressing parts 410 and 420 restrict the side plates D11 and D21 of the cardboard by sliding them. On the other hand, the restricting arms 610 and 620 restrict the side plates D11 and D21 of the cardboard by rotating them.

[0112] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first pressing parts 410, 420 and the regulating arms 610, 620 are arranged approximately diagonally opposite each other on the cardboard. Specifically, the rear regulating arm 620 is positioned approximately diagonally opposite the front first pressing part 410, and the front regulating arm 610 is positioned approximately diagonally opposite the rear first pressing part 420. Therefore, when these components shape and regulate the cardboard, the force acting on the cardboard can suppress deformation.

[0113] In particular, the rear first pressing part 420 starts pressing the cardboard before the front first pressing part 410, so if there is no front restricting arm 610 diagonally opposite, it will not be able to receive the force required to shape the cardboard into a rectangle, and there is a risk that the cardboard will deform. For this reason, by providing at least the front restricting arm 610, such deformation of the cardboard can be suppressed. The rear restricting arm 620 also receives the force when the front first pressing part 410 presses the cardboard and plays a role in suppressing deformation of the cardboard. However, at this stage, the cardboard is already roughly shaped into a rectangle, and the force it receives is not large. For this reason, the rear restricting arm 620 may be omitted. However, since the rear restricting arm 620 ensures that the cardboard is reliably shaped into a rectangle, it is preferable to provide the rear restricting arm 620 to compensate for the shape of the cardboard. Furthermore, when applying tape with the tape unit 800 described later, it is preferable to provide the rear restricting arm 620 so that the restriction in the front-to-back direction is strengthened.

[0114] [Flowchart of opening the cardboard box and bending the first flap] Next, the flow from the opening operation (box opening) of the corrugated cardboard sheet S by the opening mechanism 300 described above to the shaping of the corrugated cardboard and the bending operation of the first flap F1 by the pressing mechanism 400 described above will be explained using Figure 42. First, when the corrugated cardboard sheet S is inserted into the insertion position, the second opening arm (right opening arm) 320 is moved toward the second gap G2 between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2 provided on the other plate-shaped part S2. Then, the second opening arm 320 enters the second gap G2 and comes into contact with the second flap F2 of the opposing plate-shaped part S1, pressing down on the plate-shaped part S1 (S201). The second opening arm 320 moves by the thickness of the other plate-shaped part S2 and stops.

[0115] Next, the first opening arm (left-opening arm) 310 is moved toward the first gap G1 between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2 provided on one of the plate-shaped parts S1. Then, the first opening arm 310 is brought into contact with the second flap F2 of the other opposing plate-shaped part S2 (S202). Furthermore, the first opening arm 310 is moved to move the other plate-shaped part S2 away from the one plate-shaped part S1.

[0116] At this time, the first opening arm 310 comes into contact with the second flap F2 of the other plate-shaped part S2 and moves to the right, while the second opening arm 320 comes into contact with the second flap F2 of the other plate-shaped part S1 and stops. As a result, the corrugated cardboard sheet S is unfolded while only the other plate-shaped part S2 appears to move. At the start of the unfolding of the corrugated cardboard sheet S, as explained in S107 of Figure 41, the transport roller 201 is lowered, and the nip between the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202 is released.

[0117] Next, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the first opening arm 310 began to move (S203), the drive of the conveyor roller 201 is started (S204), the conveyor roller 201 is raised, and the corrugated cardboard sheet S is nipped by the conveyor roller 201 and the driven roller 202 (S205). This predetermined time is, as described above, the time it takes for the other plate-shaped part S2 to move to a position where it is detached from the conveyor roller 201.

[0118] As the transport roller 201 is rotated and in contact with the cardboard sheet (in this case, one of the plate-shaped parts S1), one of the plate-shaped parts S1 is transported to the rear by the transport roller 201. In this embodiment, the cardboard sheet is opened by moving the first opening arm 310, and at the same time, the cardboard sheet is transported further to the rear. This suppresses the amount of relative movement between the first opening arm 310 and the second flap F2 in the front-rear direction, allowing for a smooth opening operation of the cardboard sheet. Furthermore, transporting the cardboard sheet to the rear suppresses interference with the tape unit 800 located at the front.

[0119] Next, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the transport roller 201 rose (S206), the transport roller 201 is lowered (S207) and stopped (S208). This certain period of time is, for example, the time it takes for the other plate-shaped part S2, which is being moved by the first opening arm 310, to reach the scooping member 671. That is, while the cardboard sheet that is in the process of opening is passing through the transport path of the tape unit 800, the cardboard sheet is nipped between the transport roller 201 and the driven roller 202, and when its lower end is supported by the scooping member 671, this nip is released. This prevents the cardboard sheet that is in the process of opening from tilting even after the nip is released.

