Automatic cigar tube loading equipment

Abstract

This invention discloses an automatic cigar tube filling device, comprising a roller conveyor with an intermittently moving conveyor belt. From left to right, an automatic material feeding mechanism, a stepped tube pushing mechanism, a capping and dispensing mechanism, and a capping and rotating device are sequentially arranged on the upper part of the roller conveyor. The automatic material feeding mechanism includes a cigar storage bin and a packaging tube storage bin located on its right rear side. A rotating drum is rotatably installed inside the outlet of each of the two storage bins. Multiple material troughs are evenly arranged longitudinally on the outer edge of the rotating drum. The outlets of the cigar storage bin and the packaging tube storage bin correspond to the conveyor belt. The stepped tube pushing mechanism includes a reciprocating stepped pusher plate, which increases in steps evenly from the material inlet, with its bottom close to the upper surface of the conveyor belt. The capping and rotating device includes a capping mechanism and a rotating mechanism installed on both sides of the roller conveyor and axially aligned. This invention achieves rapid and automated packaging of tubular cigars through multi-step cigar tube filling and sealing, significantly improving production efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to cigar packaging equipment, and more specifically, to an automatic cigar filling device. Background Technology

[0002] A cigar is a tobacco product made from dried and fermented tobacco. When smoking, one end is lit, and the other end is inhaled to produce smoke. Its unique taste is appreciated by smokers. To facilitate storage, transportation, further fermentation, and sale, cigarette manufacturers package cigars after production. Common packaging methods include boxed and single-cigar packaging. For example, Chinese utility model patent CN221554698U discloses an umbrella-style pull-out cigar box, which uses the box body as a container and secures the cigars with partitions. Single-cigar packaging mainly uses tubular packaging, where the cigar is packaged in a hollow tube with an opening at one end and a closed end at the other. The opening end is sealed with a cap, which is typically threaded or snap-fitted to the tube. Higher-end cigars often use single-tube packaging. Single-tube packaging effectively protects the wrapper and stem of cigars from physical damage, while providing a better fermentation environment, preventing moisture evaporation, helping cigars maintain their aroma, and improving their quality. Single-tube packaging also makes cigars more portable, easily placed in a pocket, suitable for smoking on the go. Chinese invention patent document CN202010514194 discloses a rotary cigar tube filling device, which uses an empty tube conveyor belt to transport the cigar tube to a rotating slot. The rotating slot drives the cigar tube to rotate, and when the cigar tube rotates to the lower part of the automatic cigar filler, the cigar is filled in. Then, the robotic arm of the automatic capping device grabs the cap and installs it on the cigar tube. Although this device can automatically fill and seal cigars, the operation steps are limited to the rotating slot, resulting in low production efficiency, which cannot meet the needs of large-scale industrial production and the growing market demand. Summary of the Invention

[0003] This invention overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art and provides an implementation method for an automatic cigar filling device, which is expected to solve the technical problem that the existing automatic cigar filling devices have low production efficiency and cannot meet the needs of large-scale industrial production.

[0004] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, one embodiment of the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0005] An automatic cigar tube filling device includes a roller conveyor with an intermittently moving conveyor belt. From left to right, an automatic feeding mechanism, a stepped tube pushing mechanism, a capping and dispensing mechanism, and a capping and rotating device are sequentially arranged on the upper part of the roller conveyor. The automatic feeding mechanism includes a cigar storage bin and a packaging tube storage bin located on its right rear side. A rotating drum is rotatably installed inside the outlet of each of the cigar and packaging tube storage bins. Multiple material troughs are evenly arranged longitudinally on the outer edge of the rotating drums. The outlets of the cigar and packaging tube storage bins correspond to the conveyor belt. The stepped tube pushing mechanism includes a reciprocating stepped pusher plate with steps evenly increasing from the incoming material end, its bottom close to the upper surface of the conveyor belt. The capping and rotating device includes a capping mechanism and a rotating mechanism installed on both sides of the roller conveyor and axially aligned.

[0006] Optional: The roller conveyor includes a chain and rollers, with multiple rollers evenly and longitudinally fixedly installed on the chain, and a limiting groove forming between adjacent rollers. The limiting groove axially limits the falling cigars, packaging tubes, and caps, while the limiting groove, being smaller than the diameter of the cigars, prevents the cigars from falling out of the limiting groove.

[0007] Optionally, the material trough is arranged parallel to the roller, and the left side of the outlet of the cigar storage bin and the packaging tube storage bin are respectively provided with an arc-shaped baffle that partially covers the rotating drum. The arc-shaped baffle limits the cigar or packaging tube, preventing it from falling prematurely, and ensuring that it falls accurately into the corresponding limiting groove below after it leaves the limit of the arc-shaped baffle.

[0008] Optional: The cigar storage bin and the packaging tube storage bin are each equipped with an auxiliary roller that rotates rotatably. The auxiliary rollers are positioned parallel to the upper left of the drum, and the drum and auxiliary rollers rotate counter-clockwise. The rotation of the auxiliary rollers dislodges the cigars or packaging tubes from the outer surface of the drum, preventing them from getting stuck between the outlet and the drum.

