Tongue bundling machine

Abstract

The present invention provides a shoe tongue binding machine, comprising: a frame (101); a shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism (200), the shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism (200) comprising an infeed conveying section (201), a foldable conveying section (202) and an output conveying section (203) arranged sequentially along the shoe tongue conveying direction, the foldable conveying section (202) being able to switch between a supporting position and a downward folding avoidance position; a rubber band feeding mechanism (300); a ring release mechanism (400); and a spreading mechanism (500) disposed on the conveying path of the shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism (200), the spreading mechanism (500) comprising a plurality of support rods (502) and a support rod driving member (501) for driving the support rods (502) to move, the plurality of support rods (502) being able to approach each other to enter the opening of the rubber band (107) and being able to move away from each other to spread the rubber band (107). The shoe tongue binding machine of the present invention can automatically bind shoe tongue stacks, thereby improving the automation level and production efficiency of the binding process at the back end of the shoe tongue production line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent manufacturing or shoemaking technology, and in particular to a shoe tongue binding machine. Background Technology

[0002] The shoe tongue is an important component of footwear products. During footwear production, the shoe tongue typically undergoes multiple processes, including cutting, printing, hot stamping, inspection, stacking, and transfer. To facilitate subsequent counting, packaging, transfer, and assembly, the finished shoe tongues are usually stacked in predetermined quantities and then bundled together to prevent them from scattering, misaligning, or mixing during transport or storage.

[0003] Currently, on some shoe tongue production lines, the process of bundling the shoe tongue stacks after heat-pressing or other processing still largely relies on manual labor. During manual bundling, operators need to remove a stack of shoe tongues from the conveyor line or receiving position and then manually attach rubber bands around the outside of the stack. This method is labor-intensive, has low production efficiency, and is difficult to adapt to the cycle time requirements of continuous, automated production lines.

[0004] Existing technologies also include equipment for material handling, packaging, or bundling, such as equipment for bundling paper, tickets, fabric sheets, food packaging, or other strip or sheet-like materials. While such equipment can automate material conveying and bundling to some extent, it is typically designed for materials of specific shapes, sizes, or hardness, and may not be suitable for the direct automatic bundling of stacks of shoe tongues. Shoe tongues are usually made of fabric, leather, composite materials, or other flexible sheet materials. Individual shoe tongues are relatively soft and thin, and even when stacked, their overall shape remains unstable, with edges prone to skewing or spreading. Therefore, the stability and precision of the equipment's movements are crucial during conveying, positioning, and bundling.

[0005] Existing conventional strapping equipment may have several shortcomings when handling shoe tongue stacks. For example, some equipment relies mainly on manual placement of materials into the strapping position, which cannot be well integrated with the front-end shoe tongue sorting equipment; while some equipment can perform automatic strapping, it has high requirements for the posture, size consistency, or rigidity of the strapped materials, and is prone to problems such as unstable conveying, inaccurate positioning, scattered shoe tongue stacks, or strapping position deviation when dealing with flexible shoe tongue stacks; and some equipment has a relatively complex structure, is inconvenient to adjust, and is difficult to adapt to the continuous production needs of shoe tongues of different lengths, thicknesses, or styles.

[0006] Furthermore, rubber bands, being flexible and elastic, are prone to deformation, misalignment, entanglement, or detachment during automated strapping. For flexible sheet materials like stacked shoe tongues, unstable coordination in the supply, placement, expansion, and release of rubber bands can lead to inaccurate placement around the shoe tongue stack, resulting in issues such as missed strapping, crooked strapping, insecure binding, or the shoe tongue stack being pulled off-center. These problems are particularly problematic at high production rates, affecting the overall line stability and strapping success rate.

[0007] Therefore, it is necessary to provide a shoe tongue binding machine suitable for shoe tongue production lines, which can be set downstream of shoe tongue stacking equipment, automatically receive the already stacked shoe tongues, and bind the shoe tongues with rubber bands, thereby reducing manual operation, improving shoe tongue binding efficiency and binding stability, and better adapting to the continuous production needs of automated shoe tongue production lines. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to at least partially overcome the deficiencies of the prior art and provide a shoe tongue binding machine.

[0009] Another objective of this invention is to provide a shoe tongue binding machine that can be installed downstream of a shoe tongue stacking machine to receive stacked shoe tongues that have been stacked and to automatically bind them.

[0010] The present invention also aims to provide a shoe tongue binding machine that can automatically convey, position, and bind stacks of shoe tongues with rubber bands.

[0011] Another objective of this invention is to provide a shoe tongue binding machine that can automatically supply rubber bands and transfer the rubber bands to a position suitable for binding shoe tongue stacks.

[0012] The present invention also aims to provide a shoe tongue binding machine that can automatically expand rubber bands so that stacks of shoe tongues can enter the expanded rubber bands, and complete the binding of the stack of shoe tongues after the rubber bands are released.

[0013] The present invention also aims to provide a shoe tongue binding machine that can reduce the amount of manual labor required to bind stacks of shoe tongues with rubber bands.

[0014] The present invention also aims to provide a shoe tongue binding machine that can improve the stability of the shoe tongue stack binding process and reduce problems such as missed binding, crooked binding, loose binding or scattered shoe tongue stacks.

