METHOD FOR AUTOMATICALLY CREASING A FOLDED BOX HAVING INSERTED PACKAGED GOODS

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for automatically creasing a folded box having inserted packaged goods, wherein the side walls of the folded box are creased by means of a creasing station which comprises a creasing tool having a rotatably mounted creasing roller for creasing a planar workpiece and a rotatably mounted counter-pressure roller which are retained at one end on a common support, wherein the distance between the two rollers can be varied, wherein the creasing tool is fastened to a movement system for three-dimensional displaceability, and wherein the following steps are carried out: a) providing the folded box, which is open at the top in the vertical direction and has inserted packaged goods; b) determining the dimensions of the folded box and the filling height of the packaged goods; c) creasing the side walls of the folded box, a first side wall being creased at a first creasing height associated with the filling height determined in step b). The counter-pressure roller is mounted parallel to the creasing roller; the counter-pressure roller and the creasing roller can be displaced relative to one another in order to set a distance from one another; and, during the creasing process, when the creasing tool reaches a vertical edge of the folded box, the roller located outside the folded box is pivoted through 90° about the roller located inside the folded box, the distance between the creasing roller and the counter-pressure roller being changed.

Claims

1. A method for automatically creasing a folded box with inserted packaged goods, wherein the creasing of the side walls of the folded box takes place by means of a creasing station which comprises a creasing tool with a rotatably mounted creasing roller for creasing a flat workpiece and a rotatably mounted counter-pressure roller which are held on a common holder on one side, wherein the distance between the two rollers can be changed, wherein the creasing tool is fastened to a movement system for three-dimensional displaceability, and wherein the following steps are carried out: a) providing the folded box which is open at the top in the vertical direction and which contains inserted packaged goods, b) determining the dimensions of the folded box and the filling height of the packaged goods, c) creasing the side walls of the folded box, wherein a first side wall is creased at a first crease height associated with the filling height determined in step b), wherein the counter-pressure roller is mounted parallel to the creasing roller, wherein the counter-pressure roller and the creasing roller are displaceable with regard to one another for setting a distance to one another, and wherein, during the creasing process, when the creasing tool reaches a vertical edge of the folded box, the roller arranged outside of the folded box is pivoted by 90° about the roller arranged inside the folded box, wherein the distance between the creasing roller and the counter-pressure roller is changed.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: in step b), from the exterior dimensions of the folded box, measured by means of an optical measuring device a wall thickness of the side walls is determined by comparison with data stored in a data memory.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: the side wall opposite the first side wall is creased at the first crease height and the side walls adjacent to the first side wall are creased at a second crease height which is offset in the vertical direction by the wall thickness determined in step b) with respect to the first crease height.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein: from the filling height of the packaged goods determined in step b), it is calculated whether, during a creasing of the first side wall and of the side wall opposite the first side wall at the first crease height, a later cutting of the folded box at its vertical edges up to the first crease height and a folding in of the first side wall and of the side wall opposite the first side wall at the first crease height will or will not lead to an overlapping of the first side wall and of the side wall opposite the first side wall, and, in the case in which no overlap is calculated, the side wall opposite the first side wall is creased at the first crease height and, in the case in which an overlap is calculated, the side wall opposite the first side wall is creased at a second crease height which is offset in the vertical direction by the wall thickness determined in step b) with respect to the first crease height.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein: it is calculated whether, during a creasing of the side wall adjacent to the first side wall at a third crease height which is not the same as the first crease height and not the same as the second crease height, and which is offset in the vertical direction by the wall thickness determined in step b) with respect to these crease heights, a later cutting of the folded box at the vertical edges thereof up to the first crease height and a folding in of the side walls adjacent to the first side wall at the third crease height will or will not lead to an overlapping of the side walls adjacent to the first side wall, and in the case in which no overlap is calculated, the side walls adjacent to the first side wall are creased at the third crease height, and, in the case in which an overlap is calculated, a side wall adjacent to the first side wall is creased at the third crease height, and the other side wall adjacent to the first side wall is creased at a fourth crease height which is not the same as the first, second and third crease heights and which is offset in the vertical direction with respect to said crease heights by the wall thickness determined in step b).

