Automatic folding apparatus for paper containers

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of paper container automatic folding equipment, including machine table, feeding device, folding platform, stamping mechanism and folding mechanism;Feeding device front end flat paper material processing equipment;Stamping mechanism includes the upper tool set in feeding device upper, and the lower tool set in the lower tool of upper tool;Upper tool is equipped with the stamping punch movable up and down;Lower tool is equipped with the stamping recess corresponding with stamping punch, and the rebound plate elastically fitted in stamping recess;Folding mechanism includes the lifting device set in folding platform upper, the horizontal moving device set in folding platform upper surface, the pair of triangular die that is set in the lifting device lower and is telescopic cooperation in folding platform both sides, and the right-angle die that is telescopic cooperation in folding platform lower.The application can be used for automatic processing flat paper material that has completed indentation and gluing, is formed and folded by stamping, realizes to improve production efficiency, and the overall volume of paper container is reduced, facilitate packaging, reduce cost.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of soup cup production technology, and in particular to an automatic paper container folding device. Background Technology

[0002] With the fast pace of work and life and the development of the food delivery industry, the use of disposable tableware has become very common. Compared with the earlier tableware such as foam lunch boxes, plastic lunch boxes, and plastic straws, which seriously pollute the environment when discarded, the food industry now advocates the use of biodegradable materials to manufacture disposable tableware. For example, paper containers made from biodegradable chemical wood pulp are mechanically processed and bonded into cup-shaped, bowl-shaped, and bucket-shaped containers. These containers have a fixed shape, are mostly open-mouthed, and are easy to take out, and are often used to hold solid food.

[0003] In existing technologies, paper containers are typically designed in a polygonal shape to facilitate automated gluing and bonding. After gluing, the paper container is initially formed, but because it is already unfolded, it is bulky, takes up space, and is inconvenient for packaging, requiring folding. Currently, crease lines are usually added to the cardboard at the folding points on the production line to facilitate subsequent manual folding, which improves production efficiency to some extent, but is still relatively low for automated production. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a device capable of automatically folding paper containers. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an automatic paper container folding device that solves the problems existing in the prior art. It can be used to automatically process flat paper materials that have been crimped and coated with glue, stamp them into shape and fold them, thereby improving production efficiency and reducing the overall volume of the paper container, which is convenient for packaging and reduces costs.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the solution of the present invention is:

[0006] An automatic folding device for paper containers includes a machine base, a plurality of feeding devices arranged sequentially along the machine base, a folding platform disposed at the rear end of the feeding devices, a stamping mechanism, and a folding mechanism; the front end of the feeding devices is connected to processing equipment for processing embossing lines and applying glue to flat sheets of paper; the stamping mechanism includes an upper fixture disposed above the feeding devices and a lower fixture disposed between the feeding devices and below the upper fixture; the upper fixture is provided with a lifting and movable stamping punch; the lower fixture is provided with a stamping die corresponding to the stamping punch and a spring plate elastically fitted in the stamping groove, the top of the spring plate being flush with the top of the feeding devices when not under force; the folding mechanism includes a lifting device disposed above the folding platform, a lateral moving device disposed on the upper surface of the folding platform, and a telescopic device disposed below the lifting device. The system includes a pair of triangular molds on both sides of the folding platform, and a right-angle mold that telescopically engages below the folding platform. The folding platform has a rectangular hole located below the lifting device. The lifting device includes a liftable platform, and a front compression plate, a front support plate, and a rear support plate are sequentially installed on the lower surface of the lifting platform along the lateral direction. The front compression plate, the front support plate, and the rear support plate all slide in lateral engagement with the lifting platform. The lateral movement device includes a movable plate that laterally engages with the upper surface of the folding platform, and a suction nozzle installed on the movable plate. The front compression plate, the front support plate, the suction nozzle, or the movable plate and the rear support plate cooperate to compress the front and rear planes of the semi-finished paper container. The triangular mold is used to compress the triangular indentation lines of the semi-finished paper container. The right-angle mold telescopically engages within the rectangular hole to compress the bottom right-angle indentation lines of the semi-finished paper container.

[0007] The feeding device is a belt conveyor, and the belt is made of PVC plastic; the stamping punch is made of a hard material.

[0008] The upper fixture also includes a stamping cylinder for driving the stamping punch, the stamping cylinder being mounted on the front frame of the machine tool.