[0009] Optional: The stepped pusher mechanism further includes a pusher cylinder and a limiting frame. The cylinder body of the pusher cylinder is fixedly connected to one side of the roller conveyor, and its cylinder shaft is fixedly connected to the rear end of the stepped pusher plate. Two limiting frames are longitudinally fixedly installed on the roller conveyor, and the two sides of the stepped pusher plate are slidably connected to the limiting frames. The pusher cylinder realizes the reciprocating motion of the stepped pusher plate, while the limiting frames ensure the stability of the reciprocating motion of the stepped pusher plate.

[0010] Optionally, the roller conveyor includes a first roller conveyor and a second roller conveyor. A transition trough is inclinedly provided between the discharge port of the first roller conveyor and the inlet of the second roller conveyor. The transition trough is located at the discharge port end of the first roller conveyor, which is higher than the inlet end of the second roller conveyor. The automatic material feeding mechanism and the stepped tube pushing mechanism are located on the upper part of the first roller conveyor, and the capping and unloading mechanism and the capping and rotating device are located on the upper part of the second roller conveyor. The first roller conveyor and the second roller conveyor separate the tube loading and sealing processes, preventing the entire production line from stopping if one process fails.

[0011] Optional: A middle guide plate and a bottom guide plate are also horizontally fixedly installed on the first roller conveyor, close to the bottom roller; the middle guide plate is located between the outlets of the cigar storage bin and the packaging tube storage bin, and consists of two sections, with the stepped tube pushing mechanism located between the two sections of the middle guide plate; the bottom guide plate is located on the other side of the cigar storage bin. The middle guide plate divides the limiting groove into an inner half and an outer half, with the limiting groove between the middle guide plate and the bottom guide plate being the outer half. The inner half provides longitudinal limiting for the packaging tube, and the outer half provides longitudinal limiting for the cigar, thereby preventing the cigar and packaging tube from moving longitudinally during the movement.

[0012] Optionally, the second roller conveyor is also laterally fixed with a left guide plate, a second middle guide plate, and a second bottom guide plate, which are similar to its rollers. The left guide plate and the second middle guide plate are located on both sides of the transition trough and gradually approach each other from the transition trough to the discharge port. The second bottom guide plate is located on the opposite side of the left guide plate on the second roller conveyor. The limiting trough on the second roller conveyor is divided into a packaging tube section and a capping section by the three guide plates. The packaging tube section longitudinally limits the packaging tube containing cigars, thereby orderly conveying the packaging tube to the capping section for subsequent capping. The capping section longitudinally limits the cap.

[0013] Optional: The cap feeding mechanism includes a vibratory feeder, a feeding track, and a cap separating mechanism. One end of the feeding track is located at the discharge port of the vibratory feeder, and the cap separating mechanism is connected to the other end of the feeding track and corresponds to the conveyor belt. The cap separating mechanism includes a cap separating cylinder, cap separating grippers, and cap separating baffles. The cap separating cylinder is a telescopic cylinder with its cylinder shaft pointing downwards. Two cap separating grippers are rotatably mounted on the lower part of the cap separating cylinder via a rotating shaft. The two cap separating grippers have a Z-shaped structure and are arranged mirror-image opposite each other. The cylinder shaft of the cap separating cylinder can drive the two cap separating grippers to rotate left and right. The bottom of each of the two cap separating grippers is fixedly equipped with a cap separating baffle that controls the opening and closing of the discharge port of the feeding track. By driving the cap separating grippers to rotate left and right, the opening and closing of the discharge port of the feeding track is controlled.

[0014] Optionally, a vision inspection mechanism is mounted on the second roller conveyor via a gantry frame. The vision inspection mechanism includes a line-scan industrial camera, the working end of which corresponds to a capping rotation device. A rejection mechanism is also provided at the rear of the vision inspection mechanism on one side of the second roller conveyor. This rejection mechanism is a telescopic cylinder connected to a control terminal signal. The vision inspection mechanism performs visual inspection on defective products, while the rejection mechanism simultaneously rejects the defective products.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects: The present invention achieves rapid and automated packaging of tube cigars by performing cigar filling and sealing in multiple steps, which greatly improves production efficiency, reduces manual operation time and costs, ensures packaging quality through visual inspection, accurately controls the appearance quality of the packaged products, and improves product quality and competitiveness. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention;

[0017] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first roller conveyor of the present invention;

[0018] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material feeding mechanism of the present invention;

[0019] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the internal structure of the material feeding mechanism of the present invention;

[0020] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the detection window in this invention;

[0021] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram showing the position of the arc-shaped baffle of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the drum structure of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the auxiliary roller of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the second roller conveyor of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the cap-opening mechanism of the present invention;

[0026] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the use state of the lid-opening mechanism of the present invention. Figure 1 ;

[0027] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the use state of the lid-opening mechanism of the present invention. Figure 2 ;

[0028] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the top cover mechanism of the present invention;

[0029] Reference numerals: 1. Automatic feeding mechanism; 101. Cigar storage bin; 102. Packaging tube storage bin; 103. Feed inlet; 104. Discharge outlet; 105. Rotary drum; 106. Material trough; 107. Auxiliary roller; 108. Transmission wheel; 109. Servo motor; 110. Arc-shaped baffle; 111. Detection window;

