Anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device

Abstract

The present invention discloses an anti-blocking cigarette pack diverting device, comprising a conveying mechanism and a driving mechanism. The conveying mechanism comprises a diverting channel and a conveyor belt arranged on the diverting channel; the diverting channel comprises a cigarette pack input channel and a cigarette pack output channel, and the cigarette pack input channel is connected to the cigarette pack output channel. The driving mechanism comprises a base and two diverting assemblies, the base is fixed below the connection between the cigarette pack input channel and the cigarette pack output channel, and the two ends of the base extend beyond the two sides of the diverting channel. The diverting assembly comprises a power unit and a driving unit, the power units of the two diverting assemblies are respectively mounted on the two ends of the base, the driving unit is rotatably connected to the power unit, and the power unit drives the driving unit to rotate, so that the driving unit pushes the blocked cigarette pack to divert. When an empty pack position appears in the cigarette pack input channel, the two diverting assemblies can apply thrust to the cigarette pack, effectively avoiding the problem of cigarette pack blockage at the diverting plate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of cigarette packet conveying, and more particularly to an anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device. Background Art

[0002] During the cigarette production process, a cigarette pack diverting and reversing device is used. Its operating principle is that a conveyor belt drives the cigarette pack forward, and an inclined deflector plate forcibly changes the direction of the reversing pack. Once the pack enters the diverting channel, it is driven forward by the conveyor belt. When the reversing pack is forcibly diverted by the deflector plate, its forward motion is driven by the friction of the conveyor belt and the thrust of the following pack. This driving force is greater than the resistance applied by the deflector plate, allowing the reversing pack to pass through the narrow diverting channel.

[0003] However, during the transportation of cigarette packs, detection devices will be installed, and unqualified cigarette packs will be rejected, which will result in empty pack positions in the conveyor belt. When the cigarette packs in front of the empty pack positions need to turn, their driving force comes entirely from the friction of the conveyor belt. The cigarette packs in front of the empty pack positions cannot easily complete the U-turn through the steering device, which eventually leads to cigarette pack blockage problems, increases product scrap rate and equipment downtime rate, affects equipment production efficiency, and increases the workload of maintenance workers.

[0004] Therefore, how to provide a device for improving the stability of cigarette packs turning around has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a new technical solution for a device that promotes the stable U-turn of cigarette packets.

[0006] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device, comprising a conveying mechanism and a driving mechanism; wherein,

[0007] The conveying mechanism includes a turning channel and a conveyor belt arranged on the turning channel;

[0008] The diverting channel includes a cigarette pack input channel and a cigarette pack output channel, and the cigarette pack input channel is connected to the cigarette pack output channel;

[0009] The driving mechanism includes a base and two steering assemblies. The base is fixed below the connection between the cigarette packet input channel and the cigarette packet output channel, and the two ends of the base extend beyond the two sides of the steering channel.

[0010] The steering assembly includes a power unit and a drive unit. The power units of the two steering assemblies are respectively installed on the two ends of the base. The drive unit is rotatably connected to the power unit, and the power unit drives the drive unit to rotate so that the drive unit pushes the blocked cigarette pack to turn.

[0011] Optionally, blocking plates are provided on both sides of the turning channel to prevent cigarette packs from falling.

[0012] Optionally, the cigarette packet output channel includes a gradient section and a fixed section, and both ends of the gradient section are connected to the cigarette packet input channel and the fixed section respectively;

[0013] The width of the gradient section gradually increases from the position connected to the cigarette pack input channel toward the fixed section, and the width of the connection between the gradient section and the fixed section is the same as the width of the fixed section. The width of the fixed section is greater than the width of a single cigarette pack.

[0014] Optionally, the two steering assemblies are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the steering channel, and the driving unit has a cam structure;

[0015] The steering assembly has a stationary state and a rotating state;

[0016] In the static state, the driving unit is located at a position where there is a gap between the surface of the driving unit and the cigarette packs between the two steering assemblies;

[0017] In the rotating state, the power unit drives the driving units to rotate, so that the two driving units push the cigarette packs to move in a direction away from the cigarette pack entrance of the diverting channel.

[0018] Optionally, an anti-extrusion layer is provided on the surfaces of the two driving units that are in contact with the cigarette pack, and the material of the anti-extrusion layer is a flexible material.