[0009] The stamping die has a plastic partition wall with an adjustable spacing.

[0010] A spring is provided at the bottom of the stamping die, and the top of the spring is connected to the spring plate.

[0011] The lower surfaces of the front compression plate, the front support plate, and the rear support plate are on the same horizontal plane.

[0012] The front compression plate is a flat plate; the front support plate and the rear support plate have the same shape, and the lower ends of both are set to an inverted trapezoid or rectangle corresponding to the inner cavity shape of the paper container.

[0013] The lifting device also includes a vertical push cylinder for driving the lifting platform, the vertical push cylinder being mounted on the rear frame of the machine platform.

[0014] The front compression plate, front support plate, and rear support plate are driven by their respective left and right push cylinders through sliding cooperation on the lifting platform.

[0015] The movable plate slides with the folding platform via sliders on both sides, and the sliders are driven by a motor, cylinder or push rod.

[0016] The automatic paper container folding device also includes a storage container located at the rear end of the folding platform, and the travel distance of the traverse device is between the feeding device and the storage container.

[0017] Preferably, the machine base is provided with upper and lower push plates on the rear frame, which are located above the storage container and are used to push the paper container off the suction nozzle.

[0018] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0019] By designing upper and lower fixtures, lifting devices, lateral movement devices, triangular molds, and right-angle molds to work together on the production line, the stamping and folding actions can be completed automatically. It can be used to process flat paper materials that have been crimped and coated with glue. First, the flat paper materials are stamped into three-dimensional semi-finished paper containers, and then the paper containers are folded into a flat state to reduce the product volume, which is convenient for packaging and reduces costs. Moreover, the entire equipment has a high degree of automation and high production efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding process in a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0022] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the feeding process in a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0023] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the stamping process in a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0024] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the stamping process in a specific embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0025] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the transfer process in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the folding process according to a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the material feeding process in a specific embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a flat sheet of paper.

[0029] Figure 10 A schematic diagram of stamping flat paper stock into paper containers;

[0030] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the folding process of a paper container;

[0031] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the paper container after it has been folded.

[0032] Explanation of icon numbers:

[0033] 1----Machine frame; 11---Front-end rack; 12---Back-end rack;

[0034] 2----Feeding device;

[0035] 3----Folding platform; 31---Rectangular hole;

[0036] 4----Upper jig; 41---Stamping punch; 42---Stamping cylinder;

[0037] 5----Lower jig; 51---Stamping die; 52---Spring plate;

[0038] 6----Lifting device; 61---Lifting platform; 62---Front compression plate; 63---Front support plate; 64---Rear support plate; 65---Up and down pushing cylinder; 66---Left and right pushing cylinder;

[0039] 7----Transverse movement device; 71---Moving plate; 72---Suction nozzle;

[0040] 8----Triangle mold;

[0041] 9----Right-angle mold;

[0042] 10---Storage containers;

[0043] 20---Push the plate up and down;

[0044] a----flat sheet of paper; b----paper container. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To further explain the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be described in detail below through specific embodiments.

[0046] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. The components of the embodiments of the present invention described and shown in the accompanying drawings can generally be arranged and designed in various different configurations.

[0047] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of the invention provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the invention, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the invention. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the invention without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of the invention.

[0048] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items. Therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be further defined and explained in subsequent figures.

[0049] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that the indicated orientation or positional relationship is based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship in which the product of the invention is usually placed when in use, or the orientation or positional relationship in which those skilled in the art are usually understood. It is only for the purpose of simplifying the description of the embodiments of the present invention, and is not intended to indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0050] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third," etc., are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the stated features. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0051] In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "set," "install," "connect," and "link" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection, an electrical connection, or a connection that allows for mutual communication; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in the present invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0052] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, "above" or "below" the second feature can include direct contact between the first and second features, or contact between the first and second features through another feature between them. Furthermore, "above," "over," and "on top" of the second feature includes the first feature directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a higher horizontal level than the second feature. "Below," "below," and "under" the second feature includes the first feature directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply indicates that the first feature is at a lower horizontal level than the second feature.

[0053] The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples for implementing different structures of the invention. To simplify the disclosure, specific examples of components and arrangements are described below. Of course, these are merely examples and are not intended to limit the invention. Furthermore, reference numerals and / or letters may be repeated in different examples; such repetition is for simplification and clarity and does not in itself indicate a relationship between the various embodiments and / or arrangements discussed.

