Cover attaching apparatus and cover attaching method

Abstract

The present application relates to a lidding device and a lidding method for attaching a lid to a packaging material. The lidding device comprises a lid conveying mechanism and a lid supply mechanism and defines a feeding station and an attaching station, the lid conveying mechanism being configured to receive a lid from the lid supply mechanism at the feeding station and to convey the lid to the attaching station. The lid conveying mechanism comprises a rotating shaft and a lid suction wheel disc, the lid suction wheel disc being arranged around the rotating shaft and comprising a central portion and a plurality of claw sets extending radially outward from the central portion, a suction portion for suctioning the lid being provided at a free end of a claw in the claw set. The lid suction wheel disc is configured to be rotatable about an axis of the rotating shaft, such that the suction portions of the claws in the claw sets rotate between the feeding station and the attaching station to convey the lid from the feeding station to the attaching station, and another set of the claw sets is located at the attaching station while one set of the claw sets is located at the feeding station. The lidding device and the lidding method according to the present application are advantageous in simplifying the lidding process and accelerating the processing speed.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the field of packaging, and in particular to a lidding device and a lidding method for attaching a lid to a packaging material, which make improvements to the push-through lidding method. BACKGROUND

[0002] The contents of this section merely provide background information related to the present application and do not necessarily constitute the prior art.

[0003] The present disclosure mainly relates to a lidded packaging box, such as for filling beverages. A conventional lidded packaging box usually requires attaching (e.g. welding) a lid to a tubular sheet material used to form the packaging box at the time of production. A related lidding device usually comprises a lid supply mechanism for continuously supplying lids and a lid transfer mechanism for receiving lids from the lid supply mechanism and transferring the lids to an attachment station. A common lid comprises a cap and a pull ring with a sealing portion (such as a sealing film) arranged at the neck of the cap inside to close a pouring opening. When in use, the cap needs to be unscrewed and removed first, and then the pull ring needs to be pulled open, which is a relatively cumbersome uncapping process. For such a lid, a common lid transfer mechanism comprises a protrusion that extends into the interior of the lid from the bottom end of the pouring opening of the lid to engage with the lid, so as to transport the lid to the attachment station. An improved lid involves a planar film arranged at the bottom end thereof. When the cap is twisted, the cap can automatically cut the film, achieving one-step uncapping. Since the bottom end of such a lid is substantially planar, such a lid cannot be transported by the common engagement-type lid transfer mechanism.

[0004] On the other hand, the lid transfer mechanism of a conventional lidding device can usually only transfer one lid from a feeding station to an attachment station for attachment at a time, and cannot simultaneously perform the lidding process for multiple sets of lids in parallel. In addition, the movement path of the conventional lid transfer mechanism for transporting the lid from the feeding station to the attachment station is usually also relatively complex, and there is still room for further optimization of the processing flow. SUMMARY

[0005] One object of the present disclosure is to simplify the lidding process in the production of a lidded packaging box and to speed up the processing.

[0006] Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a lidding device and a lidding method suitable for simultaneously performing the lidding process for multiple sets of lids in parallel, and in particular to provide a lidding device and a lidding method suitable for simultaneously receiving and attaching lids in a single lid transfer mechanism.

[0007] Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a lidding device and a lidding method suitable for transporting and attaching a lid with a planar film arranged at the bottom end thereof.

[0008] An aspect of the present disclosure provides a capping device for attaching a cap to a packaging material. The capping device comprises a cap conveying mechanism and a cap supply mechanism and defines a feeding station and an attaching station, the cap conveying mechanism being configured to receive a cap from the cap supply mechanism at the feeding station and to convey the cap to the attaching station. The cap conveying mechanism comprises a rotating shaft and a cap suction wheel disc arranged around the rotating shaft and comprising a central portion and a plurality of claw sets extending radially outward from the central portion, a suction portion for suctioning the cap being provided at a free end of a claw in the claw set. The cap suction wheel disc is configured to be rotatable about an axis of the rotating shaft such that: the suction portions of the claws in the claw sets rotate between the feeding station and the attaching station to convey the cap from the feeding station to the attaching station, and another claw set is located at the attaching station while one of the claw sets is located at the feeding station.

