Automatic folding device for material box

Abstract

The invention discloses an automatic folding device for a material box. The automatic folding device comprises two folding assemblies and a controller. The two folding assemblies are oppositely arranged; the folding assembly comprises a connecting frame, a driving unit, an unlocking unit, a first pushing-over unit and a second pushing-over unit. The unlocking unit is connected with the driving unit and is used for driving the unlocking unit to get close to the to-be-folded material box and unlocking the to-be-folded material box; the first pushing-over unit is installed on the unlocking unit and used for pushing over a front end plate or a rear end plate of the to-be-folded material box when the unlocking unit gets close to the to-be-folded material box. The second pushing-over unit is connected with the driving unit and used for driving the second pushing-over unit to be close to the to-be-folded material box and pushing over side plates of the to-be-folded material box. The controller is in communication connection with the driving unit and the first pushing-over unit and used for controlling the driving unit to drive the unlocking unit and the second pushing-over unit to be close to or away from the to-be-folded material box and controlling the first pushing-over unit to rotate. According to the device, automatic folding of the material box is achieved, manpower is saved, and the working efficiency is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of material boxes, and in particular to an automatic folding device for material boxes. Background Art

[0002] In the process of automobile production, it is necessary to use material boxes to load various types of automobile parts. With the use of automobile parts, a large number of empty material boxes will be accumulated, occupying a large space, so it is necessary to fold the empty material boxes. The material box generally includes a bottom plate, a front end plate, a rear end plate and two side plates. The front end plate, the rear end plate and the two side plates are respectively distributed at the four edges of the bottom plate, and the bottom ends of the front end plate, the rear end plate and the two side plates are respectively hinged to the four edges of the bottom plate. Lock buckles are provided at both ends of the top of the two side plates, which are used to connect the side plate with the front end plate and the side plate with the rear end plate. In the prior art, the empty material boxes are handled by manually folding the material boxes. The staff first pushes the four lock buckles to make the adjacent side plates and the front end plate and the side plates and the rear end plate have no connection, and then pushes down the front end plate, the rear end plate and the two side plates to complete the folding of the material box, and the work efficiency is low. In addition, due to the large number of empty material boxes, the staff has high work intensity and high labor costs. Summary of the invention

[0003] To solve at least one aspect of the above problems, the present invention provides an automatic folding device for a material box, comprising two groups of folding components and a controller; the two groups of folding components are arranged opposite to each other in the y direction, and the distance between the two groups of folding components is greater than the distance between the two side panels of the material box to be folded; the folding components include a connecting frame, a driving unit, an unlocking unit, a first pushing unit and a second pushing unit; the driving unit is installed on the connecting frame; the unlocking unit includes a mounting rod and two latches; the mounting rod extends along the x direction, and the mounting rod is connected to the driving unit, and is used to drive the mounting rod to approach or move away from the material box to be folded along the y direction; the first end of the latch matches the mounting hole of the lock buckle on the material box to be folded, and the second ends of the two latches are respectively connected to the two ends of the mounting rod, and the distance between the two latches is the same as the distance between the two side panels on the same side panel of the material box to be folded. The distances between the locks are equal, so that when folding, the two pins are respectively inserted into the two mounting holes on the same side panel of the material box to be folded to push the locks to unlock; the first pushing unit includes a driver and a push rod; the driver of one group of folding components is connected to the front end of the mounting rod of the group of folding components along the x direction, and the driver of the other group of folding components is connected to the rear end of the mounting rod of the group of folding components along the x direction; one end of the push rod is connected to the driver for driving the push rod to rotate so that the other end of the push rod abuts against the front end panel or the rear end panel of the material box to be folded when folding; the second pushing unit includes a push sheet, which is connected to the drive unit for driving the push sheet to approach or move away from the material box to be folded along the y direction, and abuts against the side panel of the material box to be folded when approaching the material box to be folded; the controller is communicatively connected to the drive unit and the driver.

[0004] Through the above technical solution, the material box to be folded is transported to or placed between the two groups of folding components. The controller controls the driving units of the two groups of folding components to make their mounting rods close to the material box to be folded. The two latches on the two mounting rods are respectively inserted into the four mounting holes on the material box to be folded to push the lock buckle to unlock. Then the drivers of the two groups of folding components are controlled to rotate the push rods thereon to push down the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box to be folded respectively. Then the driving units of the two groups of folding components are controlled to make the push pieces move toward the material box to be folded and push down the two side plates respectively, so as to complete the folding of the material box. The device of the present application realizes the automatic folding of the material box, which helps to save manpower and improve work efficiency.

