JPH092465A - Container folding device and method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Object] To provide a container folding device and method that simplifies the configuration and shortens the time required for folding. [Structure] While the assembled container 100 is being conveyed on the conveying means 11, the first and second side plates 102 and 103 are impacted by the lock releasing means 14 to release the lock with the bottom plate 101. The side plate lifting means 18 located downstream of the first and second side plates 10
2 and 103 are lifted inward to lift the third and fourth side plates 10.
4 and 105 are made foldable, and further downstream, stopper means 15 and 19 assist the container to fold in a predetermined direction.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a container folding apparatus and method for folding a foldable container which is frequently used during the transportation of various cargoes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a container folding device and method for automatically folding a synthetic resin folding container.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a foldable container has been frequently used in order to improve the transportation efficiency of various cargoes. Recently, in order to facilitate storage of this container or transportation of the container itself, a foldable container 100 as shown in FIG.
Is used.

This container 100 is made up of a synthetic resin frame and a plate-like body that can be folded, and has a rectangular bottom plate 1.
A pair of first and second side plates 102 facing each other on the side 01;
103 is arranged. First and second side plates 102,
A frame portion 120 is arranged on the upper side of 103. The first and second side plates 102 and 103 are detachable from the bottom plate 101 and have no connection relationship with each other, and are connected to the frame part 120, and are rotatably supported inside the frame part 120. There is.

The third and fourth side plates 104 and 105 are axially supported on the other pair of opposite sides of the bottom plate 101, respectively. Also, the third and fourth side plates 10
The sides of the reference numerals 4 and 105 facing the bottom plate 101 are pivotally supported by the frame portion 120, and the central portions of the third and fourth side plates 104 and 105 are parallel to the bottom plate 101 and protrude toward the bottom plate 101 side. It can be bent at 110.

When folding this container 100, first, as shown in FIG. 6, first and second side plates 102 and 103 are formed.
And the bottom plate 101 are unlocked, and the first and second side plates 102 and 103 are rotated inward to be raised to the same height as the frame part 120 and made substantially horizontal. Next, the third and fourth side plates 104 and 105 are bent inward from the hinge 110. Then, as shown in FIG. 7, the third and fourth side plates are flattened so as to be crushed by their own weight and the weight of the frame 120.

[0006]

By the way, since it takes time to fold the above-mentioned container 100 by hand, a folding device for automatically folding is used (for example, Japanese Utility Model Publication No. 5-28172). Gazette, Jikho Sho 61-
43783). However, in the conventional folding device, since the container 100 in the assembled state is held at a predetermined position and then folded, the structure becomes complicated and the next folding cannot be performed until one folding is completed. , There was a problem that the whole folding time would be longer. The present invention has been made in view of the above problems,
It is an object of the present invention to provide a container folding device and method that can simplify the configuration and shorten the folding time.

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a collapsible container having first and second side plates that maintain an assembled condition and foldable third and fourth side plates adjacent to the side plates. In a folding device, a transfer means for transferring a container and an impact from the outside are applied to the first and second side plates of the container, which are arranged on the transfer means and transferred in an assembled state, to unlock the bottom plate of the container. A lock plate and a side plate lifter arranged downstream of the lock locker, which lifts the first and second side plates unlocked from the bottom plate to bring the third and fourth side plates into a bendable state. Means and stopper means arranged downstream of the side plate lifting means for temporarily hooking the container being conveyed and giving an impact to bend the third and fourth side plates in a predetermined direction. It can be achieved by a configuration that.

As the stopper means, the stopper means is disposed at a position where the third and fourth side plates can be bent by the side plate lifting means, is arranged so as to abut on the upper part of the container, and is further downstream thereof. Some are arranged at a position projecting from the transport surface of the transport means.

As a method for carrying out the apparatus having the above-mentioned construction, a foldable body having first and second side plates for maintaining an assembled state and third and fourth foldable side plates adjacent to the side plates is provided. A method of folding a container, wherein the container is conveyed by a conveying means, and the first and second side plates of the container conveyed in an assembled state are impacted from the outside by a lock releasing means to lock with the bottom plate of the container. After releasing the lock, the first and second side plates in the unlocked state are lifted inside the container by the side plate lifting means, and the third and fourth side plates are made foldable, downstream of the side plate lifting means. , The container being conveyed is temporarily hooked by the stopper means and is given an impact to bend the third and fourth side plates in a predetermined direction. It is executed by the law.

