An automatic tobacco leaf separating device

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic tobacco leaf separation device, comprising a control system and a movable tobacco clamping device communicatively connected to the control system. The clamping device includes a gripper, a gripper drive unit, a tobacco surface detector, and a gripper cleaning plate. The gripper drive unit is connected to the gripper and drives the gripper to feed towards the tobacco bale to separate the tobacco leaf or retract to separate the separated tobacco leaf. The tobacco surface detector first contacts the surface of the tobacco bale to measure its thickness when the clamping device moves towards the tobacco bale. The control system is communicatively connected to both the tobacco surface detector and the gripper drive unit, receiving thickness information from the detector and adjusting the gripper's feed rate. The gripper cleaning plate reciprocates along the gripper's feed or retraction direction to remove residual tobacco leaves from the gripper. By adjusting the gripper's feed rate, the problem of uneven tobacco bale surfaces can be overcome, resulting in flat and complete tobacco leaves, reducing tobacco leaf breakage, and preventing residual tobacco leaves from adhering to the gripper, thus ensuring effective separation.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the technical field of tobacco manufacturing equipment, specifically, it relates to an automatic layer-by-layer separation device for raw tobacco leaves. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, the production process of cigarettes generally involves several steps, including initial curing of tobacco leaves, threshing and re-curing, tobacco fermentation, cigarette formulation, cigarette making, cigarette rolling, and cigarette packaging. Initial curing is the primary step in transforming cultivated tobacco leaves into cigarette raw materials. It involves placing freshly harvested tobacco leaves in a curing barn to dry and process them, turning them into the "raw tobacco" for cigarettes. After curing, the tobacco leaves undergo significant changes in their internal substances, appearance, and microstructure. The color changes from yellowish-green to yellow, and the moisture content changes from an expanded state of 80-90% to wilting, drying, and eventually charring. After initial curing, the wilted and dried tobacco leaves are usually bundled together for further processing. These bundled tobacco leaves require pre-treatment before production, such as separating stacked or clustered tobacco bales, to prepare for subsequent processing.

[0003] The effectiveness of tobacco leaf grading and the quality of the graded tobacco leaves have a significant impact on the quality of cigarette products. A prerequisite for successful grading is that the tobacco leaves must be in a relatively flat, single-leaf state. Therefore, in intelligent tobacco leaf grading and sorting systems, tobacco leaves need to be broken down from their compressed bales into loose, single-leaf states for visual inspection. Because bales of tobacco leaves have low moisture content, are tightly compressed, and have an uneven surface, directly breaking them down into single leaves, regardless of the method used, easily leads to leaf breakage and significant material loss. Therefore, if the bales are first separated into single layers, the tightly compressed state of the tobacco leaves is greatly reduced, making it easier to break them down into single leaves and significantly decreasing leaf breakage in subsequent leaf separation processes, thus facilitating subsequent leaf separation and grading.

[0004] In view of this, the present invention is proposed. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to overcome the shortcomings of the prior art and provide an automatic tobacco leaf separation device. By setting a tobacco surface detector to measure the thickness of the tobacco bale, and by controlling the control system to adjust the feed amount of the gripper according to the thickness of the tobacco bale, it can not only solve the problem of uneven tobacco bale surface to obtain flat and complete tobacco leaves, but also obtain tobacco leaves of the required thickness by adjusting the feed amount of the gripper, reducing tobacco leaf breakage and providing convenience for subsequent tobacco leaf loosening into single leaves and tobacco leaf grading.

[0006] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the basic concept of the technical solution adopted by the present invention is: an automatic tobacco leaf separating device, including a control system and a movable tobacco clamping device communicatively connected to the control system, wherein the tobacco clamping device includes:

[0007] Multiple grippers are provided for separating cigarette packs;

[0008] A gripper drive unit is connected to the gripper and drives the gripper to feed towards the tobacco pack to separate the tobacco pack or to retract the separated tobacco sheet.

[0009] The cigarette surface detector first contacts the surface of the cigarette pack when the cigarette clamping device moves toward the cigarette pack, and measures the thickness of the cigarette pack.

[0010] The control system is communicatively connected to the smoke detector and the gripper drive unit, respectively, and is used to receive the thickness information from the smoke detector and adjust the feed amount of the gripper.

[0011] Furthermore, the cigarette clamping device includes a frame, and the clamps are arranged at intervals along the length extension direction of the frame;

[0012] One end of the gripper drive unit is fixed to the frame, and its free end is connected to the gripper.

[0013] The smoke detector is fixed or reciprocally movable on the frame in the direction of the gripper's feed or retraction, located on one side of the frame, with a small gap between it and the gripper;

[0014] Preferably, each gripper is equipped with at least one gripper drive unit and at least one smoke surface detector. Further, the gripper feed rate D is:

[0015] D = (h1 - h0)k + d;

[0016] Where h0 is the minimum cigarette pack thickness measured by the smoke surface detector, h1 is the cigarette pack thickness measured by the smoke surface detector corresponding to each gripper, d is the preset feed amount of the gripper, and k is the correction coefficient.

[0017] Furthermore, when the detection surface of the cigarette detector contacts the surface of the cigarette pack, the plane on which the detection surface is located is the same plane as the plane on which the end of the gripper is located when the gripper is in the retracted state;

[0018] When the gripper is in the feeding state, the end of the gripper extends out of the plane where the detection surface is located.

[0019] Furthermore, the cigarette clamping device includes a clamping cleaning plate, which is reciprocally mounted on the frame along the direction of clamping feed or retraction, and its extension direction is the same as the extension direction of the frame.

[0020] The clamping cleaning plate has through holes in its extending direction that correspond to the position and number of clamps. The end of the clamp always extends out of the through hole when feeding or retracting.

[0021] Furthermore, the cigarette clamping device includes a driving component, one end of which is fixedly connected to the frame, and its free end is connected to the clamping and cleaning plate;

[0022] The control system is communicatively connected to the drive component and is used to control the drive component to drive the gripper cleaning plate to reciprocate at least twice when the gripper is in the retracted state.