[0005] Preferably, a first position sensor is further included, which is installed near the folding assembly and is used to detect the position of the material box to be folded; the first position sensor is in communication with the controller. By setting the first position sensor to detect the position of the material box to be folded, on the one hand, it can be ensured that the material box to be folded is transported to or placed between the two groups of folding assemblies, thereby ensuring the folding effect; on the other hand, the first position sensor sends its detection signal to the controller, and the controller starts the operation of the folding assembly, which helps to improve the automation level of the present application.

[0006] Preferably, it also includes a transport component, which is used to transport the to-be-folded material box between the two groups of folding components and to transport the folded material box out from between the two groups of folding components; the transport component is communicatively connected to the controller, disclosing a specific form of setting the to-be-folded material box between the two groups of folding components, further improving the automation of the device of the present application.

[0007] Preferably, the transport assembly includes two slide rails and two groups of limiting units, the two slide rails both extend along the x direction, the distance between the two slide rails is less than or equal to the distance between the two side panels in the to-be-folded material box, and the two slide rails are fixedly arranged obliquely downward along the x direction; the two groups of folding components are arranged on the outside of the two slide rails respectively; the two groups of limiting units are arranged on the outside of the two slide rails respectively, and the two groups of limiting units are arranged oppositely, and the limiting units are located downstream of the slide rails along the x direction and close to the folding components, so that when the to-be-folded material box slides along the slide rails to between the two folding components, the to-be-folded material box is blocked, and no blockage is formed for the material box after folding. A specific structure of the transport assembly is disclosed, by setting an inclined downward slide rail, when the to-be-folded material box slides downward from the upstream of the slide rail along the extension direction of the slide rail to between the two groups of folding components, it is blocked by the limiting unit, and after the two groups of folding components are folded, they pass through the limiting unit and continue to slide downward along the slide rail.

[0008] Preferably, the limiting unit includes a connecting seat and a blocking block. The connecting seats of the two groups of limiting units are respectively fixedly connected to the outsides of the two slide rails. The distance between the connecting seats of the two groups of limiting units is greater than the distance between the two side plates of the material box to be folded. The blocking block is fixedly connected to the top of the connecting seat near the slide rail. The distance between the blocking blocks of the two groups of limiting units is less than the distance between the two side plates of the material box to be folded. The vertical distance between the blocking block and the slide rail is less than the height of the material box to be folded and greater than the height of the material box after folding. A specific structure of the limiting unit is disclosed. The connecting seat is provided with a blocking block whose height is lower than the height of the material box to be folded and higher than the height of the material box after folding, so as to block the material box to be folded and allow the material box to pass after folding.

[0009] Preferably, a second position sensor is installed near the position limiting unit, and the second position sensor is used to detect the position of the material box after folding, and the second position sensor is connected to the controller for communication. By setting the second position sensor to detect the position of the material box after folding, and transmitting a signal to the controller, the controller controls the operation of the transport component according to the signal, which helps to further improve the automation of the device of the present application.

[0010] Preferably, the transport assembly further comprises a blocking unit, which is arranged upstream of the slide rail, and comprises a fixed seat, a blocking rod, a blocking hook, a second motor and a cam; the fixed seat is installed near any slide rail; the blocking rod extends along the x direction, the middle area of ​​the blocking rod is rotatably connected to the fixed seat, and the height of the blocking rod is lower than the height of the slide rail; the blocking hook is fixedly connected to the top surface of the front end of the blocking rod along the x direction; the second motor is arranged near the rear end of the blocking rod along the x direction, the output shaft of the second motor is fixedly connected to the rotation center of the cam, and the circumference of the cam abuts against the bottom surface of the rear end of the blocking rod; when the circumference of the cam with the largest distance from the rotation center abuts against the bottom surface of the blocking rod, the blocking hook is separated from the bottom surface of the material box to be folded; when the circumference of the cam with the smallest distance from the rotation center abuts against the bottom surface of the blocking rod, the blocking hook is hung at the bottom end of the material box to be folded; the second motor is connected to the controller for communication. Through the above technical scheme, a blocking unit is designed to release the material boxes to be folded in sequence, so as to prevent the material boxes to be folded from piling up near the folding assembly and affecting the operation of the folding assembly.

