JP7638185B2 - Robot hand, box making device equipped with the robot hand, and box making method - Google Patents

Description

Article 30, Paragraph 2 of the Patent Act applies. On June 10, 2021, Nikkei Robotics published an article in its July 2021 issue, No. 72, about a box-assembly robot invented by Kohei Yoshii.

This disclosure relates to a robot hand, a box making device equipped with the robot hand, and a box making method.

There are various types of cardboard boxes, as specified in JIS-Z1507:2013 "Types of cardboard boxes." In particular, cardboard boxes defined as 0300 and 0301 in JIS-Z1507 are generally known as Type C boxes, and are widely used as gift boxes. Cardboard boxes defined as 0504 in JIS-Z1507 are generally known as Type B boxes, and as they can be assembled with a single touch, they are widely used, along with Type C boxes, as gift boxes.

Generally, cardboard boxes are made using specialized box-making equipment for each type of cardboard box, or in many cases, box-making work has been done manually. This is because packaging patterns are prone to change over time due to internal products and cultural factors, and mechanization and automation are difficult in terms of technology, economy, and installation space. In recent years, for distribution processing work that requires the production of a variety of products in a small space, box assembly equipment that uses robotic arms to form boxes has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In addition, equipment has been proposed that packs contents into boxes formed using robotic arms (see, for example, Patent Document 2). Behind this is a combination of social factors such as advances in robot technology, labor shortages due to the declining birthrate and aging population, and the demand for continuous high productivity.

JP 2019-93675 A JP 2020-29282 A

Cardboard box making equipment such as that in Patent Document 1 is designed specifically for each type of box, such as C-type boxes and B-type boxes, making it difficult to use one box making equipment to make multiple types of boxes. This is because conventional box making equipment is generally composed of a cylinder that moves linearly and a guide that regulates the cardboard sheets. In general distribution processing sites, C-type boxes and B-type boxes are used frequently, and there was a demand for a box making equipment that could be used for both C-type boxes and B-type boxes to improve productivity.

The present disclosure aims to provide a robot hand, a box-making device equipped with the same, and a box-making method that can address the labor shortage that is a social issue by enabling a single box-making device to be used for both C-type boxes and B-type boxes, improving the automation rate of the box folding process during distribution processing and improving the efficiency of capital investment recovery, and not taking up space for equipment installation.

The robot hand according to the present invention is a robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet into a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, and the box-making device is equipped with one or two robot arms for the robot hand that have the robot hand as an end effector, and the robot hand is a slide that is detachable from the robot arm for the robot hand and has a rail, a pair of guides slidably supported on the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides so as to approach and separate them from each other. The box-making device comprises a guide mechanism and a pair of plate-shaped portions respectively supported by the pair of guides, the pair of plate-shaped portions having lower end edges extending in the parallel direction of the pair of plate-shaped portions, the pair of guides supporting the pair of plate-shaped portions so that when the pair of plate-shaped portions act on the blank plate in the box-making process, the lower end edges become the lower ends of the plate-shaped portions and so that the vertical heights of the lower end edges are the same, and the pair of plate-shaped portions are arranged side by side so that their side end edges face each other and at least one of the front and back plate surfaces is positioned on the same plane.

The box making device of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a robot hand of the present invention; a robot arm for a robot hand having the robot hand at its tip; a box folding jig for folding a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet at a predetermined position; and a base for supporting the box folding jig.

In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the robot hand is detachable from the robot arm for the robot hand , and the box folding jig is detachable from the base. By changing the robot hand and the box folding jig depending on the type of cardboard box to be made, it is possible to easily switch the type of cardboard box that can be made by the box making device.

In the box making device according to the present invention, the blank plate has a bottom plate, side plates respectively connected to four edges of the bottom plate, an upper end plate connected to each side plate, and a folded side plate connected to the upper end plate, a first pair of opposing side plates among the side plates have side flaps and a second pair of side plates do not have side flaps, a box formed from the blank plate has a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape with one side of the rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape open and having a storage chamber inside, the box making device has a first robot arm and a second robot arm as a robot arm for the robot hand , the pair of plate-like parts have lower end edges extending in a parallel direction of the pair of plate-like parts, and it is preferable that the pair of guides support the pair of plate-like parts such that the vertical heights of the lower end edges are the same.

In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the second robot arm further has a suction part. This allows the completed C-type boxes to be efficiently transported out.

In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the box folding jig has a frame portion that forms a bottom plate area corresponding to the bottom plate, and a flap pressing portion for folding the side flaps. This allows efficient box making of C-type boxes.

In the box making device according to the present invention, the pair of plate-shaped parts further has a protrusion protruding from at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the bottom edge, and it is preferable that the protrusion provided on one of the pair of plate-shaped parts and the protrusion provided on the other of the pair of plate-shaped parts have the same height from the bottom edge. This makes it possible to more reliably fold the top end panel of a C-type box to produce a box with excellent appearance.

In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the box making device has a third robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand , and the third robot arm has a suction part. Therefore, blank plates for C-type boxes can be efficiently supplied.

In the box making device according to the present invention, the blank plate comprises a bottom plate having four edges, a front side plate connected to a first edge of the bottom plate, a rear side plate connected to a second edge of the bottom plate opposite the first edge, and a left side plate and a right side plate connected to the remaining third and fourth edges of the bottom plate, respectively, and the front side plate has a top end plate connected to an edge of the front side plate opposite the first edge and a folded side plate connected to the top end plate, and the rear side plate has a cover plate to be the lid portion connected to an edge of the rear side plate opposite the second edge, an insertion piece connected to the cover plate, and a fixing piece extending in a direction adjacent to the left side plate and the right side plate, and a top flap connected to an edge of the side panel facing the third edge and an edge of the right side panel facing the fourth edge, and a side flap extending in a direction adjacent to the front side panel, and a folding fold extending obliquely from a corner of the bottom panel on the rear side panel side across the left side panel and the top flap and across the right side panel and the top flap, respectively, and a box formed from the blank plate has a rectangular or cubic shape and has an opening with one side of the rectangular or cubic shape open, a lid that closes the opening, and a storage chamber provided inside the rectangular or cubic shape, and it is preferable that the box making device has a fourth robot arm as a robot arm for the robot hand .

The box making device according to the present invention preferably has a fifth robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand , and the fifth robot arm preferably has a suction portion, which makes it possible to efficiently supply blank plates for B-type boxes and efficiently erect the cover plate and rear side plate.

The box making device according to the present invention preferably has a sixth robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand , and the sixth robot arm preferably has a suction portion. The box making device can efficiently carry out the completed B-type boxes.

