Carton handling apparatus and production system

Abstract

The application provides a carton processing device and a production system. The carton processing device comprises a stacker (3), the stacker (3) comprises a stacking mechanism (6) and a folding conveying mechanism (8), the stacking mechanism (6) stacks cartons (20), and the folding conveying mechanism (8) is arranged upstream of the stacking mechanism (6) along a flow direction of the cartons (20) and is used for folding the cartons (20) and conveying the folded cartons (20) to the stacking mechanism (6). The folding conveying mechanism (8) comprises a dragging mechanism (5), the dragging mechanism (5) comprises a supporting device (51) and a clamping mechanism (53), the clamping mechanism (53) is movably arranged on the supporting device (51) and is used for clamping the cartons (20), and the cartons (20) are dragged to the stacking mechanism (6) by moving the clamping mechanism (53) relative to the supporting device (51). In this way, the efficiency can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of cardboard box processing technology, and in particular to a cardboard box processing equipment and production system. Background Technology

[0002] In tobacco production and other processes, it is usually necessary to unpack cardboard boxes to separate them from the materials they contain. Stacker cranes then fold and stack the separated cardboard boxes.

[0003] Typically, a stacker crane includes a folding conveyor and a stacking mechanism arranged sequentially along the direction of carton flow. The folding conveyor folds the carton and conveys the folded carton to the stacking mechanism for stacking.

[0004] In related technologies, the folding conveyor mechanism includes a conveyor table, which is inclined and equipped with a pressure bar and a conveyor beam pulled by a conveyor chain. During operation, the cardboard box, separated from the material, is placed on the upper side of the conveyor beam and supported by it. Then, the conveyor beam pushes the cardboard box under the traction of the conveyor chain, causing the cardboard box to reach the pressure bar, where it is flattened and folded. The folded cardboard box continues to be pushed upwards by the conveyor beam until it reaches the stacking mechanism.

[0005] However, in the aforementioned stacker crane, the conveyor beam only supports the cartons during the pushing process. Cartons, especially those that are severely deformed or worn, are prone to slipping, which affects efficiency. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This application aims to provide a more efficient carton handling equipment and production system.

[0007] To achieve the above objectives, the carton processing equipment provided in this application includes:

[0008] A stacker crane includes a stacking mechanism and a folding conveyor mechanism. The stacking mechanism stacks cartons, and the folding conveyor mechanism is located upstream of the stacking mechanism along the flow direction of the cartons. It is used to fold the cartons and transport the folded cartons to the stacking mechanism. The folding conveyor mechanism includes a dragging mechanism, which includes a support device and a clamping mechanism. The clamping mechanism is movably mounted on the support device and is used to clamp the cartons. By moving relative to the support device, the clamping mechanism drags the cartons to the stacking mechanism.

[0009] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism includes a clamping assembly, which includes a first clamping member, a second clamping member, and a clamping drive mechanism. The first clamping member is disposed above the second clamping member, and the clamping drive mechanism is drivenly connected to at least one of the first clamping member and the second clamping member, and drives the first clamping member and the second clamping member to move closer to or further away from each other to clamp or release the carton.

[0010] In some embodiments, the second clamping member is rotatably disposed, and a clamping drive mechanism is drivenly connected to the second clamping member, thereby causing the second clamping member to move closer to or away from the first clamping member by driving the second clamping member to rotate; and / or, the clamping drive mechanism includes a drive cylinder, one of the cylinder barrel and cylinder rod of the drive cylinder being connected to a support device, and the other of the cylinder barrel and cylinder rod of the drive cylinder being connected to the first clamping member and / or the second clamping member, so as to drive the first clamping member and the second clamping member to move closer to or away from each other by extension and retraction.

[0011] In some embodiments, the clamping assembly further includes a pin disposed on the first clamping member and / or the second clamping member, which penetrates into the carton when the first clamping member and the second clamping member clamp the carton; and / or, the clamping assembly further includes a guide plate disposed at the upstream end of the first clamping member along the flow direction of the carton, and inclined upward relative to the first clamping member.

[0012] In some embodiments, the dragging mechanism includes two clamping mechanisms that are laterally opposite each other, the lateral direction being perpendicular to the vertical direction and the direction in which the dragging mechanism drags the carton.

[0013] In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism moves horizontally relative to the support device to drag the carton horizontally.

[0014] In some embodiments, the folding conveyor mechanism further includes a folding mechanism disposed upstream of the dragging mechanism along the flow direction of the carton, and folds the carton.

[0015] In some embodiments, the folding mechanism includes a frame and two folding members, which are laterally spaced on the frame and can rotate between a support position and a folding position. In the support position, the two folding members are opposite to each other and are both used to insert into the carton to support it. In the folding position, the two support members fold the carton, with the lateral direction perpendicular to the vertical direction and the direction in which the dragging mechanism drags the carton.

[0016] In some embodiments, the folding mechanism rotates about a pivot between a vertical position and a horizontal position. The folding mechanism receives a carton in the vertical position and, after receiving the carton, moves the carton to the horizontal position to fold it. The clamping mechanism drags the carton when the folding mechanism is in the horizontal position and the carton is fully folded.

[0017] In some embodiments, the pivot is located at the top of the folding mechanism.

[0018] In some embodiments, the carton handling equipment further includes a carton picker, which is arranged upstream of the stacker along the flow direction of the carton and is used to separate the carton from the material inside the carton, and to deliver the carton separated from the material to the stacker.

[0019] In some embodiments, the carton picker separates the carton from the material inside by raising the carton from a low position to a high position with the external bindings removed at a first angular position, and then sends the carton separated from the material to the stacker by rotating the carton from the first angular position to a second angular position and then lowering it from the high position.

[0020] In some embodiments, the carton picker includes a clamp, a lifting mechanism, and a rotating mechanism. The clamp is used to clamp or release the carton. The clamp is disposed on the rotating mechanism and drivenly connected to the lifting mechanism to rotate between a first angular position and a second angular position under the drive of the rotating mechanism, and to rise and fall between a low position and a high position under the drive of the lifting mechanism.

[0021] In some embodiments, the clamp includes a support member, two clamping bodies, and a clamping drive mechanism. The support member is connected to a rotation mechanism and a lifting mechanism. The two clamping bodies are disposed opposite each other below the support member. The clamping drive mechanism is driven to the two clamping bodies and drives the two clamping bodies to move closer or further apart, so that the two clamping bodies clamp the carton when they move closer together and release the carton when they move further apart.

[0022] In some embodiments, the clamping drive mechanism drives the two clamping bodies to move synchronously, thereby driving the two clamping bodies to move closer to or further apart from each other; and / or, at least one of the two clamping bodies has a friction plate on its surface for contacting the carton.

[0023] In some embodiments, at a first angular position, the clamp holds the front and rear of the carton; and / or, the slewing mechanism includes a slewing bearing.

[0024] In some embodiments, the carton processing equipment further includes a flipper arranged upstream of the carton picker along the flow direction of the carton and driving the carton containing the material to rotate, so that the upper and lower lids of the carton containing the material switch upwards, so as to remove the protective parts located between the upper lid and the material and between the lower lid and the material inside the carton.

[0025] In some embodiments, after the protective element located between the bottom cover and the material inside the carton is removed, the flipping machine rotates the carton containing the material from the position with the bottom cover facing up to the position with the top cover facing up, and then conveys the carton to the carton picker.

[0026] In some embodiments, the flipping machine includes a flipping frame, a flipping mechanism, a conveying mechanism, and a pushing mechanism. The flipping mechanism is rotatably mounted on the flipping frame. The conveying mechanism is used to convey cartons containing materials. The conveying mechanism and the pushing mechanism are located at opposite ends of the flipping mechanism in the vertical direction and can be raised and lowered relative to each other.

[0027] In some embodiments, the flipping mechanism includes two rolling rings arranged opposite each other along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism and connected to the conveying mechanism and the pushing mechanism.

[0028] In some embodiments, the flipping machine is provided with a manual station for manually removing the straps outside the carton and / or removing the protective elements inside the carton located between the top cover and the material and between the bottom cover and the material.

[0029] In addition, the production system provided in this application includes the carton processing equipment of any embodiment.

[0030] In some embodiments, the production system includes a tobacco production system, and carton handling equipment is disposed within the tobacco production system.

[0031] In some embodiments, the tobacco production system includes a tobacco processing system, the material inside the carton is tobacco leaves or tobacco stems, and the carton processing equipment is located in the tobacco processing system.

[0032] By installing a dragging mechanism in the stacker crane to replace the conveyor beam in related technologies, the conveying of cartons to the stacking mechanism is changed from a non-connected lifting method to a clamping and dragging method. This can effectively improve the bonding strength between the folding conveyor mechanism and the cartons, especially cartons that are severely deformed or worn, reduce the risk of cartons slipping off, and prevent the impact on efficiency due to cartons slipping off. Therefore, it can effectively improve efficiency.