[0030] 2. Stepped tube pushing mechanism; 201. Tube pushing cylinder; 202. Limiting frame; 203. Stepped push plate;

[0031] 3. Cap feeding mechanism; 301. Feeding track; 302. Vibratory feeder; 303. Cap splitting mechanism; 304. Cap splitting cylinder; 305. Cap splitting gripper; 306. Cap splitting baffle;

[0032] 4. Cover rotation device; 401. Top cover mechanism; 402. Rotation mechanism; 403. Push head; 404. Arc-shaped groove; 405. Tapered roller bearing;

[0033] 5. Rejection mechanism; 501. Waste collection bin; 502. Slide rail;

[0034] 6. Roller conveyor; 601. Limiting groove; 602. First roller conveyor; 603. Second roller conveyor; 604. Support; 605. Roller; 606. Middle guide plate; 607. Bottom guide plate; 608. Left guide plate; 609. Second middle guide plate; 610. Second bottom guide plate;

[0035] 7. Transition groove;

[0036] 8. Visual inspection equipment; 801. Gantry crane; 802. Linear scan industrial camera. Detailed Implementation

[0037] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this invention clearer, the invention will be further described in detail below with reference to embodiments. It should be understood that the specific embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the invention.

[0038] like Figure 1As shown: An automatic cigar filling device includes a filling device, a sealing device, and a roller conveyor 6. The roller conveyor 6 uses an intermittent motion to transport materials. The filling device and the sealing device are installed on the upper part of the roller conveyor 6. The filling device includes an automatic feeding mechanism 1 and a stepped pushing mechanism 2. The sealing device includes a capping and discharging mechanism 3 and a capping and rotating device 4. The conveyor belt of the roller conveyor 6 has a number of longitudinally arranged limiting grooves 601. The longitudinally arranged limiting grooves 601 refer to the direction of the conveyor belt of the roller conveyor 6 as the transverse direction and the direction perpendicular to the transverse direction on the same horizontal plane as the conveyor belt as the longitudinal direction. That is, each limiting groove 601 is set on the plane of the conveyor belt perpendicular to the conveyor belt's transmission direction. An automatic feeding mechanism 1 is installed on the roller conveyor 6. Its interior is separately filled with cigars and packaging tubes. The automatic feeding mechanism 1 feeds one cigar and one packaging tube into each limiting groove 601, ensuring they are placed in the correct orientation. The correct orientation for a cigar entering the limiting groove 601 means that the cigar falls parallel to its length along its axis and is located in the outer half of the groove. Similarly, the correct orientation for a packaging tube entering the limiting groove 601 means that the packaging tube falls parallel to its length along its axis and is placed in the corresponding limiting groove 601 with its opening facing the cigar end and located in the inner half of the groove. Intermittent motion refers to the intermittent conveying mode of the roller conveyor 6, where the conveyor belt moves and stops intermittently. During the stop intervals, each mechanism operates; during the conveying process, each mechanism stops working, thus ensuring smooth operation of each mechanism. The stepped tube pushing mechanism 2 is installed on the roller conveyor 6 and located at the rear of the automatic feeding mechanism 1. The stepped tube pushing mechanism 2 pushes the packaging tube to insert the cigar into the packaging tube.

[0039] The capping and unloading mechanism 3 is mounted on the roller conveyor 6 and located behind the stepped tube pushing mechanism 2. It ensures that the capping and unloading mechanism 3 drops the capping and unloading mechanism into the limiting groove 601 in the correct posture. The correct posture for the capping and unloading mechanism 601 is that the snap-fit ​​end of the capping and unloading mechanism is facing the open end of the packaging tube, and the capping and unloading mechanism 601 drops the capping and unloading mechanism into the limiting groove 601 with its axial direction parallel to the length direction of the limiting groove 601. The capping and unloading mechanism 4 is mounted on the roller conveyor 6 and located behind the capping and unloading mechanism 3. The capping and unloading mechanism 4 snaps the capping and unloading mechanism into the packaging tube. After the packaging tube and the capping and unloading mechanism are snapped into place, the capping and unloading mechanism 4 drives the packaging tube to rotate, which is used in conjunction with the visual inspection mechanism 8 for visual inspection.

[0040] During use, the automatic feeding mechanism 1 automatically drops the cigar and packaging tube into their corresponding limiting grooves 601, with the open end of the packaging tube facing the cigar side. It is then conveyed by the roller conveyor 6 to the stepped tube pushing mechanism 2. The stepped tube pushing mechanism 2 pushes the rear end of the packaging tube, inserting the cigar into the packaging tube. The packaging tube containing the cigar is then conveyed by the roller conveyor 6 to the capping and unloading mechanism 3. The capping and unloading mechanism 3 drops the cap into the limiting groove 601 on the open end side of the packaging tube in the correct posture. The roller conveyor 6 continues to convey the packaging tube and cap to the capping and rotating device 4. The capping and rotating device 4 clamps the cap onto the packaging tube, completing the entire packaging process. The roller conveyor 6 then continues to convey the packaged packaging tube to the discharge port.

