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EP-4737110-A1 - APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR HEIGHT DIMENSIONING OF BOXES

EP4737110A1EP 4737110 A1EP4737110 A1EP 4737110A1EP-4737110-A1

Abstract

An apparatus (10) for height dimensioning of boxes comprises a support base (33) to receive and support a box (100), a plurality of cutting blades (32) moving closer to and away from the support base (33) to make cuts on vertical corners of the box (100), a plurality of creasing devices (22) switchable between a rest condition and a creasing condition to create creases in the horizontal direction on the box (100), a plurality of holding devices (11) movable between an open condition and a closed condition to contact and restrain respective portions of the box (100), wherein each holding device (11) comprises at least one respective cutting blade (32). When the plurality of creasing devices (22) is in the creasing condition, the holding devices (11)are in the restraining condition and the plurality of creasing devices (22) is movable along creasing directions relative to the holding devices (11).

Inventors

  • SALVÀ, Marco
  • MASINI, MARCO

Assignees

  • System Ceramics S.p.A.

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20251029

Claims (15)

  1. Apparatus (10) for height dimensioning of boxes, the apparatus comprising: a support base (33) configured to receive and support a box (100); a plurality of cutting blades (32), wherein said plurality of cutting blades (32) and said support base (33) are placed in an approaching and moving-away relationship, and wherein said cutting blades (32) are configured to make cuts in a vertical direction on vertical corners of a box (100); a plurality of creasing devices (22) switchable between a rest condition and a creasing condition, wherein in the creasing condition said plurality of creasing devices (22) are configured to create creases in the horizontal direction (101) on said box (100); a plurality of holding devices (11) movable between an open condition and a closed condition, wherein in the closed condition said holding devices (11) are configured to contact and restrain respective portions of said box (100), and wherein each holding device (11) of said plurality of holding devices (11) comprises at least one respective cutting blade (32) of said plurality of cutting blades (32); wherein when said plurality of creasing devices (22) are in the creasing condition, said holding devices (11) are in the restraining condition and said plurality of creasing devices (22) are movable along respective creasing directions relative to said holding devices (11).
  2. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, wherein each creasing device (22) of said plurality of creasing devices (22) is configured to move along said respective creasing direction away from a holding device (11) of said plurality of holding devices (11) and closer to a further holding device (11) of said plurality of holding devices (11) to create a respective crease in the horizontal direction (101).
  3. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein each cutting blade (32) of said plurality of cutting blades (32) is configured to operate cuts in a vertical direction on vertical corners of a box when the respective holding device (11) is in the open condition.
  4. Apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein said holding devices (11) comprise respective gripping elements (14, 15) configured to contact and restrain respective portions of said box (100) and wherein said creasing devices (22) comprise respective creasing heads (25, 26) configured to make horizontal creasing lines on said box (100); wherein when said holding devices (11) are in the closed condition and said plurality of creasing devices (22) are in the creasing condition, said creasing heads (25, 26) are placed at a first distance (D1) from said support base (33) and said gripping elements (14, 15) are placed at a second distance (D2) from said support base (33), wherein said first distance (D1) and said second distance (D2) are measured in the vertical direction and wherein said second distance (D2) is between 0.5 and 1.5 times said first distance (D1).
  5. Apparatus (10) according to claim 4, wherein said gripping elements (14, 15) comprise creasing inserts (16, 17) configured to make horizontal creases, additional to the horizontal creases that can be performed by said creasing devices (22), when said holding devices (11) are in the closed condition, said second distance (D2) being equal to said first distance (D1).
  6. Apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a first pair of sliding guides (34, 35) parallel to each other, wherein each sliding guide of said first pair of sliding guides (34, 35) is slidably associated with at least one respective creasing device (22) of said plurality of creasing devices (22) to move along a respective creasing direction; the apparatus further comprising a first spacer device (39) connected to said first pair of sliding guides (34, 35) and configured to move said sliding guides of said first pair of sliding guides (34, 35) away from and towards each other.
