Fully automated packaging production line for hook-bottom gift boxes and its packaging method

Abstract

This invention discloses a fully automated packaging production line for hook-bottom gift boxes and its packaging method. The fully automated packaging production line includes a gift box separation unit, a quality inspection unit, a counting unit, a stacking unit, a boxing unit, an assembly unit, and a stacking output unit, all connected sequentially via conveyor rollers. Gift boxes, stacked in a staggered manner and output from the box gluing machine, are separated into individual gift boxes by the separation unit and then sequentially enter the quality inspection unit for quality inspection. After being counted and arranged into standard stacks by the counting unit, they are conveyed to the stacking unit. The stacking unit collects and integrates multiple standard stacks according to the capacity of the turnover boxes and then sends them to the boxing unit for packaging. The turnover boxes containing the gift boxes are conveyed to the assembly unit to be grouped, and then placed on pallets by the stacking conveyor unit for transport to the warehouse or loading for shipment. This fully automated packaging production line, specially designed for the structural characteristics of hook-bottom gift boxes, effectively fills a technological gap in the industry. This production line can effectively replace manual labor, directly interface with existing equipment, truly achieve automated production, and meet the development needs of intelligent workshops.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to fully automated packaging of high-end beverage gift boxes, and more particularly to a fully automated packing production line for hook-bottom gift boxes. This invention also relates to a fully automated packing method for hook-bottom gift boxes. Background Technology

[0002] For many years, packaging products such as cartons and boxes have been delivered directly to customers by suppliers in trucks. Customers then unload the goods, re-stack them on pallets, and store them in the warehouse. However, with end-users continuously upgrading their intelligent workshops, new requirements have been placed on suppliers' delivery methods. Suppliers must now pre-pack cartons and gift boxes into dedicated turnover boxes according to the user's workshop needs, and then deliver these boxes along with the products to the user. The user can then use the intelligent production line to directly transport the turnover boxes from the supplier to the fully automated packaging line for automated packaging operations.

[0003] Currently, gift box manufacturers typically fold 50 gift boxes and stack them sequentially, then manually load them into transport crates. Because the transport crates have a flat rectangular structure, the boxes stack neatly, making robotic operation very convenient.

[0004] Hook-and-loop bottom gift boxes are the preferred packaging method for high-end dairy products or other beverages. Because this type of gift box uses a combination of hook-and-loop bottom and adhesive bonding, it has excellent load-bearing capacity, and is easily formed by pushing the two ends of the box towards the middle, making it extremely convenient for fully automated packaging lines. However, the automatic forming method of hook-and-loop bottom and adhesive bonding requires repeated forward and backward folding of the bottom, resulting in up to six layers of cardboard at the bottom of the folded box, while the top only has two layers. The structure of a single hook-and-loop bottom gift box after folding is as follows: Figure 7 As shown, the significant difference in thickness between the top and bottom creates a trapezoidal cross-section. Normally, one crate holds 50 gift boxes. If a conventional stacking method is used, 50 folded gift boxes placed together would look like… Figure 8 As shown, the bottoms of the gift boxes are tightly fitted together, reaching 400mm, while there are gaps of four layers of cardboard between adjacent gift boxes at the top. This means that 2 / 3 of the boxes are empty. Commonly used robotic arms cannot properly grip these 50 hook-bottom gift boxes and place them into the turnover box. Therefore, manual packing is required in multiple batches, resulting in huge labor costs, a large workload, low efficiency, and an inability to meet the timeliness and quantity requirements of supply.

[0005] To automate the production of hook-bottom gift boxes, it is essential for manufacturing companies to develop a fully automated packing production line for hook-bottom gift boxes. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fully automated packing production line for hook-bottom gift boxes, addressing the structural requirements of hook-bottom gift boxes and fulfilling the technical need for automated packing; this invention also provides a fully automated packing method for hook-bottom gift boxes.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention can adopt the following technical solutions:

[0008] The fully automatic packaging production line for hook-bottom gift boxes of the present invention includes a gift box separation unit, a quality inspection unit, a counting unit, a stacking unit, a packing unit, an assembly unit, and a stacking output unit that are connected in sequence by conveyor rollers.

[0009] Gift boxes, stacked in a staggered manner and output from the gluing machine, are separated into individual gift boxes by the separation unit. These boxes then enter the quality inspection unit for quality inspection, are counted by the counting unit and arranged into standard stacks, and are then transported to the collecting unit. The collecting unit collects and integrates multiple standard stacks according to the capacity of the turnover boxes and sends them to the packing unit for packing. The turnover boxes containing the gift boxes are transported to the assembly unit to be assembled into groups, and then placed on pallets by the stacking and conveying unit for transport into the warehouse or loaded onto trucks for shipment.

[0010] The fully automated packing production line specially designed for the structural characteristics of hook-bottom gift boxes in this invention effectively fills the technological gap in this industry. This production line can effectively replace manual operation, achieve direct docking with existing equipment, truly achieve automated production, and meet the development needs of intelligent workshops.

[0011] Due to the special structure of the hook-bottom gift box, it is not possible to neatly stack a stack of gift boxes like ordinary gift boxes. Therefore, online stacking is a relatively complex operation. The stacking unit designed in this invention includes a stacking frame placed at the end of the stepping conveyor belt that transports the standard stack. A collection frame inside the stacking frame is driven by a power source to move back and forth. A collection back plate is vertically installed on the cross brace at the end of the collection frame. A movable flap driven by a flap rotation motor is installed inside the stacking frame at the front end of the collection frame. A pneumatic separation plate driven by a pneumatic separation cylinder is installed between the movable flap and the collection frame. Alignment plates are installed on the stacking frames on both sides of the collection frame. The alignment plates are driven by alignment cylinders to move back and forth.

[0012] Because the bottom of the stacked gift boxes is very thick and the top is very thin, conventional packing operations cannot be used. The packing unit designed in this invention includes a scooter that moves back and forth along the roller track of the support frame, and a packing mechanism suspended below the scooter by a lifting mechanism. The packing mechanism includes a mounting plate fixedly connected to the lower end of the lifting mechanism, and a bottom-holding device and a limiting device placed below the mounting plate.

