JP7168190B2 - box opening device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a box opening device for cutting a tape attached to a box to open the box.

For example, Patent Literatures 1 to 3 disclose a box opening device for cutting a tape sealing a flap of a box.
A box opening device (opening device) disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes a cutter that cuts an adhesive tape attached to abutting portions of flaps of a corrugated cardboard box to open the box.

Further, the box opening devices described in Patent Documents 2 and 3 include a horizontally supported guide plate and a cutter provided upright on the guide plate, and the guide plate is inserted inside the flap of the box. With the flap slightly lifted, the tape is cut by the cutter as it is conveyed by the conveyor.

JP-A-9-124015 JP-A-59-152133 JP-A-11-91746

However, in the opening devices described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, when the box is deformed, in the process of cutting the tape by the cutter, the insertion depth of the cutter with respect to the tape becomes shallow at the deformed portion of the box, or the cutter cuts the tape. If you move away from the box, the cutter cannot cut the tape at that part and the box cannot be opened. Therefore, there is a demand for a box opening device that can reduce the frequency of erroneous cutting of the tape and reduce the number of erroneous openings of the box, even if the box is slightly deformed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a box-opening device capable of reducing box-opening errors caused by tape cutting errors.

Means for solving the above problems and their effects will be described below. A box opening device for solving the above problems is a box opening device for cutting a tape attached to a box to open the box, and is provided displaceable in a pressing direction in which it is pressed against the surface of the box. an urging portion that urges the rolling element in the pressing direction; a blade that can be displaced in the pressing direction together with the rolling element; and a moving mechanism that relatively moves the tape by rolling the rolling element while pressing it against the surface of the box, thereby causing the blade to follow the surface of the box to which the tape is attached. disconnect.

According to this configuration, by rolling the rolling elements on the surface of the box while pressing them against the surface of the box, the rolling elements and the blade follow the surface of the box. By following the surface of the box, the blade hits the tape at an appropriate depth. Therefore, even if the box is somewhat deformed, the tape attached to the box can be properly cut and the box can be opened. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of unsealed boxes caused by erroneous cutting of the tape.

In the above-mentioned box opening device, the rolling element is rolled while being pressed against the top surface of the box to which the tape is attached, so that the blade portion is attached across the pair of flaps of the box. Cutting the tape is preferred.

According to this configuration, even if the box is slightly deformed, the tape attached across the two flaps on the top surface of the box can be cut by the blade portion.
In the above-described box opening device, the rolling elements include a first rolling element that can be pressed against the top surface of the box and a second rolling element that can be pressed against the side surface of the box, and the urging section includes: , a first biasing portion that biases the first rolling element in a first direction capable of pressing against the top surface; and a second biasing portion that biases the second rolling element in a second direction capable of pressing against the side surface; 2 urging portions, wherein the first rolling element rolls while being pressed against the top surface of the box, and the second rolling element rolls while being pressed against the side surface of the box, It is preferable that the blade section cuts the tape attached to the side edge between the top surface and the side surface of the box.

According to this configuration, the first rolling element rolls while being pressed against the top surface of the box, and the second rolling element rolls while being pressed against the side surface of the box, so that the blade portion and the top surface follow the flanks and As a result, the insertion depth of the blade into the tape can be ensured, and the blade can be positioned at an appropriate cutting position in the width direction of the tape. Therefore, even if the box is slightly deformed, the tape attached to the side edge between the top surface and the side surface of the box can be reliably cut. In this case, even if both the top surface and side surfaces of the box are deformed, the tape attached to the side edges can be reliably cut.

In the box opening device described above, it is preferable that the biasing section pressurizes the rolling element with air pressure.
According to this configuration, since the rolling elements are urged by the air pressure, compared to the configuration in which the rolling elements are urged by the spring, the variation of the urging force in the pressing direction due to the difference in the position of the rolling elements in the pressing direction is reduced. is small. As a result, the pressing force of the blade is stabilized. Therefore, even if the box is slightly deformed, the blade can follow the tape with a stable pressing force, and the tape can be cut more reliably. In addition, due to the deformation of the box surface, the pressing force against the rolling elements is too weak and the depth of insertion of the blade into the tape is insufficient. You don't push too hard and unnecessarily deform the sides of the box.

In the above-mentioned box opening device, the imaging unit that images the blade portion compares the captured image of the blade portion captured by the imaging unit with a reference image of the blade portion, It is preferable to further include a determination unit that determines the presence or absence of a defect.

According to this configuration, by comparing the imaged image of the blade acquired by imaging the blade with the reference image of the blade, the chipping of the blade can be detected from the difference between the two.
In the above box opening device, the imaging unit captures an image of the blade after the blade cuts the tape of the box, the determination unit performs determination after cutting the tape, and the reference image is , an initial image of the blade, or an imaged image of the blade obtained by the imaging unit before starting to cut the tape of the box.

According to this configuration, after the tape of the box is cut, the captured image of the blade section captured by the imaging section is the initial image of the blade section, or the imaging section captures the blade section before cutting the tape of the box. is compared with the imaged image of the blade to determine whether or not there is a defect in the blade. Therefore, even if a blade is damaged, it can be detected quickly after cutting the tape in which the blade is damaged.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce erroneous opening of the box due to erroneous cutting of the tape.

1 is a schematic side view showing a box opening system in one embodiment; FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing a box opening system; FIG. The model front view which shows a 1st unsealing device. FIG. 11 is a schematic front view showing a cutting operation in which the first cutter unit cuts the tape of the box; Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the box positioned in the open position; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a cutter unit that cuts the first tape; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a cutter unit that cuts the second tape; FIG. 4 is a pneumatic circuit diagram that controls an air cylinder that urges the roller; FIG. 4 is a schematic side view showing a cutter unit that cuts the first tape; FIG. 4 is a schematic front view showing a cutter unit that cuts the second tape; 1 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of a box opening system; FIG. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a cutter reference image; FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an image captured by a cutter; 4 is a flowchart showing opening control;

An embodiment of a box opening device will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 and 2, when the box opening system 10 as an example of the box opening device cuts the first tape (center tape) attached along the center line of the top surface of the box C, The direction in which the cutter moves is the X direction, and the direction in which the cutter moves when cutting the second tape (side edge tape) attached to the side edges of the box C is the Y direction. A direction that intersects the X direction and the Y direction and is parallel to the vertical direction is defined as the Z direction. In the box opening system 10, the X direction, which is the transport direction, is also called the transport direction X, and the Y direction intersecting the transport direction X is also called the width direction Y. As shown in FIG. Moreover, the Z direction is also referred to as the height direction Z.

As shown in FIG. 1, the box opening system 10 has a function of cutting the tape attached to the box C to open the box C. As shown in FIG. The box C is, for example, a corrugated cardboard box, and at least part of the periphery of the closed flap of the box C is covered with an adhesive tape. In this example, the box C has a first tape attached along the center line of the top surface, and two side edges of the top surface that intersect the first tape and are attached across the top surface and the side surfaces. It is closed by so-called "H-sticking" with the second tape.

As shown in FIG. 1, the opening system 10 includes a first opening device 30 that cuts the tape attached to the box C in the X direction, and a second opening device 60 that cuts the tape attached to the box in the Y direction. Prepare. The first opening device 30 has a first conveyor 11 and the second opening device 60 has a second conveyor 12 . The first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12 are connected in series, and the boxes C are conveyed from the upstream side to the downstream side in the order of the first conveyor 11 and the second conveyor 12 . After being opened, the box C is sent from the second conveyor 12 to an unpacking device (not shown) arranged downstream of the opening system 10 in the conveying direction X. As shown in FIG. The unpacking device pushes a plurality of flaps outward from the box C after the tape has been cut so that the contents of the box C can be taken out. I work to take out.

