Sucker type separating device

Abstract

The invention discloses a suction cup type separation device, and mainly relates to the technical field of PET tray separation. Comprising a walking mechanism, the walking mechanism comprises a base, a supporting mechanism is arranged on the top face of the base, a conveying device is arranged at the top of the supporting mechanism, a control mechanism is arranged on the side face of the supporting mechanism, the control mechanism comprises a control cabinet and a servo motor, and a feeding mechanism is obliquely arranged on the upper portion of the conveying device. The feeding mechanism comprises a feeding port and a discharging port, the discharging port is provided with a separating mechanism, and the control mechanism is electrically connected with the conveying device and the separating mechanism. The device has the beneficial effects that effective adsorption separation can be carried out on the PET tray with the turned-over edge, the sorting efficiency is greatly improved, and the labor cost is reduced.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of PET tray separation, and specifically to a sucker separation device. Background Art

[0002] Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays are widely used in the fields of food packaging, pharmaceutical dispensing, and electronic product carrying due to their advantages such as light weight, corrosion resistance, high transparency, and recyclability. In recent years, with the upgrading of the demand for efficient sorting in automated production lines, PET trays with flanging designs have gradually become the mainstream. Such flanging structures can significantly improve the stacking stability of trays and facilitate the grasping and positioning of robotic arms. However, at the same time, they cause a local vacuum adsorption effect due to the flanging fitting between stacked trays, greatly increasing the difficulty of automatic separation.

[0003] The current mainstream tray separation devices on the market (such as friction sorters, air suction single-sheet separators, or robotic arm arrays) are mainly designed for non-flanged PET trays, and their working principles rely on the planar contact characteristics between trays. However, when dealing with flanged trays, the overlapping of flanging structures leads to the following technical bottlenecks: 1. Adsorption interference: Due to the too-high sealing performance of the flanging gap, traditional air suction devices are prone to adsorb multiple trays at a time, resulting in sorting failures or equipment jams; 2. Mechanical imbalance: The mechanical pushing separation mechanism is prone to cause tray deformation or even edge cracking due to uneven force on the flanging, and the yield rate drops below 80%; 3. Efficiency decay: Existing equipment needs to be frequently stopped for manual intervention, and the sorting speed is slow, unable to meet the requirements of high-speed production lines.

[0004] According to industry research, the global annual demand for flanged PET trays in the food packaging field alone exceeds 5 billion pieces, and the defects of existing technologies force more than 30% of enterprises to still use manual sorting, increasing the single-line labor cost by 15%-20%.

[0005] Therefore, developing an adaptive separation device adapted to the flanging structure has become the core technical direction to break through the bottleneck of automated production lines and achieve cost reduction and efficiency improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a sucker separation device, which can effectively adsorb and separate flanged PET trays, greatly improving the sorting efficiency and reducing the labor cost.

[0007] To achieve the above object, the present invention is realized through the following technical solutions: The main structure includes a traveling mechanism, the traveling mechanism includes a base, a supporting mechanism is arranged on the top surface of the base, a conveying device is arranged on the top of the supporting mechanism, a control mechanism is arranged on the side of the supporting mechanism, the control mechanism includes a control cabinet and a servo motor, a feeding mechanism is obliquely arranged on the upper part of the conveying device, the feeding mechanism includes a feeding port and a discharging port, a separating mechanism is arranged at the discharging port, and the control mechanism is electrically connected to the conveying device and the separating mechanism respectively.

[0008] Preferably, the base includes a first fixing plate and two traveling brackets which are integrally arranged. The first fixing plate and the two traveling brackets are both rectangular plate-shaped structures, and the lengths of the two traveling brackets are greater than the length of the first fixing plate. The two traveling brackets are respectively arranged at both ends of the side surface of the first fixing plate. First grooves are arranged on the bottom surfaces of the two traveling brackets along the extending direction of the traveling brackets, and first traveling wheels are arranged in the two first grooves.