[0013] The mounting plate has a rectangular structure, with the middle of its front and rear sides extending horizontally outward and then bending downward to form front and rear mounting ears; the limiting device includes a slide rail horizontally arranged between the front and rear mounting ears, and the front and rear limiting plates driven by the driving device move and open along the slide rail.

[0014] The bottom support device includes a pair of adjusting screws fixed to the bottom of the mounting plate perpendicular to the slide rail, with opposite rotation directions at both ends of the adjusting screws; inner and outer support plate mounting brackets are screwed onto both ends of the adjusting screws, and electromagnetic actuators are fixed on the inner and outer support plate mounting brackets respectively; inner and outer support plates are hinged to the bottom of the inner and outer support plate mounting brackets respectively, and the inner and outer support plates are hinged to the electromagnetic actuators through drive linkages, and are driven by the electromagnetic actuators to rotate 90°.

[0015] This invention uses a bottom-hugging and limiting compression method to automatically pack stacked hook-bottom gift boxes. The operation is flexible and convenient, effectively avoiding the phenomenon that irregular stacks of gift boxes are prone to tipping over. When used in conjunction with an automatic packing system, it greatly improves the work efficiency of automatic packing of hook-bottom gift boxes.

[0016] The assembly unit includes a pusher frame disposed above the assembly roller conveyor, and a transverse moving screw disposed laterally on the pusher frame and driven by a transverse drive motor. A pusher plate is disposed below the pusher rod that reciprocates along the transverse moving screw, and the pusher plate rises or falls under the drive of a pusher plate lifting motor.

[0017] Since the turnover boxes need to be placed on pallets for centralized transportation when entering the warehouse or supplying goods, they need to be stacked again after packing. That is, the turnover boxes containing foldable gift boxes are stacked up in layers of six boxes (generally three layers, for a total of 18 boxes) before being transported out.

[0018] The stacking output unit designed in this invention includes a stacking robot and a movable bridge spanning above the pre-stacking platform and the stacking and shipping roller conveyor. The stacking and shipping roller conveyor has a pallet placed on it. The stacking robot is mounted on the movable bridge via a robot lifting mechanism and is driven by a power source to move laterally back and forth along the movable bridge, thereby hoisting the turnover boxes on the pre-stacking platform onto the pallet in sequence.

[0019] The stacking robot includes a fixed base fixed to the bottom of the lifting mechanism and inner and outer clamping plates arranged on both sides of the fixed base. The inner and outer clamping plate drive rods symmetrically arranged on both sides of the clamping plate drive motor are respectively hinged to the inner and outer clamping plates. Two sets of gripping fingers are arranged at intervals at the bottom of the fixed base between the inner and outer clamping plates. The gripping fingers are controlled to open and close by a finger opening and closing drive plate driven by an electromagnetic drive valve.

[0020] To achieve fully automated operation, the production line designed in this invention also includes an automatic empty box feeding unit: the automatic empty box feeding unit includes an empty box conveyor roller and a destacking moving bridge set at the end of the empty box conveyor roller, and the destacking robot is driven by a lifting rod to reciprocate along the destacking moving bridge;

[0021] The destacking robot includes a horizontal support plate fixed at the lower end of the lifting rod and left and right clamping plates respectively hinged to both ends of the horizontal support plate; a destacking drive motor is fixed on the horizontal support plate, and a reduction gear meshing with the main gear of the destacking drive motor rotates synchronously with the screw cylinder sleeve inside it, driving the left and right clamping plates to open and close through the transmission assembly.

[0022] The transmission assembly includes left and right drive screws that are screwed into both ends of the cylinder sleeve in opposite directions, left and right crankshaft rocker arms that are hinged to the left and right drive screws and connected to left and right cams, and left and right sliders that are set outside the left and right cams and hinged to the upper ends of the left and right clamping plates.

[0023] After empty boxes are stacked, the empty transfer pallets are removed. After the boxes are packed, they need to be stacked again and placed on the transfer pallets. Therefore, an automatic pallet turnover roller conveyor is laid between the end of the empty box conveyor roller conveyor and the stacking conveyor unit. The transfer pallets that are removed after stacking are automatically transported to the stacking and shipping roller conveyor via the automatic pallet turnover roller conveyor, realizing the automatic circulation function of the transfer pallets.

[0024] The present invention discloses a fully automated packaging method for hook-bottom gift boxes, employing the fully automated packaging production line for hook-bottom gift boxes designed in this application. The specific steps include:

[0025] S1. The hook-bottom gift boxes output from the gluing machine press are conveyed to the speed-up roller conveyor of the gift box separation unit in a staggered stacking manner and separated into individual gift boxes. After quality inspection by the quality inspection unit, they are sent to the counting unit for counting.

[0026] S2. The bottom-mounted gift boxes that enter the counting unit are accurately counted, arranged into standard stacks as required, and then sent to the stacking unit.

[0027] S3. The stacking unit collects the standard stacks according to the actual capacity of the turnover box. After collecting enough hook-bottom gift boxes for one box, the packing unit sorts them and puts them into the box, which is then sent to the collection unit via the conveyor roller.

[0028] S4. When a certain number of turnover boxes are gathered on the pre-stacking platform of the stacking unit, the stacking output unit will simultaneously place multiple turnover boxes on the transfer pallet and transport them into the warehouse or directly load them onto a vehicle for shipment.

[0029] To achieve fully automated packing of the hook-bottom gift boxes, the production line of this invention also includes an automatic empty box feeding unit and an automatic pallet turnover roller conveyor.

[0030] The empty boxes stacked in the empty box feeding area are sequentially sent to their ends by the empty box conveyor rollers. The empty boxes are placed on the unloading rollers by the destacking robot, and then separated by the speed-up rollers. They are then sent one by one to the waiting position of the packing unit to wait for their turn.

[0031] Empty boxes on the empty box stack at the end of the empty box conveyor roller are transferred away by the destacking robot, and the transfer pallet is sent to the stacking output unit for waiting via the pallet circulation roller.

