JP7002282B2 - Container closing device and closing method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a container closing device and a closing method.

Resin packaging containers are widely used for industrial purposes. Resin containers are suitable for packaging products because they are lightweight, have moderate durability, and can be manufactured at low cost. Further, due to the ease of processing, containers having various shapes suitable for the outer shape or distribution form of the product are used for packaging the product.

Some resin containers are provided with a lid integrally molded with the main body, and have a structure in which the container is bent and closed by a bent portion provided between the lid and the main body. Some of these packaging containers with a lid have a mechanism for locking the lid to the main body by fitting a claw provided on the lid side of the container into a groove provided on the main body side in order to keep the closed state. There is.

Nowadays, there is known a method of closing such a packaged container with a lid by using a device instead of manually (see Patent Document 1). By using the device to close the container, a large number of products can be packaged inexpensively and hygienically in a short time.

Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-299735

The packaging container described in Patent Document 1 has one bent portion that connects the lid and the main body at the upper end of the side wall of the main body, and can be closed by a so-called one action. On the other hand, some packaging containers have a plurality of bent portions between the lid and the main body for the purpose of opening the upper part of the container main body more widely in the opened state. In a container having this configuration, there is a problem that the horizontal position of the lid shifts with respect to the width direction of the container when the lid is rotated upward to close the lid, and particularly between the lid and the container body. If an engaging mechanism is provided, its alignment becomes difficult. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to apply the closing method described in Cited Document 1 to such a container. If the closing operation is continued when the engaging mechanism is not properly aligned, the lid and the main body cannot be properly engaged, which may damage the container or the packaged product.

The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and even for a container having a structure in which the position of the lid is likely to be displaced with respect to the container body when the lid of the container is closed, the lid is not relied on by human hands. It is an object of the present invention to provide a container closing device and a closing method that enables proper closing.

In order to solve the above problems, one aspect of the present invention is a device for closing a container integrally molded in a shape in which a lid portion is expanded like a wing from a container body that opens upward.
The container has a stretched portion that is continuously vertically hung downward on the upper edge of the opening of the container body and a base end at a part of the lower edge of the stretched portion, and faces the outside of the container body. Has a flat plate-like joint that extends
The lid portion is continuous with the tip of the joint portion,
At the boundary line between the joint portion and the stretched portion, a first connecting portion that allows the joint portion to be bent with respect to the stretched portion is formed.
A second connection portion is formed at the boundary line between the joint portion and the lid portion so that the lid portion can be bent with respect to the joint portion.
The container body has a wall formed inside, and the container body has a wall portion formed therein.
An engaging portion that can be engaged with each other is formed on the upper end surface of the wall portion and the lower surface of the lid portion when the container is in the closed state.
A set of two rod-shaped members arranged so that the tips face each other on both ends of the joint.
A set of two rod-shaped members is moved along the forming direction of the first connecting portion so that the tips thereof are close to each other, and the first moving portion is arranged at a predetermined position.
A second moving portion that abuts on the lower surface of the lid portion in the expanded state and pushes the lid portion upward together with the joint portion using the first connecting portion as a fulcrum.
The lid portion pushed upward together with the joint portion is bent toward the container main body with the second connection portion as a fulcrum, and a third moving portion for facing the opening surface of the container main body and the lid portion.
A fourth moving portion for engaging the wall portion with the lid portion by pushing down the lid portion facing the opening surface of the container body is provided.
The second moving portion holds the rod-shaped member arranged by the first moving portion between the joint portion and the extending portion.
The third moving portion has the opening surface and the lid so that the engaging portions of both the wall portion and the lid portion have a predetermined positional relationship by arranging the rod-shaped member at a predetermined position. It is a container closing device characterized by facing the parts.

More preferably, it is a container closing device in which the rod-shaped member has a tapered shape and the reduced diameter side end portion of the rod-shaped member is arranged so as to be located inside the container body.