The first opening device 30 includes a frame 23 having a plurality of struts 21 and an upper frame 22 supported by the plurality of struts 21 . The first conveyor 11 conveys the boxes C in the X direction along a route passing through the inside of the frame 23 . The second opening device 60 also includes a frame 26 having a plurality of struts 24 and an upper frame 25 supported by the plurality of struts 24 . The second conveyor 12 conveys the boxes C in the X direction along a route passing through the inside of the frame 26 . As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, on the conveyors 11 and 12, boxes C of any size within the range from the maximum size box C1 to the minimum size box C2 are conveyed.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the first opening device 30 includes a first positioning device 31 that positions the boxes C on the first conveyor 11 at a first position (first opening position). The first positioning device 31 includes a stopper 32 that restricts movement of the box C conveyed on the first conveyor 11, and a pair of guide units 33 that positions the box C in the X direction by the stopper 32 in the width direction Y. and The stopper 32 moves between a regulating position (see FIG. 1) that regulates the movement of the box C and a retracted position that allows the box C to be transported from the first position in the X direction. Note that the stopper 32 is omitted in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the pair of guide units 33 are provided on both sides in the width direction Y of the first conveyor 11 . The pair of guide units 33 includes a pair of guide members 35 that can move back and forth in the width direction Y by the power of electric cylinders 34 that serve as power sources. The pair of guide members 35 moves between the retracted position shown in FIG. 2 and a guide position where the box C is sandwiched in the width direction Y from the retracted position to the inner side in the width direction Y and positioned. Since the width dimension of the box C is known, the electric cylinder 34 is driven by a driving amount corresponding to the width dimension of the box C to a guide position where the pair of guide members 35 sandwich the box C in the width direction Y. In this example, an example is shown in which the box C is positioned on the basis of a center reference in which the center of the width of the box C coincides with the center of the width of the first conveyor 11. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Positioning may be performed using a biased reference that is shifted to one side in the width direction Y of .

As shown in FIG. 2, a first sensor 36 for detecting a box C that has reached the first position is arranged at a position upstream of the stopper 32 in the conveying direction X of the first conveyor 11 . The first sensor 36 is an optical sensor having a light emitting portion and a light receiving portion. When the first sensor 36 detects the box C, the electric cylinder 34 is driven, and the pair of guide members 35 sandwich the box C from both sides in the width direction Y to position the box C in the width direction Y. Instead of the stopper 32, a stopper portion integrated with the guide member 35, which is formed by bending the downstream end of the guide member 35 in the transport direction X inward in the width direction Y into an L shape, may be used. In this case, the pair of guide members 35 are put on standby at the standby position where the box C hits the stopper portion, and when the first sensor 36 detects the box C that has reached the stopper portion, the guide unit 33 is driven from the standby position to the guide position. The configuration shall be such that

Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the first opening device 30 has a first tape 17 (see FIG. 5) is provided with a first opening unit 40 for cutting. The first opening unit 40 includes a moving unit 40A as an example of a moving mechanism that moves the cutter unit 50 while supporting it at its lower end.

As shown in FIG. 1, the moving unit 40A is attached to the upper frame 22 of the frame 23 and moves the cutter unit 50 in the X and Z directions. The moving unit 40A includes an X-axis slide mechanism 41 that moves the cutter unit 50 in the X direction, and a Z-axis slide mechanism 42 that relatively moves in the Z direction with respect to the X-axis slide mechanism 41 to move the cutter unit 50 in the Z direction. and

As shown in FIG. 1, the X-axis slide mechanism 41 has a motor 43 such as a servo motor as a power source, and a ball screw linear drive mechanism 44 having a rail portion 44A extending in the X direction. The linear drive mechanism 44 is arranged in a posture in which its longitudinal direction coincides with the X direction. The Z-axis slide mechanism 42 is fixed to a slider (not shown) of the linear drive mechanism 44 . The Z-axis slide mechanism 42 includes a motor 45 such as a servomotor as a power source, a linear drive mechanism 46 such as a ball screw type having a rail portion 46A (see FIG. 3) extending in the Z direction, and a Z-axis slide mechanism 46 along the rail portion 46A. and a slider 47 that can move in the direction. The slider 47 is made of an elongated plate having a predetermined length in the Z direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, a cutter unit 50 is supported at the lower end of the slider 47 via an air cylinder 48 as an example of an urging portion. The air cylinder 48 is arranged so that its expansion and contraction direction coincides with the Z direction, and a cutter unit 50 is supported at the tip of its piston rod. The cutter unit 50 has a cutter 51 as an example of a blade.

As shown in FIG. 3, the cutter unit 50 is arranged at the center position of the first conveyor 11 in the width direction Y. As shown in FIG. Therefore, in the width direction Y, the cutter 51 of the cutter unit 50 coincides with the width center of the box C positioned at the first position on the first conveyor 11 . That is, in plan view in FIG. 2, the cutter 51 of the cutter unit 50 is movable along the width center line of the box C positioned at the first position on the first conveyor 11 .

When the motor 43 is driven in forward and reverse directions, the linear drive mechanism 44 constituting the X-axis slide mechanism 41 is driven, and the Z-axis slide mechanism 42 moves in the X direction. Further, when the motor 45 is driven forward and backward, the slider 47 of the linear drive mechanism 46 constituting the Z-axis slide mechanism 42 moves up and down in the Z direction along the rail portion 46A. As shown in FIG. 1, the moving unit 40A includes a flexible guide member F1 that guides a power line that supplies power to the Z-axis slide mechanism 42 that moves in the X direction, and an air flow that supplies air pressure to the air cylinder 48. A flexible guide member F2 is provided for guiding a power line 54B (see FIG. 6) that supplies power to the path and cutter unit 50. As shown in FIG.

Here, the box C to be opened by the opening system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 5 shows the box C positioned in position on the conveyors 11, 12 before opening. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the box C is restricted from moving in the transport direction X by the stopper 32 and positioned in the width direction Y by the pair of guide members 35 . The box C has a box main body 15 and four flaps 16 (only the outer two are shown in FIG. 5) which are folded so as to open and close the upper opening of the box main body 15 . A first tape 17 (central tape) made of an adhesive tape is pasted along the boundaries between the pair of outer flaps 16 facing each other with the four flaps 16 closing their openings. The first tape 17 is applied along a center line extending in the X direction through the width center of the top surface 19A (upper surface) of the box C. As shown in FIG. In addition, in the box C, a second tape 18 (side edge tape) is attached across the flap 16 and the box body 15 on both side edges in the X direction of the two flaps 16 to which the first tape 17 is attached. there is The second tape 18 is applied across the pair of flaps 16 facing each other in the closed state on the upper side of the box C and the front and rear side surfaces 19B of the box body 15 in the transport direction X.

The box C is conveyed by the conveyors 11 and 12 with the top surface 19A to be opened facing upward. As shown in FIG. 5, the box C is oriented so that the longitudinal direction of the first tape 17 attached to the center of the top surface 19A is the X direction. The first tape 17 attached to the top surface 19A of the box C is cut along the imaginary cutting line L1 indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. Further, the second tape 18 attached to the side edge of the box C is cut along the phantom cutting line L2 indicated by the one-dot chain line in FIG. The bottom of the box C is closed with four flaps and sealed with a tape (none of which is shown), like the top side.

The box size including the X-direction, Y-direction and Z-direction dimensions of the box C is specified based on the box specification information including the item number of the box C and the like. For example, on the upstream side of the unsealing system 10, there is arranged a depalletizer that performs destacking work of taking out boxes C one by one from a group of boxes stacked on a pallet and placing them on a conveyor. The depalletizer reads the two-dimensional code written on the box C by the reading unit and transmits the acquired box identification information to the control unit 110 (controller) of the opening system 10 shown in FIG. For this reason, the control unit 110 acquires in advance the box identification information regarding the box C to be carried into the opening system 10 . The control unit 110 acquires the size of the box C based on the box specifying information, and drives and controls the electric cylinder 34, the motors 43 and 45, etc. according to the size to control the position of the pair of the guide member 35 and the cutter unit 50. . As shown in FIG. 1, the cutter unit 50 moves from a cutting start position P1 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. The first tape 17 is cut by moving along the virtual cutting line L1 of the first tape 17 shown in FIG.