[0009] In some embodiments, the capping device is configured to: when the cap suction wheel disc rotates to one of the claw sets being located at the feeding station and another claw set being located at the attaching station, the cap suction wheel disc is paused in rotation and is translated from a first axial position allowing the cap suction wheel disc to rotate to a second axial position along an axial direction of the rotating shaft and stays for a preset time, and then the cap suction wheel disc is returned to the first axial position along the axial direction and continues to rotate. At the second axial position, the suction portions of the claws located at the feeding station grab the cap from a feeding port of the cap supply mechanism, and the claws located at the attaching station position the cap at an attaching position for attaching the cap to the packaging material.

[0010] In some embodiments, each of the claw sets comprises a plurality of claws, and the cap supply mechanism comprises a plurality of feeding ports corresponding one-to-one to the plurality of claws in the claw sets.

[0011] In some embodiments, an interior of each claw of the cap suction wheel disc is provided with a suction channel, and the suction portion of each claw has a suction hole in communication with the suction channel.

[0012] In some embodiments, the suction channels of all the claws in each claw set of the cap suction wheel disc are in communication with each other, and the on-off of the air path of the suction channels of all the claws in each claw set is independently controlled by a single fluid control element; or, the suction channels of the claws of the cap suction wheel disc are not in communication with each other, and the on-off of the air path of the suction channel of each claw is independently controlled by a respective fluid control element.

[0013] In some embodiments, the capping device further comprises a vacuum generator in communication with the suction channels.

[0014] In some embodiments, the cap conveying mechanism further comprises a pneumatic rotary joint arranged around the rotating shaft and adjacent to the cap suction wheel disc, and the vacuum generator is in communication with the suction channels via the pneumatic rotary joint.

[0015] In some embodiments, the pneumatic rotary joint comprises a fixed end and a rotating end, the fixed end is provided with a fixed negative pressure interface for receiving negative pressure from a vacuum generator, and the rotating end is provided with a rotating negative pressure interface for transmitting the negative pressure to the suction channel.

[0016] In some embodiments, the capping device further comprises a conveyor belt arranged below the suction capping wheel, the conveyor belt is adapted to convey a packaging material to be attached with the cap sucked by the suction capping wheel through the attachment station, the conveyor belt moves in coordination with the suction capping wheel, so that when the packaging material passes through the attachment station, the suction part of the claw of the suction capping wheel rotates into the inside of the packaging material through the top opening of the packaging material, and rotates away from the packaging material through the top opening of the packaging material after the cap is attached to the packaging material.

[0017] In some embodiments, the suction part of the claw of the suction capping wheel comprises a rigid suction cup or a flexible suction cup.

[0018] In some embodiments, in the case that the claw group of the suction capping wheel comprises a plurality of claws, the interval angle between two adjacent claws in the claw group of the suction capping wheel is less than or equal to the interval angle between two adjacent claw groups.

[0019] Another aspect of the present disclosure provides a capping method for attaching a cap to a packaging material, the capping method comprising the following steps:

[0020] a. providing a capping device comprising a cap feeding mechanism and a cap supply mechanism and defining a feeding station and an attachment station, the cap feeding mechanism comprising a rotating shaft and a suction capping wheel, the suction capping wheel being arranged around the rotating shaft and comprising a central part and a plurality of claw groups extending radially outward from the central part, a suction part for sucking a cap being arranged at the free end of the claw in the claw group;

[0021] b. positioning the suction capping wheel at a first axial position along the axial direction of the rotating shaft;

[0022] c. rotating the suction capping wheel around the axis of the rotating shaft until one of the claw groups is located at the feeding station and another of the claw groups is located at the attachment station;

[0023] d. translating the suction capping wheel from the first axial position to a second axial position along the axial direction of the rotating shaft and staying for a preset time, at the second axial position, the suction part of the claw located at the feeding station grabs the cap from the feeding port of the cap supply mechanism, and the claw located at the attachment station positions the cap at an attachment position;

[0024] e. attaching the cap at the attachment position to the packaging material; and

[0025] f. returning the suction capping wheel to the first axial position along the axial direction.

[0026] In some embodiments, the capping method further includes: conveying the packaging material to be attached to the cap body adsorbed by the capping wheel through an attachment station via a conveyor belt disposed below the capping device, wherein the conveyor belt and the capping wheel move in coordination, such that when the packaging material passes through the attachment station, the adsorption part of the claw of the capping wheel rotates into the interior of the packaging material through the top opening of the packaging material and rotates out of the packaging material through the top opening of the packaging material after the cap body is attached to the packaging material.

