Automatic bag removal production equipment

Abstract

The present invention relates to an automatic bag-unpacking production equipment, which solves the technical problem that automatic bag-unpacking equipment has difficulty in effectively and automatically unpacking agglomerated raw materials. The equipment comprises a bag press, a bag unpacker, and a receiving hopper connected in sequence. The bag press is provided with a roller arranged in sequence and capable of rolling, and the upper end of the roller is provided with a corrugated pressing plate that can be raised and lowered; the bag unpacker is provided with a frame, and the frame is provided with a flap and a bag-cutting device that rotate along the main axis; the upper end of the receiving hopper is provided with a visual camera and a mechanical gripper, respectively. The receiving hopper is provided with an anti-drop rod. The visual camera is used to locate the position of stuck large agglomerated materials and empty bags, and is used for guiding the positioning of the mechanical gripper. The mechanical gripper removes the empty bag from the receiving hopper. The present invention can be widely used in the automatic bag-unpacking operation of materials prone to agglomeration.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of mechanical equipment, in particular to automatic bag-unpacking production equipment. Background Art

[0002] In the pharmaceutical and food industries, many raw materials, such as salt and calcium citrate, are prone to clumping. This clumping presents numerous challenges for automated bag unpacking, including difficulty in completely opening plastic bags and separating the empty bags from the raw materials. Chinese invention patent application number 201911184163 discloses automated bag unpacking and feeding equipment for the production of non-sterile APIs. However, this equipment is unable to automatically unpack clumped raw materials. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In order to solve the technical problem that existing automatic bagging equipment is difficult to effectively and automatically unpack agglomerated raw materials, the present invention provides an automatic bagging production equipment that can effectively process agglomerated materials.

[0004] The present invention provides an automatic bag opening production equipment, which is provided with a bag pressing machine, a bag opening machine and a material receiving hopper connected in sequence, the bag pressing machine is provided with rollers arranged in sequence and capable of rolling, and the upper end of the roller is provided with a corrugated pressing plate that can be raised and lowered; the bag opening machine is provided with a frame, and the frame is provided with a flip plate and a bag cutting device that rotate along the main axis; a visual camera and a mechanical gripper are respectively arranged on the upper end of the material receiving hopper, and an anti-fall rod is provided in the material receiving hopper, and the visual camera and the mechanical gripper are electrically connected. The visual camera detects large pieces of material that have not slipped down and locates the position of empty packaging bags, and guides the mechanical gripper to move the empty bags out of the material receiving hopper.

[0005] Preferably, guide plates are provided on both sides of the roller; and the roller is seated on a buffer spring.

[0006] Preferably, the wavelength of the corrugated pressing plate is 40 to 60 times the material particle size, and the amplitude is 20 to 30 times the material particle size; the lowest end of the corrugated pressing plate is an arc, and the radius of the arc is 15 to 20 times the material particle size; the diameter of the roller is less than or equal to one wavelength, the roller spacing is equal to one wavelength, and the trough is staggered with the roller.

[0007] Preferably, a loading platform is provided at the front of the bag pressing machine, and the bag pressing machine and the loading platform are separated by a baffle plate that can be raised and lowered.

[0008] Preferably, the flap is provided with a transverse through-slit and a longitudinal long hole; the bag cutting device is provided with a horizontal knife and a disc knife, the horizontal knife is connected to a slider driven by a servo motor through a horizontal knife rod, and the horizontal knife cooperates with the slit to achieve transverse cutting; the disc knife is fixed on the frame and connected to the disc knife reducer, and the disc knife cooperates with the longitudinal long hole to achieve longitudinal cutting.

[0009] Preferably, two of the longitudinal long holes and the disc cutters are arranged in parallel, and the bag cutting device can form two connected cross-shaped cuts.

[0010] Preferably, the anti-drop rod is provided with a long fixed anti-drop rod and a short fixed anti-drop rod arranged at intervals, the long fixed anti-drop rod and the short fixed anti-drop rod are fixed on the receiving hopper shell, and a short movable anti-drop rod is arranged opposite to the other end of the short fixed anti-drop rod.

[0011] Preferably, a rotating shaft is provided on the hopper shell, the short movable anti-falling rod is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is connected to the anti-falling rod cylinder through a bearing and a rocker arm.

[0012] Preferably, a recycling box for storing outer packaging is provided at the rear of the receiving hopper; and a cleaning and disinfection nozzle is also provided on the unpacking machine.