[0011] Preferably, a plurality of rollers are arranged in the slide rail, and the plurality of rollers are distributed along the extension direction of the slide rail. The rollers are rotatably connected to the two side walls of the slide rail, which helps to reduce the friction between the material box and the slide rail and improve the smoothness of the operation of the material box.

[0012] Preferably, the driving unit includes a first motor, a driving gear, a first rack and a second rack; the first motor is fixedly connected to the connecting frame; the driving gear is connected to the first motor and is used to drive the driving gear to rotate; the extension direction of the first rack and the extension direction of the second rack are both in the y direction, the first rack is arranged directly above the second rack, the driving gear is located between the first rack and the second rack, and is meshed with the first rack and the second rack at the same time; the end of the first rack near the other group of folding components is fixedly connected to the mounting rod, and the end of the second rack near the other group of folding components is fixedly connected to the push piece; the first motor is communicatively connected to the controller. Through the above technical scheme, a specific structure of a driving unit is disclosed. Since the side panels of the to-be-folded material box are pushed down after being unlocked, the driving unit is designed by utilizing the sequence relationship therein. When the first motor drives the first rack to approach the to-be-folded material box through the driving gear, the second rack moves away from the to-be-folded material box. At this time, the unlocking unit on the first rack operates to unlock and the first pushing-down unit operates to push down the front end panel or the rear end panel. Then, when the first motor drives the first rack to move away from the to-be-folded material box through the driving gear, the second rack approaches the to-be-folded material box. At this time, the second pushing-down unit on the second rack operates to push down the side panels, and the parts on the first rack will not form any obstacles.

[0013] Preferably, the two ends of the mounting rod are respectively connected to limiting plates, and the distance between the two limiting plates is equal to the distance between the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box to be folded, so that when folded, the two limiting plates are respectively connected to the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box to be folded. Through the above technical solution, the position of the material box to be folded is limited, so that the material box to be folded remains stable when unlocking, and the unlocking effect is improved.

[0014] The automatic folding device for a material box of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0015] (1) By designing two groups of folding components that are arranged opposite to each other, a folding position is formed between the two groups of folding components, and the material box to be folded is set at this folding position. The folding of the material box can be automatically completed by operating the two groups of folding components through the controller; specifically, the controller controls the driving units of the two groups of folding components to make their mounting rods close to the material box to be folded, and the two latches on the two mounting rods are respectively inserted into the four mounting holes on the material box to be folded to push the lock buckle to unlock, and then controls the drivers of the two groups of folding components to rotate the push rods thereon to push down the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box to be folded respectively, and then controls the driving units of the two groups of folding components to make the push plates move toward the material box to be folded and push down the two side plates respectively, so as to complete the folding of the material box. The device of the present application realizes the automatic folding of the material box, which helps to save manpower and improve work efficiency.

[0016] (2) By designing a downwardly inclined slide rail between the two groups of folding components, designing a limit unit near the folding components downstream of the slide rail, and designing a blocking unit upstream of the slide rail, the folding of the material box is fully automatic, that is, the controller drives the cam to rotate by controlling the second motor. When the circumference of the cam with the largest distance from the rotation center abuts against the bottom surface of the blocking rod, the blocking hook end of the blocking rod presses down to release the current material box to be folded. As the cam rotates, the blocking hook end of the blocking rod rises to block the next material box to be folded; the released material box to be folded slides downward along the slide rail until it is blocked at the limit unit, and the first position sensor detects its position and transmits a signal to the controller, which controls the operation of the two groups of folding components; after the folding is completed, the material box continues to slide downward through the limit unit, and the second position sensor detects its position and transmits a signal to the controller, which controls the blocking unit to release the next material box to be folded, which helps to further save manpower and improve work efficiency. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] In order to better understand the above and other purposes, features, advantages and functions of the present invention, reference may be made to the embodiments shown in the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals in the accompanying drawings refer to the same components. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the accompanying drawings are intended to schematically illustrate the preferred embodiments of the present invention and have no limiting effect on the scope of the present invention, and the components in the drawings are not drawn to scale.

