JP7564433B2 - Wrap-around Casserole - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a wrap-around caser that wraps items in a sheet.

When packaging an item using a wrap-around caser, the item is placed on a creased wrap-around sheet such as a carton, and the wrap-around sheet is folded into a box shape to encase the item. In recent years, wrap-around sheets have been made thinner in order to reduce material costs and protect the environment. For this reason, a configuration is known in which the four corners of a box-shaped wrap-around sheet are chamfered and the top and bottom surfaces of the box are made octagonal in order to ensure sufficient strength when loaded. In a wrap-around caser that uses a wrap-around sheet of this configuration, the flaps corresponding to the chamfered four corners must be folded in two stages along the creases. For this reason, a configuration has been proposed in which a tucker that folds the flaps corresponding to the chamfered parts is provided with a rounded first contact part located at the front end and a second contact part located at the rear, rounded with a curvature smaller than that of the first contact part, and smoothly connected to the first contact part (Patent Document 1).

Patent No. 5501139

However, with the configuration of Patent Document 1, although it is possible to fold along the crease line, it is not possible to guarantee that the chamfered portion will be reliably folded at the set angle. To ensure strength, it is necessary not only for the chamfered portion to be bent along the crease line, but also for the sheet to be folded at a specified angle without curving before or after the crease line, and for the chamfered portion to be formed by three planes that intersect at the appropriate angle.

The objective of the present invention is to more reliably bend the folds of the chamfered portions at a set angle in a wraparound case that forms chamfered portions at the corners of a wraparound sheet that is formed into a box shape.

A wrap-around case according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a bottom surface to which a group of articles is supplied, a sheet transport conveyor for transporting the wrap-around sheet with a front side surface and a rear side surface connected to the bottom surface being arranged so as to face each other across the group of articles, side guides are provided on both sides of a transport path of the sheet transport conveyor and engage with front side flaps connected to the front side surface and folded inwardly, and rear side flaps connected to the rear side surface and folded inwardly, an arm that is driven to rotate, and a tucker attached to the arm, and rear side flap folding means for folding the rear side flaps inwardly before they engage with the side guides, and the wrap-around case is formed into a box shape by forming the wrap-around sheet, which has been developed flat, into a box shape, In a wrap-around case which encases a group of articles placed on its bottom surface, the wrap-around sheet has a chamfered portion connecting the rear side surface and the rear side flap, and the chamfered portion is configured to intersect with the rear side flap at a predetermined angle when the wrap-around sheet is formed into a box shape, and the tucker has an abutment portion which abuts against the rear side flap and an abutment surface which abuts against the chamfered portion, and by operating the sheet transport conveyor and the arm in synchronization, the abutment portion abuts against the rear side flap, and after the rear side flap is folded in the transport direction, the abutment surface presses the chamfered portion from the rear side of the transport direction of the sheet transport conveyor at an angle corresponding to the predetermined angle, forming the chamfered portion at the predetermined angle .

The wrap-around caser, which is the second invention of the present invention, is characterized in that in the first invention, the sheet transport conveyor has a front finger that supports the front side surface, and when the contact surface presses against the chamfered portion, the front finger restricts the wrap-around sheet from moving forward in the transport direction of the sheet transport conveyor.

According to the present invention, in a wrap-around case that forms chamfered portions at the corners of a wrap-around sheet that is formed into a box shape, it is possible to more reliably fold the folds of the chamfered portions at a set angle.

1 is a development view of a wrap-around sheet used in a wrap-around caser according to one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a schematic side view of the wrap-around caser of the present embodiment. 3 is a schematic perspective view showing a wrapping process in the wrap-around case of FIG. 2. 11A to 11C are plan views showing the relationship between one side tucker and a wrap-around sheet at different positions.

The following describes an embodiment of the present invention with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is an exploded view of a wrap-around sheet used in a wrap-around caser, which is one embodiment of the present invention.

The wrap-around sheet S is made of packaging material such as cartons or cardboard. The wrap-around sheet S packages items M, for example, stacked in a predetermined number, into a box shape. As shown in FIG. 1, the wrap-around sheet S unfolded on a flat surface has the top surface P1, front side surface P2, bottom surface P3, and rear side surface P4 of the box connected in a row in that order.

A pair of top side flaps F1, front side flaps F2, bottom side flaps F3, and rear side flaps F4 are connected to both sides of the series of top surface P1, front side surface P2, bottom surface P3, and rear side surface P4. A seam flap F5 is connected to the side of the rear side surface P4 opposite the bottom surface P3. Crease lines are provided at the boundaries between each of the surfaces P1 to P4 and at the boundaries between each of the surfaces P1 to P4 and each of the flaps F1 to F5. In addition to the crease line L1 provided at the boundaries with the front side surface P2 and the rear side surface P4, the front side flap F2 and the rear side flap F4 have crease lines L2 for forming the chamfered portion C described below.

