JP7612135B2 - Automatic shipping box sealing system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an automatic shipping box sealing system.

In the sorting line of goods in a warehouse of a logistics center or a mail-order business, a logistics management system (WMS) based on a huge amount of inbound/outbound and inventory information, etc., collected by a computer, is introduced. In the sorting line, first, goods ordered by a customer are picked from a warehouse or a shelf, and stored together with a delivery note in a shipping box such as a cardboard box with inner and outer flaps open, which is selected according to the size of the goods. Then, shipping boxes of various sizes containing the goods and the delivery note are fed by a conveyor line into an automatic shipping box sealing system, where a pair of inner flaps is folded, a pair of outer flaps is folded, packaging tape (adhesive tape) is applied to the butted parts of the outer flaps to seal the boxes, and a waybill is automatically issued and attached to the shipping box by a waybill issuing/applying machine (labeler).

Patent No. 6682737 Patent No. 4945825

However, in conventional automatic shipping box sealing systems, the length, width, and height of shipping boxes are not measured. Instead, a special machine such as a measuring boy that measures the three sides of a shipping box after automatic sealing is installed on the sealing machine to calculate the total of the length, width, and height of the shipping boxes, and the shipping boxes are then sorted by size. The shipping boxes, with various sizes of waybills attached, are then loaded onto a delivery truck for delivery.

When shipping boxes of various sizes with waybills attached are loaded onto a delivery truck for delivery, in order to increase the volumetric efficiency of the loading platform, the length, width, and height of each shipping box are measured and the sizes are recorded on the waybill. The boxes are then loaded with the same dimensions, which makes it easier and less labor-intensive to load cargo onto the delivery truck and increases the efficiency of the cargo space.

The present invention was devised in consideration of the problems with the conventional technology, and aims to provide an automatic shipping box sealing system that can contribute to facilitating and reducing the labor required for loading cargo onto delivery trucks and increasing the efficiency of cargo space by detecting the height of a shipping box in the sealing machine without the need for a dedicated machine such as a measuring boy that is retrofitted to the sealing machine to measure three sides.

In order to solve the above problems, the automatic shipping box sealing system according to the first aspect of the present invention includes a conveyor that conveys a shipping box in a box shape with four flaps for upper lids standing up and containing products, a centering mechanism that aligns the width center of the shipping box being transported by the conveyor with the line center of the conveyor, an inner flap folding mechanism that corresponds to the centering mechanism and is provided above the conveyor and folds inner flaps for the front and rear upper lids, an outer flap folding and sealing tape application mechanism that is provided above the conveyor alongside the downstream side of the inner flap folding mechanism in the conveyor transport direction and folds the pair of outer flaps for the upper lids over the inner flap for the upper lid that was previously folded, and further applies sealing tape to seal the gap between the closed edges of the pair of outer flaps to seal the outer flaps so that they do not open, and a control unit that controls each of the above components.
The inner flap folding mechanism is provided with a box height measuring means,
The box height measuring means is
The inner flap folding mechanism has a front inner flap folding lever that descends at a predetermined timing and folds the inner flap for the front top cover of the shipping box, and the control unit calculates the downward stroke at the time the inner flap is folded as the height to the top surface of the folded inner flap of the shipping box, and further calculates a value including the thickness of the outer flap and outputs the result as the height of the shipping box.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic shipping box sealing system, in addition to the configuration of the first aspect, wherein the inner flap folding mechanism includes a first lift frame that is liftable above the upstream portion of the conveyor and that swingably holds the front inner flap folding lever, and a second servo motor that is a drive source for lifting and lowering the first lift frame;
the second servo motor is configured to lower the first lifting frame at a timing when an inner flap for a front top cover of the shipping box conveyed by the conveyor is positioned below the front inner flap folding lever, to stop the lowering of the first lifting frame when the front inner flap folding lever becomes horizontal, and to return to the up position after the shipping box has passed;
The box height measuring means is
The control unit has a first sensor that detects the point in time when the front part of the shipping box in the conveying direction passes a required position in order to detect the timing when the first lifting frame starts to descend, and a second sensor that detects the point in time when the front inner flap folding lever becomes horizontal in order to detect the timing when the first lifting frame stops descending, and the control unit inputs the detection signals of the first sensor and the second sensor and calculates the descent stroke based on the number of rotations of the second servo motor from when the first lifting frame starts to descend until it stops descending, and is further configured to calculate the height to the top surface of the folded inner flap of the shipping box as the value obtained by subtracting the descent stroke from the height from the conveying surface of the conveyor to the upper waiting position of the first lifting frame.