[0023] Preferably, the amount of movement of the clamp cleaning plate along the feed direction of the clamp is greater than or equal to the sum of the length of the end of the clamp extending out of the through hole when the clamp is in the retracted state and the thickness of the clamp cleaning plate.

[0024] Furthermore, the hand-clamping cleaning plate has an elastic pad on the side facing the cigarette pack.

[0025] Furthermore, it also includes a tobacco leaf pressing device that is communicatively connected to the control system. The tobacco leaf pressing device includes a movable support, a mounting part on the side of the support facing the tobacco bale, a tobacco pressing unit at the mounting part, and an elastic unit connected to the tobacco pressing unit inside the mounting part.

[0026] When the control system moves the separated tobacco leaves to a preset height using the gripper, it controls the support to move so that the pressing unit can press the remaining tobacco leaves.

[0027] Preferably, the mounting part consists of multiple mounting holes arranged side by side at intervals, the smoke-pressing unit is a smoke-pressing nail, and the elastic unit is a spring.

[0028] Furthermore, it also includes communication connections with the control system:

[0029] The alignment components are located on both sides of the tobacco pack conveying direction and are used to align the tobacco pack so that its axis is parallel to the conveying direction.

[0030] A measuring component, located downstream of the alignment component and at least on one side of the tobacco pack conveying direction, is used to measure the length of the tobacco pack in the conveying direction;

[0031] The monitoring unit is used to monitor the conveying position of the cigarette packs and transmit the position information to the control system;

[0032] The control system controls the opening and closing of the alignment component or the measuring component based on the position information.

[0033] Furthermore, in the direction of cigarette pack conveying, an automatic disassembly area is provided downstream of the measuring component, and the cigarette clamping device is located in the automatic disassembly area;

[0034] The control system receives the length information of the cigarette pack measured by the measuring component and automatically calculates the stopping position of the cigarette pack in the automatic separation area, and controls the movement of the cigarette clamping device to separate the cigarette pack layer by layer.

[0035] By adopting the above technical solution, the present invention has the following beneficial effects compared with the prior art:

[0036] 1. This invention provides an automatic tobacco leaf separating device. By setting a tobacco surface detector to measure the thickness of the tobacco bale, and by controlling the control system to adjust the feed amount of the gripper according to the thickness of the tobacco bale, it can not only solve the problem of uneven tobacco bale surface to obtain flat and complete tobacco leaves, but also obtain tobacco leaves of the required thickness by adjusting the feed amount of the gripper, reducing tobacco leaf breakage and providing convenience for subsequent tobacco leaf loosening into single leaves and tobacco leaf grading, etc., with a high degree of automation.

[0037] 2. In this invention, at least one gripper drive unit and at least one smoke surface detector are set for each gripper, and the feed amount of each gripper is adjusted according to the measured thickness of the smoke pack, so as to ensure that the separated smoke sheets are intact and will not produce holes, thereby reducing breakage.

[0038] 3. In this invention, by reasonably setting the clamp cleaning plate, the clamp is cleaned at least twice when it is in the retracted state, so as to prevent residual tobacco leaves from sticking to the clamp when it retracts, which would cause the separated tobacco leaves to be incompletely separated and affect the subsequent separation effect.

[0039] 4. In this invention, an elastic pad is provided on the side of the clamping cleaning plate facing the tobacco pack, which works in conjunction with the pointed claw to clamp tobacco leaves with uneven surfaces and different thicknesses, ensuring a clamping effect.

[0040] 5. In this invention, the pressing unit is connected to the support through an elastic unit, which can elastically adapt to uneven surfaces of the cigarette pack, allowing the pressing unit to generate different downward pressures and ensuring a pressing effect.

[0041] 6. In this invention, the length of the cigarette pack in the conveying direction is measured after the pack is aligned, which improves the measurement accuracy. At the same time, the length information of the cigarette pack can be used to accurately calculate the stopping position of the cigarette pack in the automatic separation area. The cigarette clamping device is used to separate the aligned cigarette pack layer by layer, which improves the separation effect.

[0042] The specific embodiments of the present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0043] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the invention. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of the invention are used to explain the invention, but do not constitute an undue limitation of the invention. Obviously, the drawings described below are merely some embodiments, and those skilled in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative effort. In the drawings:

[0044] Figure 1This is a structural side view of the automatic disassembly device in this invention;

[0045] Figure 2 This is a top view of the automatic disassembly device in this invention;

[0046] Figure 3 This is a front view of the cigarette clamping device in this invention.

[0047] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the rear structure of the cigarette clamping device in this invention;

[0048] Figure 5 This is a side view of the structure of the cigarette clamping device in this invention;

[0049] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the clamping hands are in a crossed state in this invention;

[0050] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the tobacco leaf pressing device in this invention.

[0051] In the diagram: 1. Frame; 2. Tobacco bale feeding area; 3. Alignment area; 4. Measuring area; 5. Automatic separation area; 6. Inclined guide rail; 7. Tobacco clamping device; 71. Frame; 72. Hand clamping drive unit; 73. Hand clamp; 731. First connecting rod; 732. Second connecting rod; 733. First hand clamping bracket; 734. Second hand clamping bracket; 74. Tobacco surface detector; 75. Hand clamping cleaning plate; 751. Through hole; 752. Drive component; 76. Elastic pad; 8. Tobacco leaf pressing device; 81. Support; 811. Horizontal bar; 812. Vertical bar; 813. Slide rail; 82. First drive component; 83. Second drive component; 84. Bracket; 85. Tobacco pressing unit.

[0052] It should be noted that these accompanying drawings and textual descriptions are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way, but rather to illustrate the concept of the invention to those skilled in the art by referring to specific embodiments. Detailed Implementation

[0053] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions in the embodiments will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The following embodiments are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0054] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that the terms "upper", "lower", "inner", "outer", "front", "rear", etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only used to facilitate the description of this invention and to simplify the description, and do not 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, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0055] In the description of this invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "connected," "agreed," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to detachable connections, mechanical connections, or electrical connections; they can be direct connections or indirect connections through an intermediate medium. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention based on the specific circumstances.