In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the box folding jig has a fixing part for fixing the bottom plate. This allows B-type boxes to be made more efficiently.

In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the box folding jig has a folding mechanism that pushes the front side panel upward from below. This allows B-type boxes to be made more efficiently.

In the box making device according to the present invention, it is preferable that the pair of plate-shaped parts further have a rib protruding from at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the opposing side edges of the pair of plate-shaped parts. This makes it possible to make B-type boxes more efficiently.

A box making method according to the present invention is a box making method using the box making device according to the present invention, and includes a step 1A of taking out one of the blank plates and placing it on the box folding jig, a step 2A of using the first robot arm and the second robot arm to stand the side plates and fold the side flaps in a valley manner so that the side flaps are in contact with the surfaces of the second pair of side plates on the storage chamber side, a step 3A of folding inward a pair of folded side plates connected to the second pair of side plates via the upper end panel so that the side flaps are sandwiched between the second pair of side plates and the folded side plates, and and step 4A of folding inwardly a pair of the folded side panels connected to the first pair of side panels via the upper end panel to form the box, and step 2A includes step 2A1 of bringing the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the first robot arm and the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the second robot arm into a state facing each other, and step 2A2 of the power unit moving the pair of guides apart or close to each other to bring the pair of plate-shaped parts into a separated or close state, and pressing both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate and the second pair of side panels with the lower end edges of the pair of plate-shaped parts.

In the box making method according to the present invention, in step 2A2, it is preferable that the lower end edge of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the first robot arm presses one of the second pair of side plates, while the lower end edge of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the second robot arm presses the other of the second pair of side plates. This makes it possible to make B-type boxes more efficiently.

In the box-making method according to the present invention, in step 2A, it is preferable to use the first robot arm and the second robot arm to push the bottom plate into the frame of the box-folding jig and erect the side plates. This makes it possible to make B-type boxes more efficiently.

A box making method according to the present invention is a box making method using the box making device according to the present invention, and includes, in order, a step 1B of taking out one of the blank plates and placing it on the box folding jig, a step 2B of lifting up the cover plate and the rear side plate to erect the cover plate and the rear side plate and also erecting the left side plate and the right side plate, a step 3B of folding the side flaps toward the storage chamber using the fourth robot arm, a step 4B of erecting the front side plate, and a step 5B of folding the folded side plates inward to form the box. The step 3B includes a step 3B1 in which the power unit moves the pair of guides away from each other to place the pair of plate-shaped portions in a separated state and position the pair of plate-shaped portions outside the side flap, a step 3B2 in which the power unit moves the pair of guides closer to each other to move the pair of plate-shaped portions in a direction to bring them closer to each other while moving the side flap toward the storage chamber, and a step 3B3 in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are moved toward the storage chamber to fold the side flap toward the storage chamber.
The robot hand of the present invention is a robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet to make a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, the box-making device being equipped with one or two robot arms for the robot hand having the robot hand as an end effector, the robot hand being detachable from the robot arm for the robot hand and equipped with a slide mechanism having a rail, a pair of guides slidably supported on the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides so as to move closer to and away from each other, and a pair of plate-shaped parts supported by the pair of guides, each of the pair of plate-shaped parts having lower end edges extending in a parallel direction of the pair of plate-shaped parts, the pair of guides supporting the pair of plate-shaped parts such that the vertical heights of the lower end edges are the same, and the pair of plate-shaped parts further having a protrusion portion protruding from at least one of the front and back plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the lower end edge . In the robot hand of the present invention, it is preferable that the protrusion portion provided on one of the pair of plate-like portions and the protrusion portion provided on the other of the pair of plate-like portions have the same height from the lower end edge.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a robot hand, a box making device equipped with the same, and a box making method that can be used for both C-type boxes and B-type boxes, thereby improving the automation rate of the box folding process during distribution processing and improving the efficiency of capital investment recovery, and also addressing the labor shortage that is a social issue, as it does not require space for installation.

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view illustrating an example of a robot hand according to the present embodiment. 1 is a front view showing a first example of a schematic configuration of a box making device according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a first example of a box folding jig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram (schematic development view of a box) showing a first example of a blank plate for a box produced by the box producing device according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a box assembled from the blank sheets shown in FIG. 4 . 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining modified examples of the plate-shaped portion. 10 is a schematic configuration diagram (schematic development view of the box) showing a second example of a blank plate for a box produced by the box producing device according to the present embodiment. FIG. FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a box assembled from the blank sheets shown in FIG. 7 . 11 is a front view showing a second example of the schematic configuration of a box making device according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13A and 13B are diagrams for explaining modified examples of the plate-shaped portion. FIG. 11 is a perspective view showing a second example of a box folding jig. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating the flow of a box-making process, showing step 1A. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 2A. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 2A. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 3A. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 4A. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 5A. FIG. 1B is an explanatory diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and shows step 1B. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 2B. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 3B1. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing process 3B2. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 4B. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 5B. FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the flow of the box-making process, and is an explanatory diagram showing step 6B.

The embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, but the present invention should not be interpreted as being limited to these descriptions. Various modifications of the embodiment may be made as long as the effects of the present invention are achieved.

Figure 1 is a schematic front view showing a first example of a robot hand according to this embodiment. The robot hand 1 according to this embodiment is a robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet to make a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape. As shown in Figure 1, the robot hand 1 includes a slide mechanism having a rail 2, a pair of guides 3 (31, 32) slidably supported on the rail 2, and a power unit 5 that slides the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) so that they approach and move apart from each other, and a pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) supported by the pair of guides 3 (31, 32), and the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are arranged side by side such that the side end edges 4a face each other and at least one of the front and back plate surfaces is located on the same plane.

Boxes that are formed from a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet into a rectangular or cubic shape include, for example, Type C boxes and Type B boxes. Here, Type C boxes are cardboard boxes defined as 0300 and 0301 in JIS-Z1507, and Type B boxes are cardboard boxes defined as 0504 in JIS-Z1507.

The robot hand 1 includes a robot hand used when manufacturing C-type boxes and a robot hand used when manufacturing B-type boxes. The robot hand 1 preferably has a base 9 attached to the tip of the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C).

The slide mechanism causes the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) to slide along the rails 2 (21, 22) by the power unit 5 to bring the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) close to each other, and causes the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) to slide along the rails 2 (21, 22) to separate the pair of guides 3 (31, 32). The rails 2 are members laid on the surface of the base 9 as shown in FIG. 1 or grooves (not shown) provided in the base 9, and preferably have a first rail 21 that slides the first guide 31 of the pair of guides 3, and a second rail 22 that slides the second guide 32 of the pair of guides 3. The first rail 21 and the second rail 22 are preferably arranged in the same straight line. The guides 3 (31, 32) are members that are supported by the rails 2 so as to be slidable. The power unit 5 is, for example, an air cylinder or a motor such as a linear motor or a servo motor.

The pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are, for example, resin plate members. The pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are the first plate-shaped part 41 fixed to the first guide 31 and the second plate-shaped part 42 fixed to the second guide 32. The pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) have side end edges 4a facing each other when fixed to the pair of guides 3 (31, 32). It is preferable that the side end edges 4a are side edges of the plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) that extend perpendicular to the extension direction of the rails 2 (21, 22). It is preferable that the plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) have support parts 41A, 42A fixed to the guides 3 (31, 32) and action parts 41B, 42B connected to the support parts 41A, 42A and acting on the blank plate during box making. It is preferable that the action parts 41B, 42B are wider than the support parts 41A, 42A. It is also preferable that the action parts 41B, 42B are substantially rectangular. Here, a substantially rectangular shape includes various deformed shapes such as a rectangular shape, a square shape, a trapezoid shape, a parallelogram shape, and shapes with rounded corners.

The pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are arranged side by side such that at least one of the front and back plate surfaces is located on the same plane. "At least one of the front and back plate surfaces is located on the same plane" includes a form in which only the front plate surface is located on the same plane, a form in which only the back plate surface is located on the same plane, and a form in which both the front and back plate surfaces are located on the same plane. Here, the front and back of the plate surfaces are not particularly limited, and for example, the surface fixed to the guide 3 (31, 32) may be the front plate surface and the surface opposite to the front plate surface may be the back plate surface, or vice versa.

2 and 9 are front views showing an example of a schematic configuration of a box making device according to this embodiment. The box making device 900 (900A, 900B) according to this embodiment has a mode for making a C-type box and a mode for making a B-type box. FIG. 2 shows the state in which the box making device 900 (900A) is in the mode for making a C-type box, and FIG. 9 shows the state in which the box making device 900 (900B) is in the mode for making a B-type box. The box making device 900A in FIG. 2 and the box making device 900B in FIG. 9 have a common configuration except for the end effector and box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) attached to the tip of the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C), 952. Therefore, each mode can be easily switched by changing the end effector and box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B). In other words, one box making device 900 (900A, 900B) can be used to make both C-type boxes and B-type boxes. The box making device 900 has the same basic configuration in the mode for making C-type boxes and the mode for making B-type boxes. For this reason, the common configuration will be described first, and then each mode will be described.

As shown in Figures 2 and 9, the box making device 900 (900A, 900B) according to this embodiment includes a robot hand 1 according to this embodiment, a robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) having the robot hand 1 at its tip, a box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) for folding a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet at a predetermined position, and a base 930 for supporting the box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B).

The robot hand 1 is an end effector attached to the tip of the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B shown in FIG. 2 and the tip of the fourth robot arm 910C shown in FIG. 9, and is, for example, the robot hand shown in FIG. 1.

As shown in Figures 2 and 9, the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) is suspended from the top plate of the box making machine 900 (900A, 900B). The specifications of the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) is a general-purpose six-axis robot manipulator. The robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C) has joints, and the position and posture of the robot hand 1 can be changed three-dimensionally by the operation of the joints.

The box folding jigs 920 (920A, 920B) include a box folding jig 920A for C-type boxes (shown in Figures 2 and 3) and a box folding jig 920B for B-type boxes (shown in Figures 9 and 11).

The base 930 is a workbench on which the box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) is placed.

All parts of the box making machine 900 (900A, 900B) are centrally controlled by a control unit (not shown). The control unit includes, for example, a CPU, RAM, and ROM, and performs various controls. The CPU is a so-called central processing unit, and executes various programs to realize various functions. The RAM is used as a working area for the CPU. The ROM stores the basic OS and programs executed by the CPU. The programs include a program for making boxes for type C boxes and a program for making boxes for type B boxes.

In the box making device 900 (900A, 900B) according to this embodiment, it is preferable that the robot hand 1 is detachable from the robot arm 910 (910A, 910B, 910C), and the box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) is detachable from the base 930. By changing the end effector and the box folding jig 920 (920A, 920B) according to the type of cardboard box to be made, it is possible to easily switch the type of cardboard box that can be made by the box making device 900 (900A, 900B). As a result, the box making device 900 according to this embodiment can make C-type boxes and B-type boxes with a single device.

Next, we will explain the case where the box making device 900 (900A, 900B) is in the mode for making C-type boxes.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram (schematic development of the box) showing a first example of a blank plate for a box made by the box making device according to this embodiment. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a box assembled from the blank plates shown in Figure 4. In the box making apparatus according to this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a blank plate 100 has a bottom plate 101, side plates 102a, 102b connected to four edges 121a, 121b of the bottom plate 101, upper end plates 104a, 104b connected to the side plates 102a, 102b, and folded side plates 105a, 105b connected to the upper end plates 104a, 104b. Of the side plates 102a, 102b, a first pair of opposing side plates 102b have side flaps 103, while the other, second pair of side plates 102a, do not have side flaps 103. A box 100A formed from the blank plate 100 has the following features: As shown in FIG. 5, the box has a rectangular or cubic shape, one side of the rectangular or cubic shape is open, and has a storage chamber 130 inside. As shown in FIG. 2, the box making device 900A has a first robot arm 910A and a second robot arm 910B as the robot arm 910, and as shown in FIG. 1, the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) have lower end sides 4b that extend in the parallel direction of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42), and it is preferable that the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) support the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) so that the vertical heights of the lower end sides 4b are the same.

The blank plate 100 shown in FIG. 4 is a blank plate for the C-type box 100A shown in FIG. 5. Here, the four edges of the bottom plate 101 and the bottom ruling are in the same position, so they are both marked with the symbols 121a and 121b. The box 100A is assembled using a single cardboard sheet as the blank plate 100. At this time, the appearance of the box 100A has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open top surface, as shown in FIG. 5. As shown in the development view of FIG. 4, when the length of the edge 121a is longer than the length of the edge 121b, the box 100A has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. At this time, the bottom plate 101 has a longitudinal direction 111 and a lateral direction 112. In this embodiment, the length of the edge 121a and the length of the edge 121b may be equal. Furthermore, the height h2 of the side plate 102a may be equal to the length of the edge 121a and the length of the edge 121b. At this time, the box 100A has a cuboid shape.