[0120] Next, when the first opening arm 310 is detected by the first arm position detection sensor (pressure movement start sensor) 318 (S209), the rear regulating arm (left regulating arm) 620 starts to rotate (S210). After that, the front regulating arm (right regulating arm) 610 starts to rotate (S211). The reason for rotating the rear regulating arm 620 first is that, as the opening operation by the first opening arm 310 causes the cardboard sheet to stand up from behind, contacting the side of the cardboard with the rear regulating arm 620 first allows for more stable shaping of the cardboard.

[0121] Next, after a certain period of time has elapsed since the front restricting arm 610 began to rotate (S212), the rear first pressing part (left first flap and pressing arm) 420 begins to move towards the front (towards the center of the device) (S213). After a certain period of time has elapsed since the rear first pressing part 420 began to move (S214), the front first pressing part (right first flap and pressing arm) 410 begins to move towards the rear (towards the center of the device) (S215). Moving the rear first pressing part 420 first is for the same reason as moving the rear restricting arm 620 first. As the first pressing parts 410 and 420 move, the first bending arms 510 and 520 rotate in conjunction as described above, and the first flaps F1 located at the front and rear of the underside of the cardboard are bent inward, respectively.

[0122] [Bending configuration of the second flap] The configuration for bending the second flap F2 will be explained using Figures 17 to 21. As described above, after bending the first flap F1 in the front-rear direction, the second flap bending mechanism 700 bends the second flap F2 in the left-right direction. The second flap bending mechanism 700 includes second bending arms 710, 720, etc. As shown in Figures 17 and 18, the second bending arms 710 and 720 are arranged on both the left-right sides of the housing 101 so as to sandwich the opening region α in which the cardboard sheet S is opened. In this embodiment, the second bending arms 710 and 720 are each plate-shaped members, and the surface facing the opening region α is parallel to the front-rear direction (the insertion direction of the cardboard sheet S).

[0123] The second bending arm 710 on the right side (upper side of Figure 17) is fixed to the pivot shaft 711. The pivot shaft 711 is rotatably supported on a frame (not shown) inside the housing 101, with its rotation axis parallel to the front-rear direction. The second bending arm 710 is capable of swinging left and right around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 711. In the standby position when not performing bending operations (position in Figure 19), the second bending arm 710 is approximately parallel to the vertical direction. It moves from the standby position to the bending position (position in Figure 21) by rotating to the left around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 711.

[0124] Similarly, the second bending arm 720 on the left side (lower side of Figure 17) is fixed to the pivot shaft 721. The pivot shaft 721 is rotatably supported on a frame (not shown) inside the housing 101, with its pivot axis parallel to the front-rear direction. The second bending arm 720 is capable of swinging left and right around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 721. In the standby position when not performing bending operations (position in Figure 19), the second bending arm 720 is approximately parallel to the vertical, and moves to the bending position (position in Figure 21) by rotating to the right around the pivot axis of the pivot shaft 721 from the standby position. Note that, in the standby position when not performing bending operations, the second bending arm 720 on the left side is retracted to the left of the transport path of the corrugated cardboard sheet S, similar to the regulating arms 610 and 620, so as not to obstruct the transport of the corrugated cardboard sheet S.

[0125] These second bending arms 710 and 720 rotate around the rotation axis of the pivot shafts 711 and 721 by the drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712 and 722. The drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712 and 722 is transmitted to the second bending arms 710 and 720 via the second bending arm drive transmission mechanisms 713 and 723. The second bending arm drive transmission mechanisms 713 and 723 are each composed of a pulley and belt mechanism and a gear train. Specifically, the drive of the second bending arm drive motors 712 and 722 is transmitted to the gear train via the pulley and belt, and the gears of the gear train mesh with gears fixed to the pivot shafts 711 and 721, thereby transmitting the power to the second bending arms 710 and 720. Then, the forward and reverse rotation of the second bending arm drive motors 712 and 722 causes the second bending arms 710 and 720 to rotate in the left and right directions, respectively.