Another aspect of the present invention is a method of closing a container integrally molded in a shape in which a lid portion is expanded like a wing from a container body that opens upward.
The container has a stretched portion that is continuously vertically hung downward on the upper edge of the opening of the container body and a base end at a part of the lower edge of the stretched portion, and faces the outside of the container body. Has a flat plate-like joint that extends
The lid portion is continuous with the tip of the joint portion,
At the boundary line between the joint portion and the stretched portion, a first connecting portion that allows the joint portion to be bent with respect to the stretched portion is formed.
A second connection portion is formed at the boundary line between the joint portion and the lid portion so that the lid portion can be bent with respect to the joint portion.
The container body has a wall formed inside, and the container body has a wall portion formed therein.
An engaging portion that can be engaged with each other is formed on the upper end surface of the wall portion and the lower surface of the lid portion when the container is in the closed state.
A pair of rod-shaped members arranged so that the tips face each other on both ends of the joint are moved along the forming direction of the first connecting portion so that the tips are close to each other. , The first step to place in place,
The second step of pushing the lid portion in the unfolded state together with the joint portion upward with the first connection portion as a fulcrum,
The third step of bending the lid portion pushed upward together with the joint portion toward the container body side with the second connecting portion as a fulcrum so that the opening surface of the container body and the lid portion face each other.
The present invention includes a fourth step of pushing down the lid portion facing the opening surface of the container body to engage the wall portion with the lid portion.
In the second step, the rod-shaped member arranged by the first step is sandwiched by the joint portion and the stretched portion.
In the third step, the rod-shaped member is arranged at a predetermined position, so that the engaging portion of both the wall portion and the lid portion has a predetermined positional relationship between the opening surface and the lid portion. The method of closing the container is characterized by facing each other.

According to the present invention, even for a container having a structure in which the lid is likely to be misaligned with respect to the container body when the lid of the container is closed, the lid can be appropriately closed without relying on human hands. A closing device and a closing method can be provided.

It is a perspective view which shows the container which is closed by the closing device which concerns on embodiment of this invention. FIG. 1A is an arrow view of FIG. 1 showing the container in an open state. FIG. 1A is an arrow view of FIG. 1 showing the container in a closed state. It is a figure which shows the shape of the convex part provided on the back surface of the lid of a container. It is a figure which shows the shape of the groove provided in the upper part of the partition wall of a container. It is a figure which shows the state of the 1st operation executed in the process of the closing operation by a closing device. It is a figure which shows the state of the 2nd operation executed in the process of the closing operation by the closing device. It is a figure which shows the state of the 3rd operation executed in the process of the closing operation by the closing device. It is a figure which shows the state of the 4th operation executed in the process of the closing operation by the closing device. It is a figure which shows the state of the container at the time when the 4th operation is completed. It is a figure which shows an example of the shape of the rod which constitutes the said closing device. It is a figure which shows the structure of the closing device.

Examples of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings used in the following description, the same or similar parts may be designated by the same reference numerals and duplicated description may be omitted. Depending on the drawing, unnecessary reference numerals may be omitted in the description.

=== About the container ===
First, a container closed by the closing device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a schematic structure of a container 100 in a molded state. Further, FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line aa in FIG. Hereinafter, the container 100 to be closed by the closing device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

The container 100 includes a flat rectangular box-shaped container body 100a that is closed by a lid 112, and a film-shaped polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resin is integrally molded by a well-known vacuum foam (vacuum forming technology) or the like. be. Originally, the resin material forming the container 100 is liable to bend or distort, but in the illustrated container 100, the edge of the opening is folded back for the purpose of obtaining sufficient rigidity for practical use. Specifically, if the vertical direction is defined as the upper part of the container body 100a is open, the upper end surface portion that forms the peripheral edge portion of the opening in the container body 100a and is parallel to the bottom surface of the container 100 (hereinafter referred to as “)”. The outer circumference of the rim 102) extends downward. That is, a portion extending downward from the outer periphery of the rim 102 and the rim 102 (hereinafter, also referred to as an extension portion 104) circulates around the opening peripheral portion of the container 100 in a frame shape.

