JP7831271B2 - Household tissue paper storage box and method for manufacturing the same - Google Patents

Description

This invention relates to a rectangular prism-shaped storage box for household tissue paper, in which the tissue paper is stored in a pop-up manner, and to a method for manufacturing the same.

A rectangular prism-shaped storage box for household tissues such as tissue paper, hand towels, and kitchen towels is known, which allows for pop-up dispensing of these tissues. This box features a plastic film attached to the underside of the top surface to cover an opening formed on the top. A slit is formed in this plastic film along the longitudinal direction of the top surface, allowing the tissues to be dispensed in a pop-up manner through this slit.

Furthermore, in this type of rectangular-prism-shaped household tissue storage box, there are also known so-called film-less structures that do not require a plastic film to seal the opening, for cost reduction and environmental reasons. For example, in the rectangular-prism-shaped household tissue storage box disclosed in Patent Document 1, two wing-shaped sections aligned longitudinally on the top surface are cut open in opposite directions in the width direction to form an opening for dispensing the household tissue inside, through which the tissue can be removed.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2004-262498

However, in conventional film-less tissue paper storage boxes like the one described in Patent Document 1, a common slit is provided between the two flaps, connecting one end of the base of each flap, passing through the longitudinal center of the top surface of the box. This slit obstructs the removal of tissue paper, making it difficult to take out the paper, as fingers may hit the flaps when trying to grasp the tissue paper by its longitudinal center.

Furthermore, in the manufacture of this type of household tissue paper storage box, a manufacturing apparatus for household tissue paper storage boxes has a storage section for storing multiple folded household tissue paper storage boxes, and a removal means that attaches to the longitudinal central region of the folded household tissue paper storage boxes stored in the storage section and removes the folded household tissue paper storage boxes from the storage section. However, after removing the folded household tissue paper storage boxes from the storage section using the removal means, the boxes are raised and household tissue paper is stored inside. However, when removing the folded household tissue paper storage boxes from the storage section, the common cut point of the household tissue paper storage boxes lies in the area of attachment of the boxes, and the attachment of the boxes causes damage to the common cut point.

The present invention aims to provide a tissue paper storage box that makes it easier to grasp the tissue paper by its longitudinal center when removing it, thereby improving the ease of removing tissue paper. Furthermore, it aims to provide a method for manufacturing a tissue paper storage box that prevents damage to the common perforations when removing the folded tissue paper storage box from its storage compartment.

The first embodiment of the household tissue paper storage box according to the present invention is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped household tissue paper storage box in which household tissue paper is stored in a pop-up manner. It has two wing-shaped portions on its top surface, adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction, which are cut open in opposite directions in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and folded in a valley fold to form an opening for dispensing the household tissue paper in the longitudinal central region of the top surface of the household tissue paper storage box. A common slit, located between the two wing portions and connecting one end of the base of each wing portion, is offset to one side in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal center of the top surface of the household tissue paper storage box.

This configuration makes it easier to grasp the center of the long side of the tissue paper when removing it, improving the efficiency of tissue paper removal.

The second embodiment of the household tissue paper storage box according to the present invention is described as the first embodiment, characterized in that the deviation of the common cut is 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less.

With this configuration, if the deviation is less than 10 mm, one of the wings interferes with gripping the center of the tissue paper in the longitudinal direction when removing it, impairing the ease of removal. Furthermore, if the deviation exceeds 30 mm, the ability to hold the tissue paper when the remaining amount is low is impaired, and there is a risk of the tissue paper dropping back when the remaining amount is low.

The first embodiment of the method for manufacturing a household tissue paper storage box according to the present invention comprises a storage section for storing a plurality of folded rectangular parallelepiped household tissue paper storage boxes in which household tissue paper is stored in a pop-up manner, and a removal means that adheres to the longitudinal central region of the folded household tissue paper storage boxes stored in the storage section and removes the folded household tissue paper storage boxes from the storage section, and after the folded household tissue paper storage boxes are removed from the storage section by the removal means, the household tissue paper storage boxes are made upright and household tissue paper is stored inside the household tissue paper storage boxes, wherein the top surface of the household tissue paper storage box has its longitudinal The storage box has two wing-shaped sections that are adjacent to each other and cut open in opposite directions in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and then folded in a valley fold to form an opening for dispensing tissue paper in the longitudinal central region of the top surface of the storage box. A common slit is located between the two wing-shaped sections and connects one end of the base of each wing-shaped section. This slit is offset to one side in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal center of the top surface of the storage box. When the folded storage box is removed from the storage section using the dispensing means, the position of the common slit in the storage box shifts to one side in the longitudinal direction from the suction area of the storage box.

This configuration allows the common cut in the tissue paper storage box to be shifted to one side in the longitudinal direction from the suction area when the folded tissue paper storage box is removed from the storage compartment using the removal mechanism. This prevents damage to the common cut when removing the folded tissue paper storage box from the storage compartment.

