A snap-fit ​​lid closing device

Abstract

This invention discloses a snap-fit ​​lid closing device, comprising two slide rails for receiving a housing and a lid respectively. The two slide rails are horizontally opposite and spaced apart. The upper sides of each slide rail receive the housing or lid, and the lower sides connect to a lid fixture located below. Each slide rail includes an arc-shaped slide path and a vertical slide path that are connected vertically. An upper cover is provided above each slide rail to limit the outer trajectory of the material. A central stop extends inward from the center of the upper cover, dividing the slide rail into two independent slide paths. This invention can conveniently calculate the relative state between the material and the snap-fit ​​lid closing device, and adjust the operating frequency of the external conveying device accordingly. Ultimately, this achieves synchronization between the working rhythm of the external conveying device and the snap-fit ​​lid closing device, resulting in smooth lid closing. This improves the overall device efficiency and enhances the drive adaptability of the snap-fit ​​lid closing device. The control is simple, reliable, and easy to operate.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of automated production and transmission equipment technology, specifically a snap-fit ​​lid closing device. Background Technology

[0002] As a completely sealed system that isolates food from environmental factors, the snap-on lid prevents food from deteriorating due to light, oxygen, and moisture, and also prevents it from fading in aroma or becoming tainted by environmental odors. The stability of food storage is superior to other packaging materials, with the highest retention rate of vitamin C and the best preservation of nutrients.

[0003] In recent years, snap-fit ​​lid packaging has been widely used in food and beverage packaging, oil containers, chemical containers, and other miscellaneous containers. Currently, the production of snap-fit ​​lid packaging is completed manually, which not only reduces production efficiency, but also easily causes misalignment of the lids when multiple specifications are produced at the same time, leading to unnecessary rework and customer complaints, making it difficult to achieve widespread industrial application.

[0004] Therefore, how to solve the problem of intelligent closing of snap-fit ​​lids after molding is the future development trend.

[0005] This case arose in order to resolve the aforementioned issues. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Technical problems to be solved To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a snap-fit ​​lid closing device, which solves the problems mentioned in the background section.

[0007] Technical solution To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: According to a first aspect of the present invention, a snap-fit ​​lid-closing device includes two slide rails that receive a housing and a lid respectively. The two slide rails are arranged opposite each other and spaced apart. The upper side of each slide rail receives a housing or a lid respectively, and the lower side is connected to a lid fixture provided below. Each slide rail includes an arc slide rail and a vertical slide rail that are connected and communicate with each other at the top and bottom. An upper cover is provided above the slide rail to limit the outer track of the material. A central stop extends inward from the middle of the upper cover. The central stop divides the slide rail into two independent slide rails. A driving component is provided on the upper side of the slide rail to push the material into the corresponding slide rail. A limiting cylinder one and a limiting cylinder two are vertically spaced apart on the lower side to intermittently allow the material to enter the lid fixture below.

[0008] Preferably, the upper end of the slide rail is connected to a horizontally arranged buffer platform, and a guide slide is connected to the outer side of the buffer platform at the material input point. The guide slide is placed at an angle downward and is equipped with a width-adjustable limiting baffle to adapt to materials of different sizes.

[0009] Preferably, the buffer platform is provided with a flat-push cylinder and a movable cylinder, the output end of the flat-push cylinder is perpendicular to the output end of the movable cylinder, and the output end of the movable cylinder is consistent with the direction of the material entering the guide slide.

[0010] Preferably, the upper cover is made of a flexible material.

[0011] Preferably, the vertical slide rail is provided with a first limiting cylinder and a second limiting cylinder in sequence from top to bottom. The output ends of the first limiting cylinder and the second limiting cylinder face the inside of the slide rail, and their extension and retraction actions are different. The side part of the vertical slide rail has a slot to allow the first limiting cylinder and the second limiting cylinder to complete the forward and backward extension and retraction actions.

[0012] Preferably, the lid fixture is located below the limiting cylinder two, and includes a lid-closing cylinder one and a lid-closing cylinder two respectively placed on the two side slide rails. The output ends of the lid-closing cylinder one and the lid-closing cylinder two are opposite to each other and face inward, and are respectively connected to a placement groove or a closing plate.

[0013] Preferably, a U-shaped baffle one and a U-shaped baffle two are respectively installed at opposite positions below the box cover fixture. The upper end of the U-shaped baffle one is inclined and extends to the lower side of the placement groove. The upper end of the U-shaped baffle two is vertical and the gap between it and the U-shaped baffle one is greater than the thickness of the box cover after it is fastened.