[0033] Other features and advantages of this application will become clear from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0034] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0035] Figure 1 This is a top view of the carton processing equipment in the embodiments of this application.

[0036] Figure 2 A perspective view of the flipping machine in the embodiments of this application.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the box-retrieving machine in the embodiments of this application.

[0038] Figure 4 This is a perspective view of the stacker crane in this embodiment of the application when the installation parts are omitted.

[0039] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the clamping component in the embodiments of this application.

[0040] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures:

[0041] 10. Carton processing equipment; 20. Cartons;

[0042] 1. Tilting machine; 11. Tilting frame; 12. Tilting mechanism; 121. Rolling ring; 122. Connecting beam; 13. Tilting drive mechanism; 14. Conveying mechanism; 141. Conveying roller; 15. Pushing mechanism; 151. Pushing frame; 16. Pushing drive mechanism; 161. Ball screw; 162. Motor;

[0043] 2. Box retrieval machine; 21. Rotary mechanism; 22. Lifting mechanism; 23. Clamp; 24. Slewing bearing; 25. Chain; 26. Support component; 27. Clamping body; 28. Clamping drive; 29. ​​Friction plate;

[0044] 3. Stacker crane;

[0045] 4. Folding system; 41. Folding frame; 42. Folding mechanism; 43. Folding frame; 44. Folding component; 45. Stop component; 46. Rotating shaft; 47. Folding drive mechanism;

[0046] 5. Dragging mechanism; 51. Support device; 511. Support arm; 52. Sliding mechanism; 521. Chain drive mechanism; 522. Slider; 523. Guide rail; 53. Clamping mechanism; 54. Clamping assembly; 541. First clamping member; 542. Second clamping member; 543. Pin; 55. Clamping drive mechanism; 551. Drive cylinder; 56. Guide plate; 57. Mounting component;

[0047] 6. Stacking mechanism; 61. Stacking frame; 62. Loading platform; 63. Stacking drive mechanism;

[0048] 7. Conveyor;

[0049] 8. Folding conveyor mechanism;

[0050] 9. Artificial position. Detailed Implementation

[0051] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, and not all embodiments. The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this application or its application or use. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0052] Techniques, methods, and carton handling equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and carton handling equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0053] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the orientation or positional relationship indicated by directional terms such as "front, back, up, down, left, right", "horizontal, vertical, horizontal" and "top, bottom" is usually based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description. Unless otherwise stated, these directional terms 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, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation on the scope of protection of this application; the directional terms "inner" and "outer" refer to the inner and outer contours relative to the outline of each component itself.

[0054] In the description of this application, it should be understood that the use of terms such as "first" and "second" to define components is merely for the purpose of distinguishing the corresponding components. Unless otherwise stated, the above terms have no special meaning and therefore should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this application.

[0055] Furthermore, the technical features involved in the different embodiments of this application described below can be combined with each other as long as they do not conflict with each other.

[0056] Figures 1-5 The structure of the carton handling equipment in this application is illustrated by way of example.

[0057] See Figure 1 In this application, the carton handling equipment 10 includes a stacker 3, which includes a stacking mechanism 6 and a folding conveying mechanism 8. The stacking mechanism 6 stacks the carton 20, and the folding conveying mechanism 8 is located upstream of the stacking mechanism 6 along the flow direction of the carton 20. It is used to fold the carton 20 and convey the folded carton 20 to the stacking mechanism 6. The folding conveying mechanism 8 includes a dragging mechanism 5, which includes a support device 51 and a clamping mechanism 53. The clamping mechanism 53 is movably disposed on the support device 51 and is used to clamp the carton 20. By moving relative to the support device 51, the carton 20 is dragged to the stacking mechanism 6.

[0058] In the above scheme, the stacker crane 3 no longer includes a conveying beam, but instead includes a dragging mechanism 5. Instead of using the conveying beam to transport the cardboard boxes 20 to the stacking mechanism 6, the dragging mechanism 5 transports the cardboard boxes 20 to the stacking mechanism 6. Since the dragging mechanism 5 drags the cardboard boxes 20 rather than pushes them during the transport process, and the dragging mechanism 5 does not just support the cardboard boxes 20, but clamps them through the clamping mechanism 53, the connection between the dragging mechanism 5 and the cardboard boxes 20 is more secure compared to the conveying beam. This effectively prevents the cardboard boxes 20 from slipping, thereby effectively improving the efficiency of the stacker crane 3.

[0059] Furthermore, compared to the conveyor beam, the dragging mechanism 5 has lower requirements for the shape of the carton 20. Specifically, when the carton 20 is severely deformed or worn, it can only be partially supported by the conveyor beam, making it prone to unilateral shifting, increasing the difficulty of conveying, and even increasing the risk of slippage. This leads to difficulties in conveying the carton 20 and affects efficiency. Therefore, the conveyor beam has relatively high requirements for the shape of the carton 20. Unlike the conveyor beam, the clamping mechanism 53 of the dragging mechanism 5 can effectively clamp the carton 20 regardless of whether it is severely deformed or worn. Therefore, the requirements for the shape of the carton 20 can be reduced, expanding the applicability of the stacker crane 3 and improving its efficiency.

[0060] Meanwhile, the clamping mechanism 53 clamps and drags the cardboard box 20. Unlike the conveyor beam, the clamping mechanism 53 is less prone to jamming due to mutual compression with the cardboard box 20 or the continuously accumulating residual cardboard. This also helps reduce malfunctions in the cardboard box processing equipment and improves efficiency. In related technologies, when the conveyor beam moves down to reset, it is prone to jamming due to mutual compression with the cardboard box or the continuously accumulating residual cardboard. Because the conveyor beam is still under the traction force of the conveyor chain when jammed, it will arch, shift, or even become suspended, ultimately forcing the conveyor chain to disengage from the sprocket, leading to stacker crane malfunctions and affecting efficiency. However, by changing to the clamping mechanism 53, the corresponding problems can be effectively solved.

[0061] As can be seen, the above solution, by setting a dragging mechanism 5 in the stacker 3 to replace the conveying beam in the related technology, changes the conveying of the carton 20 to the stacking mechanism 6 from a non-connected lifting method to a clamping and dragging method. This can effectively improve the bonding strength between the folding conveying mechanism 8 and the carton 20, especially the carton 20 that is severely deformed or worn, reduce the risk of the carton 20 slipping or parts jamming, and prevent the efficiency from being affected by the slipping of the carton 20 or the parts jamming. Therefore, it can effectively improve efficiency.

[0062] To enable the clamping mechanism 53 to clamp the carton 20, see [link / reference]. Figures 4-5In some embodiments, the clamping mechanism 53 includes a clamping assembly 54, which includes a first clamping member 541, a second clamping member 542, and a clamping drive mechanism 55. The first clamping member 541 is disposed above the second clamping member 542. The clamping drive mechanism 55 is drivenly connected to at least one of the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542, and drives the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 to move closer or further away from each other to clamp or release the carton 20.

[0063] Based on the above configuration, the cardboard box 20 can be clamped simply by driving the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 closer together by the clamping drive mechanism 55, and the clamped cardboard box 20 can be released simply by driving the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 further apart by the clamping drive mechanism 55. This is simple and convenient. Furthermore, when clamping the cardboard box 20, the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 clamp the cardboard box 20 from the top and bottom sides, providing a strong clamping grip and preventing the cardboard box 20 from slipping out. Therefore, this helps to improve efficiency.

[0064] The first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 may be movably provided by only one of them, or both of them may be movably provided. For example, see Figures 1-5 In some embodiments, the second clamping member 542 is rotatably configured, and the clamping drive mechanism 55 is drivenly connected to the second clamping member 542. By driving the second clamping member 542 to rotate, the second clamping member 542 can be moved closer to or away from the first clamping member 541. In this case, only the second clamping member 542 needs to rotate, and the first clamping member 541 does not need to rotate to achieve clamping and releasing of the carton 20. Therefore, the structure and control process of the clamping assembly 54 are simpler, which is beneficial for simplifying the structure, reducing costs, and further improving efficiency.

[0065] The clamping drive mechanism 55 can take various structural forms. For example, see... Figure 4 and Figure 5 The clamping drive mechanism 55 includes a drive cylinder 551. One of the cylinder barrel and cylinder rod of the drive cylinder 551 is connected to the support device 51, and the other of the cylinder barrel and cylinder rod of the drive cylinder 551 is connected to the first clamping member 541 and / or the second clamping member 542, so that by extending and retracting, the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 can be driven to move closer or further apart. In this way, only the extension and retraction of the drive cylinder 551 is needed to drive the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 to move closer or further apart, which is simple in structure and convenient in control. The drive cylinder 551 can be, but is not limited to, a pneumatic cylinder or a hydraulic cylinder.