[0010]

In the container folding apparatus and method of the present invention, the unlocking means applies a shock to the first and second side plates while the assembled container is being conveyed on the conveying means, and the bottom plate. Then, the first side plate and the second side plate are lifted inward by the side plate lifting means on the downstream side thereof to be in a bendable state. continue,
As soon as any of the containers becomes foldable by the impact of the stopper means arranged at the position of contacting the upper part of the container, it becomes half-folded in the same direction. Then, the container collides with the stopper means arranged further downstream and protruding from the conveying surface of the conveying means, and the impact causes the container to fall down and the container is completely folded.

In this container device and method, folding is performed while the container is being conveyed by the conveying means.
Since it is not required to move the position of each means used for folding, the structure of the device can be simplified. Further, since the folding operation is continuously performed, the folding time as a whole can be shortened.

[0012]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT An embodiment of a container folding apparatus according to the present invention will be described below with reference to FIGS.
1 is a perspective view showing a container folding device according to the present invention, FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 1, FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow B of FIG. 1, and FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a complete folding operation of the container. is there.

As shown in FIG. 1, a container folding apparatus 1 according to the present invention is provided with a roller conveyor 11 as a conveying means for conveying a foldable container 100 (FIG. 5). Since the configuration of the container 100 is the same as the conventional one, the description thereof is omitted here. This container 100
Is placed on the roller conveyor 11 such that the first and second side plates 102 and 103 are parallel to the transport direction. A plate-shaped first stopper 12 is provided on the upstream end side of the roller conveyor 11 to temporarily stop the container 100 in the assembled state. First stopper 12
Is moved up and down by the cylinder 13 to come into contact with the upstream inner surface of the container 100.

In the container 100 temporarily stopped by the first stopper 12, the lock between the first and second side plates 102 and 103 and the bottom plate 101 is released by the hammer 14 which is an unlocking means. The hammer 14 is configured to rotate by an appropriate driving means (not shown), and the first and second side plates 102 and 103 are attached to the hammer 1 from the outside.
By hitting with 4 and applying a shock, the lock with the bottom plate 101 is released.

First and second side plates 10 of container 100
After the lock between the second plate 103 and the bottom plate 101 is released, the first stopper 12 moves up and the container 100 is transported. A cylinder 17, which is a side plate lifting means, is arranged downstream of the hammer 14. As shown in FIG. 2, the first and second side plates 102, 103 are pushed up from the diagonally lower side by the rod 18 of the cylinder 17 arranged diagonally at the lower side, and are substantially centered on the connection portion with the frame portion 120. It can be rotated and lifted until it becomes horizontal. This allows the foldable third and fourth side plates 104, 105 between the first and second side faces 102, 103 to be bent from the hinge 110.

In FIG. 1, when two containers 100 are processed at the same time and the first and second side plates 102 and 103 of the two containers 100 are simultaneously pushed up by the rods 18 of the cylinders 17, respectively. However, the second stopper 15 may process one container or three or more containers 100. Here, the second container folding stopper 15 is arranged at a position where it comes into contact with the container 100 at the same time when the rod 18 is pushed up. The second stopper 15 is also attached by a cylinder 16 so as to be vertically movable.

Now, by pushing up the rod 18, the first
After the second side plates 102 and 103 are substantially horizontal, the rod 18 is retracted. Then, the weight of the frame part 120 and the first and second side plates 102 and 103 acts on the third and fourth side plates 104 and 105, and the third and fourth side plates 104 and 105 are bent from the hinge 110. Transition to the state. At this time, since each roller of the roller conveyor 11 is being conveyed and rotated, the bottom plate 101 in contact with each roller is pushed and moved in the conveying direction as shown in FIG.

