Full-automatic assembling device and method for medical atomizing can

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of assembling devices, in particular to a full-automatic assembling device and method for a medical atomization tank, which comprises a tank body feeding module, an atomization part feeding module, a cover body feeding module and an assembling bin, tank bodies are conveyed into the assembling bin through the tank body feeding module, atomization parts are conveyed into the assembling bin through the atomization part feeding module, cover bodies are conveyed into the assembling bin through the cover body feeding module; the application can realize full-automatic assembling of the medical atomization tank, manual intervention or operation is not needed, human resource occupation is reduced, and production efficiency is improved; and through cooperation of the clamping assembly and other structures, the tank body can be clamped and the wall thickness uniformity of the tank body can be detected during cover body assembling, and the medical atomization tank with poor wall thickness uniformity of the tank body can be sorted and marked.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of assembly equipment technology, specifically to a fully automated assembly device and method for medical nebulizers. Background Technology

[0002] Medical nebulizers are key devices used in the medical field for nebulized inhalation therapy. Their core function is to convert liquid medication into tiny droplets, allowing the medication to directly reach the respiratory tract or lungs through inhalation, thereby achieving therapeutic goals. They are primarily used in conjunction with nebulizers. They mainly consist of three parts: the canister body, the nebulizing element, and the cover. The nebulizing element varies in structure depending on the type, including nebulizing discs and jet injectors. Assembly requires positioning the nebulizing element within the canister body before installing the cover. Current technology involves manual assembly, which is not only inefficient and unhygienic, but also prone to wall thickness deviations due to injection molding, making these issues difficult to detect during assembly. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fully automated assembly device and method for medical nebulizers to solve the problems mentioned in the background art.

[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a fully automatic assembly device for a medical nebulizer, comprising a can body feeding module, a nebulizer component feeding module, a cover feeding module, and an assembly chamber. The can body is conveyed into the assembly chamber through the can body feeding module, the nebulizer component is conveyed into the assembly chamber through the nebulizer component feeding module, and the cover is conveyed into the assembly chamber through the cover feeding module.

[0005] The assembly chamber is equipped with a placement arm assembly and a screwing arm assembly. The placement arm assembly is used to pick up the atomizing component delivered by the atomizing component feeding module and place it into the can. Then, the screwing arm assembly picks up the cover delivered by the cover feeding module and screws it onto the can to complete the assembly.

[0006] The screwing arm assembly includes a clamping component and a capping component, wherein the clamping component includes a mating clamp and a main clamp, which work together to clamp and fix the can body.

[0007] The mating fixture is externally provided with a first driving module, and the main fixture is externally provided with a second driving module. The mating fixture is driven to move by the first driving module, and the main fixture is driven to move by the second driving module.

[0008] The mating fixture and the main fixture each have a common air passage inside. The main fixture is provided with a connector, and the mating fixture is provided with a sealing slot. When the mating fixture and the main fixture are in contact, the connector will be inserted into the sealing slot, so that the common air passage inside the mating fixture is connected to the common air passage inside the main fixture.

[0009] Both the mating fixture and the main fixture are provided with branch cavities. There are several groups of branch cavities, which are evenly distributed in a circumferential array. The branch cavities and the common air passage are interconnected. A top plug component is provided inside the branch cavity. The top plug component is in sealed contact with the inner wall surface of the branch cavity. A friction rubber head is provided at the end of the top plug component.

[0010] When there is positive pressure in the common air passage, the top plug extends outward and makes friction contact with the can body through the friction rubber head, clamping and fixing the can body.

[0011] The top plug component has a detection cavity inside, and an insulating sleeve is installed inside the detection cavity. A coil tube is installed on the inner surface of the insulating sleeve, and the end of the coil tube away from the common air passage is in conductive contact with the top plug component.

[0012] The coil tube is provided with an L-shaped pin inside. One end of the L-shaped pin extends outward and the other end is provided with a contact carbon brush. The L-shaped pin makes conductive contact with the coil tube through the contact carbon brush. When the top plug component moves axially, the contact position between the contact carbon brush and the coil tube can be changed.