According to the present invention, the common slit located between the two wing sections and connecting one end of the base of the two wing sections is offset to one side in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal center of the top surface of the box. This makes it easier to grasp the longitudinal center of the household tissue paper when removing it, improving the ease of removing the tissue paper. Furthermore, it prevents damage to the common slit when removing the folded household tissue paper storage box from its storage compartment.

This is an overall perspective view of an unopened household tissue paper storage box according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is an exploded view of a household tissue paper storage box according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is an enlarged plan view of the area near the lid of a household tissue paper storage box according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is an overall perspective view of a household tissue paper storage box according to one embodiment of the present invention, which is opened to remove the household tissue paper inside. This is a conceptual diagram schematically representing a manufacturing line for a household tissue paper storage box according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a conceptual diagram schematically representing the appearance of the conveying line for a household tissue paper storage box. This is a schematic diagram showing a processing line equipped with multiple carton removal and feeding devices arranged in a row, according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic diagram representing a carton removal and feeding device according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic diagram illustrating suction using a suction cup according to one embodiment of the present invention. This is a schematic diagram showing suction by a suction cup as viewed from below, according to one embodiment of the present invention.

The embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 1 to 10. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments.

In this specification and the claims, in the case of the household tissue paper storage box according to the present invention, "height direction" refers to the direction parallel to the edge for which the inner flap of the household tissue paper storage box folds, "width direction" refers to the direction parallel to the edge for which the outer flap of the household tissue paper storage box folds, and "longitudinal direction" refers to the direction perpendicular to the surface of the inner flap of the household tissue paper storage box. The "height direction," "width direction," and "longitudinal direction" are assumed to be perpendicular to each other.

Furthermore, in this specification and the claims, "rectangle" includes not only rectangles but also squares, and "cuboid" includes not only cuboids and approximate cuboids but also cubes and approximate cubes.

Furthermore, in this specification and the claims, "alternately cut open and folded in opposite directions in the width direction" includes not only configurations where folds are made along fold lines extending perpendicular to the width direction (see Figure 3), but also configurations where folds are made along fold lines extending intersecting the width direction.

Furthermore, in this specification, "opening width of the outlet" refers to the widthwise length of the outlet formed when each wing is folded along the first or second valley fold line.

In this specification and the claims, "offset to one side in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal center position of the top surface of the household tissue storage box" means, as shown in Figure 3 below, that the intersection point Oa of the longitudinal central axis Fo passing through the longitudinal center position O (also called the longitudinal center position) on the top surface of the box and the common cut CL2 described below is offset to one side in the longitudinal direction, and the amount of offset represents the distance x in the longitudinal direction between the longitudinal center position O and the intersection point Oa.

Furthermore, in this specification, "parallel" includes parallel and substantially parallel, and "orthogonal" includes orthogonal and substantially orthogonal.

In this specification and in the claims, the “cut” may be another fragile line (e.g., a perforation) as long as it has the function of breaking to form an opening.

In this specification and the claims, “common cut” refers to a cut connecting one end of the base of two wing portions that are adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction on the top surface of a household tissue storage box and are cut open in opposite directions in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, thereby forming a tissue dispenser in the longitudinal central region of the top surface of the household tissue storage box. (In Figure 3, which shows one embodiment of the present invention, this is the cut connecting one end C1 on the longitudinal central side of the first valley fold line FL1 of the first wing portion 161 and one end C2 on the longitudinal central side of the first valley fold line FL1 of the second wing portion 162).

In this specification and in the claims, "adsorption area" refers to the area of the surface constituting the household tissue paper storage box that can be adsorbed by the removal means when the household tissue paper storage box is removed from the storage section by adsorption using the removal means during the manufacturing process of the household tissue paper storage box.

<Structure of a household tissue paper storage box>
Figure 1 is an overall perspective view of a household tissue paper storage box 10 before opening according to one embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 is an unfolded view of the household tissue paper storage box 10 according to this embodiment; Figure 3 is an enlarged plan view of the area around the lid 16 of the household tissue paper storage box 10 according to this embodiment; and Figure 4 is an overall perspective view of the household tissue paper storage box 10 when it is opened and the household tissue paper P inside is removed, according to this embodiment.

The household tissue paper storage box 10 according to this embodiment has a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and stores a stack of household tissue paper (hereinafter referred to as tissue paper, an example of household tissue paper) P, which is folded and stacked alternately. In addition to tissue paper, the household tissue paper storage box according to this invention can also store and be used for other household tissue paper such as hand towels and kitchen towels.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the household tissue storage box 10 according to this embodiment is configured with two opposing rectangular surfaces, a top surface 11 and a bottom surface 13, a pair of opposing rectangular first sides 12 and 14, and a pair of opposing rectangular second sides 21 and 22.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the second side surface 21 is composed of two inner flaps 121 and 141 and two outer flaps, an upper flap 111 and a lower flap 131. The second side surface 22 is composed of two inner flaps 122 and 142 and two outer flaps, an upper flap 112 and a lower flap 132, similar to the configuration of the second side surface 21.