[0015] The present invention also aims to provide a shoe tongue binding machine that can improve the automation level and production efficiency of the binding process at the back end of the shoe tongue production line.

[0016] To achieve the above-mentioned objectives or one of them, the technical solution of the present invention is as follows: A shoe tongue binding machine is used to bind stacks of shoe tongues using rubber bands. The shoe tongue binding machine includes: frame; A shoe tongue stacking conveyor mechanism, mounted on a frame, is used to convey stacks of shoe tongues. The shoe tongue stacking conveyor mechanism includes an infeed conveyor section, a foldable conveyor section, and an output conveyor section arranged sequentially along the shoe tongue conveying direction. The foldable conveyor section can switch between a supporting position and a downward folding avoidance position. A rubber band supply mechanism used to supply rubber bands; The rubber band release mechanism is used to obtain the rubber band from the rubber band feeding mechanism and transfer the rubber band to the spreading mechanism; An opening mechanism is installed on the conveying path of the shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism. The opening mechanism includes multiple support rods and a support rod drive for driving the movement of the support rods. The multiple support rods can approach each other to enter the opening of the rubber band and can move away from each other to open the rubber band. When the foldable conveyor section is in the supporting position, it is used to cooperate with the infeed conveyor section and the output conveyor section to support and convey stacks of shoe tongues. When the foldable conveyor section is in the avoidance position, it is used to avoid the movement space of at least part of the support rod drive of the spreading mechanism. The opening mechanism further includes a release push plate and a push plate drive. The release push plate can push the rubber band away from the support rod under the drive of the push plate drive, so that the rubber band is sleeved on the outer periphery of the stack of shoe tongues.

[0017] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the foldable conveyor section is connected to a folding drive member and is driven by the folding drive member to fold around the folding support member between a supporting position and a clearance position.

[0018] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism further includes a conveying drive component and a transmission component, wherein the conveying drive component drives at least one of the conveying section, the foldable conveying section and the output conveying section to convey stacked shoe tongues via the transmission component.

[0019] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rubber band feeding mechanism includes a feeding tray, a spiral feeding channel, and a rubber band detection component. The feeding tray is used to accommodate rubber bands, the spiral feeding channel is used to transport the rubber bands to the rubber band pick-up position, and the rubber band detection component is used to detect whether a rubber band is present at the rubber band pick-up position.

[0020] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the ring-removing and releasing mechanism includes a ring-removing clamping member, a clamping driving member, a first lateral moving member, a second vertical moving member, a rotation driving member, and a third longitudinal moving member; The rubber band holder is used to hold or release the rubber band, the gripping drive is used to drive the rubber band holder to perform the gripping or releasing action, the first lateral moving member is used to drive the rubber band holder to move in the lateral direction, the second vertical moving member is used to drive the rubber band holder to move in the vertical direction, the rotation drive is used to drive the rubber band holder to rotate, and the third longitudinal moving member is used to drive the rubber band holder to move in the shoe tongue conveying direction.

[0021] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rubber band release mechanism is configured such that: after obtaining the rubber band, it is first moved to the release preparation position by a first lateral moving member, then lowered by a second vertical moving member, and then rotated by a rotation driving member so that the opening of the rubber band faces the support rod of the opening mechanism, and then the rubber band is delivered to the support rod by a third longitudinal moving member.

[0022] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the rotary drive is used to drive the rubber band holder to rotate 90 degrees so that the opening direction of the rubber band is adapted to the entry direction of the support rod.

[0023] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spreading mechanism includes an upper spreading component and a lower spreading component, wherein the upper spreading component and the lower spreading component each include at least one strut driver and a strut driven by the strut driver.

[0024] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the spreading mechanism includes four support rod drivers and four support rods. Each support rod driver has a support rod at its output end. The four support rods can move closer to each other to enter the opening of the rubber band under the drive of the four support rod drivers, and can also move away from each other to spread the rubber band open.

[0025] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the foldable conveyor section is configured to fold downward to a clearance position before or during the process of the strut of the lower opening assembly entering the opening of the rubber band, so as to clear the movement space of the lower opening assembly.

[0026] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the upper and lower stretching components are configured to operate in a predetermined sequence to gradually stretch or release the rubber band.

[0027] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the lower side opening component first operates to open the lower part of the rubber band, and then the upper side opening component operates to open the upper part of the rubber band, and the action of the rubber band release mechanism to release the rubber band is performed synchronously with the action of the upper side opening component.

[0028] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the release push plate is disposed on one side of the support rod, and the release push plate can move relative to the support rod under the drive of the push plate drive member, so as to push the rubber band in the open state away from the support rod.

[0029] According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the release pusher is configured to actuate after the stack of shoe tongues enters the expansion area formed by the rubber band, so that the rubber band disengages from the strut and, under the action of elastic restoring force, tightens around the stack of shoe tongues.

[0030] According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the shoe tongue binding machine further includes an electrical control box, which contains a controller. The controller is electrically connected to the shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism, the rubber band feeding mechanism, the rubber band picking and releasing mechanism, the spreading mechanism, the folding drive component, and the push plate drive component, and is used to control the shoe tongue stacking conveying, rubber band feeding, rubber band picking, rubber band spreading, folding of the foldable conveying section, and rubber band release.