[0027] In some embodiments, step e includes welding the cover at the attachment position to the packaging material using an ultrasonic welding process.

[0028] In some implementations, the adsorption part of the claw located at the feeding station in step d grasps the cap from the feed port of the cap feeding mechanism and the attachment of the cap in the attachment position to the packaging material in step e are performed simultaneously.

[0029] This invention utilizes a rotatable wheel structure to simultaneously grasp and attach multiple sets of caps, and simplifies the movement path of the caps from the feeding station to the attachment station, thereby effectively accelerating the processing speed. Furthermore, the combination of the wheel structure and the vacuum adsorption structure makes this invention particularly suitable for attaching caps with a flat film covering their bottom end to packaging materials. Attached Figure Description

[0030] Embodiments of the present invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same features or parts are indicated by the same reference numerals, and the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In the drawings:

[0031] Figure 1 A central cross-sectional view of a conventional cover is shown;

[0032] Figure 2 A central cross-sectional view of an improved cover is shown;

[0033] Figure 3 A perspective view of a capping device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, with a portion of the housing of the capping device removed for clarity;

[0034] Figure 4 and Figure 5 A perspective view of the cap-feeding device's cap-transfer mechanism, viewed from different angles, is shown;

[0035] Figure 6 A perspective view of the cap-collecting wheel of the cap-transfer mechanism is shown;

[0036] Figure 7 It shows along Figure 6 A cross-sectional view taken from the longitudinal central axis of the suction cup wheel;

[0037] Figures 8 to 10A flow chart illustrating a lidding method according to the present application is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0038] Example embodiments now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0039] Example embodiments are provided so as to convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art fully and entirely, and to more clearly describe the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Various specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various specific embodiments of the disclosure, and it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the example embodiments can be practiced without limiting to the specific disclosed details. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures, and well-known techniques are not described in detail.

[0040] In this document, if employed, the terms "upper", "lower", "top", and "bottom" and the like, are employed in their customary sense, e.g., as shown in the drawings. The use of these terms is intended to facilitate description of the disclosure and is not intended to limit the disclosure.

[0041] Reference is first made to Figure 1 and Figure 2 The application scenario of the present application is introduced. The present application mainly relates to a lidding device and a lidding method for attaching a lid to a packaging material, such as a packaging material for forming a paper packaging box. Figure 1 A central cross-sectional view of a conventional lid 1 is shown. The lid 1 comprises a cap 11 and a pull ring 12 arranged at the neck of the inner side of the cap to close the pouring opening. Before the pull ring 12 can be pulled open, the cap 11 needs to be unscrewed and removed, which is a relatively cumbersome process. When attaching the lid 1 to a packaging material, a conventional lidding device is usually used, which comprises a lidding mechanism with a protrusion extending into the interior of the lid 1 from the bottom end of the pouring opening of the lid 1 and being clamped with the lid 1. Figure 2 A central cross-sectional view of an improved lid 1' is shown. The lid 1' comprises a cap 11' and a planar film 12' covering the entire bottom end of the cap 11'. When the cap 11' is screwed, the cap 11' can automatically cut the planar film 12', achieving one-step opening. Since the planar film 12' completely covers the pouring opening at the bottom end of the cap 11', such a lid 1' cannot be transported by a conventional clamping lidding mechanism. The lidding device and the lidding method described below are mainly designed for the lid 1' shown, but it should be understood that the lidding device and the lidding method according to the present application can also be applied to other types of lids, such as the conventional lid 1 shown in Figure 2 , after a simple modification, for example. Figure 1