[0032] The advantages of this invention lie in addressing the technical need for automated operation of bottom-packed gift box packaging in smart workshops. The inventors designed an automated process from empty box feeding to finished box stacking and output, realizing a one-stop automated operation for bottom-packed gift box packaging, filling a technological gap in the industry's development. At the same time, it effectively solves the technical drawbacks of manual packaging, greatly improves packaging efficiency, enables direct integration with existing equipment, and reduces equipment investment costs. Attached Figure Description

[0033] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the production line of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 An enlarged view of an automatic counting machine.

[0035] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the central stacking unit.

[0036] Figure 4 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the packing mechanism.

[0037] Figure 4.1 yes Figure 4 Structural diagram of the middle slide and front and rear limiting plates.

[0038] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of the stacked output unit.

[0039] Figure 5.1 yes Figure 5 A magnified image of the middle hand grasping the fingers.

[0040] Figure 6 yes Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the automatic destacking mechanism.

[0041] Figure 6.1 yes Figure 6Enlarged view of section K in the middle.

[0042] Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a single hook-bottom gift box after folding.

[0043] Figure 8 This is a diagram showing 50 folded gift boxes arranged in a row. Detailed Implementation

[0044] The present invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art.

[0045] It should be noted that in the description of this application, terms such as "center", "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "inner", and "outer" that indicate direction or positional relationship are based on the direction or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. This is only for the convenience of description and does not indicate or imply that the device or component must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, it should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0046] In the description of this application, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "linking" should be interpreted broadly: they can refer to fixed connections, detachable connections, or integral connections; they can refer to 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 application according to the specific circumstances.

[0047] like Figure 1 As shown, the fully automatic gift box packing production line of the present invention includes a gift box separation unit A, an inspection unit B, a counting unit C, a stacking unit D, a packing unit E, an assembly unit F, a stacking output unit G, an automatic empty box supply unit H, and an automatic pallet turnover roller conveyor, which are connected in sequence by conveyor rollers. The structure of each unit in the production line will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] 1. Gift box separation unit A, used to receive gift boxes conveyed from the output port of the gluing machine.

[0049] The gluing machine presses and flattens the gluing products before sending them out. Since the gift boxes 01 exiting the press are stacked and continuously fed out in a staggered manner, for quality inspection purposes, these continuously stacked gift boxes must first be separated into individual gift boxes before entering the inspection machine. This invention employs an accelerating roller conveyor A1 to separate the gift boxes when docking with the gluing machine's output port.

[0050] 2. Quality Inspection Unit B is used to inspect the condition of the gift boxes.

[0051] To ensure the bonding quality of the gift boxes, this invention uses a commercially available online quality inspection machine B1 (such as the Shenzhen Guangquan Visual Printing Quality Inspection Machine). The visual system of the quality inspection machine checks the quality of each gift box entering the machine B1. If there are no problems, the gift boxes can pass through smoothly; if there are defects, they will be rejected.

[0052] 3. Counting Unit C: Accurately count the qualified gift boxes and arrange them into standard stacks (one standard stack is counted as 10 gift boxes).

[0053] Automatic counting technology is already a very mature technology. In this application, an automatic counting machine is set at the front end of the stepping conveyor belt S1 (directly leading to the stacking unit D) at the rear of the inspection machine B1. This machine is used to count the finished gift boxes coming out of the inspection machine B1 and then collect and sort them into stacks of 10.

[0054] The structure of an automatic counting machine is as follows Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the system includes counter probes C1 installed on both sides of the counting machine frame and stacking trays C3 driven by drive cylinders C2 on both sides of the standard stacking stepping conveyor belt S1. The stacking trays C3 on both sides are arranged symmetrically in mirror image. When a gift box from the inspection machine B1 falls onto the stepping conveyor belt S1, it is first counted by the counter probes C1. When the counter records 10 counts, the drive cylinders C2 on both sides are activated, causing the two stacking trays C3 to rotate 90° to a horizontal position to catch the gift box that falls after counting. After the stack of 10 gift boxes below is stepped out by the stepping conveyor belt S1, the stacking trays C3 rotate 90° in the opposite direction to place the caught gift box onto the stepping conveyor belt S1 below.

[0055] 4. Stacking Unit D: Collect and organize 5 standard stacks (a total of 50 gift boxes) according to the capacity of the turnover box.

[0056] The automatic storage of the folded gift boxes differs from that of ordinary gift boxes because each box, after folding, is not a flat product. When 50 folded gift boxes are collected head to head, the bottom thickness is at least 400mm, while the top thickness is only 120mm. The folding operation in this application involves lifting five stacks (10 boxes per stack) of folded gift boxes horizontally fed by the stepping conveyor belt S1 one by one, forming them into an upright state before collecting them into a container.

[0057] Its specific structure is as follows Figure 1 , Figure 3As shown, the stacking unit D designed in this invention includes a stacking frame D1 placed at the tail end of the stepping conveyor belt S1 that transports standard stacks. A collection frame D2 placed inside the stacking frame D1 is driven to reciprocate back and forth by a power source (motor D3 and a moving lead screw D4 driven by it). A collection back plate D5 is vertically and upwardly arranged on the cross brace at the tail end of the collection frame D2. A movable flap D7 driven by a flap rotation motor D6 is arranged inside the stacking frame D1 located at the front end of the collection frame D2. A pneumatic separation plate D9 driven to reciprocate up and down by a pneumatic separation cylinder D8 is arranged between the movable flap D7 and the collection frame D2. Alignment plates D10 are arranged on the stacking frames D1 on both sides of the collection frame D2. The alignment plates D10 are driven to move back and forth by alignment cylinders D11.

[0058] During operation, the movable flap D7 is placed horizontally, and the collecting frame D2 moves forward to prepare to receive the gift boxes. The stepping conveyor S1 carries a stack (10 boxes) of gift boxes to the collecting unit D. The bottom of the gift boxes contacts the collecting back plate D5 and stops. The movable flap D7 rotates 90° clockwise, flipping the stack of gift boxes upright. Then, the pneumatic separation plate D9 rises to maintain the stack upright, and the movable flap D7 rotates 90° counterclockwise to return to a horizontal position. The second stack (10 boxes) of gift boxes arrives... After contacting the pneumatic separation plate D9, the pneumatic separation plate D9 stops, and the movable flap D7 rotates 90° clockwise again to stand the stack of gift boxes upright. When the movable flap D7 rotates to 70°, the pneumatic separation plate D9 retracts and falls down. At the same time, the motor D3 starts, and the moving screw D4 drives the collecting frame D2 backward. When the collecting back plate D5 moves back a distance equal to the thickness of the bottom of one stack (10) of gift boxes, it stops. The second stack of gift boxes that has been stood up remains upright, the pneumatic separation plate D9 rises again, and the movable flap D7 rotates counterclockwise again to a horizontal position.

