Automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment and working method

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of tobacco processing, in particular to an automatic material following system for cabinet type equipment for cigarettes and a working method. The automatic material following system comprises a cleaning device and a recovery device; the cleaning device comprises box bodies, a connecting assembly, a brush and a roller set, the two box bodies are connected through the connecting assembly, the brush is arranged on the outer side faces of the box bodies, the rear side faces of the box bodies are obliquely arranged, and the roller set is installed on the rear side faces of the box bodies. The recovery device comprises a driving mechanism and a recovery rope, the driving mechanism is fixed on the cabinet body, one end of the recovery rope is connected with the driving mechanism, and the other end of the recovery rope is connected with the connecting assembly. Residual materials in the cabinet are swept instead of manpower, the sweeping efficiency is effectively improved, the labor cost is reduced, and the hidden safety risk that personnel enter the cabinet body is eradicated.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of tobacco processing, and in particular to an automatic material following system for tobacco cabinet equipment and a working method. Background Art

[0002] In tobacco processing, especially in tobacco-making workshops, cabinets play a crucial role. These devices are primarily used to store materials such as tobacco stems, tobacco leaves, cut tobacco leaves, cut stems, and finished tobacco. They also regulate production rhythm and balance the temperature and humidity of process media and materials. Due to their critical importance in the production process, cabinets are in high demand, typically used in pairs of two to maximize material storage capacity and distribution efficiency. However, these devices require regular maintenance throughout their use, including daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance, as well as cleaning of residual material on both sides of the cabinet bottom belt at the end of each batch.

[0003] In existing technologies, cleaning cabinet equipment primarily relies on manual entry. This manual cleaning method is not only inefficient but also poses safety risks for workers entering the cabinet. Furthermore, inconsistencies in manual cleaning can affect material cleanliness and production quality. Therefore, to improve cleaning efficiency, reduce labor costs, and ensure worker safety, it is necessary to develop a device that can automatically complete cleaning tasks.

[0004] Therefore, the prior art has the following major problems:

[0005] 1. Manual cleaning is inefficient and consumes a lot of manpower and time.

[0006] 2. There are safety hazards when operators enter the cabinet.

[0007] 3. Inconsistency in manual cleaning may affect the cleanliness of materials and production quality. Summary of the Invention

[0008] In response to the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide an automatic material tracking system for tobacco cabinet equipment, which replaces manpower to clean the residual materials in the cabinet, effectively improves cleaning efficiency, reduces labor costs, and eliminates the hidden safety risks of people entering the cabinet.

[0009] In order to achieve the above objectives, the embodiments of the present invention provide the following technical solutions:

[0010] An automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment includes: a cleaning device and a recovery device; the cleaning device includes a box body, a connecting component, a brush and a roller group, the connecting component connects two boxes, the brush is arranged on the outer side of the box body, the rear side of the box body is inclined, and the roller group is installed on the rear side of the box body; the recovery device includes a driving mechanism and a recovery rope, the driving mechanism is fixed on the cabinet body, one end of the recovery rope is connected to the driving mechanism, and the other end is connected to the connecting component.

[0011] The cleaning device consists of a housing, a connecting assembly, a brush, and a roller assembly. The brush is mounted on the outside of the housing to clean residual material from the bottom of the cabinet. The rear side is angled to facilitate the installation and movement of the roller assembly. During recovery, the roller assembly contacts the cabinet floor, converting sliding friction into rolling friction. The connecting assembly connects the two housings into a single unit, ensuring structural stability and consistent operation of the cleaning device during operation.

[0012] The recovery device consists of a drive mechanism and a recovery rope. The drive mechanism rotates the reel through a motor, which pulls the recovery rope to reset the cleaning device. One end of the recovery rope is connected to the reel, and the other end is connected to the connection assembly of the cleaning device. After the cleaning device completes cleaning due to friction, the recovery rope is pulled by the drive mechanism, causing the cleaning device to return to its original position, ready for the next cycle.

[0013] Optionally, the box body of the cleaning device is composed of an inner panel, an outer panel, a front baffle, and a bottom panel, wherein the bottom panel is curved, forming the bottom side and rear side of the box body. The curved bottom panel is welded or bolted to the front baffle, inner and outer panels to form an integral frame, thereby enhancing the rigidity and stability of the box body. The bottom side of the bottom panel is used to support the load of the cleaning device, and the rear side is the installation position of the roller assembly, providing a support platform for the operation of the rollers. The design of the curved bottom panel not only adapts to the structural characteristics of the bottom of the cabinet, but also supports the stable movement of the cleaning device, ensuring the efficient operation of the entire cleaning system.