[0066] As an improvement to the foregoing embodiments, see Figure 4 and Figure 5The clamping assembly 54 also includes a pin 543, which is disposed on the first clamping member 541 and / or the second clamping member 542, and penetrates into the carton 20 when the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 clamp the carton 20. This further improves the bonding strength between the clamping assembly 54 and the carton 20, more effectively prevents the carton 20 from slipping, and improves efficiency.

[0067] Additionally, see also Figure 4 and Figure 5 As a further improvement to the aforementioned embodiments, the clamping assembly 54 also includes a guide plate 56, which is disposed at the upstream end of the first clamping member 541 along the flow direction of the carton 20 and is inclined upward relative to the first clamping member 541.

[0068] By providing a forward-facing and upward-sloping guide plate 56 on the first clamping member 541, the clamping assembly 54 can not only meet the clamping requirements of relatively flat cartons 20, but also meet the clamping requirements of cartons 20 that are not flat. Specifically, the cartons 20 transported by the clamping mechanism 53 may have unevenness, especially the folded cartons 20, which may be uneven and have bumps. The guide plate 56 is designed to gradually tilt downwards along the conveying direction of the carton 20, and the space between it and the second clamping member 542 gradually decreases along the conveying direction of the carton 20. This not only guides the carton 20 but also flattens uneven cartons 20, allowing even cartons 20 with poor flatness and thickness to fit between the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542. Therefore, it can effectively meet the clamping requirements of both flat and uneven cartons 20. This not only expands the applicability of the stacker crane 3 but also prevents uneven cartons 20 from getting stuck at the clamping assembly 54, thus affecting efficiency.

[0069] In the foregoing embodiments, the number of clamping mechanisms 53 can be one, two, or more (i.e., at least three). See, for example... Figure 4 The dragging mechanism 5 includes two clamping mechanisms 53, which are positioned laterally opposite each other. This lateral orientation is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the direction in which the dragging mechanism 5 drags the carton 20 (which is also the direction of the carton 20's movement). Therefore, the two clamping mechanisms 53 can clamp the carton 20 on opposite sides laterally, ensuring that the carton 20 is clamped at both ends. This not only further enhances the bonding strength between the dragging mechanism 5 and the carton 20, effectively preventing the carton 20 from slipping, but also improves the stability of the carton 20 during transport, effectively preventing it from tilting. All of these factors contribute to increased efficiency.

[0070] Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiments, the clamping mechanism 53 can move in an inclined or horizontal direction relative to the support device 51, thereby dragging the cardboard box 20 in an inclined or horizontal direction. Specifically, when the clamping mechanism 53 moves horizontally relative to the support device 51, the dragging mechanism 5 can be horizontally positioned. Compared to the related art where the conveyor beam moves at an incline and the conveyor platform supporting the conveyor beam is also inclined, this effectively reduces the floor space required and better meets the layout needs of small spaces.

[0071] In the foregoing embodiments, the folding conveyor 8 can fold the carton 20 during the clamping mechanism 53's gripping and dragging of the carton 20. For example, a pressure bar can be provided on the conveying device, which flattens the carton 20 when the clamping mechanism 53 drags it to a certain position, thus completing the folding of the carton 20. Alternatively, the folding conveyor 8 can fold the carton 20 before the clamping mechanism 53 begins to grip and drag the carton 20. For example, the folding conveyor 8 includes not only the dragging mechanism 5 but also a folding mechanism 42, which is located upstream of the dragging mechanism 5 along the flow direction of the carton 20 and folds the carton 20.

[0072] By setting a folding mechanism 42 upstream of the dragging mechanism 5, the folding mechanism 42 completes the folding of the cardboard box 20 before the clamping mechanism 53 starts to clamp and drag the cardboard box 20. This allows the clamping mechanism 53 to start dragging the folded cardboard box 20. Since the folded cardboard box 20 is flatter and easier to clamp firmly, it is more convenient for the clamping mechanism 53 to clamp and drag the cardboard box 20. In particular, it is more convenient for the clamping mechanism 53 to drag the cardboard box 20 in the horizontal direction, and it also helps to improve the clamping firmness of the clamping mechanism 53 on the cardboard box 20.

[0073] As an example of folding mechanism 42, see Figure 4 The folding mechanism 42 includes a frame 43 and two folding members 44. The two folding members 44 are arranged laterally at intervals on the frame 43 and can rotate between a support position and a folding position. In the support position, the two folding members 44 are opposite each other and are both inserted into the carton 20 to support it. In the folding position, the two folding members 44 fold the carton 20. Thus, simply driving the two folding members 44 to rotate from the support position to the folding position on the frame 43 is enough to complete the folding of the carton 20, which is simple and convenient.

[0074] Additionally, see Figure 4In some embodiments, the folding mechanism 42 rotates around the pivot 46 between a vertical position and a horizontal position. The folding mechanism 42 receives the carton 20 in the vertical position and drives the carton 20 to the horizontal position after receiving the carton 20, and folds the carton 20. When the folding mechanism 42 is in the horizontal position and the carton 20 is folded, the clamping mechanism 53 drags the carton 20.

[0075] In the above scheme, the folding mechanism 42 receives the carton 20 in a vertical position, which makes it convenient for the upstream carton processing equipment (such as the carton picker 2 mentioned below) to directly and vertically place the carton 20, which was originally placed vertically after being separated from the material, onto the folding mechanism 42. This eliminates the need to flip the carton 20 during the process of the upstream carton processing equipment conveying the carton 20 to the folding mechanism 42, effectively simplifying the operation. Moreover, the folding mechanism 42 folds the carton 20 in a horizontal position, which makes it easier for the folding mechanism 42 to connect with the horizontally arranged dragging mechanism 5. This facilitates the quick clamping of the clamping mechanism 53 of the dragging mechanism 5 and the horizontal dragging of the folded carton 20, all of which are conducive to further improving efficiency.

[0076] It can be seen that by flipping the folding mechanism 42 between the vertical and horizontal positions, the different needs of transferring folded cartons between the upstream carton processing equipment and the folding mechanism 42, as well as the transfer of folded cartons between the folding mechanism 42 and the dragging mechanism 5, can be effectively met, thus achieving efficient transfer of folded cartons between the upstream carton processing equipment and the folding mechanism 42, as well as the transfer of folded cartons between the folding mechanism 42 and the dragging mechanism 5.

[0077] The pivot 46 around which the folding mechanism 42 rotates between the vertical and horizontal positions can be located at the top or bottom of the folding mechanism 42. Compared to the case where the pivot 46 is located at the bottom of the folding mechanism 42, when the pivot 46 is located at the top of the folding mechanism 42, the folding mechanism 42 is positioned higher after rotating to the horizontal position, which can reserve more space for stacking cartons in the vertical direction. This facilitates cooperation with the dragging mechanism 5, enabling the stacking of more cartons and effectively increasing the stacking capacity.

[0078] Back Figure 1 As a further improvement to the carton processing equipment 10 in the aforementioned embodiments, the carton processing equipment 10 also includes a carton picker 2. The carton picker 2 is arranged upstream of the stacker crane 3 along the flow direction of the carton 20 and is used to separate the carton 20 from the material inside the carton 20, and to deliver the carton 20 after separation from the material to the stacker crane 3. In this way, the separation of the carton 20 from the material inside it, as well as the delivery of the empty carton (i.e., the carton 20 after separation from the material) to the stacker crane 3, can all be completed automatically by the carton picker 2, thus achieving higher efficiency.

[0079] Specifically, in some embodiments, the carton picker 2 separates the carton 20 from the material inside by lifting the carton 20, which has had its external bindings (such as cable ties or tape) removed, from a low position to a high position at a first angular position. The carton 20 is then transported to the stacker 3 by rotating the carton 20, which has been separated from the material, from the first angular position to a second angular position and then lowering it from the high position. At this time, the carton picker 2 separates the carton 20 from its contents and transports the empty carton to the stacker 3 by lifting and lowering the carton 20 between low and high positions and rotating it between the first angular position and the rotating position. In this case, since the separation of the carton 20 from the material is achieved by the carton picker 2 lifting the carton 20 from low to high positions, the material does not need to fall during the process. Therefore, it can avoid the material being damaged by falling and deteriorating in quality (e.g., increased breakage), which is conducive to the material better meeting the needs of subsequent production processes and producing higher quality products. Furthermore, since the transport of the empty carton to the stacker 3 is achieved by the carton picker 2 lifting the carton 20 from the first angular position to the second angular position and then lowering it from the high position, it can meet the carton transport needs between the stacker 3 and the carton picker 2, which are arranged at an angle (i.e., not collinear). The angled arrangement of the stacker 3 and the carton picker 2 can reduce the floor space and achieve a more compact layout.