[0056] As one implementation scheme, the present invention provides an automatic tobacco leaf separating device.

[0057] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, it includes a frame 1 and a conveyor belt set on the frame 1 for transporting cigarette packs. The conveyor belt has baffles of a certain height on both sides.

[0058] The cigarette pack conveying direction is divided into the following areas in sequence: cigarette pack feeding area 2, alignment area 3, measurement area 4, and automatic separation area 5.

[0059] The height of the cigarette pack feeding area 2 is moderate, which facilitates workers to move cigarette packs onto the platform of the cigarette pack feeding area 2 and transport them to the rear via the conveyor belt. The length of the baffles located on both sides of the cigarette pack feeding area 2 is less than the length of the cigarette pack feeding area 2 in the conveying direction, and the baffles are set at an angle to the sides. In this way, an open feeding port is formed, which facilitates the feeding of cigarette packs. The angled baffles also have a guiding and buffering effect on the cigarette packs, preventing the cigarette packs from being directly blocked by the baffles in the cigarette pack feeding area 2 and unable to be transported to the rear, thus ensuring smooth feeding.

[0060] Monitoring units are installed on the baffles on both sides of the conveyor belt at the upstream boundary of the alignment zone 3 and the downstream boundary of the alignment zone 3 to monitor the conveying position of the cigarette pack in real time and sense whether the cigarette pack enters or exits the alignment zone 3.

[0061] The monitoring unit can be a photoelectric beam tube, including a light emitter and a light receiver, respectively installed on the baffles on both sides of the conveyor belt. When the cigarette pack is conveyed to the alignment zone 3, the cigarette pack will block the light. When the light receiver at the upstream boundary no longer receives light, it will send a signal that the cigarette pack has begun to enter the alignment zone 3. When the light receiver at the upstream boundary receives light again, it indicates that the cigarette pack has completely entered the alignment zone 3. When the light receiver at the downstream boundary no longer receives light, it indicates that the cigarette pack is exiting the alignment zone 3. When the light receiver at the downstream boundary receives light again, it will send a signal that the cigarette pack has left the alignment zone 3. Because the photoelectric beam tube has the characteristics of high precision, high sensitivity, and is not easily affected by the environment, the measurement results are more accurate.

[0062] Alternatively, at least one monitoring unit may be installed within the area of ​​the alignment zone 3, capable of monitoring whether the cigarette pack has entered or exited the alignment zone 3 and issuing a corresponding monitoring signal.

[0063] It should be noted that the monitoring unit can also be other contact or proximity sensors that can accurately sense the delivery position of the cigarette pack and send a signal indicating whether the cigarette pack has been delivered to the correct position.

[0064] Within the alignment zone 3, alignment components are provided on both sides of the conveyor belt. The alignment components can be installed on the baffles on both sides of the conveyor belt or on the frame 1 above the conveyor belt, etc.

[0065] The alignment component includes an alignment drive unit, one end of which is fixed and the free end is connected to an alignment plate, which can drive the alignment plate to move in a direction closer to or further away from the tobacco pack; the alignment plate has an extension length, the extension direction is parallel to the conveying direction of the tobacco pack, the plate surface of the alignment plate faces the tobacco pack, and the initial position is close to the baffle or frame 1.

[0066] It should be noted that the centering drive unit can be a telescopic cylinder or a telescopic motor, or any component that can meet the driving requirements.

[0067] Both the alignment drive unit and the monitoring unit are communicatively connected to the control system.

[0068] Specifically, when the control system receives the signal from the monitoring unit that the cigarette pack has entered the alignment zone 3, it controls the alignment drive unit to drive the alignment plate to move towards the cigarette pack. The alignment plates on both sides contact and clamp the cigarette pack, and the cigarette pack is slightly adjusted in position with the alignment plate to align the cigarette pack so that its axis is parallel to the conveying direction. After alignment, the alignment plates on both sides move away from the cigarette pack and reset, and the alignment component stops working.

[0069] It should be noted that the cigarette pack can also be straightened in other ways or structures, and any design that can straighten the cigarette pack is within the protection scope of this invention.

[0070] During the alignment process, the conveyor belt can be stationary, and the control system will restart the conveyor belt after the preset alignment time is reached or the cigarette pack is in a guaranteed state. Alternatively, it can be in a conveying state, with the control system controlling the conveyor belt to convey at a steady speed. Both methods ensure that the alignment plate can align the cigarette pack and that the conveyor belt conveys at a steady speed, ensuring that the position of the cigarette pack remains unchanged during subsequent cigarette pack conveying and that it is always in an aligned state.

[0071] The aligned cigarette packs continue to be conveyed to the rear and enter the measurement area 4. The measurement area 4 is equipped with a measuring component located on at least one side of the conveyor belt, which is used to measure the length of the cigarette packs in the conveying direction.

[0072] The measurement component and the monitoring unit can be the same component or different components.

[0073] In this embodiment, preferably, the measuring component and the monitoring unit are the same part.

[0074] Similarly, monitoring units are installed on the baffles on both sides of the conveyor belt at the upstream boundary of the measurement zone 4 and the downstream boundary of the output measurement zone 4, respectively, to sense whether the cigarette pack enters or exits the measurement zone 4.

[0075] When the light receiver at the upstream boundary does not receive light, it will send a signal that the smoke pack has begun to enter the measurement area 4. When the light receiver at the upstream boundary receives light again, it indicates that the smoke pack has completely entered the measurement area 4. When the light receiver at the downstream boundary does not receive light, it indicates that the smoke pack is exiting the measurement area 4. When the light receiver at the downstream boundary receives light again, it will send a signal that the smoke pack has left the measurement area 4.

[0076] The control system receives signals from the monitoring unit indicating that the tobacco pack has started entering measurement zone 4 and has left measurement zone 4. It automatically calculates the time interval t between the two signals, and then multiplies it by the conveyor belt speed v to obtain the length L of the tobacco pack in the conveying direction.