The blank plate 100 has a bottom plate 101, side plates 102a, 102b connected to the four edges 121a, 121b of the bottom plate 101, upper end panels 104a, 104b connected to the side panels 102a, 102b, and folded side panels 105a, 105b connected to the upper end panels 104a, 104b. The blank plate 100 has bottom rulings 121a, 121b at the boundaries between the bottom plate 101 and the side panels 102a, 102b, inner rulings 113a, 113b at the boundaries between the side panels 102a, 102b and the upper end panels 104a, 104b, and outer rulings 114a, 114b at the boundaries between the upper end panels 104a, 104b and the folded side panels 105a, 105b. Then, in the development diagram shown in FIG. 4, the bottom lines 121a and 121b, the inner lines 113a and 113b, and the outer lines 114a and 114b are each valley-folded to form the box 100A shown in FIG. 5.

At least one pair (105a) of the opposing folded side plates 105a, 105b preferably has a convex shape 106 on the outer edge, and the bottom plate 101 preferably has an engagement hole 107. In FIG. 4, the convex shape 106 is provided on the outer edge of each of the opposing folded side plates 105a. It is preferable that two or more convex shapes are provided on one outer edge. It is preferable that the convex shape 106 is provided on each of the opposing folded side plates 105a in the longitudinal direction 111. The convex shape 106 may further be provided on each of the opposing folded side plates 105b in the short direction 112, and may further be provided on each of the opposing folded side plates 105a in the longitudinal direction 111 and each of the opposing folded side plates 105b in the short direction 112. The convex shape 106 is preferably provided on the folded side panel when it is desired to keep the folded side panel in a fixed state without continuing to press it down after the side panel is folded by the robot arm during the robot's formation into the box 100A.

The engaging hole 107 is provided in the bottom plate 101. At this time, the engaging hole 107 is provided in a position where it can engage the convex shape 106 when the folded side plate 105a is folded back toward the storage chamber 130 of the box 100A and faces the side plate 102a. In FIG. 4, the engaging hole 107 is provided in a position that contacts the edge 121a of the bottom plate 101.

Figure 5 shows the state in which the convex shape 106 is engaged with the engagement hole 107 when the folded side panel 105a is folded back towards the storage chamber 130 of the box 100A and faces the side panel 102a. In this engaged state, it is no longer necessary to continue fixing the box side wall (specifically, the folded side panel 105a) with the robot arm while folding in the other box side wall (specifically, the folded side panel 105b), and it is possible to fold in the folded side panel 105b without fixing the folded side panel 105a. A box can be made using a robot arm system with as few as two or three robot arms.

It is preferable that the side panel 102a in the longitudinal direction 111 be folded perpendicular to the grain direction (paper width direction) of the carton. This makes it easier for the convex shape 106 to fit into the engagement hole 107 on the bottom surface.

The material of the box 100A is not particularly limited, but paper, especially cardboard, is preferred. When the carton according to this embodiment is formed, the product placed inside is not particularly limited, but a glass container, metal container, or plastic container filled with a beverage is preferred. Instead of a container, a small box or an item other than a beverage may also be placed. The thickness of the box 100A is preferably 1 to 7 mm, and more preferably 1.5 to 5 mm.

When the box making device 900A is in a mode for making a C-type box, the box making device 900A has a first robot arm 910A and a second robot arm 910B as the robot arm 910, as shown in FIG. 2. The first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B each have a robot hand 1 shown in FIG. 1. In the robot hand 1, the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 have a lower end edge 4b, as shown in FIG. 1. It is more preferable that the lower end edge 4b extends in a direction parallel to the extension direction of the rail 2 (21, 22). The pair of guides 3 (31, 32) support the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 so that the vertical heights of the lower end edges 4b are the same. By making the bottom edge 4b of the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the bottom edge 4b of the second plate-shaped portion 42 the same in the vertical direction, the bottom edge 4b of the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the bottom edge 4b of the second plate-shaped portion 42 can simultaneously press both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate 101 (shown in FIG. 4) and the pair of side plates 102a during box making, so the pair of side plates 102a can be more reliably folded at the specified positions.

The second robot arm 910B preferably further has an adsorption unit (not shown) as an end effector in addition to the robot hand 1. The adsorption unit is, for example, a suction cup. The adsorption unit can suck up the assembled C-type box and efficiently transport it. By using the second robot arm 910B for both assembling and transporting the boxes, there is no need to provide a separate robot arm dedicated to transporting, and the number of robot arms can be reduced.

When the box making device 900A is in a mode for making a C-type box, the box folding jig 920A preferably has a frame portion 922 that forms a bottom plate region 921 corresponding to the bottom plate 101 (shown in FIG. 4) and a flap pressing portion 923 for folding the side flap 103 (shown in FIG. 4), as shown in FIG. 3. The frame portion 922 may form the bottom plate region 921 by arranging a plurality of protrusions as shown in FIG. 3. The flap pressing portion 923 has a protruding shape and is provided at the four corners of the frame portion 922. By pushing the bottom plate 101 into the bottom plate region 921, the side plates 102a and 102b are raised and the side flap 103 is valley-folded to contact the surface of the side plate 102a on the side of the storage chamber 130. In this way, the C-type box can be made efficiently.

Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the plate-shaped portion. Figure 6 shows the first plate-shaped portion 41 as a representative of the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42), but the second plate-shaped portion 42 has a configuration in which the first plate-shaped portion 41 is reversed from left to right. When the box making device 900A is in a mode for making a C-type box, the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) further has a protrusion portion 43 that protrudes from at least one of the front and back plate surfaces and extends in a direction parallel to the lower end edge 4b, as shown in Figure 6, and it is preferable that the protrusion portion 43 provided on one of the pair of plate-shaped portions 41 and the protrusion portion 43 provided on the other of the pair of plate-shaped portions 42 (shown in Figure 1) have the same height from the lower end edge 4b. The protrusion portion 43 provided on the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the protrusion portion 43 provided on the second plate-shaped portion 42 have the same height in the vertical direction. The protrusion 43 may be provided only on the front plate surface, only on the back plate surface, or on both the front plate surface and the back plate surface. The protrusion 43 preferably has a rectangular cross-sectional shape. When manufacturing a C-type box, the protrusion 43 is pressed against the upper end plate 104a from above. This makes it possible to more reliably bend the upper end plate 104a of the C-type box to produce a box with excellent appearance. The upper end plate 104a pressed by the protrusion 43 is preferably the upper end plate 104a in the longitudinal direction 111.