  7. Apparatus (10) according to claim 6, comprising a second pair of sliding guides (36, 37) parallel to each other and perpendicular to said first pair of sliding guides (34, 35), wherein each sliding guide of said second pair of sliding guides (36, 37) is slidably associated with at least one respective creasing device (22) of said plurality of creasing devices (22) to move along a respective creasing direction; the apparatus further comprising a second spacer device (42) connected to said second pair of sliding guides (36, 37) and configured to move said sliding guides of said second pair of sliding guides (36, 37) away from and towards each other.
  8. Apparatus (10) according to claim 7, wherein said first spacer device (39) and said second spacer device (42) are further connected to a first holding device (11a) and a second holding device (11b) and to a third holding device (11c) and a fourth holding device (11d) to mutually move said first holding device (11a) and second holding device (11b) away from and towards said third holding device (11c) and fourth holding device (11d) in a manner integral with said first pair of sliding guides (34, 35) and to mutually move said first holding device (11a) and third holding device (11c) away from and closer to said second holding device (11b) and fourth holding device (11d) in a manner integral with said second pair of sliding guides (36, 37).
  9. Apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each holding device (11) of said plurality of holding devices (11)comprises a respective first upright (12) configured to be placed inside said box (100) and a respective second upright (13) configured to be placed outside said box (100); said second upright (13) of the holding device (11) being movable relative to said first upright (12) of the holding device (11) between an approaching condition to said first upright (12) of the holding device (11) and a moving-away condition from said first upright (12) of the holding device (11); when said second upright (13) of the holding device (11) is in the moving-away condition, said holding device (11) is in the open condition, and when said second upright (13) of the holding device (11) is in the approaching condition, said holding device (11) is in the closed condition.
  10. Apparatus (10) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each creasing device (22) of said plurality of creasing devices (22) comprises a respective first upright (23) perpendicular to said support base (33) and configured to be placed inside said box (100) and a respective second upright (24) configured to be placed outside said box (100), said second upright (24) of the creasing device (22) being movable relative to said first upright (23) of the creasing device (22) between an approaching condition to said first upright (23) of the creasing device (22) and a moving-away condition from said first upright (23) of the creasing device (22); when said second upright (24) of the creasing device (22) is in the moving-away condition said creasing device (22) is in the rest condition and when said second upright (24) of the creasing device (22) is in the approaching condition said creasing device (22) is in the creasing condition.
  11. Method for dimensioning the height of a box comprising: arranging a plurality of cutting blades (32) and a box (100) in a vertical approaching relationship; arranging a plurality of holding devices (11) each comprising a cutting blade of said plurality of cutting blades (32); making cuts in the vertical direction on vertical corners of said box (100) by means of said plurality of cutting blades (32); closing the plurality of holding devices (11) on holding portions of said box (100) and restraining said box (100) at said holding portions by means of said holding devices (11); creating creases in horizontal directions (101) on said box (100) at least on portions different from said holding portions while said box (100) is restrained at said holding portions by said holding devices (11).
  12. Method according to claim 11, wherein said holding portions of said box (100) are vertical corners of said box (100).
  13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, wherein closing a plurality of holding devices (11) on holding portions of said box (100) comprises arranging first uprights (12) of said holding devices (11) inside said box (100) and arranging second uprights (13) of said holding devices (11) outside said box (100) and moving said second uprights (13) of said holding devices (11) closer to said first uprights (12) of said holding devices (11).
  14. Method according to claim 13, wherein making cuts in a vertical direction on vertical corners of said box (100) comprises arranging said cutting blades (32) on said first uprights (12) of said holding devices (11) and moving in a vertically approaching relationship said first uprights (12) of said holding devices (11) and said box (100) while said second uprights (13) of said holding devices (11) are moved away from said first uprights (12) of said holding devices (11).
  15. Method according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein creating horizontal creases is preceded by mutually moving away from or approach to each other creasing devices (22) movable along mutually parallel directions prior to creating horizontal creases on said box (100) by means of said creasing devices (22), and wherein closing a plurality of holding devices (11) on holding portions of said box (100) is preceded by either moving said holding devices (11) away from or approach to each other along horizontal directions, so as to place said creasing devices (22) and said holding devices (11) at mutually horizontal distances according to the dimensions of said box (100).