[0042] Figure 3 ​A perspective view of a capping apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is shown, with parts of the housing of the capping apparatus removed for clarity. As shown, Figure 3 The capping apparatus can generally include a cover supply mechanism 100 and a cover transfer mechanism 200, and define a feeding station and an attaching station. The cover supply mechanism 100 can continuously supply cover bodies 1' to the feeding station, and the cover transfer mechanism 200 can receive the cover bodies 1' from the cover supply mechanism 100 at the feeding station and transfer the cover bodies 1' to the attaching station. In the present embodiment, the cover supply mechanism 100 includes two generally vertically arranged feeding chutes (not shown), along which two rows of cover bodies 1' respectively fall into two feeding ports 110 under the action of gravity. The capping apparatus can further include a cover pushing mechanism 300 disposed near the feeding station, for pushing the cover bodies 1' out of the feeding ports 110 and towards the cover transfer mechanism 200, so as to facilitate the cover transfer mechanism 200 to grasp the cover bodies 1'. The cover pushing mechanism 300 can for example include a cover pushing cylinder. The capping apparatus can further include an attaching mechanism 400 disposed near the attaching station, for attaching the cover bodies 1' located at the attaching station to corresponding packaging materials 3. In the present embodiment, the attaching mechanism 400 includes an ultrasonic welding head 410, which can weld the cover bodies 1' at predetermined positions of the packaging materials 3 by an ultrasonic welding process. An exemplary packaging material 3 can be a top-open carton, which has attaching holes for receiving the cover bodies 1' at predetermined positions of the side walls of the carton. The attaching mechanism 400 can further include a welding head driver 420 for driving the ultrasonic welding head 410 to move towards or away from the cover transfer mechanism 200, which can for example include a cylinder. In other embodiments, any other suitable means can also be employed to attach the cover bodies and the packaging materials. Furthermore, the capping apparatus can further include a conveyor belt (not shown) disposed below the attaching mechanism 400, for continuously conveying the packaging materials 3 through the attaching station.

[0043] Figure 4 and Figure 5 A perspective view of the cover transfer mechanism 200 is shown, viewed from different angles. As shown, Figure 4 and Figure 5 The cover transfer mechanism 200 includes a rotating shaft 210 and a cover suction wheel disc 220 arranged around the rotating shaft. Figure 6 A perspective view of the cover suction wheel disc 220 of the cover transfer mechanism 200 is further shown, Figure 7 A cross-sectional view taken along the longitudinal central axis of the cover suction wheel disc 220 in Figure 6 is shown.

[0044] In combination with Figures 3 to 7 As shown, the cover suction wheel disc 220 includes a central portion 221, which can be provided as a sleeve for ease of installation, and a plurality of claw sets extending radially outward from the central portion 221. As shown, Figure 6As shown best, in the present embodiment, the cap suction wheel 220 comprises eight claws, which are divided into four claw groups, i.e. a first claw group 222-1, a second claw group 222-2, a third claw group 222-3 and a fourth claw group 222-4, wherein each claw group comprises two claws adjacent to each other. The eight claws of the cap suction wheel 220 are arranged equidistantly along the circumferential direction of the cap suction wheel 220. A suction portion 223 for suction of a cap body is provided at the free end of each claw. As the cap suction wheel 220 rotates one round around the axis of the rotation shaft 210, the suction portions 223 of the four claw groups will be rotated from the feeding station to the attaching station one by one and rotated back to the feeding station after the cap body attaching is completed. At the feeding station, the two suction portions 223 of one claw group are aligned with the two feeding ports 110 of the cap supply mechanism 100 respectively. As shown best, Figure 3 At the feeding port 110, the planar film 12’ at the bottom end of the cap body 1’ faces the suction portion 223 of the cap suction wheel 220. At the attaching station, the two suction portions 223 of one claw group are aligned with the two ultrasonic welding heads 410 of the attaching mechanism 400 respectively. When one claw group of the cap suction wheel 220 is at the attaching station, another claw group is at the feeding station. For example, in the present embodiment, when the first claw group 222-1 is at the attaching station, the third claw group 222-3 arranged opposite to the first claw group 222-1 is at the feeding station. The two claws in each claw group can handle two cap bodies simultaneously, that is, the two claws in each claw group can simultaneously grab two cap bodies 1’ from the corresponding two feeding ports 110 and simultaneously transport the two cap bodies 1’ to the attaching station for attachment to the corresponding two packaging materials 3. In other embodiments, the number of claw groups included in the cap suction wheel, the number of claws included in each claw group and the interval angle between the claw groups or the claws can be adjusted according to actual needs, and the number and position of the feeding ports and the ultrasonic welding heads can also be adjusted correspondingly according to the configuration of the cap suction wheel, so that the feeding ports and the ultrasonic welding heads correspond one by one to the claws in one claw group of the cap suction wheel. For example, in the case where each claw group of the cap suction wheel comprises a plurality of claws, the interval angle between the adjacent two claws in the claw group of the cap suction wheel can be smaller than the interval angle between the adjacent two claw groups, which can facilitate the differentiation of different claw groups during operation and maintenance of the cap attaching device.