When the box making device 900A is in a mode for making C-type boxes, the box making device 900A has a third robot arm (not shown) in addition to the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B, and the third robot arm preferably has an adsorption unit. The third robot arm is a robot arm for supplying the blank plate 100 by suction, and has an adsorption unit as an end effector instead of the robot hand 1 of the first robot arm 910A or the second robot arm 910B. The adsorption unit is, for example, a suction cup.

Next, we will explain the case where the box making device 900 (900A, 900B) is in the mode for making B-type boxes.

Figure 7 is a schematic diagram (schematic development of the box) showing a second example of a blank plate for a box made by the box making device of this embodiment. Figure 8 is a perspective view showing an example of a box assembled from the blank plates shown in Figure 7. In the box making device 900B of this embodiment, the blank plate 200, as shown in Figure 7, comprises a bottom plate 201 having four edges 211a, 211b, 211c, and 211d, a front side plate 202a connected to a first edge 211a of the edges of the bottom plate 201, a rear side plate 202b connected to a second edge 211b opposite the first edge 211a of the edges of the bottom plate 201, a left side plate 202c and a right side plate 202d connected to the remaining third edge 211c and fourth edge 211d of the edges of the bottom plate 201, The front side plate 202a has an upper end plate 203 connected to an edge 211e opposite to a first edge 211a of the front side plate 202a, and a folded side plate 204 connected to the upper end plate 203. The rear side plate 202b has a cover plate 205 connected to an edge 211g opposite to a second edge 211b of the rear side plate 202b, which serves as a cover portion, an insertion piece 206 connected to the cover plate 205, and a fixing piece 206 extending in a direction adjacent to the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d. 7, the left side panel 202c and the right side panel 202d have upper flaps 208 respectively connected to an edge 211k facing the third edge 211c of the left side panel 202c and an edge 211l facing the fourth edge 211d of the right side panel 202d, and side flaps 209 respectively extending in a direction adjacent to the front side panel 202a. The blank plate 200 has a fold 210 extending diagonally from the corner, and the box 200A formed from the blank plate 200 has a rectangular or cubic shape as shown in FIG. 8, an opening 220 with one side of the rectangular or cubic shape open, a lid 221 that closes the opening 220, and a storage chamber 222 provided on the inside of the rectangular or cubic shape. As shown in FIG. 9, the box making device 900B preferably has a fourth robot arm 910C as the robot arm 910.

The blank plate 200 shown in FIG. 7 is a blank plate for the B-type box 200A shown in FIG. 8. Here, the edges and the ruling lines are in the same position, so they are all given the same reference numerals 211 (211a to 211n). The box 200A is assembled using a single cardboard sheet as the blank plate 200. At this time, the exterior of the box 200A has a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which the opening 220 on the top surface can be covered with the lid 221, as shown in FIG. 8. As shown in the development view of FIG. 7, when the length of the edge 211a is longer than the length of the edge 211c, the box 200A has a rectangular parallelepiped shape. At this time, the bottom plate 201 has a longitudinal direction 291 and a lateral direction 292. In this embodiment, the length of the edge 211a and the length of the edge 211c may be equal. Furthermore, the height of the front side panel 202a, the height of the rear side panel 202b, the height of the left side panel 202c, and the height of the right side panel 202d may be made equal to the length of the edge 211a and the length of the edge 211c. In this case, the box 200A has a cubic shape.

The blank plate 200 is preferably in a state in which the fixing pieces 207 are fixed to the inside of the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d by gluing or the like, and the blank plate 200 is mountain-folded at the overlapping crease 210, and the left side plate 202c, the right side plate 202d, the top flap 208, and the side flap 209 are sandwiched between the rear side plate 202b and the cover plate 205 connected to the rear side plate 202b, and the bottom plate 201 and the front side plate 202a connected to the bottom plate 201. Then, in the development view shown in FIG. 6, the ruling lines 211 (211a to 211n) are valley-folded, respectively, to form the box 200A shown in FIG. 7.

In the blank plate 200, the side flap 209 has a first protrusion 212 that protrudes toward the front side plate 202a, the folded side plate 204 has a second protrusion 213 on the outer edge opposite the edge 211f that forms the boundary with the upper end plate 203, and the bottom plate 201 has an engagement hole 214, and it is preferable that when the left side plate 211c and the right side plate 211d are erected and the side flap 209 is folded toward the storage chamber 222 as shown in Figure 7, the first protrusion 212 can be engaged with the engagement hole 214, and when the folded side plate 204 is folded toward the storage chamber 222 and facing the front side plate 202a, the second protrusion 213 can be engaged with the engagement hole 214. When the box is in this locked state, there is no need to hold the side flaps 209 in place with fingers or a robot arm while folding in the folded-back side panels 204; the folded-back side panels 204 can be folded in without the need to hold the side flaps 209 in place. A box can be made using a robot arm system with only two or three robot arms.

It is preferable that the front side panel 202a and the folded side panel 204 are folded perpendicular to the grain direction (paper width direction) of the carton. This makes it easier for the second protrusion 213 to enter the engagement hole 214 of the bottom panel 201.

The material of the box 200A is not particularly limited, but paper, especially cardboard, is preferred. When the box 200A according to this embodiment is molded, the product placed inside is not particularly limited, but a glass container, metal container, or plastic container filled with a beverage is preferred. Instead of a container, a small box or an item other than a beverage may also be placed. The thickness of the box 200A is preferably 1 to 7 mm, and more preferably 1.5 to 5 mm.

When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making B-type boxes, as shown in FIG. 9, the box making device 900B has a fourth robot arm 910C as the robot arm 910. The fourth robot arm 910C has the robot hand 1 shown in FIG. 1 as an end effector.

Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining a modified example of the plate-shaped part. When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, it is preferable that the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) further have a rib 44 that protrudes from at least one of the front and back plate surfaces and extends in a direction parallel to the mutually opposing side edges 4a of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) as shown in Figure 10. When making a B-type box, the rib 44 abuts against the outer surface of the side flap 209 (shown in Figure 7) and folds the side flap 209 toward the storage chamber as the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) move in a direction toward each other. The rib 44 may be provided only on the front plate surface of the front and back plate surfaces, only on the back plate surface, or on both the front and back plate surfaces. It is preferable that the ribs 44 provided on the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the ribs 44 provided on the second plate-shaped portion 42 are parallel to each other.