[0041] like Figure 1 , Figure 2 As shown, the roller conveyor includes a first roller conveyor 602 and a second roller conveyor 603. A pipe-loading device is mounted on the first roller conveyor 602, and a pipe-sealing device is mounted on the second roller conveyor 603. The first roller conveyor 602 and the second roller conveyor 603 each include a support 604, a chain, rollers 605, and a drive motor. The chain is rotatably mounted on the support 604, and multiple rollers 605 are evenly and longitudinally fixedly mounted on the chain. The chain and rollers 605 are combined to form... The conveyor belt has a limiting groove 601 formed between two adjacent rollers 605. The chain rotates via a drive motor, which in turn rotates the rollers 605. The width of the limiting groove 601 is smaller than the diameter of the cigar to prevent it from falling out. The limiting groove 601 axially limits the falling cigar, packaging tube, and cap. The length of the roller 605 is greater than the combined length of the cigar and packaging tube, ensuring that the cigar and packaging tube fall completely into the same limiting groove 601. Depending on the standard cigar and packaging tube models, the length of the roller 605 on the first roller conveyor 602 can be 370mm; the length of the roller 605 on the second roller conveyor 603 can be 160mm. The running distance of the first roller conveyor 602 and the second roller conveyor 603 is 31.75mm of chain pitch per cycle.

[0042] like Figures 3-8As shown: The automatic feeding mechanism 1 includes a cigar storage bin 101 and a packaging tube storage bin 102. The cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102 are fixedly installed on the upper part of the first roller conveyor 602 via mounting brackets. The cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102 are arranged in a crisscross pattern on the first roller conveyor 602, meaning the packaging tube storage bin 102 is located on the right rear side of the cigar storage bin 101. The cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102 each have vertically arranged side walls on all four sides. Their tops are open, forming a feeding inlet 103. The bottoms have two opposing inclined base plates. The opposing inclined base plates, in conjunction with the side walls, form a funnel shape at the bottom of the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102. There is a gap between the two base plates. The discharge port 104; a rotating drum 105 is also rotatably installed in the discharge port 104 of the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102. Multiple material troughs 106 are evenly arranged longitudinally on the outer edge of the rotating drum 105. The material troughs 106 are arranged parallel to the roller 605. Preferably, the rotating drum 105 has six material troughs 106. The depth and width of the material troughs 106 on the rotating drum 105 in the packaging tube storage bin 102 match the packaging tube. The depth and width of the material troughs 106 on the rotating drum 105 in the cigar storage bin 101 match the cigar tobacco. During the rotation of the two rotating drums 105, the cigar tobacco and packaging tube in the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102 are respectively carried out through the material troughs 106. When the material trough 106 with cigar tobacco or packaging tube rotates to face downward, the cigar tobacco or packaging tube falls into the corresponding limiting groove 601 below. On the left side of the outlet 104 of the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102, there is an arc-shaped baffle 110 that partially covers the drum 105. The arc-shaped baffle 110 partially covers the drum 105. When the drum 105 carries the cigar or packaging tube out of the cigar storage bin 101 or the packaging tube storage bin 102, the arc-shaped baffle 110 limits the cigar or packaging tube to prevent it from falling off prematurely. After the cigar or packaging tube leaves the limit of the arc-shaped baffle 110, it falls precisely into the corresponding limiting groove 601 below.

[0043] Auxiliary rollers 107 are rotatably installed in the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102, respectively. The auxiliary rollers 107 are located to the upper left of the drum 105 and parallel to it. The auxiliary rollers 107 also rotate counterclockwise, with a certain gap between them. When the auxiliary rollers 107 rotate, they push out the cigars or packaging tubes from the outer surface of the drum 105, thus preventing the cigars or packaging tubes from getting stuck between the outlet 104 and the drum 105. A drive wheel 108 is also installed at one end of the shaft of the drum 105 and the auxiliary rollers 107. A servo motor 109 is also installed on the mounting bracket. The drive wheel 108 and the servo motor 109... The servo motor 109 is connected via a transmission belt and is signal-connected to the control terminal. The speed of the servo motor 109 is controlled by the control terminal, thereby controlling the speed of the drum 105 and the auxiliary roller 107. A detection window 111 is also provided on the lower right side of the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102. The detection window 111 is a transparent window and a photoelectric sensor is installed on the detection window 111. The photoelectric sensor is signal-connected to the control terminal. When the position of the cigar or packaging tube in the cigar storage bin 101 or the packaging tube storage bin 102 is lower than the position of the photoelectric sensor, the control terminal will alarm to prompt the addition of material.