[0045] In the present embodiment, the cap suction wheel 220 grabs and transports the cap body 1’ by vacuum suction of the planar film 12’ at the bottom end of the cap body 1’ by the suction portions 223 of the respective claw groups. As shown best, Figure 3 The cap attaching device can comprise one or more vacuum generators 500. In the present embodiment, four vacuum generators 500 are provided corresponding to the four claw groups of the cap suction wheel 220. As shown best, Figure 7As shown, each claw of the suction lid wheel 220 is internally provided with a suction passage 224 for communicating with the vacuum generator 500. A first end 224-1 of each suction passage 224 can be provided on an end face 225 of the suction lid wheel 220 facing away from the feed opening 110, so as to receive a pipe connected to the vacuum generator 500. A second end 224-2 of each suction passage 224 can be provided at a radially outer side of the claw of the suction lid wheel 220, so that at least a portion of the suction passage 224 can be machined along the extension of the claw directly when machining the suction lid wheel 220, the second end 224-2 being sealed in use. The first end 224-1 and the second end 224-2 can be provided as threaded holes, so as to connect a pipe or a seal.

[0046] As shown, the suction portion 223 of each claw of the suction lid wheel 220 has a suction hole 226 communicating with the suction passage 224. The suction portion 223 can further comprise a rigid or flexible suction pad arranged at or near the suction hole 226, so as to form a suction surface for the planar film 12' of the bottom end of the lid body 1'. Figure 7 Figure 4 As shown, the suction portion 223 can comprise a recess 228 for receiving a flexible suction pad 227. The flexible suction pad 227 can be mounted in the recess 228, for example, by screwing, and a clearance groove 229 can be arranged on a side wall of the suction portion 223 surrounding the recess 228, so as to allow a wrench or other tool for mounting the flexible suction pad to extend into the recess 228. Figure 6

[0047] To facilitate the grasping, conveying and attaching of the lid body, the suction lid wheel 220 can be configured to intermittently perform a rotational movement about the axis of the rotation axis 210 and an axial reciprocating movement along the axial direction of the rotation axis 210. When the suction lid wheel 220 is located at a first axial position away from the feed opening 110 and the attaching mechanism 400, the suction lid wheel 220 is allowed to rotate. When the suction lid wheel 220 rotates to a position where one set of claws is located at the feed station and another set of claws is located at the attaching station, the suction lid wheel 220 is paused from rotating and moved along the axial direction of the rotation axis 210 to a second axial position close to the feed opening 110 and the attaching mechanism 400, so as to simultaneously perform the action of grasping the lid body by one set of claws and the action of attaching the lid body by another set of claws. When the actions of grasping the lid body and attaching the lid body are completed, the suction lid wheel 220 can be returned to the first axial position along the axial direction of the rotation axis 210 and continue to rotate. Figures 3 to 5 As shown, the lid conveying mechanism 200 can comprise a rotational driver 230 for driving the suction lid wheel 220 to rotate about the axis of the rotation axis 210 and an axial driver 240 for driving the suction lid wheel 220 to perform a reciprocating movement along the axial direction of the rotation axis 210. For example, the rotational driver 230 can comprise a motor, and the axial driver 240 can comprise a pneumatic cylinder. ​​