[0013] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0014] 1. This system features an automatic bag press for breaking lumps, an automatic bag opener for cutting and emptying bags, a hopper for receiving empty bags, a robotic arm for separating empty bags, and a visual camera for analysis, detection, and control. It is suitable for automatically opening 20-50 kg bags of powdered and granular raw materials that may agglomerate.

[0015] 2. This invention features a bag press driven by a worm gear reducer, a roller conveyor, and a baffle at the inlet to control the feed rate. Two cylinders push the pressing plate to complete the bag pressing process. The pressing plate is designed with a corrugated surface based on the material properties to facilitate the breaking of agglomerated materials.

[0016] 3. The present invention is provided with a package unpacking machine, wherein the sharp knife is driven by a servo motor and the disc knife is driven by a worm gear reducer. The sharp knife and the disc knife are hidden inside the flap housing. The cylinder drives the flap to flip and cuts the packaging bag into a connected double cross shape.

[0017] 4. The surface of the flap shell of the unpacking machine of the present invention is provided with a guide rod, which can reduce friction and facilitate the sliding of the packaging bag into place.

[0018] 5. The present invention is provided with a receiving hopper device, and the receiving hopper is provided with long and short anti-falling rods to prevent empty bags from falling. The corresponding short anti-falling rods have a short fixed anti-falling rod on one side and a short movable anti-falling rod on the other side, which can be rotated open to prevent large pieces of material from blocking the material.

[0019] 6. The present invention is equipped with a visual camera and a corresponding visual algorithm is designed based on the characteristics of the agglomerated material and the transparent and irregular characteristics of the packaging bag. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the bag pressing machine of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the pressing plate of the bag pressing machine of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the bag opening machine of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 5a It is a schematic diagram of the main view of the bag opening machine of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 5b It is a schematic diagram of the bag opening machine of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 5c This is a schematic diagram of the left side A-A cross-sectional view of the bag opening machine of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 5d This is a schematic diagram of the bag opening machine of the present invention in a stopped or waiting for cutting state;

[0028] Figure 5e This is a schematic diagram of the bag opening machine of the present invention after the horizontal knife cutting is completed and the flap is waiting to be turned over;

[0029] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the receiving hopper of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 It is a schematic diagram of the position of the gripping points of the suction cup of the packaging bag of the present invention.

[0031] Description of the accompanying symbols:

[0032] 1. Loading platform; 2. Bag press; 3. Bag unpacker; 4. Hopper; 5. Vision camera; 6. Mechanical gripper; 7. Outer packaging recycling box; 8. Reducer; 9. Baffle plate; 10. Guide plate; 11. Roller; 12. Guide shaft; 13. Double cylinder; 14. Press plate; 15. Buffer spring; 16. Frame; 17. Flap; 18. Guide rod; 19. Baffle rod; 20. Baffle rod shaft; 21. Connecting rod; 2 2. Slide; 23. Servo motor; 24. Slider; 25. Crossbar; 26. Disc cutter reducer; 27. Sharp knife; 28. Disc cutter; 29. Cleaning and disinfection nozzle; 30. Spindle; 31. Push plate cylinder; 32. Slide rail; 33. Anti-drop rod cylinder; 34. Rocker arm; 35. Bearing; 36. Rotating shaft; 37. Short movable anti-drop rod; 38. Long fixed anti-drop rod; 39. Short fixed anti-drop rod; 40. Hopper shell. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention is further described below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments so that those skilled in the art can easily implement the present invention.

[0034] Example:

[0035] like Figure 1 As shown, it is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the present invention. The present invention is equipped with a loading platform 1, a bag pressing machine 2, a package unpacking machine 3, a receiving hopper 4 and an outer packaging recovery box 7 in sequence, wherein a visual camera 5 and a mechanical gripper 6 are arranged at the upper end of the receiving hopper 4.

[0036] like Figure 2 The figure is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the bag press of the present invention. The bag press of the present invention is provided with rollers 11 arranged in sequence on the base. A material blocking plate 9 is provided at the front end of the roller 11. Guide plates 10 are provided on both sides of the roller 11. A reducer 8 is provided at the lower end of the roller 11 to drive the roller 11 to rotate. A pressure plate 14 is provided at the upper end of the rear of the roller 11. The pressure plate 14 is driven by a double cylinder 13. The pressure plate 14 and the double cylinder 13 are guided and aligned by a guide shaft 12. The roller 11 as a whole is also seated on a buffer spring 15 at the base.