[0126] The pivot shafts 711 and 721 are equipped with sensor flags 730 and 740, respectively. Rotation position detection sensors 731, 732, 741, and 742 are positioned at locations where the rotational phase of the pivot shafts 711 and 721 differs at the point where sensor flags 730 and 740 pass. Rotation position detection sensors 731, 732, 741, and 742 are photointerrupters and detect when sensor flags 730 and 740 have passed. Rotation position detection sensors 731 and 741 detect when the second bending arms 710 and 720 are in the standby position, respectively, and rotation position detection sensors 732 and 742 detect when the second bending arms 710 and 720 are in the bending position, respectively.

[0127] Furthermore, in this embodiment, rollers 714 and 724 are rotatably supported at the tips of the second bending arms 710 and 720. As a result, when the second bending arms 710 and 720 bend the second flap F2, the rollers 714 and 724 come into contact with the second flap F2. This reduces friction between the second bending arms 710 and 720 and the second flap F2 during the bending operation, allowing the bending operation to proceed smoothly.

[0128] In particular, in this embodiment, the second flap F2 is longer than the first flap F1, resulting in a greater load when bending it. For this reason, as described above, rollers are not provided at the tips of the first bending arms 510 and 520, but rollers 714 and 724 are provided at the tips of the second bending arms 710 and 720.

[0129] Although rollers may also be provided on the first bending arms 510 and 520, they are not provided in this embodiment for the following reasons. Specifically, the first bending arms 510 and 520 bend the first flap F1, which is bent before the second flap F2, and maintain the first flap F1 in a bent state while the second flap F2 is being bent by the second bending arms 710 and 720. Therefore, when the second flap F2 is bent by the second bending arms 710 and 720, the first bending arms 510 and 520 are sandwiched between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2.

[0130] After folding the second flap F2, tape is applied to the bottom surface of the cardboard using the tape unit 800, as described later. During this application, the first bending arms 510 and 520 are pulled out from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2, so it is preferable that the first bending arms 510 and 520 be made as thin as possible. If rollers are provided at the tip, the thickness will increase by the amount of the rollers, so rollers are not provided at the tip of the first bending arms 510 and 520. Since the first flap F1 is shorter in length than the second flap F2, the load when bending is small, and the bending operation can be performed smoothly even without providing rollers at the tip of the first bending arms 510 and 520.

[0131] The bending operation of the second bending arms 710 and 720 will be explained using Figures 19 to 21. First, Figure 19 shows the standby position when no bending operation is being performed, with the second bending arms 710 and 720 positioned approximately parallel to each other in the vertical direction. Then, as described above, when the first flap F1 is folded to a predetermined position by the first bending arms 510 and 520, the first bending arms 510 and 520 stop at that position. At this time, the bottom surface of the cardboard is supported by the first bending arms 510 and 520, and the top surface is held down by the driven roller 202 and the upper flap retaining roller 670. The driven roller 202 and the upper flap retaining roller 670 are in contact with the unclosed upper flap of the cardboard (the second flap F2 in this embodiment). As a result, the vertical position of the cardboard is restricted by the first bending arms 510 and 520 and the driven roller 202 and the upper flap retaining roller 670.

[0132] In this state, as shown in Figure 20, the second bending arms 710 and 720 begin to rotate, bending the second flap F2. At this time, the first bending arms 510 and 520 remain in the position where the first flap F1 is bent, supporting the cardboard. Furthermore, the second bending arms 710 and 720 are rotated to the bending position shown in Figure 21, and their rotation is stopped.

[0133] As shown in Figure 21, at the bending position, the pair of opposing second flaps F2 are not completely closed. That is, the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 are lower than the horizontal position. For example, the position where the rotation of the second bending arms 710 and 720 stops is a position where the tips of the second flaps F2 are tilted downwards by, for example, 3 degrees relative to the horizontal. This angle relative to the horizontal is not limited to 3 degrees, but can be set as appropriate within the range of 1 to 10 degrees.

[0134] In this embodiment, the second flap F2 is tilted rather than being completely closed to a horizontal position, making it easier to pull out the first bending arms 510 and 520 that are sandwiched between the second flap F2 and the first flap F1. Furthermore, if the second flap F2 were to be closed to a horizontal position, the first bending arms 510 and 520 and the first flap F1 would be pushed up by the second flap F2, making it difficult to pull out the first bending arms 510 and 520 and potentially deforming the cardboard. For this reason, in this embodiment, the rotation of the second bending arms 710 and 720 is stopped at a position where the second flap F2 is not folded to a horizontal position.

[0135] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 21, by stopping the second flap F2 at a tilted position with its tip pointing downwards, and applying the tape described later while the pair of second flaps F2 are in a valley shape, it becomes easier to apply the tape neatly without the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 overlapping.

