Cigarette carton continuous replenishment method and cigarette carton replenishment system

By adopting a multi-channel parallel transportation method in the cigarette replenishment system, the problems of inefficient replenishment and incorrect replenishment order in the cigarette replenishment system in the prior art are solved, and efficient continuous replenishment and sequence matching are achieved.

CN119774166AActive Publication Date: 2025-04-08HENGYANG COUNTY BRANCH HENGYANG COMPANY OF HUNANTOBACCO
View PDF 5 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Application Number
CN202510236691.3
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2025-02-28
Publication Date
2025-04-08
Estimated Expiration
2045-02-28

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the prior art, the replenishment method of replenishing cigarettes is inefficient and cannot be continuously replenished while ensuring the correct replenishment order, resulting in sorting errors and reduced efficiency.

Method used

By setting up the main conveying channel, lateral replenishment channel and control mechanism in the cigarette replenishment system, and using an optimized control algorithm, multiple replenishment channels can perform multiple replenishment tasks within the same time, realizing parallel transport of multiple channels and improving confluence efficiency.

Benefits of technology

Without adding hardware equipment, maximize the use of station resources, achieve continuous replenishment, improve merger efficiency, and ensure the correctness of replenishment sequence.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN119774166A_ABST
    Figure CN119774166A_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The invention discloses a cigarette carton continuous replenishment method and a cigarette carton replenishment system, and belongs to the field of cigarette carton sorting, and the replenishment method comprises the following steps: S1, according to replenishment channels with serial numbers of 1-X, setting virtual platforms, real platforms and replenishment stations with serial numbers in one-to-one correspondence; s2, establishing a replenishment task list according to actual replenishment requirements; s3, sequentially sending each replenishment task to the virtual station according to the order of the replenishment task list, triggering the replenishment task allocation step A, and performing task allocation; and then according to the virtual station task transmission step B, the confluence step C, the station transportation step D and the downstream transportation step E, the multiple cigarette cartons are confluent on the main conveying channel according to the replenishment sequence in the replenishment task list and are sequentially output downstream in the logistics transportation direction. According to the invention, continuous replenishment can be carried out under the condition that the replenishment sequence is correct, and the replenishment efficiency is improved.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of cigarette carton sorting, and in particular relates to a cigarette carton continuous replenishment method and a cigarette carton replenishment system. Background Art

[0002] In the field of carton sorting, high-speed sorting has become the standard configuration of tobacco logistics centers, and the current single-line sorting speed has reached 20,000-35,000 cartons per hour. Such a high sorting speed also brings greater challenges to the logistics center's cigarette replenishment capabilities.

[0003] Since the brand and quantity of unit cigarette replenishment are closely related to the order, when unit cigarettes need to be replenished, in order to ensure the correct replenishment order, various unit cigarette brands need to be merged according to specific order and rules, that is, the unit cigarette replenishment order must be highly matched with the sorting order of the cigarette cartons. However, due to the wide variety of unit cigarette brands that tobacco logistics centers need to handle, when faced with large-scale unit cigarette replenishment, problems such as confusion in replenishment order and brand dislocation are prone to occur, resulting in sorting errors or reduced efficiency. In addition, in some logistics centers, unit cigarette replenishment still relies on manual operations, and replenishment personnel are required to manually move unit cigarettes according to sorting requirements, which not only leads to low consolidation efficiency, but also replenishment errors or delays due to human errors.

[0004] In order to improve the accuracy of confluence, a method is currently proposed as shown in the following Figure 2 The confluence method shown in the figure has the following specific confluence process: the logistics center generates the replenishment order of each brand of cigarettes according to the replenishment demand, and then distributes the replenishment task to the control center according to the replenishment order, and transports the brand cigarettes required to be replenished from different replenishment channels one by one to the main channel of logistics transportation in order to prevent the order from being disordered. However, in order to ensure the accuracy of confluence, the method can only perform one replenishment task at the same time, that is, only one replenishment channel is used to replenish cigarettes, which causes other replenishment channels to be idle, and the overall confluence efficiency is low, which not only greatly affects the overall sorting efficiency of the logistics center, but also wastes a lot of workstation resources, especially when the tobacco logistics center needs to process a large number of brand cigarettes, the problem of workstation waste is more prominent, and the resource utilization rate is low. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a continuous replenishment method for cigarettes that can solve the above problems. Summary of the invention

[0005] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a continuous replenishment method and a system for replenishing cigarettes by piece, aiming to solve the problem that the current method for replenishing cigarettes by piece is inefficient and cannot replenish continuously while ensuring the correct replenishment sequence. To achieve the above purpose, the present invention provides the following technical solutions:

