Ointment tube filling apparatus and method

Abstract

The application discloses a cream tube feeding device of a cream tube filling equipment, which comprises a material preparation box, a bottom frame obliquely arranged downward is fixedly arranged at the bottom of the material preparation box, a discharging port is formed between the bottom frame and the material preparation box, the discharging port of the material preparation box is arranged on a discharging port dredging mechanism, the discharging port dredging mechanism comprises a first dredging plate, a second dredging plate, a guide rail and a roller, the first dredging plate can swing, and a driving shaft can drive the second dredging plate to swing. The discharging port dredging mechanism is arranged at the discharging port, the discharging port dredging mechanism can push the cream tubes above the bottom layer of cream tubes to the direction away from the discharging port through swinging, so that the upper cream tubes are separated from the discharging port, and the bottom layer of cream tubes continuously moves to the discharging port under the action of the movable plate, so that the bottom layer of cream tubes is sequentially discharged from the discharging port, and a single layer queue is formed. The application further discloses a method for automatically forming a single layer queue of a cream tube stack.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to equipment for producing ointment-type pharmaceuticals, specifically to an ointment tube feeding device for an ointment tube filling machine. This invention also relates to a method for automatically forming a single-layer queue of ointment tubes. Background Technology

[0002] Ointment tubes are flexible tubes used to hold ointment-like substances, typically made of aluminum, aluminum-plastic composite, or plastic (such as polyethylene). Pharmaceutical ointment tubes, due to their excellent insulating properties, resistance to breakage, hygiene, ease of use, soft feel, and deformability, have become the preferred packaging material for pharmaceutical manufacturers of cream formulations. They are used in the production of commonly used over-the-counter dermatological medications such as urea cream and zinc oxide ointment. As the demand for these medications continues to increase, pharmaceutical manufacturers need to continuously improve production efficiency, thus requiring the automation of all stages of drug production.

[0003] In the production process of ointment-type medicines, one step is to fill the ointment-like medicine into an empty ointment tube, and then perform a compression operation on the end of the ointment tube to close the end of the tube, thereby preventing the ointment-like medicine from leaking out from the end of the ointment tube, thus completing the production of the ointment medicine.

[0004] To automate the filling process, a timing belt is needed to transport materials such as... Figure 1 The multiple ointment tubes shown are pushed horizontally to the rotary station. The ointment tubes are rotated 90° clockwise by the ointment tube rotation mechanism of the rotary station to become inverted, and finally transported to the filling station.

[0005] Because the ointment tubes are long and thin, they are stacked in multiple layers in the preparation box, such as... Figure 2 As shown. The synchronous belt must sequentially transport the ointment tubes, which are arranged in a single layer, to the ointment tube rotating mechanism in order to achieve subsequent automated operations. Therefore, the ointment tubes need to be arranged in a single layer queue.

[0006] Currently, the method for obtaining single-layer queue ointment tubes relies on their own gravity to allow multiple tubes to be ejected sequentially from the lowest point of the preparation tank. However, because empty ointment tubes are relatively light, it is difficult for them to be ejected from the preparation tank solely by their own gravity. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide an ointment tube feeding device for an ointment tube filling equipment, which can guide the ointment tubes to be ejected one by one from the discharge port of the material preparation box, thereby forming a single-layer queue.

[0008] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution of the ointment tube feeding device of the ointment tube filling equipment of the present invention is as follows:

[0009] The device includes a material preparation box, with a base frame fixedly mounted at its bottom, sloping downwards from left to right. The lower end of the base frame extends out of the material preparation box from the right side, forming a discharge port between the base frame and the material preparation box. The discharge port of the material preparation box is provided with a discharge port guiding mechanism. The discharge port guiding mechanism includes a first guiding plate, a second guiding plate, a guide rail, and rollers. The first guiding plate is movably connected to the right side wall of the material preparation box and is capable of swinging. The second guiding plate is fixedly connected to a drive shaft, which can drive the second guiding plate to swing. A guide groove is provided on the lower edge of the guide rail. The guide rail is connected to a first adjusting block by screws. The first adjusting block is connected to a first support plate. The first support plate is fixedly connected to the first guiding plate. Rollers are movably disposed within the guide groove of the guide rail. The axle of the rollers is connected to a second adjusting block. The second adjusting block is connected to a second support plate. The second support plate is fixedly connected to the second guiding plate.