[0080] As an example of box-retrieving machine 2, see Figure 3 In some embodiments, the carton retrieval machine 2 includes a clamp 23, a lifting mechanism 22, and a rotating mechanism 21. The clamp 23 is used to clamp or release the carton 20. The clamp 23 is disposed on the rotating mechanism 21 and drivenly connected to the lifting mechanism 22 so as to rotate between a first angular position and a second angular position under the drive of the rotating mechanism 21, and to rise and fall between a low position and a high position under the drive of the lifting mechanism 22.

[0081] Based on the cooperation of clamp 23, lifting mechanism 22 and rotating mechanism 21, carton picker 2 can clamp or release carton 20 to combine or separate from carton 20. In the state of clamping carton 20, it can separate carton 20 from its contents and transport empty carton to stacker 3 by driving carton 20 to rise and fall between low and high positions and rotate between the first angle position and the rotating position.

[0082] During operation, when the clamp 23 is in a high position and at the first angle position, the carton 20 with its external binding removed reaches directly below the clamp 23. The lifting mechanism 22 drives the clamp 23 to descend from the high position to the low position, and the clamp 23 clamps the two opposite outer surfaces of the carton 20. Then, the lifting mechanism 22 drives the clamp 23 to rise, so that the carton 20 is gradually separated from the internal material until the clamp 23 reaches the high position and the carton 20 is completely separated from the material. After that, the rotary mechanism 21 drives the clamp 23 to rotate the carton 20 from the first angle position to the second angle position. The lifting mechanism 22 then drives the clamp 23 to descend from the high position, so that the carton 20 falls onto the folding conveyor mechanism 8 of the stacker 3. Then, the clamp 23 releases the carton 20 and returns to the high position under the drive of the lifting mechanism 22. Finally, the clamp 23 rotates in the opposite direction under the drive of the rotary mechanism 21, returning from the second angle position to the first angle position, ready to clamp and pick up the next carton 20.

[0083] In the above process, the carton picker 2 clamps the carton 20 with the clamp 23 to achieve the combination with the carton 20. This not only ensures a stable combination with the carton 20 during the lifting and rotation of the carton 20, effectively preventing the carton 20 from falling, but also facilitates the separation of the carton picker 2 from the carton 20, improving the efficiency of the carton picker 2 in conveying empty cartons to the stacker 3.

[0084] Furthermore, since the clamp 23 reaches the position of engaging with the carton 20 by lifting rather than moving horizontally, the clamp 23 constitutes a suspended structure rather than a cantilever structure. In this case, the clamp 23 is not restricted by the side plates of the conveying device located below the clamp 23 that are used to carry and transport the carton 20 on both sides of the conveying direction. It can conveniently clamp the front and back of the carton 20 (i.e., the two sides of the carton 20 in the direction where the carton 20 is transported to the side of the clamp 23, in other words, the two sides of the carton 20 located below the clamp 23 in the conveying direction of the conveying device that are used to carry and transport the carton 20). This reduces the risk of interference between the clamp 23 and the side plates of the conveying device and effectively solves the problem that the cantilever clamp can only clamp the left and right sides of the carton 20 and is prone to interference with the side plates of the conveying device.

[0085] As an example of clamp 23, see Figure 3In some embodiments, the clamp 23 includes a support member 26, two clamping bodies 27, and a clamping drive mechanism 28. The support member 26 is connected to a rotation mechanism 21 and a lifting mechanism 22. The two clamping bodies 27 are disposed opposite to each other below the support member 26. The clamping drive mechanism 28 is drivenly connected to the two clamping bodies 27 and drives the two clamping bodies 27 to move closer or further apart, so that the two clamping bodies 27 clamp the carton 20 when they move closer together and release the carton 20 when they move away from each other. In a corresponding solution, the two clamping bodies 27 of the clamp 23 are disposed below the support member 26, which makes it easier to contact the carton 20 during descent and clamp the carton 20.

[0086] Specifically, in some embodiments, the clamping drive mechanism 28 drives the two clamping bodies 27 to move synchronously, thereby moving the two clamping bodies 27 closer to or further apart from each other. In this way, when it is necessary to clamp the carton 20, the two clamping bodies 27 can move synchronously under the action of the clamping drive mechanism 28, so that the carton 20 can be centered when clamped, which facilitates the subsequent quick release of the carton 20 onto the stacker crane 3, and avoids the difficulty or inability to fit the carton 20 onto the folding conveyor mechanism 8 of the stacker crane 3 due to the carton 20 not being centered.

[0087] In the foregoing embodiments, the rotary mechanism 21 can adopt various structural forms. As one example, see [reference needed]. Figure 3 The slewing mechanism 21 includes a slewing bearing 24. A slewing bearing, also called a turntable bearing, is a type of bearing capable of relative rotation between the supported component and the supporting device, and simultaneously withstanding large axial forces, radial forces, and overturning moments. Using a slewing bearing 24 as the slewing mechanism 21 helps reduce the floor space and slewing radius of the slewing mechanism 21, thereby reducing the floor space occupied by the carton picker 2 and the carton handling equipment 10, as well as the space required for the carton picker 2 to operate.

[0088] In the case where the carton processing equipment 10 includes a carton picking machine 2, in order to facilitate the separation of the carton 20 and the materials by the carton picking machine 2, see [reference needed]. Figure 1 In some embodiments, the carton processing equipment 10 further includes a flipper 1, which is arranged upstream of the carton picker 2 along the flow direction of the carton 20 and drives the carton 20 containing the material to rotate, so that the upper and lower lids of the carton 20 containing the material switch upwards, so as to remove the protective elements (such as cardboard or paperboard) located between the upper lid and the material and between the lower lid and the material inside the carton 20.

[0089] Based on the set flipper 1, before the carton 20 flows to the carton picker 2, the carton 20 can be placed on the flipper 1 with the top cover of the carton 20 facing upwards (usually the top cover of the carton 20 is facing upwards when it flows to the flipper 1, so initially, the flipper 1 does not need to flip the carton 20). The external binding parts of the carton 20 are removed, the top cover is opened, and the protective part between the top cover and the material (which can be called the upper protective part) is removed. Then, the flipper 1 is used to flip the carton 20 180° so that the bottom cover of the carton 20 faces upwards, so that the bottom cover can be opened and the protective part between the bottom cover and the material (which can be called the lower protective part) can be removed. Then, the flipper 1 flips the carton 20 180° again so that the carton 20 returns to the position with the top cover facing upwards, and the carton 20 is conveyed to the carton picker 2. In this way, since the external binding parts and internal upper and lower protective parts of the carton 20 have been removed before it flows to the carton picker 2, the separation of the carton 20 from the material is not obstructed by the binding parts and upper and lower protective parts. Therefore, it is easier for the carton picker 2 to separate the carton 20 from the material, thus improving efficiency. Moreover, since the external binding parts and internal upper and lower protective parts of the carton 20 have been removed before it flows to the carton picker 2, the carton picker 2 only needs to separate the carton 20 from the material, without having to perform other work such as removing the upper and lower protective parts. This helps to simplify the structure of the carton picker 2. In addition, since the protective parts located between the lower cover and the material inside the carton 20 are removed by the flipping machine 1, the carton 20 containing the material is rotated from the position with the lower cover facing upwards to the position with the upper cover facing upwards. The cartons 20 are fed to the carton picker 2 with their tops facing upwards. The materials inside the cartons 20 are usually not placed directly inside the cartons 20, but rather in an outer packaging located inside the cartons 20. The opening of this outer packaging usually faces the top of the cartons 20. Therefore, having the cartons 20 flow to the carton picker 2 with their tops facing upwards means that the outer packaging containing the materials inside the cartons 20 has its opening facing upwards at the carton picker 2. This allows the outer packaging containing the materials to maintain an upward-facing opening as it flows downwards from the carton picker 2, enabling downstream processes to directly open the outer packaging without flipping it, retrieve the materials, and begin production. This improves efficiency.

[0090] During the operation of the aforementioned flipping machine 1, the removal of the external binding parts and the internal upper and lower protective parts of the carton 20 can be completed automatically by a robotic arm or other mechanism, or manually. For example, see... Figure 1In some embodiments, the flipping machine 1 is provided with a manual station 9 for manually removing the bindings outside the carton 20 and / or removing the protective components located between the upper cover and the material and between the lower cover and the material inside the carton 20. In this case, the bindings outside the carton 20 and / or the upper and lower protective components inside the carton 20 are removed manually, which reduces the need for mechanisms such as robotic arms, thus effectively simplifying the structure and reducing costs.

[0091] As an example of flipping machine 1, see Figure 2 In some embodiments, the flipping machine 1 includes a flipping frame 11, a flipping mechanism 12, a conveying mechanism 14, and a pushing mechanism 15. The flipping mechanism 12 is rotatably mounted on the flipping frame 11. The conveying mechanism 14 is used to convey a carton 20 containing materials. The conveying mechanism 14 and the pushing mechanism 15 are located at opposite ends of the flipping mechanism 12 in the vertical direction and can be lifted relative to each other.