A third aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic shipping box sealing system, and in addition to the configuration of the first or second aspect, the centering mechanism includes a pair of guide bars that are long in the conveying direction and are arranged to be able to approach each other from both sides of the upstream portion of the upper surface of the conveyor, and a guide bar moving means that moves the pair of guide bars toward each other and abuts against both side portions of the shipping box when the shipping box is conveyed, thereby aligning the shipping box with the conveying line and guiding the shipping box in the conveying direction, and the centering mechanism is provided with a box width measuring means that detects the width dimension of the shipping box,
The box width measuring means is
The control unit is configured to include a travel distance sensor that outputs pulses corresponding to the distance traveled by the pair of guide bars when the pair of guide bars move toward each other, and the control unit inputs the pulses output by the travel distance sensor, starts counting the pulses output by the travel distance sensor from the point when the pair of guide bars start to move toward each other from the waiting positions on both sides of the conveyor or when they pass through the origin positions on both sides, and stops counting when the pair of guide bars abut against the side portions on both sides of the shipping box, calculates the approaching movement distance of the pair of guide bars based on the number of counted pulses, subtracts the approaching movement distance from a specified distance between the waiting positions or the origin positions of the pair of guide bars, and outputs the calculated value as the width dimension of the shipping box.

A fourth aspect of the automatic shipping box sealing system of the present invention has the configuration of any one of the first to third aspects above, and in addition, the guide bar moving means has a roller chain winding mechanism that is long and installed horizontally perpendicular to the conveyor, an air cylinder device that causes the roller chain winding mechanism to travel a fixed distance back and forth, and a travel distance sensor that outputs a pulse each time the connecting pin of the roller chain winding mechanism passes, and the pair of guide bars are distributed and connected to the upper and lower running portions of the roller chain winding mechanism so that the pair of guide bars move toward and away from each other, and the air cylinder device is configured to stop stroking when the pair of guide bars abut against both side surfaces of the shipping box.

A fifth aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic shipping box sealing system according to the fourth aspect, in addition to the configuration of the above-mentioned system, wherein the travel distance sensor has one end which is fixed and the other end which has a light emitting element and a light receiving element which face each other, the fixed part being supported at a required position on either the upper running part or the lower running part of the roller chain of the roller chain winding mechanism, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element are adapted to count the number of passes of connecting pins on the other of the upper running part or the lower running part of the roller chain of the roller chain winding mechanism and output the number of pulses;
The control unit is configured to calculate an approaching movement distance of the pair of guide bars based on the counted number of pulses.

A sixth aspect of the present invention relates to an automatic shipping box sealing system, in addition to the configuration of any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein the conveyor has a pair of endless wrapping running bodies that run together and are spaced apart so as to place both sides of the bottom surface of the shipping box on the conveyor, and a plurality of pairs of pressing claws that are provided at the same phase position of each of the endless wrapping running bodies and push the rear surface of the shipping box from the rear,
The conveyor is provided with a box length measuring means,
The box length measuring means is
a third sensor (such as a photoelectric sensor or an illuminance sensor) that is disposed at a required forward position in the conveying direction from the shipping box placed on the conveyor and having its rear surface pushed by the pressing claw, between the pair of endless wrapping traveling bodies and below the conveyor conveying surface, and detects the time when the front side surface of the shipping box passes directly above it and outputs a signal; an origin sensor that is disposed at a required forward position in the conveying direction from the third sensor, and detects the time when the pressing claw passes by and outputs a signal; and a device (such as a Varicam) that outputs a pulse proportional to the number of rotations of one of the pulleys of the conveyor during the period from the time when the signal output by the origin sensor is input to the time when the signal output by the third sensor is input, the control unit inputs pulses output by a device (such as a Varicam) that outputs pulses proportional to the number of rotations of one of the pulleys of the conveyor, calculates the distance E that the pressing claw will move based on the count number, and subtracts the calculated distance that the pressing claw will move from the predetermined distance from the third sensor to the pressing claw at the time when the origin sensor outputs a signal, to output the length dimension of the shipping box.

According to the present invention, an automatic shipping box sealing system can be provided that can contribute to facilitating and reducing the labor required for loading cargo onto delivery trucks and increasing the efficiency of cargo space by detecting the height of a shipping box in the sealing machine without the need for a dedicated machine such as a measuring boy that measures three sides and is retrofitted to the sealing machine.

1 is an overall front view of an automatic shipping box sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a shipping box that is a target of the shipping box automatic sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a shipping box that is a target of the shipping box automatic sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a shipping box that is a target of the shipping box automatic sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a shipping box that is a target of the shipping box automatic sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram of a shipping box that is a target of the shipping box automatic sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 2 is a flow diagram of an automatic shipping box sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. 1 is a front view of an inner flap folding mechanism of an automatic box sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which the front inner flap is folded by a front inner flap folding lever. 1 is a front view of an inner flap folding mechanism of an automatic box sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a rear inner flap is folded by a rear inner flap folding swing lever. 1 is a diagram showing the height to the top surface of the folded inner flaps of a shipping box in the inner flap folding mechanism of the automatic box sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. FIG. 5A is a plan view of a box width measuring means and a box width measuring unit incorporated in the automatic box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5B is an elevational view of the box width measuring means and box width measuring unit incorporated in the automatic box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention, as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor. 4 is an operational process diagram showing a box length measuring means incorporated in the automatic box sealing system according to the embodiment of the present invention. FIG.

Hereinafter, an automatic shipping box sealing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Basic configuration]
Here, the basic configuration refers to a configuration other than the characteristic configuration described below, i.e., a configuration other than the box length measuring means, box width measuring means, and box height measuring means which respectively measure the length, width, and height of the shipping box 1.