Next, the second opening device 60 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the second opening device 60 comprises a second positioning device 61 for positioning the boxes C on the second conveyor 12 at a second position. The second positioning device 61 has the same configuration as the first positioning device 31 . The second positioning device 61 includes a stopper 62 that restricts movement of the box C conveyed on the second conveyor 12, and a pair of guide units 63 that positions the box C in the X direction by the stopper 62 in the width direction Y. and

As shown in FIG. 2 , the pair of guide units 63 includes an electric cylinder 64 that serves as a power source, and a pair of guide members 65 that can move back and forth in the width direction Y by the power of the electric cylinder 64 . Since the width of the box C is known, the box C is positioned at the second position in the X and Y directions by the stopper 62 and the pair of guide units 63, as shown in FIG. It should be noted that the second positioning device 61 may also be configured to position the boxes C on one side in the width direction Y of the second conveyor 12 using a bias reference.

As shown in FIG. 2, a second sensor 66 is arranged at a position upstream of the stopper 62 in the transport direction X to detect the box C that has reached the second position. The second sensor 66 is an optical sensor having the same configuration as the first sensor 36 . When the second sensor 66 detects the box C, the electric cylinder 64 is driven, and the pair of guide members 65 extend from the retracted position to the guide position corresponding to the width of the box C. C is positioned in the width direction Y at the second position. The stopper 62 for positioning the box C at the second position in the transport direction may be replaced with an L-shaped stopper portion formed by bending the downstream end of the guide member 65 .

Also, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the second opening device 60 has a second tape 18 (FIG. 5) attached to the two side edges of the box C positioned at the second position on the second conveyor 12. ) are provided with two second opening units 70 for cutting. The second opening unit 70 includes two moving units 70A and 70B supporting cutter units 81 and 82 at their lower ends, respectively.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the two moving units 70A and 70B are attached to the upper frame 25 of the frame 26 at different positions in the X direction. The first moving unit 70A supports the first cutter unit 81 at its lower end so as to be movable in the X, Y and Z directions. The second moving unit 70B moves the second cutter unit 82 supported at its lower end in the X, Y and Z directions. An example of a moving mechanism is configured by the moving units 70A and 70B.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first moving unit 70A includes a Y-axis slide mechanism 71 that moves the first cutter unit 81 in the Y direction, an X-axis slide mechanism 72 that moves it in the X direction, and a Z-axis slide mechanism. and a Z-axis slide mechanism 73 that moves the The Y-axis slide mechanism 71 is attached to the upper frame 25 . The X-axis slide mechanism 72 moves relative to the Y-axis slide mechanism 71 in a direction to move the first cutter unit 81 in the X direction. The Z-axis slide mechanism 73 moves relative to the X-axis slide mechanism 72 in a direction to move the first cutter unit 81 in the Z direction. The second moving unit 70B is arranged to face the first moving unit 70A across the second position in the transport direction X, but its basic configuration is the same as that of the first moving unit 70A. That is, the second moving unit 70B includes a Y-axis slide mechanism 71 that moves the second cutter unit 82 in the Y direction, an X-axis slide mechanism 72 that moves the second cutter unit 82 in the X direction, and the second cutter unit 82 in the Z direction. and a Z-axis slide mechanism 73 for directional movement.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, at the second position, the box C is positioned with reference to the end face on the downstream side in the conveying direction. Therefore, in the conveying direction, the position of the downstream end surface of the box C, which is the cutting position of the second cutter unit 82, is always constant regardless of the size of the box C, and the position of the box which is the cutting position of the first cutter unit 81 is always constant. The position of the end face on the upstream side of C changes according to the size of box C. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the movement stroke in which the first moving unit 70A moves the first cutter unit 81 in the X direction is longer than the movement stroke in which the second moving unit 70B moves the second cutter unit 82 in the X direction. Further, the first moving unit 70A and the second moving unit 70B have a positional relationship in which the first cutter unit 81 and the second cutter unit 82 face each other in the X direction.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the Y-axis slide mechanism 71 has a motor 74 such as a servo motor as a power source, and a ball screw linear drive mechanism 75 having a rail portion 75A extending in the Y direction. The linear drive mechanism 75 is arranged with its longitudinal direction aligned with the Y direction. The X-axis slide mechanism 72 has a motor 76 such as a servo motor as a power source, and a linear drive mechanism 77 of, for example, a ball screw type having a rail portion 77A extending in the X direction. The linear drive mechanism 77 is arranged in a posture in which its longitudinal direction coincides with the X direction. A Z-axis slide mechanism 73 is assembled to a slider (not shown) of the linear drive mechanism 77 . The Z-axis slide mechanism 73 includes a motor 78 such as a servo motor as a power source, a linear drive mechanism (linear guide) 79 having a rail portion (not shown) extending in the Z direction, for example, a ball screw type, and a and a slider 80 movable in the Z direction. The slider 80 is made of an elongated plate having a predetermined length in the Z direction.

A first air cylinder 83 as an example of an urging portion and a first urging portion and a second air cylinder 83 as an example of an urging portion and a second urging portion are provided at the lower end of the slider 80 on the first moving unit 70A side. A first cutter unit 81 is supported via a cylinder 84 . That is, a first air cylinder 83 is fixed to the lower end of the slider 80 so that its expansion/contraction direction coincides with the Z direction. Further, a second air cylinder 84 is fixed to the tip of the piston rod of the first air cylinder 83 so that its expansion and contraction direction coincides with the X direction. A first cutter unit 81 is supported at the tip of the piston rod of the air cylinder 84 . The first cutter unit 81 has a cutter 85 as an example of a blade.

The support structure of the second cutter unit 82 at the lower end of the slider 80 on the second moving unit 70B side is basically the same as that on the first moving unit 70A side. That is, at the lower end of the slider 80 on the side of the second moving unit 70B, the second cutter unit 82 is supported via a first air cylinder 83 that can extend and contract in the Z direction and a second air cylinder 84 that can extend and contract in the X direction. It is A second cutter unit 82 supported by the tip of the piston rod of the second air cylinder 84 has a cutter 85 as an example of a blade. In addition, in the first moving unit 70A and the second moving unit 70B, the second air cylinder 84 is attached to the tip of the piston rod of the first air cylinder 83 at an angle so that the expansion/contraction direction of the second air cylinder 84 intersects the X direction. It can be attached and fixed.

When the motor 74 is driven in forward and reverse directions, the linear drive mechanism 75 constituting the Y-axis slide mechanism 71 is driven, and the X-axis slide mechanism 72 moves in the Y direction. Further, when the motor 76 is driven forward and reverse, the linear drive mechanism 77 constituting the X-axis slide mechanism 72 is driven, and the Z-axis slide mechanism 73 moves in the X direction. Further, when the motor 78 is driven forward and reverse, the slider 80 of the linear drive mechanism 79 constituting the Z-axis slide mechanism 73 moves up and down in the Z direction. As shown in FIG. 1, the moving units 70A and 70B include a flexible guide member F3 that guides a power line that supplies power to an X-axis slide mechanism 72 that moves in the Y direction, and a Z-axis slide mechanism that moves in the X direction. A flexible guide member F4 is provided to guide the power line that supplies power to 73 . Further, the moving units 70A and 70B include an air flow path for supplying air pressure to the air cylinders 83 and 84 that move in the Z direction together with the slider 80, and a power line 89B for supplying power to the cutter units 81 and 82 (see FIG. 7). A flexible guide member F5 that guides is provided.