[0059] The above actions are repeated until the fifth stack of gift boxes is collected, at which point 50 gift boxes have been collected (the number of gift boxes required to assemble one turnover box); at this time, the aligning plates D10 on both sides move inward to align the collected gift boxes; at this time, the pneumatic separation plate D9 falls down, and the movable flip plate D7 remains in a vertical state, waiting to be packed.

[0060] 5. Packing Unit E: Successfully pack the 50 folded gift boxes into the turnover box.

[0061] Because the bottom of the 50 folding gift boxes is thicker than the top when collected together, conventional clamping methods cannot be used for packing. Therefore, this application has specially designed a packing structure with bottom supports at both ends and side limiters to directly lift and pack the 50 folding gift boxes. The specific structure is as follows: Figure 1 , Figure 4 As shown:

[0062] The packing unit designed in this invention includes a scooter E2 that moves back and forth along the roller track of the support frame E1 (the forward and backward moving motor E3 drives the moving screw E4 to rotate, driving the rollers of the scooter E2 to move back and forth along the moving bridge E1.1 on the support frame E1), and a packing mechanism suspended below the scooter E2 by a lifting mechanism.

[0063] The lifting mechanism of the packing unit in this application adopts two directional lifting sleeves that are slidably fitted together: the upper directional lifting sleeve E5.1 (square tube) fixed to the bottom surface of the scooter E2 by a flange is fitted to the outside of the lower directional lifting sleeve E5.2. A lifting screw pair is fixed at the upper pipe opening of the lower directional lifting sleeve E5.2. The lifting motor E6 drives the lifting screw E8 to rotate through the lifting drive gear E7, so that the lower directional lifting sleeve E5.2 can drive the packing mechanism to rise or fall accordingly.

[0064] The packing mechanism of the present invention includes a mounting plate E9 fixedly connected to the lower end of the lower section directional lifting sleeve E5.2, and a bottom-holding device and a limiting device placed below the mounting plate E9; the mounting plate E9 has a rectangular structure, and the middle of its front and rear sides extends horizontally outward and then bends downward to form a front mounting ear E10.1 and a rear mounting ear E10.2.

[0065] The limiting device includes a slide rail E11 horizontally disposed between the front mounting ear E10.1 and the rear mounting ear E10.2, such as... Figure 4.1 As shown, the front limit plate E12.1 and the rear limit plate E12.2, which move along the slide rail E11, are respectively screwed onto the two ends of the limit plate moving screw E13 (the two ends of the limit plate moving screw E13 rotate in opposite directions). The limit plate moving screw E13 is driven to rotate by the limit plate drive motor E14, so that the front limit plate E12.1 and the rear limit plate E12.2 clamp or release the hook-bottom gift box placed therein.

[0066] The bottom support device includes two adjusting screws E15 fixed to the bottom of the mounting plate E9 perpendicular to the slide rail E11 (four mounting seats are fixed to the bottom of the mounting plate E9 with bolts, and one adjusting screw E15 passes through two mounting seats for fixation), and the two ends of the adjusting screw E15 have opposite rotation directions; an inner support plate mounting bracket E16 and an outer support plate mounting bracket with the same structure are respectively installed at the two ends of the adjusting screw E15 (not fully shown in the figure).

[0067] Since the inner tray mounting bracket E16 and the outer tray mounting bracket have the same structure (symmetrical arrangement), the following is a detailed description of the structure of the inner tray mounting bracket E16 as an example: An electromagnetic actuator E17 is fixed on the inner tray mounting bracket E16, and an inner tray E18 is hinged at the bottom of the inner tray mounting bracket E16. The middle part of the inner tray E18 is hinged to the electromagnetic actuator E17 through a drive linkage E19, and the electromagnetic actuator drives the inner tray E18 to rotate 90°.

[0068] Once the 50 folding gift boxes are aligned, the upper packing mechanism descends, and the inner and outer support plate mounting frames and the front and rear limiting plates surround all the gift boxes from all four sides. When the inner and outer support plates at the bottom of the inner and outer support plate mounting frames are lower than the bottom of the folding gift boxes, the electromagnetic actuators on them are activated, causing the inner and outer support plates to rotate inward simultaneously, catching the bottom of all the gift boxes from both ends. Meanwhile, the front and rear limiting plates, driven by the limiting plate drive motor, simultaneously clamp all the gift boxes inward from front to back, ensuring that the gift boxes fit tightly without gaps. At this time, the movable flap D7 of the folding unit D rotates counterclockwise to a horizontal position.

[0069] The packing mechanism grabs 50 gift boxes to be packed, drives the lifting motor E6, and the lifting screw E8 to rotate. The packing mechanism is driven to rise to a certain height (higher than the collection back plate D5) by the lower directional lifting sleeve E5.2. The collection back plate D5 of the stacking unit D moves forward and returns to standby state. The movable flip plate D7 continues to flip a stack of gift boxes into an upright state and continues a new round of gift box collection.

[0070] The moving motor E3 starts, the moving screw E4 rotates, driving the scooter E2 and the box-packing mechanism below to move forward along the moving bridge E1.1, stopping when it reaches above the box-packing position; the lifting motor E6 starts again, the lifting screw E8 rotates in the opposite direction, placing the 50 gift boxes held by the box-packing mechanism into the empty box below; when the gift boxes descend to half the height of the empty box, the descent stops, the electromagnetic driver E17 and the limit plate drive motor E14 act simultaneously, the inner and outer support plates rotate outward 90° (to a vertical position), the front limit plate E12.1 and the rear limit plate E12.2 move outward simultaneously, releasing the clamp on the stack of gift boxes, and the 50 gift boxes are placed into the turnover box 02, completing the box-packing.