[0014] Optionally, a through hole is provided on the rear side of the base plate for installing a roller group. The roller group includes a roller and a bearing seat. The roller is fixed on both sides of the through hole of the base plate through the bearing seat, and some rollers pass through the base plate from the through hole. The bearing seat is fixed to the inner side of the base plate by welding or bolts, and the rotating shaft of the roller is installed in the bearing seat to ensure that the roller can rotate freely. Most of the roller is located above the through hole, and a small part is located below the base plate, in contact with the bottom belt of the cabinet to reduce friction. The design of the roller group changes the friction form of the cleaning device from sliding friction to rolling friction during the recycling process, which not only reduces energy consumption, but also avoids wear on the bottom belt of the cabinet, significantly improving the service life and operating efficiency of the device.

[0015] The roller and bearing housing are optionally connected by bolts, facilitating installation and removal. Access holes are provided on the inner panel, corresponding to the locations of the roller mounting bolts. These holes are pre-set openings that precisely align with the roller mounting holes on the base plate. To replace or maintain the roller, simply loosen the bolts through the inner panel access holes. This design improves the maintainability of the roller, allowing operators to quickly remove and replace parts, reducing maintenance costs.

[0016] Optionally, a universal wheel is mounted on the outer side of the outer plate and secured to the outer plate via a screw. A threaded screw is provided at one end of the universal wheel, which passes through a pre-recorded hole in the outer plate and is secured with a nut. The universal wheel can rotate freely in multiple directions, ensuring that the cleaning device does not deviate during movement.

[0017] Optionally, the brush is mounted on the outer panel of the cabinet via an adjustment plate. This plate is bent, creating a predetermined angle between the brush and the outer panel. The plate's bend creates two faces with an included angle of 120°-150°. The brush is secured to the adjustment plate with bolts or clips, creating a predetermined angle between the brush and the outer panel. This angled mounting design allows the brush to be concentrated toward the center of the cabinet while also allowing it to move forward, ensuring more thorough cleaning.

[0018] Optionally, a vertical slot is provided on the adjustment plate. The brush includes a handle and bristles. The handle is mounted on the slot of the adjustment plate and can move up and down relative to the adjustment plate. The handle engages with the slot via a bolt or a slider. During the sliding process, the handle can be fixed in the desired position by tightening a nut to adjust the height of the brush. The bristles are fixed to the underside of the handle and come into contact with the cabinet floor for cleaning. The slot design enables the height of the brush to be adjustable, which can be adjusted according to the residual material or the actual height of the cabinet floor, further improving the cleaning effect of the device.

[0019] Optionally, the connection assembly includes a fixed seat, a baffle, a connecting rod and a sleeve. The baffle is inserted into the fixed seat through a slot. The inner end of the connecting rod is connected through a sleeve, and the outer end is connected to the box body. The fixed seat is mounted on the inner side plate by bolts. The two ends of the baffle are inserted into the slot and slide with the fixed seat. The baffle can move freely in the up and down directions under the restriction of the fixed seat. One end of the connecting rod is connected to the box body by a thread, and the other end is formed into a whole by a sleeve to ensure that the baffle maintains sufficient rigidity during operation. The design of the connection assembly enhances the stability and deformation resistance of the baffle, enabling it to effectively push materials forward during the cleaning process.

[0020] Optionally, the drive mechanism consists of a base, a fixed bracket, a motor, and a reel. The base is mounted on the cabinet and supports the motor and reel. The motor is mounted on the base via a fixed bracket, with its output shaft connected to the reel, which is fixed to the motor output shaft. The recovery rope is wound around the reel, with one end fixed to the reel and the other end connected to the cleaning device. The drive mechanism provides sufficient traction, and the rotation of the reel completes the recovery operation of the cleaning device. The design of the base and bracket ensures the stability of the drive mechanism.

[0021] The embodiment of the present invention also provides a working method of the automatic material following system for the above-mentioned cigarette cabinet equipment, including two stages of cleaning and recycling:

[0022] Cleaning stage: The cleaning device moves forward synchronously with the bottom plate of the storage cabinet, the brush cleans the materials on both sides of the bottom of the cabinet, and the connecting components push the materials forward and concentrate.