[0010] In another embodiment, the initial tilt angle of the second guide plate is smaller than the initial tilt angle of the first guide plate.

[0011] In another embodiment, a guide plate is formed at the bottom of the second guide plate; the material outlet of the material preparation box is formed between the guide plate and the upper surface of the base frame.

[0012] In another embodiment, the guide plate is parallel to the upper surface of the base frame.

[0013] In another embodiment, the distance between the guide plate and the upper surface of the base is greater than one times the diameter of the ointment tube and less than twice the diameter of the ointment tube.

[0014] In another embodiment, one end of the first guide plate is connected to a fixed bracket via a pin, and the fixed bracket is fixedly connected to the right side wall of the material preparation box.

[0015] In another embodiment, the mounting bracket is located above the drive shaft.

[0016] In another embodiment, the first support plate has a first guide groove; the relative position of the guide rail and the first adjusting block with respect to the first support plate can be adjusted along the first guide groove by means of the screw.

[0017] In another embodiment, the second support plate is provided with a second guide groove; the roller axle can adjust the relative position of the roller and the second adjusting block with respect to the second support plate along the second guide groove.

[0018] In another embodiment, a weight-reducing mechanism is fixedly installed on the left side of the middle part of the material preparation box.

[0019] In another embodiment, the weight reduction mechanism includes a buffer plate that extends in an inclined direction; the lower end of the buffer plate is fixedly connected to a guide plate.

[0020] In another embodiment, the tilt angle of the guide plate is greater than the tilt angle of the buffer plate.

[0021] In another embodiment, the base frame is fixedly connected to at least two sliding rods, which extend along the length of the base frame; an upper sliding block and a lower sliding block are movably sleeved at both ends of the sliding rods; the upper sliding block is fixedly connected to the upper end of the movable plate, and the lower sliding block is fixedly connected to the lower end of the movable plate; wherein either the lower sliding block or the upper sliding block is fixedly connected to a drive block.

[0022] This invention also provides a method for automatically forming a single-layer queue from a stack of ointment tubes, the technical solution of which includes the following steps:

[0023] The first step is to drive an external power source to make the eccentric wheel rotate around its center of rotation, thereby driving the drive block to reciprocate and causing the drive shaft to swing.

[0024] The second step is that the drive block drives the movable plate to reciprocate relative to the base frame; the swing of the drive shaft drives the second guide plate and the first guide plate to swing synchronously.

[0025] The third step involves the ointment tubes piled up in the preparation box moving downwards; the ointment tubes reach the first guide plate; the ointment tubes that arrive first slide down along the inclined surface of the first guide plate to the bottom of the first guide plate, while the ointment tubes that arrive later are piled up on the top of the first guide plate.

[0026] In the fourth step, the first guide plate moves the ointment tubes above it away from the outlet during the swinging process to prevent the ointment tubes from accumulating near the outlet; the ointment tubes below the first guide plate continue to move downward to the movable plate and base frame at the bottom of the preparation box; the reciprocating motion of the movable plate gives the ointment tubes an intermittent driving force toward the outlet, which is superimposed on the ointment tubes' own weight, giving the ointment tubes a tendency to move toward the outlet;

[0027] Fifth step: The ointment tubes below the first guide plate move towards the outlet to the second guide plate. During the swinging process, the second guide plate pushes the ointment tubes in contact with it away from the outlet. The layer of ointment tubes at the bottom of the preparation box moves orderly and gradually towards the outlet along its original path and is ejected from the outlet in sequence, thus forming a single-layer queue after the outlet.

[0028] The technical effects that this invention can achieve are:

[0029] The base frame of this invention is fixedly installed at the bottom of the material preparation box in an inclined position. During the reciprocating motion of the movable plate relative to the base frame at the bottom of the material preparation box, it can drive multiple ointment tubes inside the material preparation box to reciprocate along the inclined direction. During this process, the ointment tubes can intermittently receive a driving force towards the discharge port. This driving force is superimposed on the weight of the ointment tubes, giving the ointment tubes a tendency to move towards the discharge port. Therefore, the ointment tube pushing mechanism of this invention can cause the ointment tubes at the bottom of the material preparation box to move towards the discharge port.