[0031] The present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: (1) The shoe tongue binding machine of the present invention can be set downstream of the shoe tongue stacking machine. It receives and transports stacked shoe tongues that have been stacked through the shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism. Through the cooperation of the rubber band feeding mechanism, the ring release mechanism and the spreading mechanism, the rubber band is automatically put on the outer periphery of the stacked shoe tongues, thereby realizing the automatic binding of the shoe tongue stack, reducing the manual operation of putting on the rubber band, and improving the automation level and production efficiency of the binding process at the back end of the shoe tongue production line.

[0032] (2) The shoe tongue stack conveying mechanism of the present invention includes an infeed conveying section, a foldable conveying section and an output conveying section arranged sequentially along the shoe tongue conveying direction. When the foldable conveying section is in the supporting position, it can cooperate with the infeed conveying section and the output conveying section to support and convey the stack of shoe tongues, so that the stack of shoe tongues passes smoothly through the binding area, reducing the problem of the shoe tongue stack sinking, scattering or misaligning during the conveying process.

[0033] (3) The foldable conveyor section of the present invention can switch between a supporting position and a downward folding avoidance position. When at least part of the support rod drive of the spreading mechanism needs to move near the conveying path, the foldable conveyor section can fold down to the avoidance position, thereby avoiding the movement space of the spreading mechanism. Thus, the shoe tongue stack conveying path and the rubber band spreading mechanism can be arranged simultaneously in a more compact space, reducing structural interference between the conveying mechanism and the spreading mechanism.

[0034] (4) The present invention supplies rubber bands through a rubber band feeding mechanism and detects whether there are rubber bands at the position to be picked up by a rubber band detection device. This helps the rubber band picking and releasing mechanism to obtain rubber bands stably, reduces the problems of empty picking, missed picking or picking failure, and improves the reliability of rubber band feeding and picking.

[0035] (5) The rubber band release mechanism of the present invention includes a rubber band clamping member, a clamping drive member, a first lateral moving member, a second vertical moving member, a rotation drive member, and a third longitudinal moving member, enabling the rubber band clamping member to perform clamping, lateral movement, vertical movement, rotation, and longitudinal movement. Thus, the rubber band release mechanism can obtain rubber bands from the rubber band feeding mechanism and transfer them to the spreading mechanism in an appropriate posture, improving the accuracy of rubber band handling and transfer.

[0036] (6) In this invention, after obtaining the rubber band, the rubber band release mechanism can drive the rubber band holder to rotate via a rotary drive, so that the opening direction of the rubber band matches the entry direction of the support rod. In particular, after the rubber band holder rotates 90 degrees, the opening of the rubber band can face the support rod of the opening mechanism, which facilitates the support rod to enter the opening of the rubber band and open the rubber band, thereby improving the success rate of transferring the rubber band to the opening mechanism.

[0037] (7) The opening mechanism of the present invention includes multiple support rods and support rod driving components. The multiple support rods can approach each other to enter the opening of the rubber band and can move away from each other to open the rubber band. Thus, the rubber band can first enter the opening of the rubber band with a small support rod spacing, and then open the rubber band to a state that allows stacks of shoe tongues to enter, thereby realizing the automatic opening of the rubber band.

[0038] (8) The opening mechanism of the present invention may include an upper opening component and a lower opening component, and the upper opening component and the lower opening component can operate in a predetermined sequence to gradually open or release the rubber band. By operating in steps rather than simply in a synchronous manner, the problem of the rubber band falling off due to elastic deformation, shaking or unstable posture can be reduced, and the stability of the rubber band opening and releasing process can be improved.

[0039] (9) In this invention, the lower side opening component can first operate to open the lower part of the rubber band, and then the upper side opening component operates to open the upper part of the rubber band. The action of the rubber band release mechanism to release the rubber band is synchronized with the action of the upper side opening component. Therefore, it is beneficial to maintain a more stable posture of the rubber band during the transfer and opening process, and reduce the problems of rubber band deviation, falling off or failure to be properly hung.

[0040] (10) The opening mechanism of the present invention further includes a release push plate and a push plate drive member. The release push plate can push the rubber band away from the support rod under the drive of the push plate drive member, so that the rubber band is sleeved and tightened on the outer periphery of the stacked shoe tongues under the action of elastic restoring force. By setting the release push plate, the rubber band can be pushed away from the support rod more reliably, reducing the problems of rubber band retention, snagging or incomplete release that may occur when the rubber band is released by retracting the support rod alone.

[0041] (11) The present invention coordinates the conveying of shoe tongue, the feeding of rubber bands, the taking of rubber bands, the opening of rubber bands, the folding of the foldable conveying section and the release of rubber bands through the controller in the electrical control box, so that the timing of the actions of each mechanism is coordinated with each other, which is conducive to improving the continuity, stability and binding success rate of the whole machine operation.

[0042] (12) The present invention can better adapt to the bundling requirements of flexible sheet materials such as stacked shoe tongues, reduce the problems that are easy to occur during manual bundling, such as shoe tongues being scattered, bundling position deviation, missing or crooked bundling, and facilitate the subsequent counting, packaging, transportation and production management of shoe tongues. Attached Figure Description

[0043] Figure 1 This is a perspective view of a shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of a shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a left view of a shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a right view of a shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 5 This is a rear view of a shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 6 A shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown from another perspective; Figure 7 A shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown from another perspective; Figure 8 A shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown from another perspective; Figure 9 A shoe tongue binding machine according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown from another angle.