[0006] A method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes is applied to a cigarette replenishment system, wherein the cigarette replenishment system is provided with a main conveying channel, a plurality of replenishment channels arranged on the side of the main conveying channel, and a control mechanism, and the main conveying channel is provided with a plurality of first conveying mechanisms corresponding to each replenishment channel one by one, comprising the following steps:

[0007] Step S1: along the logistics transportation direction of the main conveying channel, number each replenishment channel from 1 to X in sequence; set a real platform with the same number as the replenishment channel at the exit of each replenishment channel; then, set a virtual platform corresponding to the real platform number one by one; then, set a number of replenishment stations corresponding to the real platforms on the main conveying channel, and monitor in real time whether there are cigarettes on each replenishment station;

[0008] Step S2: When replenishment is required, a replenishment task list is added according to the replenishment demand, and the replenishment task list includes replenishment tasks numbered 1 to N; wherein each replenishment task records information of the task sequence number, brand verification code, target replenishment channel number, and target address;

[0009] Step S3: Send each replenishment task to the virtual platform in the order of the replenishment task list, trigger the replenishment task allocation step A, and perform task allocation; then according to the virtual platform task transfer step B, merging step C, workstation transportation step D and downstream transportation step E, multiple cigarettes are merged on the main conveying channel according to the replenishment order in the replenishment task list, and are output downstream in sequence along the direction of logistics transportation.

[0010] Furthermore, the replenishment task allocation step A is specifically as follows:

[0011] Step A1: Set the initial task sequence N of the replenishment task to 1, the number of the virtual station that receives the task to X to 1, and proceed to step A2;

[0012] Step A2: Assign replenishment task N to virtual station X, and then trigger the virtual station task transfer step B;

[0013] Step A3: Determine whether the current replenishment task N is the last replenishment task in the current replenishment task list; if not, set N=N+1, X=1, and return to step A2; if so, exit the replenishment task allocation step A.

[0014] Furthermore, the virtual platform task transfer step B is specifically as follows:

[0015] Step B1: Determine whether there is a previous replenishment task for virtual station X; if there is no previous replenishment task, proceed to step B2; if there is a previous replenishment task, the replenishment task enters a waiting state; after the previous replenishment task of virtual station X is cleared, proceed to step B2;

[0016] Step B2: Determine whether the virtual platform X has a previous transport task; if yes, proceed to step B3; if no, proceed to step B4;

[0017] Step B3: triggering the workstation transport step D, and after the workstation transport step D is completed, proceeding to step B4;

[0018] Step B4: Determine whether the target replenishment channel number recorded in the replenishment task N is consistent with the target replenishment channel number of the virtual platform X; if the numbers are inconsistent, proceed to step B5; if the numbers are consistent, proceed to step B6;

[0019] Step B5: Let X=X+1, pass the replenishment task N to the virtual station X, and return to step B1;

[0020] Step B6: trigger the merging step C and exit the virtual platform task transfer step B.

[0021] Furthermore, the merging step C is specifically as follows:

[0022] Step C1: Determine whether a cigarette is placed on the replenishment station X; if so, proceed to step C2; if not, proceed to step C3;

[0023] Step C2: triggering the workstation transport step D; after the transport step D is completed, returning to step C1;

[0024] Step C3: Determine whether there is a cigarette placed on the actual platform X corresponding to the target replenishment channel number; if so, proceed to step C5; if not, proceed to step C4;

[0025] Step C4: triggering step A3 and forming a transport task for replenishment station X; then, after replenishment of station X, proceeding to step C6;

[0026] Step C5: throw out the cigarettes on the real platform X and send them to the replenishment station X for merging; if there is no transportation task at the current replenishment station X, generate a transportation task for the replenishment station X and clear the replenishment task of the virtual platform X; then, trigger the downstream transportation step E and step A3 at the same time, and exit the merging step C;

[0027] Step C6: throw out the cigarette on the real platform X and send it to the replenishment station X for merging; if there is no transportation task at the current replenishment station X, generate a transportation task for the replenishment station X and clear the replenishment task of the virtual platform X; then, only trigger the downstream transportation step E and exit the merging step C.

[0028] Furthermore, the station transportation step D is specifically as follows:

[0029] Step D1: Check whether there are continuous transport tasks from virtual station X to the last virtual station in ascending order; if not, proceed to step D4; if so, record the replenishment station number Y where the task is interrupted, and proceed to step D2;

[0030] Step D2: Determine whether there are cigarette cases placed at replenishment stations Y-1 to X; if not, wait for the cigarette cases at replenishment stations Y-1 to X to be replenished, and then proceed to step D3; if yes, directly proceed to step D3;

[0031] Step D3: transport all cigarettes between replenishment station Y-1 and replenishment station X one replenishment station backward in descending order; then, transfer the transportation task from virtual station X to virtual station Y-1 to virtual station X+1 to virtual station Y in sequence; if replenishment station Y-1 is the last replenishment station, output the cigarettes of replenishment station Y-1 to the downstream, and clear the transportation task of virtual station Y-1; then, exit step D;

[0032] Step D4: transport the cigarettes at the current replenishment station to the next replenishment station; then, transfer the transportation task of virtual platform X to the virtual platform X+1 corresponding to the next replenishment station; then, exit step D.