[0037] The bags are temporarily placed on the loading platform. During loading, the baffle plate 9 is pushed down by the cylinder, and the bags are pushed onto the roller 11. The guide plate 10 corrects the position, and the reducer 8 drives the roller 11 to rotate and transport it forward. When the photoelectric switch detects that the bag is directly under the pressure plate 14, the dual cylinders 13 are ventilated to push the pressure plate 14 downward, squeezing the bag and crushing the lumps. The pressure plate 14 is then lifted, and the roller 11 rotates and continues to transport it forward to the bag unpacking machine 3. The buffer spring 15 cushions the impact acting on the roller 11 and protects the bearings on both sides of the roller 11.

[0038] like Figure 3 The figure shows the structural relationship between the bag press platen 14 and the roller 11. The platen 14 is a corrugated plate. Testing of the platen using two 125mm diameter air cylinders at a pressure of 0.6MPa resulted in bag breakage and only surface crushing of the agglomerates, failing to achieve the desired effect. Analysis revealed that the agglomerated bags have irregular dimensions. When laid flat, most have a higher center, subjecting the middle to significant stress and making the bags susceptible to damage. As downward pressure increases, the contact surface and pressure build, requiring significantly greater pressure to crush the agglomerates.

[0039] Compared with flat plate, semicircular plate, grid plate, etc., the corrugated plate has the following advantages:

[0040] a. During the downward pressing process of the corrugated pressing plate, the trough of the wave first contacts the packaging bag, forming several narrow linear contact surfaces. Compared with the flat pressing plate, under the same large cylinder thrust, the pressure per unit area of contact is greater, and the agglomerated material is easier to break.

[0041] b. The crushed material can be squeezed into the cavity of the wave crest, which is beneficial to the crushing of the material.

[0042] c. The troughs of the corrugated plate are staggered with the rollers, creating a breaking effect.

[0043] The longer the wave length of the corrugated plate, the larger the lumps will be after crushing. The larger the amplitude, the easier it is to crush the lumps, and the more likely the packaging bag will be damaged. The smaller the arc R, the easier it is to break the lumps, and the more likely the packaging bag will be damaged.

[0044]

[0045]

[0046] Table 1

[0047] After many tests, as shown in Table 1, it was determined that the best briquetting effect can be achieved when the material particle size has the following relationship with the corrugated plate wavelength λ and amplitude A.

[0048] Wavelength of corrugated plate λ = 40 to 60 times the particle diameter;

[0049] Corrugated plate amplitude A = 20 to 30 times the particle size;

[0050] Arc R = 15 to 20 times the particle diameter;

[0051] The roller diameter φ is 2 to 5 mm smaller than a wavelength λ, the roller spacing is equal to a wavelength λ, and the trough and the roller are staggered.

[0052] Figure 4-5e The figure shows a schematic diagram of the bagging machine according to the present invention. The bagging machine 3 comprises a frame 16, on which is mounted a flap 17 connected to the frame 16 via a main shaft 30. A pusher cylinder 31 is located at the bottom of the flap 17, which can propel the flap 17 along the center of the main shaft 30. A guide rod 18 is located on the upper surface of the flap 17. A stopper shaft 20 is fixed to the frame 16, on which a stopper rod 19 is mounted. The stopper shaft 20 is driven by a connecting rod 21. The frame 16 also comprises a slide 22, on which a slider 24 is mounted, driven by a servo motor 23. A crossbar 25 is mounted on the slider 24, which is equipped with a sharp blade 27. A disc cutter 28, connected to a disc cutter reducer 26, and a cleaning and disinfection nozzle 29 are also fixed to the frame 16.

[0053] The upper surface of the flap 17 of the unpacking machine 3 forms an angle of 18 to 32 degrees with the horizontal. A guide rod 18 protrudes from the flap 17 and extends forward toward the bag inlet. Its smooth surface reduces friction on the bag, allowing the bag to slide into the cutting position and facilitate cutting by the bag cutting mechanism. A 6-10 mm horizontal slit runs through the center of the flap 17's upper surface. Two slots, 6-8 mm wide and 150-160 mm long, are located at the lower portion. After a photoelectric switch detects the bag's position, a servo motor 23 drives the slider 24 on the slide 22, pulling out the cross-cutting rod 25 to complete the cross-cutting. After a delay of 0.1 to 0.4 seconds, the pusher cylinder 31 pushes the flap upward, rotating it about the main axis 30. The connecting rod 21 is mounted with spherical bearings at both ends. One end is hinged to a shaft welded to the lower portion of the flap 17's housing, and the other end is hinged to a rocker arm welded to the stopper rod 19. As the flap 17 rotates, the connecting rod 21 drives the stopper shaft 20, raising the stopper rod 19 and allowing the bag to slide down. As the flap 17 turns, two disc cutters 28, hidden beneath the flap 17, emerge from two elongated holes, protruding 10 to 20 mm above the flap housing, slicing the bag as it slides down, completing the longitudinal cut. Two connected cross-shaped cuts are formed at the bottom of the bag. The flap 17 then returns to its original position, and the cross-cutting rod 25 resets, ready for the next cycle.

