Feeding screw device capable of container infeed

Abstract

The application relates to a feeding screw device capable of carrying out container lane conveying, belonging to the field of container packaging transmission equipment, which comprises three parallel arranged screws, a baffle and a pressing plate; the three screws are respectively a first screw, a second screw and a third screw, the second screw and the third screw synchronously rotate in opposite directions to exert a downward force on the second container to control the movement of the second container; the first screw and the second screw synchronously rotate in opposite directions to exert an upward force on the first container and jointly control the movement of the first container with the pressing plate, the first container and the second container output by the first screw and the second screw and the second screw and the third screw are staggered and output onto a conveying belt, and are alternately synthesized into a column under the cooperation of the baffle. The application solves the problem of lane combination or limited space realization of container lane combination of two columns of hard square packaging containers without gaps or with small gaps between the containers, reduces the installation space of the screw device and improves the production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of container packaging and conveying equipment, and specifically relates to a feeding screw device capable of conveying containers together. Background Technology

[0002] In modern society, competition among goods in trade is becoming increasingly fierce. While ensuring product quality, product packaging is also constantly evolving. To enhance customer purchasing desire, many products use distinctive square outer packaging. Beverages, alcoholic beverages, and condiments in the market use rigid packaging containers with labels of various shapes and colors. To attract consumers and promote sales, it is often necessary to combine two products with identical appearances but different labels in a 1:1 ratio for packaging. Simultaneously, to meet certain technological requirements and fully utilize equipment capacity, production lines frequently require the merging of identical or similar products.

[0003] Existing production lines generally use pneumatic devices or intermittent mechanisms to achieve continuous conveying of containers. These devices are complex to install on the production line, experience large speed fluctuations during production, and have a slow working cycle. They cannot achieve high-speed, continuous, and stable conveying, resulting in reduced production efficiency. In addition, they occupy a lot of space and have high costs, which cannot meet the production requirements of today's high-speed packaging of products.

[0004] Packaging production lines are highly automated assembly lines that utilize various types of screw mechanisms to deliver containers to designated workstations at a predetermined speed, direction, and spacing, ensuring high-speed and stable movement of the supplied containers. This screw mechanism enables the joining of two rows of rigid, rectangular packaging containers with minimal or no gaps, or even within limited space, allowing for orderly and stable container joining. This improves production efficiency and reduces the installation space required for the screw mechanism. Summary of the Invention

[0005] To address the shortcomings of existing technologies, this invention provides a feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in parallel, solving the problem of merging two rows of rigid square containers with no or very small gaps between them, or achieving container merging in limited space. The first and second containers are output alternately onto the conveyor belt via the first and second screws, the second screw, and the third screw, respectively. Under the synergistic effect of baffles, they are alternately merged into a single row, reducing the installation space of the screw device while improving production efficiency.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention discloses the following technical solution:

[0007] This invention provides a feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a converging manner, comprising three parallel screws, baffles, and a pressure plate; the three screws are a first screw, a second screw, and a third screw, and the pressure plate is disposed between the first screw and the second screw; the second screw and the third screw rotate synchronously in opposite directions, applying a downward force to a second container to control the movement of the second container; the first screw and the second screw rotate synchronously in opposite directions, applying an upward force to a first container and, together with the pressure plate, controlling the movement of the first container; the output ends of the three screws are connected to the inlet of a conveyor belt, and the baffles are disposed on both sides of the conveyor belt, forming a channel for containers to pass through between two baffles; the channel has a tapered section and a parallel section, and the included angle between the two baffles gradually decreases in the tapered section;

[0008] The first, second, and third screws each include a first, second, third, and fourth section. The first section is a translational uniform speed section used to introduce containers with the same shape and phase. The second section is a rotational speed-changing section used to make the container rotate along its own vertical axis. The final rotation angle of the container is α, where 0 < α < 20°. To make the container rotate, the rotating container is exactly tangent to the next conveying container. The third section is an acceleration rotation section used to gradually rotate the container to half the angle β of the output baffle while accelerating to increase the distance between adjacent containers, where 10 < β < 40°, and the units of α and β are degrees. The fourth section is a uniform speed output section used to make the container output at a uniform speed. The first and second containers, output by the first and second screws and the second and third screws respectively, are alternately output onto the conveyor belt and alternately form a row under the cooperative action of the baffles. The linear speed of the first and second containers is equal to the speed of the conveyor belt.