In this embodiment, the items M are, for example, plastic bottles, and in FIG. 1, they are placed on the bottom surface P3 of the wrap-around sheet S in a dense state of three rows and two columns (item group G). The wrap-around sheet S on which the item group G is placed is folded along the creases by the wrap-around caser 10 to encase the item group G and form it into a box shape, as described below. The item M is any item that can be handled by the wrap-around caser, such as a bottle, a can, or a box-shaped item. The item group G is supplied to the wrap-around sheet S by any conventional method. For example, the item group G may be supplied from the upstream side in the conveying direction, or from the side in the conveying direction.

Figure 2 is a schematic side view of the wrap-around caser 10 of this embodiment. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the packaging process in the wrap-around caser 10 of Figure 2.

The wrap-around case 10 is equipped with a sheet transport conveyor 12. A wrap-around sheet S, which is folded into a U-shape with the bottom surface P3 as the base and has a group of items G placed on the bottom surface P3, is supplied from the upstream side to the sheet transport conveyor 12. The wrap-around sheet S folded into a U-shape has the front side P2 and the rear side P4 folded at right angles along the crease line relative to the horizontal bottom surface P3, and the front side P2 and the top surface P1 connected thereto, and the rear side P4 and the seam flap F5 connected thereto are vertically erected. The U-shaped wrap-around sheet S is then supplied to the sheet transport conveyor 12 with the front side P2 positioned forward in the transport direction and the rear side P4 positioned backward in the transport direction.

The sheet transport conveyor 12 is composed of multiple (e.g., a pair) endless chains 14 arranged in parallel. The outer periphery of the endless chains 14 is equipped with a number of front fingers 16A that engage with the front side P2 of the wraparound sheet S supplied from the upstream side to support its upright state, and rear fingers 16B that engage with the rear side P4 to support its upright state. The endless chains 14 are rotated and driven by a transport conveyor motor 14M.

A top surface folding guide 18 is disposed above the upstream end of the sheet transport conveyor 12, which engages with the top surface P1 extending above the front side surface P2 and folds the top surface P1 backward along the crease between the front side surface P2. As a result, almost at the same time that the wraparound sheet S folded into a U shape is supplied from the upstream conveyor onto the sheet transport conveyor 12, the top surface P1 is folded so as to cover the group of items G placed on the bottom surface P3. In addition, a top surface pusher 18P is disposed below the downstream portion of the top surface folding guide 18, which pushes down the top surface P1 from above so that the tip of the top surface P1 is positioned below the tip of the upright seam flap F5.

A pair of side guides 20 are arranged on both sides of the sheet conveyor 12 from the upstream end along each side. The distance between the two side guides 20 is slightly wider than the width of the box formed by the wrap-around sheet S (the distance between the pair of side flaps). That is, when the wrap-around sheet S folded into a U-shape is supplied from the upstream conveyor onto the sheet conveyor 12 and conveyed downstream, the front side flaps F2 extending outward from both sides of the front side surface P2 engage with the side guides 20 and are folded backward along the crease between the front side surface P2. The side guides 20 extend along the sides of the sheet conveyor 12 up to just before the side pressure rollers 42 described later.

At the upstream end of the sheet transport conveyor 12, upstream of the endless chain 14 and the side guide 20, a pair of rear side flap folding devices (rear side flap folding means) 22 are arranged to sandwich the transport path of the wraparound sheet S from both sides. As shown in FIG. 3, the rear side flap folding device 22 includes a side tucker 22A that is rotated about a vertical axis by a rotary motor 22M. The side tucker 22A is a tucker that folds the rear side flap F4 forward along the crease line L1 between the rear side surface P4 and the crease line L2, to form the chamfered portion C securely as described below. The folding of the rear side flap F4 by the side tucker 22A is performed at a timing when the tip of the rear side flap F4 can be inserted inside the side guide 20.

As described above, the wraparound sheet S transferred to the sheet transport conveyor 12 has its front side P2 erected by the front finger 16A and its rear side P4 erected by the rear finger 16B (standing up so as to face each other across the group of items G), and the top surface P1 is placed over the group of items G by the top surface folding guide 18, while the front side flap F2 is folded backward by the side guide 20 and the rear side flap F4 is folded forward by the side tacker 22A and transported between the side guides 20. In this state, the top surface P1 is pushed down by the top surface pusher 18P, and adhesive is sprayed from the seam flap glue spray nozzle 26 onto the rear surface of the seam flap F5 extending upward from the rear side P4.