[0048] As shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5 The cover transmission mechanism 200 can further include a pneumatic rotary joint 250 arranged around the rotary shaft 210 and adjacent to the cover wheel 220. The pneumatic rotary joint 250 can include a fixed end 251 and a rotary end 252, which functions to distribute the negative pressure generated by the vacuum generator 500 coupled to the fixed end 251 to the respective suction channels 224 of the cover wheel 220 coupled to the rotary end 252. The fixed end 251 includes fixed negative pressure interfaces 253 that can be coupled to the vacuum generator 500 via pipes (not shown). In the present embodiment, four fixed negative pressure interfaces 253 are arranged on the radially outer side of the fixed end 251 for coupling to four vacuum generators 500 respectively. The rotary end 252 is coupled to the cover wheel 220 and can rotate with the cover wheel 220 relative to the fixed end 251. The rotary end 252 is provided with rotary negative pressure interfaces 254 that can be in communication with the suction channels 224 of the cover wheel 220 via pipes (not shown). In the present embodiment, four rotary negative pressure interfaces 254 are arranged uniformly along the radially outer side of the rotary end 252, each of which can be in communication with two first ends 224-1 of two suction channels 224 in one claw group of the cover wheel 220 via pipes. In this way, the suction channels 224 of all claws in each claw group of the cover wheel 220 are in communication with each other and coupled to an independent vacuum generator 500. In other words, the air path of the suction channels 224 of each claw group of the cover wheel 220 is independently controlled by a single vacuum generator 500, which facilitates the synchronous control of the grasping and disconnection of the cover by all claws in each claw group. In other embodiments, the suction channels 224 of the claws of the cover wheel 220 can also be mutually disconnected, and the air path of the suction channels 224 of each claw is independently controlled by a respective vacuum generator, which can avoid affecting the normal operation of other claws when the vacuum generator associated with one claw fails. In addition, it is also possible to consider providing only a single vacuum generator, and controlling the air path of each suction channel and / or each group of suction channels by valves and / or other fluid control elements associated with each suction channel.

[0049] The cover application method performed by the cover application device according to the foregoing embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 8 to 10

[0050] ​During the continuous capping process, a conveyor belt (not shown) located below the cap-collecting wheel 220 transports a series of packaging materials through the attachment station. The rotational motion of the cap-collecting wheel 220 and the movement of the conveyor belt are coordinated, causing the suction portions 223 of each claw of the cap-collecting wheel 220 to engage with the packaging materials on the conveyor belt in a manner similar to gear and rack meshing. More specifically, as the packaging materials pass through the attachment station, the suction portions 223 of the claws of the cap-collecting wheel 220 can rotate into the packaging material through the top opening and rotate out of the packaging material through the top opening after the cap 1' is attached to the packaging material.

[0051] Figure 8 The illustration shows the cap-collecting wheel 220 rotating at a first axial position until the suction part 223 of the first claw assembly 222-1 is located at the attachment station and the suction part 223 of the third claw assembly 222-3 is located at the feeding station. At this time, the suction parts 223 of the first claw assembly 222-1 and the second claw assembly 222-2, which have previously rotated past the feeding station, have both suctioned caps 1', and the suction part 223 of the first claw assembly 222-1 has rotated into the interior of the corresponding first packaging material 3-1, aligning the cap 1' on the first claw assembly 222-1 with the attachment hole on the side wall of the first packaging material 3-1. Figure 8 As indicated by the arrow, the cap suction wheel 220 stops rotating, and the axial driver 240 drives the cap suction wheel 220 to translate from the first axial position to the second axial position along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210, so that the suction part 223 of the first claw group 222-1 positions the cap 1' on it in the attachment position (i.e., so that the cap 1' is received in the attachment hole on the side wall of the packaging material), and the suction part 223 of the third claw group 222-3 approaches the feed port 110 to prepare to grab the cap 1'. Furthermore, the push-cap mechanism 300 moves along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210 toward the cap suction wheel 220 to push the cap 1' out of the feed port 110 and toward the suction part 223 of the third claw group 222-3 of the cap suction wheel 220, so that the suction part 223 of the third claw group 222-3 adsorbs the cap 1'; the welding head driver 420 of the attachment mechanism 400 drives the ultrasonic welding head 410 to move along the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210 toward the cap suction wheel 220 to attach the cap 1' on the first claw group 222-1 to the first packaging material 3-1. After the action of attaching the cap 1' on the first claw group 222-1 to the first packaging material 3-1 is completed, the vacuum generator 500, which is connected to the air extraction channel 224 of the first claw group 222-1, breaks the vacuum state, so that the suction part 223 of the first claw group 222-1 is disconnected from the cap. In some embodiments, the translation of the cap-suction wheel 220 from the first axial position to the second axial position, the movement of the cap-pushing mechanism 300 toward the cap-suction wheel 220, and the movement of the ultrasonic welding head 410 toward the cap-suction wheel 220 are performed simultaneously, thereby further accelerating the cap-applying process.