[0023] Recovery stage: When the cleaning device moves to the predetermined position, the driving mechanism starts, the recovery rope pulls the box to tilt, the roller contacts the bottom belt, and the cleaning device is pulled back to the initial position.

[0024] This working method ensures efficient connection between the cleaning process and the recycling process, and realizes the automated cycle of cleaning work.

[0025] One or more technical solutions provided in the embodiments of the present invention have at least the following technical effects or advantages:

[0026] In this material following system, a brush for cleaning residual materials at the bottom of the cabinet is provided on the outside of the cleaning device box, and a roller group is installed on the rear side of the box so that it can contact the bottom plate of the cabinet during recycling, converting sliding friction into rolling friction. The connecting assembly ensures that the cleaning device maintains structural stability during operation. The drive mechanism pulls the recovery rope to reset the cleaning device, so that the cleaning device is recovered to the initial position and is ready for the next recycling. Compared with the existing technology, the degree of automation is high, and the automatic material following of the device replaces manual material following, thereby improving the cleaning efficiency; the operating efficiency is high, and the automatic material following process is carried out along with the production process, and the material is automatically recovered after the following is completed, which is much more efficient than manual material following; the safety hazards caused by manual entry into the cabinet are eliminated, and the inherent safety level of the production site is improved; by precisely controlling the cleaning process, the cleanliness of the material and the production quality are ensured, while reducing damage to the internal structure of the cabinet.

[0027] Additional advantages of the present invention will be given in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description which follows, or may be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] To more clearly illustrate the embodiments of this application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for the embodiments or the description of the prior art. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some of the embodiments described in this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be derived from these drawings without inventive effort. In addition, the spacing or size between parts is exaggerated to show the position of each part, and the schematic diagram is for illustrative purposes only.

[0029] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram of the automatic material tracking system provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 Schematic diagram of a cleaning device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 3 Schematic diagram of a recovery device provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a box and roller assembly provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a fixing base provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an adjustment plate provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 7 This is a workflow diagram provided by an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure: 1, brush; 2, adjustment plate; 3, universal wheel; 4, front baffle; 5, inner plate; 6, roller; 7, connecting rod; 8, bushing; 9, baffle; 10, fixing seat; 11, loading and unloading hole; 12, bearing seat; 13, bottom plate; 14, outer plate; 15, oil collecting box; 16, fixing bracket; 17, motor; 18, reel; 19, base. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] It should be noted that the following detailed description is illustrative and is intended to further illustrate the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprise" and / or "include" are used in this specification, they indicate the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0038] Example 1

[0039] See also Figure 1 - Figure 6The present embodiment provides an automatic following material system for cigarette cabinet equipment, including a bottom plate 13, which is formed by bending a rectangular plate with a certain curvature at the bend. Two rectangular holes are reserved on the bottom plate 13, and 6 bearing seats 12 are evenly distributed on both sides of each rectangular hole, symmetrically distributed in groups of two, for installing rollers 6. Bolts are passed through the circular holes of the rollers 6 and the bearing seats 12 and fixed with bolts. After the rollers 6 are installed, most of them are above the bottom plate 13, and a small part is below the bottom plate 13. The purpose of installing the rollers 6 is that when the device is recovered after following the material, the whole is subjected to force by the rollers 6, and the drum returns to its initial position.

[0040] like Figure 2 、 Figure 4 As shown, the inner plate 5 is a square thin plate with an arc, in which the shape formed by the two sides and the arc in the middle coincides with the line formed by the bending of the bottom plate 13, and they are welded together along the overlapping curves. There are loading and unloading holes 11 on the inner plate 5 to facilitate the disassembly and assembly of the bolts fixing the roller 6. In addition, there are three circular holes on the inner plate 5, one of which is used for the connecting rod 7 to pass through it, and the other two holes are used to connect the fixing seat 10.

[0041] The outer plate 14 and the inner plate 5 have the same shape and size, and are connected to the bottom plate 13 by welding. There are 5 holes on the outer plate 14, and the position of one of the holes corresponds to the position of one of the holes on the inner plate 5, for the connecting rod 7 to pass through. Two holes are used to install the universal wheel 3, which has its own screw rod. The screw rod of the universal wheel 3 is inserted into the reserved hole and fixed with a nut. The universal wheel 3 is used to prevent the device from running off during the recovery process to improve the stability of the device. The other two holes in the outer plate 14 are used to fix the adjustment plate 2.