[0030] The present invention includes a discharge port guiding mechanism at the discharge port. During the swinging process, the discharge port guiding mechanism changes the movement path of the ointment tubes above the discharge port, pushing the ointment tubes above the bottom layer away from the discharge port, thereby causing the upper ointment tubes to leave the discharge port; while the ointment tubes at the bottom layer continue to move towards the discharge port under the action of the movable plate, thus enabling the bottom layer ointment tubes to be ejected from the discharge port in sequence, thereby forming a single-layer queue.

[0031] The first guide plate and the second guide plate of the discharge port guiding mechanism of the present invention form an angle, and the first guide plate is located above the second guide plate. The first guide plate can push the ointment tubes above the discharge port away from the discharge port before the ointment tubes reach the discharge port. Only the ointment tubes below the first guide plate can move from the bottom of the first guide plate towards the discharge port, so as to avoid the ointment tubes in the preparation box reaching the discharge port at the same time and clogging the discharge port, thereby reducing the guiding pressure of the second guide plate. The second guide plate pushes the ointment tubes above the bottom layer of ointment tubes that have reached the discharge port away from the discharge port, so that the bottom layer of ointment tubes can be ejected from the discharge port in sequence to form a single-layer queue. Attached Figure Description

[0032] Those skilled in the art will understand that the following description is merely illustrative of the principles of the invention, which can be applied in various ways to achieve many different alternative implementations. These descriptions are intended only to illustrate the general principles of the teachings of the invention and are not intended to limit the inventive concept disclosed herein.

[0033] Embodiments of the invention are illustrated in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form part of this specification, and together with the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the drawings, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

[0034] The present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments:

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an ointment tube;

[0036] Figure 2This is a schematic diagram showing multiple layers of ointment tubes arranged in a preparation box; for simplicity, only the ointment tubes in the lower right corner are shown in the diagram.

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the ointment tube feeding device of the ointment tube filling equipment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the weight reduction mechanism of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the ointment tube dispensing mechanism of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the ointment tube dispensing mechanism of the present invention from another angle;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the discharge port guiding mechanism of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the discharge port guiding mechanism of the present invention from another angle;

[0043] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the power drive mechanism of the present invention.

[0044] Explanation of the reference numerals in the figure:

[0045] 1 is the base frame, 2 is the sliding rod.

[0046] 3 is the upper slider, and 4 is the lower slider.

[0047] 5 is the movable board, 6 is the driving block.

[0048] 10 is the material preparation box, and 11 is the material outlet.

[0049] 12 is the weight reduction mechanism, and 13 is the right side wall.

[0050] 14 is a fixed bracket, and 15 is a pin.

[0051] 121 is a buffer plate, and 122 is a guide plate.

[0052] 21 is the first guide plate, and 22 is the first support plate.

[0053] 23 is the adjusting block, and 24 is the guide rail.

[0054] 25 is the roller, 26 is the connector.

[0055] 27 is the second support plate, and 28 is the second drainage plate.

[0056] 29 is the drive shaft, and 281 is the guide plate.

[0057] Link 31 is the third link, and link 32 is the second link.

[0058] 33 is the first connecting rod, and 34 is the eccentric wheel.

[0059] 311 is the connecting rod guide groove, and 331 is the upper pin.

[0060] 321 is the slider, and 322 is the lower pin. Detailed Implementation

[0061] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of the present invention. Based on the described embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used herein should have the ordinary meaning understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar words used herein do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to distinguish different components. Words such as "comprising" mean that the element or object preceding the word covers the element or object listed after the word and its equivalents, but does not exclude other elements or objects. Words such as "connected" or "linked" are not limited to physical or mechanical connections, whether direct or indirect. Terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "back" are only used to indicate relative positional relationships; when the absolute position of the described object changes, the relative positional relationship may also change accordingly.

[0062] like Figure 3 As shown, the ointment tube feeding device of the ointment tube filling equipment of the present invention includes a material preparation box 10, and a base frame 1 in an inclined position is fixedly provided at the bottom of the material preparation box 10; the lower end of the base frame 1 extends out of the material preparation box 10 from the right side, and a discharge port 11 is formed between the base frame 1 and the material preparation box 10.