[0014] Preferably, a conveyor belt for receiving materials is provided below the slide rail, and a material handling mechanism is provided at the outlet of the conveyor belt. The material handling mechanism includes a cylinder and a material handling baffle, wherein the material handling baffle and the cylinder are located on opposite sides, and the gap between them allows materials to pass through. A sensor is also provided on the cylinder side to monitor the materials. When materials are detected, the cylinder is activated to push the materials to the material handling baffle.

[0015] Preferably, the arc-shaped slide is adjusted according to the length of the shell and the top cover to constrain the horizontal position of the product. During the sliding process of the shell and the top cover, the center of their lower plane and the center of the arc form a 90° angle, and they contact each other at the arc in the form of two-point lines.

[0016] Preferably, the device further includes a pneumatic system located below the conveyor belt, the pneumatic system being used to provide pneumatic power to the cylinder assembly.

[0017] A motion control method for a snap-fit ​​lid closing device according to a second aspect of the present invention includes: A proximity switch is installed on the buffer platform, the bottom of the box cover fixture, and the slide rail to detect the position of the material and record the quantity of the material. A displacement sensor is installed in the grooves on both sides of the closing cylinder 2, and the displacement sensor is used to monitor and control the movement stroke of the closing cylinder 2. The controller is installed in the control cabinet below the conveyor belt. The controller is used to receive, calculate and process data, and output action commands to control the movement of the cylinder. A frequency converter, installed in the control cabinet of the external conveyor belt, is used to control the operating frequency of the external conveyor and adjust the conveying speed of the material.

[0018] The method of using the snap-on lid closing device includes the following steps: S1. The incoming material situation is monitored by the proximity switch one and the proximity switch two. The controller receives the incoming material situation signal and performs comprehensive calculation. If there is no material stacking, the flat push cylinder and the movable cylinder are driven to push the material into the two slides according to the odd and even number of materials. If there is material stacking, only the flat push cylinder is driven to push the material out of the device. S2. By monitoring the material arrival interval time through a proximity switch, the controller calculates the material arrival time on both sides and adjusts the operating frequency of the conveying devices on both sides to achieve the purpose of controlling the material arrival interval time on both sides to be equal. S3. The proximity switch II monitors the number of materials passing through its slide. The controller receives the number of materials accumulated in each slide and drives the flat cylinder and the movable cylinder to process the materials in the slide accordingly. S4. The proximity switch three monitors the material position on each slide. The controller calculates the position of the material on the slide based on the closing fixture and the material position on the slide, and drives the limit switch one and the limit switch two to perform different actions so that the material falls to the closing fixture at the appropriate time.

[0019] S5. The proximity switch four monitors the material status at the lid-closing fixture. The controller receives the material position status at the lid-closing fixture. If there is material in each lid-closing fixture, the lid-closing cylinder two is driven to move. When the lid-closing cylinder two moves to the displacement sensor, the controller receives the signal from the displacement sensor, drives the lid-closing cylinder two to return to its original position, and drives the lid-closing cylinder one to push the material that has completed the lid-closing process into the lower conveyor belt. Beneficial effects

[0020] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following advantages compared with the prior art: 1. The present invention provides a snap-fit ​​lid closing device. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the snap-fit ​​lid closing device is provided with two horizontally spaced slide rails. The lower half of the slide rails is perpendicular to the ground, so that the shell and the upper cover are flipped synchronously. After flipping, the concave openings face each other. Finally, the lid is closed by a lid closing fixture connected to the lower side of the slide rail. The whole process is automated, with low misalignment rate and high production efficiency.

[0021] 2. The present invention provides a snap-fit ​​lid closing device, which can conveniently and quickly calculate the status of the material and the snap-fit ​​lid closing device, and adjust the working frequency of the external conveying device accordingly. Ultimately, it achieves the goal of synchronizing the working rhythm of the external conveying device and the snap-fit ​​lid closing device, ensuring smooth material closing and preventing material congestion. This greatly improves the overall working efficiency of the device, enhances the drive adaptability of the snap-fit ​​lid closing device, and provides simple, reliable, and easy-to-operate control.

[0022] 3. This invention provides a snap-fit ​​lid-closing device. U-shaped baffles one and two are installed at relatively opposite positions below the lid-closing fixture. This ensures the approximate position and vertical orientation of the completed lid as it enters the conveyor belt, facilitating the subsequent material handling process. Simultaneously, a material handling mechanism is placed at the exit of the conveyor belt, ensuring the output is on the same horizontal line and further ensuring the lid-closing effect, facilitating subsequent boxing operations. Attached Figure Description

[0023] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall production process of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a front view of the overall production process of the present invention; Figure 3 This is an enlarged view of a partial structure at point A of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the modified structure of the box lid of the present invention being extended onto the conveyor belt; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the aerodynamic structure principle of the present invention.