[0136] In other words, if the pair of second flaps F2 to which the tape is attached by the tape unit 800 are folded horizontally, there is a risk that the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 will overlap. If the tape is applied in this state, the quality of the finished product will be reduced. On the other hand, if the tips of the pair of second flaps F2 are valley-shaped, the tips will not overlap, making it easier to apply the tape and ensuring a stable quality of the finished product.

[0137] As explained in Figure 21, after rotating the second bending arms 710 and 720 to the bending position, the first bending arms 510 and 520 are withdrawn from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. Then, after withdrawing the first bending arms 510 and 520, the bending operation of the first bending arms 510 and 520 is performed again to bring the first bending arms 510 and 520 into contact with the lower surface of the second flap F2. (Move to the support position)This operation is performed in conjunction with the movement of the first pressing parts 410 and 420 described above in the front-rear direction. In this state, the cardboard is supported on its underside by the first bending arms 510 and 520 and the second bending arms 710 and 720. Then, in this state, tape is applied to the underside of the cardboard by the tape unit 800 described below.

[0138] [Tape Unit] The tape unit 800, which applies tape to the bottom surface of the cardboard, will be described using Figures 22 to 39. As mentioned above, the tape unit 800 is located at the front of the housing 101 in the home position. Figures 22 and 23 show the position of the tape unit 800 in the home position, with Figure 22 showing the tape unit 800 from the left and Figure 23 showing it from the right. As is clear from Figures 22 and 23, the tape unit 800 is located in front of the cardboard D with the lower first flap F1 and second flap F2 closed as described above in the home position.

[0139] As shown in Figures 24 to 27, the tape unit 800 is positioned to be movable in the front-to-back direction on the guide rail 880. Figures 24 to 27 also show the tape unit 800 in its home position, with Figure 24 being a plan view from the left, Figure 25 a perspective view from the left rear, Figure 26 a plan view from the right, and Figure 27 a perspective view from the right rear.

[0140] Movement blocks 802a and 802b are fixed to the left and right sides of the base 801, which is placed on the guide rail 880 of the tape unit 800. Meanwhile, pulleys 881a, 881b, 882a, 882b and belts 883a and 883b are arranged on both the left and right sides of the tape unit 800 inside the housing 101. The pulleys 881a, 882a and belt 883a are located on the left side of the tape unit 800, and belt 883a, which is stretched over pulleys 881a and 882a, is arranged in the front-to-back direction. Similarly, the pulleys 881b, 882b and belt 883b are located on the right side of the tape unit 800, and belt 883b, which is stretched over pulleys 881b and 882b, is arranged in the front-to-back direction.

[0141] Movement blocks 802a and 802b are fixed to belts 883a and 883b, respectively. A tape unit movement motor (tape application motor) 886 is located on the right side of the tape unit 800, and the drive of the tape unit movement motor 886 is transmitted to the right pulley 881b via a power transmission mechanism including pulleys and belts (not shown). The right pulley 881b and the left pulley 881a are connected by the same axis of rotation, and the drive of the tape unit movement motor 886 is also transmitted to the left pulley 881a. As a result, the forward and reverse rotation of the tape unit movement motor 886 causes the pulleys 881a and 881b to rotate synchronously in the forward and reverse directions.

[0142] The rear pulleys 882a and 882b are driven pulleys and are not connected to each other, but are arranged so that their axes of rotation are coaxial. The belts 883a and 883b, which are stretched over these pulleys 881a, 881b, 882a, and 882b respectively, move in a circular motion when the pulleys 881a and 881b are rotated by the tape unit moving motor 886, and the tape unit 800, which is connected to the belts 883a and 883b via moving blocks 802a and 802b, moves in the front-back direction along the guide rail 880.

[0143] Furthermore, sensor flags 803a and 803b are provided on the left and right sides of the base 801, respectively. On the other hand, a home position sensor 884 and a stop position sensor 885 are provided on both the front and rear sides inside the housing 101. These sensors 884 and 885 are photointerrupters and detect the passage of sensor flag 803a or 803b. In this embodiment, the home position sensor 884 is located on the left side of the tape unit 800, and the stop position sensor 885 is located on the right side of the tape unit 800. When the sensor flag 803a on the right passes through the home position sensor 884, it is detected that the tape unit 800 is in the home position, and when the sensor flag 803b on the left passes through the stop position sensor 885, it is detected that the tape unit 800 is in the stop position. It is also possible to place sensors 884 and 885 on only one side, and the sensor flags on only one side.