[0071] Since the difference between the inner diameter of the turnover box 02 and the outer diameter of the 50 folding gift boxes is small, and the inner and outer trays are supported from both ends, in order to ensure that the gift boxes are put into the box smoothly without damage, the width of the inner and outer trays must be less than 30mm, and the inner and outer trays and the front and rear limit plates must be flexible, reliable, and tightly coordinated. This application uses an electromagnetic actuator to drive the inner and outer trays to rotate because the electromagnetic drive is fast and can be quickly opened and closed.

[0072] A turnover box 02' containing 50 folded gift boxes moves forward on the packing stepping conveyor belt S2 to the next station, where it is flattened by the flattening plate E20. Just before stepping off the packing stepping conveyor belt S2, the visual inspection system E21 (general equipment) above visually inspects the packing status of the gift boxes below. Turnover boxes 02' that are in good condition are sent to the collection unit via the conveyor roller P1, while those that are not in good condition are sent laterally to the quality inspection and repair roller P2 in the middle of the output roller P1 for manual repair.

[0073] 6. Assembly unit F sequentially assembles two turnover boxes 02', each containing a foldable gift box, onto the pre-coding platform.

[0074] After being packed into a folded gift box, the turnover box 02' is sent to the assembly unit via conveyor roller P1. Two boxes are pushed onto the pre-coding platform and assembled into a group of six before being sent to the stacking output unit for one-time delivery.

[0075] The assembly unit of the present invention includes a pusher frame F2 disposed above the assembly roller conveyor F1. A transverse moving screw F4 driven by a transverse drive motor F3 is disposed on the pusher frame F2. A pusher plate F5 is disposed below the pusher rod that reciprocates along the transverse moving screw F4. The pusher plate F5 rises or falls under the drive of the pusher plate lifting motor F6.

[0076] When two turnover boxes are conveyed on the assembly roller conveyor F1, the transverse drive motor F3 starts, driving the transverse moving screw F4 to rotate, driving the push plate F5 to move forward, and pushing the two turnover boxes forward onto the pre-coding platform F6.

[0077] 7. Stacking output unit G stacks the turnover boxes 02' on the pre-stacking platform onto the pallet for easy warehousing or shipping.

[0078] Since the turnover boxes 02' need to be placed on pallets 03 for centralized transportation during warehousing or supply, stacking is required again after packing. That is, six turnover boxes 02' containing foldable gift boxes are stacked on pallets 03 in layers (generally three layers, for a total of 18 boxes) before being transported out.

[0079] like Figure 1 , Figure 5 As shown, the stacking output unit G of the present invention includes a stacking robot and a movable bridge G2 spanning above the pre-stacking platform F6 and the stacking and unloading roller conveyor G1. A pallet 03 is placed on the stacking and unloading roller conveyor G1. The stacking robot is mounted on the movable bridge G2 through a robot lifting mechanism and is driven by a power source to move laterally and reciprocally along the movable bridge G2 to lift the turnover boxes on the pre-stacking platform F6 onto the pallet 02 in sequence.

[0080] A transverse moving rack plate G3 is provided on the movable bridge G2. The power source includes a transverse moving motor G4 fixed on the movable frame and a transverse moving gear G5 driven by the motor to mesh with the transverse moving rack plate G3. The lifting mechanism of the robot arm includes a lifting rod G6 movably connected to the movable frame. A lifting rack plate G7 is provided on the surface of the lifting rod G6. The lifting drive gear G9 driven by the lifting rod drive motor G8 fixed on the movable frame meshes with the lifting rack plate G7, driving the lifting rod G6 to move up and down reciprocally.

[0081] The stacking robot includes a fixed base G10 fixed to the bottom of the lifting rod G6. An inner clamping plate G11.1 and an outer clamping plate G11.2 are arranged on both sides of the fixed base G10. The inner clamping plate drive rod G13.1 and the outer clamping plate drive rod G13.2, which are symmetrically arranged on both sides of the clamping plate drive motor G12, are hinged to the inner clamping plate G11.1 and the outer clamping plate G11.2 respectively. Two sets of gripping fingers G14 are arranged at intervals at the bottom of the fixed base between the inner clamping plate G11.1 and the outer clamping plate G11.2 (each set of gripping fingers is designed with four knuckles, which can clamp the inner corner of the edge of four turnover boxes when closed, so that they form a whole. The two sets of gripping fingers can grip six turnover boxes at the same time). The gripping fingers G14 are controlled to open and close by a finger opening and closing drive plate G16 driven by an electromagnetic drive valve G15.

[0082] 8. The empty box automatic feeding unit H automatically transports the empty turnover box 02 to the bottom of the box packing mechanism of the box packing unit, realizing automated operation.

[0083] like Figure 1 , Figure 6 , Figure 6.1 As shown, the present invention designs an automatic empty box 02 feeding unit H empty box conveyor roller H and an automatic destacking mechanism set at the end of the empty box conveyor roller H1. The automatic destacking mechanism includes a destacking moving bridge H2 and a destacking robot. The destacking robot is driven by a lifting rod H3 to reciprocate along the destacking moving bridge H2. The lateral movement and lifting control method of the destacking robot is the same as that of the stacking robot. The same control structure can reduce the production cost of the entire production line.

[0084] The destacking robot designed in this invention includes a horizontal support plate H4 fixed at the lower end of the lifting rod H3. A left clamping plate H5.1 and a right clamping plate H5.2 are respectively hinged to both ends of the horizontal support plate H4. A destacking drive motor H6 is fixed on the horizontal support plate H4. A reduction gear H7 meshing with the main gear of the destacking drive motor rotates synchronously with the screw cylinder sleeve H8 inside it. The transmission assembly drives the left clamping plate H5.1 and the right clamping plate H5.2 to open and close.