[0013] The external conductive connection of the top plug component is provided with a fixed-length wire, and a mating pin is provided at one end of the fixed-length wire. The other end of the mating pin extends outward. By measuring the resistance change between the mating pin and the L-shaped pin, the positional movement of the top plug component can be determined.

[0014] The main clamp has an indirect air chamber, one end of which is connected to the common air passage. An elliptical piston is slidably and sealed in the indirect air chamber. A spring fixed shaft is fixedly installed on the elliptical piston. A negative pressure push spring is sleeved on the outside of the spring fixed shaft. The negative pressure push spring applies elastic pressure to the elliptical piston, so that the elliptical piston has an elastic tendency to move away from the common air passage.

[0015] The indirect air chamber is connected to a constant pressure air inlet and an exhaust outlet at the end away from the common air path. The constant pressure air inlet and exhaust outlet are respectively equipped with an on / off solenoid valve, which controls the on / off state of the constant pressure air inlet and exhaust outlet.

[0016] The indirect air chamber is connected to a rack chamber at one end away from the common air passage. A gear chamber is provided on one side of the rack chamber. A fixed rack is provided in the rack chamber and is fixedly installed with an elliptical piston. A direct drive gear is provided in the gear chamber. The direct drive gear and the fixed rack mesh with each other. An external power module is provided outside the main control fixture. The rotating shaft of the external power module extends airtightly into the gear chamber and is connected to the direct drive gear for transmission.

[0017] A laser displacement sensor is installed on the outside of the main clamp to monitor the relative rotation between the tank and the main clamp.

[0018] A method for using a fully automated assembly device for medical nebulizers, the method comprising the following steps:

[0019] Step 1: The tank is transported to the assembly silo via the tank loading module;

[0020] Step 2: After the tank reaches the designated position in the assembly chamber, the arm assembly picks up the atomizing component delivered by the atomizing component feeding module and places it into the tank for assembly.

[0021] Step 3: When the tank reaches the next designated position, the screwing arm assembly picks up the cover conveyed by the cover feeding module and screws it onto the tank to complete the assembly.

[0022] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0023] This invention relates to a fully automated assembly device for medical nebulizer canisters. This device enables fully automated assembly of medical nebulizer canisters without manual intervention or operation, reducing manpower requirements and improving production efficiency. Furthermore, through the use of clamping components and other structural elements, it can simultaneously clamp the canister during lid assembly and detect the uniformity of the canister's wall thickness. Canisters with poor wall thickness uniformity can be sorted and marked for disposal or as defective products. The detection of canister wall thickness uniformity is achieved through the clamping operation of the clamping components, without adding extra steps to the assembly process, thus ensuring high work efficiency.

[0024] This invention, through the combination of an indirect air chamber, a negative pressure push spring, and an opening and closing solenoid valve, enables the top plug component to retract under negative pressure after work without the need for an additional negative pressure pump, relying solely on positive pressure drive switching, thus reducing equipment costs.

[0025] This invention, through the combination of a laser displacement sensor, a fixed rack, and an indirect air chamber, enables the fixed rack to directly drive the elliptical piston shaft to increase pressure and improve the locking force of the top plug component during the rotation and twisting process of the lid and the tank. When relative rotation occurs between the tank and the main clamp, the fixed rack directly drives the elliptical piston shaft to increase pressure. Compared with the existing technology of increasing the pressure of the air pump or increasing the pressure through the pressure regulating valve, the response is faster and the delay is lower, which can effectively reduce the relative rotation distance of the tank. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0027] Figure 2 This is a top view of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the clamping component of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4 This is a three-dimensional half-sectional view of the clamping component of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 5 This is a three-dimensional half-sectional top view of the main fixture of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 6 This is a three-dimensional half-sectional view of a partial structure of the present invention.