[0009] Preferably, a connecting plate is arranged on the top surface of the first fixing plate of the base, and a steering mechanism is arranged on the side surface of the connecting plate. The steering mechanism includes a grip, a grip connecting rod is arranged at the bottom of the grip, a rotating shaft is arranged at the bottom of the grip connecting rod, the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the connecting plate, a transmission shaft is arranged at the bottom end of the rotating shaft, and second traveling wheels are respectively arranged at both ends of the transmission shaft.

[0010] Preferably, the supporting mechanism includes two first support rods. Fixed suction cups are respectively arranged at both ends of the bottom surfaces of the two first support rods. Vertical rods are respectively arranged at both ends of the top surfaces of the two first support rods. A connecting plate is arranged in the middle of the vertical rods. Control cabinets are arranged on the side surfaces of the vertical rods located on the same first support rod.

[0011] Preferably, a transmission device is arranged on the side surface of the top surface of the vertical rod. The transmission device includes two second fixing plates which are arranged in parallel. Rolling shafts are linearly arrayed between the two second fixing plates along the extending direction of the second fixing plates. A roller is arranged on the outer side of the rolling shaft. A conveyor belt is also arranged between the two second fixing plates. The conveyor belt is arranged on the outer side of a plurality of rollers and is in contact with the plurality of rollers. U-shaped hanging plates are arranged on the outer side walls of the two second fixing plates, and a servo motor is arranged at the bottom of the U-shaped hanging plate.

[0012] Preferably, the feeding mechanism further includes two front support rods and two rear support rods. The two front support rods and the two rear support rods are arranged on both sides of the two second fixing plates of the transmission device in parallel and form a certain angle with the second fixing plates. The two rear support rods are shorter than the two front support rods. A feeding plate is arranged on the top surfaces of the two front support rods and the two rear support rods. Barriers are arranged on both sides of the feeding plate. A U-shaped frame is arranged at one end of the feeding plate close to the discharging port.

[0013] Preferably, the separation mechanism includes a grasping device and a hovering device. The grasping device includes a driving motor which is arranged on the side of the conveying device and close to one end of the discharge port. The output end of the driving motor is provided with a hollow shaft, the end of the hollow shaft is provided with a hollow telescopic rod, the end of the telescopic rod is provided with a vacuum chuck, and the grasping device further includes a vacuum machine.

[0014] Preferably, the hovering device includes four connecting blocks which are arranged on the outer side of the U-shaped frame. A micro-shrinker is arranged on the same side where the connecting block is connected to the U-shaped frame, and the output end of the micro-shrinker is provided with a conical tube.

[0015] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are as follows: 1. High compatibility separation ability: Combining the geometric characteristics of the PET tray flanging structure, a collaborative design of a negative pressure chuck and a hovering device is adopted. The adsorption pressure is dynamically adjusted by a vacuum machine, and the flexible buffer of the conical tube is coordinated to accurately break the vacuum adsorption effect between the trays, greatly improving the single-sheet separation success rate. At the same time, the linkage design of the telescopic rod and the hollow shaft can adapt to different flanging heights (5 - 20 mm) and is compatible with the mainstream tray specifications in industries such as food and medicine.

[0016] 2. Double improvement in stability and efficiency: The walking mechanism and the steering mechanism adopt a double walking wheel set and a grip steering design, which support the rapid deployment and accurate positioning of the equipment between production lines, greatly shortening the switching of the working scenarios of the separation device. At the same time, the conveyor belt and the servo motor speed regulation system enable the sorting speed to be adjustable, and the optimization of the inclination angle of the feeding plate greatly improves the material passing efficiency, meeting the continuous operation requirements of high-speed production lines.

[0017] 3. Strengthened structural reliability: The fixed chuck and the multi-stage support rod form a three-dimensional mechanical stable framework to eliminate the tray offset caused by mechanical vibration. Cooperating with the multi-stage buffer protection mechanism composed of the U-shaped hanging plate and the micro-shrinker, the breakage rate of the PET tray is greatly reduced, achieving an order-of-magnitude optimization compared with the existing mechanical pushing scheme.