[0044] List of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 101 rack 103 Electrical Control Box 107 Rubber bands 200 Shoe Tongue Stacking Conveyor 201 Feed into the conveyor section 202 Foldable Conveyor Section 203 Output Conveyor Section 204 Folding Drive Component 205 Folding Support 206 Conveyor Drive Component 207 Transmission Components 208 Conveyor Support 300 Rubber Band Feeding Mechanism 301 Feeding Tray 302 Spiral Feeding Channel 304 Rubber Band Inspection Components 305 Rubber band waiting position 400 Ring Retrieval and Release Mechanism 401 Ring clamping component 402 Clamping Drive 403 First Lateral Moving Component 404 Second vertical moving part 405 Rotary Drive 406 Third longitudinal moving part 500 opening mechanism 501 strut drive component 502 strut 503 Support Rod Mounting Frame 505 Upper support component 506 Lower side support assembly 507 Release Push Plate 508 Push plate drive component. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. Furthermore, in the following detailed description, numerous specific details are set forth for ease of explanation to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of this disclosure. However, it will be apparent that one or more embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well-known structures and apparatuses are illustrated to simplify the drawings.

[0046] like Figures 1 to 9 As shown, this embodiment provides a shoe tongue binding machine, which can be installed downstream of a shoe tongue stacking machine to receive stacked shoe tongues that have been stacked and bind them together using rubber bands 107. The shoe tongue binding machine includes a frame 101, a shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism 200, a rubber band feeding mechanism 300, a band removal and release mechanism 400, and a spreading mechanism 500. The shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism 200, the rubber band feeding mechanism 300, the band removal and release mechanism 400, and the spreading mechanism 500 can be directly or indirectly mounted on the frame 101.

[0047] The shoe tongue stacking conveyor 200 is used to convey stacks of shoe tongues, allowing them to enter the shoe tongue strapping machine from upstream and be output downstream after being strapped with rubber bands 107. The rubber band feeding mechanism 300 is used to supply rubber bands 107. The rubber band release mechanism 400 is used to obtain rubber bands 107 from the rubber band feeding mechanism 300 and transfer them to the spreading mechanism 500. The spreading mechanism 500 receives the rubber bands 107 transferred from the rubber band release mechanism 400 and spreads them open so that the stack of shoe tongues can enter the spread rubber bands 107. Subsequently, the spreading mechanism 500 releases the rubber bands 107, causing them to fit around the outer periphery of the stack of shoe tongues under the action of elastic restoring force, thus completing the strapping.

[0048] In this embodiment, the shoe tongue stack conveying mechanism 200 includes an input conveying section 201, a foldable conveying section 202, and an output conveying section 203 arranged sequentially along the shoe tongue conveying direction. The input conveying section 201 is used to receive stacks of shoe tongues conveyed from upstream equipment. The foldable conveying section 202 is located between the input conveying section 201 and the output conveying section 203, and is used to cooperate with the input conveying section 201 and the output conveying section 203 to support and convey the stacks of shoe tongues when in the supporting position. The output conveying section 203 is used to output the bundled stacks of shoe tongues to the downstream workstation.

[0049] The foldable conveyor section 202 can switch between a supporting position and a downward-folded avoidance position. When the foldable conveyor section 202 is in the supporting position, it connects with the feed conveyor section 201 and the output conveyor section 203 to form a relatively continuous conveying support surface, enabling the stacked shoe tongues to be conveyed stably and reducing the problems of the stacked shoe tongues sinking, spreading out, or shifting in position during the conveying process. When the foldable conveyor section 202 is in the avoidance position, it folds downward to avoid the movement space of at least part of the support rod drive member 501 of the spreading mechanism 500, especially avoiding the movement space of the lower spreading assembly 506.

[0050] In one embodiment, the foldable conveyor section 202 is connected to a folding drive 204 and is driven by the folding drive 204 to tumble around the folding support 205 between a supporting position and a clearance position. The folding drive 204 can be a cylinder, an electric cylinder, a linear module, or other drive structure capable of driving the foldable conveyor section 202 to tumble. The folding support 205 can be a rotating shaft, a hinge shaft, a support base, or other structure capable of supporting the foldable conveyor section 202 to tumble. By providing the foldable conveyor section 202, continuous support can be provided when stacks of shoe tongues need to be conveyed, and clearance space can be provided when the spreading mechanism 500 needs to enter the opening of the rubber band 107 or move near the conveying path, thereby balancing conveying stability and mechanism clearance requirements.

[0051] The shoe tongue stack conveyor mechanism 200 may further include a conveyor drive assembly 206 and a transmission assembly 207. The conveyor drive assembly 206 can drive at least one of the feed conveyor section 201, the foldable conveyor section 202, and the output conveyor section 203 to transport stacked shoe tongues via the transmission assembly 207. The conveyor drive assembly 206 may be a motor, a geared motor, a servo motor, or other drive components. The transmission assembly 207 may include a synchronous belt, synchronous pulley, sprocket, chain, drive shaft, coupling, or other transmission structure. The shoe tongue stack conveyor mechanism 200 may further include a conveyor support 208 for supporting the feed conveyor section 201, the foldable conveyor section 202, the output conveyor section 203, the conveyor drive assembly 206, and the transmission assembly 207.