[0063] A weight-reducing mechanism 12 is fixedly installed on the left side of the middle part of the material preparation box 10; such as Figure 4 As shown, the weight reduction mechanism 12 includes a buffer plate 121, which extends in an inclined direction; the lower end of the buffer plate 121 is fixedly connected to a guide plate 122; the inclination angle of the guide plate 122 is greater than the inclination angle of the buffer plate 121; the bottom of the buffer plate 121 is fixedly connected to a connecting plate 123; the weight reduction mechanism 12 is fixedly connected to the rear side wall of the material preparation box 10 through the connecting plate 123.

[0064] The ointment tubes located at the bottom of the preparation box 10 need to support the weight of all the ointment tubes above them. If there are too many ointment tubes in the preparation box 10, it will make it difficult for the ointment tubes at the bottom of the preparation box 10 to move. In addition, when loading ointment tubes into the preparation box 10, it is necessary to tilt the preparation box 10 from the top down. Since the preparation box 10 is relatively high, the ointment tubes are prone to deformation as they move from the top to the bottom of the preparation box 10.

[0065] This invention includes a weight-reducing mechanism 12 in the middle of the material preparation box 10. When the total height of the ointment tubes piled up in the material preparation box 10 is greater than the height of the weight-reducing mechanism 12, the ointment tubes higher than the weight-reducing mechanism 12 can be supported by the buffer plate 121 of the weight-reducing mechanism 12, thereby reducing the pressure on the ointment tubes below them. During the process of pouring the ointment tubes downwards from the top of the material preparation box 10, the ointment tubes first reach the buffer plate 121 of the weight-reducing mechanism 12, and then fall along the guide plate 122. In this process, the buffer plate 121 cushions the fall of the ointment tubes and allows them to fall slowly along the inclined surface of the buffer plate 121, preventing the free fall of the ointment tubes from deforming the mechanism at the bottom of the material preparation box or the ointment tubes themselves; the guide plate 122 guides the movement of the ointment tubes.

[0066] The bottom of the preparation box 10 is equipped with an ointment tube pushing mechanism; such as Figure 5 , Figure 6 As shown, the ointment tube pushing mechanism includes at least two slide rods 2, which extend along the length of the base frame 1 and are fixedly connected to the base frame 1; an upper slide block 3 and a lower slide block 4 are movably sleeved on the slide rods 2; the upper slide blocks 3 of the two slide rods 2 are fixedly connected to the upper end of the movable plate 5, and the lower slide blocks 4 of the two slide rods 2 are fixedly connected to the lower end of the movable plate 5; wherein the lower slide block 4 is fixedly connected to the drive block 6.

[0067] The length of the movable plate 5 is less than the length of the material preparation box 10, so that the movable plate 5 can reciprocate at the bottom of the material preparation box 10.

[0068] The material preparation box 10 is equipped with a material outlet guiding mechanism at its discharge port 11; such as Figure 7 , Figure 8 As shown, the discharge port guiding mechanism includes a first guiding plate 21. One end of the first guiding plate 21 is movably connected to a fixed bracket 14 via a pin 15. The fixed bracket 14 is fixedly connected to the right side wall of the material preparation box 10. The first guiding plate 21 extends in an inclined direction. The first guiding plate 21 can swing around the pin 15 within the material preparation box 10.

[0069] The bottom of the first guide plate 21 is fixedly connected to the first support plate 22, and the first support plate 22 is provided with a first guide groove; the first guide groove is movably connected to the first adjusting block 23, and the first adjusting block 23 is connected to the guide rail 24 by screws;

[0070] Specifically, the screw of the first adjusting block 23 passes through the first guide groove of the first support plate 22 so that the first adjusting block 23 can move along the first guide groove of the first support plate 22;

[0071] The lower edge of the guide rail 24 is provided with a guide groove, and a roller 25 is movably arranged in the guide groove; the axle of the roller 25 is fixedly connected to the second adjusting block 26, and the second adjusting block 26 is connected to the second support plate 27; the second support plate 27 can support the first guide plate 21 from below through the movable cooperation between the roller 25 and the guide rail 24, so that the first guide plate 21 has an initial tilt angle.