A seam flap folding member 28 that can rotate back and forth in the front-rear direction (transport direction) is provided downstream of the seam flap glue spray nozzle 26 and above the sheet transport conveyor 12. The tip of the seam flap folding member 28 is swung back and forth by a swing motor 28M. That is, the tip of the swung seam flap folding member 28 is pressed against the seam flap F5 from behind, and the seam flap F5 to which adhesive has been applied is folded under the top surface P1. Before the seam flap F5 is folded under the top surface P1 by the seam flap folding member 28, the top surface P1 is moved to a position above the seam flap F5 by a guide (not shown), preventing interference between the top surface P1 and the seam flap F5.

Downstream of the seam flap folding member 28 and above the sheet transport conveyor 12, an endless chain 30 having multiple rear top guides 30A at predetermined intervals is arranged along the transport surface. The endless chain 30 is driven in synchronization with the sheet transport conveyor 12 by a rotary motor 30M. As a result, the rear top guide 30A moves while supporting the rear edge of the top surface P1 into which the seam flap F5 of each wraparound sheet is folded. A top surface pressing roller 32 is arranged below the endless chain 30 to press the roller against the top surface P1 of the transported wraparound sheet S and press the top surface P1 against the seam flap F5.

In the section where the endless chain 30 is arranged, top side flap folding guides 34A that engage with the top side flaps F1 and fold them downward are arranged along the top surface P1 of the wrap-around sheet S on both sides of the sheet transport conveyor 12. In addition, below the top side flap folding guides 34A, bottom side flap folding guides 34B that engage with the bottom side flaps F3 and fold them upward are arranged along the bottom surface P3 of the wrap-around sheet S. While the wrap-around sheet S is transported through this section, the top and bottom side flaps F1 and F3 are folded to form a roughly box-shaped wrap-around case.

Side flap glue spray nozzles 36 are provided on both sides of the transport path of the wrap-around sheet transport conveyor 12 in the section where the top and bottom side flap folding guides 34A, 34B are provided. The side flap glue spray nozzles 36 spray adhesive toward the wrap-around sheet S transported on the wrap-around sheet transport conveyor 12, applying adhesive to the folded front and rear side flaps F2, F4.

Downstream of the section where the top and bottom side flap folding guides 34A, 34B are provided, side pressure rollers 42 are arranged on both sides of the conveying path of the wrap-around sheet conveyor 12 to press the folded top side flap F1 and bottom side flap F3 against the front side flap F2 and rear side flap F4 to which adhesive has been applied. The side pressure rollers 42 glue the side flaps F1 to F4, completing the box-shaped packaging (wrap-around processing) of the group of items G with the wrap-around sheet S.

In this embodiment, the top pressure roller 32 is installed above the section where the side pressure roller 42 is arranged, and downstream of the side pressure roller 42, pressure plates 44 are provided on both sides of the conveying path of the wraparound sheet conveyor 12 to support the side flaps F1 to F4 of the wraparound sheet S formed into a box shape from both sides until the adhesive dries. In this embodiment, the driving of the conveyor motor 14M, the rotation motor 22M, the seam flap glue spray nozzle 26, the swing motor 28M, the rotation motor 30M, the side flap glue spray nozzle 36, etc. are synchronously controlled by the control unit 46, for example.

Next, the configuration and operation of the side tucker 22A provided in the rear side flap folding device 22 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 4. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the relationship between one side tucker 22A and the wraparound sheet S at different positions. Note that the side tucker 22A on both sides have a symmetrical configuration and are rotated synchronously.

As shown in FIG. 4, the side tacker 22A is provided at the tip of an arm 22C attached to a rotating shaft 22B whose base end is connected to a rotating motor 22M. The arm 22C is rotated in a direction to fold forward the upright rear side flap F4 of the wraparound sheet S transferred to the sheet transport conveyor 12 by the side tacker 22A. The arm 22C extends radially from the rotating shaft 22B. The side tacker 22A is provided with a flap abutment portion 50 that protrudes approximately circumferentially, and a chamfer forming portion 52 that protrudes radially.

The tip surface (contact portion) 50A of the flap contact portion 50 is formed as a smooth curve in plan view, and in the illustrated example, is formed as an arcuate surface. On the other hand, in the chamfer forming portion 52, the surface on the front side in the rotational direction is formed as a contact surface 52A, which is a diagonal linear plane in plan view. In addition, the section connecting the contact surface 52A and the arcuate tip surface 50A of the flap contact portion 50 is formed as a plane 50B that runs approximately along the circumferential direction.

Figure 4 shows the state of the wrap-around sheet S being transported at different positions A to E, as well as the side tucker 22A on the opposite side of the wrap-around sheet S, and the position of the side tucker 22A when the wrap-around sheet S is at positions B to E.