[0052] In one embodiment, the feed conveyor section 201, the foldable conveyor section 202, and the output conveyor section 203 can each employ a belt conveyor structure. The foldable conveyor section 202 may include multiple narrow conveyor belts arranged in parallel to provide the necessary structural arrangement space for the spreading mechanism 500 or other components while supporting stacks of shoe tongues. In other embodiments, the feed conveyor section 201, the foldable conveyor section 202, and the output conveyor section 203 may also employ roller conveyors, chain conveyors, synchronous belt conveyors, or other conveyor structures suitable for conveying stacks of shoe tongues.

[0053] As shown in the figure, the rubber band feeding mechanism 300 includes a feeding tray 301, a spiral feeding channel 302, a rubber band detection element 304, and a rubber band picking position 305. The feeding tray 301 is used to hold multiple rubber bands 107. In one embodiment, the feeding tray 301 can be a vibrating feeding tray. The rubber bands 107 are dispersed under the vibration of the feeding tray 301 and gradually conveyed upward along the spiral feeding channel 302, eventually reaching the rubber band picking position 305. The spiral feeding channel 302 is used to guide the rubber bands 107 to move in a predetermined direction so that the rubber band release mechanism 400 can pick up the rubber bands 107 from the rubber band picking position 305.

[0054] The rubber band detection component 304 is used to detect whether a rubber band 107 is present at the rubber band pickup position 305. The rubber band detection component 304 can be a photoelectric sensor, proximity sensor, vision detection component, or other detection device capable of detecting whether the rubber band 107 is in place. When the rubber band detection component 304 detects the presence of a rubber band 107 at the rubber band pickup position 305, it can send a detection signal to the controller. The controller can then control the feeding tray 301 to pause feeding, stop vibration, and control the rubber band release mechanism 400 to perform the rubber band pickup action. This reduces problems such as empty pickups, missed pickups, or failed pickups, improving the reliability of rubber band 107 feeding and pickup.

[0055] The rubber band release mechanism 400 is used to retrieve the rubber band 107 and transfer it to the spreading mechanism 500. The rubber band release mechanism 400 includes a rubber band gripper 401, a gripping drive 402, a first lateral movement member 403, a second vertical movement member 404, a rotation drive 405, and a third longitudinal movement member 406. The rubber band gripper 401 is used to grip or release the rubber band 107. The gripping drive 402 is used to drive the rubber band gripper 401 to perform the gripping or releasing action. The first lateral movement member 403 is used to drive the rubber band gripper 401 to move laterally. The second vertical movement member 404 is used to drive the rubber band gripper 401 to move vertically. The rotation drive 405 is used to drive the rubber band gripper 401 to rotate. The third longitudinal movement member 406 is used to drive the rubber band gripper 401 to move along the tongue conveying direction.

[0056] In one embodiment, the first lateral moving member 403, the second vertical moving member 404, and the third longitudinal moving member 406 can each be a cylinder, and the rotary drive member 405 can be a rotary motor. Thus, the ring-releasing mechanism 400 can achieve multiple degrees of freedom of movement, including lateral movement, vertical movement, rotation, and movement along the shoe tongue conveying direction. It should be noted that the first lateral moving member 403, the second vertical moving member 404, the third longitudinal moving member 406, and the rotary drive member 405 are not limited to the above-described forms; they can also be electric cylinders, linear modules, servo drive mechanisms, rotary cylinders, or other driving methods, as long as they can achieve movement in the corresponding directions.

[0057] During operation, the rubber band release mechanism 400 is first driven by the first lateral moving member 403, causing the rubber band holder 401 to move to the rubber band waiting position 305. Then, driven by the clamping drive member 402, the rubber band holder 401 clamps the rubber band 107 located at the rubber band waiting position 305. After obtaining the rubber band 107, the rubber band release mechanism 400 is first driven by the first lateral moving member 403 to move to the release preparation position, and then driven by the second vertical moving member 404 to descend, moving the rubber band 107 to a height adapted to the opening mechanism 500. Subsequently, the rotation drive member 405 drives the rubber band holder 401 to rotate, so that the opening of the rubber band 107 faces the support rod 502 of the opening mechanism 500. Afterwards, the third longitudinal moving member 406 drives the rubber band holder 401 to move along the shoe tongue conveying direction, delivering the rubber band 107 to the support rod 502.

[0058] In a preferred embodiment, the rotary drive 405 drives the rubber band clamping member 401 to rotate 90 degrees, so that the opening direction of the rubber band 107 matches the entry direction of the support rod 502. This allows the support rod 502 to smoothly enter the opening of the rubber band 107, reducing problems such as failed ring mounting, rubber band detachment, or rubber band deformation caused by mismatched opening directions. Of course, in other embodiments, the rotation angle can be adjusted according to the rubber band feeding direction, the initial posture of the rubber band clamping member 401, and the arrangement direction of the support rod 502; for example, it can be an angle close to 90 degrees or other suitable angles.