Furthermore, in the household tissue paper storage box 10 according to this embodiment, the upper flap 111 is positioned so as to partially overlap the lower flap 131, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, and the upper flap 112 is positioned so as to partially overlap the lower flap 132. These overlapping portions are bonded together with an adhesive or the like.

The top surface 11 has a first edge L1 and a second edge L2 that are parallel to each other, and a fifth edge L5 and a sixth edge L6 that are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the first edge L1.

One of the pair of first sides 12, 14, the first side 12, has a third edge L3 parallel to the first edge L1, and mutually parallel seventh edges L7 and eighth edges L8 perpendicular to the first edge L1, extending from the first edge L1 and bending at a right angle.

The base surface 13 has a fourth edge L4 parallel to the third edge L3, and mutually parallel ninth and tenth edges L9 and L10 perpendicular to the third edge L3. It extends from the third edge L3, bends at a right angle, and faces the top surface 11.

Of the pair of first sides 12 and 14, the other first side 14 has mutually parallel 11th and 12th edges L11 and L12 that are perpendicular to the second edge L2, extending from the second edge L2 and bending at a right angle to face the first side 12.

The inner flap 121 extends from the seventh edge L7 of the first side surface 12 and bends at a right angle, while the inner flap 122 extends from the eighth edge L8 of the first side surface 12, bends at a right angle, and faces the inner flap 121. Similarly, the inner flap 141 extends from the eleventh edge L11 of the first side surface 14 and bends at a right angle, while the inner flap 142 extends from the twelfth edge L12 of the first side surface 14, bends at a right angle, and faces the inner flap 141.

The upper flap 111 extends from the fifth edge L5 of the top surface 11 and bends at a right angle, while the upper flap 112 extends from the sixth edge L6 of the top surface 11, bends at a right angle, and faces the upper flap 111. Similarly, the lower flap 131 extends from the ninth edge L9 of the bottom surface 13 and bends at a right angle, while the lower flap 132 extends from the tenth edge L10 of the bottom surface 13, bends at a right angle, and faces the lower flap 131.

In this embodiment, a lid portion 16 having a first wing portion 161 and a second wing portion 162 is provided on the top surface 11 by forming a slit CL, a first valley fold line FL1, and a second valley fold line FL2 on the top surface 11. When the user breaks the slit CL formed on the top surface 11 and valley folds the respective wing portions 161 and 162 of the lid portion 16 along the first valley fold line FL1 or the second valley fold line FL2, an opening 16o is formed on the top surface 11.

In this embodiment, the slit CL is formed only on the top surface 11, but this is not limited to this. For example, a slit may be provided on a part of the bottom surface 13 to form a tab (lift-up function part) on the bottom surface 13 for the purpose of making it easier to remove the household tissue paper P stored in the household tissue paper storage box 10.

The household tissue paper storage box 10 according to the present invention, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, is a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped household tissue paper storage box 10 in which household tissue paper P is stored in a pop-up manner (folded alternately in sets and continuously removed from the box). It has two wing-shaped parts (in this embodiment, a first wing-shaped part 161 and a second wing-shaped part 162) that are provided adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction on the top surface 11 and cut open in opposite directions in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, forming a tissue paper P dispensing opening 16o in the longitudinal central region of the top surface 11 of the household tissue paper storage box 10. A common cut CL2, located between the two wing-shaped parts and connecting one end C1, C2 of the base of the two wing-shaped parts, is offset to one side in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal center position O of the top surface 11 of the household tissue paper storage box 10.

This configuration makes it easier to grasp the center of the long side of the household tissue paper P when removing it, improving the ease of removal. Furthermore, in the manufacturing process of the household tissue paper storage box 10 (described later), damage to the common slit CL2 when removing the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 from the storage section 202 (see Figures 7 to 10 below) can be suppressed.

In this embodiment, more specifically, as shown in Figures 1 and 2, the first wing portion 161 and the second wing portion 162 each have a first valley fold line FL1 formed at their base, and a second valley fold line FL2 formed further towards the tip than the first valley fold line FL1. By selectively valley-folding the first wing portion 161 and the second wing portion 162 along the first valley fold line FL1 or the second valley fold line FL2, the opening width of the outlet 16o and the projection height of at least one of the multiple wing portions above the top surface 11 are made variable.

With this configuration, when removing the top sheet of household tissue paper P, the first wing portion 161 and the second wing portion 162 can be folded along the first valley fold line FL1, thereby creating a wider opening 16o. This makes it easier to grasp and remove the top sheet of household tissue paper P.

Furthermore, after removing the top sheet of household tissue paper P, folding the first or second wing portion 161 or 162 along the second valley fold line FL2 reduces the protrusion height of the first wing portion above the top surface, preventing it from obstructing the removal of subsequent sheets of household tissue paper P. This allows for unobstructed removal of subsequent sheets of household tissue paper P.