[0044] like Figure 1 , 2As shown: The stepped pusher mechanism 2 includes a pusher cylinder 201, a limit frame 202, and a stepped pusher plate 203. The pusher cylinder 201 is a reciprocating cylinder, and its cylinder body is fixedly connected to the bracket 604 of the roller conveyor 6. The stroke of the cylinder shaft of the pusher cylinder 201 is parallel to the upper surface of the conveyor belt of the roller conveyor 6 and perpendicular to the conveying direction of the conveyor belt. The rear part of the stepped pusher plate 203 is fixedly connected to the cylinder shaft of the pusher cylinder 201. The stepped pusher plate is driven by the extension and retraction movement of the pusher cylinder 201. The reciprocating motion of step 203 propels the packaging tube; the stepped pusher 203 has multiple evenly spaced steps at its front end, with the steps increasing evenly from the material inlet of the roller conveyor 6. Preferably, the stepped pusher 203 has five steps, allowing the cigars to be inserted into the packaging tube in multiple stages through the multiple steps of the stepped pusher 203; there are two limiting frames 202, spanning above the roller conveyor 6, with both ends of the limiting frames 202 fixedly connected to the supports 604 on both sides of the conveyor belt of the roller conveyor 6. The limiting bracket 202 can be used for the installation of other structures, and can also be used to fix the middle guide plate 606; when the cylinder shaft of the push tube cylinder 201 is in the retracted state, the lowest step of the stepped push plate 203 abuts against the closed end of the packaging tube; when the cylinder shaft of the push tube cylinder 201 is extended, it pushes the stepped push plate 203 towards the front end of the limiting groove 601. During the movement, one step of the stepped push plate 203 abuts against the closed end of the packaging tube and pushes the packaging tube axially along the limiting groove 601. The packaging tube is gradually moved toward the cigar side. After each reciprocating motion of the pusher cylinder 201, the conveyor belt of the roller conveyor 6 drives the cigar and packaging tube to move intermittently toward the discharge port. After multiple intermittent movements of the conveyor belt, the steps of the stepped pusher plate 203 push the packaging tube step by step, and the packaging tube fits the cigar in the corresponding limiting groove 601 into its tube body. Through the five steps of the stepped pusher plate 203, four packaging tubes can be pushed at the same time to fit the cigar.

[0045] The first roller conveyor 602 is also laterally fixed with a middle guide plate 606 and a bottom guide plate 607, which are close to the bottom roller 605. The middle guide plate 606 is located between the outlets of the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102. The middle guide plate 606 consists of two sections, and the stepped tube pushing mechanism 2 is located between the two sections of the middle guide plate 606. The bottom guide plate 607 is located on the other side of the cigar storage bin 101. The middle guide plate 606 divides the limiting groove 601 into an inner half and an outer half. The outer half is between the guide plate 606 and the bottom guide plate 607. The inner half limits the longitudinal movement of the packaging tube, while the outer half limits the longitudinal movement of the cigar. This prevents the cigar and the packaging tube from moving longitudinally during the movement. At the same time, during the process of the stepped tube pushing mechanism 2 putting the packaging tube onto the cigar, one end of the cigar abuts against the bottom guide plate 607. After the packaging tube has completely put the cigar inside, the middle guide plate 606 and the bottom guide plate 607 of the last section continue to limit the longitudinal movement of the packaging tube containing the cigar, preventing the packaging tube containing the cigar from moving longitudinally during the movement.

[0046] like Figure 1 As shown: A transition groove 7 is also inclinedly provided between the discharge port of the first roller conveyor 602 and the inlet of the second roller conveyor 603. The transition groove 7 connects the discharge port of the first roller conveyor 602 and the inlet of the second roller conveyor 603. The discharge port end of the transition groove 7 is higher than the inlet end of the second roller conveyor 603. When the packaging tube containing cigars is conveyed to the discharge port by the first roller conveyor 602, the packaging tube rolls down along the transition groove 7 into the limiting groove 601 of the second roller conveyor 603.

[0047] like Figure 9As shown: A left guide plate 608, a second middle guide plate 609, and a second bottom guide plate 610 are also horizontally fixedly installed on the second roller conveyor 603. The bottoms of the three guide plates are close to the rollers 605 of the second roller conveyor 603. These three guide plates divide the limiting groove 601 on the second roller conveyor 603 into a packaging tube section and a capping section. The left guide plate 608 and the second middle guide plate 609 are located on both sides of the transition groove 7, forming the packaging tube section of the limiting groove 601 between the left guide plate 608 and the second middle guide plate 609. The left guide plate 608… The second middle guide plate 609 gradually approaches from the transition groove 7 towards the discharge port, causing the packaging tube section to gradually narrow until the end distance between the two guide plates is equal to the length of the packaging tube; the second bottom guide plate 610 is located on the opposite side of the left guide plate 608 on the second roller conveyor 603, thus forming a limiting groove 601 between the second bottom guide plate 610 and the second middle guide plate 609 for the capping section; the packaging tube containing cigars is longitudinally limited by the packaging tube section, so that the packaging tube is transported in an orderly manner to the capping section for subsequent capping; the capping section longitudinally limits the capping.

[0048] The capping feeding mechanism 3 includes a vibratory feeder 302, a feeding track 301, and a cap-separating mechanism 303. The vibratory feeder 302 is mounted on a grounding bracket and does not contact the second roller conveyor 603. One end of the feeding track 301 is located below the discharge port of the vibratory feeder 302 without contact, to prevent excessive vibration amplitude of the vibratory feeder 302 from affecting the accuracy of capping. The feeding track 301 includes an inclined section and a vertical section, which are connected, with the inclined section closer to the vibratory feeder being higher than the other end. The bottom of the vertical section of the feeding track 301 has a discharge port, which corresponds to the capping section of the limiting groove 601. The cap-separating mechanism 303 is fixedly installed on this discharge port. During use, a cap is placed inside the vibratory feeder 302. The cap is placed, and the vibrating plate 302 vibrates and screens the cap in a predetermined posture, so that the caps enter the feeding track 301 in a queue. The caps move along the feeding track 301 and fall to the cap separating mechanism 303. The cap separating mechanism 303 opens and closes according to the signal from the control terminal. When the cap separating mechanism 303 opens, a cap falls into the cap section of the limiting groove 601 in a predetermined posture, and then the cap separating mechanism 303 closes. The cap being output from the discharge port in a predetermined posture means that after the cap is output from the vibrating plate 302, it is output through the feeding track 301 with the cap opening facing the packaging tube opening. The feeding track 301 is a groove or other structure that can limit the cap, such as the frame-shaped feeding track of the present invention.