[0144] Next, the configuration for attaching the tape T to the tape unit 800 will be explained, mainly using Figure 28. Figure 28 is a view of the tape unit 800 from the right side. In this embodiment, as is clear from the perspective views in Figures 25 and 27, each component for attaching the tape T is supported by a frame 860 provided on the left side of the tape unit 800. Therefore, the explanation will be given using Figure 28, which shows the tape unit 800 from the right side. Note that the frame supporting each component may be on the right side, or on both the left and right sides.

[0145] The tape unit 800 includes a first pressing roller 810, a second pressing roller 820, a tape cutter 840, a flap pressing section 850, a tape holding section 870, and the like. The first pressing roller 810 is rotatably supported at the tip of the tape roller arm 811. The tape roller arm 811 is rotatably supported on a pivot shaft 812, and a tension spring 813 biases the first pressing roller 810 to rotate towards the front side of the housing 101 around the pivot shaft 812. The first pressing roller 810 is a roller that moves the tape T while attaching it to the cardboard, and the tape T pulled out from the tape body rotatably held by the tape holding section 870 is supplied via tape guide rollers 831, 832, 833 and the final feed roller 830.

[0146] Furthermore, since the first presser roller 810 applies the tape T from the front side of the cardboard D, it is positioned higher than the bottom surface of the cardboard D when the application of the tape T begins. Then, as will be described later, the tape T is applied to the front side that rises from the bottom surface of the cardboard D, and as the tape unit 800 moves backward, the first presser roller 810 tilts backward relative to the direction of movement of the tape unit 800, against the biasing force of the tension spring 813, and continues to move along the bottom surface of the cardboard D, applying the tape T to the bottom surface of the cardboard D.

[0147] The tape roller arm 811 that supports the first presser roller 810 is bent in shape so that it does not interfere with the corner of the cardboard D when the first presser roller 810 moves from the side to the bottom. In other words, the tape roller arm 811 does not linearly connect the pivot shaft 812 and the first presser roller 810, but is formed to extend rearward from the pivot shaft 812 in the direction of movement of the tape unit 800 when the first presser roller 810 is in the position shown in Figure 28, rise upward and then extend forward. That is, the tape roller arm 811 forms a recessed shape 811a between the first presser roller 810 and the pivot shaft 812.

[0148] The second presser roller 820 is positioned in front of the first presser roller 810, that is, upstream with respect to the direction of tape application T. The second presser roller 820 is supported at the tip of the second roller arm 821, and the second roller arm 821 is rotatably supported on a pivot shaft 822. The position of the pivot shaft 822 is downstream in the application direction from the pivot center of the second presser roller 820. This allows for a smaller tape unit 800 than when the position of the pivot shaft 822 is upstream from the pivot center of the second presser roller 820. The second roller arm 821 is also supported on a slide member 823 via the pivot shaft 822, and the slide member 823 is supported on a frame 860 so as to be movable in the vertical direction.

[0149] The second roller arm 821 is biased by a biasing spring 824 in a direction that moves the second pressing roller 820 forward relative to the direction of movement of the tape unit 800, around the pivot axis 822. The slide member 823 is biased upward by a biasing spring (not shown) located on the back side of the tape unit 800 in the direction shown in Figure 28. The slide member 823 also slides in the vertical direction along the slide groove 825.

[0150] As will be described later, the second pressing roller 820 further presses the tape T that has been attached to the cardboard D by the first pressing roller 810, and also has the role of attaching the tape T to the rear side surface of the cardboard D. That is, after the first pressing roller 810 has finished attaching the tape T to the bottom surface of the cardboard D and the tape T has been cut by the tape cutter 840, the remaining tape T is attached to the rear side surface that rises from the bottom surface of the cardboard D.

[0151] The tape cutter 840 is provided on the tape cutter arm 841. As shown in Figures 24 and 27, the tape cutter arm 841 is rotatably supported on the left side of the frame 860 and can rotate independently of the first presser roller 810. The tape cutter arm 841 is provided so as to protrude from the tape cutter arm 841 toward the first presser roller 810, and as the tape cutter arm 841 rotates as described later, the tape T attached to the cardboard D is cut by the first presser roller 810.

[0152] The tip of the tape cutter arm 841 is provided with a tape cutter arm contact portion 842, which protrudes above the first bending arm 510 in the state shown in Figures 24 and 28. The tape cutter arm contact portion 842 is positioned to the left of the rotational trajectory of the first bending arm 510 when viewed from the front of the housing 101, and rotates together with the tape cutter arm 841 regardless of the rotation of the first bending arm 510. As shown in Figure 24, the tape cutter arm 841 and the tape cutter 840 and the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 are biased by a tension spring 843 to move forward relative to the direction of movement of the tape unit 800.