The container 100 is for packing products, and for example, when the product 130 is shipped from a factory, it is intended to be easily transported while preventing damage. A partition wall 114 is provided inside the container body 100a. Each partition wall 114 is projected inward from the inner side wall of the container body 100a, serves as a partition for partitioning the internal space of the container body 100a, and functions as a reinforcing member for increasing the rigidity of the container body 100a. Have. The space sandwiched between the inner wall of the container body 100a and the partition wall 114, and the space sandwiched between the partition walls (114, 114) are the compartments for storing products. Then, the products 130 are stored one by one in this section. In the container 100 shown here, five pairs of partition walls 114 facing each other are provided in the container body 100a, and up to six products 130 can be stored. Of course, the number and position of the partition walls 114 provided in the container main body 100a can be appropriately determined so as to match the shape and dimensions of the product 130 to be stored.

The container 100 is provided with a flat lid 112 so that the product 130 stored in each internal compartment does not deviate from the container body 100a during transportation. In this example, the lid 112 is a double-sided one, and is continuously provided on the extending portion 104 on the two edge sides facing each other in the container main body 100a having a rectangular opening shape. Here, if the extension direction of the two edges provided with the lid 112 is the front-rear direction while being orthogonal to the vertical direction, and the direction orthogonal to each of the vertical and front-rear directions is the left-right direction, the lid 112 is , It is formed on the left and right ends of the container body 100a.

Although the lid 112 is integrally molded with the container body 100a, it is not directly connected to the container body 100a. The lid 112 is connected to the left and right lower edges of the stretched portion 104 via a continuous flat plate-shaped joint portion 108. Further, a first connecting portion 106 corresponding to the above-mentioned bent portion is formed at the boundary between the stretched portion 104 and the joint portion 108. Further, a second connecting portion 110 is also formed between the joint portion 108 and the lid 112.

In the container 100 immediately after molding, the region from the left and right lower edges of the stretched portion 104 to the lid 112 via the joint portion 108 is in a state of being developed in a wing shape to the left and right. Further, as shown in FIG. 2, when the container 100 is viewed from the front-rear direction, the first connecting portion 106 and the second connecting portion 110 are formed in a C-shaped arc shape with the upper side open. The left and right joint portions 108 are formed so as to be bendable upward with respect to the stretched portion 104 with the first connecting portion 106 as a bending point, and the lid 112 is formed with the second connecting portion 110 as a bending point. It is formed so that it can be bent upward. The container 100 according to the present embodiment has a structure for engaging the lid 112 and the partition wall 114 with each other, so that the lid 112 cannot be easily opened by an external force in the closed state. Generally, in the lid 112, a convex portion 118 that is linear in the front-rear direction is formed on a surface (hereinafter, also referred to as an inner surface) that is on the container body 100a side when closed, and this convex portion is formed on the upper end surface of the partition wall 114. A groove 116 that engages with the portion 118 is formed.

FIG. 3 shows a container 100 in which the lid 112 is closed and closed. FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to the cross section taken along the line aa in FIG. As shown in FIG. 3, in the closed state, the lid 112 is parallel to the bottom surface of the container body 100a, that is, horizontal, and the inner surface of the lid 112 is in contact with the rim 102 and the upper end surface of the partition wall 114. .. At this time, the convex portion 118 formed on the inner surface of the lid 112 is in a state of being press-fitted into the groove 116 provided on the upper end surface of the partition wall 114. Then, in the container 100, the width from the edge of the left and right rims 102 to the lower edge of the extension 104 and the left and right width of the joint 108 are set so that the lid 112 can be closed in the state shown in FIG. It is molded to match.