[0049] like Figures 9-12As shown: The cap-separating mechanism includes a cap-separating cylinder 304, cap-separating grippers 305, and cap-separating baffles 306. The cap-separating cylinder 304 is a telescopic cylinder and is connected to the control terminal signal. It is fixedly installed on one side of the discharge port end of the feeding track 301 in a downward cylinder-axis orientation. Two cap-separating grippers 305 are rotatably installed on the same side via a rotating shaft. The two cap-separating grippers 305 have a Z-shaped structure and are arranged mirror images of each other. The upper end of the cap-separating gripper 305 is rotatably connected to the lower part of the cap-separating cylinder 304. The near ends of the two cap-separating grippers 305 have a certain rotational clearance, which corresponds vertically to the position of the cylinder shaft of the cap-separating cylinder 304. The rotational clearance is less than the diameter of the cylinder shaft. The bottom of each of the two cover grabbers 305 is fixedly equipped with a cover baffle 306 that controls the opening and closing of the feeding track 301. During use, the working speed of the cover-separating cylinder 304 is matched to the conveying speed of the second roller conveyor 603. When the cylinder shaft of the cover-separating cylinder 304 extends, it presses the two cover grabbers 305 downwards, causing them to rotate around the pivot point. The bottom of the cover grabbers 305 moves the cover baffles 306 away from each other, opening the feeding port of the feeding track 301. The cover plug falls from the outlet into the cover plug section of the limiting groove 601 in a predetermined posture. When the cylinder shaft retracts, the two cover grabbers 305 approach each other due to gravity, thus closing the outlet. (e.g.) Figure 11 The cover-splitting mechanism 303 can also be configured with a semi-circular toothed disc on the near end of the two cover-splitting grippers 305, and racks on both sides of the cylinder shaft of the cover-splitting cylinder 304. The cylinder shaft is located between the teeth of the two cover-splitting grippers 305, and the teeth of the cylinder shaft mesh with the toothed disc of the cover-splitting gripper. The cover-splitting baffle 306 is opened and closed by the extension and retraction of the cylinder shaft, thereby realizing the opening and closing control of the discharge port of the feeding track 301.

[0050] like Figure 9 , Figure 13As shown: The capping and rotating device 4 includes a top cap mechanism 401 and a rotating mechanism 402. The top cap mechanism 401 and the rotating mechanism 402 are axially aligned and are respectively installed on both sides of the second roller conveyor 603. The top cap mechanism 401 is a telescopic cylinder, and the rotating mechanism 402 is a servo motor or a rotating cylinder. When the packaging tube containing cigars and the cap are conveyed between the top cap mechanism 401 and the rotating mechanism 402, the cylinder shaft of the top cap mechanism 401 extends and pushes the cap along the limiting groove 601 toward the rotating mechanism 402. During the process of the cap being pushed, the cap pushes the packaging tube toward the rotating mechanism 402 until the bottom of the packaging tube contacts the rotating mechanism 402. The top cap mechanism 401 and the rotating mechanism 402 clamp and squeeze the two ends of the packaging tube and the cap, so that the cap is snapped onto the packaging tube, and the cap and the packaging tube are assembled. The cylinder shaft of the top cover mechanism 401 is also rotatably mounted with a pusher 403. The front end of the pusher 403 has an arc-shaped groove 404, which is adapted to the top of the cap plug. The arc-shaped groove 404 limits the cap plug and prevents misalignment when the cap plug is stuck with the packaging tube. Two tapered roller bearings 405 are fixedly mounted on the cylinder shaft of the top cover mechanism 401. The two tapered roller bearings 405 are installed opposite each other. The pusher 403 is sleeved on the two tapered roller bearings 405. The tapered roller bearings 405 bear the thrust while allowing the pusher 403 to rotate, so that the packaging tube can rotate smoothly during visual inspection.

[0051] like Figure 1 , Figure 9 As shown: The second roller conveyor 603 is also equipped with a vision inspection mechanism 8. The vision inspection mechanism 8 is set on the second roller conveyor 603 via a gantry frame 801. The vision inspection mechanism 8 includes a line scan industrial camera 802, a lens, and a light source. The line scan industrial camera 802, the lens, and the light source are fixedly installed on the gantry frame 801. The line scan industrial camera 802, the lens, and the light source are connected to the control terminal signal. The working end of the line scan industrial camera 802 corresponds to the capping rotation device 4. In actual production, a ring mark (referred to as a ring mark) is also affixed to the packaging tube. After the packaging tube and the cap are snapped together, the rotation mechanism 402 drives the packaging tube to rotate. The line scan industrial camera 802 collects images of the ring mark on the outside of the packaging tube, checks for defects such as missing ring marks and damaged packaging tubes, and analyzes whether the product has defects through machine vision algorithms.