[0054] Furthermore, this invention provides examples of various specific processes and materials, but those skilled in the art will recognize the application of other processes and / or the use of other materials.

[0055] refer to Figures 1 to 8 As shown, the present invention discloses an automatic paper container folding device, including a machine base 1, a plurality of feeding devices 2 arranged in a horizontal direction on the machine base 1, a folding platform 3 arranged at the rear end of the feeding devices 2, and a stamping mechanism and a folding mechanism.

[0056] The front end of the feeding device 2 is connected to a processing device for processing creasing lines and applying glue on flat paper stock a (this processing device is a mature existing technology and will not be described in detail here);

[0057] The stamping mechanism includes an upper fixture 4 disposed above the feeding device 2 and a lower fixture 5 disposed in the gap of the feeding device 2 and located below the upper fixture 4. The upper fixture 4 and the lower fixture 5 cooperate to stamp the flat paper material a into a semi-finished paper container b. The upper fixture 4 is provided with a stamping punch 41 that can be lifted and moved. The shape of the stamping punch 41 matches the inner cavity of the paper container b to be processed. The lower fixture 5 is provided with a stamping die 51 corresponding to the stamping punch 41 and a spring plate 52 that is elastically fitted in the stamping groove 51. The top of the spring plate 52 remains flush with the top of the feeding device 2 when not under force.

[0058] The folding mechanism includes a lifting device 6 positioned above the folding platform 3, a transverse moving device 7 positioned on the upper surface of the folding platform 3, a pair of triangular molds 8 positioned below the lifting device 6 and telescopically fitted on both sides of the folding platform 3, and a right-angle mold 9 telescopically fitted below the folding platform 3; the folding platform 3 is provided with a rectangular hole 31 located below the lifting device 6; the lifting device 6 is provided with a liftable and movable lifting platform 61, and a front compression plate 62, a front support plate 63, and a rear support plate 64 are sequentially installed along the transverse direction on the lower surface of the lifting platform 61. Both the support plate 63 and the rear support plate 64 are slidably engaged with the lifting platform 61 in the lateral direction; the transverse movement device 7 includes a movable plate 71 that is laterally engaged with the upper surface of the folding platform 3, and a suction nozzle 72 mounted on the movable plate 71; the front compression plate 62 cooperates with the front support plate 63, the suction nozzle 72 or the movable plate 71 and the rear support plate 64 to compress the front and rear planes of the semi-finished paper container b; the triangular mold 8 is used to compress the triangular indentation line of the semi-finished paper container b; the right-angle mold 9 is telescopically engaged in the rectangular hole 31 to compress the bottom right-angle indentation line of the semi-finished paper container b.

[0059] The following illustrates specific embodiments of the present invention.

[0060] The aforementioned feeding device 2 is a belt conveyor, and its belt is made of PVC plastic, which can increase the friction between the feeding device 2 and the flat paper material, and achieve more stable conveying of the flat paper material.

[0061] The material of the stamping punch 41 can be hard materials such as wood, plastic, iron and stainless steel.

[0062] The aforementioned upper fixture 4 also includes a stamping cylinder 42 for driving the stamping punch 41, and the stamping cylinder 42 is mounted on the front frame 11 of the machine base 1.

[0063] The aforementioned stamping die 51 has an adjustable spacing plastic partition wall. The spacing of the plastic partition wall can be adjusted by fixing and supporting it with fasteners and support rods to meet the production needs of paper containers of different sizes.

[0064] A spring is provided at the bottom of the aforementioned stamping die 51, and the top of the spring is connected to the spring return plate 52. During the downward pressing of the upper fixture 4, the stamping punch 41 presses the flat paper material a on the spring return plate 52, causing the spring return plate 52 to contract downward. Under the combined action of the feeding devices 2 at both ends of the stamping die 51 and the stamping punch 41 and stamping die 51, the flat paper material a is stamped into a three-dimensional shape to obtain a semi-finished paper container b. After the stamping is completed, the upper fixture 4 is reset upward, the spring return plate 52 is reset under the action of the spring, and the semi-finished paper container b is pushed upward, with the bottom surface of the paper container b flush with the top of the feeding device 1.

