Sealing device and expansion jig used therein

Abstract

To propose a new technique for suppressing a folding failure of a flap of a carton, in a sealing device for an A-type corrugated cardboard carton.SOLUTION: A sealing device 1 for a carton has: a rotary arm 12; a first pressing roller 14 provided on a lower end side of the rotary arm 12; a second pressing roller 16 in which a position of a rotary shaft is fixed; and a pair of folding bars 18, wherein a front flap 21 is folded by the second pressing roller 16, a rear flap 22 is folded by the first pressing roller 14, and a side flap 23 is folded by a pair of folding bars 18. At the rotary arm 12, an expanding jig 3 is provided. After the front flap 21 is slightly folded by the expanding jig 3 coming into contact with the front flap 21 before a corner part 12a of the rotary arm 12, the side flap 23 is pressed in an opening direction from the inside to the outside by the expanding jig 3.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a sealing device for closing and sealing the top plate of a carton made of cardboard such as corrugated board, and more particularly to a technique for preventing interference between flaps to be folded.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, for example, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, there is known a sealing device that automatically closes the flaps and tapes them while transporting a corrugated box.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a flap closing mechanism having a front flap folding member, a rear flap folding member, and left and right flap folding members. The carton is placed on a conveyor so that the longitudinal direction is parallel to the transport direction. First, the front flap folding member closes the front flap located at the front side of the opening as viewed from the transport direction side. Next, the rear flap folding member closes the rear flap located at the rear side of the opening as viewed from the transport direction side. Next, the left and right flap folding members close the left and right flaps located at the left and right sides of the opening as viewed from the transport direction side.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The carton sealed in Patent Document 1 is a so-called A-type corrugated carton, which is transported with the front flap, rear flap, and left and right flaps on the top surface side standing up. After the front flap and the rear flap are folded by the flap closing mechanism, the left and right flaps are folded.

[0006] During this folding process, if the opening angle of the left and right flaps is narrow and tilted, the front flap, which is folded first, may interfere with the left and right flaps, causing the front flap to be pressed down and become stiff, resulting in a folding defect that may hinder the transport of the carton.

[0007] In view of the above, the present invention proposes a novel technique for suppressing defects in the folding of the carton flaps in a sealing device for type A corrugated cardboard cartons. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The problems that this invention aims to solve are as described above, and the means for solving these problems will now be explained.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present invention, a carton sealing device comprises a rotating arm, a first pressing roller provided on the lower end of the rotating arm, a second pressing roller whose rotation axis position is fixed, and a pair of folding bars, wherein the front flap is folded by the second pressing roller, the rear flap is folded by the first pressing roller, and the side flaps are folded by the pair of folding bars, wherein the rotating arm is provided with an expanding jig, and the front flap is slightly folded in first when the expanding jig contacts the front flap, and then the side flaps are pressed by the expanding jig in a direction that opens them from the inside to the outside.

[0010] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the expanding jig has an arc-shaped contact portion for contacting the front flap and a pressing end for contacting the inner surface of the side flap, the pressing end being formed at both ends of the arc-shaped contact portion, and the arc shape of the contact portion is configured such that the tip, positioned at an intermediate position between the opposing side flaps, protrudes most towards the upstream side in the carton's conveying direction.

[0011] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, the expanding jig is constructed by bending a rod-shaped member.

[0012] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, there is an expanding jig used in a carton sealing device, which includes a rotating arm, a first pressing roller provided on the lower end of the rotating arm, a second pressing roller whose position on the axis of rotation is fixed, and a pair of folding bars, wherein the front flap is folded by the second pressing roller, the rear flap is folded by the first pressing roller, and the side flaps are folded by the pair of folding bars, wherein the expanding jig is provided on the rotating arm, and the expanding jig first contacts the front flap to slightly fold it, and then presses the side flaps in a direction that opens them from the inside to the outside. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, since the opening angle of the side flaps is widened in advance by the expansion jig, folding defects such as the front flap interfering with the side flap and remaining stuck instead of being folded are suppressed, and problems such as the carton's transport being stopped can be prevented. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a side view illustrating the overview of the sealing device. [Figure 2] This is a plan view illustrating the general structure of the sealing device. [Figure 3] (A) is a diagram illustrating how the side flap is opened by the expansion jig. (B) is a diagram showing the configuration of the expansion jig. [Figure 4] (A) is a plan view showing the rotating arm in the standby position. (B) is a side view showing the rotating arm in the standby position. [Figure 5] (A) is a plan view showing the expansion jig in contact with the front flap. (B) is a side view showing the expansion jig in contact with the front flap. [Figure 6] (A) is a plan view showing the state in which the rotating arm has risen above the rear flap. (B) is a side view showing the state in which the rotating arm has risen above the rear flap. [Figure 7] (A) is a plan view showing a state where the front and rear flaps are pressed by the first pressing roller and the second pressing roller. (B) is a side view showing a state where the front and rear flaps are pressed by the first pressing roller and the second pressing roller. [Figure 8] (A) is a plan view showing a state where the front and rear flaps are being pressed by the first pressing roller and the second pressing roller. (B) is a side view showing a state where the front and rear flaps are being pressed by the first pressing roller and the second pressing roller. [Figure 9] (A) is a plan view showing a situation where the side flaps are folded by the folding bars. (B) is a side view showing a situation where the side flaps are folded by the folding bars. [Figure 10] (A) is a plan view showing a situation where all the flaps are closed. (B) is a side view showing a situation where all the flaps are closed.