[0052] Subsequently, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6, the axial driver 240 drives the suction lid wheel disc 220 to return to the first axial position from the second axial position in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210. Meanwhile, the push lid mechanism 300 is reset away from the suction lid wheel disc 220 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210, and the welding head driver 420 drives the ultrasonic welding head 410 to reset away from the suction lid wheel disc 220 in the axial direction of the rotation shaft 210. Figure 9

[0053] Next, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 7, the rotation driver 230 drives the suction lid wheel disc 220 to rotate about the axis of the rotation shaft 210 to a position such that the second claw group 222-2 is located at the attachment station and the fourth claw group 222-4 is located at the feeding station, while the conveying belt conveys the second group of packaging materials 3-2, which have not yet been attached with the lid, to the attachment station. The above steps are repeated so that the lid on the second claw group 222-2 is welded to the second group of packaging materials 3-2, while the fourth claw group 222-4 grabs the lid from the feeding port 110. Figure 10

[0054] The above cycle is repeated to achieve a continuous lid-attaching process.

[0055] By virtue of the wheel disc structure capable of rotating and reciprocating axially, the lid-attaching device according to the present application can perform the lid-attaching process on multiple groups of lids in parallel, and the movement path of the lid from the feeding station to the attachment station is simplified, thereby effectively increasing the production speed. In addition, the lid-conveying mechanism of the lid-attaching device according to the present application does not need to perform the up-and-down translation movement, which also simplifies the structure of the lid-conveying mechanism. Furthermore, the lid-attaching device according to the present application combines the wheel disc structure and the vacuum suction structure, making such lid-attaching device particularly suitable for attaching lids with a flat film covering the bottom end to packaging materials. However, it should be understood that the wheel disc structure in the lid-attaching device according to the present application can also be modified to grab and convey conventional lids by clamping the lids.

[0056] In addition, various feasible modifications are allowed in the present application.

[0057] For example, in the foregoing, the push lid mechanism is specifically described and used to push the lid out of the feeding port and towards the lid-conveying mechanism. However, it can be conceived that the push lid mechanism is omitted and a stop member facing away from the lid-conveying mechanism is arranged at the feeding port. In this case, only the lid-conveying mechanism needs to translate axially towards the feeding port to grab the lid clamped between the stop member and the suction part of the suction lid wheel disc of the lid-conveying mechanism.

[0058] For another example, it can be conceived that the ultrasonic welding head can not move towards the suction lid wheel disc but is configured to be fixed.

[0059] ​​Herein, exemplary embodiments of the capping apparatus and capping method according to the present application have been described in detail, but it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the specific embodiments described and illustrated above. Various modifications and variations of the present application can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present application. All such modifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of the present application. Moreover, all the components described herein can be replaced by other technically equivalent components.

Claims

1. A cap attaching device for attaching a cap to packaging material, the cap attaching device comprising a cap conveying mechanism and a cap supplying mechanism and defining a feeding station and an attachment station, the cap conveying mechanism being configured to receive a cap from the cap supplying mechanism at the feeding station and convey the cap to the attachment station. Its features are, The cap-transfer mechanism includes a rotating shaft and a cap-suction wheel. The cap-suction wheel is arranged around the rotating shaft and includes a central portion and a plurality of claw assemblies extending radially outward from the central portion. The free ends of the claws in the claw assemblies are provided with suction parts for suctioning caps. The cap-collecting wheel is configured to rotate about the axis of rotation, such that: the suction portion of the claws in the claw assembly rotates between the feeding station and the attachment station to convey the cap from the feeding station to the attachment station, and when one set of the claw assembly is located at the feeding station, the other set of the claw assembly is located at the attachment station. The cap-applying device is configured such that when the cap-suction wheel rotates to a position where one set of the claws is at the feeding station and the other set of the claws is at the attachment station, the cap-suction wheel pauses its rotation and translates along the axial direction of the rotation axis from a first axial position allowing the cap-suction wheel to rotate to a second axial position and remains there for a preset time. Subsequently, the cap-suction wheel returns to the first axial position along the axial direction and continues to rotate. At the second axial position, the suction part of the claw at the feeding station grasps the cap from the feed port of the cap supply mechanism, and the claw at the attachment station positions the cap at the attachment position to attach the cap to the packaging material.

2. The capping device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each of the claw groups includes multiple claws, and the cap feeding mechanism includes multiple feed ports that correspond one-to-one with the multiple claws in the claw groups.