As shown in FIG. 3, the first opening device 30 is provided with a camera 92 . The camera 92 is suspended from the upper frame 22 by a support rod 91, and is arranged at a position where the cutter 51 can be imaged when the cutter unit 50 is at the standby position indicated by the solid line in FIG. Image data captured by camera 92 is output to control unit 110 .

Also, as shown in FIG. 1, the second opening device 60 is provided with two cameras 94 . The two cameras 94 are suspended from the upper frame 25 by support rods 93, and are positioned so that the cutters 85 can be imaged in a state in which the cutter units 81 and 82 are at standby positions indicated by solid lines in FIG. are placed. Image data captured by camera 94 is output to control unit 110 .

Next, referring to FIG. 6, the configuration of the cutter unit 50 will be described. As shown in FIG. 6, a support plate 52 is fixed to the tip of the piston rod 48A of the air cylinder 48. As shown in FIG. A pair of rollers 53 , which are an example of rolling elements, are attached to the lower portion of the support plate 52 so as to protrude slightly below the lower end of the support plate 52 . The cutter 51 is positioned between the pair of first rollers 53 , and the tip of the cutter 51 protrudes further downward than the lower ends of the pair of first rollers 53 . The pair of rollers 53 rotate about a rotation shaft 53A parallel to the Y direction so as to be able to roll on the top surface 19A of the box C while the cutter unit 50 moves in the X direction.

A cylindrical vibrator 54 is attached to the support plate 52 with a bracket 54A. The cutter 51 is fixed to the tip of the output shaft (not shown) of the vibrator 54 . The vibrator 54 and the cutter 51 are held in an oblique posture inclined at a predetermined angle (for example, approximately 45 degrees) with respect to the horizontal plane. The cutter unit 50 cuts the first tape 17 by moving the cutter 51 vibrated by the ultrasonic waves generated by the vibrator 54 along the virtual cutting line L1 (see FIG. 5) of the first tape 17 . A power line 54B for supplying a periodically changing voltage to the vibrator 54 is connected to an oscillator (not shown) via a flexible guide member F2.

Also, the air cylinder 48 is used by stopping the piston rod 48A in the middle of the stroke when extended. That is, the lowering position of the slider 47 by the Z-axis slide mechanism 42 is position-controlled so that the roller 53 contacts the top surface 19A of the box C in the middle of the stroke when the air cylinder 48 is extended. Therefore, when the roller 53 rolls on the top surface 19A of the box C, the piston rod 48A is positioned in the middle of the stroke, and the roller 53 can follow the top surface 19A even if the top surface 19A is deformed.

For example, if a spring is used as the biasing means for the roller, the spring changes the biasing force (elastic force) of the roller according to the product of the change (displacement) in length from the natural length and the spring constant. Therefore, if the urging force of the roller changes according to the stroke, the urging force of the roller against the box is not stable according to the stroke. On the other hand, since the air cylinder 48 is used, the roller 53 can be urged with a constant air pressure (urging force) even if the stroke of the piston rod 48A changes. The roller 53 rolls on the top surface 19A of the box C while being pressed by a predetermined relatively weak urging force due to the minute air pressure applied to the air cylinder 48 .

Next, the configuration of the two cutter units 81 and 82 will be described with reference to FIG. Since the two cutter units 81 and 82 have the same basic configuration, the configuration of the first cutter unit 81 will be described below. As shown in FIG. 7, a second air cylinder 84 is fixed to the tip (lower end) of the piston rod 83A of the first air cylinder 83 fixed to the lower end of the slider 80 so as to extend and contract in the X direction. A support plate 86 is fixed to the tip of the piston rod 84A (see FIG. 10). A pair of first rollers 87 and a pair of second rollers 88 are attached to the support plate 86 . The pair of first rollers 87 rotates about a rotation shaft 87A parallel to the X direction so as to be able to roll on the top surface 19A of the box C while the cutter units 81 and 82 move in the Y direction. The lower ends of the pair of first rollers 87 are located slightly below the lower end of the support plate 86 . A cutter 85 is positioned between the pair of first rollers 87 , and the tip of the cutter 85 protrudes further downward than the lower ends of the pair of first rollers 87 .

The pair of second rollers 88 rotates about a rotation axis 88A parallel to the Z direction so as to be able to roll on the side surface 19B of the box C while the cutter units 81 and 82 move in the Y direction. The second roller 88 is positioned below the first roller 87, and rolls on the side surface 19B of the box C when the first roller 87 rolls on the top surface 19A of the box C.

The first air cylinder 83 urges the first roller 87 downward in the Z direction. The first roller 87 rolls while being pressed against the top surface 19A of the box C by the biasing force of the first air cylinder 83 . Also, the second air cylinder 84 biases the second roller 88 in the X direction. The second air cylinder 84 on the first moving unit 70A side urges the second roller 88 downstream in the X direction, and the second air cylinder 84 on the second moving unit 70B side pushes the second roller 88 in the X direction. to the upstream side of the The second roller 88 rolls while being pressed against the side surface 19B of the box C by the biasing force of the second air cylinder 84 .

A cylindrical vibrator 89 is attached to the support plate 86 with a bracket 89A. The cutter 85 is fixed to the tip of the output shaft (not shown) of the vibrator 89 . The vibrator 89 and the cutter 85 are held in an oblique posture inclined at a predetermined angle (for example, approximately 45 degrees) with respect to the horizontal plane. The cutter units 81 and 82 cut the second tape 18 by moving a cutter 85 that vibrates with ultrasonic waves generated by a vibrator 89 along a virtual cutting line L2 (see FIG. 5) of the second tape 18. do. A power line 89B for supplying a periodically changing voltage to the vibrator 89 is connected to an oscillator (not shown) via a flexible guide member F5.

FIG. 8 shows a pneumatic circuit for driving the air cylinders 48,83,84. A pneumatic circuit 100 for driving each air cylinder 48, 83, 84 has basically the same configuration. A pneumatic circuit 100 that controls the air cylinder 48 will be described below as an example. As shown in FIG. 8, the pneumatic circuit 100 has an air pressure source 101 . An electromagnetic switching valve 103 is connected to the air pressure source 101 through a flow path 102 . Further, between the electromagnetic switching valve 103 and the air cylinder 48, a flow path 104 communicating with a chamber on the piston 48B side in the air cylinder 48 and a flow path communicating with a chamber on the piston rod 48A side in the air cylinder 48 are provided. 105 are connected. A pressure reducing valve 106 is arranged in the middle of the flow path 104, and by supplying a small amount of air pressure reduced by the pressure reducing valve 106 to the air cylinder 48, the urging force for pressing the roller 53 against the surface of the box C is adjusted to a predetermined weak value. do.

The air cylinder 48 expands or contracts by switching the electromagnetic switching valve 103 . When the electromagnetic switching valve 103 is at the first position shown in FIG. 8, air pressure from the air pressure source 101 is supplied to the piston rod side chamber of the air cylinder 48, and the air cylinder 48 is contracted. When the electromagnetic switching valve 103 is switched to the second position different from the first position, the air pressure from the air pressure source 101 is reduced by the pressure reducing valve 106, and a very small amount of air pressure is supplied to the piston-side chamber of the air cylinder 48. The air cylinder 48 is driven to extend. The air cylinder 48 urges the roller 53 downward in the Z direction with a small constant air pressure when it is extended, and presses the roller 53 against the top surface 19A of the box C with a weak urging force. Also, the air cylinder 48 separates the roller 53 from the top surface 19A of the box C when contracted. The first air cylinder 83 and the second air cylinder 84 also share the air cylinder 48 and the air pressure source 101 and are driven and controlled by the air pressure circuit 100 having the same configuration as the air cylinder 48 .

