Method and apparatus for closing a box

Abstract

An apparatus for closing a flap on an open end of a box may include a device having a slot and a mechanism operable to provide a relative motion between the slot and the flap. The relative motion may cause the flap to be received into the slot and the flap to be reoriented to a closed position. A method of closing an open end of a box being conveyed downstream, with the open end facing transversely, may include two operations. With a trailing minor flap on the open end being held in a substantially upstream-pointing open position, the opposing leading minor flap on the open end may be closed from a substantially downstream-pointing open position to a substantially upstream-pointing closed position. With the leading minor flap being held in the closed position, the trailing minor flap may be closed from the open position to a substantially downstream-pointing closed position.

1 . An apparatus for closing a flap on an open end of a box, the apparatus comprising:
 (a) a device having a slot;   (b) a mechanism operable to provide a relative motion between the slot and the flap, the relative motion operable to cause the flap to be received into the slot to reorient the flap to a closed position.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said flap is resilient and is operable to push against an interior surface of said device, and thereby to assist said flap in being received into said slot. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein during the relative motion between the slot and the flap of the box, said flap will be received into said slot and pivot about a first fold line of said flap to reorient the flap to the closed position. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the device and the slot are stationary and the flap moves relative to the device and slot during said relative motion. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 3  wherein the device and the slot move during said relative motion. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein said flap is a trailing flap of the box. 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the mechanism for providing the relative motion comprises an actuator operable to move the device and the slot downstream past a second flap of the box. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus as claimed in  claim 8  further comprising a controller for controlling the operation of said actuator. 
     
     
         10 - 41 . (canceled) 
     
     
         42 . A method of closing an open end of a box, said box being carried downstream by a conveyor with the open end facing transversely, the method comprising:
 (a) with a trailing minor flap on the open end of the box being held in a substantially upstream-pointing open position, closing the opposing leading minor flap on the open end of the box from a substantially downstream-pointing open position to a substantially upstream-pointing closed position; and   (b) with the leading minor flap being held in the substantially upstream-pointing closed position, closing the trailing minor flap from the substantially upstream-pointing open position to a substantially downstream-pointing closed position.   
     
     
         43 - 77 . (canceled) 
     
     
         78 . An apparatus for closing opposing first and second flaps on an open end of a box, the apparatus comprising:
 (a) a device comprising a generally planar surface, said generally planar surface comprising a first slot and a second slot defined therein; and   (b) a mechanism operable to provide a first relative motion between the first slot and the first flap of the box, the first relative motion operable to cause the first slot to receive and close the first flap, the mechanism also operable to provide a second relative motion, opposite to the first relative motion, between the second slot and the second flap of the box, the second relative motion operable to cause the second slot to receive and close the second flap.   
     
     
         79 . The apparatus of  claim 78  wherein during said first relative motion between the first slot and the first flap of the box, said first flap will be received into said first slot and pivot about a first fold line of said first flap to close the first flap, and wherein during said second relative motion between the second slot and the second flap of the box, the second flap will be received into the second slot and pivot about a second fold line of said second flap to close the second flap. 
     
     
         80 . The apparatus of  claim 79  wherein the first flap comprises a leading minor flap and the second flap comprises a trailing minor flap. 
     
     
         81 . The apparatus of  claim 79  wherein the mechanism for providing the second relative motion comprises an actuator operable to move the second slot of the generally planar surface downstream past the second flap of the box. 
     
     
         82 . The apparatus of  claim 80  wherein the first slot is oriented to face at least partially upstream in order to facilitate the receiving of the leading minor flap within the first slot. 
     
     
         83 . The apparatus of  claim 78  wherein the device comprises an upstream planar surface portion and a downstream planar surface portion that is offset relative to the upstream planar surface portion, wherein the first slot is between the upstream and downstream planar surface portions. 
     
     
         84 . The apparatus of  claim 82  wherein the second slot is oriented to face at least partially downstream in order to facilitate the receiving of the trailing minor flap in the second slot.