Further, the illustrated container 100 has a structure for more firmly engaging the convex portion 118 of the lid 112 and the groove 116 of the partition wall 114. FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of the convex portion 118 of the lid 112, and FIG. 5 shows an enlarged view of a main part of the partition wall 114. As shown in FIG. 4, the convex portion 118 of the lid 112 has a wide surface (hereinafter, also referred to as an end surface) on the upper side in the opened state, and the cross section seen from the front-rear direction in the opened state is upward. It is a trapezoidal shape with a bottom. The groove 116 that engages with the convex portion 118 in the partition wall 114 has a trapezoidal shape with the upper end side as the upper bottom when viewed from the front-rear direction, and the bottom side of the groove 116 is formed wider than the upper end side. ing. Due to such an engaging structure, when the lid 112 and the partition wall 114 are engaged with each other, the convex portion 118 is fitted like a wedge, and it is difficult for the lid 112 and the partition wall 114 to deviate upward. That is, the lid 112 is closed more tightly. As described above, in the container targeted by the closing device of the present embodiment, when the left and right lids 112 are closed, the product 130 housed in each section in the container body 100a is sandwiched between the container body 100a and the lid 112. It is securely held by being used. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the product 130 from falling off from the container 100 during transportation.

By the way, in order to automate the closing operation of the container 100, there are various problems as follows. For example, the container 100 needs to be bent at two connecting portions (106, 110), and when the lid 112 and the opening of the container body 100a face each other at the time of bending, the lid 112 and the partition wall 114 It is easy to shift in the left-right direction with respect to the engagement position of. Further, if the material of the container 100 is soft, the joint portion 108 is twisted during the closing operation, causing a displacement in the front-rear direction, and the distance between the lid 112 and the opening of the container body 100a is in the front-rear direction or the left-right direction. There is a possibility that it will vary. That is, it is difficult to accurately align the groove 116 of the partition wall 114 with the convex portion 118 of the lid 112. Moreover, the end surface of the convex portion 118 of the lid 112 is formed to be wide, and in order to be in the closed state, it is necessary to push it into the upper end opening of the groove 116 which is narrower than the wide end surface of the convex portion 118. Therefore, it is necessary to align the lid 112 and the groove 116 with extremely high accuracy.

Further, since the container 100 itself is lightweight, there is also a problem that the container 100 floats when a force is simply applied from below when bending the lid 112. Further, it has been difficult to solve the above-mentioned problems with the conventional container closing device. Certainly, it may be possible to automate the above-mentioned closing operation of the container 100 by using a device equipped with an extremely complicated mechanism and an advanced control system. However, the installation cost of the device is high, and a large installation space is required. Therefore, in the closing device according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to automate the closing operation of the container 100 described above without using a complicated mechanism or an advanced control system.

=== About the outline configuration and operation of the closing device ===
Next, the outline of the configuration and operation of the closing device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described. The closing device includes a set of two rod-shaped members (hereinafter, also referred to as rods) for one lid 112, a first moving unit including an actuator for moving the rod, and the like, in the closing operation. The lid 112 and the joint portion 108 are bent in contact with the outer surface of the lid 112 with the first connection portion 106 or the second connection portion 110 as joints, and finally the convex portion 118 of the lid 112 and the groove 116 of the partition wall 114 are engaged with each other. It is configured to include the second to fourth moving parts for matching. The first to fourth moving parts are configured to include a jig for gripping the rod, a jig in contact with the outer surface of the lid 112, an actuator for moving each jig, and the like. Then, in the closing device according to the present embodiment, each actuator that is a power source for the closing operation can be configured with a simple structure such as a linear motion solenoid that only moves linearly. ing.