[0018] 4. The modular design reduces the maintenance complexity and greatly reduces the equipment failure maintenance cost. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is an isometric view of a suction cup type separation device of the present invention; Figure 2 is an isometric view of the walking mechanism of a suction cup type separation device of the present invention; Figure 3 is a front view of the walking mechanism of a suction cup type separation device of the present invention; Figure 4It is the left view of the traveling mechanism of a sucker-type separating device of the present invention; Figure 5 It is the isometric view of the bracket mechanism of a sucker-type separating device of the present invention; Figure 6 It is the front view of the bracket mechanism of a sucker-type separating device of the present invention; Figure 7 It is the isometric view of the conveying device and the feeding mechanism of a sucker-type separating device of the present invention; Figure 8 It is the front view of the conveying device and the feeding mechanism of a sucker-type separating device of the present invention; Figure 9 It is the isometric view of a sucker-type separating device of the present invention; Figure 10 It is the separating mechanism view of a sucker-type separating device of the present invention.

[0020] Reference numerals shown in the drawings: 1, traveling mechanism; 2, support mechanism; 3, conveying device; 4, feeding mechanism; 5, separating mechanism; 101, traveling bracket; 102, first fixing plate; 103, first traveling wheel; 104, grip; 105, grip connecting rod; 106, steering connecting disc; 107, second groove; 108, steering connecting rod; 109, steering seat; 110, rotating shaft; 111, transmission shaft; 112, second traveling wheel; 113, telescopic spring; 201, first support rod; 202, rubber sucker; 203, vertical rod; 204, control cabinet; 205, wire routing board; 206, first wire routing groove; 207, second wire routing groove; 301, second fixing plate; 302, roller; 303, conveyor belt; 304, U-shaped hanging plate; 401, rear support rod; 402, front support rod; 403, feeding plate; 404, U-shaped frame; 501, drive motor; 502, hollow shaft; 503, telescopic rod; 504, negative pressure sucker; 505, connecting block; 506, micro shrinker; 507, tapered tube. Detailed implementation manners

[0021] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with specific embodiments. It should be understood that these embodiments are only used to illustrate the present invention and not to limit the scope of the present invention. In addition, it should be understood that after reading the content taught by the present invention, those skilled in the art can make various changes or modifications to the present invention, and these equivalent forms also fall within the scope defined by this application.

[0022] In the present invention, terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "rear", "vertical", "horizontal", "side", "bottom", etc. indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings. They are only relational terms determined for the convenience of describing the structural relationships of various components or elements of the present invention, and do not specifically refer to any component or element in the present invention, and should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention.

[0023] In the present invention, terms such as "fixed connection", "connected", "connected to" should be understood in a broad sense, which may mean a fixed connection, an integral connection or a detachable connection; it may be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. For relevant scientific research or technical personnel in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be determined according to specific circumstances, and should not be construed as a limitation on the present invention.

[0024] Embodiment: As Figure 1 shown, this embodiment provides a suction cup type separation device, and its main structure includes: A traveling mechanism, a supporting mechanism, a conveying device, a control mechanism, a feeding mechanism, and a separating mechanism.