As shown in FIG. 1, an automatic shipping box sealing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes an automatic shipping box sealing unit 100a, an infeed conveyor 100b arranged upstream of the automatic shipping box sealing unit 100a, and a waybill issuing and attaching unit 100c arranged downstream of the automatic shipping box sealing unit 100a.

As shown in Figures 2A-C, the item to be handled by the automatic shipping box sealing system 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention is a box-shaped item (a box shape in a rectangular space) in which four flaps hanging down from a square tube portion 2 made up of four side portions are closed, and as shown in Figures 2D and E, it is a shipping box 1 which has a variety of different heights, widths, and lengths, and in particular has four flaps (a pair of inner flaps 3, 4 and a pair of outer flaps 5, 6) extending from the square tube portion 2, and contains product G and a delivery note J.

1, the automatic shipping box sealing system 100 feeds in one after another, from an infeed conveyor 100b, shipping boxes 1 of various different heights, widths, and lengths containing products G and delivery notes J, as shown in FIGS. 2A, 2D, and 2E. In the automatic shipping box sealing section 100a, as shown in FIG. 2B, a pair of inner flaps 3 , 4 of the shipping box 1 are folded inward, and then, as shown in FIG. 2C, a pair of outer flaps 5, 6 are folded inward, and further, as shown in FIG. 2D, a packing tape (adhesive tape) T is applied to seal the gap g between the closed edges of the outer flaps 5, 6, and then an invoice I is attached to the shipping box 1.

[Regarding the feed conveyor 100b]
The infeed conveyor 100b can be, for example, a roller conveyor, and a shipping box 1 containing products G of various different heights, widths, and lengths and a delivery note J is placed on the upstream half of the conveyor transport surface. When the shipping box 1 is transported to the downstream half of the conveyor transport surface, the product ID of the delivery note J scanned by the first scanner 73 is sent to and stored in the control unit 60. The infeed conveyor 100b has a shipping box 1 of various different heights, widths, and lengths at its upstream end, with four flaps 3-6 standing up, and when a shipping box 1 containing products G and a delivery note J is placed on it, it is sent to the automatic shipping box sealing unit 100a.

[Regarding the automatic shipping box sealing unit 100a]
The automatic shipping box sealing section 100a comprises a conveyor 10 for transporting the shipping boxes 1, a first delivery belt conveyor 71 for transporting the shipping boxes 1 by connecting the conveyor 10 with an infeed conveyor 100b on the upstream side of the conveyor 10, a second delivery belt conveyor 72 for transporting the shipping boxes 1 by connecting the conveyor 10 with an outfeed conveyor 51 on the downstream side of the conveyor 10, a centering mechanism 20 for aligning the width center of the shipping box 1 with the center of the conveyor 10, and an inner frame for a front top cover that is provided above the conveyor 10 in correspondence with the centering mechanism 20. and an outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism 40 which is arranged above the conveyor 10, next to the downstream side of the inner flap folding mechanism 30 in the conveyor transport direction, and which folds a pair of outer flaps 5, 6 for the upper lid horizontally so as to overlap the inner flap 3 for the upper lid, and further applies sealing tape T to seal the gap g between the closed edges of the outer flaps 5, 6 to prevent the outer flaps 5, 6 from opening. The control unit 60 controls each of the above components.

[Regarding the conveyor 10]
As shown in Figure 5A, the conveyor 10 is configured to include a pair of endless wrapping running bodies 11, 11 that are arranged in a pair and run together so as to be separated by the required distance K in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction, on which both sides of the bottom of the shipping box 1 are placed and which transport the shipping box 1, multiple pairs of pressing claws 12 that are arranged at the same phase position of each endless wrapping running body 11 and push against the rear portion of the shipping box 1, and a first servo motor 10b that drives the pair of endless wrapping running bodies 11, 11 to run.

[Regarding the centering mechanism 20]
Fig. 5A is a schematic plan view of the centering mechanism 20, and Fig. 5B is an elevational view of the centering mechanism 20 as viewed from a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor 10. The centering mechanism 20 is incorporated so as to intersect the conveyor 10 three-dimensionally.

A centering mechanism 20, which operates before the inner flap folding mechanism 30, is provided for two reasons: the shipping box 1 is not placed on the conveyor 10 so that the center of the width of the shipping box 1 coincides with the center between a pair of endless wrapping runners 11, 11 of the conveyor 10; and if the left and right side portions of the shipping box 1 are not pressed when folding the front and rear inner flaps 3, 4 of the shipping box 1, the orientation of the shipping box 1 will change, and sometimes the inner flaps 3, 4 cannot be folded by the inner flap folding mechanism 30 .

The centering mechanism 20 has a pair of guide bars 21 a and 21 b , a guide bar guiding means 22 , and a guide bar moving means 23 .

The pair of guide bars 21a, 21b are provided slightly above the conveying surface of the conveyor 10 and corresponding to the upstream portion of the conveying surface, and are long in the conveying direction.

