Automatic cover pasting method

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic cover pasting method which comprises a power roller way, a grabbing mechanism, a positioning mechanism and an adhesive tape cutting mechanism, a suction cup driven by a mechanical arm is further arranged in front of the adhesive tape cutting mechanism, and the adhesive tape cutting mechanism comprises an unwinding shaft, a chuck assembly and a cutting assembly. In this way, the packaging box is automatically conveyed through the power roller way, the grabbing mechanism automatically grabs a single bottle cap, the adhesive tape cutting mechanism automatically cuts the adhesive tape, the mechanical arm and the suction cup automatically complete adsorption of the adhesive tape section, adhesion of the adhesive tape section and the bottle cap, and adhesion of the adhesive tape section adhered with the bottle cap to the sub packaging box. The full process of manual grabbing, cutting and pasting is completely replaced, the automation degree is high, the continuous operation requirement under the large-scale production scene can be met, and the overall production circulation efficiency is effectively improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of bottle cap packaging, and more specifically to an automatic cap application method. Background Technology

[0002] In the later stages of bottle cap production and processing, to meet the requirements of warehousing organization and convenient logistics, the completed bottle caps need to be uniformly packed into standard packaging boxes for centralized storage and transfer. To facilitate quick identification of product specifications within the boxes in subsequent warehousing inventory, order sorting, and logistics tracking, the industry commonly uses a method of attaching a single bottle cap as an identification cap to the side of the packaging box. This identification cap allows for a direct correspondence between the product model and the box, improving the identification efficiency of subsequent processes.

[0003] Currently, the application of these label caps is mainly done manually. The specific operation process is as follows: the operator first manually grabs a single bottle cap from the packaging box that is already full of bottle caps; then manually cuts a piece of tape of suitable length; finally, the grabbed bottle cap is glued to the tape piece and pasted to the designated side of the packaging box, thus completing the label cap application.

[0004] However, this manual operation of grabbing bottle caps, cutting tape, and manually pasting not only significantly increases the labor intensity of operators, but also takes a long time per box, making it difficult to adapt to the high-efficiency operation requirements of large-scale production scenarios and seriously restricting the overall production flow efficiency. In addition, when manually cutting tape, due to subjective factors such as operator skill and force control, problems such as uneven tape length and rough edges are easily caused, resulting in the pasted label caps appearing rough due to the irregular appearance of the tape, which in turn damages the neatness and aesthetics of the overall appearance of the packaging box. Summary of the Invention

[0005] Based on this, and in response to the above-mentioned technical problems, the present invention provides an automatic capping method.

[0006] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions: An automatic capping method involves affixing label caps to packaging boxes using a capping device. The device includes a powered roller conveyor, a gripping mechanism located above the roller conveyor for grasping bottle caps from inside the packaging box, a positioning mechanism for stopping and positioning the packaging box, and a tape cutting mechanism on a work platform located on one side of the roller conveyor. A suction cup driven by a robotic arm is also located in front of the tape cutting mechanism. The tape cutting mechanism includes an unwinding shaft, a chuck assembly located in front of the unwinding shaft, and a cutting assembly located between the unwinding shaft and the chuck assembly. When the powered roller conveyor transports a packaging box containing bottle caps with open tops to below the gripping mechanism, the positioning mechanism stops the packaging box, and the gripping mechanism grasps a bottle cap with its inner side facing up from the packaging box as a label cap. The tape is then conveyed to the top front of the packaging box. Simultaneously, the chuck assembly clamps the tape end and pulls the tape forward, forming a section of tape to be cut with the non-adhesive side facing up. The robotic arm drives the suction cup to pick up the non-adhesive side of the tape section. Subsequently, the cutting assembly cuts the tape, the chuck assembly releases the tape, and the robotic arm drives the suction cup to move the tape section under the label cap and rotate it so that the adhesive side of the tape section faces the label cap. Then, the robotic arm drives the suction cup to move upward, allowing the adhesive side of the tape section to adhere to the bottom surface of the bottle cap. The gripping mechanism releases the label cap. Then, the robotic arm drives the suction cup to rotate the tape section with the bottle cap attached towards the packaging box, so that the adhesive side of the tape section faces the front side of the packaging box. Finally, the robotic arm drives the suction cup to move forward, sticking the tape section with the bottle cap attached to the front side of the packaging box.