[0077] L = vt.

[0078] It should be noted that the length of the tobacco pack in the conveying direction can also be measured by other methods or structures, and any design that can meet the requirement of measuring the length of the tobacco pack in the conveying direction is within the protection scope of this invention.

[0079] As the conveyor belt continues to transport the cigarette packs to the rear, an automatic separation zone 5 is set up at the rear. Monitoring units are set up on both sides of the upstream boundary of the automatic separation zone 5 to monitor the cigarette packs as they begin to enter the automatic separation zone 5.

[0080] The control system receives a signal from the monitoring unit indicating that the cigarette pack has begun to enter the automatic separation zone 5. Based on the length L of the cigarette pack, the conveyor belt speed v, and the distance L0 between the end of the cigarette pack and the upstream boundary of the automatic separation zone 5 when the cigarette pack stops at the preset separation position, the control system calculates the conveyor belt travel time T required for the cigarette pack to accurately stop at the preset separation position after it begins to enter the automatic separation zone 5.

[0081] T = (L + L0) / v.

[0082] After receiving the signal from the monitoring unit that the cigarette pack has started to enter the automatic separation zone 5, the control system stops the conveyor belt after the conveyor belt continues to run for time T, so that the cigarette pack stops accurately at the preset separation position. The preset separation position is within the automatic separation zone 5. After the cigarette pack is stopped in place, it is convenient for subsequent separation.

[0083] Since the conveyor belt operates at a constant speed and the conveying speed is not too fast, the influence of factors such as the inertial sliding distance of the cigarette packs after the conveyor belt stops can be ignored.

[0084] It should be noted that other calculation methods or structures can also be used to accurately stop the cigarette pack at the preset disassembly position. Any design that can accurately stop the cigarette pack at the preset disassembly position is within the protection scope of this invention.

[0085] In another implementation, such as Figures 1 to 6 As shown, in the automatic separation area 5, a clamping mechanism 73 is provided on the frame 1, located on one or both sides of the conveyor belt. The clamping mechanism 73 includes an inclined guide rail 6, a cigarette clamping device 7, and a cigarette clamping device 7 drive unit.

[0086] The bottom end of the inclined guide rail 6 is rotatably mounted on the frame 1, and the angle is adjustable. The other end extends obliquely upward along the conveying direction, and its projection on the conveyor belt covers the automatic disassembly area 5.

[0087] The cigarette clamping device 7 is driven by a unit fixed to the top of the inclined guide rail 6 and drives the cigarette clamping device 7 to slide along the inclined guide rail 6. The control system automatically calculates the stopping position of the cigarette clamping device 7 on the inclined guide rail 6 based on the preset opening position of the cigarette pack, the length of the cigarette pack, and other information, so as to facilitate the subsequent opening of the cigarette pack.

[0088] like Figures 3 to 6 As shown, the cigarette clamping device 7 includes a frame 71, a clamping drive unit 72, a clamping hand 73, and a smoke surface detector 74.

[0089] Multiple grippers 73 are provided and are spaced apart along the length extension direction of the frame 71 for separating cigarette packs.

[0090] One end of the gripper drive unit 72 is fixed on the frame 71, and its free end is connected to the gripper 73, driving the gripper 73 to feed towards the tobacco pack to separate the tobacco pack or to retract the separated tobacco sheet.

[0091] In this embodiment, the gripper drive unit 72 is a telescopic cylinder. Of course, it can also be a telescopic motor or other drive components 752 that meet the drive conditions.

[0092] The gripper 73 includes at least a first gripper bracket 733 and a second gripper bracket 734, and the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 are respectively connected to the gripper drive unit 72.

[0093] The first gripper bracket 733, from its connecting end to its free end, includes a connecting portion and an end portion, and is generally sheet-shaped. One side relative to the second gripper bracket 734 is the inner side, and the other side is the outer side. The inner edge of the first gripper bracket 733 is concave outwards with a small concave radius. The outer edge of the connecting portion is vertically downwards, while the outer edge of the end portion slopes inwards, forming an angle with the outer edge of the connecting portion; that is, the width of the end portion of the first gripper bracket 733 gradually narrows. The inner edge at the lowest end of the end portion slopes outwards and connects with the outer edge, forming a tangential edge.

[0094] The second gripper bracket 734 is mirrored relative to the first gripper bracket 733 and has the same structure.

[0095] The structure of the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 makes it easy for the gripper 73 to be inserted into the tobacco pack during feeding and to be disengaged from the separated tobacco sheet during retraction.

[0096] When the gripper drive unit 72 drives the gripper 73 to feed towards the tobacco pack, the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 are arranged vertically downwards in parallel, with their ends facing the tobacco pack and inserted into it. Preferably, after the gripper 73 is fed into position, the gripper drive unit 72 drives the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 to rotate towards each other and cross each other, ensuring that the gripper 73 firmly grasps the tobacco sheet. After the tobacco sheet is successfully separated, the gripper drive unit 72 drives the gripper 73 to retract, and the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 return to a vertically downwards parallel state, so that the separated tobacco sheet can fall off the gripper 73 under the action of gravity.

[0097] In this embodiment, the frame 71 includes a top plate and a side plate separately disposed from the top plate. The top plate is provided with a plurality of through holes. One end of the first part of the gripper drive unit 72 is fixed at the through hole, and its free end extends downward and is connected to the gripper 73, which can drive and change the shape of the gripper 73. One end of the second part of the gripper drive unit 72 is fixed at the through hole, and its free end extends downward and is connected to the side plate. It cooperates with the first part of the gripper drive unit 72 to drive the gripper 73 to feed or retract, and adjust the feed amount.

[0098] The gripper 73 includes a first link 731 and a second link 732 arranged in front of and behind and at least partially overlapping. The free end of the gripper drive unit 72 is rotatably connected to the overlap of the first link 731 and the second link 732 by bolts.