[0019] Optionally, a friction portion is provided on the surface of the anti-extrusion layer, and the friction portion includes a plurality of flexible friction strips, and the flexible friction strips are evenly arranged.

[0020] Optionally, the power unit is a motor, and a drive shaft of the motor is connected to the drive unit.

[0021] Optionally, the rotation directions of the power units of the two steering assemblies are opposite.

[0022] Optionally, the anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device further includes a detection mechanism;

[0023] The detection mechanism is configured to detect an empty pack position in the cigarette pack input channel;

[0024] The detection mechanism includes a first photoelectric switch and a second photoelectric switch. The first photoelectric switch is fixed on the base, and the second photoelectric switch is fixed on one side of the turning channel. The second photoelectric switch is located between the first photoelectric switch and the cigarette pack entrance of the turning channel.

[0025] Optionally, the distance between the first photoelectric switch and the second photoelectric switch is greater than the length of a single cigarette pack.

[0026] The anti-clogging cigarette pack diverting device disclosed in the present invention has a rational overall structure, strong practicality, and simple operation. When empty packs appear in the cigarette pack input channel, the friction provided by the conveyor belt is insufficient to allow the packs to complete the diversion process as they pass through the diverting plate. Two diverting components apply thrust to the packs, which, in conjunction with the friction of the conveyor belt, propel the packs through the diversion process, effectively preventing pack blockage at the diverting plate.

[0027] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present invention with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic structural diagram of the anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device provided by the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic structural diagram of the steering assembly provided by the present invention.

[0031] The markings in the figure are as follows: 1-steering channel; 2-cigarette package; 3-base; 4-drive unit; 5-first photoelectric switch; 6-second photoelectric switch; 7-power unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of components and steps, numerical expressions and numerical values set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present invention.

[0033] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, its application, or uses.

[0034] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0035] In all examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not limiting. Therefore, other examples of the exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0036] It should be noted that like reference numerals and letters refer to like items in the following figures, and therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it need not be further discussed in subsequent figures.

[0037] According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device, comprising a conveying mechanism and a driving mechanism.

[0038] The conveying mechanism includes a deflection channel 1 and a conveyor belt arranged on the deflection channel 1 .

[0039] The diverting channel 1 includes a cigarette packet input channel and a cigarette packet output channel, and the cigarette packet input channel is connected to the cigarette packet output channel.

[0040] The driving mechanism includes a base 3 and two steering components. The base 3 is fixed below the connection between the cigarette packet input channel and the cigarette packet output channel, and both ends of the base 3 extend beyond the two side edges of the steering channel 1.

[0041] The steering assembly includes a power unit 7 and a drive unit 4. The power units 7 of the two steering assemblies are respectively installed on the two ends of the base 3. The drive units 4 of the same group of steering assemblies are rotatably connected to the power unit 7, and the power unit 7 drives the drive unit 4 to rotate, so that the drive unit 4 pushes the blocked cigarette pack 2 to turn.

[0042] During the specific implementation process, the cigarette package 2 located on the steering channel 1 is moved by the conveyor belt. When it moves to the position of the two steering components, the friction of the conveyor belt and the continuous thrust of the two steering components on the cigarette package cooperate with each other to enable the cigarette package 2 to complete the steering process, which can effectively prevent the cigarette package 2 from being blocked at the steering plate.

[0043] The two steering assemblies jointly apply a thrust to the cigarette pack 2, thereby ensuring a balance of forces.

[0044] Furthermore, blocking plates are provided on both sides of the diverting channel 1 to prevent the cigarette packs 2 from falling. The blocking plates can prevent the cigarette packs 2 from escaping from the diverting channel 1 during movement or diverting.

[0045] Furthermore, the cigarette pack output channel includes a gradient section and a fixed section, and both ends of the gradient section are connected to the cigarette pack input channel and the fixed section respectively.

[0046] The width of the gradient section increases gradually from the position connected with the cigarette pack input channel toward the fixed section, and the width of the connection between the gradient section and the fixed section is the same as the width of the fixed section. The width of the fixed section is greater than the width of a single cigarette pack 2.

[0047] During the specific implementation process, after the cigarette pack 2 completes the diversion process, it changes from the original narrow side input to the wide side output. The width of the gradual section continuously widens to meet the width required for the cigarette pack 2 to be diverted. The width of the fixed section is greater than the width of a single cigarette pack 2, which can meet the width required for the wide side output of the cigarette pack 2.