When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, the box making device 900B has a fifth robot arm 952 in addition to the fourth robot arm 910C, and the fifth robot arm 952 preferably has an adsorption unit (not shown). The fifth robot arm 952 is a robot arm for supplying the blank plate 200 by suction, and has an adsorption unit as an end effector. The specifications of the fifth robot arm 952 are not particularly limited, but it is preferable that the fifth robot arm 952 is a general-purpose six-axis robot manipulator. The fifth robot arm 952 has a joint, and the position and posture of the adsorption unit can be changed three-dimensionally by the operation of the joint. The adsorption unit is, for example, a suction cup. The fifth robot arm 952 also has a role of raising the rear side panel 202b by lifting the blank plate 200 while sucking it. In the blank plate 200, the fixing pieces 207 (shown in FIG. 7) connected to the rear side plate 202b are fixed to the inside of the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d, respectively, so that when the rear side plate 202b is raised, the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d are automatically raised. In this way, by having the fifth robot arm 952, the B-type box 200A can be manufactured more efficiently.

When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, the box making device 900B has a sixth robot arm (not shown) in addition to the fourth robot arm 910C, and the sixth robot arm preferably has a suction unit. The sixth robot arm is a robot arm for transporting the made box 200A and has a suction unit as an end effector. The specifications of the sixth robot arm are not particularly limited, but it is preferably a general-purpose six-axis robot manipulator. The sixth robot arm has a joint, and the position and posture of the suction unit can be changed three-dimensionally by the operation of the joint. The suction unit is, for example, a suction cup.

Figure 11 is a perspective view showing a second example of a box folding jig. When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, the box folding jig 920B preferably has a fixing part 924 for fixing the bottom plate 201 (shown in Figure 7). The fixing part 924 is preferably a suction mechanism provided on the base surface 925 of the box folding jig 920B. The suction mechanism is, for example, a mechanism for sucking the bottom plate 201 of the blank plate 200 by exhausting air. By fixing the bottom plate 201, the rear side plate 202b can be raised and the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d can be raised more reliably. For example, the fixing part 924 preferably has a structure in which a plurality of suction cups are arranged in parallel as shown in Figure 11. Furthermore, when the box making device 900B is in a mode for making a B-type box, the box folding jig 920B preferably has a frame portion 927 for positioning the blank plate 200. The frame portion 927 preferably has a placement surface 927a for the blank plate 200. The base surface 925 may be a virtual plane passing through the placement surface 927a as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 11.

When the box making device 900B is in a mode for making B-type boxes, the box folding jig 920B preferably has a folding mechanism 926 that pushes the front side panel 202a upward from below. The folding mechanism 926 is a mechanism that reciprocates up and down and is embedded below the base surface 925 of the box folding jig 920B. By moving upward, it pops out from the base surface 925 and pushes the front side panel 202a up to stand it up.

Next, a method for making C-type boxes using the box making device 900A will be described with reference to Figures 12 to 17.

The box making method according to the present embodiment is a box making method using the box making device 900A according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 2, and includes a step 1A of taking out one blank plate 100 (shown in FIG. 4) and placing it on a box folding jig 920 as shown in FIG. 12; a step 2A of using a first robot arm 910A and a second robot arm 910B to raise the side plates 102a, 102b and fold the side flaps 103 (shown in FIG. 4) in a valley fold so that the side flaps 103 are in contact with the surfaces of the second pair of side plates 102a facing the storage chamber 130 as shown in FIG. 14; and a step 2A of folding inward a pair of folded side plates 105a (shown in FIG. 4) connected to the second pair of side plates 102a (shown in FIG. 4) via upper end plates 104a (shown in FIG. 4) so that the side flaps 103 (shown in FIG. 4) are folded inwardly to fold the side flaps 103 (shown in FIG. 4) with the second pair of side plates 102a as shown in FIG. 15. The method includes a step 3A of sandwiching the box between the pair of folded side plates 105a and the first pair of side plates 102b (shown in FIG. 4) via the upper end plate 104b, and a step 4A of folding inward the pair of folded side plates 105b connected to the first pair of side plates 102b (shown in FIG. 4) via the upper end plate 104b to form a box, as shown in FIG. 16. In the step 2A, as shown in FIG. 13, the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the first robot arm 910A and the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the second robot arm 910B are folded inward to form a box. The method includes a process 2A1 of bringing the plate surfaces of the mounted pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) into a state facing each other, and a process 2A2 of a power unit 5 moving a pair of guides 3 (31, 32) (shown in FIG. 1) away from or close to each other to bring the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) into a state separated from or close to each other, and pressing both ends of the boundary between the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42) and the second pair of side plates 102a of the bottom plate 101 with the lower end edges 4b of the pair of plate-shaped portions 4 (41, 42).

In step 1A, as shown in FIG. 12, one blank plate 100 is removed from the carton rack. Here, the blank plate 100 is preferably removed by suction using the suction unit 951a provided on the third robot arm 951.

In step 2A, as shown in Fig. 13, it is preferable to use the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B to push the bottom plate 101 into the frame portion 922 (shown in Fig. 3) of the box folding jig to erect the side plates 102a, 102b. At this time, the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the first robot arm 910A and the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the second robot arm 910B are placed facing each other (step 2A1), and the lower end edges 4b (shown in Fig. 1) of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) press both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate 101 and the second pair of side plates 102a (step 2A2). In step 2A2, the power unit 5 separates or brings the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) closer to each other so that the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 are located at both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate 101 and the second pair of side plates 102a. The boundary between the bottom plate 101 and the second pair of side plates 102a is a portion of the bottom plate 101 adjacent to the bottom ruling line 121a shown in FIG. 4. Also, in step 2A, the side flap 103 is simultaneously pressed against the flap pressing unit 923 and folded in a valley so that the side flap 103 is in contact with the surface of the second pair of side plates 102a on the side of the storage chamber 130. As a result, the bottom ruling lines 121a, 121b (shown in FIG. 4) are sufficiently folded in a valley by the robot arm, and the side plates 102a, 102b are sufficiently erected as shown in FIG. 14.

In step 2A2, it is preferable to press one of the second pair of side plates 102a with the lower end edge 4b of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the first robot arm 910A, and at the same time, press the other of the second pair of side plates 102a with the lower end edge 4b of the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) mounted on the second robot arm 910B. By simultaneously pressing with the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B, it is possible to more efficiently manufacture a B-type box.

In step 3A, as shown in FIG. 15, it is preferable to fold the pair of folded side panels 105a inward using the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B. At this time, it is preferable to simultaneously fold the folded side panels 105a by the first robot arm 910A and the second robot arm 910B. Also, in step 3A, it is preferable that the convex shape 106 provided on the folded side panels 105a is engaged with the engagement hole 107. This allows the folded side panels 105a to be fixed in place without the robot arms continuously holding down the folded side panels 105a.

In step 4A, as shown in FIG. 16, a pair of folded side panels 105b of the blank plate 100 other than the pair of folded side panels 105a are folded inward to complete the formation of the box 100A. At this time, the folding may be performed simultaneously by the two robot arms 910A and 910B, or the folding may be performed at different times by the two robot arms 910A and 910B.