[0065] The lower surfaces of the aforementioned front compression plate 62, front support plate 63, and rear support plate 64 are on the same horizontal plane.

[0066] The aforementioned front compression plate 62 is a flat plate, the size of which can encompass the side of the paper container b; the front support plate 63 and the rear support plate 64 have the same shape, and the lower end of both are set to an inverted trapezoid or rectangle corresponding to the inner cavity shape of the paper container b, and the thickness varies from a few millimeters, which can be replaced according to compression requirements and effects.

[0067] The aforementioned lifting device 6 also includes an up-and-down pushing cylinder 65 for driving the lifting platform 61, which is mounted on the rear frame 12 of the machine base 1.

[0068] The sliding engagement of the aforementioned front compression plate 62, front support plate 63, and rear support plate 64 on the lifting platform 61 is achieved by their respective left and right push cylinders 66.

[0069] The aforementioned movable plate 71 is provided with a round hole for installing a suction nozzle 72. The suction nozzle 72 is connected to the air pipe of the equipment and uses vacuum adsorption to hold the paper container so as to move the paper container on the folding platform 3.

[0070] The aforementioned movable plate 71 is slidably engaged with the folding platform 3 via sliders on both sides, and the sliders are driven by devices such as motors and cylinders. Alternatively, the movable plate 71 can be driven by a push rod.

[0071] The aforementioned triangular mold 8 is driven by a push rod to extend and retract on both sides of the folding platform 3.

[0072] The present invention also includes a storage container 10 disposed at the rear end of the folding platform 3, and the stroke of the transverse moving device 7 is disposed between the feeding device 1 and the storage container 10.

[0073] Furthermore, the rear frame 12 of the aforementioned machine 1 is provided with an upper and lower push plate 20, which is located above the storage container 10 and is used to push the paper container on the suction nozzle 72 downwards.

[0074] The workflow of this invention is as follows:

[0075] (1) See Figure 2 , Figure 3 and Figure 9 After the front-end processing is completed, the flat paper material a is fed into the feeding device 1 in a flat state. The flat paper material a has crease lines for folding (single-point segment lines are crease lines for automatic folding during stamping, dotted lines are triangular crease lines, and double-point segment lines are bottom right-angle crease lines) and is coated with glue (indicated by the shaded area). Driven by the feeding device 1, the flat paper material a moves to the top of the stamping die 51.

[0076] (2) See Figure 4 , Figure 5 and Figure 10 After the flat paper material a is in place, the upper fixture 4 is activated to press it down. The stamping punch 41 presses the flat paper material a on the spring plate 52, causing the spring plate 52 to contract downward. Under the combined action of the feeding device 2 at both ends of the stamping die 51 and the stamping punch 41 and stamping die 51, the flat paper material a is stamped into a three-dimensional shape to obtain the semi-finished paper container b. After the stamping is completed, the upper fixture 4 is reset upward, the spring plate 52 is reset under the action of the spring, and the semi-finished paper container b is pushed upward. The bottom surface of the paper container b is flush with the top of the feeding device 1.

[0077] (3) See Figure 6 After the stamping is completed, the transverse device 7 moves forward, so that the suction nozzle 72 contacts the side of the semi-finished paper container b, and the vacuum device is activated so that the suction nozzle 72 sucks up the paper container b and moves it to the bottom of the lifting device 6.

[0078] (4) See Figure 7 , Figure 11 and Figure 12 When the paper container b is sucked up by the suction nozzle 72 and moved onto the folding platform 3, the lifting platform 61 is driven down by the up-and-down pushing cylinder 65 until the bottoms of the front compression plate 62, the front support plate 63, and the rear support plate 64 contact the top surface of the folding platform 3. At this time, the front support plate 63 contacts the inner front wall of the paper container b, and the rear support plate 64 contacts the inner rear wall of the paper container b. Then, the two triangular molds 8 move towards the area where the triangular indentation line of the paper container b is located, and the right-angle mold 9 moves towards the bottom of the paper container b. The front compression plate 62 and the front support plate 63, the rear support plate 64 and the movable plate 71 move synchronously. Under the combined action of the front compression plate 62, the movable plate 71, the triangular molds 8 and the right-angle mold 9, the semi-finished paper container b is folded and compressed. After the folding and compression are completed, the lifting device 6, the triangular molds 8 and the right-angle mold 9 are reset.