[0052] A rejection mechanism 5 is also provided at the rear of the capping rotating device 4 on the second roller conveyor 603. The rejection mechanism 5 is a telescopic cylinder and is connected to the control terminal signal. The rejection mechanism 5 also includes a waste collection box 501 set on the other side of the second roller conveyor 603 and a slide 502 connected to the waste collection box 501. The slide 502 is axially aligned with the telescopic cylinder. When the line scan industrial camera 802 detects that the cap plug, packaging tube is damaged, or the ring tag is missing, the control terminal locates the defective product according to its running position. When the defective product is transported to the rejection mechanism 5, the control terminal controls the cylinder shaft of the rejection mechanism 5 to extend and push the defective product from the limiting groove 601 through the slide 502 into the waste collection box 501.

[0053] Specific usage method: Before use, place cigars in the cigar storage bin 101 and packaging tubes in the packaging tube storage bin 102, with the open end of the packaging tube facing the cigars. Place a cap in the vibrating plate 302, with the open end of the cap facing the open end of the packaging tube. During automatic tube loading, the servo motors 109 of the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102 drive the drum 105 and the auxiliary roller 107 to rotate counterclockwise, bringing the cigars and packaging tubes out of the cigar storage bin 101 and the packaging tube storage bin 102 respectively. The cigars fall into the outer half of the limiting groove 601, and the packaging tubes fall into the inner half of the limiting groove 601. After the cigar and packaging tube are in place, the first roller conveyor 602 drives the packaging tube and cigar to move intermittently towards the stepped pusher mechanism 2. When the intermittent movement reaches the position of the stepped pusher mechanism 2, the cylinder shaft of the pusher cylinder 201 extends, pushing the packaging tube towards the cigar. As the first roller conveyor 602 drives the cigar and packaging tube to move gradually, the packaging tube is pushed through multiple steps by the stepped pusher plate 203, gradually inserting the cigar into the packaging tube. The first roller conveyor 602 continues its intermittent movement, and the packaging tube rolls down from the transition trough 7 into the packaging tube section of the second roller conveyor 603. Vibration plate 302 The cap plugs are vibrated and screened, and then conveyed to the feeding track 301 in a predetermined posture. The cap plugs roll down the feeding track 301 in a queue to the cap separating mechanism 303. The cap separating mechanism 303 controls the cap separating cylinder 304 to open and close according to the signal from the control terminal. When the cap separating cylinder 304 receives the signal from the control terminal, the cylinder shaft of the cap separating cylinder 304 extends and pushes one end of the two cap separating grabs 305 downward. The two cap separating grabs 305 rotate on both sides along the rotating shaft, and the cap separating baffle 306 moves accordingly. The cap separating mechanism 303 opens the discharge port, and the cap plugs fall into the cap plug section of the limiting groove 601. The second roller conveyor 603 continues to drive the packaging tube and cap to move intermittently. When the packaging tube and cap move to the capping rotating device 4, the shaft of the top cap mechanism 401 extends and pushes the cap towards the rotating mechanism 402. During the process of the cap being pushed, the cap pushes the packaging tube toward the rotating mechanism 402 until the bottom of the packaging tube contacts the rotating mechanism 402. The top cap mechanism 401 and the rotating mechanism 402 squeeze and clamp the two ends of the packaging tube and the cap, so that the cap is stuck on the packaging tube, and the cap and packaging tube are assembled. After the snap-fit ​​is completed, the rotating mechanism 402 drives the packaging tube to rotate. The line scan industrial camera 802 acquires images of the ring mark outside the packaging tube. After the image acquisition is completed, the rotating mechanism 402 stops rotating, the shaft of the top cover mechanism 401 retracts, and the finished product falls into the limiting groove 601. The second roller conveyor 603 continues to drive the finished product to move intermittently towards the outlet. If a defect is detected by the visual control terminal, the rejection mechanism 5 sends a rejection signal. When the defective product is conveyed to the rejection mechanism 5, the control terminal controls the cylinder shaft of the rejection mechanism 5 to extend and push the defective product out of the limiting groove 601. If the finished product is qualified, the second roller conveyor 603 conveys the finished product to the subsequent packaging process.

[0054] Although the invention has been described herein with reference to illustrative embodiments, it should be understood that many other modifications and implementations can be devised by those skilled in the art, which will fall within the scope and spirit of the principles disclosed herein. More specifically, various variations and modifications can be made to the components and / or layout of the subject matter combination within the scope of this disclosure. Besides variations and modifications to the components and / or layout, other uses will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Claims

1. An automatic cigar filling device, characterized in that: The system includes a roller conveyor (6), which has an intermittently moving conveyor belt. From left to right, the upper part of the roller conveyor is equipped with an automatic feeding mechanism (1), a stepped tube pushing mechanism (2), a capping feeding mechanism (3), and a capping rotating device (4). The automatic feeding mechanism (1) includes a cigar storage bin (101) and a packaging tube storage bin (102) located on its right rear side. A rotating drum (105) is rotatably installed inside the outlet (104) of both the cigar storage bin (101) and the packaging tube storage bin (102). Multiple material troughs (106) are evenly arranged longitudinally on the outer edge of the rotating drum (105). The discharge ports (104) of the hopper (101) and the packaging tube storage hopper (102) correspond to the conveyor belt; the stepped tube pushing mechanism (2) includes a stepped push plate (203) that can reciprocate, the bottom of which is close to the upper surface of the conveyor belt, the front end of the stepped push plate (203) has multiple steps that are evenly arranged, and the steps are evenly increased from the material receiving end of the roller conveyor (6), and the cigars are put into the packaging tube in multiple steps through the multiple steps of the stepped push plate (203); the capping and rotating device (4) includes a top cap mechanism (401) and a rotating mechanism (402) installed on both sides of the roller conveyor (6) and aligned axially.