6 to 10 show an outline of the closing operation of the container 100 by the closing device step by step. In the following, the operations for closing by the first operation unit to the fourth operation unit may be referred to as the first operation to the fourth operation. First, as shown in FIG. 6, the first moving portion is between the stretched portion 104 and the joint portion 108 by an actuator (hereinafter, also referred to as a first actuator) (hereinafter, also referred to as a first actuator), which is not shown, with respect to the container 100 in the opened lid state. A pair of rods 122 (rod-shaped members) are moved in the front-rear direction so as to be in contact with the stretched portion 104 and inserted. Since the container 100 targeted by this embodiment is provided with lids 112 on both the left and right ends, a total of four first actuators are required.

If a pair of rods 122 are inserted between the stretched portion 104 and the joint portion 108, the second operating portion 22 operates and the second operating actuator (hereinafter referred to as the second) operates as shown in FIG. 7. The 220 (also referred to as an actuator) moves the jig 222 attached to its tip upward. The jig 222 comes into contact with the lower surface of the lid 112, which is the outer surface of the lid 112, and pushes the lid 112 upward. As a result, the lid 112, together with the joint portion 108, swings upward about the first connecting portion 106 as an axis. The tip of the jig attached to the tip of the second actuator 220 and in contact with the lid 112 is covered with a cushioning material so as not to damage the lid 112.

Further, at both front and rear ends of the joint portion 108, the rod 122 comes into contact with the stretched portion 104 and the joint portion 108 in the process of raising the jig 222 and pushing up the lid 112. At this time, since the diameter of the rod 122 at the position in contact with the container 100 does not change, the stretched portion 104 and the joint portion 108 try to push up the rod 122 upward after the contact point. However, since the rod 122 is fixed to the closing device, the force pushing the rod 122 upward acts as a force pushing the container 100 downward. As a result, the container 100 is pressed downward, and the container 100 is prevented from floating. Further, after the rod 122 comes into contact with the extension portion 104 and the joint portion 108, when the jig 222 is further raised, only the lid 112 is shaken until it is erected perpendicularly to the horizontal plane with the second connection portion 110 as a joint. Move.

The second moving unit 22 raises the jig 222 until the lid 112 is at a predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The closing device according to this embodiment does not require a sensor for detecting the angle of the lid 112 with respect to the horizontal plane. If the correspondence between the rising amount of the jig 222 by the second actuator 220 and the angle of the lid 112 is known, the jig may be raised until the lid 112 is erected at a predetermined angle. Of course, it is not necessary to swing the lid 112 until it stands vertically. In any case, the angle between the lid 112 and the horizontal plane can be set by the stretching amount of the second actuator 220.

As shown in FIG. 8, the third operating unit 23, which operates following the second operating unit 22, uses the third actuator 230, which operates third, to move the jig 232 attached to its tip in the left-right direction. Move it. The jig 232 abuts on the outer surface of the lid 112 raised at a predetermined angle (for example, perpendicular) to the horizontal plane by the second moving unit 22, and presses the lid 112 toward the container body 100a. As a result, the lid 112 is pushed down so as to be bent downward with the second connection portion 110 as a joint. In the illustrated example, in order to prevent damage to the lid 112, the jig 232 at the tip of the third actuator 230 rotates about the front-back direction and has a plurality of rollers made of elastic resin or the like. 234 are mounted on the same shaft. Similarly, the jig 222 of the second moving unit 22 may be provided with a roller that rotates in contact with the lid 112.

Then, in the third operation, when the third actuator 230 extending in the left-right direction pushes down the lid 112 via the roller 234 installed on the jig 232, the lid 112 is gradually closed. Even in the process of closing the lid 112, the rod 122 having rigidity is sandwiched between the stretched portion 104 and the joint portion 108. Therefore, the positions of the front and rear ends of the joint portion 108 are accurately maintained, and the lid 112 is stably pushed down so that the entire surface is at the same angle with respect to the horizontal plane. The third actuator 230 moves the jig 232 until the end surface of the convex portion 118 on the lid 112 side covers the upper opening of the groove 116 formed on the upper end surface of the partition wall 114 of the container body 100a. The closing device also does not require a sensor for detecting the relative positional relationship between the groove 116 and the end face. The amount of movement of the jig 232 by the third actuator 230 may be appropriately set in advance. That is, the movement amount of the jig may be set so that the end surface of the convex portion 118 and the groove 116 have a predetermined positional relationship. Here, as shown in the figure, the jig 232 is moved until the edge of the convex portion 118 on the joint portion 108 side comes into contact with the edge of the upper opening of the groove 116 on the joint portion 108 side.