[0032] In the diagram: 1. Tank feeding module; 2. Atomizing component feeding module; 3. Cover feeding module; 4. Assembly chamber; 5. Placement arm assembly; 6. Tightening arm assembly; 7. Mating fixture; 8. Main clamp; 9. First drive module; 10. Second drive module; 801. Common air passage; 802. Connector; 803. Sealing slot; 804. Branch chamber; 805. Top plug component; 806. Friction rubber head; 807. Detection cavity; 808. Insulating sleeve; 809. Coil tube; 810. L-shaped 811. Pin; 812. Contact carbon brush; 813. Fixed-length wire; 814. Mating pin; 815. Indirect air chamber; 816. Elliptical piston; 817. Spring fixed axis; 818. Negative pressure push spring; 819. Constant pressure air inlet; 820. Exhaust nozzle; 821. Opening and closing solenoid valve; 822. Rack chamber; 823. Fixed rack; 824. Gear chamber; 825. Direct drive gear; 826. External power module; 827. Laser displacement sensor; 401. Transposition turntable; 402. Finished product discharge hopper. Detailed Implementation

[0033] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0034] Please see Figures 1 to 6 This invention provides a technical solution: a fully automatic assembly device for medical nebulizers, such as... Figure 2As shown, the assembly includes a can body feeding module 1, an atomizing component feeding module 2, a cover feeding module 3, and an assembly chamber 4. The can body is conveyed into the assembly chamber 4 by the can body feeding module 1, the atomizing component is conveyed into the assembly chamber 4 by the atomizing component feeding module 2, and the cover is conveyed into the assembly chamber 4 by the cover feeding module 3. The assembly chamber 4 is equipped with a placement arm assembly 5 and a screwing arm assembly 6. The placement arm assembly 5 is used to pick up the atomizing component conveyed by the atomizing component feeding module 2 and place it into the can body. Then, the screwing arm assembly 6 picks up the cover conveyed by the cover feeding module 3 and screws it onto the can body to complete the assembly.

[0035] The screwing arm assembly 6 includes a clamping assembly and a capping assembly. The clamping assembly includes a mating clamp 7 and a main clamp 8, which work together to clamp and fix the can. The capping assembly includes a jaw clamp for clamping the cap, a jaw clamp rotation drive motor, and a moving track arm, which will not be described in detail in this application.

[0036] The fixture 7 is externally equipped with a first drive module 9, such as... Figure 3 As shown, the first drive module 9 consists of a crossbar and a cylinder, and is fixedly mounted on the crossbar in conjunction with the clamp 7. A second drive module 10 is provided on the outside of the main clamp 8. The second drive module 10 consists of a slide rail device and a cylinder. The cylinder pushes the slide rail device to move the main clamp 8, the first drive module 9 drives the clamp 7 to move, and the second drive module 10 drives the main clamp 8 to move.

[0037] Both the mating fixture 7 and the main fixture 8 have a common air passage 801 inside. The main fixture 8 is provided with a connector 802, and the mating fixture 7 is provided with a sealing slot 803. A rubber ring is embedded inside the sealing slot 803. When the connector 802 is inserted into the sealing slot 803, the rubber ring enhances the sealing performance. When the mating fixture 7 and the main fixture 8 are in contact, the connector 802 will be inserted into the sealing slot 803, so that the common air passage 801 inside the mating fixture 7 and the common air passage 801 inside the main fixture 8 are interconnected.

[0038] Both the clamping fixture 7 and the main clamping fixture 8 are provided with branch cavities 804. There are several groups of branch cavities 804, which are evenly distributed in a circumferential array. The branch cavities 804 are connected to the common air passage 801. A top plug component 805 is provided inside the branch cavity 804. The top plug component 805 is in sealed contact with the inner wall surface of the branch cavity 804. A friction rubber head 806 is provided at the end of the top plug component 805. When there is positive pressure in the common air passage 801, the top plug component 805 extends outward and makes friction contact with the tank through the friction rubber head 806 to clamp and fix the tank.

[0039] The top plug component 805 has a detection cavity 807 inside, and an insulating sleeve 808 is provided inside the detection cavity 807. A coil tube 809 is provided on the inner surface of the insulating sleeve 808. The end of the coil tube 809 away from the common air passage 801 is in conductive contact with the top plug component 805.