Also, the air cylinders 48, 83, 84 are used by being stopped in the middle of their strokes. That is, when the air cylinders 48 and 83 are extended, the Z-axis slide mechanisms 42 and 73 control the lowered position of the sliders 47 and 80 so that the rollers 53 and 87 come into contact with the top surface 19A of the box C in the middle of the stroke. be. Therefore, when the rollers 53 and 87 roll on the top surface 19A of the box C, the piston rods 48A and 83A are positioned in the middle of their strokes (for example, intermediate positions), so the top surface 19A of the rollers 53 and 87 slightly moves. Even if it is deformed, it can follow the top surface 19A by displacing up and down in the Z direction. Also, when the second roller 88 rolls on the side surface 19B of the box C, the piston 84B of the second air cylinder 84 is positioned in the middle of its stroke (for example, at an intermediate position), so the side surface 19B of the second roller 88 slightly Even if it is deformed, it can follow the side surface 19B by being displaced to both sides in the X direction.

A minute air pressure obtained by reducing the air pressure of the air pressure source 101 by the pressure reducing valve 106 is supplied to the chambers of the air cylinders 48, 83, 84 on the side of the pistons 48B, 83B, 84B. Therefore, the roller 53 and the first roller 87 push the top surface 19A of the box C with a weak biasing force of the air cylinders 48,83. Also, the second roller 88 pushes the side surface 19B of the box C with a weak biasing force due to the minute air pressure supplied to the second air cylinder 84 . Further, since the rollers 53, 87, 88 are urged by the air pressure of the air cylinders 48, 83, 84, even if the stroke positions of the air cylinders 48, 83, 84 change in the process of following the surface of the box C, It is energized with approximately constant force. For example, a configuration using springs as biasing means for the rollers 53, 87, and 88 is conceivable, but the biasing force (elastic force) of the springs changes according to the amount of displacement. Therefore, the urging force of the roller following the surface of the box C changes according to the stroke and becomes unstable. On the other hand, by supplying a small amount of air pressure reduced by the pressure reducing valve 106 to the piston 48B, 83B, 84B side chambers of the air cylinders 48, 83, 84, the air cylinders 48, 83, 84 move the rollers 53, 87, 84 The biasing force for pressing 88 is set to be weak. Further, the rollers 53, 87, 88 are pressed against the surface of the box C while the pistons 48B, 83B, 84B are arranged in the middle of their strokes. Therefore, even if the top surface 19A of the box C is undulated or deformed, the rollers 53 and 87 roll following the top surface 19A of the box C, and even if the side surface 19B of the box C is undulated or deformed. , the roller 88 follows the side surface 19B of the box C and rolls.

The first moving unit 70A moves the cutter 85 of the first cutter unit 81 to the cutting start position P11 (see FIG. 4) of the second tape 18 attached to the side edges of the box C positioned at the second position. Deploy. The cutter unit 81 is moved from a cutting start position P11 indicated by a solid line in FIG. 4 to a cutting end position P12 indicated by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 to cut the second tape 18 . As shown in FIGS. 4 and 10, in this cutting process, the first air cylinder 83 is extended with the piston rod 83A positioned in the middle of its stroke, and the first roller 87 is reduced in pressure by the pressure reducing valve 106. It rolls on the top surface 19A of the box C while being pressed against the top surface 19A by a small urging force from the first air cylinder 83 due to air pressure. Further, as shown in FIG. 10, the second air cylinder 84 extends with the piston rod 84A positioned in the middle of the stroke, and the second roller 88 is driven by the minute air pressure reduced by the pressure reducing valve 106. It rolls on the side 19B of the box C while being pressed against the side 19B by a small biasing force from 84. - 特許庁

The pair of cutter units 81 and 82 constituting the moving units 70A and 70B of the second opening device 60 shown in FIG. move simultaneously in the Y direction to the positions indicated by . In the cutting process, as shown in FIG. 10, the first roller 87 is pressed against the top surface 19A and the second roller 88 is pressed against the side surface 19B. As the rollers 87 and 88 roll while being pressed on the top surface 19A and the side surface 19B, respectively, the cutter 85 is positioned with respect to the top surface 19A and the side surface 19B, and is positioned at the cutting start position P11 indicated by the solid line in FIG. to a cutting end position P12 indicated by a two-dot chain line. Each cutter 85 of the two cutter units 81 and 82 respectively moves along the virtual cutting line L2 of the two second tapes 18 shown in FIG. 5 to cut the two second tapes 18 .

Next, the electrical configuration of the opening system 10 will be described with reference to FIG. 11 . An operation panel 120 is electrically connected to the control unit 110 of the opening system 10. The operation panel 120 is used by the operator to input various setting data to the opening system 10 and to give instructions such as starting and stopping operation. It is The operation panel 120 has a display section 121 . The control unit 110 causes the display unit 121 to display a setting screen, a notification screen for notifying the operator of an error or the like, and the like.

The first opening device 30 and the second opening device 60 are electrically connected to the controller 110 . That is, the first conveyor 11 , the first positioning device 31 , the first opening unit 40 and the first camera 92 that constitute the first opening device 30 are electrically connected to the controller 110 . Also, the second conveyor 12 , the second positioning device 61 , the second opening unit 70 and the second camera 94 that constitute the second opening device 60 are electrically connected to the control section 110 . Also, the first sensor 36 and the second sensor 66 are electrically connected to the control unit 110 as an input system.

The control unit 110 includes an image processing unit 111 , a determination unit 112 and a memory 113 . The memory 113 stores a program PR shown in the flowchart of FIG. 14 and cutter reference image data SD. The cutter reference image data SD is image data (cutter initial image data) when the cutters 51 and 85 are in the initial state before use. Image data of the initial cutters 51 and 85 captured by the cameras 92 and 94 when the cutters 51 and 85 are replaced may be stored in the memory 113 as the cutter reference image data SD. Further, the cutter reference image data SD is the captured image data of the cutters 51 and 85 captured by the cameras 92 and 94 one before the next box C, that is, before the cutting of the tapes 17 and 18 of the current box C is started. It's okay. As the cutter reference image data SD, the initial cutter image data and the previous cutter captured image data captured by the cameras 92 and 94 after the start of use of the cutter and before the current opening of the box were used as the cutter reference image data SD. Both can be used.

FIG. 12 shows the cutter reference image data SD. The cutter reference image SD shown in FIG. 12 is an example of an initial image before the cutters 51 and 85 are used. The cutters 51 and 85 in the cutter reference image SD are neither chipped nor worn. FIG. 13 shows cutter captured image data PD (hereinafter simply referred to as "cutter captured image PD") captured by the cameras 92 and 94 at a predetermined time while the opening system 10 is operating. The captured cutter image PD shown in FIG. 13 is an example of the cutters 51 and 85 having the defect K. As shown in FIG.

The control unit 110 compares the cutter reference image SD and the captured cutter image PD to determine whether there is a defect K and wear. The image processing unit 111 performs necessary image processing on the cutter captured image data PD captured by the cameras 92 and 94 . The determination unit 112 compares the image-processed cutter captured image PD with the cutter reference image SD to determine the presence or absence of a defect K and the presence or absence of wear of the cutters 51 and 85 . When the control unit 110 detects the defect K of the cutters 51 and 85 based on the determination result of the determination unit 112, the display unit 121 of the operation panel 120 displays the occurrence of the defect K of the cutter to notify the operator. . Further, when the control unit 110 detects wear of the cutters 51 and 85, the control unit 110 displays the wear of the cutters on the display unit 121 of the operation panel 120 to notify the operator.