[0048] Furthermore, the two steering assemblies are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the steering channel 1 , and the driving unit 4 has a cam structure.

[0049] The two mirror-symmetrical steering components can effectively ensure that the force applied by the steering component to the cigarette pack 2 is uniform and balanced, avoiding other problems caused by uneven force on the cigarette pack 2, such as wrong steering, steering failure, or separation from the steering channel 1.

[0050] Furthermore, in the anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device disclosed in the present invention, the diverting assembly also has a stationary state and a rotating state;

[0051] In the stationary state, the drive unit 4 is positioned so that there is a gap between its surface and the cigarette packs between the two diverting assemblies. At this point, there are no empty packs in the cigarette pack input channel, and the thrust from the following packs and the friction of the conveyor belt are sufficient to complete the diversion process of the preceding pack. The surface of the drive unit 4 does not contact the cigarette packs 2, preventing the drive unit 4 from contacting the packs 2 and hindering the diversion process.

[0052] In the rotating state, the power unit 7 drives the driving unit 4 to rotate, so that the two driving units 4 push the cigarette pack 2 to move in a direction away from the cigarette pack entrance of the diverting channel 1 .

[0053] At this point, an empty pack position appears in the cigarette pack input channel, and the friction of the conveyor belt alone is insufficient to divert the pack 2. The front side of the blocked pack 2 presses against the diverter plate, while the rear side, due to insufficient friction from the conveyor belt, cannot pass through the transition section between the two diverter assemblies.

[0054] The power unit 7 drives the driving unit 4 to rotate. Since the driving unit 4 has a cam structure, part of the surface of the driving unit 4 should be in contact with the surface of the cigarette pack 2 during the rotation process. When in contact, a thrust can be applied to the cigarette pack 2 through the surface of the driving unit 4 with the cam structure, so that the cigarette pack 2 can smoothly pass through the gradient section between the two steering components, thereby completing the steering process.

[0055] Furthermore, an anti-extrusion layer is provided on the surfaces of the two drive units 4 that contact the cigarette pack 2. The anti-extrusion layer is made of a flexible material, which can effectively prevent the two drive units 4 from causing damage to the surface of the cigarette pack 2 due to compression.

[0056] Furthermore, a friction portion is provided on the surface of the anti-extrusion layer. The friction portion includes a plurality of flexible friction strips that are evenly arranged. The friction portion can provide a sufficient friction coefficient to ensure that the driving unit 4 exerts a sufficient thrust on the cigarette pack 2 during rotation to enable the cigarette pack 2 to pass through the gradient section.

[0057] The power unit 7 is a motor, and the drive shaft of the motor is connected to the drive unit 4. The motor is a small motor that can drive the drive unit 4 to rotate. The small motor is a prior art and will not be described in detail in the present invention.

[0058] Furthermore, the rotation directions of the power units 7 of the two steering assemblies are opposite to each other, so as to ensure that the thrusts exerted on the two side surfaces of the cigarette pack 2 are in the same direction.

[0059] The anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device disclosed in the present invention further includes a detection mechanism;

[0060] The detection mechanism is configured to detect an empty pack position in the cigarette pack input channel.

[0061] The detection mechanism includes a first photoelectric switch 5 and a second photoelectric switch 6. The first photoelectric switch 5 is fixed on the base 3, and the second photoelectric switch 6 is fixed on one side of the turning channel 1. The second photoelectric switch 6 is located between the first photoelectric switch 5 and the entrance of the cigarette pack 2 of the turning channel 1.

[0062] Furthermore, the distance between the first photoelectric switch 5 and the second photoelectric switch 6 is greater than the length of a single cigarette pack 2 .

[0063] In the specific implementation process, according to the length of the cigarette pack 2 and the speed of the conveyor belt, the sampling time interval between the first photoelectric switch 5 collecting the cigarette pack 2 arrival signal and the second photoelectric switch 6 collecting the cigarette pack 2 arrival signal is preset.

[0064] Under normal circumstances, the leading cigarette pack 2 can quickly pass through the gradient section of the turning channel 1 due to the combined effects of the friction of the conveyor belt and the thrust of the following cigarette pack 2. In other words, both the first photoelectric switch 5 and the second photoelectric switch 6 can collect the arrival signal of the cigarette pack 2, and the time interval between the arrival signals collected by the two photoelectric switches is less than the set sampling interval.