[0072] Specifically, roller 25 is movably connected to its axle via a bearing, and roller 25 can rotate relative to its axle along the guide groove of guide rail 24; the second support plate 27 has a second guide groove; the axle of roller 25 is threadedly connected to the second adjusting block 26; when the axle of roller 25 is loosened, the initial position of the second adjusting block 26 can be moved along the second guide groove of the second support plate 27, thereby adjusting the initial position of roller 25 and guide rail 24; when the axle of roller 25 is tightened, the second adjusting block 26 can be fixedly connected to the second support plate 27, thereby maintaining the initial position of guide rail 24;

[0073] The second support plate 27 is fixedly connected to the second guide plate 28; the second guide plate 28 extends in an inclined direction; and the initial inclination angle of the second guide plate 28 is smaller than the initial inclination angle of the first guide plate 21; specifically, as shown... Figure 3 As shown, the angle between the second guide plate 28 and the right side wall 13 of the material preparation box 10 is smaller than the angle between the first guide plate 21 and the right side wall 13 of the material preparation box 10; the second guide plate 28, located above the first guide plate 21, can receive the ointment tube falling from the guide plate 122 of the weight reduction mechanism 12 before the first guide plate 21, so that the ointment tube moves orderly towards the bottom of the material preparation box 10;

[0074] A guide plate 281 is formed at the bottom of the second guide plate 28, and the guide plate 281 is parallel to the upper surface of the base frame 1; the discharge port 11 of the material preparation box 10 is formed between the guide plate 281 and the upper surface of the base frame 1.

[0075] The distance between the guide plate 281 and the upper surface of the base frame 1 is greater than one times the diameter of the ointment tube and less than two times the diameter of the ointment tube, so that only one ointment tube in the preparation box 10 can be ejected from the outlet 11.

[0076] The other end of the second support plate 27 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 29, and the drive shaft 29 is movably inserted through the side wall of the material preparation box 10.

[0077] The fixed bracket 14 is located above the drive shaft 29; as the ointment tube in the preparation box 10 moves downward under its own weight, it first reaches the first guide plate 21 connected to the fixed bracket 14, and then reaches the second guide plate 28 connected to the first guide plate 21.

[0078] The working principle of the discharge port guiding mechanism is as follows:

[0079] During installation, the drive shaft 29 is rotated to determine the initial angle of the second support plate 27, thereby determining the initial tilt angle of the second guide plate 28.

[0080] Loosen the axle of roller 25 and move the second adjusting block 26 along the second guide groove of the second support plate 27 to adjust the initial position of roller 25 and guide rail 24; then tighten the axle of roller 25 to fix the second adjusting block 26 to the second support plate 27.

[0081] Loosen the first adjusting block 23 to move it along the first guide groove of the first support plate 22, adjust the initial position of the first adjusting block 23, and thus adjust the initial tilt angle of the first guide plate 21; make the initial tilt angle of the second guide plate 28 smaller than the initial tilt angle of the first guide plate 21; then tighten the first adjusting block 23 to fix the first adjusting block 23 to the first support plate 22.

[0082] The swing of the drive shaft 29 can drive the second guide plate 28 and the second support plate 27 to swing synchronously;

[0083] During the swinging process of the second support plate 27, the second support plate 27 drives the roller 25 to move along the guide groove of the lower edge of the guide rail 24 through the second adjusting block 26, thereby driving the guide rail 24 to swing; the guide rail 24 drives the first support plate 22 and the first guide plate 21 to swing around the pin shaft 15 through the first adjusting block 23.

[0084] During the swinging process of the first guide plate 21, the first guide plate 21 can push the ointment tube that moves to its upper part away from the outlet 11, thereby preventing the ointment tube from accumulating near the outlet 11; while the ointment tube that moves to the lower part of the first guide plate 21 continues to move towards the outlet 11.

[0085] During the swinging process of the second guide plate 28, the second guide plate 28 can push the ointment tubes that have moved to the outlet 11 away from the outlet 11. Since the distance between the guide plate 281 of the second guide plate 28 and the upper surface of the base frame 1 is greater than the diameter of the ointment tube, the bottom layer of ointment tubes cannot contact the second guide plate 28. Therefore, they can be ejected from the outlet 11 along their original path, thus forming a single-layer queue after the outlet 11.