[0007] Using the above technical solution, the powered roller conveyor automatically transports the packaging boxes, the gripping mechanism automatically grips individual bottle caps as label caps, the tape cutting mechanism pulls and cuts the tape, and the suction cup driven by the robotic arm automatically completes the tape adsorption, adhesion to the bottle caps, and pasting of the tape segment with the bottle caps onto the sub-packaging box. The entire process does not require manual intervention in gripping, cutting, and pasting, which not only reduces the labor intensity of manual operation, but also avoids the problems of intermittent and time-consuming manual operation, significantly shortening the capping time of a single box. It can adapt to the continuous operation needs of large-scale production scenarios and effectively improve the overall production flow efficiency. The unwinding shaft carries the entire roll of tape, ensuring stable unwinding. The chuck assembly grips the end of the tape and pulls it forward along a preset direction to a set length, ensuring accurate tape pulling length. The cutting assembly cuts the tape when it is pulled to the set length, forming tape segments of uniform length. Thus, by precisely pulling the tape length with the chuck assembly and cutting it with the cutting assembly, it is ensured that each tape segment is of uniform length and has smooth edges, improving the overall efficiency of tape processing.

[0008] In a specific embodiment of the present invention: the clamping assembly includes a pair of clamping blocks, a clamping block cylinder for driving the pair of clamping blocks to open and close up and down, and a clamping block horizontal cylinder for driving the pair of clamping blocks to move laterally.

[0009] In a specific embodiment of the present invention: the cutting assembly includes a pad mounted on a work platform via a fixed base, and a cutter positioned directly above the pad and driven to rise and fall by a cutter cylinder. The top surface of the pad has a slit corresponding to the cutter's position, allowing the cutter to enter. A notch is provided on the front side of the pad corresponding to the clamping block's position, allowing the clamping block to be inserted; this notch communicates with the slit. With this structure, after the cutter cuts the tape, the newly formed tape end naturally remains in the slit. Thus, the notch specifically designed on the front side of the pad provides embedding space for the clamping block. The clamping block can be directly inserted into the notch, clamping the tape end at the slit, avoiding collision and interference between the clamping block and the pad, and ensuring that each traction starts from the same position, ultimately achieving consistent tape length for each segment.

[0010] In a specific embodiment of the present invention: a stop block is provided on the upper part of the fixing base and behind the cutter, and a gap is provided between the stop plate and the pad block to allow the tape to pass through. In this way, the gap between the stop plate and the pad block for the tape to pass through can prevent the tape from shifting or wrinkling during the conveying process.

[0011] In a specific embodiment of the present invention: the cutter is a thin, inverted triangular structure.

[0012] In a specific embodiment of the present invention: the gripping mechanism includes a vacuum suction head, a suction head lateral linear drive assembly for driving the vacuum suction head to move laterally horizontally, a suction head longitudinal linear drive assembly for driving the vacuum suction head to move longitudinally horizontally, a suction head vertical linear drive assembly for driving the vacuum suction head to rise and fall, and a camera located above the power roller conveyor for scanning bottle caps inside the packaging box.

[0013] In a specific embodiment of the present invention: the positioning mechanism includes a positioning sensor located on one side of the power roller conveyor and a baffle driven by a baffle cylinder to move up and down between the two moving rollers of the power roller conveyor.

[0014] In summary, this invention utilizes a powered roller conveyor to automatically transport packaging boxes, a gripping mechanism to automatically grip individual bottle caps, a tape cutting mechanism to automatically cut the tape, and a robotic arm and suction cup to automatically adsorb the tape segments, drive the tape segments to adhere to the bottle caps, and paste the tape segments with the bottle caps onto the sub-packaging boxes. This completely replaces the entire process of manual gripping, cutting, and pasting, achieving a high degree of automation. It can adapt to the continuous operation needs of large-scale production scenarios and effectively improve the overall production flow efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0015] The invention will now be further described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an automatic capping method according to the present invention; Figure 2 This shows a robotic arm driving a suction cup; Figure 3 This shows a tape cutting mechanism; Figure 4 It shows the pad; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the gripping mechanism of the present invention; Figure 6 This shows the inside of the bottle cap facing upwards. Detailed Implementation

[0017] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0018] Please see Figure 1 As shown, the present invention is an automatic capping method, including a powered roller conveyor 10, a gripping mechanism 20, a positioning mechanism 30, a tape cutting mechanism 40, and a controller. The gripping mechanism 20, the positioning mechanism 30, and the tape cutting mechanism 40 are all electrically connected to the controller.