[0042] The size and shape of the front baffle 4 are exactly consistent with the blank shape size formed after the bottom plate 13, the inner plate 5 and the outer plate 14 are welded, and the corresponding edges of the bottom plate 13, the inner plate 5 and the outer plate 14 are connected together by welding.

[0043] like Figure 2 、 Figure 6 As shown, the adjustment plate 2 is bent from a thin plate, and the angle formed by the two surfaces formed after the bending is 120°-150°. There are two circular holes on it, which are fixed to the outer plate 14 by bolts and nuts. There are also two long grooves for connecting with the brush 1. The brush is fixed to the adjustment plate 2 by bolts and nuts, and the height of the fixed brush 1 can be adjusted as needed. The lower end of the brush 1 is a bristle for cleaning residual materials, and the upper end is a brush handle with a circular hole on the brush handle for connecting with the adjustment plate 2.

[0044] like Figure 2 、 Figure 5As shown, the fixing seat 10 has two circular holes, which are connected to the inner plate 5 by bolts and nuts. There is also a slot on the fixing seat 10 for inserting the baffle 9 therein, and the baffle 9 can only move in the up and down directions after being inserted therein. The baffle 9 is a long thin plate. After the baffle 9 is installed in the slot of the fixing seat 10, it is coplanar with the front baffle 4, and together they push the residual material forward during the material following process.

[0045] There are two connecting rods 7, and both ends have external threads. One end passes through the inner plate 5 and the outer plate 14 and is fixed with a bolt, and the other end is screwed into the sleeve 8. The two connecting rods 7 and the sleeve 8 form a whole, forming a quadrilateral with the two inner plates 5 and the baffle 9, which can improve the rigidity of the baffle 9 and avoid bending and deformation during the material following and recycling process.

[0046] There are internal threads at both ends of the sleeve 8, which are used to cooperate with the external threads at the end of the connecting rod 7. A ring is welded in the middle position of the sleeve 8 to facilitate tying a rope on it. The other end of the rope is tied to the reel 18. When the material is followed and the recovery device ends, the traction force is transmitted through the rope to pull the material following device back to its initial position as a whole.

[0047] The above are components of the cleaning device. After the assembly is completed, the overall length along the axial direction of the connecting rod 7 is slightly smaller than the width of the cabinet interior to ensure that the residual materials in the cabinet are cleaned up.

[0048] like Figure 3 As shown, the base 19 is a rectangular plate with four round holes on it for fixing it to the cabinet. The fixing bracket 16 is fixed and disassembled by the motor 17 through four support rods with external threads at one end, in conjunction with the pressure plate and nuts.

[0049] Motor 17 powers the cleaning device's recovery process. Its drive shaft is connected to reel 18, which has a matching bracket that allows it to rotate or stop with motor 17. One end of the recovery rope is attached to reel 18. During recovery, as motor 17 rotates, reel 18 rotates synchronously, retracting the rope and the material tracking device. An oil collection box 15 is also located under the motor to collect dripping oil.

[0050] Example 2

[0051] This embodiment proposes a working method of the automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment as described in Example 1, such as Figure 7 Shown, including:

[0052] Cooperate with the control system to complete the automatic cleaning of the materials involved and the automatic recovery of the cleaning device. The operator of the last process of the storage cabinet logs into the MES system, queries and issues the work order task, and the production starts. When the motor of the bottom belt of the storage cabinet starts to rotate, the motor 17 is in a non-working state. The cleaning device is affected by the friction between the bottom plate 13 and the bottom belt surface, and follows the bottom belt forward. The recovery rope on the reel 18 is also continuously pulled out. In this process, the brush 1 cleans the materials on both sides of the bottom of the cabinet. Due to the action of the adjustment plate 2, the working surface of the brush 1 and the forward direction of the device are at a certain angle. The materials accumulated due to the cleaning of the brush 1 will move simultaneously in the middle direction and the forward direction of the bottom belt, and the baffle 9 will push the materials forward. Therefore, all the remaining materials will continue to move forward under the overall action of the cleaning device.