[0040] The coil tube 809 has an L-shaped pin 810 inside, with one end of the L-shaped pin 810 extending outward and the other end having a contact carbon brush 811. The L-shaped pin 810 makes conductive contact with the coil tube 809 through the contact carbon brush 811. When the top plug component 805 moves axially, the contact position between the contact carbon brush 811 and the coil tube 809 changes. The top plug component 805 is externally connected to a fixed-length wire 812, with a mating pin 813 at one end. The other end of the mating pin 813 extends outward. By measuring the resistance change between the mating pin 813 and the L-shaped pin 810, the positional movement of the top plug component 805 can be determined. The top plug component 805 is made of a metal conductor and serves as a conductive bridge between the fixed-length wire 812 and the coil tube 809.

[0041] The main clamp 8 has an indirect air chamber 814, one end of which is connected to the common air passage 801. An elliptical piston 815 is slidably disposed in the indirect air chamber 814. A spring fixed shaft 816 is fixedly disposed on the elliptical piston 815. A negative pressure push spring 817 is sleeved on the outside of the spring fixed shaft 816. The negative pressure push spring 817 applies elastic pressure to the elliptical piston 815, so that the elliptical piston 815 has an elastic tendency to move away from the common air passage 801. A constant pressure air inlet 818 and an exhaust port 819 are connected to the end of the indirect air chamber 814 away from the common air passage 801. An opening and closing solenoid valve 820 is respectively disposed on the constant pressure air inlet 818 and the exhaust port 819. The opening and closing of the constant pressure air inlet 818 and the exhaust port 819 are controlled by the opening and closing solenoid valve 820.

[0042] An indirect air chamber 814, located away from the common air passage 801, is connected to a rack chamber 821. A gear chamber 823 is located on one side of the rack chamber 821. A fixed rack 822 is installed in the rack chamber 821 and is fixedly mounted to an elliptical piston 815. A direct drive gear 824 is installed in the gear chamber 823. The direct drive gear 824 and the fixed rack 822 mesh with each other. An external power module 825 is installed outside the main clamp 8. The shaft of the external power module 825 extends airtightly into the gear chamber 823 and is connected to the direct drive gear 824 for transmission. A laser displacement sensor 826 is installed outside the main clamp 8 to monitor the relative rotation between the tank and the main clamp 8.

[0043] A method for using a fully automated assembly device for medical nebulizers, the method comprising the following steps:

[0044] Step 1: The tank body is transported to the assembly chamber 4 through the tank body feeding module 1;

[0045] Step 2: After the tank reaches the designated position in the assembly chamber 4, the placement arm group 5 picks up the atomizing component conveyed by the atomizing component feeding module 2 and places it into the tank for assembly.

[0046] Step 3: When the tank reaches the next designated position, the screwing arm assembly 6 picks up the cover conveyed by the cover feeding module 3 and screws it onto the tank to complete the assembly.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, the assembly chamber 4 is equipped with a shift turntable 401. By rotating the shift turntable 401, the position of the tank conveyed by the tank feeding module 1 is switched, so that the tank reaches the placement arm group 5 or the tightening arm group 6 to achieve the corresponding assembly.

[0048] The assembly chamber 4 is also equipped with a finished product discharge hopper 402. After the screwing arm assembly 6 is completed, the assembled medical nebulizer is output through the finished product discharge hopper 402.

[0049] When the screwing arm assembly 6 is in operation, it is achieved through the cooperation of the clamping assembly and the capping assembly. The capping assembly uses mechanical claws to clamp the cap and moves it above the can, rotating clockwise to assemble the cap and the can. During the assembly, the first drive module 9 and the second drive module 10 in the clamping assembly control the mating fixture 7 and the main control fixture 8 to close, locking and positioning the can to prevent the can from rotating.