[0099] The other ends of the first link 731 and the second link 732 extend in opposite directions and are rotatably connected to the side plate by bolts; preferably, the first link 731 of the gripper 73 and the second link 732 of the adjacent gripper 73 are connected to the side plate by the same bolt.

[0100] The other end of the first connecting rod 731 is fixedly connected to the first gripper bracket 733, and the other end of the second connecting rod 732 is fixedly connected to the second gripper bracket 734.

[0101] Preferably, the angle between the first link 731 and the first gripper bracket 733, and the angle between the second link 732 and the second gripper bracket 734 are both 90°.

[0102] Specifically, in the initial state, both the first gripper drive unit 72 and the second gripper drive unit 72 are in a retracted state. The first link 731 and the second link 732 are horizontally parallel, and the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 are vertically parallel. When viewed from the front and back, the first gripper bracket 733 of the gripper 73 and the second gripper bracket 734 of the adjacent gripper 73 converge at a point, resembling a scissor shape in a combined state. This not only facilitates the insertion of the grippers into the tobacco pack but also prevents any tobacco leaves from being missed and not separated.

[0103] When the tobacco pack begins to be opened, the control system simultaneously controls both the first and second gripper drive units 72 to extend downwards by the feed amount, ensuring that the gripper 73 is inserted into the tobacco pack to the required feed depth. Then, the control system controls the first gripper drive unit 72 to retract upwards by a preset distance. At this time, the overlapping end of the first link 731 and the second link 732 also moves upwards under the action of the first gripper drive unit 72. The rotation of the ends of the first link 731 and the second link 732 connected to the side plate causes the first link 731 and the second link 732 to tilt, thereby causing the ends of the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 to move towards each other and cross, simulating a human hand gripping the tobacco leaf. The action firmly grips the tobacco leaves; the control system controls the tobacco clamping device 7 drive unit to drive the tobacco clamping device 7 to slide upward along the inclined guide rail 6 to separate the tobacco leaves. After the upper layer of tobacco leaves is completely separated, the control system controls the first part of the gripper drive unit 72 to extend downward by a preset distance, so that the first connecting rod 731 and the second connecting rod 732 return to horizontal parallelism, and the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 return to vertical parallelism. At the same time, the control system controls the first part of the gripper drive unit 72 and the second part of the gripper drive unit 72 to retract upward by the feed amount, so that the gripper 73 returns to the initial state. The separated tobacco leaves are detached from the gripper 73 under the action of gravity, preparing for the gripper 73 to feed and separate the remaining tobacco packs for the next time.

[0104] It should be noted that the gripper 73 can be a two-jaw gripper 73, a three-jaw gripper 73, or a four-jaw gripper 73, etc. The connection method between the gripper drive unit 72 and the gripper 73, or the connection method between the gripper drive unit 72 and the frame 71, and the number of grippers 73 and gripper drive units 72 can be varied. All components that can simulate human hand movements to grip tobacco leaves, as well as the connection method that enables the gripper drive unit 72 to drive the gripper 73 to feed or retract and to adjust the feed amount of the gripper 73, are within the protection scope of this invention.

[0105] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, a smoke detector 74 is provided on one side of the frame 71. It is fixed or reciprocally movable on the frame 71 in the direction of feeding or retracting of the gripper 73, and has a small gap with the gripper 73.

[0106] The smoke surface detector 74 first contacts the surface of the cigarette pack when the cigarette clamping device 7 moves toward the cigarette pack and measures the thickness of the cigarette pack.

[0107] The smoke surface detector 74 is an infrared sensor or other sensing device. It can directly measure the thickness of the smoke pack by emitting and receiving light signals, or it can calculate the thickness of the smoke pack by subtracting the thickness between the surface of the smoke pack and the surface of the conveyor belt. Any method that can measure the thickness of the smoke pack is within the protection scope of this invention.

[0108] The control system is connected to the smoke detector 74 and the gripper drive unit 72 respectively, and is used to receive the thickness information of the smoke detector 74 and adjust the feed amount of the gripper 73.

[0109] By placing the smoke detector 74 on one side of the frame 71 and having a small gap between it and the gripper 73, i.e., the gap between the smoke detector 74 and the gripper 73 is smaller than the distance between two adjacent grippers 73, or the gap between the smoke detector 74 and the gripper 73 is smaller than the distance between the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 of the gripper 73 during feeding, the detection position of the smoke detector 74 and the feeding position of the gripper 73 are made to be close to the same position, thereby reducing the error when adjusting the feeding amount of the gripper 73 using the thickness information of the smoke detector 74.

[0110] The smoke detector 74 can also be driven by components such as a telescopic cylinder to achieve a movable setting of the smoke detector 74 on the frame 71. When the cigarette clamping device 7 moves toward the cigarette pack, the smoke detector 74 extends to contact the cigarette pack. After measuring the thickness of the cigarette pack, it retracts away from the cigarette pack to avoid the smoke detector 74 affecting the subsequent clamping of the separated cigarette sheets by the clamping hand 73.

[0111] Because the surface of the tobacco pack is uneven, when the gripper 73 is driven to feed directly according to the preset feed amount to separate the tobacco pack, it is easy to cause the preset feed amount to be insufficient, resulting in incomplete separated tobacco leaves, holes, etc., increasing breakage and low utilization rate of tobacco materials. Therefore, the thickness of the tobacco pack is measured by the tobacco surface detector 74, and the feed amount of the gripper 73 is adjusted according to the thickness to solve this problem.

[0112] Multiple grippers 73 can be controlled together by a gripper drive unit 72. Preferably, each gripper 73 is provided with at least one gripper drive unit 72 and at least one smoke surface detector 74 to improve the accuracy of tobacco pack thickness measurement and tobacco sheet separation thickness.