[0054] The flap 17 has a concave cross-section, with openings on the sides and top for the crossbar 25 and sharp blade 27. Raised edges on both sides of the flap enhance its strength and also serve as a guide for the bags. When the machine is stopped or waiting for cutting, the sharp blade 27 can be parked here to avoid exposure and potential injury.

[0055] The flap 17 is divided in the middle by a partition. The bag inlet side is a closed cavity, while the side near the disc 28 is a semi-enclosed cavity. The side closest to the disc 28 is open, and the crossbar 25 passes through this cavity. A cleaning and disinfection nozzle 29 is fixed to the frame 16, with the nozzle facing the disc. During cleaning and disinfection, the pipeline water pressure is 0.05-0.1 MPa, which is used to flush the disc 28, the sharp blade 27, the crossbar 26, and the flap cavity.

[0056] like Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the three-dimensional structure of the material receiving hopper of the present invention. The material receiving hopper is provided with a material receiving hopper housing 40. A fixed anti-drop rod and a movable anti-drop rod are provided inside the material receiving hopper housing 40. The fixed anti-drop rod is a long fixed anti-drop rod 38, and the movable anti-drop rod is divided into two parts, namely a short fixed anti-drop rod 39 and a short movable anti-drop rod 37. The short movable anti-drop rod 37 is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft 36, and the rotating shaft 36 is connected to the anti-drop rod cylinder 33 through a bearing 35 and a rocker arm 34.

[0057] The anti-drop rods in the hopper 4 are uniquely designed: a long fixed anti-drop rod 38 and a short fixed anti-drop rod 39 are spaced 80 to 120 mm apart. The long fixed rod is bent downward into a circular arc with a radius of 300 to 450 mm and a chord height of 150 to 200 mm. Both ends are welded directly to the housing. The short movable anti-drop rod 37 is positioned opposite the short fixed anti-drop rod 39. The short fixed anti-drop rod 39 is approximately two-fifths the length of the long fixed anti-drop rod 38. One end is welded to the housing, while the other end is suspended. It is bent downward into the same arc as the long fixed rod, with the end curved downward into a circle with a diameter of 30 to 40 mm to prevent it from scratching the bags. The short movable anti-drop rod 37 is approximately three-fifths the length of the long fixed anti-drop rod 38. One end of the movable anti-drop rod is welded to the rotating shaft 36, and the other end is cantilevered, curved downward into the same arc as the long fixed rod. The anti-drop rod primarily prevents empty bags from falling. The cut packaging bag slides from the side of the short movable anti-drop bar into the bucket. At this time, the visual camera detects whether there are large pieces of material. When it is determined that there are no large pieces of material, it guides the mechanical gripper 6 to grab the empty bag, shake it twice, shake off the remaining bulk material, and then send the empty bag to the outer packaging recycling box 7 for recycling. When there are large pieces of material that are larger than the distance between the two anti-drop bars and cannot fall into the receiving hopper, the visual camera 5 detects it and sends a signal. The anti-drop bar cylinder 33 pushes the rocker arm 34 fixed on the rotating shaft 36, and the short movable anti-drop bar 37 rotates downward, and the large piece of material falls. After the visual camera detects that the large piece of material has fallen, the anti-drop bar cylinder 33 and the short movable anti-drop bar 37 are reset. When the movable bar is opened and the visual camera 5 detects that the large piece of material still cannot pass through, the equipment fault alarm is processed.

[0058] Visual camera detection algorithm design:

[0059] 1. The vision system is equipped with an infrared light source. This is chosen because the packaging bag is transparent, and this effectively avoids interference from visible light reflections. The algorithm for detecting the presence of bulk material is as follows: After the collected image data is transferred to memory, an adaptive connected domain algorithm is used to set a dynamic grayscale threshold to distinguish between the packaging bag and the agglomerated material inside. The image is then checked for large connected domain areas. The center of mass of the agglomerate is calculated based on the area, length, and width of this connected domain. The formula for calculating the center of mass is as follows:

[0060]

[0061] The visual controller sends the center of mass coordinates (x, y) of the bulk material to the robot, which lowers the anti-fall bar at that position according to the position, allowing the bulk material to fall into the receiving hopper.

