Bag forming apparatus

Abstract

A box forming apparatus opens a flattened cardboard box forming a tubular cardboard box. A holding mechanism holds a first side panel and a second side panel of the box. A moving mechanism moves front face lower holding members and front face upper holding members. The moving mechanism folds one of the first side panel and the second side panel along a first fold portion thereby changing the angle formed by the first side panel and the second side panel. When the holding mechanism is moved to open the flattened cardboard box, a position adjusting member, adjusts the position of a first flap connected to the first side panel, adjusts the position of the first flap such that the first flap connected to the first side panel extends along the direction in which the first side panel extends or is folded inward so that the flattened cardboard box is opened.

1 . A box forming apparatus configured to open a flattened cardboard box, to form a cube or cuboid shaped cardboard box, the box forming apparatus comprising:
 a holding mechanism having a holding member configured to hold a first side panel and a second side panel, which are two adjacent side panels of four side panels of the flattened cardboard box;   a moving mechanism configured to move the holding members; and   a control device configured to control the moving mechanism so as to fold at least either one of the first side panel and the second side panel along a first fold portion disposed in the border between the first side panel and the second side panel to thereby change the angle formed by the first side panel and the second side panel from 0° or 180° to an angle close to 90°,   the holding mechanism further having a position adjusting member configured to adjust a position of at least one of a first flap, which is a section of the flattened cardboard box connected to the first side panel, and an opposing flap, which is a section of the flattened cardboard box connected to an opposing side panel opposing the first side panel and opposes the first flap, and in a case of adjusting the position of the first flap, when the holding member is moved by the moving mechanism to open the flattened cardboard box, the position adjusting member is configured to adjust the position of the first flap in such a way as to place the first flap in a state in which the first flap extends along a direction in which the first side panel extends or a state in which the first flap is folded inward at the time of the flattened cardboard box being opened, and   in a case of adjusting the position of the opposing flap, when the holding member is moved by the moving mechanism to open the flattened cardboard box, the position adjusting member is configured to adjust the position of the opposing flap in such a way as to place the opposing flap in a state in which the opposing flap extends along a direction in which the opposing side panel extends or a state in which the opposing flap is folded inward at the time of the flattened cardboard box being opened.   
     
     
         2 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the holding mechanism has a first holding member, which is the holding member which is configured to hold the first side panel, and a second holding member, which is the holding member which is configured to hold the second side panel,   the first holding member is configured to hold the first side panel in such a way that the first side panel has an angle with respect to the horizontal before the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box completes,   the second holding member is configured to hold the second side panel in such a way that the second side panel has an angle with respect to the horizontal before the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box completes,   the first holding member is configured to be moved by the moving mechanism in such a way as to hold the first side panel in an inclination parallel or nearly parallel to the horizontal after the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box has completed, and   the second holding member is configured to be moved by the moving mechanism in such a way as to hold the second side panel in an inclination vertical or nearly vertical to the horizontal after the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box has completed.   
     
     
         3 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the position adjusting member is configured to abut the first flap and/or the opposing flap to thereby adjust the position of the first flap and/or the opposing flap the position adjusting member abuts. 
     
     
         4 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the position adjusting member is configured to adjust at least the position of the first flap,   the first flap has an inclination parallel or nearly parallel to the horizontal after the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box has completed, and   the position adjusting member is configured to abut the first flap from below.   
     
     
         5 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 the flattened cardboard box further has a second flap and a third flap located in positions adjacent to the first flap, and   during the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box, the second flap and the third flap are in a free state.   
     
     
         6 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 the holding mechanism further has a support frame that supports the first holding member, the second holding member, and the position adjusting member, and   a distal end of the position adjusting member configured to abut the first flap is arranged, after the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box has completed, in a position projecting more upward than a height position of a contact plane in which the first holding member contacts the first side panel.   
     
     
         7 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the position adjusting member is configured to abut the first flap to thereby tilt the first flap 0° to 30° upward along a second fold portion disposed in a border between the first side panel and the first flap. 
     
     
         8 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein
 during the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box, the second flap and the third flap tilt in the direction of gravity, and   the first flap abutted by the position adjusting member is configured to inhibit the tilting of the second flap or the third flap in the direction of gravity.   
     
     
         9 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the position adjusting member is configured to blow air against the first flap and/or the opposing flap to thereby adjust the position of the first flap and/or the opposing flap against which the position adjusting member blows air. 
     
     
         10 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the position adjusting member is configured to abut the first flap to thereby tilt the first flap 0° to 30° upward along a second fold portion disposed in a border between the first side panel and the first flap. 
     
     
         11 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the position adjusting member is configured to abut the first flap to thereby tilt the first flap 0° to 30° upward along a second fold portion disposed in a border between the first side panel and the first flap. 
     
     
         12 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein
 during the operation of opening the flattened cardboard box, the second flap and the third flap tilt in the direction of gravity, and   the first flap abutted by the position adjusting member is configured to inhibit the tilting of the second flap or the third flap in the direction of gravity.   
     
     
         13 . The box forming apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the position adjusting member is configured to blow air against the first flap and/or the opposing flap to thereby adjust the position of the first flap and/or the opposing flap against which the position adjusting member blows air.