[0033] Furthermore, it also includes a downstream transportation step E, and the downstream transportation step E is specifically:

[0034] Step E1: Make downstream output judgment based on whether there is a new replenishment task list and the completion status of each replenishment task list currently in progress; if the cigarettes in the current replenishment task list have been merged in order and there is no new replenishment task list, proceed to step E2; if the cigarettes in the current replenishment task list have not been merged or there is a new replenishment task list, directly exit the downstream transportation step E;

[0035] Step E2: When the downstream is idle, all cigarettes on the current main conveying channel are conveyed to the downstream in sequence according to the logistics direction, and then the conveying tasks of all virtual platforms are cleared, and then the downstream transportation step E is exited.

[0036] Furthermore, in the merging step C, the following steps are also included:

[0037] Step C401: When a cigarette is thrown out from any actual station, the replenishment station corresponding to the main conveying channel is monitored by timing. If it is found that the replenishment station has not received the cigarette within 1.5 seconds, all tasks are suspended and an alarm is sounded.

[0038] Further, in step S2, the replenishment task names of each replenishment task list are specifically replenishment task 1, replenishment task 2, ... replenishment task N; and the multiple replenishment task lists are sorted from small to large according to the creation time, and all replenishment tasks of the previous replenishment task list take precedence over the replenishment tasks of the next replenishment task list.

[0039] Furthermore, it also includes a target address allocation step, which is specifically: when it is detected that a cigarette is placed on the last replenishment station of the main conveying channel, the transportation direction of the cigarette after leaving the main conveying channel is adjusted according to the target address recorded in the corresponding replenishment task.

[0040] A cigarette piece replenishment system adopts the cigarette piece continuous replenishment method as described in any of the above items, comprising a control mechanism, a main conveying channel and a plurality of replenishment channels; the main conveying channel is provided with a plurality of first conveying mechanisms and a first monitoring mechanism; the first monitoring mechanism is used to monitor the placement of cigarette pieces on each first conveying mechanism; the replenishment channel is provided with a second conveying mechanism and a second monitoring mechanism; the second monitoring mechanism is used to monitor the placement of cigarette pieces on the second conveying mechanism; the plurality of replenishment channels are arranged laterally relative to the main conveying channel; the control mechanism is electrically connected to the plurality of first conveying mechanisms and the plurality of second conveying mechanisms, respectively.

[0041] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0042] 1. The present invention optimizes the control algorithm and can coordinate the replenishment channel with the main conveying channel without adding any hardware equipment, so that multiple replenishment channels can perform multiple replenishment tasks at the same time, making the maximum use of workstation resources, realizing the function of multi-channel parallel conveying, improving the confluence efficiency, and performing continuous replenishment while ensuring the correct replenishment order. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 is a schematic structural diagram of a cigarette replenishment system provided in a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

[0044] Figure 2 It is a structural schematic diagram of an existing smoke confluence system;

[0045] Figure 3 It is a flow chart of step A in the method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes provided by the present invention;

[0046] Figure 4 It is a flow chart of step B in the method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes provided by the present invention;

[0047] Figure 5 It is a flow chart of step C in the method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes provided by the present invention;

[0048] Figure 6 It is a flow chart of step D in the method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes provided by the present invention; DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0049] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like indicate orientations or positional relationships based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0050] In the description of the present invention, "first feature" or "second feature" may include one or more of the features.

[0051] In the description of the present invention, "plurality" means two or more.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, a first feature being “on” or “under” a second feature may include that the first and second features are directly in contact with each other, or may include that the first and second features are not in direct contact with each other but are in contact with each other via another feature therebetween.

[0053] In the description of the present invention, “on”, “over” and “above” a first feature from a second feature includes the first feature being directly above and obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is horizontally higher than the second feature.

[0054] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "illustrative embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", "some examples", etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representation of the above terms does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner.