[0113] When the detection surface of the cigarette surface detector 74 contacts the surface of the cigarette pack, the plane containing the detection surface is on the same plane as the plane containing the end of the gripper 73 when the gripper 73 is in the retracted state; when the gripper 73 is in the feeding state, the end of the gripper 73 extends out of the plane containing the detection surface. This ensures that the cigarette surface detector 74 contacts the surface of the cigarette pack first, guaranteeing the accuracy of the cigarette pack thickness measurement. When the thickness of a certain part of the cigarette pack is measured using the cigarette surface detector 74 and the feed amount of the gripper 73 at that point is calculated, the control system can directly control the gripper drive unit 72 to drive the gripper 73 to the calculated feed amount. The structure is simple and the operation is convenient.

[0114] The feed rate D of the gripper 73 is:

[0115] D = (h1 - h0)k + d;

[0116] Where h0 is the minimum cigarette pack thickness measured by the smoke surface detector 74, h1 is the cigarette pack thickness measured by the smoke surface detector 74 corresponding to each gripper 73, d is the preset feed amount of the gripper 73, and k is the correction coefficient.

[0117] Specifically, the thickness of the cigarette pack at the lowest point of the cigarette pack surface measured by the cigarette surface detector 74 is h0, and the thickness of the cigarette pack at other relatively higher points on the cigarette pack surface is h1, where h1 is greater than h0. (h1-h0)k is the height of other relatively higher points on the cigarette pack surface above the lowest point of the cigarette pack surface. Since the cigarette pack may have a slight elastic deformation when the cigarette surface detector 74 contacts the cigarette pack, a correction coefficient k is used for correction. The correction coefficient k is calculated through multiple experiments.

[0118] The gripper 73 at the lowest point on the cigarette pack surface continues to feed and separate according to the preset feed amount d, while the grippers 73 at other relatively higher points on the cigarette pack surface feed and separate according to the feed amount D. In this way, not only can the integrity of the separated cigarette sheet be guaranteed, and no holes will appear, reducing breakage, but the flatness of the remaining cigarette pack surface can also be guaranteed for the next separation. Therefore, the separation of the remaining cigarette pack can continue to use the cigarette pack detector to measure the thickness of the remaining cigarette pack, or it can be discontinued, thus simplifying the separation process while ensuring the separation effect.

[0119] The number of times n will be opened for the remaining cigarette packs can also be calculated:

[0120] n = (h0 - 2t) / t;

[0121] Where (h0-t) is the remaining thickness of the tobacco pack. Since the last layer of tobacco leaves t does not need to be separated again, the remaining number of separations can be obtained by dividing (h0-2t) by the preset feed amount t. This allows the control system to control the gripper drive unit 72 to drive the gripper 73 to work or stop working.

[0122] In another implementation, such as Figure 3 and Figure 5 As shown, the cigarette clamping device 7 includes a clamp cleaning plate 75, which is reciprocally mounted on the frame 71 in the direction of the clamp 73's feed or retraction, and its extension direction is the same as that of the frame 71.

[0123] The clamp cleaning plate 75 has through holes 751 in the extending direction that correspond to the position and number of clamps 73. The end of the clamp 73 always extends out of the through holes 751 when feeding or retracting.

[0124] Specifically, the first gripper bracket 733 located at one end of the frame 71 and the second gripper bracket 734 located at the other end of the frame 71 each occupy a through hole 751. The first gripper bracket 733 of the other grippers 73 and the second gripper bracket 734 of the adjacent grippers 73 occupy a through hole 751. Thus, the first gripper bracket 733 and the second gripper bracket 734 of the two adjacent through holes 751 constitute a gripper 73.

[0125] Alternatively, each gripper 73 can occupy a separate through hole 751, as long as the gripper 73 can grip the tobacco leaves.

[0126] The cigarette clamping device 7 includes a driving component 752, one end of which is fixedly connected to the frame 71, and its free end is connected to the hand clamping cleaning plate 75. At least two driving components 752 are provided, distributed near both ends of the hand clamping cleaning plate 75. The driving component 752 can be a telescopic cylinder or a telescopic motor, etc.

[0127] The control system is connected to the drive component 752 and is used to control the drive component 752 to drive the gripper cleaning plate 75 to move back and forth at least twice when the gripper 73 is in the retracted state.

[0128] Preferably, the amount of movement of the clamp cleaning plate 75 when it moves along the feed direction of the clamp 73 is greater than or equal to the sum of the length of the end of the clamp 73 extending out of the through hole 751 when the clamp 73 is in the retracted state and the thickness of the clamp cleaning plate 75.

[0129] In this embodiment, the clamp cleaning plate 75 reciprocates to remove residual tobacco leaves from the clamp 73 by means of the clamp cleaning plate 75 at the edge of the through hole 751, preventing it from affecting the next feeding and separation of the clamp 73. The movement of the clamp cleaning plate 75 along the feeding direction of the clamp 73 is greater than or equal to the sum of the length of the end of the clamp 73 extending out of the through hole 751 when the clamp 73 is in the retracted state and the thickness of the clamp cleaning plate 75. This is to ensure that the clamp cleaning plate 75 can move at both ends of the connection and end of the clamp 73, so as to clean the entire clamp 73 and completely remove the residual tobacco leaves from the clamp 73, ensuring the cleaning effect.

[0130] In another implementation, such as Figure 5 As shown, the clamping cleaning plate 75 has an elastic pad 76 on the side away from the clamping hand 73. When used with the hand, it can clamp tobacco leaves with uneven surfaces and different thicknesses, ensuring a clamping effect.

[0131] The elastic pad 76 can be plate-shaped, rod-shaped, etc., and is disposed as a whole or at intervals on the side of the hand-clamping cleaning plate 75 away from the hand 73.

[0132] In another implementation, such as Figure 1 , 2 and Figure 7 As shown, it also includes a tobacco leaf pressing device 8, which is located upstream of the automatic separating area 5, at a distance from the preset separating position of the tobacco bale, and is located above the conveyor belt.

[0133] The tobacco leaf pressing device 8 includes a support 81 connected to the frame 1 and a bracket 84, a first driving component 82, and a second driving component 83 disposed on the support 81.

[0134] The frame 1 and / or support 81 and / or bracket 84 are provided with guide rails or slides, and the first driving component 82 and the second driving component 83 can drive the bracket 84 to move relative to the frame 1.