The guide bar guiding means 22 has a pair of horizontal guides 22a, 22b that are elongated in a perpendicular direction at a lower position and supported at both ends relative to the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b, and a pair of sliders 22c, 22d that engage with each of the pair of horizontal guides 22a, 22b, and the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b are supported by the pair of sliders 22c, 22c or 22d, 22d, allowing them to move in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor 10.

The guide bar moving means 23 has a roller chain winding mechanism 24 that is long and installed horizontally perpendicular to the conveyor 10, and an air cylinder device 25 that moves the roller chain winding mechanism 24 back and forth a fixed distance, and moves the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b toward and away from each other by aligning the center of the space between the pair of endless winding running bodies 11, 11 with the center of the space between the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b on both sides of the conveyor 10.

The roller chain winding mechanism 24 includes, for example, a pair of sprockets 24a, 24b spaced apart in the horizontal direction, and an endless roller chain 24c wound around the sprockets 24a, 24b.

The lower end of the connecting bracket 27a is connected to the connecting pin 24f of the lower running portion 24e of the endless roller chain 24c, and its upper end is connected to the longitudinal center portion of the guide bar 21a, and the lower end of the connecting bracket 27b is connected to the connecting pin 24f of the upper running portion 24d of the endless roller chain 24c, and its upper end is connected to the longitudinal center portion of the guide bar 21b. Therefore, the lower running portion 24e and the upper running portion 24d of the endless roller chain 24c run in opposite directions, so that they approach and move apart as the endless roller chain 24c runs.

A connecting head 25a provided at the tip of the piston head of the air cylinder device 25 is pin-connected to a required position of the lower running portion 24e of the endless roller chain 24c, and the cylinder base is pin-connected to the frame. When the piston of the air cylinder device 25 extends, the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b approach each other, and when the piston of the air cylinder device 25 contracts, the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b move away from each other.

In the centering mechanism 20, when the shipping box 1 is conveyed onto the upstream portion of the conveyor 10 and positioned between the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b, the piston of the air cylinder device 25 is extended, moving the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b closer to each other. The timing at which the piston of the air cylinder device 25 is extended is based on a detection signal from a sensor (not shown) that is adjustable to a position lower than the conveying surface of the conveyor 10 shown in FIG. 1 and is provided upstream in the conveying direction from the first sensor 35 and detects the front portion of the shipping box 1.

The air cylinder device 25 can supply compressed air from an air compressor (not shown) to an air inlet/outlet port at the base of the cylinder and an air inlet/outlet port at the base of the head via an electromagnetic four-way valve 25b in a switchable manner. The timing at which the piston of the air cylinder device 25 extends and the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b strongly press both side portions of the shipping box 1 is detected by, for example, pressure sensors (or touch sensors) 29a, 29b attached to the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b, and the open state of the electromagnetic four-way valve 25b is made neutral to stop the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b from moving closer to each other any further. If necessary, the open state of the electromagnetic four-way valve 25b is switched and controlled so that the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b are spaced apart by 2 to 3 mm.

In addition, the piston of the air cylinder device 25 contracts when the shipping box 1 passes between the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b, thereby moving the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b away from each other.

The centering mechanism 20 is controlled by a control unit 60 .

[Regarding the inner flap folding mechanism 30]
The inner flap folding mechanism 30 has a lever 31 for folding the front inner flap, a swing lever 32 for folding the rear inner flap, and a first lifting frame 34 that supports the lever 31 for folding the front inner flap and the swing lever 32 for folding the rear inner flap and is raised and lowered by a second servo motor 33.

The inner flap folding mechanism 30 corresponds to the centering mechanism 20 and waits above the conveyor 10, descending at a predetermined timing so that the front inner flap folding lever 31 horizontally folds the inner flap 3 for the front top cover, and the rear inner flap folding swing lever 32 swings down to horizontally fold the inner flap 4 for the rear top cover.

The timing of lowering the first lift frame 34 is based on a detection signal from the first sensor 35 and is adjustable to a position lower than the conveying surface of the conveyor 10 shown in FIG.

The front inner flap folding lever 31 supported by the first lifting frame 34 is lowered from an upper position when the inner flap 3 for the front top cover of the shipping box 1 transported by the conveyor 10 reaches the required position, abutting against the front portion of the inner flap 3 in the transport direction and folding the inner flap 3 to a horizontal state, while rotating itself until it becomes horizontal due to the reaction force it receives from the inner flap 3, thereby folding the inner flap 3 for the front top cover of the shipping box 1 horizontally inward.

The front inner flap folding lever 31 has a middle portion supported by the first lifting frame 34 via a magnet cylinder 31a. When the piston is in the fully extended state, the magnet cylinder 31a supports the front inner flap folding lever 31 in a hanging state so that the magnet is not powered and the lever's lower end is located slightly forward in the conveying direction from a vertical line passing through the rotation center, so that the front inner flap folding lever 31 smoothly rises up, and when the front inner flap folding lever 31 becomes horizontal, the magnet is powered and the front inner flap folding lever 31 is held horizontal.