[0055] The present invention will be further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and specific implementation methods, but the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0056] Embodiment 1:

[0057] See attached Figures 1-2A method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes is applied to a cigarette replenishment system, wherein the cigarette replenishment system is provided with a main conveying channel, a plurality of replenishment channels arranged on the side of the main conveying channel, and a control mechanism, and the main conveying channel is provided with a plurality of first conveying mechanisms corresponding to each replenishment channel one by one, comprising the following steps:

[0058] Step S1: along the logistics transportation direction of the main conveying channel, number each replenishment channel from 1 to X in sequence; set a real platform with the same number as the replenishment channel at the exit of each replenishment channel; then, set a virtual platform corresponding to the real platform number one by one; then, set a number of replenishment stations corresponding to the real platforms on the main conveying channel, and monitor in real time whether there are cigarettes on each replenishment station;

[0059] Step S2: When replenishment is required, a replenishment task list is added according to the replenishment demand, and the replenishment task list includes replenishment tasks numbered 1 to N; wherein each replenishment task records information of the task sequence number, brand verification code, target replenishment channel number, and target address;

[0060] Step S3: Send each replenishment task to the virtual platform in the order of the replenishment task list, trigger the replenishment task allocation step A, and perform task allocation; then according to the virtual platform task transfer step B, merging step C, workstation transportation step D and downstream transportation step E, multiple cigarettes are merged on the main conveying channel according to the replenishment order in the replenishment task list, and are output downstream in sequence along the direction of logistics transportation.

[0061] The replenishment method provided by the present invention can make multiple replenishment channels perform multiple replenishment tasks at the same time by coordinating the replenishment channel with the main conveying channel without adding any hardware equipment, so as to maximize the use of station resources, realize the function of multi-channel parallel conveying, improve the confluence efficiency, and ensure that the replenishment sequence is correct. Wherein, in step S1, the replenishment station refers to the physical position where the cigarette is received on the main conveying channel after the corresponding replenishment channel throws out the cigarette. In addition, since there must be a virtual station among several virtual stations that corresponds to the target replenishment channel number, and the task transfer starts from virtual station 1, as the replenishment task is transferred, the virtual station corresponding to the replenishment task can be found in the end. Each replenishment task includes several task information, including at least task sequence number, brand verification code, target replenishment channel number, and target address information. Wherein, the brand verification code is used for verification after each cigarette is merged and transported to the downstream, and the target address is the target address for receiving the goods.

[0062] Embodiment 2:

[0063] See attached Figures 1 to 6 Based on the first embodiment, the replenishment task allocation step A is specifically as follows:

[0064] Step A1: Set the initial task sequence N of the replenishment task to 1, the number of the virtual station that receives the task to X to 1, and proceed to step A2;

[0065] Step A2: Assign replenishment task N to virtual station X, and then trigger the virtual station task transfer step B;

[0066] Step A3: Determine whether the current replenishment task N is the last replenishment task in the current replenishment task list; if not, set N=N+1, X=1, and return to step A2; if so, exit the replenishment task allocation step A.

[0067] Among them, in step A3, if replenishment task N is the last replenishment task in the current replenishment task list, it means that the transmission of all virtual platform task information in the current replenishment task list has been completed, and the replenishment task allocation step A is exited. Wait until the next replenishment task list is added, and then trigger step A.

[0068] The virtual platform task transfer step B is specifically as follows:

[0069] Step B1: Determine whether there is a previous replenishment task for virtual station X; if there is no previous replenishment task, proceed to step B2; if there is a previous replenishment task, the replenishment task enters a waiting state; after the previous replenishment task of virtual station X is cleared, proceed to step B2;

[0070] Step B2: Determine whether the virtual platform X has a previous transport task; if yes, proceed to step B3; if no, proceed to step B4;

[0071] Step B3: triggering the workstation transport step D, and after the workstation transport step D is completed, proceeding to step B4;

[0072] Step B4: Determine whether the target replenishment channel number recorded in the replenishment task N is consistent with the target replenishment channel number of the virtual platform X; if the numbers are inconsistent, proceed to step B5; if the numbers are consistent, proceed to step B6;

[0073] Step B5: Let X=X+1, pass the replenishment task N to the virtual station X, and return to step B1;

[0074] Step B6: trigger the merging step C and exit the virtual platform task transfer step B.

[0075] The confluence step C is specifically as follows:

[0076] Step C1: Determine whether a cigarette is placed on the replenishment station X; if so, proceed to step C2; if not, proceed to step C3;

[0077] Step C2: triggering the workstation transport step D; after the transport step D is completed, returning to step C1;

[0078] Step C3: Determine whether there is a cigarette placed on the actual platform X corresponding to the target replenishment channel number; if so, proceed to step C5; if not, proceed to step C4;

[0079] Step C4: triggering step A3 and forming a transport task for replenishment station X; then, after replenishment of station X, proceeding to step C6;

[0080] Step C5: throw out the cigarettes on the real platform X and send them to the replenishment station X for merging; if there is no transportation task at the current replenishment station X, generate a transportation task for the replenishment station X and clear the replenishment task of the virtual platform X; then, trigger the downstream transportation step E and step A3 at the same time, and exit the merging step C;

[0081] Step C6: throw out the cigarette on the real platform X and send it to the replenishment station X for merging; if there is no transportation task at the current replenishment station X, generate a transportation task for the replenishment station X and clear the replenishment task of the virtual platform X; then, only trigger the downstream transportation step E and exit the merging step C.