[0059] The spreading mechanism 500 is disposed on the conveying path of the shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism 200, and is used to spread the rubber bands 107 and cooperate to complete the bundling of stacked shoe tongues. The spreading mechanism 500 includes multiple support rods 502 and a support rod drive member 501 for driving the movement of the support rods 502. The multiple support rods 502 can move closer to each other under the drive of the support rod drive member 501 to enter the opening of the rubber bands 107; the multiple support rods 502 can also move away from each other to spread the rubber bands 107 open, so that the rubber bands 107 form an opening area for the stacked shoe tongues to enter.

[0060] In one embodiment, the spreading mechanism 500 includes a strut mounting bracket 503, on which a strut 502 is mounted. The strut mounting bracket 503 is driven by a strut drive member 501. Each strut drive member 501 can be a cylinder, an electric cylinder, a linear drive member, or other drive structure capable of driving the strut 502 to reciprocate. Each strut drive member 501 can have a strut 502 at its output end. The strut 502 can be a thin rod, a needle rod, a columnar strut, a hook-shaped strut, or other structure capable of extending into the opening of the rubber band 107 and supporting the rubber band 107.

[0061] In a preferred embodiment, the spreading mechanism 500 includes an upper spreading component 505 and a lower spreading component 506. The upper spreading component 505 and the lower spreading component 506 each include at least one strut driver 501 and a strut 502 driven by the strut driver 501. Further, the spreading mechanism 500 may include four strut drivers 501 and four struts 502, with a strut 502 disposed at the output end of each strut driver 501. The four struts 502 can move closer together to enter the opening of the rubber band 107 under the drive of the four strut drivers 501, and can also move away from each other to spread the rubber band 107.

[0062] In one specific action, multiple support rods 502 initially approach each other to allow them to enter the opening of the rubber band 107 as a whole. After the rubber band 107 is delivered to the support rods 502 by the ring release mechanism 400, the multiple support rods 502 move away from each other under the drive of the support rod drive member 501, gradually expanding the rubber band 107. The expanded rubber band 107 forms an expanded area for receiving stacks of shoe tongues, which can then enter this expanded area under the conveying action of the shoe tongue stack conveying mechanism 200.

[0063] Since the lower support assembly 506 may need to extend into the vicinity of the conveying path of the shoe tongue stack conveying mechanism 200 during operation, if the foldable conveying section 202 remains in the supporting position, it may interfere with the support rod drive 501 or the support rod 502 of the lower support assembly 506. Therefore, in this embodiment, the foldable conveying section 202 is configured to fold downward to an avoidance position before or during the process of the support rod 502 of the lower support assembly 506 entering the opening of the rubber band 107, so as to avoid the movement space of the lower support assembly 506. After the lower support assembly 506 completes the corresponding action, the foldable conveying section 202 can be reset to the supporting position under the drive of the folding drive 204 to continue supporting and conveying the stacked shoe tongues.

[0064] The above configuration avoids making the gap between the feed conveyor section 201 and the output conveyor section 203 too large in order to avoid the lower opening component 506. If the gap is too large, the stack of shoe tongues is prone to sinking, falling off or scattering when passing through this area. In this embodiment, by setting a foldable conveyor section 202, support is provided during conveying, and downward avoidance is made when the opening mechanism 500 is activated, thereby balancing the conveying stability of the stack of shoe tongues and the operating space requirements of the opening mechanism 500.

[0065] The upper opening component 505 and the lower opening component 506 can be configured to operate in a predetermined sequence to gradually open or release the rubber band 107. In one embodiment, the lower opening component 506 operates first to open the lower portion of the rubber band 107, followed by the upper opening component 505 operating to open the upper portion of the rubber band 107. The release mechanism 400 releases the rubber band 107 synchronously with the upper opening component 505. This ensures that the rubber band 107 maintains a relatively stable posture during its transfer from the release mechanism 400 to the opening mechanism 500, reducing the risk of swaying, shifting, or detachment from the support rod 502. Especially when the rubber band 107 exhibits some deformation, twisting, or uneven elasticity, the step-by-step opening combined with the synchronous release action of the release mechanism 400 improves the success rate of attaching the rubber band 107 to the support rod 502.

[0066] The spreading mechanism 500 also includes a release push plate 507 and a push plate drive member 508. The release push plate 507 can be disposed on one side of the support rod 502. The release push plate 507 can move relative to the support rod 502 under the drive of the push plate drive member 508 to push the rubber band 107 in the spread state away from the support rod 502. The push plate drive member 508 can be a cylinder, an electric cylinder, a linear module, or other drive structure capable of driving the release push plate 507 to move.

[0067] After the stacked shoe tongues enter the expansion area formed by the elastic band 107, the push plate drive 508 drives the release push plate 507 to move. The release push plate 507 pushes the elastic band 107, causing the elastic band 107 to detach from the support rod 502, and contract under the action of its own elastic restoring force, fitting and tightening around the outer periphery of the stacked shoe tongues. By setting the release push plate 507, the problems of the elastic band 107 getting caught, stuck, or not being released properly that may occur when relying solely on the retraction of the support rod 502 to release the elastic band 107 can be avoided, thereby improving the reliability of the release and tightening action of the elastic band 107.