[0025] As Figures 2 - 4 shown, the traveling mechanism includes a base, and the base is specifically a first fixing plate integrally provided and two traveling brackets. In this embodiment, the first fixing plate is a rectangular plate-like structure. Traveling brackets are respectively provided at both ends of the side surface of the first fixing plate. The traveling brackets are two identical rectangular plate-like structures, and their lengths are much larger than the first fixing plate. The two traveling brackets and the first fixing plate form a U-shaped structure that is laid down and horizontally placed. In order to reduce the harm caused by the edges and corners of the traveling brackets to on-site workers during the pushing process, the ends of the traveling brackets away from the first fixing plate are rounded; First grooves are provided on the bottom surfaces of the two traveling brackets. The notch of the first groove is parallel to the long side of the traveling bracket. First traveling wheels are provided in both first grooves. In order to ensure the stability of the entire separation device during the traveling process, two first traveling wheels are provided in the two first grooves in this embodiment, and the first traveling wheels are connected to the first grooves through bearings; On the top surface of the first fixing plate, a connecting plate is provided. A steering connecting disk is provided at the top end of the side surface of the connecting plate away from the traveling bracket. A circular second groove is provided on the bottom surface of the steering connecting disk. At the same time, at a position near the bottom end of the side surface of the connecting plate on the same side as the steering connecting disk, two steering connecting rods are provided. The two steering connecting rods are symmetrically arranged left and right on the connecting plate, and there is a gap in the middle. A steering seat is fixed between the two steering connecting rods through bolts. A circular through hole is provided at the middle position of the steering seat. The through hole and the second groove are coaxially and identically sized. A steering mechanism is provided between the through hole and the second groove; The steering mechanism includes a grip. At the bottom end of the grip, there is a grip connecting rod. The bottom end of the grip connecting rod is connected to a rotating shaft structure through bolts. The rotating shaft structure includes a rotating shaft. The top end of the rotating shaft is arranged in a second groove and penetrates through a through hole at the same time, enabling the rotating shaft to rotate in the through hole and the second groove simultaneously. At the bottom end of the rotating shaft, there is a transmission shaft. The transmission shaft is perpendicular to the rotating shaft, and at both ends of the transmission shaft, there are second traveling wheels respectively. The lowest points of the second traveling wheels are on the same horizontal plane as the lowest points of the first traveling wheels. By controlling the left and right swing of the grip, the left and right swing of the second traveling wheels is driven, realizing the steering of the entire traveling mechanism. In this embodiment, considering that the traveling bracket may hit hard objects such as walls during the actual operation of the entire device, and if the connection between the grip and the entire device is rigid, it may cause harm to the staff pushing the device. Therefore, a flexible adjustment structure is provided outside the rotating shaft. The flexible adjustment structure includes a sleeve. The sleeve is sleeved outside the rotating shaft and is fixedly connected to the rotating shaft. On the side of the sleeve away from the connecting plate, there is a hollow through groove. On the inner bottom surface of the through groove, there is a telescopic spring. At the top end of the telescopic spring, there is a convex block. The convex block is fixedly connected to the bottom end of the grip, and the end of the grip is arranged in the through groove and is fixedly connected through bolts. With this setting method, when the staff hits a hard object during the pushing process and their body moves forward due to inertia, the telescopic spring will play a protective role to prevent the staff from being harmed.

[0026] As Figures 5 - 6 shown, the support mechanism includes two first support rods. The two first support rods are arranged in parallel on the upper parts of the two traveling brackets and are perpendicular to the traveling brackets. The lengths of the two first support rods are greater than the distance between the two traveling brackets, and both ends of the two first support rods are located above the top surfaces of the two traveling brackets. Rubber suction cups are provided on the bottom surfaces at both ends of the first support rods, and the suction cups are placed on the top surfaces of the traveling brackets and are in contact with the top surfaces of the traveling brackets, increasing the friction between the support mechanism and the traveling mechanism and improving the stability of the overall device. At the positions near both ends on the top surface of each first support rod, vertical rods are respectively provided, and the lengths of each vertical rod are the same and are perpendicularly arranged to the first support rod. At the bottom end of the side wall of each vertical rod, an L-shaped angle iron is provided, and each vertical rod is fixedly connected to the first support rod through the L-shaped angle iron and bolts. On the side walls of the two vertical rods far from the first fixing plate, a control cabinet is connected, and a number of first screw holes are penetratingly provided on the side walls of these two vertical rods. On the side wall of the control cabinet close to these two vertical rods, a number of second screw holes are provided, and the second screw holes and the first screw holes have the same diameter and are concentric. The control cabinet is fixed on the vertical rod through the cooperation of bolts. In the middle of the four vertical rods, a wire routing board in a cuboid structure is also provided. The wire routing board is arranged parallel to the first walking bracket, and the four end points of the wire routing board are respectively welded to the four vertical rods. On the two side surfaces of the wire routing board, first wire grooves are provided. On the side walls of the two vertical rods on the side close to the first fixing plate, second wire grooves are provided. The first wire grooves and the second wire grooves communicate with each other to facilitate the installation and fixation of the wire harness of the control cabinet.