[0082] The station transportation step D is specifically as follows:

[0083] Step D1: Check whether there are continuous transport tasks from virtual station X to the last virtual station in ascending order; if not, proceed to step D4; if so, record the replenishment station number Y where the task is interrupted, and proceed to step D2;

[0084] Step D2: Determine whether there are cigarette cases placed at replenishment stations Y-1 to X; if not, wait for the cigarette cases at replenishment stations Y-1 to X to be replenished, and then proceed to step D3; if yes, directly proceed to step D3;

[0085] Step D3: transport all cigarettes between replenishment station Y-1 and replenishment station X one replenishment station backward in descending order; then, transfer the transportation task from virtual station X to virtual station Y-1 to virtual station X+1 to virtual station Y in sequence; if replenishment station Y-1 is the last replenishment station, output the cigarettes of replenishment station Y-1 to the downstream, and clear the transportation task of virtual station Y-1; then, exit step D;

[0086] Step D4: transport the cigarettes at the current replenishment station to the next replenishment station; then, transfer the transportation task of virtual platform X to the virtual platform X+1 corresponding to the next replenishment station; then, exit step D.

[0087] The downstream transportation step E is also included, and the downstream transportation step E is specifically:

[0088] Step E1: Make downstream output judgment based on whether there is a new replenishment task list and the completion status of each replenishment task list currently in progress; if the cigarettes in the current replenishment task list have been merged in order and there is no new replenishment task list, proceed to step E2; if the cigarettes in the current replenishment task list have not been merged or there is a new replenishment task list, directly exit the downstream transportation step E;

[0089] Step E2: When the downstream is idle, all cigarettes on the current main conveying channel are conveyed to the downstream in sequence according to the logistics direction, and then the conveying tasks of all virtual platforms are cleared, and then the downstream transportation step E is exited.

[0090] Preferably, the merging step C further includes step C401: when a cigarette piece is thrown out from any actual station, the replenishment station corresponding to the main conveying channel is monitored by timing, and if it is found that the replenishment station has not received the cigarette piece within 1.5 seconds, all tasks are suspended and an alarm is sounded.

[0091] Preferably, in step S2, the replenishment tasks in each replenishment task list are specifically named replenishment task 1, replenishment task 2, ... replenishment task N; and the multiple replenishment task lists are sorted from small to large according to the creation time, and all replenishment tasks in the previous replenishment task list take precedence over the replenishment tasks in the next replenishment task list.

[0092] Preferably, it also includes a target address allocation step, which is specifically: when it is detected that a cigarette package is placed on the last replenishment station of the main conveying channel, the transportation direction of the cigarette package after leaving the main conveying channel is adjusted according to the target address recorded in the corresponding replenishment task, so as to facilitate the delivery of the cigarette package to the receiving target address.

[0093] Embodiment three:

[0094] See attached Figures 1 to 6 The present invention also provides a cigarette replenishment system, which adopts the cigarette continuous replenishment method as described in Example 2, including a control mechanism, a main conveying channel and a plurality of replenishment channels; the main conveying channel is provided with a plurality of first conveying mechanisms and a first monitoring mechanism; the first monitoring mechanism is used to monitor the placement of cigarettes on each first conveying mechanism; the replenishment channel is provided with a second conveying mechanism and a second monitoring mechanism; the second monitoring mechanism is used to monitor the placement of cigarettes on the second conveying mechanism; the plurality of replenishment channels are arranged laterally relative to the main conveying channel; the control mechanism is electrically connected to the plurality of first conveying mechanisms and the plurality of second conveying mechanisms, respectively.

[0095] As can be seen from the above structure, each first transport mechanism is used to receive and transport cigarettes of different brands, and the first monitoring mechanism includes a plurality of monitors for real-time monitoring of the placement of cigarettes on each replenishment station. Specifically, both the first transport mechanism and the second transport mechanism may include a transport member and a drive member, wherein the transport member may be set as a transport belt, and the drive member may be set as a power roller. The second transport mechanism is arranged laterally relative to the main conveying channel, and is used to receive cigarettes of different brands respectively, and throw them to the corresponding first transport mechanism on the main conveying channel for merging. The second monitoring mechanism is arranged at the exit of the replenishment channel, and is used to monitor in real time whether cigarettes are placed at the exit of the replenishment channel. Specifically, the first monitoring mechanism may include a plurality of photoelectric sensors, and a photoelectric sensor is arranged at each replenishment station and the exit of the main conveying channel to monitor the placement of cigarettes. Similarly, the second monitoring mechanism may also adopt a photoelectric sensor to monitor the placement of cigarettes at the exit of the replenishment channel. The control mechanism has a built-in continuous replenishment method, and can adjust and control the operating status of the first transport mechanism and a plurality of second transport mechanisms in real time according to the replenishment demand. When the cigarette pieces on the replenishment station need to be transported backwards along the logistics direction, the power roller corresponding to the first transport mechanism is driven to drive the conveyor belt to transport backwards along the logistics direction.