[0018] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of an automatic folding device for a material box according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0019] FIG2 is a schematic diagram showing a partial structure of an automatic folding device for a material box according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0020] FIG3 is a schematic diagram showing a partial structure of a driving unit of an automatic folding device for a material box according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0021] FIG4 is a schematic structural diagram of a blocking unit of an automatic folding device for a material box according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a blocking unit of an automatic folding device for a material box according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Description of reference numerals:

[0024] 11. Connecting frame; 12. Driving unit; 121. First motor; 122. Driving gear; 1231. Connecting gear; 1232. Reduction gear; 124. First rack; 125. Second rack; 13. Mounting rod; 14. Latch; 15. Limiting piece; 16. First pushing unit; 161. Driver; 162. Push rod; 17. Pushing piece; 21. First position sensor; 22. Second position sensor; 3. Slide rail; 31. Roller; 4. Limiting unit; 41. Connecting seat; 42. Blocking block; 5. Blocking unit; 51. Fixed seat; 511. Rotating shaft; 52. Blocking rod; 53. Blocking hook; 54. Second motor; 55. Cam; 6. Material box; 7. Controller. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] The following is a description of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments of the present disclosure to facilitate understanding, which should be considered as merely exemplary. Therefore, it should be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications may be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. Similarly, for the sake of clarity and conciseness, descriptions of well-known functions and structures are omitted in the following description.

[0026] As used herein, the term "including" and its variations mean open inclusion, i.e., "including but not limited to". Unless otherwise stated, the term "or" means "and / or". The term "based on" means "based at least in part on". The terms "an example embodiment" and "an embodiment" mean "at least one example embodiment". The term "another embodiment" means "at least one additional embodiment". The terms "first", "second", etc. may refer to different or the same objects. Other explicit and implicit definitions may also be included below.

[0027] In order to at least partially solve the above-mentioned problems and one or more of other potential problems, an embodiment of the present disclosure proposes an automatic folding device for a material box, including two groups of folding components and a controller 7; the two groups of folding components are arranged opposite to each other in the y direction, and the distance between the two groups of folding components is greater than the distance between the two side panels of the material box 6 to be folded; the folding components include a connecting frame 11, a driving unit 12, an unlocking unit, a first pushing down unit 16 and a second pushing down unit; the driving unit 12 is installed on the connecting frame 11; the unlocking unit includes a mounting rod 13 and two latches 14; the mounting rod 13 extends along the x direction, and the mounting rod 13 is connected to the driving unit 12, and is used to drive the mounting rod 13 to approach or move away from the material box 6 to be folded along the y direction; the first end of the latch 14 matches the mounting hole of the lock on the material box 6 to be folded, and the second ends of the two latches 14 are respectively connected to the two ends of the mounting rod 13, and the distance between the two latches 14 is the same as the distance between the two side panels on the same side panel of the material box 6 to be folded. The distance between the two locks on the folding box 6 is equal, so that when folding, the two latches 14 are respectively inserted into the two mounting holes on the same side panel of the folding box 6 to push the lock to unlock; the first pushing unit 16 includes a driver 161 and a push rod 162; the driver 161 of one group of folding components is connected to the front end of the mounting rod 13 of the folding component group along the x direction, and the driver 161 of the other group of folding components is connected to the rear end of the mounting rod 13 of the folding component group along the x direction; one end of the push rod 162 is connected to the driver 161 for driving the push rod 162 to rotate so that the other end thereof abuts against the front end panel or the rear end panel of the folding box 6 to be folded when folding; the second pushing unit includes a push sheet 17, which is connected to the driving unit 12 for driving the push sheet 17 to approach or move away from the folding box 6 to be folded along the y direction, and abuts against the side panel of the folding box 6 to be folded when approaching the folding box 6 to be folded; the controller 7 is communicatively connected to both the driving unit 12 and the driver 161.

[0028] Specifically, Figure 1 As shown in Figure 5, the two groups of folding components are arranged opposite to each other in the y direction, and the distance between the two groups of folding components is greater than the distance between the two side panels of the material box 6 to be folded, so that the material box 6 to be folded can be set between the two groups of folding components; the folding components include a connecting frame 11, a driving unit 12, an unlocking unit, a first pushing unit 16 and a second pushing unit; the connecting frame 11 is preferably made of several aluminum profiles cross-fixed; each aluminum profile is provided with a T-shaped slide along its extension direction on the side.