In the household tissue paper storage box 10 according to this embodiment, as described above, the second valley fold line FL2 is formed on each of the wing portions 161 and 162, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

With this configuration, after removing the top sheet of household tissue paper P, folding each wing portion 161 and 162 along the second valley fold line FL2 reduces the height of the protrusion of each wing portion 161 and 162 above the top surface. This prevents the wing portions 161 and 162 from obstructing the removal of subsequent sheets of household tissue paper P, thereby allowing for easier removal of subsequent sheets. While this embodiment includes both the first valley fold line FL1 and the second valley fold line FL2, the present invention may include only one of them.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 3, the second valley fold line FL2 of the first wing portion 161 and the second valley fold line FL2 of the second wing portion 162 are spaced apart in the width direction, and each second valley fold line FL2 is located on the side of the first valley fold line FL1 of each wing portion that is greater than the center line Fo of the distance between the first valley fold lines FL1 of adjacent wing portions in the width direction.

With this configuration, after removing the top layer of household tissue paper P, the wing sections 161 and 162 are each folded along the second valley fold line FL2, thereby reducing the resistance to removing subsequent layers of household tissue paper P, allowing for smooth removal of the next layer.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the length of each wing portion 161, 162 from the second valley fold line FL2 towards its tip is greater than the widthwise distance between the second valley fold line FL2 of one wing portion (first wing portion 161 or second wing portion 162) and the second valley fold line FL2 of another wing portion adjacent to that wing portion (second wing portion 162 or first wing portion 161).

With this configuration, after removing the top sheet of household tissue paper P, the first wing portion 161 and the second wing portion 162 are folded along the second valley fold line FL2 and raised diagonally upward from the top surface 11. This securely holds the next sheet of household tissue paper P between the first and second wing portions 161 and 162, providing more stable retention (see Figure 4).

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the deviation x of the common cut CL2 is between 10 mm and 30 mm.

With this configuration, if the deviation x is less than 10 mm, one of the wings (161 or 162) interferes with gripping the center of the household tissue paper P in the longitudinal direction when removing it, impairing the ease of removal. Furthermore, if the deviation x exceeds 30 mm, the ability to hold the household tissue paper P when the remaining amount is low is impaired, and there is a risk of the household tissue paper P dropping back when the remaining amount is low.

Furthermore, in this invention, the second valley fold line FL2 of one of the two wing portions 161 and 162, and the second valley fold line FL2 of the other wing portion 162 adjacent to the first wing portion 161 in the longitudinal direction, may be substantially located on the same straight line.

With this configuration, after removing the top layer of household tissue paper P, the first wing portion 161 and the second wing portion 162 adjacent to the first wing portion 161 are each folded along the second valley fold line FL2. This securely holds the subsequent layer of household tissue paper P between the first and second wing portions 162, providing more stable retention. This effectively prevents the tissue paper P from dropping back when the remaining amount is low.

<Blank sheet for household tissue paper storage box>
As shown in Figure 2, in the blank sheet (also simply called a blank) 10B of the household tissue storage box 10 in this embodiment, the first side surface 12 is connected to the top surface 11 via a fold line L1 (first edge), the bottom surface 13 is connected to the first side surface 12 via a fold line L3 (third edge), and the first side surface 14 is connected to the top surface 11 via a fold line L2 (second edge).

The inner flap 121 is connected to the first side surface 12 via a fold line L7 (seventh edge), and the inner flap 122 is connected to the first side surface 12 via a fold line L8 (eighth edge). The inner flap 141 is connected to the first side surface 14 via a fold line L11 (eleventh edge), and the inner flap 142 is connected to the first side surface 14 via a fold line L12 (twelfth edge).

The upper flap 111 is connected to the top surface 11 via a fold line L5 (fifth edge), and the upper flap 112 is connected to the top surface 11 via a fold line L6 (sixth edge). Furthermore, the lower flap 131 is connected to the bottom surface 13 via a fold line L9 (ninth edge), and the lower flap 132 is connected to the bottom surface 13 via a fold line L10 (tenth edge).

The blank sheet 10B according to this embodiment includes a splice 15 for connecting the bottom surface 13 and the first side surface 14. The splice 15 is connected to the bottom surface 13 via a fold line L4 (fourth edge). In this invention, the splice 15 may also be connected from the first side surface 14 instead of the bottom surface 13.