Then, the fourth operating unit 24 operates while the positional relationship between the lid 112 and the container body 100a is maintained by the third operating unit 23. Thereby, as shown in FIG. 9, the lid 112 and the partition wall 114 are engaged with each other. Specifically, the fourth actuator 240 that operates fourth is installed above the container body 100a, and when the operation is started, the jig 242 attached to the lower end is moved downward. The jig 242 attached to the fourth actuator 240 is arranged at a position where the groove 116 is formed. Of course, the jig 242 may be configured to come into contact with the outer surface of the lid 112 on the surface. For the purpose of preventing damage to the container 100, it is covered with a cushioning material made of a resin or the like having appropriate elasticity. As described above, the fourth moving portion 24 has the convex portion 118 continuously formed in the front-rear direction by the above configuration and operation, and has a uniform force on the plurality of intermittently formed grooves 116. I will fit it in. The actuator 240 stops by lowering the jig 242 downward by the height of the convex portion 118. In this way, the container 100 is in the closed state shown in FIG. Then, when the container 100 is closed by the above procedure, finally, the rod 122 is pulled out from between the joint portion 108 and the extension portion 104 by the first actuator of the first moving portion to complete the closing operation, which is necessary. The process proceeds to the next closing operation of the container 100 according to the above.

=== About the rod ===
The rod 122 included in the closing device according to the embodiment is made of any material as long as it has a strength to withstand the force received from the joint portion 108 when the lid 112 is bent by the first connection portion 106. However, in terms of durability, a metal material such as a stainless steel rod is preferable. Further, as shown in FIG. 11, if the rod 122 has a tapered shape with the tip side reduced in diameter, the rod 122 is arranged between the joint portion 108 and the extension portion 104, and the lid 112 is bent. , The rod 122 makes point contact at both front and rear ends of the stretched portion 104 and the joint portion 108 of the container 100. Since the diameter of the rod 122 is larger in the front-rear and outward directions with respect to the position of point contact, the joint portion 108 and the extension portion 104 holding the rod 122 are less likely to shift in the front-rear direction. That is, when the lid 112 is bent, the deformation of the joint portion 108 is further suppressed, and the accuracy of the bending operation of the lid 112 and the subsequent engagement operation between the convex portion 118 and the groove 116 of the partition wall 114 is further improved. Further, by making the rod 122 tapered, it is possible to easily remove the rod 122 from the container 100 when the closing operation is completed.

Further, in the container 100, the positional relationship between the convex portion 118 and the groove 116 is the width of the rim 102, the position of the lower edge of the extending portion 104, the width of the first connecting portion 106 and the second connecting portion 110, and the like. It is defined by the design dimensions of each part of. However, there is a possibility that the positions of the convex portion 118 and the groove 116 deviate from the design value. However, if the rod 122 is tapered, in the first operation, only the depth of insertion into the joint portion 108 and the stretched portion 104 in the front-rear direction is adjusted, and the joint portion 108 is viewed from the front-rear direction. The sandwiching angle with the stretched portion 104 can be changed. Thereby, the positional relationship between the convex portion 118 and the groove 116 in the left-right direction when the lid 112 is made to face the opening of the container body 100a by the third operation can be accurately adjusted. In other words, as long as the dimensional difference is within the permissible range, even if the containers 100 are different, the container 100 can be closed by simply changing the arrangement position of the rod 122. Of course, even if the rod 122 is cylindrical, if rods 122 having different diameters are used, the sandwiching angle between the joint portion 108 and the stretched portion 104 can be similarly changed. The closing device may be provided with a mechanism for adjusting the vertical position of the rod 122.