[0053] When the cleaning device triggers the pre-installed limit photoelectric switch, the signal is transmitted to the PLC, and then the PLC sends a signal to the motor 17, first braking and then reversing, driving the reel 18 to rotate, and the recovery rope begins to be subjected to force. The cleaning device is now affected by the friction of the bottom belt and the tension of the recovery rope. It will tilt backward as a whole with the arc of the bottom plate 13 as the fulcrum, and the roller 6 begins to contact the surface of the bottom belt. At this time, the friction between the cleaning device and the bottom belt changes from sliding friction to rolling friction, and the friction force is greatly reduced, and there is no wear on the bottom belt. As the reel 18 continues to rotate, the cleaning device is pulled back as a whole, and when the cleaning device is recovered into place, the photoelectric tube is triggered, and the photoelectric tube sends a device in place signal to the PLC. After receiving the signal, the PLC sends a braking signal to the motor 17, and the reel 18 brakes synchronously with the motor 17. The cleaning device stops at the initial position, waiting for the production of the next batch of materials to start, and so on.

[0054] This working method is simple and efficient, and can effectively replace manual labor to complete automatic material following. The material following effect not only meets the process requirements, but also eliminates the safety hazards of operators entering the cabinet.

[0055] Although the above describes the specific embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it is not intended to limit the scope of protection of the present invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications or variations that can be made by those skilled in the art on the basis of the technical solution of the present invention without creative work are still within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. An automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment, characterized in that: include: Cleaning and recovery devices; The cleaning device comprises a box, a connecting assembly, a brush and a roller assembly, wherein the connecting assembly connects two boxes, the brush is arranged on the outer side of the box, the rear side of the box is inclined, and the roller assembly is installed on the rear side of the box; The recovery device comprises a driving mechanism and a recovery rope, wherein the driving mechanism is fixed on the cabinet, one end of the recovery rope is connected to the driving mechanism, and the other end is connected to the connection assembly.

2. The automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The box body comprises an inner side plate, an outer side plate, a front baffle plate and a bottom plate, wherein the bottom plate is curved and constitutes the bottom side surface and the rear side surface of the box body.

3. The automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: A through hole is provided on the rear side of the base plate. The roller assembly includes a roller and a bearing seat. The bearing seat is installed on both sides of the through hole on the inner side of the base plate. The roller is rotatably installed on the bearing seat, and part of the roller passes through the base plate from the through hole.

4. The automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to claim 3, characterized in that: The roller and the bearing seat are connected by bolts, and a loading and unloading hole is opened on the inner plate, and the position of the loading and unloading hole corresponds to the position of the bolt for installing the roller.

5. The automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: A universal wheel is installed on the outer side of the outer plate, one end of the universal wheel is provided with a screw rod, and the screw rod passes through the outer plate and is fixed by a nut.

6. The automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The brush is installed on the outer plate of the box body through an adjustment plate, and the adjustment plate is a bent plate. The brush and the outer plate form a predetermined angle to move the material in the forward direction and the middle direction.

7. The automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to claim 6, characterized in that: The adjustment plate is provided with a long groove, which is arranged in a vertical direction. The brush comprises a brush handle and bristles. The brush handle is installed on the long groove of the adjustment plate and can move up and down relative to the adjustment plate. The bristles are installed on the lower side of the brush handle.

8. The automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connecting assembly includes a fixing seat, a baffle, a connecting rod and a sleeve. The fixing seat is installed on the inner plate of the box body. A slot is provided on the inner side of the fixing seat. The two ends of the baffle are inserted into the slot. The inner ends of the two connecting rods are connected by the sleeve, and the outer ends of the connecting rods are connected to the box body.

9. The automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving mechanism comprises a base, a fixing bracket, a motor and a reel. The base is mounted on a cabinet. The fixing bracket fixes the motor to the base. The reel is mounted on an output shaft of the motor. The recovery rope is wound on the reel.

10. A working method of the automatic material following system for cigarette cabinet equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: include: The cleaning device moves forward under the action of the cabinet bottom plate, the recovery rope is continuously pulled out, and the brush on the outside of the cabinet cleans the materials on both sides of the cabinet bottom, so that the materials move in both directions of the middle direction of the bottom belt and the forward direction at the same time, and the connecting components push the materials forward; After the cleaning device moves to the predetermined position, the driving mechanism rotates and pulls the recovery rope. The box body tilts under the action of the recovery rope, so that the roller group contacts the ground. As the recovery rope is pulled, the cleaning device is pulled back.

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