In the blank sheet 10B according to this embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, it has a first wing portion 161 and a second wing portion 162 that are provided adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction on the top surface 11 and alternately cut open in the opposite direction in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and then folded in a valley fold to form an opening 16o for dispensing household tissue paper P. Furthermore, cuts CL, a first valley fold line FL1, and a second valley fold line FL2 are formed so that each wing portion 161, 162 can be folded in a valley fold at its base and further towards the tip.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, a lid portion 16 is provided having a first wing portion 161 and a second wing portion 162 that is wider than the first wing portion 161, by generally forming cuts CL (first to third cuts CL1 to CL3, described later) in a substantially S-shape on the top surface 11. More specifically, as shown in Figure 3, the first wing portion 161 has a region enclosed by a curved first cut CL1, a straight second cut (common cut) CL2 that is inclined with respect to the width direction and offset by an amount x in the longitudinal direction, and a first valley fold line FL1, and within this region, a second valley fold line FL2 is formed parallel to the first valley fold line FL1 between the tip and the first valley fold line FL1. As shown in Figure 3, the second wing portion 162 has a region enclosed by a curved third cut CL3, a straight second cut (common cut) CL2 that is inclined with respect to the width direction and offset by an amount x in the longitudinal direction, and a first valley fold line FL1. Within this region, a second valley fold line FL2 is formed parallel to the first valley fold line FL1 between the tip and the first valley fold line FL1. The second valley fold line FL2 of the first wing portion 161 and the second valley fold line FL2 of the second wing portion 162 are spaced apart. The first valley fold line FL1 and the second valley fold line FL2 may be formed to be inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the household tissue paper storage box 10. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the common slit CL2 is inclined with respect to the width direction of the household tissue paper storage box 10. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an embodiment in which the common slit CL2 is parallel to the width direction of the household tissue paper storage box 10 is also permissible. Nevertheless, the embodiment in which the common slit CL2 is inclined with respect to the width direction of the household tissue paper storage box 10 is preferable because, as will be described later, damage to the common slit CL2 is suppressed when the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 is removed from the storage section 202.

In this embodiment, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the distance from the first fold line FL1 of the first wing portion 161 to its tip is equal to the distance between the first fold line FL1 of the first wing portion 161 and the first fold line FL1 of the second wing portion 162. Furthermore, the distance from the first fold line FL1 of the first wing portion 161 to its tip is shorter than the distance from the first fold line FL1 of the second wing portion 162 to its tip, and the tip of the second wing portion 162 bulges outward beyond the first fold line FL1 of the first wing portion 161.

<Manufacturing of household tissue paper storage boxes>
<Overall Outline Structure>
Figure 5 schematically shows the entire manufacturing line for the household tissue paper storage box 10. Here, we will explain using a tissue carton for storing tissue bundles as an example, with the household tissue paper storage box 10 being referred to as the tissue carton 10 and the household tissue paper P as tissue paper P. The manufacturing line is arranged in the following order from upstream: a tissue folding section 1015, a tissue bundle cutting section 1016, a tissue bundle insertion section 1017, a tissue carton sealing section 1018, and a pack packaging section 1022.

The tissue folding section 1015 is the region where the continuous tissue 1023 is pulled out from the tissue winding drum 1024 and folded upwards in sequence to form a continuous tissue bundle 1025c.

The tissue bundle cutting section 1016 is the region where the continuous tissue bundle 1025c, folded in a stacked state at the tissue folding section 1015, is cut at regular intervals by the cutter device 1026 to obtain the tissue bundle 1025.

The area in the tissue carton 10 where the tissue bundle is inserted and contained by the tissue bundle insertion section 1017 is schematically shown in Figure 6, after being extracted and enlarged.

The tissue bundle insertion section 1017 is the area where the tissue bundles 1025, cut in the tissue bundle cutting section 1016, are inserted into the tissue carton 10. Within this tissue bundle insertion section 1017, a tissue bundle conveying line that conveys the cut tissue bundles 1025 at regular intervals and a tissue carton conveying line that conveys empty tissue cartons 10 at regular intervals in synchronization with the tissue bundle conveying line are arranged in parallel. The tissue cartons 10, fed one by one into the tissue carton conveying line, are in a pre-crushed, folded state. The folded, empty tissue cartons 10 are removed from the storage section 202 (described later) by the removal means (removal section) 202t and placed on the tissue carton conveying line (e.g., a belt conveyor) which serves as the conveying device 205 (see Figures 7 to 10 below). From this state, the surface 1027 defined by the height and width of the tissue carton 10 (hereinafter referred to as the front and rear surface) is raised vertically to form a space 1028 in which the tissue bundle 1025 is contained. In this case, on both sides in the width direction of the top and bottom surfaces 1012 and the front and rear surfaces 1027 of the tissue carton 10 (reference numeral 1012 corresponds to the top surface 11 and bottom surface 13 in Figure 2, reference numeral 1027 corresponds to the first side surfaces 12 and 14 in Figure 2), four lid plates 1030, 1031 (reference numeral 1029 corresponds to the second side surfaces 21 and 22 in Figure 2, reference numeral 1030 corresponds to the inner flaps 121, 122, 141, and 142 in Figure 2, and reference numeral 1031 corresponds to the outer flaps 111, 112, 131, and 132 in Figure 2) are open to seal the surfaces 1029 defined by the height and depth of the tissue carton 10 (hereinafter referred to as the left and right surfaces). When inserting the tissue bundle 1025 into the space 1028 of the tissue carton 10, the front and rear lids 1030 and the upper and lower lids 1031, located on either the left or right side of the tissue carton 10, are opened for insertion. The opening and closing states of the lids 1030 and 1031 shown in Figure 6 are operated by a lid opening/closing mechanism arranged along the tissue carton conveying line. This lid opening/closing mechanism may employ a well-known configuration. The tissue bundle 1025 is pushed into the space 1028 of the tissue carton 10 by a push rod 1032 from the side of the left or right side 1029 of the tissue carton 10 that faces the tissue bundle conveying line.