[0068] The shoe tongue binding machine also includes an electrical control box 103. The electrical control box 103 can house a controller, which is electrically connected to the shoe tongue stacking conveyor 200, the elastic band feeding mechanism 300, the rubber band release mechanism 400, the spreading mechanism 500, the folding drive 204, and the push plate drive 508. The controller is used to control the shoe tongue stacking conveyor, the feeding of the elastic band 107, the rubber band release, the spreading of the elastic band 107, the folding of the foldable conveyor section 202, and the release of the elastic band 107. The controller can also be electrically connected to the elastic band detection component 304 to control the operation of the feeding tray 301 and the rubber band release mechanism 400 based on the detection result of the elastic band detection component 304.

[0069] The following description, in conjunction with the working process of this embodiment, further illustrates the shoe tongue binding machine.

[0070] During operation, multiple rubber bands 107 are placed in the feeding tray 301. After the feeding tray 301 is activated, the rubber bands 107 move along the spiral feeding channel 302 towards the rubber band pickup position 305 under the action of the feeding tray 301. When the rubber band detection element 304 detects that there is a rubber band 107 at the rubber band pickup position 305, the controller controls the feeding tray 301 to pause or reduce the feeding action, and controls the rubber band release mechanism 400 to prepare to pick up the rubber band.

[0071] Driven by the first lateral moving member 403, the rubber band release mechanism 400 moves to the rubber band waiting position 305, and the rubber band clamping member 401 clamps the rubber band 107 under the drive of the clamping drive member 402. Subsequently, the rubber band release mechanism 400 moves the rubber band 107 away from the rubber band waiting position 305, and sequentially performs lateral movement, descent, rotation, and longitudinal movement, so that the rubber band 107 is delivered to the support rod 502 of the spreading mechanism 500. Among them, the rotation drive member 405 can drive the rubber band clamping member 401 to rotate 90 degrees, so that the opening of the rubber band 107 faces the support rod 502, so that the support rod 502 can enter the opening of the rubber band 107.

[0072] During the process of the spreading mechanism 500 receiving the rubber band 107, the foldable conveyor section 202 can be folded downwards to a clearance position under the drive of the folding drive member 204 to avoid the movement space of the lower spreading assembly 506. After the ring release mechanism 400 performs longitudinal movement, the rubber band is fitted around the four support rods 502 of the spreading mechanism 500. Then, the lower spreading assembly 506 moves first, causing the corresponding support rod 502 to spread the lower part of the rubber band 107. Subsequently, the upper spreading assembly 505 moves, causing the corresponding support rod 502 to spread the upper part of the rubber band 107. At the same time, the ring release mechanism 400 releases the rubber band 107, transferring the rubber band 107 from the ring clamping member 401 to the support rod 502. Afterwards, the multiple support rods 502 together spread the rubber band 107, forming an spreading area for stacked shoe tongues to enter.

[0073] After the spreading mechanism 500 completes the spreading action of the rubber band 107, the foldable conveyor section 202 can return to the supporting position. The stack of shoe tongues conveyed from upstream enters the feeding conveyor section 201 and is conveyed forward in cooperation with the feeding conveyor section 201, the foldable conveyor section 202, and the output conveyor section 203, entering the spreading area formed by the rubber band 107. When the stack of shoe tongues reaches the predetermined binding position, the push plate drive 508 drives the release push plate 507 to move, and the release push plate 507 pushes the rubber band 107 away from the support rod 502. After the rubber band 107 is separated from the support rod 502, it contracts under the action of elastic restoring force and fits around the outer periphery of the stack of shoe tongues, thereby completing the binding.

[0074] After the binding is completed, the shoe tongue stack conveyor 200 continues to operate, outputting the bundled stack of shoe tongues downstream via the output conveyor section 203. Subsequently, the spreading mechanism 500 resets, and the rubber band release mechanism 400 returns to the vicinity of the rubber band waiting position 305, ready to retrieve the next rubber band 107; the foldable conveyor section 202 also switches between the supporting position and the avoidance position according to the controller to coordinate with the next binding action. Thus, the shoe tongue binding machine can continuously complete actions such as rubber band 107 feeding, ring retrieval, transfer, spreading, shoe tongue stack conveying, rubber band 107 release, and stacked shoe tongue output.

[0075] It should be noted that in the above embodiments, the rubber band 107 mainly refers to an elastic ring-shaped component used for bundling stacked shoe tongues. It can be a rubber ring, silicone ring, elastic rope ring, or other bundling component with elastic recovery capability. The feeding tray 301 can be a vibratory feeder, a rotary feeding mechanism, a hopper feeding mechanism, or other feeding mechanism capable of conveying the rubber band 107 to the rubber band waiting position 305. The ring-retrieving clamp 401 can be a claw, hook, suction clamp, or other structure capable of retrieving and releasing the rubber band 107. The number of support rods 502 is not limited to four, and can be set to three, four, or more depending on the size of the rubber band 107, the size of the stacked shoe tongues, and the shape of the spread.