[0092] Based on the above configuration, the flipping machine 1 can conveniently complete the 180° forward and reverse flipping requirement of the carton 20 by the cooperation of the flipping mechanism 12, the conveying mechanism 14 and the pushing mechanism 15, effectively meeting the requirements of removing the binding parts and the upper and lower protective parts, and the carton 20 flowing to the carton picking machine 2 with the top cover facing upward.

[0093] During operation, the flipping machine 1 can initially be in a position with the conveyor mechanism 14 below and the pressing mechanism 15 above, so that the conveyor mechanism 14 receives the carton 20. When the carton 20 arrives at the conveyor mechanism 14, the upper cover faces upward and the lower cover faces downward, and the entire carton 20 is pressed onto the conveyor mechanism 14 and supported by it. In this state, the binding parts on the outside of the carton 20 are cut off, the upper cover is opened, the upper protective part is removed, and then the upper cover is closed again, causing the pressing mechanism 15 to descend and press the carton 20 tightly. The flipping mechanism 12 flips 180°, causing the conveying mechanism 14 and the pushing mechanism 15 to flip 180° together, so that the conveying mechanism 14 and the carton 20 are on top, and the pushing mechanism 15 is on the bottom. At this time, the bottom cover of the carton 20 is facing upwards and the top cover is facing downwards, pressing on the pushing mechanism 15. The entire carton 20 is supported by the pushing mechanism 15 and will not fall off. The bottom cover, which has been opened, will not open again, causing material to fall out. Then, the pushing mechanism 15 drives the carton 20 to descend together, so that the carton 20 and the conveying mechanism 14 are aligned. Sufficient spacing is created between the conveying mechanisms 14 to allow space for subsequent operations of opening the lower cover and removing the lower protective component. After these operations are completed, the lower cover is closed, and the pushing mechanism 15 lifts the carton 20 until it presses the carton 20 firmly again. Then, the flipping mechanism 12 rotates 180° in the opposite direction, causing the conveying mechanism 14 and the pushing mechanism 15 to rotate 180° in the opposite direction along with the flipping mechanism 12, transforming the conveying mechanism 14 and the carton 20 into a single unit. With carton 20 at the bottom and pushing mechanism 15 at the top, carton 20 returns to its original position with the top cover facing up and the bottom cover facing down. The entire carton 20 is supported by the conveying mechanism 14. Carton 20 will not fall off, and its bottom cover, which has been opened, will not open again, causing the internal materials to fall out. Then, the conveying mechanism 14 is started, and the conveying mechanism 14 transports carton 20, with the binding and upper and lower protective parts removed and the top cover facing up, to the conveying device below the carton picker 2, waiting for the carton picker 2 to pick up the carton 20.

[0094] As can be seen, with the cooperation of the flipping mechanism 12, the conveying mechanism 14 and the pushing mechanism 15, the flipping machine 1 can realize a safe and efficient 180° flipping process of the carton 20, making it very convenient to remove the binding parts and the upper and lower protective parts, and to transfer the carton 20 to the carton picker 2 with the top cover facing upward.

[0095] Furthermore, due to the installed flipping machine 1, the removal of the bundles can be completed with either the top or bottom cover of the carton 20 facing upwards. During the removal of the bundles, the entire carton 20 is supported by the conveying mechanism 14 or the pushing mechanism 15. Therefore, at the moment the bundles are removed, the material inside the carton 20 will not spill out, which is especially important for granular materials such as tobacco stems. In related technologies, the carton 20 containing tobacco stems is usually lifted to a certain height and rotated 90°, so that the carton 20, which was originally facing upwards, now faces the worker, before the worker removes the bundles. However, in this case, once the bundles are removed, the tobacco stems inside the carton 20 will suddenly burst out due to the sudden loss of restraint, not only wasting material and affecting its subsequent normal use, but the carton 20 will also deform due to the loss of material support, affecting subsequent carton recycling operations such as separating the carton 20 from the material and folding and stacking empty cartons. The flipping machine 1 set in the aforementioned embodiment can effectively solve the corresponding problems. It not only facilitates the normal input of materials into production, but also facilitates the smooth progress of subsequent cardboard box recycling operations such as the separation of cardboard boxes 20 from materials and the folding and stacking of empty cardboard boxes.

[0096] The flipping mechanism 12 can take various structural forms. As one example, see... Figure 2 In some embodiments, the flipping mechanism 12 includes two rollers 121 arranged opposite to each other along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism 14 and connected to the conveying mechanism 14 and the pushing mechanism 15. This not only allows the conveying mechanism 14 and the pushing mechanism 15 to rotate together when the two rollers 121 rotate, thus flipping the aforementioned carton 20, but also facilitates the entry and exit of the carton 20. During operation, the carton 20 can enter from the upstream roller 121 and reach the conveying mechanism 14. After the various actions at the flipping machine 1 are completed, the carton 20 can exit from the downstream roller 121 and reach below the carton picker 2. Furthermore, based on the two rollers 121, by simply reducing the connecting beam 122 between the two rollers 121, space can be provided for the manual position 9, making it convenient to set up the manual position 9 at the flipping machine 1. This facilitates the manual removal of the binding components and / or upper and lower protective components.

[0097] The cardboard box processing equipment 10 described in the foregoing embodiments can be applied to various production systems that require processing of cardboard boxes 20, such as tobacco production systems. Taking the tobacco processing system as an example, during the tobacco processing process, the raw materials such as tobacco leaves or stems are usually packaged in cardboard boxes 20. Therefore, during the tobacco processing process, the cardboard boxes 20 need to be unpacked first to separate the materials from the boxes. The separated materials flow downstream to participate in the tobacco processing process, while the separated cardboard boxes 20 are folded and stacked. Therefore, the cardboard box processing equipment 10 described in the foregoing embodiments can be applied to tobacco processing systems to achieve purposes such as improving efficiency.

[0098] Next, combine Figures 1-5 The embodiments shown further illustrate this application.

[0099] In this embodiment, the carton processing equipment 10 is applied to the tobacco processing system of the tobacco production system and is used to unpack, fold, and stack the carton 20 containing tobacco stems. At this time, the material inside the carton 20 is tobacco stems.

[0100] like Figures 1-5 As shown, the carton processing equipment 10 of this embodiment includes a conveyor 7, a flipper 1, a carton picker 2, and a stacker 3 arranged sequentially along the flow direction of the carton 20.

[0101] In this embodiment, the conveyor 7 is located upstream of the turning machine 1 and is used to transport cartons 20 containing tobacco stems to the turning machine 1. The conveyor 7 adopts a belt type, chain type, or conveyor roller type structure.

[0102] The flipping machine 1 is located between the conveyor 7 and the box picker 2. It is used to receive the carton 20 conveyed by the conveyor 7, flip the carton 20 to remove the binding parts and the upper and lower protective parts, and then convey the carton 20 after removing the binding parts and the upper and lower protective parts to the box picker 2.

[0103] Figure 2 The structure of the flipping machine 1 is further shown.

[0104] like Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the flipping machine 1 includes a flipping frame 11, a flipping mechanism 12, a flipping drive mechanism 13, a conveying mechanism 14, a pressing mechanism 15, and a pressing drive mechanism 16.

[0105] The flipping mechanism 12 is rotatably mounted on the flipping frame 11 and includes two rolling rings 121 and several connecting beams 122. Both rolling rings 121 are annular and are located at opposite ends of the flipping frame 11 along the conveying direction of the carton 20. The two rolling rings 121 are connected to the flipping frame 11 by vertically arranged connecting beams 122. These vertically arranged connecting beams 122 are mounted on the flipping frame 11 and extend upwards from it, facilitating support for both rolling rings 121, as well as for the conveying mechanism 14 and the pushing mechanism 15. The two rolling rings 121 are connected by transversely arranged connecting beams 122. The corresponding transverse connecting beams 122 are mainly located at the lower part of the two rolling rings 121, while the part between the two rolling rings 121 located on one side of the carton conveying direction does not have transverse connecting beams 122. This allows space to be left for the setting of the manual position 9, making it convenient for the staff to contact the carton 20 at the corresponding position to complete the opening and closing of the upper and lower covers and the removal of the binding parts and upper and lower protective parts.

[0106] A flipping drive mechanism 13 is mounted on the flipping frame 11 and is used to drive the flipping mechanism 12 to rotate 180° in both directions, thereby achieving a 180° rotation of the carton 20. In this embodiment, the flipping drive mechanism 13 includes a reducer and a friction wheel assembly. The friction wheel assembly contacts two rolling rings 121, and the reducer is driven by the friction wheel assembly. Thus, the reducer, through the friction wheel assembly and the two rolling rings 121, can drive the flipping mechanism 12 to rotate 180° in both directions. Of course, as a variation, the flipping drive mechanism 13 can also adopt other structural forms such as a gear mechanism to drive the flipping mechanism 12 to rotate 180° in both directions, which will not be described in detail here.