The image processing unit 111 adjusts the sizes of the cutter reference image SD shown in FIG. 12 and the cutter captured image PD shown in FIG. 13, and finds the difference between them. The image processing unit 111 compares the image-processed cutter captured image PD and the cutter reference image SD. As a comparison process, a difference process is performed to obtain a difference between the captured image of the cutter PD and the reference image of the cutter SD. As a result of the difference processing, the image processing unit 111 obtains the difference area DA shown in FIG. The determination unit 112 determines whether the difference area DA is a defect K or wear, using the shape threshold value and the area threshold value for the difference area DA. The judging section 112 makes a judgment until the next box C is opened by cutting the tapes 17 and 18 of the next box C. FIG. In this example, the determination unit 112 determines whether there is a defect K in the cutters 51 and 85 before cutting the tapes 17 and 18 of the next box C is started. The determination unit 112 can also determine the degree of wear of the cutters 51 and 85 by using the cutter initial image as the cutter reference image SD.

Next, operation of the opening system 10 will be described. The opening system 10 is controlled by the controller 110 . An operator operates the operation panel 120 and gives an instruction to start operation. Upon receiving the operation start instruction, the control unit 110 starts the operation of the opening system 10 . The control unit 110 reads out the program PR from the memory 113 and executes it.

Note that the control unit 110 receives box identification information regarding boxes to be carried onto the first conveyor 11 from the palletizer that is performing the work of unstacking boxes on the upstream side of the opening system 10 . There are various sizes of boxes to be untiered, and boxes C having different shapes and sizes are carried to the first conveyor 11 . When a sensor (not shown) detects that a box has been carried onto the first conveyor 11, the controller 110 drives an actuator (not shown) to move the stopper 32 from the retracted position to the restricted position. When a sensor (not shown) detects that a box C has been carried onto the second conveyor 12, the controller 110 drives an actuator (not shown) to move the stopper 62 from the retracted position to the restricted position.

The opening control performed by the control unit 110 by executing the program PR shown in FIG. 14 will be described below. In the first opening device 30 and the second opening device 60, the configuration of the cutter units 50, 81, and 82 and the direction in which the moving units 40A, 70A, and 70B move the cutter units 50, 81, and 82 are the objects to be cut. Although the positions and orientations of the tapes 17 and 18 are slightly different, the basic content of the opening control is the same. Therefore, the opening control will be described below using the first opening device 30 as an example.

First, in step S11, the control unit 110 waits until the sensor 36 is turned on, and when the sensor 36 is turned on, the process proceeds to the next step S12. That is, while the box C is being transported, the process waits until the sensor detects the box C, and when the sensor 36 detects the box C, the process proceeds to step S12. The box C detected by the sensor 36 hits the stopper 32 and is restricted from further movement in the transport direction (X-axis direction) and positioned at the first position.

At step S12, the controller 110 stops the conveyor 11. FIG. This places the box in the open position.
In the next step S13, the control section 110 performs the positioning operation of the box C. As shown in FIG. That is, the controller 110 drives the pair of guide units 33 to extend the pair of guide members 35, thereby positioning the box C positioned in the transport direction X by the stopper 32 in the width direction Y. As a result, the box C is positioned at the first position, which is the opening position.

In the next step S14, the controller 110 moves the cutter 51 to the cutting start position. That is, the control unit 110 calculates a cutting start position corresponding to the specified size of the box C from the box specifying information, and position-controls the opening unit in the X and Z directions so that the cutter 51 moves to the calculated cutting start position. and move the cutter 51 to the cutting start position. At this time, the control unit 110 controls the position of the X-axis slide mechanism 41 in the X-axis direction, lowers the Z-axis slide mechanism 42, and extends the air cylinder 48 downward, thereby causing the cutter unit 50 to start cutting. move to position.

In the next step S15, the control unit 110 cuts the tape. That is, the controller 110 moves the cutter unit 50 from the cutting start position P1 toward the cutting end position P2 in the X direction, as shown in FIG. The first tape 17 is moved along the imaginary cutting line L1 while being urged by the urging force. As a result, the first tape 17 is cut. As shown in FIG. 9, the roller 53 rolls on the top surface 19A of the box C while being pressed against the top surface 19A with a predetermined air pressure. Therefore, the cutter 51 follows along the surface of the first tape 17 while displacing up and down along the surface shape of the top surface 19A of the box C. As shown in FIG. At this time, even if the stroke of the air cylinder 48 changes according to the surface shape of the top surface 19A of the box C, the roller 53 can be pressed against the top surface 19A with a constant biasing force. Therefore, the cutter 51 is positioned in the Z direction by the rollers 53 rolling on the top surface 19A, and moves along the imaginary cutting line L1 while being inserted into the first tape 17 at a predetermined depth. . Therefore, even if the top surface 19A is somewhat deformed, the first tape 17 is reliably cut. The cutter 51 penetrates slightly deeper than the thickness of the first tape 17, but does not enter the box C excessively. Therefore, the first tape 17 can be reliably cut by the cutter 51 and the contents inside the box C can be prevented from being damaged by the cutter 51 .

In step S16, the control unit 110 carries out the unloading operation of the box C. As shown in FIG. That is, the control unit 110 controls the electric cylinder 34 to retract the guide unit 33 from the guide position to the retracted position and move the stopper 32 from the restricted position to the retracted position, and then drives the conveyor 11 . As a result, the box C from which the first tape 17 has been cut is transferred from the first conveyor 11 to the second conveyor 12 and carried into the second opening device 60 .

In the next step S17, the control unit 110 determines whether or not it is the inspection time. The timing for inspecting the cutter is set in advance. In this example, the inspection timing is set so that the inspection is performed for each cutting operation. Therefore, in step S17, the inspection timing condition is always satisfied. The inspection period may be set every N times, which is equal to or more than 2 (N is a natural number equal to or greater than 2), or the cut length of the tape is measured and the accumulated value is stored in the memory 113. Alternatively, the inspection time may be set when the cumulative value of the cut length exceeds the set value. The control unit 110 proceeds to step S18 if it is the inspection time, and proceeds to step S23 if it is not the inspection time. For example, in this example where inspection is performed every time, the process proceeds to step S18.

In step S<b>18 , the controller 110 captures an image of the cutter 51 with the camera 92 . That is, the control section 110 moves the cutter unit 50 from the cutting end position P2 to the imaging position. Here, the imaging position is a position where the camera 92 is focused and a position where the cutter 51 can be imaged with a predetermined size or larger. Moreover, the imaging position is preferably a position on the movement path of the cutter 51 from the cutting end position P2 to the standby position. When the cutter 51 moves to the imaging position and stops, the control unit 110 causes the camera 92 to perform an imaging operation. The camera 92 outputs cutter image data PD obtained by imaging the cutter 51 to the control unit 110 .

In step S19, it is determined whether the cutter is normal. That is, the control unit 110 compares the current cutter captured image PD captured by the camera 92 with the cutter reference image SD stored in the memory 113 . If the cutter 51 has a defect K or excessive wear, the difference between the cutter reference image SD and the cutter captured image PD exceeds the threshold. In the control unit 110, the image processing unit 111 performs predetermined image processing on the cutter image PD, and obtains the difference between the cutter reference image SD and the cutter image PD as the difference area DA shown in FIG. The control unit 110 determines whether the cutter 51 has a defect K or excessive wear by comparing the area and shape of the difference area DA with the area threshold value and the shape threshold value. If the cutter 51 has a defect K, it is regarded as "abnormal". If the cutter 51 is excessively worn, it is not regarded as "abnormal", but is regarded as "abnormal" indicating that the cutter 51 is due for replacement. Therefore, as a result of the determination, if the cutter 51 is normal, the controller 110 proceeds to step S23, and if the cutter 51 is abnormal or abnormal, the controller 110 proceeds to step S20.

At step S20, the control unit 110 determines whether the cutter 51 is abnormal. If the cutter 51 is abnormal, the control unit 110 advances to step S21, emergency stops the operation of the opening system 10, and notifies that the cutter 51 has an abnormality of the defect K. That is, the control unit 110 displays on the display unit 121 that the cutter 51 has an abnormality such as the defect K.