[0153] The flap pressing section 850 is provided on the tape cutter arm 841 and is rotatable together with the tape cutter arm 841. The flap pressing section 850 is located on the leading edge (downstream side) in the tape application direction and moves while pressing down on the abutting portion of the pair of second flaps F2 on the underside of the cardboard D during tape application. The pressing surface of the flap pressing section 850 is a flat surface parallel to the horizontal direction, and by pressing down on the abutting portion of the pair of second flaps F2 with this surface, the leading edges of the pair of second flaps F2 can be brought into contact almost horizontally without overlapping. The first tape pressing roller 810 applies tape T to the abutting portion of the pair of second flaps F2 after the flap pressing section 850 has pressed down on it.

[0154] As shown in Figures 36(a) to 38, the tape holding unit 870 rotatably holds the tape body. Figure 36(a) is a perspective view showing the tape body held by the tape holding unit 870 and pressed down by the tape press plate 871. Figure 36(b) is a perspective view showing the tape press plate 871 removed. Figure 37 is a perspective view showing the tape T being pulled out from the tape body held by the tape holding unit 870 via the tape guide rollers 831, 832, 833 and the final feed roller 830 to the first tape press roller 810. Figure 38 is a perspective view showing the tape body not being held by the tape holding unit 870.

[0155] The tape holding portion 870 is formed in a cylindrical shape so that the cylindrical tape body can be loosely fitted onto it. Furthermore, the tape holding portion 870 is positioned to protrude to the right from the left frame 860. Therefore, the tape body can be replaced from the right side of the tape holding portion 870.

[0156] A screw 872 is provided at the center of the tape holding portion 870 so as to protrude. By passing the screw 872 through a through hole provided at the center of the tape pressing plate 871 and then tightening it with a nut 873, the tape pressing plate 871 can be fixed to the screw 872. With the tape body fitted onto the tape holding portion 870, the tape pressing plate 871 presses down on the sides of the tape body, and by tightening it with a nut 873, the tape body can be held in the tape holding portion 870 in a rotatable and secure manner, preventing it from falling off.

[0157] Next, the tape application operation by the tape unit 800 will be explained using Figures 29 to 35. The tape unit 800 starts moving from the home position toward the rear when viewed from the front of the housing 101. As shown in Figure 29, the flap presser 850 presses down on the abutting portion of the second flap F2 on the lower surface of the cardboard D, and the first tape presser roller 810 abuts against the front side surface of the cardboard D, causing the tip of the tape T supported by the first tape presser roller 810 to adhere to the front side surface.

[0158] Furthermore, as the tape unit 800 moves to the rear, as shown in Figure 30, the first tape press roller 810 rotates forward against the biasing force of the tension spring 813 and enters the underside of the cardboard D. At this time, the first tape press roller 810 moves so as to trace the corner between the underside and the front side of the cardboard D, so that the tape T is also attached to this corner. Also, the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 rotates forward as it comes into contact with the cardboard D, and the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 also enters the underside of the cardboard D. Furthermore, in conjunction with the rotation of the tape cutter arm contact portion 842, the L-shaped push portion 844 provided on the tape cutter arm 841 comes into contact with the projection portion 826 provided on the slide member 823. As the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 enters the underside of the cardboard D, it rotates further, causing the slide member 823 to move downward against the biasing force of a biasing spring (not shown), and the second press roller 820 also enters the underside of the cardboard D.

[0159] In this state, as the tape unit 800 moves further to the rear, the first tape pressing roller 810 adheres the tape T to the bottom surface of the cardboard D, and the second pressing roller 820 further presses the attached tape T down. Then, as shown in Figure 31, even when the first tape pressing roller 810 goes beyond the bottom surface of the cardboard D, the tension of the tape T attached to the bottom surface of the cardboard D keeps the first pressing roller 810 pressed down.

[0160] As the tape unit 800 moves further, as shown in Figure 32, when the tape cutter arm contact portion 842 passes the bottom surface of the cardboard D, it rotates to the rear due to the biasing force of the tension spring 843, and the tape cutter 840 provided on the tape cutter arm 841 is pulled out from the bottom surface of the cardboard D, cutting the tape T that is stretched on the first presser roller 810. The length of tape T to be cut can be adjusted by adjusting the position of the tape cutter arm contact portion 842.