Embodiment for Carrying out the Invention

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the sealing device 1 is for closing the top plate side of the carton 20 sequentially conveyed by the conveyor 2.

[0016] The sealing device 1 includes a rotating arm 12 rotated by a driving device such as a motor (not shown), a first pressing roller 14 provided on the lower end side of the rotating arm 12, a second pressing roller 16 whose position of the rotating shaft is fixed, and a pair of folding bars 18, 19. A tape sticking device (not shown) is provided downstream, and a tape is stuck so as to close each flap closed by the sealing device 1.

[0017] As shown in Fig. 3(A), the cartons 20 sequentially conveyed by the conveyor 2 are conveyed in a state where the front flap 21, which will be located on the downstream side in the conveyance direction, the rear flap 22, which will be located on the upstream side in the conveyance direction, and the left and right side flaps 23, 24 are open. Contents are accommodated in the carton 20, and each flap is closed by the sealing device 1. The carton 20 is a so-called A-type cardboard carton that first folds the front flap 21 and the rear flap 22, and then folds and seals the left and right side flaps 23, 24.

[0018] More specifically, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3(A), the rotating arm 12 is substantially L-shaped in side view, and its corner portion 12a waits at a position facing the front flap 21 of the carton 20 being conveyed.

[0019] As shown in Figs. 1 to 3(A), the rotating arm 12 is provided with an expanding jig 3 for bringing the front flap 21 into contact with the carton 20 being conveyed before the corner portion 12a of the rotating arm 12 and pressing the side flaps 23, 24 in a direction to open them outward.

[0020] In Figs. 3(A) and (B), in this embodiment, the expanding jig 3 is formed by bending a rod member and is shaped like a sector in plan view. The expanding jig 3 is provided so as to project in the horizontal direction from the corner portion 12a and waits at a position facing the front flap 21 of the carton 20. Further, the expanding jig 3 is configured to have a width in the lateral direction Y orthogonal to the conveyance direction X of the carton 20 in the horizontal plane, and contacts the inside of the side flaps 23, 24 and biases them in a direction to open the side flaps 23, 24 outward.

[0021] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(B) and 4(A), the expansion jig 3 has an arc-shaped contact portion 31 for contacting the front flap 21, pressing ends 32, 32 for contacting the inner surfaces of the side flaps 23, 24, and fixing portions 33, 33 for fixing to the rotating arm 12. The distance between the pressing ends 32, 32 at both ends, that is, the width Wa of the expansion jig 3 in the lateral direction Y, is set to be wider than the distance Wf of the inner surfaces of the side flaps 23, 24 when they are upright.

[0022] As shown in Figures 1 to 3(A), a first pressing roller 14 is freely rotatable on the rotating arm 12 at a position opposite the corner portion 12a in the horizontal direction. The first pressing roller 14 is for pressing down on the rear flap 22 and folding it in. The first pressing roller 14 is positioned on both sides in the lateral direction Y of the rotating arm 12 at the end of the rotating arm 12 in the conveying direction X.

[0023] As shown in Figures 1 to 3(A), a second pressing roller 16 is positioned downstream of the first pressing roller 14 on the rotating arm 12 in the standby position. The second pressing roller 16 is supported by a bracket 51 so as to be freely rotatable. The second pressing roller 16 is used to press down on and fold the front flap 21.

[0024] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a pair of folding bars 18 and 19 are provided downstream of the second pressing roller 16 in the transport direction of the carton 20. Each folding bar 18 and 19 is provided to extend in the transport direction of the carton 20, and is configured such that the distance between them decreases from upstream to downstream. The folding bars 18 and 19 are supported by brackets 52 so as to face each other in the horizontal plane. The folding bars 18 and 19 are for pressing and folding the side flaps 23 and 24 from the outside, respectively.

[0025] The sealing process in the above configuration will now be explained. Figures 4(A) and 4(B) show the rotating arm 12 in a standby state, with the carton 20 being transported.

[0026] As shown in Figures 5(A) and 5(B), as the carton 20 approaches, the rotating arm 12 rises, the tip of the expansion jig 3 contacts the front flap 21, and the front flap 21 is slightly folded inward by the side flaps 23 and 24. Then, with the corner portion 12a in contact with the front flap 21, the rotating arm 12 continues to rise, passing over the rear flap 22 to the state shown in Figures 6(A) and 5(B).