The tissue carton sealing section 1018 is the area where the left and right lid plates 1030 and 1031 of the tissue carton 10 containing the tissue bundle 1025 are sealed using adhesive 1033. The pair of lid plates 1030, which extend from the front and rear surfaces 1027 of the tissue carton 10, are initially folded inward. Then, adhesive 1033 is applied to the lid plates 1031, which extend from the top and bottom surfaces 1012 of the tissue carton 10. These lid plates 1031 are then folded, joining the four lid plates 1030 and 1031 to each other on the left and right sides, thereby sealing the left and right surfaces 1029 of the tissue carton 10.

The packing unit 1022 comprises two packaging machines (not shown). Each packaging machine sequentially removes five tissue cartons 10 from the group of tissue cartons accumulated downstream in the conveying direction, starting from the leading end that is in contact with the stopper, and then packages them with a packaging material (e.g., transparent resin film) 1013.

The tissue cartons 10, packaged in the packing section 1022 in this manner, are then placed in predetermined packs in cardboard boxes (not shown) and transported to their respective consumption locations.

<Removal using a means for removing from the storage compartment of a folded household tissue paper storage box>
Figure 7 shows a processing line in which multiple carton removal and supply devices 201 are arranged in a row on a conveying device 205 that transports folded tissue cartons 10. Tissue cartons 10 (for example, those with different colorings) are sequentially removed from each carton removal and supply device 201, arranged in a predetermined order, and transported by the conveying device 205.

As shown in Figure 8, the carton dispensing and feeding device 201 comprises a carton storage section (also simply called a storage section) 202 for accommodating folded tissue cartons 10, and a drive suction section 203 having an elastically deformable suction cup 211 at its tip for sucking (or adsorbing) the tissue cartons 10 contained in the carton storage section 202.

The carton storage section 202 stores folded tissue cartons 10 in a stacked configuration, with a tissue carton removal section (removal means) 202t at the bottom. A stopper 202s is provided at the removal section 202t to lock and hold the tissue cartons 10. Therefore, the stacked tissue cartons 10 are stored within the carton storage section 202 without falling from below, thanks to the stopper 202s. As described later, the tissue cartons 10 positioned at the frontmost, i.e., bottommost, surface of the removal section 202t of the carton storage section 202 are sucked into the suction cup 211 and removed one by one from the carton storage section 202.

The drive suction unit 203 is positioned below the carton storage unit 202 and includes a drive shaft 204 configured to advance toward the removal section 202t of the carton storage unit 202 and retract toward the removal section 202t. A suction cup 211 is provided at the tip of the drive shaft 204 for sucking the tissue carton 10 from the carton storage unit 202 and removing it from the unit. In the embodiment shown in Figure 8, the drive suction unit 203 repeatedly moves up and down to remove the tissue carton 10.

The suction cup 211 comprises a suction cup holding body with a suction hole formed therein for suctioning its interior, and a suction cup 213 connected to the outer circumference of the suction cup holding body, which elastically deforms to suction the tissue carton 10. The suction cup 211 is preferably made of an elastic material containing nitrile rubber. The suction cup 211 has a long, oval shape with different lengths in one direction (first direction) and a direction perpendicular to that first direction (second direction). However, this invention is not limited to these shapes; it may also be circular, elliptical, or have other shapes.

In the carton removal and supply device 201 of the present invention, tissue cartons 10 as described above are stacked and stored in a folded state. As described below, they are removed from the removal section 202t and supplied to the conveying device 205.

Next, the carton removal and supply process in the processing line will be described. As shown in Figure 7, multiple (five in Figure 7) carton removal and supply devices 201 of the present invention are arranged on a conveying device 205 that transports tissue cartons 10. As shown in Figure 8, each carton removal and supply device 201 contains stacks of folded tissue cartons 10. Each carton removal and supply device 201 contains tissue cartons 10 (for example, decorated with different colors). Then, as shown in Figure 8, the drive suction unit 203 moves forward in a direction approaching the removal unit 202t of the carton storage unit 202, and sucks up the frontmost tissue carton 10 with the suction cup 211.

Figure 9 shows the suction of the frontmost tissue carton 10 by the suction cup 211. The drive suction unit 203 advances (rises) to the vicinity of the frontmost (bottommost) tissue carton 10 and presses the suction cup 211 against the tissue carton 10. Figure 10 shows the position where the suction cup 211 is pressed against the tissue carton 10 as seen from below. The top surface 11 of the tissue carton 10 has a slit CL formed in the central region, and this top surface is housed in the carton storage unit 202 as a suction surface. The drive suction unit 203 has two suction cups 211 positioned so that the folded tissue carton 10 is sucked at two points separated in the longitudinal direction.