[0161] After the tape T is cut, the first tape press roller 810 rotates to the rear due to the biasing force of the tension spring 813, as shown in Figure 33. In this state, the second press roller 820 is positioned on the underside of the cardboard D. Also, the tape T is stuck to the underside of the cardboard D, but not yet stuck to the rear side.

[0162] As the tape unit 800 moves further, as shown in Figure 34, the second presser roller 820 reaches the corner between the bottom surface and the rear side surface of the cardboard box D. When the second presser roller 820 passes this corner, as shown in Figure 35, the sliding member 823 moves upward due to the biasing force of the biasing spring, causing the second presser roller 820 to move upward. At the same time, the second presser roller 820 is biased forward by the biasing force of the biasing spring 824. As a result, the second presser roller 820 moves along the rear corner of the cardboard box D, and further moves along the rear side surface while being biased against this side surface. At this time, the remaining tape T cut by the tape cutter 840 is attached to the rear corner and rear side surface of the cardboard box D by the second presser roller 820.

[0163] With the above steps completed, the tape unit 800 completes the operation of attaching the tape T. The tape unit 800 stops moving when it reaches the stop position sensor 885. In this embodiment, once the attachment of the tape T is complete, the support for the cardboard is released by returning the first bending arms 510, 520 and the second bending arms 710, 720, and the cardboard is dropped downwards. This is to make it easier to remove the cardboard D from the front opening 103 of the housing 101, as shown in Figure 1. That is, when the cardboard D is supported by the first bending arms 510, 520 and the second bending arms 710, 720, the cardboard D is located at the top of the housing 101, and when removing it, the top surface of the cardboard D gets caught, making it difficult to remove from the opening 103. For this reason, in this embodiment, the cardboard D is dropped downwards before being removed.

[0164] The housing 101 is equipped with a cardboard box presence / absence sensor 101a (see Figure 40) that detects the presence or absence of cardboard box D. Therefore, the removal of cardboard box D can be detected by the cardboard box presence / absence sensor 101a. When it is detected that cardboard box D has been removed, the tape unit 800 moves toward the home position.

[0165] In this embodiment, in order to miniaturize the device, when the tape unit 800 returns to its home position, it is positioned near the front side wall 105 of the housing 101. As described above, a second tape press roller 820 is located on the front side of the tape unit 800 and protrudes forward. The second tape press roller 820 is rotatably supported via a second roller arm 821. Therefore, as shown in Figure 39, when the tape unit 800 returns to its home position, even if the second tape press roller 820 comes into contact with the front side wall 105, it rotates to move away from the side wall 105. That is, it moves from the position shown by the dashed line to the position shown by the solid line. This allows the home position of the tape unit 800 to be brought closer to the side wall 105, thereby enabling miniaturization of the device.

[0166] [Flowchart from the bending motion of the second flap to the tape application motion] Next, the flow from the bending operation of the second flap F2 by the second flap bending mechanism 700 to the tape application operation by the tape unit 800 will be explained using Figure 43. Once the first flap F1 is bent according to the flow in Figure 42, the left second bending arm (front second flap bending arm) 720 is rotated (S301). Then, the right second bending arm (rear second flap bending arm) 710 is rotated (S302). Then, the second flaps F2 are bent on both the left and right sides. Note that the order of bending does not matter, and they can be done simultaneously.

[0167] Next, the rear first pressing section 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are moved to their home position (the rear end of the first pressing section guide rail 430) (S303). The home position of the first bending arm 520 is detected by the home position sensor (left first flap bending and pressing arm HP sensor) 520a (see Figure 40). As a result, the first bending arm 520 is withdrawn from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. Then, the front first pressing section 410 and the first bending arm (right first flap bending arm) 510 are moved to their home position (the front end of the first pressing section guide rail 430) (S304). The home position of the first bending arm 510 is detected by the home position sensor (right first flap bending and pressing arm HP sensor) 510a (see Figure 40). This causes the first bending arm 510 to be withdrawn from between the first flap F1 and the second flap F2. The order in which they are withdrawn does not matter, and they can be withdrawn simultaneously.

[0168] Next, the rear first pressing part 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are moved again towards the cardboard, and the lower surface of the second flap F2 is pressed by the first bending arm 520 (S305). Next, the front first pressing part 410 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 510 are moved again towards the cardboard, and the lower surface of the second flap F2 is pressed by the first bending arm 510 (S306). As a result, the first bending arms 510 and 520, together with the second bending arms 710 and 720, support the lower surface of the cardboard. Note that the timing of pressing the second flap F2 can be either first or simultaneously.