6. The method according to claim 2, wherein: on the basis of the wall thickness of the side walls of the folded box, which is determined in step b), a distance suitable for creasing the side walls between the creasing roller and the counter-pressure roller is determined.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein: during the creasing process, the folded box is retained in position by holding means.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0037] The drawings show:

[0038] FIG. 1: a perspective representation of a creasing tool for a creasing station according to the invention for automatically creasing a folded box with inserted packaged goods;

[0039] FIG. 2: a perspective representation of an alternative embodiment of a creasing tool;

[0040] FIG. 3: positioning the creasing tool according to FIG. 1 on a side wall of a folded box;

[0041] FIG. 4: a perspective representation of the creasing process with a creasing tool, and

[0042] FIG. 5: a diagrammatic top view onto a creasing process, when the creasing tool has reached a vertical edge of the folded box.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0043] Identical reference numerals in the figures refer to identical or analogous elements.

[0044] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a creasing tool 10 for a creasing station for automatically creasing a folded box with inserted packaged goods. The creasing roller 12 and the counter-pressure roller 14 are retained on one side on a common holder 16, wherein the distance between the two rollers 12, 14 can be changed. The opposite ends of the creasing roller 12 and of the counter-pressure roller 14 are free, so that a side wall of the folded box can be clamped in between the rollers 12, 14 and creased. In the embodiment shown, the creasing roller 12 is designed as a rotatable creasing shaft which, on the circumference thereof, transversely to the longitudinal axis thereof, has a profile for impressing a crease in the form of an impressing ring 121. Alternatively, the creasing roller 12 can include a fixed axle with a rotatable creasing wheel (not shown here). The counter-pressure roller 14 can have, on the circumference thereof, a counter-profile complementary to the profile or to the creasing wheel of the creasing roller (not shown here).

[0045] In addition, one of the rollers 12, 14 can be actively driven by means of a drive 18, such as the alternative embodiment of a creasing tool, represented in FIG. 2, for a creasing station for automatically creasing a folded box with inserted packaged goods. As shown in FIG. 2, the drive 18 can be arranged at the free end or, as shown in FIG. 4, at the retained end of the creasing roller 12. Additionally or alternatively, it is also conceivable to drive the counter-pressure roller 14 by means of a drive 18 (not shown here).

[0046] FIG. 3 shows the positioning of the creasing tool 10 of FIG. 1 on a side wall 22 of a folded box 20. By means of an optical measuring device 60, the filling height of the packaged goods 56 inserted in a folded box 20 which is open at the top in the vertical direction and the dimensions of the folded box 20 are determined. Then, the creasing tool 10 is positioned by means of a robot arm or a rail system (not shown here) on a side wall 22 of the folded box 20 so that the creasing roller 12 on one side of the side wall 22 and the counter-pressure roller 14 on the other side of the side wall 22 are oriented perpendicularly to the bottom of the folded box 20. By reducing the distance between the two rollers 12, 14, the side wall 22 is clamped in between the creasing roller 12 and the counter-pressure roller 14. Preferably, the creasing roller 12 is positioned on the inside of the holding box 20 and the counter-pressure roller 14 is positioned on the outside so that the side walls are creased on their inside.

[0047] Alternatively, the creasing roller 12 can be positioned on the outside and the counter-pressure roller 14 can be positioned on the inside of the folded box 20, as shown in FIG. 4. FIG. 4 shows the creasing of a side wall 22, wherein the creasing tool 10 moves along the side wall 22 at a first crease height associated with the filling height of the packaged goods 56. In the embodiment shown here, the creasing roller 12 is driven by means of a drive 18 arranged on the retained end of the creasing roller 12. Advantageously, the folded box 20 is retained in position during the creasing process by holding means (not shown here).

[0048] FIG. 5 shows the creasing process according to the invention in the corner region of the folded box 20. When the two rollers 12, 14 of the creasing tool 10 reach a vertical edge of the folded box 20, where two side walls 22, 24 meet, the roller 14 arranged outside of the folded box 20 is pivoted by 90° about the roller 12 arranged within the folded box 20, wherein the distance between the creasing roller 12 and the counter-pressure roller 14 is changed, so that the corner regions of the folded box 20 are not pushed in during the creasing. Here, during the pivoting between 0° and 45°, the distance is increased, and during the pivoting between 45° and 90°, said distance is again decreased.

[0049] Naturally, the embodiments discussed in the specific description and shown in the figures represent only illustrative embodiment examples of the present invention. In view of this disclosure, the person skilled in the art is provided with a broad spectrum of variation possibilities.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0050] 1 Creasing station [0051] 10 Creasing tool [0052] 12 Creasing roller [0053] 121 Impressing ring [0054] 14 Counter-pressure roller [0055] 16 Holder [0056] 18 Drive [0057] 20 Folded box [0058] 22, 24, 26 Side walls of 20 [0059] 30 First crease height [0060] 56 Packaged goods [0061] 60 Optical measuring device