[0009] The rotation angle variation patterns of the containers supplied by the first screw, second screw, and third screw are as follows:

[0010]

[0011] In the formula, θ represents the variation of the rotation angle of the container supplied by the first screw, the second screw, and the third screw; T represents the total cycle time; and t represents the time of each segment.

[0012] Preferably, the first screw, the second screw, and the third screw are each driven by three identical drive devices.

[0013] Preferably, the first screw, the second screw, and the third screw are all equipped with sensors. The sensors are used to monitor and provide feedback on the rotation of the screws, ensuring that adjacent feeding screws have the same speed and rotate in opposite directions.

[0014] Preferably, the total rotation angle of the third segment of each screw is β-α.

[0015] Preferably, the spiral grooves of two adjacent screws form a channel through which the container passes, and the junction of the spiral grooves of the screws with the first and second containers forms a square cross section.

[0016] Preferably, the outer surface of the container being fed maintains a spatial line contact with the spiral groove surface of the screw to propel the container forward. The groove shape of the spiral groove of two adjacent screws changes according to the change law of the cross-sectional shape of the spiral groove and the container. By continuously changing the groove shape of the spiral groove, the container is controlled to achieve translation and rotation along its own vertical axis, thereby increasing the distance between the containers.

[0017] Preferably, the first container and the second container are two rows of rigid packaging containers of equal size, shape and phase, and the first container and the second container enter the screw device in parallel.

[0018] Preferably, the first container and the second container are rectangular, square, or trapezoidal.

[0019] Preferably, the final output spacing of the third segment of the first screw, the second screw, and the third screw is less than or equal to 2.5-3 times the length of the container.

[0020] Preferably, the structure of the three screws can be simulated and designed according to the shape of the square container by constructing a mathematical model of a spiral or a mathematical model of a spiral groove.

[0021] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0022] (1) The present invention proposes a feeding screw device that can perform container merging and conveying, which can solve the problem of merging two rows of rigid packaging square containers with no gap or very small gap between the containers or achieving container merging in a limited space, reducing the installation space of the screw device while improving production efficiency.

[0023] (2) The spiral grooves of two adjacent screws of the present invention form a channel that allows a square container to pass through. The outer surface of the supplied container and the spiral groove surface of the screw are always in a spatial line contact engagement state. The screw pushes the container forward. By continuously changing the screw groove shape, the container is controlled to achieve translation and rotation along its own vertical axis, thereby increasing the distance between the containers. After the containers A and B are output from the screw in sequence, they are alternately combined into a row under the action of the baffle and output from the end of the baffle, finally realizing the precise alignment of the containers.

[0024] (3) The feeding screw device of the present invention has a compact structure and reliable performance, which improves the efficiency of merging square containers. It adopts a modular design, which reduces the installation space of the screw device, resulting in low cost, low noise and no rigid impact during production, and convenient speed adjustment. Moreover, the device is very convenient to assemble and adjust on the production line. This merging device can be widely used in the daily chemical, pharmaceutical, hygiene, food, and packaging industries to facilitate high-speed operation of processes such as coding, filling, filling, and labeling.