[0029] The driving unit 12 is installed on the connecting frame 11; the driving unit 12 includes a first motor 121, a driving gear 122, a first rack 124 and a second rack 125; the first motor 121 is fixedly connected to the connecting frame 11 by a T-bolt, so that the first motor 121 can be fine-tuned along the y direction on the connecting frame 11; the driving gear 122 is connected to the first motor 121, and is used to drive the driving gear 122 to rotate. Preferably, the driving unit 12 also includes a connecting gear 1231 and a reduction gear 1232, the connecting gear 1231 is coaxially fixedly connected to the output shaft of the first motor 121, and the connecting gear 1231 is fixedly connected to the reduction gear 12 32 are meshed with each other, the outer diameter of the reduction gear 1232 is larger than the outer diameter of the connecting gear 1231, the driving gear 122 is coaxially fixedly connected with the reduction gear 1232, the connecting gear 1231, the reduction gear 1232 and the driving gear 122 are all installed in the gear cover, and the gear cover is fixedly connected to the connecting frame 11 by T-bolts; the extension direction of the first rack 124 and the extension direction of the second rack 125 are both y direction, the first rack 124 is arranged directly above the second rack 125, the driving gear 122 is located between the first rack 124 and the second rack 125, and is meshed with the first rack 124 and the second rack 125 at the same time.

[0030] The unlocking unit includes a mounting rod 13 and two latches 14; the mounting rod 13 extends along the x direction, and the mounting rod 13 is connected to the driving unit 12, and is used to drive the mounting rod 13 along the y direction to approach or move away from the to-be-folded material box 6. Specifically, the middle part of the mounting rod 13 is fixedly connected to the end of the first rack 124 close to another group of folding components; the latch 14 extends along the y direction, and the first end of the latch 14 matches the mounting hole of the lock buckle on the to-be-folded material box 6, and the second ends of the two latches 14 are respectively connected to the two ends of the side of the mounting rod 13 away from the first rack 124 by bolts, and the distance between the two latches 14 is equal to the distance between the two lock buckles on the same side panel of the to-be-folded material box 6, so that when folding, the two latches 14 are respectively inserted into the two mounting holes on the same side panel of the to-be-folded material box 6 to push the lock buckle to unlock.

[0031] In a preferred embodiment, limiting plates 15 are respectively connected to both ends of the mounting rod 13. Preferably, the limiting plate 15 is L-shaped, and the first section of the limiting plate 15 extends along the x-direction, and the second section of the limiting plate 15 extends along the y-direction; a plurality of long holes extending along the x-direction are provided on the first section of the limiting plate 15, and the first section of the limiting plate 15 is connected to the end of the mounting rod 13 through the long holes and bolts; the distance between the second sections of the two limiting plates 15 is equal to the distance between the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box 6 to be folded, so that when folding, the second sections of the two limiting plates 15 are respectively connected to the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box 6 to be folded; preferably, the free end of the second section of the limiting plate 15 is wedge-shaped, which plays a guiding role when inserted into both sides of the front end face and the rear end face of the material box 6 to be folded.

[0032] The first pushing-down unit 16 includes a driver 161 and a push rod 162; the driver 161 of one group of folding components is connected to the front end of the mounting rod 13 of the folding components in the x-direction, and the driver 161 of the other group of folding components is connected to the rear end of the mounting rod 13 of the folding components in the x-direction; the driver 161 is preferably a servo, and one end of the push rod 162 is connected to the driver 161 by bolts, which is used to drive the push rod 162 to rotate, so that the other end thereof abuts against the front end plate or the rear end plate of the material box 6 to be folded during folding, thereby realizing the folding of the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box 6 to be folded.

[0033] The second pushing unit includes a push piece 17, which is connected to the driving unit 12 and is used to drive the push piece 17 to approach or move away from the to-be-folded material box 6 along the y direction. Preferably, the push piece 17 is fixedly connected to the end of the second rack 125 close to another group of folding components; when the push piece 17 approaches the to-be-folded material box 6, it abuts against the side panel of the to-be-folded material box 6 to realize the folding of the side panel of the folding material box 6.

[0034] The controller 7 is in communication connection with the first motor 121 and the driver 161 in the driving unit 12 , and is used to control the operation of the first motor 121 and the driver 161 .

[0035] In a preferred embodiment, the folding device of the present application also includes a first position sensor 21, which is installed near the folding component. Preferably, the first position sensor 21 is arranged relative to the folding component and is used to detect the position of the material box 6 to be folded; the first position sensor 21 is communicatively connected to the controller 7, and is used to transmit the detected position signal to the controller 7, and the controller 7 controls the operation of the folding component according to this signal.