Returning to Figure 10, when the suction cup 211 is pressed against the tissue carton 10, the suction cup 213 sucks air from the suction hole in the suction cup holding body of the suction cup 211, thereby causing the tissue carton 10 to be sucked by the suction cup 213. In other words, the tissue carton 10 has a slit CL formed in the central region of the suction surface that is sucked by the suction cup 211, and the suction cup 211 sucks the top surface 11 of the tissue carton 10 including the slit CL. Then, as shown in Figure 8, as the drive suction unit 203 retracts (descends), the frontmost tissue carton 10 is released from the stopper 202s of the carton storage unit 202, and one tissue carton 10 is removed from the carton storage unit 202. The two suction cups 211 are connected by a connecting arm 250 to prevent misalignment of suction position and timing.

Then, by stopping the suction of air from the suction hole into the suction cup 213, the tissue carton 10 detaches from the suction cup 211. As shown in Figure 7, tissue cartons 10 (for example, of different colors) are then removed from the α, β, γ, δ, and ε carton dispensing and supplying devices 201 onto the conveying device 205, and sets of five tissue cartons 10 (for example, five different colors) are conveyed by the conveying device 205.

The tissue carton 10, placed on the conveying device 205, is rotated so that its top surface 11 faces upwards and transported to the upstream side of the conveying conveyor 1038 in the upper right of Figure 6. At the tissue bundle insertion section 1017, a tissue bundle is inserted into the tissue carton 10. In this invention, the suction area of the tissue carton 10 may be on the bottom surface 13 side, and the suction cup of the removal means 202t may suction the suction area of the bottom surface 13 and place it on the conveying device 205. In this case, the tissue carton 10 can be transported to the upstream side of the conveying conveyor 1038 in the upper right of Figure 6 without rotation.

Based on the above, the manufacturing method for the household tissue paper storage box 10 according to the present invention comprises a storage section 202 described later that stores a plurality of rectangular parallelepiped-shaped household tissue paper storage boxes 10 in a folded state, in which household tissue paper P is stored in a pop-up manner, and a removal means 202t described later that adsorbs to the longitudinal central region of the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 stored in the storage section and removes the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 from the storage section, and after the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 is removed from the storage section 202 by the removal means 202t, the household tissue paper storage box 10 is made upright and household tissue paper P is stored inside the household tissue paper storage box 10, and the manufacturing method for the household tissue paper storage box 10 comprises a top surface 11 with its longitudinal The household tissue paper storage box 10 has two wing-like sections 161 and 162, which are adjacent to each other and cut open in opposite directions in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction, and then folded in a valley fold to form an opening 16o for dispensing household tissue paper P in the longitudinal central region of the top surface 11 of the household tissue paper storage box 10. A common slit CL2 is located between the two wing-like sections 161 and 162, connecting one end C1 and C2 of the base of the two wing-like sections 161 and 162. This slit is offset to one side in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal center position O of the top surface 11 of the household tissue paper storage box 10. When the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 is removed from the storage section 202 by the dispensing means 202t, the position of the common slit CL2 of the household tissue paper storage box 10 is shifted to one side in the longitudinal direction from the suction area of the household tissue paper storage box 10.

With this configuration, when the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 is removed from the storage section by the removal means 202t, the position of the common cut CL2 of the household tissue paper storage box 10 is shifted to one side in the longitudinal direction from the suction area of the household tissue paper storage box 10. Therefore, damage to the common cut CL2 when removing the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 from the storage section 202 can be suppressed.

Conventionally, a rectangular prism-shaped storage box for household tissues such as tissue paper, hand towels, and kitchen towels, which can be stored in a pop-up manner, is known. In this box, a plastic film is attached to the underside of the top surface to cover the opening formed on the top surface, and a slit is formed in this plastic film along the longitudinal direction of the top surface, allowing the household tissues to be dispensed in a pop-up manner through this slit.

Furthermore, in this type of rectangular-prism-shaped household tissue storage box, there are also known so-called film-less structures that do not require a plastic film to seal the opening, for cost reduction and environmental reasons. For example, in the rectangular-prism-shaped household tissue storage box disclosed in Patent Document 1, two wing-shaped sections aligned longitudinally on the top surface are cut open in opposite directions in the width direction to form an opening for dispensing the household tissue inside, through which the tissue can be removed.

However, in conventional film-less tissue paper storage boxes like the one described in Patent Document 1, a common slit is provided between the two flaps, connecting one end of the base of each flap, passing through the longitudinal center of the top surface of the box. This slit obstructs the removal of tissue paper, making it difficult to take out the paper, as fingers may hit the flaps when trying to grasp the tissue paper by its longitudinal center.

