Box erecting machine
AssigneePacksize LLC
InventorsRyan Osterhout, Brady Sjoblom, George Davies, Clinton Engleman
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A box erecting machine includes a transport mechanism that can move an un-erected box from an entry portion of the box erecting machine to a forward portion of the box erecting machine. The transport mechanism can include pivot arm(s) and clamp(s) for securing and moving the un-erected box. The machine can also include a box erecting assembly that erects the un-erected box. The box erecting assembly can include an opening or unfolding mechanism that opens or unfolds the un-erected box into a generally rectangular tube. The machine can also include a folding mechanism and a closure mechanism for folding and securing the bottom flaps of the box.
Claims28
A method for erecting an un-erected box into a box, comprising:
- providing an un-erected box having first, second, third, and fourth sidewall panels and first, second, third, and fourth bottom flaps extending from the corresponding first, second, third, and fourth sidewall panels, the un-erected box being folded between the second and third sidewall panels and the first and fourth sidewall panels being secured to one another, the first and second sidewalls being generally coplanar in a first plane, and the third and fourth sidewalls being generally coplanar in a second plane, the first and second planes being generally parallel to one another;
- while the first and second sidewalls are in the first plane and the third and fourth sidewalls are in the second plane, folding two or more of the bottom flaps relative to the corresponding sidewall panels, the two or more bottom flaps being folded by one or more angles of greater than 0° and equal to or less than 90° relative to the original positions of the two or more bottom flaps in the first or second plane;
- after folding two or more of the bottom flaps, arranging the un-erected box so that the first, second, third, and fourth sidewall panels form a generally rectangular tube while the two or more bottom flaps are oriented at the folded angle of greater than 0° and equal to or less than 90° relative to the corresponding sidewall panel;
- folding the first and third bottom flaps to a closed position;
- and
- folding the second and fourth bottom flaps to a closed position.
A box erecting assembly configured to erect an un-erected box into an erected box, the un-erected box comprising first, second, third, and fourth bottom flaps extending from corresponding first, second, third, and fourth sidewall panels, the first and second sidewalls being generally coplanar in a first plane, and the third and fourth sidewalls being generally coplanar in a second plane, the first and second planes being generally parallel to one another, the box erecting assembly comprising:
- a folding mechanism configured to fold two or more of the bottom flaps of the un-erected box into an angled orientation relative to the associated sidewall panels while the first and second sidewalls are in the first plane and the third and fourth sidewalls are in the second plane, the angled orientation being one or more angles of greater than 0° and equal to or less than 90° relative to the original positions of the two or more bottom flaps in the first or second plane;
- an opening or unfolding mechanism configured to open or unfold the un-erected box into a second configuration where the first, second, third, and fourth sidewall panels form a generally rectangular tube, the opening or unfolding mechanism being configured to open or unfold the un-erected box into the second configuration after the folding mechanism has folded the two or more bottom flaps relative to the associated sidewalls, the opening or unfolding mechanism being configured to selectively attach to an outer surface of at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewall panels and to exert a pulling force on the outer surface of the at least one of the first, second, third, and fourth sidewall panels to move the un-erected to the second configuration, the pulling force being exerted in a direction away from an interior of the un-erected box;
- and
- a closure mechanism that is configured to secure the bottom flaps in a closed configuration.
A box erecting machine comprising:
- a transport mechanism that can pivot between a rear position and a forward position to transport an un-erected box from an entry portion of the box erecting machine to a forward portion of the box erecting machine, the transport mechanism comprising:
- one or more pivot arms that can pivot the transport mechanism about a pivot arm axis between the rear position and the forward position;
- and
- a clamp configured to selectively clamp onto an un-erected box, the clamp being movable to reposition the un-erected box along a width of the box erecting machine and in a direction generally parallel to the pivot arm axis as the transport mechanism pivots between the rear and forward positions, the clamp being rotatable about a clamp axis, the clamp axis being non-parallel with the pivot arm axis, rotation of the clamp about the clamp axis being configured to reorient the un-erected box from a generally horizontal orientation to a generally vertical orientation.
A method for erecting a box, comprising:
- providing an un-erected box having a plurality of sidewall panels, a plurality of folds or creases dispose between and partially defining the plurality of sidewall panels, and a plurality of flaps extending from the plurality of sidewall panels, at least one sidewall panel of the plurality of sidewall panels having a crease or fold extending therethrough, the crease or fold that extends through the at least one sidewall panel being oriented generally parallel to and disposed in between the creases or folds that define the at least one sidewall panel;
- folding two or more flaps to an angled orientation relative to the corresponding sidewall panels and so that the two or more flaps form one or more angles of greater than 0° and equal to or less than 90° relative to original positions of the two or more flaps in an unfolded configuration, the corresponding sidewall panels including the at least sidewall panel having the crease or fold extending therethrough, wherein folding the flap the at least one sidewall panel to the angled orientation flattens or unfolds the crease or fold extending through the at least one sidewall panel;
- and
- while the two or more flaps are folded to the angled orientation, arranging the un-erected box so that the plurality of sidewall panels form a generally rectangular tube.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.