[0050] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, when locking the tank, the mating clamp 7 and the main clamp 8 first close together, so that the insertion nozzle 802 is inserted into the sealing slot 803 to form a sealed connection. At this time, the common air passage 801 in the mating clamp 7 and the main clamp 8 is connected. The constant pressure air inlet nozzle 818 is connected to an external constant pressure air source. When the opening and closing solenoid valve 820 on the constant pressure air inlet nozzle 818 is opened, the compressed gas in the constant pressure air inlet nozzle 818 enters the indirect air chamber 814. At this time, the exhaust nozzle 819 is still in a closed state. The compressed gas drives the elliptical piston 815 to move, compressing the negative pressure push spring 817.

[0051] like Figure 5 As shown, during the downward movement of the elliptical piston 815, the positive pressure below the elliptical piston 815 causes the air pressure in the common air passage 801 to rise until it reaches equilibrium.

[0052] Under the same gas pressure and piston cross-sectional area, according to the pressure formula, the generated pressure will also be the same, such as... Figure 6 As shown, the air pressure in the common air passage 801 pushes the top plug component 805 out with the same pressure, causing the top plug component 805 to make frictional contact with the can body through the friction rubber head 806, thereby locking the can body. Since the pressure of the top plug component 805 extending is the same, when the wall thickness uniformity of the can body is inconsistent, the side wall of the can body will deform differently under the same pressure, resulting in different extension distances of the top plug component 805. The change in position of the top plug component 805 will determine the length of the coil tube 809 connected between the mating pin 813 and the L-shaped pin 810. A rated voltage is applied between the mating pin 813 and the L-shaped pin 810, and the change in current is measured to calculate the change in resistance, reflecting the position of the top plug component 805. When the difference in the position movement of the top plug component 805 exceeds a set threshold, it indicates that the wall thickness uniformity of the can body is too poor.

[0053] After the cover is tightened, first close the constant pressure air inlet 818, then open the exhaust outlet 819. Under the elastic force of the negative pressure push spring 817, the elliptical piston 815 returns to its original position and moves, as shown. Figure 5 As shown, the gas on the upper side of the elliptical piston 815 is discharged through the exhaust port 819. When the elliptical piston 815 moves to its reset position, the gas in the common air passage 801 is drawn back into the indirect air chamber 814, causing the top plug component 805 to retract and return to its original position. After the elliptical piston 815 moves into position, the exhaust port 819 is closed, and the clamp 7 and the main clamp 8 are separated again.

[0054] During the above process, the movement of the tank is monitored by the laser displacement sensor 826. When the tank rotates relative to the main clamp 8, the pressure in the common air passage 801 is rapidly increased, so that the squeezing and locking force of the top plug component 805 is greater, thereby suppressing the rotation.

[0055] If the initial pressure in the common air path 801 is too high, although it can reduce the probability of the canister rotating relative to the main clamp 8, it will also have certain drawbacks. It is not only prone to causing excessive compression deformation of the canister, but also causes the friction rubber head 806 to wear faster, prolongs the locking and inflation time, and reduces efficiency. After monitoring the rotation of the canister relative to the main clamp 8, the air pressure is then rapidly increased. In traditional technology, the gas pressure in the common air path 801 is increased by increasing the air pump pressure or by using a pressure regulating valve. The response speed is slow, especially when increasing the pressure by the air pump, the delay is more than several seconds. Increasing the pressure by the pressure regulating valve also has a delay of 1-2 seconds. In addition, the delay in gas conduction in the pipeline will make it impossible to lock the canister in time.

[0056] like Figure 3 and Figure 5As shown, the present invention utilizes structures such as an indirect air chamber 814 and an elliptical piston 815, in conjunction with a fixed rack 822. When the rotation of the tank relative to the main clamp 8 is detected, the fixed rack 822 is quickly driven by the external power module 825 and the direct drive gear 824 to move the elliptical piston 815, thereby further increasing the pressure in the common air passage 801 and significantly reducing its delay, which can be controlled within tens of milliseconds to ensure the assembly effect.