The front inner flap folding lever 31 has a rotating arm 31b that is integral with the front inner flap folding lever 31 and extends to the opposite side, and has a cam 31c at the upper end of the rotating arm 31b. When the front inner flap folding lever 31 rotates to be raised, the tip of the cam 31c in the rotation direction is detected by the second sensor 36 just before the front inner flap folding lever 31 is raised horizontally, and when the front inner flap folding lever 31 is further raised horizontally, the rear end of the cam 31c in the rotation direction is detected by the second sensor 36. Based on a sensor signal detecting the tip of the cam 31c in the rotation direction, the second servo motor 33 goes into a rotation mode in which it gradually decelerates, and based on a sensor signal detecting the rear end of the cam 31c in the rotation direction, the second servo motor 33 stops driving and rotating.

The rear inner flap folding swing lever 32 has a bar-shaped portion 32a that extends horizontally in a cantilever manner further upstream in the conveying direction than the upstream end of the first lifting frame 34, a boss portion 32b at one end of the bar-shaped portion 32a is journaled on the first lifting frame 34, and a striker panel 32c is provided at the other end of the bar-shaped portion 32a. The boss portion 32b is adapted to be rotated by an air cylinder device 32d.

The swing lever 32 for folding the rear inner flap rotates downward from the horizontal state as the air cylinder device 32d extends just before the lever 31 for folding the front inner flap is raised horizontally, and when the air cylinder device 32d extends, the striker panel 32c folds the inner flap 4 for the rear top cover horizontally, and when the air cylinder device 32d contracts, the swing lever 32 rotates back to its original horizontal state.

The inner flap folding mechanism 30 has an inner flap presser 38 that extends downstream in the conveying direction from the lower end of the hanging portion 34a of the first lifting frame 34. The inner flap presser 38 enters between a pair of outer flap folding guides 41 (described later) and serves to transfer the folded state of the inner flaps 3 and 4 to the pair of outer flap folding guides 41.

The inner flap folding mechanism 30 is controlled by the control unit 60 .

[Regarding the outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism 40]
The outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism 40 has a pair of outer flap folding guides 41, a sealing tape application mechanism 42, and a second lifting frame 44 that supports the pair of outer flap folding guides 41 and the sealing tape application mechanism 42 and is raised and lowered by a third servo motor 43.

A pair of outer flap folding guides 41
The outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism 40 waits adjacent to the downstream side of the inner flap folding mechanism 30 in the conveying direction above the conveyor 10, and lowers the second lifting frame 44 at a predetermined timing approximately simultaneously with the inner flap folding mechanism 30, sandwiching the pair of outer flaps 5, 6 for the upper lid between the protruding parts (upstream parts in the conveyor conveying direction) of the pair of outer flap folding guides 41, narrowing the sandwiching gap while guiding them downward, horizontally folding the pair of outer flaps 5, 6 for the upper lid so that they overlap the pair of inner flaps 3 for the upper lid that were previously folded, and further, when the shipping box 1 with the pair of outer flaps 5, 6 for the upper lid folded passes below, the reel-shaped sealing tape T is paid out to the bottom of the sealing tape application mechanism 42 including the roll 42a, the contact guide 42b, and the tape pressing roll 42c, and the sealing tape T is applied so as to seal the gap g between the closed edges of the pair of outer flaps 5, 6 for the upper lid so as to cover the gap g.

The outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism 40 includes a case in which both ends of the packing tape T are applied to the front and rear surfaces of the shipping box 1 by, for example, 30-50 mm, as shown in Figure 2D, and a case in which both ends of the packing tape T are applied to the front and rear surfaces of the shipping box 1 and further to the bottom surface of the shipping box 1 by, for example, 20-30 mm, as shown in Figure 2E.

After completing application of the sealing tape T, the outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism 40 returns to its upward position.

The outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism 40 is controlled by a control unit 60 .

[Regarding the waybill issuing and attaching unit 100c]
As shown in Figures 1, 2D, and 3, the waybill issuing/affixing unit 100c has an output conveyor 51, which can be, for example, a roller conveyor, and is equipped with a waybill issuing/affixing machine (labeler) 50 that automatically issues a waybill in the middle of the conveyor transport surface and affixes it to the shipping box 1. When the shipping box 1 that has completed automatic sealing is transported to the middle of the conveyor transport surface, a waybill is issued by the labeler 50 and affixed to the top surface of the shipping box 1. Next, when the shipping box 1 is transported to the downstream part of the conveyor transport surface, the waybill is scanned by the first scanner 73, and the scanned waybill ID is sent to the control unit 60, stored, and matched with the product ID.

The control unit 60 controls the waybill issuing and attaching unit 100c.

[Characteristic Configuration]
The automatic shipping box sealing system 100 has as its characteristic configuration, in operational order, a box width measuring means attached to the centering mechanism 20, a box height measuring means attached to the inner flap folding mechanism 30, and a box length measuring means attached to the conveyor 10.

[Box width measurement means; Figure 5]
As already described, the centering mechanism 20 is configured such that a pair of guide bars 21a, 21b are supported by the upper running portion 24d and the lower running portion 24e of the roller chain winding mechanism 24 that constitutes the guide bar moving means 23, so that the guide bars approach each other from both sides of the conveyor 10 and stop in contact with the shipping box 1, guiding the shipping box 1 so that the center of its width is aligned with the center of its width of the conveyor 10.