[0169] In this state, the tape unit 800 is moved to apply tape to the raised edges of the front, bottom, and rear of the cardboard box (S307). When the tape unit 800 reaches a predetermined position (S308), the movement speed of the tape unit 800 is switched to a low speed (S309). The predetermined position is, for example, the position where the second tape press roller 820 reaches the rear corner of the cardboard box. By switching the tape unit 800 to a low speed from this point onward, the second tape press roller 820 can reliably apply tape to the rear side of the cardboard box.

[0170] When the tape unit 800 is detected by the stop position sensor 885 (S310), the movement of the tape unit 800 is stopped (S311). This completes the process of attaching the tape to the cardboard.

[0171] [Flowchart for preparing to remove cardboard boxes] Next, the flow for preparing the cardboard for removal after tape application will be explained using Figure 44. Once the tape application operation is completed in the flow shown in Figure 43, the rear first pressing part 420 and the first bending arm (left first flap bending arm) 520 are moved to the home position (rear end of the first pressing part guide rail 430) (S401). Then, the front first pressing part 410 and the first bending arm (right first flap bending arm) 510 are moved to the home position (front end of the first pressing part guide rail 430) (S402). This releases the support of the bottom surface of the cardboard by the first bending arms 510 and 520. Note that the order of movement does not matter, and they can be done simultaneously.

[0172] After a certain period of time has elapsed since the support of the cardboard box's underside by the first bending arms 510 and 520 was released (S403), the left second bending arm (front second flap bending arm) 720 is moved to the home position (S404). Next, the right second bending arm (rear second flap bending arm) 710 is moved to the home position (S405). This releases the support of the cardboard box's underside by the second bending arms 710 and 720. The order in which they are moved does not matter; they can be moved first or simultaneously.

[0173] Next, the rear restrictor arm (left restrictor arm) 620 is moved to the home position (S406), and then the front restrictor arm (right restrictor arm) 610 is moved to the home position (S407). In other words, the restrictor arms 610 and 620 are moved away from the sides of the cardboard box. Note that the order in which they are moved does not matter, and they can be moved simultaneously. This completes the preparation for removing the cardboard box.

[0174] [Control Configuration] The control configuration of the box-making apparatus 100 in this embodiment will be explained using Figure 40. The box-making apparatus 100 is controlled by the microcontroller 1001 of the control unit 1000. Various motors and various sensors are connected to the microcontroller 1001 via drivers, and the microcontroller 1001 controls the various motors based on the program and signals from the various sensors to execute the flows shown in Figures 41 to 44 and the various operations described above. Power is supplied to the control unit 1000 from the power supply 1002.

[0175] Furthermore, the box-making device 100 has various display LEDs to show the operating status of the device, and in this embodiment, it is equipped with green (G), white (W), and yellow (Y) display LEDs 1011 to 1013, and an emergency stop switch display LED 1010, and the lighting of these is controlled by the microcontroller 1001. For example, when the assembly of the cardboard box is complete, one of the display LEDs 1011 to 1013 is lit to inform the operator that the assembly is complete. Note that the names of the various motors and sensors shown in Figure 40 do not match the names mentioned above, but if the symbols are the same, they refer to the same thing.

[0176] In this embodiment, the insertion of cardboard sheets and the removal of assembled cardboard boxes can be performed from the front of the device. Therefore, it is suitable for the task of assembling cardboard boxes one by one by the operator. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the device can be made smaller by devising the arrangement of each component as described above. Therefore, with the box-making device 100 of this embodiment, a small amount of cardboard can be efficiently assembled in a small space. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0177] 100...Box making equipment 101... Cabinet 201... Conveyor roller 202... Driven roller 220... Roller lifting mechanism (nip release means) 310...First opening arm (opening arm) 312...First opening motor (means of movement) 320...Second opening arm

Claims

[Claim 1] A cardboard sheet having four consecutive surfaces and eight flaps extending from the upper and lower ends of each of the four surfaces, is unfolded by folding the folds provided between each of the four surfaces in a mountain fold, A first pressing part presses the third flap through the gap between the first flap located on the upper edge side of the cardboard sheet and the second flap adjacent thereto, A second pressing portion that presses the second flap through the gap formed between the third flap and the adjacent fourth flap, The unfolding unit moves the first pressing unit and the second pressing unit relative to each other to unfold the cardboard sheet by folding the four folds into mountain folds, A deployment device having a deployment mechanism.

Images