[0065] When an empty pack appears on the cigarette input channel and the cigarette pack 2 in front of the empty pack enters the diverter 1, it can easily become stuck at the transition section of the diverter channel 1 due to the lack of thrust from the subsequent diverting pack 2. In this situation, only the first photoelectric switch 5 can continuously collect photoelectric signals, while the second photoelectric switch 6 cannot detect the arrival signal of the cigarette pack 2 stuck at the transition section of the diverter channel 1. Furthermore, due to the empty pack, the second photoelectric switch 6 cannot detect the arrival signal of the subsequent cigarette pack 2.

[0066] Therefore, after the background processor connected to the two photoelectric switches receives the in-position signal from the first photoelectric switch 5, if after a certain period of time (this period is greater than the sampling interval set in the microprocessor) the background processor still fails to receive the in-position signal from the second photoelectric switch 6, it determines that the cigarette pack 2 is stuck at the gradient section of the diverting channel 1. Therefore, the two power units 7 respectively drive the two drive units 4 to rotate in opposite directions. During the rotation process, the two drive units 4 simultaneously contact the surface of the cigarette pack 2. As the drive units 4 rotate, they drive the cigarette pack 2 forward, allowing the cigarette pack 2 stuck at the gradient section of the diverting channel 1 to enter the cigarette pack output channel of the diverting channel 1 normally, and then enter the next-level equipment along the next-level conveyor belt, preventing the cigarette pack 2 from being blocked.

[0067] Although some specific embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail by way of examples, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are for illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that modifications may be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present invention. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. An anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device, characterized by: It includes a conveying mechanism and a driving mechanism; wherein, The conveying mechanism includes a turning channel and a conveyor belt arranged on the turning channel; The diverting channel includes a cigarette pack input channel and a cigarette pack output channel, and the cigarette pack input channel is connected to the cigarette pack output channel; The driving mechanism includes a base and two steering assemblies. The base is fixed below the connection between the cigarette packet input channel and the cigarette packet output channel, and the two ends of the base extend beyond the two sides of the steering channel. The steering assembly includes a power unit and a drive unit. The power units of the two steering assemblies are respectively mounted on both ends of the base. The drive unit is rotatably connected to the power unit, and the power unit drives the drive unit to rotate, so that the drive unit pushes the blocked cigarette pack to deflect. The cigarette packet output channel includes a gradient section and a fixed section, and both ends of the gradient section are connected to the cigarette packet input channel and the fixed section respectively; The width of the gradient section gradually increases from the position connected to the cigarette packet input channel toward the fixed section, and the width of the connection between the gradient section and the fixed section is the same as the width of the fixed section. The width of the fixed section is greater than the width of a single cigarette packet. The two steering assemblies are mirror-symmetrical with respect to the steering channel, and the driving unit has a cam structure; The steering assembly has a stationary state and a rotating state; In the static state, the driving unit is located at a position where there is a gap between the surface of the driving unit and the cigarette packs between the two steering assemblies; In the rotating state, the power unit drives the driving units to rotate, so that the two driving units push the cigarette packs to move in a direction away from the cigarette pack entrance of the diverting channel; The anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device also includes a detection mechanism; The detection mechanism is configured to detect an empty pack position in the cigarette pack input channel; The detection mechanism includes a first photoelectric switch and a second photoelectric switch. The first photoelectric switch is fixed on the base, and the second photoelectric switch is fixed on one side of the turning channel. The second photoelectric switch is located between the first photoelectric switch and the cigarette pack entrance of the turning channel.

2. The anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Blocking plates are provided on both sides of the turning channel to prevent cigarette packs from falling.

3. The anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: An anti-extrusion layer is provided on the surfaces of the two driving units that are in contact with the cigarette pack, and the material of the anti-extrusion layer is a flexible material.

4. The anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device according to claim 3, characterized in that: A friction portion is provided on the surface of the anti-extrusion layer. The friction portion includes a plurality of flexible friction strips, and the flexible friction strips are evenly arranged.

5. The anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The power unit is a motor, and a drive shaft of the motor is connected to the drive unit.

6. The anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The rotation directions of the power units of the two steering assemblies are opposite.

7. The anti-blocking cigarette packet diverting device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The distance between the first photoelectric switch and the second photoelectric switch is greater than the length of a single cigarette pack.

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