Packaging object supplying apparatus, box body supplying apparatus, boxing apparatus, packaging system and packaging method

Abstract

A packaging object supplying apparatus for supplying a packaging object to a packaging unit for packaging the packaging object into a predetermined fashion and specifically, a packaging object supplying apparatus comprising a packaging object combining portion for forming a combination of the packaging objects by combining two or more kinds of the packaging objects by a predetermined quantity in a predetermined array and a packaging object introducing portion for introducing the packaging objects combined by the packaging object combining portion to the packaging unit, a boxing apparatus comprising foldable box body supplying means, opening forming means, box body holding means, packaging object loading means, and lid forming means, a box body supplying apparatus for supplying a box body to the boxing apparatus.

1 . A boxing apparatus, wherein a box body having folding portions, which are developed to form a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped structure, and having an opening portion and a flap portion for forming a lid portion for covering the opening portion at each of both ends thereof is constructed from a folded state so as to form the opening portions, with the box body having the opening portions held such that one of the opening portions faces upward while the other one faces downward, a packaging object is loaded into a main body of the box body through one of the opening portions and the flap portions are constructed to form the lid portion so that the packaging object is packaged in the box body, the boxing apparatus comprising foldable box body supplying means, opening forming means, box body holding means, packaging object loading means, and lid forming means, wherein:
 the foldable box body supplying means accommodates the box body in a folded state and supplies the accommodated box body to the box body holding means one by one;   the opening forming means constructs the box body supplied by the foldable box body supplying means to the box body holding means from the folded state to form the opening portions;   the box body holding means holds the foldable box body having the opening portions f armed, with one of the opening portions f acing upward while the other one faces downward; and   the packaging object loading means loads the packaging object through an opening portion of the box body held by the box body supplying means; and   the lid forming means folds the flap portions of the foldable box body after the packaging object is loaded by the packaging object loading means, so as to form the lid for covering the opening portion.   
   
   
       2 . A boxing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein:
 the box body holding means comprises a rotation table which rotates around a vertical line while holding a box body at an outer peripheral portion so that the flap portions of the box body are located vertically with respect to the main body of the box body and transports the box body successively to the opening forming means, the packaging object loading means and the lid forming means; and   the opening forming means forms the opening in the box body supplied to the rotation table by the box body supplying means such that the flap portions are located vertically with respect to the main body.   
   
   
       3 . A boxing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the foldable box body supplying means comprises a foldable box body accommodating portion for accommodating the box body in a folded state and a box body supplying portion for supplying the accommodated box body to the box body holding means one by one,
 the foldable box body accommodating portion accommodating the box body in the folded state such that one of the folding portions is located downward and having a pickup port for the box body which opens downward or obliquely downward,   the box body supplying portion comprising:   box body holding means for holding the box body and the box body holding means being capable of approaching/leaving the box body pickup port of the foldable box body accommodating portion and the rotation table of the box body holding means; and   box body moving means for moving the box body holding means between a box body pickup position for picking up the box body from the box body pickup port and a box body loading position at which the picked up box body is loaded on the rotation table,   the box body moving means including:   a rotation shaft on which the box body holding means is fixed and which is provided obliquely with respect to a horizontal plane; and   rotation shaft driving means for rotating or pivoting the rotation shaft so as to position the box body holding means at either one of the box body pickup position and the box body loading position.   
   
   
       4 . A boxing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the foldable box body supplying means comprises a foldable box body accommodating portion for accommodating the box body in a folded state and a box body supplying portion for supplying the accommodated box body to the box body holding means one by one,
 the foldable box body accommodating portion having a box body pickup port which opens toward the rotation table,   the box body supplying portion including:   box body holding means for holding the box body, the box body holding means being capable of approaching/leaving the box body pickup port and the rotation table; and   rotating means for rotating or turning the box body holding means around a vertical axis so as to position the box body holding means at either one of a first position opposing the box body pickup port and at a second position opposing the rotation table.