[0096] Embodiment 4:

[0097] See attached Figures 1 to 6 According to the content of the third embodiment, preferably, the cigarette replenishment system of the present invention has a main conveying channel and three replenishment channels, and each replenishment station of the main conveying channel is provided with a power roller for driving the conveyor belt to move along the conveying direction.

[0098] The following is an example of combining the above-mentioned continuous replenishment method and the cigarette replenishment system solution. If there are no previous replenishment tasks at the current virtual platform 1 to the virtual platform 3, no cigarettes are placed at the replenishment station 1 to the replenishment station 3, and there are cigarettes placed at the current real platform 1, no cigarettes are placed at the real platform 2, and there are cigarettes placed at the real platform 3, and the cigarette brands corresponding to the real platform 1, the real platform 2 and the real platform 3 are brand a, brand b and brand c respectively, then the replenishment method of this example is as follows:

[0099] A new replenishment task list is added. The replenishment task list includes replenishment task 1, replenishment task 2, and replenishment task 3. Among them, the brand of cigarettes required for replenishment task 1 is b; the brand of cigarettes required for replenishment task 2 is a; and the brand of cigarettes required for replenishment task 3 is c.

[0100] According to the replenishment task list and the set initial task sequence, replenishment task 1 is assigned to virtual station 1, and step B is triggered. Since virtual station 1 does not have a preceding replenishment task and a transport task, it is determined that the target replenishment channel number of virtual station 1 is different from that of replenishment task 1; replenishment task 1 is passed to virtual station 2, and it is determined that virtual station 2 also does not have a preceding replenishment task and a transport task; then, it is determined that the target replenishment channel number of virtual station 2 is the same as that of replenishment task 1, and step C is triggered; it is determined that no cigarettes are placed at replenishment station 2, and no cigarettes are placed at real station 2, so it enters a state of waiting for replenishment; then a transport task for replenishment station 2 is formed, and step A3 is triggered to enter the transfer of replenishment task 2;

[0101] Assign replenishment task 2 to virtual station 1; and trigger step B. Since virtual station 1 does not have a preceding replenishment task and a transport task, and the target replenishment channel number of virtual station 1 is the same as that of replenishment task 1, step C is triggered. If there are no cigarettes placed at replenishment station 1 and there are cigarettes at real station 1, the cigarettes of brand a at real station 1 are thrown to replenishment station 1, and then a transport task for replenishment station 1 is formed, clearing the replenishment task of virtual station 1, and at the same time, step A3 and downstream transport step E are triggered. On the one hand, the replenishment task 3 is transferred, and on the other hand, it is determined that the current replenishment task list is not completed, and downstream transport is not performed.

[0102] The replenishment task 3 is assigned to virtual station 1. Since virtual station 1 has a preceding transport task, step D is triggered. It is found that although virtual station 1 and virtual station 2 have continuous transport tasks, since no cigarettes are placed at replenishment station 2, it enters waiting mode.

[0103] It can be seen that at this time, due to the lack of confluence of brand b cigarettes, replenishment task 3 cannot be delivered, and the cigarettes cannot be transported downstream. After the actual station 2 replenishes brand b cigarettes, the cigarettes are thrown to replenishment station 2 for confluence, and then the cigarettes from replenishment station 2 and replenishment station 1 are transported to replenishment station 3 and replenishment station 2 in turn, the replenishment task of virtual station 1 is cleared, and the transportation task is passed to virtual platform 3 and virtual platform 2; on the one hand, step E is triggered, and it is known that the current replenishment task list is not completed, and downstream transportation will not be carried out; on the other hand, it returns to step B4, and it is judged that the target replenishment channel number of virtual platform 1 is different from that of replenishment task 3, so replenishment task 3 is passed to virtual platform 2; however, at this time, virtual platform 2 has a transportation task, so Continue to trigger step D, and transport the cigarettes from replenishment station 3 and replenishment station 2 backward. Since replenishment station 3 is the last replenishment station and the subsequent position is downstream, only virtual platform 3 currently has a transportation task; return to step B4, virtual platform 2 does not have a preceding replenishment task and transportation task, but it is determined that the target replenishment channel number of virtual platform 2 is different from that of replenishment task 3, and replenishment task 3 is passed to virtual platform 3; at this time, virtual platform 3 does not have a preceding replenishment task, but has a transportation task, and continue to trigger step D, transport the cigarettes from replenishment station 3 downstream, and clear the transportation task of virtual platform 3.