[0036] In a preferred embodiment, the folding device of the present application also includes a transport component, which can be selected as a conveyor belt or a manipulator or a slide rail 3, and the transport component is used to transport the material box 6 to be folded between the two groups of folding components and to transport the folded material box 6 out from between the two groups of folding components; the transport component is communicated with the controller 7 for controlling the operation of the transport component.

[0037] Preferably, in this embodiment, the transport assembly includes two slide rails 3 and two groups of limit units 4, the two slide rails 3 extend along the x direction, the distance between the two slide rails 3 is less than or equal to the distance between the two side panels in the to-be-folded material box 6, and the two slide rails 3 are fixedly arranged to be tilted downward along the x direction; preferably, a plurality of rollers 31 are arranged in the slide rail 3, the plurality of rollers 31 are distributed along the extension direction of the slide rail 3, and the rollers 31 are rotatably connected to the two side walls of the slide rail 3. The two groups of folding assemblies are arranged on the outside of the two slide rails 3, respectively. The two groups of limiting units 4 are respectively arranged on the outside of the two slide rails 3, and the two groups of limiting units 4 are arranged opposite to each other. The limiting units 4 are located downstream of the slide rails 3 along the x direction and close to the folding assembly, so that when the material box 6 to be folded slides along the slide rails 3 to between the two folding assemblies, it forms a block to the material box 6 to be folded, and does not form a block to the material box 6 after folding; preferably, the limiting units 4 include a connecting seat 41 and a blocking block 42, the connecting seats 41 of the two groups of limiting units 4 are respectively fixedly connected to the outside of the two slide rails 3, and the distance between the connecting seats 41 of the two groups of limiting units 4 is greater than the distance between the two side plates of the material box 6 to be folded; the blocking block 42 is fixedly connected to the top of the connecting seat 41 close to the slide rail 3, the distance between the blocking blocks 42 of the two groups of limiting units 4 is less than the distance between the two side plates of the material box 6 to be folded, and the vertical distance between the blocking block 42 and the slide rail 3 is less than the height of the material box 6 to be folded, and greater than the height of the material box 6 after folding.

[0038] In a preferred embodiment, a second position sensor 22 is installed near the limit unit 4. Preferably, the second position sensor 22 is arranged opposite to the limit seat. The second position sensor 22 is used to detect the position of the material box 6 after folding. The second position sensor 22 is communicated with the controller 7 and is used to transmit the detected position signal to the controller 7. The controller 7 controls the operation of the transport component according to the signal.

[0039] In a preferred embodiment, the transport assembly also includes a blocking unit 5, which is arranged upstream of the slide rail 3. The blocking unit 5 includes a fixed seat 51, a blocking rod 52, a blocking hook 53, a second motor 54 and a cam 55; the fixed seat 51 is installed in the vicinity of any slide rail 3, and the fixed seat 51 can be selectively installed on the ground or on the slide rail 3. In the present embodiment, the fixed seat 51 is arranged between two slide rails 3 and is fixedly connected to one of the slide rails 3; the top of the fixed seat 51 is fixedly connected with a rotating shaft 511 extending along the y direction; the blocking rod 52 extends along the x direction, and the middle area of ​​the blocking rod 52 is rotatably connected to the fixed seat 51 through the rotating shaft 511. The height of the blocking rod 52 is lower than the height of the slide rail 3, that is, lower than the bottom surface of the material box 6 to be folded, and the blocking rod 52 will not hinder the operation of the material box 6 to be folded; the blocking hook 53 is fixedly connected On the front end top surface of the blocking rod 52 along the x-direction, when the blocking hook 53 is in a high position, it will be hung at the bottom end of the material box 6 to be folded, and when the blocking hook 53 is in a low position, the material box 6 to be folded will be released; the second motor 54 is arranged near the rear end of the blocking rod 52 along the x-direction, and the output shaft of the second motor 54 is fixedly connected to the rotation center of the cam 55, and the circumferential surface of the cam 55 abuts against the bottom surface of the rear end of the blocking rod 52; when the circumferential surface of the cam 55 with the largest distance from the rotation center abuts against the bottom surface of the blocking rod 52, the blocking hook 53 is separated from the bottom surface of the material box 6 to be folded; when the circumferential surface of the cam 55 with the smallest distance from the rotation center abuts against the bottom surface of the blocking rod 52, the blocking hook 53 is hung at the bottom end of the material box 6 to be folded; the second motor 54 is communicatively connected to the controller 7, and is used to control the operation of the second motor 54 according to the signal of the second position sensor 22.