[0086] This invention requires only one external power source to enable the first and second guide plates to swing synchronously, thereby guiding the ointment tubes piled up in the material box at different positions, so that the piled ointment tubes automatically form a single-layer queue, preparing for subsequent continuous automated production.

[0087] like Figure 9 As shown, a power drive mechanism is provided on the outside of the material preparation box 10; the power drive mechanism includes an eccentric wheel 34, the axle of the eccentric wheel 34 is fixedly connected to an external power source, and the external power source can drive the eccentric wheel 34 to rotate around its rotation center; the eccentric wheel 34 is movably connected to the lower end of the first connecting rod 33 through a lower pin 322; a radial distance is formed between the lower pin 322 and the axle of the eccentric wheel 34 so that the lower end of the first connecting rod 33 is offset from the rotation center of the eccentric wheel 34;

[0088] The upper end of the first link 33 is movably connected to the lower end of the second link 32 via the upper pin 331, and the upper end of the second link 32 is movably connected to the third link 31; the upper pin 331 is fixedly connected to the drive block 6 of the ointment tube pushing mechanism.

[0089] The third link 31 is provided with a link guide groove 311; the upper end of the second link 32 is provided with a slider 321; the slider 321 is disposed in the link guide groove 311 of the third link 31.

[0090] The fixed end of the third link 31 is fixedly connected to the drive shaft 29 of the discharge port guiding mechanism; the drive shaft 29 passes through the rear side wall of the material preparation box 10.

[0091] The power drive mechanism of the present invention requires only one external power source to realize the reciprocating motion of the drive block 6 and the oscillation of the drive shaft 29.

[0092] The working principle of this invention is as follows:

[0093] Drive an external power source to drive the eccentric wheel 34 to rotate around its rotation center, thereby driving the lower end of the first connecting rod 33 to rotate around the rotation center of the eccentric wheel 34;

[0094] Since the movement of the drive block 6, which is fixedly connected to the upper pin 331, is constrained by the slide bar 2, the upper pin 331 and the drive block 6 can only move along the length direction of the slide bar 2; therefore, the circumferential movement of the lower end of the first link 33 can drive the upper end of the first link 33 to reciprocate.

[0095] The upper end of the first link 33 drives the lower end of the second link 32 to reciprocate through the upper pin 331, thereby driving the third link 31 and the drive shaft 29 to swing at a small angle around the rotation center of the drive shaft 29. Figure 9The diagram shows the two extreme positions of the third link 31; the solid line represents the lowest point of the third link 31, and the dashed line represents the highest point of the third link 31; the swing amplitude of the drive shaft 29 is determined by the position of the slider 321 in the link guide groove 311 of the third link 31.

[0096] Ointment tubes are placed into the material preparation box 10. The total height of the ointment tubes piled up in the material preparation box 10 can exceed the position of the weight reduction mechanism 12. Under its own weight, the ointment tubes first reach the height of the weight reduction mechanism 12, then the height of the first guide plate 21, and finally the height of the second guide plate 28.

[0097] The drive block 6 drives the lower slider 4, which is fixedly connected to it, to reciprocate along the slide bar 2. The lower slider 4 drives the movable plate 5 to reciprocate relative to the base frame 1. At the same time, another lower slider 4 and two upper sliders 3 move synchronously along the slide bar 2, thereby guiding the movement of the movable plate 5.

[0098] As the movable plate 5 reciprocates relative to the base frame 1 at the bottom of the material preparation box 10 in an inclined direction, it drives multiple ointment tubes inside the material preparation box 10 to reciprocate in an inclined direction.

[0099] The swing of the drive shaft 29 causes the second guide plate 28 and the second support plate 27 to swing synchronously; during the swing of the second support plate 27, the second support plate 27 drives the roller 25 to move along the guide groove of the lower edge of the guide rail 24, thereby causing the guide rail 24 to swing; the guide rail 24 causes the first support plate 22 and the first guide plate 21 to swing around the pin shaft 15.

[0100] When the ointment tube reaches the weight reduction mechanism 12, the weight reduction mechanism 12 guides the ointment tube to the first guide plate 21 through its guide plate 122; the first guide plate 21 can buffer the fall of the ointment tube and make the ointment tube that arrives first slide down along the inclined surface of the first guide plate 21 to the bottom of the first guide plate 21.