[0085] Since the transmission components that drive the opening and closing of the left clamping plate H5.1 and the right clamping plate H5.2 are the same, the transmission component that drives the left clamping plate will be used as an example for explanation:

[0086] The transmission assembly used in this application includes a left drive screw H9.1 screwed to the left end of the screw cylinder sleeve H8 (the rotation direction of the right drive screw is opposite to that of the left drive screw), a left crankshaft rocker arm H10.1 hinged to the left drive screw and connected to the left cam H11.1, and a left slider H12.1 set outside the left cam H11.1 hinged to the upper end of the left clamping plate H5.1.

[0087] After the stack of empty boxes placed on the pallet is conveyed from the empty box conveyor roller H1, the destacking robot uses the left clamp H5.1 and the right clamp H5.2 to lift and move the empty turnover boxes from the stack of empty boxes to the empty box unloading roller H13 in groups of three and separate them. Then, they are transferred one by one to the waiting conveyor line at a set distance to wait for packing.

[0088] 9. The automatic pallet turnover roller conveyor automatically transfers empty pallets after unloading empty boxes to the stacking output unit for stacking operations.

[0089] Once the depalletizing robot has unpacked a pallet of empty boxes, the empty pallet will be sent out of the roller conveyor, and another pallet of empty boxes will be sent up simultaneously. The turnover boxes, after being filled with gift boxes, need to be stacked again and placed on the transfer pallet to be transported out.

[0090] This application sets up an empty pallet receiving roller T1 at the end of the empty box conveyor roller H1, and lays an empty pallet automatic feeding roller Z1 in front of the stacking and shipping roller G1. A pallet circulation roller X1 is connected between the empty pallet receiving roller T1 and the empty pallet automatic feeding roller Z1. After stacking, the pallet 02 that is removed is transferred from the empty pallet receiving roller T1 to the pallet circulation roller X1, and then transported to the stacking and shipping roller G1 through the empty pallet automatic feeding roller Z1, thus realizing the automatic circulation of pallet 02.

[0091] The fully automatic packing method for the hook-bottom gift box of the present invention is as follows:

[0092] 1. The hook-bottom gift boxes 01 output from the gluing machine press are sent out in a staggered stacking manner, and are first separated by the acceleration roller A1 of the gift box separation unit A, so that they become individual gift boxes.

[0093] 2. The individual gift boxes continue to move forward and enter the quality inspection unit B. The online quality inspection machine B1 uses a vision system to check the quality of the gift boxes entering the quality inspection machine B1 one by one. If there are no problems, they can pass smoothly; if there are defects, they will be rejected.

[0094] 3. Qualified gift boxes arrive at counting unit C for precise counting and are arranged into standard stacks (one standard stack is counted as 10 gift boxes). When the gift boxes from the inspection machine B1 fall onto the stepping conveyor belt S1, they are first counted by the counter probe C1. When the counter records 10 counts, the drive cylinders C2 on both sides are activated, driving the two stacking pallets C3 to rotate 90° to a horizontal position to catch the gift boxes that fall after counting. After the stack of 10 gift boxes below is stepped out by the stepping conveyor belt S1, the stacking pallets C3 rotate 90° in the opposite direction to place the caught gift boxes onto the stepping conveyor belt S1 below.

[0095] 4. The stepping conveyor belt S1 continues to move forward carrying stacks of standard gift boxes (10 boxes each). When it reaches the stacking unit D, the bottom of the first stack (10 boxes) of gift boxes contacts the collecting back plate D5 and stops. The movable flip plate D7 rotates 90° clockwise, flipping the stack of gift boxes into an upright position. Then, the pneumatic separation plate D9 rises, keeping the stack of gift boxes upright. The movable flip plate D7 rotates 90° counterclockwise and returns to a horizontal position. When the second stack (10 boxes) of gift boxes arrives, it contacts the pneumatic separation plate D9. After the separation plate D9 stops, the movable flip plate D7 rotates 90° clockwise again to stand the stack of gift boxes upright; when the movable flip plate D7 rotates to 70°, the pneumatic separation plate D9 retracts and falls down, at the same time the motor D3 starts, the moving screw D4 drives the collection frame D2 to move backward, and stops when the collection back plate D5 moves back a distance equal to the thickness of the bottom of one stack (10) of gift boxes. The second stack of gift boxes that has been stood up remains upright, the pneumatic separation plate D9 rises again, and the movable flip plate D7 rotates counterclockwise again to a horizontal state.

[0096] The above actions are repeated until the fifth stack of gift boxes is collected, at which point 50 gift boxes have been collected (the number of gift boxes that need to be packed into one turnover box); at this time, the aligning plates D10 on both sides move inward to align the collected gift boxes; at this time, the pneumatic separation plate D9 falls down, and the movable flip plate D7 remains in a vertical state, waiting to be packed into boxes.

[0097] 5. After the 50 folded gift boxes are aligned, the packing mechanism above the packing unit E descends, and the inner and outer tray mounting frames and the front and rear limiting plates surround all the gift boxes from all four sides. When the inner and outer trays at the bottom of the inner and outer tray mounting frames are lower than the bottom of the folded gift boxes, the electromagnetic actuators on them are activated, causing the inner and outer trays to rotate inward simultaneously, catching the bottom of all the gift boxes from both ends. Meanwhile, the front and rear limiting plates (E12.1 and E12.2) are driven by the limiting plate drive motor E14 to simultaneously clamp all the gift boxes inward from the front and back, making the gift boxes fit tightly without gaps. At this time, the movable flap D7 of the folding unit D rotates counterclockwise to a horizontal position.

[0098] The packing mechanism grabs 50 gift boxes to be packed, drives the lifting motor E6, and the lifting screw E8 to rotate. The packing mechanism rises to a certain height (higher than the collection back plate D5) under the drive of the lower directional lifting sleeve E5.2. The collection back plate D5 of the stacking unit D moves forward and returns to standby state. The movable flip plate D7 continues to flip a stack of gift boxes into an upright state and continues a new round of gift box collection.