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for height dimensioning of boxes. The present invention finds a preferred application in the commercial sector where a box made of paper material is used to contain one or more articles, for example for the sale and/or shipment of the article. BACKGROUND In this sector, it is appropriate to use boxes that have an adequate volume for the article or articles that must be inserted in the boxes. It is therefore preferable to use boxes of different dimensions depending on the specific articles that must be contained in the boxes. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In the Applicant's experience, it is not always possible, in automated processes for packaging articles for sale and/or shipment, to have a range of box dimensions that is always and in any case capable of minimizing the volume of the box according to the actual article or the actual articles that must be inserted in the box. In the Applicant's experience, however, it is possible to size each time, in automated processes for making boxes and packaging articles, a box according to the specific article or articles that must be contained in that box. In the Applicant's experience it is in particular possible, starting from a relatively limited number of types of boxes that are distinguished from each other by their dimensions, to choose each time the type of box that best minimises the dimensions of the box according to the specific article or articles that must be inserted in the box and, subsequently, to adjust the height of the box with a process for height dimensioning, so that the height of the box is configured to minimise its internal volume. This process for height dimensioning can be actuated by vertically engraving the vertical corners of the box so as to reduce the height of the side walls of the box once the cover flaps are folded in for closure. These cover flaps are in fact defined by the portions of side walls affected by the vertical incisions of the vertical corners of the box. The more extensive the vertical incisions are, the more extensive the cover flaps are and the less extensive the height of the resulting side walls are. To facilitate the subsequent closing operations of the cover flaps of the box, which can be performed by superimposing these cover flaps on each other, the Applicant considers that the process for height dimensioning must also provide for the creation of horizontal creasing lines along the side walls of the box suitable for creating hinge lines along which to fold the cover flaps. The Applicant has verified that it is for example possible to implement such a process for height dimensioning of the box by lowering cutting blades at the vertical corners of the box and by making cuts up to a predetermined depth in the vertical corners of the box and, subsequently or simultaneously, activating creasing devices that provide for creating horizontal creases along the side walls of the box. The Applicant has verified that as the speed of execution of the operations for the vertical cutting of the vertical corners of the box and for creasing increases, the rate of production of vertically dimensioned boxes increases, with obvious advantages in terms of production capacity. The Applicant has however noted that an increase in the speed of execution of the operations for the vertical cutting of the vertical corners of the box and for creasing can sometimes result in a decrease in speed in the subsequent folding operation of the cover flaps. The Applicant has in fact noted that an increase in the speed of execution of the creasing operations can sometimes lead to a decrease in the precision of the creasing operations with the consequent formation of not perfectly horizontal or not perfectly straight creasing lines that cause difficulties in the subsequent folding operations of the cover flaps. The Applicant has observed that in order to create the horizontal creases, the creasing devices slide horizontally along the side walls of the box and apply a force on the side walls of the box directed perpendicularly to the side walls of the box, so as to locally crush the material with which the box is made defining the wished creasing lines which make the hinge lines that facilitate the folding of the cover layers. The Applicant has observed that as the sliding speed of the creasing devices along the side walls of the box increases, which is necessary to increase the speed of the creasing operation, the box tends to move with possible misalignments between the creasing devices and the box, leading to a decrease in the precision of the creasing operations. The Applicant has perceived that, if the creasing operation were carried out by limiting as much as possible any movements of the box, it would be possible to increase the speed of the creasing operation without jeopardising the precision of the creasing lines created. The Applicant has therefore found that by restraining the box with a