If the cutter 51 is not abnormal as a result of the determination in step S20, the process proceeds to step S22, and the controller 110 notifies that it is time to replace the cutter. That is, the control unit 110 displays on the display unit 121 that it is time to replace the cutter.

At step S23, the controller 110 returns the cutter to the standby position. That is, the controller 110 drives the air cylinder 48 to contract to move the cutter unit 50 slightly upward, and drives the X-axis slide mechanism 41 and the Z-axis slide mechanism 42 to move the cutter unit 50 to the standby position. move.

Similarly to the first opening device 30, the control section 110 basically performs opening control for the second opening device 60 according to the opening control routine shown in the flowchart of FIG. The second opening device 60 controls the two moving units 70A and 70B in order to cut the two second tapes 18 attached to the two side edges of the box C, and the cutter 51 imaged by the second camera 94. Based on the image, it is determined whether there is an abnormality such as a defect K in the cutter 51 and whether it is time to replace the cutter 51 due to wear.

In FIG. 14, in step S14, the control section 110 drives and controls the two moving units 70A and 70B to move each cutter 85 to the cutting start position. At this time, the first air cylinder 83 is extended downward to press the first roller 87 against the top surface 19A of the box C, and the second air cylinder 84 is extended in the X direction to move the second roller 88 to the box C. is pressed against the side surface 19B.

In step S15, the controller 110 moves each cutter 85 from the cutting start position P11 to the cutting end position P12. The cutter 85 has a top surface 19A on which the first roller 87 rolls while being pressed by the biasing force from the first air cylinder 83, and a second roller 88 rolls while being pressed by the biasing force from the second air cylinder 84. It follows the surface of the second tape 18 and moves along the virtual cutting line L2 while being positioned with respect to the side surface 19B. As a result, even if at least one of the top surface 19A and the side surface 19B of the box C is deformed, the second tape is reliably cut. Further, even if the air cylinders 83 and 84 expand or contract to some extent according to the surface shape of the box C, the biasing force with which the first roller 87 is pressed against the top surface 19A and the biasing force with which the second roller 88 is pressed against the side surface 19B are kept almost constant. Therefore, even if the stroke positions of the air cylinders 83 and 84 change according to the deformation of the box C, the cutter 85 follows the top surface 19A and the side surface 19B. As a result, the second tape 18 can be reliably cut by the cutter 85, and the contents inside the box C can be prevented from being damaged by the cutter 85.

On the other hand, when it is time for inspection (affirmative determination in S17), the cutter 85 is moved to the imaging position and the camera 94 images the cutter 85 (S18). The control unit 110 compares the current cutter captured image captured by the camera 94 with the cutter reference image SD stored in the memory 113 . The control unit 110 compares the area and shape of the difference area DA obtained by taking the difference between the cutter reference image SD and the cutter captured image PD with respective threshold values, and determines whether the cutter 85 has a defect K or excessive wear. judge. If there is a defect K in the cutter 85, it is determined as "abnormal" (affirmative determination in S20), the operation of the opening system 10 is stopped in an emergency, and the fact that there is an abnormality in the defect K in the cutter 85 is notified (S21). On the other hand, if the cutter 85 is excessively worn, it is notified that it is time to replace the cutter (S22).

Thus, even if the box C is slightly deformed, the opening system 10 reliably cuts the first tape 17 and the second tape 18 . Further, when the cutters 51 and 85 are damaged, the operation of the opening system 10 is stopped in an emergency and the display section 121 is displayed to that effect until the damage K is detected and the opening of the next box is completed. Therefore, it is possible to immediately specify and eliminate the box C when the cutters 51 and 85 are damaged. For example, it is possible to prevent the missing portions of the cutters 51 and 85 from being mixed into the contents of the box C.

As described in detail above, according to this embodiment, the following effects can be obtained.
(1) The box C opening system 10 cuts the tapes 17 and 18 attached to the box C to open the box C. The opening system 10 includes rollers 53, 87, and 88 (rolling elements) that are displaceable in the pressing direction to press against the surface of the box C, and an air cylinder that biases the rollers 53, 87, and 88 in the pressing direction. 48, 83, 84 (biasing portions). Furthermore, the opening system 10 includes cutters 51 and 85 (blade portions) that can be displaced in the pressing direction together with the rollers 53, 87 and 88, and the rollers 53, 87 and 88 and the cutters 51 and 85 are moved relative to the box C. It includes moving units 40A, 70A, and 70B (moving mechanisms). Rolling the rollers 53, 87, 88 while pressing them against the surface of the box C causes the cutters 51, 85 to follow the surface of the box C to which the tapes 17, 18 are adhered, thereby cutting the tapes 17, 18.例文帳に追加Therefore, by making the cutters 51 and 85 follow the surface of the box C, even if the box C is slightly deformed, the tape attached to the box C can be properly cut and the box C can be opened. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the number of opening errors of the box C caused by the cutting error of the tapes 17 and 18 .

(2) Rolling while pressing the roller 53 against the top surface 19A of the box C to which the first tape 17 is attached, the cutter 51 cuts the first tape attached across the pair of flaps 16 of the box C. Cut 17. Therefore, even if the box C is slightly deformed, the cutter 51 can cut the first tape 17 applied across the two flaps 16 on the top surface 19A of the box C.

(3) The opening system 10 includes a first roller 87 that can be pressed against the top surface 19A of the box C and a second roller 88 that can be pressed against the side surface 19B of the box C. The unsealing system 10 includes a first air cylinder 83 that biases the first roller 87 in a first direction that can press the top surface 19A, and a second roller 88 that biases in a second direction that can press the side surface 19B. A second air cylinder 84 is provided. The first roller 87 rolls while being pressed against the top surface 19A of the box C, and the second roller 88 rolls while being pressed against the side surface 19B of the box C. The second tape 18 attached to the side edge between 19A and side 19B is cut. Therefore, while the first roller 87 rolls while being pressed against the top surface 19A of the box C, the second roller 88 rolls while being pressed against the side surface 19B of the box C, so that the cutter 85 is moved to the top surface 19A. and side 19B. Therefore, even if the box C is slightly deformed, the second tape 18 attached to the side edge between the top surface 19A and the side surface 19B of the box C can be reliably cut. Moreover, even if both the top surface 19A and the side surface 19B of the box C are deformed, the second tape 18 attached to the side edges can be reliably cut.

(4) Air cylinders 48, 83, 84 pressurize rollers 53, 87, 88 with air pressure. Since the rollers 53, 87, 88 are urged by air pressure, fluctuations in the urging force due to differences in the stroke positions in the pressing direction of the rollers 53, 87, 88 can be reduced as compared with the structure in which the rollers 53, 87, 88 are urged by springs. As a result, the rollers 53, 87, 88 follow the surface of the box C, and the pressing force of the cutters 51, 85 is stabilized. Therefore, even if the box C is slightly deformed, the cutters 51 and 85 follow the tapes 17 and 18, and the tapes 17 and 18 can be cut more reliably. For example, when the biasing means is a spring, the roller pushes the surface of the box C too strongly, deforming the box C, or the pressing force of the roller is too weak, causing the cutter to hit the tape shallowly and cause cutting errors. relatively high frequency. However, in the opening system 10 of the present embodiment, the pressing force of the rollers 53, 87, 88 is stable regardless of the stroke position, so that the deformation of the box C and the frequency of erroneous cutting can be reduced.

(5) The opening system 10 stores in the memory 113 the cameras 92 and 94 (an example of an imaging unit) that capture images of the cutters 51 and 85, the cutter captured images PD captured by the cameras 92 and 94 and the cutters 51 and 85 captured. A determination unit 112 that determines whether or not there is a defect K in the cutters 51 and 85 by comparing with the cutter reference image SD. Therefore, based on images of the cutters 51 and 85 captured by the cameras 92 and 94, the defect K of the cutters 51 and 85 can be detected. For example, even if a missing portion of the cutters 51, 85 is mixed in the unsealed box C, the box C can be easily identified and removed immediately.