[0135] The first driving component 82 drives the bracket 84 to reciprocate in the direction of approaching or moving away from the cigarette pack; the second driving component 83 drives the bracket 84 to reciprocate in the thickness direction of the cigarette pack, and the moving distance is greater than or equal to the thickness of the cigarette pack.

[0136] Specifically, the support 81 includes a horizontal bar 811 and a vertical bar 812 arranged vertically in a "+" shape. The horizontal bar 811 spans across the top of the conveyor belt and extends in a direction perpendicular to the conveying direction. The two ends of the horizontal bar 811 and / or the corresponding positions of the frame 1 are provided with slide rails 813 extending a distance along the conveying direction. The first driving component 82 is connected to the horizontal bar 811, which can drive the entire tobacco leaf pressing device 8, including the bracket 84, to reciprocate in the direction of approaching or moving away from the tobacco bag.

[0137] The vertical rod 812 is provided with a slide rail 813, and the second driving component 83 is located at the top of the vertical rod 812, which can drive the bracket 84 to reciprocate in the thickness direction of the cigarette pack.

[0138] The bracket 84 extends in the same direction as the crossbar 811. It has a mounting part on the side facing the cigarette pack. The mounting part has a cigarette pressing unit 85. The mounting part has an elastic unit connected to the cigarette pressing unit 85 inside.

[0139] The control system is connected to the tobacco leaf pressing device 8. When the gripper 73 picks up the separated tobacco leaf and moves it to a preset height, a gap is created between the separated upper tobacco leaf and the remaining tobacco pack. The control system controls the first driving component 82 and the second driving component 83 to drive the bracket 84 to move to the height of the remaining tobacco pack, and causes the pressing unit 85 to be inserted into the gap to press the remaining tobacco leaf, preventing the remaining tobacco leaf from being pulled up and sticking together, thus ensuring smooth separation of the tobacco leaf.

[0140] Preferably, the mounting part consists of multiple mounting holes arranged side by side at intervals, the smoke-pressing unit 85 is a smoke-pressing nail, the elastic unit is a spring, and the preset height is 10-15cm.

[0141] The pressing unit 85 is connected to the support 84 by an elastic unit, which can flexibly adapt to uneven tobacco leaf surfaces and generate different downward pressures to ensure the pressing effect.

[0142] The specific process is as follows:

[0143] First, the workers move the cigarette packs to the platform in the cigarette pack feeding area 2, and then convey them to the straightening area 3 via the conveyor belt. The monitoring unit in the straightening area 3 sends the signal of the cigarette pack entering the straightening area 3 to the control system, which controls the straightening drive unit to drive the straightening plate to move closer to the cigarette pack. The straightening plates on both sides contact and clamp the cigarette pack, and the cigarette pack is slightly adjusted in position with the straightening plate to straighten the cigarette pack so that its axis is parallel to the conveying direction. After straightening, the straightening plates on both sides move away from the cigarette pack and reset.

[0144] After being aligned, the cigarette pack continues to be conveyed to the rear and enters the measurement zone 4. The measurement component set in the measurement zone 4 sends the signals of the cigarette pack starting to enter the measurement zone 4 and the cigarette pack leaving the measurement zone 4 to the control system. The control system automatically calculates the time interval between the two signals, and then multiplies it by the conveying speed of the conveyor belt to obtain the length of the cigarette pack in the conveying direction.

[0145] As the conveyor belt continues to transport the cigarette packs to the automatic separation area 5, the control system automatically calculates the optimal stopping position and allows the bottom belt a certain running time, so that the cigarette packs are stopped at the preset separation position; at the same time, the control system automatically calculates the horizontal stopping position of the cigarette clamping device 7.

[0146] The cigarette clamping device 7 is driven by the drive unit to slide downwards along the inclined guide rail 6. After sliding into position, the cigarette clamping device 7 stops moving downwards. The cigarette surface detector 74 first contacts the upper surface of the cigarette pack and measures the thickness of the cigarette pack. The control system adjusts the feed amount of the gripper 73 according to the thickness of the cigarette pack. The gripper drive unit 72 drives the gripper 73 to feed and insert into the cigarette pack. Each gripper 73 is driven by an individual gripper drive unit 72. After the feed amount is reached, the gripper 73 clamps the tobacco leaf. The gripper 73 is equipped with an elastic pad 76, which cooperates with the gripper 73 to achieve the gripping of tobacco leaves with uneven surfaces and different thicknesses. The cigarette clamping device 7 is driven by the drive unit to slide downwards along the inclined guide rail 6. The inclined guide rail 6 slides upwards, and stops moving after moving about 10-15cm. The control system controls the pressing unit 85 to move and horizontally insert into the gap at the end of the lifted tobacco leaf, pressing down the lower layer of tobacco leaf to prevent it from being pulled up and stuck together. Since the pressing unit 85 and the support 84 are connected by an elastic unit, the pressing force on the tobacco leaf is adjustable. After the pressing unit 85 presses down the lower layer of tobacco leaf, the clamping device 7 drive unit drives the clamping device 7 to continue sliding upwards along the inclined guide rail 6. The clamped layer of tobacco leaf is torn off from the tobacco pack and lifted to a fixed height. Then, the clamping drive unit 72 drives the clamping hand 73 to retract, and the tobacco leaf is released and falls down under gravity into the collection belt. To prevent some tobacco leaves from not completely detaching and sticking to the clamping hand 73, the control system controls the drive component 752 to drive the clamping hand cleaning plate 75 to move up and down at least twice to clean the tobacco leaves stuck to the clamping hand 73.

[0147] Then, the tobacco clamping device 7 moves downward again to clamp the second layer of tobacco leaves, and so on, until the last layer of tobacco leaves in the tobacco bale. The control system then controls the tobacco clamping device 7 to stop clamping, the conveyor belt starts, and the last layer of tobacco leaves in the tobacco bale is transported out. After being collected by the logistics system with the previously separated tobacco leaves, it enters the subsequent tobacco leaf slicing equipment for further processing.