[0019] The powered roller conveyor 10 is used to transport packaging boxes with bottle caps inside and the top open.

[0020] The gripping mechanism 20 is located above the power roller conveyor 10 and is used to grip individual bottle caps from the arriving packaging boxes as identification caps.

[0021] Combination Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the gripping mechanism 20 includes a vacuum suction head 21, a suction head lateral linear drive assembly 22 for driving the vacuum suction head to move laterally horizontally, a suction head longitudinal linear drive assembly 23 for driving the vacuum suction head to move longitudinally horizontally, and a suction head vertical linear drive assembly 24 for driving the vacuum suction head 21 to move up and down. It also includes a camera located above the power roller conveyor 10 for scanning bottle caps arriving inside the packaging box. Thus, when a single bottle cap needs to be gripped as an identification cap, the camera scans the inside of the packaging box below. Because the postures of the bottle caps inside the packaging box vary, the controller analyzes and judges the image data transmitted by the camera to select one such cap. Figure 6The bottle cap 9, with its inner side facing upwards, serves as the label cap. Next, the controller coordinates the horizontal linear drive assembly 22 and the vertical linear drive assembly 23 of the suction head to move the vacuum suction head 21 directly above the selected label cap. Subsequently, the vertical linear drive assembly 24 of the suction head drives the vacuum suction head 21 downwards into the packaging box. At this point, a negative pressure is generated inside the vacuum suction head 21, attracting the label cap. Afterwards, the vertical linear drive assembly 24 drives the vacuum suction head 21, carrying the bottle cap, to rise. Then, the horizontal linear drive assembly 22 drives the vacuum suction head 21, carrying the bottle cap, to move it to the front top of the packaging box, completing the bottle cap gripping. Here, the horizontal linear drive assembly 22, the vertical linear drive assembly 23, and the vertical linear drive assembly 24 can all be servo motor-driven linear drive assemblies.

[0022] like Figure 1 As shown, the positioning mechanism 30 is located on the conveying path of the power roller conveyor 10 and is used to position and stop the packaging box when it reaches the stop station for bottle cap gripping and subsequent capping. In this embodiment, the positioning mechanism 30 includes a positioning sensor located on one side of the power roller conveyor 10 and a baffle 32 driven by a baffle cylinder to move up and down between the two moving rollers of the power roller conveyor 10.

[0023] like Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, the tape cutting mechanism 40 is located on the working platform 11 on one side of the power roller conveyor 10, and includes an unwinding shaft 41, a chuck assembly 42, and a cutting assembly 43.

[0024] The unwinding spool 41 is used to carry the entire roll of tape. Here, the adhesive side of the tape is the adhesive side, and the non-adhesive side is the non-adhesive side. like Figure 3 As shown, the clamp assembly 42 is located in front of the unwinding shaft 41 and is used to clamp the end of the tape and pull the end of the tape forward along a preset direction to a set length. At this time, the non-adhesive side faces upward. In this embodiment, the clamp assembly 42 includes a pair of clamping blocks 421, a clamping block cylinder 422 for driving the pair of clamping blocks 421 to open and close up and down, and a clamping block horizontal cylinder 423 for driving the pair of clamping blocks 421 to move laterally.

[0025] like Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, the cutting assembly 43 is located between the unwinding shaft 41 and the clamping assembly 42, and is used to cut the tape when it is pulled to a set length, thereby forming tape segments of uniform length. In this embodiment, the cutting assembly 43 includes a pad 432 mounted on the work platform 11 via a fixing base 431, and a cutter 434 located directly above the pad 432 and driven to rise and fall by a cutter cylinder 433. A gap 435 is provided on the top surface of the pad 432 corresponding to the cutter 434, allowing the cutter 434 to enter. A notch 436 is provided on the front side of the pad 432 corresponding to the clamping block 421, allowing the clamping block 421 to be inserted. The notch 436 communicates with the gap 435. Since the newly formed tape end will naturally remain at the gap 435 after the cutter cuts the tape, when the clamping assembly needs to hold the tape end, the notch 436 set on the front side of the pad 432 corresponding to the position of the clamping block 421 provides space for the clamping block 421 to be inserted. The clamping block can be directly inserted into the notch to clamp the tape end located at the gap 435. This avoids collision and interference between the clamping block and the pad block, and ensures that each traction starts from the same position, ultimately achieving consistent tape length for each segment.