[0104] Only then can step B6 trigger step C, by throwing out the cigarette pieces of the real station 3 to the replenishment station 3 for merging, generating the transportation task of the replenishment station 3, and clearing the replenishment task of the virtual station 3. Finally, the output order of cigarette pieces of brands b, a, and c is formed according to the direction of logistics transportation. Then, step E and step A3 are triggered. For step A3, since replenishment task 3 is the last replenishment task, step A is exited. For step E, since the cigarette pieces in the current replenishment task list have been merged in order and there is no new replenishment task list, when waiting for the downstream to be idle, all cigarette pieces on the current main conveying channel will be transported to the downstream in the direction of logistics, and then the conveying tasks of all virtual platforms will be cleared, and step E will be exited.

[0105] It can be seen from the above method that the present invention can control and jointly judge the replenishment task and the transportation task, on the one hand, continue to allocate the replenishment task while waiting for replenishment, thereby improving the efficiency of task allocation, and on the other hand, the front transportation task can also be processed in time, so that the multiple cigarettes that have been merged can be transported downstream in time, ensuring the efficiency of merged transportation. In addition, the continuous replenishment method provided by the present invention also ensures the accuracy of the replenishment sequence while improving the efficiency of merging by strictly controlling the replenishment sequence.

[0106] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structure or equivalent process transformation made by using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings, or directly or indirectly applied in other related technical fields, are also included in the patent protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes, characterized in that: Applied to a cigarette replenishment system, the cigarette replenishment system is provided with a main conveying channel, a plurality of replenishment channels arranged on the side of the main conveying channel and a control mechanism, and the main conveying channel is provided with a plurality of first conveying mechanisms corresponding to each replenishment channel one by one, including the following steps: Step S1: along the logistics transportation direction of the main conveying channel, number each replenishment channel from 1 to X in sequence; set a real platform with the same number as the replenishment channel at the exit of each replenishment channel; then, set a virtual platform corresponding to the real platform number one by one; then, set a number of replenishment stations corresponding to the real platforms on the main conveying channel, and monitor in real time whether there are cigarettes on each replenishment station; Step S2: When replenishment is required, a replenishment task list is added according to the replenishment demand, and the replenishment task list includes replenishment tasks numbered 1 to N; wherein each replenishment task records information of the task sequence number, brand verification code, target replenishment channel number, and target address; Step S3: Send each replenishment task to the virtual platform in the order of the replenishment task list, trigger the replenishment task allocation step A, and perform task allocation; then according to the virtual platform task transfer step B, merging step C, workstation transportation step D and downstream transportation step E, multiple cigarettes are merged on the main conveying channel according to the replenishment order in the replenishment task list, and are output downstream in sequence along the direction of logistics transportation.

2. The method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The replenishment task allocation step A is specifically as follows: Step A1: Set the initial task sequence N of the replenishment task to 1, the number of the virtual station that receives the task to X to 1, and proceed to step A2; Step A2: Assign replenishment task N to virtual station X, and then trigger the virtual station task transfer step B; Step A3: Determine whether the current replenishment task N is the last replenishment task in the current replenishment task list; if not, set N=N+1, X=1, and return to step A2; if so, exit the replenishment task allocation step A.

3. The method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: The virtual platform task transfer step B is specifically as follows: Step B1: Determine whether there is a previous replenishment task for virtual station X; if there is no previous replenishment task, proceed to step B2; if there is a previous replenishment task, the replenishment task enters a waiting state; after the previous replenishment task of virtual station X is cleared, proceed to step B2; Step B2: Determine whether the virtual platform X has a previous transport task; if yes, proceed to step B3; if no, proceed to step B4; Step B3: triggering the workstation transport step D, and after the workstation transport step D is completed, proceeding to step B4; Step B4: Determine whether the target replenishment channel number recorded in the replenishment task N is consistent with the target replenishment channel number of the virtual platform X; if the numbers are inconsistent, proceed to step B5; if the numbers are consistent, proceed to step B6; Step B5: Let X=X+1, pass the replenishment task N to the virtual station X, and return to step B1; Step B6: trigger the merging step C and exit the virtual platform task transfer step B.