[0148] It should be noted that when the cigarette pack is opened, it does not necessarily have to start from the top surface; opening other surfaces is also within the scope of protection of this invention.

[0149] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the above-described technical content to create equivalent embodiments without departing from the scope of the present invention. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes, and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic tobacco leaf separating device, characterized in that, Includes a control system and a movable cigarette clamping device (7) communicatively connected to the control system, the cigarette clamping device (7) comprising: Rack (71); Multiple grippers (73) are provided for separating cigarette packs, and the grippers (73) are spaced apart along the length extension direction of the frame (71); The gripper drive unit (72) is fixed at one end to the frame (71), and its free end is connected to the gripper (73). It drives the gripper (73) to feed towards the tobacco pack to separate the tobacco pack or to retract the separated tobacco sheet. The smoke surface detector (74) first contacts the surface of the cigarette pack when the cigarette clamping device (7) moves toward the cigarette pack to measure the thickness of the cigarette pack. The smoke surface detector (74) is fixed or reciprocally movable along the direction of the gripper (73) feeding or retracting on the frame (71), located on one side of the frame (71), with a small gap between it and the gripper (73). When the detection surface of the smoke surface detector (74) contacts the surface of the cigarette pack, the plane on which the detection surface is located is the same plane as the plane on which the end of the gripper (73) is located when the gripper (73) is in the retracted state. When the gripper (73) is in the feeding state, the end of the gripper (73) extends out of the plane on which the detection surface is located. Each gripper (73) is provided with at least one gripper drive unit (72) and at least one smoke surface detector (74). The gripper cleaning plate (75) is reciprocally mounted on the frame (71) in the direction of feed or retraction of the gripper (73), and its extension direction is the same as that of the frame (71). The clamp cleaning plate (75) has through holes (751) in the extending direction that correspond to the position and number of the clamps (73). The end of the clamp (73) always extends out of the through hole (751) when feeding or retracting. The control system is communicatively connected to the smoke detector (74) and the gripper drive unit (72) respectively, and is used to receive the thickness information of the smoke detector (74) and adjust the feed amount of the gripper (73). The feed amount D of the gripper (73) is: D = (h1 - h0)k + d; Where h0 is the minimum cigarette pack thickness measured by the smoke surface detector (74), h1 is the cigarette pack thickness measured by the smoke surface detector (74) corresponding to each gripper (73), d is the preset feed amount of the gripper (73), and k is the correction coefficient.

2. The automatic tobacco leaf separating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The cigarette clamping device (7) includes a driving component (752), one end of which is fixedly connected to the frame (71), and its free end is connected to the clamping cleaning plate (75); The control system is communicatively connected to the drive component (752) and is used to control the drive component (752) to drive the gripper cleaning plate (75) to reciprocate at least twice when the gripper (73) is in the retracted state; When the clamp cleaning plate (75) moves along the feed direction of the clamp (73), the amount of movement is greater than or equal to the sum of the length of the end of the clamp (73) extending out of the through hole (751) and the thickness of the clamp cleaning plate (75) when the clamp (73) is in the retracted state.

3. The automatic tobacco leaf separating device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hand-clamping cleaning plate (75) has an elastic pad (76) on the side facing the cigarette pack.

4. The automatic tobacco leaf separating device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The hand-clamping cleaning plate (75) has an elastic pad (76) on the side facing the cigarette pack.

5. An automatic tobacco leaf separating device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes a tobacco leaf pressing device (8) that is connected to the control system. The tobacco leaf pressing device (8) includes a movable bracket (84). The bracket (84) has an installation part on the side facing the tobacco pack. The installation part has a tobacco pressing unit (85). The interior of the installation part has an elastic unit connected to the tobacco pressing unit (85). When the gripper (73) picks up the separated tobacco leaves and moves them to a preset height, the control system moves the support (84) to make the pressing unit (85) press the remaining tobacco leaves. The mounting part consists of multiple mounting holes arranged side by side at intervals, the smoke-pressing unit (85) is a smoke-pressing nail, and the elastic unit is a spring.

6. The automatic tobacco leaf separating device according to claim 5, characterized in that, It also includes communication connections with the control system: The alignment components are located on both sides of the tobacco pack conveying direction and are used to align the tobacco pack so that its axis is parallel to the conveying direction. A measuring component, located downstream of the alignment component and at least on one side of the tobacco pack conveying direction, is used to measure the length of the tobacco pack in the conveying direction; The monitoring unit is used to monitor the conveying position of the cigarette packs and transmit the position information to the control system; The control system controls the opening and closing of the alignment component or the measuring component based on the position information.

7. The automatic tobacco leaf separating device according to claim 6, characterized in that, In the direction of cigarette pack conveying, an automatic separation area (5) is provided downstream of the measuring component, and the cigarette clamping device (7) is located in the automatic separation area (5); The control system receives the length information of the cigarette pack measured by the measuring component and automatically calculates the position of the cigarette pack in the automatic separation area (5), and controls the cigarette clamping device (7) to move to separate the cigarette pack layer by layer.

8. An automatic tobacco leaf separating device according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, It also includes communication connections with the control system: The alignment components are located on both sides of the tobacco pack conveying direction and are used to align the tobacco pack so that its axis is parallel to the conveying direction. A measuring component, located downstream of the alignment component and at least on one side of the tobacco pack conveying direction, is used to measure the length of the tobacco pack in the conveying direction; The monitoring unit is used to monitor the conveying position of the cigarette packs and transmit the position information to the control system; The control system controls the opening and closing of the alignment component or the measuring component based on the position information.

9. The automatic tobacco leaf separating device according to claim 8, characterized in that, In the direction of cigarette pack conveying, an automatic separation area (5) is provided downstream of the measuring component, and the cigarette clamping device (7) is located in the automatic separation area (5); The control system receives the length information of the cigarette pack measured by the measuring component and automatically calculates the position of the cigarette pack in the automatic separation area (5), and controls the cigarette clamping device (7) to move to separate the cigarette pack layer by layer.

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