=== Configuration of closing device ===
FIG. 12 shows the overall configuration of the closing device 1 according to the embodiment. In the drawing, the first moving portion for moving the rod 122 in the front-rear direction (paper surface depth direction) is omitted. The second operating portion 22 including the second actuator 220 and the jig 222 attached to the tip thereof is installed so as to stand upright in the vertical direction. The third operating unit 23 is configured to move the jig 232 in the left-right direction orthogonal to the second operating unit 22 by the third actuator 230. The jig 222 of the second moving unit 22 needs to be maintained in a state where the lid 112 is upright. Therefore, a plurality of jigs 222 are arranged at intervals in the front-rear direction. The jig 232 of the third moving unit 23 is configured to move in the left-right direction through the interval.

Further, in the present embodiment, the jig 242 of the fourth operation unit 24 is arranged so as to abut on the outer surface of the lid 112 on the inner side of the container body 100a with respect to the tip of the jig 232 at the end of the third operation. Has been done. As a result, the third operation unit 23 can perform the fourth operation while maintaining the lid 112 in a state of facing the opening of the container body 100a. When the third moving unit 23 is configured to move the jig 232 to the left and right center of the container body 100a, the jig 232 is also intermittently arranged in the front-rear direction as described above. Therefore, the jig 242 of the fourth moving unit 24 may be arranged at a corresponding position in the gap between the jigs 232 adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction.

=== Other Examples ===
The present invention is not limited to the above examples and modifications, and the components can be modified and embodied within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. Various inventions may be formed by appropriately combining a plurality of components disclosed in the above examples and modifications. In addition, some components may be deleted from all the components shown in the above embodiment and modifications.

The container 100 targeted by the closing device of the above embodiment is not limited to the above. For example, the cross-sectional shape of the convex portion 118 of the lid 112 is not uniformly trapezoidal over the front-rear direction, but is a square cross-sectional shape, and a claw having a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape is formed at a position where it engages with the groove 116 of the partition wall 114. You may leave it. It is also possible to have an engaging structure in which the protrusion is inserted into the hole. The relationship between the unevenness in the engagement structure between the partition wall 114 and the lid 112 may be reversed, for example, a protrusion is provided on the upper end surface of the partition wall 114 and a hole for engaging with the protrusion is formed on the inner surface of the lid 112. Further, the cross-sectional shape of the convex portion 118 may be uniformly squared in the front-rear direction so that the container 100 can be reused. As a result, the convex portion 118 and the groove 116 can be easily engaged and disengaged. Of course, the shape of the engagement between the convex portion 118 of the lid 112 and the groove 116 of the partition wall 114 is not limited, and the shape of the container body 100a, the opening shape of the container body 100a and the planar shape of the lid 112 covering the container body 100a can be appropriately set. .. In any case, the shape of the container 100 at the time of molding may be such that the lid 112 expands like a wing from the edge of the stretched portion 104 of the container body 100a. Then, the lid 112 and the container body 100a are connected via a joint portion 108 having connecting portions (106, 110) at both ends, and the upper end surface of the partition wall 114 formed in the container body 100a and the inner surface of the lid 112 are connected to each other. It suffices to have a structure for engaging.

The actuator of the closing device does not have to be composed of a direct acting solenoid. Examples of the actuator drive method include a linear motor type, a hydraulic type, and a pneumatic type. In any case, the actuator can be arbitrarily set by the designer in consideration of cost, drive accuracy, operating speed, etc. within the range of the drive mechanism that realizes linear motion.