The centering mechanism 20 has a travel distance sensor 26 that outputs a pulse every time the connecting pin 24f of the roller chain winding mechanism 24 passes in order to detect the box width.

The travel distance sensor 26 is supported at the required position on the lower running portion 24e of the endless roller chain 24c of the roller chain winding mechanism 24 by the lower end of the sensor support bracket 27c, and is arranged vertically so that the bifurcated opposing surface portion at the upper end of the sensor support bracket 27c sandwiches the upper running portion 24d of the endless roller chain 24c, and has a light-emitting element 28a and a light-receiving element 28b facing each other on the bifurcated opposing surface portion.

The travel distance sensor 26, using a light-emitting element 28a and a light-receiving element 28b in cooperation with each other, counts the number of passes of the connecting pin 24f of the upper running portion 24d of the endless roller chain 24c of the roller chain winding mechanism 24 and outputs the number of pulses.

Therefore, when the endless roller chain 24c moves, for example, 5 times the pitch dimension of the connecting pins 24f, the travel distance sensor 26 attached to the lower running portion 24e moves the same distance in the same direction as the endless roller chain 24c, and counts the number of passing connecting pins 24f of the upper running portion 24d that move in the opposite direction, so that it counts 10 connecting pins 24f, and outputs a pulse every time the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b moves 3 mm if the pitch dimension of the connecting pins 24f is 6 mm. As a result, the measurement error is less than 3 mm.

In addition, the lower end of the sensor support bracket 27c may be supported by the upper running portion 24d, and the light-emitting element 28a and the light-receiving element 28b may be configured to count the number of passes of the connecting pin 24f of the lower running portion 24e and output the number of pulses.

The control unit 60 inputs pulses output by the travel distance sensor 26 and starts counting the pulses output by the travel distance sensor from the point when the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b start to move toward each other from a position (waiting position) spaced apart on both sides of the conveyor 10 or when they pass the origin positions on both sides, stops counting when the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b abut against the side portions on both sides of the shipping box 1, calculates the approaching movement distance of the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b based on the counted number of pulses, subtracts the approaching movement distance from the specified distance between the waiting positions or origin positions of the pair of guide bars 21a, 21b, and outputs the calculated value as the width dimension W of the shipping box 1.

[Regarding box height measurement means; Figs. 1, 4A, B, C]
As already described, the inner flap folding mechanism 30 has a first sensor 35 that detects the point in time when the front part of the shipping box 1 in the conveying direction passes a required position in order to detect the timing when the first lifting frame 34 starts to descend, and a second sensor 36 that detects the point in time when the front inner flap folding lever 31 reaches a horizontal position in order to detect the timing when the first lifting frame 34 stops descending, and the second servo motor 33 is equipped with a rotary encoder 37 that outputs a pulse proportional to the rotation speed.

The control unit 60 is configured to input the detection signals from the first sensor 35 and the second sensor 36 and calculate the descent stroke of the first lifting frame 34 based on the number of rotations of the second servo motor 33 from when the descent of the first lifting frame 34 starts to when it stops, and further calculates the height H1 to the top surface of the folded inner flap 3 of the shipping box 1 as the value obtained by subtracting the descent stroke from the height from the conveying surface of the conveyor 10 to the upper waiting position of the first lifting frame 34 (or the origin position serving as the reference for the start of processing), and is further configured to calculate a value obtained by adding the thickness t of the outer flaps 5, 6 and output this value as the height dimension H of the shipping box 1.

[Regarding box length measurement means; Figs. 6(A)-(D)]
The box length measuring means is provided at a required forward position in the conveying direction from the shipping box 1 placed on the conveyor 10 and pushed by the pressing claw 12 at the rear side, between the pair of endless wrapping running bodies 11, and below the conveying surface of the conveyor 10. The box length measuring means includes a third sensor (e.g., a photoelectric sensor or an illuminance sensor) 13 that detects the time when the front side of the shipping box 1 passes directly above it and outputs a signal, an origin sensor 14 that is provided at a required forward position in the conveying direction from the third sensor 13 and detects the time when the pressing claw 12 passes it and outputs a signal, and a variable cam 15 that outputs a pulse in proportion to the number of revolutions of one pulley 10a of the conveyor 10. The four distance dimensions A, B, C, and D shown in Fig. 6(C) are predetermined dimensions, and the distance dimensions A, B, C, and D are proportional to the pulses output from the variable cam 15.

In Fig. 6(A), the shipping box 1 pushed by the pressing claw 12 is located between the third sensor 13 and the origin sensor 14. In Fig. 6(B), the shipping box 1 shown in Fig. 6(A) is not on the conveyor 10, so the next shipping box 1 is transferred to the upstream position of the conveyor 10 at this timing, but the pressing claw 12 does not push the shipping box 1. Fig. 6(C) shows the time when the distance between the pressing claw 12 pushing the shipping box 1 and the origin sensor 14 becomes the specified distance B, and also shows the time when the distance between the pressing claw 12 and the third sensor 13 becomes the specified distance D. Fig. 6(D) shows the time when the shipping box 1 pushed by the pressing claw 12 is detected by the third sensor 13, and also shows the time when the pressing claw 12 moves by the distance E from the position shown in Fig. 6(C). 6(C) and 6(D), the length L of the shipping box 1 is the specified distance D minus the distance E from the shipping box 1 to the third sensor 13. Therefore, if the count of the pulses output from VARICAM 15 is started at the time shown in Fig. 6(C) and ended at the time shown in Fig. 6(D), the count number will be a value corresponding to the distance E, so the length L of the shipping box 1 can be calculated by calculating the distance E and subtracting it from the specified distance D.