[0101] During the swinging process, the first guide plate 21 pushes the ointment tube above it away from the outlet 11, while the ointment tube below it continues to move downward to the movable plate 5 and the base frame 1 at the bottom of the preparation box 10; through the reciprocating motion of the movable plate 5, the ointment tube intermittently obtains a driving force toward the outlet 11, which is superimposed with the weight of the ointment tube itself, so that the ointment tube has a tendency to move toward the outlet 11.

[0102] When the ointment tube moves toward the outlet 11 and reaches the second guide plate 28, the second guide plate 28 pushes the ointment tube in contact with it away from the outlet 11 during the swinging process; only the layer of ointment tubes at the bottom of the preparation box 10 moves in an orderly manner toward the outlet 11 along its original path and is ejected from the outlet 11 in sequence, thus forming a single-layer queue after the outlet 11, so as to prepare for feeding the next process.

[0103] This invention requires only one external power source to drive the movable plate of the ointment tube pushing mechanism to reciprocate, and simultaneously drive the first and second guide plates to swing synchronously. The ointment tube pushing mechanism can cause the ointment tubes at the bottom of the preparation box to move towards the discharge port, while the first and second guide plates can allow the bottom layer of ointment tubes to be ejected from the discharge port in sequence, forming a single-layer queue. Therefore, this invention can significantly improve the production efficiency of ointment medicines.

[0104] The present invention provides a method for automatically forming a single-layer queue from a stack of ointment tubes, comprising the following steps:

[0105] The first step is to drive an external power source to make the eccentric wheel 34 rotate around its rotation center, thereby driving the drive block 6 to reciprocate and driving the drive shaft 29 to swing.

[0106] In the second step, the drive block 6 drives the movable plate 5 to reciprocate relative to the base frame 1; the swing of the drive shaft 29 drives the second guide plate 28 and the first guide plate 21 to swing synchronously.

[0107] Third, the ointment tubes piled up in the preparation box 10 move from top to bottom; when the ointment tubes reach the weight reduction mechanism 12, the weight reduction mechanism 12 guides the ointment tubes to the first guide plate 21 through its guide plate 122; the ointment tubes that arrive first slide down along the inclined surface of the first guide plate 21 to the bottom of the first guide plate 21, and the ointment tubes that arrive later are piled up on the top of the first guide plate 21.

[0108] In the fourth step, during the swinging process, the first guide plate 21 pushes the ointment tube above it away from the outlet 11 to prevent the ointment tube from accumulating near the outlet 11; the ointment tube below the first guide plate 21 continues to move downward to the movable plate 5 and the base frame 1 at the bottom of the preparation box 10; the reciprocating motion of the movable plate 5 causes the ointment tube to intermittently receive a driving force toward the outlet 11, which is superimposed on the ointment tube's own weight, giving the ointment tube a tendency to move toward the outlet 11;

[0109] In the fifth step, the ointment tubes below the first guide plate 21 move towards the outlet 11 to the second guide plate 28. During the swinging process, the second guide plate 28 pushes the ointment tubes in contact with it away from the outlet 11. The layer of ointment tubes at the bottom of the preparation box 10 moves orderly and gradually towards the outlet 11 along its original path, and is ejected from the outlet 11 in sequence, thus forming a single-layer queue after the outlet 11.

[0110] Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various modifications and variations to this invention without departing from its spirit and scope. Therefore, if these modifications fall within the scope of the claims of this invention and their equivalents, this invention also intends to include these modifications and variations.