[0099] The mobile motor E3 starts, the mobile screw E4 rotates, driving the scooter E2 and the box-packing mechanism below to move forward along the mobile bridge E1.1, stopping when it reaches above the box-packing position; the lifting motor E6 starts again, the lifting screw E8 rotates in the opposite direction, placing the 50 gift boxes held by the box-packing mechanism into the empty turnover box 02 below; when the gift boxes descend to half the height of the empty box, they stop descending, the electromagnetic driver E17 and the limit plate drive motor E14 act simultaneously, the inner and outer support plates rotate outward 90° (to a vertical position), the front limit plate E12.1 and the rear limit plate E12.2 move outward simultaneously, releasing the clamp on the stack of gift boxes, and the 50 gift boxes are placed into the turnover box, completing the box-packing;

[0100] The lifting motor E6 starts, and the packing mechanism rises; the turnover box 02', which has already been packed into a gift box, is now in operation. Figure 1 The gift boxes in the turnover box 02' (not shown) move forward under the drive of the packing stepping conveyor belt S2 to the next station, where they are flattened by the flattening plate E20. Just before stepping out of the packing stepping conveyor belt S2, the visual inspection system E21 above visually inspects the packing status of the gift boxes below. The turnover boxes that pass the quality inspection will be sent to the collection unit through the conveyor roller P1, while the unqualified ones will be sent laterally to the quality inspection and repair roller P2 in the middle of the output roller P1 for manual repair.

[0101] 6. The qualified turnover box 02' sent from the conveyor roller P1 is sent to the assembly roller F1. When there are two turnover boxes on the assembly roller F1, the transverse drive motor F3 starts, drives the transverse moving screw F4 to rotate, drives the push plate F5 to move forward, and pushes the two turnover boxes forward onto the pre-code platform F6.

[0102] 7. Once six turnover boxes 02' have accumulated on the pre-stacking platform F6, the stacking robot lifting mechanism of the stacking output unit G is activated. The lifting rod G6 moves the stacking robot downwards, stopping when the robot reaches the bottom edge of the turnover box 02'. Simultaneously, the electromagnetic drive valve G15 and the clamping plate drive motor G12 are activated: the electromagnetic drive valve G15 drives the finger opening and closing drive plate G16 to close the two sets of gripping fingers G14, each clamping the inner corner of the four turnover boxes, forming a single unit with the six turnover boxes 02'. The clamping plate drive motor G12, through the symmetrical inner clamping plate drive rod G13.1 and outer clamping plate drive rod G13.2, drives the inner clamping plate G11.1 and outer clamping plate G11.2 to rotate inwards simultaneously, clamping the outer edges of the six turnover boxes 02'. The stacking robot lifting mechanism is activated again, and the lifting rod G6 moves the stacking robot along with the six turnover boxes 02'. Lift them together to a height higher than tray 03 and then stop;

[0103] When the lateral movement motor G4 starts, the lifting rod G6, carrying the stacking robot arm, moves laterally along the lateral movement bridge G2 to above the pallet 03 placed on the stacking and unloading roller conveyor G1 and stops. The lifting mechanism starts, and the lifting rod G6, carrying the stacking robot arm, descends to place six turnover boxes 02' on the pallet 03.

[0104] The electromagnetic drive valve G15 and the clamp drive motor G12 are restarted, releasing the two sets of gripper fingers G14 and the inner and outer clamps. The stacking robot arm rises and moves laterally along the bridge G2, then returns to the standby position and stops.

[0105] Repeat the above steps, stacking the turnover boxes 02' one layer at a time onto the pallet as required. Once one stack is completed, the stacking and unloading roller conveyor G1 starts and sends the stack out of the stacking area; the empty pallet waiting to be placed is in place, and a new stacking operation begins.

[0106] 8. To achieve automated operation, before operation, empty turnover boxes need to be automatically transported onto the packing stepping conveyor belt S2 so that they are automatically positioned:

[0107] Empty box stacks placed on pallets are placed on empty box conveyor rollers H1 for use. During operation, empty box conveyor rollers H1 automatically moves empty boxes pallets one by one to the automatic destacking mechanism. When the empty box stack is conveyed to the end of empty box conveyor rollers H1, the lifting rod H3 drives the destacking robot arm downwards, stopping at the top edge of the empty boxes. Then, the transmission component drives the left clamping plate H5.1 and the right clamping plate H5.2 to rotate inwards respectively, clamping the inner edges of the two boxes in a group (three empty boxes side by side), making the three empty boxes form a whole. The lifting rod H3 drives the destacking robot arm to rise, lifting the three empty boxes. After moving them along the destacking moving bridge H2 to above the empty box unloading rollers H13, the lifting rod H3 drives the destacking robot arm downwards. The destacking robot arm places the three empty boxes on the empty box unloading rollers H13. Then, the left clamping plate H5.1 and the right clamping plate H5.2 open, the destacking robot arm leaves the empty boxes, and returns to the top of the empty box stack along the original path to continue the operation.

[0108] After the three empty boxes placed on the empty box feeding roller H13 (acceleration roller) are separated, they are transported one by one to the boxing stepping conveyor S2 of the boxing unit to wait for their turn.

[0109] 9. After an empty pallet is stacked, the empty pallet 03 is transported by the empty box conveyor roller H1 to the empty pallet receiving roller T1, and then by the pallet circulation roller X1 to the empty pallet automatic feeding roller Z1 to wait for replenishment on the stacking and shipping roller G1 for use, thus realizing the automatic circulation of pallet 03.

[0110] The fully automated packaging production line and packaging method for hook-bottom gift boxes developed and designed for the first time in this invention meet the technical requirements of intelligent factories, fill the technical gap in the development of this industry, and have good economic and social benefits.