[0107] The conveying mechanism 14 is used to support and convey the cardboard box 20 containing tobacco stems. For example... Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the conveying mechanism 14 is a roller conveying mechanism including a conveying roller 141, located at one end of the two roller rings 121 in the vertical direction, and connected to a connecting beam 122 connected to the two roller rings 121. Thus, the conveying mechanism 14 is positioned at one end of the tilting mechanism 12 in the vertical direction and can rotate together with the tilting mechanism 12. Furthermore, the rotation of the conveying roller 141 of the conveying mechanism 14 can convey the cardboard box 20 containing tobacco stems.

[0108] The pressing mechanism 15 is used to press and support the cardboard box 20 containing tobacco stems. For example... Figure 2As shown, in this embodiment, the pressing mechanism 15 includes a pressing frame 151. The pressing frame 151 is generally rectangular and is located at the other end of the two rollers 121 in the vertical direction, opposite to the conveying mechanism 14. It is slidably connected to the vertically arranged connecting beam 122 connected to the two rollers 121 via a slider or the like. Thus, the pressing mechanism 15 is vertically and vertically positioned at the other end of the flipping mechanism 12, opposite to the conveying mechanism 14. This allows the pressing mechanism 15 to move closer to or further away from the conveying mechanism 14 to press or release the carton 20, facilitating the flipping machine 1 to flip the carton 20 and providing space for the opening and closing of the upper and lower covers, as well as the removal of the strapping and upper and lower protective parts.

[0109] The push-drive mechanism 16 is used to drive the push-drive mechanism 15 to rise and fall. For example... Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the pushing drive mechanism 16 is disposed on the pushing mechanism 15 and includes a motor 162 and a ball screw 161. The motor 162 is driven to the pushing mechanism 15 via the ball screw 161 to drive the pushing mechanism 15 to rise and fall. As a variation, the pushing drive mechanism 16 may also adopt other structural forms such as gears and racks that can drive the pushing mechanism 15 to rise and fall, which will not be described in detail here.

[0110] Based on the configured flipping frame 11, flipping mechanism 12, flipping drive mechanism 13, conveying mechanism 14, pushing mechanism 15, and pushing drive mechanism 16, the flipping machine 1 of this embodiment can receive the carton 20 conveyed by the conveyor 7 and flip the carton 20 180° in both directions to assist in the manual removal of the binding parts and the top and bottom protective parts. After the binding parts and the top and bottom protective parts are removed, the carton 20 is conveyed to the carton picker 2 with the top cover facing upwards. The specific working process will be further described later.

[0111] The carton picker 2 is located downstream of the flipper 1, between the flipper 1 and the stacker 3. It is used to separate the carton 20 from the tobacco stem and send the empty carton 20 obtained after separation to the stacker 3.

[0112] Figure 3 The structure of the box retrieval machine 2 is further shown.

[0113] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the box retrieval machine 2 includes a rotary mechanism 21, a lifting mechanism 22, and a clamp 23.

[0114] The rotary mechanism 21 drives the clamp 23 to rotate, causing the clamp 23 to rotate between a first angular position and a second angular position. Figure 3As can be seen, in this embodiment, the slewing mechanism 21 includes a slewing bearing 24. The axis of the slewing bearing 24 extends vertically, so that when the slewing bearing 24 rotates, it can drive the clamp 23 to rotate horizontally. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the slewing bearing 24 rotates 180°, so that the first angular position and the second angular position differ by 180°.

[0115] The lifting mechanism 22 is mounted on the rotary mechanism 21 and is used to drive the clamp 23 to rise and fall, allowing the clamp 23 to move between a low position and a high position. Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the lifting mechanism 22 includes a chain 25, which is vertically mounted on the rotary mechanism 21 and drivenly connected to the clamp 23. Thus, the chain 25 can pull the clamp 23 up and down, enabling the clamp 23 to move between a low position and a high position.

[0116] The clamp 23 is mounted on the lifting mechanism 22 and is used to clamp or release the carton 20. Driven by the lifting mechanism 22 and the rotating mechanism 21, it separates the carton 20 from the material and places the separated carton 20 onto the stacker crane 3. Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the clamp 23 includes a support member 26, two clamping bodies 27, and a clamping drive mechanism 28. The support member 26 is connected to the chain 25 of the lifting mechanism 22 via a slider. The two clamping bodies 27 are disposed below the support member 26, facing each other, and extending vertically downward from the support member 26. Both clamping bodies 27 are movably disposed on the support member 26 along their interval direction, so that they can move closer or further apart under the action of the clamping drive mechanism 28 to clamp or release the carton 20. Specifically, in this embodiment, both clamping bodies 27 are supported by carbon steel plates, and at least one of the clamping bodies 27 has a friction plate 29 on its surface for contacting the carton 20. This helps to increase the bonding strength between the clamping body 27 and the carton 20 and reduce the risk of the carton 20 falling during the lifting and rotation of the clamp 23. Furthermore, in this embodiment, when in the first angular position, the spacing direction of the two clamping bodies 27 is along the conveying direction of the conveying device located below the clamp 23. Thus, in the first angular position, the two clamping bodies 27 clamp the front and rear ends of the carton 20 (i.e., the two surfaces of the carton 20 facing each other in the conveying direction of the conveying device). A clamping drive mechanism 28 is disposed on the support member 26 and is drivenly connected to the two clamping bodies 27 to drive the two clamping bodies 27 to move closer or further apart. In this embodiment, the clamping drive mechanism 28 drives the two clamping bodies 27 to move synchronously in opposite directions in their relative arrangement direction, so that when clamped by the two clamping bodies 27, the carton 20 is centered.

[0117] Based on the rotary mechanism 21, lifting mechanism 22, and clamp 23, the carton retrieval machine 2 of this embodiment can separate the carton 20 from the bagged tobacco stems and place the empty carton 20 on the stacker crane 3. The specific working process will be further described later.

[0118] The stacker crane 3 is located downstream of the box picker 2 and is used to receive the carton 20 separated from the bagged tobacco stems, and to fold, drag horizontally and stack the carton 20.

[0119] Figure 4 and Figure 5 The structure of stacker crane 3 is further shown.

[0120] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the stacker 3 includes a folding conveying mechanism 8 and a stacking mechanism 6 arranged sequentially along the flow direction of the carton 20. The folding conveying mechanism 8 includes a folding system 4 and a dragging mechanism 5 arranged sequentially along the flow direction of the carton 20, such that the folding system 4, the dragging mechanism 5 and the stacking mechanism 6 are arranged sequentially along the flow direction of the carton 20.

[0121] The folding system 4 is located between the carton picker 2 and the dragging mechanism 5. It drives the carton 20 to rotate between vertical and horizontal positions, receiving the carton 20 in the vertical position and folding it in the horizontal position. Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the folding system 4 includes a folding frame 41, a folding mechanism 42, a pivot 46, and a folding drive mechanism 47.

[0122] The folding mechanism 42 is mounted on the folding frame 41 and includes a flip frame 43, two folding components 44, and several stop components 45. The flip frame 43 includes a first flip plate and a second flip plate. The upper end of the first flip plate is rotatably connected to the folding frame 41 via a pivot 46. The second flip plate is connected to the lower end of the first flip plate and is perpendicular to it, making the flip frame 43 approximately L-shaped. This allows the folding mechanism 42 to be rotatably mounted on the folding frame 41, enabling it to flip between mutually perpendicular vertical and horizontal positions. The two folding components 44 and all the stop components 45 are mounted on the second flip plate. The two folding components 44 are constructed as support frames and are rectangular. They are located at both ends of the second flip plate along the transverse direction (i.e., perpendicular to the vertical direction and the dragging direction of the dragging mechanism 5, which is also the axial direction of the pivot 46), and can rotate about an axis perpendicular to the second flip plate, allowing both to rotate between a support position and a folding position. The supporting position and the folding position are perpendicular to each other. In the supporting position, the two folding members 44 are opposite each other and can extend into the carton 20 to support it. In the folding position, the two folding members 44 can fold the supported carton 20, realizing the carton folding function of the folding mechanism 42. In this embodiment, when the folding mechanism 42 is in a vertical position, the two folding members 44 are in the supporting position to receive and support the carton 20, and when the folding mechanism 42 is in a horizontal position, they rotate to the folding position to fold the carton 20 in a horizontal position, preparing for the dragging mechanism 5 to drag the carton 20 horizontally. All the stops 45 are arranged at intervals around the two folding members 44, forming a space between them for the carton 20 to be inserted. This does not affect the carton picker 2 from putting the carton 20 on the two folding members 44, and also stops the carton 20, limiting its movement and preventing it from accidentally slipping or shifting.

[0123] The folding drive mechanism 47 is mounted on the folding frame 41 and is drivenly connected to the folding mechanism 42 to drive the folding mechanism 42 to reciprocate between a vertical position and a horizontal position. In this embodiment, the folding drive mechanism 47 may include various structural components capable of rotational drive, such as gears or friction wheel sets, which will not be described in detail here.