[0079] (5) See Figure 8The horizontal movement device 7 continues to move the paper container b, so that the paper container b moves above the storage container 10. The upper and lower push plates 20 descend and push the paper container b off the suction nozzle 72, completing a process of folding the flat paper material a into a paper container b and storing it.

[0080] Through the above scheme, the present invention, by designing an upper fixture 4 in conjunction with a lower fixture 5, a lifting device 6, a transverse movement device 7, a triangular mold 8, and a right-angle mold 9 on the production line, can automatically complete the stamping and folding actions. It can be used to process flat paper material b that has been crimped and coated with glue. First, the flat paper material b is stamped into a three-dimensional semi-finished paper container b, and then the paper container b is folded into a flat state to achieve the purpose of reducing the product volume, which is convenient for packaging and reduces costs. Moreover, the entire equipment has a high degree of automation and high production efficiency.

[0081] The above embodiments and figures are not intended to limit the product form and style of the present invention. Any appropriate changes or modifications made by those skilled in the art should be considered as not departing from the patent scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic paper container folding device, characterized in that: It includes a machine base, several feeding devices arranged sequentially on the machine base along the horizontal direction, a folding platform arranged at the rear end of the feeding devices, and a stamping mechanism and a folding mechanism; The front end of the feeding device is connected to a processing device for processing indentation lines and applying glue to flat sheets of paper; The stamping mechanism includes an upper fixture disposed above the feeding device and a lower fixture disposed in the gap of the feeding device and located below the upper fixture; the upper fixture is provided with a stamping punch that can be lifted and moved; the lower fixture is provided with a stamping die corresponding to the stamping punch and a spring plate that elastically fits in the stamping die, the top of the spring plate being flush with the top of the feeding device when not under force; The folding mechanism includes a lifting device disposed above the folding platform, a lateral moving device disposed on the upper surface of the folding platform, a pair of triangular molds disposed below the lifting device and telescopically fitted on both sides of the folding platform, and a right-angle mold telescopically fitted below the folding platform; the folding platform has a rectangular hole located below the lifting device; the lifting device has a liftable and movable lifting platform, and a front compression plate, a front support plate, and a rear support plate are sequentially installed on the lower surface of the lifting platform along the lateral direction, the front compression plate, the front support plate, and the rear support plate all slidingly fitted with the lifting platform in the lateral direction; the lateral moving device includes a movable plate that laterally moves and fits on the upper surface of the folding platform, and a suction nozzle mounted on the movable plate; the front compression plate cooperates with the front support plate, the suction nozzle, or the movable plate cooperates with the rear support plate to compress the front and rear planes of the semi-finished paper container; the triangular mold is used to compress the triangular indentation lines of the semi-finished paper container; the right-angle mold telescopically fits within the rectangular hole to compress the bottom right-angle indentation lines of the semi-finished paper container.

2. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The feeding device is a belt conveyor, and the belt is made of PVC plastic; the stamping punch is made of a hard material.

3. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The upper fixture also includes a stamping cylinder for driving the stamping punch, the stamping cylinder being mounted on the front frame of the machine tool.

4. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The stamping die has plastic partitions with adjustable spacing.

5. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: A spring is provided at the bottom of the stamping die, and the top of the spring is connected to the spring plate.

6. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lower surfaces of the front compression plate, the front support plate, and the rear support plate are on the same horizontal plane.

7. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The front compression plate is a flat plate; the front support plate and the rear support plate have the same shape, and the lower ends of both are set to an inverted trapezoid or rectangle corresponding to the inner cavity shape of the paper container.

8. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The lifting device also includes a vertical push cylinder for driving the lifting platform, the vertical push cylinder being mounted on the rear frame of the machine platform.

9. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The front compression plate, front support plate, and rear support plate are driven by their respective left and right push cylinders through a sliding engagement on the lifting platform.

10. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: The movable plate slides with the folding platform via sliders on both sides, and the sliders are driven by a motor, cylinder or push rod.

11. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a storage container located at the rear end of the folding platform, and the travel distance of the traverse device is between the feeding device and the storage container.

12. The automatic paper container folding device as described in claim 11, characterized in that: The machine is equipped with upper and lower push plates on the rear frame of the machine. The upper and lower push plates are located above the storage container and are used to push the paper container off the suction nozzle.

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