Furthermore, in the manufacture of this type of household tissue paper storage box, a manufacturing apparatus for household tissue paper storage boxes has a storage section for storing multiple folded household tissue paper storage boxes, and a removal means that attaches to the longitudinal central region of the folded household tissue paper storage boxes stored in the storage section and removes the folded household tissue paper storage boxes from the storage section. However, after removing the folded household tissue paper storage boxes from the storage section using the removal means, the boxes are raised and household tissue paper is stored inside. However, when removing the folded household tissue paper storage boxes from the storage section, the common cut point of the household tissue paper storage boxes lies in the area of attachment of the boxes, and the attachment of the boxes causes damage to the common cut point.

In this embodiment, particularly when removing the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 from the storage section 202, as shown in Figure 10, the position of the common slit CL2 of the household tissue paper storage box 10 is not only shifted to one side in the longitudinal direction from the suction area of the household tissue paper storage box 10, but the position of the slit CL and the position of the suction area of the household tissue paper storage box 10 are set so that the slit CL does not interfere with the suction area of the household tissue paper storage box 10. This further reduces damage to the common slit CL2 when removing the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 from the storage section 202.

In this embodiment, two suction cups 211 are provided. However, when the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 is removed from the storage section 202, the position of the common cut CL2 of the household tissue paper storage box 10 is shifted to one side in the longitudinal direction from the suction area of the household tissue paper storage box 10. Therefore, one or more suction cups 211 may be provided. For example, if the position of the common cut CL2 of the household tissue paper storage box 10 is shifted to one side in the longitudinal direction from the suction area of the household tissue paper storage box 10 when the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 is removed from the storage section 202, then only one suction cup 211 may be provided, and the longitudinal center position of the suction area formed by the suction cup 211 may be located at the longitudinal center position O of the household tissue paper storage box 10.

As described above, according to this embodiment, the common slit CL2, located between the two wing portions 161 and 162 and connecting the ends C1 and C2 of the bases of the two wing portions 161 and 162, is offset to one side in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal center position O of the top surface 11 of the box. This makes it easier to grasp the longitudinal center of the household tissue paper P when removing it, thereby improving the ease of removing the household tissue paper P. Furthermore, damage to the common slit CL2 when removing the folded household tissue paper storage box 10 from the storage section 202 can be suppressed.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, when household tissue paper P is not in use, closing the first wing portion 161 and the second wing portion 162 to seal the outlet 16o prevents the entry of dirt and dust from the outlet 16o, thus keeping the household tissue paper P inside hygienic.

The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above or the modifications mentioned throughout, and can be appropriately modified or altered without departing from the technical spirit of the invention.

10 Household tissue paper storage box 10B Blank sheet for household tissue paper storage box 11 Top surface 12, 14 First side surface 13 Bottom surface 21, 22 Second side surface 121, 122, 141, 142 Inner flap 111, 112 Upper flap 131, 132 Lower flap 16 Lid 16o Outlet 161 First wing 162 Second wing 202 Storage section 202t Removal means C1, C2 One end CL Cut CL1 to CL3 First to third cuts FL1 First fold line FL2 Second fold line O Center position in longitudinal direction P Household tissue paper

Claims (3)

A household tissue paper storage box having a rectangular parallelepiped shape in which household tissue paper is stored in a pop-up manner, having two wing-shaped parts on the top surface adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction and cut open in opposite directions in the width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction and valley-folded to form an opening for dispensing household tissue paper in the longitudinal central region of the top surface of the household tissue paper storage box, and a common straight cut located between the two wing-shaped parts and connecting one end of the base of the two wing-shaped parts is offset to one side in the longitudinal direction from the longitudinal center position of the top surface of the household tissue paper storage box. The household tissue paper storage box according to claim 1, characterized in that the deviation of the common cut is 10 mm or more and 30 mm or less. A method for manufacturing a household tissue paper storage box, comprising: a storage section for storing multiple folded rectangular tissue paper storage boxes in which household tissue paper is stored in a pop-up manner; and a removal means for adsorbing onto the longitudinal central region of the folded household tissue paper storage boxes stored in the storage section and removing the folded household tissue paper storage boxes from the storage section, wherein after the folded household tissue paper storage boxes are removed from the storage section by the removal means, the household tissue paper storage boxes are raised and household tissue paper is stored inside the household tissue paper storage boxes, wherein the household tissue paper storage boxes are provided adjacent to each other in the longitudinal direction on their top surface A method for manufacturing a household tissue paper storage box, characterized by having two wing-shaped portions that are cut open in opposite directions in the width direction and folded in a valley fold to form an opening for dispensing the household tissue paper in the longitudinal central region of the top surface of the household tissue paper storage box; a common cut located between the two wing-shaped portions and connecting one end of the base of the two wing-shaped portions being offset longitudinally to one side from the longitudinal center of the top surface of the household tissue paper storage box; and when the folded household tissue paper storage box is removed from the storage area by the dispensing means, the position of the common cut of the household tissue paper storage box is shifted longitudinally to one side from the suction area of the household tissue paper storage box.