1 Closing device, 22 2nd moving part 23 3rd moving part, 24 4th moving part,
100 containers, 102 rims, 104 stretches, 106 first connections,
108 joint, 110 second connection, 112 lid, 114 bulkhead,
116 Grooves, 118 Convex, 122 Rods, 130 Products,
220 2nd actuator, 230 3rd actuator,
240 4th actuator, 222, 232, 242 jig,
234 roller

Claims (3)

It is a device that closes a container that is integrally molded with a lid that expands like a wing from the container body that opens upward.
The container has a stretched portion that is continuously vertically hung downward on the upper edge of the opening of the container body and a base end at a part of the lower edge of the stretched portion, and faces the outside of the container body. Has a flat plate-like joint that extends
The lid portion is continuous with the tip of the joint portion,
At the boundary line between the joint portion and the stretched portion, a first connecting portion that allows the joint portion to be bent with respect to the stretched portion is formed.
A second connection portion is formed at the boundary line between the joint portion and the lid portion so that the lid portion can be bent with respect to the joint portion.
The container body has a wall formed inside, and the container body has a wall portion formed therein.
An engaging portion that can be engaged with each other is formed on the upper end surface of the wall portion and the lower surface of the lid portion when the container is in the closed state.
A set of two rod-shaped members arranged so that the tips face each other on both ends of the joint.
A set of two rod-shaped members is moved along the forming direction of the first connecting portion so that the tips thereof are close to each other, and the first moving portion is arranged at a predetermined position.
A second moving portion that abuts on the lower surface of the lid portion in the expanded state and pushes the lid portion upward together with the joint portion using the first connecting portion as a fulcrum.
The lid portion pushed upward together with the joint portion is bent toward the container main body with the second connection portion as a fulcrum, and a third moving portion for facing the opening surface of the container main body and the lid portion.
A fourth operating portion for engaging the wall portion with the lid portion by pushing down the lid portion facing the opening surface of the container body.
Equipped with
The second moving portion holds the rod-shaped member arranged by the first moving portion between the joint portion and the extending portion.
The third moving portion has the opening surface and the lid so that the engaging portions of both the wall portion and the lid portion have a predetermined positional relationship by arranging the rod-shaped member at a predetermined position. Face the club,
A container closing device characterized by that. The container closing device according to claim 1.
A container closing device characterized in that the rod-shaped member has a tapered shape and a reduced diameter side end portion of the rod-shaped member is arranged so as to be located inside the container body. It is a method of closing a container that is integrally molded with a lid that expands like a wing from the container body that opens upward.
The container has a stretched portion that is continuously vertically hung downward on the upper edge of the opening of the container body and a base end at a part of the lower edge of the stretched portion, and faces the outside of the container body. Has a flat plate-like joint that extends
The lid portion is continuous with the tip of the joint portion,
At the boundary line between the joint portion and the stretched portion, a first connecting portion that allows the joint portion to be bent with respect to the stretched portion is formed.
A second connection portion is formed at the boundary line between the joint portion and the lid portion so that the lid portion can be bent with respect to the joint portion.
The container body has a wall formed inside, and the container body has a wall portion formed therein.
An engaging portion that can be engaged with each other is formed on the upper end surface of the wall portion and the lower surface of the lid portion when the container is in the closed state.
A pair of rod-shaped members arranged so that the tips face each other on both ends of the joint are moved along the forming direction of the first connecting portion so that the tips are close to each other. , The first step to place in place,
The second step of pushing the lid portion in the unfolded state together with the joint portion upward with the first connection portion as a fulcrum,
The third step of bending the lid portion pushed upward together with the joint portion toward the container body side with the second connecting portion as a fulcrum so that the opening surface of the container body and the lid portion face each other.
The fourth step of pushing down the lid portion facing the opening surface of the container body to engage the wall portion with the lid portion.
Including
In the second step, the rod-shaped member arranged by the first step is sandwiched by the joint portion and the stretched portion.
In the third step, the rod-shaped member is arranged at a predetermined position, so that the engaging portion of both the wall portion and the lid portion has a predetermined positional relationship between the opening surface and the lid portion. Face to face,
A method of closing a container, which is characterized in that.

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