[0040] The operation process of the device in this application:

[0041] The controller 7 controls the operation of the second motor 54 to release the current material box 6 to be folded and blocks the next material box 6 to be folded; the released material box 6 to be folded slides downward along the slide rail 3 to the limit unit 4 and is blocked, and the first position sensor 21 detects its position and transmits a signal to the controller 7, and the controller 7 controls the first motors 121 of the two folding components to operate so that the first rack 124 is close to the material box 6 to be folded, and the two latches 14 on the two mounting rods 13 are respectively inserted into the four mounting holes on the material box 6 to be folded to push the lock to unlock. Then, the drivers 161 of the two groups of folding components are controlled to rotate the push rods 162 thereon to push down the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box 6 to be folded respectively, and then the first motors 121 of the two groups of folding components are controlled to make the second rack 125 thereof drive the push piece 17 thereon to approach the material box 6 to be folded and push down the two side plates respectively, so as to complete the folding of the material box 6; after the folding is completed, the material box 6 continues to slide downward through the limit unit 4, and the second position sensor 22 detects its position and transmits a signal to the controller 7, and the controller 7 controls the second motor 54 to release the next material box 6 to be folded.

[0042] The embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, and the above description is exemplary, not exhaustive, and is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and changes will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The selection of terms used herein is intended to best explain the principles of the embodiments, practical applications, or technical improvements in the market, or to enable other persons of ordinary skill in the art to understand the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic folding device for a material box, characterized in that: It includes two sets of folding components and a controller (7); The two groups of folding components are arranged opposite to each other in the y direction, and the distance between the two groups of folding components is greater than the distance between the two side plates of the material box (6) to be folded; the folding components include a connecting frame (11), a driving unit (12), an unlocking unit, a first pushing unit (16) and a second pushing unit; the driving unit (12) is mounted on the connecting frame (11); The unlocking unit comprises a mounting rod (13) and two latches (14); the mounting rod (13) extends along the x direction, and the mounting rod (13) is connected to the driving unit (12) and is used to drive the mounting rod (13) to approach or move away from the to-be-folded material box (6) along the y direction; the first end of the latch (14) matches the mounting hole of the lock buckle on the to-be-folded material box (6), and the second ends of the two latches (14) are respectively connected to the two ends of the mounting rod (13), and the distance between the two latches (14) is equal to the distance between the two lock buckles on the same side plate of the to-be-folded material box (6), so that when folding, the two latches (14) are respectively inserted into the two mounting holes on the same side plate of the to-be-folded material box (6) to push the lock buckle to unlock; The first pushing-down unit (16) comprises a driver (161) and a push rod (162); wherein the driver (161) of one group of folding components is connected to the front end of the mounting rod (13) of the group of folding components along the x direction, and the driver (161) of the other group of folding components is connected to the rear end of the mounting rod (13) of the group of folding components along the x direction; one end of the push rod (162) is connected to the driver (161) for driving the push rod (162) to rotate so that the other end thereof abuts against the front end plate or the rear end plate of the material box (6) to be folded during folding; The second pushing unit comprises a push piece (17), the push piece (17) being connected to the driving unit (12) and being used to drive the push piece (17) to approach or move away from the to-be-folded material box (6) along the y direction, and to abut against a side plate of the to-be-folded material box (6) when approaching the to-be-folded material box (6); The controller (7) is communicatively connected with the drive unit (12) and the driver (161).

2. The automatic folding device for a material box according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a first position sensor (21), which is installed near the folding assembly and is used to detect the position of the material box (6) to be folded; the first position sensor (21) is communicatively connected to the controller (7).

3. The automatic folding device for a material box according to claim 2, characterized in that: It also includes a transport component, which is used to transport the material box (6) to be folded between the two groups of folding components and to transport the material box (6) after folding out from between the two groups of folding components; the transport component is communicatively connected with the controller (7).