[0025] (4) The structure of the feeding screw of the present invention can be realized by constructing a helical mathematical model and a helical groove mathematical model according to the shape of the square container. Constructing the helical groove mathematical model: The entire motion of the screw feeding is composed of two simple motions, namely the rotational motion of the screw and the movement and rotation of the square container. Constructing the helical groove surface of the screw is essentially to examine the relative positional relationship between the square container and the screw. In the present invention, the motion form of the square container has been determined. The surface equation of the helical groove that meshes with the curved surface of the square container can be solved by coordinate transformation between two or more coordinate systems. The whole process is simple, reliable and highly accurate. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the screw device for conveying a rectangular container in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a left view of the screw device for conveying a rectangular container in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the screw device for conveying the trapezoidal container in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a left view of the screw device for conveying the trapezoidal container in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the square container and the spiral groove surface of the feeding screw in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the cross-section of the square container and the feeding screw in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0032] Exemplary embodiments, features, and aspects of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the drawings denote elements that have the same or similar functions. Although various aspects of the embodiments are shown in the drawings, they are not necessarily drawn to scale unless specifically indicated otherwise.

[0033] Specifically, such as Figures 1 to 6As shown, this invention provides a feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a combined manner, comprising three parallel screws, a baffle 4, and a pressure plate 5. Containers are assembled into a single line by the action of the three screws and the baffle 4. The three screws are a first screw 1, a second screw 2, and a third screw 3, with the pressure plate 5 positioned between the first screw 1 and the second screw 2. The second screw 2 and the third screw 3 rotate synchronously in opposite directions, applying a downward force to the second container B to control its movement. The first screw 1 and the second screw 2 rotate synchronously in opposite directions, applying an upward force to the first container A and, together with the pressure plate 5, controlling its movement. Conveyor belts are installed at the output ends of the first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3. The first container A and the second container B are respectively output to the conveyor belt via the first screw 1 and the second screw 2, and the second screw 2 and the third screw 3, and are alternately assembled into a single line under the action of the baffle.

[0034] The first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3 each include a first section, a second section, a third section, and a fourth section. The first section is a translational uniform speed section, used to introduce containers with the same shape and phase. To facilitate the rotation of the containers, the container to be rotated is tangent to the next conveying container. The second section is a rotational speed-changing section, used to make the containers rotate along their own vertical axis. The final rotation angle of the containers is α, 0 < α < 20°. The third section is an acceleration rotation section, used to gradually rotate the containers to half the angle β of the output baffle 4 while accelerating to increase the distance between adjacent containers. Here, 10 < β < 40°, and the units of α and β are degrees. The fourth section is a uniform speed output section, used to make the containers output at a uniform speed. The first container A and the second container B, which are output by the first screw 1 and the second screw 2, the second screw 2 and the third screw 3 respectively, are output alternately onto the conveyor belt. Under the synergistic action of the baffle 4, they alternately form a column. The linear speed of the first container A and the second container B are equal to the speed of the conveyor belt.

[0035] In practical applications, the first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3 are each driven by three identical drive devices. In a specific embodiment, the drive device can be a drive motor, etc. Each of the first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3 is equipped with a sensor. The sensor is used to monitor and provide feedback on the screw rotation, ensuring that adjacent feed screws have the same speed and rotate in opposite directions.

[0036] In practical applications, the helical grooves of two adjacent screws form a channel for the container to pass through. The outer surface of the container being fed maintains a spatial line contact with the helical groove surface of the screw to propel the container forward. The groove shape of the helical grooves of two adjacent screws changes according to the shape of the cross-section between the helical groove and the container. By continuously changing the helical groove shape, the container is controlled to achieve translation and rotation along its own vertical axis, thereby increasing the container spacing. The final output spacing of the third segment of the first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3 is less than or equal to 2.5-3 times the container length. In practical applications, the structure of the first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3 can be simulated and designed according to the shape of a square container by constructing a helical mathematical model or a helical groove mathematical model. The dimensions are then optimized using the model to obtain the optimal structure of the first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3. The helical mathematical model or the helical groove mathematical model can be built using simulation software.

[0037] The rotation angle variation patterns of the containers supplied by the first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3 are as follows:

[0038]

[0039] In the formula, θ represents the variation of the rotation angle of the container supplied by the first screw 1, the second screw 2, and the third screw 3; T represents the entire cycle time; and t represents the time of each segment.