[0062] 2. Visually locate the position of the packaging bag. During production, the empty bag has wrinkles, the four corners may collapse and may be missing in the field of view, and the packaging bag is transparent. In order to accurately grasp the packaging bag, a visual algorithm is needed to give the fixed position of the four suction cups. The edge of the empty bag after the material is emptied is irregular, so a shape edge finding algorithm is designed. According to the current shape edge of the packaging bag, find the inscribed rectangle with the largest edge, and according to the position of the four vertices of the rectangle, intrude 30mm along the diagonal inward to obtain the position of the four suction cup grasping points. Figure 7 shown.

[0063] Regarding the edge finding algorithm for the empty bag, first determine a point on the edge of the empty bag based on the pixel contrast difference value, then search for the pixel with the largest contrast value in four directions along this point to confirm it as the edge of the empty bag. The entire empty bag edge coordinate array is drawn, and the center of mass of the packaging bag shape is calculated using Formula 1. Using the center of mass as a reference, the maximum inscribed rectangle of the empty bag edge line is matched as follows: Figure 7 For gripping stability, the four suction cups are positioned at the apex and moved 3 cm inward. The suction cup has the best effect and can shake out the remaining bulk materials in the subsequent shaking.

[0064] The receiving hopper housing 40 is provided with a slide rail 32. When the storage tank or process pipeline for conveying materials needs steam sterilization, the receiving hopper 4 can be moved a distance and the interface on the storage tank or process pipeline can be sealed with a blind plate. After sterilization is completed, the slide rail 32 is used to reset.

[0065] The foregoing description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. Those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that various modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, or improvements made within the scope of the claims shall fall within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic bag-opening production equipment, characterized in that: It is provided with a bag pressing machine, a bag unpacking machine and a material receiving hopper connected in sequence, the bag pressing machine is provided with a roller arranged in sequence and capable of rolling, the upper end of the roller is provided with a corrugated pressure plate that can be raised and lowered; the bag unpacking machine is provided with a frame, the frame is provided with a flap and a bag cutting device that rotates along the main axis; a visual camera and a mechanical gripper are arranged on the upper end of the material receiving hopper respectively, and an anti-drop rod is provided in the material receiving hopper, the visual camera and the mechanical gripper are electrically connected, the visual camera detects large pieces of material that have not slipped down and locates the position of empty packaging bags, and guides the mechanical gripper to move the empty bags out of the material receiving hopper; the anti-drop rod is provided with a long fixed anti-drop rod and a short fixed anti-drop rod arranged at intervals, the long fixed anti-drop rod and the short fixed anti-drop rod are fixedly mounted on the material receiving hopper shell, and a short movable anti-drop rod is arranged opposite to the other end of the short fixed anti-drop rod; a rotating shaft is provided on the material receiving hopper shell, the short movable anti-drop rod is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is connected to the anti-drop rod cylinder through a bearing and a rocker arm.

2. The automatic bag-opening production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: Guide plates are provided on both sides of the roller; and the roller is seated on a buffer spring.

3. The automatic bag-opening production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The wavelength of the corrugated pressing plate is 40 to 60 times the material particle size, and the amplitude is 20 to 30 times the material particle size; the lowest end of the corrugated pressing plate is an arc, and the radius of the arc is 15 to 20 times the material particle size; the diameter of the roller is less than or equal to one wavelength, the roller spacing is equal to one wavelength, and the trough and the roller are staggered.

4. The automatic bag-opening production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A loading platform is provided at the front of the bag pressing machine, and the bag pressing machine and the loading platform are separated by a baffle plate that can be raised and lowered.

5. The automatic bag-opening production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flap is provided with a transverse through-length slit and a longitudinal long hole; the bag cutting device is provided with a horizontal knife and a disc knife, the horizontal knife is connected to a slider driven by a servo motor through a horizontal knife rod, and the horizontal knife cooperates with the slit to achieve transverse cutting; the disc knife is fixed on the frame and connected to the disc knife reducer, and the disc knife cooperates with the longitudinal long hole to achieve longitudinal cutting.

6. The automatic bag-opening production equipment according to claim 5, characterized in that: The longitudinal long hole and the disc knife are provided with two in parallel, and the bag cutting device can form two connected cross-shaped cutting openings.

7. The automatic bag-opening production equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: A recycling box for storing outer packaging is provided at the rear of the receiving hopper; and a cleaning and disinfecting nozzle is also provided on the unpacking machine.

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