[0024] In the diagram: A1, slide rail; A2, baffle; A3, guide groove; A4, upper cover; A01, guide slide; A02, limit baffle; A03, buffer platform; A04, arc slide; A05, slot; B1, push cylinder; B2, movable cylinder; B3, limit cylinder one; B4, limit cylinder two; B5, cylinder; C1, proximity switch one; C2, proximity switch two; C3, proximity switch three; C4, proximity switch. 4; D1, Cover closing fixture; D01, Cover closing cylinder one; D02, Cover closing cylinder two; D03, Placement slot; D04, Closing plate; E1, Horizontal push cylinder solenoid valve; E2, Movable cylinder solenoid valve; E3, Limit cylinder solenoid valve; E4, Cover closing cylinder one solenoid valve; E5, Cover closing cylinder two solenoid valve; F1, Controller; F2, Frequency converter; G1, U-shaped baffle one; G2, U-shaped baffle two; H1, Sensor; I1, Conveyor belt. Detailed Implementation

[0025] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0026] like Figure 1-5As shown: A snap-fit ​​lid closing device includes two slide rails A1 that respectively receive a snap-fit ​​housing and a snap-fit ​​lid. The lower sides of the two slide rails A1 are connected to a molding device to receive and press the housing and lid produced by the molding device. The two slide rails A1 are arranged horizontally and spaced apart. At the material input point at the upper end of the slide rails, there is a downwardly inclined guide slide A01. The guide slide A01 is equipped with a width-adjustable limiting baffle A02. Each of the two slide rails is equipped with an upper cover A4 that can be adjusted to different heights relative to the slide rails.

[0027] Because it's an assembly line operation, the overall cycle time equals the cycle time of the longest process. The external conveyor belt takes approximately 1 second to feed each item. If only a single chute is used, the feeding and capping processes must all take less than 1 second. If the process time exceeds 1 second, material will accumulate on the chute as time progresses, hindering continuous operation. Furthermore, forcibly increasing the air pressure of the capping cylinder to increase the capping speed and reduce the capping time will increase the impact when the material contacts, potentially causing material damage and making the device prone to vibration. This solution divides the chute into two, allowing material to intermittently enter the odd-numbered and even-numbered chutes respectively, effectively extending the work cycle and enhancing device stability.

[0028] The relative positions of the limiting baffle A02 and the upper cover A4 can be adjusted, making the device suitable for materials of different sizes and enhancing its applicability.

[0029] A long groove is designed on the guide slide, and the limit baffle is moved to different positions and fixed with bolts according to actual production needs.

[0030] Secondly, the material used for the upper cover A4 has a certain degree of flexibility. There are four threaded holes in the middle of the upper cover, and there are also threaded holes in the middle / central baffle that serves as the fixed position. In actual adjustment, the two sides of the upper cover can be raised or flattened so that the threaded holes are aligned and the bolts can be screwed in to achieve the purpose of adjusting the height.

[0031] There is a buffer platform A03 at the upper end of the slide rail, which is horizontal to the ground, to sort and screen the shell and the top cover. The vertical slide of the lower half of the slide rail is perpendicular to the ground, so that the shell and the top cover are flipped synchronously, and the concave openings face each other after flipping. Finally, the cover is closed by the cover closing fixture connected to the lower side of the slide rail.

[0032] The slide rail is designed as an "inclined slide rail + arc slide rail". When the material on both sides is on the external conveyor belt, the openings face upwards. To close the cover, the openings of the material on both sides need to be aligned. Therefore, an arc transition slide rail is designed to adjust the direction of the material opening during the feeding process, eliminating the "adjusting the opening direction" step and improving the operating efficiency of the device without taking up extra steps.

[0033] The lower slide rail A1 is equipped with two limit cylinders B3 and B4 with staggered / different actions on both sides. That is, when limit cylinder B3 extends, limit cylinder B4 retracts, and vice versa. This ensures that there is only one material between limit cylinders B3 and B4, and the rest of the materials are located at the arc slide or vertical slide above limit cylinder B3. This is to ensure that only one material enters the placement groove D03 or the closing plate D04 in one working cycle (driven by closing cylinder D01 and closing cylinder D02 respectively), while reducing the speed of the material falling into the placement groove D03 and enhancing the structural stability.

[0034] Because the material conveying cycle is short, about one second per piece, the cycle time of subsequent processes must be less than one second. However, this is difficult to achieve due to factors such as mechanical structure and gas drive. To extend the cycle time of subsequent processes, a flat-push cylinder B1 is used to evenly offset the materials in pairs, causing them to enter different slides, thus effectively extending the cycle time of subsequent processes.