[0040] In practical application, the first container A and the second container B are two rows of rigid packaging containers of equal size, shape, and phase. The first container A and the second container B enter the screw device in parallel. The first container A and the second container B are rectangular, square, or trapezoidal. In this embodiment, the first container A and the second container B are...

[0041] The screw proposed in this invention consists of four sections: the first section is the container introduction section; to increase the container spacing, a second section, namely the container rotation speed change section, is added, in which the container rotates along its own vertical axis and is tangent to the workpiece moving on the left, so as to achieve a gradual and steady increase in the center spacing of the containers; the third section is the container acceleration rotation section, in which the container gradually rotates to half the angle β of the output baffle 4 while accelerating to open the spacing, so as to shorten the screw length, the final output spacing generally does not exceed 2.5-3 times the container length; the fourth section is the container uniform speed output section, in which the first container A and the second container B, output by the first screw 1 and the second screw 2, the second screw 2 and the third screw 3, are output alternately onto the conveyor belt, and the linear speed of the first container A and the second container B is equal to the speed of the conveyor belt, and they alternately form a row under the cooperative action of the baffle 4.

[0042] The square container undergoes a combined axial and radial motion along the feeding screw, driven by the helical groove, achieving a combined rotational and translational movement. During feeding, stability can only be guaranteed if the helical groove surface of the screw and the surface of the square container are tightly engaged, meaning the shape of the helical groove surface strictly follows the changing shape of their intersecting cross-section. This relative motion, reflected in geometry, is as follows: Figure 5 and Figure 6 As shown, ∑ is taken as the parent surface of the imaginary square container, and it is technologically engaged with the spiral groove surface ∑1 of the screw. The intersection section of the two is ∑ c The screw undergoes simple or combined motion along its axis, while simultaneously rotating around its own axis with an angular velocity ω. The helical groove surface ∑1 of the screw serves as the intersection section ∑. c The envelope is unfolded in relative motion.

[0043] During the compound motion, the square container undergoes rotation and speed changes to varying degrees. The acceleration changes are divided into constant speed segments and variable acceleration segments. The angle and acceleration changes between each segment are smoothly transitioned using trigonometric function curves to avoid rigid impacts caused by sudden speed changes, thus ensuring the high speed and stability of the feeding motion. This is also the spiral change form of the feeding screw.

[0044] The groove shape of the feeding screw can be realized by constructing a helical mathematical model and a helical groove mathematical model based on the shape of the square container. Constructing the helical groove mathematical model: The entire motion of the screw feeding is composed of two simple motions: the rotational motion of the screw and the translational and rotational motion of the square container. Constructing the helical groove surface of the screw essentially involves examining the relative positional relationship between the square container and the screw. In this invention, the motion form of the square container is already determined; by coordinate transformation between two or more coordinate systems, the surface equation of the helical groove that meshes with the curved surface of the square container can be solved. Specific Implementation

[0046] This invention provides a feeding screw device capable of conveying containers together, such as... Figure 1 and Figure 3These are schematic diagrams of a special feeding screw device for conveying rectangular and trapezoidal containers in an embodiment of the present invention. The screw consists of four sections: a first section for uniform translation, a second section for variable rotation, a third section for accelerated rotation, and a fourth section for uniform output. The screw groove has four types: the first section for uniform translation is used to introduce containers of the same shape and phase; the second section is for variable rotation, where the container rotates along its vertical axis (the final rotation angle is α, 0 < α < 20°), and the container rotates tangentially to the container on its left, thus increasing the distance between the containers; the third section is for accelerated rotation, where the container gradually rotates to half the angle β of the output baffle while accelerating to increase the distance, the total rotation angle of the container in this section is β - α, and the output distance generally does not exceed 2.5-3 times the container length; the fourth section is for uniform output, which stably and alternately outputs the first container A (phase - β) and the second container B (phase β) onto the conveyor belt at a uniform speed.