[0124] Based on the folding mechanism 42, the rotating shaft 46, and the folding drive mechanism 47, the folding system 4 can drive the carton 20 to rotate between vertical and horizontal positions, receive and support the carton 20 in the vertical position, and fold the carton 20 in the horizontal position. The specific working process will be further described later.

[0125] The dragging mechanism 5 is located downstream of the folding system 4 and is used to drag the folded carton 20 to the stacking mechanism 6. Figure 4 and Figure 5As shown, in this embodiment, the dragging mechanism 5 includes a support device 51 and two clamping mechanisms 53.

[0126] The support device 51 is located on the upper part of the stacker frame 61 of the stacking mechanism 6, so that the dragging mechanism 5 is located on the upper part of the stacking mechanism 6, which makes it convenient for the dragging mechanism 5 to drag the carton 20 into place. After separating from the carton 20, the carton 20 falls directly onto the load platform 62 of the stacking mechanism 6 under the action of gravity.

[0127] Both clamping mechanisms 53 are mounted on the support device 51 and are laterally opposite to each other, creating a space between them for the carton 20 to enter. Specifically, in this embodiment, the support device 51 includes two support arms 511, both extending horizontally and spaced apart from each other laterally, with the two clamping mechanisms 53 respectively mounted on the two support arms 511. Thus, the carton 20, after being folded by the folding system 4, can enter the space between the two support arms 511 under the dragging action of the two clamping mechanisms 53, and after being dragged into place, can fall downward onto the stacking platform 62 of the stacking mechanism 6.

[0128] The two clamping mechanisms 53 have the same structure and both include a clamping component 54 and a sliding mechanism 52. The clamping component 54 is used to clamp the folded carton 20. It is slidably connected to the support arm 511 through the sliding mechanism 52, so that the clamping component 54 can drag the clamped carton 20 horizontally by sliding along the support arm 511.

[0129] Specifically, in this embodiment, the clamping assembly 54 includes a first clamping member 541, a second clamping member 542, a guide plate 56, a mounting member 57, and a drive cylinder 551 serving as a clamping drive mechanism 55, while the sliding mechanism 52 includes a chain drive mechanism 521, a slider 522, and a guide rail 523.

[0130] The chain drive mechanism 521 is mounted on the inner surface of the support arm 511 and is driven by a motor. The slider 522 is located on the guide rail 523 and connected to the chain of the chain drive mechanism 521. The mounting part 57 of the clamping assembly 54 is connected to the slider 522. The first clamping member 541, the second clamping member 542, and the drive cylinder 551 of the clamping assembly 54 are all mounted on the mounting part 57, and the guide plate 56 is mounted on the first clamping member 541. Thus, the clamping assembly 54 is entirely mounted on the slider 522. When the slider 522 slides along the support arm 511 under the drive of the chain drive mechanism 521, it can drive the clamping assembly 54 to move horizontally along the support arm 511.

[0131] The first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 of the clamping assembly 54 are both connected to the lower end of the mounting member 57, with the second clamping member 542 located below the first clamping member 541 and rotatably connected to the mounting member 57. Simultaneously, the cylinder barrel and cylinder rod of the drive cylinder 551 are connected to the mounting member 57 and the second clamping member 542, respectively. Thus, when the drive cylinder 551 extends or retracts, it can drive the second clamping member 542 to rotate, causing the second clamping member 542 to move closer to or away from the first clamping member 541, thereby clamping or releasing the folded carton 20. In this embodiment, both the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 are plate-shaped; they can also be referred to as the first clamping plate and the second clamping plate, respectively. Because in this case, they can fully contact the folded carton 20, thus providing a more secure clamping effect. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the surface of the second clamping member 542 facing the first clamping member 541 is provided with a plurality of pins 543. In this way, when the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542 clamp the carton 20, the pins 543 can be driven into the carton 20, further improving the firmness of the connection between the clamping assembly 54 and the carton 20.

[0132] The guide plate 56 is connected to the end of the first clamping member 541 near the folding system 4, and is tilted upward by the first clamping member 541 to facilitate the entry of the cardboard box 20, which has poor flatness and is thicker, into the space between the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542, where it is clamped and dragged by the first clamping member 541 and the second clamping member 542.

[0133] Based on the two clamping mechanisms 53, the dragging mechanism 5 of this embodiment can clamp and drag the folded cardboard box 20 horizontally. The specific working process will be further described later.

[0134] The stacking mechanism 6 is located downstream of the dragging mechanism 5 and is used to stack the cartons 20, thus achieving the stacking of the cartons 20. Figure 4 As shown, in this embodiment, the stacking mechanism 6 includes a stacking frame 61, a loading platform 62, and a stacking drive mechanism 63. The stacking frame 61 is located on the side of the folding frame 41 of the folding system 4 away from the box picker 2. The loading platform 62 is vertically and vertically mounted on the stacking frame 61 and located below the dragging mechanism 5, for receiving the cartons 20 released by the dragging mechanism 5. The stacking drive mechanism 63 (e.g., including a chain and a slider) is driven to the loading platform 62 to drive the loading platform 62 to rise and fall, so that the loading platform 62 descends a certain distance each time it receives a carton 20, thus allowing the successively received cartons 20 to be stacked sequentially, thereby achieving the stacking of the cartons 20.

[0135] With the cooperation of the flipping machine 1, the box picking machine 2, and the stacker 3, the carton processing equipment 10 can unpack, fold, and stack boxed tobacco stems. Its working process is roughly as follows:

[0136] (1) The conveyor 7 transports the carton 20 containing bagged tobacco stems to the conveying mechanism 14 of the flipping machine 1. When it reaches the conveying mechanism 14, the top cover of the carton 20 faces upward.

[0137] (2) The worker in position 9 cuts the binding on the outside of the carton 20, opens the top cover and takes out the upper protective piece located between the top cover and the bagged tobacco stem. Then, the top cover is closed again. After that, the pushing mechanism 15 descends and presses the carton 20 tightly. Then, the flipping mechanism 12 rotates 180°, causing the conveying mechanism 14, the pushing mechanism 15 and the carton 20 pressed between the pushing mechanism 15 and the conveying mechanism 14 to flip 180°, so that the carton 20 is facing upwards. Then, the pushing mechanism 15 retracts, the worker opens the bottom cover of the carton 20, takes out the lower protective piece located between the bottom cover and the bagged tobacco stem, and puts... After the bottom cover is closed again, the pushing mechanism 15 presses the carton 20 again, and the flipping mechanism 12 rotates 180° in the opposite direction, causing the conveying mechanism 14, the pushing mechanism 15, and the carton 20 pressed between the pushing mechanism 15 and the conveying mechanism 14 to flip 180° in the opposite direction, so that the top cover of the carton 20 faces upward again. Then, the pushing mechanism 15 retracts again, and the conveying mechanism 14 starts, sending the carton 20 containing bagged tobacco stems and having its binding parts and upper and lower protective parts removed to the conveying device below the carton picking machine 2. When the carton 20 arrives at the conveying device below the carton picking machine 2, the top cover faces upward, and the opening of the bagged tobacco stem packaging bag also faces upward.

[0138] (3) After the carton 20 arrives at the conveying device below the carton picker 2, the clamp 23 of the carton picker 2, which is in the first angle position, descends from the high position to the low position under the action of the lifting mechanism 22, clamps the carton 20, and then drives the carton 20 from the low position back to the high position, so that the carton 20 is separated from the bagged tobacco stem with the opening facing upward. Then, under the action of the rotating mechanism 21, the clamp 23 rotates 180° from the first angle position to the second angle position. Then the clamp 23 descends from the high position, so that the carton 20 falls onto the folding mechanism 42 of the stacker 3. Then, the clamp 23 releases the carton 20, so that the carton 20 remains on the folding mechanism 42, while the clamp 23 rises back to the high position and rotates 180° in the opposite direction to return to the first angle position, waiting to separate the next carton 20.

[0139] (4) The carton 20 that falls onto the folding mechanism 42 is supported by the two folding parts 44 of the folding mechanism 42. The folding mechanism 42 drives the carton 20 to rotate 90° around the pivot 46, so that the carton 20 moves from the vertical position to the horizontal position. Then, the two folding parts 44 of the folding mechanism 42 rotate 90° from the support position to the folding position, folding the carton 20 so that the carton 20 is flat.

[0140] (5) The clamping component 54 of the dragging mechanism 5 clamps the carton 20 and drags the carton 20 horizontally to the top of the stacking platform 62 of the stacking mechanism 6. Then, the clamping component 54 releases the carton 20, so that the carton 20 falls onto the stacking platform 62 of the stacking mechanism 6.

[0141] (6) When the stacking mechanism 6 receives a cardboard box 20, the height of the cardboard box 20 is lowered by one, so that the cardboard boxes 20 received one after another can be stacked from bottom to top to complete the stacking of the cardboard boxes 20.