[0026] In this embodiment, the cutter 435 is a thin, inverted triangular structure.

[0027] In this embodiment, a stop block 437 is provided on the upper part of the fixing base 431 and behind the cutter. A gap is provided between the stop block 437 and the pad block 432 to allow the tape to pass through. In this way, the gap between the stop block and the pad block for the tape to pass through can prevent the tape from shifting or wrinkling during the conveying process.

[0028] In this embodiment, the pad 432 is a rubber pad. The rubber pad is elastic and can buffer the impact force when the cutter descends, preventing the cutter from colliding hard with hard materials and reducing blade wear or chipping.

[0029] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, a suction cup 52 is also included, which is mounted on a robot arm 51 and driven by the robot arm 51 in front of the tape cutting mechanism 40. Both the robot arm 51 and the suction cup 52 are electrically connected to the controller.

[0030] Thus, when a label cap needs to be affixed to the front side of the packaging box, the powered roller conveyor 10 is activated, conveying the packaging box containing the bottle cap and with its top open to the area below the gripping mechanism. When the packaging box reaches the area below the gripping mechanism, the positioning sensor detects the packaging box and sends a signal to the controller. Upon receiving the signal, the controller activates the baffle cylinder, driving the baffle 32 to rise between the two moving rollers of the powered roller conveyor 10, positioning and stopping the packaging box to ensure it remains stably in the working position.

[0031] Next, the gripping mechanism 20 is activated. The camera first scans the inside of the packaging box and transmits the image data to the controller. The controller analyzes and judges the image data transmitted by the camera, selecting a bottle cap 9 with its inner side facing upwards as the label cap. Then, the controller controls the suction head horizontal linear drive component 22 and the suction head vertical linear drive component 23 to work together to drive the vacuum suction head 21 to move directly above the selected label cap. Subsequently, the suction head vertical linear drive component 24 drives the vacuum suction head 21 to descend into the packaging box. At this time, a negative pressure is generated inside the vacuum suction head 21, which sucks up the label cap. Afterwards, the suction head vertical linear drive component 24 drives the vacuum suction head 21 with the bottle cap to rise, and then the suction head horizontal linear drive component 22 drives the vacuum suction head 21 with the bottle cap to move to the front and above the packaging box, completing the bottle cap gripping.

[0032] While the gripping mechanism 20 is operating, the tape cutting mechanism 40 is simultaneously activated. The horizontal clamping cylinder 423 drives the clamping block 421 to move towards the pad block 432, inserting it into the gap 435 through the notch 436. Then, the clamping cylinder 422 drives the two clamping blocks 421 to clamp the tape end at the gap 435. Subsequently, the horizontal clamping cylinder 423 drives the clamping block 421 to move laterally, pulling the tape forward along a preset direction to a set length, forming a tape segment to be cut with the non-adhesive side facing up. At this time, the suction cup 52 is located directly above the tape segment to be cut. Then, the suction cup 52, waiting above the tape segment to be cut, is driven by the robotic arm 51 to suction the non-adhesive side of the tape segment downwards. Afterwards, the cutting assembly is activated, and the cutting cylinder 433 drives the cutting blade 434 to descend, cutting the tape in conjunction with the gap 435 on the top surface of the pad block 432. Subsequently, the cylinder 422 drives the two clamping blocks 421 to release the cut tape segment. After cutting, the new tape end will naturally remain at the gap 435, preparing for the next traction. Next, the robot arm 51 drives the suction cup 52 to move the tape segment to the bottom of the label cap held by the gripping mechanism 20, and rotates the suction cup 180° so that the adhesive side of the tape segment faces the label cap. Then, the robot arm 51 drives the suction cup 52 to move upward, so that the adhesive side of the tape segment adheres to the bottom surface of the label cap. After the vacuum suction head 21 closes the negative pressure and releases the label cap, the vacuum suction head 21 is driven back to the initial position, ready for the next bottle cap gripping.

[0033] After the label cap detaches from the vacuum suction head 21, the robot arm 51 drives the suction cup 52 to rotate 90° towards the packaging box, carrying the tape section with the bottle cap attached, so that the adhesive side of the tape section faces the front side of the packaging box. Finally, the robot arm drives the suction cup 52 to move forward, attaching the tape section with the bottle cap attached to the front side of the packaging box. The suction cup 52 then releases the tape section, completing the entire capping operation. After the capping operation is completed, the baffle 32 of the positioning mechanism 30 is driven to descend, releasing the stop on the packaging box. The powered roller conveyor then transports the packaging box with the label cap attached to the next process.