[0035] A further design flaw is that after the lid is closed, the material is pushed out of the material-containing slot by a cylinder. The force of this push is difficult to control, and the material has a certain inertia when it is pushed out, which causes the material to fall into the conveyor belt below in a skewed state.

[0036] Therefore, this solution installs U-shaped baffle G1 and U-shaped baffle G2 at relatively opposite positions below the cover-closing fixture to ensure the approximate position and vertical posture of the entire assembly when it enters the conveyor belt after the cover is closed, which facilitates the operation of the subsequent material handling process.

[0037] See appendix Figure 2 As shown, specifically, during the process of the closing cylinder D01 pushing the closed lid onto the conveyor belt, the material may not fall vertically onto the conveyor belt due to excessive or insufficient thrust. Therefore, two U-shaped baffles of different shapes are designed. The upper end of U-shaped baffle G1 is inclined and extends to the bottom of the placement slot D03; the upper end of U-shaped baffle G2 is vertical, and the gap between U-shaped baffle G2 and U-shaped baffle G1 is greater than the thickness of the closed lid. This ensures that when the thrust is too small, the lid will enter the conveyor belt vertically along the inclined surface of U-shaped baffle G1; when the thrust is too large, the lid will collide with the vertical surface of U-shaped baffle G2 and then enter the conveyor belt vertically again. Therefore, the two U-shaped baffles restrict the material's entry position onto the conveyor belt to within the two baffles, ensuring it always falls vertically onto the lower conveyor belt, eliminating the need for subsequent manual material handling and increasing automation.

[0038] To further prevent slight skew of falling materials during transport, this solution incorporates a material handling mechanism on conveyor belt I1, ensuring that the output materials always maintain a uniform orientation / direction.

[0039] See appendix Figure 4 As shown, specifically, a material handling mechanism is placed at the outlet of conveyor belt I1, so that the entire output is on the same horizontal line, and the capping effect is ensured a second time, which facilitates the subsequent boxing operation.

[0040] The feeding mechanism consists of cylinder B5, sensor H1, and feeding baffle A6. When sensor H1 detects material, it drives the cylinder to move and push the vertical material to the feeding baffle A6. It has two functions: 1. to output the material at the same horizontal line, which is convenient for boxing and packaging; 2. to squeeze and fasten the material again to ensure the sealing of the material and the sealing effect.

[0041] The specific process of motion control for the snap-fit ​​lid closing device is as follows: The slide rail A1 includes a guide slide A01 for receiving materials. After passing through the limiting baffle A02 that constrains its horizontal posture, the material falls through the guide slide to the proximity switch C1 on the buffer platform A03. Upon detecting the material, proximity switch C1 sends a signal to the controller F1. The controller F1 calculates the odd or even number of material items. If the number is odd, it drives the movable cylinder solenoid valve E2, causing the movable cylinder B2 to push the material into the lower slide rail one. If the number is even, it first drives the horizontal push cylinder solenoid valve E1, causing the horizontal push cylinder B1 to push the material to the entrance of slide rail two, and then drives the movable cylinder solenoid valve E2, causing the movable cylinder B2 to push the material into slide rail two. Simultaneously, proximity switch C1 records the number of materials entering on that side and sends it to the controller. The controller comprehensively judges the number of materials at both ends and sends commands to control the operating frequency of the frequency converters at both ends, thereby achieving the goal of ensuring that the number of materials at both ends is equal.

[0042] The output directions of the horizontal thrust cylinder B1 and the movable cylinder B2 are perpendicular to each other. The slide rails on both sides are divided into two independent slide rails, slide rail one and slide rail two, by a partition in the middle of the upper cover A4.

[0043] When the material slides over the proximity switch C2 installed on the arc slide, the proximity switch C2 sends a signal to the controller F1, and the number of materials on the slide increases by one. The controller calculates the number of materials on slides one and two, as well as the parity of the next material, to drive the solenoid valve E1 of the horizontal push cylinder and the solenoid valve E2 of the movable cylinder, pushing the next material into the slide with the smaller current number of materials, so as to balance the number of materials on slides one and two.

[0044] When the system initializes, limit cylinder one is in the retracted state, while limit cylinder two is in the protruding state. This allows the material to fall between limit cylinder one (B3) and limit cylinder two (B4), instead of falling directly to the closing fixture under the slide rail. This allows proximity switch three (C3) to monitor the material's position. When proximity switch three detects the material, it sends a signal to the controller, which then drives the limit cylinder solenoid valve E3, causing limit cylinder one (B3) to protrude and limit cylinder two (B4) to retract. This allows the material to fall to the closing fixture, while simultaneously restricting the next material to be placed above limit cylinder one.