[0142] (7) After the stacking is completed, the loading platform 62 rises back to its original position, waiting to execute the next round of stacking tasks.

[0143] In the above process, under the action of the flipping machine 1, the removal of the binding parts and the upper and lower protective parts is carried out while the carton 20 is kept vertical and supported by the conveying mechanism 14 or the pushing mechanism 15. Therefore, the tobacco stems are not easy to be thrown out and scattered when the binding parts are removed. Furthermore, since the carton picker 2 separates the carton 20 from the tobacco stems by lifting the carton 20, the appearance of the tobacco stems can be prevented from being damaged due to falling. Moreover, since the stacker 3 clamps and horizontally drags the folded carton 20 to reach the stacking mechanism 6, the risk of the carton 20 slipping during the transfer to the stacking mechanism 6 can be reduced, and the floor space occupied by the stacker 3 can be reduced.

[0144] As can be seen, the carton processing equipment 10 of this embodiment occupies a small area and can efficiently and reliably transport, flip, pick up, fold and stack the carton 20 used to hold tobacco stems. It can effectively solve the problems of difficulty in unpacking cartoned tobacco stems, difficulty in transporting empty cartons and large area.

[0145] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the application. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A cardboard box processing device (10), characterized in that, include: The stacker (3) includes a stacking mechanism (6) and a folding conveyor (8). The stacking mechanism (6) stacks cartons (20). The folding conveyor (8) is located upstream of the stacking mechanism (6) along the flow direction of the cartons (20) and is used to fold the cartons (20) and convey the folded cartons (20) to the stacking mechanism (6). The folding conveyor (8) includes a dragging mechanism (5). The dragging mechanism (5) includes a support device (51) and a clamping mechanism (53). The clamping mechanism (53) is movably mounted on the support device (51) and is used to clamp the cartons (20) and, relative to... The support device (51) moves to drag the carton (20) to the stacking mechanism (6). The clamping mechanism (53) includes a clamping assembly (54), which includes a first clamping member (541), a second clamping member (542), and a clamping drive mechanism (55). The first clamping member (541) is disposed above the second clamping member (542). The clamping drive mechanism (55) is drivenly connected to at least one of the first clamping member (541) and the second clamping member (542) and drives the first clamping member (541) and the second clamping member (542) to move closer to or further away from each other to clamp or release the carton (20).

2. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second clamping member (542) is rotatably disposed, and the clamping drive mechanism (55) is drivenly connected to the second clamping member (542), and drives the second clamping member (542) to rotate, thereby moving the second clamping member (542) closer to or away from the first clamping member (541); and / or, the clamping drive mechanism (55) includes a drive cylinder (551), one of the cylinder barrel and cylinder rod of the drive cylinder (551) is connected to the support device (51), and the other of the cylinder barrel and cylinder rod of the drive cylinder (551) is connected to the first clamping member (541) and / or the second clamping member (542), so as to drive the first clamping member (541) and the second clamping member (542) closer to or away from each other by extension and retraction.

3. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping assembly (54) further includes a pin (543), which is disposed on the first clamping member (541) and / or the second clamping member (542) and is inserted into the carton (20) when the first clamping member (541) and the second clamping member (542) clamp the carton (20); and / or, the clamping assembly (54) further includes a guide plate (56), which is disposed at the upstream end of the first clamping member (541) along the flow direction of the carton (20) and is inclined upward relative to the first clamping member (541).

4. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The dragging mechanism (5) includes two clamping mechanisms (53) that are opposite each other in the lateral direction, which is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the direction in which the dragging mechanism (5) drags the carton (20).

5. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that, The clamping mechanism (53) moves horizontally relative to the support device (51) to drag the carton (20) horizontally.

6. The carton processing equipment (10) according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The folding conveying mechanism (8) further includes a folding mechanism (42), which is located upstream of the dragging mechanism (5) along the flow direction of the carton (20) and folds the carton (20).

7. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The folding mechanism (42) includes a frame (43) and two folding pieces (44). The two folding pieces (44) are arranged laterally on the frame (43) and can rotate between a support position and a folding position. When in the support position, the two folding pieces (44) are opposite to each other and are both used to insert into the carton (20) to support the carton (20). When in the folding position, the two folding pieces (44) fold the carton (20). The lateral direction is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the direction in which the dragging mechanism (5) drags the carton (20).

8. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 6, characterized in that, The folding mechanism (42) rotates around the pivot (46) between a vertical position and a horizontal position. The folding mechanism (42) receives the carton (20) in the vertical position and, after receiving the carton (20), drives the carton (20) to the horizontal position to fold the carton (20). When the folding mechanism (42) is in the horizontal position and the carton (20) is folded, the clamping mechanism (53) drags the carton (20).

9. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 8, characterized in that, The pivot (46) is located on the upper part of the folding mechanism (42).

10. The carton processing equipment (10) according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that, The carton processing equipment (10) also includes a carton picker (2), which is arranged upstream of the stacker (3) along the flow direction of the carton (20) and is used to separate the carton (20) from the material inside the carton (20) and to send the carton (20) separated from the material to the stacker (3).

11. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The carton picker (2) separates the carton (20) from the material inside the carton (20) by raising the carton (20) with the external binding parts removed from the carton (20) from the low position to the high position at the first angle position. The carton (20) separated from the material is then sent to the stacker (3) by rotating the carton (20) separated from the material from the first angle position to the second angle position and then lowering it from the high position.

12. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 11, characterized in that, The carton retrieval machine (2) includes a clamp (23), a lifting mechanism (22), and a rotating mechanism (21). The clamp (23) is used to clamp or release the carton (20). The clamp (23) is disposed on the rotating mechanism (21) and drivenly connected to the lifting mechanism (22) so that it rotates between the first angular position and the second angular position under the drive of the rotating mechanism (21) and rises and falls between the low position and the high position under the drive of the lifting mechanism (22).

13. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that, The clamp (23) includes a support (26), two clamping bodies (27) and a clamping drive mechanism (28). The support (26) is connected to the rotary mechanism (21) and the lifting mechanism (22). The two clamping bodies (27) are arranged opposite to each other below the support (26). The clamping drive mechanism (28) is driven to connect with the two clamping bodies (27) and drives the two clamping bodies (27) to move closer or further away from each other, so that the two clamping bodies (27) clamp the carton (20) when they move closer to each other and release the carton (20) when they move further away from each other.

14. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that, The clamping drive mechanism (28) drives the two clamping bodies (27) to move synchronously, thereby driving the two clamping bodies (27) to move closer to or further away from each other; and / or, at least one of the two clamping bodies (27) has a friction plate (29) on its surface for contacting the carton (20).

15. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 12, characterized in that, At the first angular position, the clamp (23) holds the front and rear of the carton (20); and / or, the slewing mechanism (21) includes a slewing bearing (24).

16. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 10, characterized in that, The carton processing equipment (10) further includes a flipping machine (1), which is arranged upstream of the carton picker (2) along the flow direction of the carton (20) and drives the carton (20) containing the material to rotate, so that the upper cover and lower cover of the carton (20) containing the material switch upwards, so as to remove the protective parts located between the upper cover and the material and between the lower cover and the material inside the carton (20).

17. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 16, characterized in that, After the protective piece located between the lower cover and the material inside the carton (20) is removed, the flipping machine (1) drives the carton (20) containing the material to rotate from the position with the lower cover facing up to the position with the upper cover facing up, and transports the carton (20) to the carton picker (2).

18. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 16, characterized in that, The flipping machine (1) includes a flipping frame (11), a flipping mechanism (12), a conveying mechanism (14), and a pushing mechanism (15). The flipping mechanism (12) is rotatably mounted on the flipping frame (11). The conveying mechanism (14) is used to convey a carton (20) containing the material. The conveying mechanism (14) and the pushing mechanism (15) are located at opposite ends of the flipping mechanism (12) in the vertical direction and can be lifted relative to each other.

19. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 18, characterized in that, The flipping mechanism (12) includes two rolling rings (121) arranged opposite to each other along the conveying direction of the conveying mechanism (14) and connected to the conveying mechanism (14) and the pushing mechanism (15).

20. The carton processing equipment (10) according to claim 16, characterized in that, The flipping machine (1) is provided with a manual station (9) for manually removing the bundles outside the carton (20) and / or removing the protective parts inside the carton (20) located between the upper cover and the material and between the lower cover and the material.

21. A production system, characterized in that, Includes the carton processing equipment (10) as described in any one of claims 1-20.

22. The production system according to claim 21, characterized in that, The production system includes a tobacco production system, and the carton processing equipment (10) is located in the tobacco production system.

23. The production system according to claim 22, characterized in that, The tobacco production system includes a tobacco processing system, the material inside the carton (20) is tobacco leaves or tobacco stems, and the carton processing equipment (10) is located in the tobacco processing system.

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