Claims

1. A fully automatic packing method for hook-bottom gift boxes, using a fully automatic packing production line for hook-bottom gift boxes, the fully automatic packing production line for hook-bottom gift boxes including a hook-bottom gift box separation unit, an inspection unit, a counting unit, a stacking unit, a packing unit, an assembly unit and a stacking output unit that are connected in sequence via conveyor rollers. The hook-bottom gift boxes, which are staggered and stacked sequentially from the gluing machine, are separated into individual hook-bottom gift boxes by the separation unit. They then enter the quality inspection unit for quality inspection, are counted by the counting unit and sorted into standard stacks, and are then transported to the collecting unit. The collecting unit collects and integrates multiple standard stacks according to the capacity of the turnover box and sends them to the packing unit for packing. The turnover boxes containing the hook-bottom gift boxes are transported to the assembly unit to be assembled into groups, and then placed on pallets by the stacking output unit for transport into the warehouse or loaded onto trucks for shipment. The packing unit includes a scooter that moves back and forth along a roller track of a support frame, and a packing mechanism suspended below the scooter by a lifting mechanism. The packing mechanism includes a mounting plate fixedly connected to the lower end of the lifting mechanism, and a bottom-holding device and a limiting device located below the mounting plate. The mounting plate has a rectangular structure, with the middle of its front and rear sides extending horizontally outward and then bending downward to form front and rear mounting ears; the limiting device includes a slide rail horizontally arranged between the front and rear mounting ears, and the front and rear limiting plates driven by the driving device move and open along the slide rail. The bottom support device includes a pair of adjusting screws fixed to the bottom of the mounting plate perpendicular to the slide rail, with opposite rotation directions at both ends of the adjusting screws; inner and outer support plate mounting brackets are screwed onto both ends of the adjusting screws, and electromagnetic actuators are fixed on the inner and outer support plate mounting brackets respectively; inner and outer support plates are hinged to the bottom of the inner and outer support plate mounting brackets respectively, and the inner and outer support plates are hinged to the electromagnetic actuators through drive linkages, and are driven by the electromagnetic actuators to rotate 90°. The assembly unit includes a push plate frame disposed above the assembly roller conveyor, and a transverse moving screw disposed laterally on the push plate frame and driven by a transverse drive motor. A push plate is disposed below the push rod that reciprocates along the transverse moving screw, and the push plate rises or falls under the drive of a push plate lifting motor. The specific steps include: S1. The hook-bottom gift boxes output from the gluing machine press are conveyed to the speed-up roller conveyor of the hook-bottom gift box separation unit in a staggered stacking manner and separated into individual hook-bottom gift boxes. After quality inspection by the quality inspection unit, they are sent to the counting unit for counting. S2. The bottom-mounted gift boxes that enter the counting unit are accurately counted, arranged into standard stacks as required, and then sent to the stacking unit. S3. The stacking unit collects the standard stacks according to the actual capacity of the turnover box. After collecting enough bottom-hook gift boxes for one turnover box, the packing unit sorts out the bottom-hook gift boxes for one turnover box and puts them into the turnover box, which is then sent to the collection unit via the conveyor roller. S4. When a certain number of turnover boxes are gathered on the pre-stacking platform of the stacking unit, the stacking output unit will simultaneously place multiple turnover boxes on a pallet and transport them into the warehouse or directly load them onto a vehicle for shipment.

2. The fully automatic boxing method for hook-bottom gift boxes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stacking unit includes a stacking frame placed at the tail end of the stepping conveyor belt that transports standard stacks. A collection frame inside the stacking frame is driven by a power source to reciprocate back and forth. A collection back plate is vertically mounted on the cross brace at the tail end of the collection frame. A movable flap driven by a flap rotation motor is installed inside the stacking frame at the front end of the collection frame. A pneumatic separation plate driven by a pneumatic separation cylinder is installed between the movable flap and the collection frame. Alignment plates are installed on the stacking frames on both sides of the collection frame. The alignment plates are driven by alignment cylinders to move back and forth.

3. The fully automatic boxing method for hook-bottom gift boxes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stacking output unit includes a stacking robot, a pre-stacking platform, a stacking and unloading roller conveyor, and a movable bridge spanning above the pre-stacking platform and the stacking and unloading roller conveyor. A pallet is placed on the stacking and unloading roller conveyor. The stacking robot is mounted on the movable bridge via a robot lifting mechanism and is driven by a power source to move laterally back and forth along the movable bridge, sequentially hoisting the turnover boxes on the pre-stacking platform onto the pallet. The stacking robot includes a fixed base fixed to the bottom of the robot lifting mechanism and inner and outer clamping plates arranged on both sides of the fixed base. The inner and outer clamping plate drive rods symmetrically arranged on both sides of the clamping plate drive motor are respectively hinged to the inner and outer clamping plates. Two sets of gripping fingers are arranged at intervals at the bottom of the fixed base between the inner and outer clamping plates. The gripping fingers are controlled to open and close by a finger opening and closing drive plate driven by an electromagnetic drive valve.

4. The fully automatic boxing method for hook-bottom gift boxes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The production line also includes an automatic feeding unit for empty turnover boxes; The automatic empty turnover box feeding unit includes an empty turnover box feeding area, an empty turnover box conveyor roller, a destacking moving bridge set at the end of the empty turnover box conveyor roller, and a destacking robot. The destacking robot is driven by a lifting rod to reciprocate along the destacking moving bridge. The destacking robot includes a horizontal support plate fixed at the lower end of the lifting rod and left and right clamping plates respectively hinged to both ends of the horizontal support plate; a destacking drive motor is fixed on the horizontal support plate, and a reduction gear meshing with the main gear of the destacking drive motor rotates synchronously with the screw cylinder sleeve fitted inside the reduction gear, thereby driving the left and right clamping plates to open and close through the transmission assembly.

5. The fully automatic boxing method for hook-bottom gift boxes according to claim 4, characterized in that: The transmission assembly includes left and right drive screws respectively screwed to both ends of the screw cylinder sleeve in opposite directions, left and right crankshaft rocker arms hinged to the left and right drive screws and connected to left and right cams, and left and right sliders disposed outside the left and right cams and hinged to the upper ends of the left and right clamping plates.

6. The fully automatic boxing method for hook-bottom gift boxes according to claim 4, characterized in that: An automatic pallet turnover roller conveyor is laid between the end of the empty turnover box conveyor roller conveyor and the stacking output unit; The stacks of empty turnover boxes in the empty turnover box feeding area are sequentially sent to the end of the empty turnover box conveyor rollers. The empty turnover boxes are placed on the unloading rollers of the empty turnover box feeding area by the destabilizing robot. After being separated by the speed-up rollers of the empty turnover box feeding area, they are sent one by one to the waiting position of the frame-loading section. Empty boxes on the stack of empty boxes, which are sent to the end of the empty box conveyor roller, are moved away by the destacking robot. Empty pallets are sent to the stacking output unit via the automatic pallet turnover roller.

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