3. The capping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, Each claw of the suction wheel is provided with an air extraction channel inside, and the suction part of each claw has an suction hole that communicates with the air extraction channel.

4. The capping device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The air extraction channels of all claws in each claw group of the suction cap wheel are interconnected, and the air passage opening and closing of all claws in each claw group is independently controlled by a single fluid control element. Alternatively, the air extraction channels of each claw of the suction cap wheel are not interconnected, and the air passage of each claw is independently controlled by its respective fluid control element.

5. The capping device according to claim 3, characterized in that, The capping device also includes a vacuum generator, which is connected to the air extraction channel.

6. The capping device according to claim 5, characterized in that, The cap-transfer mechanism also includes a pneumatic rotary joint arranged around the rotation axis and adjacent to the cap-suction wheel, and the vacuum generator is connected to the air extraction channel via the pneumatic rotary joint.

7. The capping device according to claim 6, characterized in that, The pneumatic rotary joint includes a fixed end and a rotating end. The fixed end is provided with a fixed negative pressure interface for receiving negative pressure from the vacuum generator, and the rotating end is provided with a rotating negative pressure interface for transmitting negative pressure to the air extraction channel.

8. The capping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The cap-attaching device also includes a conveyor belt disposed below the cap-suction wheel. The conveyor belt is adapted to transport the packaging material to be attached to the cap body adsorbed by the cap-suction wheel through the attachment station. The conveyor belt and the cap-suction wheel move in coordination, such that when the packaging material passes through the attachment station, the suction part of the claw of the cap-suction wheel rotates into the packaging material through the top opening of the packaging material and rotates out of the packaging material through the top opening of the packaging material after the cap body is attached to the packaging material.

9. The capping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The suction part of the claw of the suction cover wheel includes a rigid suction cup or a flexible suction cup.

10. The capping device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, When the claw assembly of the cap suction wheel includes multiple claws, the angle between two adjacent claws in the claw assembly of the cap suction wheel is less than or equal to the angle between two adjacent claw assemblies.

11. A capping method for attaching a cap to packaging material, characterized in that, The method of applying the cap includes the following steps: a. A capping device including a cap conveying mechanism and a cap supply mechanism and defining a feeding station and an attachment station, wherein the cap conveying mechanism includes a rotating shaft and a cap suction wheel, the cap suction wheel is arranged around the rotating shaft and includes a central portion and a plurality of claw groups extending radially outward from the central portion, wherein the free ends of the claws in the claw groups are provided with suction portions for adsorbing caps. b. Position the suction cup wheel at a first axial position along the axial direction of the rotation axis; c. Rotate the suction cap wheel about the axis of the rotating shaft until one set of the claws is located at the feeding station and the other set of the claws is located at the attachment station; d. The cap suction wheel is moved from the first axial position to the second axial position along the axial direction of the rotation axis and stays there for a preset time. At the second axial position, the suction part of the claw at the feeding station grabs the cap from the feed port of the cap supply mechanism, and the claw at the attachment station positions the cap at the attachment position. e. Attaching the cover at the attachment position to the packaging material; and f. Return the suction cap wheel to the first axial position along the axial direction.

12. The method of applying a cap according to claim 11, characterized in that, The capping method further includes: conveying the packaging material to be attached to the cap body adsorbed by the cap-adsorbing wheel through the attachment station via a conveyor belt disposed below the cap-adsorbing wheel of the capping device; the conveyor belt and the cap-adsorbing wheel move in coordination, such that when the packaging material passes through the attachment station, the adsorption part of the claw of the cap-adsorbing wheel rotates into the interior of the packaging material through the top opening of the packaging material and rotates out of the packaging material through the top opening of the packaging material after the cap body is attached to the packaging material.

13. The method of applying a cap according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, Step e includes welding the cover at the attachment location to the packaging material using an ultrasonic welding process.

14. The method of applying a cap according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, The capping method further includes: after step e is completed, disconnecting the suction part of the claw of the cap suction wheel located at the attachment station from the cap body.

15. The method of applying a cap according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that, In step d, the suction part of the claw located at the feeding station grasps the cap from the feed port of the cap feeding mechanism, and in step e, the cap at the attachment position is attached to the packaging material simultaneously.

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