After step 4A, as shown in FIG. 17, the box 100A is removed by the second robot arm 910B (step 5A). The removal of the box 100A is preferably performed by suction using a suction unit provided on the second robot arm 910B. The removal of the box 100A may also be performed by the first robot arm 910A or the second robot arm 910B by moving the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) away from each other in the storage chamber 130 of the box 100A, pressing the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) against the inner walls of the pair of folded side panels 105a or 105b, respectively, and lifting the box 100A. The removed box 100A is placed on a conveyor.

Next, a method for making a B-type box using the box making device 900B will be described with reference to Figures 18 to 24.

The box making method according to this embodiment is a box making method using the box making device 900B according to this embodiment shown in FIG. 9, and includes process 1B of taking out one blank plate 200 (shown in FIG. 7) and placing it on a box folding jig as shown in FIG. 18, process 2B of pulling up the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b to erect the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b and erecting the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d as shown in FIG. 19, process 3B of folding the side flap 209 toward the storage chamber using the fourth robot arm 910C as shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21, process 4B of erecting the front side plate 202a as shown in FIG. 22, and process 5B of folding the folded side plate inward as shown in FIG. 23. and step 5B of folding the side flaps 209 into the box 200A, in which step 3B includes step 3B1 in which the power unit 5 separates the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) so that the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are separated from each other as shown in FIG. 20, and the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are arranged outside the side flaps 209, step 3B2 in which the power unit 5 moves the pair of guides 3 (31, 32) closer to each other, thereby moving the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) in a direction to move them closer to each other, and moving the side flaps 209 toward the storage chamber as shown in FIG. 21, and step 3B3 in which the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) are moved toward the storage chamber to fold the side flaps toward the storage chamber.

In step 1B, as shown in FIG. 18, one blank plate 200 is removed from the carton rack and placed on the box folding jig 920. Here, it is preferable to remove the blank plate 200 by suction using the suction unit 952a provided on the fifth robot arm 952.

In step 2B, as shown in FIG. 19, the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b are pulled up to erect the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b, and the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d are also erected. Here, it is preferable to erect the cover plate 205 and the rear side plate 202b by lifting the fifth robot arm 952 while continuing to suck the blank plate 200 from step 1B. In the blank plate 200, the fixing piece 207 (shown in FIG. 7) connected to the rear side plate 202b is fixed to the inside of the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d, respectively, so that when the rear side plate 202b is erected, the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d are automatically erected.

In step 3B, as shown in Figures 20 and 21, the side flap 209 is folded toward the storage chamber using the fourth robot arm 910C.

In step 3B, as shown in FIG. 20, the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 are arranged on the outside of the side flap 209 (step 3B1), and the side flap 209 is moved toward the storage chamber (step 3B2). Then, when the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 are brought close to each other and the side flap 209 is folded to a certain extent, the first plate-shaped portion 41 and the second plate-shaped portion 42 are moved toward the storage chamber, thereby moving the side flap 209 toward the storage chamber (step 3B3). In step 3B3, it is preferable that the first protrusion 12 (shown in FIG. 7) is engaged with the engagement hole portion 14 (shown in FIG. 7). As a result, as shown in FIG. 21, the side flap 209 is fixed in a predetermined position even if the side flap 209 is not continuously held down by the robot arm.

In step 4B, as shown in FIG. 22, it is preferable to use the bending mechanism 926 to push up the front side panel 202a to make it stand up.

In step 5B, as shown in FIG. 23, the folded side panels are folded inward to form box 200A. When the folded side panels are folded inward, it is preferable that second projection 13 (shown in FIG. 7) is engaged with engagement hole 14 (shown in FIG. 7).

In steps 2B to 5B, the blank plate 200 or the box 200A is preferably suction-fixed from below by the fixing portion 924 (shown in FIG. 11).

After step 5B, as shown in FIG. 24, the box 200A is removed (step 6B). The box 200A is removed by the fourth robot arm 910C by separating the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) from each other within the storage chamber of the box 200A, pressing the pair of plate-shaped parts 4 (41, 42) against the inner walls of the left side plate 202c and the right side plate 202d, respectively, in a braced state, and lifting the box 200A, or by sucking with a suction part provided on the sixth robot arm (not shown). The removed box 200A is placed on a conveyor.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Robot hand 2 Rail 3 (31, 32) Guide 4 (41, 42) Plate-shaped portion 4a Side edge 4b Lower edge 5 Power unit 9 Base 41A, 42A Support portion 41B, 42B Action portion 43 Protrusion portion 44 Rib 100 Blank plate 100A Box 101 Bottom plate 103 Side flaps 121a, 121b Edges 102a, 102b Side plates 104a, 104b Upper end plates 105a, 105b Folded side plates 106 Convex shape 107 Engagement hole portion 111 Longitudinal direction 112 Shortitudinal direction 113a, 113b Inner ruling 114a, 114b Outer ruling 130 Storage chamber 200 Blank plate 200A Box 201 Bottom plate 202a Front side panel 202b, rear side panel 202c, left side panel 202d, right side panel 203, top end panel 204, folded side panel 205, cover panel 206, insertion piece 207, fixing piece 208, upper flap 209, side flap 210, overlapping fold 211 (211a to 211n), edge 212, first protrusion 213, second protrusion 214, engagement hole portion 220, opening 221, cover portion 222, storage chamber 900 (900A, 900B), box making device 910 (910A, 910B, 910C), 951, 952, robot arm 920 (920A, 920B), box folding jig 924, fixing portion 925, base surface 926, folding mechanism 930, base 952a, suction portion

Claims (20)

A robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet into a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape,
the box making device includes one or two robot arms for a robot hand having the robot hand as an end effector,
The robot hand is detachably attached to the robot arm for the robot hand, and includes a slide mechanism having a rail, a pair of guides slidably supported on the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides so as to approach and separate them from each other, and a pair of plate-like parts supported by the pair of guides,
The pair of plate-shaped portions have lower end sides extending in a direction in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are arranged side by side,
the pair of guides support the pair of plate-like portions so that, when the pair of plate-like portions act on the blank plate in a box-making process, the lower end sides become lower ends of the plate-like portions and so that the heights of the lower end sides in the up-down direction are the same as each other,
The pair of plate-like portions are arranged side by side so that their side edges face each other and at least one of the front and back plate surfaces is positioned on the same plane. The robot hand according to claim 1 ;
a robot arm for a robot hand having the robot hand at a tip thereof;
A box folding tool for folding a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet at a predetermined position;
and a base supporting the box folding jig. the robot hand is detachable from the robot arm for the robot hand,
3. The box making device according to claim 2, wherein the box folding jig is detachable from the base. The blank plate has a bottom plate, side plates respectively connected to the four edges of the bottom plate, upper end plates connected to each side plate, and folded side plates connected to the upper end plate, and among the side plates, a first pair of opposing side plates have side flaps, and the other, a second pair of side plates do not have side flaps.
The box formed from the blank plate has a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, one side of the rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape is open, and the box has a storage chamber inside,
the box making device has a first robot arm and a second robot arm as robot arms for the robot hand ,
The pair of plate-shaped portions have lower end sides extending in a direction in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are arranged side by side,
4. The box making device according to claim 2, wherein the pair of guides support the pair of plate-like portions such that the heights of the bottom ends of the pair of plate-like portions in the up-down direction are the same. The box making device according to claim 4, characterized in that the second robot arm further has a suction part. The box-making device according to claim 4 or 5, characterized in that the box-folding jig has a frame portion that forms a bottom plate area corresponding to the bottom plate, and a flap pressing portion for folding the side flaps. The pair of plate-shaped portions further includes a protrusion portion protruding from at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the lower end side,
The box making device according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that the protrusion portion provided on one of the pair of plate-like portions and the protrusion portion provided on the other of the pair of plate-like portions have the same height from the bottom end edge. the box making device has a third robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand ,
8. The box making device according to claim 4, wherein the third robot arm has a suction portion. The blank plate has a bottom plate having four edges, a front side plate connected to a first edge of the bottom plate, a rear side plate connected to a second edge of the bottom plate opposite the first edge, and a left side plate and a right side plate connected to the remaining third and fourth edges of the bottom plate, respectively. The front side plate has a top end plate connected to the edge of the front side plate opposite the first edge and a folded side plate connected to the top end plate. The rear side plate has a cover plate that serves as a cover portion connected to the edge of the rear side plate opposite the second edge. the left side panel and the right side panel have top flaps respectively connected to an edge of the left side panel facing the third edge and an edge of the right side panel facing the fourth edge, and side flaps respectively extending in a direction adjacent to the front side panel, and have overlapping folds extending obliquely from a corner of the bottom panel on the side of the rear side panel across the left side panel and the top flap, and across the right side panel and the top flap,
The box formed from the blank plate has a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, and has an opening on one side of the rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape, the lid portion closing the opening, and a storage chamber provided inside the rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape,
4. The box making apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a fourth robot arm as a robot arm for the robot hand . the box making device has a fifth robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand ,
10. The box making apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the fifth robot arm has a suction portion. the box making device has a sixth robot arm in addition to the robot arm for the robot hand ,
11. The box making apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the sixth robot arm has a suction portion. A box making device according to any one of claims 9 to 11, characterized in that the box folding jig has a fixing part for fixing the bottom plate. A box making device according to any one of claims 9 to 12, characterized in that the box folding jig has a folding mechanism that pushes the front side panel upward from below. A box making device according to any one of claims 9 to 13, characterized in that the pair of plate-shaped parts further has a rib protruding from at least one of the front and rear plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the opposing side edges of the pair of plate-shaped parts. A box making method using the box making device according to any one of claims 4 to 8,
A step 1A of taking out one of the blank plates and placing it on the box folding jig;
a step 2A of using the first robot arm and the second robot arm to raise the side panels and fold the side flaps in a valley manner so that the side flaps are in contact with the surfaces of the second pair of side panels facing the storage chamber;
A step 3A of folding inward a pair of the folded side panels connected to the second pair of side panels via the upper end panel to sandwich the side flaps between the second pair of side panels and the folded side panels;
and step 4A of folding inward a pair of the folded side panels connected to the first pair of side panels via the upper end panel to form the box,
The box-making method includes a step 2A1 of bringing the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the first robot arm and the plate surfaces of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the second robot arm into a state facing each other, and a step 2A2 of the power unit moving the pair of guides away from or close to each other to bring the pair of plate-shaped parts into a separated or close state, and pressing both ends of the boundary between the bottom plate and the second pair of side plates with the lower edges of the pair of plate-shaped parts. The box-making method according to claim 15, characterized in that in step 2A2, one of the second pair of side plates is pushed by the lower end edge of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the first robot arm, and at the same time, the other of the second pair of side plates is pushed by the lower end edge of the pair of plate-shaped parts mounted on the second robot arm. The box-making method according to claim 15 or 16, characterized in that in step 2A, the first robot arm and the second robot arm are used to push the bottom plate into the frame of the box-folding jig to erect the side plates. A box making method using the box making device according to any one of claims 9 to 14,
A step 1B of taking out one of the blank plates and placing it on the box folding jig;
a step 2B of lifting up the cover plate and the rear side plate to erect the cover plate and the rear side plate and also erecting the left side plate and the right side plate;
a step 3B of folding the side flaps toward the storage chamber using the fourth robot arm;
Step 4B of raising the front side panel;
and step 5B of folding the side panels inward to form the box.
The box-making method includes a step 3B1 in which the power unit moves the pair of guides away from each other to place the pair of plate-shaped portions away from each other and position the pair of plate-shaped portions outside the side flap, a step 3B2 in which the power unit moves the pair of guides closer to each other to move the pair of plate-shaped portions in a direction bringing them closer to each other while moving the side flap toward the storage chamber, and a step 3B3 in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are moved toward the storage chamber to fold the side flap toward the storage chamber. A robot hand mounted on a box-making device that forms a blank plate made of a single cardboard sheet into a box having a rectangular parallelepiped or cubic shape,
the box making device includes one or two robot arms for a robot hand having the robot hand as an end effector,
The robot hand is detachably attached to the robot arm for the robot hand, and includes a slide mechanism having a rail, a pair of guides slidably supported on the rail, and a power unit that slides the pair of guides so as to approach and separate them from each other, and a pair of plate-like parts supported by the pair of guides,
The pair of plate-shaped portions have lower end sides extending in a direction in which the pair of plate-shaped portions are arranged side by side,
The pair of guides support the pair of plate-like portions such that the heights of the lower end sides in the up-down direction are the same as each other,
A robot hand characterized in that the pair of plate-shaped portions further have a protrusion portion protruding from at least one of the front and back plate surfaces and extending in a direction parallel to the lower end edge. The robot hand according to claim 19, characterized in that the protrusion portion provided on one of the pair of plate-like portions and the protrusion portion provided on the other of the pair of plate-like portions have the same height from the lower end edge.

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