[0027] As Figures 7 - 8 shown, the conveying device includes two hollow second fixing plates arranged in parallel with each other. A number of rolling shafts are linearly arrayed in the middle of the two second fixing plates. A roller is arranged on the outer side of the rolling shaft. The rolling shaft is sleeved on the side wall of the second fixing plate and can rotate. At the same time, the rolling shaft is fixedly connected to the roller. A conveyor belt is also provided between the two second fixing plates. The conveyor belt is arranged on the outer side of a number of rollers and is in contact with these rollers. On the outer side walls of the two second fixing plates, U-shaped hanging plates are provided. On the outer bottom surface of the U-shaped hanging plate, two third grooves are arranged in parallel. The third grooves are arranged parallel to the walking bracket, and a number of third screw holes are provided in the grooves. The third screw holes are used to install the servo motor, and the installation position is adjusted according to the size of the servo motor during actual use. The output end of the servo motor is arranged inside the second fixing plate, and a gear set is provided. The gear set is connected to the rolling shaft. When the servo motor is powered on and operates, it drives the rolling shaft to rotate. Due to the frictional force between the rolling shaft and the conveyor belt, the conveyor belt is driven to rotate; The feeding mechanism includes two front support rods and two rear support rods. The two front support rods and the two rear support rods are all arranged in parallel on both sides of the two second fixing plates, and the two front support rods are longer than the two rear support rods. At the same time, the two front support rods and the two rear support rods are respectively arranged on both sides of the U-shaped plate and form a certain angle with the second fixing plate. On the top surfaces of the two front support rods and the two rear support rods, a feeding plate is provided. On both sides of the feeding plate, retaining bars are provided. The lower surface of the retaining bar is also provided with an L-shaped angle iron. The front support rods, the rear support rods and the feeding plate are fixed through the cooperation of the L-shaped angle iron and bolts. At one end of the feeding plate close to the first fixing plate, a U-shaped frame is provided.

[0028] As Figures 9 - 10As shown in the figure, the separation mechanism includes a grasping device and a hovering device. The grasping device includes a driving motor, which is electrically connected to the servo motor. The driving motor is arranged on the side of the conveying device and close to one end of the first fixing plate. The output end of the driving motor is provided with a hollow shaft, the end of the hollow shaft is provided with a hollow telescopic rod, and the end of the telescopic rod is provided with a negative pressure suction cup. The grasping device also includes a vacuum machine; The hovering device includes four connecting blocks. The four connecting blocks are arranged on the outer side of the U-shaped frame. A micro-shrinking machine is arranged on the same side where the connecting block is connected to the U-shaped frame, and the output end of the micro-shrinking machine is provided with a conical tube.

[0029] A circuit board is arranged in the control cabinet, and the circuit board realizes the following functions: After the servo motor starts to work, the servo motor supplies power to the driving motor to make the driving motor perform a 90-degree arc movement along the axis of the hollow shaft. When the negative pressure suction cup is perpendicular to the PET tray at the discharge port, the telescopic rod controls the negative pressure suction cup to move towards the tray. At the same time, the vacuum machine starts to pump vacuum, so that the PET tray can be adsorbed on the negative pressure suction cup. At the same time, the micro-shrinking machines on both sides of the U-shaped frame are in a dormant state, that is, the conical tubes are in a normal state and are used to hold the PET tray. The micro-shrinking machine at the top of the U-shaped frame is in a working state, that is, the conical tube is in a contracted state; After the negative pressure suction cup completes the adsorption, the telescopic rod controls the negative pressure suction cup to move away from the discharge port. At the same time, the driving motor controls the hollow shaft to move towards the conveyor belt direction. At this time, the micro-shrinking machines on both sides of the U-shaped frame are in a working state, that is, the conical tubes contract, so that the PET tray adsorbed by the negative pressure suction cup can fall off from the stacked trays. At the same time, the two satellite shrinking machines at the top of the U-shaped frame start to work, that is, the conical tubes are in a dormant state, that is, the conical tubes are in a normal state and are used to hold the next tray; When the negative pressure suction cup is directly above the top surface of the conveyor belt, the telescopic rod controls the negative pressure suction cup to move towards the conveyor belt direction. At the same time, the vacuum machine starts to release vacuum, so that the PET tray is separated from the negative pressure suction cup and thus falls on the conveyor belt to achieve separation.