Then, the frame portion 120 is pushed by the second stopper 15, and as shown in FIG. 3, the frame portion 120 descends in a laterally displaced state with respect to the bottom plate 101, and becomes a half-folded state. As a result, the frame portion 120 becomes lower than the second stopper 15, and the container 100 is conveyed under the second stopper 15 by the roller conveyor 11. Second stopper 1
The container 100 that has passed the position 5 is stopped by the bottom plate 101 colliding with the third stopper 19 while being conveyed by the roller conveyor 11. As shown in FIG. 4, the third
The stopper 19 is provided by the cylinder 20 with the roller conveyor 1
It is configured such that it can move up and down with the transport surface sandwiched between one roller.

When the bottom plate 101 collides with the third stopper 19, the frame portion 120, the entire third side plate 104 and the upper half of the fourth side plate 105 are urged forward by inertia. Due to this biasing force, the third side plate 104 is bent from the connection portion with the bottom plate 101 and falls forward, and the fourth side plate 105 is bent from the hinge 110 and falls forward. Then, as shown by the chain double-dashed line in the figure, the frame portion 120 has the bottom plate 1
The folding of the container 100 is completed in the state of being overlapped on 01. When the folding of the container 100 is completed, the cylinder 20 operates and the third stopper 19 descends, and the container 100 is conveyed by the roller conveyor 11.

In the folding device 1, the first and second side plates 102 and 103 are unlocked, the first and second side plates 102 and 103 are rotated and the container 100 is rotated and conveyed while the container 100 is being conveyed by the roller conveyor 11. 3 and a fourth side plate 104,
Half-folding of 105 and the third and fourth side plates 104,
Since the complete bending of 105 is sequentially performed, each process is simplified and the configuration can be simplified. Moreover, since the container 100 is continuously folded, the entire folding time is shortened.

[0021]

As described above, according to the container folding apparatus and method of the present invention, the container is moved on the conveying means, the side plate unlocking means and the side plate lifting means are provided.
Stopper means for assisting folding are arranged along the flow of the conveying means. Therefore, the side plate unlocking process, the side plate lifting process, and the folding process are sequentially performed along the conveyance, so that each process is simplified and the configuration can be simplified. Moreover, since the container is continuously folded, the entire folding time is shortened.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a container folding device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along line AA of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a view taken in the direction of arrow B in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an operation of a third stopper.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a general container.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a state in which the container is being folded.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a completely folded state of the container.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Container Folding Device 11 Roller Conveyor 12 First Stopper 14 Hammer 17 Cylinder 19 Third Stopper 100 Container 101 Bottom Plate 102, 103 First and Second Side Plates 104, 105 Foldable Third and Fourth Side Plates 120 Frame Part

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A first and second side plate (102, 103) for maintaining an assembled state and a third side plate adjacent to the side plate.
And a folding device for a foldable container (100) having a fourth foldable side plate (104, 105), comprising: a transport means (11) for transporting the container, and a transport means (11) arranged on the transport means (11). A lock releasing means for releasing a lock with the bottom plate (101) of the container by applying an impact from the outside to the first and second side plates (102, 103) of the container (100) transported in the assembled state. 14) and the first and second locks arranged downstream of the lock releasing means (14) and unlocked from the bottom plate (101).
Side plate lifting means (17, 18) for lifting the side plates (102, 103) inward to make the third and fourth side plates (104, 105) bendable, and the side plate lifting means (17, 18). ), The stopper means (15, for temporarily hooking the container (100) being conveyed and applying an impact to bend the third and fourth side plates (104, 105) in a predetermined direction.
19) A folding device for a container, comprising: 2. A first and a second side plate (102, 103) for maintaining an assembled state and a third side plate adjacent to the side plate.
And a method of folding a foldable container (100) having a fourth foldable side plate (104, 105), wherein the container (100) is conveyed by an conveying means (11) and is assembled. ) Is applied to the first and second side plates (102, 103) from outside by an unlocking means (14) to unlock the bottom plate (101) of the container, and the unlocking means (14) ) Downstream, the first and second side plates (102, 103) in the unlocked state are lifted inside the container by the side plate lifting means (17, 18), and the third and fourth side plates (104, 105). Is made foldable, and the container (100) being conveyed is provided with stopper means (15, 1) downstream of the side plate lifting means (17, 18).
9) A method for folding a container, characterized in that the third and fourth side plates (104, 105) are bent in a predetermined direction by being temporarily hooked and impacted by 9).