[0057] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A fully automated assembly device for a medical nebulizer canister, comprising a canister feeding module, a nebulizer component feeding module, a cover feeding module, and an assembly chamber, characterized in that: The can body is conveyed into the assembly chamber through the can body feeding module, the atomizing component is conveyed into the assembly chamber through the atomizing component feeding module, and the cover is conveyed into the assembly chamber through the cover feeding module. The assembly chamber is equipped with a placement arm assembly and a screwing arm assembly. The placement arm assembly is used to pick up the atomizing component conveyed by the atomizing component feeding module and place it into the can. Then, the screwing arm assembly picks up the cover conveyed by the cover feeding module and screws it onto the can to complete the assembly. The screw-on arm assembly includes a clamping component and a capping component. The clamping component includes a mating clamp and a main clamp, which work together to clamp and fix the can body. Both the mating clamp and the main clamp have internal common air passages. The main clamp has a connector, and the mating clamp has a sealing slot. When the mating clamp and the main clamp are engaged, the connector inserts into the sealing slot, connecting the common air passages inside the mating clamp and the main clamp. Both the mating clamp and the main clamp have branch cavities, arranged in a circular array, and these cavities are interconnected with the common air passages. A top plug is located inside each branch cavity, sealing against the inner wall surface of the cavity. The end of the top plug has a friction rubber head. When there is positive pressure in the common air passage, the top plug... The plug component extends outward and contacts the can body through friction with a rubber head, clamping and fixing the can body in place. An internal detection cavity is provided inside the plug component, and an insulating sleeve is installed inside the detection cavity. A coil tube is installed on the inner surface of the insulating sleeve, with the end of the coil tube away from the common air passage in conductive contact with the plug component. An L-shaped pin is installed inside the coil tube, with one end extending outward and the other end having a contact carbon brush. The L-shaped pin makes conductive contact with the coil tube through the contact carbon brush. When the plug component moves axially, the contact position between the contact carbon brush and the coil tube changes. A fixed-length wire is connected externally to the plug component, with a mating pin at one end. The other end of the mating pin extends outward. By measuring the resistance change between the mating pin and the L-shaped pin, the positional movement of the plug component can be determined.

2. The fully automatic assembly device for a medical nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The mating fixture is externally provided with a first driving module, and the main fixture is externally provided with a second driving module. The mating fixture is driven to move by the first driving module, and the main fixture is driven to move by the second driving module.

3. The fully automatic assembly device for a medical nebulizer according to claim 1, characterized in that: The main clamp has an indirect air chamber, one end of which is connected to the common air passage. An elliptical piston is slidably and sealed in the indirect air chamber. A spring fixed shaft is fixedly installed on the elliptical piston. A negative pressure push spring is sleeved on the outside of the spring fixed shaft. The negative pressure push spring applies elastic pressure to the elliptical piston, so that the elliptical piston has an elastic tendency to move away from the common air passage. The indirect air chamber is connected to a constant pressure air inlet and an exhaust outlet at the end away from the common air path. The constant pressure air inlet and exhaust outlet are respectively equipped with an on / off solenoid valve, which controls the on / off state of the constant pressure air inlet and exhaust outlet.

4. The fully automatic assembly device for a medical nebulizer according to claim 3, characterized in that: The indirect air chamber is connected to a rack chamber at one end away from the common air passage. A gear chamber is provided on one side of the rack chamber. A fixed rack is provided in the rack chamber and is fixedly installed with an elliptical piston. A direct drive gear is provided in the gear chamber. The direct drive gear and the fixed rack mesh with each other. An external power module is provided outside the main control fixture. The rotating shaft of the external power module extends airtightly into the gear chamber and is connected to the direct drive gear for transmission. A laser displacement sensor is installed on the outside of the main clamp to monitor the relative rotation between the tank and the main clamp.

5. A method of using the fully automatic assembly device for a medical nebulizer according to any one of claims 1-4, characterized in that, The method includes the following steps: Step 1: The tank is transported to the assembly silo via the tank loading module; Step 2: After the tank reaches the designated position in the assembly chamber, the arm assembly picks up the atomizing component delivered by the atomizing component feeding module and places it into the tank for assembly. Step 3: When the tank reaches the next designated position, the screwing arm assembly picks up the cover conveyed by the cover feeding module and screws it onto the tank to complete the assembly.

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