[0027] Next, as shown in Figures 7(A) and 7(B), the rotating arm 12, which had been raised, is lowered, and at the moment when the front flap 21 of the moving carton 20 comes into contact with the second pressure roller 16, the first pressure roller 14 is brought into contact with the rear flap 22. Then, as shown in Figures 8(A) and 8(B), the folding of the front flap 21 and the rear flap 22 by the second pressure roller 16 are performed in parallel.

[0028] Next, as shown in Figures 9(A) and 9(B), as the carton 20 moves further, the side flaps 23 and 24 are inserted between the folding bars 18 and 19, and finally, as shown in Figures 10(A) and 10(B), the side flaps 23 and 24 are pressed from the outside by the folding bars 18 and 19 and folded in.

[0029] In this manner, the front flap 21, rear flap 22, and side flaps 23 and 24, which form the top of the carton 20, are folded in order and sealed.

[0030] As described above, the present invention provides a carton sealing device 1 as shown in Figures 1 and 2, comprising a rotating arm 12 rotated by a drive device such as a motor (not shown), a first pressing roller 14 provided on the lower end side of the rotating arm 12, a second pressing roller 16 whose rotation axis position is fixed, and a pair of folding bars 18 and 19, wherein the front flap 21 is folded by the second pressing roller 16, the rear flap 22 is folded by the first pressing roller 14, and the side flaps 23 and 24 are folded by the pair of folding bars 18 and 19, and as shown in Figures 3(A) and 5(A), an expansion jig 3 is provided on the rotating arm 12, and the front flap 21 is slightly folded when the expansion jig 3 contacts the front flap 21 before the corner portion 12a of the rotating arm 12, after which the side flaps 23 and 24 are pressed by the expansion jig 3 in a direction that opens from the inside to the outside.

[0031] This prevents the front flap 21 from interfering with the side flaps 23 and 24 and causing a folding defect when the rotating arm 12 rises and the front flap 21 is slightly folded by the corner portion 12a, or when the front flap 21 is folded by the second pressing roller 16. In other words, because the opening angle of the side flaps 23 and 24 is widened in advance by the expansion jig 3, it prevents the front flap 21 from interfering with the side flaps 23 and 24 and remaining stuck in place without being folded, thus preventing malfunctions such as the carton 20 being stopped from being transported.

[0032] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 3(A) and 4(A), the expanding jig 3 has an arc-shaped contact portion 31 for contacting the front flap 21, and pressing ends 32, 32 for contacting the inner surfaces of the side flaps 23, 24, with the pressing ends 32, 32 formed at both ends of the arc-shaped contact portion 31. The arc shape of the contact portion 31 is configured such that the tip portion 31a, positioned at an intermediate position between the opposing side flaps 23, 24, protrudes most towards the upstream side in the conveying direction of the carton 20.

[0033] As a result, the expanding jig 3 first contacts the front flap 21 with the tip 31a of the contact portion 31, and then gradually expands the side flaps 23 and 24 while lightly touching the inner surfaces of the side flaps 23 and 24, without hindering the movement of the carton 20.

[0034] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 4(A) and 4(B), the expansion jig 3 is constructed by bending a rod-shaped member.

[0035] This allows the expansion jig 3 to be implemented with a simple configuration. The expansion jig 3 is mounted on the rotating arm 12 and first contacts the front flap 21 to slightly fold it, and then presses the side flaps 23 and 24 in a direction that opens them from the inside to the outside. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0036] 1. Sealing device 2 Conveyor 3. Expanding jig 12 Rotating Arms 12a Corner section 14 First pressure roller 16. Second pressure roller 18 Fold-out bar 19 Fold-out bar 20 cartons 21 Front flap 22 Rear flap 23 Side flaps 24 Side flaps 31 Contact part 31a Tip 32 Pressing end 51 Bracket 52 brackets

Claims

1. A rotating arm and A first pressing roller is provided on the lower end side of the rotating arm, A second pressing roller whose rotation axis position is fixed, It has a pair of folding bars, The front flap is folded in by the second pressing roller. The rear flap is folded in by the first pressing roller. A carton sealing device that folds the side flaps using a pair of folding bars, A carton sealing device is provided on the rotating arm, wherein the front flap is slightly folded in by the expansion jig contacting the front flap first, and then the side flap is pressed by the expansion jig in a direction that opens it from the inside to the outside.

2. The aforementioned expansion jig has an arc-shaped contact portion for contacting the front flap, A pressing end for contacting the inner surface of the side flap, comprising pressing ends formed at both ends of the arc-shaped contact portion, The configuration has the following features: The arc shape of the contact portion is configured such that the tip, positioned midway between the opposing side flaps, protrudes most towards the upstream side in the carton's conveying direction. The carton sealing device according to feature 1.

3. The aforementioned expanding jig is constructed by bending a rod-shaped member. The carton sealing device according to feature 2.

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