At position A, the wraparound sheet S is in a state before the side tucker 22A contacts the rear side flap F4, and the rear side surface P4 and the rear side flap F4 form a single vertical plane. At position B, the leading edge 50A of the side tucker 22A contacts the rear side flap F4, and the rear side flap F4 begins to be folded slightly along the crease line L1. At position C, the rear side flap F4 is further folded along the crease line L1, and is immediately before folding along the crease line L2 begins. At position D, the rear side flap F4 is roughly folded along the crease line L2 and faces the conveying direction. At position E, the leading edge 50A of the rear side flap F4 engages with the side guide 20, and the chamfered portion C is formed at an appropriate angle.

As shown in positions B and C, in this state, the tip surface 50A of the flap contact portion 50 contacts the rear side flap F4 slightly outside the fold line L2. As the side tucker 22A rotates, the contact position of the tip surface 50A of the flap contact portion 50 with the rear side flap F4 moves from the tip side of the tip surface 50A to the outside (toward the plane 50B), and the rear side flap F4 is gradually pushed forward and bent.

As shown in position D, when the contact position of the flap contact portion 50 with the rear side flap F4 moves from the tip surface 50A to the plane 50B, the rear side flap F4 is also bent along the fold line L2, roughly forming the chamfered portion C. When almost the entire plane 50B contacts the rear side flap F4, the concave corner formed by the plane 50B and the contact surface 52A engages with the fold line L2.

When the side tucker 22A is further rotated, as shown in position E, the abutment surface 52A of the chamfer forming portion 52 is brought into tight contact with the entire chamfer C of the rear side flap F4. This causes the abutment surface 52A to press the chamfer C from the rear at a predetermined angle, so that when the wrap-around sheet S is formed into a box shape, the chamfer C is formed to intersect with the rear side flap F4 at a predetermined angle. When the abutment surface 52A presses the chamfer C, the front finger 16A restricts the movement of the wrap-around sheet S in the conveying direction of the sheet conveying conveyor 12. In addition, the side tucker 22A is rotated slowly in the section corresponding to positions B to E in accordance with the conveying speed of the wrap-around sheet S, and is rotated at high speed while moving from position E to position B.

As described above, according to this embodiment, in a wraparound case that forms chamfered portions at the corners of a wraparound sheet that is formed into a box shape, the folds of the chamfered portions can be more reliably folded at a set angle.

In this embodiment, the contact surface only needs to contact a portion of the chamfered portion, and does not need to contact the entire surface. The shape of the contact surface is also not limited to this embodiment, and may be circular.

10: wrap-around caser 12: sheet transport conveyor 16A: front finger 20: side guide 22: rear side flap folding device (rear side flap folding means)
22A Side tacker 22C Arm 50 Flap abutment portion 50A Tip surface (abutment portion)
52 Chamfer forming portion 52A Contact surface C Chamfer F4 Rear side flap G Article group L1, L2 Fold line M Article P1 Top surface P2 Front side surface P3 Bottom surface P4 Rear side surface S Wraparound sheet

Claims (2)

a sheet transport conveyor that transports a wrap-around sheet in a state in which a bottom surface to which a group of articles is supplied and a front side surface and a rear side surface connected to the bottom surface are erected so as to face each other across the group of articles;
side guides provided on both sides of a conveying path of the sheet conveying conveyor, the side guides being connected to the front side surface and engaging with a front side flap that is folded inward and a rear side flap that is connected to the rear side surface and engaging with the rear side flap that is folded inward;
a rear side flap folding means having a rotationally driven arm and a tucker attached to the arm, for folding the rear side flap inwardly before the rear side flap engages with the side guide;
In the wrap-around case, the wrap-around sheet is expanded in a flat shape and formed into a box shape to encase a group of articles placed on the bottom surface,
The wraparound sheet has a chamfered portion connecting the rear side surface and the rear side flap,
The chamfered portion is configured to intersect with the rear side flap at a predetermined angle when the wraparound sheet is formed into a box shape,
The tucker has an abutment portion that abuts against the rear side flap and an abutment surface that abuts against the chamfered portion,
a wrap-around case having a chamfered portion at a predetermined angle, the chamfered portion being formed at the predetermined angle by causing the sheet conveying conveyor and the arm to operate in synchronization with each other, so that the abutment portion abuts against the rear side flap, and after the rear side flap is folded in the conveying direction, the abutment surface presses against the chamfered portion from the rear side in the conveying direction of the sheet conveying conveyor at an angle corresponding to the predetermined angle. the sheet transport conveyor has a front finger supporting the front side;
2. The wrap-around case according to claim 1, wherein the front finger restricts forward movement of the wrap-around sheet in the conveying direction of the sheet conveying conveyor when the contact surface presses against the chamfered portion.

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