[0045] When the material falls to the closing fixture, proximity switch C4 monitors the material in real time. If the material is present, it sends a signal to the controller; if the material disappears, the signal transmission is interrupted. When the controller receives signals from all four slides simultaneously, indicating that all materials are in place for the closing cycle, it drives the solenoid valve E5 of closing cylinder two, causing closing cylinder two D02 to move forward. At the same time, displacement sensors installed on both sides of closing cylinder two D02 limit the stroke of the cylinder to prevent materials from squeezing each other or loosening and falling off. When closing cylinder two D02 moves to the predetermined stroke, the displacement sensor sends a signal to the controller, which then drives the solenoid valve E4 of closing cylinder one, causing closing cylinder one D01 to move forward and push the closed material into the conveyor belt below. After the signals from each proximity switch C4 are interrupted, closing cylinder one D01 begins to return to its original position, and at the same time, limit cylinder one B3 and limit cylinder two B4 return to their initial positions to allow the next material to fall between limit cylinder one and limit cylinder two. Thus, one closing cycle is completed.

[0046] The above method is simple in design and easy to operate. It effectively monitors the snap-fit ​​lid device and the material status in real time, thereby driving each cylinder to improve work efficiency and reduce misalignment rate. This makes the snap-fit ​​lid device applicable to various material conditions and highly practical.

[0047] The above-described embodiments are provided for illustrative purposes. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the inventive concept. The technical scope of this utility model is not limited to the contents of the specification; its protection scope must be determined according to the claims.

Claims

1. A snap-fit ​​lid closing device, comprising two slide rails for receiving a housing and a lid respectively, the two slide rails being arranged opposite each other and spaced apart, the upper side of each slide rail receiving the housing or lid respectively, and the lower side connecting to a lid fixture provided below, each slide rail comprising an arc-shaped slide rail and a vertical slide rail connected and communicating with each other at the top and bottom, characterized in that: Above the slide rail is an upper cover that serves as a limiter for the outer track of the material. A central block extends inward from the middle of the upper cover, dividing the slide rail into two independent tracks. A driving component is provided on the upper side of the slide rail to push the material into the corresponding track. A limiting cylinder one and a limiting cylinder two are vertically spaced on the lower side to control the material to enter the box cover tooling individually and intermittently.

2. The snap-fit ​​lid closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper end of the slide rail is connected to a horizontally arranged buffer platform. A guide slide is connected to the outer side of the buffer platform, which is the material input area. The guide slide is placed at an angle downward and is equipped with a limit baffle with adjustable width to accommodate materials of different sizes.

3. The snap-fit ​​lid closing device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The buffer platform is equipped with a flat-push cylinder and a movable cylinder. The output end of the flat-push cylinder is perpendicular to the output end of the movable cylinder, and the output end of the movable cylinder is in the same direction as the material entering the guide slide.

4. The snap-fit ​​lid closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The upper cover is made of a flexible material.

5. A snap-fit ​​lid closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The vertical slide rail is provided with a first limiting cylinder and a second limiting cylinder in sequence from top to bottom. The output ends of the first limiting cylinder and the second limiting cylinder face the inside of the slide rail, and their extension and retraction actions are different. The side part of the vertical slide rail has a slot to allow the first limiting cylinder and the second limiting cylinder to complete the forward and backward extension and retraction actions.

6. A snap-fit ​​lid closing device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The lid fixture is located below the limiting cylinder 2. It includes a lid-closing cylinder 1 and a lid-closing cylinder 2, which are respectively placed on the slide rails on both sides. The output ends of the lid-closing cylinder 1 and the lid-closing cylinder 2 are opposite to each other and face inward, and are respectively connected to a placement groove or a closing plate.

7. A snap-fit ​​lid closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: U-shaped baffle one and U-shaped baffle two are respectively installed at opposite positions below the box cover fixture. The upper end of U-shaped baffle one is inclined and extends to the lower side of the placement groove. The upper end of U-shaped baffle two is vertical and the gap between it and U-shaped baffle one is greater than the thickness of the box cover after it is fastened.

8. A snap-fit ​​lid closing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: Below the slide rail is a conveyor belt for receiving materials. At the outlet of the conveyor belt is a material handling mechanism. The material handling mechanism includes a cylinder and a material handling baffle. The material handling baffle and the cylinder are located on opposite sides, and the gap between them allows materials to pass through. A sensor is also provided on the cylinder side to monitor the materials. When materials are detected, the cylinder is activated and pushes the materials to the material handling baffle.

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