2. The automatic cigar filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The roller conveyor (6) includes a chain and rollers (605). Multiple rollers (605) are fixedly installed longitudinally and evenly on the chain, and a limiting groove (601) is formed between two adjacent rollers (605).

3. The automatic cigar filling device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The material trough (106) is arranged parallel to the roller (605), and an arc-shaped baffle (110) that partially covers the drum (105) is provided on the left side of the outlet (104) of the cigar storage bin (101) and the packaging tube storage bin (102).

4. The automatic cigar filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cigar storage bin (101) and the packaging tube storage bin (102) are each equipped with an auxiliary roller (107) that rotates in rotation. The auxiliary roller (107) is arranged parallel to the upper left of the drum (105), and the drum (105) and the auxiliary roller (107) rotate counterclockwise.

5. The automatic cigar filling device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The stepped pusher mechanism (2) also includes a pusher cylinder (201) and a limit frame (202). The cylinder body of the pusher cylinder (201) is fixedly connected to one side of the roller conveyor (6), and its cylinder shaft is fixedly connected to the rear end of the stepped pusher plate (203). The limit frame (202) has two and is longitudinally fixedly installed on the roller conveyor (6). The two sides of the stepped pusher plate (203) are slidably connected to the limit frame (202).

6. The automatic cigar filling device according to any one of claims 1-5, characterized in that: The roller conveyor (6) includes a first roller conveyor (602) and a second roller conveyor (603). A transition groove (7) is also inclinedly provided between the discharge port of the first roller conveyor (602) and the inlet of the second roller conveyor (603). The transition groove (7) is located at the discharge port end of the first roller conveyor (602) and higher than the inlet end of the second roller conveyor (603). The automatic material dropping mechanism (1) and the stepped tube pushing mechanism (2) are located on the upper part of the first roller conveyor (602). The capping material feeding mechanism (3) and the capping rotating device (4) are located on the upper part of the second roller conveyor (603).

7. The automatic cigar filling device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The first roller conveyor (602) is also laterally fixed with a middle guide plate (606) and a bottom guide plate (607). The middle guide plate (606) and the bottom guide plate (607) are close to the bottom roller (605). The middle guide plate (606) is located between the outlet of the cigar storage bin (101) and the packaging tube storage bin (102). The middle guide plate (606) consists of two sections. The stepped tube pushing mechanism (2) is located between the two sections of the middle guide plate (606). The bottom guide plate (607) is located on the other side of the cigar storage bin (101).

8. The automatic cigar filling device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The second roller conveyor (603) is also laterally fixed with a left guide plate (608), a second middle guide plate (609), and a second bottom guide plate (610) that are close to its roller (605). The left guide plate (608) and the second middle guide plate (609) are located on both sides of the transition groove (7) and gradually approach each other from the transition groove (7) to the discharge port. The second bottom guide plate (610) is located on the opposite side of the left guide plate (608) on the second roller conveyor (603).

9. The automatic cigar filling device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The cap feeding mechanism (3) includes a vibratory plate (302), a feeding track (301), and a cap splitting mechanism (303). One end of the feeding track (301) is located at the discharge port of the vibratory plate (302), and the cap splitting mechanism (303) is connected to the other end of the feeding track (301) and corresponds to the conveyor belt. The cap splitting mechanism includes a cap splitting cylinder (304), a cap splitting gripper (305), and a cap splitting baffle (306). The cap splitting cylinder (304) is a telescopic cylinder with its cylinder shaft pointing downward. Two cap splitting grippers (305) are rotatably installed on the lower part of the cap splitting cylinder (304) through a rotating shaft. The two cap splitting grippers (305) have a Z-shaped structure and are mirror images of each other. The cylinder shaft of the cap splitting cylinder (304) can drive the two cap splitting grippers (305) to rotate left and right. The bottom of the two cap splitting grippers (305) is fixedly installed with cap splitting baffles (306) that can control the opening and closing of the discharge port of the feeding track (301).

10. The automatic cigar filling device according to claim 6, characterized in that: A vision inspection mechanism (8) is installed on the second roller conveyor (603) via a gantry frame (801). The vision inspection mechanism (8) includes a line array industrial camera (802), and the working end of the line array industrial camera (802) corresponds to the pressure cap rotation device (4). A rejection mechanism (5) is also provided at the rear of the vision inspection mechanism (8) on one side of the second roller conveyor (603). The rejection mechanism (5) is a telescopic cylinder and is connected to the control terminal signal.

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