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US 5,511,362 AGranted
Box sealing method and apparatus
AssigneeNippon Flute Co., Ltd.
InventorsShigeru Morita, Hirsohi Ishida, Isao Hirano
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A box forming apparatus for folding and securing the upper flaps of a box including a front inner flap folding body, back inner flap folding body, and left and right outer flap folding bodies for moving the respective flaps of a box into its upper opening plane. The novel apparatus further includes a cooperating tape head for securing the flaps in their folded position.
Claims12
A box closing and sealing apparatus operable to close and seal the top of a box having a body with an upper open portion, front inner box flap, back inner box flap, and left and right outer box flaps, said box sealing apparatus comprising:
- a frame;
- means operably connected to said frame for conveying the box body along a conveyance path;
- a stop member movable between a retracted position removed from said conveyance path and a blocking position;
- means operably connected to said frame for folding the front inner box flap into an upper opening plane of the box body, said front inner box flap folding means including a body positioned generally above and at a generally central position of said conveyance path such that as said box body is advanced along said conveyance path, said body of said front inner box flap folding means contacts said front inner box flap;
- means operably connected to said frame for folding the back inner box flap into the upper opening plane of the box body, said back inner box flap folding means movable between a position removed from said conveyance path to a generally central position of said conveyance path;
- means operably connected to said frame for folding the left and right outer box flaps into the upper opening plane of the box body, said means for folding the left and right outer flaps including opposed first and second body members movable between opposing positions lateral to said conveyance path of said box body and a opposing positions slightly above and
- adjacent to a generally central position of said conveyance path such that when said first and second body members are caused to move from said opposed lateral positions to said position adjacent a generally central position of said path, said left and right outer flaps are cause to occupy a position across said upper opening plane of said box body;
- and
- means operably connected to said frame for sealing facing edges of the left and right outer flaps after said left and right outer flaps are moved into said position across said upper opening plane of said box body.
6 more elements
A box closing and sealing method operable to close and seal the top of a box comprising the steps of:
- (a) conveying a box body having a body with an upper open portion, front inner box flap, back inner box flap, and left and right outer box flaps toward a box flap folding station;
- (b) abutting the box against a stop member at the box flap folding station;
- (c) during step (a), folding the front inner flap of the box body into the upper opening plane of the box including the step of moving the front inner flap against a front inner flap folding body located generally above the box body and at a generally central portion thereof;
- (d) folding the back inner flap of the box body into the upper opening plane of the box body including the step of positioning a back inner flap body at a position adjacent the back inner flap of the box and causing the back inner flap body to move such that the back inner flap is folded into the upper opening plane of the box body;
- (e) folding the left and right outer flaps into the upper opening plane of the box body including the step of positioning respective left and right outer flap push down bodies lateral to and above the box flap folding station and moving the left and right outer flap push down bodies so as to fold the respective left and right outer flaps into the upper opening plane of the box body;
- (f) conveying the box from the box flap folding station including the step of conveying the opposed left and right outer flaps, while in their position across the upper portion of the box body, to a position adjacent a sealing unit;
- and
- (g) sealing the face edges of the left and right outer flaps with tape.
5 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.