Therefore, the control unit 60 is configured to input the pulses output by the varicam 15 and calculate the distance E that the pressing claw 12 moves based on the count number between the time when the signal output by the origin sensor 14 is input and the time when the signal output by the third sensor 13 is input, and to subtract the calculated distance E that the pressing claw 12 moves from the predetermined distance D from the third sensor 13 to the pressing claw 12 at the time when the origin sensor 14 outputs the signal, and output this as the length dimension L of the shipping box 1.

As described above, the automatic shipping box sealing system 100 configured as above is equipped with a box height measuring means, so that when shipping boxes of various sizes are loaded onto a delivery truck, if shipping boxes of the same box height are arranged and laid out at the same height level, the height of the shipping box can be detected at the time the inner flaps are folded, which contributes to facilitating and labor-saving the loading work of cargo onto the delivery truck and to improving the cargo space efficiency. Furthermore, the automatic shipping box sealing system 100 configured as above is equipped with a box width measuring means and/or a box length measuring means in addition to the box height measuring means, which further contributes to improving the cargo space efficiency.

100...Automatic shipping box sealing system,
100a...Shipping box automatic sealing unit,
100b...feed conveyor,
100c... waybill issuing and attaching unit,
1...Shipping box,
2...Square tube portion,
3…Inner flap,
4...Inner flap,
3, 4…Inner flap,
5, 6…Outer flap,
10...Conveyor,
10a...pulley,
10b...first servo motor,
11... endless winding traveling body,
12...pressure claw,
13...Third sensor (e.g., photoelectric sensor),
14...Origin sensor,
15...Varicam,
20...centering mechanism,
21a, 21b... Guide bar,
22... Guide bar guiding means,
22a, 22b... horizontal guides,
22c, 22d...slider,
23...guide bar moving means,
24...Roller chain winding mechanism,
24a, 24b...sprockets,
24c...endless roller chain,
24d...upper running portion,
24e...lower running part,
24f...connecting pin,
25...Air cylinder device,
25a...connecting head,
25b...electromagnetic four-way valve,
26... Odometer sensor,
27a, 27b...connecting brackets,
27c...sensor support bracket,
28a...light-emitting element,
28b...light receiving element,
29a, 29b...pressure sensor (or touch sensor),
30...inner flap folding mechanism,
31...Front inner flap folding lever,
31a...Magnet cylinder,
31b...rotating arm,
31c...cam,
32…Rear inner flap folding swing lever,
32a... rod-shaped portion,
32b... boss portion,
32c…striker panel,
32d...Air cylinder device,
33...second servo motor,
34...first lifting frame,
34a...hanging portion,
35...first sensor,
36...second sensor,
37...Rotary encoder,
38…Inner flap holder,
40...Outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism,
41...Outer flap folding guide,
42... sealing tape application mechanism,
42a...Roll,
42b...adhesion guide,
42c...tape pressing roll,
43...third servo motor,
44...second lifting frame,
50... Waybill issuing and attaching machine (labeller),
51...Outlet conveyor,
60...control unit,
71...first delivery belt conveyor,
72...second delivery belt conveyor,
73...first scanner,
74...second scanner,
A: Distance between claws,
B-F, K... distance,
G: Product,
J…Delivery note,
g…gap,
H: height dimension,
L: length dimension,
W: width dimension,
I…waybill,
T: Sealing tape

Claims (6)