(6) The cameras 92 and 94 take images of the cutters 51 and 85 after the cutters 51 and 85 have cut the tapes 17 and 18 of the box C; The determination unit 112 performs determination after the tapes 17 and 18 of the box C are cut. The cutter reference image SD is an initial image of the cutters 51, 85, or an image captured by the cameras 92, 94 of the cutters 51, 85 before cutting the tapes 17, 18 of the box C is started. Therefore, after the tapes 17 and 18 of the box C are cut, the cutter captured images PD obtained by capturing the cutters 51 and 85 by the cameras 92 and 94 are the initial images of the cutters 51 and 85 or before the tapes 17 and 18 are cut. By comparing with the captured cutter reference image SD, it is possible to determine whether or not there is a defect K in the cutters 51 and 85 . Therefore, even if the cutters 51 and 85 are damaged, the damage of the cutters 51 and 85 can be detected immediately after the tape is cut with the damage K of the cutters 51 and 85 .

(7) The cameras 92 and 94 capture images of the cutters 51 and 85 after the cutters 51 and 85 have cut the tapes 17 and 18 of the box C and before they start cutting the tapes 17 and 18 of the next box C. do. After the tapes 17 and 18 of the box C are cut, the judging section 112 cuts the tapes 17 and 18 of the next box C and makes a judgment before the opening is finished. Therefore, even if the cutters 51 and 85 are damaged, after the tapes 17 and 18 of the box C are cut, the damage K of the cutters 51 and 85 can be found early before the next box C is opened.

The embodiment is not limited to the above, and may be modified as follows.
- The biasing portion may be a spring. Since the rollers 53, 87, 88 roll while being pressed against the surface of the box C by the urging force of the spring, the tapes 17, 18 are cut by the cutters 51, 85 following the surface of the box C together with the rollers 53, 87, 88. can do.

- The number of the first rollers 53 is not limited to one pair. Further, the number of the first rollers 87 is not limited to one pair, and may be one. When the number of the first rollers 53 and 87 is one, it becomes easier for the cutters 51 and 85 to follow the top surface of the box C.

- The second tape 18 may be cut before the first tape 17 is cut.
- The moving mechanism may be driven by an electric cylinder or a pneumatic cylinder as a power source.
- The moving mechanism is replaced with the moving units 40A, 70A, and 70B that move the cutter units 50, 81, and 82 relative to the box C, and is positioned in the width direction Y and the height direction Z according to the size of the box C. A conveyor that moves the box in a direction in which the tape can be cut with respect to the cutter unit that stops at .

・The rolling elements are not limited to rollers and may be balls.
- The cutter is not limited to an ultrasonic vibration type blade, and may be a cutter that physically cuts.
・The frequency of inspection of the blade can be appropriately set according to the use of the blade. For example, the number of opened boxes may be counted by a counter, and the inspection operation may be performed each time the count reaches a set value of 2 or more. For example, for food-related applications, it is preferable to increase the inspection frequency.

A distance sensor may be provided in the cutter unit to detect the distance to the surface of the box C during cutting, and the tape may be cut while controlling the height of the cutter unit according to the detected distance.
- The box C may be closed with a so-called "vertical attachment" by the first tape 17 attached along the center line of the top surface. In addition, the box C has a first tape attached along a first central line extending vertically on the top surface, and a second central line extending horizontally on the top surface in a state that intersects with the first tape. It may be closed by a so-called "cross sticking" by a second tape. In these cases, the package can be opened only by the first opening device 30 .

- Only the second opening device 60 may be used. For example, an operator may manually cut the first tape on the center line of the top surface of the box C using a cutter, and the second tape attached to the side edge of the box C may be automatically cut by the second opening device 60. good.

- The air cylinder may be tilted in parallel with the cutter so as to bias the cutter in the axial direction of the tilted posture.
- The tape is not limited to adhesive tape, and may be applied with glue or adhesive. Also, the tape may be welded to the box.

- An inspection unit that inspects damage or the like of the blade by using a captured image of the blade (cutter) may be omitted.
- A cutting mechanism that does not have a rolling element may be used, and an inspection unit for the blade may be provided. According to this configuration, the cutter can be inspected using the cutter captured image obtained by capturing the cutter with the camera.

・The box is not limited to a cardboard box made of paper, and may be a cardboard box made of plastic. Also, a box made of paper or plastic other than cardboard may be used. Moreover, the shape of the box is not limited to a rectangular parallelepiped, and may be a cylinder.

10... A box opening system as an example of a box opening device, 11... A first conveyor, 12... A second conveyor, 16... A flap, 17... A first tape as an example of a tape, 18... A first tape as an example of a tape 2 tapes 19A top surface 19B side surface 30 first opening device constituting an example of a box opening device 31 first positioning device 32 stopper 33 guide unit 35 guide member 36 ... first sensor, 40 ... first opening unit, 40A ... movement unit constituting an example of movement mechanism, 41 ... X-axis slide mechanism, 42 ... Z-axis movement mechanism, 48 ... air cylinder as an example of biasing section, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 50... Cutter unit 51... Cutter as an example of a blade part 60... Second opening device constituting an example of a box opening device 61... Second positioning device 62... Stopper 63... Guide unit 65... Guide Member 66 Second sensor 70 Second opening unit 70A First moving unit as an example of a moving mechanism 70B Second moving unit as an example of a moving mechanism 71 Y-axis slide mechanism 72 X-axis slide mechanism 73: Z-axis slide mechanism, first air cylinder as an example of a biasing portion and a first biasing portion 84: Second air cylinder as an example of a biasing portion and a first biasing portion, 85... Cutter as an example of the blade portion, 92... First camera as an example of the imaging unit, 94... Second camera as an example of the imaging unit, 110... Control unit, 111... Image processing unit, 112... Judging unit, 113... memory, 120... operation panel, 121... display unit, C, C1, C2... box, SD... cutter reference image data (cutter reference image), PD... cutter captured image data (cutter captured image), K... loss, DA... difference area, X... X direction (conveyance direction), Y... Y direction (width direction), Z... Z direction (height direction).

Claims (5)

A box opening device for cutting a tape attached to a box to open the box,
a first rolling element displaceable in a first direction that can be pressed against the top surface of the box;
a first biasing portion that biases the first rolling element in the first direction;
a second rolling element displaceable in a second direction that can be pressed against the side surface of the box;
a second biasing portion that biases the second rolling element in the second direction;
a blade portion displaceable in the first direction and the second direction together with the first rolling element and the second rolling element ;
a moving mechanism that relatively moves the first rolling element , the second rolling element and the blade with respect to the box,
The first rolling element rolls while being pressed against the top surface of the box, and the second rolling element rolls while being pressed against the side surface of the box, so that the blade portion moves toward the box. A box opening device that cuts the tape attached to the side edge between the top surface and the side surface of the box. a third rolling element displaceable in the first direction and capable of being pressed against the top surface of the box;
a third biasing portion that biases the third rolling element in the first direction;
and a second blade portion displaceable in the first direction together with the third rolling element,
The tape stuck across a pair of flaps of the box by rolling the third rolling element while pressing against the top surface of the box to which the tape is stuck. 2. The box opening device according to claim 1, wherein the box is cut. 3. The box opening device according to claim 1, wherein the urging portion pressurizes the rolling element with air pressure. an imaging unit that images the blade;
and a determination unit that compares a captured image of the blade captured by the imaging unit with a reference image of the blade to determine whether or not the blade is damaged. The box opening device according to any one of claims 1 to 3 . The imaging unit images the blade after the blade cuts the tape of the box,
The determination unit performs determination after cutting the tape,
3. The reference image is an initial image of the blade or an imaged image of the blade obtained by the imaging unit before the cutting of the tape of the box is started. 5. The box opening device according to 4 .

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