[0047] (3) Figure 2 and Figure 4 The images shown are left views of a special screw conveyor for merging rectangular and trapezoidal containers according to an embodiment of the present invention. Because the second screw 2 and the third screw 3 exert a downward force on the second container B, the second container B has good stability, and no additional pressure plate is needed above it. The first screw 1 and the second screw 2 rotate synchronously in opposite directions, exerting an upward force on the first container A. To ensure the stability of the first container A's feeding, a pressure plate is added above the screw space to jointly control the movement of the first container A. This screw conveyor can solve the problem of merging two rows of rigid, rectangular containers with no or very small gaps, or merging containers in limited space, reducing the installation space of the screw device while improving production efficiency.

[0048] The embodiments described above are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made by those skilled in the art to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention should fall within the protection scope defined by the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a conduit, characterized in that: It includes three parallel screws, baffles, and a pressure plate; the three screws are a first screw, a second screw, and a third screw, and the pressure plate is disposed between the first screw and the second screw. The second screw and the third screw rotate synchronously in opposite directions, applying a downward force to the second container to control its movement; the first screw and the second screw rotate synchronously in opposite directions, applying an upward force to the first container and, together with the pressure plate, controlling the movement of the first container; the output ends of the three screws are connected to the inlet of the conveyor belt, and the baffles are disposed on both sides of the conveyor belt, forming a channel for the container to pass through between the two baffles. The channel has a tapered section and a parallel section, and the included angle between the two baffles gradually decreases in the tapered section. The first, second, and third screws each include a first, second, third, and fourth section. The first section is a translational uniform speed section used to introduce containers with the same shape and phase. The second section is a rotational speed-changing section used to make the container rotate along its own vertical axis. The final rotation angle of the container is α, where 0 < α < 20°. To make the container rotate, the rotating container is tangent to the next conveying container. The third section is an acceleration rotation section used to gradually rotate the container to half the angle β of the output baffle while accelerating to increase the distance between adjacent containers, where 10 < β < 40°, and the units of α and β are degrees. The fourth section is a uniform speed output section used to make the container output at a uniform speed. The first and second containers, output by the first and second screws and the second and third screws respectively, are alternately output onto the conveyor belt and alternately merge into a row under the cooperative action of the baffles. The linear speed of the first and second containers is equal to the speed of the conveyor belt. The rotation angle changes of the containers supplied by the first screw, second screw, and third screw are as follows: In the formula, θ represents the variation of the rotation angle of the container supplied by the first screw, the second screw, and the third screw; T represents the total cycle time; and t represents the time of each segment.

2. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first screw, the second screw, and the third screw are each driven by three identical drive devices.

3. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a combined manner according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first, second, and third screws are all equipped with sensors. These sensors are used to monitor and provide feedback on the rotation of the screws, ensuring that adjacent feed screws have the same speed and rotate in opposite directions.

4. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The total rotation angle of the third segment of each screw is β-α.

5. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The spiral grooves of two adjacent screws form a channel through which the container passes, and the junction of the spiral grooves of the screws with the first and second containers forms a square cross section.

6. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The outer surface of the feeding container maintains a spatial line contact with the spiral groove surface of the screw to propel the container forward. The groove shape of the spiral groove of two adjacent screws changes according to the shape of the cross section between the spiral groove and the container. By continuously changing the groove shape of the spiral groove, the container is controlled to achieve translation and rotation along its own vertical axis, thereby increasing the distance between the containers.

7. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first container and the second container are two rows of rigid packaging containers of equal size, shape and phase, which enter the screw device in parallel.

8. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a combined manner according to claim 7, characterized in that: The first and second containers are rectangular, square, or trapezoidal.

9. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The final output spacing of the third segment of the first screw, the second screw, and the third screw is less than or equal to 2.5-3 times the length of the first or second container.

10. The feeding screw device capable of conveying containers in a conduit according to claim 1, characterized in that: The structure of the three screws can be simulated and designed based on the shape of the square container by constructing a mathematical model of a spiral or a spiral groove.

Images