[0034] In summary, this invention utilizes a powered roller conveyor to automatically transport packaging boxes, a gripping mechanism to automatically grip individual bottle caps, a tape cutting mechanism to automatically cut the tape, and a robotic arm and suction cup to automatically adsorb the tape segment, drive the tape segment to adhere to the bottle cap, and paste the tape segment with the bottle cap onto the sub-packaging box. This completely replaces the entire process of manual gripping, cutting, and pasting, achieving a high degree of automation. It can adapt to the continuous operation needs of large-scale production scenarios and effectively improve the overall production flow efficiency.

[0035] The foregoing has provided a detailed description of one embodiment of the present invention, but this description is merely a preferred embodiment and should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention. All equivalent variations and modifications made within the scope of the claims of this invention should still fall within the patent coverage of this invention.

Claims

1. An automatic capping method of sticking a label cap on a packaging box by a capping apparatus, characterized by, The cover pasting device comprises a power roller, a grabbing mechanism above the power roller for grabbing a bottle cap in a packaging box, a positioning mechanism for stopping and positioning the packaging box, and a tape cutting mechanism on a working platform at one side of the power roller, and a suction cup driven by a mechanical hand is arranged in front of the tape cutting mechanism; the tape cutting mechanism comprises a unwinding shaft, a chuck assembly in front of the unwinding shaft, and a cutting assembly between the unwinding shaft and the chuck assembly; when the power roller transports the packaging box with the top of the bottle cap opened to below the grabbing mechanism, the positioning mechanism stops and positions the packaging box, the grabbing mechanism grabs a bottle cap with the inner side upward from the packaging box as an identification cap and transfers it to above the front side of the packaging box; at the same time, the chuck assembly clamps the end of the tape and pulls the tape forward to form a to-be-cut tape segment with the non-adhesive surface upward, the mechanical hand drives the suction cup to suck the non-adhesive surface of the to-be-cut tape segment, then the cutting assembly cuts the tape, the chuck assembly releases the tape, the mechanical hand drives the suction cup to move to below the identification cap with the tape segment, and rotates to make the adhesive surface of the tape segment face the identification cap, then the mechanical hand drives the suction cup to move upward, so that the adhesive surface of the tape segment is adhered to the bottom surface of the bottle cap, and the grabbing mechanism releases the identification cap; then the mechanical hand drives the suction cup with the tape segment with the bottle cap to rotate toward the packaging box, so that the adhesive surface of the tape segment is turned to the front side of the packaging box, and then the suction cup is driven to move forward to paste the tape segment with the bottle cap to the front side of the packaging box.

2. The automatic capping method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The chuck assembly comprises a pair of clamping blocks, a clamping block cylinder for driving the pair of clamping blocks to open and close upward and downward, and a clamping block horizontal cylinder for driving the pair of clamping blocks to horizontally translate.

3. The automatic capping method as claimed in claim 2, wherein, The cutting assembly comprises a pad block mounted on the working platform through a fixing seat, and a cutter driven by a cutter cylinder to ascend and descend above the pad block, and the top surface of the pad block has a gap corresponding to the position of the cutter, wherein a notch is arranged on the front side of the pad block corresponding to the position of the clamping block, and the notch is communicated with the gap.

4. The automatic capping method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, The upper part of the fixing seat and behind the cutter are provided with a stop block, and a gap is arranged between the stop plate and the pad block to allow the tape to pass through.

5. The automatic capping method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, The cutter has a thin inverted triangular structure.

6. The automatic capping method as claimed in claim 3, wherein, The pad block is made of rubber.

7. The automatic capping method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The grabbing mechanism comprises a vacuum suction head, a suction head horizontal linear driving assembly for driving the vacuum suction head to horizontally move laterally, a suction head vertical linear driving assembly for driving the vacuum suction head to vertically move longitudinally, a suction head vertical linear driving assembly for driving the vacuum suction head to vertically move longitudinally, and a camera above the power roller for scanning the bottle cap in the packaging box.

8. The automatic capping method as claimed in claim 1, wherein, The positioning mechanism comprises a to-position sensor at one side of the power roller, and a baffle driven by a baffle cylinder to pass up and down between the two moving rollers of the power roller.

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