[0030] The above is a specific description of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the described embodiment. Those skilled in the art can also make various equivalent deformations or substitutions without departing from the spirit of the present invention. These equivalent deformations or substitutions are all included in the scope defined by the claims of this application.

Claims

1. A sucker-type separation device, characterized in that, It includes a traveling mechanism, the traveling mechanism includes a base, a support mechanism is arranged on the top surface of the base, a conveying device is arranged on the top of the support mechanism, a control mechanism is arranged on the side of the support mechanism, the control mechanism includes a control cabinet and a servo motor, a feeding mechanism is obliquely arranged on the upper part of the conveying device, the feeding mechanism includes a feeding port and a discharging port, a separating mechanism is arranged at the discharging port, and the control mechanism is electrically connected to the conveying device and the separating mechanism respectively.

2. The suction cup type separation device according to claim 1, wherein The base includes a first fixing plate and two traveling brackets integrally arranged. The first fixing plate and the two traveling brackets are both rectangular plate-like structures, and the lengths of the two traveling brackets are greater than the length of the first fixing plate. The two traveling brackets are respectively arranged at both ends of the side surface of the first fixing plate. First grooves are arranged on the bottom surfaces of the two traveling brackets along the extending direction of the traveling brackets, and first traveling wheels are arranged in the two first grooves.

3. The suction cup type separation device according to claim 2, wherein A connecting plate is arranged on the top surface of the first fixing plate of the base, and a steering mechanism is arranged on the side surface of the connecting plate. The steering mechanism includes a handle. A handle connecting rod is arranged at the bottom of the handle, a rotating shaft is arranged at the bottom of the handle connecting rod, the rotating shaft is rotatably connected to the connecting plate, a transmission shaft is arranged at the bottom end of the rotating shaft, and second traveling wheels are respectively arranged at both ends of the transmission shaft.

4. The suction cup type separation device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The support mechanism includes two first support rods. Fixed suction cups are respectively arranged at both ends of the bottom surfaces of the two first support rods. Vertical rods are respectively arranged at both ends of the top surfaces of the two first support rods. A connecting plate is arranged in the middle of the vertical rods. Control cabinets are arranged on the side surfaces of the vertical rods located on the same first support rod.

5. The suction cup type separation device according to claim 4, characterized in that, A conveying device is arranged on the side surface of the top of the vertical rod. The conveying device includes two second fixing plates arranged in parallel. Rolling shafts are linearly arrayed between the two second fixing plates along the extending direction of the second fixing plates. A roller is arranged on the outer side of the rolling shaft. A conveyor belt is also arranged between the two second fixing plates. The conveyor belt is arranged on the outer side of a plurality of rollers and is in contact with the plurality of rollers. U-shaped hanging plates are arranged on the outer side walls of the two second fixing plates, and a servo motor is arranged at the bottom of the U-shaped hanging plate.

6. The suction cup type separation device according to claim 1, wherein The feeding mechanism further includes two front support rods and two rear support rods. The two front support rods and the two rear support rods are all arranged in parallel on both sides of the two second fixing plates of the conveying device and form a certain angle with the second fixing plates. The two rear support rods are shorter than the two front support rods. A feeding plate is arranged on the top surfaces of the two front support rods and the two rear support rods. Barriers are arranged on both sides of the feeding plate. A U-shaped frame is arranged at one end of the feeding plate close to the discharging port.

7. The suction cup type separation device according to claim 1, wherein, The separating mechanism includes a grasping device and a hovering device. The grasping device includes a driving motor. The driving motor is arranged on the side surface of the conveying device and close to one end of the discharging port. A hollow shaft is arranged at the output end of the driving motor. A hollow telescopic rod is arranged at the end of the hollow shaft. A negative pressure suction cup is arranged at the end of the telescopic rod. The grasping device further includes a vacuum machine.

8. The suction cup type separation device according to claim 7, wherein, The hovering device includes four connecting blocks, the four connecting blocks are arranged on the outer side of the U-shaped frame, a micro-contractor is arranged on the same side where the connecting block is connected to the U-shaped frame, and a conical tube is arranged at the output end of the micro-contractor.

Images