[0076] It should also be noted that the first lateral moving member 403, the second vertical moving member 404, the third longitudinal moving member 406, the folding drive member 204, the support rod drive member 501, and the push plate drive member 508 can be cylinders, or electric cylinders, hydraulic cylinders, linear motors, lead screw modules, or other drive members. The rotary drive member 405 can be a rotary motor, a rotary cylinder, or other rotary drive structure. The feeding conveyor section 201, the foldable conveyor section 202, and the output conveyor section 203 can adopt a belt conveyor structure, or other conveyor structures capable of supporting and conveying stacks of shoe tongues. These alternatives do not depart from the concept of the present invention.

[0077] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that variations may be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A tongue bundling machine for bundling a stack of tongues with an elastic band (107), characterized in that, The shoe tongue binding machine includes: Rack (101); A shoe tongue stacking conveyor (200) is mounted on a frame (101) for conveying stacks of shoe tongues. The shoe tongue stacking conveyor (200) includes an infeed conveyor section (201), a foldable conveyor section (202), and an output conveyor section (203) arranged sequentially along the shoe tongue conveying direction. The foldable conveyor section (202) can switch between a supporting position and a downward folding avoidance position. Rubber band feeding mechanism (300) for supplying rubber bands (107); The rubber band release mechanism (400) is used to obtain the rubber band (107) from the rubber band feeding mechanism (300) and transfer the rubber band (107) to the spreading mechanism (500). The spreading mechanism (500) is set on the conveying path of the shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism (200). The spreading mechanism (500) includes multiple support rods (502) and a support rod drive member (501) for driving the movement of the support rods (502). The multiple support rods (502) can approach each other to enter the opening of the rubber band (107) and can move away from each other to spread the rubber band (107). When the foldable conveyor section (202) is in the supporting position, it is used to cooperate with the feeding conveyor section (201) and the output conveyor section (203) to support and convey stacks of shoe tongues. When the foldable conveyor section (202) is in the avoidance position, it is used to avoid the movement space of at least part of the support rod drive member (501) of the spreading mechanism (500). The spreading mechanism (500) further includes a release push plate (507) and a push plate drive (508). The release push plate (507) can push the rubber band (107) away from the support rod (502) under the drive of the push plate drive (508), so that the rubber band (107) is sleeved on the outer periphery of the stack of shoe tongues.

2. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The foldable conveyor section (202) is connected to the folding drive (204) and is driven by the folding drive (204) to fold around the folding support (205) between the supporting position and the avoidance position.

3. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The shoe tongue stacking conveying mechanism (200) further includes a conveying drive assembly (206) and a transmission assembly (207). The conveying drive assembly (206) is driven by the transmission assembly (207) to convey at least one of the conveying sections (201), the foldable conveying section (202), and the output conveying section (203) to transport stacked shoe tongues.

4. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The rubber band feeding mechanism (300) includes a feeding tray (301), a spiral feeding channel (302), and a rubber band detection component (304). The feeding tray (301) is used to hold rubber bands (107), the spiral feeding channel (302) is used to transport the rubber bands (107) to the rubber band waiting position (305), and the rubber band detection component (304) is used to detect whether there is a rubber band (107) at the rubber band waiting position (305).

5. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 4, characterized in that: The ring release mechanism (400) includes a ring clamping member (401), a clamping drive member (402), a first lateral moving member (403), a second vertical moving member (404), a rotation drive member (405), and a third longitudinal moving member (406). The rubber band holder (401) is used to hold or release the rubber band (107), the gripping drive (402) is used to drive the rubber band holder (401) to perform the gripping or releasing action, the first lateral moving member (403) is used to drive the rubber band holder (401) to move in the lateral direction, the second vertical moving member (404) is used to drive the rubber band holder (401) to move in the vertical direction, the rotation drive (405) is used to drive the rubber band holder (401) to rotate, and the third longitudinal moving member (406) is used to drive the rubber band holder (401) to move in the shoe tongue conveying direction.

6. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rubber band release mechanism (400) is configured such that after obtaining the rubber band (107), it is first driven by the first lateral moving member (403) to move to the release preparation position, then driven by the second vertical moving member (404) to descend, and then driven by the rotation driving member (405) to rotate so that the opening of the rubber band (107) faces the support rod (502) of the spreading mechanism (500), and then driven by the third longitudinal moving member (406) to send the rubber band (107) to the support rod (502).

7. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 6, characterized in that: The rotary drive (405) is used to drive the rubber band holder (401) to rotate 90 degrees so that the opening direction of the rubber band (107) matches the entry direction of the support rod (502).

8. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spreading mechanism (500) includes an upper spreading component (505) and a lower spreading component (506), wherein the upper spreading component (505) and the lower spreading component (506) respectively include at least one strut drive member (501) and a strut (502) driven by the strut drive member (501).

9. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The spreading mechanism (500) includes four support rod drive members (501) and four support rods (502). Each support rod drive member (501) has a support rod (502) at its output end. The four support rods (502) can move closer to each other to enter the opening of the rubber band (107) under the drive of the four support rod drive members (501), and can move away from each other to spread the rubber band (107).

10. The shoe tongue binding machine according to claim 8, characterized in that: The foldable conveyor section (202) is configured to fold downward to a clearance position before or during the process of the strut (502) of the lower support assembly (506) entering the opening of the rubber band (107) to allow space for movement of the lower support assembly (506).

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