4. The automatic folding device for a material box according to claim 3, characterized in that: The transport assembly comprises two slide rails (3) and two groups of limiting units (4), the two slide rails (3) both extend along the x-direction, the distance between the two slide rails (3) is less than or equal to the distance between the two side plates in the material box (6) to be folded, and the two slide rails (3) are fixedly arranged to be inclined downward along the x-direction; the two groups of folding components are respectively arranged on the outside of the two slide rails (3); the two groups of limiting units (4) are respectively arranged on the outside of the two slide rails (3), the two groups of limiting units (4) are arranged opposite to each other, the limiting units (4) are located downstream of the slide rails (3) along the x-direction and close to the folding components, so that when the material box (6) to be folded slides along the slide rails (3) to between the two folding components, the material box (6) to be folded is blocked, and the material box (6) after folding is not blocked.

5. The automatic folding device for a material box according to claim 4, characterized in that: The limiting units (4) comprise a connecting seat (41) and a blocking block (42); the connecting seats (41) of the two groups of limiting units (4) are respectively fixedly connected to the outer sides of the two slide rails (3); the distance between the connecting seats (41) of the two groups of limiting units (4) is greater than the distance between the two side plates of the material box (6) to be folded; the blocking block (42) is fixedly connected to the top of the connecting seat (41) close to the slide rail (3); the distance between the blocking blocks (42) of the two groups of limiting units (4) is less than the distance between the two side plates of the material box (6) to be folded; the vertical distance between the blocking block (42) and the slide rail (3) is less than the height of the material box (6) to be folded, and greater than the height of the material box (6) after folding.

6. The automatic folding device for a material box according to claim 5, characterized in that: A second position sensor (22) is installed near the position limiting unit (4), and the second position sensor (22) is used to detect the position of the material box (6) after folding. The second position sensor (22) is communicatively connected with the controller (7).

7. An automatic folding device for a material box according to any one of claims 4 to 6, characterized in that: The transport assembly further comprises a blocking unit (5), which is arranged upstream of the slide rail (3), and comprises a fixed seat (51), a blocking rod (52), a blocking hook (53), a second motor (54) and a cam (55); the fixed seat (51) is installed near any slide rail (3); the blocking rod (52) extends along the x direction, the middle area of ​​the blocking rod (52) is rotatably connected to the fixed seat (51), and the height of the blocking rod (52) is lower than the height of the slide rail (3); the blocking hook (53) is fixedly connected to the top surface of the front end of the blocking rod (52) along the x direction; the second motor (54) is arranged The second motor (54) is arranged near the rear end of the blocking rod (52) along the x-direction, the output shaft of the second motor (54) is fixedly connected to the rotation center of the cam (55), and the circumferential surface of the cam (55) abuts against the bottom surface of the rear end of the blocking rod (52); when the circumferential surface of the cam (55) with the largest distance from the rotation center abuts against the bottom surface of the blocking rod (52), the blocking hook (53) is separated from the bottom surface of the material box (6) to be folded; when the circumferential surface of the cam (55) with the smallest distance from the rotation center abuts against the bottom surface of the blocking rod (52), the blocking hook (53) is hung at the bottom end of the material box (6) to be folded; the second motor (54) is connected to the controller (7) for communication.

8. The automatic folding device for a material box according to claim 4, characterized in that: A plurality of rollers (31) are arranged in the slide rail (3), and the plurality of rollers (31) are distributed along the extension direction of the slide rail (3). The rollers (31) are rotatably connected to the two side walls of the slide rail (3).

9. The automatic folding device for a material box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving unit (12) comprises a first motor (121), a driving gear (122), a first rack (124) and a second rack (125); the first motor (121) is fixedly connected to the connecting frame (11); the driving gear (122) is connected to the first motor (121) and is used to drive the driving gear (122) to rotate; the extension direction of the first rack (124) and the extension direction of the second rack (125) are both in the y direction, the first rack (124) is arranged directly above the second rack (125), the driving gear (122) is located between the first rack (124) and the second rack (125), and is meshed with the first rack (124) and the second rack (125) at the same time; the end of the first rack (124) close to another group of folding components is fixedly connected to the mounting rod (13), and the end of the second rack (125) close to another group of folding components is fixedly connected to the push piece (17); the first motor (121) is communicatively connected to the controller (7).

10. The automatic folding device for a material box according to claim 1, characterized in that: The two ends of the mounting rod (13) are respectively connected to limiting plates (15), and the distance between the two limiting plates (15) is equal to the distance between the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box (6) to be folded, so that when folding, the two limiting plates (15) are respectively connected to the front end plate and the rear end plate of the material box (6) to be folded.

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