Claims

1. An ointment tube feeding device for an ointment tube filling equipment, characterized in that, The system includes a material preparation box, with a base frame fixedly mounted at its bottom, sloping downwards from left to right. The lower end of the base frame extends from the right side of the material preparation box, forming a discharge port between the base frame and the box. The discharge port is equipped with a discharge port guiding mechanism. The discharge port guiding mechanism includes: The first guide plate is movably connected to the right side wall of the material preparation box; the first guide plate is capable of swinging. The second guide plate is fixedly connected to the drive shaft; the drive shaft can drive the second guide plate to swing. The guide rail has a guide groove on its lower edge; the guide rail is connected to a first support plate, and the first support plate is fixedly connected to the first guide plate; and The roller is movably disposed within the guide groove of the guide rail; the roller is connected to the second support plate, and the second support plate is fixedly connected to the second guide plate; The roller's axle is connected to the second adjusting block, which in turn is connected to the second support plate; the guide rail is connected to the first adjusting block via screws, which in turn is connected to the first support plate. The first support plate has a first guide groove; the relative position of the guide rail and the first adjusting block with respect to the first support plate can be adjusted along the first guide groove by means of the screw; The second support plate has a second guide groove; the relative position of the roller and the second adjusting block with respect to the second support plate can be adjusted along the second guide groove via the axle of the roller. A weight-reducing mechanism is fixedly installed on the left side of the middle part of the material preparation box; the weight-reducing mechanism includes a buffer plate that extends in an inclined direction; a guide plate is fixedly connected to the lower end of the buffer plate; the inclination angle of the guide plate is greater than the inclination angle of the buffer plate.

2. The ointment tube feeding device of the ointment tube filling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The initial tilt angle of the second guide plate is smaller than the initial tilt angle of the first guide plate.

3. The ointment tube feeding device of the ointment tube filling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, A guide plate is formed at the bottom of the second guide plate; the material outlet of the material preparation box is formed between the guide plate and the upper surface of the base frame; the guide plate is parallel to the upper surface of the base frame.

4. The ointment tube feeding device of the ointment tube filling equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that, The distance between the guide plate and the upper surface of the base is greater than one times the diameter of the ointment tube and less than twice the diameter of the ointment tube.

5. The ointment tube feeding device of the ointment tube filling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, One end of the first guide plate is connected to a fixed bracket via a pin, and the fixed bracket is fixedly connected to the right side wall of the material preparation box; the fixed bracket is located above the drive shaft.

6. The ointment tube feeding device of the ointment tube filling equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom of the preparation box is provided with an ointment tube pushing mechanism; the ointment tube pushing mechanism includes at least two slide rods, and an upper slide block and a lower slide block are movably sleeved on the slide rods; the upper slide block is fixedly connected to the upper end of the movable plate, and the lower slide block is fixedly connected to the lower end of the movable plate; wherein the lower slide block is fixedly connected to the drive block. The material preparation box is equipped with a power drive mechanism on its exterior; the power drive mechanism includes an eccentric wheel, the axle of which is fixedly connected to an external power source; the eccentric wheel is connected to the lower end of a first connecting rod, the upper end of which is connected to a second connecting rod via an upper pin, and the upper pin is fixedly connected to the drive block.

7. A method for automatically forming a single-layer queue from a stack of ointment tubes, characterized in that, Using the ointment tube feeding device as described in claim 6, Includes the following steps: The first step is to drive an external power source to make the eccentric wheel rotate around its center of rotation, thereby driving the drive block to reciprocate and causing the drive shaft to swing. The second step is that the drive block drives the movable plate to reciprocate relative to the base frame; the swing of the drive shaft drives the second guide plate and the first guide plate to swing synchronously. The third step involves the ointment tubes piled up in the preparation box moving downwards; the ointment tubes reach the first guide plate; the ointment tubes that arrive first slide down along the inclined surface of the first guide plate to the bottom of the first guide plate, while the ointment tubes that arrive later are piled up on the top of the first guide plate. In the fourth step, the first guide plate moves the ointment tubes above it away from the outlet during the swinging process to prevent the ointment tubes from accumulating near the outlet; the ointment tubes below the first guide plate continue to move downward to the movable plate and base frame at the bottom of the preparation box; the reciprocating motion of the movable plate gives the ointment tubes an intermittent driving force toward the outlet, which is superimposed on the ointment tubes' own weight, giving the ointment tubes a tendency to move toward the outlet; Fifth step: The ointment tubes below the first guide plate move towards the outlet to the second guide plate. During the swinging process, the second guide plate pushes the ointment tubes in contact with it away from the outlet. The layer of ointment tubes at the bottom of the preparation box moves orderly and gradually towards the outlet along its original path and is ejected from the outlet in sequence, thus forming a single-layer queue after the outlet.

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