4. The method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes according to claim 3, characterized in that: The confluence step C is specifically as follows: Step C1: Determine whether a cigarette is placed on the replenishment station X; if so, proceed to step C2; if not, proceed to step C3; Step C2: triggering the workstation transport step D; after the transport step D is completed, returning to step C1; Step C3: Determine whether there is a cigarette placed on the actual platform X corresponding to the target replenishment channel number; if so, proceed to step C5; if not, proceed to step C4; Step C4: triggering step A3 and generating a transportation task for replenishment station X; Then, after the actual station X is replenished, go to step C6; Step C5: throw out the cigarettes on the real platform X and send them to the replenishment station X for merging; if there is no transportation task at the current replenishment station X, generate a transportation task for the replenishment station X and clear the replenishment task of the virtual platform X; then, trigger the downstream transportation step E and step A3 at the same time, and exit the merging step C; Step C6: throw out the cigarette on the real platform X and send it to the replenishment station X for merging; if there is no transportation task at the current replenishment station X, generate a transportation task for the replenishment station X and clear the replenishment task of the virtual platform X; then, only trigger the downstream transportation step E and exit the merging step C.

5. The method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes according to claim 4, characterized in that: The station transportation step D is specifically as follows: Step D1: Check whether there are continuous transport tasks from virtual station X to the last virtual station in ascending order; if not, proceed to step D4; if so, record the replenishment station number Y where the task is interrupted, and proceed to step D2; Step D2: Determine whether there are cigarette cases placed at replenishment stations Y-1 to X; if not, wait for the cigarette cases at replenishment stations Y-1 to X to be replenished, and then proceed to step D3; if yes, directly proceed to step D3; Step D3: transport all cigarettes between replenishment station Y-1 and replenishment station X one replenishment station backward in descending order; then, transfer the transportation task from virtual station X to virtual station Y-1 to virtual station X+1 to virtual station Y in sequence; if replenishment station Y-1 is the last replenishment station, output the cigarettes of replenishment station Y-1 to the downstream, and clear the transportation task of virtual station Y-1; then, exit step D; Step D4: transport the cigarettes at the current replenishment station to the next replenishment station; then, transfer the transportation task of virtual platform X to the virtual platform X+1 corresponding to the next replenishment station; then, exit step D.

6. The method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes according to claim 4, characterized in that: The downstream transportation step E is also included, and the downstream transportation step E is specifically: Step E1: Make downstream output judgment based on whether there is a new replenishment task list and the completion status of each replenishment task list currently in progress; if the cigarettes in the current replenishment task list have been merged in order and there is no new replenishment task list, proceed to step E2; if the cigarettes in the current replenishment task list have not been merged or there is a new replenishment task list, directly exit the downstream transportation step E; Step E2: When the downstream is idle, all cigarettes on the current main conveying channel are conveyed to the downstream in sequence according to the logistics direction, and then the conveying tasks of all virtual platforms are cleared, and then the downstream transportation step E is exited.

7. The method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes according to claim 4, characterized in that: In the merging step C, the following steps are also included: Step C401: When a cigarette is thrown out from any actual station, the replenishment station corresponding to the main conveying channel is monitored by timing. If it is found that the replenishment station has not received the cigarette within 1.5 seconds, all tasks are suspended and an alarm is sounded.

8. The method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, the replenishment tasks in each replenishment task list are specifically named Replenishment Task 1, Replenishment Task 2, ... Replenishment Task N; and the multiple replenishment task lists are sorted from small to large according to the creation time, and all replenishment tasks in the previous replenishment task list take precedence over the replenishment tasks in the next replenishment task list.

9. The method for continuous replenishment of cigarettes according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a target address allocation step, which specifically includes: when it is detected that a cigarette is placed on the last replenishment station of the main conveying channel, adjusting the transportation direction of the cigarette after leaving the main conveying channel according to the target address recorded in the corresponding replenishment task.

10. A cigarette case replenishment system, using the cigarette case continuous replenishment method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: It includes a control mechanism, a main conveying channel and several replenishing channels; the main conveying channel is provided with several first conveying mechanisms and first monitoring mechanisms; the first monitoring mechanism is used to monitor the placement of cigarette pieces on each first conveying mechanism; the replenishing channel is provided with a second conveying mechanism and a second monitoring mechanism; the second monitoring mechanism is used to monitor the placement of cigarette pieces on the second conveying mechanism; several replenishing channels are arranged laterally relative to the main conveying channel; the control mechanism is electrically connected to several first conveying mechanisms and several second conveying mechanisms respectively.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Goods sorting and split charging equipment and method thereof

    CN101234677A

  • Automatic replenishment system and replenishment method for sorting real-time orders in real time

    CN103274152A

  • Tobacco production auxiliary material storage system

    CN108840010A

  • Raw tobacco proportioning and boxing and formula library logistics system and conveying method

    CN116788749A

  • Inventory control system and inventory control method

    JP2004250162A