A conveyor for conveying a shipping box having four upright flaps and containing products; a centering mechanism for aligning the width center of the shipping box being conveyed by the conveyor with the line center of the conveyor; and an inner flap folding mechanism for folding inner flaps for the front and rear top lids, which is provided above the conveyor and corresponds to the centering mechanism and swings down at the predetermined timing together with a front inner flap folding lever for folding the inner flap for the front top lid of the shipping box to fold the inner flap for the front top lid of the shipping box. an inner flap folding mechanism having a swing lever for folding in the rear inner flap, which folds the inner flap for the top cover; an outer flap folding/sealing tape application mechanism which is arranged above the conveyor in line with the inner flap folding mechanism on the downstream side in the conveyor transport direction, folds the pair of outer flaps for the top cover onto the previously folded inner flap for the top cover, and further applies sealing tape to seal the gap between the closed edges of the pair of outer flaps to prevent the outer flaps from opening; and a control unit which controls each of the above components.
the inner flap folding mechanism includes a first lifting frame that is liftable above the upstream portion of the conveyor and that swingably holds the front inner flap folding lever , and a second servo motor that is a drive source for lifting and lowering the first lifting frame;
The inner flap folding mechanism is provided with a box height measuring means,
The box height measuring means is
The control unit is configured to calculate the downward stroke of the first lifting frame at the time when the inner flap is folded as the height to the top surface of the folded inner flap of the shipping box, and further calculate a value including the thickness of the outer flap and output the result as the height of the shipping box. the second servo motor is configured to lower the first lifting frame at a timing when an inner flap for a front top cover of the shipping box conveyed by the conveyor is positioned below the front inner flap folding lever, to stop the lowering of the first lifting frame when the front inner flap folding lever becomes horizontal, and to return to the up position after the shipping box has passed;
the box height measuring means includes a first sensor for detecting a time when a front portion of the shipping box in the conveying direction passes a required position in order to detect a timing when the first lifting frame starts to descend, and a second sensor for detecting a time when a front inner flap folding lever becomes horizontal in order to detect a timing when the first lifting frame stops to descend,
The automatic shipping box sealing system of claim 1, characterized in that the control unit is configured to input detection signals from the first sensor and the second sensor and calculate the descent stroke based on the number of rotations of the second servo motor from the start of descent of the first lifting frame to the stop of descent, and further configured to calculate the height to the upper surface of the folded inner flap of the shipping box as a value obtained by subtracting the descent stroke from the height from the conveying surface of the conveyor to the upper waiting position of the first lifting frame. The centering mechanism includes a pair of guide bars that are long in the conveying direction and are provided so as to be able to approach each other from both sides of the upstream portion of the upper surface of the conveyor, and a guide bar moving means that moves the pair of guide bars toward each other and abuts against both side portions of the shipping box when the shipping box is conveyed, thereby aligning the shipping box with the conveying line and guiding the shipping box in the conveying direction,
The centering mechanism is provided with a box width measuring means for detecting a width dimension of the shipping box,
The box width measuring means is
3. The automatic shipping box sealing system according to claim 1, further comprising a travel distance sensor that outputs pulses corresponding to the distance traveled by the pair of guide bars when the pair of guide bars move toward each other, and the control unit inputs the pulses output by the travel distance sensor, starts counting the pulses output by the travel distance sensor from the point when the pair of guide bars start to move toward each other from the waiting positions on both sides of the conveyor or when they pass through the origin positions on both sides, and stops counting when the pair of guide bars abut against the side portions on both sides of the shipping box, calculates the approaching movement distance of the pair of guide bars based on the number of counted pulses, subtracts the approaching movement distance from a specified distance between the waiting positions or the origin positions of the pair of guide bars, and outputs the calculated value as the width dimension of the shipping box. The guide bar moving means includes a roller chain winding mechanism that is long and installed in a horizontal direction perpendicular to the conveyor, an air cylinder device that moves the roller chain winding mechanism back and forth a fixed distance, and a travel distance sensor that outputs a pulse every time a connecting pin of the roller chain winding mechanism passes, and the pair of guide bars are connected to the upper running portion and the lower running portion of the roller chain winding mechanism in a distributed manner, so that the pair of guide bars approach and move away from each other,
The automatic shipping box sealing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the air cylinder device is configured to stop stroking when the pair of guide bars abuts against both side surfaces of the shipping box. the travel distance sensor has one end portion fixed and the other end portion having a light emitting element and a light receiving element facing each other, the fixed portion being supported at a required position on either the upper running portion or the lower running portion of the roller chain of the roller chain winding mechanism, and the light emitting element and the light receiving element count the number of passes of a connecting pin on the other of the upper running portion or the lower running portion of the roller chain of the roller chain winding mechanism and output the number of pulses;
5. The automatic shipping box sealing system according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is configured to calculate an approaching movement distance of the pair of guide bars based on the counted number of pulses. The conveyor includes a pair of endless wrapping running bodies that run together and are spaced apart so as to place both sides of the bottom surface of the shipping box on the pair of endless wrapping running bodies, and a plurality of pairs of pressing claws that are provided at the same phase position of each of the endless wrapping running bodies and press the rear surface of the shipping box,
The conveyor is provided with a box length measuring means,
The box length measuring means is
a photoelectric sensor that is disposed at a required position in the conveying direction forward of the shipping box placed on the conveyor and having its rear surface pushed by the pressing claw, between the pair of endless wrapping traveling bodies and below the conveyor conveying surface, and that detects the time when the front side surface of the shipping box passes directly above it and outputs a signal;
an origin sensor that is provided at a required position forward of the photoelectric sensor in the conveying direction and detects the time when the pressing claw passes and outputs a signal;
a device for outputting a pulse in proportion to the number of revolutions of one pulley of the conveyor;
The control unit:
6. The automatic shipping box sealing system according to claim 1, further comprising: a device that outputs pulses proportional to the number of rotations of one of the pulleys of the conveyor and that outputs a count of the number of pulses to calculate the distance that the pressing claw will move based on the count number between the time when the signal output by the origin sensor is input and the time when the signal output by the photoelectric sensor is input ; and a shipping box length dimension is output by subtracting the distance between the origin sensor and the photoelectric sensor and the calculated distance that the pressing claw moves from the distance between adjacent pressing claws, which is a predetermined distance from the photoelectric sensor to the pressing claw at the time when the origin sensor outputs a signal.

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